I stood in front of my kitchen cupboards looking wistfully inside, hoping something spectacular would materialize. Digging through the freezer, I passed over a few bags of Blah, a box of Humdrum and a whole bunch of freezer-burned Boring. A perusal of the refrigerator turned up nothing short an assortment of moldy, unidentifiable, and "I probably shouldn't eat that- um, what is it anyways?" kibbles.

peering into the back shelf: "I didn't know asparagus could ever look like that!"

poking my fingers carefully around the produce drawer: "When bad things happen to (used to be) good mangoes"

and, lets play, 'Name that Bowl of Gook?': "Oh god, I think that used to be lentils and feta.."

brought me to the realization that I need to go grocery shopping.

But not on a Friday.

ok, no date. no parties. no major plans.

But I was not about to go shopping, even if it meant starving. Knowing full well that I wouldnt allow that to happen, I had to defer to my creative side.

I proceeded to the basement, where besides a giant heap of laundry, an assortment of spiders and a ton of empty space, I have a shelf of extra food. My kitchen is small and cupboards are sparse, so I tend to put most of my dry stuff in the basement. I figured I could find something. I stare at the shelves and ponder:

"hmm, what can I do with a bottle of curry sauce?"

"cheerios are my friend..."

"hmm, bamboo shoots.."

"should ketchup be brown?"

"oh, should grapefruit juice be brown???"

"so thats where I put the seaweed, I should make something with that sometime"

peering into a grocery bag, "ahhh, I forgot about my lentil-booty"..

(A month or so ago I purchased a mass amount of lentils, some of which are kept in the kitchen. Normally an option, but nah, I just can't, not after the bowl of 'Formerly Known as Lentil and Feta'. )

I figured I was totally beat, until I checked another shelf-- the rarely touched, Baking Supplies section. Amidst the flour and other, Carey's Cooking Items of Mass Destruction, I located two packages of Ramen Noodles. What is this??

Remnants of undergrad days? (>5 years)

I contemplate and talk myself into thinking that they have a perpetual shelf life. Score!!!

I take my new found treasure upstairs and into the kitchen. I am kind of giddy with curiouslty. Although I have had a recent conversation about Ramen Noodles, and I thought I might have had a package lingering around, it was not until I had the tangible package in my hand that a flood of memories came back.

Its been many years since I have had raman noodles. My friends and I often dined on Raman Noodles and the many variations one could come up with. I usually ate one package with half of the flavoring packet and with just a little bit of broth; not nearly as creative as my friends concoctions. How did you eat your Ramans?

For dessert, we often dove into a box of Little Debbie snacks washed down with a Little Hug drink. Seriously, for a quarter, you had a meal, drink and dessert.

Now, I grew up poor, so coming up with creative cheap meals was a norm. My toys, my hobbies and my imagination were a product of being 'poor'. Not that I really cared even though living in a town of the wealthy had its moments.

In college, it was just a fact of life at that time to be poor. I don't recall exactly how we ended up with government food, but I do recall how freakin' fabulous Government issued Peanut Butter was. Oh, and cheese. Orange Juice was weird..tasted like grapefruit juice. But, oh, that peanut butter was the best!!It came in a large white cardboard cylindrical container with black lettering. For those who have had the opportunity to have it, know it well and probably loved it. It was much different than any other peanut butter out there. I thought it was THE BEST.

Even better?? -- Dunking the Little Debbie chocolate peanut butter wafer bars into the giant vat of that delicious peanuty government goodness. yum. It was kinda sweet and more dry than other butters, and a bunch of us would be piled on a bed, eating, and all of us thinking, man, we should be able to go and by this!

hehe, I wonder if that PB is still made? And can I get me some?? :)

I'm still poor !! :-D

And so I thought of all the foods that were regular staples a decade ago: spagetti, macaroni and (powdered) cheese, very cheap hot dogs, tinas frozen burritos, raman noodles, little debbie snacks, little hugs, PB&J sandwhiches (on white), saltines, Banquet pot pies and potato chips; and Mad Dog 20/20 hahahaha!

I don't think a fruit or vegetable crossed our paths during that time..

Whether is was a time of being broke, a 'strange' food desire, or a lack of culinary skills, what is your fondest (or not so fond) food memory-- even if you still indulge..??

I have decided that I probably won't partake in a raman noodle adventure again anytime soon (maybe the flavoring packets go bad..?!) but I have a craving for some Mad Dog, haha kidding.. Actually, I havent had a toasted PB&J in years. So, no, it wouldnt be government issued PB and it would have to be jam or preserves and it would be on whole wheat..oh and the bread would be toasted in the oven.. not even sure if I have a toaster..

---

My taste buds werent thrilled with the raman noodles. I had some cheerios instead (the milk was still good!) but I ended up going shopping Saturday evening. In and Out. Fruit, veggies, nothing too complicated. Nothing too exciting, food-wise or social wise. So a trip to the grocery store was my big venture out; and a quick jaunt over to Blockbuster. Rented a french foreign film, Cache (Hidden). When I returned home, I realized I wasnt in the mood to read a movie. I watched part of it then had to stop. I just didn't want to think about what I was watching or try to interpret it by listening. Silly me, what was I thinking?

I bought, Taxi-- that looks fun.

yeesh, I feel like I have been away from everybody lately. I have been a bit elusive due to a major amount of school work. Nothing new there other than it seems to have intensified. About five more weeks to go--and I will be working my ass off every minute of it. I didn't even procrastinate on getting this weeks work done!! I had to start Friday and I have been at it ever since. Was in bed, asleep by 10:30 pm Saturday night! I hope to complete it by tomorrow and begin the following weeks assignments ahead of time. (yes, you have heard it first!)

There is other, more exciting stuff I want to work on..

Cant believe its Sunday night already. Must get ready for the work day.

I will need to get out this coming week/ weekend. Anyone up for 'coffee' ? :)

In the meantime, one day at a time..


and right now.. Good night :)

"Weather forecast for tonight:

• 
  
• 
  

dark."

-George Carlin


~Carey

Logging into (e:strip) has long ago become a daily habit. On most days I read the lastest entries. Occasionally I miss an entry when there have been multiple posts (by the individual user, or it was just a busy day on the strip).

To counter this, I have taken to clicking on the 'search' tab to check to see what people are saying about what. How interesting (and fun) to read peeps views and reactions on just about everything! This too is where I can see what entries I may have missed. Reading other peoples comments gives me a new perspective on the original post. Sometimes I misinterpret or overlook an aspect of the original content. Sometimes I learn something entirely new or my interest in the subject matter propels me to do a little research on my own; and sometimes I am just nosey. ;)

Whatever the case, coming to (e:strip) is a part of my day. I am sure there are a few of you who can relate, no?

Some days, when I just need to read more, I click on "random journal", which brings me to just about anyone who has written on (e:strip). Some people have only one or two journals posted, others, well, have over 2000 ;) But most of us fall somewhere in between.

(e:libertad) added to tonights chatter, a link to another journal. As he referred to it, "..my random journal finding". I don't remember the username to the link he provided, but it made me think of a recent "random journal" that I read and found entertaining and had thought about sharing-and had since forgotten to do. This reminder leads me to posting a link to "my random journal finding" --> (e:lowercase,1) titled, "the evolution of my palette" This user has not posted since. I wonder what became of them? of any of them? But here they are, here we are, intertwined among the written lives of all the (e:strip) members.

Its a long read, but in my opinion, a good one. It took me by surprise a little bit..

Enjoy the evening everyone.. the weekend is almost here!

Carey

sitting in my non airconditioned car eating a small cup of chili. Thinking back to my hot soup the other day, I ponder whether my tastes are eclectic or eccentric! ---back to work, later gators

Hello Monday, are you really here already?

I'm not so sure about this early morning stuff- ya know, rising with the sun when I would rather sleep for a few more hours, tucked snuggly under my pillows and blankets. hmmm. I have been doing it for over three years, but it is never easy.

I just got off the treadmill and feel positive about this week being fully back into routine. Last week was to figure out how to sleep, this week is to exercise in the morning like I normally do. Then evenings I can do recreational activities.

Quick shower time, just jumped off one treadmill to get on another-
I have fun at work, I enjoy the environment, the challenges and it is rewarding on some level, but I know that I am not going anywhere, professionally. That is a realization that I must face, accept and plan to move on from.

I think it will be fully liberating when I allow myself to move on.

anyhow, I have to leave for work in a few minutes.. Have a great day everyone :)

90 degrees or so..

and what better to enjoy the day than a big bowl of

hot soup.

say what you must. Me, my soup and legwarmers are gonna go catch some rays in the chaise.

Have soup envy :)


I'm baaAAAaaAaaaAaack

No major plans so far for the weekend, other than school work and a few other responsibilities that were neglected this week. I'm getting down to the scary portion of the degree.. wrapping it up and kicking butt to the very end. Six more weeks, I think.

I wonder what I will do when I am done. I don't mean necessarily career-wise (thats a given), but I am referring more to all the stuff that I havent been involved in while in school the past two years. Something like reading a book- for fun- mindless fun, even! eek, I have a stack of magazines I have yet to read. Or doing all of my laundry, haha or going away/traveling without concern as to how I will get something done. Oooh the possibilities!! maybe I can resume dance classes! art classes! database classes! global domination! I am sure to delve into all sorts of projects, adventures and anything else that intrigues me.

Wait, I kinda do that already. I try to incorporate some elements when I can. Balance, happiness, accomplishment and experience is imprtant to me, so while I write a lot about work and school, there is so much more that I do. I suppose it is the constraints that I am looking forward to shaking off. Well, it will certainly give me the time to do all the icky stuff that I have put on the backburner for about two years; sadly, no more excuses for not doing the dishes :(

I managed to get through the week, somewhat in a blur, but I survived none the less. I must resume all that I was doing prior to this "5 day funk". I wasn't in a bad mood nor really in a blah mood, other than knowing that I wasnt functioning at an optimal "me". I'm not sure if I know how to do a seriously bad mood. I try, but it never seems to work, grrr :)

Really, it was just getting back into routine after a work-break. Sleep was difficult all week, ate crap food that made me feel like what I ate, worked on school stuff in a daze and barely moved my body once I returned home from work. Not fun, not me, not a good feeling. 5 days. I allowed it, so it all comes back on me. Now, I return back to "normal" come Saturday morning. I insist.. and I look forward to it.

I'm home bound this evening--I need to pick up my car from the shop. Although I feel like I am vegging, it is in a clear headed- energetic manner. I am working on a project and feel like I am accomplishing something. I will make a cup of my crazy bed time tea, and hopefully drift off to sleep by 1am.

I am sure I will get out at some point-- need to.. just not sure where, what, with who, etc. I think some major quality time with my treadmill, bike, weights and anything in nature is in order. Bah, still gotta do those dishes..

When I am looking for something to do, I usually start by checking to see what is going on around the region- arts, museums, hiking, and festivals.. ofcourse, check to see what the peeps are up to and other friends, neighbors, family. Ooh, maybe go swimming..

This link is usually helpful:

I didn't know that there were so many festivals going on this weekend. Was that strategic or poor planning? The local news highlighted the Polish, Peurto Rican and Italian festivals.

MEDITERRANEAN FESTIVAL: With ethnic food, cultural entertainment, a Kids' Village, ethnic dancing and more, 5 to 11 p.m., St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 1073 Saunders Settlement Road, Lewiston. Continues 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

CANAL FEST OF THE TONAWANDAS
Fri. Jun 16 to Wed. Aug 23
Nightly entertainment and daily youth activities along the banks of the Old Erie Canal. With food concessions, amusement rides and midway, noon to 11 p.m., downtown North Tonawanda on Sweeney and Webster streets.
Erie Canal Banks
Tonawanda, N.Y. 14150
www.canalfest.org
716-692-3392


POLISH-AMERICAN ARTS FESTIVAL
Fri. Jul 14 to Sun. Jul 16
Enjoy and partake of Polish and American heritages together. h/c access
Cheektowaga Town Park
Cheektowaga
www.tocny.com
716.686.3292


INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Mon. Jul 17
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
h/c access
Amherst Museum
3755 Tonawanda Creek Rd., Amherst, N.Y.
716-689-1440
See Map

ITALIAN HERITAGE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
Thu. Jul 13 to Sun. Jul 16
A celebration of Italian food and culture. Something for everybody. h/c access
Hertel Avenue
Buffalo
716.874.6133

ANNUAL GREASE POLE FESTIVAL
Fri. Jul 14 to Sun. Jul 16
Celebrating Puerto Rican heritage and culture. h/c access
Augustin Olivencia Center
Buffalo
716.852.1648

hmm, well, thats a start. I think I am in an art mood. I want nothing to do with food. I need to fast/purge/detox my body-- I feel gross. Literally, unhealthy gross not self esteem gross. Yogurt, tea, fruit and veggies is it for a few days. Might check out some kayak rental prices-- thats a must this summer.

Level regatta is next weekend, I think. (e:vincent) , confirm?

Anyone who wants to come out, watch some sailboat racing, people, street parties, and perhaps put up a pop up tent in my yard and chill next to a bonfire, maybe we can set something up..

Alright, thats it..
later gators,
~Carey

so i run out the door this morning without my lunch. I am on my lunch now, and decide between the limited choice of food venues- I opt for Burger King and order a veggie burger. They ask if I want bacon on it. haha! I say, sure, load it up! j.k.

I come home from a full day at work to settle down to an evening of school work and paper writing, when I see my fuzzy guy pacing through the living room, anxious and flustered looking.

As with prior situations, (e:theecarey,149) I have learned to investigate when Joey is displaying warrior-like behavior. Although he appears to be pacing, Joey is actually sizing up the situation, trying to figure out a way to get to the window. An airconditioner hinders his efforts.

So I think to myself, "Bon dieu, what is in the window, Joe?"

And then I look.

The Domesticated Warrior himself..







Creatures unearthed by the torrential downpours today?

I find myself face to face with this attached to the outside (phew!) of the living room window..something big and green and leggy:






and a fully unwelcome visitor.. knocking on my window, peering in..grossing me out, making me want to pack my bags and leave-- until I realize it is on the outside and I conclude that I am better off staying put.. 'cause its out *there*.. eek!

(why oh why terrorize me like this? *shiver*)





I really think that if Joey had the opportunity, he would have successfully tackled these bugs. I have seen an increase in his bug-slaying prowress this season. Thats ma boy.

Did you know that moth guts are powdery?

heh, maybe it was the huge full moon..

maybe the stars are realigning themselves..

maybe it is something in the air,water, koolaid, blue cheese..

maybe it isn't anything other than a temporary funk that the peeps are in.. Would that be an (e:funk)?

anyway, if you happen to find yourself in Shits Creek.. worry not, you can now buy yourself a paddle:






"To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?"
- K. Graham


Stumbled across this Og guy earlier..

"If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labour.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.
Today I will be the master of my emotions."

Og Mandino- "The Greatest Salesman in the World"

I might be able to swing a couple of those. I like the part about remembering goals and plunging ahead. It can be difficult when you know you are the only one holding yourself back..

Oh wow.. the full moon is so bright tonight!
From my living room window it appears to be a spot light out there.

Must go look outside!

I took a few pictures with my phone. Lets see how they turn out.


ok, so they look like white bright dots... but you can kinda see the trees and the moon..






oh yeh, it was only yesterday, but I forgot that I took a few pictures while at Deleware park. What a lovely night :)





Saving the best for last.. (e:leetee) brought cutie pie, Ava, and her human, Kierstin (sp). I snagged a pic of the cute pugs mug.