Could You Do Me a Favor?

This is going to sound strange, and I won't be holding my breath, but I would like to ask all of you who read my blog to put some effort into actually doing something for me. "What is it?" you may ask? I would like you to follow this link, and help me to get Turner Classic Movies to make the made for TV movie "The Day the Bubble Burst" available for viewing or even purchase.

This was a movie chronicling various personal stories surrounding the 1929 stock market crash. This adaptation of the best-seller by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts had a curious TV history. Originally announced in 1978 as a four-hour movie to be called "The Day America Died", with a stellar cast of TV personalities, it ultimately went into production in mid-1980 in a less ambitious three-hour form and was scheduled to premiere on February 1, 1981, but was withdrawn without notice on the eve of its showing. It subsequently aired one year later, and I thought, given the world's current economic mood, it would be a good movie to see again.

I've been looking high and low for it but, so far, no luck. I know it's asking a lot for any of you to take the time to do this for me, but I would be very grateful if you did.

Now, onto other things.

My last survey/poll didn't go over so well. Only 5 people (4 if you don't count me) even bothered to vote. I thought long and hard about it and I think the reason is, it wasn't edgy or controversial enough. So, as you can see, I've come up with a new poll. You can vote in it more than once if you like, and it'll be interesting to see how this one goes.

Till later, don't worry. I'll keep you informed.

The Lost 2 Inches

Just a quick little post to share my good news. I've lost 2" of my waist!!!!!!

For the first time, in I don't know how long, and granted they were a bit snug, but still, I was able to get the button to my size 40" waist pants to close and zip up!

It may not sound like much to brag about for all the Plastic People out there (and you know who you are!), but I'm happy with it. Especially since just a month and a half ago, I couldn't get the button to close.

My dream now is to get to 38" in time for my next cruise vacation. Maybe then I won't be invisible to the rest of the passengers or others.

Hamburger & Biscuit Potpie

I know I just did my semi-famous "Recipe of the Month" just last week (see Asian Pork Stew), but one of the things about The Tao of Wesley is that like it says in chapter 20 of the Tao Te Ching (and I'm paraphrasing here) "My mind is like the restless wind". Sometimes I don't know forwards or backwards, I just am.

Anyway, here is the special bonus recipe. It is an adaptation from the "Taste of Home: Dinner on a Dime" cookbook I got some time back while waiting in the checkout line at my favorite grocery store. I've made a few adjustments (of course) to try and make it even less expensive than it was originally, but still have plenty of taste.

Hamburger & Biscuit Potpie

• 1 pound ground beef hamburger
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 of a large white onion
• 1 to 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tubes (16 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits separated into 16 individual biscuits
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook onions and hamburger with 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic till the hamburger is no longer pink. Drain.
2. While the hamburger and onions are draining, combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil and stir for about 2 minutes until thickened.
3. Stir in the vegetables, salt, pepper, and the onions and hamburger mixture. Reduce the heat to a bare minimum (just enough to keep it warm).
4. Place 12 of the biscuits 2" apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400* for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the hamburger mixture you've been keeping warm into a greased 8" square baking dish.
6. Place the biscuits over the mixture.
7. Bake the potpie and remaining biscuits for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the biscuits are a nice golden brown.

As always, eat and enjoy.

Asian Pork Stew

This is a delicious crock-pot dish that will thrill your friends. I made a big batch of it for me and my roommate recently, and now I present it to you. Originally, it was for a beef stew, but beef is just to expensive, so I made a few adjustments to make it less expensive, but just as delicious.

Asian Pork Stew

• 2 Red onions, diced
• 1 1/2 lbs of boneless pork rib meat, cubed (Ask your butcher to do it. It's a free service.)
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 can beef broth
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 pkg wide egg noodles (It'll say "6 servings" on back)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Place onions, pork, celery, carrots and mushrooms in a 5-quart crock-pot. Don't forget to use a crock-pot liner (It makes clean-up a snap).
2. Combine orange juice, broth hoisin sauce, cornstarch and five-spice powder in a small bowl. Pour into the crock-pot.
3. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
4. One hour before the stew is done, add the wide egg noodles and stir thoroughly.
5. 20 minutes before the stew is done, add the cup of frozen peas and stir thoroughly.

As always, eat and enjoy.

*This has nothing to do with the recipe, just a funny (to me) side note. At one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, they've been passing of hoisin sauce as their "Special Peking Duck Sauce" for years. Those bastards!

Sorry the Recipe is Late

Let me begin by saying how sorry I am for not posting my "July's Recipe of the Month" yet. I've just been so busy with the play I'm in that I haven't had time. Now, on to the post.

My heart is slowly dying.

No, I don't mean physically, and it will be just my luck to live for another 100 years. I'm talking about my emotional heart.

Why am I still single and so fucking lonely?!?!

Am I to fat? Am I to ugly? Am I to needy? To Clingy?

And please, if I had a dollar for every time someone has ever told me "Just be patient, Wesley. You'll find someone eventually the minute you stop looking", I'd have a million fucking dollars! How patient do I have to be? I can joke all I want to about being 29 for the last 13 years, but the truth is, I'm not. And can anyone tell me why it's always the people who are in happy, committed relationships that are the most often the ones to give this advice? And why does it always seem to be that the guys who do show any interest in me are always just out of a relationship and not looking for a new one, but find the love of their lives and enter a new one AFTER me. Am I cursed or something? Surrounded by love but never loved myself, just used by all and sundry?

Maybe my standards are to high, or maybe, just maybe, I should just resign myself to the idea that I'm going to be single and alone for the rest of my life.

Since it's dying anyway, maybe I should just have done with it, and seal my heart up in a metaphoric glass case.

I won't ask any of you (Yeah! Like someone is actually reading this because they care about me and what I have to say!) for advice or answers or anything. You don't care and wouldn't respond anyway.

By the way, if any of you are wondering (Yeah, again like you care) what brought on this bout of depression and angst, I can give it to you in two words. "Someone blabbed!" Someone has taken great joy in telling me what they, and apparently a great many of you think of me; The Ugly, Four-Eyed, Fat Freak!

I won't mention names. The individual would just deny it, and I have no proof anyway. But I will give you a few clues. Think spiteful, vicious, vindictive old (yes, I'm saying you're old! How much more could you hurt me without revealing who you are?) queen. Sorry, that doesn't narrow the list down very much, does it?

The Truth or a Lie?

It is said that love and truth walk hand in hand.

But if the need is great enough . . .

Can we learn to love a lie?