This weekend, we started watching The Wire. This is, I think, the third time we’ve tried watching it, and though we were unable to get into it before, this time it clicked with us. And we have an entire five seasons to look forward to! I have to have my iPod Touch with me while we’re watching it, though, because we have many instances of “He looks familiar! Who IS that?”, and I look them up on IMDB.
IMDB came in handy when I started wondering if Dominic West (McNulty) was American. I suspected he wasn’t, and wasn’t surprised to find out that he’s British. Not long after I confirmed that (and told Fred), there was a scene where McNulty is awakened by the phone, and when he answered the phone, his “Hello” sounded VERY British.
“He sounded really British just then,” Fred said.
“I know!”
“‘ALLO!” Fred said.
“Pip pip!” I said.
Oh, we crack ourselves up so very much.
I think that when we finish The Wire, we may give Deadwood another try. Both of these shows were highly recommended by Fred’s work friend, Mike, who likes a lot of the same shows that we do.
This has probably already been answered by you, but I can’t find it. We have way too much summer squash in our garden (what were we thinking with six plants???) I love it, but no way we can eat enough to keep up, and our neighbors are starting to hide when they see us coming … my co-workers cringe at the sight of yet another basket of “free” squash. So – we bit the bullet and today bought a Foodsaver vacuum sealing machine. I’ve never used one before, and have no idea the best way to preserve it. We have patty-pan, crook neck, round zucchini, and some other darker round summer squash. Any advice?
I would shred the zucchini and freeze it like this, and then you can use it for all kinds of things – zucchini bread, zucchini tots, zucchini muffins, toss it in stews or soups or spaghetti sauce. I actually feel like we didn’t get enough zucchini this year – it’s so versatile (and so much less seedy than other squashes) that it’s my favorite.
With the other kinds of squash, I preserve them in the following ways:
1. Cut them up and make Oven-Fried Summer Squash, only instead of baking them for the entire 20 minutes, just bake them for 10 minutes, then flash freeze them (I usually just let them cool, on the pan, and then stick the whole pan in the freezer) and put them in a big plastic freezer ziplock bag. To eat, bake the (frozen) squash at 425 for 10 minutes, flip, and then bake another 5. (You could also just prepare the squash like you were going to bake it, and then put it, unbaked (and flash frozen) into a big plastic bag, but I think it holds together better if it’s been partially baked first.)
2. Cut up the squash and boil it until it’s fork-tender. Drain for about 10 minutes in a colander, and then put the boiled chunks into a Foodsaver bag and seal (I usually put the squash in the Foodsaver bags, stick them in the freezer for the day and then seal them, because you can drain squash forever, and it’s still going to put off a ton of water.) Then to eat the squash, I either heat it and then mash it, add salt and pepper and butter, and serve. Or you can just heat the chunks and eat it like that. ALSO, you could use it to make Baked Squash. I’ve also mashed the squash before I froze it, to make it easier to serve mashed squash or to make the baked squash.
3. Slice the squash in 1/4″ slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper and maybe a little parmesan, and then bake for 10 minutes at 425ºF. Let it cool, freeze it, and put it in a big plastic bag. I use these slices of squash in casseroles, as if they were noodles, like such. That recipe uses freshly roasted summer squash – I’d stick the frozen roasted summer squash in a 425 oven for 10 minutes each side, then use as if they were fresh.
That’s what I do with my squash – if anyone has more suggestions, please share!
And on another completely unrelated topic … what did you think of Ann Curry’s last morning on the Today Show?
I actually don’t watch the morning shows, and only knew that Ann Curry was leaving after she’d gone. I understand Matt Lauer was reportedly behind it, part of his contract negotiations that she’d leave the show. I don’t have any real opinions on the topic – know who Ann Curry is, but haven’t watched any morning shows in years.
Isn’t David Morse only 3 years older than Tom Cruise?
Also, Robyn if you still have a green pond, you can throw some barley in there to clean it up naturally.
I had NO idea that David Morse is only 3 years older than Tom Cruise. Clearly Tom Cruise has sold his soul to the devil to remain looking so young for his age!
We got a bale of barley, and Fred stuffed a bag with it, and tossed it in the pond. I understand it’ll take a few weeks to make a difference, so I’m keeping an eye on it!
They just ended the blackout of the viacom channels after ten days and a new contract. I was still getting AMC somehow. But hold the phone…there’s a dvr that records FIVE shows at a time? I have the boring 2 show recorder. Hmph. Did u get the whole house dvr set up? I want to do that. I have had very good service from DirecTV. I only lose a signal when the storms get really bad which hasn’t happened often.
There IS a DVR that records five shows at once! It’s not the one you get automatically, and they actually brought us the wrong DVR the first time, requiring that Fred spend more time on the phone to get them to come out and replace the one we had with the 5-show one. I don’t know that we actually NEED to tape 5 shows at once, but it’s nice to have the option!
We only have one TV in the house, so didn’t get the whole-house set up. I wouldn’t mind having a second TV, but there’s a DirecTV app that you can download for your iPad, so once I get my new iPad (which I am currently saving up for), I’m going to install the app and will be able to watch TV in the kitchen while I’m making dinner or whatever. Woohoo!
Last week my friend said “Hmm, I’m gonna check out Breaking Bad, everyone says it’s sooo good. You should too.”
So I fired up Netflix and now, less than a week later I am on season 4 and already getting the shakes because my Breaking Bad episodes are almost over.
I may or may not have called in to work last Monday to watch more.
Bitch.
Man, is it weird that I wish I’d never seen an episode of Breaking Bad so it could all be new to me?
Elaine hit the nail on the head, why I can’t stand Tom Cruise as an actor. I never lose the sense of the fact that “here is Tom Cruise, acting” when I watch him. I compare him to someone like Russell Crowe, who I know got a lot of bad press, but is a hell of an actor. I saw him in The Insider and Gladiator in one week, and couldn’t believe it was the same guy. More than just the physical transformation-he just inhabits the characters.
Terrible miscasting for the Reacher film.
Annnnnd now they’re talking about Russell Crowe to play Roland of Gilead. Fred’s having fits.
I bookmarked this blog post for when I finally get my act together and plant some garlic. I hope it helps!
Thank you! I’ve got my garlic ordered, so I will be planting it in October and hopefully harvesting it next summer!
I have geezer eyes (tm Jane) and I thought there was two hippie neighbors playing a guitar off to the left side of you in the pool. Turns out it’s an upturned wheelbarrow. heh.
and
Sometimes I just need a real good belly laugh to lift my spirits. You did it for me tonight Libby. I am still chuckling.
Reminds me of the time my sister asked to borrow my Oil of Olay and I said I don’t think it’s a horrible day.
HA.
Also:
At first I thought you were wearing water wings in the pool (ha!), then I figured those blue things must be the ends of a noodle?
Yes, those are the ends of a noodle, which I was sitting on.
Also, about the pool: it’s dead. The inflatable top part started deflating, and despite much examination, we couldn’t find where the leak was. We haven’t been swimming in a week, and I miss the damn thing!
Don’t you have to aerate your pond to keep the water moving around so you don’t attract mosquitoes? (Or other hideous bug creatures. ::shudder:: EWWWWW!!!!)
We have actually had zero issues with mosquitoes this year. I think between the catfish, the bats, and the dragonflies, the mosquitoes are being eaten as soon as (or before!) they hatch.
I had trouble reading this because I was so anxious about Tommy (even though I saw that you’d found him!).
Did Stinkerbelle notice he was gone, or react in any way when her beloved boy reappeared?
Stinkerbelle didn’t seem to notice that Tommy was gone, but I wonder if she sensed he was in (under) the house, so wasn’t worried about not actually seeing him!
My first thought was, FRED GOT A BABY DUCK! 😉
There have been NO baby ducks, thank you! 🙂
I’m not understanding how people give out the wrong email address. I mean, REALLY?? How do you not remember that when you signed up at gmail or wherever that your name was already taken and so you had to add numbers or words to your name to make it unique. I just can’t believe that people are really so dumb, and yet… they ARE.
Last week, I got a notification that “my” resume had been submitted to a company. Further investigation showed that someone had signed up with an online temp agency and gave my email address as their own. I logged in, changed the password, and then changed part of the general description to “I am too stupid to know my own email address. Please don’t hire me.” Probably no one will ever see it, but it made me feel better!
A couple of weeks ago I got an email about Vacation Bible School for some other Elayne’s daughter, who wanted to bring a friend who wasn’t a member of the church. I replied with my stock, “You have the wrong email address, please contact your intended recipient for his/her correct email information” and thought nothing more of it. Then the other day, I woke up to three or four emails from various people at that same church, including two that had another version of an “elayne” email address (like elayneXYZ@… or elayne99@…). So I googled for instructions on how to spoof the return email address.
Now, I don’t know if I did it right, but if I DID, then a bunch of people that day got an email from “God & Jesus C. Almighty,” saying “We’ve always been pretty big on the ‘love your neighbor’ and ‘don’t antagonize each other’ stuff, and that applies to people on the internet, too. Now: Take three seconds to delete that email address because she’s already told you it’s not the right one, and Elayne? You’d BETTER NOT give that email address out as your own again. You really don’t want to test Me on this one.”
Good thing I’m not a believer, or I’d be nervous that I’d just helped myself to a nice single-bed spot in Hell…
LOVE IT.
Saw this, thought of you:
see more Failbook
HA!
Previously
2011: There are five of them, obviously.
2010: Oh, I crack myself UP with that picture.
2009: I like how he thinks he has any choice in the matter.
2008: Meet Michele the chicken!
2007: (Miz Poo, upon seeing me pick up a fly swatter and walk toward her, whines and runs away. Like I beat her spoiled ass on a regular basis! I don’t, but I oughta. She deserves it.)
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: The morning I wake up and find a cricket in bed with me is the day I start closing the cat door at night, believe you me.
2003: I HAVE THINGS TO DO THAT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH A PORTLY POO IN THE WAY.
2002: No entry.
2001: Yeah, like YOU don’t have a voice in your head that reads things to you…
2000: No entry.