studio524’s Neighborhood

happy 4th! 

CSA week 8 - July 4 2008

broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, garlic scapes, green zucchini and yellow crookneck squashes, daikon radish, swiss chard.       
tons of stuff.  this early in the season I'm already sick of the squashes - not too fond of them to begin with.

the daikon should be interesting. the only way I've ever had it is shredded, a garnish in a sushi plate.

Daikon detail

Big thanks to Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch for the amazing tickets!
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Sour

Sourly eating sour cherry in a sour cherry tree, of course. Made with acrylic paint and cut up sweet wrappers on brown paper.

So I’m pushing my cart through Albertson’s this morning, minding my own business, when a round, jolly-looking woman comes from out of nowhere (I blame a ridiculously overstocked endcap) and runs her cart straight into the side of mine. There was a moment of startled silence before I spoke up.

“Well,” I deadpanned, “I guess we better exchange insurance information.”

At that, the rotund lady began laughing. Hysterically. And then she started to turn red. Then commenced coughing. And sort of shaking a little. I pretty much watched her pleasure turn into predicament in the span of maybe eight seconds. She was coughing so violently that I thought an internal organ might peek out her mouth momentarily. I started to move to her aid – rather instinctively, I now recollect – but she threw her hand up in that gesture that says, “It’s alright. Don’t freak out. I’ll be fine. This happens all the time.”

And sure enough, a few moments later, she was fully upright and breathing normally again. I think the redness probably lasted a while, though. Wiping her eyes, she said, “Lordy, that struck me funny. He he. Made me swallow hard.”

My relief that she was recovering completely overshadowed any pride I might have had in my flawlessly delivered bit of improv.

The moral of this story is if you’re an amateur and you go around trying to be funny all the time, your lack of professional experience is bound to end up causing casualties eventually. The right joke in the wrong hands delivered the right way to the wrong person might just have the power to kill.

Then the meaning of “funny” starts to slowly mutate until you no longer understand the difference between funny-haha and funny-ohgodthepain. Next thing you know, you’re so maniacally obsessed with making everyone understand your new brand of comedy, you’ll do anything to get their attention, including wear ghastly amounts of makeup and blow stuff up.

By the way, have I mentioned yet how excited I am about the impending premiere of The Dark Night, two weeks* from today? Oh, it’s going to be something. Yes, indeedy.

I’m so excited, in fact, that I made you guys this lovely VOX banner. Feel free to use it as you see fit, at least until WB sends a cease and desist. :-P

Joker Banner

1 comment

Now, in the spirit of early preparation, I must go look up where my nearest IMAX theater is...

*three weeks for my friends in the UK.

How are you celebrating the 4th of July?

We are going to the future mother in laws house and cooking out. I am bringing my *famous* Chicken Bow Tie pasta. We are closing festivities by going down to the lake and watching the town shoot off fireworks, as we dodge the mosquitos ;)

WANT!

The Fourth of July was always one of my favorite holidays in the US. Not that I'm terribly patriotic or anything, just...there are fireworks and BBQs and its an excuse to drink = HELLO PERFECT HOLIDAY.

Now, it of course means something else to me. It makes me miss home.

While I'll be having fun tonight celebrating Iain's birthday (it's tomorrow!) down by the Thames...there's a part of my heart that will be back home in my parents back yard, drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade and with a over excitable chihuahua at my feet. (Praying for crumbs.)

If I could fly back home today, even just for a couple hours and to see my parents and my sister, I would in a heart beat.

On the Fourth we'd always go to the same spot to watch fire works. My mom and my sister and I would lay on our backs and wait expectantly for the Sperm Fire Works.

If you don't know which ones I'm talking about, the you don't know what you're missing out.

They're the bright, white ones that look like tad-poles when they're first launched, but then go off in crazy directions...as if searching for a big, unfertilized egg in the sky.

It dawned on me a couple of years ago that they totally looked like gigantic sperm. I started laughing hysterically - only to notice that my sister was cackling to herself as well. Then my mom started laughing,

"OH MY GOD THEY LOOK LIKE SPERM!!!!"

Hopefully the Fourth of July Sperm Fireworks won't be nearly as fun without me this year...(If I can't have a fully complete Fourth of July THEN NOBODY SHOULD.)

Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans.

May this recession end soon, may the gas prices go down, and may all of your BBQ's be fully cooked so you don't end up with the shits all weekend.

This song reminds me of home...

For vacation! My flight was pretty good, left a few minutes late, and arrived early. Awesomeness

Lovin the humidity! Think we're going to the aquarium today and fireworks tonight.

Lots of pictures to come!

I have been sleeping poorly for the past two weeks, partly due to errands but mostly due to my haunting demons. Negative thoughts about my in-laws are currently keeping me awake. I should be waking up soon, looking forward to the US holiday, rather than laying in bed clutching my mobile phone to distract my mind while dreading what might happen to my husband at his family's 4th-of-July party held later today. (I am not attending as I am not in the mood to deal with their B.S. I also want to prevent a stress-induced asthma attack if when I get upset. Thankfully, my husband is understanding and supportive.)

I have deduced that my qualms revolve mainly around my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law, and typically other in-laws when the above two are somehow involved. I wish I felt healthy enough to give my mother-in-law a piece of my mind since she feels so inclined to viciously vent at my husband, then thinks everything must be better since she let loose her pent up emotions.

I will write more on this later when I can tame the firestorm in my head.

P.S. I haven't forgotten to reply to PMs and previous comments. Please give me time; I've had trouble formulating my muddy thoughts into tangible words.

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