How Much We Move

I may have mentioned this before, but I move a lot during the day; I don't notice, though, until I really can't, much.

As some of you already know, I have 109 different substances adhered to my back. They are on little disks attached to adhesive strips, and they are all taped down with lots of paper tape. I think too much tape, actually, because the strips have a tendency to stick to the tape rather than my skin as I move...the whole thing becomes a shell that shifts a bit too much. I'm trying not to move too much, and not pulling t-shirts and whatnot over my head because I can't really lift my arms too far. I also lean against things to get the tape to stick down properly. This part of the process I find pretty hilarious.

I am hopeful that something will happen, because the specialist dermatologist I saw Wednesday is not. He doesn't believe me that this lip thing is an allergic reaction to my lipstick. As you can imagine, this is infuriating, and I have to confess that I bordered on the rude in a few of my reaction comments...or not rude so much as short. It just didn't feel like he was really listening. His assistant doctor and the nurse, however, were much more my speed. The female doctor was very nice and acknowledged my intense preparations with approval--as she said, I am an educated woman and I want to know what is happening! That's just what I needed to hear.

I told the specialist that I would be putting on the lipstick and topcoat and wearing it for the next few days so he can see (I phrased it almost exactly as a "you'll see"). I am hoping for a big reaction, as painful as it is. I'm already having soreness, tenderness, and little blisters from the experiment. I am going back tomorrow to have the substances removed, and I anticipate being read once tomorrow, and then again at my appointment on Tuesday. I will be, for once, showing this crazy mouth off boldly, and hoping that I finally convince this new set of people that my condition is not so easy as they think.

On a better note, here is a picture of my beauteous morning glories:

They have grown so fast this summer, and I'm delighted they've been flowering so well. I have been worried about not watering them enough because it hasn't rained...like, at all...but I put a jug on them every few days and they're still kicking and trying to climb under the siding and up the eaves.

PR: The Town

Well, Emily is out. I'm sorry to see her go, but I won't miss the same feeling my sister had that she looks like...SOMEONE from SOMETHING. I thought I had it nailed down with Comtesse du Barry from Marie Antoinette, but that's not it either. We're not the only ones trying to figure it out...I've seen message board posts addressing the same issue.
I wasn't super-geeked about the challenge this week. I do like inspiration challenges, but I didn't feel a sense of purpose driving the process. Some designers came up with a story, and I think it would have been appropriate to demand that as part of the parameters--they've asked "who is this person?" before. All in all, it felt like another version of the cocktail dress challenge.

On to the clothes--
Blayne: I Hated the pink part of that skirt. Hated it. It looked very eighties and sloppy. I was intrigued by the top of the garment and felt that he was sort of doing what Emily wanted to do, a bit better, but the bottom half completely ruined the impression. (Tim called it elegant and sophisticated. Guess what I think of that?) Thus far he has also seemed kind of indolent to me, and I don't like that in the workroom.
Daniel: I was a little bored by Daniel's garment. It was very much in the middle--I didn't love it or hate it. It reminded me, though, of one or two of Jillian's late-season garments, which were inspired by a painting. I would have liked it better had it been, say, an evening gown challenge, with a long and sleek skirt, sort of badass elegance; I think that would have set off that twisted part of the top really well.
Emily: For once I agree with Michael Kors, this time regarding placement of that ruffle. I admired what Emily was going for, and her inspiration, but I don't think she met her goal. She also failed to listen to Tim. I did not, however, think her garment was the worst up there.
Jennifer: Oh, Jennifer. I did not agree that her garment was matronly--all you have to do is pick up a Delia's to see that faux frump is way in with the young (where are these people getting their impressions of "young and hip" anyway?). I think matronly is a fall-back word and it doesn't work here. The construction of this dress had issues, and I didn't think it was genius, but I liked the idea of it and was glad Jennifer wasn't out.
Jerell: Jerell fancied it up this week. I prefered his garment to Daniel's, but it did seem a tiny bit over the top. Despite the smallness of the top (why do people think women want to wear things that almost show their nipples and could fall off at any moment? I don't want to wear anxiety.), I liked something about this garment and haven't quite figured out what it was. Maybe it's the vague resemblance to a cancan or flamenco skirt in a sassy new color. The garment had oomph.
Joe: Once again, I'm kind of ho-hum on Joe. He hasn't really shown me anything I can really get behind, and I'm afraid he's going to get skewered one of these days if he doesn't step it up. I really don't have much to say about his garment. (Neither did Tim, who called it humdrum.)
Keith: My least favorite garment. It looked like a costume in a show, for a tap dance. Had it been more drapey, had the pieces been perhaps more tendrilly or curly, maybe. But it didn't happen, not even as an editorial piece. I wasn't as concerned as the judges about fit and the model's shape, I was more concerned about drape. I'm really not sure why Emily went home and not Keith.
Kelli: While ho-hum on the skirt, I think it was a good choice to balance out the top...I couldn't see the middle very well, so I might like it less, but I really liked the top of the top. If it were on me, I wouldn't have styled it that way, but I like that black webby sort of fabric she used. I'd like a whole top just out of that. (Tim called the look busy and overdesigned, which is probably true, but I'm seduced by that top of the top.)
Kenley: While I was glad Kenley got a win, I wish it hadn't been for this dress. It was well made, and presented a vision that strikes me as very Kenley, but I really didn't care for that print. It's the kind of thing you might see in a dress show and admire, but never conceive of wearing.
Korto: Korto's look was very wearable, but also kind of dull. I've seen similar garments in catalogs and didn't really feel the allure of anything special here.
Leanne: I really loved Leanne's skirt and want it. I was sad she didn't win, because she took exactly what was wrong with her last garment, learned from it, and put out an adorable garment this week. She was true to herself but edited appropriately. Perfect.
Stella: Boring. If I took this correctly, she basically "did what she does." Her top and pants resembled something you could get at Deb--higher quality and better made, perhaps, but not new in any way. Had she made an amazing top with those pants, I could have gone for it, but she didn't. She made a vest that you could see in any bar movie or commercial. Wearable? Yes. But mundane.
Suede: I'm tired of Suede. His garment was wearable and, unlike last week's, probably very marketable. But he seems very self-important and his third-person reference thing is wearing.
Terri: Terri had a vision, and the fact that the judges got it is great. But when they're talking about "I would want to meet this person" I have no idea what they're talking about. I liked the print she chose better than Kenley's, and I'm all about backless, but the cuffs on the garment were just silly, and I was not feeling the style as a whole.

Product Loyalty

I know people have a lot of brand loyalty, especially where cosmetics are concerned. I know there are a lot of ethical considerations involved, as well as simple preference. I, for instance, am a CG girl. I have used Cover Girl products for years, long before America's Next Top Model existed. I have just found them to be the best priced for what I want, and the makeup comfort level is good for me. I've had items from other makers, but the core is CG. I always wore it both in life and on stage.
Despite this problem with my lips, which seems to be related to my CG Outlast lipstick, I hope to continue to use CG, and if possible find a new CG lipstick. Here's why:
I contacted CG in a few different ways over the last few months, starting with a "live beauty chat" with a lady who directed me to the Proctor and Gamble Material Saftey Data Sheets, where I got every ingredient list for my products. The other day, I emailed them asking more specifically about whether there was any chance thimerosal made its way into their lipstick, even though it wasn't indicated on the MSDS. They emailed me back the next day and told me a: they were passing my info along to their health people; b: they would like to follow up with me by postal mail; c: while they couldn't give me further ingredient info personally due to confidentiality, I could have my doctor mail or fax them with the allergies I have and the suspect product. I emailed them back with a few more details, and thanking them for their consideration. They once again emailed back within a day thanking me for the info and restating that they'd be sending me some postal mail--and a check to cover the cost of my suspect product.
Now, I realize companies don't want to get sued, but they didn't have to give me any money and they have been courteous and helpful. I feel that when I do get my allergy straightened out, they'll be glad to know...I also sent them a post from a discussion board I found that described almost the exact same symptoms linked to the lipstick, and I think they'll be interested in that, too. I could be wrong, of course, but it's the fact that I feel they'll care that matters. They have shown solid customer service, and I believe they will be getting my cosmetic dollar for a long time to come.

Another edition of good news/bad news

Good news:
My allergy test had some positive responses.
Bad news:
The responses aren't really anything I'd find in my lipstick.

Good news:
My box of LUSH goodies came in the mail.
Bad news:
There isn't any. It's LUSH.

While researching food allergies...

Treatments

Crab intolerance:
Person should avoid offending crab.

That's good advice.

PR: "Green"

General observations:
First, I was surprised that none of the models seemed to know anything about fabric. I can understand being nervous and not having much expertise, but seriously--NO one had a gran who sewed, or a sister who taught them to use a machine? Really? They wear clothes...to me that translates into at least a basic understanding, but maybe I take that for granted.
Second, I could not believe how many dresses were super-short and tight. Cocktail length is not really supposed to almost show your crotch. It's traditionally thought of as just above the knee (ie, Terri-length). I think a lot of them blamed fabric quantity, but in some ways that supports an idea I have had for some time that these designers often have a lot of waste fabric. Now, I'm not a designer, and I'm not doing a lot of structural things, but I often cut it pretty close for fabric quantity. I don't like to have a lot of discard because it makes me feel bad. You would also think designers would look at the quantity their models got and plan accordingly...design something that fits the quantity without being vulgar. I think some of them were so thrown by not getting their own fabric that their creativity+common sense shut down.
Third, when Heidi Klum was on some talk show the other day she mentioned the vast amount of crying that went on this season--did you notice we're already seeing that?
Fourth, Tim and I are more in sync this week, particularly about what baffled us. Off in a few of the details, but several of the same things caught our eye.
Fifth, I wondered if any designers, just for a second, thought that "everyone will use green fabrics" meant the color.
Blayne: Blayne redeemed himself this week. When I heard side panels I was nervous, but actually the garment was cute and had structural interest to it, even though it was a mite too short for my tastes.
Daniel: I liked Daniel's garment a lot. It was black, which can be boring, and was also insanely short, but I didn't mind the shortness in his dress so much because it wasn't tight to the leg. It didn't look whorish but sweet and kind of dainty. I think this is one of the two dresses I would actually wear. I am concerned about Daniel's time issues and hope that doesn't get him.
Emily: I was intrigued by the top of Emily's garment at first, but for some reason it didn't come together for me on the runway. Maybe it was just too small. Y'all know I'm not a big fan of braiding usually, but I thought this would work. It wasn't ugly, but the proportions of the whole thing were just too small, like she was wearing a child's dress.
Jennifer: I think the Rate the Runway site has their pictures mixed up...Jennifer's is the orange and grey one, no? I was not a fan of this garment. I'd be interested to see the colors in person--on TV they looked frumpy together. On the whole, the dress confused me.
Jerell: Kudos to Jerell for utilizing the peacock feathers his model brought him, which might have thrown off another designer. I felt like the model's and designer's visions came together on the dress. I didn't care for the fit of the top, and it's not something I'd wear personally, but the dress seemed hip. Very club-oriented.
Joe: When I saw Joe's completed dress I was nervous because it was so simple (or even boring) and not as smooth as I'd like to see. But I really liked that cut-out detail, which is confusing to me because usually I don't care for cut-outs. For some reason, though, that perfectly circular and rhinestoned hole helped.
Keith: Had the bottom of Keith's garment not been bubble-skirtish, maybe more flippy, I might have liked this better. And again---WAY too short. You literally almost can see her business. As a runway statement, fine, but this was supposed to be a wearable cocktail dress, wasn't it? Even for a model that's too short.
Kelli: I didn't care for Kelli's dress this week. It wasn't horrible, but it really didn't complement her model client, and in a way it looked sort of like a flight attendant on The Fifth Element. I liked the way it was constructed in shaping/piecing, though, so I remain interested in what she has to offer.
Kenley: Loved Kenley's dress. Duh. It was tasteful and sassy, it looked great on her model, and along with Daniel this was my other favorite that I would actually wear.
Korto: I could see what she was going for, and it worked in the top of the front, but the shaping of the bottom was incomprehensible. A nice A-line with the same size seam all around would have been better and sleeker.
Leanne: Oh, Leanne. Tim's advice completely washed over you, and since I agreed with him, I didn't have much sympathy with your distress. What Leanne wanted to do was noble, but needed some serious editing in execution. The fabric being what it was, a sleeker and simpler detailing with the loops she's made would have been better. The back of the dress particularly suffered from the "overworking." I want Leanne to do better but like Blayne last week, I questioned her eye this week.
Stella: I am rapidly tiring of Stella. I like her pigtails, but "this isn't what I do" and "I wish I had some leather" are not appropriate attitudes for Project Runway. I mean, have you ever seen this show before? The judges want to see your point of view, yes, but also adaptability. Anyway, her dress reminded me of something and I haven't quite put my finger on it. A dance costume, maybe? On the whole its aesthetic didn't appeal to me.
Suede: I was a bit piqued that Suede won, and it is complicated to explain. When I saw what he was doing on the mannequin, I was baffled. I was interested in what he said about tulle, but those strips were confusing. When it was completed, I understood what he was going for. It's not something I would wear, and I am genuinely bothered by the neckline--maybe a sharper, lower point would have done it there. But, it was interesting and original, which is why I think he won; however, how many people going into a store would actually buy that dress? It seems like more a one-0ff you could sell for lots of money rather than a marketable item to the masses. Perhaps I need to investigate Bluefly, because I may simply misunderstand it. Anyway, I didn't at all mind Suede being in the top two, but I had hoped Kenley would win.
Terri: Terri's dress seemed a little cataloguey to me...that isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it fit the model well. I just wasn't excited by it...but I didn't hate it, either.
Wes: Poor Wes. I was sad to see Wes go because he reminds me of somebody I know, which was entertaining. I also think he has a lot of talent. But it cannot be avoided that he midjudged his material, before and during construction. Ooh, La.

Crazy Girl

I tried to have a nice, easy Saturday out shopping. For some reason, though, the day just wouldn't come together.
For instance, before I managed to get on 75 to go up to Perrysburg, it started raining buckets. I had to pull off the road and wait a bit for it to let up so I could see.
My first task was to take my CD Walkman, which lives in my car, to Best Buy to see why it isn't functioning properly. The answer is I will probably have to get another one because the motor on mine is worn out. However, I did find out (and I honestly don't know why I never thought of this) that I can run my iPod Shuffle through my car's tape deck with the adapter I use on my Walkman. Really, Avacious? Is technology really suddenly so elusive? Anyway, I'd rather have a CD Walkman in there also, because transferring my entire collection of CDs into iPod form is a pain in the butt, and I usually just keep the one full gig of songs on there without changing regularly. But it was a neat thing to find out.
I then tried to go to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, which I thought was right next to Target, but had mistaken its placement for Linens n' Things. Where is B, B, & B, you ask? Yes...right next to Best Buy. I crossed over the busy Pike for nothing. Anyway, I made it, and traipsed about the store putting things into my basket, things that would improve my life, like antibacterial towels and a hanging jewelry caddy (the latter of which has already improved my life and organization). At the checkout, though, I had trouble getting things together, and ended up flustered, which is a feeling I hate. It just makes me feel dumb.
I carried this feeling into Meijer back in BG. I had to go back and forth across the store three times getting stuff (the charcoal, for instance, is on the opposite side of the store as groceries, which I forgot). When a young man asked me if I was finding everything okay, I said, "I'm all thank you." I stopped dead, and enunciated very clearly for him, "That should have been,' I'm all right, thank you.'" It didn't get much better from there.
Eventually, I made it home safely, but honestly I was worried about my sanity. Even my outfit and hair, which I thought looked so hot that morning, was in a state of disarray that just made me look crazier.
I've decided to blame the barometer and also the fact that I took a shower that morning. I usually do so at night, and didn't sleep well because I hadn't. Ultimately, I fixed everything by having a nice cool bubble bath and dreaming about the Lush products that are on their way to my house soon!

PR: Back to the Store

Okay, so maybe last night didn't go exactly as planned...as Steve so aptly put it, longest.room.scan.evah.
For those of you not in BG, the cable froze...like it was on Pause (you should have seen Sally Field's sad face stopped on Steel Magnolias!)...in the middle of Ghosthunters (the plan was to watch GHI at 9 and then PR at 11), and didn't come back on for an hour. At 11, I had to watch PR. So, I will not know for a while if the demonic black dog ever made an appearance. They might put the episode online at some point, which would rock.

Anyway, let's PR it up.
I was excited when they decided to re-do the grocery store challenge, and surprised when one of the designers fessed up that he never thought about what he would do. Are you kidding? How can you not? I also thought it was fun to have the irrepressible Austin Scarlett back. His dandyism was in full foppish glory, and his first outfit was very "The Blue Boy." Sadly, it seemed to me that more of the designers this year had that "I'll play it safe for a while" mentality; they should have known what to expect, but they weren't really aiming for extraordinary. I hope Tim was permanently successful in jolting them out of their creative inertia, so we don't run into that season 2 nonsense where no one embraced the final dress challenge. I also can't believe that the designers were all surprised at how many people picked table cloths. Really, designers? REALLY?
An interesting note on this season--no surprises as to the challenge itself. You can find out what all the challenges for this season are on Bravo's website.

Ok, the runway rundown.
Blayne--Yikes. Making some hot shorts for the bottom with some weaving for the top might have worked...but somehow the weaving ended up with the bottom of the onepiece. I could see the shape he was going for, but the garment was hideous. He seems incapable of seeing flaws--as further evidenced by his addiction to tanning. You look like a carrot, dude. Not cool, or good for you. (Tim's Take seems to see the materials more than the final look also, which is irritating--yes, he met the parameters of the challenge, but his product was awful!)
Daniel--I was worried about Daniel's cup plan, but impressed when he carried it out. He created a confection more than fashion, but I agreed with his placement in the top 3. The design was vivid and sassy...and probably intensely difficult to produce.
Emily--I liked the asymmetrical line of the bottom of her skirt, and her idea for the big scarf thing, though I was not in fact that interested in the "Scarf" itself. Without it, though, the dress would have been too dull. Ultimately, execution just wasn't there.
Jennifer--She seems like a sweet girl, but the dress was boring. It looked exactly like a dress. I know it was made out of paper towels and that's great, but she was missing that oomph that the winning dress had.
Jerrell--I would have liked this design better without the fringed sleeve and the neckline parasols in front. I liked the print of the bodice, but it might have been nice to have that parasol detail in the back, maybe right at the seamline in a little arrangement. I might have even been able to deal with it in front sans sleeve.
Jerry--I didn't agree that the look was creepy per se (though the yellow gloves were a definite cry for editing). I think the raincoat would have been nice...but the look all together was too busy and bushy. I think a more fitted duster-style coat would have been perfect, and then he could have skipped the dress, which added unncessary bulk.
Joe--Joe is from Troy, MI, which is cool. His garment was summery, but I didn't care for the top (Tim, on the other hand, liked it). If he could have made a whole dress with more of that print of oven mitts, with some kind of pasta creation as trim, then I would have been more satisfied. As it is, it screamed clash to me, in a bad way.
Keith--"I added some netting so it would look less like a tablecloth"? Oh dear. Points for being structural and wearable, but if netting is his version of taking something out of the box, I'm concerned. His design looked complete ultimately, though.
Kelli--I didn't care for the "top," but I loved the skirt and I loved the idea of the chemical dye. Kelli was thinking about material, but also about the extra cut above everyone else--actually changing the material and imposing her own aesthetic on its basic self. The outfit wasn't the prettiest, but it showed a depth of quick thinking that no one else showed. I wish I'd gotten a look at this spiral binding closure she did. Also, she's from Columbus.
Kenley--Again, l like the print, this time in the skirt. I am actually kind of intrigued by Kenley as a designer...the outfits they showed when introducing her looked like smashing Chloe and Austin together--whimisical, but also sleek and wearable. Anyway, her skirt had an interesting shape.
Korto--I don't usually completely agree with Michael Kors, but his comments about Korto's dress were dead on. It was the right styling on the right girl. Yes, she used an easy fabric substitute. But the dress was amazing! It had structure and flair and was totally wearble. If it wasn't yellow, I would buy it and wear it around. I also liked her vegetables--good use of kale as frills. The whole thing looked suitable for a fashion shoot (except that Tim found it enormously boring--I am concerned that this season Tim and I are going to be at odds, but after his Guide to Style show, I'm not sure I care. Sorry, Tim).
Leanne--This was a little too Playboy candy-striper for me. (Guess who liked it? Tim.)
Stella--For such a hard rocker chick, with such high-profile clients, I was surprised when Stella had a meltdown so early. She didn't even bother to hide it. I hope these self-confidence whinges aren't going to be a regular feature. Anyway, Stella suffered from trying to cheap this challenge out, I think--she got the wrong trash bags. Given her goal, I think a safer bet would have been buying four boxes ($75 bucks goes a long way!), maybe some white and some black, but making sure they are the good kind. Go for the sturdiest kinds you can find. But if all else fails, geez, just adapt already! Make something poofy if your bags are poofy.
Suede--Kind of blah, though I like that the dress matched his hair.
Terri--Not a huge fan of this outfit, because while I respect the mopheads usage, the result almost looked too normal. I didn't not like it, I was just ambivalent.
Wesley--This dress didn't do it for me. It met the challenge requirements and wasn't ugly, but I wasn't interested in it. I thought at first it was because it was yellow, but really it's the severe shape of it. Again, Tim loved it. Oh, Tim Gunn. How we have fallen out.

So that's it! We'll see how this Tim Gunn vs. Avacious thing plays out this season. I'm anxious to see the next few designs from everybody, and which time I can be more secure in my favorites, but I'm rooting for Kelli and Kenley right now.

"It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum"

Recently I've read several articles on being, as Bridget Jones would call it, a singleton, most particularly in reference to eating out alone, traveling alone, and going to weddings alone. The consensus seems to be that in spite of all evidence that suggests things should be different--the sheer volume of single people, and their disposble income, for instance--individuals and businesses are rude to single people, treating them as diseased or mentally unfit, looking down on them as lesser citizens. The words of Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice that begin this entry are no less prevalent as a mindset today than they were then, which is a pity.
As a single lady for most of my life, I obviously object to the treatment some receive for this status, and can identify with the condescending or pitying behavior frequently put forth by friends in efforts to show they care. Fortunately, I've been blessed with friends and experiences that generally avoid some of the more painful possibilities. I would like a quality relationship, but my friends who know me well know that I have certain ways of doing things, and also that I do very well independently--really, I've made being on my own an art form and often relish in the comforts and convenience it brings.
With all of this in mind, I think I want to write some essays about being independent, perhaps reflective, sharing experiences, perhaps giving advice, but mostly treating singlehood as a perfectly normal state of being. I think that, having traveled alone quite a bit, I can offer some good tips to short-circuit problems people might encounter, women in particular. I think I can also offer some help to people who genuinely aren't comfortable being on their own; I've met many people who are like this, some of whom end up in one bad relationship after another just because they can't spend time by themselves, and don't know how, for whatever reason. I invariably find it sad; how awful to feel you must avoid hearing yourself think!
I don't know what kind of forum I'm thinking for this, or how much of it will pan out, but I'm going to put my best efforts into it. If anyone has read anything about being single, would you give me a head's up? I'd like to do some research.

Retro LUSH!

Avacious admits she made some unflattering and excitable noises whilst bouncing up and down in her chair when she found out that LUSH brought back (for a limited time?) a whole pack of old stuff as part of "retro Lush." Among them, Ginger lotion and perfume, along with about a zillion other intriguing goodies.
Guess who will be, in the next week, placing an order online? A large one? Once she's balanced her checkbook?
Avacious, that's who.

Cloaking Technology

I was talking about this whilst out the other night, and understandably met with some incredulity.
Read it!

From the land of weird but cool...
Sometimes during church...especially when in the summer they sneak a contemporary service in to the traditional lineup...I read the hymnal, looking up hymns I like and singing them in my head. I can usually pay at least three-quarters attention to the service while I do this.
So, imagine my sense of "I've been caught out" when I was reading through "Marching to Zion" and all of a sudden the "Gospel Medley" for the Offertory unexpectedly starts out with..."Marching to Zion."
Thus, by the time the offering plates made their way back to my pew, the usher next to me (who was softly singing along) saw my hymnal open and probably assumed that I had looked up the hymn because it was the offertory.
Thanks for the cover, God! You rock.

Albums for every year I've been alive

First, two notes from the world of d'oh!

1. I realized that yes, PR is starting next week, but it is also starting at 9 pm, which is the time that Ghosthunters is on. Crap.

2. I had great plans Wednesday to follow through with a recipe from Cook's Illustrated for grilling Cornish game hens. The hens were thawed, brined, and ready to be butterflied and rubbed with spices, only then...

I couldn't light the grill.

My Matchlight was a bit damp from the rain (I know...keeping it outside is dumb, but it always dries out a few days later), and my Kingsford, which lives inside, needs lighter fluid, which I didn't know until I called my mother for help. No amount of crumpled puzzle-book pages (since I don't get any newspapers) would get the coals to light, and I went through an entire cheap book of matches before I quit in disgust. I roasted the hens in the oven instead, and they were delicious, but now I'm going to have to do the whole thing all over again to prove that I can.



Anyway, I'm copying this from Carrie, except in some cases to pick albums I had to do the "if I had to take one album from this year to a desert island" game...whether because there were too many albums or, more likely, too few. I really don't have much music knowledge, you know.
I starred the biggest years.
1978 Dream Dancing - Ella Fitzgerald (because I know some of the songs)
1979Greatest Hits Volume 2 - ABBA (for one song)
1980Fame - Original Soundtrack
1981Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode
*1982Thriller – Michael Jackson
1983Madonna - Madonna (couldn't find anything else)
1984Some Great Reward - Depeche Mode
1985Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears (ditto 1983)
1986Licensed to Ill - The Beastie Boys
1987 Heaven on Earth Belinda Carlisle (runner-up is Faith, George Michael, but Joshua Tree, Out of the Blue, Dirty Dancing, and Solitude Standing all came out this year, among others...I must have watched a lot of MTV this year)
*1988Forever Your Girl Paula Abdul

1989Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ Peter Gabriel

*1990The Immaculate Collection Madonna (also a hard year...lots of music appealing to a 12-year-old girl)
*1991Metallica ("The Black Album") Metallica
*1992Little Earthquakes Tori Amos
1993Tuesday Night Music Club Sheryl Crow (runner-up Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Sarah McLachlan)
1994Cracked Rear View Hootie & the Blowfish (runner-up Big Ones, Aerosmith)
*1995Pieces Of You Jewel and Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette, and I refuse to choose between them. Garbage and Poe also had albums this year, among others.
*1996 Boys for Pele Tori Amos and Tidal Fiona Apple, straight tie, though Tidal probably has an edge. I have no fewer than 7 albums from this year, including Beck, Cake, Dave Matthews, Marilyn Manson, and Sheryl Crow. So when future kids say, "your music taste is stuck in..." we will know it's 1996.
1997Savage Garden Savage Garden (runner-up Surfacing Sarah McLachlan)
*1998Ray of Light Madonna (lot of albums from female singers I like this year)
*1999When the Pawn... Fiona Apple (close runner-up Affirmation, Savage Garden, especially now)
*2000You Were Here Sarah Harmer (though Poe had an album this year also)
*2001Laundry Service Shakira (close runner-up Exciter, Depeche Mode)
2002Under Rug Swept Alanis Morissette, I guess.
2003 I'm going with No Doubt's singles album here
2004Breakaway Kelly Clarkson
2005 maybe Johnny Cash to represent? Artists put out albums, but I didn't seek them out.
2006Begin to Hope Regina Spektor (though I honestly don't know the album well, I have it)
*2007The Reminder Feist
2008 I got nothing
If I could do trade-ins, I'd let '78, '79, '80, '83, '85, and maybe '02, '03, '05, and pick something more from the heavy years. In all, this wa a difficult task for me because I don't have a whole lot of albums and don't listen to the radio much anymore.

Me too, Me too!

My contribution to the recent camera-in-nature prettiness.

Also, remember Project Runway starts next week, evidently at a new time, 9 pm.

On TV....

"ABC Family salutes America with...
its Harry Potter weekend!"

Um. What?

Is that like, "Ha ha, we're independent of you, England! We'll show you by offering everyone some movies about English kids, starring English actors, based on English books that have us Americans completely bewitched!"?

Today, I'm just posting a picture, because I think it's adorable, and it really shows my niece's genetics:

Throwing Poems and Seeing What Sticks

Hi, y'all.
I'm glad to report that for the moment I look normal. And I'm wearing a bit of lipstick for the third day in a row, over some cooling lip balm. Let us just say that the situation is being monitored closely, especially as I also had the worst face breakout I think I've ever had on Sunday/Monday. That, too, is diminishing, however, and I am guardedly optimistic.
I am also wet, because it is raining. Hard. Don't you hate that feeling when the bottoms of your pantlegs and the top of your socks get wet and you just have to deal with it? Fortunately I have some slippers in the office that are like booties, and they will help me be cozy. I think I might drink a hot chai today, too.

Currently, I am preparing to be productive and send poems to magazines. I figured out what is going where, and all I need is to get packets together...and attachments. Since I last sent work out, a bunch of magazines have gone to online submission systems and email. No doubt they think this is easier, but to be frank it's frustrating, because all of them are different. Some want all poems in one attachment. Some are okay with multiple attachments. Some want poems pasted into the message (which is begging for trouble). Some have their own submission systems. And then you have the ones who still take snail mail. I am a little disappointed in all of this; it shows disorganization and, in an attempt to get more "tech-savvy" it is actually more difficult for submitters. And what about poets who don't have access to the internet on a regular basis, or at all? I like to think of poetry as a democratic institution, but some of these places have become too restrictive simply by their submission process. The best are the ones who will take snail mail or online stuff...that seems more understanding to me.
So, I'll be toeing all of their individual lines, but with more than my usual deflation at how complicated it is when you are uber-detail-oriented and finding it more difficult to make sure records and packets are just so.
The good news is that getting packets together encouraged me to "finish" up a few new pieces so I could send them out. We'll see what happens.

Attack!

For the last month or so, I've felt a little sensitivity around my lips. Couldn't figure it out, and just applied more topcoat or gloss or chapstick to soothe the area, thinking it was too dry. The area particularly under my bottom lip would get red and a little swollen. This happened off and on for a few days at a time. Sometimes the lips would also look chapped, or felt sunburnt. The Whitestrips I was wearing aggravated the feeling, So I quit using them. I worried a little about the wedding I was in, but when I wore chapstick to bed and lipstick the next day you couldn't really tell anything was going on.
This changed dramatically Monday night. That curious itchy, tingly feeling was back, and by the evening I had tiny blisters, of which I will spare you the icky details. My lips were sore and I looked awful.
Fortunately, I got into the doctor the next morning, because my lips were now cracked in the corners and looking like I'd been punched in the mouth. My doctor has a tendency to be sold on one thing, which can be both comforting and disconcerting. He decided within a minute that it was an allergic reaction to something, possibly parabens, because his friend had the exact same appearance once, and that's what she had. He gave me a scrip for oral steroids and a referral to the dermatologist across the hall...only it transpires that they couldn't get me in until August...and the second doctor I tried couldn't until September. They didn't even look at my referral form. I cried most of Tuesday, which was not helped by the two Lifetime movies I watched while I was hiding my hideous face from the world (I know---my melodramatic side was kicking in).
Wednesday, I was angry, sore, and still looked like a victim of violence. When I called the dermatologist (when I was calmer) to ask some questions, and to establish a better appointment time (July 25) she said, "Oh, well the doctor will take a look at the symptoms, and then if he thinks it's called for he'll do the test right away, with a followup Monday or Tuesday.
Excuse me? A-baking powder? You honestly expect me to look like this still in July? I'm so glad I decided to take pictures of this whole process (again, which I will spare you...they're gross) because I do not plan to look like this for another month.
To make a long story short (Too late) it's been a depressing week, and I've spent not a little time frustrated with the medical establishment. The good news is, my lips seem to be healing up, only this involves pretty much all of the skin on them flaking off little by little, and was told not to put anything on them at all. Not even chapstick. It's infuriating. I've stopped jogging because the wind aggravates them. I have to eat little bites of food. I am currently being proactive, printing off lists of ingredients and doing skin tests of a few lipsticks and topcoats for lipsticks on the inside of my arms. It looks silly but I honestly don't care. If this does turn out to be my favorite lipstick I'm going to pitch a fit, so I'm rooting for a reaction in the one I got recently, which has a different formula. When my lips have healed, I'll cautiously try a product or two. Hopefully, I'll have the answer in July. Through all of this, my mother has been a champ, fielding phone calls and emails and looking stuff up for me.
All of this is just to say that I am kind of embarassed about my appearance right now and might not see you for some time over the next month or so, but I'm hoping to look normal next week.

Culinary Adventures: A Terrine Story

I am now quite convinced that my oven needs to have its jets cleaned, which my landlady does for me, but due to circumstances I can't officially relate yet, that is going to have to wait, so this will probably be my last oven-related adventure for a while.

Anyway, the terrine. There was quite a lot of prep involved with this recipe, like cutting and cooking the asparagus (Michigan asparagus, which I get as often as possible, purchased at Meijer on sale) and getting all the ingredients together. I did something I should probably always do with fussy recipes, but which I don't do all the way generally, and got nearly all my chopping and gathering done in advance. For instance, while the asparagus was cooking I had time to chop the dill and chives, separate the eggs, and portion out flour, cream cheese, and the other dairy items. Especially with a gas stove like mine this is a good idea, because when you have butter that pretty much melts on its own from a warm pan, then add flour over a low heat, it's going to turn into "a thick paste" pretty darn quickly. Like, immediately. I think, really for the first time, I appreciated the role of a sous chef in the kitchen. It also gave me a festive cooking show feeling to have my little cups and bowls all arranged with stuff in them.

Things came together fairly well after that. The egg mixture, when completed, was maybe a little thicker than it ought to be, before the egg whites were added, but I think in the end this worked in my favor.

Also as an experiment in willpower, I beat the egg whites by hand. There were only two, and it made me very tired...it took forever, but they came out all right. I still favor my mixer for this job, but I was glad I did it myself this once.

Anyway, the terrine process (you can also use a loaf pan, but I heart my terrine) involves layering asparagus, then egg mixture, asparagus, egg, and asparagus. Then, foil over the top, put the terrine in a roasting pan half full of hot water (mistake 1--water not hot but merely lukewarm), and put in the oven at 350 degrees ("mistake" 2--I actually bumped the temp up to 355, but I'm still pretty sure it didn't keep that temperature long during the ensuing time) for 45 minutes, then ten more, then ten more...because, you see, the terrine wasn't quite done. It's supposed to stay in until it's just firm to the touch. Eventually, the edges seemed firm enough, and it had really been in the oven for a long time, so I took it out.

You're supposed to let the terrine cool, then chill it. I did this and then made the sauce...it's an "orange sauce" which weirded me out, but actually there is very little orange and mostly butter. I'm really bad at making hollandaise sauces usually, or sauces of any kind, but this one went pretty well. I used white cooking wine instead of white wine vinegar because I really do not have that much kitchen room and you have to choose what you keep on hand wisely. The best part about the sauce is that it used up the two extra egg yolks left over from the souffles, which I had under cold water in the fridge.

I wasn't patient enough to chill the terrine all the way, because I wanted to taste it. You're supposed to turn the terrine out and slice it from there, but my terrine dish is very pretty and also convenient for the fridge. I also have my doubts as to whether it would stay in terrine form, because while the first slice never comes out easily, the terrine ended up being almost mousselike around the asparagus. Not as firm as a terrine should be. You can see the messy "slice" I made:

Fortunately, it tastes good. Today, I tried again with the slicing and had little more success. It simply isn't firm enough. But that's okay. As I said, it's a bit like egg mousse, and it's for me to eat, and I know what to improve for next time: Firmer cream cheese (I used tub cheese because the recipe calls for herbed cream cheese and it only comes in tubs), a hotter and less temperamental oven, a tiny bit more egg white whisking, and warmer water in the hot water bath.

Culinary Adventures: Crab Souffle

I've had some cream in my fridge that is a few days shy of going off probably, and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. Likewise, I have a new terrine dish that I got for Christmas and have wanted to play with. So, I pulled a cookbook my aunt gave me off the shelf--it's the one with fancy meal elements that might work particularly for guests, like several types of deviled eggs, a beautiful potato and leek pie with phyllo dough, a whole chapter on brunches and fork lunches...you get the idea.
My notion was that I wanted to do the egg and asparagus terrine, so I looked it up and copied out the ingredients I didn't have onto my shopping list. I'll do it as soon as I have the asparagus and fresh herbs. But, flipping around, I ran straight into crab souffles. And I think for the first time with this book I had every ingredient already in the house, including the cream and crab meat (canned).
So, this afternoon I made some souffles. I only had four ramekins rather than six, but I found two small cake tins and used those for the extra. The mixing and cooking went okay. There was quite a lot of prep involved, but not terrible. I had trouble with burning the scallions, but simply picked them out again. I don't think I put quite enough curry powder in, either. I also think I did not quite whip the egg whites up enough. I used my hand mixer since I suck at whisking eggs (and cream. I use a whisk only for things that won't matter if I don't whisk properly). I got them pretty near, but I suspect maybe not quite, and I overfolded the whites into the sauce a bit. However, it looked all right and smelled awesome.
My oven has been kind of temperamental again lately, not keeping the proper temperature, and after the eight minutes baking time, the souffle tops were not brown. I had to leave them in longer, so the souffles got a bit overdone, I'm sure. Nevertheless, I pulled them out when they were golden and poofy, and they looked exactly like the picture. I know they were overcooked because they fell faster than they ought to have done...my sources tell me that 3-5 minutes is all you can expect from a hot souffle, and I think we made it about 2, maybe 2 and a half. Anyway, the picture above is post-fall. The good news is, I had one for my lunch and it tasted very nice. Obviously you're supposed to eat souffles right away, but the rest had to go in the fridge.
All in all, it was a noble experiment and for my first time making a proper souffle, I think it went rather well. I shall need to practice, but I was pretty pleased. It's sort of like the first time I made crepes...possibly it will never go so well again, but at least I had a good go.
Tomorrow I shall probably do the terrine.