A few bones

I've been super busy lately doing things like grading shoeless students' quizzes and essays. Guess what? I'm still pretty busy doing that. But in the rare event that my 5 or so readers have missed me, I thought I'd toss some bones your way...

1/ Here is an online comic I love. It's a weird combination of adorable and sad. I think you'll like it too.

2/ I made a crab quiche the other day. I was pretty excited about it, because doesn't that sound so delicious?! ...But it wasn't. I mean, it was decent and we ate it all, but it was not, in fact--as I am embarrassed and amused at actually having said out loud--"da bomb."  So I'm recommitted to my normal ole' veggie quiche. (Don't let the mayo scare you.)

3/ Speaking of food, somehow I found myself accidentally watching Cupcake Wars. Know what's really good to look at for an hour before you go to sleep? CUPCAKES. Also, I just wanna say that if I were a judge on this show these size 0 cupcake bitches would be the first to go. I mean, really. The phrase "90 lb pastry chef" should. not. even. exist. 

4/ My cat does this to my husband every time he gets up from the couch. There's some controversy in my house over whether it's annoying or one of the cutest, most endearing things ever. (Hint: the correct answer is B.)

5/ I'm getting better at crocheting granny squares! I love the way they look like little square yarn pancake short stacks. 

Winter fragments

1/ I love my husband with all my heart. Really I do. But sometimes it's nice when he's away for the weekend. There's that sweet, familiar "I miss you" feeling... plus I actually get stuff done.  My relationship with the internet's pretty much like that. It was nice to take a little break from it while visiting family at Christmas, but it sure is great to be together again.


2/ How to start the perfect Christmas: Have your husband, Santa, or anyone else besides you, make delicious Bloody Marys for the whole family.

Here's Mr. K&G's lovingly and meticulously perfected special recipe for spicy Bloodys. (It'll help you start the perfect New Years day too.)

A beverage that comes with snacks--
can't beat it!

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add four shots of V-8 Spicy formula. Add one shot of vodka. It doesn't matter what kind. Then add about four dashes of Tabasco sauce, about two dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a couple shakes of garlic powder, a couple shakes of celery salt, a couple grinds of black pepper, and a little lemon juice. Shake it up, strain it into a highball glass, add a celery stalk and a lemon wedge to garnish, and make your hangover go away.

If you're wondering how to end the perfect Christmas?: Go see The Fighter with a belly full of turnips and pumpkin pie--and with no one else in the theater!


3/ The day after Christmas it snowed in South Carolina. Let me repeat that: Snow in South Carolina! We don't see too much legitimate snow in the South and never this early, so it's especially magical when we do.  I remember as a kid getting so thrilled over the tiniest little 1/4 inch of icy, wet "snow" (that was probably more like sleet) and this time the feeling was no different. Except this snow was real--official, dry, fluffy, snowball fight-ready, crunch-under-your-feet snow.

My mom and I put a sweater on the dog and took him into the back yard. He was scared at first, and then realized how fun pushing a gross old tennis ball around the fresh clean snow with your nose can be. We walked around the yard, played with Simon, and delighted in the puffed-up flashes of scarlet from a handful of cardinals watching us from snow-lined pine branches. It was just us--My mom and me and the snow, our faces turned, mouths open, catching big fat snowflakes on our tongues. It was one of my very favorite moments of the year. Really, it was one of my very favorite moments ever...

Snow is for gettin' goofy.