It’s October. That scary time of year. You want to know what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of how many f***ing time I’m going to be subjected to watching Hocus “f***ing” Pocus. The movie is utter garbage and has somehow found its way on many people’s Halloween “watch list”. It has developed a cult following. My wife, sweet Bekah, is one of said followers. How can she, who generally has good taste in film, be enamored by this crime against cinema? She isn’t alone. It’s somehow managed to snag the #2 spot in theatres last weekend. This is 2020. The film came out 1993. WTF is going on!!

Hocus Pocus is an abomination. When sitting through the film I feel myself grow ill. Like, physically ill. My head hurts. My stomach turns. The thought of watching Hocus Pocus reminds me of that train ride in Durango, Colorado when I had the stomach flu. Miserable experience. I loathe Hocus Pocus. The plot is nauseatingly ordinary. How it was ever played and given a budget, who the f*** knows. The child protagonists are beyond boring. The acting isn’t worth s***. It’s soooooo terrible. I don’t know where they found these schmucks. Were they randomly picked from a mall? Did they even audition? If so, I hope the director was stoned out of Hollywood. (Just looked and he hasn’t done anything really since.) The witches are just about as obnoxious as they get. Sarah Jessica Parkers witch is nothing but walking cleavage (which upon thinking might be the one thing the film did right). I don’t know the name of the actress that plays the other sidekick witch, but all she does is sniff around like a f***ing dog. Is that acting? God she is annoying. I wish someone would have slapped those silly facial expressions right off her. Even Bette Midler, who is an otherwise good actress which I respect, has a poorly written character. Was she told to imitate a ferret? What in the bloody f*** is that about? If turning witches into moronic annoying a** clowns was the goal I suppose the film writers succeeded. Witches’ are supposed to insight fear. These just make you want to bang your head against a wall. The best acting comes from the f***ing cat.

I should have some sort of nostalgia for this movie since I was only 12 when it was released.  I flat out hate it.  I feel nothing but contempt for the film.  I thought it was awful when I was a child.  I think it’s beyond awful as an adult.  Its success at the time and its admiration today baffles my brain.   Hocus Pocus is not just a terrible Halloween movie, it’s just a bad f***ing movie in general.  It ends up doing nothing well.  It certainly not a horror film.  Nothing about it is scary.  That it gets lumped into that genre is a disgrace.   

Wait! The movie is actually very terrifying. OH THE HORROR!!! Out of all the horror films that I watch this is the only one where I literally feel like I’m going to die while viewing it. Hell for me would be having to watch Hocus Pocus on repeat for all eternity. That is far more frightening than any cenobite from Hellraiser. And Jason, Freddy or Micheal Myers.

What is with the films focus on teenage virginity? S***!!! The boy character is dry humping a f***ing pillow at one point and calling it his crushes name. That’s a little concerning. What were you thinking, Disney!! And the witches desire children. I’m getting hints of pedophilia here. They are actively seeking underage virgins. Talk about creepy. At one point a bus driver basically says he can find them children but it might take a little while. Like, he has connections to child sex slaves? Is that the implication? Seems like it to me. What was going on in the writing room for this film?

I will be watching Hocus Pocus this year. I will probably be forced to watch it multiple viewings because of this very blog post. I’d rather have a boil on my a** than to have to watch the movie. An abscessed tooth sounds favorable. If it came down to Hocus Pocus or a kick in the balls, I’d choose the latter. Swarms of mosquitos sound more enjoyable. Feed me cottage cheese over Hocus Pocus. Having my “you know what” under the guillotine is less terrifying. Pumpkin spice is better. Heck, I’d take the Llama back in the office over Hocus Pocus.

My middle brother came to town to visit. He is not actually on vacation, he is still working remotely unlike the rest of us. He wanted to argue about the Electoral College and it was kind of fun. I don’t argue, I listen. I don’t think he does. The only person it pissed off was Bekah. I laughed. Good seeing him as always. I think July 4th was his last visit. At that point I was more concerned about travel, numbers were way high. I guess a little more lax at this point. I don’t know if that’s a good thing?

Hazel turned 5!!! It seems like only yesterday she was a puppy. I wish she would slow down. 5 is a big year. My boy Riley only made it to 10. I better have more years with Hazel. I love this girl. She is Bekah’s and my first child. For her birthday she was pampered. She had “real” food. Grilled chicken, raw egg and a side of peanut butter biscuit. She said thanks.

Oh yeah. I almost drank a live cockroach. That’s how my evening ended. Sitting outside enjoying the nice night. Take a sip of wine and find something moving in my mouth. Spit out into glass only to discover a living roach. It was traumatic.

Friday finally arrived. This week felt like it was so long. It just didn’t want to end. The days itself didn’t either. It’s dragged out. One bit of excitement occurred though: I was able to explore the tunnels below the campus. Underneath the campus are tunnels that stretch out connecting the buildings with cold and hot water, cold and hot air. I was given a flashlight and told to have fun. I’m not the claustrophobic type, but being alone in those tunnels somewhat got to me. I don’t know why. It was actually pretty fun though. And I did get to put the flashlight to use.

Jalapeño

Biscuits & chorizo gravy with poached eggs. A fine balance of flavors.

Sesame chicken.

Chicken, broccoli, cream of chicken, curry & cheese. It was tasty.

Since my brother was in town we had dinner together Tuesday and he wanted some Chinese from a place he grew up eating. I got the sesame chicken that I’m always mimicking. Egg roll was tasty and the plume sauce was heavenly.

Chimichurri chicken avocado salad. So I love chimichurri. One of my favorite meals to make. I’ve just always had a problem finding the right side dish to go along with it. This meal is what I’ve been missing. We both came to agreement that this was this best way to eat it. So good. Everything went well together. Big win. Love trying new recipes.

Chicken stroganoff w/ bow tie pasta.

Pizza. It was a great dinner with family but the pizza was undercooked. Because they gave mine to someone else and rushed getting a new one to me.

This year. Civil unrest. California is on fire. Record breaking hurricanes. Killer whales attacking boats of the coast of Spain. Murder hornets. Motherf***ing pandemic. I suppose things could be worse? It’s not as if the world is ending. I know some people like being dramatic about the current events, but it’s not all bad. Not trying to down play anything currently happening, but life is far from over.

With so much doom & gloom out there I figure it’s to talk about the end of the world. Let’s talk about some real bad scenarios: extinction events. Cataclysm. So many movies center on them. We’ve all seen a few. Just think, a giant f***ing rock could fall out of the sky & send us packing like the dinosaurs(how many times are we going to see that on film?). The Yellowstone caldera could awaken and send plumes of ash into our atmosphere blocking the sun & killing off the vegetation we rely upon for food. That would send us into famine. The food wars would be something to see, let me tell you. In such a case to occur, I have to wonder? Would I swallow my pride and eat pumpkin spice flavored food if that were all the options I had? Yikes. Talking about times being hard. Nightmare scenario indeed. What about we fall into the unfortunate path of a gamma ray burst? Goodbye cruel world. What about the BIG bomb!! We are not beyond our on undoing(in all likelihood our own undoing will be the winner). All it takes is for some syphilitic dumba** to push a button and send us into a nuclear winter. BOOM!!!!Let’s go horror/SiFi real fast. Zombies!!!! Naw, that’s over played. An alien invasion. They could descend from the sky and enslave us, taking over the world. Wait a second! They would probably see the mess that we’ve made of the place and just fly right by. “Look at that dumpster fire called Earth. Keep flying, Marvin. Let’s check out that uninhabitable place that these earthlings call Venus.” I mean, we really have made a mess of this world. Can you really argue otherwise? After seeing the presidential debate, maybe the world would be better off if someone hit the restart button. Maybe the old gods rising from the seas wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Cthulhu lives!!!

I’ve always had a morbid curiosity for cataclysmic events. I wrote a paper about them for a geology class in college. Something of such force that it alters the reality of the world. Planetary Geology was always one of my favorite subjects and it really opened the door to some interesting moments in our world’s history. So many violent events of the past. Impact scenarios, super volcanoes, Snowball Earth, etc. that restart buttons been hit before. Can you imagine 200 thousand sq. miles of basaltic lava? Google search the Deccan traps. It’s hard to wrap the mind around that much lava. The amount of gases that were released into the atmosphere. This even coincided with the Yucatan impact. The dinosaur’s rule of the earth really didn’t have much of a chance. Someone hit that restart button.

Call me weird, but id like to witness a catastrophic event if it were to take place. I would watch in awe as Yellowstone pumped ash and gasses into the atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, I would likely be s***ing my pants with the rest of the world. To witness a world changing event, short lived as it would likely be, would be incredible. Yes. Yes. You are thinking it: morbid weirdo. My youngest brother says that’s f***ed up. You don’t want your nephew to live? Of course I do. I’m just saying if said event were to take place it would be a heck of a thing to see. Imagine if a meteor the size of the Chicxulub impact were to smack down into that Ocean (likely it will be an ocean since that takes up most of the world surface area), and you just happens to be on the beach that day. A massive tsunami would be heading your way. Nothing you could do would get you out of its path. Why run! Instead, turn around and face the ocean. You would eventually see the wave. It would begin to look like a distant mountain range, only getting bigger and bigger. Terrifying, yes. But know death will be instantaneous and what you are seeing is an event larger than any in man kinds existence. A once in a lifetime. And end of a lifetime event. Sure. If it’s to happen, it happens. Why not behold it.

Let me describe it like this. The meteorologist don’t want tornadoes or strong hurricanes. They don’t want the devastation, but they sure get excited when it’s brewing. They feed off that rush. I am like them in that way. I love storms. LOVE them. But the afterwards not so much. I feel the same about a catastrophic event. That could be the science nerd in me. If something were to wipe out this planet, oh well. What a show. Mother nature at work. Sucks, but damn mother nature is a beast. Also, believing that this is just one cycle on the plain of existence and not an end gives me comfort. The souls eternal, and it will go where it goes next. Don’t think of things as an end but the path to a new beginning. Besides, the Earth will recover as it always does. It will just need to restart.

I suppose the fear that comes with said events is what attacks me to them. I like being scared. I urn to be frightened . I want to feel that fear. Why do you think I love all things horror. The biochemical rush can result in a pleasure-filled, opioid-like sense of euphoria. I suppose everyone has their kicks. Peppers & fear. That is mine. Me is weirdo. Oh well. Living during a pandemic and a world that is seemingly falling apart I get a bit of that fear everyday. I wish it were a bit more controlled like a book or movie, but this is life. It’s out of my control. At least I control my pepper intake.

Nothing about the week aside from the monarch butterflies coming through town heading south to Mexico. I did campus deliveries for the first time in months. It was nice seeing some faces. I was told that I’d been missed. We have reached the mid-point of the semester. Downhill from here.

Horror Film

The Lost Boys. 1987. Who hasn’t seen this film? I must have been six or seven when I first watched this film. Waaaay to young. I was marginally traumatized by one scene in particular. I don’t think I was “allowed” to watch this but I was good at sneaking out of my room when I was meant to be in bed. I’ve gone over that before. Anyway, as the years progressed and when I was “allowed” to watch it it quickly became one of my favorite movies. Being that the protagonist was a kid really resonated with my younger self. I feel nostalgic every time the movie is on. It was just so cool. The style. The music. The gore. Punk vampires!! Unlike any vampires in the traditional sense. That opening scene. I had no idea vampires could fly. Being plucked out of thin air like a rat by a hawk was f***ing terrifying. That campfire feeding frenzy will alway remain in my mind. The movie is also very funny. Think the Goonies with Vampires. Back to the music: my lord. Talk about an 80’s time capsule. It brings me right back to a place of youth. I associate it with a place in my heart never available again but through memories. I haven’t said much about the actual film. You’ve all seen it, so why bother. Right?

Jalapeño

Brunch was going to be potato pancakes. Then potato waffles. Bekah took over. To say it was a total bust is no exaggeration. So we made mini breakfast croissant sandwiches. It was GOOD!!!

Tacos for National Taco Day. Double decker style. Because fries up some corn tortillas and the rest was yours truly. Spread refried beans on a flour tortilla and wrap around the taco. A real treat. On of the only menu items I liked at Taco Bell and they discontinued it.

Jaegerschnitzel w/German red cabbage & mashed potatoes. The gravy is cooked down white notion and mushrooms, beef broth mixed with flour and heavy cream added at the end. Thyme & paprika. Salt & pepper to taste. Lots of work go into this meal. 4 burners burning on the stove at once. It’s a “once” a year meal for Octoberfest. It’s good but very heavy. I don’t want red cabbage again.

Garlic mushroom chicken. A new recipe. It was so good. And so simple. It reminded Bekah of this meal we once had. I’ll have to tinker with this one.

Sriracha grilled chicken thighs. Basted with the sticky sweet heat. Tasty.

Diced brisket tips with BBQ sauce, pickled jalapeño & red onion w/ a macaroni salad. Easy meal for a Thursday.

Beer & Pizza Day!

• 

• 

After my week off & such a long winded post I’ll try and keep this short. Returning to work was interesting. I had people come check on me in the office. The head of HR made a surprise visit for “sanitizer”. I also had a lot of people very stand off-ish. I understand. Trust me, I do. It is now well know I have a wife that’s around positives on a daily basis. And the stigma of being tested. People just assumed I had the COVID. Whatever. I get it. What’s funny to me is back in June I was sent home because she was around positives. Not no more. I work. What’s changed? Caution I suppose.

While I was gone it seems someone decided to make my desk it’s home. A rude rodent took up residence in my snack drawer!! Unfortunately for me, I did not become aware of this until later in the week. What this meant was that the peanut brittle which looked more diminished than I recalled had actually been shared with a rodent. Because I sure did finish that s*** off. Barf!!! I shared food with a f***ing mouse!!! Well if I get sick I doubt it’s from the COVID. Little b***** got into my sweet heat starburst!! You can’t find those anymore.

I did get my firework fix at long last. Found a spot by myself right under them. About 30 min behind schedule and I needed to pee, but I had a good laugh at the safety crew, whom I knew. I was all smiles when the show began. It was great to finally see them. And to be so close! A happy Friday it was.

One final thing before I sign off. What in the actual f*** is wrong with this country when pumpkin spiced glazed turkey breast is a desirable flavor. Think about that, will you.

Horror Film

In the Mouth of Madness. Yet another horror film starring Sam Neill. This film came out in 1994 and was a staple in our household. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how many times I’ve seen it. If it’s on, I can watch it anytime. I never dull of it. You see, I am a BIG H.P. Lovecraft fan. He is an author which I grew up loving. Weird horror fiction. This lurking in the shadows just out of site. Secret puppet masters moving the ways of the world. Unimaginable horror that would make you insane if you were to catch a glimpse. His material isn’t very film-able. Few have tried and only a handful have been successful. While this film isn’t an adaptation of one of his particular stories, it uses many of his themes to creat something that is heavily inspired by Lovecraft. One of the all time master of horrors directed the film, John Carpenter. The film flirts with the idea of what if your definition of reality was to flip. What is reality. A reality is just what we tell each other it is. Sane and insane could easily switch places…if the insane were to become the majority…You would find yourself locked in a padded cell…wondering what happened to the world. The movie has some truly frightening moments. Great dialogue. Great acting.

Jalapeño

Chili relleno w/ retried beans and an egg over easy. This is pushing it as brunch.

Caribbean jerk pork tenderloin. One of Bekah’s favorite meals.

Queso burger. I topped mine with a little grilled jalapeño for good measure.

Something new for me. Gnocchi. Heck, I don’t even know how to say it let alone make it. I figured a good cheesy tomato wine sauce and hope for the best. It was like dumplings. I enjoyed it but I’m not sure the pasta is for me. The sauce was great and Bekah liked it a lot so I’m bound to be making it again.

Chicken fried rice on the grill. The is a whirlwind meal. Once you get things going you better have everything handy. I enjoy making it. It’s fun. I would t do it all the time though. Great flavors. Not heart healthy.

Sesame chicken. Spicy, might I add. I really go for warm stir-fry when I’m to my own devices.

DAY 1

Monday morning wasn’t exactly how I had planned. Bekah wakes me up just after 3AM telling me that her test came back positive. Those days we thought she was fatigue from helping as a CNA might have been the virus all along. I’m pretty certain the hard days were behind her. She is on the recovery side of this s***. So guess what that means for me? For the last 5 days I’ve shared kisses with someone that has COVID. Not f***ing cool. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. I love my Bekah and without a daily kiss my days wouldn’t be the same.

I called my boss to let him in on my joy. I completed my wellness survey and HR quickly contacted. My drama with HR. Boy. Lots of stupid questions. “You showed symptoms Friday!!” We went over this. It was allergies. “If you knew your wife had pending test, why have you been coming in!!!” Because she gets tested twice every week and wasn’t showing symptoms. So am I ever to come back to work cause she will always have pending? Well, I’m to stay home until she can go back and I’m to get my brain poked. Again, not f***ing cool.

So it was raining, which was cool, but it gave the whole testing situation a very horror film vibe. It was like waiting in line for the guillotine. To make matters worse, of course the urge to pee hits me which makes matter uncomfortable. My sister in law was at the front of the line. I was 8 cars behind. This was going to take a little while. So we slowly progress like a meandering river. Once I’m finally waved to the first tent I get interrogated. Who was I in contact with? Blah blah blah. Basically my daily wellness screening but by a rude little lady who didn’t like the rain. After that fun I was sent along my way to the second tent. This was where the fun really happens. I am asked which test I want? Quick less accurate or accurate less quick. Let’s go with the accurate. After that’s established, I chat with the nurse about how I like her boots. They were wild rain boots. All “day of the dead” style. She seemed pleased I noticed. Now time for the test. I’m asked to grip the steering wheel. Sure. I’ll do that. Tilt your head back. I closed my eyes. I could not see it coming. 15 second left nostril. Totally uncomfortable. Felt like a life time. 15 seconds right nostril. Searing pain. Like fire on my brain. I don’t know how to explain it. It caused my tear ducts to flow. When it was finally over the nurse said “high five, you did it!” I did it. Now let’s hope I don’t get it because this isn’t f***ing cool.

The rest of the day was spent talking with HR on where we go from here. Reading Dune. Might as well start a 700 page book. I got stir crazy on my first day. Not a thing to do with Bekah, but I don’t sit still at home. And Monday my mind is set on being productive. Frowned upon I’m sure, I left the house to drive around. I wasn’t going anywhere or around anyone. I just needed out. I found some duck friends and they made me happy.

• 

• 

Back to the depression of the f***ing quarantine. At least it was gloomy.

DAY 2

I wanted to maybe sleep in a bit but the dogs had other plans for me. Since I was awake I decided to take advantage of the nice morning and clean all the muddy paw prints of the patio. If I’ll be spending time on this patio I want it to look nice. Still in a productive mood, what to do next? Yvette suggested cleaning out the attic. I’m glad she did. We had meant to do that a LONG time ago. Out of sight out of mind. It’s a bunch of old tax information and other junk left from the prior owners. The chore would have been easier with some help, but I got it done. Need a shower ASAP. So gross.

The only symptoms Bekah seems to have shown are headache & fatigue. I’m glad that’s been it. She seems to deal with staying at home better than I. A week in bed watching TV is no problem for her. I have not shown any symptoms. I’ve just been anxious waiting on the f***ing results to come in.

It might be frowned upon to go for walks when you are in quarantine but I have no choice. I can’t sit still. I took some friends idea to not do it in my own neighborhood, least my neighbors shun me for my actions. At least in another neighborhood no one knows me. I mean, it’s silly right? I’m outside alone. That should be alright, right? Tell me otherwise.

I also decided to explore some of the county backroads. It was a relaxing ride through the country side. The weather was nice with the windows down and the wind in my face.

We had some deliveries left on our porch. My mom brought us a couple of non essential groceries while she was out shopping. Things like paper plates, trash bags. Bekah wanted corn chips. She also brought Bekah some sun flowers. Jamie made a liquor run so we wouldn’t run out of hooch. Sounds insane, no? Positive with COVID and drinking. Well I guess a headache and fatigue is just a normal day for her. While I’m still well (and hopefully I remain well), I need a drink to settle the anxiety. Maybe Jameson is the cure? It’s great to have family and friends in lockdown times.

Happy first day of autumn, friends!!

DAY 3

Woke up to some good news. I tested negative. It was a great feeling and I’m glad I can share the news with my family and campus family. I hated to put unnecessary stress on any of them. Since Bekah is still in quarantine I am not in the clear yet. Or am I? She went to the office to get tested again so she can come to work next week. She decided to look at her results and they were actually negative all along. ALL of this was for nothing!!! Myself, sister-in-law & niece all got tested and sent home for NOTHING!!! What a hell of a mess!!!! My spouse was LIVID!!! We have all been so worried for nothing.

For reasons that make little sense to me, I have to get the cities approval. Redundant, but look where I work. Redundancy comes with the job so why am I surprised. Well the city won’t release me. No explanation. When I call they tell me to “refill out the form until I I figure out what question I answered wrong”. I kid you not. This was not the action I took. I decided to email them. This gets me no where. The city official is a dip s***. Back and forth I go only to be told that he won’t release me. Frustrated, I decided to resubmit like I was told only using a different a email address. Within 18 min the same person that refused to release me sent me my release. I had a good laugh at that. The city…..

Since we were no longer prisoners in our own homes I decided to get out and enjoy the beautiful day. Bekah was so mad she decided to clean. Don’t ask, it’s what she does when she is frustrated. I left her be and drove out to the dam to have a walk. A mile in a realizes how bad it would be to have low blood sugar. I had skittles with me, but I felt that familiar itch creeping on. I decided to turn back. That itch got worse. My lips went numb and I could feel my legs getting heavy. My hands were shaking more than usual. I started eating skittles but being that I still had a mile to get back to my car my situation wasn’t looking to good. I did something that I’ve never done: I called for help. I didn’t want to scare Bekah, but I knew what shape I was in and the location wasn’t accessible for a low. Told her to grab a Sprite from the fridge and head to the dam entrance. I guess she heard the fear in my voice and came rolling. I tried to remain calm and focused on the ground and not the distance ahead of me. I made it just as Bekah arrived. The skittles got me to the entrance but if she hadn’t brought that Sprite I wouldn’t have been able to function. Now it’s been a while since I’ve had a scare quite like that. Later I tested my sugar and it was 42. So it seems I was having a low day. Makes no sense. The life of a type 1 diabetic. At least the view was nice.

DAY 4

I guess I’m really no longer on lockdown but what the heck, I’m still off work until Monday. I lingered in bed as long as I could. Bekah left to see her sister. Being around her all this time I missed her presence. I had no idea what the heck I was going to do. I mean, I can leave the house now but what can I really do since I’m treating everything like it’s still the early days of quarantine. Grocery shop! Who needs groceries!! I don’t mind being a personal shopper. I hear they actually make good money. And I needed something to do. Somehow, two trips to the store I still managed to forget the bloody sesame oil I needed. Idiot.

I figured I’d try walking the d*** dam again. I was a little more prepared this go round. But it was warm and you are exposed to direct sunlight. I tried to make it to the EQ. I tried. But a mile & half in I chickened out. I knew I had that same distance to my car and after the prior days scare I turned around. My goal was still probably a mile or so away. I’d hate to die on that f***ing dam. Maybe next time I’ll bring a pack with me.

Day 5

Happy Friday!! Julios burritos! What to do next. I hadn’t a clue.

What a week. It started rainy and horrific. I’ve had nightmares of that brain poke. I was tied to a chair with my head strapped back and a nurse was taunting me. Waving the swab in front of my. Brushing it across my nostrils before slowly inserting it and pleasurably poking my brain before I wake up. Not fun.

I guess the final 2 days of the week were really not so bad. I’ll be looking forward to going back to work next week. What a time.

Horror Film

Event Horizon. Now this film came out, god, over 20 years ago. 1997 to be exact. That makes me feel very old. I was in Midland, TX when I first saw this film. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into. Being a MAJOR Jurassic Park fan, I fell in love with Sam Neill. He was a hero of mine from that movie and I tried to make a point to watch whatever he was in. And I liked horror movies. This was a no brainer. A win-win. My best friend and brother from another mother decided to watch it. I won’t forget the night because not since my youth had I ever been so disturbed and frightened from a film. I need not say what the movie is about. A quick google search will tell you that. (Google it, you lazy a**.). The movie is so visceral. I mean, at the ripe old age of 16, I was unprepared for what I was viewing. At the young age of 39 I am still taken back by the film. It gets under the skin like many don’t. Some of this is the minimal glimpse of horror. The implied pain and suffering. The mood. It has a way of getting into your mind and haunting it years later. The acting is amazing. And talk about a cast. We watch this every year. We watched it this week and once again was fulfilled. Give it a try, I dare you!

Jalapeño

An omelette spilled with chorizo, red onion, red bell, jalapeño and Mexican blend of cheese. Pan roasted potato thanks to Bekah. More breakfast than brunch? I don’t know or care. It was delicious.

We made this on Saturday and Bekah wanted it again. Roasted mixed potatoes, jalapeño chicken sausage, onions, peppers & honey mustard. It’s a warm German potato salad with sausage added. Very tasty.

Beef w/ broccoli stir-fry. Comfort foods. Maybe that’s a theme this week. Unexpected, I didn’t plan for comfort food. I used more ginger than I usually do and I think it made difference.

Fajita chicken. What a tasty meal this was. Simple.

Chinese jalapeño chicken w/ crab Rangoon. Not a planned meal but since Bekah was gone I thought I’d make something extra spicy. I believe this meal usually only comes out when she is gone. I mean, it’s jalapeño & chicken it’s warm.

Bekah burgers w/ some backed BBQ beans.

Cocktail of the Week: everything.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Real pumpkins!!!!! I probably looked like such a dork but I was so excited. At least people couldn’t see the ear-to-ear grin on my face due to the mask. I think the temperatures might finally be nice enough for some on my porch. Oh, and how about as a centerpiece on the dining room table. Sure.

My favorite time of year. I know officially it begins next week but it came early this year. Screw the official date, I’m calling it fall!! My house looks and smells like to. The weather feels like it. It’s fall. Funny how one weather event can turn it all around, right?

Tuesday our boy Owen had his 2 year birthday. Hard to believe we’ve had the goofy b****** for so long. He is a real goof. He got to chew on some pig ears as a present and was pampered with love. I’m so glad he grew out of his destructive stage. Sweet boy.

My biannual date with the vampires was extra special on Thursday. I think the lab tech was having some sort of existential crisis. I’m the one getting the blood drawn and she is the one that seemed down right done. I always try small talk at the lab. Not only does it help me cope with the fact I’m being drained of my life source, but I hope it makes the vampire more comfortable doing her job. I joke with them. This day it didn’t go so well. I mentioned how different things were from my last appointment. That was about 2 weeks pre-COVID. The lab tech just stares of into space and says in a flat tone: “No one talks about the virus anymore. It’s as if it doesn’t exist…”. Than BAM!!! She stabs my vein. Actually, she scratched my arm with the needle and then stabbed my vein. It was the most unpleasant lab experience yet. (At the time of writing this portion, some 7 hours later, my vein is still throbbing.). I didn’t say another word. I left in a state of bizarre confusion. I wanted to sic my friends on her. The psychopathic b****!

Friday was interesting. I upset the HR department with my honesty, got on a VPs radar for the second time this week, and learned some fascinating campus news. Lucky thing I was checking out early for my doctors appointment. Which went well, I must add. I’ve lost 15 pounds since my last visit in February. He was proud of my lab results and the weight loss. I enjoy my doctor visits. The nurse and I joke around and my doctor and I do the same. We have some interesting banter. I’m often chastised for my exercise regime. He often says “what are you, 90?” It’s because I walk and take the stairs. Well I’ve been waking miles, sir. 5-6 a day.

After the visit I went sight seeing and eventually. Mowed the yard. It was a beautiful afternoon after an irritating day at work. I was so f***ing annoyed by the morning. I know I brought it upon myself. When HR says I’m not taking the virus seriously I want to tell them to f*** themselves. I bet I’m taking it more seriously than they are. I live with the virus everyday. They want me to lie. I get punished for my honesty. Why have the system if you don’t want people to be honest? Begs the question, doesn’t it? Ah, life.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Horror season begins. Yes, it’s only September. But in our house that’s when we begin watching horror films. I think until after Halloween I’m going to begin to recap the horror films that I especially enjoyed during the week. It won’t be entire blogs worth of material, but a sub section or an end cap. I’m just already in the mood to celebrate Halloween. By far my favorite holiday.

Horror Film

Porno. Not “porno”. Heck of a title to name your film. Well, not really a safe title to google from work. Searching for it on Amazon was also a treat. My God, I almost was pulled down that rabbit hole. The thing that pop up when you search the word porno. Take a dive, if you wish. Do it!! Supply and demand, I suppose. Before I digress, back to the movie at hand. I’d heard of this horror film back in February. It kind of was put on the back burner due to COVID. It resurfaced on a film site I read daily so my interest was peaked. Porno was a great throwback to the 80’s gore. Not for the weak of heart. Naturally with a title like that you are going to get some full on nudity. No sex, mind you, but full frontals. Definitely not family friendly. One thing that was great about the film was the humor. It was delightfully funny. Bekah and I died. It’s about movie theatre employees after hours. The stumble upon a hidden room and find a secret film. This is in 1992 so film reel is still a thing. Hell, some of the films playing at the fictional movie theatre were “A League of their Own” & “Encino Man”. The film the find is naturally cursed. It released a evil. succubus. A female demon know to use sex to her advantage. Terror, and nudity, ensue. Believe it or not, the ending is very “feel good”. Watch it. I recommend. It was art.

Jalapeño

Bunless green chili burger with some smashed avocado and pickled red onions.

Breakfast on a bun. Or “BOB”. Hot breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs on a hamburger bun. We dipped in maple syrup. It was very tasty. Bekah loved it. A win!

Spicy buffalo grilled chicken thighs. The heat was something great. The high, nice and tender. To accompany the heat, we had a cool ranch garden salad. Pretty simple well rounded meal.

Some sort of street taco? We were going to make queso burgers but I decided to get creative. Use the ground beef and mix with jalapeño and onion. When not throw the rotel and some of the velveta in. Oh, I had a quick pickle red onion. They really complemented the meal. And some cilantro. And queso fresco. Whatever you want to call it, we loved it.

Lemony chicken asparagus stir-fry. The sauce is a mixture of chicken stock, lemon juice & zest, soy, ginger, garlic and brown sugar. It’s been a while since I’ve had this meal and it didn’t disappoint. Also, it’s freaking simple.

Salmon croquettes. I use to make this almost weekly but it’s been a really really long time. They are kind of messy but rather worth it. Since I have the pickled onion I tried that with them. Pretty dang good. I think Bekah was totally thrilled I made them.

Italian chicken with spaghetti squash.

Chicken fajita pasta. No complaints. Simple no brain concept. A hybrid Italian/Mexican meal. Why not. The flavors worked.

Cocktail of the Week: 12 year Scotch.

West Texas. One day it will reach 100 and the next it’s in the 50s. That’s pretty much what we got this week. It had been so blistering hot and suddenly it was winter. 50s feel pretty chilly when you’ve been baking in an oven everyday for over a month.

The most important thing about the week was the amount of rain that we received. Wednesday – Friday I measured over 5 inches of rain. 5.3 to be exact. I was such a happy camper. 3 days of rain and gloom on top of it being a short week. I felt like my wishes had been granted. I didn’t want it to stop. I was greedy for more. Stay behind the clouds forever, sun. GO AWAY!!!

My mood is so much better when we have days like this. I feel like my batteries have been recharged. I’m often hyper. Things that would normally irritate me have less likely a chance to. My attitude, f*** it! I don’t care. I think I’d thrive in places like Seattle. Where as the rain depresses people, the sun depresses me. I wonder if that’s some built in genetic s***. I mean, look at me? I’m not one designed for the sun and my ancestors before me.

Bekah started splitting her job. She is doing what she normally did, but now also adding CNA duties because they are short state wide. It remains to be seen if this will be something she plans on doing long term. It’s voluntary. My mornings without her have been different. I know realize just how much energy she brings to the mornings. It’s soooooo quiet without her.

911 was 19 years ago this Friday. I’m not going to do the whole “I remember where I was, what I was doing, blah blah blah.” I’m going to say that this day is and like will forever be emotional to me. For all those lost and for the world that changed overnight. This country has never been the same. For that matter, the world. Fear became more prevalent. I which people thought about that. Know what your really afraid of. It might be something from within, not the outside.

Jalapeño

Coconut curry chicken. I was a little rusty making this meal. It had been a while but it turned out great.

For the cold night we wanted something warm. Now that I had the Best seasoning required to properly make Jamie’s gumbo I figured this was a good night to try it. I subbed chicken for turkey(which is a no-no) and added a little jalapeño(which is also a no-no) but otherwise followed the directions to the T. My god was it not amazing. The seasoning makes all the difference. Also had enough to freeze for another day. It might not have been as good as hers, but she has had time to perfect it.

On Wednesday I asked Ella, a friend on campus, what was her cool weather meal. It was Taco Soup. The following day when the weather was very much the same I couldn’t get it out of my head. We were to order carry out Pho, but the idea of making a new soup consumed me. Soup is my favorite thing to make. You can do so much. You mingle so many different things. It’s an art. Some times it’s complex. Other times it’s as simple as throwing can golds together. This turned out to be simple. It was delicious. Thanks to Ella, I have a new soup that I’ll make every year during soup season.

Chicken tikka masala. It’s a comfort food and Bekah was in need after new hours and extra job duties. Simple. Do you like how we started the week with Indian food and capped it off with more Indian. That was not intentional.

Cocktail of the week: Samuel Adams Octoberfest. My favorite seasonal beer and I feel like I can finally drink it.

AND…12 Year Dewars. A scotch.

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. We have ourselves a long weekend. With very little to do. Because, well, the COVID. Usually I think I’d be in Alpine but we sold that property and here I am languishing at my casa like I tend to do every weekend since f***ing March. What a dream come true.

I awoke with a mission to find more pumpkins, specifically, blue. My mission was a success. Bekah wondered why more pumpkins were needed. Well, can you ever have enough? They will be in place until the end of November.

For lunch I made some southwest burgers. Tried to mimic one of my favorite in town. A Serrano Mayo, avocado, hatch chili’s, jalapeño, spring mix and tomatoes. It was a delightful beast.

• 

• 

I had the pleasure of giving the dogs a bath. I lost at rock, paper, scissors. While in the midst of my chore, it decided it wanted to rain. Well, really just sprinkles. I got a little wet and I loved it. It’s been teasing all week. I don’t feel what I got was the answer to my prayers. Give me something epic for the love of god!!!

So we FaceTimed the Slovak. I did for a little while. The conversation was insane. I heard things that are better left unsaid. Someone was seriously in the drinking mood. This went on and on for a couple hours.

For dinner I made a chipotle chicken with a chipotle pasta with corn. It was delicious.

Sunday morning my house was like a tomb. So quiet, except for the occasional moan coming from down the hall. You see, Bekah was in a bad place. The drink put a beating on her. She isn’t sure she is going to make it out of bed.

She requested hangover food. Well, I obliged. I made chorizo potato and huevos a la mexican with bacon tacos. Oh, and refried beans. A special request. I must admit the meal was delicious. I think it worked, because she didn’t go back to bed but managed the couch.

After brunch she vegged on the couch and I completed some chores. HEB was a total mad house. The shoppers seemed lost, as they were meandering up and down the aisles like complete dumb dumbs. I decided to only grab what I needed for the day and save the rest of my shopping for tomorrow when I’m off from work. I couldn’t handle so much stupid. People bumped into me. Stopped right in front of me. Blocked aisles with perplexed moronic looks on their faces. Had these idiots ever shopped this store before? I hadn’t the patience for a bunch of block heads.

Bekah’s condition was only abated by the munchies. Only a couple hours after brunch she became painfully aware no “hangover” food was in our house. That means chips, microwave Mac or potatoes. Whatever. I feared a trip tot he store again. Instead I went to Rosas. I got a variety of s***. She munched to take her mind off her pain. We still had dinner right around the corner. Sunday’s, my friends.

Wagyu beef Hamburger Helper MAC style for the beautiful princess. This has become the go-to comfort meal in our house. I will say it’s pretty freaking good.

• 

• 

What to do on my day off? Well how about watching Hotel Transylvania 2. I was able to watch the first one a couple weekends ago and found it quit enjoyable. I’d been told that they are a treat. Have not been let down. I miss watching animated films.

Next up, my weekly grocery trip. It’s amazing that I can fit a weeks worth of food into a little basket. I’m excited about this weeks menu. It’s cooling down so I’m cooking more appropriate foods for the cooler weather.

Once back at the house I start Hotel Transylvania 3 and begin throwing together lunch, fish tacos. And some grilled corn salad. Having just watched all 3 movies in such a rapid time I’m hard pressed to say which on I liked the best. Possible the 3rd one. I don’t know. The first was also very good.

So what did I do with my day off? I watched animated films. Good times. I was going to watch more but SuddenLink decided to give up on me so I was forced to find something else to occupy my time. How about pickle some red onions. While I’m at it, let’s prep for tonight’s dinner. Might as well with the knife out.

5 o’clock rolled around and I decided it was time for an adult beverage. Are you surprised that I waited so long? I honestly am! Unsweet tea w/ lemon Deep Eddy vodka. Never a more refreshing summer drink. Yes, it’s still summer. This week, though, it will feel like fall. Hell, it might feel more like winter after the 100+ temps we have had. I can’t wait!!

Bekah wanted sriracha chicken thigh and hoisin onions. I prefer breast. 🤷‍♂️. Whatever. I turned out really good. Married couples make sacrifices. She had to work and I didn’t. She deserves what she wishes. Love her.

That concludes a weekend blog. So exciting, I know. You wish you had my life. Hahaha. Hope you had fun. Hope you had more excitement. Cheers to all you happy f***’s. Happy happy joy joy!!

                The week was long.  Too long.  It was dragging its heels.  By the time Friday arrived I was done.  Let us talk about the days of the week, shall we.

What is the best day of the week?  Let’s start by establishing the worst days.  Clearly we can all agree that Monday is the worst.  You have to get back to work or school (or maybe not, you could be well-off our unemployed, in which case every day is either perfect or really f***ing miserable).  Only time Monday isn’t bad is when you have it off, which turns it into Sunday and Tuesday into Monday.  Confusing?  That’s a different conversation.  Let’s just keep it basic.  Most Mondays are the start of the week and a pain in the a**.  People that like Mondays are psychopaths.  Watch out of those scary f***ers. 

So what day follows?  Sunday or Tuesday?  Tuesday is Monday lite, am I right?  It’s like the difference between cottage cheese and sour cream.  They are both terrible but one is clearly worse.  Tuesday is the sour cream.   It’s a little better than Monday, but really only a little.  At least Monday is behind you but the weekend is far off on the horizon.  But let’s talk about Sunday, the cottage cheese.  Yes, you still have a day away from work.  But do you really have a day where you can do whatever you would like?  Sunday is often the day of chores.  In fact, by its very nature that is work.  Maybe just as annoying because you have so many fun things you could be doing but no, you are doing laundry, cleaning house, doing the yard, etc.   Also, the fact that the next day is Monday is forever on your mind.  Work is ever looming over your shoulder.  As the hours tick on by, the shadow grows ever larger and darker.  By the time you hit the hay, Sunday has become nothing but another work evening.  You have to set your alarm and hope for some shut eye so that you can somewhat function the next morning.  I vote that Sunday is the second worst day of the week.  In my head I can’t kick the thought that I have to get up and go to work the next day.  What if I wake up and suddenly feel the urge for day drinking?  Well, I probably shouldn’t do that because I will only be making Monday all the worse. (I have done this and it is much worse.) 

Wednesday and Thursday and very equal in my book.  They are the transitional days of the week.  You feel like you’ve got this.  You’ve grabbed the week by its balls and have total control.  Walking out of the office Wednesday a smile settles over your face knowing only 2 days remain and you are home free.  My god, you have almost made it.  It’s a rather special feeling.  The pains are likely behind you.  It’s time to put on cruise control and coast joyously into the weekend.  Freedom from the constraints that bind us are just around the corner. We like to call Thursday “Friday Eve” on campus. It just makes the day feel better referring to it as that.

So it’s between Friday & Saturday.  I think 6 months ago I would have said Saturday was my favorite day of the week, but amidst all this COVID bulls*** I can’t really do anything.  I spend my day at the house.  Maybe go to one of the parks around town for the 100^th time since March.  Oh boy, let’s order carry-out again and pretend we are dinning out.  Maybe pop open a beer with my lunch?  What else do I have on the agenda for the day that’s stopping me?  A big NOTHING!!!  My Saturdays have become monotonous.  Well, there is the one constant: FaceTime with Slovak.  That can get dangerous.  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy Saturdays.  But they are no longer the best day.  If things ever get back to normal it will likely regain its title.  As of right now that belongs to Friday!

After the hustle and bustle of the week when Friday arrives everything just feels better in life. You can’t not be in better spirits on a Friday. You have made it. You conquered. You are the winner. The jubilation one feels when 5 o’clock rolls around on a Friday. You are finally free from the oppression that is work until the dreaded Monday rolls back around and veers it’s ugly head. I think the fact that I can finally relax is what puts Friday at the top. Why I consider it the best day of the week.

Now that that’s been established I just want to talk about how we were teased with rain all week long. We got a vicious lightning and thunderstorm Monday but no f***ing rain to accompany it. I was not a happy camper. I need rain. We need rain. Putting a percentage in the forecast and not getting any is depressing. Especially when you can visually see the thunderstorms in the distance ever afternoon. Really, it’s just outright rude. So on top of a long f***ing week, I had rain dangled in front of my nose like a steak in front of a dogs. What a bummer, man. If you couldn’t tell, I’m still bitter over it. Maybe this evening I will surprised.

We went fall, btw.

Jalapeño

Waffle sandwich.

Sweet and sour pork tenderloin.

Bloody teriyaki steak.

Amazing shrimp

Beer battered cod.

Ordered out. Long week, clearly.

Cocktail of the week: what choice should I make?

What a week. I don’t have much to write about and this will be short. Drinks with a friend at the house for the first time. 30 min turned into 3 hours. I’d say we had a good time. It’s been a long time coming. I get anxiety and have a problem getting together with people after hours. It was great though. Bekah had fun as well. Some times break the shell that contains you.

I guess I should also mention hurricane Laura. Although it had no direct impact on me it was an exciting event from a weather geeks perspective. My heart goes out to all those that were impacted by the storm. The damage I’m seeing is devastating to behold. The video, lord. What a night I had watching it roll in at 150 mph winds. It brought me back to Harvey which was 3 years ago this week.

National Dog Day!!!

Jalapeño

Brunch. Alone. I made steak and tater tot hash. The steak couldn’t have been better. The has was great.

Bekah burger. I know, it’s not the most presentable looking but damn if it’s not good. She added Ghost Pepper to mine.

Meatball marinara w/ spaghetti squash.

Bibigo. Korean BBQ.

BBQ chicken thigh.

Derek made hot legs. We ate them cold after 3 hours of drinking. What a treat.

Cocktail of the Week: whatever the concoction Bekah made.

The fall semester is upon us. The students have things a little different this year. Social distancing and mask required on campus. If you’ve been trying to stay safe the past 5 months this shouldn’t be a new concept to you, but these are college kids and they have hormones and want to party and enjoy the whole college experience. That throws social distancing out the window. I’m very worried that our number will begin to sky rocket now that class has began both on campus and around town. My thoughts? Labor Day weekend is going to be a LONG weekend. Time will tell.

One thing about the week, at least on my end, was that it drastically calmed down. The s***show that had been the prior weeks was gone. My position has very little to do with the students so it might have been absolute hell across campus as far as the faculty and staff west of us were concerned. I wondered to myself if we had set the bar high towards disaster and maybe in reality it was mid rung. I’ll admit to being a little apprehensive due to how calm it was. Usually the first week of school on a normal year is something interesting.

It seems the mask police are out in full force. It’s not frowned upon me being alone on a golf cart without a mask. I can keep a distance from a student, trust me. But I keep hearing I’ll be made an example of. Basically, if you are on campus alone outside, anywhere; you must have a mask. I’m sorry, that thing is off my face as soon as I walk out a building. If a cluster of students are around it remains on. But I don’t need to wear a mask from the building all the way to my car if I’m the only person within 100 f***ing feet. Am I wrong?

Anyway, Friday arrived and I found myself alone. Bekah and Connie went on a much needed road trip. I’m also in need of one of those one of these days. I have no idea what I will do. Probably nothing. Argue with myself over what’s for dinner. Hope you all have a nice weekend!!! Cheers!!!

Jalapeño

For brunch I made a chorizo bacon burger. This was both delicious and disgusting at the same time. So decadent was the meal. Sinful. I cooked chorizo and added it to the ground beef. I threw some bacon on the griddle and once it was done I used the bacon grease to cook the patties in. Then I fried and egg. This thing is a heart attack. Heart healthy.

• 

• 

Taco salad Monday. Something a little on the light side after that burger. It was refreshing.

Another salad. Cilantro lime chicken salad. Again, refreshing.

Chicken Alfredo over steamed broccoli. I spiced up the sauce which is why in appearance it looks more like queso. It was tasty.

I made a stir fry with what I had. It was good, nothing special.

Friday we had planned on some meatballs and spaghetti squash. Bekah and the sister-in-law decided on a road trip. Can’t say I’m not jealous. I have not left this town since 2019. Anyway, I decided to try a pizza place I keep wanting good things about. It was busy, and a mess to get the pizza , but it was the best in town that I’ve had. Amazing. No joke. Amazing.

Cocktail of the Week: Premixed margarita. I got what I could get.