Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Compliments of Suzanne, let’s enjoy our daily dose of The Hoff.

Dear Summer,

You’re fired. Please pack your bags and leave immediately. We’re all tired of the heatwave. Fall has been hired as your replacement starting now.

Sincerely,
Tammy Kirks

Again, last week’s topic generated almost no responses. Thanks, mom, for chiming in with your television history which was actually quite entertaining. People, if you’re reading this blog, please post comments occasionally so I don’t start feeling like I’m entertaining myself!

In light of my job loss this week, I ask the question: What is your dream job?

My dream job would be to host my own version of “What Not to Wear.” All I’d have to do is visit my local Wal-Mart on any day and I could have dozens of contestants. I’d have Duane Bone of DB Design doing hair and Melissa or Jennifer at the MAC counter to do make-up. All I have to do is find a sassy co-host and a credit card company willing to sponsor each week.

Now that I’m unemployed, it’s time for me to get creative about entertainment. My income was mainly used for entertainment and shopping so now I’m all about what I can get for very little or free. For example, this Friday night Steve and I will use our $25 gift certificate to have dinner at Patton Alley Pub then attend the First Friday Artwalk. Saturday night we’ve been invited to Matt and Sarah’s for paella night so dinner is taken care of. Now, I just have to make some money to supplement my fall wardrobe needs. However, since I don’t officially have a job, I don’t need any work clothes! That’s a weird feeling.

Well, the days of me bitching about my job have come to a close. I lost it today. Actually, I was told that the company could no longer afford to pay me (or another girl) because it was on the verge of bankruptcy. So I’m not a loser, I’m just someone without a job.

I guess I should be mad because I didn’t have any fair warning and haven’t budgeted for this, but I’m not. I really hated it, as I’ve posted in the past, and I feel really neutral about the loss. I have talked to a couple of clients and told them I’m available for freelance work. I called my editor at 417 Magazine and told him he could send more stories my way. So I’m working on making some money. This week, for the most part, I think I’ll work in the studio. Maybe my mind will be clear enough for me to come up with something exciting and new. If anyone knows of any part time work in the creative field, let me know.

Tonight was another feast at the Kirks’ abode. This time it was smoked salmon and pork chops for mom and Burl. The pork was a bit overdone due to some overheating on the smoker at first, but the flavor was excellent. Steve even smoked the corn on the cob and it was voted the only way to cook it. So here’s what tempted our taste buds tonight:

Smoked salmon with Penzey’s Northwoods Seasoning, pork chops with Penzey’s Galena Street Rub, smoked corn on the cob, spinach salad with pears, feta and pecans (thanks mom!), fresh tomatoes left over from last night, more hummus and baba ganoush, and an ice cream pie for dessert. Yummy!

Tomorrow – the serious dieting begins!

Last night we had Matt and Sarah over for a Greek feast. We had bought authentic gyro meat at Fairway Supermarket in Des Moines and wanted to share the wealth. In keeping with the Greek theme, I made Kourambiethes, a Greek shortbread cookie, on Friday and we spent Saturday finishing the menu. Steve made pita bread, hummus and baba ganoush to round out the menu. The only thing that wasn’t authentic was the alcohol. We had Fat Tire beer and white wine with dinner. So here’s what all we had:

Gyros on homemade pita bread with cucumber/yogurt sauce and feta cheese.
Kalamata olives and cracked green Sicilian olives.
Hummus and baba ganoush with Wheat Thins (also not authentic, but ya gotta have something to dip)
Fresh tomatoes from Matt and Sarah’s garden – yummy!
Kourambiethes.

To round out the evening, Sarah and I watched our favorite parts of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” while the guys talked computers in the living room. It was a great time.

It’s another exciting edition of “Topic of the Week,” brought to you by our good friends at prettyprettybangbang.com. Why the commercial? It’s because our topic is: What was your favorite TV shows as a kid? And if your reply is, “back in my day we didn’t watch TV, we played outside because it was good for us,” then you probably don’t know what the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T is and you’ll never read this. So, here’s a small list of some of my faves:

Sesame Street – I remember being really ticked it was interrupted by the Watergate Hearings.
Captain Kangaroo – Mr. Green Jeans taught me how to make pig sounds.
H.R. Pufnstuf – I really think Sid and Marty Kroft smoked something good before creating this one.
Green Acres – This show inspired my sister’s nickname which still lives today!
The Partridge Family – Ooo! That David Cassidy was so hot! I even had all his albums.
The Brady Bunch – Carol was a snappy dresser and I even had a kicky shag haircut because of her.
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom – “Let’s watch while Jim wrestles this large alligator. Ow! That has to hurt!”

That’s just the tip of the TV iceberg for me. What are some of yours?

Confession time here. Last night I had the most nutritionally void dinner on the planet. I had a pint of craft beer, 4 potato skins and a 3 Musketeers bar. Yes, that was my dinner. What am I, in college? I don’t think I ate that badly when I was in school. Guess sometimes, you just have to eat crap and enjoy it – which I did!

Here it is, July 25 and I’m thinking about Christmas. Guess I’m just wishful thinking of cooler weather. Anyway, as I posted earlier, I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around ideas for a spectacular piece to enter into the holiday gallery show in November. The piece must be finished by the end of September, so that’s why I’m in a rush.

Yesterday I started playing around with a 3-D Christmas tree pendant. The sort of thing comprised of two flat pieces with slots in them so that they fit together and form a 3-D piece. I cut one out of copper to make a sample and the thing is actually coming together. I was worried about sharp edges on the tree, but I think if I tumble polish the piece, the edges will soften. For the jump ring, I’m making a star. I’ll have pics as soon as the thing is done. However, I’d like to do something else since I can enter two pieces, so keep the ideas coming.