So web 2.0 it makes babies cry.

Wow I have been busy, and not just normal busy for me, but really busy. That being no excuse, a “month in review” for you. Following the weekend we left off on, was Memorial Day weekend, which as always was at Buehler’s Idlewild. As always, I can’t say enough good things about the weekend, the people, the hosts, the food. Take note of Nana drinking a PBR, and now stop wondering where I get it from.

Nanna drinking a PBR

The Lake at Buehlers Idlewild

Karley and Matty

Chilling with Bacon and Sauasge

The following Saturday was the Mozart Lodge #121 Beef and Beer, which consumed many days of planning, and running around. Which was all worth it, as we managed to have over 80 people come through the door, and after expenses we managed to raise about $500 for the Masonic Charity Foundation, which is how they fund the Masonic HOME in Burlington, NJ. The next day I went to the Camden Rivershark’s game where they did a nice presentation by the Warrior’s Watch , and Sicily sang the National Anthem w/ her class.

The next weekend was pretty quiet as I remember it, I think I worked on my gimlet recipe.  On the 13th I ran all over the state, there was a christening in the AM, then I shot down to Wildwood for the longest DeMolay banquet in history, Congrats Wes!   Followed by a visit to a southern gin joint till the wee hours of the AM. Seriously, it was like 5,  I was tired for all of Flag Day.  Then on the 19th, was the Mozart Lodge trip to the Camden Riversharks. We managed to get 65 people together with very short notice. On account of the iterest of this trip, and the amount of people we had to turn away the day of the game, next time I’m just going to buy out the whole section and fill that.

That is about enough for the broad strokes of social events for the month, I’m sure there were other things I have forgotten or not cared to write about today.

Then there was cooking…. Well lots of cooking, but the only things I have pictures left of or even bothered to take are my crappy donut balls, my awesome french bread, and one of my staple foods, PBR and Pierogies. The donut balls were done on a whim, and I wanted to try something with baking powder instead of yeast. As a result, I was not impressed at all and next time I will be sure to do those with yeast. Now my French Bread was really nice, the best I’ve done yet. Next time, I’m going to add some I-Tai herbs though, cause I’m crazy like that. The last pic is just for me, mmmm.

My Dounut balls kinda sucked

My best French bread yet.

PBR and Pierogies with peppers and onions.

Most recently, there was Father’s Day thrown in the mix there. We had a bbq over at Dave’s and had a good time. I got to spend a few minutes relaxing in the hammock sipping a DFH Midas Touch, which is still one of my favorite beers.

Currently I’m in the midst of planning our annual fishing trip (LMK if you wanna go!) and getting my “term plan” set for my year as WM, pending my election of course.  While I’m thinking of planning, what really gets me is the way no one likes to make a reservation early.  I must admit, it adds a whole new level of complexity to planning large events… Anyhow, that is more than enough for now.

So in preparation for Memorial Day weekend, at Buehler’s, we once again descended upon Rehoboth Beach and worked on bruising the family liver.  First up was happy hour at Delfini’s, where I tried my first ever Dirty Martini. Which I thought was very good, but quite pretty salty.  Next I tried, and really enjoyed a Gin Gimlet. After that it was off to Wahoo for a special birthday party for Slyvia. There we were pleased to find Jim Morris on stage doing a solo set.

The next day was the Boat Drinks Botanical put on by the DSPHC. Which as always was a blast, the Calypso Nuts were there, as well as Jim Morris and the Big Bamboo Band. The above picture of my feet was taken while just relaxing and enjoying myself. Unlike the JO parrothead who was either too drunk or too stupid to figure out that I was standing in line holding a plate when he called me an ass for “not being in line”. I only saw some lady, whom I hope has more respect for herself than to be married to that JO, walk away with him in tow, and no more for the rest of the day. I tell ya, it is really guys like him that give parrotheads and the Church of Jimmy a bad name… Kinda makes me glad I’ve never seen JB in concert.. But I digress..

The next day, it was up and back to Jersey for a meeting at the Hoban’s for a pre-Buehler’s planning commission meeting. AKA a bbq and some wine, all I know is I have to get a buttload of goldfish for this weekend.

I’ve added some pics from this weekend, as well as added a bunch from my phone in the 2009 photo gallery. I also expect to be updating more frequently, and also letting you know where my feet have taken me!

So when I’m left to my own devices, I either get myself into trouble or I do productive things. Tonight, it happens to be productive things. In between the raindrops, I put nearly all of my flowers outside. After that I was in a baking mood, so I made some focaccia. As you can see from below, I was also able to use the big cast iron skillet, which is always a plus.

It was a actually a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. The recipe only called for rosemary and parmesan cheese, but I just had to experiment a bit with some sauce and mushrooms that I had here at the house.
Using things from the house has been a bit of a priory for me, as the pantry is FULL. One of the things I’ve decided that I need to do is limit my food store purchases to to only protein type items for a while. This will not only help me clean out the pantry, but it will also help me save some money. When I goto the food store, I always want to get a luxury item or two, so those are gone too. Although I do have a good supply of TVP and other various soy products in the house.

So it’s time to start Project Post It, not to be confused with the sticky little pieces of paper that litter people’s desks and monitors.  For the next month, I’m going to be doing at least one post a day on one of the 5 main blogs that I add to.  My main goal here is to update this blog the most, as it really is the most important one to me on a personal level.    I really do need to get better with updates, and can no longer keep putting it off.

Now that I’ve said it here, it will be time to start it, after some coffee and I take the lodge trestle boards (newsletters) to the USPS…

A friend and I were discussing the other day via email how we really need to start updating our personal blogs on a more frequent basis, so that’s what I’m gonna do.  That same friend sent me a link today to a painter by the name of Justine Lai.  She does some pretty cool stuff with some pretty “stuffed shirt” political types.   As a result, I’ve decided I’m going to start making posts of the cool artsy stuff I tend to check out, and created a new section for it.   From her site bio:

In Join Or Die, I paint myself having sex with the Presidents of the United States in chronological order. I am interested in humanizing and demythologizing the Presidents by addressing their public legacies and private lives. The presidency itself is a seemingly immortal and impenetrable institution; by inserting myself in its timeline, I attempt to locate something intimate and mortal. I use this intimacy to subvert authority, but it demands that I make myself vulnerable along with the Presidents. A power lies in rendering these patriarchal figures the possible object of shame, ridicule and desire, but it is a power that is constantly negotiated.

I approach the spectacle of sex and politics with a certain playfulness. It would be easy to let the images slide into territory that’s strictly pornographic—the lurid and hardcore, the predictably “controversial.” One could also imagine a series preoccupied with wearing its “Fuck the Man” symbolism on its sleeve. But I wish to move beyond these things and make something playful and tender and maybe a little ambiguous, but exuberantly so. This, I feel, is the most humanizing act I can do

An example of her interesting works

Make sure you check out her page, I assume she has showings out in the San Fransisco area.

16 are arrested in Maryland as fight breaks out at concert held to promote nonviolence

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Montgomery County police say 16 people were arrested after a fight broke out during a concert held to promote nonviolence and to remember a Silver Spring teen killed last year.

The free Stop the Violence youth concert was held Saturday night on Ellsworth Street in downtown Silver Spring in memory of 14-year-old Montgomery Blair High School student Tai Lam, who was shot to death in November.

Police say fighting broke out near the stage toward the end of the concert and at least one person resisted arrest. Police say 16 adults and juveniles were arrested for offenses such as assault and disorderly conduct.

fight,high school, stupid

Honestly? Really? It is amazing to me the levels of stupidity in which people act.

I am officially back in the office for my first full day all week!   Crazy you say? Well yes.  Monday ended up being a snow day for the “Blizzard of Death for March 2009“.   In all reality, it was not really that bad.  However, it was the first real snow fall we have had over 8 inches this year so the weather-persons were all flipping their wigs.   Needless to say, I cleared the walk way and most of the driveway and threw down some ice melt and went back inside where I proceeded to watch crappy television, and make more pita’s.

I had slightly more success with the different recipe, but not to the point where I”m happy by any means. I really think my oven might not be getting hot enough. I  need to really experiment with it more,  and perhaps mix the two recipes for a “best of” attempt. Hopefully come Saturday I’ll have the pita project perfected, or at levels to an acceptable level.

Late in the evening of my Snow Day, on comes the sickness.  First the runny nose, then the sinus pressure, and finally a 6+ foot tall 180 lb baby of a man.   So me being me, I goto bed, get up and goto work.  Only to leave an hour later, get home and goto bed.  Then I’m up at 4-ish and up to WJMC to get ready w/ dinner and the Official Visit to our Lodge.   I was doped up on DayQuil and Sudafed, with a bandaid on my nose because it would not stop bleeding from where it slit on the side.  Oh what a night…..

Followed by 12 hours in bed, then a day on the couch, it was off to Collingswood for the Scottish Rite business meeting.  I wa sback to work today, but it took me a few hours just to get my email sorted out, and I’m not even caught up on my weekly tasks.  I guess that’s what happens when your first day of work occurs on a Thursday.   At least tomorrow is Friday, I have an another OV then I get to take a break this weekend.