Jerry hadn't been to a drive-in movie theater since he moved to LA, so we headed to the Pacific Theaters Vineland Drive-In over the weekend. (The one he used to go to as a kid is now a Walmart, how crappy!) It's minutes away from where I grew up, and I never knew it was there until about 5 years ago! I had been eyeballing the list all month (it changes every Friday). What is really neat is that if you call the number, the recording will give you the exact playing times for each movie. We found out that on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, not only can you watch a doubleheader, but they'll replay the first movie again! So if you time it correctly, you can pretty much watch 3 movies for $8.50 pp.
Which is exactly what we did. I made sure that I wouldn't fall asleep by grabbing 2 samples of Lee's coffee from the market, and we brought LARGE sizes of boba milk tea AND boba green tea. I rarely ever upgrade my drink to a large size unless we're going splitsies, but I knew that I had to take drastic measures if I was going to stay up 4 hours past my bedtime. :P
We ended up watching No Strings Attached, 15 minutes of Little Fockers, The Fighter, and The Mechanic. It was a bit tough to watch 3 movies in a row, but I think it would have been worse if we were in an actual theater (seriously, how do movie hoppers do it??). It was nice to sit back, put my feet up, and get fresh air/visit the restroom without squeezing through an aisle of tangled legs and feet. My eyes didn't feel tired since we parked further back, and I actually preferred the lack of surround sound- Jerry had a portable FM radio which we used instead of the car radio. In case you're curious, the only movie that was worth its money was The Fighter. Christian Bale was excellent, and I love how Amy Adams is expanding her roles. This is probably the first time in years that I will have seen an Oscar nominated movie...before the Oscars. No Strings Attached was as fluffy as expected...and The Mechanic had Jason Statham in it- all action, no substance. (We <3 Jason Statham for different reasons.)
A random thought: we had our radio frequency set to the start of the next movie, but the credits for Green Hornet were still running...and Jay Chou was rapping. In Chinese. I was probably the only person in the whole lot thinking that he should go back to making this kind of music instead of rapping.
1 down, 10 to go!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
A New Icebreaker
In my capacity as a student leader in HS, a community organizer post college, and now an organizing trainer, I've facilitated and participated in my share of icebreakers. They tend to blend together, but yesterday's icebreaker really struck a chord in me.
It was really simple. We all had to go around the room and name one thing that we think no one in the room has ever done before. If someone has done it, they'll raise their hand, and you'll have to come up with another one. It was a fantastic and fun way to get to know everyone outside of their "work-shell." Having done this activity twice (I had to participate in both sessions, while almost everyone else only attended one), it got me thinking that I really have not done anything all that unique or crazy. Well, crazy-to-me.
Here were some responses from my peers:
I ate a scorpion.
I ate a toucan. (We learned that the beak is hollow)
I cooked tarantulas in a restaurant kitchen in Phnom Phen and served them. (He proceeded to tell us what they tasted like. Cheese!! Ewwww!!!)
I drank champagne with Maya Angelou. (How could I top that with "Mila Kunis asked me if this seat was taken?" True story, happened in college.)
I ran for political office in New Mexico.
I almost drowned in the Colorado River while kayaking.
I spent a year backpacking in _____ (name a country that you most likely wouldn't see a Travelzoo Top 20 deal for).
I went to the Soviet Union 3 times (well, no one can do that anymore...)
I played ____ (insert musical instrument) and performed in _____ (famous venue).
Etc.
Here was my morning response:
"I climbed Half Dome."
A guy raises his hand.
"I ate at Club 33 in Disneyland."
4 people raised their hands!
"Okay fine, I went snorkeling in Fiji."
Boring, but whatever, no one raised their hands.
Afternoon:
"I've been to the Racetracks in Death Valley."
My coworker raised his hand, grrr. We then proceed to tell everyone how awesome the Racetrack is.
"I have been to Canada 7 times."
A girl raises her hand.
"I've hugged a kangaroo in Sydney."
The guy at my table raises his hand.
"Fine, I went SNORKELING IN FIJI."
My colleague: "Well, Jeannie can say that she's gone 27 years without eating a frozen dinner." (I shared this fact over lunch)
The only time that I raised my hand for someone else was when a colleague mentioned that she had auditioned and participated in the Vagina Monologues in college.
I guess maybe there were other unique things that I had done that my colleagues hadn't, but it didn't really come to mind at the time. Anyways, it was a really neat icebreaker and it's inspired me to make more of an effort to try new things out of my comfort zone!
What would you have said during the icebreaker?
It was really simple. We all had to go around the room and name one thing that we think no one in the room has ever done before. If someone has done it, they'll raise their hand, and you'll have to come up with another one. It was a fantastic and fun way to get to know everyone outside of their "work-shell." Having done this activity twice (I had to participate in both sessions, while almost everyone else only attended one), it got me thinking that I really have not done anything all that unique or crazy. Well, crazy-to-me.
Here were some responses from my peers:
I ate a scorpion.
I ate a toucan. (We learned that the beak is hollow)
I cooked tarantulas in a restaurant kitchen in Phnom Phen and served them. (He proceeded to tell us what they tasted like. Cheese!! Ewwww!!!)
I drank champagne with Maya Angelou. (How could I top that with "Mila Kunis asked me if this seat was taken?" True story, happened in college.)
I ran for political office in New Mexico.
I almost drowned in the Colorado River while kayaking.
I spent a year backpacking in _____ (name a country that you most likely wouldn't see a Travelzoo Top 20 deal for).
I went to the Soviet Union 3 times (well, no one can do that anymore...)
I played ____ (insert musical instrument) and performed in _____ (famous venue).
Etc.
Here was my morning response:
"I climbed Half Dome."
A guy raises his hand.
"I ate at Club 33 in Disneyland."
4 people raised their hands!
"Okay fine, I went snorkeling in Fiji."
Boring, but whatever, no one raised their hands.
Afternoon:
"I've been to the Racetracks in Death Valley."
My coworker raised his hand, grrr. We then proceed to tell everyone how awesome the Racetrack is.
"I have been to Canada 7 times."
A girl raises her hand.
"I've hugged a kangaroo in Sydney."
The guy at my table raises his hand.
"Fine, I went SNORKELING IN FIJI."
My colleague: "Well, Jeannie can say that she's gone 27 years without eating a frozen dinner." (I shared this fact over lunch)
The only time that I raised my hand for someone else was when a colleague mentioned that she had auditioned and participated in the Vagina Monologues in college.
I guess maybe there were other unique things that I had done that my colleagues hadn't, but it didn't really come to mind at the time. Anyways, it was a really neat icebreaker and it's inspired me to make more of an effort to try new things out of my comfort zone!
What would you have said during the icebreaker?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
I Feel Awkward When...
*People who I used to be close to now act cold to me. Awkward...because I feel the fake-niceness when we're in public.
*People I know go through something negative. How often do you bring it up and ask them how they are doing? Or should you give them space and not talk to them for a while? Would it be inappropriate to talk about something completely unrelated and totally downplay the situation in efforts to cheer them up?
*I get solicited for proofreading and the writing is just terrible- very basic and elementary. And grown-ups don't take constructive criticism very well...
*Someone asks me if they bought me a gift. No, not if I received a gift that they had bought. Rather, they aren't sure if they bought anything in the first place and would like for me to confirm. Faux pas on all levels.
*When people ask me multiple times to remind them to bring me a gift they had bought me. Unless you're grandma with memory problems, I don't think it's appropriate of me to chase after my own present again and again.
*Someone on a higher level than me spells my name blatantly wrong. Should I just not bother correcting them?
*People who choose to be unemployed because they didn't like where they worked and are looking for something better, and in the interim, they make snide remarks about how wonderful it must be for you at your new job. At they do it to you at a wedding. In front of other guests. And you awkwardly try to diffuse the attitude by brushing off your new job like it's nothing, but really, you actually worked your butt off for it and are quite happy. Is it worth it to show confidence in front of other people who are Debbie Downers?
*People who whine about not having money, and then they brag about spending money on something that's non essential or beyond their means, and you're stuck there fake smiling and nodding at what a wonderful purchase it was.
*People who whine about not having money, but they still spend $4 on their morning coffee, $8 for their lunch, and $10 for dinner takeaway because "I don't like cooking for 1." So they'd rather spend for 3?
*The same people short the group bill every time...for the last decade. Everyone knows it's them, but no one wants to say anything, so people awkwardly reach twice for their wallet throw in more money to cover the difference, while the bill-shorters just pretend to be oblivious to what's going on.
*Someone attributes my success to pure luck. And it's very awkward to explain to people that it's actually hard work because some people only hear what they want to hear.
*I purchase or plan something pricey and fun...and I can't really share it with many people because I know that they are sensitive about money, and will not be happy for me, but rather will make comments about how lucky I am. I have continuously been employed since I was 15 and have been saving for retirement since I was 21. Money didn't grow on any of MY trees...But how to explain that to people who still depend on their parents or loans to fund their lifestyle? There are so few people left in this world who are genuinely happy for others. I can probably count the ones I am friends with all on my left hand.
Okay maybe some of these things also annoy me in addition to making me feel awkward. :) What makes you feel awkward? I guess anything that involves finances and gifts makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. If only I could go back to the days when splitting your pants open during recess in front of the entire 5th grade while doing a Power Ranger kick was embarrassing. Life's just not that simple anymore.
*People I know go through something negative. How often do you bring it up and ask them how they are doing? Or should you give them space and not talk to them for a while? Would it be inappropriate to talk about something completely unrelated and totally downplay the situation in efforts to cheer them up?
*I get solicited for proofreading and the writing is just terrible- very basic and elementary. And grown-ups don't take constructive criticism very well...
*Someone asks me if they bought me a gift. No, not if I received a gift that they had bought. Rather, they aren't sure if they bought anything in the first place and would like for me to confirm. Faux pas on all levels.
*When people ask me multiple times to remind them to bring me a gift they had bought me. Unless you're grandma with memory problems, I don't think it's appropriate of me to chase after my own present again and again.
*Someone on a higher level than me spells my name blatantly wrong. Should I just not bother correcting them?
*People who choose to be unemployed because they didn't like where they worked and are looking for something better, and in the interim, they make snide remarks about how wonderful it must be for you at your new job. At they do it to you at a wedding. In front of other guests. And you awkwardly try to diffuse the attitude by brushing off your new job like it's nothing, but really, you actually worked your butt off for it and are quite happy. Is it worth it to show confidence in front of other people who are Debbie Downers?
*People who whine about not having money, and then they brag about spending money on something that's non essential or beyond their means, and you're stuck there fake smiling and nodding at what a wonderful purchase it was.
*People who whine about not having money, but they still spend $4 on their morning coffee, $8 for their lunch, and $10 for dinner takeaway because "I don't like cooking for 1." So they'd rather spend for 3?
*The same people short the group bill every time...for the last decade. Everyone knows it's them, but no one wants to say anything, so people awkwardly reach twice for their wallet throw in more money to cover the difference, while the bill-shorters just pretend to be oblivious to what's going on.
*Someone attributes my success to pure luck. And it's very awkward to explain to people that it's actually hard work because some people only hear what they want to hear.
*I purchase or plan something pricey and fun...and I can't really share it with many people because I know that they are sensitive about money, and will not be happy for me, but rather will make comments about how lucky I am. I have continuously been employed since I was 15 and have been saving for retirement since I was 21. Money didn't grow on any of MY trees...But how to explain that to people who still depend on their parents or loans to fund their lifestyle? There are so few people left in this world who are genuinely happy for others. I can probably count the ones I am friends with all on my left hand.
Okay maybe some of these things also annoy me in addition to making me feel awkward. :) What makes you feel awkward? I guess anything that involves finances and gifts makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. If only I could go back to the days when splitting your pants open during recess in front of the entire 5th grade while doing a Power Ranger kick was embarrassing. Life's just not that simple anymore.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Award Show Sucker
I'm a total sucker for award shows. Love 'em. Judge 'em. Dissect 'em.
Random thoughts:
January Jones' hair was amazing. I don't think a single strand was out of place.
Chris Colfer's speech was more coherent and to the point than De Niro's "stand-up" disguised as a speech.
I am super duper happy that Jim Parsons won!!
I wonder what Matt Zuckerberg is thinking right now.
Claire Danes should stop using the word "awesome" and "cool" in her speeches...she's in her 30s now. At least the rest of her speech redeemed her a bit.
Natalie Portman was beautiful and glowing...but I cringed at the fabric choice of her dress. It draped lovely in the front but the back was super wrinkled!
I think I like Emma Stone better as a red head or brunette.
Johnny Depp looks greasy. I want to hand him a blotting sheet.
Jerry has no idea why I like these shows so much, and apparently my infatuation confuses him:
"You are the only person I know who doesn't watch updated movies and TV shows and knows more about them than the people who actually watch them!"
He pretty much hit that on the mark. I haven't seen a movie in the theaters since summer 2009 (500 Days of Summer), and we cut our cable so I'm not up to date on a lot of shows (plus the best ones that get nominated are always on Showtime/HBO/etc). But I'm a voracious reader of gossip & fashion blogs, wikipedia, E!, news outlets such as LAT, NYT, CNN, and USA Today, etc, and they do a great job of injecting me with a steady stream of useless information.
Golden Globes tonight:
Jerry: Who's that guy talking? He sounds like Jamie Oliver.
Me:British Office guy!
I've never seen the British version of The Office, but Ricky Gervais has been around for a while, and I've always enjoyed his humor. Plus he's hosted before (not that I expect Jerry to remember).
Jerry: Hey there's Mila Kunis! (he only recognized her because we just saw Couples Retreat and Date Night, he's never seen That 70s Show)
Me: Yeah she's in Black Swan
Jerry: Oh she is?
Me: (thinking) OMG husband what hole have you been hiding under
I probably won't watch Black Swan until it comes out on DVD, but I already know so much about it, the press for the movie is unavoidable if you spend any time on the internet!
Me: Wow, Michael Douglas seems thin
Jerry: He looks fine to me.
Me: Well, he had cancer
Jerry: His voice sounds weird.
Me: He had THROAT CANCER!
Jerry: Oh
The last Michael Douglas movie I saw was Traffic (2000). But you don't have to watch any of his movies to know who he is!
Me: Ooh I'm so glad Katy Sagal won! She was snubbed for the Emmys!
Jerry: Who's that?
Me: You know- Peggy...Married with Children
Jerry: Never watched it. Is she married to Steven Seagal?
Me: Where were you in the 90s?!?!
Jerry is the only person I know in my generation who has probably seen less than a handful of episodes of Married with Children, Friends, That 70s Show, and the Simpsons. Homeboy has missed out on a lot of TV pop culture references int he last couple decades! But he still probably has more brain cells than the rest of us. :P
Finally Jerry gave up and left the room. He didn't even come downstairs when Justin Beiber came on stage to present an award. Sad.
Random thoughts:
January Jones' hair was amazing. I don't think a single strand was out of place.
Chris Colfer's speech was more coherent and to the point than De Niro's "stand-up" disguised as a speech.
I am super duper happy that Jim Parsons won!!
I wonder what Matt Zuckerberg is thinking right now.
Claire Danes should stop using the word "awesome" and "cool" in her speeches...she's in her 30s now. At least the rest of her speech redeemed her a bit.
Natalie Portman was beautiful and glowing...but I cringed at the fabric choice of her dress. It draped lovely in the front but the back was super wrinkled!
I think I like Emma Stone better as a red head or brunette.
Johnny Depp looks greasy. I want to hand him a blotting sheet.
Jerry has no idea why I like these shows so much, and apparently my infatuation confuses him:
"You are the only person I know who doesn't watch updated movies and TV shows and knows more about them than the people who actually watch them!"
He pretty much hit that on the mark. I haven't seen a movie in the theaters since summer 2009 (500 Days of Summer), and we cut our cable so I'm not up to date on a lot of shows (plus the best ones that get nominated are always on Showtime/HBO/etc). But I'm a voracious reader of gossip & fashion blogs, wikipedia, E!, news outlets such as LAT, NYT, CNN, and USA Today, etc, and they do a great job of injecting me with a steady stream of useless information.
Golden Globes tonight:
Jerry: Who's that guy talking? He sounds like Jamie Oliver.
Me:British Office guy!
I've never seen the British version of The Office, but Ricky Gervais has been around for a while, and I've always enjoyed his humor. Plus he's hosted before (not that I expect Jerry to remember).
Jerry: Hey there's Mila Kunis! (he only recognized her because we just saw Couples Retreat and Date Night, he's never seen That 70s Show)
Me: Yeah she's in Black Swan
Jerry: Oh she is?
Me: (thinking) OMG husband what hole have you been hiding under
I probably won't watch Black Swan until it comes out on DVD, but I already know so much about it, the press for the movie is unavoidable if you spend any time on the internet!
Me: Wow, Michael Douglas seems thin
Jerry: He looks fine to me.
Me: Well, he had cancer
Jerry: His voice sounds weird.
Me: He had THROAT CANCER!
Jerry: Oh
The last Michael Douglas movie I saw was Traffic (2000). But you don't have to watch any of his movies to know who he is!
Me: Ooh I'm so glad Katy Sagal won! She was snubbed for the Emmys!
Jerry: Who's that?
Me: You know- Peggy...Married with Children
Jerry: Never watched it. Is she married to Steven Seagal?
Me: Where were you in the 90s?!?!
Jerry is the only person I know in my generation who has probably seen less than a handful of episodes of Married with Children, Friends, That 70s Show, and the Simpsons. Homeboy has missed out on a lot of TV pop culture references int he last couple decades! But he still probably has more brain cells than the rest of us. :P
Finally Jerry gave up and left the room. He didn't even come downstairs when Justin Beiber came on stage to present an award. Sad.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Not My (Work)Week
Recently:
My laptop was locked up during shutdown, so I had to wait until the ED showed up so she could unlock it. I show up at work about an hour before anyone else does. Luckily, we have remote access and desktops for general use that weren't locked up, so I was able to get some work done while I waited.
The cleaning people are pretty random- sometimes they'll do a super cleaning where they throw stuff away on my desk that I didn't really want/need them to, and other times the trash doesn't even get emptied. So once in a while, random doors in our office will be closed after they vacuum (which is also randomly done). And my door happens to be the only office with a lock. So when they closed our doors, they accidentally locked mine! And no one had a key. So I had to wait until our admin person came in so we could look up the phone number for the bldg management.
We recently got a new all-in-one printer/copier/scanner/fax. No one could print for a day. After they were able to, I still couldn't print.
I tried to manually install the printer but the matching printer driver didn't show up. Finally I asked our tech people to do it for me remotely. Since I had a big print job to do and they couldn't get to it right away, I found a flash drive in my purse and just used my co-worker's comp to print for the time being.
I tried to fax something to myself and I wasn't even in the directory. Boo. Need to take care of that too.
Man, it's like someone is telling me that I'm not needed at work :P
My laptop was locked up during shutdown, so I had to wait until the ED showed up so she could unlock it. I show up at work about an hour before anyone else does. Luckily, we have remote access and desktops for general use that weren't locked up, so I was able to get some work done while I waited.
The cleaning people are pretty random- sometimes they'll do a super cleaning where they throw stuff away on my desk that I didn't really want/need them to, and other times the trash doesn't even get emptied. So once in a while, random doors in our office will be closed after they vacuum (which is also randomly done). And my door happens to be the only office with a lock. So when they closed our doors, they accidentally locked mine! And no one had a key. So I had to wait until our admin person came in so we could look up the phone number for the bldg management.
We recently got a new all-in-one printer/copier/scanner/fax. No one could print for a day. After they were able to, I still couldn't print.
I tried to manually install the printer but the matching printer driver didn't show up. Finally I asked our tech people to do it for me remotely. Since I had a big print job to do and they couldn't get to it right away, I found a flash drive in my purse and just used my co-worker's comp to print for the time being.
I tried to fax something to myself and I wasn't even in the directory. Boo. Need to take care of that too.
Man, it's like someone is telling me that I'm not needed at work :P
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A Sunday in the Kitchen
We had some extra time at home today, so I decided to try cooking some new kinds of foods. Most of our weeknight meals are thrown together quickly, so when I have time on the weekends I want to attempt new recipes. That way, when I'm busy raising kids later on and I don't have time to consult a cookbook or the internet, I can refer to a wider range of recipes under my belt. Experimenting is fun, but it doesn't always turn out as expected!
I've had gazpacho at restaurants but never tried making it. I read up on it in my America's Test Kitchen book, but decided to improvise with what I had on hand. We had a can of tomato soup lying around (the original recipe called for tomato juice), so I thinned it with equal parts water. Simmered it slightly, then set it over a bowl of ice to cool down. In the meantime, I cored/deseeded a couple of cucumbers and chopped them up. I had some leftover bruschetta from TJs so that was my chunky tomato contribution. Mixed all 3 items together and stuck it in the fridge to cool down along with some cilantro. Verdict: light, refreshing, and tasty! If I had tomatoes lying around the house I'd make this again, but it's nice to know that leftover bruschetta can also work in a pinch.
I'd read about shrimp toast on food blogs but never had it myself. So I thought hmm, we just stocked up on tons of shrimp, so why not? I poked around the internet for a bit and then decided to improvise again. First I defrosted some sandwich bread. (We always have loaves of bread in the freezer for quick meals) Peeled and deveined the shrimps, and threw them in the food processor with some ginger, cilantro, cornstarch, and an egg. Pulsed until I got a nice thick paste. I spread the paste on the bread (I didn't bother cutting the crusts) and threw it in a pan with some oil, and then I finished it in the toaster oven. Verdict: I should have left the egg out or used more shrimp! I guess the egg didn't incorporate very well into the shrimp paste so when I cooked it, it was basically like eating a scrambled egg with a layer of shrimp. Oops. Most blogs also tell you to deep fry it, but I didn't feel like it. Maybe if I deep fried it the egg wouldn't have been so eggy? I don't know...
They were still alive the next morning! After Jerry boiled them for 20 minutes he spent another 2 hours with some seafood scissors, bare hands, his McDonalds apron, and tired feet. Yielded: ~1.5 lbs of sweet and fresh crab meat. Delicious!! We froze half of it and saved the rest for dinner.
After lunch, I attempted to make ciabatta bread using the recipe from America's Test Kitchen (I did the version without the sponge). I must have been out of it, because I glazed over some details. 1. I used cold water instead of warm tepid water. 2. I completely forgot the salt. 3. I forgot that my oven is pretty strong, so baking these at 500 degrees was a bad idea...4. I was sposed to let these sit for 2 hours before eating, but the rise time/frequencies caused me to finish baking these right at dinner time. Verdict: At least it rose and my yeast wasn't dead? The bread was burnt almost all over (but Jerry likes it that way too), and while the insides were soft and chewy, it tasted weird. As in, there was so taste. Because I forgot the salt!!! Sigh. So texture wise, all my mishaps didn't really affect the bread that much, but flavor-wise, what a difference! No matter. The bread was a good vessel for moping up clam chowder.
Clam chowder. Now, this is something that I cook every few months. It's not quick but it's quite easy if you have most of the ingredients on hand. It also doesn't taste all that authentic to what I've had in Boston or SF, but oh well close enough. My basic technique: cook some bacon to your desired texture in a good quality pot (I used my dutch oven). take out the bacon and some of the grease (leave behind what you feel comfortable with) and set aside. add chopped up onion to the hot bacon grease, and cook until the onion gets wrinkly. add other veggies such as celery if you would like, and cook for few minutes. then add cubed potatoes along with a bottle of clam juice. if you are making a big pot, add another bottle of clam juice or water until the potatoes are mostly covered. lower the heat, and simmer until potatoes are to your almost desired tenderness. in the meantime, mix milk and heavy cream (or half and hour, whatever you have) with some flour. when your potatoes are almost done, add your clams/crab/other seafood along with the dairy/flour mixture. let simmer until just heated through (you don't want to overcook the clam meat), add some s&p to taste. optional: top with the bacon from earlier. Tonight I didn't use bacon because we did a meal with bacon earlier this week, so I just used the reserved bacon grease.
Next time when I don't need my dutch oven, I'm going to try Mark Bittman's no-knead bread from the NYT.
That was this past weekend! Next wknd I'm going to try my hand at hainan chicken and rice. I would attempt it sooner, but I think poaching the chix takes a while, and we're so hungry when we get home from work!
I'd read about shrimp toast on food blogs but never had it myself. So I thought hmm, we just stocked up on tons of shrimp, so why not? I poked around the internet for a bit and then decided to improvise again. First I defrosted some sandwich bread. (We always have loaves of bread in the freezer for quick meals) Peeled and deveined the shrimps, and threw them in the food processor with some ginger, cilantro, cornstarch, and an egg. Pulsed until I got a nice thick paste. I spread the paste on the bread (I didn't bother cutting the crusts) and threw it in a pan with some oil, and then I finished it in the toaster oven. Verdict: I should have left the egg out or used more shrimp! I guess the egg didn't incorporate very well into the shrimp paste so when I cooked it, it was basically like eating a scrambled egg with a layer of shrimp. Oops. Most blogs also tell you to deep fry it, but I didn't feel like it. Maybe if I deep fried it the egg wouldn't have been so eggy? I don't know...
Last night, after dinner with my folks, we headed to our favorite market and picked up 3 crabs totaling ~5lbs.
Next time when I don't need my dutch oven, I'm going to try Mark Bittman's no-knead bread from the NYT.
That was this past weekend! Next wknd I'm going to try my hand at hainan chicken and rice. I would attempt it sooner, but I think poaching the chix takes a while, and we're so hungry when we get home from work!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
What Would Happen
If I won the lottery?
The most recent Megamillions jackpot has probably inserted this question in many folks minds. It certainly has in mine! By the way, we got 3 out of the 6 numbers last night. So we won 7 bucks...or errr we lost 13 :) If we had played the LOST numbers, we would have won $150. Besides the obvious splurging of consumer products, this is what came to my mind.
What would change:
I'd keep two homes, one in LA, one up north so that we'd always have our own place to stay wherever we are. And the kitchens in both houses would be pimped out to the max.
I'd help out more with my younger relatives' college funds (on the condition they work at least one crappy service job- none of those fancy "internships" where they don't learn the value of hard work)
I'd donate a ton of money to our LA library system, and any school/workplace that I've been associated with, you get the idea.
I'd build up a killer spice/seasonings collection, like real vanilla beans and diff kinds of sea salt! Can you imagine always cooking with the best spices and flavorings? What a luxury! For now I'll have to do with rationing my precious jar of vanilla paste from Spice Station, and the Costco sized bottle of vanilla extract.
I would treat my family and friends to fun vacations!
We probably wouldn't work full-time anymore.
We'd buy a shiba inu, husky, AND a red lab! And we'd hire someone to teach us how to take care of our dogs.
I would pay someone else to hem my pants. It's my least favorite sewing chore.
I'd buy the best and most luxurious bath towels out there.
I would fly first class on international trips, or buy the seat next to me. I'd probably still sleep crappy, but at least I wouldn't have to sit next to a super smelly or fat person.
What would not change:
We'd still make our kids work shit service jobs in HS/college. I worked in the student store in HS filling up cup of noodles and I changed rat cages in college. Jerry made McDonalds french fries in HS and pushed Food 4 Less shopping carts back to the front in college. We worked crappy jobs then so that when we got our real jobs now, we'd have a sense of appreciation and reality.
We'd still cook at home most days.
I'd still eat $1 hole in the wall tacos. Just because I'm $350 million dollars richer doesn't mean that a $12 white man fancy version of a taco is going to taste better.
I'd still borrow DVDs from the library. Most movies are not worth owning or watching in the theaters, no matter how much money or space you have.
I would still fly southwest to/from LAX to SJC/OAK. It's the most efficient airline for that type of travel! Time = money.
I still wouldn't pay someone to raise our kids. And I wouldn't pay someone to do our kids' chores.
I guess I still would have to wear contact lenses. Boo, there are just some things money can't buy.
My list is infinite, but the above things are what came to mind. What's on yours?
The most recent Megamillions jackpot has probably inserted this question in many folks minds. It certainly has in mine! By the way, we got 3 out of the 6 numbers last night. So we won 7 bucks...or errr we lost 13 :) If we had played the LOST numbers, we would have won $150. Besides the obvious splurging of consumer products, this is what came to my mind.
What would change:
I'd keep two homes, one in LA, one up north so that we'd always have our own place to stay wherever we are. And the kitchens in both houses would be pimped out to the max.
I'd help out more with my younger relatives' college funds (on the condition they work at least one crappy service job- none of those fancy "internships" where they don't learn the value of hard work)
I'd donate a ton of money to our LA library system, and any school/workplace that I've been associated with, you get the idea.
I'd build up a killer spice/seasonings collection, like real vanilla beans and diff kinds of sea salt! Can you imagine always cooking with the best spices and flavorings? What a luxury! For now I'll have to do with rationing my precious jar of vanilla paste from Spice Station, and the Costco sized bottle of vanilla extract.
I would treat my family and friends to fun vacations!
We probably wouldn't work full-time anymore.
We'd buy a shiba inu, husky, AND a red lab! And we'd hire someone to teach us how to take care of our dogs.
I would pay someone else to hem my pants. It's my least favorite sewing chore.
I'd buy the best and most luxurious bath towels out there.
I would fly first class on international trips, or buy the seat next to me. I'd probably still sleep crappy, but at least I wouldn't have to sit next to a super smelly or fat person.
What would not change:
We'd still make our kids work shit service jobs in HS/college. I worked in the student store in HS filling up cup of noodles and I changed rat cages in college. Jerry made McDonalds french fries in HS and pushed Food 4 Less shopping carts back to the front in college. We worked crappy jobs then so that when we got our real jobs now, we'd have a sense of appreciation and reality.
We'd still cook at home most days.
I'd still eat $1 hole in the wall tacos. Just because I'm $350 million dollars richer doesn't mean that a $12 white man fancy version of a taco is going to taste better.
I'd still borrow DVDs from the library. Most movies are not worth owning or watching in the theaters, no matter how much money or space you have.
I would still fly southwest to/from LAX to SJC/OAK. It's the most efficient airline for that type of travel! Time = money.
I still wouldn't pay someone to raise our kids. And I wouldn't pay someone to do our kids' chores.
I guess I still would have to wear contact lenses. Boo, there are just some things money can't buy.
My list is infinite, but the above things are what came to mind. What's on yours?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)