Through The Looking Glass

I noticed just now that it’s been 40 weeks, five days since I quite smoking. Which is a full term baby.

Carry on.

EDIT: “Tar baby” would have been a much funnier subject line. Poop.

Please forgive my lame attempt at cuteness. I haven’t got much creative energy today.

My brain is slowly being sapped out by the horrible noise of my old desktop computer, which is on because my Mac does not have Word. Guess what I am buying with my next paycheck. Seriously, this machine is so loud it has no excuse to do so little. I mean, for this amount of noise it should be The Mangler or something.

I was planning to write about Something Specific, so of course I have no idea what it was. For this, too, I blame the Dell and its noise.

In other words, it’s raining (it’s pouring).

Despite horrible neighbors, physical ailments (such as still having this fucking cold, not to mention severe hip discomfort), and nonstop hunger, I managed to put in about five hours of work today, plus some unpaid stuff. I’m feeling pretty accomplished.

Last night the Mister and I watched Kill Bill (volume I). We skipped it when it came out because we both oppose the splitting up of a single movie, except when it results in The Four Musketeers (tangent: apparently the same producer is responsible for Superman 2; I can’t wait for that box set). We intended to rent them as soon as both volumes were available, but between theatrical and DVD release our (ex-)friends happened to us. “What do you mean, you haven’t seen Kill Bill? I can’t believe you haven’t seen Kill Bill! You have to see Kill Bill.” And there is, of course, no faster way to kill my enthusiasm than to be That Person. Especially if you are trying to tell the couple with the shelves of Samurai and Hong Kong movies that QT delivered a “really original” movie. Don’t get me wrong – he has his own style, for sure. But he borrows from all of his favorites, and I knew just which ones before seeing the movie so don’t think you can pull one over on me, stupid people!

Ahem.

So we liked Volume I. I like any movie that makes it clear just how much damn fun the filmmakers were having. I do question the necessity of the levels of authenticity they went for – the sound stages in southern California are just as good as the ones in Japan – but I also admire it. It also makes me think a great deal about QT and Rodriguez – the latter, of course, willing to cheat anything if it saves time and money. If they weren’t already regular collaborators, I’d be foaming at the bit to see what they’d create together. As it is, I’m wishing I’d seen From Dusk Till Dawn more than three times in the theater.

I need to make more tortillas soon. I am a woman obsessed.

Well, wasn’t this random?

Someone-possibly my downstairs neighbor-is playing “music” with such loud bass that my chair is shaking. I am on the second floor of my apartment. It is so loud that I actually cannot tell where it is coming from, which makes the chances of my asking them to turn it down even slimmer than they were to begin with. (Normally that’s the action I’d advocate, but I had neighbors in Chicago who were CRAZY and almost killed us when we asked them to turn their music down so I tend to avoid that sort of thing now. Those same neighbors used to vacuum at 4:00 in the morning. Every morning.)

It is not looking likely that I will get much more work done this morning. My head is beginning to hurt and I can’t take painkillers. BETTIE SMASH.

Will and I just had tacos for dinner. We have, in point of fact, eaten tacos for most meals this weekend – four of them, to be exact. This time was different. This time, I made the tortillas. That is, they started out flour and became tortillas. It was amazing and they were delicious.

I got the recipe from the Sin City DVD – the two disc, not the single. Robert Rodriguez, resident of Austin, is my hero. I already make his pork pibil from the Once Upon A Time In Mexico special features every year at Christmas. Now I never have to buy tortillas again (except maybe corn).

2 cups flour*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup shortening – he uses half butter, half lard; I used half butter, half Crisco

mix to meal texture

3/4 cup warm/hot water

knead for a few minutes, divide into balls somewhere between golf ball and tennis ball size (golf balls will get you tortillas the size of your hand). Cover with a cloth you’ve dampened with hot water, let sit 20 minutes.

Roll out thin and cook in hot pan (teflon would be great for this). Cook first side a few seconds, then flip. Cook another minute, flip again, cook till nicely browned.

Eat.

*I used all-purpose. I think you could use anything (but if it’s self-rising do not use baking powder, and be prepared for a bumpy ride). If you wanted to use whole wheat, I’d suggest sifting it first to remove the larger, gritty bits. A fine mesh strainer works well if you don’t have a flour sifter.

Etsy – Your place to buy and sell all things handmade **by me**

I took a shower.

If you are all good boys and girls I might take another one without the towel.

Hi. I’m grumpy.

My chest hurts.

Actually, everything hurts.

People are driving me nuts.

I am getting behind again.

I had lunch an hour ago and I’m already hungry and I don’t feel like cooking again.

We’re really broke till payday.

I have a tight job deadline, a script to cover, and only three months (maximum) to get ready for this baby. Also it is my sister’s birthday in two weeks and I haven’t even bought the recipe for her present yet. I guess she’s getting a picture of it…

Where the hell did I put the title for the old car that wasn’t supposed to get sent to us, it was supposed to go to the insurance company and now I have to send it and I don’t remember what I did with it and what punctuation does this sentence need?

HUNGRY.

And tired. Need nap.

I’ve decided, since yesterday went swimmingly, to work from 9:00 to noon daily, with a few hours in the afternoon as needed. It is very naughty of me to be updating my blog! But I am fact-checking in another window, so it must be OK.

Did I even mention that I have a new job? Probably not. I signed the confidentiality agreement without reading all of it, so I don’t know if I’m allowed to say anything at all. Wouldn’t it be funny if part of the NDA stated that I couldn’t disclose that I’d signed it? Funny, but also scary-fascist.

A little bit ago, it took me a full five minutes to come up with “risk.” As an opposite of “benefit.” I am retarded.

Well, back to work! Wasn’t this fun?

Woke up unable to breath…FUN!

Worked for three hours while watching (listening to) Arrested Development. Love working from home.

Husband brought fish for lunch. FISH! (Read: sushi.)

Most exciting place roe was found after lunch: left eyebrow.

Worked for an hour while watching (listening to) Nero Wolfe. This is the life.

Am thinking of napping before resuming work.