Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

If you haven’t seen the adventures of Chad Vader on [You Tube](http://www.youtube.com) then do yourself a favor and watch it now. [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh8u6nTx8wY) is episode 3 but you can search for the first two.

Hilarious!

I believe I have just witnessed the worst fashion tragedy ever. Seriously. It’s cooler here which means that some people are dressing for the fallish temps, while others seem determined to hold on to summer as long as possible. Case in point, what I witnessed at the grocery store today. This woman refused to give up her beloved flip flops (and you all know my feelings on flip flops) so, lest her feet get cold, she took a pair of old, faded red scrunchy socks and cut out the toes so she could slip her feet into her flips flops. It was a retched sight. Trust me.

We’re never prepared to lose a loved one. It seems like when they go we shout, “I’m not ready to lose you,” and think of the last conversation we had or the last time we saw them. This morning’s peace was shattered by a phone call from a good friend. She lost her brother last night. They were very close despite an age difference of about 15 years. He was doing what he loved best, helping his son’s Boy Scout Troop, when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Naturally, my friend is a wreck. She works in the funeral industry so planning the service is what will get her through this time. She talked fondly of him, how close they were, and the plans she had to honor him. It’s going to be a tough road for her ahead, but she’ll make it.

Another friend is facing the challenge of watching her sister battle cancer. Things don’t look good, but her sister’s attitude is positive which will serve her well in the long run. Miracles do happen. When things look darkest, a light shines and all is better. I hope that’s the case here. In the meantime she, too, will take life day by day.

Today, hug someone a little longer than you normally would. Take a few minutes more on the phone to a good friend. Stop what you’re doing and be thankful for what you have. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Many people assume that since I don’t have a “real” job, I have tons of time to do nothing. It’s like they think I spend all day lounging around the house just waiting for someone to call so I can have something to do. Well, they’re wrong. My days are busier than ever and will get worse as the holiday season approaches. So, lest you think I have nothing to do, let me tell you about my day so far.

I got up around 7-ish, drank some water and worked out. When I got home from my walk/run I did some sit ups on my exercise ball. I did relax for about a half hour while I read the paper and had a cup of coffee. Then I ate breakfast and got in the shower. Since the weather has changed, I took about 15 minutes to go through my fall clothes and find something to wear. I then left the house, ran to Target, went to a noon ribbon cutting, ran a quick errand and returned home around 12:30 pm. I ate lunch and went over to school. Class is from 3-6, but I’m working on my project and wanted to get there early. I worked from 1-5 on my piece then came home. Checked email, gathered discs for Vickie to come pick up and am now writing this blog entry. My evening will consist of enamel work and maybe (a strong maybe here) some housework.

So that’s today. Tomorrow, I’m going to spend the morning in the studio, then I have to work at school until 4:30, then more studio work if I feel like it. All in all, my days are filled. I’m really happy with my schedule, but if I don’t answer the phone, forget to do something or sound rushed when you talk to me, please understand I’m actually busy!

Last night started out innocently enough. Steve and I met [Greg](http://www.417mag.com/), [Matt](http://www.kerner.net/) and [Sarah](http://beautyschooldropout.net/) for happy hour at [Hickok’s](http://www.hickokssteakhouse.com/). We’d all had long weeks and were looking forward to relaxing at one of our favorite places. Hickok’s has the best brewed beer in town and it’s half price during happy hour. After the first round, we were all feeling relaxed and a bit sassy. I started goading Chris, the bartender, into impressing us in some way to make us vote for him for best bartender in 417 Magazine. Everyone else joined in and the next thing we knew, Chris was inventing a drink for the table. The rules were no vodka (my request), use whiskey (Hickok’s is known for their selection) and no more than 4 ingredients. Our table was located by the bar so we could check out the action. About 10 minutes later, Chris presented us with a lovely coral-colored concoction. The taste was sweet, but very smooth. He’d taken the recipe for a Rum Runner and adapted it for whiskey. He lost points for adding a splash of grenadine for color, but we declared it a success. At this time, we were all VERY happy. Some appetizers and lots of water sobered us up enough so Steve could drive us to dinner. We decided not to stay downtown, opting instead to try a new restaurant on the North side of town.

Everyone piled into our car and headed North to Fire and Ice, a restaurant inside the Oasis hotel. This used to be a Howard Johnson’s about 30 years ago, and has been completely revamped as an upscale, but affordable, hotel and restaurant. What made Fire and Ice compelling for dinner was that Matt and Sarah had recently tried it and said the food was wonderful. Driving to the North side of town is always a little weird. You feel like you’ve left Springfield and entered another town completely. Once we hit Commercial, traffic became heavy with cars stopped in both lanes. As we were crawling along wondering what the deal was, we noticed crowds of people lining the streets. Some were camped out on lawn chairs or in back of pick up trucks. Sarah yelled out, “Hey, what’s going on,” and the response was that they were waiting for the parade of cars. Apparently, there was some sort of car show being paraded down Glenstone. This made all of us laugh for some reason. It was just so weird; so North Springfield. Now, on to dinner.

We arrived at Fire and Ice and I was impressed by the decor. Very modern, but not cold – except for the bar. The bar has a cold section that runs the length of it. Like one of those cold stone ice cream places. Here’s where you can set your drink and it will stay chilly the entire time. Genius! We were seated in a cozy round booth, with high sides, near the bar. We decided appetizers would be the best to order and we’d pass everything around for tasting. Steve ordered an actual dinner of meatloaf because he was curious about it. Their meatloaf is beef and choirizo sausage covered in bacon and served with garlic mashed potatoes. I don’t even like meatloaf and it was delicious! At $9 it was a bargain. The chef at F&I is the grandson of the man who invented Cashew Chicken and ran Leong’s Tea House so I ordered the Cashew Chicken skewers. They were so wonderful! Lightly breaded chicken served with a light cashew oyster sauce and duck sauce (which I didn’t try). I also got a salad which was delicious. Fresh greens, light vinaigrette, grape and gourd tomatoes made for the perfect combination. Matt ordered the Empanadas which were light and spicy. Sarah got crab cakes which we all declared as good, but nothing exceptional. Greg ordered duck, which I cannot comment on since I don’t eat duck, but he also got the seafood bisque. It was divine. So rich it came in a cup and we all had a small sample. It was so flavorful and satisfying that I might be tempted to order it myself.

Because we were still feeling sassy we challenged the bartender to make our new drink, The Steve. We explained the basics and the waitress brought us a sample for our approval. It was a bit heavy on the banana liqueur, but we decided it was good enough to drink. Thank you Matt for buying us the round.

By the time we were ready for dessert the entire table was stuffed. Steve, however, cannot pass up the opportunity to have something chocolate so he ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla ice cream. It was rich, creamy and delicious, but his complaint was the raspberry sauce. Steve doesn’t like raspberries, but I liked the contrast of the tartness against the sweetness of the chocolate. Total bill including tip? Our part was $40. Not bad for an evening out. And we were very satisfied. I failed to mention earlier that not only was the food excellent, but the presentation was artful. Everything was lovely to look at as well.

We took a short tour through the hotel to the indoor pool which Steve fondly remembered swimming in as a kid (when it was Ho Jo’s). The place has been completely remodeled with lots of steel, mosaic tiles, waterfalls, and modern lighting. It felt like something you’d see in Miami, not Springfield.

Good friends and great food make for the perfect way to start the weekend.

We’ve all talked about our “lists.” That silly list you have of people you would have a fling with, no strings attached, no questions asked. The list of famous people you secretly, or not so secretly, lust for. Well, Suzanne came up with the idea of a weekend flings and one night stands list of people who wouldn’t be suitable for long-term relationships (really none of them are, this is just fun) but who would be fun for the weekend. Here’s my list. You’ll notice a heavy amount of rock stars on it. Also, since this is fantasy and we can make up rules, you can pick guys (or gals) from different eras. You’ll see what I mean.

* Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers
* Trent Reznor
* David Bowie
* Harrison Ford as Han Solo from Empire Strikes Back
* Sean Connory as James Bond from Goldfinger
* Matthew Sweet
* Chris Isaak

So what’s on your list?

I was scheduled to have a hair cut/color today and I was really jazzed about it. I’m so ready for a color change! Well, as I was getting out of the shower, my cell phone voice mail went off meaning only one thing: my appointment was canceled. Yup, Brook is sick and I have to reschedule. I was really irritated. This was going to mess up my day. However, I realize Brook’s day is much worse than mine. After all, she’s at home feeling crappy and I just have to be patient. Plus, I think in four years this is the first time she’s been sick when I was on the schedule so I really can’t be mad.

Good news is that my last hair cut was terrific and has grown out really nicely. You know how some hair cuts are only good for about a week then start looking really shaggy, well this one has been good from the beginning. Now that I have another week to wait, I’m asking you, my dear readers, to weigh in on hair color opinions. I don’t really want red; I’ve done that before. I’m thinking of a medium brown with honey and champagne highlights.

Opinions?

When did everything get bigger? Last night, Steve and I were shopping at Target (Tar-Jay) and we needed paper towels. Seems like an easy, basic purchase but it wasn’t. Paper towel manufacturers are taking their cue from toilet paper manufacturers and making the rolls larger. We store our rolls in a 1950s towel holder so even regular rolls don’t fit until we’ve used about 1/4 of it. Now, we’re facing even larger rolls. I noticed that TP is now coming in sizes equivalent to 2 regular rolls. These don’t fit on my holder. It’s becoming a scavenger hunt to see if I can find regular sized products when shopping. Some things are better in larger quantities. Diet Coke and coffee are two that come to mind. But I don’t need, or even want, so much stuff at one time. I don’t have to storage space for all of it.

It’s funny how things are becoming larger, yet as people we’re expected to become smaller. The “ideal” body is about a size 4, but the “average” American woman is a size 14. Even clothing sizes have grown. A dress manufactured in the 1960s and labeled a size 14 is equivalent to today’s size 8. It’s no wonder we’re growing. Last time we ate out, the hamburger I ordered was 1/2 a pound of meat, yet a serving of protein is only 4 ounces. I only ate half of it and that was still more than I needed.

Bigger isn’t always better. While it may be more convenient to buy larger rolls of paper products, more cost effective to shop at Sam’s or Cosco, and more satisfying to be served a larger burger, I prefer my things a little smaller.

Three hours of planishing and I have…crap. I’ve worked and worked and worked on this thing and was feeling like it was coming together. Last week I showed Sarah thinking I had only a round or two of planishing left before declaring this thing done. Oh no. She said it was coming along nicely, but I had several rounds to go. So today I went to the studio early to get a jump start on this. The bottom started looking nice, then came the sides and things went downhill. I couldn’t get my piece fitted on the stake. Then everyone started arriving for class which meant everyone around me started hammering. I couldn’t hear the metal. I couldn’t find my place. I wandered over to the other room hoping for some quiet. I got the quiet, but the piece just didn’t want to cooperate. Finally, I called it a day. I annealed it and put it in my locker for tomorrow.

To top it all off, it rained so now it’s really humid. So my hair looks like crap. It’s Monday.

I think Tidbit speaks for all of us on his opinion of Mondays. Check out that layer of dust on my table – eek! You can tell where housekeeping ranks with me. Have a good week!