Monogamy is stronger than Menage a Trois

Since I enjoy the ocassional Menage a Trois, I succumbed to impulse and also decided to try Monogamy.

Monogamy is deeply red and serious about being good. It's syrupy, full of blackberry, cherry and sweetness and yet so strong it'll make your head swim. The smell of Monogamy isn't very good, though; I'm not sure what went wrong but it was plasticky. Still, tastes great, but probably overpriced at $12 a bottle. I'd expect something like this to go at $6 or so at Trader Joe's.

Monogamy is 13.5% alcohol (whoa), which is way stronger than the Menage a Trois. It tastes highly processed; not merely blended, but probably separated and re-constituted. This is a world away from terroir, and suitable only for parties and (ahem) getting ready for main events.

Dammit, EnKi, it's all your fault.

Your November 27th poll has put a serious damper on one of my favorite breakfasts. Now I can't eat the stuff without thinking about the noble aspirations of mankind!

Er, wait, that's not it.

When the Stars are Right...

According to Wikipedia, the most still place on Earth is on top of an icy plateau in Antarctica known as Ridge A, several hundred miles from the South Pole. The stars do not twinkle in the sky because there is no turbulence in the atmosphere to distort the light.

Down there, they are cold, uncaring stars.

Certainly, we were in one of the strangest, weirdest, and most terrible of all the corners of earth's globe. Of all existing lands, it was infinitely the most ancient. The conviction grew upon us that this hideous upland must indeed be the fabled nightmare plateau which even the mad author of the Necronomicon was reluctant to discuss.

- H. P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

Yums of the day!

Breakfast: Oatmeal. 1/2 cup oats (not instant, not cut; the real stuff), 1/2 tbs brown sugar, large pinch of salt. Stir in a non-stick pot. Add 1/2 cup nonfat milk, 1/2 cup water; bring to a low boil, then drop to a simmer and stir for five minutes. When thickened, remove from heat, add 1 pat of chilled butter, cover. When the butter is fully melted, breakfast is ready. One serving.

Lunch: Tuna sandwich with home-made mayonnaise (1 cup "light" olive oil, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp lemon juice) and diced red onion.

Dinner: Lentil Stew. 2 strips bacon, meaty ham bone left over from Christmas dinner, thawed. 1/2 cup red lentils, 1/2 cup green lentils. Celery, carrots, a medium onion, about the same amount of each, and 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine. 2 quarts turkey broth from the freezer, made with last year's Thanksgiving turkey. 1/2 tsp tarragon, 1/2 tsp sage, 1 tsp rosemary, 2 tsp thyme.

Cook the bacon until crisp in a deep, non-stick cookpot. Remove with a slotted spoon. Saute the vegetables until soft and glassy, then add the lentils and stir, about 1 minute. Add 1 quart broth, ham-bone, and herbs. Let simmer 30 minutes, then add enough broth to cover. Simmer another 30-45 minutes, tasting every 5 after 30 until the lentils are done. Crumble and add bacon, stir to warm, and serve with a dense bread.

Drink: 1.5 shots elderberry syrup. 1 shot half & half. 1 shot bourbon. Fizzy water to top.

Good thing there are no hamsters in the house.

Otherwise...

The day has been okay. I feel bad because here it is, the second, and I haven't done anything other than babysit the encoder and spit out videos as fast as electronically possible. I've just been a schlub, entertained to death. Omaha and I blowed each other in Quake 4.

[Edit: "Away. Blowed each other away."]

We broke down the Christmas tree and took it back to Ikea. That was fun. Kouryou-chan helped take off all the ornaments, the Omaha and I walked it over to the back porch and heaved it over the side. The vacuuming was fun afterward.

I feel like I cleaned the kitchen a half-dozen times.

I've been reading this series called The Journal Entries. You know, that Elf guy could write. Whatever happened to him?