Sometimes, I Really Love This Town

I was just on the phone with a local microbrewery's spokesman -- and the man who proved to me more than a year ago that, yes, I do like beer. Just snooty beer, apparently. He asked me how married life was (I'd boasted to him that I selected one of his introductory beers as my keg of choice), and he asked how the drinking was going.

I had bad news for him: Namely, I had to quit drinking beer. And wine. And everything. This is what happens when there's a recession and you don't have a job and you have bills to pay. Something, it turns out, has got to go. And for me, it was the beer.

He was shocked. Horrified.

And guess who is dropping off a case of his microbrewery's beer to me sometime in the near future?

Yes, I am a lucky duck indeed. 

X Marks the Spot

I started my new exercise program yesterday -- P90X, for those of you who watch infomercials. D and I are doing it together.

So far? Pretty killer. But ... and I'm a little surprised when I say this ... it's doable. I was expecting something so far out of my reach that I was going to have to work up to getting ANY of it done.

Don't get me wrong; it is far from easy. Far, far away. I can't always finish all the reps of every exercise. But, I'm trying.

I took before and after pictures, too! Maybe I'll even post those in three months or so ...

Where Do They GO?!

Ever have something disappear on you and have no idea where to even begin searching for it?

Well. I just opened the battery compartments on my portable iPod player because the batteries needed to be charged.

Now, the batteries are charged. And do I know where the white plastic battery-compartment covers are? All two of them?

Do I, hell.

The weird thing is -- my house isn't really messy. I should be able to just look around and spot them. And they SHOULD be right next to the piece of equipment they came with.

But. They are not.

Radio Woes

For about a year, we had the best radio station in Denver that I've ever heard. It was called Indie (101.5 FM) and they played, well, indie rock -- but also quite a bit of underground hip-hop, alternative rock and other such things.

It was a great station. I found a bunch of new music I never would have been exposed to otherwise, and I enjoyed pretty much everything I heard on there. (Hard rock version of Ginuwine's "Pony"? Sheer effin' genius.)

But, for some reason, Indie has moved to online only. Now, 101.5 FM plays the strangest mixture of music I have ever had the misfortune to hear. Seriously, the format does not have a market here in Denver. Either they play hard rock (of the Limp Bizkit/Linkin Park variety; gag me) or crap R&B/rap. There's no crossover market here for those genres of music ... especially when you play the absolute worst tracks that the genre has to offer.

And who's going to go online to listen to the radio? It pisses me off because, as I have mentioned before, I don't even have a CD player in my car. Tape deck and radio; that's it. I could listen to my iPod, of course, but then I wouldn't be getting exposed to new things I've never heard before. (Although there's probably some of that on my iPod. I have a lot of music I don't listen to frequently.)

My thoughts on the matter? Both the new 101.5 FM station (whatever the hell it's called) and Indie303.com are going to fail. Miserably.

I just wish I knew who to blame for singlehandedly destroying the best radio station I've ever heard -- and hence, the best radio station Denver has ever seen.

Cat Litter Blues

I bought new cat litter the other day. Actually, it's billed as the World's Best Cat Litter (which is also the name of the cat litter). Here is what makes it the world's best:

* All natural.

* Virtually dust-free.

* Corn-based.

* Absorbs and contains odors like nobody's business.

* Flushable; safe for septic systems, even.

What's the problem, you ask?

One of my cats does not think it's the World's Best Cat Litter. She'd rather piss on piles of clothes on the floor, or what-have-you.

Guess at least this should cure our habit of leaving clothes on the floor for the time being! But I do hope she figures it out soon. I love this cat litter, as much as I've ever loved any cat litter. I will be sad if I have to switch brands because of her angst.

Automated Phone Annoyances

This morning, I had a phone bill to pay. So I'm sitting on the phone, listening to the Automated Phone Man giving me options, when all of a sudden, a sneezing fit overtakes me.

This is where I don't understand why you can't have a push-button versus automated option at the beginning of your call. Because for ten minutes, all I'm hearing is this:

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Y-y-yes. AH-CHOO!"

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

Grr.

It's like the automated flushing toilets. Like when they flush on you when you're sitting down -- or, worse, just stood up and are trying to get out the door. I want to tell them, "Listen, I am not a non-flushing hooligan -- but please save the flush for when I'm almost out of the stall! I know what kind of germs and bacteria are being rained down upon me, for the love of god!"

Hobby Horse

If you could undertake any hobby in the world -- regardless of price or location or whatever else is keeping you from doing it anyway right now -- what would you choose?

Honestly? I think gardening is at the top of my list. (I can hear you laughing from here, Mrs. Walker! Cut it out!)

Followed by scuba diving, photography (which I kind of do now -- just not that well) and maybe even sewing. How cool would it be if I could make my own clothes? Pretty sweet.

Of course, my current hobbies of cooking, reading a shit-ton and writing a little bit are keeping me pretty fulfilled. But, man. If I only had a little bit of space for a garden ... fresh tomatoes ... corn ... green beans ... lettuce.

(And, no. I do not know the first thing about gardening -- but I'm willing to learn!)

Cooking For Two

We've been playing around in the kitchen a lot lately -- trying new recipes, which is awesome fun. (I know. I've turned into a boring, middle-aged person who enthuses about new recipes. Sue me.)

So far this week, we've tried eggplant parmesan and spinach/ricotta calzones. Italian theme, I suppose. Right now I'm trying to find more side dishes I can make ... tater tots are all well and good, but eventually you get kinda burnt out on them.

Tonight's meal is going to be fake chicken (with gruyere cheese, mmmm!) and a side of lime-infused peas and carrots.

Hey, I gotta get my veggies somehow!