Ick.

I'm in a wretched mood today. I wish it would rain again to match my mood, but knowing the weather it'll only rain when I don't want it to -- like every other day. I'm still upset about my hair, which I know I should get over but I'm having trouble doing so.

I tried to print my Save the Dates and the f&@$# printer has decided to not work. It works when Christen uses it, but being that he's never home (damn back-to-school time) I'm stuck not being able to do anything. It's one of those wireless deals, and a friggin' expensive one at that, and it won't friggin' work. I went out and got a USB cable, because in the mess of all those extra cables we have I couldn't find a single USB cable. Still doesn't work.

But I went ahead and bought a caligraphy pen to do the addresses, so I might just do that today and try to get Christen to do the printing if and when he ever gets to come home. Tomorrow is his only day off this week. Don't get me started.

Would you like an orange with them apples?

We dyed my hair today.

I hate it.

I'm hoping at least Christen likes it, because he likes my hair really red, and it's really really red. R.E.D.

Maybe I'll get used to it, and maybe I'll change it, and maybe I'll just wait for it to fade a little bit. Who knows; time will tell.

I spent the day with Mom and the sibs. We got mom in a few Mother of the Bride dresses, and found a very pretty but ridiculously priced one. At least it gives us an idea of what works and what will look nice. The lady says, "Oh this one is moderately priced; it's a good price." Good price, my ass. She should buy the damn thing, then. That thing cost more than half what my wedding dress cost. :) I bought a few things at HomeGoods (I love that place) and a Jack Johnson cd at Target and hung out at the house dying hair and watching Capote, which was an awesome movie. I was a little perturbed that they changed the order of some things from the book ... but theoretically I guess I can see why. Ian says it's to make it more "theatrical". Blah :) But still a great movie.

I think I may start on my Save the Dates tomorrow. I've been putting them off, and I don't know why. Perhaps I'll stop by Michaels and get a caligraphy pen since my fountain pen is on the fritz. I'm so sleepy -- weird dreams last night. And a tummy ache when I woke up. It went away during the day, but it's back again. It might be because I can't get ahold of Christen -- who knows. I'm going to go read in bed though. Toodles!

PS

That pasta below is fantastic cold the next day. Or even later the same night. Fucking fantastic.

we call it inter-species erotica

So last night was a nice night. I made a Rachel Ray recipe that turned out really fucking tasty (see below) and we had some wine. We've been getting this Chardonney called Fish Eye that's not the best, but it's pretty decent for $8.99 and it's always in the fridge part of the store so we can get it last minute. We then proceded to waste time at the bookstore reading wedding books and getting ideas (Some of them were awesome, and not that expensive, like covering the "kids" table with butcher paper and giving them crayons as favors).

Then we went to see Clerks II. I had been on the fence as to whether I wanted to see it. I have adored all Kevin Smith's movies, but I was afraid it was going to be just a rehash of the first movie with a bunch of inside jokes and vulgarity and I'd be bored. I used to love the first one, but now it seems every time I try to watch it I just get bored and change the channel. It has become un-funny to me.

This one was not like that. It was really very funny, and although it may cross the line in some parts, Kevin Smith always crosses lines. The only problem I had with it was the guy sitting behind me -- I think he had the worst laugh I've ever ever heard. Ever. It was loud and annoying and I couldn't hear some parts because of his donkey bray. He should have been in the movie ... you know the part.

But overall, very good -- Two thumbs up. I'm sure I'll get it when it comes out.

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Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto

1 pound penne rigate (with lines) pasta
Salt
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
1 small zucchini
1/4 pound, haricots verts (thin green beans) trimmed of stem ends
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil, 20 leaves
1/2 cup tarragon leaves from 10 to 12 stems
Handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more to pass at table
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.

Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.

B Squared

We forwent the cookout Thursday night for a drier night out, and met up at Bahama Breeze (hereto forth known as B Squared or BB). Kevin is such a cutup; I'm really going to miss him when he moves to Georgia. It was such an amusing dinner. And there was a girl I went to high school with at the next table -- this is the second time I've run into her at BB, as she works at the insurance company across the street. I was home at a decent hour (in time to see the WS of Pop Culture) and even got a good amount of sleep. I'd like to say, though, that I long for not having to get up by the alarm clock; to be able to see my dreams to fruition instead of having to wake up halfway through to get ready for work. The end of today can't come soon enough.

Dealing with an opossum part trois

There was an opossum playing dead in my backyard this morning.It's no longer playing dead.I heard Lola growling and barking outside, and that's usually what it is when she sounds like that. So I went outside, but I forgot to put on my glasses. Remember Death of a Squirrel Toy? Without my glasses the little pile of fur in the grass looked like that damn squirrel toy. So I went back in, got my glasses and came back out. I thought it was dead, but then I saw that it was breathing, and then I saw its nasty little claws start to move -- it thought the threat was over. So I went back in and got Christen and we locked Lola inside ... and he took care of it. Thankfully today is garbage day, so it won't have to sit at all. The shovel method seems quite effective.
And you know the CSI episodes where they find a dead fetus in the garbage can? I keep thinking that the garbage men are going to find that garbage bag and call the cops. Fun fun!! It's just a dead opossum, guys! I swear it!

Huzzah for good wine, good friends, good music and good sushi!!

So last night was girl’s night, and this time it was just Shelley and I instead of our usual trio. We went to the sushi place in Boot Ranch that I have been dying to try since I noticed it six months ago. We walked in, ordered drinks, looked at the menu …. paid for our drinks and left. There was nothing good on the menu. I mean nothing. So we drove down the road to the sushi place that opened next to Emerald City comics and ate there – it was fantastic! So glad we skipped out on the other place. We ate way too much and spent about the amount we would have spent at Chili’s, and the rolls were really great. We had crunchy spicy tuna (Shea, you would have loved – a little spicy for me, of course), a Phillie roll, a Mexican Roll and a spider roll. Mmmm … god, I love sushi.

Afterward we went to HomeGoods to wander a little bit and I got a springform pan in which to make cheesecake … and then we went to The Zone in Tarpon to see some friends of mine play. The Zone is this neat little coffeeshop/bar/hookah lounge with comfy couches. The band was great (nods to Ben and Levin) and the company was great. We had a fantastic time. I had a couple glasses of a very good petit syrah and Shell had two Long Beach Ice Teas. We stayed out so late (well, for us anyhow) and had such a good time neither of us wanted to go home (I drove around the block a couple times while we continued to talk). This morning however, I woke up with a horrendous headache. It wasn’t a hangover headache (I do know what that feels like) but I couldn’t move. I had a couple days a few weeks ago the same way. I came in a couple hours late, hoping that the headache would go away. It didn’t, but finally after lunch it faded a bit so now I feel pretty okay. I’ve had plenty to do, so I haven’t really had time to think about it either. My iPod is on its last battery-operated leg today – I forgot to charge it. The battery says empty but it’s puttering along for me, thankfully. If it can just get me through the next 2 ½ hours until I leave, I’ll be happy. I’m going to a cookout at Stacy’s house tonight and I have to go home and get the meat before motoring over to her place. Fun fun! I’ll let you know how it goes … I hope it stops raining!