Finally finished my prep work about a half hour ago, got the house vacuumed and the Rosie spot cleaned up, and it is wine-thirty. Think I am going with a pinot grigio tonight.
Oh, and I knew I forgot a few things earlier. Also making baked onions (carve a cone in top, add paprika and some garlic and salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake), some salsa for people to nibble on while we grill, and some shrimp cocktail. My menu needs some bread, but I can’t bake my way out of a wet paper bag, so hopefully someone will bring some.
Yutsano
Or, y’know, you can support these nice nifty little local businesses called BAKERIES and splurge a bit more on your old man. Just a thought.
cathyx
Are you sure you’re not gay?
SIA
I’m not a foodie, so I just buy italian or French bread, split open and butter the inside and the crust and bake it till butter melts. You can add some garlic to the butter.
Since going wheat and gluten free, Mr Screaming makes us wonderful bread in this Japanese bread maker we got from Amazon. Mmmmm.
Yutsano
@SIA:
The French do this all the time. So there you go. :)
EDIT: though French butter is a different animal than ours, so there’s that too.
PS: someone tell me why this is a bad idea.
WaterGirl
Cole, you mentioned cleaning up the Rosie spot. You read my mind – as I was swimming earlier this evening I was wondering – do you still love your spot cleaner?
I bought the water filter system you recommended and I LOVE that. I have a number of spots on my carpet and will likely order the spot cleaner if you say you still love it. Or did that turn out to be one of those purchases that I liked to describe as “seemed like a good idea at the time”?
merrinc
Bread? What’s that?
I’m doing a weight loss challenge through the local parks & rec and have lost 11 pounds in the last 4 weeks (plus 5 before I started the challenge) so I don’t eat bad carbs anymore. I’ll have some of that shrimp, though.
ETA – Yutsano: love the car except for the color.
SIA
A very apropos cartoon from my favorite hometown boy, Mike Luckovich. (Now let’s see if I can format on this gadget.)
ETA apparently nota. Here it is
http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=63336
different church-lady
Just remember: spending more than $3.59 on a bottle of wine is a complete waste.
Geoduck
As long as you’re not a super-purist when it comes to bread, a bread machine is your friend. Dump in the ingredients, push a few buttons and three hours later, you’ve got a loaf better than you can get at the supermarket. (Better than you can get in an actual bakery, OK, probably not..)
stuckinred
different church-lady
Meaningless argument HO!
keith
JC, too late today, but the no-knead bread recipe is easy and perfect
LT
I’m sure it’s been recommended before, but if you can’t bake then a bread machine is for you. I don’t’ use one, but wy wife does – and she makes fantastic bread with it. My Dad does too.
Happy B’Day to your pops. Have a great party.
Xecky Gilchrist
John, after what you’ve done to prepare for this dinner, you’re well within your rights to ask someone to bring bread.
SIA
Oh eff it. Here it is.
http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/store/add.php?iid=63336
Corner Stone
Hey Cole. I just flew back 9000 miles to see my dad who had a spot of bother.
Tell your dad you love him, even if he’s old school and not ready for that. Don’t wait for the 5am phone call.
WaterGirl
SIA and Yutsano
When you say you split the bread, do you mean you tear it open or do you actually slice it with a knife?
Yutsano
What’s not to like about a volvo? I have a great volvo-vulva-uvula story, by the way, but it would take too much time to type out. :-)
SIA
Great cartoon! They did a really good job with Cantor, now it will be hard for me to think of him in any other way.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
I await the “God damn it, Rosie hopped up on the table and knocked off half of the food and Tunch ate all of the shrimp!” post.
lamh34
Welp, I ate dinner too late so I got waste some time before going to sleep. Guess i’ll watch “The Lake House” starring Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock. Its not a rom-com, but it is a romantic drama. It is one of my favorites. It’s a slow burner, but IMHO, it’s a great one. I def recommend it. But then I’m a sucker for a nice simple story!
Btw, it’s set in Chi-town. And it focuses on architecture I’ve never been, but it has some beautiful images of the city.
AliceBlue
SIA: That made me laugh out loud. Luckovich is one of the best.
cbear
Corner Stone-
Sorry to hear about your pops, bro. Hope he’s ok.
peace.
SIA
@ Yutsano, Oui, bien sur!
@Water Girl, LOL! He’s really a great artist – one of the few who can draw Obama well.
hilts
Shameless douchebag Joe Klein (#19 on the War Room Hack Thirty List) is taking another road trip and needs your help. He wants to meet with you to find out how the economy is treating you and what kind of problems and successes you’ve had.
h/t http://www.mediaite.com/tv/times-joe-klein-vowing-washington-just-too-ugly-for-words-unveils-massive-2012-plans-road-trip
MikeJ
No party, but I made some macaroni salad and my huli huli is on the grill. It’s like plate lunch, but for dinner!
+4
ruemara
cathyx He can’t be gay, since he’s my future x-boyfriend.
iam that’s one of my secret pleasures too.
On the eating topic, I made congee for my visiting chinese students and tea marbled eggs for breakfast. So tonight, we’re eating italian. Sausage pasta sauce with orrichette. Should be interesting. These are 11 year olds. I’ve been starting them on chinese standards and slowly introducing new foods.
moe99
Had my first ZAW pizza tonight. It was darn good and I thought I was pizza’d out from 20+ years of raising 3 kids who love pizza.
LT
Corner Stone:
Right on, brother, right on.
Tara the antisocial social worker
@ Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
You forgot “posted from the hospital after they run smack into John’s knee, causing him to trip over Lily and break seven ribs.”
This blog has standards when it comes to pet drama.
Yutsano
@efgoldman: Hee. The only thing really stopping me is the fact that I don’t know yet if I’ll have a paycheck come August 2nd yet. August 3rd if I’m still working…I’m driving to Bellevue.
hilts
ALEC philosophy
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/151662/the_conservatives%27_alec_philosophy%3A_everything_related_to_government_should_be_demonized%2C_starved_or_privatized
ALEC Exposed: Starving Public Schools
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/14-12
dlnelson
Good luck with the party. I am currently traveling from Folsom to Moorhead, Mn. There is a lot of activity on the road construction, throughout my travels. I am going through Reno, Winnemuka, Idaho Falls, Bozeman, then through ND. I did buy the audio dvd of the Confession, it is amazing. It makes a long day of driving so much more enjoyable. This is my first audio book, and I loved it. This is a great gift idea for our elderly. Audio books rock. Have a great night.
Yutsano
Dipping barbecued pork into hot & sour soup. I r a happy duck.
SIA
@ Alice Blue, here’s another good one.
Can’t seem to link. http://blogs.ajc.com/mike-luckovich/2011/07/11/712-cartoon-mike-luckovich-on-debt-negotiations/
Bette
I do bread. I do bread in the mountains, where they altitude (and attitude) are a problem. The bread machine, as others have said, is a must. But never, ever bake it in the machine. Put it on “dough” or whatever yours says, and take it out, throw it on a cookie sheet covered in cornmeal and bake. Shape at will. Done and done. Add shit if you want … you know, like rye flour or seeds or what-have-you. Better than that crap at the grocery store. And when the grocer’s go belly up, you still have bread.
First post, btw, and I’m drunk. Not pinot. Vodka. :-)
Southern Beale
Jesus. I just learned Michele Bachmann’s stepsister is openly gay. They grew up together. Yet Bachmann can actively campaign against gay marriage and say the “gay lifestyle” is “personal bondage, personal despair, and personal enslavement”?
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Bnut
Do we have any boxing fans out there? I have just started really getting into it the past few months. This will sound “inside baseball” to some people I guess. Question on Corales-Castillo, was the spitting out of the mouth guard to buy a few secs in his corner considered bush league or is that standard “glossed over” behavior? Granted I realize he was penalized for it.
Also, fuck Republicans. And dogs are awesome (as well as Dawgs ;).
Yutsano
@Bnut:
Most folks I know have gone full-on MMA. But spitting out the mouth guard is kinda bush league. All it does is give you a few more seconds’ rest while pissing off your opponent, so it’s very short-term thinking.
I saw what you did there.
fleeting expletive
#49—different church lady—“all other forms of mish-mashery”. Made me laugh out loud, friend.
hilts
@WaterGirl,
Following up on last night’s open thread, there are some good sites worth checking out at this link
http://ww4report.com/links
Southern Beale
@Bnut:
I train with a former professional boxer, Frank Wood. I’ve been kickboxing for years, but of course it’s just fitness for me, I couldn’t fight if my life depended on it.
I can ask him what the boxing world thinks of stuff like what you mentioned.
Scamp Dog
@15 Corner Stone: I hope that “spot of bother” implies that things worked out reasonably well in the end. Or will. Best of luck!
WaterGirl
@ hilts
About the only one I recognized from that link is Narco News. I have the media consortium open, and bookmarked, so that was really a find. Not sure if you will have seen my “thank you” from the other thread, so thank you!
Bnut
@Yutsano
GD I know. Everyone who’s ever been in the military thinks they are Chuck Liddell because they had classes on how to arm-bar someone.
@Southern Beale
I will be joining you in Nashville in a few days. I’m excited.
different church-lady
@ fleeting expletive: glad to be of service.
(For those who might be wondering what we’re talking about, it’s here. How we managed to get a cross-thread comment I don’t quite know.)
Nice handle, btw.
slag
@Yutsano: Quoi?:
Southern Beale
@ Bnut
Cool! What brings you to Nashville? It’s pleasant now but it’s about to get brutal. Over 100 degrees and intense humidity. We’re going to L.A. next week, hope we miss the worst of it.
MikeJ
@Southern Beale: BTW, I don’t know if you noticed but Yellow Face, produced by the Pork Filled Players (and a balloon juice regular) is playing while you are in Seattle.
Yutsano
@slag: Teh Internetz r about to piss me off tonight.
Try this:
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=68171424&listingRecNum=40&criteria=sf1Dir%3DDESC%26mkId%3D20044%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D21857%26rd%3D250%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId%26zc%3D98133%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national
@Bnut: It’s the hot girlfriend at 44 syndrome. It’s kind of ugly to watch.
Southern Beale
I find it really bizarre that the president and CEO of a prominent right-wing thing tank which once boasted Jack Abramoff on its board and did the bidding of Tom DeLay bothers to waste time commenting on my blog.
I take this as a sign that all is not as rosy in wingnuttia as the corporate money flooding in to their coffers would lead one to believe.
Southern Beale
@MikeJ:
I am not familiar with Yellow Face. What kind of music?
It would be fun to have a BJ get together when we’re in Seattle.
MikeJ
@Southern Beale:
Not music. A backstage play about the staging of Miss Saigon, if I recall correctly. Think yellow face analogous to black face. Gwangung (who hangs here) is directing.
Bnut
@ Southern Beale
My sister lives there, Vanderbilt will let me transfer, and it’s cheaper than NYC. It’s also a cool place.
@ Yutsano
I know Chair Force window washers who wouldn’t watch the Rumble in the Jungle with a gun to their heads, but hey, at basic they learned to try to “submit” someone. LOL.
slag
@Yutsano: Aha! Thanks for that. So is “fuel sippin” good or bad in this context? Is the implication that it gets good mpg? Or bad?
As you can probably tell, I’m not much of a car person, which means I could give you a ton of reasons why it’s a bad idea, none of which would be at all pertinent to you.
Steeplejack
@Yutsano:
Well, that was quick.
Yutsano
@Steeplejack: Go to the second link I provided. And FYWP.
@slag: Fuel sipping is good in this context, and the S40 does do decent on that score. Considering I drive a 12 year old gashog now, it will be a rather sweet upgrade. And if it does sell, there’s a few others about with similar price points. I’m really trying to avoid financing if at all possible.
different church-lady
@ stuckinred:
Heh.
jaleh
Some girl out there would LOVE to have you…what’s the deal?
Steeplejack
@Yutsano:
Okay, that’s a nice-looking ride. And the price seems pretty good, although I haven’t priced Volvos lately.
I have been finding myself having consumer lust for a (used) Ford Escape hybrid.
P.S. Night shift checking in. Just got home from work about 15 minutes ago. Weekend!
Yutsano
@Bnut:
There’s an opportunity for some high class snark comedy here that is just not fomenting in my brain. I blame the Chinese food coma. MSG FTW!
@Steeplejack:
I gazed at a couple of those, but they were a touch out of my price range plus I’d have to justify to my uber-DFH friend in Santa Rosa my purchasing an SUV even if it was a hybrid. Plus I don’t really need a vehicle that large. Not until I get the Dane anyway. :)
different church-lady
It’s the love that dare not bark its name.
lamh34
My last comment of the night. Is the song “Never Happened To Me Before”. A solo project of Paul McCartney or is it part of the “Wings” catalog? I ask be size i’ve never actually heard the song before outside of the movie I just finusher watching. It’s a lovely song and I might just have go add it to my iPod.
Alison
@ Southern Beale #35
More than anyone could ever put into words.
And really – I am also rather disturbed by people in the sister’s place. To be fair, I have no idea what she has or hasn’t said about Michelle, how she feels about her, etc. But I have certainly heard of many LGBT relatives of viciously anti-gay politicians who seem frighteningly unperturbed by the fact that their own kin think they’re filthy evil sinning perverts who deserve to be treated at best like second class citizens…and that shit boggles my mind. If I had a family member who espoused that kind of nasty bigotry toward me, I’d cut them out of my life in a second. And you can say “Oh, but it’s FAMILYYYYYYYY”. Yeah, exactly. My family should be the last people on Earth who would speak so cruelly about who I am as a human being.
slag
@Yutsano: Got it. Sounds like you’re already sold on this sucker. So, you should do it.
Always a good call. I never trust financing on luxury goods. No matter how low the interest rates are, if you can’t likely sell it back for what you bought it for, you could easily find yourself in a pickle. And then there’s the fine print to worry about. Better to just pay cash, I think, even if you could conceivably make more by investing the bulk of that money than you’d be paying on interest with your loan. Too many strings attached.
Corner Stone
@Scamp Dog: Yeah, fluid in his lungs and the second ambulance ride to the ER in the last 6 weeks. Complete with flat lining in the ride there.
I gave him no end of shit today, as he was breathing without a ventilator.
All kinds of male bonding bullshit trash talking going on.
Point being, just straight hug a motherfucker and tell him you love him. For fuck’s sake.
Thanks cbear.
hilts
lamh34,
It’s from McCartney’s album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Yutsano
@slag: My brother has a Volvo, although older than this one. So I’m pretty familiar already with how they drive and handle. I would only need to test drive it to the mechanic and that would seal the deal. And honestly even if there’s an issue with it, as long as the issue won’t break me to fix I’ll jump at it.
Mark S.
Speaking of boxing, did anyone watch Klitschko-Haye? I didn’t, but I read that Haye intentionally fell down like 5 times. What the hell was with that strategy?
Larkspur
I love pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. I do not love chardonnay. Chardonnay feels old and dishwatery (but gummy) in my mouth. It is like cilantro, but alcoholic.
Also? The guy cooks. For himself, and quite often for others. One needn’t be partnered to do that. Other folks, both partnered and unpartnered, appreciate those what can cook. I say yum, and I say so say we all. Send leftovers. Plz. Thx.
Larkspur
Mark S.: I could totally fall down five times. I could fall down five times dramatically. Elegantly. What kind of money is involved? Could I make more than Haye, whether or not the sun is shining?
kdaug
I have recently come to realize that other people are much more tolerant of my eccentricities, exigencies, and general drunkenness than I would be of theirs.
Ain’t quite sure why yet.
Reckon not being an asshole (mostly) has something to do with it, but that’s the thought running through the noggin tonight.
burnspbesq
Greetings from Safeco Field in Seattle, where it is after 9:00 p.m. and not dark yet. Strange.
different church-lady
@ burnspbesq: you’re at a ball game. Drop the gadget and watch the ‘effen ballgame!
Kids…
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
[Facepalm] How could I forget the most important part? And it needs some sort of cleaning implement as well. How about this:
I await the “God damn it, Rosie hopped up on the table and knocked off half of the food and Tunch ate all of the shrimp! I’m posting this from the hospital because they ran smack into my knee while I was vacuuming up the mess, causing me to trip over Lily and break seven ribs. And while I was laying there, Tunch decided to get me back for having him fixed. The doctor has assured me they can sew my balls back on, even the one that got sucked into the vacuum cleaner.” post
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: O hai. U iz now closer to the Arctic Circle. You’ll adjust. :)
@different church-lady: It’s a Mariners game. He’s not missing much.
different church-lady
@ Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: that’s really good. Now tie Jane Hamsher or Meagan McArdle into it for the win!
YellowJournalism
Holy shit, Thoughtful. I almost broke seven ribs laughing at the last part of that description!
YellowJournalism
@Alison: I always wonder if during conversations with those hateful family members, they ever say, “Love the homophobe, hate the homophobia”?
Alison
@YellowJournalism: I suppose some might, and that just makes me sad.
Also, too – that doesn’t have the snazzy ring to it that the original has. And therefore is so not gay.
Sebastian
Yutsano:
S40? Moneysink. Less than average to average reliability according to TrueDelta. I hope you stopped looking at that Saab and Audi convertibles.
Saab are a piece of work and Audi transmissions will fail on you suddenly. I am an Audi owner myself and curse curse curse the 1.8 with CVT
FlipYrWhig
Sorry to hear that it was a close call, Corner Stone.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
Damn dcl, you don’t want much.
OK. Here goes:
I await the “I’m going to be off the grid for a few days. While I was writing a post about Megan McCardle’s latest nonsense, Rosie hopped up on the table and knocked off half of the food and Tunch ate all of the shrimp. I’m posting this from the hospital because they ran smack into my knee while I was vacuuming up the mess, causing me to trip over Lily and break seven ribs. As I was laying there, Tunch decided to get me back for having him fixed.”
The doctor has assured me they can sew my balls back on, even the one that got sucked into the vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, I was able to pull my nut out of the vacuum cleaner, retrieve the one Tunch smacked under the sofa, drag myself and my nads to the kitchen and put them on ice, all without upsetting Lilly.”
You guys play nice and no making fun of Jane Hamsher. The pain killers are starting to kick in so I’m out of here. Whooo. Go Stillers!” post.
There. I think I got everything.
Someone else can create the 720 follow up posts that Cole always launches within in 10 seconds of announcing he won’t be posting for the rest of the hour/day/week.
FlipYrWhig
@ Thoughtful: “Also, on the way to the hospital a dog, a cat, and a salamander all randomly ran out in front of the car, and when I stopped to check they jumped right in and snuggled up next to the nad ice. They’re all moving in.”
cbear
Too true. I lost my brother to suicide 4 years ago and never had the chance to tell him how much I loved him—-I will always live with that regret and that sorrow.
“I love you” is only three little words and infinitely more comforting than “I only wish I had…”.
My prayers for your Dad, CS.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig: Yeah, the stubborn old bastard has pissed me off for the last time. *shakes fist impotently*
different church-lady
@ TBC-c #82:
[STANDING OVATION]
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
FYW @ 83 – That. Is. Awesome.
Linkmeister
Who knew there were so many bread machine owners around? I got one for my birthday in November, and went out and bought a great cookbook: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook and have been having a ball going through it.
Steeplejack
Up late, starting my weekend, drinking and catching up on the Balloon Juice threads, and damned if the perfect late-night music didn’t come on the cable jazz channel (936 to my Cox Cable peeps): Miles Davis, “Blue in Green.”
That is all.
Steep +some integer number
ETA: Involuntary mental connection: Lou Rawls, “Stormy Monday.”
Just Some Fuckhead
By virtue of my staying power, I have won this thread.
Sarah Proud and Tall
@ Fuckhead:
You wish.
Just Some Fuckhead
Damn you!
*shakes fist*
It was mine, do you hear me!? It was mine!
Yutsano
@Just Some Fuckhead: And it would have worked too if it weren’t for those meddling kids!!
(want a cookie?)
DaveInOz
They made some fantastic Pinot Gris/Grigio here.
I particularly recommend Whinstone Estate and T’Gallant.
It’s great to be able to drive to so many wineries wthin an hour. T’gallant do a great wood-fired pizza lunch too.
Steeplejack
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Fuckhead, please. When it comes to the night shift, you are like a child wandering with a flashlight in the dark. Go to bed, and make sure you close the closet door so the monsters can’t get you.
Yutsano
@Steeplejack: Now now now Steepman. You know full well we’re not that territorial at night. If JSF wants to go wandering around after dark that’s his prerogative. As long as he doesn’t expect us to come rescue him.
Steeplejack
@Yutsano:
Okay, okay. I’m backing off. Might go to bed myself pretty soon. I am being picked up at 10:00 a.m. (5½ hours from now) for an enjoyable day of fun activities. Must be ready for that.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
p.s. And snark aside – Making bread is easy if you have a stand mixer or even a high powered hand mixer with bread hooks. This quickly gets you to the therapeutic dough kneading stage and most of the prep time will be waiting for the dough to rise.
I’m a former non-baker but I love making my own bread (thanks to a hand mixer w/bread hooks). Even plain white bread made with non-bleached flour is a different (and delicious) animal.
alwhite
Cole – I love roasted onions – try putting a decent cheese – I really like Camembert or Herve a lot but also Stilton if you want a ‘bold’ taste – in that scooped out portion during the last few minutes. I pop them under the broiler to get a nice crust.
4jkb4ia
Honoring your parents is its own reward :) I am trying to think what I would do in your spot, because my Dad has had to watch his cholesterol for years.
(If it helps, I can assume that “Blah blah blah blah” was directed at me, but that is probably too passive-aggressive for John.)
The Pale Scot
Could you share a little info on the onion prep, I’m unfamiliar with that one.
4jkb4ia
I had a happy thought. The Moroccan fish balls that I made for Pesach last year!
My dad liked those! You serve them with a big, festive couscous.
birthmarker
PaleS-I’ve made these onions too.
Cut off the top of a whole onion, and peel. (I guess you can cut off the bottom too. I don’t remember.) “Core” the middle, not going all the way to the bottom. Put delicious stuff in the hole. Kinda like making baked apples. I have used worcestershire and butter, salt and pepper. The cheese suggestion above sounds great. Wrap the onion in foil then bake at 350 (I guess) or put on grill. I don’t know how long-20-30 minutes? Just check them.
They are great and fairly low carb. Great change from potatoes. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe. The onions will be pretty soft and well cooked when done. They will start to fall apart some.