Pro-cras

Today is the first day of the rest of my life, but so is tomorrow.  Let's regroup then.

Hobbies

My hobbies:
1. Writing
2. Gardening
3. Eating
4. Drinking

My boyfriend's hobbies:
1. Ju Jitsu
2. Cooking
3. Picking me up when I am too drunk to ride my bike home
4. Collecting bail money

Paperless

It takes a lot of paper to be a paperless.

Flight of the Bumble-Bee

Food I get to eat V

Braised oxtail with brown rice, onions, celery and green peppers.

Bone in

Bone out.

Meaning?

We are all search for meaning.
Life has meaning.
Right?

We spend all are time living so it must be for some purpose.
We would be doing something else besides living if it didn't mean something.
Right?

Sometimes we find meaning.  It feels great.
Then we blink and it's gone.
We will find it again.
Right?

Things that meant so much, now 10 years later mean nothing.
If it meant something then, shouldn't it mean something now?

It meant something.
Right?

Todd "I'm going to skip that word" Stroger, hooray!

Oh Todd Stroger.  I remember the first time a saw your pretty face.  You were on television being accused of having your employees campaign for you during work hours.  You eloquently corrected that silly reporter.  Go Todd!  Then that sneaky report started snooping around.  Jerk!  As he walked out of your office he saw your employee stuffing envelopes with your campaign letters.*  Obviously she was on a break!  (I screamed that my television.)

Remember when you were talking about the important food desert issue?  That was awesome!  Someone put together the attached video so the world could hear your speech.

I was really afraid the "media" wouldn't cover any more of your adventures, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my Chicago Tribune this morning -

Stroger wants to collect unemployment

Todd you are wonderful.  Keep up the good work.

*I don't recall exactly what happened, but it was really similar.

My Hood - The Hand Chair Edition

Do you have one of those really fun hand chairs laying around and don't know what to do with it?  Well why not mount it on your wall so it looks like God's hand?  Perfect.

Food I get to eat IV

Today Mr. Pony whipped up a huge patch of tuna salad.  Ingredients involved Tuna, olive oil, green peepers, celery, and dill pickles.

My mercury count - Low

Brunch today - Tuna salad, salad and cottage cheese

Lupper - Tuna salad on flat bread with tomato and the 7 year Wisconsin Cheddar I just smuggled over the border.  

Mercury count - Jeremy Piven 

My hood - The Human Hair Edition

I know it's hard to find so if you need some let me know I'll pick it up for you.

Food I get to eat III

Sunday mornings are my favorite.  Especially when I get to drink coffee and watch CBS Sunday Morning.  Nothing is better.  It is a Pony Family tradition learned from Pa' Pony.

Today I had a delicious omelet with queso fresco, sauteed onions and cilantro.  Simply, just like my favorite Sunday mornings.

Ma' Pony visits the Chicago Art Museum

This past rainy Sunday I visited the Chicago Art Museum with Ma' Pony.  Ma' Pony was a volunteer picture lady for my elementary class.  She exposed myself and fellow classmates to works of art and explained the meaning.  Looking back it was a really cool program.

Our main reason for the visit was to experience Marc Chagall's America Windows.  His stain glass window is mesmerizing.  While I was mindless admiring the pretty window Ma' Pony was figure out the meaning.   We checked her interpretation against they description on the wall, they all were correct except for the last panel.  She thought is was a tribute to the Titanic sinking.  What do you think?  Look at the far right of the last panel.

The Art Institute claims the sinking of the Titanic is actually people dancing.  I think they are just trying to cover up the true meaning.  The bottom right is the Titanic and the people above it are floating in the water.  You decide for yourself.

It seemed our other reason for the visit was to be called ma'am and told not to do things.  I was told not to take photos several times.  Apparently they frown upon taking photos of photos.  Ma' Pony likes to get way to close to art.  I think we heard "ma'am don't touch" about 247 times and it was a surprise to her every time.  She was also told not to touch a window treatment.  I am not sure if they "guard" knew it wasn't a piece of art.  Ma' Pony held in her Bitch comment until we got into the next room.

Ma' Pony was impressed with the pritzker pavilion, which the art museum has an excellent view of, even on a gloomy, February day.  I told her how the area used to be really ugly with below grade train tracks.  She seemed to think the $450 million price tag was worth it, since almost half was covered by private donors.  She asked if Oprah donated any money.  I told her I didn't think so.  While rolling her eyes she said, of course she only buys presidencies.  Ma' Pony was once a supporter of Oprah but her getting involved in the 2008 presidential campaign and not for the first strong female candidate was the end of their relationship.  Oprah may not care but Ma' Pony is boycotting her.

This will come as a surprise to no one but there was a lot of wonderful art.  We especially liked Gerhard Richter's ICE, seen below.

However, the Peter Fischli David Weiss: Questions, the Sausage Photographs, and a Quiet Afternoon Exhibit was not enjoyed by Ma' Pony.  "This is what people do when they have no talent.  They come up with a gimmick and hope it sticks.  It must have worked.  All these people in here are spending their time looking at crap thinking it's art."  I snapped the below photo only to be told "Ma'am photography is not allowed in this room."  Ma' Pony responded with, "Don't worry I don't even want to look at it let alone take a photo."

We spent a very enjoyable day wandering around.  I recommend if you go to the museum to become a member before going.  Members get to skip the line to get in, they can bring guests for "free", it is tax deductible and they get other discounts and perks.  Become a member.

Smuggling

I am a smuggler.  Last night I crossed the border with New Glarus, 7 year old Cheddar, a belly full of grass feed beef that was an amazing cheeseburger from the Old Fashion in a previous life and a smile on my face put there by my friends Mike and Andy.  

Food I get to eat II

Dinner 
Steak sous-vide with shallots, red wine vinegar, oil and garlic.
A side of brown rice, cauliflower and lentils with turkey.

Add the good stuff...

Delicious.  The fat melts in my mouth.

Garfield Park Conservatory

Up close:

Vadim Repin

Vadim Repin played with Chicago Symphony Orchestra last week.  It was so good I thought I would share.

Chicago Symphony Center

Food I get to eat

I live with an amazing cook.  I eat really well, unless of course I have to fend for myself.  Left on my own I usually eat a handful of cereal, a piece a cheese, a couple of pickles and whatever else I can find to graze on.  

Thankfully I was not left to fend for myself.  Dinner tonight was stew, made from veal stock that was simmering on our stove all day yesterday.  The brown rice, black beans and hominy was left over from last night's build your own taco bar.  Goat and collard greens were added to the left overs and veal stock.  

I poured the wine myself.

ANTS!

 While living in Costa Rica I spent countless hours watching leaf cutter ants.  I first noticed a long green line on the sandy ground.  To my surprise the line was moving.  Closer inspection revealed ants carrying leaves.  As we followed the line we found the bush they were decimating.  It was really beautiful to watch.  Although the bush would probably disagree.

Now back in the States I spend countless of hours watching TV.  I think my countless hours are better spend watching ants.

MY PHOTOS

 Leaf cutter ants up close

Ants carrying their leaves down the tree

That green line is all ants carrying leaves

Let's see how long you watch.

Here is a cool video about leaf cutter Ants.

You still want more?

Fun with taxes

I saw this while I was preparing my taxes.

Lovely.

How about the weather?

The thing about weather is that everyone talks about it.

If there is a lull in the conversation, how do we fill it?  Weather.
If we are meeting someone for the first time, what usually comes up?  Weather.
What affects everyone? Weather

So, if there is a major life threatening storm coming all the media needs to do is what it does every day, update the 5 day forecast.  A lot of people will read it, more people will talk about it and eventually everyone will know.  In a 22 minute newscast 5 minutes does not need to be about weather.  The news in Egypt take up more time than a snowstorm.  Yes it is snowpocalypse.  Word will spread.  Snow happens every year.  Major storms have happened in most adults memories so they know how to react.  Major upheavel in Egypt happens less often than snowpocalypse.  Please report on it like it is snowpocalypse.

It's snowing

I hope we are able to communicate with the people in Egypt just how much snow we are getting.  I know they have a lot of unrest right now, but they need to be aware of snowpocalypse.  This storm better not disrupt our access to the Internet or other forms of communication.  If they do we need to march in the street to tell the snow they can't oppress us any more.  I sure hope Egypt supports us!

Indian Head Shake

Watch on full screen mode and pump up the volume.  Seriously.

Mushroom Hunting Door County Wisconsin 2010

Bluing Bolete

Words of wisdom from Mama Pony

Mama Pony:  "That's why you have a significant other, so you can throw them under the bus.  Then they can throw you.  It's a good relationship."

Anything?

I mean to say a lot of thing but I remain silent.

If I mean to say something but I don't does it mean anything?

Right Now

I'm typing right now.*

*This statement was true at the time but is probably not true as you are reading it.**

**Well actually if it is currently any day Monday through Friday between the hours of 7am and 5pm it quite possibly could be true.***

***Do you really care?****

****Deeply.

Bald is beautiful

Switching around the TV the other day, I came across my favorite show in high school, Star Trek The Next Generation.  I know.  I know.  I had a huge crash on Jean-Luc Picard.  God I loved him.  Yes that probably explains why I didn't date much in high school

This memory shook lose my childhood crush on.... 

Daddy Warbucks.   I watched Annie over and over again.  Which reminded me of my favorite movie from childhood, The Ten Commandments.  Staring my biggest crush of all...

Rameses II, Yul Brynner.  I would get so excited every Easter because I knew all 5 hours of The Ten Commandments would be on TV.  My unending consumption of peeps probably played a role in the heightened excitment I felt.

I guess it makes since I ended up with a bald man.  Man, I'm sure glad I turned out to be attracted to bald guys instead of old dudes. 

Funny? Yes.

See more

My Dad is funny

My parents are Republicans. 
I am not.

I texted my father on election night to tell him I voted for Mark Kirk, a Republican for the US Senate.
Here is my father's text back.

"Who is this?  Samantha if you've been abducted by aliens blink the North star twice at 8pm!  We'll find you no matter what.

We love you and we'll get you back no matter what the cost."