The Royal Sovereign Barony of Nonsuch

This will be just a short post to announce the formation of my own micronation, The Royal Sovereign Barony of Nonsuch.

This entity, which is still in the preliminary planning stages, has no connection whatsoever to the Imperial Court System, an organization I volunteered with for many years, and is purely for my own personal enjoyment, though I will welcome the opportunity to establish diplomatic relations and/or ties of friendship with any and all well run, kind, considerate, and caring social entities.

As I develop my micronation (a website among other things will be constructed), I will keep you informed.

With respect to you all,

Wesley B. Foreman
1st Baron Nonsuch

If it Comes in Threes . . .

First it was Ed McMahon, then, Farrah Fawcet and Michael Jackson, and if the old wives tale of tragedy and death striking in threes is true, with the death of TV pitchman, Billy Mays, the question becomes; "Who are the next two to die?"

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wishing death on anyone, except maybe the "death of reputation" for certain politicians who's entire cause celebre seems to be the oppression of the LGBT community (I wouldn't sneeze at another Larry Craig type scandal for the republicans) but there is a definite sense of morbid fascination with the whole idea, and there has got to be at least a few of the famous who are biting their nails and asking "Am I next?".

For those of my readers who aren't to scared to post a comment, let me know who you think (or wish) it might be, but please, only the "Death of Reputation" kind.

I Dared to Hope

I was stupid! I offered my heart and dared to hope that this time it would be different, and once again, my hopes were crushed and my heart has been broken.

I feel safe posting this, because I'm getting a pretty clear picture that none of my so called friends (in spite of them saying they do) ever read my blog. I can understand no one posting a comment, because if they read my blog, they might not want anyone else to know they read my blog, and thus not be able to join in on the dissing of it, but so far not one person has bothered to take part in my funny little survey.

Anyway, my broken heart has nothing to do with any of those fair-weather friends, it's about a guy I liked, and who I thought liked me.

I received some pictures recently from a bay area photographer who attended an event hosted by San Francisco Ducal, some sort of "Daddy & Boy" show in The City. A couple of the pictures I received were of the guy I liked with his arms around some skinny bastard.

No, that's not fair. It's not his fault I tried giving my heart to someone who turned out to be an asshole. It's the assholes fault!

I won't give his real name, so lets call him "John" (a nice, generic name).

John, if you didn't like me, if you found me to be fat and unattractive, just say so. It would have hurt a lot less than being led along and toyed with! I could have forgiven all of that, but I have to much pride to ever forgive being made a fool of.

Did you find it fun and entertaining? Did you tell all your friends how you had a fat, four-eyed freak following you around like a dog in heat?

Was it worth it?

I ask because eventually, I will have the last word on this. Things are changing for me, and while you think you'll always be able to do better than me, the day will come when you can't, but I WILL be able to do better than you, and you will see that it doesn't pay to treat me (or anyone really) as poorly as you did.

Apricot Chicken Stew

This is a special recipe I've been working on for some time now. It is a crock-pot adaptation of one of the very first Martha Stewart recipes I ever made for myself and my grandmother. Actually, it's an adaptation of an adaptation, since in deference to some dietary restrictions of my grandmother's delicate digestive system, I had to replace the onions with shallots, and couldn't add the bell-peppers at all.

You'll find it's has a great middle-eastern flair, and I always serve it with jalapeno cheese bread. My roommate enjoys it a great deal, and specifically asked that I make up a batch today in fact.

You'll need a 5 quart crock-pot for this dish, and I recommend you buy the crock-pot liners, to make clean-up a snap.

Apricot Chicken Stew

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs*, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green bell-pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs small, ripe apricots (about 10 to 12) pitted and quartered
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 box (11 oz) whole wheat couscous
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken stock
• 3/4 cups slivered almonds
• 1/2 lbs sliced mushrooms

1. Place chopped onions and bell-peppers in bottom of crock-pot
2. Add apricots
3. Add salt, pepper, garlic and spices
4. Add couscous and slivered almonds
5. Add chicken
6. Pour chicken broth, olive oil and honey over top
7. Add mushrooms and cover
8. Cook on low for 8 hours, stirring thoroughly after 6 hours, 7 hours, and right again before serving.

This makes about 8 or so servings (unless you're a total glutton).

As always, eat and enjoy.

*Try this little trick: Freeze your chicken and let slightly thaw before quartering. The chicken should still be slightly frozen, but thawed enough that a sharp knife can still slice through it. This makes quartering the chicken a LOT easier and less messy.

Is my Dream Comming True?

My last blog post was about a dream I had in which three big 747s that had been flying in formation looked as if they deliberately flew into the ground and crashed with a huge explosion, while I made my way to shelter and safety. I think my dream has and is coming true, even as I right this.

All three financial indexes, the DOW, the NASDAQ, and the S & P 500, have fallen (IE crashed) by 2.8%, 2.74%, and 2.47% respectively as I write this, and while all my investments are down for the day, overall my portfolio is looking pretty good considering, which is mainly due to an investment I made in Alcoa (AA) back in April, 2009.

During a bit of "market turbulence" on April 8th, I purchased 125 shares of Alcoa for a net price of $998.95. Less than one month later, on May 4th, I sold 100 of those shares for $1,006.05. Now, a profit of $7.10 may not seem like a lot to get excited about, but remember, I sold 100 shares out of 125 shares, keeping 25 shares worth $200.54 that in essence I got for FREE.

This is something I call "Principal Taking", as opposed to "Profit Taking", and so far my free profits are up nearly 40%!

All of the stocks I currently have my money invested in are consumer staples like McDonald's, Heinz, Pepsi, and Unilever or utility stocks like ConEd and Dominion Resources. These are my safety and shelter from the crashing planes.

I Just Had the Strangest Dream (4)

This is one I definitely hope doesn't come true in any way, shape, or form.

In the dream, I'm in a city I don't recognize, but for some reason, I associate it with Berlin, Germany, where I lived in the 1980s and graduated high school from.

I'm walking along, and glance up into the sky, where I see three passenger planes (747s I think) flying in close formation, like the fighter jets of the Blue Angels, when all of a sudden, I see them take a nosedive and intentionally (I thought anyway) right into the ground, with the resulting huge explosion.

Right before I woke up, my next actions in this dream are to try to escape the effects of the blast and find shelter. Which I'm able to find, I'm happy to say.

Like I said at the beginning, I definitely hope this dream doesn't come true, but if it should happen, I hope that like in the dream, I'm able to find shelter and safety.

Making the Most Out of the Audition Process

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before (Yeah, right!), but I've got a bit part is the SCT production of "Annie Get Your Gun", and last Saturday, auditioned for a part in their upcoming production of "The Producers".

In a word, the entire auditioning process is and was nerve wracking. I just wish I had followed this list of rules for making the most out of the audition process that I found online recently, and now present for your edification;

1. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. You don't want to have to rush into your audition. Give yourself time to find the space and warm up.
   
   
2. Pack your bag with a book in case there is waiting and a bottle of water. Not every place has a water fountain.
   
   
3. Be nice to everybody. You never know if the person you are speaking to is important.
   
   
4. There may be several people waiting with you to audition. Remember that they are competing with you for the same job. Don't let them intimidate you.
   
   
5. Wear neat, comfortable clothing. We know you want to look nice, but make sure you can move around the room. And don't wear a costume. Your outfit can suggest the character such as a high-collar blouse for a period piece, but don't get all dressed up.
   
   
6. Careful when using perfume or cologne. You don't want to send anyone out of the room in a sneezing fit.
   
   
7. Try to find some background information about the character you are auditioning for. If you are auditioning for a particular company, be familiar with their work. It can also help you decide which pieces to choose for your audition.
   
   
8. Bring clean and clearly marked sheet music. If you are auditioning for a musical, be sure the music you give the piano player is cut down to 16 bars and is free of stray marks and any stains.
   
   
9. Remember to smile. If you are nervous, take a deep breath and try to relax. Recognize that you are not going to get every job you audition for, but can learn from every experience.
   
   
10. When you are called in for your audition, be confident and smile and unless it is vital, avoid asking too many questions as your audition probably has a tight time slot.
    
    
11. Keep your monologue to about a minute. Most directors can tell in that time if they are interested. Have several pieces prepared and one longer piece in case they ask to see more.
    
    
12. Definitely do not ask if you will be called back. The casting director will let you know, that you can be sure of. If you do get called back, wear the same outfit as during your audition.

As soon as I learn anything regarding my audition for "The Producers", I'll keep you all informed.

Chicken Parisienne

It's been a while, I know since the last time I posted anything on my blog, let alone my "Recipe of the Month", but I've been sooooo busy lately with work, and my life after the imperial court (Did I mention I got a supporting part in the Stockton Community Theatre's production of "Annie Get Your Gun?).

Anyway, here is my latest contribution to the world of epicurean delights;

CHICKEN PARISIENNE

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs) cubed*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken (or better yet, cream of chicken mushroom with garlic) soup, undiluted
• 2 cans (4 oz each) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup sour cream (or IMO sour cream substitute)
• 6 cups hot cooked egg noodles

1. Place the chicken in your crock-pot (3 - 5 quart size) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
2. Add soup, mushrooms and wine to slow cooker; mix well.
3. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Add sour cream or sour cream substitute during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
5. Serve over the noodles that are cooked separately.

As always, eat and enjoy.

*To make it easier to cube your chicken, place it in the freezer till frozen. Then defrost in the microwave for about 1 minute at 50% power. You'll be amazed at how well it slices.