To Blog or Not To Blog

That really is the question.  You know, for the last year or so, I've started a post here and there.  I've had fabulous recipes to share many times and just never did. 

A couple months ago I received a warning from DMCA for copyright infringement, and to those offended and/or violated, well- thanks.  I've had to remove one of my favorite posts.  Don't know if it was the images I cut and pasted or the excerpt from the recipe book I quoted. 

It was my Hoppin' John recipe post, in which I thanked Chalkie White of HBO's Boardwalk Empire for prompting my interest in researching Hoppin' John recipes.  That led me to discover an old cookbook called Charleston Receipts, which was the primary source of inspiration for my own Hoppin' John recipe.  But I can say no more lest I infringe upon someone's pictures or writings or whatever. If you want a good recipe for Hoppin' Johns, leave a comment, I'll be glad to forward it to you.

I realize I am the world's worst blog host.  My sincerest apologies to all two of you who read this waste-of- cyber-space. Blogging has taken a backseat to reality- 'twas once a way to escape boredom and exercise my writing muscles.  Now I'm afraid my blog is an afterthought.  My reality is that I'm working quite much more than I was a few years back when I started to blog, and my growing son is involved in every after- school activity and/or sport known to man. 

I've also taken on a second job, of sorts.  This past fall a fellow business associate and I started our own management company.  Small potatoes, really.  But like any start up company there has been a lot of researching, late nights and re-learning the business that I'm in, but making it my own business.  Does that make sense?  Probably not, but that's okay.  The biggest reward so far is that my business partner (who also owns a fabulous Chinese restaurant) hosted a real Chinese New Year's party this February complete with fresh lobster and LOTS of Tsing Tsao beer.  And plenty of gambling with Yen.  So maybe not gambling with Yen.  But it sounded like a good idea at the time. 

On a completely different note, my brother decided it would be a fine idea to give my son a Wii.  I hate video games, I always have.  The Wii is no exception.  Now, I find during the middle of the night, I awake to an empty bed, and where is my darling but downstairs playing with his Wii.  Not that one...  pervert that you are. 

I'm eagerly anticipating springtime.  Winter has drawn on for what seems like an eternity.  We had snow on Halloween and pretty much weekly since.  Easter is just over a week away, and the most I've done so far is hang a bunny wreath on my front door.  It's hard to be in the pastel mood when all is grey and cold.

School has come and gone.  I've finally gotten Moby Dick out of my mind, although recently the book was one whole Jeopardy! category and I totally kicked ass.  Sad- my life revolves around subsidized housing projects and reveling in the knowledge that I can beat my husband at Jeopardy! when there is a Moby Dick category.

I found out recently while reading Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa website that she will be stopping in Pittsburgh this October on her book tour.  Oh, guess who's gonna be waiting at the front of that line?  Yeah, me.  I adore Ina.  Fortunately my On Demand cable allows me to watch new episodes of her show whenever it's convenient for me instead of when they are airing.  So, I was able to watch all of the Barefoot in Napa episodes at my usual TV time, around 12 am Tuesdays.   Some people drown their sorrows in booze, I drown mine in Barefoot.  Nevermind.  I don't really have any sorrows.  On the contrary, things around here are pretty stinking good.

Well, such is my life these days, and as fun as this blog update has been it is time for me to get off of the computer and back to work.  I cannot promise future updates, but thank you for reading this one.





Best Wishes for a  Happy, Warm, and Colorful Easter!