This is my second post as a part of the Loose Bloggers Consortium(LBC), an informal group of bloggers from different parts of the world who blog each Friday on one common topic posted by 7:00 AM PST(8.30 PM IST). Thank you all for the warm welcome extended to Ginger and me. This weeks topic is ‘Giving’ suggested by Maria(Gaelikaa). You can check out what the other members of the consortium have posted on the topic this week. The members in alphabetical order are: Me-Anu, ASHOK, CONRAD, GAELIKAA, GRANNYMAR, GINGER, HELEN, JUDY, MAGPIE 11, MARIA, and RAMANA SIR. You can click on their names to view their blogs.

The perfect topic keeping in mind the Christmas spirit.

‘Dana’ is a Pali word, which when literally translated means giving, generosity or charity. Giving is seen as one of the first few steps in becoming free of hatred, possessiveness, greed, delusion and the likes.

‘Giving’, according to me, has very wide connotations; it does not mean giving only to monks or beggars. It does not mean only giving something which is materialistic or has a certain monetary value attached to it. Lending a listening ear to a person who is deeply bereaved also qualifies as giving. Giving thus includes just about anything given to anyone who truly needs and deserves it.

I know for a fact that I am one of those few people who is privileged enough to have a roof above my head, food to eat and good clothes to wear. I have had the opportunity to study, to earn my living and to be independent. I certainly am thankful for all of it. But, there are hundreds of people out there who lack this opportunity and are leading a miserable life.

Todays post is about the opportunity that I’ve had to give and receive. I’ve always wanted to do my bit for people who are less privileged either on account of their financial status, their physical condition or their state of mind. This was about two years back, when I was working and had loads of free time in hand during the weekends. I realized I can do much more with the time I had than just being a couch potato. This is when I registered myself with iVolunteer, a volunteer support organization. iVolunteer gave me the the privilege to work for Kilikili, an organization for the differently abled. Kilikili had organized a program for bringing together what we’d call ‘normal’ kids and differently-abled kids. It was a very noble endeavour, because most of us tend to discriminate the differently-abled and this event gave an opportunity for everyone involved to learn from each other many things along with the importance of being selfless.

This event was held on the 1st of Dec 2007 at Coles Park, a recreational space in Bangalore. It was held to inaugurate the disabled-friendly play facilities that were installed. Mrs. Kavita Krishnamoorthy who started Kilikili, realized that most parks in the city were not disabled-friendly and recognized the need for an inclusive play area. The event saw the coming together of people from various walks of life. Volunteers included school students, housewives, software professionals, retired men and women. Each volunteer was to take care of two kids while they played around in the park. This was truly a one off experience for me because the kind of ‘attention’ I got there overwhelmed me. The kids reminded me of my childhood days and I realized to what extent we lose our innocent charm as we grow older. Also, these kids seemed so happy! I mean as adults we worry about so many trivial issues, squabble over small things, all a waste of the time we have in our lives. There is so much I learnt from these kids- selflessness, the joy of giving, the openly-shared happiness, the importance of uninhibited laughter; I just let the kid in me come out uninhibited when I was with them.

This event is something that I can never ever forget. I had great memories to take home with me and of course lessons that would stay with me throughout my life! I know now that our karma works its charm in strange ways. Whatever little you give, there is a much more that you receive in return. The sense of satisfaction you get when you give is something that cannot be matched with any other worldly pleasure. I’ll write more about the volunteering opportunities I’ve had in another post. As of now, you can view the pictures taken on this event here.

Hope you all are enjoying the magic that Christmas brings along!

Get into it…

“We Deliver” is all about delivering, may it be a material thing or something which could not be seen physically.

Our daily life needs something special every moment. In order to have that special thing, we must be able to find new things. And to be able to find new things we must be able to find something that was delivered to us to make our day special.

Just like in the first photo, it shows a newspaper. For obvious reasons, newspapers bring news to us, may it be a bad or a good one. No matter what it is, I am pretty much sure this really helps us on our daily lives. To be updated with news is a must in order to fit in the environment that we live in. We must be able to do that for our country’s future. Newspapers bring something unique every time that a reader would want to read every day to understand more about life.

In the second photo, it shows a picture of delivery motorcycle of the infamous LBC. LBC is a delivery company like FedEx that is known here in the Philippines and other parts of the world. Certain controversy was built on them last year when they did a commercial dealing with Kids as its main subject that spells every word as LBC. Yeah it is a pretty good technique for people to remember their company but it built something negative on the minds of the kids. Anyways, that was a year ago so let’s move on..hehe

The last picture shows kids playing. Can you guess what they deliver?? Yes you’re probably right. It is a non-physical thing which Happiness. By just looking at them, you can feel a certain joy in your heart that you just wanna smile and try to join them and be kids again.

Life is free. We can do whatever we like especially delivering something new and special menu on our daily lives that could bring magic. Enjoy Life. =))

Piz out!! Nyt y’all =))

This is my first post as a part of the Loose Bloggers Consortium(LBC), an informal group of bloggers from different parts of the world who blog each Friday on one common topic posted by 7:00 AM PST(8.30 PM IST). Thank you all for the warm welcome extended to Ginger and me. This weeks topic is ‘Times Remembered’ suggested by Maria(SilverFox Whispers). You can check out what the other members of the consortium have posted on the topic this week. The members in alphabetical order are: Me-Anu, ASHOK, CONRAD, GAELIKAA, GRANNYMAR, GINGER, HELEN, JUDY, MAGPIE 11, MARIA, and RAMANA SIR. You can click on their names to view their blogs.

“Never Born, Never Died, Just Visited This Planet Earth”.

This post is dedicated to Karthik, a dear childhood friend of mine. I have a couple of old photos to share, that bring back many memories of my blissful childhood in Mumbai.

We were four friends-Sudhaman, Prabhu, Karthik and myself. Our fathers have been friends for over 25 years now. Fortunately, we all lived in the same neighbourhood, so all four of us were practically together all the time. Karthik was the youngest in the group, Sudhaman being the eldest, Prabhu about 4yrs younger to him and I was a year younger to Prabhu. Karthik was a month younger to me. He was the only son to his parents. Karthik and me went to the same school, till we were in 5th grade. After that his parents moved to another suburb in Mumbai. After that I got to see very less of him.

Thats toddler Karthik and a rather-plump toddler me

After they moved to a different place, I remember visiting them with my parents a couple of times. Karthik had found a very good friend in his new neighbour, Balaji, a boy about the same age as us. I still remember those days when I would wait excitedly to meet Karthik and Balaji, because their locality had a beautiful park kids could play in. This park was a little away from home, so we kids could play without our parents breathing down our necks. Karthik had a brilliant sense of humour too!

Thats all of us on his 4th B’day on the 23rd of June, 1987. Clockwise: Sudhaman(the tallest), Prabhu, Karthik and me.

With his parents.

Karthik was the younger brother I never had. I remember him as a very polite, soft-spoken guy. He was also very naughty as a kid. There would never be a dull moment with him around. I miss him.

I know this is not a very happy topic to write about, but I knew this is what I wanted to write about when Conrad sent a mail about this weeks topic. The reason behind this is that Dec 22nd (4 days from now) will be his 2th death anniversary. He passed on this date in 2007. The news was a big blow to all of us. I was in denial for a long time thereafter.

Karthik had moved to Hyderabad to do a degree in Engineering. He had come down to Mumbai, to visit his parents during the Chrismas-New Year holidays. His mother was so excited that she could have her only son come home so she could feed him home-cooked meal which he obviously missed in Hyderabad, while he was away from home. Just a fews days after he came down his parents planned a trip to
Shirdi which is a religious place in the state of Maharashtra, in Western India. Karthik, his mother, and his paternal cousin Aarti, his maternal cousins-Rohini and Praveen set out on the jouney. On their way back from Shirdi, as they were coming downhill in their car, through the winding ghat sections, their car met with an accident with a speeding truck coming from the opposite side, killing the driver, Karthik and Aarti on the spot. As the others lay unconscious, Rohini who was the least hurt (she herself had to undergo a grafting procedure on her face), managed to gather herself, rush to a nearby phone kiosk and call up her uncle and inform him of the incident. They were all taken to a hospital in the nearby city. Karthik’s mother had to undergo a spinal surgery and was unconcious for days even as her husband performed the last rites of their only son. She was informed of his death days later. Ironies of life-dying on the way back from a pilgrimage! What did he pray for? This was particularly the time when I was questioning my faith in the Supreme power.

I still feel he is around, just that I haven’t met him in years. I wish I could have him back. I wish I could go back to our childhood days and relieve all those joyous moments. I find solace in the fact that, he has left behind several memories that will be a part of our lives forever. May his soul rest in peace!

The prospect of what Lindsay and I actually considered yesterday kept me up until 2am and woke me up earlier than I would have liked this morning.

We started out just planning a few years ahead for our finances. Saving goals, etc. Worked into the mix was flight school at a small local airport for me to get ratings to eventually and hopefully fulfill my dream of being a professional pilot. Lindsay started asking me questions, not really going for anything in particular, but it did. And it got me thinking out loud and telling her about Embry-Riddle. She asked me why I didn’t consider this or tell her about this option before and I was honest with her: “I didn’t want to scare you and pick you up and move you again, this time to Florida”

She said that I should have given her the chance to freak out, which she did not, and consider it, which she did. She let me know that she will support any decision that I make here (she is as ready as I am for me to get my fee firmly planted in a career).

So like I mentioned yesterday I have started the application process, which included me emailing two folks up in Harrisburg, PA who I felt would be good choices for writing candid recommendation letters for me to the school. They both have agreed and they both said practically the same thing to me:

This has always been on your heart…the Lord will bless your faithfulness in answering His call.

But I’m still nervous. My grades in High School and in my single semester at a bible college in 2005 were not anything to write home about. My SAT-I scores, let’s not go there. What I’m hoping, and praying, is that my maturity since graduating from High School will be evident. That somehow the admission staff will see that when I put my mind to something, and when I do something that I love, I excel at it.

I was a typical student back then, I had two things on my mind: girls and having a good time. My grades were ok and obviously good enough to graduate, but again, nothing spectacular.

But I digress. I’m asking for your prayers. I’m asking you to pray alongside of me that God will truly bless my efforts in following my heart’s desire, if this is what he wants me to do.

I don’t remember a winter this cold in a long time. I’ve lived in this damned state all my life and cannot remember a cold spell like this. So what does this mean? Day after day of riding Woodward. As you might guess its the only indoor place to ride in this state, so that’s what everybodyhas been doing… a lot.

Also it’s been great to find CD’S I forgot about:

Holy Roman Empire – ‘Lost in Landscapes’

Tiger Army – ‘Tiger Army’

Saves the Day – ‘Through Being Cool’

Coalesce – ‘There is Nothing New Under the Sun’

Fence

Wall to Grizz

Wall to Tdown

Wall to Boost

Wall to Tbog

Turndown

360 to Fakie

An Actual No Hander

Turndown

Breaking News- The lowly Washington Redskins have just almost  defeated the NFL’s leading quarterback Drew Brees, and his 11-0 perfect team, the New Orleans Saints,in a hard-fought battle in D.C.

They definitely gave the Saints all they could handle today. I see the potential in the Redskins to be a great team in the future, and they will give every team they play this year a headache.

The Redskins have had a terrible season,and their coach Jim Zorn is rumored to be on his way out.

The Redskins QB Jason Campbell had a career day, in an effort to bolster the spirits of his team, and their fans.

Overtime is inevitable, barring the amazing from Drew Brees and the Saints.

With the score tied 30-30, the Saints drove down the field in an attempt to gain yardage so they can end the game with a tie-breaking field goal.

They attempted a 58 yard field goal with 3 seconds left in regulation and no time outs left, which they missed.

On to overtime!

Washington wins the coin toss, and you know what that means in professional football…he who wins the coin toss, usually wins the game. The announcers on the broadcast chime in to note that that is what usually happens in pro football, but for some reason this year, the opposite has been happening.

The Redskins decide to receive the football, which New Orleans kicks to them. The Skins start on the 29 yard line.

Campbell makes a torpedo like strike to Santana Moss, who catches it for a first down on the 39 yard line,the drive is on…until a Redskins receiver fumbles the ball, which is recovered by New Orleans.

The announcers words about the overtime periods this season seem almost prophetic. If you are not excited about this game, then you just do not like football.

New Orleans drives down the field to the 2 yard line, and they attempt an 18 yard field goal,which is an easy one for any professional kicker to make.

The Saints come back after being ten points down to win the game by three points,33-30, preserving their perfect record of 12-0 for this season.

The NFL has only one more team with a perfect record this season, and that is the Peyton Manning led Indianapolis Colts.

Truly an amazing game, and exceptional season for the New Orleans Saints.

 Follow more on this story here…

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Game%20Day/Seasons/2009%20Schedule/Game%2012%20-%20at%20Washington.aspx

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/a-halftime-tie-for-redskins-sa.html

In line with Globe, that useless piece of sh*t, LBC is fast becoming a useless piece of sh*t as well despite its self-proclamation of being Hari Ng Padala (King of Deliveries).

Barry: Miss, papadala ko itong mga ito sa ‘Gapo, Davao, Bulacan, at Cavite. (I’ll send these items to Olongapo, Davao, Bulacan and Cavite)
Service Rep: Sir, san po sa Gapo? (Sir, where in Olongapo?)
B: In New Asinan.
SR: Sir, hindi po kami nagde-deliver doon. (Sir, we don’t deliver there)
B: Eh sa Davao? (What about in Davao?)
SR: Davao City, Sir.
B: I’m shipping this to Buhangin, Davao City.
SR: Sir, we don’t deliver in that area.
B: So, malamang, hindi ito pwede sa Bulacan? Sa Calumpit? (I’m assuming this can’t be delivered to Calumpit, Bulacan as well?)
SR: Sir, wala po tayong delivery doon. (Sir, we don’t deliver there)
B (Sarcastic): Sa Maynila? Nagdedeliver ba kayo? (What about in Manila?)
SR: Titingnan ko, Sir. (Wait, I’ll check Sir) Pwede po! (Yes sir, we do!)
B: Natural, dapat pwede, mag-huhuramentado na ko dito pag hindi pa din pwede. (It should be ok. Otherwise, I’d throw a hissy-fit here).

Seriously, I’ve never experienced this with Air21. I was trying this new hub near our place, and this is how limited their service is. How can this be “king”?

LBC - that useless piece of sh*t!

PS: Don’t worry, Tina, I was able to send the Red Scribe without throwing a hissy-fit.

And I am the living proof.
You gave it away.
Maybe I’m not old enough.
You gave it away.
Maybe I wasn’t cool enough.
You gave it away.
Maybe you weren’t there enough.

Reminiscing always leads to this feeling.

It’s only going to be 18 degrees today… what does that mean?

Lots of South Park, lots of coffee and uploading old favorite CD’s

This is a good day to have Netflix...

GF does.

Disincentives outweigh incentives for Google to improve their free business listing product – the Local Business Center (LBC).

Although Google may have a responsibility to publish correct, up to date business listing data, the publishing of comprehensive free business listing data is diametrically opposed to its business purpose – locating and then selling access to organized business information via sponsored links.

If Google took all of the work out of being locatable via search, why would businesses then pay Google to be found?

Just to say I am due to be interviewed by Ken Livingstone on his programme on LBC this morning.  Ken will talk to me about the petition calling for the Metropolitan Police to keep their specialist unit dedicated to combatting human trafficking which I presented to the Metropolitan Police Authority on Thursday.

It is good that Ken has picked up on the trafficking issue and realised just how important it is.  This kind of publicity very much helps to raise the profile of the campaign to end this vile trade in vulnerable people.

5 Years…. love of my life.

Nothing has changed in 5 years.

Told you nothing changed.

Old

You still sparkle for me!

Rare photo op

Guest Apperance by LBC

Her ideal Friday night

Old

One of my all time favorites

Old

Another favorite

Love

Reppin'

Beauty!

Old Old Old

Colorado

En route to NYC

5

Drew Brees is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the National Football League, and has been ever since he came to the San Diego Chargers, and led our team to prominence while he was there.

Unfortunetly for the fans in San Diego, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints after he had what they thought was a career ending shoulder injury.

Brees is having the last laugh, as he has led his Saints football team to as 9-0 perfect record of wins this season.

I hope he takes the Saints all the way, and I am still a Chargers fan, but I must show loyalty to Drew Brees because he is an entertaining and tough football player to watch. When he and Doug Flutie were quarterbacking in San Diego, they were a lesson in scrappy efficient and forceful quarterbacking.

Tragedy had struck the Brees family this past August, as his mother, attorney Mina Brees 59, died while visiting family in Colorado.

Her death today was conclusively ruled as a suicide.

It is reported that she died from a lethal overdose of prescription drugs. Mina has been reported to be under investigation by the Attorney General of Texas for business improprieties. She committed suicide only a few days after she was subpoenaed by the DA for her business records.

Drew Brees and his mom had been strained for years, and he has stated that his relationship with his mother was ”nonexistent,” saying it crumbled six years earlier when he refused to hire her as his agent.

Reports of the quarterback and Mina Brees being estranged surfaced when she was running for office and using her son’s image which he did not approve of.

Mina Brees was a well-known attorney in the Austin, Texas area.

Austin attorney Marty Akins, the brother of Mina Brees, declined comment late Friday.

Follow this link to the full AP story on the suicide of Mina Brees, mother of Drew Brees….

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gl1dWEoQU9v0SNteYnmqpBxjoxSQD9C3M6CG7

Forgot that I’m going to run out of time and need to squeeze in some quadruple plays for the playmates lest we miss a Miss November. This one is super-special, so enjoy!

When the lovely and talented Monica Tidwell was born, the second issue of Playboy was fresh on the newsstands. This means that when she posed for the magazine in 1973 at age 19, she was the very first playmate to be younger than the magazine itself.

Photographed by Dwight Hooker and Bill Frantz.

This is a great spread. The photographers captured something very vulnerable and real in Ms. Tidwell (for my money the most beautiful Miss November yet), a sensitivity and gentle eroticism that lacks in many of the other shoots we’ve seen this month.

This is further carried through by the ambient lighting, the natural styling of her hair, and the focus on handmade, organically fashioned articles and materials like wood frames and wool blankets.

The whole shoot just has this really airy, sunlit, authentic, natural feel to it. It’s special.

Though she was discovered in Chicago (seems like they really had an active scouting scene there, doesn’t it? maybe because that’s where Hef is from? I guess one of these days I should look up the actual history of the magazine, huh), Ms. Tidwell was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and grew up in Georgia.

Like almost every other Southerner I have met or heard of, she had literary leanings when questioned about her ambitions. I don’t know what it is about the South that makes every person from there drip with this deeply poetic appreciation of nature and a playful love of language, but it seems to be a Thing.

I have met and loved so many great friendohs from the South, and they all have a beautiful, expressive outlook on life. (Dik and the LBC, I am looking at you two poetic ginger geniuses in particular!)

“One of my great ambitions in life is to write a novel as good as [Wolfe's] Look Homeward, Angel. My second great ambition is to make a movie with Ken Russell and Oliver Reed.” (“Ubiquitous Miss,” Playboy, November 1973)

According to the wiki, that dream of making a movie with Ken Russell (visionary director of The Who’s Tommy) is half coming true.

Tidwell is currently the primary producer of the off-Broadway play Mind Game in New York City. Ken Russell will direct the play and Keith Carradine will star.

Hands down my favorite picture from this pictorial.

Good on her! An ethereal, Autumnal little beauty (I told you redheaded Miss Novembers are I’m pretty sure a Thing), she reminds me of Sissy Spacek or Bridget Fonda and Jodie Foster. All peaches and cream and spattery freckles with strawberry blonde hair, but then there is something rabbity and tough about them, like biting on tinfoil, something driven and hardscrabble, determined when it comes to their quiet goals. Sorry to project emotive qualities and wax poetic. I just love country girls.

The BBC is to launch a radio player allowing internet users to listen to more than 400 commercial and BBC stations.

Tim Davie, BBC director of audio and music, said today that the project would give web users access to more than 400 Ofcom-licensed national and local UK stations, in an initiative involving partnerships with the commercial radio trade body the Radio Centre, Global Radio and Guardian Media Group. Davie added that the move was a “first step” in the BBC forming such partnerships.

Global Radio is the UK’s biggest commercial radio company, owning brands including Classic FM, Capital, Heart and LBC. GMG Radio operates the Smooth and Real Radio station networks.

Due for launch early next year, The UK Radioplayer will be a pop-up console able to stream more than 400 national, local, community and student radio stations, offering a unique, constantly-updated live and on-demand audio service, according to the BBC.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Defgrip just posted some rad pictures of the Empire trip to Colorado. Click the Logo to check it out.

A few pics from Woodward. Mat Olson jacked  himself up a good one, and a jam was thrown. Sorry for average pictures, but I was also riding and filming (LOL.) Also watched some of Stay Fit that night, not too shabby. Also a good amount of the clips in the video I shot.

Mat Olson Benefit Jam Video

Jason Footjam

Lawnmower

More Footjam!

Long Beach Crawfish Festival | 2008. 2+ lbs of live steamed crawfish, red baby potatoes, corn on the cob, cajun dipping sauce. Awesome.

HAD to eat it again, but boy is it hard to find. Eventually got word that live crawfish might be at a certain major asian supermarket, so we went to the major-est one. No dice. Tried another. Live, no. But frozen, YES! Fully cooked and pre-packaged, but close enough! Into the shopping basket went 2-5lb packs of frozen Cajun seasoned crawfish. From China. Meh, close enough.

With the pack opened back at home, we could tell that they indeed were definitely from China: Dirty on the bottom, and seasoned with what looked like paprika (and probably with some lead sprinkled in there somewhere). Hmm.

Round #1: Did an actual Louisiana Crawfish Boil, complete with boil seasoning actually obtained FROM Louisiana (thanks, Helen).  Pimped it up with corn-on-the-cob, hot links, and potatoes. However, crawfish FAIL. Dry, rubbery, overcooked. Sides were awesome though (but really, how can you go wrong with corn, hot links, and potatoes?).

Round #2: Steam. Since the Chinese crawfish were so dirty, I was hoping that boiling them would clean them out, but that didn’t go so well when it came to flavor. The steaming method would involve having to scrub them all clean, and then re-season. Ok, fine. Gave them all a good scrubbing and re-seasoned with our secret (more like I don’t remember what was in it) seasoning (see pic above). Crawfish WIN, kind of. Good taste and texture, they were clean,  and life didn’t suck. Still not as good as the festival’s, but then again we were faaaaaaar from the festival crowds, parking, and parking, which is a HUGE plus in my book (I HATE parking). Gotta steam them live, though. That’s gotta be the key.

For now, this satisfied the crawfish craving. But only barely. The quest continues. Live crawfish: you will be found. Oh yes, you will be found.

Last night I rolled out with Silent John for LMNO’s Album Release Party at The Rhythm Lounge in Downtown Long Beach. A good night for some real hip-hop with J.Rocc, Babu and Orator on the turntables and performances by Declaime, Kev Brown and LMNO, himself. Good vibes and really good music in a gathering of a who’s who of hip-hop in the building. LMNO brings back the art of lyricism he’s known for from The Visionaries on this one. “The Devilish Dandruff with Holy Shampoo” will be released Tuesday on Up Above Records. Here’s some pictures from the night:

Babu

Rhettmatic and J.Rocc

“I make this money, it doesn’t make me.” – LMNO

If you couldn’t make it out, I’m sure someone posted the performances somewhere judging by all the video taken.

Of course, when in Downtown LBC, you have to hit up the famous taco cart.

]]> http://theinnercircle.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/future-news-mtv-top-this-observers-favorite-lebanese-channels/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:50:40 +0000 Jester theFool http://theinnercircle.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/future-news-mtv-top-this-observers-favorite-lebanese-channels/ http://thethoughtexperiment.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/advice-drew-barrymore-nsfw-again-what-i-know-crazy/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:20:05 +0000 E. http://thethoughtexperiment.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/advice-drew-barrymore-nsfw-again-what-i-know-crazy/

Today some quickies from Drew on humility, being true to oneself, and having a good self-image.

“I definitely don’t think that I’m hot doo-doo. I don’t.”

“I used to look in the mirror and feel shame, I look in the mirror now and I absolutely love myself.”

“There’s something liberating about not pretending. Dare to embarrass yourself. Risk.”

Today, I am trying to put together something spectacular for the Chili Cookoff that Paolo and Miss D are hosting tomorrow. Everyone is going to be there, and they’ve all snatched up the available sides: Miss D is doing cornbread and I think apple pie; Jonohs is of course on cheesecake duty (“legendary”); the LBC is making one of her amazing dips so she has that and chips nailed down already; Corinnette is bringing beverages; Geo, Paolo, and the Gentleman have all opted to enter top secret chili recipes; Jan-Han grabbed pasta salad right out from under my nose for which I do not begrudge her (like I am going to tell my oldest friend’s recently cancer-surviving mom who I adore that pasta salad is my signature dish, and I dare you to suggest I ought); I feel like all that’s left is brats and fancy sauces and rolls, but that feels super-unoriginal. If you have ideas, please throw them my way!

Meanwhile, as I get kind of shady and nervous about large social gatherings, I’ll be keeping the lovely and talented DB’s advice in mind today and work on inner peace. Today, inner peace: tomorrow, a chili cookoff. See, when I write it out like that, my goals are not only miniscule but almost embarassingly easy to achieve. Hurray!