UH OH! or this morning in the Freep

Wow. Hmmmm It would suck to finally get to set up a hive and then have this horrendous thing happen. The Robbing The Bees dude was all over this mysterious virus. Can bugs get bugs? It seems bug scientists are baffled by what is wiping out bee colonies across the US, but nobody can explain why this unknown plague's impact seems to vary from place to place. Pete is amused by the emo name-- "colony collapse disorder", it strikes apparently healthy bee colonies and doesn't seem to respond to any treatment. It has been witnessed from coast to coast and a beekeeper may lose 40 percent to 80 percent of his hives while an apiary a few miles away will remain untouched, one researcher said.

"We've documented this has been in at least half the states of the U.S. this year," said Jerry Bromenshenk, a biology research professor at the University of Montana, and who is studying the disorder along with scientists from Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Yo Trex..I'm talkin to YOU) among others. Apparently the worker bees just abandoned the larvae.


Two words: pesticide resistent

eeep!!! Save my baby bees!

my newest hero

This guy is hilarious. I am about peeing myself. I can hardly breathe he is making me laugh so damn hard!! (If you ain't watching LOST--don't bother...If you are watching LOST book mark this dork.)
The best damn blog ever..

this morning in the freep

Petey read me the story about the English dude who got busted for animal cruelty because he was keeping like thirty some sheep in a residential area. I am still giggling. The bobbies caught up with him (but because they don't carry guns they had to reprimand him VERY forcefully) when the poor confused sheep were discovered eating plastic flowers at the local cemetery. and here I thought the neighborhood cat lady was crazy! I have to admit... I do understand. I would keep sheep if I could--well goats actually... lil Nubian goats..they are sooo cute!! and a hedgehog. I would like a hedgie. Is there a bustle in yer hedgerow?

silly sunday

The 1st Annual Festifools Celebration on and around Main Street,
The Street Theater Art (START) Project is preparing for our first ever "FestiFools" event, taking place in Ann Arbor on Main St. between Liberty and William on Sunday, April 1st (no joke), from 4-5 p.m. The event will feature larger-than-life "street puppets", creative percussion music by Groove, and wacky costumes and merry-making by people from across the community.

brave new world

I don't want to be a tourist in my kids' world.

According to Stephen Colbert, "Librarians are hiding something." Could they be hiding a fear of technology? I asked the WMS librarian if the kids actually used the dusty encyclopedias (from 1997). She kinda hedged an answer with some blah blah blah about research topics. If, dear one-- we recall the educational theorist Marc Prensky who contends that students actually absorb knowledge faster & more readily than we did-- and apply his ideas to the The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznic--you may get some insight as to why I am reading Samurai Champloo graphic novels backwards. Okay I am not actually reading them backwards but like some other languages (Arabic--& I believe Japanese) the direction of the text printing is reversed from that of standard English. But what about the complete loss of words? Contemplate the replacement of ideas with EU like "international visual symbols"? Let's go beyond the vaguely skirted figure on the piss room door and consider a new genre. One that is visual--Ukiyo or Manga--a more commercial medium...easily accessible. Oh Herr Gutenberg what did you start?

According to the New Zealand Herald; my fave dead white guy is now getting the manga treatment. "Manga is a perfect medium because it is a dramatic and a visual medium," said Emma Hayley, director of publishing company Metro Media, who came up with the concept of manga Shakespeare plays two years ago. Manga versions of Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet were launched in Britain on March 1. They are also being published in the United States and Japan, Hayley said. She will next release The Tempest, Richard III and Midsummer Night's Dream, with an ultimate goal of publishing the whole set.
The popularity of manga along with a love of Japanese food such as sushi and growing appeal of Japanese fashion is serving to demystify Japan, said Professor Marie Conte-Helm, director general of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, a charity that supports links between the Britain and Japan."

I am contemplating introducing Zoli to my old faves: Gaimin's The Sandman or Frank Miller's Dark Knight,guess I better blow the dust off 'em.

yay carl!

www.carllevin.com

initial response???

EWWWW.
Do you want to eat animal clones?
I copied this from an email I got this morning from a group called Care2. They have their "action alerts"--but now I wonder what all of you think--check it out--

"If you answered no, you're not alone – most Americans would rather not eat milk and meat from cloned animals. Yet the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering allowing milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring to be sold as food, without any requirement to label this food as derived from clones – meaning cloned meat and milk could soon be coming to a market near you.

What's the problem with food from clones? Cloning produces unhealthy animals who suffer needlessly. Clones die at a young age, suffer birth defects, and are often treated with antibiotics, possibly contributing to an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria.

New food technology such as animal cloning should be proven safe for humans and animals before being allowed on the market. Urge the FDA to keep the moratorium on meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring and to require food from clones to be labeled if it is ever allowed on the market.

UPDATE: The deadline for comments is April 2nd - please act today!"


So I signed it--seems pretty icky.

What say you science heads?? David? Bogdan?

dreamy

We are officially in love. THere are some shots from the back yard at my www.homepage.mac.com/wgouine1/ page (click on the album named wildlife) of the house we may buy. There are some online shots at Yahoo's real estate page. It's at this link. Yep--took the boys through the inside--everybody approves. Pete, Izzy and I were on our third trip. We had dragged Matty and Z out before just to see the outside , but this trip Ambie got the key and we all spent a good hour and a half rechecking the interior. How could you not love it? It is everything we want. Okay the decor is obsessively neutral but THERE ARE CLOSETS and..they are in the Ann Arbor School district!! (cross yer fingers and light some incense. Petey is crunching numbers.) It is out by Emerson School, between Wagner and Zeeb Rd. sigh

can i have a little space??

Look what Pete found! I love Ypsi. really... I do!

(Does a bear shit in the woods? not if he is staying at the Baymont Inn!)

veddy bad indeed

oooh we like fondue very much. mmmmmmmmm, delicisioso.
Melisant did two delightful courses of dippable numminess. It was ab fab! I need to get me one of those lovely little things. First we did cheese with bread and veggies and THEN the chocolate--OH MI GAWD--little bits of minty or peanut buttery or BLACKBERRIES!! ahhhhhh so yummmy.

(And a plus dear one! I managed to hang out with Eli for over three hours and I am pretty sure I didn't say anything stoopid!! With two.5 bottles of wine involved yet) Actually in reflection I am not sure what was better...the fondue or the conversation.
lovely.

preview--

It seems like I always write about stuff after it happens. Plus I don't have pix from Brookie's Bowling B-day last night because altho I carried the cake box. I left the camera on the kitchen counter. Let's mix it up a bit--We'll play predict the weekend--(Pete is at the hospital (with the pics from last night on his phone!) and I am of course BORED. (I have decided however, that I am incapable of replacing the upstairs bathroom fan w/out supervisor-y assistance). So the big item on the agenda today is to hook up with Ambie and make him our official real estate agent. Formal prediction #1 Gonna meet him at Bombadils at 3. I should type up a wish list of the dreamhouse. That could be vaguely entertaining. Or I could cough up a lung. that would be a worthy waste of time.

Because last week we tortured them sooo horribly the kids get to drive the party bus this weekend-- so far their plans have included cartoons. I should go into the A2 farmer's market while they are entranced. But NOOO, I sit here playing with myspace and logging the monotony.

TOMORROW NIGHT! Melisant is having a fondue party! I've never had fondue; despite being alive in the '70s I have never dipped bread into bubbling cheese sauce with a pointy fork. I guess fondue was just too suave for rural Tuscola county. I am looking forward to that. I like Melisant VERY much. She can kick my ass at Scrabble. OH! okay here is Formal prediction #2. I will say something asinine that assures Joe/Eli looking at me askance. It's a thing we do. He tries to initiate a conversation then I say something totally off the wall and assure him I am insane. I don't know why I turn into a babbling idiot in front of Eli. Maybe because he is soo freaking cool. I love him. Maybe if I don't drink I could keep my collective shit together long enough to survive an evening w/out invoking my inner dipshit.--hmmm doubt it. I'm way good with Arianna--it's really just Joe. I get all fan girl-y I guess. well cross your fingers darling reader--help me not be a doofus.

5 things one should not do when one has a head cold

1. Decide that it is time to re-read King's The Stand. Not only did I buy a cheapy paperback that has smudgey tiny print thus making my eyes water more--but it is a story about people dying from snot. Not clever when one is currently battling snot. The novel is holding up well 29 years later, despite King's lack of knowledge of CD's & cell phones.

2. Inversions during Yoga. Not a good idea.

3. Blow your nose so hard your head swims and you get all dizzy.

4. Drink milk. Am I the only person to whom cold milk on a sore throat is just painful and wrong? The first signs I know that I am really and for truly sick? I get "fever eyes" and milk tastes like ass. Sort of the reverse of Gatorade. PENNSIC LEGEND-- If you are dehydrated Gatorade tastes "good"--well Gatorade has NEVER tasted good to me so I guess I have never been dehydrated.

5. Bend over (forward bend style) to clip the leash on the stoopidawg--who is thrilled that she gets to go play in 50F muddy field, and has just chosen to to show her enthusiasm-- as you bend over thus smashing her furry little bod directly into my sinus stuffed face. groooan

two places at once

Well favored reader, last night was certainly unusual. How to be in two places at the same time? It was of course Tuesday night, which meant that Z. was at his play writing workshop at 826. He loves it! and there was no way we could ask him to skip it in favor of his sister's 3rd grade music recital......despite the fact that she got to "Polka with a Porcupine". Zoli's workshop runs from 6-7:30 and is out by the mall. Peanut's little class final thingy was scheduled to start at 7 and was about three blocks from the house. So we dropped Z off and came back home.

6:40 Up at Estabrook Elementary Isabel was so excited she was vibrating. We chose seats from the lovely selection of folding chairs which were all lined up in the cafeteria--thus allowing only the first two rows of the audience any clear view of the chilldwens (most of whom I want to point out are not much taller than chairs themselves), and finally we rock, paper, scissored to see who would go fetch Z home. Pete won. He chose to stay and watch Isabel's whole show.

Now, with the decision made as to who was going to do what-- I hoped that because she was in the third entry on the program, I might actually get to see her dance number. I planned to leave at 7:20 in order to get Z at 7:30 (they often run a few minutes late and he knew what was going down so we figured we were all good.)

7:05 they are still getting arranged on risers.
7:07 they play the same song on the recorder (variations on Hot Cross Buns) about 7 times
7:15 I realize that I *should* leave, they finish "Amazon Rock" (2nd entry on program)
7:16 Isabel gets "picked" to polka with a porcupine wearing a yellow T-shirt.
7:17 I sneak out and do 80 mph out get Z man.
7:44 back in the 'hood-- we easily spot Pete & Isabel with Lilly & crew--walking home. Pete gets in the back seat ( there is a first time for everything) with the girl and we finally get to chill.

What I saw of Iz's performance was cute, great kids, awesome teacher, everybody was having fun--I do like Estabrook. But no more double dipping. crazy

45% less fat!

Eric always gave me crap for buying Chex Mix instead of making it, but seriously this is some tasty shit. store bought or not.

I think we broke the kids

The kidlets were very patient this weekend, perhaps TOO patient. They got "baptized*" with Guinness at the Gaelic League of Detroit's beer tent, Izzy had a lot more fun once she got shamrock beads and green glo necklaces and her Daddy carried her around on his shoulders so she could see all the crazy grown ups in Leprechaun costumes trying to step dance--we saw lots of limos and big silly hats, balloon sculptures made into beer steins and watched FunkyChris' neighborhood pub (that would be Nancy Whiskey's in Corktown) run outta Guinness at 3 in the afternoon!

Then we went back to Chris' to watch MSU end their roundball run. That was sad. ): Poor Sparty boys.

On Sunday it was Uncle Timmy's b-day and the official housewarming gig! As the afternoon of crudites and delightful dips wore on it became obvious that the kids were sick. They were being WAAAY too complacent. They just sorta sat in the beautifully decorated TV room ( I am soo jealous it is home movie heaven) watching DVDS of The Simpsons--which is pretty much the same thing they did the night before. On the way home from Lansing, in between coughing and sneezing (because the sudafed had worn off two hours earlier) Zoli pointed out that

"Next weekend we get to choose!"




*
I drew smiley faces on their foreheads w/ a bit of foam

Frank Sinatra Baldwin

well... it seems that Frank (the red eared slider turtle that moved in this past summer) has taken to leaping out of his tank. Thus encouraging the dogs to play floor hockey with him. (Note to turtle: Dogs= BAD!) after three escapes I finally lowered the water level in his tank so that unless he gets a running start he can NOT clear the side of the aquaturtlarium. silly turtle. Pete did some quick math and it appears that after falling the equivalent of five stories; Frank is not only unharmed--but quite "sturdy" if not severely depressed. Speaking of depressed--The prob is that if the doggies don't discover his actions, he blends right in with the carpet runner and once I nearly crushed him!

sitting in the corner

chewing on myself, rocking back and forth or pacing--I am crazy.

I must pull on the PTA mask and step forth into the melee. Is it spring fever--is it built up goth angst? Unreleased words? Shit is not under my control--Look at my bloody horoscope

Your intuition can get you out of a difficult place today, for you will simply know what to do as long as you don't try to figure out the source of your knowledge. This is not about book learning, nor is it about facts. Somehow you are receiving vital information directly off the airwaves, as if you were a radio tuned to a station that's broadcasting the answers. Listen carefully and act without questioning.

FUCK.

Good thing there is public license to get shit faced tomorrow.


checking edge on blade--good--extra sheaf of arrows--good, leather armor? off we go.

Ides of March

The first Shakespeare play I read was Antony and Cleopatra--then I promptly picked up Julius Caesar, mind you this was in the 8th grade. I had to look up the term "Ides", sadly we didn't have wikipedia back then so I couldn't read "A day in the Roman calendar, that marked the approximate middle of the month, i.e., the fifteenth day in the months of March, May, July, and October, and the thirteenth day in the other eight months." Shakespeare had used the term making it seem like a horrible horrible thing--he may have been right! Especially if you consider the SNOW we got last night. (insert audible groan)

Little did I know back then (that would be oh... graduated in '85 so '81 was my frosh year ..hmmm 1980!!! ye gods!) that today I would not only be enjoying a great program on HBO called Rome, or that my husband would become obsessed with House Julia -Nor did I know that my dear friend and favorite bead pusher Tarik would crack a joke in his myspace blog about "Cleopatra riding Pullo like a carousel horse" that would make me giggle maniacally at random moments. That is such a pretty image in my head. I have always admired Cleopatra and remembering that sex scene makes me VERY happy.

Young Snape or a huge cat

The bum had a pet cat--the vampires shaved it so they wouldn't get a mouthful of hair!! ROFLMAO!!

remember the fan art by ambient black-- the emo portrait that I just loved? There is a character in Moore's new Vash novel You Suck, Abby's "Foo Dog"-- her manga prince-- that I can't seem to shake. I saw a kid is a yellow street rod and about laughed myself silly. I may need a manga boy toy. It's all about the hair bayby!

Spring Training for Pennsic

Morning routine

7:15 wake up. kiss Zoli and Pete good bye--(this morning Zoli was wearing red & blue plaid shorts --old man Bahama style a green and gray striped rugby jersey and birks. Oi!)
read Freep, pack Izzy's lunch, help her with her hair-maybe check email quick.
8:15 walk Izzy to school, then continue hike with doggies thru cross country trail
9:30 yoga, sit ups etc. Today I got to add give the beasts a bath because they were covered in mud--started a load of laundry WHOOPEEE!
10:00 a.m. eat= less than 500 calories. today was a bananna, 1/2 cup strawberries, a plain yogurt and 1/2 cup granola why is ist so easy to "behave" in the morning... by myself? Why is it the later in the day it is the more likely I am to succumb to an extra handful of almonds? or dip in to the PMS chocolate? By the time Z gets home at 2:30 I have convinced myself that because they are not transfat it is cool to have half a bag of tortilla chips. ): I am always really good in the morning and then plan mashed taters fer dinner? And the later I stay up (say past 10 pm, the more I am sure I need to eat. Eric and Pete used to tease that if I stayed up past 11 it was "Daye's feeding time") sigh. It was easier when the thyroid was mysterious and I could blame my lack of self control on a broken organ. Now--I just need to cowboy up and stay outta the cookies.

So--finally the point of today's entry: this morning I added an extra set of crunches and push ups cuz it is time to start training for WAR!! Me and my bow goin to PA, gonna cook some cow and get some archery points for the Kingdom of Norfshield. Did I tell anybody about my spiffy new bracer?? oooh pritty!!

Vash rules!!

10 outta 10.

I was laughing so freaking hard. I got the hiccups. Brilliant. Here is one excerpt I found particularly amusing:

from pg 203 (during the blue rent-a -hooker's funeral)

"Out of his coat he pulled a bong the size of a tenor sax, and using a long lighter designed for lighting fireplaces, he sparked that magnificent mama-jama up and bubbled away like a scuba diver having an asthma attack."

I am going to check out the rest of this charming young man's output. His author photo is quite appealing. I like mischief. I remember reading about "Bif" (Jesus' buddy) back a while ago. should be fun.

tuesday

YAY for sunshine! Huzzah for washing the car! Cheers for 62F! get to see Timmy&Rick! get to See Chris&Gretch! Hurray yippee--skip skip--

all the shocks flesh is heir to,

Food for Thought Plates by C.S.Anderson

Well darlin' reader--if last weekend's "deep thoughts" concerned themselves with lofty-- more spiritual goals--this weekend was a big meaty slap in the face. To quote my philosophical sophomore, "Oh! big surprise! Humans are meat." We attended the Detroit Science Center's controversial exhibit Our Bodies Within. Although I could ramble on about how well done the displays (Paulie you would be proud) were-- and in fact how lovely the whole museum was. (five stars. totally) I think my most astute observation was one of two concepts I can't seem to shake.

The first was that upon viewing the bit of some dead prisoner's lower extremity I immediately thought--"ooh good soup stock". The foot had been cleanly sliced about four inches above the ankle and was displayed so that the bones were in cross section. It looked remarkably like a a ham hock. I am not sure what Freud would say. Several times the gross dissection was just too reminiscent of carving a roast. I did some careful breathing here and there, especially by "splodo man".

Artistically, the two most eye catching displays were either this dude (Zoli named him Splodo--actually Z named most of the corpses--we'll get to Elmo n a minute) whose muscles had been splayed out as if he were being peeled. Vaguely like a bloomin onion (tm).

The second most artistically presented cadaver was the "Million Slice Guy". Pete & Matt both confirmed this was their favorite. The body had been sliced into 1 inch thick slabs from the feet up. This gave the body the appearance of being like twenty feet long. Much like the neonate display (which I completely avoided) I did not study this as closely as I might have.

I was kinda having a hard time.

Pete however was all sparkly eyed & bouncing around lecturing the kidlets. Which gets me to my second big observation.
My husband is perverse.

But we all knew that. I wish you all could have seen him bouncing around like a kid in a candy shop. He was so keen; so excited-- and just really having a good time. Prly, the way I look when I am in Stratford! I was very proud of the self restraint he showed when Izzy was getting a little green around the gills. He took her over to the--"Ewww I can't handle this anymore" couches and sat with her for a minute. He was eager to relinquish his fatherly post and dive back in after I was finished with "Elmo".

"Elmo" was absolutely fascinating. yes, Z. named the display "Elmo" which was an excellent moniker as the similar appearance was remarkable. All the corpse needed was big googley eyes. The plastic process used to preserve the flesh is fantastic. The fuzzy appearance of all the trillions (dare I say it? brazillions) of each of tiny corpuscles and the highway network of veins and arteries..absoo lutley fucking amazing. The kidneys & liver are not so much flesh, as I had imagined them, but really just incredibly dense, like a sea sponge-- little branches of coral. A rain forest canopy in our fingertip. Stunningly beautiful and so intricate. This time it was breath taking but I didn't feel faint.

****
Swooning however might have been a option later that day. After lunch at Hella's in Greektown (which was as always delish) we came home-- let the doggies out, took a walk & a nap and then we all toddled down to the State where the flesh was a LOT easier to look at! Oh friends! If you like Frank Miller's art (he sure can puddle a cloak!) and rock hard chiseled abs go see the spectacle that is 300. This film was a blast. Historical inaccuracy aside--it was a beautiful blood bath. The movie like the graphic novel was of course extremely violent but in a way that between the slo mo and the color treatments was pure art. Our friend Pace (an artist himself and a connoisseur of things visual) said--"It was like watching a moving painting."

It was very much like a the cutscene at the end of a kick ass video game. If you don't like video games or naked men...don't go. I am thinking it might be a fun thing to do again if it rains today!

they hold alot more than you think

This was an interesting and familiar link. It was brought to my attention by the Sustainable Ypsi folks. I have been known to collect things. And, like my black T-shirts, action figures, fridge magnets and coffee cups, one can never have enough tote bags.

Last week when Z was bagging up the recycling a brown paper bag he was using to encase the newspapers ripped. Big surprise eh? What was worth mentioning is his reaction, "WHY do you get paper bags from Hofoods? You know they will rip. WHY? do you go there?? their produce is more expensive and their parking sucks! This coming from an 11 year old boy; who-- granted was mostly frustrated that he had to do his chores and was being distracted from RollerCoaster Tycoon3 on the 'puter. I was surprised at both his vehemence and his concerns, who woulda thought he tuned in that much?

One more quick grocery bag comment--the bag packers (if you get one) never quite understand how efficient my canvas bags are. Seriously, 2 canvas bags hold as much as 8-10 plastic bags (which I detest) or 4-5 paper bags which will at some point rip.
So I take my three canvas bags and then any overflow goes into paper. Unless I forget the canvas, then all paper. I don't care for string bags--they are just too--wacky and stretchy and tangley uppy.

mushrooms

At Hiller's last week I noticed they have a new spin rack in the middle of the produce section. It had a variety of dried things, like chili peppers, herbs and spices. It made me smile to see a little package of dried morels (all withered and desiccated like a cat poop that had fallen behind the litter box). I picked up the four by four cello package and flipped it over in search of the price tag... $14.99. I dropped it like it was steaming warm cat poo. SWEET JESUS JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING!! What the f@$* were they thinking?? Holy shite! I can walk out in my grandpa's woods and pick two pounds for free! Like venison and raspberries, smelt and cherry tomatoes...some food should just be "free" in my head--or at least so cheap you can gorge yourself on it. I dreamt last night about my grandpa's blackberry bushes. Berries the size of a grown man's thumb, purple black and bursting with sunhot sweet. Blackberry crumble with vanilla ice cream-- I would eat two pounds and bring home two pounds for free--NOT $3.99 for a half a cup. pathetic.

my imaginary farm

This morning in the Freep (gods-- I love saying that!) there was a lovely article about the butterfly house at the the Detroit Zoo. Longtime readers will remember my discussions of butterfly terrorists from previous entries; but, in sharp contrast--this morning I was pleased to see that Entomologist Palombi is growing lupines (in a bunch!) to feed baby butterflies. Apparently, the little 'Karner Blues' are endangered (the only other Michigan native on said federal list is the 'Mitchell's Satyr') and so the raise and release program. Pretty spiff eh?

I couldn't help but draw a parallel (in my pre coffee haze) between a comment she made about the ecosystem and the book I finished last night. I really enjoyed "Robbing the Bees". It was very inspirational. I think I want a bee hive. There are at least two in the neighborhood already, Deb & Beth have one down Grant St and Brooke's backyard neighbor has one. So there is a precedent set, unlike Simone's poor chickens. ): We mustn't upset city council now must we? (gleefully rubbing my hands together ala John Ashcroft & Mr. Burns---bwa ha ha ha ha) No..No *I* would never insult my city elders! (cackling like General Grievous)--Can't you just see me and my imaginary farm? Right out back by the bike shed--a beehive, four hens and a cock (of course) and a goat! and maybe even a hedgehog or a golden goose! No-- now I am just being greedy and trying to reference Willy Wonka because I haven't ever done that here!

Silliness aside --I have registered for an 8X16 plot in the community garden for two reasons: 1.) so the current livestock (ie., Stoopiddawg & Jarvis) won't trample this year's tomatoes. MASSIVE ASIDE ALERT: ooh I Gotta tag Jim next door-- because prior to Boomer (his Great Dane) digging graves in their backyard, Jim always shared his extra produce. Now we can have our gardens out of the doggie traffic pattern and finally, REASON 2.) out of the shade cave!

I am looking forward to starting seedlings. Matt was even intrigued by the grow lights in my Burpee catalog. SNORT!

OH MI GAWD!!

Look at the buttons!! Swoon

ding dongs and ho ho's

I was going to brag about my new cheese hook up: John at Zingerman's yeah...mm hmmm--oh yeah he is my new crush.
I HEART MOLDY CHEESE!
BUT!! instead dear reader--I will re share (kinda like re-gifting no?) a thing that Johnna posted on the Middle Kingdom Cook's list. I immediately remembered freezing ding dongs for bus rides to gymnastics meets. That and frozen HI-C in the big can. and bananas--gymnasts are weird. Well maybe teenage girls are weird. Actually ya know what is weird??--this dude I have heard of--he was a HS science teacher--in like his first week as a teacher --he put a sealed twinkie on the top of his chalkboard... and then when he retired--the twinkie was still good! amazing urban legend!

Brooke bakes stuffed cuppycakes which has gotten me started on recreating Hostess treats in a slightly more wholesome fashion. very successful. Here is Johnna's post

For all of us whoever wondered or were asked what was
in those little snack cakes---

Being released today March 1st is the new book
Twinkie, Deconstructed by author Steve Ettlinger.

In this fascinating exploration into the curious world of packaged foods, Twinkie, Deconstructed takes us from phosphate mines in Idaho to corn fields in Iowa, from gypsum mines in Oklahoma to oil fields in China, to demystify some of America’s most common processed food ingredients—where they come from, how they are made, how they are
used—and why. Beginning at the source (hint: they’re often more closely linked to rocks and petroleum than any of the four food groups), Ettlinger reveals how each Twinkie ingredient goes through the process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder with a strange name—all for thesake of creating a simple snack cake.
TWINKIE

There's also an article in the March 5, 2007 Newsweek on page
50.

ice ice baby

When I was kid, it never failed, if I planned the all important 11 year old girl slumber party-- My birthday plans would be ruined by horrendous weather. No girls could come out into "the country" to play because the back roads were so drifted. Well apparently the curse is getting as old and feeble as I am because a.) it is late (didn't get here till about 6 this morning) and b.) it didn't even close school just regular Michigan ick. In 1976 Tuscola county (and much of lower Michigan) was hit by THE ICE STORM. We were off school for at least two weeks and the snow was SOOO deep (okay i was only like 3.5 feet tall but still) My dad's friend Benny helped us dig tunnels under the ice crust. My sister Amy & I were like hamsters in snowmobile suits. Kat was so little that Daddy put her in the snow she freaked out and when he picked her up her boots stayed in the snow! We had a wood stove and a well so it was really an adventure for us. Like Little House on the Prairie but with better board games. I remember drying laundry by the woodstove because the electric dryer wasn't happening. It was fun for me...poor Mom. Funny how your perspective changes eh?

Gotta go warm up the bug.