updating

the only reason i have is laziness.  i have been meaning to get on here and post, but get easily distracted by the tv (my favorite show right now is face off on syfy channel) , facebook (my current obsession is playing monte carlo solitaire in addition to cafe world), reading (i am perusing my way through under the dome by stephen king 1000+ pages), cats (boris, rocco, waffle, and buford are the cutest kitties ever!), baking (cookie bars are my latest creation).  shane, beth, ken, and i ventured to chicago on sunday to see the godfathers at the double door.  had a great time.  had an interesting time.  great time:  dinner at the blue line bar & grill (cuban sandwich, garlic fries, peanut butter and jelly martini).  vip seating at the club, a rocking good show.  back in 1987 or so i was thrashing around the club in milwaukee to the godfathers and 2011 i was standing front stage.  went to the liars club to hang out with the band afterward.   interesting time:  flat tire.  2:00am.  chicago.  roadside assistance, temporary spare, replacement tire, and we were on our way home.  6:00am.  needless to say, monday was a day of rest.  tuesday became wednesday, became thursday, now it's saturday.  somewhere in there i changed car insurance companies, shoveled snow a number of times, washed clothes.  oh yeah, applied for jobs too.  i had this idea that i needed to update my resume, keep it fresh.  i decided to use generic terminology for work funnctions accentuated by buzz words.  did some research online, worked on the resume for a couple of days, several versions later, the first updated one sent out yesterday.  we'll see what happens.  i actually like the new style.  there's flood warnings for the remainder of today and tomorrow, heavy rain, warm temperatures, and melting snow.  dinner tonight, maybe coffee, maybe a movie.  who knows.  we'll see.

behold

my favorite artist is josh agle, better known as “shag”.  his art contains recurring themes of voodoo, devils, musicians and tiki bars rendered in a graphic 1950s style. He is generally associated with the lowbrow art movement.  he has produced exclusive pieces for disneyland and walt disney world.  i love the feel and appearance of his works.  they represent consumerism and consumption on vividly colored, sharply rendered panels.  the print featured is palm springs serenade artist proof, sold out edition 12 color serigraph 53cm x 74cm © 2003.

rejection

today's post is one out of frustration.  i am routinely and repeatedly applying for jobs.  not just jobs related to my area of expertise, but for any position, to get a little cash flow.  out of all the resumes i submitted for jobs, i have received three notifications from the companies i have applied at.  that is pathetic.  granted i do not like receiving rejection letters, i would appreciate a thank you for your interest in the position applied for letter.  there is no excuse for any company to not respond to an applicant.  that is what the human resource department should be doing.  that is their job.  why are they repeatedly failing to do their job?  it is equally as frustrating to receive letters stating that due to the volume of responses you have not been chosen for the interview process.  what criteria are they basing decisions on?  font style?  picture?  bribe?  seriously.  even more frustrating is reading that employers are not even considering hiring anyone out of work for over six months.  tens of thousands of people are desperate for work, but they are only looking for people currently employed.  WTF?

hot and cold

damn it's cold outside.  i have been baking a lot.  i have discovered i enjoy baking a lot.  it makes me wonder if i should put forth the effort and start seeking a job working at a bakery.  it's just a thought at the moment.  i remember helping my mom bake cookies at christmas time.  i remember assisting my grandma bake apple pies.  she always made me my own special one.   good memories.  i've made granola crisp, oatmeal scotchie bars, toll house cookie bars.  i ventured to make cinnamon bread too.  i found a recipe, tweaked it.  the bread turned out pretty good.  i tweaked the recipe again and this time the cinnamon bread is excellent.  you gotta like cinnamon to like this bread.  yum. 

mattAtomic cinnamon bread

ingredients


dry ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

wet ingredients
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

struesel ingredients
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 stick margarine

directions


preheat oven to 350 degrees F
grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.

mix dry ingredients together; flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

blend wet ingredients; milk, lemon juice, oil, eggs and vanilla.

combine wet and dry ingredients together, beat until smooth.
pour into prepared loaf pan.

combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter, mixing until crumbly.
sprinkle topping over smoothed batter.

bake for about 50 minutes.
remove bread from pan to rack to cool.

bring it on

official snowfall total 17". so far this season: 91". the snowiest winter since 1981-82.

there was one continual three foot snow drift down the length of the sidewalk leading to the front door.

a dump truck and front-end loader removed the snow from the cul-de-sac.

the driver of the front-end loader was kind enought to clear the snow from the end of the driveway.  i didn't have to shovel through the two foot high pile of snow.

baked oatmeal scotchie bars to munch on.