No, No, Don't Bother, Carry On... Really.

Let me save you some time. There's no sense reading this.

Now, that may be cart-before-horse of me as I've yet to actually write this, but I'm lowering my standards and suspect I'll be right before I'm through. Pointless? Probably.

I didn't get what I had planned on getting done today done. Surprise? No. In keeping with the holiday, really. I didn't exercise much -- just a token bike ride up to the store and around a few blocks. I did, however, eat well. Except for the fact that I had crepes for breakfast, but I was moderate about them and very sparing on the butter. But I had a little Nutella. Emphasis on "little". Then the rest of the day? Healthy, and in reasonable portions. Everything from asparagus and artichokes (fresh!) and yogurt and wild rice and more. I think I'm being reasonable with my expectations, and I think I can keep up the habits I'm trying to form. Let's see what happens.

I will say that I've never eaten healthy like I have been in the last couple days and actually found myself enjoying the food. Like, ever. I always get bitter about it and never enjoy it, but this time I am enjoying it. Weird! That's a positive I can handle.

(My first attempt at tonight's meal was "okay" but I think a few more tries out at it might yield a delicious dish. I bought two nice artichokes and carved 'em to bits [I'm much faster than I was many moons ago when I tried it once before!] and then drowned 'em in the juice of two lemons, and sauteed them in olive oil and garlic for a minute, added salt and lemon juice, then a dozen cherry tomatoes, a cup of good chicken stock, and four chicken thighs. Covered, simmered for about 7 minutes or so, threw in a half-dozen asparagus spears, and cooked them till they were done. Served a couple thighs and some artichokes and asparagus on a bed of the rild rice with some of the reduced stock as jus all over the place. The reduced stock with artichokes/tomatoes/asparagus/garlic/lemon was fucking phenomenal, so that's how I know this dish has legs -- or thighs -- because the chicken was tasty and juicy, the sauce great, but something's missing. I'll fuck around with it later in the season when I'm not being gouged for asparagus. Today, though, it was a nice treat. Back to being cheap again, tho. Brocolli will be a good seasonal substitute.)

My holidays were pointless. I accomplished little, wrote little, podcasted NONE, and really might as well have just thrown December away. Had some good times, but that's about all I can say for the month. Oh, and did some nifty rearranging of the homestead and, hey, I like what I've done to the place, but that's it.

And in the morning, it's back to work. Oh, boy. Fun. Not like I've missed much of it -- worked 25 hours over Christmas week. Grr. Ah well.

In other news, we had another massive dumping of rain last night / this morning. Whew. Up to 150 mm fell in some regions. That's about 6 inches for you imperialists. Doesn't sound like much, but again it was enough to wash out roads, yada, yada.

Y'know, it's times like these some of us wish that Global Warming thing would hurry up 'cos this El Nino let's-rain-for-four-months bullshit wears thin on some of us. 2007 might be the last year I'm a scooter rider, y'know. Yeesh. I'm missing my shitty old green hatchback these days. I'm missing it a whole damn lot, man.

Well. My place is tidy. My fridge reasonably full. I'm tired. I should sleep, but something tells me insomnia looms. It's that day-before-back-to-work thing where the body says, "No, you're too well rested to work. Here. Stay up and think about stupid shit."

And that, my friends, is where you come in. But now I'm going to go lie on the couch and let Letterman tuck me in. I should get a giggle-snort or two out at least before a fit of the ZZZZzzZZs attacks me and declares victory with short work of it.

Now, aren't you glad I saved you time and didn't ask you to actually read this? You read it? Wow. What a waste. Three minutes you'll never again possess. May I offer you a leftover thigh? Oh, NOW you stop reading. Sure. Fine. Be that way. I'll just be over here, snacking.