Adventures of a Freelance Murray Slaughter

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follow me at http://twitter.com/thespian

literally. what I need in life is someone who will in fact finance my obsession with sugar.

I cannot afford today's groupon side deal for a chocolate truffle making class, even though it is $45 for an $88 class (for those of you who don't wanna cook, the walking tour of chocolatiers and bakers in Boston for $25 is also quite sweet).

I must keep telling myself that.

Luckily (?) the side deal is only for 25 people maximum. Since you get 30-50 truffles to take home, I'm sure it'll be gone quickly (and I won't need to worry my pretty little head about it). $45 for a couple dozen truffles is a steal - and then you have the *knowledge* to make more ('teach a man to make artisanal chocolates....').

Anyway, I know this will be of interest to some of you, so though I CAN NOT HAVE, I figured I'd share.

I was just reading wikipedia entries on the Twilight books and wondering if they could really be that bad, and maybe I should give them a whirl.

THAT BORED, people.

bored bored bored BORED bored dored bored nored bored bored BORED.

also, BORED.

fr srs.

shared with wayward_va and now the rest of y'all:

http://whiskeyfire.typepad.com/whiskey_fire/2009/11/return-after-reading.html

"If everything I knew about Sarah Palin came from this book (and basically it does), I would say her life has been like a play in which a deus-ex-machina descends at the end of every act to bestow peace and harmony, except the deus forgot to put on pants and everyone's just standing around going "uhhhh..." and then the lights go out and the scene changes."

a scott bateman for the math geeks out there (especially Rob): http://scottbateman.livejournal.com/960367.html

a something positive that I should be PC and not giggle at, but while I haven't had *this* happen, any slightly kinky girl has totally been through the frustration of something similar, at least once: http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11142009.shtml

via suitablyemoname, something to just piss off everyone, however they approach it: http://writerwench.livejournal.com/605798.html - Seemo dislikes it because he rightly knows that taking away the things that teens *are* reading doesn't mean they'll just automatically start reading what she defines as 'quality' books of moral character. My issue is the inherent sexism in the poster's 'tude: it's not trash that she's railing against, it's *girl* trash. women have an 'innate tendency to sit and passively wait' and all.

( snip )
follow me at http://twitter.com/thespian

and grouchy, so I'm going to remove myself from the net until I'm better.

I started coughing a whole bunch again about half an hour ago. Big yucky wet coughs that assure me it's breaking up but that taste gross. I am *totally* unfit for human company, but I'm REALLY getting antsy; as of tomorrow the only social interaction I'll have had since surrealestate's potluck & games night is with the roommates and gentlescholar. And the cats, but I think they're getting a little tired of me ("look, human, we like you and all, but there is sleeping to do here, comprende?").

I really want to *do* something, but I'm getting winded walking to the front room. I can't seem to concentrate enough to actually read. I keep looking over the dvds and nothing appeals to me at all.

I want to go *out*. But I learned yesterday that walking *half* the distance to Davis exhausts me.

really I think I want to throw a tantrum, but I grew out of those in my teens, I'm afraid, and I usually need to have a reason for one, at least. And 'vaguely restless after 2 and a half weeks of flu, then 6 days of cold' is really not a good enough one. Stupid being grown up dumb things.

makes Aplets and Cotlets. They are some of my favourite candies, and every year my Aunt sends me a couple small boxes of different assortments.

She sent me mail earlier asking if I would like to try their brand new Pomegranate flavour.

I'm certain that's a trick question. I just looked at them for a good three minutes, salivating.

mom wants me to buy some clothes so offered to send me my birthday money gift early, so was checking in with me about when Black Friday was, so send me a little money so I could hit Target.

[17:40] Stephanie: I understand. BTW, target is offering a number of plus size things including pants on Black Friday. Sweaters for $5 and pants up to size 34 (I had no idea there was a size 34) for $10.
[17:40] joan_clarkson: so you want your birthday money when?
[17:41] Stephanie: one week from this friday is the sale day.
[17:41] joan_clarkson: so I will send it at the beginning of next week
[17:42] Stephanie: Also I'll be buying a toaster. they are going to be on sale for $3 and my old one is frotzy ;-)
[17:42] Stephanie: $3 toasters! whoo hoo!
[17:42] joan_clarkson: excellent I just bought a tfal one for 50.
[17:43] joan_clarkson: and a tfal kettle for 40
[17:43] joan_clarkson: I lost my temper with Black and decker
[17:44] Stephanie: tfal stuff is good. it'll last you forever. leave it to me in your will; even if you live another 20 years, that tfal will still be in excellent shape.
[17:45] joan_clarkson: black and decker are replacing the toaster and kettle even though the warranty is over, so I will give them to Mike and Jodi
[17:45] joan_clarkson: for and engagement gift
[17:46] joan_clarkson: because I sure don't want them
[17:46] Stephanie: how generous of you ;-)
[17:47] joan_clarkson: they will think so, but I dont want black and decker crud any more
[17:48] joan_clarkson: they have really cheap ones that I gave mike when he was on his own

(snip)

[17:51] joan_clarkson: I was over in port huron yesterday (where you and I went at Sarnia that time) and bought two new nutcrackers I now have at least 2 dozen. one is a mouse nutcracker holding a little soldier nutcracker and the other is an ordinary one but in one hand he is holding a bunch of grapes and in the other a bottle of wine, they were half price at sears so were only 12.50
[17:52] joan_clarkson: I also got 2 night gowns at jcpenny's were 38. but reduced to 8.
[17:52] Stephanie: you know, I never need to explain to anyone why I have 87 rubber ducks in the bathroom. It's obviously genetic.

enough to scout around for a ride to Persis's this saturday. Anyone heading up from around here and willing to take me?

I am unsure what I'm going to be doing, if anything, foodwise. I am sort of....in the last month, I have cooked 13 meals for potlucks and food parties and bake sales and stuff. And taught gentlescholar to cook one as well.

I am feeling...well. I've just been cooking a heck of a lot lately, you know? So for the next couple events, I might just be the tortilla chips and guacamole person. Which I consider a meal, btw. Actually, that might just be dinner tonight. Drat. Shouldn't have thought about guacamole.

I say this knowing that in a week or so I'll probably find a new recipe that makes me say, 'oh, HAVE TO'. But for the next week or two, which yes I know includes a couple turkey day things that people seem to be insisting everyone bring stuff for, and work starting Thursday, I would sort of like a holiday before diving into the constant baking that is December.

I really hope this is symptom of the old stuff that's coming to an end, and not something new and exciting.

(it kicked in just as I stood up to head to the bathroom and shower with the vague idea that I might actually get to Diesel this week. So hopefully it will fade soon so that maybe I can get out tonight, which would be novel :-P )

a few people on my friends list have said they were rethinking coming to Arisia because they would need to stay in an overflow hotel.

Yes, the new one is an overflow hotel, but as an experienced 'native' of this area, there are a bunch of points in serious favour of the newly added overflow hotel: http://community.livejournal.com/arisia/327359.html

Hell, if I had a hotel room booked at an overflow, I would cancel it and rebook at that hotel. It's lovely, $89 a night is a STEAL for it, the Shaw's has a full cafeteria style food section (when I worked down Sydney St. they actually did fresh waffles in the morning for $3 each +free toppings, though that was over 2 years ago and I can't verify it now). You will be about 3 minutes walk to Toscanini's and Mary Chung's.

In several ways, if you're not I MUST BE IN THE CON HOTEL OR ELSE, it's a *great* option.

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until I sneeze, at which a big goopy blob of ick fills it up and dribbles out.

Ulysses was in my arms for a cuddle when I sneezed, and he looked at me and suddenly mashed his forehead into my lip, the little lovenudge thing he does when we're snuggling.

Then he ran away, and he won't let me near him. Or his snot-covered head.

see? they *know*. Charo.

I am really sick. you can tell because I'm sitting around watching 70s tv series intros.

I think this looks like the penultimate Love Boat episode. There could be to finer guest list than this without Charo.

I would like to avoid having a cold at the same time as my period. At this point, that's ALL I dare ask for.