Oh alright, Im being dramatic but had a bad case of Strep throat and a double ear infection. Blahh.... Knocked me on my ass for almost 5 days but am feeling better this weekend.
Im in a foul mood anyway even though the weather is gorgeous and I dont think we will have many more days like this- sunny and 60 degrees with lovely red and orange leaves blowing about.
Dad was taken to the hospital at 3am this morning with a serious respiratory infection, likely left over from the MRSA virus hes been battling. It seems like every time he takes a step forward, it kicks him two steps back.
Then there was crappy news at work that means me and/or about half my team will be laid off in the next two weeks with the last day employed being Nov 20th. Hows that for Happy Thanksgiving?
Thank GOD we elected Barack Obama!! His "stimulus" "SAVED OR CREATED" millions of new jobs. Wait.... what???
A bright spot-Blanc Burgers and Bottles... Went there on Friday night with my hubby and had a fantastic burger! Upscale loud little place not far from here with fresh ground burgers and a huge beer and wine list. D had the Kobe burger with truffle sauce and I had the "classic"... why mess with perfection? House made pickles that were great even though D thought they were a little too sweet and house made ketchup and mustard! They hand cut their fries (both regular and sweet potato) as well as their fabulous onion rings that are crisply covered in local Boulevard ale batter and served in these cute little mini shopping carts.
I had Guenoc Chardonnay and D had "Mexican Coke" which is Coke (the original recipe) bottle in Mexico using cane sugar instead of the refined stuff we get here. We finished the delightful evening with a great milkshake made with fresh local milk and vanilla bean. WOW!
Great News!
H1N1 Vaccines for Gitmo Terrorists, But Not For America's Children
These are the priorities one would expect from an administration headed by a neo-Marxist who was mentored by people who hate America. The Obama Administration has decided that it's more important for terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to get the H1N1 vaccine than the American children those terrorists would love to slaughter.
Even some in the Obamacrat party aren't happy about this. Like Congressman Bart Stupak. (O-MI) "As long as Americans must wait to receive the vaccine, the detainees in Guantanamo Bay should not be given preferential treatment to receive the H1N1 vaccination," Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh on Friday. It's not the vaccine that's a big deal, so much. H1N1 is a pretty weak strain, for the most part. Gargling twice a day with salt water is enough to protect most people. But the Obama regime has hyped the H1N1 "Crisis," and it tells us so much about their priorities that they would rather protect terrorists than Americans.
Story thanks to Moonbattery.com
RIGHT ON RUSH
Rush Limbaugh spoke with Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday this morning. Rush didn't hold back–
You know things are bad when...
Fawning, drooling Obama-run media outlet CBS news turns on him. Et Tu Katie????
I got a note the other day from the company who makes the little map on my blog that tells where visitors are from. They regretfully informed me that every once in a while they clean the slate and delete all my little red dots as if they were nothing more. The note was friendly enough, telling me that if this wholesale cleaning of "dot house" was an inconvenience, they do apologize.
Last night while waiting for the cold medicine to kick in I lay there in the dark imagining all my little red dots as tiny bonfires, each set by people who read my blog and no matter how far away they were, I could always see them there.
I imagined my private little globe being peeled back slowly like a cheap sheet of sticky paper and all the little red dots like so many thumbtacks going flying off into the universe, never to be seen again.
When I go traveling at night, flying high over the world I find my way by those fires and navigate home again and I wonder now how I will find my reader from Brunei and Turkey and other exotic places that I have only visited in my minds eye.
Tonight, when I travel- I ask you to light those fires and make them very big and bright so I can find you once again.
So the flu.. whether swine or otherwise has hit me. Fever of 101, sore throat, chills and pounding head. Yuck. Stayed home today but slept the entire day.
One bright spot... my new Kindle showed up so I can read in bed. If you are a big book reader like I am- you totally need one of these! You can buy books online and it magically appears in your inventory, ready to read! Wooohoo! Also has a wireless browser in it so you can check the latest news, weather etc. I normally like to buy hardback books which are usually any where from $15-$35. Kindle books are $9.99 and some of the "paper backs" are $5-$7.
I bought my first two books today and if the cold medicine werent making me so sleepy, Id be reading now!
Anyway, just took some more medicine.. back to bed. Tomorrow is another day.
Finished this book last night and would have read it in one night had I not been required to go to work on Friday. I adore books that take me away to some where else and this one did. As you know Im a fan of apocalyptic stories and this was one of the best in recent memory.
From Publishers Weekly:
In this entertaining apocalyptic thriller from Forstchen (We Look Like Men of War), a high-altitude nuclear bomb of uncertain origin explodes, unleashing a deadly electromagnetic pulse that instantly disables almost every electrical device in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Airplanes, most cars, cellphones, refrigerators-all are fried as the country plunges into literal and metaphoric darkness. History professor John Matherson, who lives with his two daughters in a small North Carolina town, soon figures out what has happened. Aided by local officials, Matherson begins to deal with such long-term effects of the disaster as starvation, disease and roving gangs of barbarians. While the material sometimes threatens to veer into jingoism, and heartstrings are tugged a little too vigorously, fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On the Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise. Newt Gingrich provides a foreword.
Quotes from famous people who read it:
"In a Norman Rockwell town in North Carolina ….ex-servicemen recall "Korea in '51" as military action by unlikely people becomes the norm in Forstchen's sad, riveting, cautionary tale." -Whitney Scott, Booklist
"The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening—and not a damn thing being done to protect us." -W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV
"A blood-chilling wake-up call that chaos and death are but a power plug away...Stock up on food, water, medicine, and batteries now. This horror could happen tomorrow." -William B. Scott, coauthor of Space Wars
The Foreword was written by Newt Gingrich and is definitely worth a read.
If you like to read scary stories, but stories that could come true- I recommend this one. If you arent stocking up on canned goods and batteries at the end, you have NO SOUL. ;)
Its been a busy week- too much going on and not enough time. Good news: No swine flu here yet.... bad news... Obama continues his relentless attempts to destroy America. D says it will all come out ok because it always does. I think D is an optimist but not always a realist.
A few food things to share...
Saturday morning breakfast after sleeping very late!
D only eats certain items: Eggs, bacon or sausage, potatoes and toast. If hes feeling wild and crazy, he will have steak and eggs and if Im inclined to make them, he will eat waffles or pancakes but only if they accompany the eggs and toast.
He was however not in a wild and crazy mood this morning so we went with the usual.
I like to play around with breakfast food so usually make some kind of breakfast burrito or wrap. This morning was a sausage, egg, rice, green chili, red pepper, potato, cheese and black bean burrito. You cant see it in the picture but I also used my famous "habanero salsa" which is nothing more than red onion and diced habanero peppers with a little lime juice. It will BLOW your lips off!
Not a bad start to a lovely Saturday!
And then there was dinner for one... and of course the ever vigilant Beast. I made stir fry in honor of my friend Sean. We spent an hour on Thursday discussing cooking and discovered that we both adore just plain, simple stir fry. So this one is for you Sean!
Filet mignon, sweet onion, snow peas and green pepper... sauteed in some Sriracha sauce and a little salt and pepper.
Dinner tonight was served with a very decent California Chardonnay- Meridian, 2008.
Good News!
Chairman Zero's administration won't meet with FoxNews, but they will meet with the brutal regime of Myanmar (a.k.a. Burma). Myanmar is a brutal communist military dictatorship that has killed and imprisoned thousands of people. So, let's see if I understand this: Chairman Zero will meet with the brutal communist military dictatorship of Myanmar, but he won't speak to the democratic civilian government of Honduras because it was supposedly put in power by a "military coup." Maybe Honduras should declare itself communist and throw some people in prison. That would make Obama happy.
Bret Stevens asked the question in The Wall Street Journal yesterday, "Does Obama believed in human rights?"
A few days ago Dave in Texas blogged this bit of a speech from Lord Christopher Monckton. If you haven't seen it, I heartily encourage you to follow the link and check it out. It's short but poignant.
Lord Monckton is desperately worried that Obama will be a signatory at the Copenhagen conference, where a new and scarier climate change treaty is to be crafted.
Fortunately, plans for global wealth redistribution (enrobed in phony environmentalism) are foundering on the objections of India and China. So it looks like there won't be anything for Obama to sign, anyway.
Apparently, the Indians and Chinese recognize the direct connection between carbon emissions and standard of living. Having had more recent experience in that condition, they understand how living in a less-industrialized state is major suckage and misery. Not some Rousseauian fantasy that persists among the Birkenstocked crowd.
Czarmania
Not that we're getting any more used to Obama Administration 180-turns… not that this is even an authentic renege on a previously announced position… but comical, predictable, and irritating nonetheless: The White House is refusing to let the president's new carnival of czars testify before Congress.
White House Counsel Greg Craig has indicated that he will refuse to allow any of the 18 new "czar" positions created by President Obama to testify before Congress, according to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Collins revealed during a committee hearing Thursday that she had spoken with Craig, who had earlier sent a letter on behalf of the president, and that Craig told her persoanlly that Congress would not get a chance to ask fundamental questions of the czars about their roles and responsibilities. Sen. Collins is not the only senator concerned about the proliferation of extra-constitutional presidential advisors with growing powers in the Obamunist Administration:
In September, Collins and five Republican colleagues – Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.); Christopher Bond (R-Mo.); Pat Roberts (R-Kan.); Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Robert Bennett (R-Utah) -- sent a letter to the president expressing their "growing concern about the proliferation of 'czars'" in his administration, which they said "raise(s) serious issues of accountability, transparency, and oversight." Check the CNS article for a list of the most problematic czar positions causing concern.
The openness of this administration rivals that of Brezhnev's Kremin at its Cold War height.
In an unusual cross-marketing campaign, Microsoft and Burger King Japan are offering the Windows 7 Whopper during the week of October 22-28 to celebrate the release of Windows 7. Measuring 13cm (5.1 inches) in diameter, the "Amerikanbanzu" ("supergiant") Windows 7 Whopper features up to seven 113 gram (¼ pound) beef patties totaling 1.75 pounds. The first 30 customers can purchase a Windows 7 Whopper for the special price of ¥777 ($8.49), regular price ¥1450 ($15.84).
I know its a week old but I cant stop laughing at it
I took a mental health day today and completely enjoyed it! Slept till 10, made myself some lunch, worked in the garden and got it mostly cleaned up and read for winter. Ran some errands and stopped at the grocery for some stuff to make dinner. I had a craving for Beef Bourguignon because the weather has been so dreary and cold but wouldn't you know, today warmed up and was lovely! I made it any way and it was fantastic! I start with thick cut, applewood smoked bacon that I saute until just done. Then add good beef, usually sirloin or ribeye that I cut in chunks. Cover in a big pot with a full bottle of very good Cabernet and simmer for an hour. Then I add fresh herbs, garlic, pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots and about 3 cups of beef or veal stock, cover and cook another 2 hours or so until its thick and the meat is fork tender. Served over rice tonight with crusty french bread and a GREAT red: Mas du Goudareau Cotes du Rhone 2005
Disgusting
Here's what the vermin running the government are doing to our troops in Afghanistan:
They aren't over there to win; they aren't given the resources they need or even allowed to attack the enemy. Their job is to get killed for awhile, until it suits Chairman Zero's political purposes to run up the white flag and bring them home.
Voters hold firm on Obamacare
Democratic leaders think they have been making progress on the health care front, in the wake of the CBO's relatively benign assessment of the Baucus version of their proposal (which is not, of course, the one that Congress will eventually vote on). But Scott Rasmussen finds a remarkable stability in voters' opinions about health care reform. If anything, the anti-"reform" consensus seems to be hardening:
Now that the Senate Finance Committee has passed its version of health care reform, 42% of voters nationwide favor the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That's down two points from a week ago and down four from the week before.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% are opposed to the plan.
What I dont understand is why NO ONE IS LISTENING in Washington???
How great is this? Fifteen hundred pages, but that is only two of the 5 bills that have to be merged. Lets calculate how long that will take us to read....
Senate Finance Committee members have been notified that the committee's health reform bill was filed today. S. 1796 weighs in at 1,502 pages, according to a Senate Republican leadership source.
The massive, 1,500 page bill is expected to serve as the backbone for Democratic reform efforts going forward and five senators expressed concerns about one of its main provisions, a 40 percent tax on high-end insurance plans.
The tax is designed to pay for reform and lower costs by making the so-called Cadillac plans less attractive for insurers to offer. Under the bill, a plan that costs an individual more than $8,000 and a family more than $21,000 annually would be subject to the tax.
But Democratic Sens. John Kerry, Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez, Debbie Stabenow and Jay Rockefeller are concerned that the threshold that defines a Cadillac plan is too low and will whack middle-class people.
“We remain concerned that the thresholds are too low and will impact plans that are not overly generous and that in 2019 far too many plans will be impacted by the excise tax. We plan to continue to work with Chairman Baucus on this issue to ensure that provision bends the cost curve, but not at the expense of middle-income Americans,” the senators wrote in a one-page “additional views” document that was released with the bill.
And.. before I log off... because its MY BLOG AND ... (yeah, you know the drill...)
Sometimes, skinny jeans are ... just... TOO SKINNY.
Dinner tonight at Fogo De Chao- Brazilian steak house.. holy crap if you love meat, you MUST visit one of these restaurants! This is one of our all time favorites and sadly, for our diets- we visit too often! They bring out huge skewers of different roasted meats, non stop... until you beg them to stop! LOL...
Wine was: Various- started with a fantastic Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, then a lovely soft merlot and finished with a very spicy Pinot Noir.
"Men have not found the words for it nor the deed nor the thought, but they have found the music. Let me see that in one single act of man on earth. Let me see it made real. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music. Not servants nor those served; not altars and immolations; but the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain. Don't help me or serve me, but let me see it once, because I need it. Don't work for my happiness, my brothers--show me yours--show me that it is possible--show me your achievement--and the knowledge will give me courage for mine." - The Fountainhead
But.. since when does that matter? Ive been holding on to the photos, not because I dont want to share but because Im too tired to properly blog..
LOL.. Have I ever wondered if Im too tired BECAUSE of the food? Errrrr... no. No.
Monday night-
Was Pinot Noir Braised short ribs... served over creamy polenta. Sauce included sweet onions, baby carrots, shallots, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, good beef stock and two bottles of Pinot Noir over a 4 hour simmer. MMMMMMMMMMM. Wine was a third bottle of Pinot- Wild Horse.. which paired perfectly with the short ribs that fell off the bones.
Tuesday night-
I tried a new "Emerils" recipe for a whole roasted chicken that I started in the oven for 30 minutes first to brown lightly.. then I smeared it with a thick sauce made of roasted garlic, honey, fresh lemon juice a little butter and of course some fresh herbs. Roasted for another 40 mins and basted several times in the juices. Served with a huge Caesar salad, garlic roasted new potatoes and baby green beans and a French baguette that we used the rest of the roasted garlic on.
Paired with Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay and it was just PERFECT.
Tonight (Wed..)
Was dinner out because we both worked wayyyy too late so went to a new Sushi place right down the street. A gorgeous place, sleek and shiny and HUGE. Hope they will be able to fill the place once it catches on but tonight it was nearly empty. Its called Sumo- trendy looking bar, high ceilings, sleek black modern furniture and SIXTEEN Teppanyaki tables for Japanese steaks. It was cavernous.. but every aspect of the place was beautiful, even the silverware. And, for my Sister W- the bathroom was absolutely STUNNING! The sinks were floating sort of mid air and were just flat, clear plates that the water flowed over from waterfall in the walls... the rest was gleaming black and gray and I thought perhaps someone might want to just move in and take up residence.
Menu had not only the typical Japanese steakhouse fare and a huge fresh sushi selection but fresh oysters, mussels and hand made gyoza.
I had a big lunch with my friends today so wasn't very hungry and let D do his SUSHI-THING.... while I ordered only a couple of smaller items.
D had: Spicy Tuna roll, Las Vegas roll, salmon and yellow tail Nigiri and Unagi or -eel, which he adores.
I ordered: (because I DONT DO SUSHI) Garlic fried rice, steamed gyoza and teriyaki skewers, all which were fantastic! D had Asian Pear unfiltered sake and I had Toasted head Chardonnay. ;)
And yes, you can always tell when Im tired because my blogging is LAZY. At least Ive given you food... and that's something.
Content will come on the weekend when Im not asleep. I actually have Monday scheduled as a vacation day if I take it so might have a long 3 day weekend coming up.
Hope you had even CLOSE to the fabulous food we had.
Im sneezing and coughing tonight but am convinced its allergies even though dozens of people at the office this week have had Swine Flu and STILL showed up for work, coughing all over me in the elevator.
Tomorrow.. is Thursday.. and another day, isnt it?
God Bless America
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