Well, when you don't know who sang it, what it's called, what any of the lyrics are, or even when you last heard it? I've heard it a few times on Indie 103.1 LA and the Buzz out of Vermont, and the only things I can really say about it are it has a bunch of synthy noises, a male vocalist, and it's in the same kind of dance-rocky alternative category that I would place artists like perhaps Neon Trees? Yeah, and maybe The Killers, or some other fun pseudo techno inspired rockish artist. Oh, and of course the song opens with and continues to play this repetitive synth noise that is god awful. Like someone is murdering a robot which doesn't have capabilities of speech. But it's an up beat kind of death as it goes "screeEE--EEE-EEE-EEEEEE!" And for some reason I still love it. The first time I heard it I almost changed stations because it irritated me so very much. Nails on a chalkboard annoying. Then I heard it a few more times and now every time it plays I wonder "who is this?" and never actually check. Well, I did try once and the online app. for the station only showed the program name, not the song and artist. And that was the last time I heard it, go figure.
Anyway, I started a great and epic search for this song today, after successfully remembering the name of "Stereo Love" (Edward Maya) and listening to it like 8 times. So I decided to attempt to hunt down this song next. An hour and a bit later, and I'm still searching. Although I am running accross some songs that I haven't bothered to learn the names of that I like. Like "Pumped up Kicks". So I'm still searching, and discovering. I like it, like a musical quest with little musical prizes on the way. Yes, I am that big of a geek. (When I finally win and get the song's name, I betcha I get some achievement. Maybe even level up!)
As it is I'm listening to thunder behind the music. In fact, I've turned the music off. I still haven't found the song. It was a pretty nice day earlier, I went out for a walk and read in the park for awhile to get myself out of the house. I probably should have been more productive and maybe gone downtown, but I'm glad I didn't. I would have been caught in the rain and I wasn't really dressed for that.
Anyway, back to song searching! Let me know if you have any idea of what song I'm looking for. Any suggestions are bound to help!
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Friday, 27 May 2011
Fantabulous Sweet n' Sour Meatballs!
Seriously. I thought I'd share this random kitchen concoction of mine. I wanted to make my moms recipe for sweet and sour meatballs. It's a pretty simple sauce at the best of times, so I didn't take any pictures or anything. I thought it was just going to be a regular dinner. First, I assembled the meatballs:
Approximately 1/2 lb of ground beef (I don't have a food scale and we buy bulk. So its just roughly measured out and repacked into smaller packages.)
I thawed that out, then threw in 1 egg, approximately 3/4 of a tsp of prep'd mustard, about 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp of onion flakes, 2 tsp of ginger, 1 tsp red pepper flakes and 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce.
Nextly I mixed it all together with about 1/4-1/2 cup of quick oats.
I assembled le meatballs! Which means I made 'em about the size of a heaping tablespoon. I like 'em about two bites myself. These I browned up in a little bit of olive oil.
Then I went to make my sauce! This is where things got a bit abnormal. Usually the sauce is 1 part brown sugar to 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. Mix with about 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of hoi sin sauce, 1 tbs of ketchup and about 2 tsp of ginger. But I have no ketchup, and no brown sugar! The brown sugar was really the catch. I used it all up yesterday making cookies.
So I substituted.
I used 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and then about 1/2 a cup to 3/4 cup of flat pepsi that was in the fridge. I figured pepsi is basically sugar water and molasses, which is what they use to make brown sugar. Seemed like a logical substitution. So I added the regular amount of ginger and soy sauce, and a little extra hoi sin sauce.
I poured it all over the meatballs when they were browned on all sides and let it simmer on mid-high heat for about 15-20 minutes while I cooked up some rice to serve it over. About 10 minutes in I decided to chop up two mini sweet bell pepers to throw in. I kept them big 'cuz I like 'em a bit crunchy still, and they were.
Seriously, next time I make this I will take pictures. It was phenomenal. Best use I've found yet for flat cola.
Approximately 1/2 lb of ground beef (I don't have a food scale and we buy bulk. So its just roughly measured out and repacked into smaller packages.)
I thawed that out, then threw in 1 egg, approximately 3/4 of a tsp of prep'd mustard, about 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp of onion flakes, 2 tsp of ginger, 1 tsp red pepper flakes and 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce.
Nextly I mixed it all together with about 1/4-1/2 cup of quick oats.
I assembled le meatballs! Which means I made 'em about the size of a heaping tablespoon. I like 'em about two bites myself. These I browned up in a little bit of olive oil.
Then I went to make my sauce! This is where things got a bit abnormal. Usually the sauce is 1 part brown sugar to 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. Mix with about 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of hoi sin sauce, 1 tbs of ketchup and about 2 tsp of ginger. But I have no ketchup, and no brown sugar! The brown sugar was really the catch. I used it all up yesterday making cookies.
So I substituted.
I used 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and then about 1/2 a cup to 3/4 cup of flat pepsi that was in the fridge. I figured pepsi is basically sugar water and molasses, which is what they use to make brown sugar. Seemed like a logical substitution. So I added the regular amount of ginger and soy sauce, and a little extra hoi sin sauce.
I poured it all over the meatballs when they were browned on all sides and let it simmer on mid-high heat for about 15-20 minutes while I cooked up some rice to serve it over. About 10 minutes in I decided to chop up two mini sweet bell pepers to throw in. I kept them big 'cuz I like 'em a bit crunchy still, and they were.
Seriously, next time I make this I will take pictures. It was phenomenal. Best use I've found yet for flat cola.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Rainy day baking!
Yeah, I haven't been feeling too hot for the last couple of days. Since I've been back in town after the wedding (which was beautiful by the way! I love weddings, and it was really interesting to be a part of a full on Catholic ceremony) I've been feeling super run down and out of it. I got zero sleep over the weekend, mostly because I suffer with strange sleeping habits at the best of times, and it really didn't help that the posh hotel we stayed in had down filled pillows and comforters on the bed. Should have gone to front desk to ask for something a little more hypoallergenic, but I didn't.
I don't think the blah weather here is helping my motivation to get out of the house. I really need to get back into the swing of things, but it's hard to muster up the desire to be productive outside when you know you have to bus around and are likely to be all dishevelled and soaked when you get where you're going. It really makes handing out resumes seem like a not so fun idea. Although thats not really my top priority. I've decided I'm going to pursue going back to school, so I have to schedual a few meetings with people at work search to find out about funding. I just worry that because of the weather I'm making excuses for not getting things done again. But I have my own reasons for doing things the way I am and I did cruise the job board and some other websites today. Just because I want to go back to school doesn't mean that a part time job would be a bad idea in the interim, and the weather is seriously crappy today so I don't mind sitting this one out. Instead, I decided to be productive indoors.
I baked! That's not a euphemism.
I decided the best kind of supper on a rainy day is something warm and spicey, so I made chili in the slow cooker. And then I thought chili isn't the same without biscuits, so I made up some cheddar jalepeno tea biscuits. I also decided that while I was at it I may as well make some chocolate chip cookies for desert. My first batch of cookies didn't turn out so hot, but the second dozen were much better. I thought at first I'd made the first cookies too big, but now I think that's not the case. The biscuits were also kind of raw in the middle like the original batch of cookies, and nothing was browning nicely on top. I think my top element in my oven is screwy. I mean, its all edible but it took forever to cook and they just aren't quite up to my usual abilities of a baker. However, it's been forever since I last made cookies, so long I had to call my sister to give me a recipe for 'em. And it's been a pretty long time since I last made biscuits too.
Either way, they are tasty! I'm eating a cookie RIGHT now.
I don't think the blah weather here is helping my motivation to get out of the house. I really need to get back into the swing of things, but it's hard to muster up the desire to be productive outside when you know you have to bus around and are likely to be all dishevelled and soaked when you get where you're going. It really makes handing out resumes seem like a not so fun idea. Although thats not really my top priority. I've decided I'm going to pursue going back to school, so I have to schedual a few meetings with people at work search to find out about funding. I just worry that because of the weather I'm making excuses for not getting things done again. But I have my own reasons for doing things the way I am and I did cruise the job board and some other websites today. Just because I want to go back to school doesn't mean that a part time job would be a bad idea in the interim, and the weather is seriously crappy today so I don't mind sitting this one out. Instead, I decided to be productive indoors.
I baked! That's not a euphemism.
I decided the best kind of supper on a rainy day is something warm and spicey, so I made chili in the slow cooker. And then I thought chili isn't the same without biscuits, so I made up some cheddar jalepeno tea biscuits. I also decided that while I was at it I may as well make some chocolate chip cookies for desert. My first batch of cookies didn't turn out so hot, but the second dozen were much better. I thought at first I'd made the first cookies too big, but now I think that's not the case. The biscuits were also kind of raw in the middle like the original batch of cookies, and nothing was browning nicely on top. I think my top element in my oven is screwy. I mean, its all edible but it took forever to cook and they just aren't quite up to my usual abilities of a baker. However, it's been forever since I last made cookies, so long I had to call my sister to give me a recipe for 'em. And it's been a pretty long time since I last made biscuits too.
Either way, they are tasty! I'm eating a cookie RIGHT now.
Friday, 20 May 2011
I'm on my way!
Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything. Although I know forgot my camera. Oh well!!
I made another hair thingy. This one was for my niece. We let her pick out which feathers to use, she picked light blue, yellow, and green from the dyed feathers, and the black and white polka dot ones from the naturals. We added a pretty bright yellow flower and one shell. Obviously I have no pictures of it, because I forgot my camera!
Well, I decided to wear the leopard shoes, because they're the only ones I can walk in right now.
Anyway, I have nothing else of any interest to say and I'm hijacking my sisters computer right now. So, I'll post when I'm back!
I made another hair thingy. This one was for my niece. We let her pick out which feathers to use, she picked light blue, yellow, and green from the dyed feathers, and the black and white polka dot ones from the naturals. We added a pretty bright yellow flower and one shell. Obviously I have no pictures of it, because I forgot my camera!
Well, I decided to wear the leopard shoes, because they're the only ones I can walk in right now.
Anyway, I have nothing else of any interest to say and I'm hijacking my sisters computer right now. So, I'll post when I'm back!
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Loookit that! Another Thing!
My cousins wedding is this Saturday, and I'm in the wedding party. I love being a bridesmaid, it makes dressing for a wedding so much easier. So I've been chilling thinking it's all good, I'm set. But, silly me, having a dress isn't the ONLY thing I needed to think about. What about shoes, and hair? Accessories? So today I decided (how last minute of me per usual...) to make a hair piece to wear. The wedding colours are red and gold, so I bought some goose feathers, dyed and natural, to use for a hair pin. I decided I'm going easy with my hair, and I'm not going to fight it to get it up or anything. Simple, and down, with one clip. Filled with FEATHERS! I also bought some pieces of shell to include. I wound up not using any of the dyed feathers, because the natural ones just looked so nice against my new hair colour. (I dyed my hair again, Garnier Nutrise 535 Chocolate Caramel. Something nice, rich, brown. A good pallet for some streaks maybe?)
So I bought everything I thought I'd need for the hair pin at the dollar store. 3 bags of feathers (the polka dot ones were in a different bag than the stripey ones and of course the dyed ones I didn't use were in another bag). I only used like, 8 feathers from the bags, so now I have a whole bunch of feathers. I'm not sure what I want to do with them. Maybe I'll make feathery jellyfish ... =D
I also bought some hot glue sticks. Good thinking, except I don't own a hot glue gun. So I just used a lighter to melt one end of the stick and licked my finger to place the feathers on the beads I dribbled messily. I'm surprised that it worked out so well! I added the shell on top of the feathers. I really like the combination.
So now that I've shown you all the thing I made, back to packing for this wedding! I still have to decide on which shoes I'm going to wear, or if maybe because I put my knee out yesterday I should suck it up and go out and purchase a pair of simple flats. But I really would rather wear heels... stupid knee.
Aside: How I put my knee out
Basically I got on the bus, and as I was sitting down the bus jerked forward and I twisted. My knee cap decided twisting was fun, and took it a little to far. I fell on my ass into the seat, and my knee cap stayed to the left of its home. Quickly, with little hesitation, I grabbed it and pushed it back. I thought I was going to throw up, I hate that feeling. It's all grindy and icky and not good. However, I made it to my destination, and stayed in class the whole day. I kept it up, it's not even bruised and I can bend it again today. It's weak, and keeps threatening to twist again, but I think I've got it under control.
End Aside.
Anyway! That's it, I gotta get back to this packing thing.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
=P
I've been writing a lot more recently, and I'm pretty pleased that I'm able to get words on paper again. I decided to just start setting time aside and to force myself to just do it. It's helped a ton towards feeling inspired and motivated. Although I think doing other artistic things and allowing myself to indulge in self expression is helping defeat the writers block too.
Yesterday I decided to do something I had always intended to do, that is combine a couple of my hobbies in the form of tarot and writing. Basically, I did a simple 4 card Johari Window spread for each of my primary characters, and read the meanings of each card in relation to the characters position in the story line. It helps to define motivations, and to get a clearer sense of how the characters might be feeling. The interesting thing about this excersize is the characters aren't real, so it's not like you have worry that the cards are wrong. You just get a feel for it, and see if it fits into your idea for how you want these characters to act within the story. The layout I use for my Johari spread is pretty simple.
1. 2.
3. 4.
1. Public Persona -- How everyone in the story views the character, how the character wishes to be viewed.
2. The Characters Blind Spot -- What the character is doing without knowing, what others might say behind his/her back.
3. The Characters Secret -- what the character is hiding about him/herself that they don't want others to know.
4. The Characters Motivation -- the factors that drive their reactions within the story.
It was a fun excersize, like I said. It really helps to give the characters some foundation, and even if you don't really agree with the cards you can manipulate the meanings to give more depth to your story telling. Next I think I might do a fools journey for my main protaganist.
On another topic! Miss JQ was curious about my Jellyfish earings. So I thought I'd slap up a pick of one or two of my favourite pairs I've made for sale. After I'm done here I'm going to finish up one more set (going for white jellyfish with hematite beads for this pair) and get it tagged so I can take them all with me downtown tomorrow, and finally get them in a shop! I'm thinking, depending on how well they sell, I might use the money I make off the initial ones to open up an etsy shop. So far I will only be selling the jellyfishies, but I'm having a lot of fun making them right now. I hope to get some more colours of thread soon, and some new gems to use. I really want to make some mini-jellys out of the cream thread with jade shards!
White size 20 embroidery thread, blue and white seed beads, opalite shards.
Yesterday I decided to do something I had always intended to do, that is combine a couple of my hobbies in the form of tarot and writing. Basically, I did a simple 4 card Johari Window spread for each of my primary characters, and read the meanings of each card in relation to the characters position in the story line. It helps to define motivations, and to get a clearer sense of how the characters might be feeling. The interesting thing about this excersize is the characters aren't real, so it's not like you have worry that the cards are wrong. You just get a feel for it, and see if it fits into your idea for how you want these characters to act within the story. The layout I use for my Johari spread is pretty simple.
1. 2.
3. 4.
1. Public Persona -- How everyone in the story views the character, how the character wishes to be viewed.
2. The Characters Blind Spot -- What the character is doing without knowing, what others might say behind his/her back.
3. The Characters Secret -- what the character is hiding about him/herself that they don't want others to know.
4. The Characters Motivation -- the factors that drive their reactions within the story.
It was a fun excersize, like I said. It really helps to give the characters some foundation, and even if you don't really agree with the cards you can manipulate the meanings to give more depth to your story telling. Next I think I might do a fools journey for my main protaganist.
On another topic! Miss JQ was curious about my Jellyfish earings. So I thought I'd slap up a pick of one or two of my favourite pairs I've made for sale. After I'm done here I'm going to finish up one more set (going for white jellyfish with hematite beads for this pair) and get it tagged so I can take them all with me downtown tomorrow, and finally get them in a shop! I'm thinking, depending on how well they sell, I might use the money I make off the initial ones to open up an etsy shop. So far I will only be selling the jellyfishies, but I'm having a lot of fun making them right now. I hope to get some more colours of thread soon, and some new gems to use. I really want to make some mini-jellys out of the cream thread with jade shards!
White size 20 embroidery thread, blue and white seed beads, opalite shards.
Size 10 black crochet thread, black and pewter seed beads, red bamboo coral shards.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Bloggers guilt...
Anytime I make a blog and lack things to post and it slows down and gets boring I feel guilty. Even if no one reads or follows it, I feel guilty. Its like I should just start making things up to fill in the blanks.
Today I went to space on the magic schoolbus!
That didn't really happen.
What has really happened is a friend of mine finally broke down after fifteen years and bought some Magic the Gathering cards this weekend. Which also inspired my other friend and his girlfriend to build a deck and play too, after approximately the same amount of time of not getting into it. So we played Magic on the weekend. Geekery is awesome.
I sold my first pair of jellyfish earings! To a lady in my career decision making class! Pure profit, 'cuz it's not in a consignment shop! Sweet ass. Now I just need to actually get the five pairs I have here tagged and in the shop so they can sell too. And I think I need to set aside some time to start on some more for when the five sell.
Other than that I've been doing my course, it's fun and interesting. I'm looking into some school options and I'm pretty much setting my sights on going taking a two year diploma in the field of publishing and writing. I figure with that it opens up a lot of options for me in a field I have a great deal of interest in. I mean, publishing is a broad spectrum and I could do a lot with it, but the idea of one day becoming an editor or something like that, or even an agent to other aspiring writers and getting my own work published would be fantastic. I would love to work in a magazine or in a newspaper too. I'd even do advertising if it wasn't too much based on sales and I was doing more of the design aspects, even though I know I can do sales I'd just rather not.
So that's about where I'm at right now. Oh, and I've been writing again too. In otherwords: I've been keeping myself busy enough doing things that I can't really blog about. But I've been busy! Now I think I'm going to do some dishes and write or make jellyfish.
Today I went to space on the magic schoolbus!
That didn't really happen.
What has really happened is a friend of mine finally broke down after fifteen years and bought some Magic the Gathering cards this weekend. Which also inspired my other friend and his girlfriend to build a deck and play too, after approximately the same amount of time of not getting into it. So we played Magic on the weekend. Geekery is awesome.
I sold my first pair of jellyfish earings! To a lady in my career decision making class! Pure profit, 'cuz it's not in a consignment shop! Sweet ass. Now I just need to actually get the five pairs I have here tagged and in the shop so they can sell too. And I think I need to set aside some time to start on some more for when the five sell.
Other than that I've been doing my course, it's fun and interesting. I'm looking into some school options and I'm pretty much setting my sights on going taking a two year diploma in the field of publishing and writing. I figure with that it opens up a lot of options for me in a field I have a great deal of interest in. I mean, publishing is a broad spectrum and I could do a lot with it, but the idea of one day becoming an editor or something like that, or even an agent to other aspiring writers and getting my own work published would be fantastic. I would love to work in a magazine or in a newspaper too. I'd even do advertising if it wasn't too much based on sales and I was doing more of the design aspects, even though I know I can do sales I'd just rather not.
So that's about where I'm at right now. Oh, and I've been writing again too. In otherwords: I've been keeping myself busy enough doing things that I can't really blog about. But I've been busy! Now I think I'm going to do some dishes and write or make jellyfish.
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