Blog-tober

In honor of my birthday month, I've decided to try to update this blog every day until I'm up-to-date on my posts. Most of the backlogged photos are baking-related (as seen on Instagram!) With any luck, I'll post a picture of my birthday cake by Halloween...

Bug Party

My littlest nephew's 4th birthday had a bug theme. It gave me a chance to wear my sparkly spider t-shirt, ladybug ankle bracelet, and scorpion necklace and ring. It also gave my sisters and me a chance to make fun creepy crawly desserts.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes with "The Best Frosting I've Ever Had" and topped with giant plastic bugs.

The frosting was dyed light green, which is a little hard to see in the pictures.

Beautiful butterfly cookies (Grandma Kookoo's Swedish Sugar Cookies.) 

The birthday boy's brother helped decorate these.

Oh, it's a caterpillar! How clever! So cute!

Ladybugs. She don't know I'm a boy.

3Don't

These glasses were bedazzled by yours truly!  I can't remember the exact details, but I promised one of the guys in my movie-going group that I would bejewel some glasses for our next 3D movie.  I had to make good on my word when the group made plans to see a movie in XD! Real D 3D.

I wanted to make his manly so I used red and complementary colors.  I decided to make myself a pair using shades of purple and green since I had the glue and jewels out anyway.  We were definitely the most stylish people in the theater.

History One Day Will Rave

I'm on a bit of a losing streak with Words with Friends. I've lost five of my last six matches. But, I got a great bingo today, which I hope means that I will soon be winning games again.

When I played this word I couldn't help but think of the Muppet version of The Frog Prince when Taminella keeps shutting up Robin by stuffing popovers in his mouth. "Have a popover froggy!"

Save Ohio Libraries!

I've recently become reacquainted with my local libraries. I go there about once a week to use their resources. Of course, since I'm now using them regularly, Ohio's Governor Ted Strickland wants to cut their funding!

The Save Ohio Libraries and the Ohio Library Council websites have details about this issue, and you may have seen protesters on the news. (I actually saw the linked video on News Channel 5 before I saw it on NewsNet5. That almost never happens!)

I emailed my state representative and state senator in Columbus to let them know my views. If you want to contact your elected officials, but don't know who they are, the Save Ohio Libraries website has links to help you find their names. Also, if you don't know what to say, there are sample letters to copy.

Produce

Last week I bought some mulberries from a vendor at a farmer's market whose other (non-produce) products I've enjoyed in the past. I did it against my better judgment since: A) a taste test at the market didn't impress me 2) the vendor had a lot of berries where other vendors were sold out and C) you later. When I got home I discovered the berries were full of teeny tiny bugs that were resistant to my attempt to drown them -- in fact a few swam to the edge of the bowl and tried to climb out. I stuffed the berries and their bugs down the garbage disposal and sprayed a bleach cleaner in and around the sink in case the bugs tried to escape. Apparently, this is a fairly common problem.



The trip to the market wasn't a total waste since I got some lettuce from a different vendor that was fantastic. I bought a head that had romaine, red leaf and green leaf in one. It's weird to rave about lettuce, but it was really very good.



I bought some cherries from the grocery store the other day and I decided to clean them with a vinegar solution I read about in a Newsweek article (there's also an NPR article with an audio clip on the subject). It worked brilliantly since the fruit tasted better than it did when I washed it with tap water alone. I was worried that the cherries might taste vinegary but they didn't. I've put the spray bottle in my fridge for future use.



I wonder how the vinegar solution would have worked against the bugs of the mulberries? Some of the links above suggest a salt wash but I can't imagine the salt not soaking into the fruit.

In case you were wondering, the FDA recommends washing produce with water. I'm not sure how to comment on that.

Critter Control

A few weeks ago I had a wasp in my house. I killed the poor bastard and felt bad about it. Then, last week I saw this: That's the light on my front porch with a wasp nest very close to it. It's gone now, and I feel bad about killing the bugs that called it home.

I don't have a picture of it, but I also had to knock down a robin's nest that was built over the motion sensor light on my garage. The leaves or whatever the bird used to build it kept blowing in front of the sensor and turning on the light. I hope it built another nest somewhere safe.

The Mascot, not the People

I don't like sports. I don't hate sports. I'm usually pretty indifferent to them, actually. I don't watch them on tv, but I'll watch them live if someone asks me to go. Or if the tickets are free. Hell, I'd see just about anything if the tickets are free. Even Cats. Again.

But, sports and me aren't getting along right now because the Cleveland Indians are ruining my life. Here's why:

A) The games are taking over other people's lives to the point mine is disrupted. For example, some of my relatives can't talk on the phone during the game unless it's about the game. Not that they are unique in this behavior. All small talk is now about baseball. Strangers, work associates and even people I know think it's ok to begin a conversation with, "did you watch the game last night?" And then they are shocked, SHOCKED, when I say no. Not that it matters because they continue on like I said yes. If I wanted to know what happened, I would have watched, thanks.

2) Parking lots around my work in the warehouse district raise their rates on home game days in the morning. Why should I have to pay $10 somewhere I paid $6.50 the day before when the game doesn't start for another 10 hours? I'm not going to the game. And even if I were, it's in 10 hours!

C) You later.

4) The phrase "Go Tribe" has become a salutation like aloha. People say it at the beginning of conversations or the end of conversations like it means something. What purpose does saying "Go Tribe" have? Other than to piss me off, I'm not sure. An incredible example of this "go tribe" mentality occurred when some Dink Loser reporter was interviewing one of the teachers who was injured at SuccessTech last week. He ended the interview with, "and good luck to your Indians." What the hell? How is that appropriate?

If you ask me, they can't lose fast enough. And just in case you're one of those superstitious types that thinks my saying that is going to somehow make it true, rest assured that I've been saying it since the postseason started. For all I know, it's bringing them luck.

What is THIS?

About an hour ago I noticed this weird bug on window. Is this a cicada?


Here's a close up from inside the house with a AA battery for size reference.

It took off with a loud click. I hope it stays gone because it grossed me out. Why do animals like my house?

What's Bugging Me

People who pronounce been as bean instead of bin.

People who say the t in often.

People who use the word anyways.