Oh For Fun!

Thank You, Lotion!

I am giving thanks this week for a few products, appliances, and snacks that I feel have greatly enriched my life.

Today we honor: lotion.

I don't even want to think about what life must have been like before lotion.  If my skin gets too dry it makes me want to freak out, barf, and cry all at the same time.  I am so extremely thankful for lotion.

Weirdness

I know this will mean very little to any of you, but I have been experiencing a very weird phenomenon recently.  I am pretty much totally calm, almost all of the time, with the exception of when I am watching my horrible hockey team.  The Sabres make me miserable almost every day, but I don't seem to have much energy left over for the things I am normally fretful about.  Isn't that weird?  I feel like I am burning off reserves of angst I didn't even realize I had.

Thank You, Cute Overload!

In an effort to properly observe Thanksgiving (and to fulfill my Nabglooteemoo requirements), I will be profile a few things I am thankful for over the next few days.  But fear not!  Oh For Fun will not transform into a misty-eyed shlock-fest.  You see, I am going to profile the frivolous things I am thankful for.  Food, websites, articles of clothing.  That kind of stuff. 

Let's begin!

Cute Overload is honestly one of my very favorite things in the world.  Meg is consistently hilarious without being cheesy, which is quite remarkable when you consider the subject matter.  The other great thing about Cute Overload is that is focuses only on non-human cuteness.  No babies.  I think babies are cute and all, but they are pretty lame in terms of entertainment value.  So, without pandering, and without babies, Cute Overload manages to make me laugh and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside almost every day.  Thanks, Cute Overload!

Good Morning

It worked well to blog in the early morning yesterday, so I'm going to try it again today and see if it sticks. 

A few days ago, my friend Mike sent this YouTube gem along.  It is always hilarious to watch classical music "performed" on a television show, and this is one of the best examples I have ever seen.  This is the Brahms B flat sextet being performed by four people, two of which seem to be violists.  That's right.  The piece is for six, but on the Starship Enterprise, they can play it with only four.  Also, I think that Data is a Vulcan or something, which makes his stirring performance of the violin part ("played"on a viola) extra special.  Three of the performers are actors, but for some reason, they hired an actual cello player to play the part of "Cellist".  (Wouldn't that be an awesome gig?)  Add in the fact that there seems to be some sort of emotional breakthrough occurring with one of the toga wearing audience members, and the whole thing is just delightful.

7 Weird Things

It's seven in the morning, and for some reason I popped awake an hour ago and I haven't been able to get back to sleep.  Boo!  I figured that since I can't sleep, I might as well get blogging out of the way for today.

I got tagged by the lovely Jennifer to do a 7 weird things meme.  Normally I am a big brat about doing memes, but since I'm already in the dog house for not blogging with Courtney, and I am tickled that Jen would include me on her illustrious meme list, I am going to suck it up and do this one.  However, like all memes, I refuse to pass it on.  Memes die with me.  That's just how it goes.  This particular meme is pretty non-offensive, I think.

1. I am stubborn as HELL.  I'd like to think that I mostly show up for the important things in life, but man, if I decide that I don't want to do something, I'm pretty immovable. 

2. I recently roped a lot of people into doing Nambloobleepeffthis.  I'm really sorry about that guys!  Particularly you Courtney, because if I remember correctly there might have been some guilt applied.......um, something having to do with a baby crying in sadness.  I can't quite remember the particulars.  If I could absolve all of you guys of this dreadful commitment I would.  In fact I do.  *clapclapclap* *tossing glitter into air*  There!  You are free! 

3. Yesterday I ate half a roll of Thin Mints for lunch.  I'm not sorry.

4. The other day at work, one colleague was coughing and another colleague who was sitting several yards away had some cough drops; apparantly the solution to this problem was to throw a cough drop across the stage.  I was staring off into another direction when I was hit in the viola with a flying cough drop.  Uncool, colleagues.  UNCOOL.

5. One problem I am having with Nadadblopblack is that I can't keep track of what I have and have not already blogged about.  I keep coming up with ideas, and then I think, "Wait.  Have I already blogged about this exact thing?"  I am willing to bet that I have already inadvertently repeated a story and you guys have just been too polite to point it out.  Have I?

6. I have no idea how to set the clock in my car.  When other people get into my car they ALWAYS comment on the clock blinking the incorrect time.  It just doesn't bother me that much; certainly not enough to get out the manual and to learn how to fix the problem.  When people comment on my car clock I always offer to buy them lunch if they can figure out how to set the correct time.  They never can.

7. When I was a little kid, I used to feel guilty that due to my right-handedness, my right hand got to do more stuff than my left hand.  To compensate for this discrepancy, every once in a while I would try to favor my left hand, so it wouldn't feel bad. 

Nothing

I can honestly think of NOTHING to write about or show you today.  I am drawing a complete and utter blank.  This will have to do, yo. 

Not Helpful

The other day I was at the bank, and in the corner there was a young woman sitting at a table that was covered in leaflets and posters.  One glimpse of the situation immediately told me that I probably wanted to avoid whatever she promoting.  There was no question she was soliciting for, or selling something.  As I scurried out of the bank after I had completed my business, she brightly said to me, "Excuse me, Ma'am?  Excuse me!"  When I realized I had no reasonable way to ignore her, I reluctantly gave her my attention.  She continued, "Would you like to help missing children?"

Come on. 

I actually said, "no".

And now I feel bad.  I'm sorry missing children.  I do want to help you.  I just didn't want to help her. 

I'm Cranky

Just thought you should know.

The Brown Rice Solution

I really like brown rice, which is nice because they tell me brown rice is pretty good for me, what with all the fiber and all.  The problem has always been that I cannot cook brown rice.  Maybe it's because my pots suck (possible), maybe it's because I'm stupid (probable), but every batch of brown rice I have made on the stove top has been unpleasantly sticky and gross. 

Alton Brown has provided the answer to my brown rice troubles.  Bake it! 

I know!  Who would have thought?!

This recipe has never not worked for me.  It creates perfect fluffy brown rice every single time. 

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 cups brown rice (this recipe works for all the brown rice varieties)
2 1/2 cups water (you should have this available in your tap)
1 tablespoon of butter (for added deliciousness)
1 teaspoon of salt (for increased enjoyment)

Here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (pretty easy)
Place rice in 8-inch square glass baking dish (no prob)

Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. (Easy)  Once the water boils, pour it over the rice and stir to combine.  (Don't burn yourself!)  Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.  (This is kind of tricky with the pan all filled with hot water, but you can do it.)  Bake on the middle rack for one hour.

After one hour fluff your perfect delicious rice.  Eat.

Coach

Over the years I have had the opportunity to coach a lot of teen-aged chamber music groups.  I enjoy teaching chamber music because the whole performance is reliant on the ability of the group to work as a team.  I don't think I am a very good technical teacher, but I do think I'm pretty good at fostering camaraderie between a group of kids. 

As a rule, I like coaching chamber music, but every once in awhile you get a group that is just trouble.  Maybe one of the kids isn't as good as the others, maybe they are playing a piece that's way too hard, or maybe one of the kids is just a bad seed.  These groups can be excruciating, and watching the performance can be terrifying.  It is never fun to sit and listen, praying to baby Jesus that the group can just make it through the piece without stopping. (They always make it.)

One of the funny things about teenagers (particularly girls) is that you never know what to expect in terms of their reaction to the performance.  My all time favorite reaction came a few years ago.  I was coaching a group that was playing a piece that was WAY to hard for them, they had major trouble getting along, and they had a pretty toxic member.  It was the perfect storm of unpleasant.  The concert was......well, it was successful in that they didn't have to stop, but they really didn't do any of the things we had worked so hard on, and it was a pretty rocky ride. 

I went backstage fully expecting tears, and finger pointing, and surliness all around.  The first member of the group I encountered was the fifteen-year-old second violinist.  Her face was flush with emotion and drama, and I instinctively reached out to console her, about to offer my very best "Hey, nobody's perf" speeches.   She looked up at me, eyes flashing and cheeks burning, and breathlessly said, "That.  Was so.  Awesome." 

Heh.  Yes, it was.