Month: December 2006

Holiday weekend 1

Early day on Friday, as I was awoken before 6 by Jill, whose car had stalled out while driving and she was at the mechanic. I got her, went home and showered, then we drove to my work and she took my car to school. Good thing was getting out early, and I took the time to catch up on paper and TV and get hardcore about tackling my annual artists to watch CD sampler, as well as the new Christmas one I started last year. I’m a bit behind schedule, as I wanted to be done with the assembling last weekend and just be burning this week, but it seems I’m always late and rushing to get ‘er done last minute, so why change now? Jill made a tasty breaded chicken, mac and cheese, and broccoli combo for dinner, but went to bed soon after. I stayed up for not too much longer.

Saturday we slept in, then Jill went to run errands and I made myself a breakfast burrito. I read the paper and worked some more on the samplers. Jill studied some, then got ready for my office party. I got ready and we left shortly after 6. We got there right on time (after getting a little lost), then got some drinks and appetizers. We sat at a table with people from my group, and enjoyed ourselves. The prime rib was mighty tasty, as well as the strawberry cheesecake. We needed to leave early, but we’d gotten some play money to play casino games with. Not having a lot of time, we put it all on numbers for one spin of roulette and lost it all. No big deal since it was just play. Jill went straight to bed while I stayed up and watched some of SNL before I started to fall asleep.

Jill was out early this morning as she was meeting people to study at 6. I didn’t get up ’til after 10, and I walked Illa and made a tasty cranberry/apple syrup and pancakes to put it on. I also made a cranberry/cashew bread (I’d bought fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving but never used them), then marinated some chicken for dinner. By then it was time for the Redskins/Eagles game, which they actually had a chance to win, but didn’t. I’m sending out invoices for some completed eBay auctions, then surf a little and leave the office so Jill can continue studying. I hope to finish my track selection on the samplers tonight, and start digging through my monthly comics shipment.

Best burgers?

I grilled burgers for dinner tonight (with grapefruit as appetizer because it was there). Not bad, but for some reason I was curious about the best burgers, and came across this list of the best burger places.

0 for 20. May have to correct that sometime. Haven’t even tried what may be the best chain burger.

A D that is most tenacious

Sunday night we went to see Tenacious D at the Patriot Center. I’d seen them once before at the 2001 HFStival, but it wasn’t a full one and I was jonesing for a rematch. Plus Jill hadn’t seen them and really wanted to (to the point where she studied all weekend to take the night off before her first final). We successfully avoided the opening act, and got there a little while before they went on. They pulled off one of the best entrances I’ve seen. In their HBO episodes, they have a one bedroom apartment, and the stage replicated that, a giant painting showing the room and outside and a number of props, including a TV, couch, and fridge. The crowd was cheering lustily, and Jill noticed the lumps on the couch were moving. Yep, the D was asleep, and stirred into awakeness, then got up, acknowleged the crowd, and launched into “Kielbasa”. I had a setlist and wasn’t too surprised, but I was happy to see them cover Queen’s “Flash”, which went straight into “Wonderboy”.

The first half of the set was good, had some funny skits with Lee (he was also in the episode “The Fan”). After an accidental “electrocution”, the set was stripped away to reveal a movie screen, and a short clip played where they went to hell and formed a band. The screen was removed to show a big set behind it, set on a shelf in hell – the drumset between two smoking towers was a nice touch. They started off with “Kickapoo” (first track off the new CD) with Kyle doing Meat Loaf’s parts and Jack doing Dio’s, just as they’d done on SNL the night before. They went through a number of old and new songs, then Jack “called an audible” to go off the setlist and cover Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times”, bleeding into “Jesus Ranch”. That delighted the asshat in the row in front of us who’d been screaming for it all night, but the Zeppelin cover was really rockin’ and made up for it. The highlight was their duel with the devil, “Beelzeboss”. I held up some faint hope that Dave Grohl, who plays the devil on the CD and in the movie would show, but Lee did a great job as the devil. They encored with “F*ck Her Gently” and “Tribute”, we left during the latter. Still got home by 11, which was Jill’s goal, so a good night all around.

It’s getting cold in here

Friday I actually got up earlier than Jill for once, as I had to be in work at 7:30. The good thing about that is I was home before it was dark, and it was still quite warm out, so I took Illa on a nice long walk on the bike trail. I relaxed for a while reading the paper and watching TV, then made a nice fatty dinner – frozen chicken kiev, frozen asparagus (with fresh hollandaise sauce) and leftover plantains from Pollo Ranchero. Very good with beer.

Saturday Jill got going early to study as her finals start Monday. I made myself eggs benedict (on a bagel since we were out of english muffins), then took Illa for a walk. It was colder, but still nice in a fleece. I went searching through the closet o’ stuff downstairs for more Dr. Who stuff since I’m starting an eBay auction today with Dr. Who comics, then took pictures of everything (and items for an Alan Moore auction I’ll start after the holidays) and got the listings ready (as well as catching up on surfing).

More TV while gift wrapping followed, then Jill got home around 9. I’d offered her three turkey and tortilla combinations: fajitas, quesadillas, and caesar salad wraps. She went with the caesar salad wraps, so I quickly whipped those together and served them with grapefruit halfs. The grapefruit was also important because I slowly working my way through the cocktail books I have, and there’s a couple drinks using grapefruit juice. The one last night was kind of a margarita, my favorite so far is a sea breeze. After dinner, I started a fire for the first time and pulled the ultimatic romantic step – put on the Tenacious D DVD to get ready for tonight’s show as we split a bottle of cava.

Today Jill once again headed out early to study, I got up about the same time but slower. I made an omelette for breakfast, then walked Illa before the Redskins game started. Not as good as last week, as the lead at halftime evaporated with Vick’s relentless assault. I finished the paper, now I have to start my auction before getting another turkey dinner ready, then we’ll head to the show (skipping the opening act, thank you very much).