h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I've got a half hour or 45 minutes to kill, so why not catch up on my journal again.

I just returned to work today after two days out sick with the flu. I haven't taken a day off sick in eight or nine years, and have NEVER had two off in a row due to illness. My attitude toward this place must really have undergone a major overhaul... my health before my work? What a strange concept!

Seriously, though, I needed the time off to rest, I just couldn't be bothered to deal with all the tension and attitude and futility that's been going around the office lately. I almost prefer the flu.

I caught it from K, I'm sure: he's been spreading himself far too thinly and it caught up with him finally, and I have a knack for catching colds from people I have even the most casual contact with. Stupid immune system.

But I'm feeling better today, physically anyway. Never mind how bummed I am about the election outcome... I've touched on that on Terri's "Eyes" and Hellbound's "Easy as Pie" threads. No sense ranting about it here as well, unless you lot want to, in which case I'm sure I'll jump right in.

Not much else going on besides that stuff. Tonight's movie night, it's either "The Brood" (which, according to K, has killer tots in it who resemble "deranged Teletubbies"), or something I forgot the title of, but which sounded equally unwholesome. Last night we watched one from my own personal archives: Lucio Fulci's "Zombie", a real crack-up! At least I still have the simple pleasures in life. They're about all I'll be able to afford, at least for four more years. *sigh*

I've got to think of something to bring for a pot luck lunch next Wednesday. Looking at the list of contributions, there seems to be a preponderance of meat-intensive fare, so I must come up with something veggie. I hate bringing stuff and then there's nothing there for me to eat except my own dish. I ought to bring something spicy as hell, too, that'll teach 'em! My Pad Thai is too much work, and with the cost of shrimp or tofu, a bit too expensive for such an occasion. I'm thinking a nice vegetable curry (perhaps my sweet potato, green apple and yellow raisin special?), or my Ratatouille, or something like that. I'd be willing to bet Terri has some good ideas which wouldn't set me back to much $$$. Any suggestions y'all might have would be most welcome!

Well, enough rambling for now, I guess. I ought to see about some sort of libations, and a caffeine fix, before my paramour arrives.

Oh what the bleep, let's go off about the election here too!

Almost as troubling as Bush winning was all the states voting to ban same sex marriage. My brother was joking that we should move to Massachusetts. (sp?)

Yup, millions of ideas. Basically, which veg are cheap & in season where you are? Base it around that & you can't go wrong; but some combinations work better than others. There's always dhal of course, lentils or split peas are cheap & all you need to add is tinned tomatoes, onions, garlic & maybe a few potatoes.(& the deadly spices of course!)

Make sure you make any curry well in advance & cook it slowly over a couple of days if possible.

Just made a mushroom & chick pea which is nice, & today a mixed veg, which is going to be a goodie once it has festered for a while longer i reckon!

If you want actual recipes, email me OK?

have a nice snuggly evening with the &



zdt

Hi PC, I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, physically anyway. You certainly deserved a sick-day. Everyone's depressed here. My brother's moving to Canada (he says) I was feeling optimistic in spite of everything but feeling more depressed now. I've felt like I was coming down with something for the last two days but nothing's come of it, so it must be allergies.

I was just talking to someone about Italian Zombie movies. I don't remember who right now.

Hiya JEllen, Terri and Hellbound!

Sure, lets' rant away here about the election, too! The more, the merrier, I say!

How weird that you were just talking about Italian zombie flicks, Hellbound. I'm waiting for "The Beyond" to arrive next week, and want to add some Bava to my archives as well.

Terri, right now we're getting to the winter veg season: turnips, parsnips, etc. I'm sure I could fenagle some eggplant and zucchini squash (yum!). I hate using canned tomatoes, but vine-ripened ones are about $4.99 a lb. right now. I shall email you for some recipe ideas tomorrow when I get home from work if not before bed tonight. K just called from my mobile and he'll be here in 15 minutes or so... if I start an email now I'll go on and on and will have to before I'm through! Hadn't thought of legumes- I love 'em! Maybe some Bhaba Ghanoush and/or hummus dip with mini pitas... might get too pricey, though. We'll have to investigate at the grocery this weekend! I always jnow who to ask for additional spicy veggie dishes that can feed a small army! Thank you, Terri-wooh! BISOUS!!

So, how much b*tching and griping can I do about this election in the next 10 minutes or so? Frankly, I'm disgusted. Someone at work asked me if I voted based on "morality issues". I answered in the affirmative. I then explained a bit... she seemed taken aback that someone might vote based on not wanting to see "morality" legislated. I just can't see how anything so subjective can be unilaterally imposed, period. But I'm also really concerned with rising health "care" costs, and the lack of accesible and even remotely affordable health care coverage. I'm sick and tired of working my ass off day after day, picking and choosing which bills to pay and which to postpone, at the risk of ruining my credit rating (which was immaculate and prosperous during the Clinton administraion, surprise, surprise!), while having to sacrifice my health because I can't afford either insurance or a doctor visit. It really sucks.

Not to mention the stem cell research/ treatment issue, which I've discussed to some extent over in "Ask", until, predictably, a certain person came along and turned into another fundamentalist "anti-choice" debate. *sigh*

No wonder my roomate's moving to Mexico. Maybe I'll follow your brother to Canada, Hellbound, sorry as I am for you to hear that he's going.

Oh geez, I had actually forgotten for a moment about stem cell research - that makes this all worse. Bleh, bleh, bleh.

They want to own Mars and to build space elevators while they let the Hubble Telescope and the environment die. They want to control the future of space

Poo on their science priorities.

I agree Abbi

Pc glad your feeling betterer, you should have another week off I reckon.. let them remember how much they need you...

I'm currently reading Howard Zinn's 'A Peoples' History of the United States'. I'm looking forward to the bit where I discover what on earth caused the collapse of you peoples' socialist and labour movements in the early 20th Century.

(I know what happened to ours. Near fatal injury by Thatcher and a coup de grace by Blair).

PS, PS...

If eggs are allowed...you could try a tortilla or fritata of some kind to feed your small army. I sometimes make the traditional Spanish Omelette (Tortilla) - based around potatoes. More lately, I've favoured a Zucchini frittata, with maybe the addition of some leeks. Of course, originally it was an Arabic idea, and there's all sorts of variants you can make, along the lines of an Arabic 'eggah' or an Iranian 'Kookoo'.

Name some vegetables that are inexpensive and easily available in Chi. Ill. and I'll devise a menu for you! Do you have access to 'ethnic' stores?

Another idea would be a Turkish Guvec, which can be bulked up with potatoes, carrots, turnips, etc....

Ed, if you ever fancy helping set up a vegetarian restaurant, let me know OK?

zdt

Now...as it happens, my ambition is to set up a vegetarian restaurant with a twist...the twist being that I don't let on that it's vegetarian. People would come because it would be good food, not because it's vegetarian

Absobloodylutely mate!!!

So, where shall we get this going then?

zdt

Oh, Edward, you are an ! Mind, I'm a fantastic vegetarian cook, but everything I make frequently is time-intensive, and somewhat more expensive to make, since it's usually only serving 2-4 people.

I'm going to come up with a list of veggie that are plentiful and relatively inexpensive this time of year and post it shortly. Eggs would work nicely, too, a dozen cage-free vegetarian eggs costs only about $2.00 US.

Thank you SO much for your kind offer to help with recipes!

Oh, and thanks to Vix and everyone who wished me well. I am feeling better still today, though tired as hell from coughing all night. I left work an our early (to offset the hour I worked Tuesday and keep my sick time even). So I have an extra hour to play and can still crash relatively early!

YAY you are finally feeling better!
Hope you Keep going in that direction

Thank you! Still coughing, but it's nice and productive, so that means I'm on the mend. Hopefully that means I'll be feeling well and awake enough to do some hooting for a while this evening while I'm waiting for K to pick me up. Last Friday I took a seven hour nap!

I need to buy a new toilet seat tomorrow: my roommate broke it with his fat butt.

I saw a spongebob toilet seat in the dollar store the other day...

I made a veggie soup yesterday - well almost, I did use stock from boiled a chicken carcass tho that I had stored in the fridge, so it wasn't totally vegetarian, but a nice try...

I just used two pints of stock, you could use vege stock...a can of tomatoes, about 5 large potatoes, 4 onions fried in butter first...lots of salt and pepper. I added a tablespoon of sugar just to sweeten it a tad.

Simple but rather yummay and cheap

When Geo asked what it was, I called it potato and leek soup minus the leeks..

Nice with a fresh italian stick from the bakery...

If I had had some, I'd have put those like minestronie pasta wheels in there..or perhaps some pearl barley too...

Hmm, I hadn't thought of making soup! Transporting it on the bus might be a bit iffy... but as K's offered to bring something too (which likely means I am preparing two entrees ), perhaps I can get it done early enough for him to bring it home and bring it in his car for me. I have a powdered veggie base for soups, and have loads of parsnips and carrots and celery and potatoes. Some leeks and turnips, and fresh dill, with laurel leaves and allspice... could be nice! Maybe with, as you say, barley, or even some of this fantastic organic brown rice I have. Not a bad idea, either, soup! Thanks!

A Spongebob toilet seat would rock! Now I'm sorry I didn't get the Spongebob shower curtain and soap dish when I replaced my old ones.

You still up for a chat PC?

Hey YOU LOT, go see the nice shiny new Eyes thread to celebrate my 2nd HOOTOO BIRTHDAY!!

The penguin killer should pay for the loo seat if you are sure his bum broke it!

zdt*surrounded by manic cats*