food and other things

I finally laid my hands on some more cheesecloth, rolled up the pancetta, and started another batch of duck breast prosciutto (two pieces, one whole breast). They are all hanging now in the pantry. We'll see how it goes. I do need to make some bacon, don't I.

My pal Gretchen is on a real anti-Mitch McConnell trip, and is trying to find a Ditch Mitch bumper sticker for her car. Problem is, he just (barely) was re-elected to yet another term in the Senate last year, so everybody who hates him has given up on trying to make him unemployed. She is having a difficult time finding a Ditch Mitch bumper sticker, so is making one herself. If I hadn't thrown them out, I would give her my old Ditch Mitch yard signs, but I fear they are history.

Cheers, tomorrow is April Fool's Day.

cars

So now Ford, the only American automobile company we the taxpayers do NOT own, is selling Volvo to somebody in China. I remember when Ford acquired Volvo. For awhile at least, Volvo suffered from the new owner; what on earth is going to happen when it's owned by Chinese?

I am seriously not suited for the 21st century.

taxes, tea baggers, and state budgets

I realize this is an anathema to lots (LOTS) of my friends and relatives, but there is something that I have never understood about taxes.

Some things have sales tax on them and others don't. Some of these things I understand. Like clothes, shoes, computers, birthday cards, etc., being subject to sales tax, but food and drugs NOT having sales tax.

The list of things subject to sales tax and the list of things exempt are both extensive, and both vary from state to state. Okay.

However, at least in Kentucky (and I think Kentucky is typical), services are not subject to the sales tax This results in some seriously bizarre situations (and people like lawyers will probably not agree with my logic here...). So if I wash all my own clothes and sheets and towels, etc., and iron my own clothes and shirts, etc., I have to pay sales tax on the following: the washer and dryer; the ironing board; the iron; the detergent, stain remover, bleach, fabric softener, starch, etc., required to do a decent job of washing same. I can probably think of a few other related items if I work on it. HOWEVER, if I take ALL my clothes and laundry to a cleaner who also does laundry, I can get all my clothes cleaned and washed and ironed, and all my linen laundered, ironed, and hung, so long as I can manage to pay their bill, and there is NO SALES TAX to pay. On top of which, I assume that the company that does the cleaning, washing and ironing not only does not pay sales tax on the equipment and products they use, they also deduct these expenses as well as the wages paid to the people who take care of my laundry, AND write off all the taxes, insurance, interest, depreciation, etc., on their equipment and buildings...

This makes no sense to me; it seems only reasonable that I should have to pay sales tax on the bills to get these good people to do my laundry and cleaning for me when I have to pay sales tax on everything required to do all the work myself.

Another example of this: I do not cut my own hair, although I wash it and dry it myself most of the time. I also no longer care for my toenails, etc., although I used to. I do still take care of my fingernails.

But why is it that I must pay sales tax on shampoo, conditioner, dye (although I do not use it, at least not yet!), chemicals, etc. for permanents (don't use them, either, at least not yet!), scissors, mirrors, etc., if I take care of my own hair (my husband used to be my hair-cutter, back when I was young and it was long and straight), but if I get somebody else to take care of it, there's no sales tax on what he or she charges?!? Sorry, folks, it makes NO SENSE to me. I also don't have to pay sales tax to get the guys at the local shop to give me a pedicure, where they provide all the equipment, etc., needed, including little things like nail polish and cream. But if I purchase the products, I must pay sales tax. This makes no sense to me.

UK Basketball -- huh?

HELLO!!! Nobody has told me to score, and as I mentioned earlier, I was banished from the den as I was deemed to be bad luck. Appears it didn't matter. Phil just told me they went down the drain. Martin is not speaking to me...

C'est la vie. C'est le jeu de basketball a Kentucky. Do you think John Calipari should be looking for another job? This seems to be the normal course of events?!?

On the other hand, this was a VERY young, very immature team, etc...

So there.

At least the brackets I chose aren't any worse than those of anybody else in the family...

Cheers, Lillie

food

About the duck breast prosciutto. Have made it twice before and it was really, really good. The stuff I made yesterday needs to be hung wrapped in cheesecloth in the pantry (it's still pretty cool in there, what with not being very warm outside, and the pantry being so far from any heating that it doesn't get actually hot until late summer...AND there's a thermometer on the counter in the room). The problem is that I started this pancetta from pork belly, which wasn't ready to hang before I left for Texas, and should have been dealt with, washed, dried, rolled, peppered, tied and wrapped while I was down there. But it wasn't because I wasn't here (it was in a zip-lock bag in the fridge). So yesterday I washed it, dried it (maybe it was Thursday), peppered it, rolled it, tied it (perhaps not all that well...this is not exactly my forte), wrapped it in the rest of my cheesecloth, and couldn't figure out how to actually hang it on the rod in the pantry where it's cool. It is on the laundry drying rack, which means there is air on all sides, so it can cure, or whatever it is it's supposed to do.

Makes it a bit awkward for hanging clothes on the drying rack.

Also means I need more cheesecloth for the duck breast prosciutto.

ALSO, I was making sauerkraut. From a cabbage. Was not exactly a success. Had to throw it out. Will try again later.

Lillie

trip to Texas

Just got back from Texas last Tuesday. Shorter trip than I'd planned, because my life has been hijacked by my rheumatologist (what exactly is wrong with that word? this editor does NOT like it), who talked me into trying yet another of the biologic drugs, hoping to find a magic bullet to deal with my RA. This is the second. I've already tried Enbrel for several months, and it didn't do squat.

It would be really nice if one of these were to work; it would be lovely to be able to get out of bed at a reasonable hour, and get going asap, etc. I realize that nothing is going to cure the joints that are already rotten, or make my spine 20 years old again, which would also mean that I would once again be almost (ALMOST) 5'5" instead just barely over 5'2". This at least gives me a reasonably good excuse to be short, fat in the mid-section, etc. But I do still have skinny legs, right?!?

And while I'm basically lonely and bored, and not intellectually stimulated like I was when I was working, AND am bored with having to deal with all these chores at home that everybody has been ignoring for > 6 years, I am optimistic. I WILL manage to get re-engaged. I WILL get rid of a whole slew of books we have that NOBODY will ever look at again, which will relieve the pressure to acquire yet more bookshelves. I WILL get the family financial books, home inventory, appraisals, etc., under control. AND I WILL do it while making pancetta, duck breast prosciutto (SOMEBODY please, PLEASE tell me where to get cheesecloth around here for a reasonable price?!?).

Also, while I was in Texas, San Antonio to be exact, specifically Central Market, the high-end grocery store owned and run by HEB, the Texas version of Kroger, I talked to a couple of the folks working there about making cheese. They make their own Mozzarella. I came back with three cartons of their Mozzarella curd. Yesterday I actually worked up the courage to make some Mozzarella from one of them (need to use them all SOON, as the stuff doesn't last very long once you open the package and expose it to air and whatever...she suggested a week, but it's already been longer than that). The boys loved it. I think I left the stuff too long in the brine (salt and water), but must admit it was good.

Stay tuned...

Cheers, Lillie

Kentucky basketball, etc...

So I have been banished from the den because evidently I bring bad luck to the UK basketball team in its effort to beat W. Virginia and get itself in the final four.

The real problem is that they (UK) were actually ahead early in the game and figured it was going to be a blowout. HOWEVER, given that they can't hit 3-pointers, are basically a bunch of very (VERY) talented 13 year old back lot basketball players who are actually 18 and 19 year old UK players, they are actually probably going to lose (unless they get their act together REAL FAST) to a really inferior college team. Notwithstanding the seriously expensive UK basketball coach they now have, John Calipari, with the multi-million dollar pad on the most expensive block of Richmond Road in Lexington, and the serious multi-million dollar "renovations"/"additions" he's doing there. If you aren't familiar with Lexington, Henry Clay's house and what's left of his estate is a block down the road, and Calipari's pad is probably in Ashland Park (all of Ashland Park used to be part of the Henry Clay Estate, which is called Ashland...also, disclaimer here, our house in Lexington on Cochran Road was at the edge of the Henry Clay Estate and was therefore in the Ashland Park subdivision...although it sorta wasn't in the same league as the mansion Calipari inhabits)

The only problem with the UK basketball team at the moment is that, although they are seriously talented, they are sorta immature (is it okay to say that?!?)

I may have to leave and take a LONG vacation in France if they lose tonight, as Martin may be insufferable...

so there...

academy awards

So I want to see the film about Tolstoy, and I'm mad because Meryl Streep didn't win Best Actress. And it's been 66 years since there were 10 nominees for Best Picture, and Casablanca won. This year The Hurt Locker, another war film, won. Haven't seen it, but I wonder if it'll turn out to be a classic like Casablanca. And hey, a WOMAN won the Best Director award for The Hurt Locker.

I want to see The Educator, or whatever it is that was nominated for all these awards, ditto The Last whatever, the one about Tolstoy.

And one last observation: all the women involved in any role seemed to be taller than any of the men, largely to their shoes. However, do you think this is significant of anything other than women are stupid enough to wear ridiculous shoes that will ruin their feet?

Cheers, Lillie

new food source

We went to Cincinnati yesterday and spent the day with Jim Krupa and Rees. Visited Findley Market, originally a German market started by Bavarian (I think) settlers in Cincinnati sometime in the 19th century, maybe 1870 or so. Wonderful place. Want fresh fish? they've got it. veg? ditto...sausage? what kind? what animal? bison? duck? camel? hey, it's there...a deli? yep...serious cheese? yes. Mediterranean shop with 50 different EVOO's? It's there, but here may be more than 50.

So there's IKEA, Jungle Jim's, Banasch's (fabric store, maybe the only one still existing in a 300 mile radius of central Kentucky...), and now a REAL market...

On top of which, we visited a restaurant called Nada, where we had some crazy drinks, the craziest of which was Phil's margarita that had this tequila infused with arbol chiles. It packed quite a punch, and I plan to try to replicate it.

my office

I realize that blogging is now "tres passe", but I'm an old lady and don't much like tweets and facebook, etc. Was seriously pleased with myself when I learned to blog...so there...

have just mostly cleaned off my desk upstairs; this is the first time you've been able to see its surface in months...am giving myself positive reinforcement...

forgot something in my recent rant

Mitch McConnell...I am sick of him, too, but he's so smart he doesn't drive me nearly as crazy as John too-tan Boehner and pretty boy Eric Cantor...

random thoughts--am bummed out, so read at your own risk...

The sun is out for the second day in a row. MAYBE IT'S A TREND...

I'm a Democrat, but here are some things I'm sick and tired of:

harry reid

nancy pelosi

ben nelson

that guy stupak

charles rangel

gov. paterson in NY

john mccain (I realize he's not a democrat but I'm sick of him, too)

john too-tan boehner (see John mccain)

eric cantor (ditto)

joe lieberman whatever or whoever he is

rick perry (ditto again)

health care (Obama is absolutely correct: everything that can be said about the bills floating around has been said, far too many times, by far too many people...let's vote)

jim the baseball player bunning (ditto) and the WSJ reaction to his bizarre behavior...all ignoring what every economist on either side of the political spectrum says...at least bunning won't be around much longer, but he's an embarrassment to kentucky (if you're not from Kentucky, brilliant bunning said during the recent gubernatorial contest that Dan-the-Italian-M.D.-Mongiardo, who was running for Lieutenant Governor, looked "like Saddam Hussein's son"... too a room full of Republican donors, however, there was a reporter sitting there taping it)...

I've quit reading the newspapers and watching the news. That leaves Antiques RoadShow, which unfortunately comes on only once a week.

Am also tired of the Academy Awards and they haven't even happened yet.

Am so bummed out I actually watched a basketball game the other day. UK beat Georgia, I think it was. They looked really amateurish at first and then blew it away. These freshmen like John Wall are ready for the pro's???? Puleeze, give me a break.

Am tired of having RA, a degenerative spine, constant pain, etc. My right arm, wrist, and hand are driving me crazy again and my GP is afraid it's because of another pinched nerve in my neck. Lower back pain, leg pain, foot pain I can generally cope with, but I need my arm, wrist and hand. This is not good news, but I guess I will have to go back to a neurosurgeon if it doesn't go away.

Am profoundly uninterested in cleaning up my office and dealing with both bills and taxes.

Tired of it being cold, and it's still really too cold in the kitchen to cook much.

So there.

I'm going to Texas next week; maybe it will be pleasantly (but not terribly) warm, and maybe the bluebonnets will be out...