Died of Ennui

Farmers' Market Karma (say that 10 times fast)

2011-10-15T12:30:00.003-04:00

I went to the farmers' market this morning. While I was waiting in line to pay for my apples and juice, the guy in front of me called to his girlfriend, "Do you have a dime?" She didn't. He sighed and started digging around in his wallet. I pulled a quarter out of my pocket and offered it to him. He said, "No thanks, I have it." I said, "Really, you can have it." He continued to refuse and so I put my quarter away and paid for my things and left. But I saw his girlfriend giving him a funny look and it occurred to me that he/she/they thought I was hitting on him (he was quite attractive).

So I guess my question is, do I still get karma points for trying?

Food Dysentery

2011-01-27T16:49:00.010-05:00

Okay, it's been almost a year, and I keep threatening (in person and via Twitter, mainly) to jump-start this blog but have yet to do so. I doubt this post will do it, but I just have to have a little rant about my local grocery store.

It sucks.

I hate it.

I've been shopping there for 14 years because I live in New York City and I don't have a car and it's the grocery store closest to where I live. I also shop at other, less convenient stores, but I regularly have to stop in Food Dysentery to pick up something or other. (As you can imagine, that's not the real name of the store. It's kind of a play on the real name.)

I have hated shopping there for the entire 14 years I've been shopping there. I won't even get into the state of customer service in New York City, but that's just the tip of the iceberg at Food Dysentery anyway.

My favorite thing they do is put price labels on one brand of a product, say, yogurt, but not on another brand. Is that even legal? If my only criterion for purchasing a particular product is the price (as is sometimes the case), then how do I know which one to buy? (That said, they have installed a price-checker but it often doesn't work.)

Sometimes there are no price labels at all on the products, but on the shelves instead. However, the number of times that the label on the shelf corresponds to the product on the shelf is low. Basically, the price of everything in the store is a total crapshoot.

They have a weekly circular, which, during the year I was "marginally employed," I perused regularly and often made decisions about things to buy and cook based on what was on sale. Some of the items on special are only discounted if you use their "Club Card." The cashiers NEVER ask you for your card. Most of the time, they will just swipe a card they have at the register, so it's no big deal. However, other times--and I suspect they do this specifically for products on which the discount is significant--they don't swipe a card, nor (as mentioned) do they ask you for yours.

Which brings us to today. I went there specifically to buy some Ciao Bella frozen dessert product because it was on sale--buy one, get one free. That shit is $5 a pint! No effing way am I paying $5 for a pint of ice cream or sorbet at my the grocery store. I don't care how good it is. Besides, it goes on sale every now and then. There's simply no reason to pay $5 for it when I know that, at some point, it will be two-for-one. I picked up two pints--peach ginger sorbet, pictured above, and raspberry sorbet--and a package of frozen spinach and took them to a register. I left the store a few minutes later $11.89 poorer than I had entered.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had paid full price for both pints. So, shoes and jacket and gloves back on, receipt in pocket, I head back to the store (this is when its convenience really shines). I go to the cashier who checked me out and explain to her that she charged me for both pints when they were supposed to be buy-one-get-one-free.

What does she say? Does she say, "Oh, sorry"? Does she say, "Let me refund your money"? NO! She says, "Did you give me your Club Card?" I fucking knew she was going to blame ME for overcharging me. Because that's the kind of place Food Dysentery is. I calmly respond, "You didn't ask for it." (As an aside, at Stop & Shop, they always ask for your card. Good grocery store.) Does she say, "Oh sorry"? Does she say, "Let me refund your money"? NO! She fucking shrugs! Shrugs! Because it's MY fault. How is that customer service? How is that a good business practice? Why do I continue to shop there when I get attitude like that? (That last is a rhetorical question; I believe it's been answered already.)

With a sigh of annoyance, she got the "key" (I don't know exactly what the "key" does, but there seems to be only one and the cashiers are constantly asking each other for it) and gave me a five-dollar bill even though the pint was really only $4.99 and she didn't even want a penny when I offered it. So I guess that makes up for it. I made a penny on the deal.

Funemployment

2010-03-09T17:18:00.005-05:00

These "recession slang" words in this article in the Christian Science Monitor are pretty funny, but I am particularly fond of this one [emphasis mine]:

Funemployment, n. The practice of enjoying one's unemployment.
The funemployed subscribe to the philosophy that in the face of bleak employment prospects, it's better to make the most of time off by catching up with old (read: also unemployed) friends or developing low-cost hobbies, ideally during normal business hours to realize the additional benefit of irking one's employed friends.

I also had the following exchange via IM after I'd set my away message to "Out for a run" at about 1:30 in the afternoon:

Friend: i know you're unemployed and it sucks, but i'm really jealous that you can just pick up and go for a run.
Me: ha. being unemployed doesn't actually suck at all
Friend: i was sorta figuring that. i loathe you

How To Save Money, Organize, Be Productive, Clean Your House, Parent, Be Environmentally Friendly, Cook, and Decorate Your Home

2010-01-23T15:41:00.009-05:00

Many people are making money or at least gaining some minor Internet fame by blogging advice about various subjects. After looking over the categories in my Google Reader and the multiple blogs in each, I have realized that these bloggers aren't telling me anything new. They're recycling the same old tired tips, much like magazines (remember them?) did before. And here I am, unemployed, nothing but time on my hands, so what am I waiting for? I'm puttin' my own spin on this game and maybe I'll get famous too!

Frugality
Don't buy shit you don't need.

Decluttering/organizing
Get rid of shit you don't use.

Productivity
Sit down and do some goddamned work. Every day.

Housecleaning
Grab a rag and get to it. God, could you people be any lazier?

Parenting
Doesn't make you special. You made your decision, now STFU. [I guess this isn't, strictly speaking, advice. Nor do I find parenting blogs in my RSS reader. Oops, my bitterness is showing.]

Green living
Vinegar.

Cooking
Google "recipes." Buy ingredients. Follow directions.

Home decor
Pick up some trash. Paint it. Voila!

See? I'm good. I might start separate blogs for each topic.

Determination

2010-01-05T15:30:00.007-05:00

I applied for unemployment online. There were a lot of sternly worded details about eligibility. One of them said:

You must be determined to be fully unemployed.

I thought, "Oh hell yes! I'm your woman! I'm absolutely determined to be fully unemployed." I did think it was a bit of an odd requirement.

On further consideration, I realized that it means THEY will DETERMINE, based on your answers to various questions, whether you can be considered to be fully unemployed and therefore eligible for unemployment benefits. Too bad, really, because I'm sure they'd have a lot of enthusiastic takers for my original interpretation of the sentence.

Pink and Purple Potatoes

2009-11-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

Pink and purple potatoes
Originally uploaded by Died of Ennui

They are potatoes! And they are PINK and PURPLE!

I've seen purple potato chips before (why do they call them "blue"?) but never the actual potatoes.

I got these from my CSA. When I scrubbed the dirt off them, the purple ones had almost black skin. I was not expecting the insides to be purple. And I was really not expecting the red-skinned ones to be pink inside.

They made me happy.

Shake Shack!

2009-10-22T20:26:00.003-04:00

My first-ever Shake Shack meal! And we only waited in line for 50 minutes! (Ha!)

In my hand there is the Shack Burger. I also had fries and the "Fair Shake," a vanilla-and-coffee milkshake. Yes, it was all as good as they say. The burger was delicious, just the right level of greasy without being gross, and the bun was sweet and complemented the burger. The shake was awesome. But the fries - the fries were superlative. They tasted like potatoes and not like grease, yet they were perfectly crispy.

It is now five and a half hours later, and I'm not even slightly hungry.

It's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Time!

2009-07-25T17:00:00.001-04:00

I haven't given the ice cream maker much of a workout yet this summer. I made rhubarb ice cream a few weeks ago, and it tasted okay but the texture wasn't right. I think there wasn't enough of it to fill the ice cream maker and so it didn't churn very well. Anyway, here's the second batch of ice cream this summer - Philadelphia-style (no eggs) peanut-butter ice cream. I've mostly only made custard-based ice cream because, early on, I found that the eggless kind left a weird kind of film in my mouth. But I think that may have been my first-ever batch of ice cream so it hardly counts. So I'm giving it another shot, partly because it's easier and takes less time. It's setting in the freezer now, and I'm going to take it to a girls' night get-together later (leaving some at home for myself, of course!). I also made chocolate syrup to go with it. Chocolate and peanut butter might be the best thing ever. Ever.

CSA Fritatta

2009-06-13T18:23:00.004-04:00

My first CSA share involved a LOT of greens. I made a fritatta.

1 fresh garlic shoot, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
approx. 1 lb mixed greens, roughly chopped
4 eggs
olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of water. Blanch greens for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water or run cold water over them.

Saute garlic and scallion in olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet.

While they are sauteing, pick up handfuls of the greens and squeeze as much water out as possible. Chop the greens a bit more. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add greens and salt and pepper.

Pour greens and egg mixture into skillet and give a stir to distribute garlic and scallions. Cover and cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the fritatta (plate over skillet method, or whatever works for you) and cook another 3 minutes or so.

Slide onto serving plate, cut into wedges.

Sisters

2009-05-25T00:52:00.001-04:00

Sisters
Originally uploaded by Died of Ennui

The kitties were a bit traumatized by the move. When they were just too tired to follow me around, they curled up together. They get along quite well anyway, but they don't usually sleep together unless they are cold. Or freaked out.

Homeownership

2009-05-07T00:16:00.000-04:00

I bought a coop, and here I am signing my life away.

Pat's King of Steaks

2009-04-21T23:36:00.004-04:00

I love Philly
Originally uploaded by Died of Ennui

I drove to Philly last Saturday with a friend to attend a baby-blessing event. Yes, we all know I hate babies, and blessings I can take or leave, but it was good friends and their lovely family. And it was in Philly, where they have cheesesteak.

Sadly, the cheesesteak (wit' Whiz, of course) rendered me too full to avail myself of the lovely food at the reception following the blessing, although I did manage to shovel in a few brownies.

Baked Rotini

2009-03-31T22:33:00.002-04:00

laptop lunch 090331
Originally uploaded by Died of Ennui

Baked Rotini

12- or 13-oz box of whole wheat pasta

12 oz sausage (I used spicy Italian chicken sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed if you have time
1 lb fresh mozzarella, cubed
8 oz part skim (processed) mozzarella, grated
2 28-oz cans tomatoes (crushed, diced, chopped, whatever you like)
oregano, thyme, basil, salt, pepper

Brown sausage, breaking up. Set aside. Saute onion. Add mushrooms when the onions start to turn translucent. Add the garlic whenever. Add some of the herbs; you can put more in later. Add the spinach; if it's still frozen, give it a poke every now and then until it's thawed and separated. Add the canned tomatoes. Add more herbs if you need to. Put the sausage back in. Let it simmer a little while, then remove from heat.

Cook pasta until just underdone. Drain and mix with sauce and cubed fresh mozzarella.

Spread out into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with grated mozzarella.

Bake at 350F, covered, for 15 mins. Uncover and bake another 15 mins.

Baked bacon

2009-03-08T19:01:00.005-04:00

The results of my bakin' bacon experiment: a success! Laid it out on a baking sheet and put it in a 400-degree oven for 12-ish minutes. It doesn't curl up. I slightly undercooked it so that when retrieved from the freezer for later usage, it can be given a quick fry to warm up and get crispy without getting burned. It needs to be drained really well, as it's just sitting there in a pool of its own grease, but once you put the bacon aside to drain, be sure to pour that lovely, tasty bacon fat into a jar and keep in the fridge. After the bacon drained and cooled, I just put it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer.

Bakin' Bacon

2009-03-08T18:57:00.005-04:00

Since I most often cook for one (me), a pound of bacon is a bit of a hassle. I'll fry up a few slices and usually freeze the rest. The next time I need (want) a few slices, I have to defrost it and then refreeze what's left. And I'm not sure freezing and refreezing is such a good idea. Even if it's not a health risk (ha - get it? bacon? not a health risk?), it's probably not good for the texture (I watch Good Eats).

So...I decided to see if there was a way to cook the entire pound without covering my kitchen in grease and then freezing the cooked bacon. Guess what? You can BAKE bacon! It's brilliant!

Hmmm...

2009-02-18T00:05:00.005-05:00

This blog sucks. I hardly ever update it and when I do, it's boring. I am considering making some kind of a change. Like maybe turning it into a "real" blog. You know, one where I *write* about stuff, and maybe illustrate my posts with some photographs, and maybe, just maybe, telling some people I know about it and hoping they read it to keep up with my life or be entertained by my witty and insightful ruminations on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Nah.

However, in the spirit of this blog so far, I present:

Homemade rye bread. Dough by Matt, shaping and baking by moi. Beautiful and delicious.

Evil gate hoverers

2008-11-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Boarding hasn't even started! I hate these people.

NYC Marathon 2008

2008-11-16T16:48:00.004-05:00

This is how I looked.

This is how I felt.

Liverwurst Sandwich

2008-11-14T23:56:00.001-05:00

At Katz's

Dr. Brown

2008-11-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

Celery soda!

Bonsai Kitty

2008-10-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

Guinness in a Container Store shoebox.

Great Big Sea

2008-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

I love Alan.

Cocktail Cart

2008-08-28T16:28:00.001-04:00

How much do I love my new job? Cocktail cart at 4 on a Thursday!

Headcheese!

2008-08-24T21:39:00.002-04:00

Finally, I've had headcheese. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but I wasn't so keen on the texture.

Happy Day

2008-08-24T21:15:00.002-04:00

Bike ride in Brooklyn.

I Made This!

2008-08-20T23:35:00.001-04:00

Black bean burger with salsa, lettuce, cheese, and avocado. Yum.

A Little Game

2008-07-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

If you can guess what this is, you will win a prize. Of course, the prize will be kudos from me and that's all.

Simon Pegg

2008-07-21T18:43:00.001-04:00

7 Train by the Numbers

2008-07-16T20:06:00.002-04:00

7 shitty beers in brown bags. 5 guys. 5 belts. 3 pairs of khaki shorts. 3 pairs of flip-flops. 3 button-down shirts, in various checks. 2 polo shirts. 1 monogram. 1 pair of loafers. 1 pair of running shoes, no socks.

Succulent

2008-07-08T16:40:00.002-04:00

My brother and his wife sent me this lovely plant to congratulate me on "getting the job done." That's what we do in our family - we get the job done. And the job I got done was the job of getting a new job. Not to mention the job of figuring out how to just email a post to this blog.

The Two Ks

2008-07-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

Karen and kitty. Bandito took a shine to Karen.

Ramps

2008-06-28T17:03:00.003-04:00

Ramps, aka wild leeks. I collected them in Connecticut about a month ago. Which is also when I took these pictures that I am just getting around to posting.

Bandito Bare Belly

2008-06-28T16:45:00.006-04:00

Bandito had an ultrasound on Thursday. They shaved her belly.

9:00 a.m. post-run

2008-06-28T10:37:00.001-04:00

6 miles, 80 percent humidity.

Cat toy...for cats

2008-06-24T22:24:00.002-04:00

Not to be confused with, say, cat toys for dogs.

Week Two

2008-06-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

You can't really tell in this picture, but my hair is a very unnatural shade of red.

Do I look cross-eyed?

Guinness

2008-06-17T23:41:00.003-04:00

That is one damn cute cat!

My bathroom after the super and the landlady came to look at it

2008-05-31T11:08:00.001-04:00

How fucked up is that? There used to be tiles there. They were caving in, but they were still attached. I think you can actually see the outside wall of the building in there.

Dishes

2008-05-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

I know this is a bit odd, but I get a certain jenga-esque satisfaction out of stacking dishes to dry.

Paleohistory of Buffalo Wings

2008-05-16T17:02:00.001-04:00

Courtesy Carl Mehling

New Chucks Rule!

2008-05-15T11:25:00.002-04:00

Bowling and Beer

2008-03-23T19:35:00.001-04:00

I love beer and I love this bowling pin.

Pass the Dutchy?

2008-02-28T09:55:00.004-05:00

What's up with me and the Dutch lately? Last weekend, I cooked and ate a Dutch baby. Isn't it gorgeous? (The picture on Wikipedia looks disgusting.) I should mention that it took me 3 days to eat that.

Lost Dutchman

2008-02-23T16:52:00.007-05:00

My sis-in-law and I did the Lost Dutchman 8K Desert Trail Run last weekend. It was awesome. There were several different races to choose from, including a marathon, the main event.

Niecely Weekend

2008-02-23T16:43:00.004-05:00

We had a snack break at the Arizona Science Center.

A wore glasses that matched my "rainbow glasses." (Mom, to the left, made them.)

Manhattan Half

2008-02-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

I ran the Manhattan Half Marathon last weekend. I think I set a personal worst.

Burns Snack

2008-01-30T22:32:00.001-05:00

Instead of a Burns Supper, I had a Burns Snack at work, with the same guys as last year.

Evolution

2008-01-19T17:44:00.001-05:00

Madison, wisconsin

Ce n'est pas une pipe

2008-01-04T20:35:00.001-05:00

My buddy J took this picture on his train this morning. Even I would think it was me if I didn't know that I don't take J's train. The brown Chucks are the kicker. (Ha, get it? The "kicker"?!)

I used to have a doppelganger in Astoria. EJ saw her when he lived there, and from a distance thought she was me. M used to work in Astoria; he saw her. And once I was at a meeting where I chatted with a guy who said, "Oh, you live in Astoria - I see you on the train sometimes." I figured he saw me occasionally when I stayed over at EJ's, but when I heard these other reports of my N-train twin, I realized he must have been seeing her. I never got to see her - I'm a bit disappointed. I wonder how alike we'd think we look.

Me and my friend S used to think we looked alike. In fact, the first time we met, both of us swore the other looked familiar. Finally, I said, "I know why you look so familiar! You look just like me!" The thing is, no one else thought so. I do know that one time, she quickly flashed a picture of me in front of someone and asked who they thought it was, and they thought it was her - so we were vindicated.

Vietnam Photos Online

2007-12-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Check us out!

Onstage at Fuerzabruta

2007-12-17T15:42:00.000-05:00

That's me there on the left. Fuerzabruta.

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Cu Chi tunnels. Man, are we glad we weren't VC soldiers - those tunnels are small and hot!

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:16:00.001-05:00

Dinner in Saigon. They are not as big as they appear in this photo. They weren't small, though.

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:13:00.001-05:00

Mmm, gecko patties.

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:09:00.000-05:00

Cooking class: eggplant hotpot.

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

Halong Bay sunset.

Vietnam

2007-12-02T15:01:00.000-05:00

Cyclo in Hanoi.

Marathon

2007-11-30T18:03:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in over a month and I've been in Vietnam for 3 of those weeks, but you get marathon photos for now.

Haircut and Blow-Out

2007-10-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

Straight hair! Has happened only once before, well before blogging.

Yes, I could have smiled, but that would have ruined the hipster effect of my Williamsburg salon experience.

Accidental Art Greenpoint

2007-10-23T21:37:00.001-04:00

Philly Fest

2007-10-13T21:09:00.001-04:00

See, I actually CAN juggle. This is from last weekend in Philly.

parkour

2007-10-08T02:01:00.001-04:00

David Belle, the inventor of parkour, right here in NYC.

Queens Half Marathon

2007-09-30T17:23:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 23, 2007

What's up with my back foot turning out?

I like the rare photograph where I look like I might actually be running.

The Man

2007-09-28T13:13:00.001-04:00

Always trying to keep people down.

Tango!

2007-09-16T22:21:00.000-04:00

Riding my bike across the Williamsburg Bridge, I saw this:

Pickles

2007-09-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

Parallel Parking

2007-09-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

2:00 a.m.: I am a goddess.

Four Miles

2007-09-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

Fitness magazine 4-miler. Sponsored by McDonald's. Weird and slightly upsetting.

Toronto = Tiny Hidden-Treasure of a Sugar Museum

2007-09-03T14:59:00.000-04:00

Redpath Sugar factory; we got yelled at for taking pictures outside the museum.

Toronto = Food

2007-09-03T14:55:00.000-04:00

Pulled pork at the Cloak & Dagger (and no, we didn't eat and drink the same thing at every meal)

Toronto = Beer

2007-09-03T14:49:00.001-04:00

Mill Street Brew Pub

Sunday Bike Ride

2007-08-12T16:01:00.001-04:00

Pupusas in Red Hook

My New Assistant Is a Bit Lazy

2007-08-08T16:40:00.001-04:00

I worked from home today, thanks to the MTA's inability to handle a little rain. Guinness helped.

The Miracle of Photoshop

2007-08-06T13:18:00.000-04:00

This is about the extent of my Photoshop abilities.

New York Half Marathon

2007-08-05T06:31:00.000-04:00

I am calling splits at mile 8. Wow, this is a bad picture. (Not to mention backwards.) Please also notice the posting time: 6:31 on a Sunday morning. And I've already been up for 3 hours!

That's 3:27 a.m.

2007-08-05T03:26:00.000-04:00

And it is the time I am getting up.

At the Office

2007-08-03T16:21:00.000-04:00

I don't like it when people leave.

New York Sign

2007-07-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

Barbecue Special

2007-07-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

Pulled pork, cole slaw, mashed potatoes at the Dill Pickle in Winston-Salem.

Greening Up the Laundry

2007-07-04T12:58:00.000-04:00

New drying rack.

You Know It's True

2007-07-03T14:55:00.001-04:00

The kitties are really freakin' cute.

Do My Talents Never End?

2007-06-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

I believe this is from the night before the Philadelphia marathon 2005. Pasta dinner. A bunch of us went down to watch Roomie A and another friend of mine run. Or was it 2004? I have no idea. Time is so fluid.

How You Know It's a Party

2007-06-24T22:10:00.000-04:00

Father's Day Race against Prostate Cancer

2007-06-22T11:53:00.001-04:00

Kulcha

2007-06-13T20:03:00.001-04:00

Astoria Symphony in Central Park

Hey, my mobile blogging works again!

Industrial Queens Bike Ride

2007-06-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

American Gothic

2007-06-09T16:08:00.000-04:00

Was a nice try.

We shoot pool / We real cool

2007-06-09T16:05:00.000-04:00

Birthday pool playing in Portland.

Clean Bill of Health

2007-06-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

The kitties went for their yearly check-up. They were very well-behaved! They each weigh 9.5 pounds, and their teeth are "perfect." This is the fancy wheeled carrier I bought for our anniversary.

I'm Too Sexy for This Post

2007-05-14T23:28:00.001-04:00

Keeping the paparazzi at bay...

More Five-Boro Pics

2007-05-10T20:56:00.000-04:00

These are pics taken by professionals along the route. Cool, huh?

This is what 30,000 cyclists look like.

See how I'm winning? Look at all those people behind me!

Five-Boro Bike Tour

2007-05-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

Me and M by the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Arty bike shot

Verrazano Bridge

Clean and Organized

2007-04-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

I emptied my food cabinets, cleaned the shelves, and put everything away along with the food B & A brought over. I should have taken a before picture.

Weeks Ago

2007-04-21T02:20:00.000-04:00

Hamentaschen! Late, but delicious all year long.

Monday Dinner

2007-04-17T23:12:00.000-04:00

Pesto, tomatoes, eggs, parmesan. Baked in a small cast-iron skillet at 350 for 20 minutes. Delicious! Credit to M, who was inspired by a dish at the now-defunct 1063, a cafe in Long Island City.

MoD

2007-04-10T13:55:00.001-04:00

The monkey of despair rears his adorable head.

Scotland Run

2007-04-07T13:08:00.000-04:00

By no means a PR (and I was 7 minutes off the gun time), but ran very consistent splits.

Please note my authentic Scottish attire - kilt in the Maple Leaf tartan and Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club jersey.

To Haggis or Not to Haggis?

2007-03-20T14:44:00.000-04:00

Rabbie Burns's birthday, January 25: Here we are about to enjoy some haggis and a wee dram. I am performing an absolutely delightful rendition (ha!) of the Address to the Haggis. Six hours later, I was violently ill - although neither of my dining companions were. Hmmm.

New glasses!

2007-03-15T10:48:00.000-04:00

Not the most flattering picture of me, but frakking cool new glasses!

Guinness on a Shelf

2007-02-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

On the top shelf in the kitchen.