Happy MLK Jr Day

Once again I’m working on MLK Jr Day. When I worked in Alabama I had the day off as a paid holiday, but ever since moving to MLK Jr’s city of birth — Atlanta, Georgia — I’ve had to work.

It Was A Wonderful Party
Each January the weather is questionable, but that doesn’t stop Little Easy from throwing a great Cajun food party.

This year I made what was loosely called a “Creole Pork.”
– one 3-lb pork loin trimmed of fat, cut into cubes, dredged in a flour/creole seasoning mix
– two medium onions, chopped into multiple sizes
– one green pepper
– one red pepper
– some frozen okra
Рtwo cans of Rotel tomatoes (I used one with green chilis, one with haba̱eros)

Put all of this into a crockpot and cook on low for eight hours. Eat immediately.

My dish was joined by a delicious cheese plate, gumbo, jambalaya, bacon bread, king cake, and beignets made at the party. To keep the theme Easy purchased a keg of Abita Jockamo to be consumed by all. I must have had a great time as my head was a bit foggy on Sunday morning.

And For My Next Purchase…
It looks like 2010 will be the Year of Replacement.

On Saturday morning I went into the kitchen to wash a couple of dishes I needed to produce Saturday night’s dish that I brought over to Little Easy’s birthday party. Upon washing the dishes I flipped the switch for the garbage disposal and all I got was a loud hum; no spinning of grinding wheels, no grinding of food particles, nothing. Of course in my house nothing is simple, so I think that replacing this is going to be a bit more difficult than I’d like it to be.

The garbage disposal was not the only kitchen item to give up the ghost this weekend. Upon flipping on the light switch the other night the compact fluorescent bulb attached to the switch lit briefly and then with a flourish blew out. I wish I had started the practice of dating these bulbs upon installation so that I know how long they are lasting, because I don’t think they are lasting as long as advertised.

Hell, if I’m replacing all of this maybe I should put my name on a list for a few organ transplants…

ITP Flickr Pic
I didn’t promise a Pulitzer Prize winner…

This is the Moon-Shine Jelly that I traded for at the Whine and Regift party that I held a couple of Saturdays ago.

It Was A Good Day For Hashing And A Better Day For Football
Yesterday I returned to “running” the Black Sheep Hash. The weather was questionable, but I knew that it was going to be a mudfest laid by Little Easy, so there was no concern about staying dry or clean. We were not disappointed…

The start was in a location known as “New Crack City” which is an industrial park on Jonesboro Road just inside the perimeter. This location is not virgin territory for the hash, but we knew that it’d be a fun-filled day. One thing we passed (and partially went through) was a vacated house in what appears to be part of a (old) land fill. The house, which has now gone into disrepair and decay was once a very nice brick single-family home adorned with some nice ironwork. One of the things I love about hashing is the appearance of things like abandoned cars and houses in remote locations.

After a quick circle I headed home for a little football viewing. I watched my beloved NY JETS! flounder during the first half of their game against the San Diego Chargers. Having much to do and not wanting to jinx my JETS! I turned the game off. Wasn’t I pleasantly surprised to see that they managed to come back and win. Next up: Hopefully crushing the dreams of ITP-Reader Martha by beating the Indianapolis Colts.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – still concerned about my health
Current Music – listening to the “Daily Giz Wiz” podcast
Website Of The Day – One of the things I like most about photography is the DIY aspect of it. DIY Photography helps satiate my appetite for DIY projects.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – Sunday: hashing, 4 miles
Morning Weigh-In – 198 pounds
Pages Of 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die Read – 37

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 4 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Pushups – 20, Situps – 50
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 1 (12*)
Vegetarian Days – 1, Carnivorous Days – 17
Marta Rides – 0
* – because I stripped the bed instead of making the bed

January Goals
– Not get fired from my job

2010 Goals
– Reduce my weight to 185 pounds (starting weight was 198 pounds)
– Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
РEarn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalape̱o Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
– Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
– Attend at least one professional photography workshop
– Enter no fewer than three photographic competitions / gallery showings
– Get the Black Sheep stats out of Excel and online
– Ride in no fewer than two 50 mile or 50K bike rides

The Unmeasurable
– Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
– Become a proficient programmer in PHP and CSS
– Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]