I WANT ONE! I am sooooooooo getting that when I get my first paycheck... in fact, that's moved to the top of the list (bumping off the much lusted after mixing bowls).

There isn't too much else going on these days. The letter came from the lawyer and the divorce should be final and whatnot in about 6 weeks (from the 24th) and then 60 days after that, they're both free to marry whoever the hell they want. In the meantime though, they're more than free to go ahead and remarry each other yet again. I know, I've been over this, that should be fucking illegal. If two people couldn't make it work the first time and the second, they should NOT be allowed to try for a third. And that's not even taking into account the fact of how many people they did upset (parents, siblings, husband fuckers, coworkers) and hurt (fine, just me) when they remarried and how much worse it'd be if they did it again. If the papers say "no chance of reconciliation" the laws should make damn sure that there isn't. Maybe I should consider law school next.

Eh, or not. I'm probably just going to continue with nursing school and not worry about the stupid culinary thing. Last night I made the coconut-chicken stir fry again but this time I added lemongrass, orange juice and lime, plus fried rice and peanut butter double fudge brownies with chocolate frosting. I'm not even that big on chocolate but man, it was divine. There's little pieces of reeses peanut butter cups in almost every bite and it tastes delicious with a big glass of cold milk. The S.O. had ordered me some cookbooks (thank you again) a few weeks back and they arrived yesterday. I got Nigella Lawson's "Nigella Bites" and "Forever Summer" and also "30 Minute Meals" cause eh, I'm a nerd and I like that damn show. Of course, I don't care how tender the meat is, you should never make ANYTHING in a slow cooker for 30 minutes but hey, everything else is pretty damn good. I'm trying to find something I can do with the leftover rice from last night. I love my ricecooker, don't get me wrong, it's my very best and most favorite gadget... I can use it as a slow cooker and to make rice and also just throw in seasonings and meat and make spanish rice, lemon rice, jambalaya etc... But god DAMN, it makes a lot of rice... even when I make the minimum four cups, it still makes enough for two meals... we were both starving last night and between the stir fry (which had chicken pieces, fresh snow peas and bamboo shoots plus the broth) and bowlful of fried rice, we were done (well, after the brownies, that is). That still left me a little over 2 cups of rice left. So I'm heading over to Mom's house today to help her (she had minor foot surgery and will be off work for the next month) do some light housework, pay some bills (hers and mine), and use some of burgundy wine and I'll probably make burgundy beef (or chicken... just creamier) with rice. That sounds like a plan...

We went to Wisconsin over the weekend... that was an unplanned mini-vacation. We were originally going to drive into the city but the traffic was atrocious so we just changed directions and headed north to Kenosha. Then we hit Kenosha, stopped for some cheese curd (original AND garlic herb), cheddar loaf, and summer sausage at the Cheese Castle (I can't believe they have a website) and kept driving north. After that it was Racine (the highlight of which was a big banner for the Natural Law Party) and then Milwaukee. We were going to keep going to Green Bay but it just seemed too far so we ate dinner in Milwaukee at the Brew City BBQ and then picked up a jug (I swear, it's a glass jug) of the best root beer in the world at the Water Street Brewery and headed back towards Chicago. But of course, what road trip would be complete without porn? Yes, right across the highway (and right across from the family orientated Cracker Barrel) is the Superb Adult Video store. So 9.95 DVD porn was purchased there and then we could head back home. So, the big purchases of the day were cheese and porn. Right on.

My Blockbuster Freedom Pass expires in like two days. I am so damn sad, you wouldn't believe it. I need to come up with an extra 30 bucks to renew it... I don't know what I'll do without assloads of DVD's to watch each month. Plus "Mona Lisa Smile" comes out in a few days and in a few weeks, "Girl With The Pearl Earring". Sigh, Scarlett and Maggie. "Lost in Translation" should've won just for the gratitutious ass shot alone. Um, anyway, eh, I need to shower so I can get going. Plus I need to return "Pieces of April" and "The Missing" so I can rent "School of Rock" and whatever else I feel like watching.

before & after