I count my calories. I've been able to take off weight and keep it mostly off. (The holidays were rough.) At the end of a particularly tough day when I had 437 calories left in my "bank" I decided to treat myself. My usual snack is Baked Cheese Kurls for 130 calories. When I decide not to have the orange dust on my fingers, I opt for grapes or a banana. But none of those options tickled my fancy. I decided that I wanted something special. I wanted a S'more. For those of you not familiar with this delight, it consists of 2 squares of graham crackers with a quarter of a chocolate bar and a toasted marshmallow smashed between the crackers. The usual method of construction involves a camp fire for roasting the marshmallows. This is essential. The whole point is for the hot marshmallow to flatten and to slightly melt the chocolate. The gooey marshmallow is the glue to hold the graham crackers together when you take your first bite and the cracker, well, it cracks.

There is no camp fire in the vicinity of my kitchen. I do have a gas stove which provides a nice flame. I also possess metal skewers for the grill. Having all the required ingredients lead me to construct this delight.

The total cost in calories?
Chocolate - 55 calories
Marshmallow - 18 calories
Graham crackers (2) - 70 calories
Total calories per S'more sandwich = 143
I had 2 of them. The bonus is that there is enough chocolate for 2 more at a future time...

There was a time on Xanga when there were some serious gastronomes. They would not only regale us with restaurant reviews and critiques of various exotic entrees but post photos of their culinary adventures. These foodies would take the most amazing photos of their meals. You could almost smell the food. There aren't any remaining on Xanga. Every once in awhile I'll see a post on Facebook and I'll get all nostalgic. So in honor of days gone by I present the first "Food Porn" post of 2017.

While keeping with my goal to reduce the volume of food in our freezer, I decided to make a pork loin roast. Sparky has recently rediscovered pork and it is now a favorite. For years he disliked pork because he had never had it cooked properly. Whenever it was prepared at his mother's hands it was cooked into shoe leather. It was dry and tough and nearly flavorless. I have perfected the method of cooking (first on the grill and now in the oven). So here's the secret. Don't tell anyone. You need a meat thermometer and it needs to reach 130°F. Not 160°F. So I trussed up my pork loin and placed it in a hot oven (400°F).

I baked it with a couple of sweet potatoes. Because I like sweet potatoes and they are high in beta carotene and fiber, plus they taste really good. By placing the pork loin in a hot oven the surface is crisped and it holds the moisture and juices in the meat. It baked for 1 hour which is about 15 minutes longer than I had wanted because Sparky hadn't come home yet.

Anyway I also made fried apples. That was an easy way to use up some old apples. I just peeled and cored them and sliced them into a skillet. To cook I just added one pat of butter and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. As they cooked I turned them over and stirred them around. The end result was delicious.

The pork was tender and moist. It had a very good flavor that didn't need any additional salt or pepper when served with the naturally sweet apples. The baked sweet potatoes were soft and delicious. We had enough left over for 2 more meals of apples and pork - but I'll have to make some more vegetables!

The year 2016 was fairly rotten according to most opinions. I have been trying to remain positive and hopeful so far in 2017. But there seem to be a multitude of people working at cross purposes to my happiness and serenity. I am currently dealing with the "looking out for number one" crowd. It is pervasive, this attitude that the only possible motivation to perform any task is for some selfish and self serving purpose. There was a time when it was proclaimed that chivalry was dead. Many people tried to prove otherwise. I want to announce that altruism is dead and buried. So what is altruism? It is defined in most places as unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others. If I compliment someone they look at me with suspicion and ask "Why the compliment?" If I offer to share, the immediate reaction is "What's wrong with it that you want to give me some?" There is a deep seated distrust of any kindness, any unsolicited helpfulness, indeed, all assistance is suspect. There is the opinion that there must be some catch or strings attached. They are convinced that everything must be a favor that requires payback. This post is a direct response to my Friday the Thirteenth post in which I proposed doing these following acts:
1. I will hand out 13 compliments today.
2. I'm going to help out 13 times.
7. I'm handing out 13 prizes from my goody drawer.

My compliments were specifically aimed at doing a good job - be it folding laundry, performing a procedure, or taking extra care of an animal. All were met with skepticism. One person actually commented "Your're just saying that so I have to come up with something nice to say to you." When did this world get so warped?

I helped all day. Every time I left my office I did something - I took some cages to cagewash, brought the clean clothes to the locker room, distributed some mail, swept a room, restocked some gloves and masks, bagged some enrichment for autoclaving, you know, little things to make life a bit easier. All I got were glares and the attitude that my helping was making them look "bad" making them appear that they couldn't handle the work load.

My last act of kindness was to gift a trinket to everyone. Initially I thought I would just place the items by everyone's locker. Instead I placed all the gifts - stuffed toys, cool key chains, pretty ID badge holders, and a couple of spiffy bottle openers - into a brown bag and took it around to everyone so that they could select a gift. I was asked why they were being gifted. My response that it was to make their Friday a little brighter didn't seem to be considered truthful.

I was disappointed. I had hoped that the level of angst over the various audits and analyses would have been eased. I guess everyone is still gnashing their teeth and working under the assumption that all their jobs are on the line. At this rate it wouldn't surprise me if they start throwing each other "under the bus"!

Saintvi gifted me with a beautiful indoor fountain. It is delightful with not one but two bluebirds of happiness perched on the rim. I took it to work and have set it up on the counter. The location was dictated by the availability of an electrical outlet. It only took a few minor adjustments to clear a spot. I filled it with distilled water and primed the tube per the instructions. I plugged it in. That's when all heck broke loose. The little pump sprang to life. Although I had secured the suction cups on the pump to the bottom of the reservoir, the power of the pump or maybe the wimpy suction cups resulted in the pump coming unstuck. It started to motorboat around in the water. The primed tube leading from the pump to the top of the fountain shot the water into the air followed by a bolus of air. As I was grabbing a paper towel to sop up water before it seeped into papers and books, the pump started shooting water and air up the tube. It was not a babbling bit of water. It was a coughing, spitting, projectile vomiting flow of water. I managed to unplug the fountain. As I frantically soaked up the water and salvaged my desk calendar, Mr. Fudd walked in. He wanted to know what was going on. I was not in the mood to chitchat. I growled "I'm cleaning up after my zen fountain exploded." As the words left my mouth, they struck me as so very ridiculous that I burst into laughter. I laughed so hard I cried. (You would just have to have been me to understand.) Anyway, between the two of us and an adjustment to the pump setting, my fountain is gurgling along. I really enjoy it. It does make me feel more peaceful. But for some reason I have had to make twice as many trips to the bathroom...

Note the water droplets on the front of the fountain. Also if you look closely there are some additional water splatters on the plastic boxes in the background.

One of the fabulous things we experienced on vacation in Florida was the ocean sunset. Growing up in central Indiana, our idea of "big" water was the gravel pit swimming hole. Now that I've lived in Northern Indiana for more than half my life near Lake Michigan, I've been able to enjoy many sunsets over Lake Michigan. There are however a number of differences between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Michigan. We can start with scope - the lake is big. It seems to be oceanic in size until you compare it to the real deal. Second it has waves but again the size of the waves on the lake aren't quite to the size of the ocean waves. And lastly there is the smell of the salt air. Sure Lake Michigan has a certain scent, mostly the smell of dead alewives. Even though the ocean coughs up dead things regularly, the ocean also takes them away. It is almost cat like dropping a dead mouse at your feet than grabbing it away and running off into the dark.

Day one was 70°F at sunset. We strolled to the beach and set up chairs to enjoy the view. The color was beautiful as the sun lit up the water. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Day two was slightly cooler and a little hazy in the late afternoon. We again convened on the beach to take in the sunset. The pinks in the sky and clouds were a soothing pastel. Truly a sherbet sunset!

The third evening on the beach was cool by Florida standards and windy with cold air blowing in from the north. There were dark purple clouds hovering over the golden sunset. Spectacular as any of the others!
I'm not going to say that I have developed any photographic talent on this vacation. I'm pretty sure every photo taken of the sun setting over the ocean is a keeper!

I am not superstitious. The date on the calendar does not hold any inherent luck - good or bad. That said, there are many of my coworkers who seem to think that today is an unlucky day. One of them broke an ankle on a Friday the 13th. Another was in a car accident on a Friday the 13th. Still another had a bad breakup with a former boyfriend... the list goes on. Today is going to be a tough one. There is no denying that. I have lots of things I have to do and some will not be comfortable or enjoyable. Still it has nothing to do with the date. I have a plan to combat the negativity that will swirl today. I am going to do positive things today.

1. I will hand out 13 compliments today.
2. I'm going to help out 13 times.
3. I will update 13 SOPs.
4. I will discard 13 old obsolete files.
5. I will file 13 magazines.
6. I'm going to remove 13 uniforms that don't fit from circulation.
7. I'm handing out 13 prizes from my goody drawer.

Misty mountain fog rises
Steam from equine flanks
Ridden to exhaustion
Quiet desperation
As the perspiration falls
A light morning drizzle
She stares up at the peaks
Shrouded and indistinct
She knows their solitude
She is the mountain
The road unravels
Haze dissipates
Yielding to day
Hope fades

This year 2017, has just begun. Everything should be new but I can still see the pattern of last year seeping through the fresh coat of paint. As much as we would like to escape the past it is always with us - a shadow of what we've seen and done. We may wish for a Peter Pan moment where our shadows break free. The truth is that losing our past is not so easily accomplished and when it does occur it is a dangerous signal that we've lost touch with reality.
To recap this last week:
1. Vacation is delightful. You can create pleasant memories to sustain you during less pleasant events.
2. Less pleasant events are inevitable. Especially when you don't have a sense of control over outcomes.
3. Escapism is a valid coping mechanism. Unfortunately the cost of movies at the theater make them less accessible as an escape form.
4. Trying to find a coping strategy that does not involve self-destructive activities is more difficult than it sounds.
5. The nice thing about having my blood drawn is that when it is done properly I don't bruise. I don't have a bruise.

Taking the Christmas decorations down is not as fun as putting them up. There I said it. It makes me sad to see them go back into the boxes. I suppose I need to focus on the idea that once they are stored it is a hop skip and a jump to Spring. Yep that's my focus. Spring will be here before we know it. At least I'm hopeful that it will arrive before I freeze to death. I sit here at the computer (procrastinating on taking down the wreaths and the Nativity sets) and I've got my finger-less gloves on, wrapped in my serape, with the space heater on trying to cook my feet, a CozySpot® on my lap and a cup of hot cocoa. And I'm still cold. Sparky is down stairs deconstructing the artificial tree and I really should make an appearance as a sign of support.

Christmas boxes scattered 'round
Colored lights a tangle
Cuss words echo and abound
The Christmas tree you wrangle

Jingle go the silver bells
Clink the sound of glass
Muffled curses "go to hells"
Assisting you I'll pass

Packed away for another year
Decorations must come down
Grinning from ear to ear
While you wear a frown

On Epiphany Sunday the local Catholic parishes held their third annual Epiphany Concert. The format is always the same, namely each church choir performs 3 selections. While the groups move from the front of the church back to their seats, the audience sings a carol. There were 5 choirs. As a finale they combined as one large group and performed 3 selections with the last being Handel's Messiah Hallelujah Chorus. Since Sparky is a member of the choir, I attended and got there early to snag a seat. This year it was held at St. Joseph's church. Because there was a laissez faire attitude by the organizer in regards to promotion, attendance was pretty sparse. I think everyone there had a family member in the choir. Last year it was standing room only! But it was hosted at my church and our choir director is not a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of person. She had notices in all the church bulletins, in the diocesan newspaper, and she even had posters printed and put up in the schools, churches and anywhere that would allow them. This year there wasn't anything other than an announcement at the end of Mass.

The St. Monica's choir sang second and was by far the best group there. They were missing about 10 people but they still did better than all the others.

Sparky was singing on the end and was separated from the rest of the tenors which I'm sure distressed him.

A member of one of the other parishes posted this on Facebook of the combined choirs singing the last piece. Not bad in my opinion!

Last Friday Sparky and I were invited to an Epiphany Party. It was in a very poorly lit subdivision with very few house numbers visible. Our intention was to figure out which house it was by the large number of cars in the driveway. So Sparky slowly cruised as I scanned for a house number. I finally spotted a number which indicated we had passed the location. Sparky decided to pull into a driveway to turn around. Which he did. Except it wasn't a driveway. He had mistaken someone's curving flower bed for the drive! He got a full car length into their yard before realizing his mistake. He slowly reversed course and we fled the scene of the crime! I looked back to see deep tire tracks in the snow covered garden. The party was 4 houses down from the turn around point. Gah. We attended the party hosted by one of the ladies at church. It was a reunion of sorts for all the past and present CHRP (Christ Renews His Parish) participants and their spouses. We were the first to arrive and our hostess welcomed us warmly and was relieved as she thought no one was going to arrive. We were a few minutes late. Soon others showed up and the house was packed! We were all supposed to bring "finger food" and our hostess was providing adult beverages and desserts. Well, I decide to make ham roll-ups. They are quick and easy and they travel well and taste good too.

Ham Roll-ups
burrito size tortillas
thinly sliced ham
Cream cheese
Fresh garlic minced
Onion minced finely

You mix the onion and garlic into the cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese on the tortillas - a thin layer is all you need. Place the ham on the tortilla making sure you cover the area. Try not to over lap the meat too much and cut the slices to make them fit. Then tightly roll the tortillas. Wrap the rolled tortillas in Saran wrap or some other type of plastic cling wrap. Refrigerate - for up to 2 days which makes these so easy to make ahead! Just before serving unwrap and slice into wheels. Yum.

So as I deployed my ham roll-up, others began to arrive. Great minds think alike. Mary came in with her version in which she added a layer of spinach leaves and a strip of cucumber. Abby contributed one made with turkey and slices of green peppers. Luckily we were the only 3 to make roll-ups. Beth made pigs in a blanket covered with maple pecan goo. They were delicious. Several brought cheeses. We enjoyed a delicious cranberry log, a cheddar spread that was so creamy that I wanted to get a spoon and just dig in, and some aged Swiss, Brie, goat cheese with seasoned croutons, and a blue cheese chunk. Janet brought rye bread finger sandwiches and Melisa made Antipasto casserole that was devoured. Barb arrived with a breakfast casserole kind of thing that reminded me of a western omelet that you could eat like brownies. Martha contributed a corn dip that everyone loved (so much so that I wanted to get a photo and the recipe). The desserts were mostly made of chocolate - chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate filled cream puffs, Lindt chocolate filled chocolate balls, chocolate kisses, and chocolate covered pretzels.

I got to visit with a few women I hadn't seen for a long time. It was a very enjoyable! Sparky even had fun. The host and several others brought their instruments and we were provided live music - piano, 2 guitars, a bass guitar and a violin. Since most of the people there also sang in the choir there ensued a lively sing-along of a mix of Christmas carols, Broadway show tunes, and some pop music favorites too! We laughed and had a great time! A perfect ending to a back-to-work-week.