Odds and Sods for Tuesday, February 16, 2010

So it's been a little snowy in Philadelphia lately, in case you aren't lucky enough to live here.

The dog is loving it, but I would personally like it a lot more if I could walk him without fear of falling on my head. C'mon people of the Art Museum area, shovel your damn sidewalks. I swear, when I moved here years ago and it was all blue collar, you would never see a mess like this. Now it's all yuppies and million dollar houses and I guess the era of entitlement. Feh. Anyway, enough of that...here's Monty who, trust me, is far happier than he looks in this photo but that's because I'm calling him back inside:



So what else is new? Did everyone have a nice Valentine Day? I loathe Hallmark holidays, but admittedly do use every single suchlike occasion as an excuse to eat above the norm. The trouble is, even "the norm" for me is amazing. Last night, for example, Gary made vegan cream of mushroom soup (the cream is actually a pureed red bliss potato) made with three different types of 'shrooms, and a salad of fresh spinach, grape tomatoes, chopped imported olives, and artichokes. Tonight's menu includes whole wheat pasta topped with white and green asparagus sauteed in roasted garlic oil. So like, yeah, every day is Christmas here but for Valentines Day, I did have my favorite meal - buffalo tofu, pommes frites (okay, roasted in the oven for health reasons but topped with flash fried, crispy shallots), and homemade biscuits. By the way, Gary has now perfected his biscuit recipe, and I defy anyone to top these. I didn't even mind that he smeared them with Earth Balance - could not even taste the difference. I'd post the recipe here but as I've been making a lot of noise lately, Julie and I are writing a cookbook so sit tight, we're going to get that out soon enough, biscuits and all.

I really need to start taking daily pictures of this stuff, huh. Last night's salad was such a thing of beauty I should have photographed and framed it and hung it on the dining room wall.

And while I'm on the subject of food, I just realized today is Fat Tuesday. I love the name. It should be a national holiday. And what I wouldn't do for one of these right now because yes, it should also be the law that you eat as many as possible before midnight:



The snow has kept me from having my usual foodie dates with Julie Slick, but our last Happy Hour together at Fish was outstanding. The $6.00 cocktails are huge and full of top shelf whiskey, and, if you are so inclined, fresh squeezed juices. Julie had a cocktail (or, um, more) of Spanish Cava, gin, and lemon Juice. I had an old-fashioned (or, um, more) made thusly: Old Bardstown Kentucky Bourbon, sugar, and bitters. The bar menu is not vegetarian but I *cough* hear that the $2.00@ oysters are to die for.

In other news, there's are few things that have me incredibly bummed...for different reasons, obviously, but man, how fucking depressing:

This, this, and this.

To sum it up, I am bummed because I am a huge Knack fan and thought their debut album was brilliant and might even be one of my desert island picks; I am bummed that someone I consider a total hack and an even bigger idiot is rich and famous when I personally know much kinder and better guitarists -- even better looking if that's the scale we're using here and since that's my only rationale for how this man is famous, I guess it is; and Lefsetz, I am especially bummed at you because I read you daily, you're an awesome writer and most importantly, you have your pulse on the music industry and I learn a lot from you but you got it dead wrong when you wrote about the Who. The death of classic rock overnight because of a twelve minute medley at the Superbowl? A forty year brilliant career finished and in shambles? Erm...no. The Who past their prime are so far ahead of most young bands out there now it's ridiculous. Don't even try and argue that point with me - you'll just look like an idiot. Ah well, here's a gentle reminder for you, Bob Lefsetz. Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.

Also, while I am busy snarling, how about Sarah P's hillbilly palm pilot? Sigh...just as I feel about the Prince of Darkness Dickie Cheney, a/k/a President of the Waterboard Fanclub -- I wish she would go the hell away forever. Our luck they both have William Morris as their agent so we'll never be totally rid of them.

I think I have serious PMS today. Sorry. I'm a freak of nature. My body didn't get the message that it isn't young anymore and at my fucking age, I am sitting here with cramps. No wonder I am dreaming of donuts...

In closing and to make myself at least feel a tiny bit productive today, I think I should take this day of odds and sods to once again ask you to buy my books so that I don't have to find work in a real office with real people ever again. I am also asking that if you are kind enough to do this, please avoid evil corporate Amazon if you can. All of my adult titles are available at my publisher right here and they are also available, along with Daddy Left Me Alone with God (where you will read about baby rockstars "based on" my two brilliant offspring), at a place I highly recommend...Indiebound. For those of you new to my blog, I have an erotic comedy trilogy with the first book in the series being Three Days in New York City; its sequel is Another Bite of the Apple, and book three, published just two months ago, is Bitten to the Core. All three books do stand on their own, but I dunno, if you are like me, you like to read things in order. I've been told I'm laugh out loud funny if that helps you but what the hell, all of these books, while also available in paperback, are a mere bargain priced download away, whether you have a Kindle, iPhone, or a simple, old-fashioned computer (ha).

Okay, that's my sales pitch for today. I'm still trying to work out how I can do a livestream book party. I was hoping to do one alone from my laptop but after fooling around with the U-stream site, it appears it comes out much better if you have another person holding an external video camera. Can any of you give me some advice about that? I think it would be so much fun to have a livestream party from my living room but to be honest, I'd much rather do it when I'm alone in the house surrounded by much alcohol. You may not know it from this blog or maybe you've nailed me exactly, but when I'm not behind this screen or intoxicated, I'm pretty much a reclusive introvert.

And on that note...

Later,
xo