EEUUUGHH

so while we're on food.. about bagged salads, chopped lettuce et al..

yikes.
sadly, my hypocritical and lazy natures will overcome this, and buy a salad spinner.
kinda like 'super size me' and mcdonalds.. c'est la vie

Au revoir, Foie Gras

This delicacy's goose is cooked.
Yes, Foie Gras. The fattened liver of a goose has officially been banned from Chicago. Violators of selling it will be fined somewhere in the range of $250 to $300. Never mind that only about 4 (highly priced) restaurants in the Chicago-area serve foie gras, or that there are no farms in Illinois that raise geese for foie gras... I'm sorry, I was going to come up with something witty to put in here, but COME ON. This is most important thing that our representatives in Chicago can come up with? How about gang violence, homelessness, the rising gas prices, or how about more funding for education? But foie gras? Yeah, there are a lot of groups saying that raising these geese are treated inhumanely- with a tube shoved down their throats and force fed until their livers bloat to somewhere around 10x the normal size of a liver. Then they're slaughtered. The goose farmers say that the geese are taken care of humanely, but animal rights groups disagree. Blah. This just seems so first-grade.

However, for those Haute Cuisine connoisseurs, you can shed a tear in a month when the ban should go into effect. C'est la vie...

machiavellian

OLD internet blog fodder [circa '99], but hey, new to me:

The Machiavelli personality test has a range of 0-100
Your Machiavelli score is: 79
You are a high Mach, you endorse Machiavelli's opinions.

Most people fall somewhere in the middle, but there's a significant minority at either extreme.

A new revelation. I'm old. Older than you.

Kinda weird even though I'm not even 23 yet. However, take into account the events of last night.
The get-together was a bit marginalized; half 25-ish Filipino/Catholic/Christian, the other half mostly in their 40s or above and Jewish. I guess a Happy Easter/Passover party. Logic would have stated that I would stay over on the young Filipino under or around 25 side of the fence, but of course, those of you who know me know that I sometimes defy logic. In the "neutral" territory of the kitchen, I struck a conversation with a fellow educator from the other side of the fence, had to be in her 50s because of what she divulged in our professional conversation. That lasted about 45 minutes, to the point where others were wondering where I was.
Evidence #1- I spent more time talking about work and networking with others in my field than spending time with my friends.
After that, I was drawn into the informal Filipino custom of getting a ton of leftover food and bringing it home for yourself for later. As this started, I began the whole professional talk with my friends' parents. In front of my friends. Definitely got razzed for that.
Evidence #2- More schmoozing with the older crowd, this time IN FRONT of my peers.

dammit. im gonna go watch some cartoons and read some comic books.

spring break 2?

this has been an extremely busy week. i got a job interview on monday, so cross your fingers!!!
tomorrow, theres a half day for the kids, plus conferences, plus friday and monday off for Easter break. altogether it'll be 5 1/2 days of no work (and paid too!) maybe i'll be able to do something that i want to do...
or sleep. sleep sounds good.

random spring break recap.

so since March 24 ive been on spring break; one of the perks of being a teacher. I've been doing a lot and a lot of nothing, definitely keeping busy.
On the friday that break started, the principal came into my classroom and asked me to see him the last 15 minutes of last period. its about a position that i'm applying to. after he left, the concensus of all the students i was helping out was "What did you do?!?" at which point I just laughed. I think that the interview went well; I still have another one to go this coming week with the department head.
I converted the guest room into my office for work and computing. I can finally get more sleep now that I dont have a computer to keep me up (except my laptop :), well, at least its giving me more room).
I've seem to have become IKEA's bitch. Over the week jayjay and I went to the big 'ol "bloo an' lellow" to get more furniture. I finally have my own bed with a spring mattress that works, first time since college- dorm cots and futons don't count. It also looks like I can't escape the fact that I used to work for IKEA. On both trips I had people ask me directions. I didnt even wear anything like their dress code.
Tuesday was a black hole celebration at Texas de Brazil Churrascaria at Woodfield. It was a sendoff/birthday thingie for Herschell, as he will be moving away for culinary school (good luck! keep me updated on new trends/ideas, and expect me to visit!!!). Though we wanted to invite more people, it was just the core group from high school...at least, those who could make it. holy meatgasm. not a place for vegetarians.
Another shindig was held at Hersch's. lots of food, lots of friends, lots of good times. The Curious J killed the CinnaMAN Challenge. Also, i need that enchilada recipe. NEED. :)
I'm now dating someone. ask directly for details.
jay and i had the six nieces and nephews over. wow. i cant remember the day, probably because they drained my energy and i was ready to collapse afterward.
after several weeks of not having a store to go to, i have now officially restarted my love affair with comic books.
okay, as im typing this i'm watching Wrestlemania. I know im missing stuff, but I have to go concentrate on half naked men hugging hurting each other.