Ham and bean soup

Hey there, how are both of you doing?

Im ok, STILL downing vitamin C and sudafed like its going out of style. Im so tired of being sick. Damn cold!

Well, hubby felt bad for me so he decided to make ham and bean soup with the leftover ham we got sent home with from christmas dinner. He substituted the ham and some bacon for the ham hock, but it came out really good. Mild and subtle, but definatly ham and bean

Here is the recipe, from www.alrecipes.com

Basic Ham and Bean Soup

1 pound dry great northern beans
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ham hock (hubby used bacon)
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder (we used a teaspoon of regular yellow mustard)
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped ham
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions
1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the pot for at least 60 minutes
2. After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
3. Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground wight pepper to taste.
makes 9 servings

This is a really good soup for those cold nights, like tonight (36 in Tucson! WTF!)
Hubby loves to cook, and I'm happy to let him be my "food bitch".

"don't worry, be happy!"
C

Oh my! I'm tired :)

Just got home from Christmas with my husband's family. Great people and a lot of fun. Ham and Turducken, not the best for my stomach but I was conservative so I'm doing well.

Hubby and his brother love to get into long philosophical conversation about politics, history and religion. This of course starts when hubby says "Im tired, let's go home". Well, half an hour later...discussion about the ramifications of the new Pope on the modern catholic church (BIL is catholic, hubby isn't). As we are leaving (45 min later) they start talking about how in some congregations of the catholic church, they do not allow a celebate marriage. You have to be able to consumate the marriage or they refuse to marry you. He talked of a couple who had their marriage request denied because he was a paraplegic and was unable to "seal the deal". You know me, I look at him and say "Well, there are other types of sex, doesn't that count?" No he said, only tab A into slot B counted.

Wellll...
can you guess what it made me think of? Yep, "Licking carpet"
The photo is from South Park episode 111-Tom's Rhinoplasty
It has the fantastic line "My mom said if you want to become a lesbian you have to lick carpet"

It made me laugh and then remember one of the filthiest, funniest songs on the subject of-Cunnilingus. Come on, if we are continuing to be open minded about our bodies, let us use the proper word. Not sure what the word is? Well, it is when a person uses their tounge to sexually stimulate the genitalia of a woman. Again, if I am not up front and honest about this, it makes me no better than people who refuse to talk about masterbating.

Well, the song is by a group called The Yeastie Girls. It is called "You Suck". It came out in the early 90's-AIDS was scary, killing and spreading. This song kind of came as a response to the fear of other "types of sexual fulfillment".
(If you are still here stop laughing for a second and take a breath-that's better)
Here is a link for the song on youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=idH5i-uzMRs
and...

here are the lyrics...

www.artists.letssingit.com/yeastie-girls-lyrics-you-suck-9ngrk23

Yeah, I know I had the actual lyrics posted here, but my mom wanted to check out my blog, and I didnt want to scare her toooo much *evil grin*
Peace!

Merry almost Christmas!

Yep, Im sitting here blogging instead of cleaning my house. How many people the world over are franticly cleaning in anticipation of "THE RELATIVES"? I remember as a girl, my grandparents coming for Christmas. My mother would say that grandma was coming to look at my room so make sure it looks how you want it to look. Yeah well, things parents say stick in a kids mind you know... So now, my mother and father are coming for breakfast. Its a tradition I started a couple years ago. Hubby has a large family here and we usually have the large meal with them. Making breakfast for my parents is my way of having something special just for them.

Family. I was thinking about that today-you know, as I did the headless chicken dance to finish my shopping. My grandmother (father's mom) passed away 3 years ago. I didnt see her as much as I should have. I have regret for that.

My grandma rocked-she was the lone liberal in a houseful of millitary conservatives. She wouldnt hesitate to mutter "SHIT!" or tell my father to shut up. She didnt take crap but she was the most loving, giving and caring person Ive ever known. I like to think I take after her with my easy going attitude about people and life in general. She loved without condition. My mom talks about how when I was born, my father called her and she got to hear me cry. When she saw me, she said I would be Miss America. Well, that kinda went out the window with among other things, the fact that Im only 5'3" and not a stick figure. Besides, Im too much like her to put on a fake smile and parade in a bathing suit. Way too misogenistic for me. A body is just that, a shell. It's packaging. What is on the inside is so much more important than the facade the world sees.

I hope that she is looking down on me with her pretty smile. I know that she's proud me. I really miss her.

Hold your loved ones close this Christmas, no matter how crazy they make you. Our time with them is finite.

Double clicking the mouse??

So-If you can't be a grown up about, certain subjects-best to go to another blog now...

Topic of tonights thoughts
Songs about "lovin' yourself"!

My hubby totally suprised me with a new stereo for Christmas! Now, I can listen to cd's, mp3, high def radio, digital radio in my car! Im so stoked-I dont have to listen to local stations anymore :)

So tonight, hubby and I went cruzing, after all, we HAD to drive a while to appreciate the new stereo, right? Well, we are listening to a mix cd when "She Bop" starts. We started discussing songs about, well, you know.
Slaping the salami
Spanking the monkey
Rosie and her five sisters
and on and on
oh, and my favorite phrase for it-"double clicking your mouse" from American Pie-btw, I recommend a couple shots of tequila right before you watch that movie. It's funny sober yes, but a bit buzzed-fall on the floor and roll funny!

but I digress, we were talking about masterbation songs right (oops I said the naughty word!)

Others we thought of:
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
I Touch Myself - Divinyls
Longview - Green Day
My Ding a Ling - Chuck Berry
Darling Nikki - Prince
Orgasim Addict - the Buzzcocks
Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol
Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
The Stroke - Billy Squire
Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne
Icicle - Tori Amos
Elvis Costello - Pump it Up

Oh, I know there are more, but I figure that's a healthy list for you to search youtube with.

We get soo hung up about sex in the US. "Oh GOD, my little boy doesn't do THAT!" Well, let's be honest. Boys discover their "third arm" at what, like a month old? After that, it's all "downhill" or down torso... "GIRLS don't do THAT!" Oh hell yes, girls DO do that. Masterbation is a natural part of discovering your body. While you MIIGHT believe a girl that says she hasn't EVER, maybe, but most men? No, probably not. But that's ok! It just means that men are very in touch (no, I really didn't mean that as a pun, but it would be a good one) with their sexuality and what their responses to sexual stimulation are. Women can be more shy about it. Another line from American Pie that rings true "Have you ever, you know...had an orgasm?" " I'm not sure" "that's a no". If you don't know if you have had one, you haven't.

Honestly, I wish we were more open about this part of human sexuality. Not going as far as instruction in school of course, but just not demonizing it. Teaching that it is normal and everyone does it I think would go much further than "if you touch yourself, you will go blind, get acne and grow hair from your palms".

Oh well, at least I'm open minded about it. Yeah, I know, total shock right? If I want people to be open minded about it, I gotta start somewhere. Why not here? After all, I have a worldwide influence over my 4 readers ;)
Peace and love!

Ravel's Bolero

Another sunday come and gone. My little cat Molly is begging to come and be my wrist rest. I sit here listening to Ravel's Bolero. I dont remember the first time I heard this, maybe the Olympics? Not sure. I know I was really young. I listen to how it builds, adds, evolves...

Starts with the single flute and just a tint of cello-the begining of life
little build, a single horn?
the flute stays its familiar course. Like how we build memories on a foundation
add a clarinet, another layer
a little more violin, building
now drums, gently
the same melody, interchanging between the flute and clarinet
several flutes
building building

It amazes me every time I hear this piece of music that I hear something different. It occured to me tonight that this beautiful piece is a lifetime in 15 minutes. From the simple start through growing, learning, changing to the finale
and then silence

powerful.

Have you listened to it lately? This version is a little different than the one I have on my cd (I think it starts with an obo instead of a flute), but still amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4J5j74VPw

Let's do the Time Warp again!

Ahh, does that bring back memories... Yes, I will freely admit it, my claim to "acting" fame is that I performed for a year and a half in the local cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I was a "Magenta"-basically, I was the maid that didnt get completly naked! My fiance (back then, now hubby) was a "Brad" and a "Riff Raff". I remember our fellow castmates thought it was cool that their Magenta and Riff were getting married. God, how many Sundays did I go to work half asleep because I performed Saturday and hadnt gotten to bed before 4am??? WAAAAY to many LOL!

Thing I loved about doing Rocky, you were accepted no matter what. You could go in a leather corset, fishnets and stilletos and be a GUY and they would love you for it. I enjoyed yelling at the movie, singing along, dancing and throwing toilet paper. I used to say that Rocky was good clean filthy fun. You didnt need booze or drugs to have a blast. You could be WAAAY over the top of overt sexuality and no one thought anything of it. God, I remember going to a show in Phoenix, hubby and I in costume, and him biting my neck with the entire theater cheering him on. Hmm, good memory ;) It's been a while since we went to Rocky. Maybe I should go...

Things to take to the Rocky Horror Picture Show
rice
toast
newspaper
water gun
toilet paper
and a strong sense of fun!

New CPAP cushions to Etsy

Howdy ho neighbooroonies!

Well, I finally got off my butt (yeah right, like I ever stop!) and got some more cpap cushions up to etsy. I got 3 new sets up last night before I was too tired to do anymore-posting at midnight-hmmm, no wonder I was tired. Here is a link to one of them http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18800385 I have (I think) 10 different patterns done, with more in the shopping bags, waiting to be cut down. Fleece is hard to resist! Tactially, it is so pleasurable to work with. Its easy going-soft, warm, flexible, forgiving. Besides, with millions of colors and patterns-I will never get bored!

I hate being bored.

I think that was part of the reason I stayed at my last job so long. Retail hell sure. Retail management-another level of hell. But you know, even in hell, I was never bored. I used to say that my job was constant craft hour, that it changed from one day to the next. I never knew what new challenge was waiting for me.

Well, I gained a reputation over the years of being able to do almost anything. Having that reputation can be its own curse. I was expected to pull the impossible out of my ass! I even had customers waiting in the parking lot for me when I arrived at work... Let me tell you, nothing is quite like getting out of your car at 7:30 in the morning, coffee in one hand, purse in the other, and having someone barge up to you and say "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU! I WANT ____". People, I havent had my coffee. Coffee is what made dumb bearable. So you can imagine my mood if someone interupted my coffee.

Yeah, not pretty.

Oh well, now life is better! No retail, no customers, no register, no nametag, no uniform. Peace and quiet which lets me crank work out. I still get my constant craft hour, but without the innane "How do you make the copier work". I always wanted to answer "press the damn button, just like the last 10 times you used it" but Im too nice, I never did. Just goes to show, you can lead a horse to water but you cant teach him how to use a copier. Ever.

I have tons of copy center manager stories, anyone interested?