Monday, September 28, 2009

Cooking FAIL

Now normally I am a pretty decent baker, however, this Saturday was absolutely NOT a demonstration of my skills. I saw these over at sugarlaws:




If Katy, who is completely self taught, can make those bites of heaven, why not me? Besides, I needed some sort of treat to make, it was my friend's birthday. I should have considered a few important things that are crucial for success in this recipe.

1) Tuiles are very technical to make. Very technical (read: easy to screw up).

2) Mousse has to be chilled to set, and should not be over-whipped or it will start to break down (I know this from experience).


When I couldn't shape any of my tuiles into cups I thought I should just make the peanut butter mousse and we could take the flat tuiles and dip them in the mousse. But that only works when you have actual mousse instead of watery, over-whipped peanut butter.

So to recap:

Katy made these:




I made flat tuile cups and watery peanut butter:


note how they are all broken and not nice cups like Katy's




just...gross


Oh, and my friend was unsuccessful in his cooking endeavors as well. While I was essentially making a mess, he fixed us gray steak and undercooked, soggy sweet potato fries. Yum. A very happy birthday to you.


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Dating Tips

So my old manager, Jimmy James, gets a huge kick out of trying to set me up. And by that I mean telling me about semi-elaborate schemes to get me alone with any single guy who works in the office.

His newest plot is also his favorite, based on the fact that he cannot stop laughing when he talks about it. Basically, I am to get all dressed up and hang around outside El Gaucho's on a Saturday night waiting for a single guy to come walking up. Then, when I see someone with potential, I start to cry. Theoretically the guy will ask what's wrong, and I say I have been stood up and have no one to eat with. This lands me a date with at least enough money to afford dinner at El Gaucho's (not a cheap place by any means).


Perhaps I should listen, since Jimmy James got a girl to move from Italy to the states after meeting during a study abroad. She is now his wife.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Pocket Person, and A Story of Perseverance

Since Pocket Person was so tickled to be mentioned yesterday, I thought I would dedicate even more space to her. Especially since she is my CEO's soon to be daughter-in-law. It just wouldn't do to make Pocket Person unhappy you know.

I mostly like her for these reasons:

1) She brought me with her to go cake tasting, and if you don't already know, I am all about the food.

2) She told me to watch Meet Me In St Louis, which was awesome. Mostly because I love Judy Garland (whose daughter, Liza Minnelli, plays Lucille 2 on Arrested Development, one of the greatest TV shows).

She warned me not to show a picture of her with her braces on, and since I am all about keeping Pocket Person happy, I must acquiesce. So here she is, sans orthodonture.







And in other news, if you love to hear about rescue animals that survive against all odds, (you should know this is VERY graphic) then keep reading after the jump!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Radio, Who Needs A Radio?!

Yeah, if you can't figure out the movie reference in the title I don't think we can be friends.

It's Dumb and Dumber, obviously.

So my coworkers, Colorado and Pocket Person (so called because she is generally that size, short, skinny and small handed) think I am some sort of crazy person for never listening to the radio. I have my iPod people, I do not drive in silence. Not to mention I hate commercials with the fire of a thousand suns. But apparently I am missing out on some crucial element of life by not being able to sing Shakira's new song, She-Wolf along with them.

Yeah I found the video. I gotta say, it doesn't make me feel like I am missing anything at all. Not to mention, the song is kind of grody once you know the Urban Dictionary definition of she-wolf.

Personally, I think this version is much better.

I Can Make Things Grow, Sort Of

I have a miniature balcony and on said balcony I have grown an even smaller garden. I am talking like three pots with a few flowers here. Things were going swimmingly until the most recent blooms on my gerberas. They are.....interesting.




Umm, I was under the impression that flowers had a few more petals then this...



And don't they normally open more, I don't know, spherical?




Well, as Madre is so fond of saying, perfectionism has taken a big hit.




By the by, happy last day of summer! Halloween is only 40 days away!!!



Thursday, September 17, 2009

This One's For You, A

In lieu of anything exciting happening today I am dedicating this post to my most dedicated reader, A. She sometimes checks Incurably Awkward more then once a day from Keaau, Hawaii




Isn't she lovely?




In other news, I did not drive into anything today. See Madre? I am not worlds worst driver all the time. 

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

My Observational Skills

I generally spend my time in a state of general oblivion and today was no exception. This morning as I am backing out of my parking spot I back right into a giant pole.

Excellent.

Seeing as how I am perpetually a few minutes behind I just drove on, because really, stopping to look at the damage won't change anything. It will only make me late to work. I just checked out the bumper when I got to work. Luckily there was hardly anything noticeable. However, it should be disclosed that my car is not so clean, so it could be worse then I think.

Now you would assume that I would be extra careful driving home seeing as what happened in the morning. Well you would be wrong, thats just not my style. Not even out of the parking garage, I ram into a corner on my way out.

Super awesome. Clearly I am trying to turn my car into a beater in record time.

But no, luck is clearly on my side today, again there is barely a scratch.



Welp, tomorrow is a chance to do better. And I promise, I am not this terrible of a driver all the time.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Nudie Pictures

In a few days the Big House, the one I grew up in, will be sold and even though I haven't lived there in over three years and Madre is settled in the Blessed/Haunted House it is still strange. I won't be suffering power outages all winter with no running water, no more being the only house that is snowed in, or having the deer eat all the flowers.

Oh, wait. I am not going to miss those things at all.

When Madre was getting the house ready for a real estate agent to take pictures, I of course, was very helpful. I noticed that in the dining room a few things needed to be changed. I asked her:

Madre, when are you gonna take those nudie pictures down?


When she was divvying up stuff she didn't want to take when she moved guess who got the nudies?



They hang on my bathroom wall, because the bathroom is where people get naked.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Healthy Living

So I have been informed by my faithful readers (N, Colorado and Pastor Matt) that I need to up the ante on my posting frequency. Well I won't promise anything, I would hate to make myself into a liar you know.

Anyways, on to more important things. Like my diet.

You should probably know, that my health is very important to me. It's something I take seriously, which is naturally reflected in my diet.


HA! Yeah right.


For lunch today I got some food from the place my coworker calls her "favorite restaurant".


It's the Shell station down the block from the office.

The "food"? Cheezits, gummi bears, and Reeses.




Tomorrow I am bringing a lunch.

___________________________________________________________________________________

In other news, I got an email at work today asking what movie this picture is from:





So obvious. The Secret of NIMH. Give me a real challenge.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

9/9/09 A Special Day? Yeah Right

Today's short list:

-Benny took a crap on a neighbors yard and I couldn't stop him. The neighbors were outside and saw the whole thing.

-Benny bit a friendly dog (that was much larger then he is) on the nose for sniffing him.

-The hem on my brand new pants (purchased at Nordstrom Rack with a gift card that has been sitting in my purse for two years) came out. Today was the first time I wore them. So ...... Madre? Care to fix that for me?



Clearly a successful day.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Why Do I Feel Like, Somebody's Watching Me?

Oh right, because someone is. This is what greeted me after getting out of the shower this morning.

 
Hey Benny...
In other news, the library is back open! I can't wait to make more use of my nerd card

Monday, September 7, 2009

Benny Watch, Take Two

Remember this guy? The stranger humping, bed farting, incessant barking bundle of joy? Well Colorado and Pastor Matt are on vacation again and Benny is under my rule now.

After our last week together, I let the Pastor and Colorado in on my secret weapon against barking: the spray bottle. And what do you know, Benny doesn't bark so much these days.

Don't worry, I got some homework this time also. This weeks reading list: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (from my one true love, the library), Gilead, and The Violent Bear it Away.

But for a really special treat, they left out one of Kirk Cameron's straight to DVD masterpieces, Left Behind. While it claims to be about the rapture, it's really about how he went from Growing Pains to born again Christian.



I can't wait to watch it.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Heartbreak

Yes I am recently single. 


But no, this is not that kind of heartbreak. This is worse.


Because of budget cuts, my new favorite place, the Seattle Library, is closed until after Labor Day. I can't even check on my wait list status, or search for new things online. The whole website has been temporarily shut down. I have been on a three day candy bender to fill the void. I know, that is so not the answer to my problems.






But until next Tuesday, I am devastated.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Sisterly Love, or, More Adoration of N

sorry to cut you out A, better luck next time 

Yes it's true.

I love my sister N. As if this post didn't make that crystal clear for everyone already.

When she was at Whitman for her undergrad and I was still a Spartan, her visits home were oh so eagerly anticipated. While N was visiting my laundry always got washed and folded (she even paired my socks, something I never do!) and the bathroom became sparkling clean.

It was like magic.

And yes, I was (and still am) fully capable of doing my own laundry, but when N does it, it's just so much better. Her folding quality is superior, and she makes the clothes have a better clean laundry smell.

She did this stuff for me because she loves me too, or because my dirty laundry was always piled in the bathroom we shared (that I never cleaned) and it frustrated her. Understandably so.

Even M's boyfriend Big Hands (so named because he claims his hands are too big to do things like cook or text) misses N while she is away at school again. The other day at dinner he made the comment:


I miss N. When she's here there is order.