seancentral.com

Sunnyness

You'll be happy to know that we are finally having a break from the rains this week and for the first time in aaaaaaaaaages, the mountain is clear, the ocean is a deep blue and there isn't a single cloud in the sky... well, maybe one or two, but who's counting?  The strong, chilly winds are still around however and so despite the bright golden globe shining overhead, it's still nice and nippy.  What a nice morning to be in the casita!

Rhyncholaelia digbyana in bloom this morning

I even woke up extra early this morning to take a brisk walk around the neighborhood looking all tough and scruffy in my ski cap.  As much as I'd like to credit self-discipline for the early awakening, it was more a case of not being able to go back to sleep due to the squawking noises eminating from a certain group of irritating fowl I know. At least throwing rocks up into the tree where they roost warmed me up a bit for my walk, since I thought it only fair to get them out of their perch since they got me out of bed.  I'm mean, I know.

There were already a few other walkers out and about at daybreak and at least one neighbor was already mowing his lawn at 6:30am.  I suppose once the rain stops, you gotta do what you  gotta do.  Too bad he didn't mow down any chickens.   Again with the meaness.  Sigh.

Anyways, You all know I study Latin-based languages as a hobby (nerdy, I know) and I'm thinking of adding a new language course feature to my blog called LATINVM AMO.  Besides proposing to be a "fun" offshoot of my hobby, I figure it actually might be of interest to the 3 of you who've asked me for Portuguese lessons, the 3 who asked for French lessons, the 5 who asked for Italian lessons and the dozen or so who've asked for Spanish lessons.  No one has actually inquired about learning Romanian or Catalan but I'll be including them too since they are Latin based and I like them just as much.  LATINVM AMO day will be Thursday, which happens to be tomorrow so put on your thinking caps and get ready for your first lesson.

Unless of course I change my mind,  in which case I suggest you just ignore the preceeding paragraph and it's grandiose claims.

Akira and Miku's Wedding

Rain and Blooms

Just in case you haven't heard, this is pretty much what the weather's been like over here the past few weeks:

Field service definitely doesn't stop over a little flash flooding in these parts, but really, there is only so much you can do before your mind begins to drift to less-than-theocratic questions such as:

"How much longer before we take a break at McDonald's?" 

"Who took my good umbrella?", and  

"Holy cow, are you sure that was MUD you stepped in back at that last call?!"

Evening witnessing tends to be even more of a challenge since we only have about an hour of daylight even when it's sunny.  Thankfully, the rain let up just for a bit on Monday,  which allowed Jason and I to go to a call without soaking our trousers (although it entailed walking through some wet, muddy grass on the way), and Suzy started a door-step study with a woman from Ecuador.  Spending time out in service with the group is always a nice way to beat the winter blues.  

Despite the crummy weather, my Schlumbergera cacti are in bloom out on the porch- a little early this year but who's complaining? 

There's nothing like a nice blooming Schlumbergera to brighten up a rainy week... although some nice sunshine would obviously be even better.   

Boys Night In

  What to do during a week of rainstorms on a free night? 

Happy Meal Toys and Poisonous Plants Make Me Smile

If you have not yet made it to McDonald's this week, I strongly suggest you get your beautiful/handsome self up from in front of your computer and do so.  Like maybe even right this minute!  Go on, Get!  Reason is, the current Happy Meal features a Puss In Boots action figure and I've been playing with mine all week.   It doesn't make any noises, nor is it posable, bendable, edible or flotable.  It does however, dilate it's 2 round green eyeballs when you press the button in back.  Like so:

Puss In Boots sitting on my desk

Puss in Boots sitting on my desk with dilated eyeballs

I haven't always been a cat person... in fact for the longest time,  I couldn't stand the little fiends since every single one I had ever met was standoffish and mean and had sharp claws and rough, evil tongues- so utterly unlike my pet dogs which were always playful and cuddly and fluffy and dumb and happy.    But my point is that I'm intrigued with this toy, not because it's adorable or anything, but because I like cats now, and I firmly believe that being 37 and male should not prevent me from finding delight in a cute-ish piece of junk made in Vietnam and probably targeted at little kindergarten girls with blonde hair and dimples named Poppy-Sue.  Not that I necessarily expect you to care or anything.  I'm just explaining myself, you see. 

Thankfully, I regained some sense of masculinity this afternoon, and true to my über-macho persona, I purchased something quite horrid to refute all those silly claims of me being a lover of cuteness which I assure you I am not. 

  
Meet  Solanum pyracanthum.  Isn't it absolutely  dangerous and menacing? The Gonzalez'  took me out to lunch at the Maku'u Famer's Market after giving this morning's talk, and I encountered this spiky beast over at Tom Piergrossi's plant table.  Also known as the "Porcupine Tomato", S. pyracanthum is decked out with sharp orange spines along the stem and on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces. All you bitter, anti-cuteness people will also be happy to know it's poisonous.  Keisha's named it "Theodore". 

I've also gotten all dirty digging up my potted Amorphophallus bulbifer and discovered not one, but two ugly, brown misshapen tubers hidden beneath the soil, along with a number of un-cute, wrinkly bulblets which I plan to replant in the spring.

Very macho.  Very not cute.

Now I'm going to wash my rough-calloused hands and go play with my Happy Meal Toy.

Cause' I like cats.

Bad Timing

You probably already know that I don't like the short-days of approaching winter. But apart from the added hours of darkness, I really don't mind other stuff like the heavy rains and plummeting temperatures because I think it's kinda cozy.  It makes me happy and sleepy.  It gives me an excuse to lie around like a big blob sipping hot cocoa from my Mickey Mouse ceramic mug instead of mowing the lawn.  Chilly weather and downpours are nice.   Unless I happen to be locked outside the house or something stupid like that.  Which would be the case this morning.

I know I shouldn't have bothered to get out of bed the minute I realize I've forgotten my keys after the door has already slammed shut.  It normally would not be such a big, dramatic deal, except that this morning, it's raining.  A lot.  And it's coming down harder.  I begin to mumble under my breath.

It's then that I also realize the only available umbrella within a mile's radius is tucked conveniently away inside my locked car, and the only one with access to the automatic lock controls at the moment, happens to be a stuffed monkey with beady eyes named Jorge sitting in the back seat. 

Crushed, I realize there is only one thing left to do, and it entails a miserably slushy walk all the way around the house in the cold pouring rain in order to get to what I call "The-Super-Dooper-Top-Secret-Break-In-Window." 

When I get there wet, miserable and scowling, I look around to make sure no one is there to witness the secret maneuvers carried out whilst breaking in via the Super-Dooper-Top-Secret-Window, when all of a sudden out of the corner of my rain-soaked eye, I see a white Honda Accord.  It's the blasted neighbor across the street pulling into his driveway.  Not only does he decide to park his car facing in my direction, he ends up just sorta sitting there.  I suppose coming home at the exact moment that one's neighbor plans to break into a house shouldn't be a big blown out issue.  Neither should the parking orientation of one's vehicle or the length of time one spends seated in it like a dead chipmunk.  One lives in a free country after all.   One does.  Yes. 

More mumbling.

After a few moments of feigned gardening chores beneath the eaves, Chipmunk neighbor has still not made a move and I decide there is no other choice but for me to go ahead and enter my home through the "Super-Dooper-but-not-so-Top-Secret-anymore-Break-In-Window" in the pouring rain in full view of him and I'm sure the Google Earth satellites.  Of course, the rain stops the minute I get inside.  Figures.

Happily, the clouds start to lift which means less chance of difficulties the next time I lock myself out of the house.  Which will probably be tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Dear Rooster Crowing Outside My Window At 11:58pm, 2:53am, 4:11am and 6:20am,

Despite your bone-headed insistance on making all that racket while everyone is trying to get some sleep, and despite the fact that I am strongly tempted to come outside and kick off all of your feathers, I've decided that I'll be nice and share this recipe with you instead.  Enjoy! 

SLOW COOKED INDIAN CHICKEN STEW

2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken, SLOWLY CHOPPED UP into 1 inch pieces.  You may laugh your head off while performing this step.

5 tsp curry powder

2 tsp ginger paste

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c. chicken broth

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 box frozen spinach

2 tbsp lime juice

Spray or lightly coat inside of crock pot with oil.  Add chicken, curry powder, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Add broth, garbanzos and tomatoes.  Cook for 10 hours on low setting or 5-6 hours on high.  During the last 20 minutes, add spinach.  Stir in lime juice before serving.  Yummo!

Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

SB