This blog can now be translated into every language that Google Translate covers. Just scroll down to the right hand menu to find the drop down box. Mind, these translations may be less than accurate. I'm just saying there is a reason why translator jobs still exist.
The month of fun ended at my favorite
time of year in Los Angeles. The Jacaranda trees are in full bloom.
Vibrant colors have exploded everywhere. The honeysuckle and night
blooming jasmine are releasing their lovely scents. The last thing I
expected from Los Angeles was that it would smell so lovely at any
time of the year. Just down the street there is a beautiful blanket
of yellow posies on a little tract of land next to an electric
company power station. The gray weather that is typical of June in LA
– June gloom to the locals – makes the colors pop all the more.
The end of the Month of Fun is worth it for the beauty in the month
that follows. I have added to the spring greenery. I have a lone
tomato plant that seems to be thriving in the bedroom window. I've
learned from the disaster with the herb garden that the only place in
this apartment that gets strong, consistent sunlight is the bedroom.
It just seems weird having vegetables growing there. I may not get
actual tomatoes until December, but I'm going to keep at it this
year.
One of my favorite birthday greetings –
among some fabulous greetings (I thank you all for the kind words and good wishes) – was the one from my most sage and
often most profane friend, Nick. He informed me that I am now
officially a Cougar.
Before I continue, I'd like to mention
that Craig had nothing to do with the four legged cougar that somehow
made its way from the wilds about Pacific Palisades to just shy of
the wilds of the 3rd Street Promenade in downtown Santa
Monica
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/santa-monica-mountain-lion-killed-amid-safety-concerns.html.
He did, however, have an explanation as to how it came to be there.
There is a canyon above the Palisades that is difficult enough to get
into that it has escaped development. The area has abundant game.
Mountain lions thrive there. His theory is that this big cat was
likely chasing game along a creek bed and went far enough that the
bed turned into a concrete lined canal. Lining rivers and creeks is a
bizarro habit in this part of the world. I believe its done in an
effort to control the water ways. I thought the practice was limited
to this region. However, I was dismayed to read that it is even more
prevalent in Japan. At any rate, the cougar probably couldn't get out
of the canal. It followed the route until it emptied near the beach
and downtown Santa Moncia. Panicked 911 called ensued. Many animal
rights activists have been screaming about killing the unfortunate
animal. However, I agree with Craig. It panicked when they used the
tranquilizer darts and bolted. This happened a short distance from
the pier and the main drag in town. There are a lot of children out
and about there. I'm sorry, but I agree that human safety takes
priority. I also agreed with Craig that had this been in the era of
our tenure at Borders, the mountain lion would have made it into the
store and Phil would have been the most likely one to find it –
followed by Craig. That was how store 93's luck worked.
Where was I? Ah yes, two legged
cougars. I was placed to hear of this new designation as it coincided
with my renewed interest in my appearance. I had made a few trips to
the make-up aisles in various establishments where I did a lot of
puzzled staring at the confounding array of products. Despite this
deep confusion, I had replenished my long depleted collection.
I was wearing war paint and had my hair
in a new do the day I set out to meet Marie and her mother for lunch.
I stopped en route to shop for something else I hadn't had in years –
a summer purse. My mother would be appalled at that sad state of
affairs. As I left Ross Dress 4 Less (I'm not going to break the bank
for my new look), I opted for the elevator to the street. Stairs are
no longer my friends – if they ever were. As the elevator door
opened, there stood a very tall, incredibly handsome blond young man.
He carried headshots, naturally. I looked at him levelly and
exclaimed 'Wow!' Obviously, my war paint, new purse and official
designation left me feeling empowered. I especially enjoyed him
blushing profusely and stumbling away. I may have thought such a
thing in my twenties or thirties, but I would never have said it. At
that ages, such a declaration would have been a gauntlet thrown. Now,
unless I stepped in the cutie's path, it's clearly an appreciative
observation. And it was a lot of fun! Sorry, but I have no photos of me in my new guise. I've gotten accustomed to not having photos taken. I will try to get some the next time I get dolled up.
On the cooking front, I've had some
middling results from an experiment to make Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day – a book I discovered in a food blog. I've managed to finally get my
crusts to work, but the loaves were too dense. The author kindly
answered my plea for advice. She told me the dough was too wet. I
plan to try again. Meanwhile, I have made a very successful apricot
jam on my first attempt! The season goes on as does berry season.
More jams will follow. I hope the bread will stand up to it. I think
among the jams I'll make next will be onion jam. I made some
caramelized onions for a flat bread I was baking with the
experimental dough. I also used it on hot dogs and a number of other
things. I think I'd like to keep that handy! And it's Vidalia onion
season! I even have a book on that to help me. It took all these
onions to make just a smudge of the caramelized stuff.
Updates
I have yet another blog. This one is
dedicated to the web series version of Demon Under Glass that we are
developing. This will be a detailed, no holds barred account of how an ultral low budget production is put together. You can find it at http://demonspawntales.blogspot.com.
Like this blog, it can be translated into however many languages
Google translate covers.
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