Heh.

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Yup.

Bright and early, 9:20a.  :)

The Final Countdown.

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And with that, I have Europe's song in my head.  Yea me.  Anyhow, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 is a few days away and I already have my tickets.  Wut, wut.  But now, I have to come to terms with the fact that the end of an era is starting.  It was a good time.  I can't recall the last time I was so captivated reading a book much less an entire series about a boy who was a wizard attending Hogwarts, a wizard school, all the while battling Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort (yea, I said it, I ain't scared).  I know they're children's books but I don't care that I waited in line to pick up some of the books, as they were newly released, with parents and their children.  I wanted my book so I could rush home, turn off the TV, the phone, and read in peace and quiet sans my gasps as shocking surprises came about as the pages turned and turned.  I was happy.  I was happy these books made me so happy.  I was happy that it got children reading again.  I was happy when some friends, some I wouldn't have pegged as readers, were huge fans.  I was happy that I got my MIL to knit me the Gryffindor scarf for Christmas one year (that I still wear).  And I was really happy when the movies were made.  I wanted to see how my visual interpretations compared to what JK Rowling, the author, and the director (various) envisioned.  They weren't all winners but regardless, they will be classics just like the books.

Oh Harry.  Oh Snape.  Oh Weasleys.  Oh Dumbledore.  You will always sit safely on my shelf. 

Word.

Albondigas

So warm, so soothing is what a nice bowl of albondiga (meatball) soup is.  As the zombie weather (humid, foggy and gross) was rolling out and the cold weather was rolling in, albondigas for dinner was perfect.

Form ground beef, seasoned with salt, pepper and 1 egg, into meatballs.  Then, brown on each side not necessarily fully cooked.  After they have a nice sear, get out your tomato paste, broth, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. 

After bringing to a boil, I typically pour in a half a cup of rice and let the rice cook in the broth but, this time I opted to use some egg noodles. 

I wasn't disappointed.  It was the perfect remedy for a long and strenuous work week.  I think I may use egg noodles from now on.  The first time I made this dish I was about 14 years old.  Underestimating how much rice expands, I must have poured in about 3-4 cups.  There was absolutely no broth just rice and meatballs.  It's a story my mom tells often.  Whoops.

Good Idea, Bad Idea

I  love the Animaniacs.  It reminded me so much of The Three Stooges and The Marx Brothers.  (Listen, my dad's viewing habits rubbed off on us.  It's why I'm such a huge Niners fan.  He watched, and being we were Mexican and poor and only had one TV, it meant we watched it too.)  I enjoy the humor and the wittiness of the Animaniacs.  It seemed like a precursor to the animated movies of the moment where the humor flies over a child's head but they laugh anyhow cause you laugh. 

Yesterday, I had my own fucked up version of Good Idea/Bad Idea, a segment on the show but without the HA-HA humor. 

Cereal is supposed to be a good idea to have for breakfast and, besides soup, where else can you eat and drink your meal?  However, for me, it's supposed to be a no-no.  But, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid, I ate it anyhow.  Maybe, just maybe, this time my blood glucose won't shoot up.  The box says that it's a great source of fiber, a plus for the diabetic crowd.  As the saying goes, denial ain't just a river.  Two hours after eating this, my blood glucose was 200+.  I have tried several combinations of cereal, all of them with different milks except the whole kind because that is just bad, and they have all yielded the same results.  And just like that, it's over, for good this time.  So, what was a good idea ended up being a bad idea.  I feel just awful that my stupidity, not to mention stubborness, got me such high blood glucose readings.  I think about the damage it may, or may not, have caused me in the long run.  Stupid indeed.

And then, last night, with zombie weather in full effect here, I opted out of making the scheduled albondigas (meatball soup) and hitting up Barbecue Inn with the BNC.  I normally don't eat, much less cook, fried stuff but I make several exceptions.  Barbecue Inn is one of them.  We sat, we talked, we ate and we compared work stories.  For now, he wins the award for tough work week.  Later in the evening, after the requisite time had passed to test my blood glucose, a normal reading pops up.  Odd indeed considering that that is not the picture of health.  But it's always a good idea to maintain your glucose levels and everyone is different.  What may not affect me may affect others in the same ways cereal and Barbecue Inn chicken does.  So, constant testing and adjusting is a big key to knowing what you can and cannot eat.  Before you know it, it becomes second nature to pass on that cupcake, order water instead of (even) a diet Coke, eat until you are satisfied, split your meal with your partner (cause there was no way I was going to eat all of that chicken) and, most of all, visit the doctor on a regular basis.  It's hard but it's not.  What wil be hard, later in life, is the damage done by acting so carelessly.  Trust. 

A Couple of New Loves

Possible spoilers ahead...

The Walking Dead

I enjoy a good zombie movie.  Dawn of the Dead is awesome, Night of the Living Dead is perfect and Return of the Living Dead just terrified me.  (I was a teenager and I TOTALLY fell for the Based on a True Story disclaimer.)  Shaun of the Dead is in a class of its own and it's an Honors class.  Anyhow, The Walking Dead is....different.  Sure, zombies are walking around trying to eat you but it's more about the human aspects of not only the non-zombies but the zombies as well.  For example, Sunday's episode, which I watched last night cause I'm old, really put that thought out there that the zombies were once people.  They had lives, stories to tell, just like you, and now they don't have that.  It affected me much more than the gory scene that had me dry heaving.  However, that scene, immediately following the oh, the zombie has/had a partner moment, gently reminded me that the show is about zombies so tread lightly.  If a Zombie Apocalypse is on your list of greatest fears and/or you have had the In Case Zombies Show Up Plan talk with your significant other, it's perfect for you and your partner.  In a nutshell, I love this show.  Watch it while there is zombie weather outside for extra oomfph.  Trust.

TeeFury

This site rocks.  If the Woot t-shirt of the day isn't doing it for you, head over here.  I purchased this shirt last week.  I am officially a t-shirt addict.  My apologies.