i just ate the most gorgeous sandwich. that is, for someone who just got off a five hour shift of mostly doing freight. yuk. so here's my sandwich: 2 slices sara lee roasted garlic and rosemary sourdough bread lots and lots of tillamook sharp cheddar cheese aunt nellie's old style sauce slap it all together, cut in half and throw on a cookie sheet. heat in a 350 degree oven for six minutes or until the cheese is just starting to get all melty. chow down. i do wish apples were still in season, because i had all the other ingredients for a happle bagel sandwich. grrr...

Dude... Its better then my lunch, which convieniently consists of a Mt.Dew and pop tarts. Be happy.

apples go out of season?

i got some kick ass grannies in the fridge now. i think i'll go get one. im convinced i make the best grilled cheese in the world. instead of an oven, i use the pan....i like em flat and squashed. the key is a hint of dijon and of course butter. forget the mayo. when the pat of butter on the top and bottom melts in the pan...sprinkle on some garlic salt on both sides. you'll find it makes for a tasty little crunch in the end.

i think it was dougie who mentioned frying them up with an outrageous amount of butter -- half a stick? a whole stick? i forget. sounds good to me. i make mine with a thin slice of ham, mayo and pickles. and full on white trash processed american cheesefood slices. garlic salt sounds like a plan.

Butter in pan. White bread. Yellow cheese. Fry. Eat. Garlic salt? WTF? What are you, French?

in my previous life i used to love the fried ham and cheese on sourdough at Denny's. with french fries dipped alternatively in ketchup or ranch dressing. with a big dill pickle. i still eat dill pickles. now i make grilled cheese sandwiches fried up in butter, not between pieces of thick sourdough bread but rather between thick slabs of firm tofu. a little tomato and dill. it's not as good, obviously, but it works. today for lunch i had steak, medium rare, and a big greek salad and a pear and about 20-30 mixed nuts. i love cashews.

geshundteit!

Mountain Dew and Pop Tarts? fuck almighty, i just don't get it. life is so unfair.

ya know what i like: a kolache filled with deli-sliced ham and egg salad. a kolache (or kolac) is a czech pastry that's sometimes topped with cream cheese and jam or stuffed with sausage or the ham and egg salad mixture. there's a czech town - or a town originally settled by czechs - on the highway between fort worth and austin. all you gotta do is turn off the road to a little bakery called "the czech shop" and pick up a bag. good stuff.

or is it "czech stop"?

sounds good. i'll czech it out sometime!

hey, I've heard about that area. moravian settlers in texas. and apples go bad. I think most of the apples in american stores are from washington's fall crop. they don't go rotten or anything, but they lose some of their good crisp juiciness. around february I start eating my yogurt with granola instead of granny smith chunks.

Droop...how close to Austin? I've got friends there. We were supposed to go to Fredericksburg last fall when I was visiting, but got rained out. They've got a young kid, and didn't want to push her around in the stroller in the rain. I want to go back to Austin, and see them again, and I want to investigate more of Texas.

you don't like garlic rhi? and yeah you cant make a grilled cheese with anything other than white trash american cheese slices. they melt the best....cheddar looses some of its bite when melted i think. jack is also a good melting cheese...but again...unless its pepper jack...it doesnt really pack a flavor punch. white bread? see thats just sinful as far as im concerned. i dont think i've eaten white bread or boloney for that matter since i was roughly 12. today for lunch, i had a burger with an ortega pepper slabbed across it...red onions and jac cheese. damn that was some good shit. it was a treat though.

I had spring rolls at Lee's Chinese with some people from work. My back also hurts like a bitch. I should so sue.

sonoma cheese factory (company?) makes a habenero sonoma jack that is wonderful. there are warnings all over the sample container in the shop that it is in fact rather hot. it is pleasantly hot, though. and great flavor.

I had lunchbox number two for lunch today. But only chicken, not the pork and chicken. Honey sauce, over chicken with fried rice. So bad but sooo good. AND A 600ML COKE. heh

i had phô again. the rare beef kind. not as good as it should have been. phô88 in seattle on 12th and yesler had the best phô i've ever tasted. i wonder if it's still there.

JusMiceElf - the town is called west. it'd be a couple hours from austin. it probably wouldn't be worth your time unless you just happened to be heading for dallas/fort worth or if you were here on labor day when the big "westfest" kolache cookoff is. polka, beer, and czech food. there's another town to the east of austin called caldwell that's got that czech thing going for it - they even have a museum. at some point in their history they proclaimed themselves "kolache capital of texas." all the czech (or moravian, apparently) settlements in texas are in a narrow (relative to all of texas) strip of land called the blackland prarie that runs from just north of houston, past dallas, and ends at the red river. up where i live there's a radio show called "north texas polka radio with polka linda and stary chlap". for when you want to seriously party. this morning i was at the store and i bought a jar of pickled pigs feet. and beer. "gimme a pig's foot and a bottle of beer...slay me 'cause i don't care".

i used to know how to polka... i think it might have been my favorite dance. since i decided to be vegan i've been very disappointed with the grilled cheese. vegan cheese doesn't taste like regular cheese and even when i smother it in mustard... i don't know... it just isn't the same.

in Aruba there's a version of the kolache all stuffed n such and used as a breakfast food, available in all the little corner groceries. good stuff, and not available in St Louis. Last nite Vietnamese pork over cilantro (which makes me stay up all nite) and rice flour nearly translucent pancakes, with plenty hot pepper sauce. The pork was actually quite red from cooking in it. I am sure it was poisonous. The last time i had Vietnamese food it was duck soup, a whole duck in broth and veggies and it was very unappealing. Hoever, last night was a great little pork in a great little hole in the wall called the Lemongrass, in asian and bosian town. I went to Jay's International foods later and bought a large jar of pickled ginger slices, good on those grilled cheeses above, and a slab of mexican Chi wah wah brand habanero white cheese and some japanese rice candies. Grilled cheese on sourdough rye from the anarchists' bakery (Black Bear) on Jefferson for lunch today. I held back on the wasabi peanut candies.

i had pancakes with maple syrup and canned plums for breakfast. this morning. yesterday i only ate lunch: 2 bagels (garlic and onion), macaroni salad and a cranberry juice. i bought a huge cherry coke but i lost it in my car somewhere. i'll find it, i bettter so i'm really awake before i meet my grandma this afternoon. i got home so late last night...it was nearly three before i got to bed...'course i had to take an asprin first and drink some oj and brush my teeth...and then i was the first one up so i could take a shower. remind me never to smoke again. it feels ok, but i don't want to deal with the scratchy throat and the silly/stupid feeling i have. i've been saying so many things that are completely obvious, like my mom comes in the bathroom when i was taking a shower and i'm like ":mom, i'm taking a shower" as i said, stupid. remind me not to smoke again.

mmm the boy is about to cook breakfast and its going to be extremely unhealthy. spicy potato cubes, bacon, double cheese sizzlers, toast. mmmm

During one of my frequent visits to Texas I was introduced as a professor from Prague to an elderly man who spoke Czech. I rejoiced, "You're Czech!" "No", the tall Texan responded, "Jsem Moravec" (I'm Moravian,) my grandparents came from Kozlovice." The Czechs, arriving long before the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918, were a Slavic people of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Texas became home for many of the Moravians, and the Moravian dialects became Texas Czech. They established their own clubs, farmers' unions, insurance companies and benevolent organizations beccause American insurance companies supposedly refused to insure them due to high suicide rates. At intervals the stitiching of a quilt was shown by Stacie Janek and Bessie Hlavaty. The two also gave out samples of lye soap. Seven members traveled to the Czech Republic and joined TOCA's (Texans of Czech Ancestry) entry in the giant colorful street parade at downtown Stranice, Moravia, Czech Republic, and carrying TOCA banners and Texas and U.S. flags. They were dressed in jeans, T-shirts, cowboy hats and boots. They were able to interact with people along the parade route, and the townspeople were amazed that the Texans could speak Czech. Occasionally Czech songs are sung by volunteers. Any use of Texas Czech, encouraged only by specific functional and social contexts, manifests ethnic group membership, yet one does not have to speak the language to feel Czech or Moravian. When I find out that someone is of Czech descent, I feel a strong connection to them. There is feeling of belonging and pride. 868 OBITS AND COUNTING SOPHIE (PUSTEJOVSKY) PODSEDNIK Back to Index Pallbearers Tony Pustejovsky, Tommie Podsednik, Rich Stacha, George Snokhous, Gary Stacha, Douglas Snokhous, Chris Stacha, and Dennis Pustejovsky. In 1997, the state legislature made it official: West, Texas—often called “West comma Texas” to differentiate it from the region of western Texas—is the Kolache Capital of the state. Today, LaGrange in Fayette County can claim the "most Czech's per capita." I am seeking information about Thomas T. Machann, born 3 Aug, 1872, in Czech. He married Mary Simecek, also from Moravia, Czech, and died 27 Aug, 1934 in Rowena, Texas. At tables around the sanded dance floor, women wearing Snow White dresses with poofy sleeves ate kolaches -- a Czech pastry -- and men in intricately embroidered vests and feathered hats drank cups of beer. ``Well, hey there! Jak se mas?'' pre-1900 tombstones. These tombstones were written in indigenous Czech without any English influences. They showed a lack of grammar skills due to literacy levels but demonstrated a natural grasp of the language. I do not speak Czech but it is a desire of mine to show my Grandmother the love I have for her language and my respect for the people who strove to preserve it, namely my great grandparents. Of the first group of 16 families who left Moravia in 1851, only about half of the party of 74 survived the trip. Cat Spring consisted of a farm and a single store, owned by businessman and land speculator Jan Reymershoffer, who had sent back letters to Moravia extolling the virtues of life in Texas. One disappointed new arrival described Cat Spring as "not much more than a prairie and a heavy forest that was full of wildcats." In the context of the segregated South, immigrating Czechs were not even considered as white. From the beginning, a very unlikely cultural juxtaposition of their national costume and Texas boots led to conflict and separation. January 9: The Czech song Skoda lasky (Wasted Love), known in the English-speaking world as Beer Barrel Polka, or Roll Out the Barrels, was voted the biggest Czech hit of the 20th century. Hi there! I'm Shibui! I am also glad to be here with Gizzmo and representing the Czech Republic! Some of my meowmies ancestors immigrated to Texas from Bohemia and Moravia in the 19th century. I am wearing a Czech costume and am pleased to represent all Czech kitties. And then there's the "oompah" question. She was buried on the 26th of the month (which one we do not know) at 5 o'clock. She was married to Andrew JANEK. It says they had 8 children. We know she had Andrew, Frank, Marie , Anna and another sister because they all moved to America. According to the letter another daughter and a son stayed in Czechoslovakia. Whatever happened to the 8th child, I don't know. "They had a Czech night in the Omni Southfork Hotel in Austin," she said, "and a man named Robert Urbis had a piano concert with Czech pianists." "The UT Czech club is having a party, and there are things going on at a museum in La Grange," she said. "Later on, there will be a festival in Koppell, they'll be featuring Czechs." San Antonio will not be forgotten by His Excellency, due in part to the many mementos received, including books, maps, and San Antonio Spurs NBA Championship T-shirts. His final comment to Ladislav Zezula and Eugene Labay was, "What a wonderful City!" This will give us an opportunity to share our culture with more people. We know how great kolaches taste, but many of our fellow explorers in life have never had the chance to try them. We want to be sure these tasty pastries are known everywhere! RESERVATIONS ARE TO BE MADE DIRECTLY WITH THE MOTELS AND INDICATE YOU WANT 'THE CZECH HERITAGE SOCIETY RATE Another group, the Cat Spring Butcher Club, was quite active at one time. This group, was started during the 1870's so that each individual did not have to kill a steer during the warm weather and attempt to preserve it. Instead a steer was killed every week and distributed among the members. Every week each member got a different cut of meat so that eventually everyone got the equivalent of his own steer. The members knew whose meat they were eating and watched the quality very closely. Thus it was a matter of pride and good sense to contribute only good animals.

what the fuck? is this the coding for this thread...found it at the end. 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mmm+the+boy+is+about+to+cook+breakfast+and+its+going+to+be+extremely+unhealthy%2e%0a%0aspicy+potato+cubes%2c+bacon%2c+double+cheese+sizzlers%2c+toast%2e%0a%0ammmm During+one+of+my+frequent+visits+to+Texas+I+was+introduced+as+a+professor+from+Prague+to+an+elderly+man+who+spoke+Czech%2e+I+rejoiced%2c+%26quot%3bYou%27re+Czech%21%26quot%3b+%0a%0a%26quot%3bNo%26quot%3b%2c+the+tall+Texan+responded%2c+%26quot%3bJsem+Moravec%26quot%3b+%28I%27m+Moravian%2c%29+my+grandparents+came+from+Kozlovice%2e%26quot%3b+%0a%0aThe+Czechs%2c+arriving+long+before+the+establishment+of+Czechoslovakia+in+1918%2c+were+a+Slavic+people+of+Bohemia%2c+Moravia%2c+and+Silesia%2e+Texas+became+home+for+many+of+the+Moravians%2c+and+the+Moravian+dialects+became+Texas+Czech%2e+%0a%0aThey+established+their+own+clubs%2c+farmers%27+unions%2c+insurance+companies+and+benevolent+organizations+beccause+American+insurance+companies+supposedly+refused+to+insure+them+due+to+high+suicide+rates%2e+%0a%0aAt+intervals+the+stitiching+of+a+quilt+was+shown+by+Stacie+Janek+and+Bessie+Hlavaty%2e+The+two+also+gave+out+samples+of+lye+soap%2e%0a%0aSeven+members+traveled+to+the+Czech+Republic+and+joined+TOCA%27s+%28Texans+of+Cze" weird....

You'd have to ask Mark. I have no idea why that stuff is at the end of each page, but I can tell you what it is. It's the contents of every post, url encoded. The stuff like "%2e" and the like are the hexidecimal codes for characters that can't be put in a url, and spaces are replaced with the + sign.

that's cool, but why? sometimes i click something by accident and get that sort of thing, but this was at the end of the page....

For the "why" part, you'll have to ask Mark. My guess is it's used for searching purposes. Whatever the use it's redundant because the text of each comment is stored twice, making the page almost twice as large. You'll notice that on large threads the page takes a looooooong time to load. That's why.

on the library computers (where i post during the week during sane hours) it can take as long as five minutes. it's pretty darn stupid. and another thing: sometimes when i scroll up and down, the text gets all garbled and sometimes the "add your message" window appears as many as three times on one screen.

m^&y+sand#*@wich*(@+is+all@&#^$gone@#$^1m8&^>+ Aren't all the important sandwich makers in Austin this week, leaving us less important cooks behind?

More Mt.Dew and Pop Tarts for breakfast this morning... I think I'll hit the coffee around 11 or so. Just pour whatever has already been brewed by whoever in the department back into the machine and rebrew it. That should hit my nervous system like a ton of bricks. And for lunch, I think I'll drive over for some taco bell, its been a while so I can't pass that up right?

Hal, that'll kill your coffee machine. Don't do it. Just reheat it on the stove in a pan if you must

It's been so long said I have had Taco Bell. Years i think.

Eeew, Taco Bell? In the mood for some Grade D beef there, Hal? Found a great new Thai place yesterday, had the bestest Tom Young Goong soup I ever had, then lobster with panang curry/coconut milk & asparagus. Can't say much for Thai beer though.

Hey nothing wrong with grade D beef... Its anything past F that you should worry about. That and haven't you figured out yet, my concern for personal safety based on the things I eat is kept at an extream minimum? And no! it won't touch my coffee machine, because I always use fresh grounds, and I usually wait till the coffee is cold. I don't put hot coffee back into the brewer. My coffe maker ain't no friggin' Mr.Coffee... Its a Rhino-3, made entirely of teflon treated stainless steel... It looks like the control panel of a nuclear weapon, which is closer than you think. And anyway about the "grade D beef thing" I live in Montana, taco bells on the east coast may be like that but people here shoot people for that shit. Ours is more of a grade b- or c beef.

no need to worry if you don't eat it. i used to eat their bean burritos all the time...with lots of fire sauce.

Just ate two of them.

ummm...i have two burritos in the oven now...the type you can get at the store for $0.25 each. chicken and bean & cheese. ummumumumum....

Yeah, but the closest store is a mile or two away, taco bell is about 100 yards... I don't know it isn't any cheaper any way I go.

icko. i bought mine on the way home from school. i had to stop and make sure i wasn't going to work a week from friday...it's my sisters sixteenth, and i'm already missing the party for work and studying.

actually id eat taco bell before id eat those frozen nasties

Its all food to me. As long as its not green because its starting its own little garden on itself, or it has the ability to get up and walk away after being in my fridge for a day or two (or 30) then its edible...

it's cheap. i'd rather spend my money on tuition, max fares, cds and zines. there's a recipe for vinegar pie in doris #17. i might try making it.

Taco Bell better than frozen. Although of course for me it's a moot point anyway since nothing Taco Bell makes is vegan. Ah, well. I've gotten really, really, really seriously fond of vegetable rolls. (sushi)

Where do you go, Platypus? I went to this sushi place in Arcata once that was very good.

ahh, crap food. warm, fills my belly so there is no hole to fill. makes me sigh with contentment, contemplating the joy of not having to fix another banal tuna sandwich. there are better burritos at the store (thai tofu burritos are nummers) that are fresh and organic, but they cost about $4 apiece and i wanted salsa too. i just put a vinegar pie in the oven. vinegar pie (as printed in doris #17) 1/4 c butter, softened 2 c sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground allspice 4 large eggs, separated 1 c seedless raisins, chopped (optional) 3 tbs vinegar 1 pinch salt 9 inch pie crust preheat oven to 425 degrees. cream the butter and sugar together. add the spices and blend well. beat in yolks until smooth and creamy. stir in raisins, add vinegar. beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt until soft, then slide onto sugar mixture. cut and fold lightly. slide into piecrust in a piepan. bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 300 degrees and bake another 20 minutes, until top is beautifully browned and center of filling is jellylike. cool on a rack for two to three hours before cutting.

you've been had

Not much of a vegan. And being one here would be definatly counter productive... I live in a state of beef, vegan specialties are few and far between and they cost hella money... That and I like meat.

meatloaf was my favorite food up until the day before i decided to "go veggie". i do admit that i eat fowl and fish, but am trying to reduce my intake until i rely on a purely non-animal diet. it's better for the earth, and if we all do what we can, nobody should have to go hungry.

omnivore. i always hated when my mom made meatloaf....mainly because she put onions in it. at the time, despite being 1/5 the size of a nickle, i hated them anyway. then as I got older, the concept of a meat "loaf" got strange to me. in the cafe in our bldg lobby they sometimes have stuffed beef. Which appears to be like a log of beef stuffed with .....stuff. yuck! thats just too much for me i think.

i love meatloaf. which figures, i guess. this being an anti-meatloaf discussion. i'm going to go get sushi today. fuck the world.

if we all go vegan, some cattle ranchers may go hungry. I believe there's enough steak for the rich and beans for the poor. whether I wear leather or pleather boots makes no difference to the poor little girl who stitches both in bangladesh.

You took the words right out of my mouth And I swear it's true I was just about to say I love you

I loved meatloaf as long as it was made by one of the female members of my family. If it was made by the school cafiteria, I loved it for another reason, I mean its not every day you get to see life created, I mean for me it was only once a week. As for clothing, I prefer hemp whatever if I can get my hands on it. And I don't really own any leather, I t hink I own a pair of synthilether pants but they be a little tight around the buttox area. We humans are classified as omnivores and thus a good balance of meat and non-meat products is essential. Anyway, I still love meatloaf.

I hate it when meat loafs.I could never bring myself to eat sushi,though pizza breath took me to his favorite sushi bar,I just drank booze while he ate.Other than raw fish,clams,oysters,I'll eat anything.There's something about starving,that makes you really appreciate food.

"pizza breath" gawd i love it.

Meatloaf's great: good ground beef (that veal/pork/beef mixture that you can sometimes get at the supermarket works well too), breadcrumbs, eggs, worcestershire sauce, tabasco, a little ketchup (not too much or it gets runny), chopped onions, smush it all together, throw it in a 350 oven for I think 45 minutes. With mashed potatoes, there's not much better. Also, next day, meatloaf sandwiches with loads of mayonnaise and salt, mmm.

You know I never liked Heinze 57 sauce, but on my mom's meatloaf... Mmmm good.

i like meatloaf, too in the u.k. foot and mouth disease is causing livestock to be killed by the thousands - last night the bbc said that the british might start employing sharp-shooters as cattle snipers. bodies of cows and sheep in great piles like holocaust dead waiting to be burned. think of all the meatloaf that could be made.

Fruity Curried Meatloaf 700 grams low-fat mince 1 onion, chopped 1 cup soft breadcrumbs 2-3 teaspoons curry powder 1 ½ teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¾ cup diced apple 2 tablespoons chutney 2 tablespoons sultanas 2 tablespoons coconut 1 egg ¾ cup evaporated milk Glaze Ingredients: ¼ cup tomato sauce 1 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon chutney 1 teaspoon curry powder Method: Mix all meatloaf ingredients in a bowl. Press into greased loaf tin and turn upside down onto a greased baking tray. Leave tin on. Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes. Remove from tin and brush with combined glaze ingredients. Cook for a further 45 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before removing from tray. Yummy.

Cat you should email me that recipe, and any other good ones you think might be worth me viewing... I'm kinda on a cooking spint right now, and always looking for some new stuff.

What are low-fat mince & sultanas?

koala jizz and dingo hair

Hehe,damn,that sounds good to me.I have to go to the doctor now,but Cat and some of my yahoo buddies, don't you ever check your offline messages? Huh?

I might just have a meatloaf sandwich tonight. Naaaahhh... I think I'll go for the salmon wrap. Thank you, and good night!

I emailed that recipe to an American friend, and then we had some very funny correspondence due to the international translator being offline. Here's what we ended up with after the UN was called in to negotiate: Low fat mince = ground beef, or hamburger beef Sultanas = closest thing you have are raisins Chutney = sweet pickled fruit, often you have them with indian food. Mango chutney is heaven on the side of a curry. You should be able to buy them in a jar or you can make your own. http://www.20gram.com/recipes/Chutney.htm

Oh and tomato sauce is the civilised World's name for ketchup

I knew all that... I just want to have some recipe's in my email, and I'm way to damn lazy to go looking for them. That and the recipe's you have are probably a bit different then the one's I'll end up finding anyway. And Mango Chutney is good stuff, especially with dry roast, and mash potatos... mmm mmm good.

Cat, will you marry me? I don't eat out much, Nate. Although I did make sushi for lunch...yum.

Things that want to make you go hum.

today i had a good burrito for lunch. a cold curry burrito in a whole wheat tortilla....yum. and some curried pumpkin seeds to go with.

Yeah, chutney's awesome, especially on lamb. I use the store-bought Major Grey's chutney, but I believe it was swine who had mentioned some other, better ones out there. Mince == hamburger, huh? Well I'll be. Would sultanas be dried currants -- I think what we call here "golden raisins" are actually currants. So if you guys call ketchup "tomato sauce", what do you call what you put on top of spaghetti? Probably pasta sauce or something.

Here Dougie,http://members.tripod.com/~thisthat/slang.html She'll be apples.

golden raisins are raisins + (sulfer?) so that they keep their color. normal raisins and golden raisins look the same before they are dried. i echo dougies question. we can buy a can of tomato sauce... what do you call it? tomato puree?

Currants are red, anyway.

normal raisins and golden raisins are grapes before they are dried. so it's not just a red grape / white grape thing, like with wine?

that's what i thought...[green/yellow grapes = golden raisins] currants can be black too i think i love currants

most red wines come from blue or deep-purple grapes, and most white wines come from green or green-yellow grapes. some whites come from purple grapes, though. (not just the white trash wines, either) goddamnit. i'm getting thirsty. i think i'll pick up a bottle of pinot noir on the way home tonight.

We call tomato puree, tomato puree. We call pasta sauce, pasta sauce. I think sultanas are probably closest to golden raisins. They're soft and squishy and small and kinda light-coloured. http://angasprk.mtx.net/fruitsultana.htm It's just lucky I've learned to speak your language or we'd have to resort to signs and grunts. Not that that would be a bad thing in certain circumstances.

I could go for a bottle of Boones Farm.

Boone's Farm isn't even made with grapes. It's made with kerosene and if you drink it you'll go blind. This has been a public service announcement.

Flavored Pear Wine Product i mean, not that i want to get in the middle of this. i'd have to say you're much to smart to drink Boones, capt'n. Boones is for ditzy, souless cheerleader types.

and agatha.

& my husband. he loves the stuff.

we traded pizza for bottles of boones wth the grocery store nextdoor when i worked at little ceasars as a teen. be very leary of wine that has a screw off top, thats all i gotta say.

my god.

I had some raspberry wine a few weeks ago and it was very moresome. A friend of mine makes it and says the alcohol content comes from the addition of vodka. Not that I'm fussy where I get my alcohol from.

Vodka and rasperries,mmmmmmmm.

hey, nate, 1997 willamette valley pinot noirs are especially good. I'm fond of erath vineyards. I went to a wine-tasting party sunday. I didn't even like the wine, but I had a great time. all we drank were alsace gewurtztraminers, yuck. my first wine-tasting party is definitely going to have willamette valley pinot noirs. after that, I'll do an australian shiraz party, I think. maybe after that an every-bottle-less-than-five-bucks party.

you can do pretty well at trade joes for lest than $5. i'll look for a willamette valley pinot noir. the grocery near me has a rather small wine selection, though they do skip the high visablity labels and tend to stock quirky wines. rather, small distribution labels. are you a zin fan? i'd highly recommend Ravenswood, if you haven't tried it. i'm a big sonoma county supporter. and, of course, bonnie doon's Cardinal Zin.

Try the Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz for that truly cultured wine party you're having, Cyst. It's enough to make me patriotic.

I have tried the ravenswood zin! I like it. plus, it's a pretty label. I also buy a lot of tj label merlot and cab and that generic french "vin rouge" for $3.99 or whatever there. down in california, do they sell hard liquor at tj's? in the northwest, the hardest they carry is, what, port and irish cream, I guess. I'm spending memorial day weekend in san fran/oakland/berkeley/napa. apparently I'm going to some wedding in wine country, staying with people in either oakland or the mission, and visiting with a friend in berkeley.

zin is too sweet for my tastes. yeah...trader joes you can score well for less than 5 bones indeed. love beaujolais (spell?) i also really like the Black Mountain merlot......trader joes always has that brand.

yeah they sell liquor.....good liquor and good prices too.

thanks, cat, I'll remember that. funny how everyone supports their local wines. I'm far prouder of willamette valley pinot noir than any sports team I've ever lived near. even though my personal connection to each is exactly none at all.

here's an interesting article from a san fran wine writer about pinot noirs in california and oregon: http://thewinenews.com/augsep99/pinot.html "Oregonians tell all who will listen that the search for wine's "Holy Grail" – that is, the fount of exquisite Pinot Noir – ultimately leads the pilgrim north of the California state line to the promised land of the Willamette Valley, where life is simpler and the sunlight less reliable." he says the duck's pond is good, but I don't like it. much better are rex hill, erath, sokol blosser, ponzi, argyle.

my local wines are post & wiederkehr. ever heard of them? wiederkehr's a big deal regionally. but i tried post's port when i was in high school & declared it a crime against humanity. god-awful stuff.

patrick, zin is generally a very dry red wine. you must be thinking of sickly white zin, which was developed to bring the pleasures of wine to the masses. nasty crap that it is. it's found in boxes more often than bottles. i read the other day that the top three california wines in any category are from sonoma county. which is odd, considering napa county has the highest visablity (and prices).

yes thats what im thinking of. there are respectable brands of white zin that i see TJs. generally though, zin is more a desert wine, like chianti right? which would make sense, like liquors and what not, after dinner wines are sweeter

Crimson, I don't think the Cali crowd drinks Wiederkehr, even though it's a big damn deal and a mainstay of the tourist industry here. Honestly, I don't like much of anything Post or Wiederkehr puts out.

zin is not a sweet wine! jesus man, it's fucking bone dry! go out a buy a bottle of Ravenswood Zinfandel. if you like a good dry beaujolais, you'll probably like zin. and stop saying zin when you mean white zin! jesus! fuck!

i've never seen Wiederkehr. i'll try anything, though i am probably biased to california wines.

do you refer to guacamole as "guac"? when you say "zin" the option is open to think white or red...as far as i am concerned...but its really not that important. tonight i'll be drinking gin. heh rhymes with zin. what kind of gin do you like? I like Gilbey's just fine. My grandpa used to drink it. When I smell it, it reminds me of that metal cabinent against the center block basement wall. There was a pad lock on it, but it was never locked. He and his aura smelled of Gilbey's Gin after 4 o clock everyday. i like the bottle too, kinda 30s art deco. settle down nate...here...this should ease you: i don't like WHITE zinfandel because it's too sweet. better? fyi there are plenty of white zinfandels that are boxed shit wine.

all white zins are shit. when you say zin it is short for zinfandel. there is no red zinfandel. zinfandel is a red wine. there is white zinfandel. it is shit. my favorite gin is tanq malacca. i have a bottle of tanq 10 in my bar right now. i like it too, though i like malacca more.

nate, cyst: try the guenoc petite sirah from nocal. kicks ass on any aussie shiraz (hold the cab, please). spicy and not at all petite.

Cat is so wildly witty. I enjoy her. if you ever come to Canada I'm going to put you in a room with my co-worker James and watch the two of you spar. he is your male counterpart. Oh god, I salivate at the thought.

you think people are toys...here for your amusement? I wonder....do they still make Beefeater gin? Id like to try it again. The last time I had it was when I was 12...13 and we were stealing from a liquor cabinent. At times, i really have a hard time distinquishing between liquors. I think I need to evualuate gin more closely. It one of the least explored liquors. Im not one to go for the more expensive under ther assumption that the high prices means it's better. The only way to really get a grip on a liquor i think is to take a shot. I have been able to conclude why Makers Mark is tops and Jim Beam is shit....or why Absolute is best chilled straight up....and and Stoli is best for mixing. yeah....drink gin.

Film it Gee!!! I'm looking forward to the employee recognition dinner that the company my husband works for is putting on April 6th,it going to be here,http://mariothotels.com/PhXCB/home.html and I have my choice of grilled filet mignon and chicken with cabernet sauvigon laced demi-glace&roasted garlic cream, or grilled ahi tuna steak with caper berries and lemon pepper vinaigrette.Including southwest caesar salad and chef's potatoe selection,and for dessert white cocoa creme brulee.I'm going for the steak,all this and all the booze I can drink.Since it's not costing me anything, I will stuff and drink myself silly,and dance like no one is watching.

If you want a really good wine, try Hooterite Rhubarb wine... Suprisingly good

they still make beefeater. stoli is good straight up too.

what kind of wine did you get last night, nate?

Ca' del Solo "Big House Red" i couldn't find a pinot noir, much less one recommended. the mussels and clams in my basket were warming up, gasping, dying. i grabbed the ol' standby. which happens to be rather nice. --- Big House Red has always been somewhat of a social deviant. An unusual affinity for leather, chains, and confined spaces makes our Big House suspect in most gated communities'. Fortunately, the keys to the Ca' del Solo kingdom have been safeguarded for many years by an upright Marseillaise barkeep. In 1998, the Big House conspired with Little Malvasia to put that Marseillaise to sleep with a hefty dose of California Chard in her kir, and the stage was set for a breakout. Little Malvasia brought the keys to Ca' del Solo baked in tofutti. Under cover of darkness, the Big House tunneled under the Alpes Maritimes and made a break for Italy. For the first time, our hero stretched his legs on the other side of that Ca'del Solo/Piemonte border. No more Mr. Rhônely-hearts; sangiovese became him. Donning a crushed-velvet cape he quickly headed out for pizza. The 1998 Big House presents a distinctly Tuscan profile with a little more smoke, tar, and blacker fruit than we have seen in the recent past: a little more earth, a little less lip gloss. Black cherry, black pepper, and the everpresent raspberry are complemented by slightly furrier tannins and, of course, a longer Roman nose. --- it was actually a '99, which is markedly better than the '98. did you end up with a bottle last night?

I'm tellin you hoot wine.

last night I had another one of those regrettable restaurant outings. two, actually. first I went out for happy hour sushi in order to take the edge off my hunger before meeting up with other people at the expensive tapas lounge. since I sort of already owed one of my friends, I ended up paying for his expensive martini. and since it was sort of a celebration for my boyfriend, I also bought his stuff. we had a few good deschutes brewery beers, and about $20 worth of sushi (32 little pieces and one fat dungeness crab cake). $44 total. ths happy hour food deal (4-6 p.m.) is so good that they'll only serve you if you have one of the limited number of seats in the bar. it's kind of a drag to go there because 1) you're not likely to get a seat, 2) if you do get a seat, people will hover near you and ask if they can take it from you as soon as you get your wallet out. then at the tapas place I ordered the "bartender's margarita" ($6 instead of $5, cointreau instead of triple sec). and then another. and also a $7 salad. the folks I was with went and ordered the seared ahi and the $9 salad and grappa and blah blah blah. and of course, of course, they acted like we were just going to split the bill at the end. but then I totalled up my part of the bill and added 10% tax and a 20% tip. I want to learn the fine art of entertaining at home. because even buying enough bottles of wine for everyone and some fancy-schmancy appetizers at tj's, you end up spending way less than just paying your own part of the bill at some dumb trendy seattle restaurant (or two).

you're leading the life of the yuppy cyst. enjoying it? when you describe these types of events, as of late. I think of ally mcbeal.

oh yeah, patrick. i picture cyst as a frail, whiney, hallucinating, neofeminist brat all the time. last night i steamed clams, mussels, giant prawns, bok choy, garlic greens, green beans and sugar peas (in reverse order), placed them on a pile of rice noodles in a bowl and covered it all in a ginger, garlic and sriracha tainted broth. it was inspired by something i saw the naked chef do, though i executed it differently. $21, all organic veggies, wine included.

that sounds damn good, although I don't know what sriracha is. I've been into baby bok choi and chinese broccoli lately. I'm actually sick of eating out. I'm glad bbq season is coming up. I think I could eat just about every meal off shishkebab skewers.

no thats not it silly. i just picture everyone around in semi-dressy clothes, dark lighting, really nice martini bar type setting. you know that horrible bar scene they are always at in the show...i think of that. Lawyers on leisure. not specifically ally's character.

Dude, I just wish I had the money for something like that. As it is right now i go to this place called "The Ritz" nice little college town bar. Live music everynight. But I end up spending about 8 bucks for 4 bottles of beer and then go home and sleep. Thats my night life. If I could afford the going out to eat thing like that, fuck I'd wouldn't be so friggin hungry all the time.

I bet Gee is extra cute when she salivates. I have people over for dinner a few times a week because it makes me feel less like a bitter twisted spinster and brings joy to my salivation-less existence.

http://www.huyfong.com/frames/fr_sriracha.htm it's just great.

I've been using lots of lime lately in my cooking. It's the flavour of the month around here.

WOW $8 for 4 beers? damn.

yeah, those aren't california prices.

ah, that chinese restaurant stuff. sambal badjak (not this brand) is what I put in everything I want to spice up. it's an indonesian chili paste that's a little bit sweet and very yummy: http://www.huyfong.com/frames/fr_badjak.htm this brand is better: http://www.dcimports.com/konsambaddar.html

What are cali prices??? I mean I'm at a bar, bying bottled local brew's, I dislike buying a pitcher of beer, and every one of the local beers is 2$ a bottle. Things like Fat Tire, Moose Drool, Elk Breath, Scapegoat, Missoulian Bong Water, Black Widow Oatmeal Stout Spider Ale, Black Star. Fuck if I wanted cheap beer I'd just go down to the store and pick up a 6 pack of PBR (Pabts Blue Ribbon)for 2 bucks. But I like alot of the local stuff, has a good flavor to it, and mostly I'm relaxing not going to get sloshed.

shit....i expected you would be referring to bud for $2/bottle. a pint of decent draft....say some of Cali regionals like Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada cost around $3.50 maybe $4. a bottle of say heiny or newcastle will run you about the same. A cheap bud bottle ...say $2.75 or $3. Draft shit beer will run you $8-10 pitcher. $3.75 to $4.25 for mixed drinks, depending on how shi shi the place it could be as much as $6.

Black Star brewing company, whitefish montana. we get that out here.

not much these days, lost 16 lbs this year

nearly 1 pm on a cold wintry sunday afternoon, and I'm about to nuke some old fashioned oats with skim milk and a handful of raisins. Its gonna be a stick to the ribs kinda day.

Yeah, I hear you Div. I'm cooking up my world-famous spareribs (pig-sicles, I likes to call 'em) with mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut, and the beer is freeflowing. Talk about stick to the ribs. Me and my honey are going to eat 'til we can't eat another fucking thing, not even a wafer thin mint. I got the buckets ready.

all sounds good except the ribs.....vegetarian mindset, sorry. just finished a simple dinner of fresh, barely wilted spinach with toasted pignoli and garlic. great baby bella mushrooms browned with some sesame oil. soba noodles with scallions and some black bean sauce. ahhhh, life is good.

I was just down staying at Stags' Leap Vineyards (Not to be confused with Stag's Leap Wine Cellars), which is down in Napa--Beringer just bought them. Anyhow, I know the winemaker so I scored a bunch of free wine--their stuff is pretty damn good. Their Petite Sirah is bloody excellent. But I also bought a bottle of Pinot Grigio from Luna vineyards--that shit is soooooo good. Omigod. Anyhow, I go down to Napa a lot because I know a lot of the vintners there...I'm definently biased towards California wines because I drink so much of them. Anderson Valley, which is kind of near, also sells a lot of good wines--basically as soon as you get across the coast ranges, it's all vineyards. Kind of sad. Anyway. I just had some falafel.

combined with pasta salad stuff: dulse, claussen dills, crab, buttermilk ranch, red pepper rib rub, carrot, and miracle whip...accompanied by chocolate bunnie for dessert and leftover mushroom miso barley and more seawood soup for appetizer... full. very full. made up for last night's wonderful but very light sushi and tempura with miso, japanese cabbage salad and cuke salad at my favoite japanese place. shovelled mulch onto the iris' all day.

seawood? is that a typo?

ramen, cold veggie pizza and jalopeno poato chips. num num num. hope it qualifies as brain food, 'cause my math final's tomorrow.

Wow guys thats sad, for draft beer out here ie: your budweiser and bud light, and others its about 1.50 a bottle (pint if its on tap.) And then it goes up from there, I've been drinking some Fat Tire as of late, its good stuff you should try it. Cost about 2.00 a bottle/pint but it has a 7.2% alcohol level, its really good. As for some good Montana beers, its hard to say what makes its way out there, the best way to get some good Montana Beer is visit a few of the brewery's here, most of them have resturants attached. If you can find them however I recommend and one of the following. Moose Drool, Slow Elk, Scape Goat. (Montana Brewing Company, Billings,MT (home town shit)) All the Black Dog Brew's, (Black Dog Brewing Co. Bozeman, MT ( First Montana beer I ever had)) Black Widow Oatmeal Stout (Montana Brewing Co. Billings, MT. ) This is probably my favorite. And if you want something imported, for about 7-9 $ a bottle depending on what label you buy, get a beer called Shime'. I can't remember what country it comes from but its made by Monks who make nothing but beer and cheese. Its probably the best beer I've ever had and at 7-9 $ a 22oz. bottle it had damned well better be. You'll end up paying 7-8 for Red Label, and 8-9 for Blue label. Personally they are both exceptional, try them out.

Scape Goat makes me chuckle. No typo, real dulse. The day before I made made some very potent and nutritious dulse based old fashioned seaweed soup. The nori is processed just enough to make it crunchy and crumbly on salads or in sushi rolls, but I like - sometimes - the heavier texture of the unprocessed stuff for certain flavors and heavy nutrition loading in a small package.

Yeah the Scape Goat I'm talking about is actually kinda an Amber Ale, almost a Wheat Amber.

yeah the Scape Goat I'm talking about is actually kinda over the sonafabitchin fence into the Amber wheat, you know what I mean?

Yes Farmer DANiel... I do... I live in Montana remember.

Shime'.... Chimay?

Yeah thats the shit.

another pasta salad: some pasta of your choosing, cooked and slathered with olive oil, to which ya add: nutmeg, red pepper, marjoram, black pepper chopped (finely) crab chopped (finely) mushrooms some lemon juice to keep shrooms white ground ginger to taste light and lively. ya kin add some garlic if'n ya'll wish. stir, serve cold on lots of fresh parsley dinner.

strawberries and cream. that's the shit. i've eaten them for 5 days. yeah, i know. but i might be allergic, my lips tingle afterward. but i don't mind that really.

tonight i made spiced chicken liver salad. with greens and grapefruit pieces and walnuts. and i'm not kidding, either. it's the jewish in me. tomorrow pear and raspberry cobbler for the women's gathering. gotta get practiced on my cobbler. on sunday for the dinner party i'm doing all raw foods, except for one fish dish. can't drink at all from here on out. surgery in one week. i'm fuckin terrified. i had a pre-op exam yesterday, including a cardiogram, the results of which reported a heart rate of 37. 37. like, olympic atheletes and world-class runners and cyclists have heart rates of 40-44. so my internist is sending me to a cardiologist, some specialist of some sort, next wednesday. she thinks there must be something wrong with my ticker; she doesn't believe that i can be fit enough to have that low of a heart rate, which might be dangerous under anesthesia. my naturopath and trainer both say it's because my heart is probably slightly enlarged but strong from having to push blood through 250 lbs of body weight for 7 years. i feel perfectly healthy. besides, i know why i have 37 heart rate, not to mention 90/55 bloodpressure. it's because of yoga. seriously. i've learned to slow my system down just with my mind, practiced relaxation. 20-30 minutes practicing every day for 7 years, you get good at that. why am i telling you people this? like you care. i'm just freaked out. they better not tell me i can't have surgery or someone will pay.

oooh! i have an idea! before my appointment w/ the cardiologist i am going to drink 4 cups of coffee and run up a few flights of stairs in the office building. ok, i feel better now.

we should have a sorabjite cookbook.

I have recipes I'll contribute. Maybe we could make it a multi purpose instructional manuel. We could each supply a recipe and some hot sex tips.

it only makes sense. i would be more than willing and happy to collect all your kitchen and bedroom recipes and compile them and publish them. if you're serious, go ahead and start sending them to me. plain text email, please. what should we name it?

email address.

I guess the appropriate way to name it would be to start its own thread,and have the Sorabjites submit suggestions,and then we'll vote em down,till we pick the winner. [it might be fun/creative,if we could find some connecting factor between our recipes and our hot sex tips.So one could enjoy the sex info while preparing yummy delights ]

I've got dibs on the "Baking Boudoir Style",catogory, with my submission of my delectable "Black Lace Garter" cookies.

Put me down for fun with cucumbers,I mean it.

i've got an idea for a "mud-wrestling" cake.

i'll make the frosting.

Don't be so lazy Dave,whip up some batter too.J

oh, you'll like my frosting. it's an old recipe handed down to the men in my family for generations.

you better be talking about creamcheese dave or i'm going to gag.

puh-leeze, dave. i have no sexy recipes, but i have lots of comfort food recipes. sorry.

we can have chapters. sexy recipes. comfort foods. whatever. and droopy gets his own chapter.

dinner of portabella caps marinated in krafts balsamic vinegar for three days (a little excessive but I forgot about them...) with a bunch of basil and low fat mozzarella cheese on top slow baked at 350 for 20 minutes. tastes like veggie filet mignon. oh, and the pasta salad didn't kill me. I've been accumulating recipes for a single male/single dad's cook book for ten years... and many of the entries have definite ties to subtle subjects as per above. count me in.

y2k stew...pickled beets...cornmeal scones...yummy! i had a green bell/mushroom/asparagus frittata with cheddar cheese, salsa and cilantro for dinner. i highly recommend.

Cute french girl at the Tim Horton's serving me canadian maple donuts and coffee. That's my recipe. BTW, canadian sorabjites, apparantly Tim Horton's has moved their corporate offices here to Columbus. Too bad for you.

i want to be in. i'll be cooking a lot now. i won't have the rediculous clauses like 'no bell peppers' and shit.

I'll share some recipies. But I want to know what spices go into the Mediterranean sauce at the Morroccan restaurant. They slather some of that over a plate of steamed eggs (done with the cappucino steamer), and I'm in heaven. Mmmm....It's tomato based, with chunks of green pepper and fresh mushrooms, but it's the spices that really make it. That's my breakfast of choice, along with their green tea. And on Saturdays, I have the kids I work with bake a snack that they can eat with their Saturday night movie. Lately, I've been relying on Epicurious, and come up with some great recipies. We've also made ma'amouls and walnut fingers in filo dough. It's great to see these kids, who generally have zero frustration tolerance, sit down together, and cook from scratch. I find the more tactile the recipie is, the better. With the ma'amouls, they had to form the dough into little balls, and fill them with walnuts. And I had two kids spend all afternoon working with the filo dough with great success. Enough rambling! Time to search for more Passover recipies. I decided to make the gefilte fish from scratch this year. I'll let y'all know how it comes out.

i like dolmas. they're fun to roll. chinese burrito, pineapple stir-fry, chicken and leek soup. i wish i had more time to cook. i'm planning to start looking at cookbooks more and cook a couple of vegetarian entrees on the weekends. separate into individual sevings and freeze in zip-lock. cheaper and healthier than fastfood if i have access to a microwave. shouldn't be too hard.

But where's the sex tips?

And where's the sex bits? Please supply map.

stand at the Counter in the Pose of Waitresses Encountered and Remembered, nekkid as an Australian Sunset in the Bush, and slowly Spatulate the Pot of Slathered Grape Leaves a-writhing in warm oil just below the simmering point, adding just enough Garlic to tempt the Goddess, and working up a grinding sweat, and when ready, roll the Slightly Sticky Dough onto little balls and rythmically bake to Etta James in the background in a slow - slow - slower oven, preferably while arousing the Little Soldier and playing PattyCake for two, oooo I can't stand this Heat in This Kitchen...

everyone says to write what you know. therefore, i can't write sex. look at me, i'm wallowing in self-pity.

Insomnia is the pits! If I were sleeping, I wouldn't feel alone.

I wish I had some meatloaf and mashed potatos with gravy!

what should happen is that y'all should start sending me your recipes via email. there should be three things included: a title, a list of ingredients, and enumerated directions. illustrations are encouraged but optional. the recipes can be for food or sex or both. once i have a bunch of them, i'll see what kind of themes emerge, tell you guys what they are, and organize the chapters that way. today is Prince Kuhio day, but i don't state holidays off anymore.

get

i'm serious, by the way. this project would give me something to do while i'm at home for 3 weeks, bored and suffering, as i recover from surgery. it would help cheer me up. i go in friday morning. they'll be splitting me from hip to hip.

love to sarah love of sarah love sarah love and health to you congratulations on your upcoming wellness your name keeps coming out srarh

last night , i made a nice roasted garlic marinara pasta shell dish with chicken sausages. we didn't have any sex due to the gaseous nature of the sausages. It seems any kind other than pork and we both end up feeling all pooey and crappy. Despite the high fat, i should stick with the OG sausages. oh and the sauce was in a jar, from trader joes. does this count?

only if you email it to me. thanks heather. really.

get well soon. <----cliche? omigod. mr. t is on. showing people how to call collect.

i'm going to rant. my fucknut crackhead internist is doing everything she can to see to it that i don't have surgery on friday. she called and left a message for me saying that she talked to the cardiologist - WHO HAS NEVER EXAMINED ME OR MET ME AND KNOWS NOTHINGA BOUT ME - and he agreed that a 37 heart rate is too low to have elective surgery. i immediately called my surgeon and said he is not allowed to cancel my surgery no matter what she says, and that i'm going to see to it that Hong the cardiologist comes to his senses after examining me on wednesday and talking to me and hearing my story. i'm nervous though, because this is just some random doctor who doesn't know me, doesn't know my medical history, and all he has are retarded machines that spew out numbers by which to make decisions regarding my health and thereby making decisions for me regarding MY FUCKING FUTURE. and god forbid that someone totally healthy does not fall within a range of numbers that are set up by some arbitrary average of medical research, as if all people on earth need to have a heart rate of 50-80. fuck fuck fuck the fucking fuck medical community, i hate all these motherfuckers, and i hate that they all have to cover their asses for fear of being sued. even signing an informed consent won't make a difference, because apparently if for some reason my heart stops and i die during surgery, the consent form will not hold up in a court of law if someone sues any or all of them for my death. god i am pissed off.

you heart rate is 37 because of aerobic training? i bet your heart rate is higher than 37 right now. i bet it is higher than 37 when you're all pissed off in Hong's office, too. my heart rate is 76. i just counted it. when they hooked the hear rate machine up to me last time i had surgery, i focused and brought it down (according to the machine) to 22. the machine shut off. the nurse said that is impossible. what do they know. it will go smoothly, sarah.

Heartrate machines are bunk, there to make everyone feel better.

My heartrate is normally around 70-76, except when I try to give blood. Then it's normally around 140. I've never been able to give blood, and I've tried 4 times.

PS. What kind of surgery are you having, sarah, if I may ask?

Note from the medical sector: Sarah,if I was on the OR team,and reviewed your chart,[which I do before any surgery],I would walk.The heartman doesn't know you personally,but knows what falls into the "norm",in reference of medical paramaters.A heart rate that low,can't supply enough 02 to cells,that are extremely stressed during a surgery.I wouldn't risk my license,to perform an elective surgery on someone with a heartrate that low. This would be my initial reaction,[and probably most medical personels,first reaction].Enough can go wrong in any surgery,so you rule out any high risk factors.Don't castigate this guy,for doing the right thing.I would be much more frightened of the surgeon who would do the surgery,after seeing that heartrate. What you can do,is talk to your doc,and arrange to go and see the heartman,and explain that you are heavy into aerobics,etc,and this is something you have trained to accomplish.At this point you are merely a name and number to him,but you can personalise this,and when he is aware of your situation,he will discuss risk factors and options,and you should be able to have your surgery performed. Good luck!

i had done yoga that morning and i was sleepy and relaxed when the EKG was done. last time i had surgery on the ovary i walked into the hospital with a heart rate of 40, and the anesthesiologist wasn't at all worried. and i did just fine until those fuckers drugged me up and freaked out when my heart rate hit 32 in the recovery room. i think i'm 38-44 normally due to 1) being unrealistically cariovascularly fit, 2) yoga, and 3) my heart is probably slightly enlarged from pushing blood through 250 lbs of body weight for seven years, during which i was always active and athletic... now my heart doesn't have to work even 1/2 that hard. i mean, DUH. this is not rocket science. i'm having a full abdominoplasty; my medical insurance agreed - without me needing to appeal - to fully pay for the procedure. it's not so much cosmetic surgery as it is reconstructive surgery. the skin disfigurement is fairly radical; this surgery is only cleaning up some of the mess - i will in no way have a Perfect Tummy when this is all done. WHEN, i say, WHEN. not IF, but WHEN. the most upsetting thing, besides feeling like strangers have control over my body, health, and future, is that this surgery currently is the only thing standing between me and the moment i get to get off the plane in Austin for good. i mean, besides kevin coming to visit me here and having to actually pack up all my crap, if it were not for this surgery, i would be outta here in a month, maybe less. the longer this shit gets delayed, the longer it's going to keep us apart - and that is Not Good. i mean, it's tolerable, it's doable, but it's not favorable. oh man. i'm so sad about this. everything else in my life is so ... it's just so wonderful. everything is falling in to place. for that i am grateful. i just need this one last thing to go smoothly. pleasepleaseplease let the powers that be have mercy.

It'll happen.It neat to see you planning eagerly for this new phase in your life.Keep us posted on your recovery. I'll email you my yummy black lace garter cookie recipe.They are sinfully pleasure producing.

it's

thanks Czarina, i really appreciate you taking the time to put in your take on it and for being supportive. for breakfast this morning i ingested a double dose of my thyroid medication, drank 3-4 cups green tea, and on my way to the office i stopped at 7-11 and got a JUMBO COFFEE. my heart is racing and i feel pretty crappy, though very alert... like a deer in hunting season. but the doctor appointment is in about an hour and i am not fucking around.

my support for you is only tempered by my worries about you (which are based on no special medical knowledge). if you want someone to wish you well, you certainly got that here, babe.

let us know if you're still going in on friday.

i walked quickly up eight flights of stairs, turned back around and went to the 3rd floor where Hong's office is. after filling out some paperwork, the nurse weighed me in (143), checked my blood pressure (100/68) and my pulse (44), and left me there to wait for the doctor. while i waited, i stood up and marched in place while reading my Cooking Light magazine. when Hong came in, we went through my medical history. "How much weight did you lose?" "About 130 lbs altogether." "What program did you follow?" "I didn't follow any program. I did it myself." "You should write a book." "Everyone says that. If I had a dime for every person who told me I should write a book, I wouldn't need to write a book." Then we talked about my aerobic activity, yoga, and bodybuilding. I told him about the ovarian surgery. "My heart rate was 40 the morning I had that surgery. The anesthesiologist was not concerned." "Well, that proceedure only took 1 or 2 hours. The proceedure you want to have on Friday is 5 hours. If your heart rate is that slow for that period of time, then we have a problem." "I bet my heart rate is that low or lower when I sleep at night. I sleep about 6-8 hours." He laughed at me. Then he checked my blood pressure again on each arm, looked in my eyes, took my pulse, listened to my heart, my breathing and ordered another EKG. I was laying on the examination table. "So, what was it?" "50." "That's fairly normal, right?" He laughed. "Yes, fairly normal." Of course, I was basically making myself hyperventilate while the machine was on. Not in an obvious way, but I made a physical effort to increase my rate of breathing. "You know, I usually have a wait list a month in advance." "Yes, I realize that. Thank you for seeing me." "Why are you so adamant about having this surgery on Friday?" "Because I've wanted to do this for a long time and had to cancel twice and I don't want to put this off any longer." "Why? Because of work?" I was still laying there and I couldn't help myself, the tears welled up and streamed down my face. "Yeah, I have a little grace period at work right now. But also because I'm trying to move to Austin... my boyfriend lives there. And I have to get this done before I go because my insurance here knows my medical history and is paying for it." He handed me a tissue. "And you've been through a lot, and you just want to get this done and move on with your life." "Exactly." "Gotchya. Ok, I want you to go to Queen's and get a cardiac monitor on you for 24 hours. They'll take it off tomorrow morning, and then you'll go do a treadmill test. If you pass that, I'll clear you for surgery." "I don't have time to spend the afternoon at the hospital getting hooked up to a holster monitor. Can't we just do the treadmill test tomorrow?" "Yeah, ok. We're all hustling around here." "Thanks." "Are you from Hawaii?" "No, I've lived here 9 years." "You want to leave?" "Well, I'm in love." "Austin, eh? He better not be a jerk, he better be a wonderful guy." "Oh, he is, trust me. I'm a smart girl. I wouldn't leave this place for a jerk." "Is he a computer geek too?" "Yep." Official diagnosis is brandycardia. Whatever that means.

uh, make that bradycardia. it's like the alcohol free version of brandycardia.

i think cooking light is an ass magazine. good luck, sarah.

i'm sure you know this by now but: http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic534.htm low heart rate. *gasp*

oh, good luck sarah. do you get to keep the trimmings? that would be weird.

thanks everyone! dave. you are a sicko, but that goes w/out saying. i printed that info out and i'm going to fax it to my naturopath. i'm firing my internist for good. she's whack. the treadmill test, it's going to be tough, actually. i have to be able to get my heart rate up to a certain point. unfortunately it typically takes me a good 20 minutes of moderately intense exercise to get my heart pumping, so we'll see. more thyroid medicine and coffee, perhaps. i'm seeing Lonny tonight. he said i should take some ephedrine, but that would be overkill i think. i'm thinking i have a pretty good chance of having surgery on friday morning, but i'll let you know either way, nate. thanks. i have my pre-op tomorrow afternoon. i'll ask the doctor if i get to keep the trimmings. if so, maybe i'll freeze them at home and let my roommate discover it in there one day, long after i'm gone. paybacks for the dead cat incident. that's what i'm sayin.

have you moved in the past few years? you can always make pho.

tan it and stretch it out like a hide and hang it on the wall.

muskrat oh muskrat, i trapped it on the bank i'll skin its hide and stretch it out and tack it on a plank boys, tack it on a plank tack it on a plank, boys, i'll tack it on a plank muskrat oh muskrat, i trapped it on the farm i'll sell the hide when it gets dry to keep some pretty gal warm, boys, keep some pretty gal warm keep some pretty gal warm, boys, keep some pretty gal warm

Glutemus Protectorus Malpracticus. . . . . . . Nice thoughts, Droop. . . . . Sarah...Ms Sand Between Her Toes... Though you don't want to hear this from me, Hong doesn't want to lose you, and neither do we. He's off the hook once you sign the forms, and if anything goes wrong, you're left vegetative. Don't try to fool the aesthesiologist; he's right: it's a long affair to claw your way back from the respirator.

don't fucking scare me like that. it's not like i already don't have trouble sleeping these days. Dr. Hong is not my surgeon, he's a cardiologist. my surgeon knows the whole story. i think it's really his decision in the end. and i am going to tell the anesthesiologist *everything*, about the 37 resting heart rate, which i really believe was a fluke anyway, and about the incident in the recovery room after the last surgery. Daniel, i am scared, ok? i'm fucking terrified, actually. do you realize that i'm taking a cab to the hospital friday morning at 6 a.m.? and i'll have to take one home, most likely. and i've requested that my surgeon find an excuse to keep me in the hospital for at least 2 days, preferably 3, after the proceedure, though typically it's outpatient, simply because i have nobody to take care of me at home. my father has gone off the deep end with his drinking; my friends all have jobs and lives and can't be here to tend to my needs. i am going to be split from hip to hip, i will not be able to walk, let alone bathe, dress, or feed myself, i will be wearing a harness and the external incision will have two drains installed in it. the doctor makes three home visits in the first week. that doesn't even include my fear about going under, my heart rate, the general risk of surgery. two surgeries in less than a year... maybe i shouldn't do this, i really don't know. my gut tells me i'm healthy. my naturopath says i'm fine. i think these people just don't want to get sued, that's all, or maybe they just want to be sure, because i'm not average. "you're a medical mystery" my fucknut internist told me last thursday. so that's what i have to go on. i can live with the skin, i guess, the disfigurement, the constant discomfort and unease. i am not ashamed, but i am self conscious, and i can live with that too, if i have to. but i don't want to anymore. i'm fucking sick and tired of having to tuck my own skin into my clothes, of sucking in my guts so that i don't look pregnant all the time, or like some circus freak. my body parts are not well-contained or well-managed by my own skin; i'm 30 going on 70. i'm tired of having no sex drive, of being afraid of having sex, especially now that something so wonderful and new is around the corner. yet it's not about him, he doesn't care, he supports whatever decision i make, but i will not allow either of us to pretend that physical and sexual attraction isn't a very important part of being in a romantic relationship. this is about my body, my psyche, my journey, my future. so if i die before i wake, i pray the lord my soul to take. but thanks for being concerned.

also, i'd like to add... what do you think would happen if i needed an emergency surgery, like a appendectomy? even if my heart rate was 32, they'd have to find a way to get me under and take out my appendix. the way i see it is, if anything even starts to look a little fishy in terms of my blood oxygenation, they're not stupid, they'll sew me up, abort the proceedure at whatever stage they're at, and bring me to. god fucking dammit.

you know, i should've substituted dave's name for "muskrat". dave oh dave, what makes you smell so bad runnin' round the farmer's house eatin' up all he has good luck, sarah. if it weren't for hardcore surgery, i'd be dead. so i guess they must know what they're doing. then again, they never did make me sexually attractive.

good luck sarah...i really don't know how to say it, but i hope you'll have a good recovery. i have a salad recipe...i'll mail it to you in the morning.

muskrats are cute. i'm really bad at consoling or offering words of encouragement. 'everything might not be all right.' 'maybe you can't do it.' these are the things that run through my head whenever these situations come up and i can't seem to be able to muster up the appropriate sincerity to be convincing in what truly is a sincere desire to console or encourage. does that make sense? anyway, it's late and i'm tired and sarah, do what you would most regret not doing and you'll be all right.

Sarah, I know this has been a huge decision for you, and I want you to know I wish you the best. I'm glad you're able to finally do this, and get to go to Austin. Best of luck, and I'll be sending good thoughts your way tomorrow.

i'd like to personally scold all of your close friends for not offerering a ride home, and some help during this. selfish little bitches. Id take an afternoon off work to help a friend after such a procedure. really....give me their emails...they need to be tongue lashed! Im confident you'll be fine. Just think Austin!

thanks everyone. passed the treadmill test. blunted heart response for the first interval ("probably due to physical conditioning" said Hong), but the rest of the intervals were normal, and i actually achieved a 130/80 blood pressure and 165 heart rate under 15 minutes, jogging 5.0 miles an hour at like a 8% incline i think. anyway, i'm clear. thanks for being supportive. don't forget to email me your recipes.

did you get my fruit salad?

S: I didn't mean to scare you... you are aware of the risks. Of course I'm concerned; I'm one of your biggest fans...and gee, Sarah, you are one of the physically healthiest persons I know, and your determination and health and strength will see you through. I think the video of the operation will no doubt be award winning, and competing with Survivor and Boot Camp on the Sorabji Channel. Seriously, know you'll be in my prayers, as no doubt you shall also be in many others' thoughts and prayers, too. Pez, I got your fruit salad... I'd omit the road kill :)

if you are bosian i would like for you to share some recipes with me.

I've had the most amazing sandwich every day for the past four days. Take one whole wheat pita and cut into two circles. Layer thusly: *One pita circle *Light layer of this fantastic honey balsamic mustard from France (ooh la la!) *Turkey breast *Cheese (I've used fresh mozzarella in some sandwiches and taleggio in others) *Slices of roasted red peppers *Turkey breast *Fresh spinach leaves *Slices of cucumber *Broccoli sprouts *Turkey breast *Light layer of mustard *One pita circle It is so good. It's thick (with vitamins!) but it smooshes down nicely to fit into one's mouth. I've lately been turned onto mustard. I spent 30 years loathing the stuff, but now I'm warming considerably to it. I discovered this cognac mustard at the grocery store, but I can't justify paying $16.50 for a condiment (whoa, it's $22 on that site!). It seems like it would be sooo good, though. Do you have issues with what things touch in a sandwich? In the sandwich above, I have to separate the cheese and the cucumbers with several layers in between, and I have to put a layer of turkey breast between the sprouts and the mustard because condiments can't touch vegetables. I can just hear my dad scoffing at that (his justification for eating so many unholy food combinations is that "it all mixes together in your stomach anyway"), but I really think it makes a difference.

issues with what things touch, sandwich or no. Just had a wonderful ceviche followed by a mass quantity of sllops, and arroz verde, and green sauce of some sort with black beans at the Range Grill in Bernallilo New mexico. I had to separate gravy from vegetables when i was a child, but now, well, down tha hatch and mix it up. Last night had a grilled portabella steak which actually tasted like steak, veggies layered between two grilled caps, and a fantastic green chile stew and calamari (not touching) at high finance at top of Sandia Peak, a favorite place. Will eat at the Zia Pueblo tomorrow, by invitation. (It is a site closed to public) so am hoping for some wonderful traditional food. Spider, check out my son's store (he only works there...) The Wine and Cheese Merchant for the cognac mustard. GHood choice.

That sounds like an epic sandwich, Spider! I recently discovered the tuna melt (seriously, where has this prosaic yet ambrosial sandwich been all my life?!?!?!) and so I have been eating those while watching "Mad Men." I think that mustard is one of those things, like pepper, which grows on you. I used to loathe both mustard and pepper because they were sharp and bitter, and then one day I got into them. My personal theory is that you have so many tastebuds when you are young that things like mustard are too intense, so you can't fully enjoy them until you've ruined some of your tastebuds. The other sandwich I have been loving lately is rosemary foccacia with cream cheese (or goat cheese, or any kind of soft cheese, really), black olives, avocado, and red onions.

Danielssss,i makes the best taco you will ever eat.

Sounds great, Spider, although I'd probably do away with the spinach -- never really liked lettuce or leafy things on my sandwiches. And I'm not a big fan of honey mustards, so I'd probably switch to dijon or gulden's brown. Good choice with the roasted red peppers -- I can eat those out of the jar like they're going out of style! My wife makes the most awesome Cuban sandwiches -- roast pork, ham, pickles, cheese, and flattens them. Really good!

Dougie, can I come over for cuban sandwiches?

I've been enjoying tempeh reubens lately quite a bit. Another good one is avocado, gouda cheese, spinach or some similarly green item, mayo and mustard. My presliced bread of choice recently has been Dave's Killer Bread. Sorry, boring.

damn spider, that does sound delish. senor and i lately have gotten really into sierra nevada stout grainy mustard. i could drink the stuff. i'm off bread for the time being so sammies are out. but it's great with brats and other sausages.

yesterday i decided i had to cook a red bell pepper i'd had in my fridge for a week. i cut it into strips, along with the end heel of an onion. i decided to cook them in my george foreman grill. it's surprising how much more pepper there seems to be when you cut it into strips. i could've fit four quarters in the cooker, but in strips i had to do it in two batches. after cooking the first batch and starting the secong. i took out my last three slices of bread and some cold cuts. i placed one strip of peppery beef, a slice of provolone, and some red peppers on a single slice, then drizzled some italian dressing over it, folded it up and ate it. i finished off the bread that way. i have leftover peppers, and i used some in a sort of eggs benedict this morning.