Musings About Hatred

I'm not one to hate easily.  But, do you know what I hate?

I hate it when thoughtless, slovenly people throw empty glass bottles into the water at City Park where adorable dogs who are banned from the City Bark Dog Park because they're still in possession of their family jewels must go to swim instead.

Then, I really hate it when one must drop a C-note at the vet to fix the by-product of that thoughtlessness.

At least he didn't have to have stitches.  Poor puppy.

A Few of the Things that Michelle Obama Would Prefer We Avoid

I got nothin'.  So, what does one do when struck by writer's block?

Punt to Food Porn, of course!

Here are some of the many, many reasons to visit New Orleans.  Just try to do it after you've successfully shed a few pounds, or been subjected to an extended famine.

Bananas Foster (and Abita Amber) at the New Orleans School of Cooking.  Schools of Cooking are a very New Orleans kind of thing.  My supermarket, Rouse's, just opened an in-store Wine Bar and Cooking School!  I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to try it out.  I hope one can't get a DWI while pushing a shopping cart.

Lovely little lagniappe Breezer cocktail at Cafe Adelaide.  One can experience quite the birthday lunch at Adelaide.

The Original Barbecue Shrimp at Pascal's Manale.  Bib provided.  And needed.

Some sort of lovely white fish and pasta with carrots and artichokes at Pascal's.  I can't remember what the appetizer was -- the stuff in the gratin dish, beside the homemade bread.  I think it involved eggplant, garlic, and butter or cheese. 

Mussels topped with crispy, garlicky pommes frites at The Flaming Torch.

Pork Two Ways with gratin potato stack at Coquette.

Some lovely filet-ish thing with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes at Commander's Palace.  Unfortunately, Pepper got Moogie's portion of filet because the food gods have a very bad sense of humor and rendered Moogie allergic to beef.  Don't feel too sorry for me, though -- this was a five-course business meal honoring the retiring EVP of HR.  I didn't go hungry.

Individual berry cobbler and chocolate profiteroles at Mr. B's Bistro.

Gazpacho in the making and cocktail hour at Moogie's Mansion, including mint, basil, and jalapeno from the garden.

Perhaps now you understand why there is more of Moogie to love since she moved to New Orleans.  You'll have to excuse me now -- I need to go find a little something for a full tummy.

Now Tell Me About That Inheritance Thing Again, Mr. President . . .

We need to remember this one in 2012:

Stolen from Facebook.

Filing Chapter 11 Before Being Potty-Trained

I just saw this video on Facebook, and, in light of yesterday's stock-market-down-the-rabbit-hole adventure, it seems timely to share it in the blogoshpere.



Heh.

Sorta.

It's Almost . . .

FOOTBALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WPS!

Dog Days

Yesterday saw the hottest temperatures in recorded history in Little Rock -- 114 degrees.  (It was only 112 in Needles, for crying out loud!)  That's pretty darn dog-day-qualifyingly hot.

Because of the heat (although in New Orleans, the heat index was 114, but the air temperature was just a measly 90-something), and because I'm still so sputtering mad at all the *stuff* surfacing in that "stop the sky from falling" debt ceiling bill (and the massive stock market sell-off in its wake), I intend to engage in a little fluff. 

Prepare to be subjected to dog pictures.  They make me happy.

Click to enlarge.

Is that an adorable face, or what?  I snapped this one through the front door a few days ago as I was returning from errands.  He was ready to play -- he even had his ratty old rag toy (remnant) in place! 

(The flag hasn't been flying for awhile because we've had so many afternoon summer thundershowers.  You see its reflection as it's leaning in its spot by the front door, waiting to go back up.  Wow!  Do you see what I see?  Three uses of the letter combination of I and T and S in the same sentence, and all used correctly!  How about: They're driving over there to claim their prizes.  Or: It's up to you two to win a prize, too.  Jackpot!)

I indulged myself in a fancy new Kitchenaid mixer last week, and last night I whipped up a batch of cheese souffle in it.  Bouie decided to guard the oven in case there were souffle thieves about.  There weren't any, but he got a taste of souffle anyway for his effort.  Doesn't it look as if he's exerting a lot of effort? 

I don't think you can make the pic big enough to read it, but the shortest kitchen towel on the oven door handle bears a drawing of a feather duster and says, "The house was clean yesterday. Sorry you missed it."   That would indeed be the overarching housekeeping philosophy at Moogie's Mansion.

This expression pretty well embodies my disgust at all-things-federal-government these days.

Or, maybe this one.

(Please disregard all the clothes hanging on the door and stacked on the chair.  We live in a 105 year old house, and folks didn't believe in closets when it was built.)

This one just seems to capture the essence of "dog days of summer."  A large black dog in the hot sun just doesn't want to move around much.

A blind, geriatric shih tzu who has also had several strokes, however, can walk in circles all the live-long day. Until she starts panting too much and I take her in for a drink of water and a nap -- two of her favorite pasttimes these days.  Doesn't her new haircut make her look young and spry?  (I know -- just humor her.)

Naps are always nicer in the air conditioning.  On the parlor couch where one is not really supposed to be napping.  Oh, well.  Sweet dreams Young Prince.

There.  Now I feel much better.  Hope you do, too.

Check. Next Crisis, Please.

Sorry I've been AWOL for awhile.  We're getting ready to start a construction project in Little Rock -- adding on to our little rent house there -- and I'm kind of the project manager, travelling back and forth.  It should be an "interesting" couple of months, leading up to starting on Moogie's Retirement Villa.  I wish I had Lou and Toby around to advise me!

Anyway, I'm choosing to side-step the whole debt ceiling mess for awhile with one small exception --

Although, I'm not so sure the Young President can claim a victory lap on this one.  The Conservatives seem to have taken the biggest chunk out of the compromise pie (except for the not really cutting any spending part -- it's really just not spending as much more as the left would like to spend).  Kind of refreshing -- And promising.  Sort of.  Moogie appears to be wearing those rose-colored glasses again.

Well, maybe I made a medium-sized exception.  Hey, we all have to take a "balanced approach," right?

 P.S. -- the Young President is yammering again, after the vote in the Senate on the Debt Ceiling debacle-bill.  Egad, if he doesn't go on a golf trip or junket or climb a mountain sometime soon, and STFU, I may lose it.  He needs some new speechwriters -- every time he gets to a microphone lately, what comes out of his mouth turns into a key-word-trigger drinking game opportunity.  AA must have seen a big uptick the last few weeks.) 

P.P.S. -- I REALLY don't like this "Super Congress" thing.