Dear Mother Nature

Posted on July 3, 2014 by A Dreamer

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I am OK with my beach trip being delayed a couple days – just don’t hurt anyone and try really hard to leave all the buildings intact, OK?

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So, I seem to have developed a small comic book problem.

Posted on May 23, 2014 by A Dreamer

And I blame Noelle Stevenson and Neil Gaiman. Last summer, Amazon offered Sandman Vol 1, #1 as a free download. It’s Neil Gaiman and it was free, so why not? Very good decision. It was very entertaining and I definitely wanted to read the rest of it, even if I was 25 years behind. But classes started up again and reading for fun kind of went out the window.

Fast forward to this spring – that is where Noelle Stevenson comes in. I’d been following her on Tumblr and loved her webcomic, Nimona. (It’s winding down, so you should go read it from the beginning. Seriously.) Noelle announced that she, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, Maarta Laiho and Aubrey Aiese would be producing a comic with Boom! Studios – Lumberjanes. Well, sign me up – literally – I went to Laughing Ogre comics and preordered that sucker. (As did a lot of people, between preorders and purchases, it sold out and is getting a second printing.)

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When I went in for the preorder, I discovered they had all the Sandman volumes! So I’ve been building up that inventory.

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In my defense, 4 & 7 belong to my brother.

And by sheer dumb luck, stumbled on Sandman:Overture #1. (I am setting these aside until I am done with the rest of Sandman, as I’ve been warned that there are spoilers.)

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Now, to get a pull list, you need 5 titles. I had 2. I really didn’t think I’d come up with 5 anytime soon, but I didn’t mind the idea of going to the shop as soon as the new titles came out, so not really a problem.

I started skimming comiclist.com every week to see when the next Sandman was coming out. And found Edge of Empire #1. Looked interesting and I didn’t have to worry about jumping in the middle of a series. So, when I went to pick up Lumberjanes, I was up to 3, sort of – Edge of Empire is only a 2 issue series.

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Then when I went to get Lumberjanes #2, I spied Dead Letters 1&2 and Evil Empire 1&2 on the shelves. (I was very happy to get 1&2 together on both of these. You read along, thinking “yeah, this could be good, I like it so far” and then you hit the last page and go, “Oh, shit!” and scramble for the next issue.)

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Looking through comiclist.com this week, I found The Last Broadcast.
Urban Exploration? I’m in.

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So, today I went to the comic shop to pick up Last Broadcast and start my pull list. And found Starlight. (Retired superhero is back in action.) United States of Murder, Inc. (Staff pick I remembered seeing on Laughing Ogre’s blog.) And then Shutter, about the daughter of the world’s greatest explorer, on a staff recommendation seeing what I had already bought.

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So, in the space of just over two months I’ve gone from 2 comic books to a pull list of 8. I really shouldn’t be surprised that it spiraled out of control so fast – a comic book shop is just like any other bookshop – I shouldn’t be left unsupervised in them.

Other things that have accidentally leapt into my arms at the shop:

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My Internet friend died this week.

Posted on April 18, 2014 by A Dreamer

I’ve been a bit hit or miss on the TMF boards in the past few weeks – impending finals, Easter, whathaveyou.  It happens.  But I logged in earlier today and discovered that TMFPMarti, aka self-named “Uncle Phil” had gone on to his great reward day before yesterday.

Despite being only a state away from each other, I never met Phil in person – though he would excuse that, as he acknowledged that the Potomac River might as well be named the Potomac Ocean.   (He seemed to be as averse to traffic as I am.)

While I can’t exactly say where I “met” Phil – it was definitely on The Motley Fool message boards – I’m just not sure which board.  Probably the Baby Boomers board, which I technically don’t belong to on a strict age range, but no one there really cared.

Where I got to know, adore and appreciate Phil was on the Taking Care of Parents board.  I was taking care of a grandparent, and going slightly nuts in the process – and Phil was there with experience, wisdom, encouragement, reassurance, and a good dose of, “Suck it up, Buttercup!  This sucks, but it’s not the end of the world, and you can and will get through it.”

He was also an election volunteer, and every November would regale us with stories of trying to keep democracy alive and well despite all random not-even-remotely-political attempts to the contrary.  (Note to self: Volunteer for the next election day.)

I knew he had some health issues, but I never realized they were life-threatening.  That was Phil.  He’d make a joke about his health, but you’d never in a million years know that it was serious.  Again, that was Phil.

For anyone that says that “Internet friends” aren’t real friends, I have to say that you are wrong.

Phil Marti was my Internet friend and now that he is gone, my world is far worse off.

If there is a heaven, Phil will get the best room with the best view, and he will spend a good amount of time getting in arguments with those in charge.

Phil, thank you for everything.  I will miss you so very much.  And I should probably retitle this as, “My friend died this week.” – “Internet” should no longer be a qualifier.

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To anyone associated with Guardian: Life Balance Sheet

Posted on March 12, 2014 by A Dreamer

Can you get me a contact email in the next 18-24 hours?  Your website does not allow for non-customers to make contact.

And I’d rather not vent my spleen about your conference here.

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The broken blog is almost a year old!

Posted on March 8, 2014 by A Dreamer

I am at Spring training in lovely (and more importantly warm and sunny) Phoenix, and I realized, that was when I started the blog last year!

Thanks for hanging out. Here’s a margarita.

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I swear, I’m not panic shopping!

Posted on February 11, 2014 by A Dreamer

Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 1.10.49 AMSo, the consensus seems to be that we’re going to get some weather starting Wednesday night and it will continue into Thursday.  Depending on the model one is looking at, we could be looking at 3″of snow, or 20″.  Either way, I suspect my classmates with Thursday night classes will get the evening off.  (I’m a little jealous and a tad disgruntled that the storm isn’t coming a day early.  Not because I dislike my Wednesday night class, but because I am student and even at the age of 41, a snow day is awesome.)

Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 12.03.53 PMThat being said, even the smallest snowstorms provoke massive runs on the markets here – when all is said and done, everyone has all the fixings for a french toast extravaganza and runny noses – bread, milk, eggs, and toilet paper.  I don’t blame people for making the grocery store run – you don’t know how bad the roads will be, how quickly they will be cleared and you look in the fridge and there is 2″ of milk left in the bottle and you’re down to 2 rolls of toilet paper…yeah, you’ve got to hit the store.  I’ve gotten to the point where I’m used to it, and if I see you buying 3 gallons of milk before we get 2″ of snow, I just assume you have teenagers in the house.

What really gets to me is the fact that invariably the day before a snowstorm is also the day that I have to do my regular grocery shopping.  Every swingin’ time.  And though I don’t care if you are doing panic shopping, I am somehow very self-conscious of the fact that it looks like I am doing panic shopping.

But I’m not panic shopping!  Really!  I have to shop today not because it will start snowing sometime tomorrow night, but because I want to make dinner tonight.  I ran out of milk yesterday, the toilet paper is almost gone, and the last roll of paper towels just came out of the package.  I’m low on chicken broth, the grits tin is almost empty, and kielbasa is on sale this week.  (Mmmm, kielbasa and mac & cheese for dinner…)  I also have a craving for ham salad sandwiches.  Or chicken salad sandwiches.  Well, I want both.  (I should probably have lunch before I go to the market.)

So, if you see me at the market and I’m peering in your basket – I’m not judging you for panic shopping.  I love to see what others consider snow day comfort food.  (Last storm, sandwich fixings seemed to be a popular choice.)  I’m also looking for ideas.

So, I’m not panic shopping  because of the snow.  Pay no attention to the extra loaf of bread I just threw in my basket.

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So, it’s been a little cold…

Posted on January 30, 2014 by A Dreamer

2014-01-24 14.42.15 The polar vortex/arctic blast/whatever you want to call it has had our area in a bit of a chill over the past week, along with a good chunk of the rest of the country.  It’s not the end of the world – my furnace is still running and I haven’t had to drive anywhere against my will, so that’s something.  I don’t like the fact that I have to wear so many layers that it starts to feel like my clothing is strangling me, but I just keep telling myself that spring will come eventually.

2014-01-28 11.56.51 In the meantime, the cooler air has brought this.

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14 - 1And this.

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And food.  So much food.  I need this weather to break soon or I am going to gain 20 pounds.  While I’m very pro-salad, a salad just doesn’t cut it when it’s 21º out.  This weather brings out all the comfort food.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAChili!

1 pound lean ground beef
~ 1/2 cup chopped onions
2 decent sized cloves garlic, minced – 3 if they’re small
1c tomato sauce (1 8oz can)
1 small can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans (don’t start with me)
1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Brown beef, garlic, onions, drain off excess fat. Add the rest, simmer 1 hour. Eat!

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Egg Casserole!

2 c. plain croutons (I use the cheese/garlic croutons – use enough to completely cover the bottom of the baking dish)
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (Or enough to nicely cover the aforementioned croutons)
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. mustard
1/8 t. onion powder (I think 1/4 c. diced onions would work fine as well)
dash of ground black pepper
4 slices crumbled bacon (Or a big handful of Hormel’s bacon pieces)

Put croutons & cheese in bottom of greased 10×6×2 casserole dish (my 8×8 worked fine)
Combine everything else, EXCEPT bacon.
Pour egg mix over croutons & cheese.
Top w/crumbled bacon
Bake at 325º for one hour.

Single serve version: Use 1 cup ramekin as baking dish.  Divide all ingredients by 4.  Bake for 35 minutes.

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Brownies!

Go to pantry, find box of brownie mix.  Follow directions on  the box.

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2014-01-24 14.23.51 BBQ Pork Enchiladas!

Go to your preferred Tex-Mex spot in town.  Order accordingly.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMore chili!!  (The leftovers are always a little better.)

Go to fridge.  Get the leftover chili.

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2014-01-30 14.52.33 Carne Adovada!

See directions for BBQ pork enchiladas.

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2014-01-26 12.59.19-2And so, so many batches of chipotle cheddar grits.

1/4 c. old fashioned grits (NOT instant)
1 1/8 c. chicken stock or broth
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2 ounces shredded chipotle cheddar cheese  (Or regular cheddar and chipotle hot sauce)
salt & pepper

Bring the stock to a boil, add grits, stir well.  Set heat to LOW and cover.  After about 6 minutes hit it with the salt & pepper.  At the 12 minute mark, stir in the cheese or hot sauce & cheese.  Let it go another minute or so, then eat!

Once the weather breaks 50º, I’ll have a salad, I promise.  In the meantime, there is some leftover carne adovada in the fridge that needs to be eaten.

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This is new…

Posted on January 27, 2014 by A Dreamer

After several years of watching Lily sleep on the patio cushions, Carmen finally gets in on the act.

Carmen

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Another shooting

Posted on January 26, 2014 by A Dreamer

This morning, I was out running errands and I turned on the radio to hear the news that there were three dead in a shooting at a mall in Columbia, Maryland. Any number of things could have first come into my head as I heard he news. Shock. Horror. Sadness. Those came a little later, but my first reaction was:

Of course.

Of all the emotions, complete and utter resignation was the first to hit the surface. Of course there was another shooting.

There might be a few halfhearted attempts to restart the discussion on keeping guns away from people who shouldn’t have them, but it won’t go any farther than that – it never does.

I know all the reasons it never goes anywhere, and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about any of it.

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This is why I couldn’t leave the couch for the last 25 minutes:

Posted on January 23, 2014 by A Dreamer

Carmen on my lap

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