Well we made it. It’s time for finals. It’s hard to believe the semester is at a close. Even though it’s early it still can’t already be the end of November. Domino days falling one by one. It feels like just yesterday we were posing for the first day of school photos. Where did the time go? Maybe the collective anxiety on campus ate it all up. I mean, this fall passed in a blink of an eye. It was also relatively pain free. Our numbers remained much lower than I expected, until recently. From the get-go I was expecting things to not run so smoothly. I’m glad to have been proven wrong.

Once this week passes the students go home for over 2 months. That’s a winter break I’m jealous that I never had while in college. What will the campus be like in that time. On a normal semester when the students leave its SO slow. We twiddle our thumbs. I’m trying to imagine 2 months of that and the boredom of it all is maddening. I’m considering taking every Monday & Friday off for the month of December. Not joking.

I guess I should mention that the stores are running out of toilet paper again. Paper towels. Napkins… Yeah, that’s happening. What, people didn’t learn the first go round? Of course not. I’ve said it before when this all began and I’ll say it again now. A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

Not much excitement at work. I feel like I was basically working for Admissions. I helped transport over a thousand pounds of junk mail for them throughout the week. Good times. After lots of cuss words the facilities guys finally put together the Christmas tree. We don’t get out traditional tree lighting, it’s going virtual, but I think I’ll still go see it in person. From a distance. With a mask. Maybe… I finished off the work week with glitter all over my a** & chair. Great send off.

On a very random side note: people that can’t whistle. I feel sorry for people that can’t whistle. It’s a small joy, to whistle a tune that you love. To just whistle a tune constructed from your own mind. It’s soothing. And these poor people are missing that. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. Whistle that and tell me it doesn’t elevate your mood? (Do you even know that tune?). Whistling is essential to my song writing process. Lots of melodies arrive from a random whistle. Not to mention, these poor unfortunate souls don’t get the pleasure of completely and utterly annoying their spouses with show tune jingles and other god awful ear worms. It’s a truly satisfying thing to do to the one you love. These poor folk that can’t whistle…

Horror Film

Since I had the night to myself I figured I’d watch a horror movie that I’ve never seen and would probably be too disturbing for Bekah. Lord of Illusions. Clive Barker. The man that made Hellraiser. This was a movie I caught a glimpse of at the age of 14 and quickly turned away from. The imagery was… disturbing. Graphic. All things f***ed. I’d forgotten all about it until today, Friday. Why not give it a try. Eat some pizza. Yeah…. not a movie to eat with. I remembered why I had turned it off as a wee teen. It’s good. A nice film noir horror!!! Disgusting. All around an unpleasant evening.

Horror Film

Jalapeño

Another breakfast bowl. I cooked some pork sausage links, some seasoned potatoes. For the eggs I threw in some fresh pico del gallo.

Pot roast. Comfort bowl.

Armidillo eggs with grilled okra. Cleaning out the freezer meal # 1.

BBQ pork chop with some baked beans. Cleaning out the freezer meal #2. Pretty blah looking meal. It was perfectly cooked and tasty.

Croissant egg cheese bacon sandwich. This came from campus. This thing was amazing!!! It had no right tasting as good as it did. I skipped lunch on this day. Didn’t need it. And for under $4 it’s a real steal.

Hoisin tuna steak, asparagus & rice noodles. Cleaning out the freezer meal #3. I’ve done hoisin chicken. Hoisin steak. Hoisin pork tenderloin. Why am I just now doing hoisin tuna? It was so good and so simple. The rice noodles I tossed with rice vinegar, soy sauce & cilantro. Winged it and won. Bekah was impressed. Said it was like watching an episode of Chopped.

Chicken yakatori. Sort of.

Bekah was gone so I made a pizza from scratch. Pepperoni, jalapeño, red onion, mushrooms, & black olives. Bueno!!!!

Well… our numbers are up. Higher than ever before. What happened? What is everyone doing? Is it all the no mask wearing mouth breathing motherf***er’s? Undoubtedly! We clearly have a problem here. Wasn’t the virus going to disappear after our election? 🙄

The campus sort of feels like it did back in March. So many rumors, gossip, uncertainty. Are we closing. Are we working from home. Are we to shift to skeleton crew. With 1,012 new cases since Monday everyone is freaking out, as they should be. 116 active COVID cases on campus. Many people on quarantine, including my friend Yvette. She is well, but had a bit of an ordeal. Let’s just say they didn’t break it to her well. That’s really an understatement. Boy oh boy was she ever pissed. Rightfully so. To be told you were in contact with a positive but ever told who this person was to know just how in contact you were. Preposterous. She is now getting a little pandemic leave out of it. Some time at the house. She deserves it after the stress she went through.

Crazy a** week. I took a mental health day Monday not realizing how badly I would need it to get through the rest of the week. I walked the trails. I fed the ducks corn. I ran errands. I visited with my mother. I relaxed. I’m glad I did all this. I can’t imagine having worked a full week once Friday finally arrived. I was f***king done. DONE!!! The lack of decision making by the people that make decisions was giving me a headache. By 4 o’clock I was ready for an adult beverage. I suppose I should be thankful for the gloomy morning.

A chance for rain. Minimal, but there. Give me something good. I need it.

Jalapeño.

Saturday nachos. Italian nachos. Made with wonton, Alfredo, and mozzarella. Topped with real goodies. Naysayer’s be d***ed!!! It might not be 100% Carino’s, but it was my take on Italian nachos and it was delicious.

Chicken fajita bowl. You will likely see more bowls now that we have these “dinner” bowls. I like them.

Breakfast burrito bowl. This consist of scrambled eggs, chorizo & mushrooms, avocado, jalapeño, tomatoes and cheese. Bekah is doing the Keto diet and I’m doing my best to help.

Teriyaki burger.

Slow cooker Asian pot roast. I’m not sure why I’ve not done this before. It’s my basic Asian marinade that I make for everything else, but applied to a roast and slow cooked. It was rather amazing.

Tuna!!!

Cilantro lime chicken. Bekah made this one. The flavors were out of this world. I wanted seconds.

Usually on Friday I have an idea WTH we are having for dinner but not this time. Rummage through the fridge and pantry for ideas. I had chicken thighs. I have ramen noodles. Some Panda Express orange sauce. I can make something of this. Another bowl meal.

Cocktail of the week: Scotch

This was written on election night.

What a year for a presidential election. What a s*** year. People will disagree with me. But I do not do politics. That’s doesn’t mean I don’t care. But I don’t see the point in living every day of my life wound tight as a spool of yarn worrying about it. The f***er’s that run our country will not change because of me. Besides, they are all one and the same. If you believe otherwise….

So an election year. I have heard SOOOOO much bulls*** my head wants to explode. From both sides. People eat it like it’s a bowl of LuckyCharms. That we believe in a person that claims to know what is best for us that we have never met. Never will meet. That has the authority only because they have the means to reach that position with wealth. How can we relate to these people? They are not us. They never were us.

We have 2 babbling buffoons that are both too old to be making decisions. You have an age which you must reach to run. We should have a cut off age. It makes no sense. NONE!!! So here we are. Two diaper wearing halfwits. Yay, America!!! Great choices.

Let’s think about this. When the options are so bad that on election night the country is boarding up building in case of riots. Do we really have the people we need running for office. Does this not say a f***ing thing to any of you? Bloody hell. These two candidates are not what our country needs. But we have to have one or the other at this point. Because we have completely fallen apart. We have f***ed up. We have lost our reason. I’m sorry, but we have. This American dream is becoming a nightmare.

You want a true president? That’s someone that never aspired for the job. Someone that isn’t arrogant enough to believe they have the right to rule over others. Not someone that is trying to to reach the position, but someone the people want to rise to the position. Someone that doesn’t have the millions/billions to be wasted on a campaign. Money that could be put to so many charities. So many good causes. This is why our system is flawed. That individual is lost. A person that might make the best leader never will because he isn’t the super rich. He isn’t trying to become a leader.

I’m tired of the divide in this country. It hurts. Hatred isn’t a way to live. We need to erase hate. Divide. What does division do for anyone? We have no reason to act this way towards each other. We are all the same. We are born of the same heart. A heart that was born with kindness for each other. Love one another. It’s not hard, my friends. Just be nice. A little bit of kindness goes a long way. People remember it. When they feel it, they feel something. It might be happiness. It might inspire them to share a little of their own.

With my head in the sand I will try and drift into a peaceful lull and hope the country doesn’t burn over night. Whatever the outcome. For I am not watching thing s***!!!

BTW, it’s silly to have diarrhea over an election.

To conclude: While it has been a year, I have been happy for a lot. Although I’ve had some bummer days, I’m not dwelling on the darkness. I see too much light. I’ve made new friends. Stumped my toe and not broken it. Read some good books. Had some happy endings (Not that kind, you perves). Lost weight. Eaten great pizza. Saved money. Dreamed of vacations with my wife. Organized my sock drawer. Accepted the fact that I am weird. While we all miss the world that was 8 months ago, let’s please try and make the most of the one we now live. Let’s hope we all look towards the positive. Towards the light and away from the dark. We are in this together. Focus on what is good, not what is bad. We got this. No matter what the election results might mean for you. We got this, friends.

Jalapeño

Stacked green chicken enchilada.

Bunless burger. I put Carolina reaper pepper in mine.

Chicken Alfredo w/ sundried tomatoes over broccoli.

Teriyaki steak w/ grilled asparagus & grilled pineapple. Yes, it was rare. Delicious.

Chicken Caesar salad.

Friday I eat alone so I thought I’d try something Bekah can’t eat currently. I keep hearing about this little joint in town so now is the opportunity. The street tacos were amazing. I can’t wait to try some others. These were Asada.

It’s the perfect Halloween. Beautiful weather. Saturday. A full moon!!!! Could the trick or treaters get any luckier? Oh. Yeah…. F***ing COVID!!!! Just another holiday kicked in the teeth. I had been worried about this one for months now, being that it’s my favorite. I was worried it would be totally canceled. Probably, maybe it should have. I don’t know, but it wasn’t. Because it wasn’t, we decided to say screw it. Safely hand out candy. We had hand sanitizer. Only hands in the candy would be our own. We had mask. Which… in the moment we often forgot to put on. It was the fun. Boy did we have fun. Lots of laughter on our front porch. All they needed to look at me….

The idea to dress as a woman began as a joke. You see, I always do creepy. That’s what I’m good at. My brain is rotten from all the horror movies/books that’s I’ve digested over the years. It’s what I know. I know macabre. What a thing to admit. So anyhow, cute somehow turned to me being a lady. To the point that it was discussed so much I really couldn’t not do it. Also, Bekah had been trying to put full makeup on me for what feels like most my life. She was very enthusiastic about me being a woman for the night.

So the week before Halloween I solidified this idea by finding a wig and dress. I know a seamstress to help me find my size. That was a conversation I never thought I’d have. Even with everything procured, I wanted to back out. I began talking myself out of it. “I might disturb children.” “Will this be frowned on in the future?” “ What will work think!!” “Will some conservative father beat me up for being a pervert?” Legit concerns? Probably not. I was just being a coward. Had it not been for my friend Yvette, I might have succumbed to the fear. She said sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone. That stuck with me. So I stepped miles outside of my comfort zone.

Bekah applied my makeup. She went all out. I have utter respect for all you ladies putting this stuff on. I know you are used to it. I was not. When I finally saw myself I decided this was by far the creepiest Halloween costume yet. Nothing about this was cute. I disturbed myself ever glance I took in the mirror. Well, she finished just in time. The doorbell rang. I cowered I the kitchen. That’s when I heard: “Where is Jordan?” Oh boy. Someone is here for the freak show. So I creeped around. It’s Yvette’s group. I wasn’t yet in my dress so her daughter told me to go put it on. Haha. I obliged. The looks on their faces. Priceless. She said: “You look pretty. You need heels. That’s a thin dress.” I was cracking up. Of course she needed a picture. Who wouldn’t. It wouldn’t be the last. That boosted my confidence for the night. Thanks, kids.

So the night progresses. A few friends brought kids by. We had a decent number of door to door treaters. It was a slower night than the year before. That was to be expected. The pandemic. I don’t know if we did the right thing. We tried to be safe. This was the first time since March that we participated in anything. We had fun. It was like the old days when people could go out and have fun without a worry. We both needed it. Just once a year. My favorite time of year. Happy Halloween.

Bonus: We had fireworks & pizza!!! What a night.

We saw our earliest measurable snowfall this year. 2020. Full of surprises. The campus wanted it to happen. We had our fingers all crossed. But a snow day in October. Too good to be true. Wasn’t it? Then we got the news of a weather delay! 10 o’clock is when I have to go to work. Things were looking good for us. We all kept our fingers crossed. Guess what!! It paid off. Sleet and frozen drizzle most the night and I wake up to the news the campus was closed for the day!!! Woot woot!!!

I got up to check out the scenery. It was about as much a winter wonderland as we ever get in my neck of the woods. After admiring the beauty of it I decided my dogs had the right idea. They were back in bed. I joined them & managed to fall back into sleep until around 9:30.

Out of bed and showered what was I to do with myself. After inspecting the roads I determined they were safe enough to drive on. I thought about lunch and made a quick list for the store. I also really wanted some hot tea. So I left for groceries and warm tea. While waiting for tea I received a text from my neighbor inquiring whether or not I still had power. There went my carefully made lunch plans. No power, no cook. Did I mention it was 32 outside. At least the beer I bough could sit on the back porch. Darn power outage. Kaput were my plans of watching reruns of Seinfeld.

I decided to get out of the house. Frozen lilies sounded fun. The park was completely ice. Kind of a fun sight. On my way back to the house my car informed me that I had a low tire. I didn’t want to wait at Discount and I didn’t want to pay for air. No one should have to pay for air. The jerk that started selling it. It’s a sad thing when you have to ask around to find where there is free air, but I did just that. Other option was to drive from point to point looking. What a waste of time. Anyhow, I found free air.

Because of the power outage I had to scrape my lunch plans. I went with some yummy spicy chicken from my favorite Thai joint. Happy I was. After lunch I ran errand that I needed to do. I was productive.

Once back at the house it was time to get the knife out and start a carving. I didn’t want to do my usual scary pumpkin. I went with a silly happy pumpkin. Once a year tradition taken care of a little early so we could enjoy it. Good times.

Will Wednesday follow suit? No. We all wished for at least a delay but our luck had ran out. The day on campus I noted most everyone seemed to be in a better mood. It’s as if we all needed that snow day to preserve our mental health.

The rest of the week was just like any other week. Nothing to write about!

Horror Movie

The Thing. Once again, John Carpenter. I basically grew up with the guy. The warped my mind. Any who… this film I’ve seen at least 100 time. Probably more. I don’t know. It’s a horror film that I’ve seen so many times I don’t even consider it a horror film. It’s one of my top 5 films of all time. It’s engrained in my brain. I knew this film when I was in second grade. I remember teacher at that time saying it was the scariest movie she had ever seen. She was horrified that I knew the movie at my age. She want expecting any of her student to know what she was talking about. Thanks, dad. The film is set in Antarctica. A USA research station with a mixed bag of scientist, technicians & etc. They happen upon an organism that can mimic them. Consume and mimic. “Trust is a tough thing to come by these days.” Starring Kurt Russell, on of my favorite actors and possible hero, the movie is in good hands. The practical special effects are some of the most horrifying that I’ve seen. The score, done by legendary Ennio Morricone, is a moody classic that just gets under your skin. Everything about this film is perfect. The ambiguity. Just a classic movie with all pieces having fallen right into position. If you have not seen this classic, do yourself a favor.

I suppose this concludes my horror movie section until next October. Hope some of you enjoyed.

Jalapeño

Bekah made some chorizo potato and I made some hot sauce. They married well on the plate.

It got REALLY cold. Slow cooker chicken & dumplings.

Leftover chick & dump. I added some to make it a little different. I think I liked it better.

Salisbury steak… but broken down. That’s what I did.

Skillet King Ranch Chicken. This is just simple. I don’t like to bake. Taste just the same.

Bekah being gone I went HOT. This was sort of my lunch plans from the snow day pushed back. Sweet & sour chicken with jalapeño, pineapple and Carolina Reaper peppers. It was… stupid hot. I had to take breaks. Do you know what though? I throughly enjoyed it.

Cocktail of the Week: Old Fashioned

The weekend was our anniversary. 6 years. We had been in the talks to do something for months but with all that was going on in the world what could we really do. When we travel we like to go places. We are foodies and we like to sit at the bar while we eat to engage in small talk with strangers. Sometimes that small talk gets pretty interesting. We make friends. That’s just not happening. I know things are open, but we are still living like it’s March.

So what did we do? We just did absolutely nothing. I decorated the house with candles and roses and kisses while Bekah was out Saturday and we just had a lazy romantic weekend at the house. We watched chick Flix’s and horror. We cooked. We had drinks. We had conversation. It was a rather nice weekend. It will be nice to go somewhere again, but if it’s just us and our house again, I’m okay with that to.

I don’t have anything to say about the week. I was trapped in the office most the time. Each day felt the same. LONG.

Horror Film

Prince of Darkness. Another Carpenter film. This is the one that started it all. Introduced me to true fear. Warped my sweet little brain. Gave me a phobia of black beetles (I guess that’s a form of Entomophobia?). Gave me my favorite genre of movies. I had to have been 6 or 7 at the time. My parents went out to eat with my aunt & uncle so the older cousins were in charge of baby sitting my brother and I. (At that time their was just 2 of use, youngest hadn’t come along just yet). Once my brother was asleep my cousins thought it a good idea to put on a horror film and let me watch it with them. I thought this was so cool. This was forbidden. Something mom & dad wouldn’t allow. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Brief spoiler free synopsis. The church has been hiding the origin of evil. A team of scientists from a university are brought in to study an old relic that’s been kept underneath and old abandoned church. A priest who knows more than he is telling accompanies them. Weird scary s*** ensues. No spoiler to say that the origin of evil is contained in that relic. This was my first movie experience with the devil. It scared the s*** out of me. One scene, in which a man literally falls apart and becomes a mass of crawling black beetles has scared me for life. I’m not afraid of much. Can handle roaches. Put a harmless black beetle on me and I might scream like a child. The film is also very smart. As a kid, I didn’t understand all the physics mumbo jumbo. I understand a lot of it as an adult and appreciate the film even more for it. I highly recommend this one for your Halloween viewing.

For our anniversary weekend we start of Saturday night with carry out from The Wharf. We had bottle caps and cream of jalapeño soup to start off with. Main course we split beer batter shrimp and Hawaiian chicken. Win.

Bekah made some Huevos Rancheros from scratch. This was a first for her and it was excellent. A great anniversary brunch. I was totally impressed.

Spinach manicotti for our anniversary dinner. One of Bekah’s al time favs.

Bunless mushroom Swiss burger. This was the best I’ve done. All I can figure I did differently was add red onion into the meat. The mushrooms I usually blanket with Swiss but I used as a garnish. I might have cooked the mushrooms differently. Who the f*** knows. Bekah said “remember this one”. I will try.

Made one of my 3 orange chicken recipes. This one is the simplest because I don’t have to make the sauce. I just use whichever store bought I feel like. On this night it was Panda Express. It was a good batch.

Okinawa taco rice. Bekah cooked.

Italian seasoned pork tenderloin w/ spicy Brussels sprouts & a raspberry chipotle sauce.

Originally it was going to be Bibigo steak but it got COLD. I couldn’t pass up some soup. I got home and went through the pantry looking for what ingredients I could throw together. I had green enchilada sauce so why not make up some sort of green enchilada chicken soup. Onions, peppers, corn, pinto beans. It can’t be bad. It wasn’t bad. It was great.

Cocktail of the Week: Hot Chocolate w/ Stout Jameson. Great cold weather drink. BTW, I clearly don’t endorse the message on the mug.

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!

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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.

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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.

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