Internet Issues & an Interesting Quiz

I've been mostly offline the past week because I haven't had a reliable internet connection. It makes it difficult to post regularly, which I find frustrating.

Jean posted an interesting quiz on her blog yesterday. It's a quiz asking what time of day are you. Here's mine:

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

This is interesting to me because it's more like me than most of these quizzes. I do enjoy life for what it is. I don't see the point in trying to make life into something it's not, then being disappointed because my expectations aren't met. I don't expect my wildest fantasies to be real, but they're fun to play around with in my mind. I get stories from them because they're so over-the-top, exactly the way fiction is over the top. In real life, though, I try to make the most of each day, doing what I can to build the life I want, and enjoy every minute of that process, because my memories and what I do today are what I have.

I also have learned to appreciate the ordinary. There's a line Henry Fonda says in the original version of Yours, Mine, and Ours with Lucille Ball. He's talking with his teenage daughter, who's trying to figure out what to do about her boyfriend, who wants what every teenage boy wants. Lucille Ball's character is about to have a baby. There's complete chaos going on as they try to follow their plan to make sure the younger kids are cared for and get mom-to-be to the hospital in time. He tells the young girl that this is what life's all about. I think that's where love is built and relationships thrive--in the everyday, ordinary things.

Thought-provoking

Elizabeth Bear's post, "How to Change the World", struck a chord with me. It reads like the things my sons call my "Momisms" because I believe that only if each individual takes personal responsibility for doing what he can to make things a bit better will they ever be a bit better. If you let cynicism make you stop doing what you can because it never seems to be enough or because you can't see that it makes a difference, then the cynics get their perspective validated and the world seems ruder, colder, and harder than it really is.

But then I'm often told I'm naive and stupid for thinking one person can make any difference and I should follow the crowd and look out for "number one". The thing is that I believe that our purpose in life is to care for each other. Not only our circle of friends and family, but everyone whose lives we touch. If everyone did that, we wouldn't have to feel guilty because we can't care for everyone on the planet. We'd know someone else was caring for those we can't reach.

I Refuse to Let This Die

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted. But I don't want the blog to die completely while things get back more or less to normal. I've had internet issues, as well as the arm pain issues, that have kept me from posting. Annoying, but what can I do but wait out both the arm healing and the internet connection?

My arm is getting better. I can type two-handed, but not for long periods of time. It looks like I won't need physical therapy. I just need time to let it heal. I'm only using the sling when I'm out and about, just so people know not to bump that arm. I'm still taking enough Motrin that I'm falling asleep in the afternoon, though. It's annoying because I have things I'd rather be doing than nap for an hour or two.

This week is Easter week. I have one evening I'm not doing a rehearsal or church service and we're shopping that day. Paul needs to exchange a shirt, which is unusual for him. He pretty much wears the same size in everyone's brand, but apparently this one runs large. I think he's going to have to try it on. And I'm looking for a new dress, but being unsuccessful because when I find something I like, they're out of my size. (sigh)

Andi posted a movie star quiz on her friends only blog. The quiz is for women only. She didn't say where she found the quiz, so I don't know if there is one for men. Here's the quiz (with the spelling of Miss Hepburn's name corrected):

Ever wonder which movie star you are most like? Don't read ahead please!

Well, a team of researchers got together and analyzed the personalities of movie stars. The gathered info has been incorporated into this quiz.

There's only 10 questions so it doesn't take long. Number your paper from 1 to 10, then Answer each question with the choice that most describes you at this point in your life, and then add up the points that correspond with your answers.

Don't look ahead or you will ruin the fun!

1. Which describes your perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner for two
b) Amusement Park
c) Rollerblading in the park
d) Rock Concert
e) Have dinner & see a movie
f) Dinner at home with a loved one

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll
b) Alternative
c) Soft Rock
d) Classical
e) Christian
f) Jazz

3. What is your favorite type of movie?
a) Comedy
b) Horror
c) Musical
d) Romance
e) Documentary
f) Mystery

4. Which of the following jobs would you choose if you were given only these choices?
a) Waiter/Waitress
b) Sports Player
c) Teacher
d) Policeman
e) Bartender
f) Business person

5. Which would you rather do if you had an hour to waste?
a) Work out
b) Make out
c) Watch TV
d) Listen to the radio
e) Sleep
f) Read

6. Of the following colors, which do you like best?
a) Yellow
b) White
c) Sky blue
d) Teal
e) Gold
f) Red

7. Which one of the following would you like to eat right now?
a) Ice cream
b) Pizza
c) Sushi
d) Pasta
e) Salad
f) Lobster Tail

8. Which is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween
b) Christmas
c) New Year's
d) Valentine's Day
e) Thanksgiving
f) Fourth of July

9. If you could go to any of the following places, which would it be?
a) Reno
b) Spain
c) Las Vegas
d) Hawaii
e) Hollywood
f) British Columbia

10. Of the following, who would you rather spend time with?
a) Someone who is smart
b) Someone with good looks
c) Someone who is a party animal
d) Someone who has fun all the time
e) Someone who is very emotional
f) Someone who is fun to be with

Now total up your points on each question:

1. a-4 b-2 c-5 d-1 e-3 f-6
2. a-2 b-1 c-4 d-5 e-3 f-6
3. a-2 b-1 c-3 d-4 e-5 f-6
4. a-4 b-5 c-3 d-2 e-1 f-6
5. a-5 b-4 c-2 d-1 e-3 f-6
6. a-1 b-5 c-3 d-2 e-4 f-6
7. a-3 b-2 c-1 d-4 e-5 f-6
8. a-1 b-3 c-2 d-4 e-5 f-6
9. a-4 b-5 c-1 d-4 e-3 f-6
10. a-5 b-2 c-1 d-3 e-4 f-6

NOW, take your total and find out which Movie Star you are:

(10-17 points) You are MADONNA:
You are wild and crazy and you know it. You know how to have fun, but you may take it to extremes. You know what you are doing though, and are much in control of your own life. People don't always see things your way, but that doesn't mean that you should do away with your beliefs. Try to remember that your wild spirit can lead to hurting yourself and others.

(18-26 points) You are DORIS DAY:
You are fun, friendly, and popular! You are a real crowd pleaser. You have probably been out on the town your share of times, yet you come home with the values that your mother taught you. Marriage and children are very important to you, but only after you have fun. Don't let the people you please influence you to stray.

(27-34 points) You are DEBBIE REYNOLDS:
You are cute, and everyone loves you. You are a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing. You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty, and calm most of the time. Just keep clear of back stabbers, and you are worry-free.

(35-42 points) You are GRACE KELLY:
You are a lover. Romance, flowers, and wine are all you need to enjoy yourself. You are serious about all commitments and are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday, and never forget a Birthday. Don't let your passion for romance get confused with the real thing.

(43-50 points) You are KATHARINE HEPBURN:
You are smart, a real thinker. Every situation is approached with a plan. You are very healthy in mind and body. You don't take crap from anyone. You have only a couple of individuals that you consider "real friends". You teach strong family values. Keep your feet planted in them, but don't overlook a bad situation when it does happen.

(51-60 points) You are ELIZABETH TAYLOR:
Everyone is in awe of you. You know what you want and how to get it. You have more friends than you know what to do with. Your word is your bond. Everyone knows when you say something it is money in the bank. You attract the opposite sex. Your intelligence overwhelms most. Your memory is the next thing to photographic. Everyone admires you because you are so considerate and lovable. You know how to enjoy life and treat people right.

I came out like Katharine Hepburn. I think that's cool. When I told Andi who I came out as, she wasn't surprised. Who did you end up being like?

Quote from Stephen King & My Comments

"Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life."
- Stephen King
ON WRITING

I never fail to be amazed at the number of writers who I meet who tell me they don't read. Or they take their inspiration from movies and TV, which would be fine if they were writing screenplays and scripts, but they're writing novels. Different mediums with different requirements. I don't see how you can learn and understand the novel form if you don't read novels.

A lot of writers quote a lot of "writing rules". They tell me "show, don't tell." They tell me don't use adjectives, adverbs, or dialogue tags. And on, and on, and on. But if they were to read as much as I do, they'd see that none of those, or the myriad of other so-called "rules of writing" aren't as simple as "do this" and "don't do that".

Pro writers appear to break those rules all the time. Why? Well, because the rules were generated to help writers in specific situations, but eventually they became broadly applied to every situation because applying a rule is easy. You can fool yourself that you're a good writer because you know how to follow the "rules". But unless you've thought about why you're following the rules and whether you should break them this time, you're not writing at your top level of quality.

What should you do instead? Read, read, read. Look at what the writers of the good books do. Do what they do. Think about your writing as you write and compare the way you're using techniques to the way the pros use them. Then go back and make your writing quality as good as the best books you read. If you can't do that, you're writing's not ready for publication.

Good luck!!

Past Life

From PBW:

Your past life diagnosis: I don't know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation.

Not surprised, but I like being female. (grin)

You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Hungary around the year 1775.

Ooookay--I'd have thought England in the 1800s. Or somewhere around Tuscany.

Your profession was that of a leader, major or captain.

Huh? And I'm a "timid, constrained, quiet person."

Your brief psychological profile in your past life: Timid, constrained, quiet person. You had creative talents, which waited until this life to be liberated. Sometimes your environment considered you strange.

Creative talents is the most spot on thing it came up with. And, for the record, my environment still considers me strange. Ask my sons, if you don't believe me.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation: Your main lesson is to develop magnanimity and a feeling of brotherhood. Try to become less adhered to material property and learn to take only as much as you can give back.

Good advice for anyone.

Do you remember now?

Nope.

Too Funny

I found this on Agent Obscura's blog. The author's blog can be found here: Nancy Fulda



Let There Be Write
By Nancy Fulda
18 April 2005

(1) In the beginning the author created the concept and the story.

(2) And the story was without form, and void; and blankness was upon the face of the page. And the fingers of the author moved upon the face of the keyboard.

(3) And the author said, Let there be plot: and there was plot.

(4) And the author saw the plot, that it was good: and the author divided the plot into two characters.

(5) And the author called one character protagonist, and the other he called antagonist. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

(6) And the author said, let there be a problem in the midst of the story, and let it divide the characters from the characters.

(7) And the author called the problem Conflict. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

(8) And the author said, let the story bring forth setting, and imagery, and nifty neat scientific gizmos, or cool magic, each story after its kind: and it was so. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

(9) And the author said, let there be turning points in the conflict to surprise the protagonist and the antagonist, and to be for signs, and for foreshadowings, and for cliffhangers, and surprises. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

(10) And the author said, let the story bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life: supporting characters, and background animals, and pets with personality, each story after its kind, and let them multiply, and fill the pages of the story. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

(11) And the author said, let the story bring forth themes, and subthemes, and philosophical lessons to fascinate and taunt the reader, and let them have dominion over the setting, and the imagery, and the host of background characters, and over every lesser thing which creepeth upon the pages.

(12) So the author created the story in the image of his fantasy; many stories, created he them, and he said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish my bank account, and bring me prestige and literary acclaim, for you are my greatest work. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

(13) And on the seventh day the author rested, and he looked again upon every thing that he had written, and behold, it was a piece of junk.

Update

I had a followup visit with the doctor. I have a treatmeant plan. It includes lots of Motrin, which makes me sleepy. But there's progress and if that continues I may be able to avoid physical therapy. I'm OK with doing it, if it does become necessary. It's paying for it that's the problem.

Paul and I are leading the Lenten service tomorrow. It will be the first time I've sung solo in about 30 years. It will be cool because the music is good. Ladyesong is doing a really nice version of Amazing Grace and O Bone Jesu by Palestrina at Prince of Peace on Sunday. Lent/Easter and Christmas seasons are great because we get to sing more.

I hope this shoulder gets better soon, but it looks like at least two more weeks of frustratingly slow, one-handed typing. I'll have to keep entries short, but I really want to get back to more interesting topics than my sore shoulder.

Waiting

So, now I get to wait for the results of the x-rays. The hardest part of this injury is that showering and dressing make my arm hurt. I'm tired of sitting around in my bathrobe and mostly being stuck at home. I may have to do some clothes shopping, if it turns out that I'm going to be one-armed for a while. Skirts and tops or dresses are easier to manage than the jeans I usually hang out in. But they have to be long because pantyhose are impossible. And they have to be pullover or button down the front. I only have one pair of shoes that I can wear with dresses, so I'll need a pair of flats, too. Hell of a way to get a new wardrobe, huh?

Going to the Doctor

I found a low-cost clinic & am getting my arm looked at this afternoon. I'll be glad when I'm not posting about health problems. I hope you all are doing better than I am!

Black Cloud

I think there's a black cloud over my head. Yesterday I tripped and hurt my arm. I'm typing one-handed, which is very uncomfortable.

OTOH, it gave me a chance to read Rebel Ice by S.L. Viehl. Go read. I'll write more when I can type again.

Sleeping, mostly

I've had a horrible bout with some sort of stomach bug. I've been mostly sleeping this week. I'll be back when I'm better. I cannot believe how many minor illnesses I've had this year. I've never been sick like this before in my life. Oh, well. I am getting better and will be back posting soon.

Not much going on these days

So, I'm not blogging much and I realized that part of the reason is that nothing much is happening in my life. It's the midwinter blahs. Christmas concerts are over. Lent starts tomorrow and Lent is not the most cheery season of the church calendar. Luckily, my church doesn't ask you to "give something up for Lent". I have a buddy who's Russian Orthodox and they go vegan for six weeks. I'd have to take iron supplements if I did that.

Here's something that's really fun:
Hidden passageways for your home. I found the link on on Neil Gaiman's blog.

I'm a mystery writer. If I had the funds to build the house of my dreams, I can guarantee you I'd put in at least one secret room or passageway. If my kids were planning on having kids, I'd put a fireman's pole and/or a slide, too, from the loft to the family room below. I have the house designed from top to bottom, except for the secret room/passage part. It's based on a house we used to live in that I really loved.

So, now you all know one of the secret wishes not very many people knew about me before. But, since my muse is 4 years old, it makes sense to have play areas hidden in my house. And what writer doesn't want a place she can sneak off to and be sure no one can interrupt her?

Tuesday, February 21

My life is in a more quiet place right now. There's not as much going on for a week or so. Then Lent starts and we have church on Wednesday nights. But no concerts or special events until after Easter. Which gives me time to breathe, focus, and learn the music for the concert at the end of April. It's nice because I learn so much easier if I'm not feeling too pressured and nervous.

Some friends gave us tickets to see the West Bay Opera's Manon Lescaut, the Puccini version, on Sunday. It was really well done. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I don't get to go to the opera very often. Afterward, they had the main cast out to answer questions from the audience. It was interesting. Then we went to dinner at a pasta place we'd never been to before. It was really good. And the waiter was amazing. He always was there with exactly what we needed without being intrusive. You don't get that much anymore. We were generous with the tip, as much as we could be on our budget.

So, we're planning to treat ourselves to the AMT's Gypsy. We both really like that show. I've never seen it live, just the films. Paul was in it once. He played the clueless Mr. Goldstone. He said it was fun.

So, a lot of my friends have been putting interesting quizzes on their blogs. I never seem to be able to catch up. I know they're silly, but sill's fun and I like them.

Which Serenity Character are you?

This one comes to me via Krista's blog.

Your results:

You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 85% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 70% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 65% Wash (Ship Pilot) 65% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 50% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 50% River (Stowaway) 45% Inara Serra (Companion) 25% Alliance 25% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 20% A Reaver (Cannibal) 5%

Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character are you?" quiz...

Bad Blogger

I've been a bad blogger this week. I've been in a funk lately and didn't want to subject you all to that. I hate when people whine on their blogs--unless they make it funny. I'm not funny. So I try not to whine on the blog.

We had a superb concert on Sunday. I haven't heard any numbers, but I hope InnVision, a local charity that helps the homeless find jobs and places to live, made a bundle. I sing in two choirs, Prince of Peace Lutheran Sanctuary Choir and Ladyesong. Both did a superb job. And the mass choir doing Down By the Riverside absolutely rocked the place. I'll try to post about it ahead of time next year, so any locals who might want to come and support this wonderful organization can do so.

I've been reading a ton of Valentine's Day posts on the web this week. It seems everyone has something to say. My opinion is that if you're happy with how you and your SO celebrated it, then it was romantic. I think romance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. In my case, if I were to be so foolish as to expect traditional romance from my hubby, I'd be in for a lifetime of disappointment. That's just not on his radar. But he manages to come up with untraditional romantic things that surprise me and delight me. I'd have to be a very dumb woman to wish to trade one for the other. I'm many things, but dumb isn't one of them. lol We went to a favorite restaurant for dinner. Then we went for a walk. The rest is none of your business. But it was wonderful.

Not much going on with the Uber Challenge at the moment. A friend suggested that I deliberately take a break. I'm journaling about that idea and trying it on to see if it feels like I'm using the funk as an excuse to be lazy or if I should go easier on myself, take a deliberate break, and deal with the funk in a different way than I have been. Not sure what that would be, but I do need to consider it.

Tools--Gravy, Whisks, and Writing

I started this post on my birthday, which is why Thanksgiving was on my mind when I wrote it. But I'm just now getting around to finishing it up and posting it.

Tools

Paul is always complaining about tools. He gets annoyed if he doesn't have exactly the right tool for the job. So, it's and Thanksgiving I'm making gravy. Lump city. I never have lumps in my gravy. I used a slotted spoon to take out the flour lumps and made a cornstarch slurry. As I fixed the gravy, I got to wondering why the lumps? I remembered that had lumps in my gravy twice. Both times I was in someone else's kitchen and they didn't have a whisk. I was stuck using a wooden spoon. I realized the reason you don't get lumps when you use a whisk is that the wires break up the flour/fat roux so it blends into the gravy. Having the right tool can mean the difference between success and failure.

What's that got to do with writing? Well, writers need proper tools, too. I don't mean a fancy computer and printer. They make it easier, but writers have been writing with pen and paper for centuries. The physical tools are the easiest for a writer to acquire and use. What I got to thinking about was the tools that make the story happen. I think writing would be a lot more difficult if I had to struggle with the basics of written communication--grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Or with sentence and paragraph structure. Or vocabulary. Those are like my pots, pans, knives, and, yes, whisks.

Just as there are cooks who specialize in general cooking vs. pastry-making, there are writers who specialize in fiction or nonfiction. They have other sets of tools, specific to their specialty. That's where the craft of the writer comes into play. I write mainly fiction, so the tools I'd be using the most are things like plotting, developing characters, theme, description and story structure.

I've been cooking for over 40 years. A lot of what I do in the kitchen feels like instinct. But I remember when I didn't have that instinct. It was acquiring the best tools, then practicing with them that honed my cooking instincts. I had to learn things like which tool is the best for which job, and I'm still learning. After all, I now know that whisks make the difference in the gravy.

The same is true of writing. I started ahead of the game by having an English teacher in the eighth grade who pounded those basic communication tools into my brain. I also had a head start gained from being an early, and constant, reader. Reading fiction helped me to see the difference between written down stories and stories told verbally or on film. But it seems like the more I talk with other writers, the more tools I learn there are to use. Acquiring and practicing with new tools is improving my writing. It's one reason the draft of my current novel is going so slowly. I'm learning how to use new tools that will get the story that's in my head onto the page, a bit closer to how I imagined it.

Just as a cook never stops learning new tricks to improve process and the result, writers never stop learning, either. There are always new things to discover. The rules of grammar have changed somewhat since that eighth grade teacher pounded them into my head. There are always more advanced techniques for getting all those wonderful layers from my head onto the page. Every story is different, so I can't just "do what I did last time". That's one of the challenging things about writing, figuring out which tools you need for this story, and acquiring the ones you may not have used before.

Uber Challenge

I haven't given up on this. I've been working through the rest of the reading from the mystery class. I'm doing the assignments that pose a challenge or are new for me, but I'm not bothering to write down answers to questions that basically parrot what was in the reading. My friend, June, is doing an invitation only class on critiquing. It's a cool class because it's not just about critiquing other people's manuscripts. She extends the information beyond that to how to apply the principles to your own work. I have to finish up the reading and the assignment for this week. We have a concert this weekend, so I have extra rehearsals and have to spend extra time working on the rough spots in the music. That's mostly what I need to do today. I'm realizing that I need to work on general discipline, as well as writing discipline. So, that's becoming my true goal. Not letting my living situation and the depression I'm always fighting off keep me from getting things done.

Best Blonde Joke Ever

Got this from Bob (Beard5). The best blonde joke ever. Be sure to read all the way to the end.

Skinny Fried Chicken & Gravy

Finally managing to post this recipe. Sorry it took so long to get to it.

Ingredients:

Chicken:
2 whole chickens, cut up and skinned
1 tablespoon olive oil
Enough flour to coat the chicken pieces
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock

Gravy:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves

For Chicken:
1. Mix flour and spices in a plastic bag. Shake 1 piece of chicken at a time in the bag. Place each piece on wax paper or a wire rack while you finish the rest. Do not stack the floured chicken pieces on top of each other.

2. Heat the olive oil to medium-high in a nonstick skillet. Put chicken in a single layer in pan. Brown thoroughly (about 10 - 15 minutes per side).

3. Add the 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium.

4. Cook for 15 minutes, turn chicken over, and cook an additional 15 minutes, until cooked through.

5. Take chicken out of the pan and pour the drippings into a gravy separator. Put the chicken back in the pan and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Cook about 2 - 3 minutes per side, until chicken is crispy and a reddish-brown color. Put chicken on a rack that's been placed on a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven while you cook the gravy.

For gravy:
1. Mix the cornstarch and sherry to make a slurry. Pour the chicken drippings back into the pan, without the fat, and add the remaining 1 cup of stock. Bring to a boil. Add slurry. Boil about 1 minute, until thickened. Add salt, pepper, and sage, to taste.

Notes:
1. All spices, herbs, salt, and peppers are to taste. My measurements are approximate. You can substitute any herb blend you like or make up your own. You can just use salt and pepper. If you can find hot paprika, you can substitute it for the regular paprika, but be sure to omit the cayenne pepper.

2. If you're using a nonstick electric skillet, brown the chicken at about 320º F. Turn it down to about 220º F when you cover it. And turn it up to 350º F to crisp it up at the end. Regardless of whether you use an electric skillet or nonstick skillet on the stove, you'll have to experiment with the temperatures to see which ones on your equipment give you the results you want. Temperature calibration on equipment for home cooks is a rant I'll spare you all.

Mangia!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

My friend, June, asked me for this recipe.

I know some of you are doing Tech's Great Slim Down, and this would be difficult for you without a lot of those tradeoffs I talked about on that blog. So, tomorrow, I'll post my Skinny Fried Chicken recipe for you all to try.

Ingredients:
8 whole chicken thighs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons seasonings
1/2 cup peanut oil

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 200º F. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet.

2. Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Put in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken. Mix so the chicken is covered. Marinate 1-4 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.

3. Combine the flour and seasonings in a plastic bag or a pie plate. Heat the oil in a skillet with high sides until 375º F. One at a time, drain the buttermilk from the chicken thighs, coat with flour mixture and put, skin side down, in the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned. Turn over and brown other side.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Turn the chicken over and cook 20 minutes longer, turning after 10 minutes.

5. Place, skin-side up, on wire rack and put in oven to drain and keep warm while you cook the next batch. Let the last batch drain on the rack for a few minutes before serving.

Notes:
1. You can substitute any equivalent amount of chicken parts for the 8 thighs.

2. Use whatever seasonings you want and adjust the amount to your taste. They can be as simple as salt and pepper or you can use a preblended spice mix or mix whatever spices you have on hand that you like. Adjust the amount of flour and seasonings to coat the amount and size of chicken pieces you're using. Don't flour the chicken ahead of time. Do each piece right before you put it in the pan. So, if you're doing more than one batch, leave the chicken in the buttermilk until you're ready to cook it. (Trust me on this. If you flour it ahead of time, it doesn't get as crispy and if it's not crispy, why bother?)

3. You can marinate the chicken overnight or do it in the morning and refrigerate it all day, if you want. But you don't need to do it that long for the recipe to turn out fine.

4. You'll have to adjust the amount of the oil according to the size of your pan. It should be about an inch deep. Some recipes call for putting enough oil to be halfway up the sides of the pan, but that's too much if your pan is more than two inches deep. It's Ok if you don't have a thermometer. You want the oil very hot, but not smoking.

5. You can double or halve this recipe easily. Just make sure you have enough buttermilk to coat/cover the chicken. And adjust the amount of flour & seasonings to coat the amount of chicken you're cooking. You can use more than one rack/baking sheet and put them on multiple racks in you oven to keep warm, if you're making a large batch. If you're making enough chicken to need to cook it in more than two batches, change the oil every other batch. Don't cook more than two batches with one pan of oil. You don't want to burn the chicken or your kitchen, both of which occur more easily if you overuse the oil.

Mangia!

Uber Challenge update:

• I've so gotten out of the habit of doing Morning Pages. I need to make a point of doing them today.
• I'm going to do the reading for Lesson Three of the mystery class. This is the last official week of the class. I might get through Lesson Four. We'll see.
• And I have stuff, like upcoming concert dates, to add to my calendar.
• Last, I have to go over the music for rehearsal tonight.

Short post

Today I had little time to think of anything to write for my post. I finished the second lesson of the mystery writing course. I'm so far behind. I should have finished that the first week. I miscounted. The class is four weeks, so it's scheduled as 2 lessons per week. I think that's too much work for people who have lives. Apparently, there are people who can get that much done. I'm just not one of them.

It's amazing, though. There are about 500 students in the class. Most of them haven't participated by posting lessons, but a good percentage have. I think that 500 students sells a lot of books for B&N, but it's too many students for a teacher to be able to look at everyone's work, let alone comment on very much of it. So, you're kind of on your own, with some student feedback, if anyone's interested enough to post about your work.

I'm not learning anything new. What I'm getting is reminded of things I need to be reminded of. It's so easy for things to slip through the cracks because a writer has so many balls to juggle as she writes. So it's a good class.

I'm going to go watch some more Angel. My son called me and he implied he'd like his DVDs back soon. I don't know why. I'm taking the second season back home when I bring this one back. So it's not like he's going to be keeping the whole set at his house--at least until after I've watched them all. (evil grin)

Rebel Ice, Galadriel,& the Uber Challenge

I was looking at my list of posts and discovered I never posted this. I'd only gotten the quiz from Tambo's blog, done and never had time to finish writing the post about the Uber Challenge. Also, since I started this post, I've gotten Rebel Ice, and I wanted to talk about that a bit, too. So, here it is, updated with today's stuff.

Rebel Ice

Rebel Ice is the long-awaited next novel in S.L. Viehl's StarDoc series. I haven't finished reading it yet, but I wanted to let everyone know it's out. It came out while I was sleeping off that flu bug a couple of weeks ago. I think that, while I really enjoy everything Sheila's written, her StarDoc series is my favorite.










From Tambo's blog:

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

Galadriel is a character in the Middle-Earth universe. You can read more about her at the Galadriel Worshippers Army.

Uber Challenge

I've had to make some hard decisions about how I'm spending my time, particularly with regard to the mystery class. According to the time estimates, I could do the class by working an hour a day. But it's taking a lot longer than that to do the work well. You can't do a lesson a week and finish, either, because the class is six weeks long and there are eight lessons. I'm thinking that the best way to deal with it is to work for an hour a day and do as much as I can. I won't finish the class on time, but it's free and there's no limit on how many times you can take it. So, rather than push myself to finish on time and do a lousy job, I'm going to sign up again and start working wherever I ended up when the original six weeks are up. I think that plan will allow me to learn the most, which is the whole point.

I purchased and downloaded both Holly's Create a Character Clinic and Sheila's Way of the Cheetah, written under her pseudonym, Lynn Viehl. I'm planning to work through Way of the Cheetah first because it fits neatly into the Uber Challenge. It's about how to become a disciplined and productive writer, and that's pretty much my challenge.

The last thing that's crucial for me to get done is to update and use my calendar. I have a love/hate relationship with databases and spreadsheets. I love the way they make it easier to keep track of stuff. However, I hate the tedious task of having to update them all the time. On the other hand, I worry that I'll miss a rehearsal or something crucial if I don't get my life on the calendar and keep it open on my desktop. My days are too much alike, which makes it really hard to keep track of whether something's happening today or next Wednesday without writing it down.