"hot dog! chard...." written by Trisha on estrip.org

07/05/08 08:20 - 77ºF - ID#44873

hot dog! chard....

i am taking a cue from my good friend dayner and making a garden post. considering i purchased many herb seeds i was too lazy to scatter, i might as well blog the 1 edible that made it into the ground.

swiss chard.

i mostly put this in for decoration. i'd rather a tomato than a green leafy any day of the week. it's supposed to get these orange, yellow and red thick stalks, but is kinda tiny right now.

because i'm sort of an idiot, i just threw the seeds down in kind of a row, and so i had to thin out the weaklings the other day. it was hard deciding who lived and who didn't. eh. godlike, i suppose. since it is uber trendy to eat baby veggies, i made a salad out of the pickins. but only cause it's trendy, ha ha. mmm-mm. only slightly bitter and a little on the foamy side, know what i mean? like when you eat fresh baby spinach it's kinda foamy textured. i dunno.

in any case, it always amazes me when something that was a seed becomes a plant. it's like, holy shit. if i was a farmer i'd be in constant awe, stupefied by the rows upon rows of whatever was there because * I* put it there.
talk about godlike, sheesh.....

Permalink: hot_dog_chard_.html
Words: 223
Location: Buffalo, NY

06/26/08 09:31 - 69ºF - ID#44788

POOP IN THE POTTY!!!!

after months, literally, with a significant break in between, there is finally. poop. in the. potty. cue triumphant trumpeting. i didn't think it would ever happen. we begged, pleaded, promised treats, TV time, games, prodded, threatened, bullied, harried, encouraged, jumped up and down, and basically acted like every other fool idiot parent throughout time that has tried to get the kid to do this. IT SUCKED. i am more excited about this than any other milestone, probably because this is the only one *I* actually had to do so much work for.

i love the buggers, but for 2.5 years our lives and household have been FULL of shitty diapers...... at least now we can be half full. there is still a way to go, but the wheels are turning.

Permalink: POOP_IN_THE_POTTY_.html
Words: 129
Location: Buffalo, NY

06/21/08 08:23 - 74ºF - ID#44743

a lame request for music help

i am dry on the music frontier lately. if you told me a few things you like to read, and wanted some direction to some interesting lit, no problem there. but new music sort of eludes me. there's so much of it, and words about it don't do the trick.... like anything you just have to try it out i suppose.

anyway, nuff said, who's got something awesome to recommend/ or a website to go to? i like just about anything but country & techno. thanks, i appreciate any replies......

jenks writes at 06:50:05 06/23/08 - Comment #36390: ooh tiny i like cesaria evora too.

i have to plug my usual favorites-
The National
Jose Gonzalez
Andrew Bird

i've also been listening to a little punk/rockabilly stuff lately-
the cramps
heavy trash

And I agree that last.fm and pandora are good for inspiration too.

tinypliny writes at 04:34:17 06/22/08 - Comment #36371: Cafe Quijano with their get up and salsa-jazz dance. :)
:::link:::

tinypliny writes at 04:24:09 06/22/08 - Comment #36370: If you fancy soundtrack music, this bloke is awesome:
:::link:::

Just load the website and let it play. Around 1hr 5min of really cool soundtrack music.

tinypliny writes at 11:58:03 06/21/08 - Comment #36362: Oh and the one and only Grave Digger!
Pure rhythmic power metal from Germany
:::link:::

james writes at 09:37:35 06/21/08 - Comment #36350: I have been listening to T Bone Burnett and William Elliot Whitmore all week and it makes my blues happy.

tinypliny writes at 09:23:16 06/21/08 - Comment #36344: Some bands I am grooving to this week:
(I recommend speakers that bring out the bass as well as the softest of jazz cymbals. The music is all over the random genre range. :))
(You might need to sign up for imeem, but its free and totally worth it!)

I love Cesaria Evora. She sings Mornas in Portuguese. I can only describe it as Summer Sunshine music even in deep winter...
Good Examples:
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Rata Blanca - my personal favourite classic heavy metal (Think Rainbow/Deep Purple)
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Amr Diab: The King of Arabian Music!
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Deep Purple - Classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Witchery - Thrash Metal given a new life - Shredding at its ultimate technical best!
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::
(They do a fast kick-ass take on Judas Priest!)

Ars Amandi - Folk metal from Spain
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

The Kinks - Classic Beatle era nostalgia
1.http://www.imeem.com/theeplaylist/music/i4xo4svU/the_kinks_this_time_tomorrow/
2.http://www.imeem.com/ifankucel/music/KCAmNB_J/kate_rusby_the_village_green_preservation_society/

Death Cab for Cutie - Alternative Easy Listening
All songs: :::link:::

Assi Al Helani - Arabic beats
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Billy Mclaughlin - Folk-semiclassical Guitar
1. :::link:::
2. :::link:::

Astor Piazzolla - Classic Argentine Tango.
1. :::link:::
(Played by the cellist from classical-heaven - Yo Yo Ma. Seriously this version of Piazzolla ROCKS!)
2. :::link:::

Actually, there are about 30 more artists in my play-loop... If I list them all, I guess I might be viewed as a little unhinged.. :)
LMK, if any of these rock your boat, and I will suggest some more.

paul writes at 08:45:04 06/21/08 - Comment #36343: Last.fm is also a great tool.

drew writes at 08:39:17 06/21/08 - Comment #36342: Put the name of somebody that you like on Pandora.com and they will play them and similar music that you may nor have heard.

Permalink: a_lame_request_for_music_help.html
Words: 90
Location: Buffalo, NY

06/18/08 02:17 - 59ºF - ID#44702

exhaustion vs trashiness

i am impatient and want my yard, the first i have ever "owned", to be fabulous. instead, there is a gaping hole where paul ripped out a scraggly bush, a rotted stump that has spooky crevices where some troll might live, and plastic kid toy junk all over it. at the end of the day, i am plumb tuckered, and so this mess remains.
i'd have no problem if this was the backyard, where things can hide. but we have only a small-ish side yard, and so everything is visible and out there, and i kinda feel like "that house".
then, at the same time, fuck it---only about 28,953 things go on in a day around here to worry about it so.....but it's harder to say that than it is to keep trying to pick up, for some reason......

i dunno, what is the american obsession with yards anyway? i heard this ridiculous pesticide radio ad that rhymed "lawns are for hugs, not bugs." oh yeah, how bout a nice healthy hug after rolling around on my SPRAYED lawn. better than a bug bite! .....dumbasses.

the yard, when "finished" will have little to no grass. any bug that wants to can make a home in the flowers--although i will admit ticks sort of freak me out. there will be a few brick pathways and a few sitting area/hidden alcove type things for the kids. if all goes well, my dear husband will have purchased for me the 10 foot granite rooster i've had my eye on, or some other fitting statue, to grace the gardens witb ridiculousness. it will be photo worthy......

Permalink: exhaustion_vs_trashiness.html
Words: 272
Location: Buffalo, NY

05/28/08 10:25 - 51ºF - ID#44471

more bz

the sound when i open a hive up is so incredible. it's surprisingly soothing. a lot of people are creeped out when i tell them about it, but a lot think it's awesome too. it is awesome. these photos are blurry but the others have too big of a file size, and i'm too hassled to try to figure out compression and all that jazz. in any case.....things are going swimmingly. not only will i have honey next year, but the fruit trees around the area should produce much better in the next year or 2.

between 2 frames

nice comb

queen josephine right in the middle there

Permalink: more_bz.html
Words: 110
Location: Buffalo, NY

05/16/08 08:43 - 51ºF - ID#44358

god save the queens

holy shit! i guess i could call myself a beekeeper now. this is a crappy photo, i keep meaning to take more but as soon as i open the hives up, i forget all about it. i never had a hobby before, where you forget all about the outside world. well, except reading, but you know. so passive.

queens jolene and josephine are thriving and laying eggs just fine, i believe. it's so neat to find her, so different amongst thousands, but hardworking in her way as well. jolene is more aggressive and the workers bang against my veil trying to attack. josephine nicely chills out, though it might have something to do with the fact that i usually open it up second and by then my smoker is going a little stronger. eh. maybe, maybe not.

i stole my first taste of honey yesterday from some comb i had to rip off. oh. my. god.

all in all things are going fantastically, i couldn't be more pleased! if they continue this way, i might just get a few jars this year instead of the none i had been planning on.

Permalink: god_save_the_queens.html
Words: 192
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/28/08 09:54 - 41ºF - ID#44175

bee momma

like any new mother, i am nervous and scared kinda shitless, for soon 18,000 odd stingly flying honeymakin insects will be my charges. also i am nervous because this DEMANDS that i not just dabble in a renaissancelike knowledge of things, like all "lah-tee-dah, that's cool to know, i could totally ace that jeopardy category," as i am wont to say to myself. if i want honey (uh, YES) and if i want the bees to thrive and go forth and multiply (yeah!), i probably should know what i'm doing a little. and i just....DON't. right now, anyway. books can only take you so far, and to be honest i've been damned lazy about the reading in any case.

i am hoping it IS sort of like parenting, and you quickly get the basic hang of it or just suffer. they will for the most part take care of themselves (i hope the queen kicks ass).... and for the most part i will learn this year and not get any honey for meself. some pro at the meetings said after 25+ years you still realize how much you don't know. so that's ok. that's good.

i'm just feeling sort of like "what the hell did i get myself into??" ---all based on some romantic view i had of dancing insects, flower juice, and hexagons. god.

Permalink: bee_momma.html
Words: 224
Location: Buffalo, NY

04/07/08 09:26 - 60ºF - ID#43942

i love houses

paul once asked me what i love about buffalo, and it was during an i hate buffalo ebb. after thinking real hard, i answered "the houses." you could walk for hours, and spot hundreds of nifty little details you wouldn't find repeated elsewhere. there are some gems here too, but i really miss that about buffalo. god i could never live in the south, where so much is new.
for fun, i sometimes browse e-house plans but have been having some disturbing realizations come out of it. it's almost impossible to find one without the palatial master suite, which says a lot about homeowner/mom/dad/queen/king type stuff, and entitlement. then the outsides just look like monstrosities. it is the kind of "luxury" that is so barf-o-rama, new money & tasteless. i don't really get the whole "let's have an open floor plan downstairs" mentality when your bedrooms are compartmentalized and often, the "master suite" is set so so far away from the kids' rooms. if they cried in the night, they would have to mop up their own tears in their own bathroom, or run about 2K to the parents' room. that is so so sad.

i love this house, it's feeling more and more like ours (it's beginning to absorb us now)--- but i do not think it is the last house i will live in. i do not know where life will take us, maybe we will stay or go...if we stay eventually i would love to build a house, one i laid out a floor plan for myself, maybe partially dug into the earth. it would be so odd to live in a house no one else ever lived in.

metalpeter writes at 08:19:12 04/08/08 - Comment #33708: I just wanted to add that you are thinking about right now that you want the kids bedroom near yours so you can hear them. But see in the future you want it the other way around. You don't want to hear there music and if when they are older you or one of them is having sex you don't want either you or them to hear the others. My point is that what is good for now will change at a latter date. I don't own a house but I like pocket doors because they give the option of things being open or you can close off rooms. What is kinda annoying is when you have to go through one room to get to the kitchen and the kitchen doens't lead any where else, or when there are two bedrooms and only one of them leads to the bathroom, I did see that someplace but not sure where.

libertad writes at 07:52:40 04/08/08 - Comment #33684: That is one of the two things I like about Buffalo. The other would be the people. Really the houses are so great though. It can be tough watching some of them be neglected.

tinypliny writes at 03:12:49 04/08/08 - Comment #33682: I am with Paul and also with the rest of you. I like open floor plans a lot. It just feels natural to be able to walk through from niche to niche without missing a beat. BUT I hate getting foodie smells all over my bed or my clothes. So I would love to have some limiting doors to the kitchen or to places with furnitures/objects which would take the smell on.

jenks writes at 01:06:27 04/08/08 - Comment #33670: i'm with you. hate the stupid mcmansions.

drew writes at 10:35:33 04/07/08 - Comment #33654: but an open floor plan helps the party flow from the kitchen!

paul writes at 10:02:57 04/07/08 - Comment #33653: I hate open floor plans. I get all agoraphobic without pocket doors keeping everything separate. No seriously though, I really do like having a kitchen with doors that close because then when something burns in the kitchen or you are frying bacon, it ends up smelling everything up.

drew writes at 09:41:37 04/07/08 - Comment #33651: I, too, am trying to open up the floor plan of my home. I like it when everything is accessible to the kitchen.

james writes at 09:39:43 04/07/08 - Comment #33650: Buffalo has some amazing houses, and I am totally with you on the giant suite/false sense of entitlement thing.

But I love open floor plans. I love them so much. These cramped victorian quarters make me claustrophobic sometimes and there is no novelty like riding a bike in your own home.

Permalink: i_love_houses.html
Words: 288
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/29/08 12:49 - 30ºF - ID#43823

the absolutely insane cost of living

....is about to get worse. we now run a small-ish grocery store and have taken a big hit as far as wheat, milk, eggs, etc.--- in short all the things we use to make the rolls, cakes, pizza, etc.-- people are balking at raising the prices but the flour for these things literally tripled in one week. all your basic goods have gone up so so much.

now, to make things SO much worse, it will be insanely expensive to have the cup of coffee you have when you sit down to bitch about such things. coffee, store brand coffee, is apparently going to skyrocket to like $10 a can according to one of our reps. not even maxwell house, STORE brand. ich. STOCK UP NOW, people. starbucks is about to get a whole lot richer.

Permalink: the_absolutely_insane_cost_of_living.html
Words: 137
Location: Buffalo, NY

03/16/08 11:29 - 26ºF - ID#43697

praying for sleep, and i don't pray

insomnia is the worst fucking thing, i would not wish it on an enemy. all the livelong day i feel somewhat akin to a slave, albeit to children i love and adore, but still, i am working hard and putting in hours, and then at night..... nothing. very little, and struggling to get it.

i went to see an acupuncturist, it was INCredible

wowo... i haven't felt so relaxed, i think ever in my life, than i was on that table. for two days i felt calmer and better, now i am back to the crazies. it would be nice to get an acupunture treatment every week, but i don't think it works that way. ...and i can't help thinking i have THAT much negative energy?--so much that it would only last 2 days?

part of it is so so bad because you are completely alone in your insomniac world. you can say i'm SO tired, but yeah yeah--- everyone's tired. you don't GET insomniac tired unless you're an insomniac too. then at night there's no help for it, nothing can really put you to sleep i believe, except yourself, naturally. There are distractions but they're pretty shitty when your mind just can't focus on ANYthing. TV is about it--ug.

it has occurred to me too that it's probably like riding a bike, you can't think about it too much. and i know i am. here i am, when i'm really tired and should be in bed. but i dread it, what might happen once i'm there. i have tried so much, and it makes me angry and it sucks, but i think i have to resort to good old fashioned western medicine, and just go on something.