3 Topics of Interest That I Felt Like Mentioning

1) I need the Dog Whisperer. Sometimes Oscar and I watch episodes together. I tell him it's his homework. He has small animal prey drive and I can't seem to break it. Whenever he sees something, he goes into "the red zone," as I call it, and I can't break his concentration. He just loses his shit. I've tried everything but an E-collar. I bought one, but I'm scared to use it on him. He needs something, though. A month ago he slipped out the gate and almost mauled a corgi. I had to tackle him and pry his jaws off of the poor dog. The dog wasn't hurt, but Oscar had defensive bites all over. This is not the kind of dog I want to own, and I want to be a responsible pet owner and do something before he actually hurts something... or kills it. That said, he's generally a high-energy marshmallow with a sweet disposition and is eager to please. Very endearing. Follows me everywhere and loves to cuddle. It's like he has multiple personality disorder.

2) Cooking disasters? No! Not me... okay, okay... maybe just a few. My mother, bless her heart, was not that great of a cook. She tried, but my siblings and I grew up "saving" things from the stove top before they turned into charred blobs. I have come a long way, but there are still some things I fail at. One is cooking steak. I always seem to overcook it. I know you're supposed to pull it off before it's to where you like it, but somehow I never get it right. I like my steak a healthy medium. I used to work in a lot of fine dining restaurants, so I definitely know ABOUT food, just not necessarily how to cook it. Another thing I need to work on is Alfredo sauce. Always seems grainy. I know I'm doing something wrong. Last thing I need to master, and soon, is how to blind bake a pie crust, like for a quiche. I just made one the other day and even though I thought I HAD blind baked it long enough, it was still mushy on the bottom. To make matters worse, the egg mixture didn't set fast enough and the crust edges got a little overdone.
So you see... I'm not a "toast and macaroni" type disaster... but rather, an "intermediate" "disaster. I would love to get more knowledge on some of the really basic cooking stuff I have never learned properly. You know... like sauces, crusts and breads, meats, etc. Specialties include Swedish Meatballs over garlic mashed potatoes w/ homemade cranberry sauce, lemon and dill salmon steak with flash fried green beans and a dollop of dijon mustard, and pretty much anything involving potatoes. I love potatoes :) When I was younger, I tried to bake every cake recipe in my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook. I don't think I got through them all, but I really enjoy baking. Okay, I love food. There. Now it's really obvious. I swear I work out, too! Haha

3) Roller derby is a legitimate sport now. sh*tlike flying elbows and clotheslines went out about 5 years ago. 4 years ago, at the end of my rookie season, fighting became illegal and cause for ejection and suspension. So... now, there are more rules than hockey. There is occasionally still a fight, but it is entirely legit. Bad blood happens between some of the rival teams. There is a committee that just got derby recognized by the Olympics organization, so expect to see it even more over time. There are a lot of injuries, like any sport. Common are broken legs, busted knees, and broken ribs. I've broken my right hand and my left wrist in derby. I will keep playing as long as my body lets me. My best friend started derby in D.C. 1/2 year ago. She was warming up prior to her first bout after being drafted, fell, and pulverized both bones. 2 plates and 13 screws later, she is just now walking without crutches. She will never play derby again. It's a love of the sport and a lifestyle that keeps me at it. Great for self-esteem, derby is a sport for ANY body type. Asses are... assets. Which is great. Cuz I have a nice ass. haha