Our DAMN Tweets!
@jodycakes thanks for the TAG tip. i'm in denver in a few weeks and can't wait to check out those dumplings!4 minutes ago
@alisoncook Try Colt & Gray, great brunch. Wynkoop Brewery is my old standby in LoDo - try Chili Beer, & defo TAG. All 3 w/in a few miles13 minutes ago
LOVE LOVE LOVE TAG. Had French Onion Soup Dumplings last time. Great cocktail program too. “@alisoncook: @ruthiejsf tell me about Tag.”16 minutes ago
my sweet ol Denver!!! Will be sunny and 65 tomorrow. “@alisoncook: It's snowing big fat flakes in Denver. Yesterday it was like spring.”18 minutes ago
A Typical Therapy Session
Published June 30, 2009 | This is a typical session with my “Therapist” Lexi
A picture is worth a thousand words…
Another Very Productive "Session"
Top three reasons I don’t live in Visalia anymore
Published June 29, 2009 | 1. It’s HOT
2. It’s Africa Hot
3. Did I mention it’s Hella Hot?
This weekend Ron, Zac and I passed through Visalia on the way to a wedding in Livermore. My grandma fell and broke her hip last week, so we thought we could check in on her, spend Saturday with family and then drive up to the wedding.
Saturday we ended up playing Golf with my Mom and Dad and OMG … 105 degrees is WAY hot. I had to quit and not play the last three holes because I was almost sick from the heat.
It reminded me of when I was 16 years old and still living in Visalia. It is a fact that I have NEVER done well in major heat. Maybe it had to do with the fact that when my Mom was pregnant with me she would sit on blocks of ice to cool down when it was hot? Who knows.
My Mom didn’t believe me until one day when I was practicing with the marching band in high school and called her to say I didn’t feel good. She sent me back out there and they ended up peeling me off the pavement about a half hour later. Of course my first car had no ac, so my Dad decided to help me out by putting an oscillating fan in it … bolted to the center console … Lindaloohoo, I bet you never had your own oscillating fan in the car. I’d be driving down the road with my hair curling/frizzing up and sticking to my face … just waiting for the fan to come back to me. THAT is okie-class.
Anyway … we went to Ron’s cousin’s wedding in Livermore at the Martinelli Center and had it not been scalding outside, I would have to say it was one of the nicest ceremonies I’ve seen. It was outside (yes … outside) at 4 pm (only 108 degrees) looking over the vineyard and Ron’s Uncle Frank performed the wedding. I just wish I hadn’t been wiping the sweat off my brow so much. They did a photo booth thingie and that was fun … too bad we didn’t know about it before we were all sweaty messes … that should have been my FIRST stop before I wilted – haha.
At 9 pm it started to cool off … just in time for us to get in the car and drive back to Visalia. We rolled in about midnight, slept a few hours and finished out drive home only to find out that it’s ALMOST as hot here too. Maybe it’s time for the big trees to come out of our back yard and put a pool in … or maybe I can save the money (and mess) and crash the neighbors pool instead. Might be a quicker payout on that 
So … what did you do this weekend to try to stay cool?
Really, Dad, I don’t think they call them cadillacs any more . . .
Published June 26, 2009 | So I was driving home from the eye doctor the other day and there was this guy on a motorcycle in front of me. The cool kind of guy with a big, beautiful Harley and a t-shirt that had a picture of a semi-naked woman and it said something like I got serviced at Bartlets. Or Bartels. Basically, I think he got’er done in a bar by a nice naked woman and don’t you wish I weren’t dyslexic so I could tell y’all where that bar is? Yeah, that kind of cool I’m not.
And his neat, post-servicing and all I got was this dumb t-shirt was blowing up in the back a little bit and I could see part of a HUGE tattoo on his lower back and it said . . . something. I was intrigued. But I couldn’t read it, so it was driving me crazy. I thought it must be something profound and thought provoking, cause he was clever enough to know it would only show when he was riding fast enough for his t-shirt to blow up.
Nope. I never did figure it out. I choose to believe he had the answer to the universe written on his back/buttcrack/taint. Whoa. Not sure why I went there, but now that I’m here, would the universe really explain itself on someone’s taint? Actually, now that I think about it, what more perfect place to hide a secret? Only the truly worthy would ever find it . . .
OR, he could have had the eye chart tattooed back there for all I know. Because evidently I can’t see that either. Turns out I have cataracts (not cadillacs, dad in heaven) in both eyes. Allegedly. Because the specialist hasn’t confirmed that yet.
So let’s not get upset or freak out or anything. No, no. Let’s not spend all night crying on the couch because when I sit outside with my four year old space nut, I can’t see the stars he’s talking about. Let’s not mourn the fact that I love to read almost more than I love to write and I can’t do either of those much any more. Definitely let’s not be scared by the thought of surgery on my eyes, or worse, being told I’m not a good candidate for surgery at all. NO. Let’s just take a deep breath and CALM DOWN people.
Oh, oh, but did I mention that I also have super-powers? It’s true. I am (indiscriminately annoy the hell out of hubunit) Supergirl. Because I’m from the planet human and he’s from the we’re-all-jerks-and-I’m-a-big-fat-man-ass planet. I don’t think he knows that yet. Can Supergirl save him . . . ?
Stay tuned.
PS: Or will she tie him up to a big net-draped wall, like Batman in the old TV show, and parade around in front of him like Catwoman did? In a vaguely threatening, yet completely alluring, and frankly, overtly sexual, way?
Seriously, stay tuned.
PPS: Oh, listen. Like everybody didn’t have wet dreams about that show. The masks, the tying up, the heavy breathing, the tights so tight-y under those swirly capes . . . Yeah, I bet you people never gave yourself knee hickeys or hovered over the drain in the bathtub as the water funneled out either. Riiiiiiight.
Summer’s Here!
Published June 25, 2009 | I picked up the most gorgeous blueberries at the market and decided to make Blueberry Buckle.
Mmm...blueberry buckle! Summer's Here!
Strangely enough, this evening’s Good Eats with Alton Brown, was on BLUEBERRIES…and even more serendipitous, he made a buckle. I decided on his recipe, with a few adaptations.
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 9 ounces cake flour, approximately 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg ( my adaptation)
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 1/4 ounces sugar, approximately 3/4 cup
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (my adaptation – Whole Milk can be used instead)
- 15 ounces fresh whole blueberries, approximately 3 cups
For the topping:
- 3 1/2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
- 1 1/2 ounces cake flour, approximately 1/3 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
For the cake:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until well incorporated, approximately 30 seconds. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated and then add 1/3 of the milk and beat until incorporated. Repeat, alternating flour and milk until everything has combined. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Wet Ingredients for Blueberry Buckle
Mix those lovelies into the batter...
For the topping:
In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. Continue until the mixture has a crumb-like texture. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake.
Blueberry Buckle...I prolly woulda let it stay in a few more!
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until golden in color. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
So easy you can put this together first thing in the morning and enjoy with a nice, hot cup of joe!
Who’s in DA Damn House Wednesday – Sharron from Sports Breather
Published June 24, 2009 | 
Sharron has been a guest blogger in da DAMN house before, and always lively. As I had mentioned before she not only is a kick ass business woman running her Sports Breather business, but does yoga 3 times a week and makes a mean meatloaf. And well, she’s my mom. And I absolutely adore her, so she’s throwing caution to the wind this week and asking you guys a couple of DAMN questions about dating – let’s see what advice we can help her out with!
Where have all the young men gone?
Or perhaps should I ask, “Where have all the old men gone?”
The old Pete Seeger folk song from the 60′s says “gone to graveyards, every one”. But the song was referring to the Viet Nam war.
The challenges of dating are many, at any age. At 65, they are daunting.
Here are just a few examples of what I have had to contend with:
First of all, the pool of available men in this age bracket is SO small it is almost nonexistent. And, of course, at this age, women outnumber men by an amazing number. Many of the men have died of early heart attacks, and any number of other ailments and calamities.
And for sure, the Viet Nam war did claim a lot of them…then and even now, it still does. One of the things to beware of is someone who is still living that horror. And believe me, they are out there.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an ongoing and horrible thing for the men suffering it, but, at this point in my life, I just don’t need to deal with someone with this problem. May sound harsh, but well…
One of my first questions for any possible relationship is “Were you in the service?” Then I proceed to gently probe some more and sometimes decide against a second date.
Recently, I met a very nice guy who was a Marine who served in Viet Nam. He walked point during the war and saw many awful things. One of the worst stories that he told me was when he and some others returned to San Francisco in 1968, and people threw apples and other garbage at them anc called them “baby killers”.
Also, many of the available men have so things wrong with them physically, that they are just looking for someone to take care of them for the next 20 years…….No thanks.
And if you can believe it…there are a huge number of men in this age bracket that are channeling Marlon Brando in “The Wild One”. The number of pictures that I see, on the dating websites, of men on motorcycles with the full beard and pony tail is amazing. Most with a huge gut hanging over their belt. It just makes you wonder who they think will find them appealing.
I actually had an email from a guy who looked like the one of the long bearded guys from ZZ Top. Heck, maybe it was…and maybe I should have answered him! Naw, he probably spent all his money on drugs in the 70′s.
A few other things to make you think twice before getting even marginally involved - He’s never been married??? What? At this age??? Or, married 3 or 4 times…whoops! (What’s the story there…) Well, if all the wives are dead, why? And if all have been through divorce – I find myself saying “Oh my, really scary.” And my only thought is “What is really wrong with you?”
So, my question to you, dear WMDA readers are “Where have all the old men gone?” and “What’s a girl to do?”
Someone throw me an oar … and a can of whoop ass while you’re at it.
Published June 23, 2009 | So yeah … last week pretty much was a TEST for me. Someone thought it’d be fun to pile more than ever on me to see just how strong my backbone was.
The first part of my week was just plain busy … well more than plain … more like crazy busy. Then Tuesday night came and I was too tired to cook. So I conned talked Ron into going out for Chinese food for dinner because I was too tired to whip up something fabulous for dinner.
We had a wonderful dinner at a new Chinese Restaurant that we hadn’t tried. Seemed my luck was turning … but really … not so much. I guess my first clue should have been when I got this fortune in my fortune cookie, “A thrilling time is in your immediate future.”
Oh … it was thrilling alright. :: eye roll ::
We came home and I went to the office to finish up a few things before I was “done” for the night and the office (our garage) was flooded. The water heater was leaking and we’re not talking just a little trickle. We spent the next couple of hours sopping up water.
Luckily, we do still have our home warranty. Each year we discuss whether or not it’s worth renewing it. We JUST decided we should let it ride and renew again because like poker, you gotta know when to hold them.
We called our home warranty company and they said that they would send someone out to our house the next day. So as if Wednesday wasn’t screwed enough … now the plumber was coming out. GREAT! Luckily, Ron decided to step in and deal with that portion because Cathy and I were committed to fill in for Karena on Today’s Woman radio show.
Long story short, we learned something really important which is why I’m even writing about this. The home warranty company just reports that there is a problem and the first company that responds gets the job. Sometimes you are lucky … and sometimes you are not. We got a company that was trying to screw us by charging for things that were a lie. So … things I learned about fixing a water heater in Santa Clarita:
- You don’t need to pay $200 to the plumbing company to pull the permit to replace your water heater. You can go to the City and get the permit yourself for $44. Literally, it took Ron 10 minutes to do it.
- You don’t have to have a double walled vent from the top of the water heater … the ONLY place it needs to be double is where it crosses the wall of the garage (or your foundation).
- You shouldn’t be charged to re-route a pipe for water from the side to the top of the tank to the wall … the code says that you can route it wherever the spout is on the water heater.
- You don’t HAVE to pay to dispose of the water heater when the City will come out and remove it for you for free once a year. You just have to wheel it to the curb and make a phone call to Berman to pick it up – for FREE.
- If you have any questions about the quote you received, you should take the break down on prices to the City Bldg & Safety or Works and ask to speak with a manager. They were very kind to talk to us and tell us that we were in fact being charged too much.
- You don’t HAVE to have the plumber that was quick enough to get the job do the work. Once they give the estimate to the home warranty company, you can opt to “cash out” on that item and the home warranty company will send you a check for the amount of the water heater only – the amount they were going to pay the plumbing company to purchase the water heater … but then you can have someone you trust do the job and not give any business to a business who is not 100% honest.
There are a lot of companies who lie and cheat to try to make more money because people trust them to tell them what needs to be done. I think the key is to not be afraid to ask questions … or to even pick up the phone while they are there and tell them you are calling the City to ask what the code really is. The guy that was here from a company in the Valley told us that a lot of things needed to be done because that’s “current code” and that was bullshit.
In the end, Ron and I ended up going with our friends at Plumbing by Kirk. Thanks Kirk and team – you guys ROCK! They came out and installed it without problems. They explained the charges they had for us … and confirmed that the other company was overcharging for a lot of things. I think we’re like a lot of people, we don’t mind paying for a service that needs to be done (even though we may wince as we write the check), but when we find out that we’re being screwed … it doesn’t sit well. Personally, I don’t want to do business with people who lie to create more opportunities to make money.
As I mentioned, I happened to be on air on Wednesday afternoon and shared my story when Cathy asked, “so what’s new” – haha. We received a few emails asking for help in similar situations so I thought maybe it’d be good to talk about it here too.
If you found this in a search, I hope that maybe this post will help you find your voice and not be afraid to ask the questions that you need to 
.
Posted in If I ran the zoo ..., Wine-Whine-Bitch | 
flood, home repair, homeowner, plumbing by kirk, Santa Clarita, Valencia, water, water heater | 
3 CommentsPlay on Words….
Published June 22, 2009 | Pulled up to Fed Ex Kinko’s and this was my exact view of this sign outside of tanning salon.
Funny.
Come on in and try 'em - they're TART FREE
Happy Father’s Day
Published June 21, 2009 | Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there.
Enjoy, relax, kick your feet up!
And Dad, hope you’re having a great day up there on the Big Golf Course in the Sky.
Miss you tons!
Love
j
Grilled Pork with Blackberry-Sage Sauce
Published June 20, 2009 |
I am so glad that we only have Gourmet girls every couple months as my waistline could not take it! I must have been in food coma by the time we got around to the main course as when it finally occurred to me to snap a quick photo there was none left! This really was incredible and one that I would make!
Grilled Pork with Blackberry-Sage Sauce
If your blackberries are particularly sweet or tart, adjust the amount of sugar in the sauce accordingly by 1/2 teaspoon or so to find the right balance.
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 cups fresh blackberries (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Sage sprigs (optional)
1. Prepare grill to medium heat.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add blackberries, sage, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until blackberries break down. Press blackberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return liquid to pan. Stir in vinegar and sugar; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 9 minutes); remove from heat. Stir in butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.
3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink), turning pork occasionally. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve with blackberry sauce; garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces pork and 2 tablespoons sauce)
CALORIES 199 ; FAT 6.1g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.7g); CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10g; SODIUM 439mg; PROTEIN 25.3g; FIBER 4g; IRON 2mg
When did this happen?
Published June 19, 2009 | It seems like just yesterday when THIS was what I was writing/talking about:
Look at how little he was? That backpack was seriously bigger than he was! When he got on that bus I thought OMG I can’t do this part – haha.
Yes … I am much more tech savy these days, have better quality images and can do a much better job of making a collage. So I realize that some time has gone by … but seriously? How did Zac go from that little boy who was reassuring ME on the first day of school (and him getting on that bus) to THIS?
Photos with Zac and his teachers
and with one of his many friends …
… and THIS? Girls were asking him to take photos with him!
That is certainly NOT going to work for me :: hands on hips ::
I blinked and it’s time for him to head to High School.
This phase is no different than any other … I’m still saying … WAIT!
… and he’s saying, “Mom … I got it”.
Posted in Who's Spawn ARE you? | first day of school, girls, growing up, high school, kids, mom freaks out, school | 5 Comments
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