Randomness

[fenchurch]

Have you ever wondered what Art Garfunkel was reading the month you were born? Yeah, me neither... but in case you're now curious and were born after June 1968, he's posted a list of every book he read between June 1968 and January 2006 out on his website. The internet is a cool and somewhat scary place.

(For the record, Art Garfunkel read The Brothers Karamozov, Making It by Norman Podhoretz, The Theory of Eternal Life by Rodney Collin and Miami and the Siege of Chicago by Norman Mailer the month I was born.)

I've apparently gotten quite a reputation at church for my cooking skills. So far this week I've been nagged repeatedly for my lasagna recipe and asked to share my techniques and general recipe for making hummus (I'm not sure why she thought this was difficult to make) and for that balsamic vinaigrette I like so much. Speaking of which... you know, there was a time not so long ago when I wasn't even entirely sure what a shallot looked like. Now they're a regular grocery item that we keep on hand at all times. Funny how things change.

I managed to track down some good quality corned beef the other day. All the stores I check last week were sold out and it just doesn't feel like March without a dinner of boiled meat, so it'll probably get tossed in the crockpot next week sometime. We ended up making Irish Stew for St. Patrick's Day this year (we just finished up the last of it last night -- yummy!!!) which is much more authentically Irish, anyway. Oddly, I learned absolutely no recipes from the Irish side of my family, probably because my grandmother just never really took to cooking and I didn't spend a lot of time around her mother (she lived in Napa Valley and my family just never managed to visit her for more than a day or so at a time).

rackham and I were originally going to head down to Portland this afternoon, but when it started looking likely that he wouldn't be able to get off work early, I changed our hotel reservations to just Saturday and Sunday... we'd started doing the math and realized we'd probably be getting to the hotel around 11:00pm, and then what's the point? So we'll be heading out tomorrow morning, which should get us there in plenty of time to meet up with my family at P.B. and Ellies for lunch. My grandparents are flying up from Sacramento and my folks will be driving over from northeastern Oregon... with my step-brother and his family driving over from Tillamook. Portland (where my two step-sisters live) ends up being pretty centrally located for all of us. And hey! There's also Powell's City of Books!!!!

While we're all together, I'm thinking I may get the name of the shoulder specialist my step-dad has worked with and likes so much (which could be interesting, because then I'll have to persuade the insurance company to cover it AND get over to Colfax, WA for the appointment). The cortisone injection hasn't had any effect (other than making the arm pretty much unusable for the first few days) and while I think my orthopedic surgeon is really good at what he does, I'm not looking forward to becoming a deep tissue pin cushion while he takes wild stabs (literally!) at what might be wrong. I'm also getting really sick of not being able to do something as simple as put on deodorant in the morning without having my shoulder catch and pop.

And now in the category of something I said recently that is the sort of thing you'd never expect anyone to say EVER: "You know, I actually really like cod liver oil."

Comments

[ludditerobot.livejournal.com]

Evidently, I'm tucked between Wuthering Heights and Moby Dick.

[jerrymcl89.livejournal.com]

I was born before the recorded history of Art Garfunkel's reading habits, unfortunately. When I graduated from college, Art Garfunkel was reading the Bible. Which I really would have thought he'd have gotten to earlier.

[slm76.livejournal.com]

my pt-in-training suggests either a torn ligament or a torn labrum. Of course, your stepdad probably has a much better idea because he's actually, you know, qualified ;) Still, I just read your par about your shoulder and now mine has his books out and is studying and explaining to me. *g*

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I was born before he started recording his book-reading history, as well. Yet I find it interesting he kept track like that... I'm lucky I can remember the books I'm reading NOW...

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the shoulder- I apparently need Tommy John surgery because of both accute injury (involving carrying a heavy upholstered chair into a basement appartment) and repetitive stress injury (carrying 5gallon milk buckets from the time I was big enough to lift them off the ground) but since I am not a big-league pitcher, I'm unlikely to get it.

Also, coincidentally, I'm going to Powell's this weekend, too, as there's a 50th birthday party in Ptown tomorrow night and I need to get The Nephew a book for his birthday.

Julia, a veritable parade to Oregon down I-5

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Sadly (and scarily) I am born too early to find out Mr Garfunkel's book preference when I was born... I imagine he too was reading cloth books and chewing the pages...

I love hummus, and I'd be interested in how you make it if you feel like sharing the recipe you use here?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I hope they can sort your shoulder out for you. One of mine is pretty knackered, due to wear and tear mainly, but at least it doesn't catch or pop.

Art Garfunkel was still at school when I was born - I guess he was reading quite a lot, but he didn't put them on his list!!

[rahirah]

I too am too old for Garfunkel to read to me. Alas!

I hope you can beat the insurance company into covering someone who might be able to, you know, actually do something. :P

[missalula.livejournal.com]

Wow - I have to say that I'm surprised that Art's book list from 6-68 to 1-2006 is out on the Internet. Crazy!

It's so exciting that you guys have gotten into cooking. I love to cook, as you know ... it just tastes better when you make it yourself. I totally get you on sharing recipes. I am a fly by the seat of my pants cook and don't keep track of how much of anything I use. I keep tweaking until I like how it tastes. I've had friends that think I'm pulling a Marie Barone leaving out an ingredient so that they always like mine better. If I leave out an ingredient it's because I've just forgotten it! And, if you see me use it when I'm making it - it's just because it doesn't taste right and I'm trying to get the right flavor. I know you know what I mean!

I hope you guys have a terrific time in Portland. It's a great city!

I have to ask - cod liver oil - really?

[wisemack.livejournal.com]

What is it with the Garfunkel? I post a song and suddenly he's all over! *eg*

Anyhow, I had to use my chirren's birthdays. Seems that Georganne was born between Portrait of a Lady and The Seven Per-Cent Solution, neither of which she's probably read, and Erin came along concurrent with a bio of George Sand, which I feel sure she would have enjoyed reading very much.

Powell's, huh? I remember you raving about that place in chat once, a loooooong time ago (in internet time) and being all envious because it sounded so wonderful. Now I'm envious all over again!

And cod liver oil? Darlin', I'm sorry, but.... eeeeuw!

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

Re: cod liver oil - REALLY????

[helenajole.livejournal.com]

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann! Woo hoo! I've never even heard of that. Well, I *think* I've heard of Thomas Mann.

I just wanted to complain that my strategy of parking my daughter in front of a DVD while I go take a shower doesn't work so well when that DVD is Fantasia. "More mouse!" "More dinosaurs!" "See dinosaurs again?"