Green Tea and An Experiment

Each week, our favorite grocery store offers coupons for something free (well, at no cost beyond what we plan to buy, anyway; I believe everything in this world has some cost). Usually the item is something upon which we don’t normally splurge, like expensive nutritional supplies.

Last weekend was no different. We brought home bottled water with added electrolytes. A taste test at home proved it really flat, as if distilled (don’t drink distilled water, by the way, I understand it is very bad for the human body).

So I decided to steep green tea bags (flavored with Açaí, pomegranate, and blueberries) in a small portion of heated Body Armor. I was curious to see if it made my favorite iced beverage even more thirst quenching.

Typical for me, I ruined my own experiment by adding Brita pitcher filtered water to chill the drink. ~sigh~ Trying again, I put two more tea bags directly in the remaining bottled water.

Already Gaining Color...

I’m going to let it steep at room temperature for a few hours, chill the bottle overnight, and drink it lightly sweetened in the morning. If I can drag myself to the gym I might take that instead of plain water.

Is it just me or do you find warm beverages less thirst quenching?

-

Sad But True and Why I Don’t Have a Smart Phone

Thanks Vidya Sury, for Sharing on Facebook

Positive Sparks Monday – Back to Music

To quote Annie of McGuffy’sReader, the bright spirited blog where she created Sparks Mondays, “I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world!”

I am an obsessive music geek who only toned back purchases because retirement is so worth the minor sacrifice. That said, I did order a “Rock Sound” magazine from the United Kingdom because they featured Palaye Royale. Within its pages a silly advice column stood out.

This young bloke, previously unknown to me, is the American lead singer of British pop punk band As It Is. Part of his answer to the question about making New Year’s resolutions really resonated.

I Like How the Column Adopted the Band Name - Cute

“Generally, I just aim to be nicer and work harder. I like to think that I’m already a nice, hardworking guy, but there’s always room to improve, and I think any day of the year is as good as any to invest in and love yourself.”

- Patty Walters

Thanks, Annie!

My Mag - Great Cover, No?

Do you like punk music?

-

Fifteenth Century Architecture - NSFW

As mentioned in the title, this post is not safe for work, but that part is reserved for the bottom if you want to sneak a peak. I just found this on Twitter a few minutes ago.

In case you can't read the print, Black Pigeon Speaks typed, "People didn't have social media in the 15th century, so it would appear that they used gargoyles to troll their local village." What dedication to serving cold revenge!

See That Little Arrow Over the Roof, Several Stories Up?

That's Craftsmanship!

I can only guess this was found during restoration. What do you think?

-

Okonomiyaki!

I was a moody, timid child. Glad to say those traits have improved to a vast degree. Part of that is just maturity, I suppose. Still, my SO and I tend to sit quiet while another might speak up in complaint of this or that, especially at restaurants.

The other day at a local Japanese eatery enjoying a bowl of savory Osaka soba (tender pork rib meat with thick noodles in a rich broth), I decided to speak up about something very different from complaint. Having learned it’s possible to order off menu, I bolstered my courage and asked our friendly waitress if the chef would ever agree to make okonomiyaki.

Her face lit up! She asked my name, telling me to call ahead to make the request, and said we would call it the Darla Special. I am tickled pink. SO suggested that could be my birthday meal later this month.

Here is a Wikipedia article on those savory Japanese pancakes if you are interested. There are many variations and I made up my mind to give the chef his choice if asked. I like to think trusting his judgment would impress him as well as being the wisest way to go. These men and women in the kitchen know what they’re doing.

My Breakfast, Leftover Osaka Udon
Definitely no 'Consolation Prize'

Now I will just have to laugh if I end up not liking it and already have a contingency plan. If it’s not to my liking, I’ll just act like I struggled to decide before leaving the house and then request the standard noodle dish. ~grin~ Amusingly, the proprietress asked if I’d ever been to Osaka upon my first excited order of that udon. I answered, “I wish!” My reply amused her. I will admit over the phone that pickled ginger doesn’t agree with me (probably sacrilege, but oh, well).

Have you eaten any of the foods I mentioned?

-

Body Image Issues & a Sad Realization

A dear, kind fellow writer with whom I’ve become acquainted on Facebook recently shared this story about a fashionable sixty-four year old woman who deems herself an accidental icon with a blog by that name. Watching video about her, a striking figure with a model thin body, all I could think was how nice her clothes hung, resenting it the entire time. ~shakes head~ It didn’t help when my friend kindly pointed out how the featured outfits would fit any body type.

Fit? Maybe. But in the furry coat this lady sported I would appear as a squat, pregnant bear while the boxy coats would look like balloons. And that’s when something occurred to me besides the fact I’ll never afford that lass’s taste in designer clothes.

Not only is my propensity to be overweight genetic, so is my attitude, distinctly from my mother’s side of the family. I never met my great grandmother, but my maternal grandmother was very dear to me. At a young age I mentioned to my mother how nice Grandma looked, always wearing dresses.

Mom informed me that Grandma only scorned slacks because she was ashamed of being bowlegged. Meanwhile Mom spent my entire childhood on one weight loss scheme or other. Even at the end of her life she lamented gaining some extra pounds.

And, God rest her soul, my mother was not concerned with physical fitness. Her idea of being active consisted of walking across the house when she still could. I think she almost enjoyed the pampering once wheelchair bound.

That brings me to a blessing, because seeing her physical deterioration caused me to start lifting weights and swimming on a regular basis. Still, I could almost cry every time I look in a mirror, missing my former figure. ~sigh~ At least my body and spirit are strong and relatively pain free (!).

Me,1997
Sorry The Image is Blurry
Guess My Camera Focused on the Frame - Oops

Are you a fashion hound?

And I Do Stay Young at Heart!

Like my boots? I bought them to wear to writing events, forcing a more intrepid persona.

-

Promoting Palaye Royale – or – Pimping My Boys as SO Likes to Say

Yesterday I received my “Rock Sound” magazine from the United Kingdom. I’m so tickled!

It Includes a Poster!

As I type this I’m listening to a Palaye Royale interview. They are so hardworking, smart, and nice. I hope to meet them at the end of March.

Do you like old fashioned rock and roll? Check this out…

-

Fonts Matter

I may have already shared this. But here it is (again?). It reminds me of my days playing Dungeons & Dragons.

More Handy in the Kitchen than a Demon...

Do you hate the fact writing cursive is a dying art form?

-