A couple of statistics from a brochure I got at a San Diego Press Club event tonight blew my mind:
The average U.S. teenager sends or receives 1,742 text messages/month.
The average U.S. teenager sends of received 231 phone calls/month.
I didn’t send a text message until 2004. Kids these days are practically born texting. My how times have changed!
I don’t watch a lot of YouTube. Sometimes I’ll get a hankering to see an old video and I’ll pop over to the site, or I’ll come across a link to something in one of the blogs I’ll read, but YouTube is rarely a site I seek out.
Today, while reading one of the blogs I follow, I saw a reference to a video of a guy doing, move for move, the dance from Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” video. That song is really catchy, and I had a few minutes, so I clicked on the link. All I can say is WOW. It’s this very thin, vaguely effeminate (does that go without saying?) man who has set up a camera in his house, fashioned a one-piece leotard similar to Beyonce’s, and memorized all the moves. He shakes his moneymaker, wiggles his booty, rolls his neck around, and flails his arms like a queen (again, does that go without saying?).
Okay. People are weird. They do things like that and then put the video online for others to watch. It’s not my thing, but whatever. Um, except that A LOT of people do that, apparently. There were also videos of really fat men (also in leotards) doing the dance, and videos of really fat women, teenagers, etc. I’m sure most of them did it because it’s funny, but it still strikes me as strange. Are people really that desperate for their 15 minutes of fame?
Last spring, when Mike and crew did the demo on our kitchen, our old stove got moved outside to an area near the back of the property. Initially the plan was to sell it or donate it to a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, but then we never quite got to it; the stove sat there for about 10 months, getting rained on and baked in the sun. It sat there so long that ivy grew up inside of it.
(Typing that makes me think, “hmm… maybe I shouldn’t complain about our ghetto neighbors. maybe WE are the ghetto neighbors!”)
Well, today I decided to do something about it. After doing a whole bunch of gardening– well, weed pulling, which is the precursor to gardening– I marched inside, grabbed my digital camera, and took a quick picture of the stove. Went inside, posted an ad on craigslist offering the stove free to the first person who would come and get it. No more than 5 minutes later, my phone started ringing off the hook. I was really surprised, but pleased. A guy said he’d be over in 20 minute, and sure enough, a little bit later, a rainbow colored minivan pulled up. (I’m kicking myself for not taking a picture of it. It was quite a paint job.) The guy said about 3 words to us, loaded the stove, and drove off into the sunset.
I’m feeling quite happy about getting the stove gone and am hoping that removing the eysore will make the place look nicer to prospective tenants. One of our units has been vacant since Christmas and it sure would be nice to get it rented it out!
Yes, I’m late. But so was our V-Day gift.
Mike and his dad came home Sunday evening with a 42-inch flat screen tv. I’d been bugging Mike for months that we should get a new tv to replace the 13-inch one he’d had since the 4th grade that was in our bedroom. My eyes aren’t very good and on that tv, the Direct TV channel guide was so small that I had to put on my glasses whenever I wanted to see what was on. Finally he caved, and took advantage of his dad being in town to have help getting the tv home. Woo hoo!
As it turns out, 42 inches is really big, especially for a room the size of our bedroom. But I’m not complaining. I love it! We watched “Top Chef” on it tonight, and I could see everything perfectly! (Well, not perfectly, but I didn’t have to wear my glasses.)
I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, and of course the tv is a gift for both of us, but I’m pretty happy with how V-Day weekend turned out. Thanks, Mike, for being such a good husband and for not only putting up with my nagging, but appeasing me from time-to-time by doing whatever it is I’m nagging about.
Thanks to May, who messaged me on Facebook to ask if the blog is down, we realized that Mike hadn’t paid our hosting fees for this blog. Sure enough, when I clicked over here, I got an “oops!” screen. Well, as you can tell, we paid the fee and we’re back.
Mike’s dad (Bruce) and stepmom (Lynda) are here, visiting from KS, and we’ve been taking them around. Friday, when they came in, we went to Old Town for lunch (and for some winetasting at the Hacienda de las Rosas storefront), hung out at home, and then tried Pizzeria Luigi. Yesterday, Valentine’s Day, we treked out to the Wild Animal Park– my first time there, and I’m a native San Diegan!– and then headed to Valley View casino from a few drinks, a little gambling, and A TON of eating at their delicious buffet. The deal there is that the buffet is free when you sign up for the player’s club, and you get a free trip to the buffet during the month of your birthday. Mike had a free trip saved up from when we went in December (for his birthday), and Bruce and Lynda joined the players club. All said, we had to pay $23.99 for the four of us to eat like pigs, and we emerged from the buffet fat and happy. Nothing says romance like feeling like your stomach is going to explode. Today we went to Seaport Village and then to a little sandwich shop for lunch. We’re resting up for the Turf Club tonight. I can hear the Sneaky Tikis calling my name!
In honor of having the house to myself tonight, and to make sure we have delicious, healthy food to eat this week, I made eggplant parmesan tonight. This delicious recipe is from a Test Kitchen book, and while it’s not particularly difficult, it’s very time consuming and has a lot of steps. It’s very much a “make on the weekend” kind of meal.
(For the record, I didn’t make my own sauce, but I’m including it here in case you’re less lazy than I.)
The Best Eggplant Parmesan
from The New Best Recipe
Ingredients:
For the eggplant:
2 pounds globe eggplants (2 medium eggplants), cut crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick rounds
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
8 slices high-quality white sandwich bread (about 8 oz), each slice torn into quarters
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
salt and ground black pepper
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
For the tomato sauce:
3 (14.5 ouce) cans diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
salt and ground black pepper
For the baked dish:
2 cups shredded whole milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz)
10 fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish [I didn't use any, as you can see in the picture]
Instructions:
For the eggplant:
Toss half of the eggplant slices and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the kosher salt in a large bowl until combined; transfer the salted eggplant to a large colander set over a bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, placing the second batch on top of the first. Let stand until the eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Spread the eggplant slices on a triple thickness of paper towels; cover with another triple thickness of paper towels. Press firmly on each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off the excess salt.
While the eggplant is draining, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat the oven to 425F. Pulse the bread in a food processor to fine, even crumbs, about fifteen 1-second pulses (you should have about 4 cups). Transfer the crumbs to a pie plate and stir in the cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside. Wipe out the bowl (do not wash) and set aside.
Combine the flour and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large zipper-lock bag; shake to combine. Beat the eggs in a second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in the bag with the flour; seal the bag and shake to coat the slices. Remove the slices, shaking off the excess flour; dip in the eggs, letting the excess run off; and coat evenly with the bread crumb mixture. Set the breaded slices on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
Remove the preheated baking sheets from the oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with the oil. Place half of the breaded eggplant slices on each sheet in a single layer; bake until the eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets after 10 mintues, and flipping the eggplant slices with a wide spatula after 20 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
For the sauce:
While the eggplant bakes, process 2 cans of the diced tomatoes in a food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes; stir in the processed tomatoes and the remaining 1 can diced tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble:
Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of the eggplant slices, overlapping the slices to fit; distribute 1 more cup of the sauce over the eggplant; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Layer in the remaining epplant and dot with 1 more cup of the sauce, leaving the majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and the cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, scatter the basil over the top and serve, passing the remainig tomato sauce at the table.
As the main poster on mikeandmusic.com (I always joke that we should rename the site almostallmusicandoccasionallymike.com), when I’m busy, the number of posts on our blog goes down quite a bit. As you probably know, I just started a new job in another county, so I’ve been commuting (almost 90 miles each way) quite far. I wake up at about 5 a.m., am out of the house between 5:45 and 5:55, get to work at about 7:15, and leave no later than 5:30. Depending on what time I leave work, I’m getting home between 6 and 7 p.m. I’ve been pretty tired upon my return home, and haven’t had much energy to do anything, including posting on our blog.
But I have to say, I love my job and am really glad I took on the new role. The work I’m doing is interesting, and the organization is well-known and does a lot to help people prepare for and recover from disasters. I think I’m going to be able to quickly make an appreciable difference in the public affairs activities– getting more media coverage, sharing our story with elected officials, assiting the fundraising people with messaging, etc. So it’s all good!
This weekend, Mike and I are getting ready for his dad and stepmom to visit us. They’re coming in for a few days next weekend, and we’re really excited. We’re doing a little late winter/early spring cleaning. It makes me miss having a housekeeper, and I’ve been thinking more and more that we should start that again. But that’s another post for another day.
If you’re making your way here from the Knot, this is the carnival-type standup I’m selling. It’s mounted to a light wooden frame so you can just pop behind it, stick your face in the hole, and snap the picture.
If you’re interested in it, email me at music@mikeandmusic.com.