Saturday

We seem to have a crow nest in our tree. That’s what we have figured out by the aggressive jerks that caw without end and swoop down on us when we leave the house. My neighbor came over to say that she saw Jackie on a fence with 3 crows swooping down at him and fur was flying.  That’s the same neighbor that hosts BINGO at the sports bar down the street. Paul and I went last month and won cash prizes and a gift certificate to our favorite pizza place. I couldn’t go yesterday because I had too much work.

I was getting annoyed at the crow that wouldn’t shut up outside and took a bit of a break thinking that if I brought OJ inside that the crow would stop cawing at the cat. Well, when I opened the back door OJ started walking to the door just in time to miss the crow pooping right where OJ had been sitting! I hope the crow babies learn to fly soon because between them and the neighbor who has TWO starling nests in her roof, or corner is a noisy place. At least the hummingbird has been visiting again.

I have been tending my yard a lot. I have some photos here if you are interested. I guess having a lot of flowers means that people can steal them. I catch people stealing irises, poppies, love in a mist, and lupines all the time. The three weeks when the irises are in their full glory are my favorite time of the year so it makes me angry to see teenagers walking away with fistfuls of my flowers. I wrap loudly on my 100 year old melting glass windows like and grouchy old lady to get their attention. If they had asked or if they had offered some sort of trade I might let them have them. Hell, if they did it at night I might not even notice. if they offered to pull weeds and dead head flowers for an hour I would totally give them some.

Yesterday, one of my across the street neighbors came over with a basket asking if she could have some of my roses for her relative’s wedding. It might have been for the girl from across the street that I have watched grow up the past 10 years I have lived here. She needed flowers for the flower girl. I thought it was so nice of her to ask that I told her to take as many as she wanted. She wanted roses after all. I’m not a fan of roses. They are the prima donna of flowers.  So, she filled a wicker basket and I watched a pack of older ladies in finery pack into a minivan and be off.

I must be getting old when I bought myself some truffle oil and some saffron for my birthday. My saffron came in the mail yesterday and paul and I had to decide what to do with it.  I settled on Moroccan seared tofu and a saffron pilaf. I actually almost followed the directions!

Seared toful over saffron pilaf

Kingpin is one of our new favorite beers.

I had been looking at the messy stacks of records in the dining room. We have to go through them ever few months but I think we have only gone through our 7″ records once in the 5 years we have lived together. I picked up way too many new records last summer hanging out with Steve, the record buying enabler, and I started going through and alphabetizing the 7″s leaving a specific section for old Salt Lake bands. I have this problem that whenever I find old Stench, Insight, or Brainstorm 7″s in dollar bins across the country I MUST BUY THEM. It is sort of ridiculous, but good.

Once I did all the 7″ and started sorting the Lps that hadn’t been up away Paul started putting them in order with the rest while he made me listen to Fleetwood Mac. I think I cleansed my palate with Operation Ivy Energy while we debated on whether we should but all the Aaron Cometbus bands in once place or if we should put Julian Cope under J or C.

The view from the table.

A full IKEA EXPEDIT of records and 2 full crates full of 7"s!

I’m glad we went through all the records because my birthday is next Sunday and Paul wants to take me record shopping at the place down the street that is also a bar. It’s pretty great, they have these pint glass holders for you to place your beers while you shop.

This was sitting on the table so I took a photos of it...

 

That’s the Leatherman that my dad got me complete with my given name engraved on it. I bought one for him and he found it so indispensable that he bought one each for my sister and me. I was born on Father’s Day in 1977 and this year my birthday, yet again, falls on Father’s Day. 34 years ago I became a human and my dad became a dad. I always like when it completes the cycle and happens on the same day again.

 

 

looking for a new housemate! Violet cookies! My D&D character rulz!

Hey, we are looking for a new housemate. Could it be you? Check out our Craigslist ad.

A few weeks ago I got an idea to make violet syrup. I grabbed about a cup of violets from my yard, cleaned them off and dropped about a cup of hot water on top of them. Once it cooled I put it into a clean jar wit ha lid and let it sit on my counter where I would shake it up a bit. After a day or two I strained out the violets and squeezed half a lemon into it. It made the color more vibrant. Then I put the water into a saucepan and added somewhere between half a cup and a cup of sugar stirring it til it dissolved. The let it cool down and poured it in the cleaned out jar it was in before then I stuck it in the fridge while I figured out what to do with it.

Paul and I had been watching a really cool BBC documentary on spices-their history, where they came from, etc. It was interesting to see and really made me appreciate spices even more. It reminded me of the fistful of vanilla pods I had in the freezer that my friend Sam had brought back from Bali for me. From the documentary I learned that vanilla is originally from Mexico, but it still tastes yummy when you scrape the seeds out and put them in sugar cookies! So, I made some vegan sugar cookies and placed the spent pods in my sugar canister to make vanilla sugar. Then I decided to make some frosting out of the violet syrup. I also went out and grabbed some fresh violets to put the petals in the icing and for garnish.

I love my stick blender!

I only ate one and gave the rest away. I'm not a big sweets person but these were good.

And in Dungeons & Dragons news…I’m stoked to be playing in a group again with what feels like old friends. I mean, we have been playing together on and off for 6 or 7 years. Right now I’m playing a shifter barbarian in the Eberron world. I don’t think I have ever played such a hack and slash friendly character. It is pretty fun. Two of my compatriots went down last night and I finished off about a dozen fighters by myself. No critical hits though. boo.

In Nobody Cares About Your Stupid Zine Podcast news, there have been way more downloads of the 3rd episode in less than two weeks than the whole run on the second episode.  I guess people like controversy since episode 3 is all about that Fanzines book.

Speaking of zines! My co-host, Derek, and I are headed to Chicago on the train next week for the Chicago Zine Fest! I’m looking forward to seeing all my zinefesty friends! I’ve actually arranged to get a tattoo while I am there. I’m finally getting a sharpie tattoo…crossed sharpies…crossed sharpies with a brain! Also, an empty banner so people can fill in the banner with sharpie tattoos. Two tattoos in a month! I had this thing where I thought I should old get one tattoo a year and now I have 3 and I started getting tattoos in 2002 so, I have some catching up to do. Doug and I are talking about getting utah tattoos. The idea we are kicking around is a beehive with the shape of utah as the opening and with bees flying around like atoms. This idea may change but we are thinking of doing the tattoos on pioneer day! Bonus points if we can find a tattoo artist from Utah. I’m also planning a 24th of July party in Portland. Details to come.

Ok, back to button making!

My Little Pony hair, vegan food, and stuff

My sister told me that my hair looks like a My Little Pony, a bit like this. It’s fading but I think it is sort of neat so I haven’t dyed it yet.

pretty mane!

I got a pasta maker! Paul and I made some raviolis and they were excellent. We made a big batch and ate them over a few days. The first night we just dumped some pasta sauce on them but the second night I made a coconut based vegan alfredo. It is super creamy and savory, not sweet.

vegan ravioli alfredo with sald topped in our new salad favorite, grated beets!

Last night was all about cashew cheese! I made a beer cheese cauliflower soup with a cashew base that was pretty awesome a some vegan mac and cheese with bread crumbs.

Soup and mac and cheese! The soup base has Kingpin red ale in it.

Yesterday was full moon night and after Paul and I spent all day scanning photos of fliers from friends and shows in Salt Lake, we made the food and then got a drink at Pause before heading home to play records and dance. It was really fun. It was not only full moon night, it was paul’s Portlandversary. He’s been in Portland and living with me for 5 years. It has been a really good 5 years.

I made a Facebook photo album of all the photos and fliers from SLPX days in Salt Lake circa 1997-1998. Check it out here.

Me and my first distrto. aw.

notes fron Denver and my zine concept band!

Greetings from Denver! Paul and I got in last night, ate some awesome food at Sputnik, picked up some beers we have never tried before and drank them as we watched the sunset into the Rocky Mountains from our hotel room. good times! We picked my sister up at the airport this morning, she was rocking her Dead Milkmen shirt from the last time we flew to a different city to see a band. She was also with me at the last show we went to for old time’s sake where I was elbowed in the head by a skinhead causing me new gnarly facial scar. She promises not to piss off any skinheads at the Warlock Pinchers show tonight

Speaking of bands… I started a band with Steve while he’s in town! We are called The Copy Scams. Steve plays guitar, Marc played bass, Paul played drums, and I sing. It’s a zine themed band and we hope to play a show before the symposium. We have one song down and the skeletons of two more. We’re hoping for a 5 song concept set. The songs are all about zines. The first song is the intro song that is all about excuses for why the zines/band is so late. I also have lyrics about the 24 hour zine challege, and getting caught stealing copies from Kinko’s! Steve and I are talking about making a 4 track recording and only selling them on tape!

Ok, off to try some more yummy vegan food in Denver!

infused Vodka and a future cook zine…

I don’t know what it is about the cold weather that makes me want to drink liquor. I’m generally not a big fan of the stuff. I’m a craft beer geek but sometimes mixing drinks is fun! Especially when I can create my own weird concoctions!  I bought a half gallon of decent vodka last week and have been infusing them like a mad scientist!

The Habenero is great for Bloody Marys along with olives, cocktail onions, peperocinis, pickled okra or any other sort of brined good-ness. 2 shots served in a pint glass with chopsticks to test your drinking dexterity skills! I like my Bloody mary like and alcoholic salad!

I made some with strawberries picked from my yard that I have had the freezer. Strawberry Vodka can be put in soy milk for something like an alcoholic strawberry Qwick! Tonight I put some in fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and pomegranate juice that I made Paul squeeze out of the pom!

I had some Earl Grey vodka with ginger ale or orange juice, ginger vodka with juice. It’s fun! And even when I make a bad one I just have paul drink it! I like how all the bottles sit on my window sill and looks pretty.

I have decided to do a cook zine. I think I’ll call it “recipes are tools of the patriarchy” I’m not a fan of following recipes… I’m sort of bad at following directions when I think I have a better idea. I read at once point that recipes were created by women for men who were going to war and needed to know how to cook things. So, maybe recipes are more likely tools of war. I can’t really substantiate this claim and I don’t feel like doing the research, I’m just going to believe it and hope other people do too!

It will basically be a guide to stuff you can put together that taste good and I’ll just write “to taste” after everything! I acknowledge that baking does need specific amount but I’m not a baker! I’ll leave that up to my sister. I’m planning a “choose your own soup adventure” where you pick different veggies and food from different columns and get mystery soup!

Seeing as I plan for this to also be a zine I’ll write stories about recipes and people who taught them to me. Like my garlic bread recipe that a boy named Richard taught me. One time we were making out in the kitchen and I was sitting on the stove. Somehow the stove turned on while were were kissing and all of the sudden my ass was getting warm! Luckily I jumped off the stove before my pants caught on fire! We all have cooking and kitchen stories like the time in Columbus, Ohio where I drunkenly made several pounds of french fries in a fry daddy while simultaneously listening to AVAIL and  playing “keg hockey” with an empty beer key across the the wet kitchen floor. Good times!

So, as I have been busy with orders and Paul has been off work since it is the slow season. He’s been playing Metroid and we have been watching the Might Boosh for about the 3rd time. I keep threatening to make Paul my house husband. I actually sort of need someone to clean up after me when I get this busy.

Tonight we had leftover risotto from the other night plus roasted veggies and unphotogenic tofu.

sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts and mushroom risotto.

roasted veggies before I roasted them: brussel sprouts, carrots, squash and cauliflower plush herbs.

I guess that’s about it for now. I think I think I’m going to go make myself what I have been calling a Canadian Toddy with Canadian Whiskey and maple syrup instead of honey. Then I’m going to call it a day and read a book instead od staring at this computer screen!