Wow. I've never felt less like blogging than I do right now.

Adam!

He's famous!

It has been said that the show Dancing with the Stars casts enough "types" that anyone will tune in to watch someone. Well. They got me to tune in to watch Buzz Aldrin foxtrot to "Dance me to the Moon" and it might be a good thing I did as there is a high probability he will be voted off. It looked like he was "navigating around craters on the moon." In a bad way. I'm quoting one of the judges. Whom Eric called a communist for saying such a thing about an astronaut.

Not only did we get to experience music at The Elbow Room, the coolest little joint, but the music was provided by Aaron Zimmer. He, of course, pulled off great show! (Sorry that he's blurry. It's just my rock-and-roll photo journalism style. Wait until Rolling Stone hears about me.)

It's come to this.

I'll blog for real tomorrow.

It seemed my whole life took place in the yard.

My manners still show it; my knees are still scarred.

I'd climb with bare feet all the things that I could.

If a sprinkler were on, that's right where I stood.

What I would make with koolaid and acorns,

Clover and chalk and clothes I had torn!

Then pause and behold a sky deeply starred.

It seemed my whole life took place in the yard.

Tired

When dad and Katie get punchy...

I pass this sign on a daily basis and I've started to believe that it's alive (you know, like the talking freeway billboard from L.A. Story?). The message changes so often that it seems as though it's trying to have a conversation.

I'm also reminded of the time my dad and I passed by an Evangelical Free Church in Lincoln and I ask why on earth any church would specifically exclude evangelicals and advertise it as a bonus.

Then I drank my V8.

Superstars of the Day

A big high five to Chris, Stacy, Tom and Eric. The Shuffle was cold, crowded and injury ridden. But beer was had at ten in the morning. And this, my pals, makes everybody a winner.

Immortalized

Found this pic from last weekend's field trip in my e-mail this morning.

Story: Ernest Hemingway's parents, while honeymooning, saw two beautiful owls outside their cabin window. His mother so loved the owls that his father shot and stuffed them for her. And now they can be seen in their old home in Oak Park. Ah romance. It may have died with the owls. (Pictured behind us in the glass case.)

Oh Yes I Did

Even though the temp just dropped
Even though the warm light stopped
I planted pansies in a pot
And refuse to say twas all for naught.

Even though there's snow on Sunday
The sun will put things right on Monday
Might we learn from this fair flower?
It takes cold and turns not dour.

Jody K's BBQ Meatballs

These are a Nebraska comfort food for me. Again, it's in the sauce. It's rare that I crave red meat. But when I do, it's these or meatloaf.

1 can evaporated milk
2 lbs. hamburger
2 eggs
2 c. crushed crackers
1 c. onion chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder

Form balls... Bake meatballs at 350 for about 45 minutes. Halfway through, pour sauce over and continue to bake.

Sauce
2 c. catsup
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tb. of liquid smoke
1/2 c. onion

Heat sauce until sugar dissolves and pour over meatballs.

Serve with your favorite rice.

Irish humor

This from my mom:

Why should you never iron a four leaf clover?

You don't want to press your luck!

I'm working with my statistics tutor. And he probably thinks it's rude for me to blog while he's talking. So I'll stop.

It is now official. We are doing the musical Godspell at our church this summer and I've looked up and found myself directing it. Of course youtube is an awful tempting wealth of high school and community theater clips that I can't take my eyes off of. But the clips from the movie take the cake. The hippies kill me.

And so does, as Eric calls him, Slim Goodbody Jesus.

Still Wiggly

I don't know. Sometimes I just look out my window feel love for Chicago.

It sort of sticks out its chest when the sun peeks out.

Live music in the big city. Green Sky Bluegrass starts their tour here tonight.

When I walked today I could smell the earth
It was the smell of organics
It was the smell of new birth

It was soaked right through where it once was dry
It was the smell of ripe turnips
It was the smell of a sigh

Stuffed Peppers

[It's the sauce that makes this really yummy. You may want to double up on it.]

Sauce:
1/2 c. tomato paste
2 c. water
1 t. salt
1 T. sugar
3 T. olive oil
2 T. flour
2 T. paprika

Stuffing:
3 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 egg
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
several sprigs parsley, chopped
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 c. reserved sauce

Mix 1/4 c of sauce with stuffing, stuff 4-5 bell peppers. Place in baking dish and smother with remaining sauce. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Oscar Attire

Stripes were big this year.

I'll bet most of you have seen this more than viral video. But just in case, I'll stick it here. It's most amazing. Done in one take!

Improv Diploma

Just how nuts winter makes us...

It's supposed to warm up this weekend. I just looked out the window and saw my dear prom date scooping snow from the huge bank that has been sitting here for at least a month. He threw each scoop up into the air so that it would slam down to the driveway in a somewhat even fashion. Goal: thin the snow out to get it to all go away faster. I'm with him. It's a good idea. But still I opened the window, took a few photos, and then:

Me: You look like a crazy person.

Eric: That's fair.

Hood

Oh Yeah!!!

Out this month: (March, I love you!)

Dear neighbors with your lights still out.
What, pray tell, is that about?
Still wreaths and bulbs and a Christmas mouse.
Is there What Not to Wear but for a house?
It's March, my friends, and I need spring.
I think you might be stalling things.
It's Lent now.
Repent now!
Let the past be passed.
Fifty degrees?
Slight warm breeze.
Scare it away and I'll kick your ass.

We were excited yesterday to find a secret passageway that goes under the metra tracks in our very own neighborhood. Too bad the photos of our new shortcut to Starbucks turned out looking like stark depressing soviet Chicago.