Last Night I Had the Most Wonderful Dream

Most of the details were a bit fuzzy, but last night I had a wonderfully happy dream.

First let me give you a little background information to put the dream into context (and no, I didn't dream about winning the Willy Award to all my S.C.T. friends).

After my last cruise, I decided to forgo all future cruises until I had paid off both my car and student loan. At the time I made that decision, as a state employee, I was facing what I thought of as an endless future of "Furlough Fridays" and the attendant 15% cut in pay (a governator on the defensive will tell you it was only 14.86%), I felt it was something I just couldn't afford anymore till I had taken care of those previously mentioned obligations.

Anyway, in the dream, my situation drastically changed to not only being able to afford the Mexican Riviera cruise again next year and every following year, but every cruise that Atlantis Events organizes every year for the rest of my life.

Like I said, some of the details were fuzzy, but during the dream, I kept seeing and hearing a string of seemingly random numbers that I wrote down on a little notepad I had near my bed, and as soon as I'm able, I'm going to the place I normally buy my lotto tickets and buy those numbers.

Some people may think it's stupid to believe in dreams, but I don't. Everything I dream, one way or another and sooner or later, always come true.

Yet Again

I yearn for recognition yet am I forever ignored.

I yearn for freedom yet am I forever held in bondage.

I am fed a meal of crumbs,

a meal of scraps and leavings,

yet I must give thanks as though for a full course meal.

I must swallow back my bile and speak sweetly to those who oppress me.

I must smile at my tormentor even while the whip tears into my flesh.

I am told that I am too old,

or too young,

or too fat,

or too thin,

or too tall,

or too short.

I am never told I am just right.

I am told I try to hard.

I am told I do not try hard enough.

I am denied my heart's desire yet again.

I'll Show Them All!

I auditioned for a part in a play recently, and while I didn't get the part I had originally tried out for, the director did ask me to read again for another part in the same show.

I was so happy, and foolishly assumed my friends would be as well. Oh boy, was I wrong.

I don't know if it was intentional or just from a sense of surprise, but when I mentioned the part I was being considered for, they all reacted with what can only be described as shocked outrage, with one going so far as to say how complicated and difficult the part I was being considered for was because he had his own song in the show.

Does he think I didn't know that? After all, I saw the same show at another venue a few years ago. Or, does he think I'm just not capable of doing it? Is it a case of "once in the chorus, always in the chorus"? Does he and others think I'm only able to perform in small bit parts, a background player and nothing more?

I want this part now more than anything. Not just because I enjoy performing so much, and not just because it would be a great opportunity to expand my resume and break out of the "Ensemble Prison", but because my "friends" have been so hurtful and all but coming out to say I cannot do it!

I want to show them that YES I CAN!!!

Sweet-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and while it's probably to late for you to get started on this recipe for your Thanksgiving meal, keep it in mind for Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, etc., etc., because it's just that good.

I'd also like to take the time to apologize for not posting on my blog, whether it be a recipe or just a "guess what just happened to me", poem, dream, or whatever. I've just been so wonderfully busy at the Stockton Civic Theatre in their current production of "Oklahoma" that I've had precious little time to do anything else. I'm not complaining though. I love acting, and SCT is a great theatre with great people.

Anyway, onto the recipe;

SWEET-SPICED SWEET POTATOES

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2" pieces*
• 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar (or dark brown if you prefer)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tblsp butter or margarine, cut into 1/8 inch pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients except butter (or margarine) and vanilla in crockpot (be sure to use a crockpot liner to make cleaning a breeze).
2. Mix well, cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours (or high for 4 hours).
3. Add butter and vanilla.
4. Gently stir to blend.

*Sweet potatoes come in many varieties, but the orange ones (sometimes called "garnet sweet potatoes") are technically yams. For a little extra color, use 1 lbs sweet potatoes, and 1 lb yams.

The Full Monty

Just got back from my audition for the Modesto Performing Arts. Now I just have to wait till Tuesday, 12/1/10 to find out if I was cast as Dave Bukatinski.

The role is of a somewhat overweight steel mill worker, who struggles to lose weight and keep his marriage together. The role calls for great comic timing, and I hope I was able to turn a misstep into an advantage.

For my audition song, I chose "A Comedy Tonight" from the musical "A Funny Thing Happened On My Way to the Forum". I was a bit nervous and flubbed some of the words. Not knowing what else to do, and wanting to show the director so much that I have comic timing, out of nowhere I said "Please forgive me. I'm usually much more talented than this". He burst out laughing at that.

Later, when I had to sing the chorus from the song "Let It Go!", I introduced myself again by saying, "Hello. I'm Wesley 'The Anti-Situation' Foreman. Again, he burst out laughing.

I will never say anything negative about my competition. I'll just say that I hope with all my heart for good news come Tuesday.

For the Sake of Revenge

"I cast darkness to chase you,

You who would hold me beneath your thumb,

So that you would fall,

When others would stand."

(Just a small curse. Have a nice day.)

Mega Meg

It's funny and scary at the same time.

A Poem With No Title

In wondrous amalgamations,

Serenity comes.

Head every attempt to enjoy devotion or friendship.

Then hope enjoys perpetual and radiant transcendence.

Of forever? Be always ready for every experience.

I Just Had the Strangest Dream (#5)

I've always believed that dreams mean something, or at their more esoteric offer glimpses of the future, but I'm at a loss to explain either the meaning or what the future may hold from what I just dreamed last night.

In the dream, I had arrived early at the Stockton Civic Theatre (as is my custom) for the evening performance. I'm not sure what play it was a performance of. It could have been "I Remember Mama" (where I was in the ensemble), it could have been "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" (the play I'm helping out with as a member of the crew) or it could have been a play I'm involved with in the future, I just don't know. Anyway, when I get there, I start talking to my friends Rick and Cathy Brewer before going inside to start getting ready for the evening's performance.

In the dream, the performance goes spectacularly well and everyone is happy, and I feel this sense of joy such as I always do during and after a show.

Anyway, as I'm walking out to my car later that same evening, someone else involved with the theatre (can't remember who, that part was too fuzzy) walks right up and gets all up in my face, starts poking my in my chest with a bony finger and begins yelling at me for blocking their car in with mine.

I try to offer an apology, to ask for forgiveness, but this person won't let me get a word in edge wise. I glance over at the cars in question and I cannot see how I've blocked them at all. The person abusing me unjustly keeps getting angrier and angrier and seems on the verge of violence (all for a blocked parked car) when Rick and Cathy Brewer walk up and pull the person off me.

By this time we've drawn a crowd of performers, stage crew, and a few people who had been in the audience. My attacker starts screaming in a red faced hysteria "He blocked me in! I can't get out!" and generally calling me everything but a child of God, making the observers start to look at me and frown.

Rick and Cathy then step up and tell everyone that I'm completely innocent. They ask; "How could Wesley have blocked this person in with his car, when he arrived an hour before that person did?" This prompts all the witnesses to turn and look at the cars in question and realize that I am innocent and if anything, I've been blocked in by my attacker.

They then all turn to and question my accuser about this fact but all the person does is start screaming even louder "I don't care what you all see, say, or think! He blocked me in!", whereupon, Rick, Cathy, and all the other witnesses place themselves between me and the maniac to protect me from further abuse at the hands of this person. I felt safe.

I know it's just a dream, but like I said earlier, I've always believed that dreams can carry deeper meaning and sometimes a glimpse of the future, and on that note, Rick & Cathy, if you're reading this, even if it was just a dream or meant something more, thank you for coming to my rescue. I appreciated it immensely.

Sympathy, Pity, and Contempt

Sympathy is just a few short steps from pity.

Pity is just a few short steps from contempt.

I refuse to suffer anyone's contempt.

The Tao of Acting

We live in an era of enormous cynicism.

Do not be fooled by those who say we don't.

Don't act for money.

You'll start to feel dead and bitter.

Don't act for glory.

You'll start to feel dead, fat, and fearful.

We live in an era of enormous cynicism.

Do not be fooled by those say we don't.

You can't avoid all the pitfalls.

There are lies you must tell and lies you must endure being told to you or about you.

Experience the lie.

See it as something dead and unconnected that you clutch.

Then let it go.

Act from the depth of your feeling imagination.

Act for celebration.

Act for searching.

Act for grieving.

Act for worship.

Act to express that desolate sensation of wandering through the howling wilderness and the

very halls of bedlam itself.

Act not to escape that void of loneliness but rather to embrace it.

Don't worry about Art.

Do these things and it will become Art.

(Inspired by the words of John Patrick Shanley, Lao Tzu, and Me)

A Blessing As Well As a Curse

I have often, in this very blog, bemoaned the way I often feel invisible. Ignored to the point where I feel I don't exist or that I'm just observing the world through a pane of glass. I see the world but I'm not able to touch it or take part in that selfsame world. However, I've recently had an epiphany that has made me realize that being, for all intents and purposes "invisible", can be a blessing as well as a curse.

For when people don't see you as worthy of notice, you notice them doing things they wouldn't normally want anyone too see. The invisibility becomes a sword. It can cut both ways.

I must speak in ambiguities on this matter though, because to speak more clearly and be specific with the details could open me up to retribution. For experience has taught me that the people who treat others as somehow less important and less worthy of respect and consideration hate nothing so much as to have their unjust and unfair behavior pointed out to them. They love to say "Life isn't fair" and then go out of their way to show you just how "unfair" they personally can make it for you.

So, I speak in vague and generalities, much like Nostradamus did with his prophecies written as poetry, and thus he did protect himself from the heretic hunters of the catholic church, and much like Nostradamus I am protected from the bullies who would cry foul and try taking me to court for "defaming" them.

Therefore, I hold to one of my motto's "Video et audio et taceo" which is Latin (and not very good Latin, but I do try) for "I see all, I hear all, I say nothing", and to paraphrase Quark from one of my favorite TV shows (Deep Space Nine) "When they smile at you be careful. For the bigger the smile, the sharper the knife".

Lies! Lies! Lies!

They looked me in the face and said it was nothing personal, that it wasn't me, it was them.

They lied!

I hate being lied to and being lied about!

I would throw the lie in their faces, but I still want to believe them and be involved with them.

So, I will remain silent. I will put on a smile and pretend to be content as "Third anonymous person on the left" of the ones they all look to and admire.

I will wear my red shirt and wait for the lighting to strike.

I will hide my tears and choke on the ashes of bitter disappointment.

But a little something of me has died inside, and my respect and regard for them has grown smaller.

They were killed by the lie.

Super Veggie Pie

A week or so ago, a friend of mine commented on some of the recipes that can be found here in my blog and to be quite honest, her comments were wonderful. Tameva, if you're reading this, thank you for all the kind words.

Anyway, there was one thing Ms. Tameva LeFay asked, and that was if I had any recipes for Thai eggplant. Sadly, I don't. I do however have a great recipe I've based on one found in my grandma's Bisquick cookbook. A nudge here, a tweak there, a dash of this and a dash of that, and I think I've come up with something truly wonderful.

Super Veggie Pie

• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
• 3 cups chopped zucchini
• 3 oz. chopped eggplant
• 1/2 of a large white onion, chopped (you can use the rest in another dish, just keep the other half in a sealed container so the onion doesn't give a little oniony taste to the other foods in your refrigerator)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1 1/4 cup Bisquick baking mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Salsa (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400*F
2. Grease a 10" baking dish with your favorite non-stick spray
3. Add the spinach, zucchini, onion and eggplant and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese
4. Beat the remaining ingredients (IE the milk, eggs, Bisquick, salt, and pepper) together until smooth
5. Pour into baking dish over the vegetables and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean (about 30 minutes)
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving

This recipe makes six, chock full of vegetable goodness, servings that you and you dinner companion(s) will simply adore, and remember, as always; "Eat and enjoy".

What is Evil?

What is Evil?

Evil sometimes wears a pleasant face,

Disguised as something good,

And not all devils where their horns.

What is Evil?

Evil is subtle and self-deluding.

Evil sees Evil everywhere and in everything.

Evil believes the lies it tells to be the God's Honest Truth.

Evil believes that that which It hates is True Evil,

And sees what is loves as Pure Good.

What is Evil?

Evil is just plain Evil.

A Penny Pinching State Employee

As some of you may have heard, the infamous "Furlough Fridays" are back. I, and every other non-exempt state worker have to take three unpaid days off per month till the California Assembly (and there is no mistake that the word "ASS" is the first part of their name) and Herr Gubenator can come to an agreement about California's state budget. This is the equivalent of a 15% pay cut. Yikes!

Neither side seems willing to give an inch. The republicans want to cut spending. The democrats want to raise taxes. It just doesn't seem to occur, or if it does they don't want to do it, that if you've got a $20billion deficit, why not cut spending $10billion and raise taxes $10billion. That way, neither side is happy.

So, until they can come to some sort of arrangement, I, and my fellow state workers, have to live with this 15% pay cut, and as you can guess, this kind of reduction makes it VERY hard to make ends meet.

I have, however, found a few ways to cut corners and stretch my money even more than I have been, and now I'm going to share some of those ways with all of you.

1. Toss 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal to a 12 oz can of water packed tuna, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. The oats soak up the water the tuna was packed in, and when you add your mayo and pickle relish, you'll have more tuna salad for sandwiches than you had before. It's like adding breadcrumbs to hamburger to make meatloaf, and the oats add extra fiber and nutrition.
2. If you're cooking something and the recipe says "cover with aluminum foil", don't. Instead, invert a cookie sheet over the item and save the foil for something else, or not even buy it anymore (or at least not as much).
3. A spool of thread and a needle can be your best friend. Sew up that whole in your sock, your shirt, your whatever can be sewn up and mended.
4. Give generic a chance. It really doesn't taste all that different, or clean that much more thoroughly (Even I draw the line however at generic toilette paper. It's Sharmin (r) or nothing).
5. Get up earlier so you don't have to rush through your morning routine and then drive at breakneck speed to get to work. Studies show that, on average, you save the equivalent of $0.10/mile for every mile below 65 MPH you drive. Oh, and don't forget to take your foot off the gas entirely when driving downhill. Let nature do the work and spare your gas for the rest of your trip.
6. During the heat of summer, at night open a window and run an electric fan, and keep your blinds closed during the heat of the day. It's a lot cheaper than running the air-conditioner and your electric bill will be a lot lower.
7. During the fall and winter months, open your blinds to let in all the free, warming sunlight you can. That and an extra blanket or sweater will help you to keep your thermostat at about 65*F.
8. Take part in a "Cable Club". Instead of getting Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, or whatever all on your cable bill, have one member each of your club get a different premium channel and just go to each other's homes to watch the programs you enjoy.

I know these things may seem extreme to some, and I'm sure a few of you are probably thinking I'm a penny pinching tightwad, but when it's a choice between paying my bills and not paying my bills, it's really no choice at all. Nothing means more to me than my reputation, and what would it do to my reputation if I didn't (or couldn't) pay my bills.

Well, that's all I have for now. If I think up any more ways to save money and help you stretch your dollars, I'll keep you informed.

It's Gonna Be a Long Time Till I Shop There Again.

After the vile Proposition 8 was passed back in 2008, I suggested that all LGBT people and those who support us boycott businesses that were opposed to our existence and actively trying to take away our rights. I even posted a link to the Human Rights Campaign's business directory that showed corporate rankings and asked everyone to only shop at companies rated GREEN, to encourage improvement in companies rated YELLOW, and avoid as though they were plague carrying rats companies that were rated RED.

A little side note, if you go to the new link, you'll see the formats been changed, but it's still very helpful in making informed shopping decisions.

One such yellow company was Target, and, well, I'll let the video speak for itself, but lets just say, I'm very disappointed.



Target Ain't People -- MoveOn ad @ Yahoo! Video

I'm Almost Ready to Forgive (Though I Will Never Forget)

It was over two yeard ago that I had declared war on a person I had named The Misanthrope. Well, I may be ready to forgive the person and put the past behind us. Please stress the "may be" part of that last sentence.

It was some time ago I made my "Declaration of War" for some hurtful comments made about my weight. Comments that were made because the person making them (read the post found by going to the link) chose to believe someone else when they told her I had purposely sabotaged her performance at the Celebration of Gospel show held at Club Paradise while I was working the DJ booth.

She told me that later, after she had gotten home and had had some time to cool down and think about it, that she realized I would never have done anything intentionally to sabotage her performance, and that when she looked more closely at her CD, she could see how it was so scratched up, it would have been a divine miracle of God for the CD to NOT skip.

I have made it quite clear, when I sent a FaceBook friend request to this person, that I would only forgive them, and accept their friendship once again (both in FaceBook and in reality), if she could explain why she believed that person in the first place. If she can do that, I can be forgiving, and remember, I said "If".

I Just Had the Most Amazing Dream

I remember most of my dreams, but don't find most of them blog worthy, but when I do, I do my damnedest to post them here on my blog.

One of the reasons I do this is because of the old-wives tales that says if you want the dream to come true, talk about it before you eat your breakfast. So, since it was such a wonderful dream, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

In the first part of my dream, I'm living in a new city with very tall buildings, possibly San Francisco, although I'm not sure.

I'm living in a nice house that belongs to me, and someone comes over to visit. He brings a
take-out box from some restaurant that we apparently met at, and when I open it, it's full of things like deep fried mushrooms and asparagus spears. This really cute guy starts to set up a very romantic scene; first he unrolls some sort of mat on the floor in front of a fireplace, he then covers the mat with a sand colored blanket over the mat before walking over to the stereo to put in a CD that begins to play "mood music". While he's doing this, I take out one of the asparagus spears and hold it in my mouth. He gets the hint, walks over and we proceed to eat the spear, sorta like that scene from the Disney classic "The Lady and The Tramp".

We get into some serious making-out, but then wouldn't you know it, I go and wake-up.

To quote a line from the last play I was in "God damn it all to Hell"!

Dieting Sucks Ass!

First, let me offer an apology to anyone who might be offended by my use of the word "Ass", but if it does offend you, what are you reading my blog for in the first place?

I got fed up waiting by the phone for this one guy to call, so decided to just say "F*ck-Him" (at least you know I do have some boundaries on the dirty language), and decided to do a little blogging instead.

I've been watching the movie "300" for most of the day. I had bought the DVD some time ago, but with one thing and another, never got around to watching it until today.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend the film, if for no other reason that the half-naked, sexy, sweaty Greek guys (though Gerard Butler who plays King Leonidas is from Scotland).

Anyway, as I said in the heading for this post, "Dieting Sucks Ass". In between meal snacking has always been the bane of my waistline. When I'm hungry, I want to eat, but once I start eating, I cannot seem to stop till I feel bloated like a stuffed pig.

I try to tell myself, repeating it like some sort of sacred mantra "If I'm hungry, I'm losing weight" over and over in my head, but my stomach yells much more loudly "FEED ME!"

Maybe I should get some rice cakes or something to nibble on. They don't have many calories and the rice expanding in your stomach makes you feel full again. Yeah, I'm going to got get me some rice cakes.

Shrimp Gazpacho

Oh my dear sweet Lord, has it been a hot summer or what? When the temperature climbs so high, with the Dog Days of August still to go, I thought what better recipe than something cool, lite, and full of flavor.

One of my grandmother's favorite foods was shrimp, and if you think Bubba from "Forrest Gump" could rattle off different ways of preparing this multi-tasking seafood, you never heard my grandma.

So, long story short (I know, "To Late"), for your epicurean delight, my grandma's recipe for -

SHRIMP GAZPACHO

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o.)
• 1 lb medium shrimp (not as much of an oxymoron as jumbo shrimp, but still . . )
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• 6 plum tomatoes chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped jarred roasted bell peppers (grandma liked using 1/4 cup red, and 1/4 cup yellow)
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.
2. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
3. Add half the shrimp; cook until browned on both sides and opaque in the center (about 3 to 4 minutes total).
4. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp (reduce the heat if they brown to quickly).
5. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber, and half the roasted peppers; process until combined.
6. Add the tomato juice and vinegar and process in the processor till smooth.
7. Season with a little salt and pepper.
8. To serve, chill the puree mixture for at least one hour, then divide among 4 bowls, top with the shrimp and the remaining roasted peppeprs.

As always, eat and enjoy.

For One Brief Moment

I just read this on Yahoo news about Matt LeBlanc.

When I read the headline, well, not the headline you'll see if you click the link, but the teaser headline that said "Friends Star Reveals Dark Secret", my first thought, for one brief (hopeful) moment was that Matt was coming out of the closet.

No such luck.

Nothing Much To Say

Sorry I haven't been posting a lot lately, but the truth is, at the moment, I just don't have much to say.

I would like to talk about someone I've got a crush on. Someone WAY out of my league, but even though I know he doesn't read this blog, I'm afraid to mention his name. Not for what he'll think, because he's a very kind hearted, considerate person, but because of what everyone I know would say. And while it's true I don't really give a flying f*ck what they think, I just don't have the time, strength, or inclination to deal with their "all in good fun" joking.

I could talk about the weather, but who really wants to know, or even cares about, how hot it is in Stockton, California today?

I just don't know what to talk about right now. Nothing stands out in my mind, be it hindsight, foresight, or present sight.

I know what I'd like to talk about. I'd like to talk about some drunk, bitter individuals who think they're my friends. If they were my friends they would know the answers to the following four questions, because if they were my friends, they would have been listening when I was talking and heard me mention the answer to all four questions at least twice. What are the questions?

They are;

1. What was my grandmothers real first name?
2. What was my grandfathers occupation and skill level?
3. What is my favorite book?
4. Why is it my favorite book?

Tough questions, aren't they? Lets see if any of you can answer them. Feel free to leave the answers in the comments. You don't have to use your real name and risk letting anyone else know you read my blog. You're secret would be safe, and your illusion of being "cool" would remain intact.

Listen and Hear Nothing

The silence is closing in on me again. "I Remember Mama" has finished it's run at the Stockton Civic Theatre, and once again I'm surrounded by silence.

I spent some of my lunch hour today registering at the San Joaquin Delta College. I'd wanted to take a class in choral singing, but they don't have any at night. I left a message with Mr. James Coleman, artistic director at the Stockton Civic Theatre, asking if he thought the voice classes they do have evening courses for would be as useful, but so far, I haven't heard back from him.

The classes seem to have filled up so quickly. I also wanted to look into some swim classes. Swimming is such good exercise, toning muscle and burning fat at the same time, but the evening classes AND the daytime classes have filled completely, as have the waiting lists for those classes.

I need to find something to occupy my time, because I'm going crazy!

What's Wrong With Wesley?

Am I to fat or to thin?

Am I to old or to young?

Am I to ugly or to cute?

Am I to Dumb or to smart?

What is wrong with me?

Why am I constantly rejected by everyone and everything?

Why am I the world's designated victim?

Why am I the one everyone dumps on to make themselves feel better?

Or, do I just have a persecution complex?

Am I addicted to being victimized?

I wish I could figure it out.

A Whiny Cry-Baby?

I know it's been a long time since my last post, and to those of you who read my blog, I'm very sorry.

I had to move from my former appartment when my friend and roommate decided he wanted to have a place of his own again. It was a lot of work moving our stuff from one appartment into two different appartments, let alone the fact we then had to clean the last place to within an inch of it's life in order to get as much of the deposit back as possible. Add to that the fact that it was one of the hottest days in June and you'll get some idea of what a rotten month it was for me.

Also, I've been really busy with acting in the Stockton Civic Theatre's production of "I Remember Mama". It's a great show and I have a collection of small parts in the ensemble.

I've also had a few setbacks lately, but I cannot think about how to talk about them without sounding like a whiny cry-baby. Not that anyone reads my blog or anything, but just my luck, the day I were to reveal what I want to say, it . . .but then, I can't say, can I?

Not this Sunday, but next Sunday (7/25/10) to make up for the lack of recipes, I'll post a collection for a special dinner you can make for someone special in your life.

Oh, before I forget, I've decided to start a count. This will be a very special count to see how long it is before the people I send e-mail to, or IM with, or telephone, or whatever, call me. I'm sick and fucking tired of always being the one to initiate the conversation. I'm sick and fucking tired of people only looking at me with one eye while the other one looks toward the door to see if someone better walks in, or by, or whatever. And I'm sick and fucking tired of always being the nice one. From now on, I'm going to be just as mean and rotten as some other people I know, and no one will deny me again!

I would like to apologize for my language by the way. Not for all the times I used the word "fucking", but for starting a sentence with the word "And". What would my college English professor say?????

Past The Dirty Thirty

What do I mean? No, it's not my age. I'm still 29 and will be for the 14th year in a row come June 15th. No, I'm talking about my body fat percentage. As of yesterday, I broke past the 30% barrier. If I keep this up, by the time of my next cruise with Atlantis Events, I'll be 20% or less. Then, maybe I'll get a hot guy interested in me, and I won't be relegated to the wrong side of the velvet rope.

That Special Talk

Recently, I had to have "that special talk" about an uncomfortable, sensitive, and delicate subject with my friend and roommate (I'll call him Smiley). The topic of our conversation was where babies come from.

I must confess that although it was a discussion I knew I would have to have with Smiley one day, I was nonetheless hesitant to tell him the facts of life. He's still so young.

Anyway, girding my loins and mustering up my courage, I laid the details out for him as clearly as I could, and now, and I hope no one will be offended by my course language here in this blog, I will tell you all the same thing I told Smiley.

"When two men love each other very much, and have formed a long-term, committed relationship with one another, and then gone the extra step and registered as domestic partners, they make an appointment with a lawyer who specializes in family law, and arrange to adopt a child (usually from an underdeveloped country but sometimes in the U.S.A.). Then after much paperwork, medical test, psychological tests, and interviews with friends and family, and after much money and waiting, the baby arrives, safely delivered by a very nice person from the agency, or the states social services department".

And that, my readers is where babies come from, at least for two men. For two women, it's a whole other story that I might talk about next time, or not. It depends on the reaction I get after talking about such personal and inappropriate stuff.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

A friend of mine recently asked why so many of the recipes I post on my blog are main course items, with the odd salad or side dish thrown in. Why don't I blog recipes about more deserts?

Well, mainly, and I know this is going to be hard to believe for a lot of you who have seen how I'm not exactly an Undergear model, I'm not that big on deserts. It's just easier, after cooking the main parts of the meal, to just get out some ice cream or some kind of store bought confection of pastry.

I can make deserts with the best of them though, and to prove it, I made a special dish that was recently e-mailed to me from the good people at Bisquick. I hope you enjoy it as much as my roommate and I did.

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

• 1 quart (4 cups) fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups Original Bisquick (R) mix
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine), melted
• 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• Your favorite frozen (thawed of course) whipped topping

1. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar until coated and let stand for at least one hour.
2. Heat you oven to 375*F and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. In another medium bowl, stir the Bisquick mix, cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar, milk and melted butter together until a soft dough forms.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough by about 1/3 cupfuls onto the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops of shortcakes appear dry and cracked.
7. Cool for about 15 minutes.
8. Split with a serrated knife before filling and topping with strawberries and a dollop of your favorite whipped topping.

As always, eat and enjoy.

Stockton Civic Theatre Shrimp Feed - 2010

Last night I went to the 2nd annual shrimp feed for the Stockton Civic Theatre. I had a wonderful time and by myself alone did a pretty good job making shrimp an endangered species.


Aside from the shrimp (the pasta was a little bland) and seeing so many of my friends that are involved with the theatre, the best part of the evening was the live band that performed. It was a group called Waterloo, an Abba tribute band. I went a little crazy on the dance floor with whomever I could get to dance with me, and on a few occasions I danced alone. It was absolutely fantabulous!


Anyway, here are a few pictures of the evening, some of the people I met, and some of the things I saw. I just wish you could have all been there.

The Empty Silence of Loneliness

When you are surrounded by silence, you hear everything.

Another person's joy,

The laughter of life passing you by.

The whisper of "What if's" and "If only's".

The ticking of a clock,

Distant yet inescapable.

Silence is in fact no silence at all.

It is a cacophony of all the sounds you have no part of.

It is an unquenchable thirst,

A longing to be filled,

A hunger yearning to be satisfied.

It is the empty space through which envy enters the heart and makes a home.

For mine is not the silence of the absence of sound.

It is far more sinister than that.

Mine is the silence of the lonely soul.

Crockpot Ham Tetrazzini

I hope you all had a good Easter. I had a great one. My roommates parents and older brother came up from Los Angeles for a visit and Easter brunch, and one of the things I made was a glazed ham.

I was going to go to HoneyBaked for one of their spiral cut hams at first, but as it turns out, the store in Stockton, California is closed Sundays and Mondays. So, I had to buy a ham at the store and used a quick glaze of mustard and brown sugar (equal amounts) and baked it at 350*F for 90 minutes.

Now, since it was a rather large ham, I had a LOT of leftover meat, and was bored by the prospect of ham and eggs for breakfast and ham sandwiches for the rest of April (did I mention it was a LARGE ham?). So, I did a little research as to what I could so with the leftovers and in this issue, with a few of my own little "ala Wesley" touches, will be giving you the recipe for -

(You will need a 5 quart crock-pot for this dish)

CROCK-POT HAM TETRAZZINI with ELBOW MACARONI

• 4 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb leftover Easter ham
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup white Zinfandel wine
• 1 16 oz package elbow macaroni
• 6 tbsp melted margarine

1. Combine all ingredients except macaroni and butter in a large, 5 quart crock-pot, stir well.
2. Cover and cook at low setting for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, cook the macaroni according to package directions, drain and toss with the melted margarine.
4. Stir into the ham mixture in the slow-cooker.

I think you'll find this dish both satisfying and yum-yum-yummy!!!

As always my wonderful readers, eat and enjoy.

It Wasn't as Easy as I Thought

As I was driving home from work today, I heard on the radio about an online game on the LA Times website where, in affect, you were the Governor of California, and it was up to you to solve the states current budget crisis.

I could hardly wait to get home to try it out, and prove to myself, if no one else, how easy it would be. It wasn't as easy as I thought. My proposal (if that's the right thing to call it) involved $15,735,000,000 in new taxes, and $8,665,000 in spending cuts and one time fixes. It's a proposal that will make NO ONE happy, least of all me. But in these tough economic times, sometimes hard choices have to be made now to keep from having to make even harder choices later.

By my plan, I not only eliminated the deficit, I gave the state a $400Million surplus, which I would recommend returning to the K-14 education spending cuts ($5.3Billion) so that the total amount cut from that part of the budget would only be $4.9Billion.

Like I said, I thought it would be easier, but I see now how hard it actually is. I hope some of you will also try that game and let me know how well you did, but I won't hold my breath.

Updating My Damn Blog!

Hi, everybody. Don't worry, I'm not mad, upset, or anything like that. I'm just borrowing the words of one of my "legion" of admiring readers who asked me recently to . . . well, I think you can guess.

I suppose I have been a little remiss in keeping you all up to date about events in my life, and for that I'm sorry, so, let's get busy with the updating.

Recently I auditioned for a part in the Stockton Civic Theatre production of "Barefoot In the Park". Unfortunately for me, there were so many talented people that auditioned, I wasn't cast in this really funny play. Oh well, there's always the next play to audition for, the Richard Rodgers production "I Remember Mama". I'm not going to mention what part I'm hoping for because I don't want to jinx my chances and Lord knows there's a person who won't let me forget the time I said "MacBeth" backstage (and I hope it's not unlucky to spell it out here on my blog). I had done the "Scottish Play"in high school, and just mentioned it in passing, when he seemed to get all huffy and insisted I go outside, turn around three times and spit. I did of course, not because I believe in the superstition, but because I wanted so much to be liked by and be friends with the people in that production.

Also, if you get a chance before the end of the run, I so recommend going to see the S.C.T. presentation of "Hats: The Musical". This is a fantabulous tribute to the ladies of the Red Hat Society that I'm sure you'll all get a hoot out of.

Aside from my theatrical ambitions, not much else has been happening in my life. I've been experimenting with some new recipes, and hope to have them ready for my next Recipe of the Month, but in general, my life has been pretty boring.

Well, until next time, I promise that in the future I'll try to keep you informed.

I Cannot Say Why

I wanted to embed a video for this post, but for some reason, YouTube wont let me. So, if you want to know the kind of mood I'm in, you'll have to follow this link. I know, I know, clicking on a link is just so much work, but trust me, at the very least you'll get a grin out of it.

Maybe one day, I'll tell you the why, and not just the what.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Well, it's been a while since my last post here, be it for a recipe or for just what's happening in my life in general, and while I will be updating you soon regarding my so called life, today I'm just going to give you my recipe for a tasty casserole dish.

This one is a particular favorite of mine. I made it for a recent potluck at work, and decided to make it again today to take to church for the homeless. I hope you enjoy it to.

CHICKEN STUFFING CASSEROLE

• 1 package (6 oz) chicken stuffing mix
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup with garlic, undiluted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can (12 1/2 oz) chicken meat (water packed)
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables ( I like the "country style")
• 1 can (8 oz) mushrooms, stems and pieces, drained
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Prepare stuffing mix according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup and milk and set aside.
3. Spread the stuffing into a greased 8" square baking dish.
4. Layer with chicken, vegetables, mushrooms, soup mixture and cheese
5. Bake at 350*F for about 30 minutes.

You will find this a warm, satisfying meal in one ready to serve dish. Remember, as always, eat and enjoy.

A Little Haiku from My Heart

I'm in a mood, and tried to think of a haiku poem to describe, with inscrutability, how I'm feeling.

You would think that a such a short, simply style of poetry would be relatively easy to write, but you would be wrong, as my example shows;

Time is running out,

The embers are growing cold.

So little warmth left.

I've done better, but the more that I think about it, the more I think this poem's essence encapsulates how I feel at this moment.

Thank You God!

I have heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but my question is "What will those words she wrote on her palm cost Sarah Palin"? What am I talking about? Watch the video and see for yourself.

I just want to thank God for the opportunity this gaff of Ms. Palin's has provided to "Saturday Night Live" and comedians everywhere. I'm counting down the days till this coming Saturday, and to the new season of "South Park".

I would also like to thank the FixedNews Channel for providing the video for this post.

I'm In Training & It's Working!

O.k., so far it's only been 5 days in a row I've managed to drag my fat ass to the gym for my hour of cardio per day I made as part of my new years resolutions, but in that 5 days I've managed to loose 3.5 lbs. I'm Ecstatic!

I know there is someone out their with a snide attitude just dieing to tell me how "It's only water weight and it's only 3.5 lbs. Don't get so high and mighty with us!", but I don't care, it's still weight loss. So, you can keep your toxic attitude, I'll keep my joy, confidence, and renewed sense of self-esteem.

What's my secret? Eating less, eating better, and getting regular exercise (see the first paragraph). Yes, I put down the bag of cookies and took a walk, and for the moment I'm averaging .5 lbs a day in weight loss.

If I were able to keep that up, I could lose 100 lbs well before my next cruise with Atlantis and Royal Caribbean, but I know full well, that as I get closer and closer to my ideal body weight goal, the gains (or should I say losses) will come slower and slower and harder and harder, but I'm o.k. with that.

I'll try to keep you updated on my progress, but I cannot decide how to present it. Should I let you know each time I get to an even weight (eg 240 lbs, 230 lbs, 220 lbs, etc, etc), or should I talk about the weight I've reached on a weekly or monthly basis? I'd ask for your replies in the comments section, or maybe take a survey, but we all know how likely it is anyone will respond or reply. I guess I'll just have to wing it.

Either way, don't worry, I'll keep you informed.

A Romantic Dinner for Two

I met someone really nice recently, and last night (1/27/10) I had him over for dinner and a movie.

I wracked my brain trying to think of the perfect thing to serve. It had to be lite, it had to be delicious, and it had to be easy to make. It took a while, going over and through every cook book in my somewhat extensive collection, but fortunately, I found it just in the nick of time.

My choice? Broiled Chicken, wrapped in prosciutto, served with roasted green beans, and potatoes with mushrooms.

We had a wonderful evening and he seemed to really like the food a lot, so, I've decided to share it all with you as an extra "Recipe of the Month".

"Broiled Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms with Potatoes"

• 8 ounces, fresh green beans, stem ends removed
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.)
• Salt & pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 6 thin slices of prosciutto
• 2 lemon wedges, for serving
• 1/2 lb small, redskin potatoes
• 1/2 lb bulk mushrooms
• 1 tblspn extra virgin olive oil (E.V.O.O.)
• 1 clove minced garlic

1. Set your oven (or toaster oven) on broil.
2. Line a baking sheet (or the small rimmed baking sheet) with aluminum foil (makes for an easier clean-up. Remember, no "unsafe-cooking").
3. Toss the green beans with 2 teaspoons of the E.V.O.O. and season with salt and pepper in a small bowl and then arrange on one side of your foil lined baking sheet.
4. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper, then wrap with the prosciutto.
5. Place the chicken (seam side down) on the same foil lined baking sheet and rub with the remaining 2 teaspoons of E.V.O.O.
6. In a separate bowl cube your 1/2 lb of small, red skin potatoes and mushrooms (stems removed*) and drizzle with 1 tblspn of E.V.O.O.
7. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
8. Toss to evenly coat the mushrooms and potatoes before placing them on the baking dish with your prosciutto-wrapped chicken and green beans.
9. Broil till chicken is opaque throughout. About 15 to 20 minutes.
10. When done, transfer the portions to two separate plates and serve with the lemon wedges.

I would like to add that this is a very versatile dinner to make. If you want to serve it for a group of four, just double the amounts. If you want to make it just for yourself, cut the amounts in half. It's just that easy. The temperature and cooking time remain the same. It's just that simple.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you're all doing well. Remember, as always, eat and enjoy.

AT&T, Say it Ain't So!

A friend told me recently that AT&T supported the "Yes on 8" campaign. If this is true, I cannot and will not continue to remain a shareholder regardless of how satisfied I am with AT&T's stock performance.

I've sent an e-mail to the investor relations department of AT&T, and if they tell me they did indeed support Prop Hate, I will sell my position and invest my money elsewhere.

You Gotta Love the Hypocrites

Before I begin, I should tell you all how I was brought up in a religious household. Church every Sunday, two cousins in the choir, bake sales and socials throughout the year, and while I personally have not read the whole bible cover to cover, many of my relatives have, so I know as much, if not more, than your average, right wing, conservative bigot.

Now, yesterday, while I was waiting in line at the credit union to make my car loan payment, I saw one guy had tattooed on his arm "Leviticus 18:22". This is the chapter and verse the assholes of the world use to deny gay people their civil rights and basic human dignity. The dumb ass was displaying his hypocrisy for the whole world to see, and it drove me up a F***ING wall.

Why do I call him a hypocrite? Because if he had read just a little bit further along in the same book, he would have come across Leviticus 19:28 which is basically "Thou shalt not have a tattoo on thy skin".

Just one more example of the people who oppress us not living up to or living by the very Bible they use to condemn us.

God love 'em.