Shit.
Bummed about this. R.I.P. Lemmy.

 

Lemmy Kilmister

Saturday Happy Song - Wax Tailor - The Tune

E.Cherry, South Pasadena CA 06.2015

5 x 7″ tintype, colorized by A. Duda.

Cheese Ball Update 2015. Breaking cheeseball news!

 Student showcase/recital/belly dancer party was fun. I could have taken my costume up a notch and blended in better I think. I guess I really don't own any gold. HAHA! Oh well, I liked my more sedate look.

Didn't get goodies made for some co-workers by Dec. 18th, too much going on, was practicing the damn hip-hop piece I was bold enough to take part in all week. Listening to fucking Justine Bieber over and over. It rocked! We rocked!! I don't like the group photo for that one...I haven't gotten other peoples pictures yet...but whatever, it rocked. We worked hard. It right away felt weird that we were done. That group of ladies had been dancing learning/dancing that piece since first week of October. It became part of life for a while. So, some people missed out on fudge.

The one on the left has nuts, the one on the right doesn't. Both were huge hits. I love this fudge.

White elephant party was a success. Some people brought really lame gifts, but whatever. It was a good team builder/detraction. I was the only one that brought an appetizer. The cheese ball was a hit!!

So, it's Amy Sedaris' Cluster Haven's Pepper Mill, I doubled the recipe, added a little cayenne pepper and a little garlic power to the cheese and pecans to the crust. I was kinda scared it wasn't gonna firm up enough to roll, and I didn't want to break it in two and bring two cheese balls to work...it took about 30mins of chill time to get firm, and it still didn't entirely hold it's shape, but whatever. 

Gonna make another one for over Christmas with family. Sorta. I was ditched by both sisters for either xmas day or eve, so it's gonna be a lot of friends I hope. Though, now going out sounds better cause then I don't have to clean the house.

Ingredients

    1 stick butter
    1 8-ounce package cream cheese
    1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
    2 tablespoons grated onion
    2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper (to get really coarse pepper, I put peppercorns in a dish towel and bang it with a mallet on my floor)

Instructions

Combine the butter and cream cheese. Add in the Cheddar and onion. Mix it really well.

Form it into a ball and roll it in the pepper. Refrigerate. Serve at room temperature on a Ritz.

Saturday Happy Song - Hazmat Modine - Bahamut

"Perfect and timeless. This lady. This picture. 4-eva." ~Rachel Brice

AMEN!

Pretzel Bites update

Pretzel bites were ok on the test run, but, not amazing. And, as I said in the post when they were in the oven, a little labor intensive. I guess I was drinking too much, because I posted out of order, the one with the glossy photo from the beautiful recipe site posting second for whatever reason, so maybe it's less labor intensive if you've had less wine...I don't know. They looked nice:

Though, I don't have a pastry brush, so I dipped them in egg wash and they got a little too much on there...They were chewy, and tasted like soft pretzel!

 But, they were a bit too salty, and there was something off about them. I can't put my finger on it, but my Mr. Man said the very same thing, without prompt. I felt like there was too much baking soda in the baptizmal water (you have to boil them like bagels, that's how they become chewy), but I'm not totally sure that's it.
I didn't want to make bites with the second half of the dough after the first half produced 30 (holy cow, at least you get a lot of bang for your buck!) so I split it and made 2 little pretzel bread loves, which I gave to neighbors.

I have not heard back from said neighbors, and they have complimented me on baked goods of days gone by, so, yeah I think this first try was a little off.  

I don't have time to perfect this, so I'm going a whole other route and making a damn cheese ball. Amy Sedaris's Cluster Haven's Pepper Mill Cheese Ball. I have never made this either, but I have made other cheese balls before, and other cheese balls from Amy Sedaris before, so I'm feeling pretty good about this. Can't decide if I'm gonna tweak it and roll it in nuts cause that looks like a lot of pepper, or some pepper and nuts...I don't know, but cheese ball is my game plan for the office white elephant party.

Frank Vic

From November, but still a good read this holiday season:

How We Can Deepen Our Sense Of Gratitude

I can never forget the last twenty minutes of my final graduate course. My professor asked us to pull out a piece of paper and pencil in seven descriptions of how we would like to be remembered this lifetime. Not only did he share his list, but he also left us with some thoughtful encouragement. He reminded us to turn on our blinkers and be mindful of the times where we may drive ahead. Most importantly, acknowledging those allowing us to pass through - our family, friends, coworkers, and those with whom we come into contact.
November is a time of giving thanks and it prompts us to ask, “Who or what am I grateful for?” The challenge in deepening our gratitude is that we are often busy. The distractions and worries of daily life can consume us and leave us possibly asleep to the real riches of our lives. To cultivate an engaged and grateful heart, we are asked to create intentional time and space. As a photographer, this thought illustrates and reminds me of one of the basic principles of every single art form, which has not to do with what is there, but with what is not. In visual arts, this is called negative space. The blank space allows us to see the nonnegative space in all its hues, shadows, color, mystery and light. What is not there gives what is there meaning.

"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness. It's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude." - Brené Brown

What if cultivating time for reflection is our negative space to experience a living, breathing encounter in our daily interactions? What if we allowed gratefulness to exist in simple words of compassion others offer to us? What if love is the way it feels to lay our hand on a dear one’s shoulder? What if the greatest beauty of the day is the shaft of morning light? By seeing with our eyes, listening with our ears, and receiving with an open heart, there becomes a simplification and familiarity with gratitude as an orientation and attitude towards life.
For the last five years, I have adopted a ‘gratitude training’ into my evening routine. I spend five minutes to ask myself, “What am I grateful for today?” To deepen my reflection, I ask the following questions:

• What inspired me today?
• What do I take for granted?
• What advantages have I received in my life?
• Who has supported me along the way?

By integrating these questions into my everyday life, I am able to observe a situation from another perspective, one that is more generous, reasonable, forgiving, loving, and big-hearted. It trains the heart and mind to another set of eyes and creates space for a sense of wonder. It reminds us to not take for granted the simplest pleasures, our health, senses, the love and friendship that surround us, and the gift of life itself. In my experience, those sorts of revelations help. It is the consciousness we bring to our lives which constructs meaning and how we choose to respond in any given situation.
___________________________________
Tam Lontok is a lifestyle photographer based in Southern California. She enjoys writing and coordinating retreats to empower young adults in remembering they are loved and created whole. Her superpower lies in her compassion, but Trader Joe’s Chocolate Coconut Almonds continues to be her daily kryptonite.
 (source)

Stone Temple Pilots - Wonderful

Song that the boys dedicated to Mr. Weiland on Friday night.
Rest in Peace Scott Weiland. Your music changed my life more than you will ever know. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

No Saturday Happy Song this weekend because I woke up super late, hungover from a fantastic night with my man's band Big Bang Baby. 

We did a nice memorial for Scott Weiland who sadly passed away Dec. 3rd. I made up 4 big tubs of flowers and had 2 large posters printed up. It looked great. It was a hit! I drank too much, and spent too much at the damn bar...I always let too much money fly out the door at the end of the year cause I just don't give a fuck anymore. HAHA. Gotta reel that in, trying to get out of debt, not create more. Oh Well, it's the holidays. I'm done worrying about shit for 2015. These last 3 weeks are about enjoying my life, my family and my friends.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

So, you think you're gonna have a good day, then 2 managers need to tell you you  asked a stupid question and 40mins after clocking in you fall on your face for the first time today.

This is just my day job, these people don't matter. This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.This is just my day job, these people don't matter.

I was up till 2am arranging tubs of flowers and hanging Scott Weiland posters for the tribute tonight!!
I still rock at art. THAT'S what matters.
 

Ah, the holiday crazies!!!

Trying to polish 2 dance routines for the student showcase on Dec. 20th...trying to put together stage design for boyfriends STP Tribute band remembrance of Scott Weiland on the 11th...trying to get my costume together for Alpine Village Krampus Party on the 12th...trying to get the house together and Xmas gifts bought for family and friends for Xmas...I need my goodies for co-workers made by the 17th probably because people will be out of the office after that...it's too ambitious to try and make pretzel bites for the office White Elephant party on the 22nd right? Hot damn these look so fucking good though. And you can put the cheese sauce in a crockpot so it stays nice and hot...Fuck, I might need to give this a shot.

 

Soft Pretzel Bites

I decided to go for a test run with the pretzel bite. First batch in the oven now. This may be a little labor incentive for something I'm feeding co-workers...but my other treat is my stupid easy fudge...so, we'll see. I've never really made bread without my dad before. *fingers crossed*.

 

FOR THE JOY OF IT ALL - KARUNESH

To mellow out your day:

It's 11:23am and I am finally through sorting all 300 emails. I was out sick yesterday. I am ready to go home now...

Please?

Saturday Happy Song - Prince - Little Red Corvette

The struggle of being the nice girl and the anti-social girl at the same time.

I just want to get my work done and fuck around on the internet in my downtime. STOP TALKING TO ME!!

Boy George - First time with Johnny Carson [cc] 1984

"There's nothing wrong with being different"

Well, it's Monday night. The last night of November here on the west coast of America. December looms, breathing down our necks. Thanksgiving is done, now time to rush toward the frenzy of Christmas, slide into New Years way too quick, and wonder how the hell that happened till Jan 14th when you realize there's nothing going on again for a whole month.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Mine was half and half. Half was fun Half was fighting. Just as any good holiday should be.

Waited in line for an hour for ham (my man had already been in line for an hour at this point) went to final rehearsal for belly dance Xmas show coming up, did Full Moon yoga and mediation, was in love with the world. After shopping till midnight and filling up our cart with yummy foods at the very last minute (cause I always have to do everything at the very last minute. WHY?!!), we loaded the car, and it stalled. FUCK.

Uber, boyfriends truck, back to the store, rescue groceries, get home, bake pies...I am anxious about it. I am more anxious Thanksgiving morning when I wake up way too late and remember I have to deal with the fucking car before I can get our dinner party for bandmates rolling.

3 hours, renewal of AAA, finding out it wasn't just the battery, having car towed to mechanic I have had 1 review from my boss about but never actually met, 3 huge fights, half a bottle of wine, some tears, some pot, some vodka, a hot stove and 5 guests later we are in full swing and could not be happier about it. I really do love to entertain, it's really not always such a dramatic battle to the dinner bell. I swear, we have fun.

Friday we went out to see another band mate play in, at Canter's. I got drunk on Pinot Noir and purchased too many pastries ( Rainbow Cookies!!), then ate too many pastries. Saturday, I ran errands with my man and he took me out to lunch at Hamburger Hamlet. I had never eaten there. It was lovely. Sandwichs and beer and french fries were all great. He bought me some costume beads at a little shop before heading out to rehearsal. I know I'm getting old when a little part of me needs the work week to start so I can get back into a routine that doesn't involve so much eating.

Blessed. I am blessed. A luxurious 4 days off.

Shit you guys, I can't believe it's time for Christmas already. 

Saturday Happy Song - Stone Temple Pilots- Adhesive

Love the girl I share a cube wall with, untill it's cold and flu season...cause she doesn't know how to cover her mouth...

Gross.

Saturday Happy Song - Gene Austin - My Blue Heaven (1927)

Sorry so late. Was sick yesterday. Lots going on. Happy Weekend!

I meant to get a post in before the Saturday Happy Song, cause that would have been post 666...and then I wasn't able to get to it because work and life are a little crazy right now...

So this is my 667th post on this blog!

WHOOT!

Saturday Happy Song - Guy Forsyth - Tattletale

Better view of the Halloween costume that is actually my belly dance costume.  

A recent study done by The Conversation has drawn the same conclusion that music lovers have known for years: Dancing with others is good for your health. People are drawn to music for many different reasons. Whether it be spiritual, emotional, physical, or cultural, music has been a part of the human experience for thousands of years. The innate desire to move to a beat is a quality that we are all born with. Seriously, even babies do it.
While dancing can be taught and practiced to perfection, every single human has a natural ability to synchronize to a beat. It is one of the building blocks of humanity that continues to evolve just as humans do. As The Conversation notes in their study, “it turns out that when you synchronise even a small movement, like the tapping of your finger in time with someone else, you feel closer and more trusting of that person than if you had tapped out of time.”
The rave community is well-versed in this simple scientific fact. People love good music and love a good show, but what really makes the EDM genre truly powerful is the community that accepts everyone and anyone. When you dance with others, whether it be moving to the same beat or dancing in synchronicity, the individual merges into a collective whole. “When we watch someone else do the same thing at the same time as us, our brain ends up with a merged sense of us and them. It feels like we ‘become one,” the study concludes.
The Conversation took things one step further to test additional benefits of dancing in synchronicity with others. The study took place in Brazil, where 264 young people participated in various dancing activities that were synchronized versus non synchronized and high-exertion versus low-exertion. The study measured pain tolerance and feelings of closeness before, during, and after the dancing activities.

“Not surprisingly, those who did full-bodied exertive dancing had higher pain thresholds compared to those…in the low-exertion groups….we also found that synchronisation led to higher pain thresholds, even if the synchronised movements were not exertive. So long as people saw that others were doing the same movement at the same time, their pain thresholds went up.”

So basically, dancing in any synchronization with others increases your pain tolerance and helps you to connect with others. Music literally is group therapy – a concept that EDM champions Above & Beyond is quite familiar with. Moral of the story? Tap into those primal desires and dance!

It’s good for you.

(source)

Holy fuck it's gonna be one of those days....Just after 10am and I want to stab people already!

To try and focus on the positive here, there were 2 winners for the costume contest at work and I was one of them! YAY! I won AMC movie tickets. So, maybe I get an Xmas date to go see Krampus with my love.

Deep breaths. Don't kill people. I won't like jail.

Half hour lunch today so I can leave early and go dance. We rehearse the Deck the Halls belly dance for Xmas show in Eagle Rock. 

Saturday Happy Song - Toy Matinee - Turn It On Salvador

God help me if the woman I work with doesn't learn her damn job one day soon...

Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus.Focus. Focus.Focus.Focus.Focus.Focus.Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus.  Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. 

FOCUS!!!

Get the fuck out of here. You are an artist not a scheduler. These people SUCK!!  

Halloween 2015 coustume

I don't think you guys have seen a picture of me in a really long time, and I lost 17 pounds this year, so here ya go.  That coin bra is a reconstruction of the one I ordered online 5 years ago and never really used cause it didn't fit properly. I can actually use it to perform in now! It took about 20 hours of work so far, and I'm not quiet finished yet...I'll post a picture when I am. 

It says number 9 in the lower corner because this is my entry pic for the costume contest at work.