as the long weekend approaches, i am more and more baffled by my options. the big guy and i have tentatively planned to pick up and go, but he's working till 3 or so tonight, and i have to be back by saturday afternoon for festivities with mfd and mwsm.

we had talked about victoria b.c., but we'd need to be on the 1:45 ferry from port angeles washington which means that we'd have to leave here by 8 am. it would still be a gamble. thus we don't want to make reservations. thanksgiving evening in seattle? hmmm.

the big guy tried to get me to take responsibility for the plans and the contingency plans as is usually my role in our marriage, but i decided last night to watch old movies instead. c'est la vie!

even if we end up making a fort in our living room and pretend it's a fancy hotel i'm sure we will have a lovely time... but i've decided that the decision is not mine. i want to be free of the chains of responsibility of this one. if you have no expectations, you cannot be dissappointed, right?

dinner last night was a sucess. the pork was tender, the pie sinful, the company was great. i really enjoyed the whole evening, and by the time i woke up this morning, there were no leftovers, save a lonesome piece of pie. perfect.

because it was sensational and fairly easy, and because i mushed 8 different recipes together to form my own plan - i have put together the recipe for you - pork crown roast.

please note that the brine recipe is actually a turkey brine - and can be used for your thanksgiving turkey if you were to start it this evening - turkeys need longer to brine than pork, 2-3 days. cheers!

never have i been so thankful for the impending 4 day weekend. i love how busy i've been but i feel that a break could do me wonders. i am also thankful that we will start the weekend with a clean house. tonight is my-favorite-dad-in-law's (mfdil) birthday celebration, and we are having the whole fam over for dinner.

as is cutomary when the in-laws visit, i spent the weekend sweeping and scrubbing and in the kitchen chopping and baking. now i must say that i have some of the most fabulous in-laws in the world, and they would be extremely forgiving if they found a dust bunny or two - but somehow the martha in me comes out when they are coming over. so now - other than the dishes that the big guy will certainly do as i have cooked dinner - we will have a nice clean place to start the long weekend.

i am also thrilled with the menu of tonight's meal - i have a crown roast of pork that is currently brining in the fridge. the big guy saw a crown roast in a magazine and promptly bet me that i couldn't cook such a thing, knowing full well that i would the next chance i got. the butcher shop at new seasons did a fabulous job in tying me up a beautiful 12 rib roast. i hope i do it justice - this will be a first for me.

last night we had beef for dinner, just so i could get the pan drippings to make mfdil's favorite - yorkshire pudding. we will also have a salad - possibly with breaded and toasted chevre rounds and toasted pinenuts, and a loaf of hearty bread.

so i am grateful that the week is short and that the house is clean, and that the big guy will have surely swept some leaves by the time i get home... happy monday.

yesterday i finally made it to the apple store - a baby compared to the mothership in soho, but beautiful nonetheless. the people there were wonderful and warm, despite the crowds... and it was fun to see people aged from five to fifty fascinated by the gadgetry.

i picked up a copy of panther - love it so far, it seems to be speedier and friendlier - worth the price of admission. and i couldn't resist picking up an itrip for my old school ipod. i have been impressed so far with the clarity - although there appears to be a barely perceptible high-pitched buzz. the true test will be the commute.

a quick thanks to lady j for snapping this gorgeous shot yesterday at the hoyt arboretum.

this last weekend i spent some quality time with mfd, and we had a great discussion about the state of politics. these days i am always amused that my dad has come so far - a 20 year military man, my dad used to seem as conservative as can be... and i was always that wacky young girl who didn't see the problem with gays in the military. my father frequently (and mostly jokingly) called me a "commie pinko." now he works at a small liberal arts college where he is exposed to all sorts of young lefties... and some old ones too.

i am proud to say that you can teach an old guy (ahem) new tricks, and that mfd is as dismayed at the bush presidency as i am. he is currently reading shrub, and expressed an interest in becoming more politically active and aware. in fact, as our discussion progressed, his primary interest was in how he could help members of my generation turn out to vote - as he (and I) both believe that this will be necessary to put bush out of office and get the country on track again.

there are multiple factors that lead to the younger generation's apathy at the polls, but i am curious to see how these factors play out in the coming year. first and foremost, since i have been of voting age there has never been an election that i felt strongly about any of the candidates and i think that i am not alone in this. it is not a motivation to get to the polls if you are voting simply for the lesser of two evils. this year that is markedly different.

i've also noticed that the college, and recent-college-grad years are marked by a transient nature. how many 20-somethings have their correct address on their driver's license? mine seemed to be about two houses behind for a number of years.

i also heard a great story on national public radio awhile back addressing the problem of the campaign trail - and how it is too long to be effective and thus certain would-be voters have lost interest by the time the election rolls around. maintaining enthusiasm for a candidate for a over a year gets tiring.

but it's funny... i am wondering... am i of that non-voting generation anymore?

after spending some time there, I am much too old for rocking the vote. the website hurts my eyes... although they do have phenomenol resources. moveon.org provides some good information, and is a little more my style. and of course, as a blogger i am fascinated by deanforamerica.com and the mobilization of the internet masses to contribute to the first candidate who has truly harnessed the power of the web.

i feel involved every time i listen to npr. i tivo chris matthews' hardball: race for the whitehouse. is it because the bush presidency is such a travesty? or is it because i am now a mortgage paying, corporate paycheck wielding, married ... adult. dunno.

but regardless... i do want to reach out to all of my american friends and say hey - get involved - we've got a world crisis on our hands and you CAN do something. (contrary to beliefs reinforced by the last presidential election.)

get educated. listen to the debates. understand the issues. understand the democratic process. vote.

and i just got hit with a snowball... at my desk.

so... the morning commute was plagued with pouring rain and standing water in the roads. now, not two hours later there is an inch of snow on my car in the parking lot! SNOW. i feel like a little kid again.

firefly on dvd.

so i caught last night's the next joe millionaire - which is sad and pathetic - but whatever. i am not a reality tv junkie, but occassionally i do enjoy america's newest drug. i have to say that if nothing else, this particular series has given me renewed faith in america's women - we may be naive or even dumb, but those euro chicks are just plain mean.

so today was my first time as an official blood donor. for some reason, in my head, i equated giving blood with a flu shot. a few questions, a needle, and sore arm for a few days. i was not quite prepared for light headedness, an hour in a cold bus and several glasses of hawaiian fruit punch.

i suppose i should be grateful for the get-out-of-exercise-free pass that i get for the evening, and the free krispy kremes offered in the recovery area - or perhaps the fuzzy feeling that one gets knowing that they've saved a life or two... but mostly i'm extra sleepy.

but i did get the 'be nice to me, i gave blood today' sticker. and yes kids, despite the malaise - i'll be doing it again.

oh - and a tip to other newbies - drinking water the day before makes it go quickly. i beat the guy across from me in drain time by a landslide.

" i wish someone would filibust a cap in a certain republican's ass."

the norse goddess cracks me up. except for her love of starbucks and her penchant for hives.

and speaking of starbucks - why oh why do my oldest and newest friends (and ironically with the same name) like a shitty coffee conglomerate... and for the record, i hate their business practice of killing the mom and pop coffee shops, but that's not why i don't go there.

star_ucks burns their beans kids! the coffee is just BAD BAD BAD. stepping off soapbox. thank you.

there is a great article out in circulation about the stress associated with falling behind in your tivo viewing. and it's true - while tivo makes it possible not to plan your thursday night around must-see tv, you do need to have the time to "make-up" your must see tv viewing later - or it haunts you.

currently i have about 4 hours of tv that i'm eager to watch... and no time on the horizon...

that being said, the article puts a very negative spin on the phenomenon. and although i'm "behind" in my viewing and do spend 20 minutes or so "housekeeping" to rid my dear tivo of unneeded shows- i do still love my tivo would recommend it to ANYONE! seriously kids, ask santa for one for christmas... it only mildly enhances the obsessive, compulsive disorder in your nature.

over last weekend i battled with a sore throat and light fever - annoying, but liveable. i sat on the couch, whined to my husband, pet the cats. but i was good darn it! i took it easy.

at the beginning of the week i came in to work a bit late, trying to rest up a little more - to get over the hump. there was a frog in my throat, but i was taking it easy.

yesterday i caught a case of the sniffles - that's ok, i thought - it's the tail end of the first winter cold. i'll be fine.

this morning my head is in a fish bowl, i can only breathe through my mouth, my throat hurts a-g-a-i-n and it was all i could do to get out of bed. damnit. no fair!

(link via nerdygirl... i'm substantially more evil than she is.)

will ferrell deserves an oscar. no, really. who says you have to play a tragic character to win an oscar? elf was absolutely the best holiday movie... and it was all due to the fact that buddy (will's character) never dropped a beat - he was consistently rambunctious, naive, and silly. ed asner and bob newhart didn't hurt either.

it truly gave me that first flutter of the christmas spirit... it was fabulous and funny. take a kid when you go....

it's amazing how i've fallen behind in my blog reading... at this new job i seem to be in a constant race toward one finish line or another (yay!) and so a) i have no time for meanderance at work, and b) my eyes are exhausted by the time i get home. i'm thinking of making the switch back from browserland to netnewswire to expediate my catching up.

mecca is opening in portland next weekend. i am SOOOOOO excited.

... to the geek crew who came out to the dublin last night to wish the big guy a happy birthday, and see the new band. it was good to see you all.

and also, i would like to wish the king and queen of salsa a warm congrats on their very recent, surprise marriage.

when the big guy left for work last night at seven - i plotted out the rest of my night: a twenty minute power nap; a trip to the grocery store; a quick dinner; laundry; an hour on the treadmill; and straightening the living room. i promptly snuggled under some blankets for the power nap. i woke up three hours later.... decided that getting up at 10:15 to accomplish anything was ridiculous, and went back to sleep.

i wonder if my body is trying to tell me anything.

rather than that fabulous, beautiful 40G ipod he's had his eye on ... i shall be buying the big guy an amplifier for his birthday.

well dear, you're lucky it's your birthday, or i might have to bitch slap you for sheer stupidity. happy birthday and much love.

if you haven't done it yet, take the minipops quiz. hours of pop culture edutainment for you and your co-workers. i sucked at it, will you?

(of note: when you first open it, it will do this crazy flickering thing... i promise, you computer will not self destruct - it is just loading 8 million cute little pictures)

thanks to the loveliest red sox fan in the world for the heads up, and visit flip flop flyin for more minipops pixelated fabulousness.

over the weekend i saw lost in translation. so rarely have i been quite so moved by a director's ability to trap life experiences. it was an emotional distillation. i adored it.

sofia copolla really should win something, as should bill murray.

i wouldn't recommend it to everyone - it was the kind of movie that i only wish that everyone could appreciate. it is deliciously slow. no graphic sex or violence. surprisingly little plot in a traditional sense. laugh out loud funny, but not in that caddyshack sort of way.

(and a personal side note: patsy - if you ever read this... drop everything - this film is for you.)

i find that i am enjoying my return to editing - i love words, comprehension. learning a new industry is quite literally like learning a new language. i love the splash of red ink across a black and white page. it's a comfy meditation for me.

today i have been delving into the minutia of lcd display technology, and so far i have learned a ton. it's fascinating. i'm sure to be a display snob any day now - making my tv, pda, and cell phone purchases infinitely more complex in the future.

my favorite new word of the day: agglomerating

my favorite made-up word that needed to be edited: ruggedize.

on my car. frozen hands. no scraper. hmph.

i don't expect you to remember silly half-year anniversaries, and i know that i'll be lucky if you remember the full year ones - i knew that when i married you. what i love about you is that you don't need any excuse to buy presents, eat a fancy dinner, or shower me with affection. (powdered mik day?!)

that being said... i am a names and dates kinda gal... so i'll say it: happy 6 month anniversary. i love you more and more each day.... but then again, you knew that, didn't you?

..SNOW ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON TODAY FOR THE NORTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND LOWER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEYS...

i believe our new home is too close to the river to be in a snow-worthy area... but i will keep you updated. it may be an interesting winter.

i found myself alive and kicking at 7:30 this morning - due to an over-abundance of sleep the day before. (sleep 12 hours, eat greasy breakfast food and candy for 6, then sleep for another 9 hours).

since then i've been dreaming of all of the fun things that one might do on an exceedingly cold, grey portland day. the big guy has the unfortunate coincidence of working the 12-8 shift after closing last night - so alas, i will be on my own. sure, i have errands to run, laundry to do... but i feel that i should mostly be nice to myself, perhaps with the purchasing of a particular cat that i've been eagerly awaiting.

i also need to define any celebration plans for the week - tomorrow is the big 6 month anniversary (huzzah!) and the big guy's birthday is thursday. he is generally the grumpy sort who does not enjoy singing and cakes and presents... but alas, i am a stubborn bitch who does.

and simply as a matter of follow-up: the halloween festivities were fun... one party and two live shows. it was an exceedlingly cheap evening with free (good) booze at the party, and our name "on the list" at the shows. we were out far too late - but i've more than made up for it already.

we also had the pleasure of providing sugar to several trick-or-treaters... it's fun to live in this sort of neighborhood. the big guy offered to trade candy for fingers on several occassions (as he wielded an electric hedge trimmer) but no one took him up on his offer.