Picture Sunday

Ah, yes, my friends. Sunday evening is upon us once again, and time for a little visual storytime before you all turn in to get a bit of rest before facing the grueling week ahead.

First of all, a bit of news here. It's swimming news, actually - I realized I've not written the first thing about my summer swimming. Well, I've been swimming for a few weeks now, and I finally got a new swimsuit, too. I couldn't wear either of mine from last year because they were getting bigger and bigger, and because bits of me kept falling out of them. The upper bits, to be precise.

But I got to keep my goggles from last year, which reliably gave me a good "pbbbbt" of suction the first time I donned them and are still doing well. I did spring for some new earplugs this weekend and wore them tonight, and they're quite fine indeed.

But the news has to come with a major break in tradition. As I'm sure you'll all remember, I'm quite anal when it comes to swimming. Groupings of three, a breaststroke, freestyle, and backstroke. Generally 30 laps, sometimes more or sometimes less, but always in a multiple of three.

Well, tonight I came to an epiphany. It was that I mainly do the breastroke just because it's a fun stroke to do, and that I do the backstroke because it's a very easy stroke to do. Ergo, the real workhouse of the grouping must be the freestyle. So after four laps I did only freestyle. Yes, I know you're gasping, but check this out. After deciding to do that, I just went whole hog and swam 40 laps. 40! If you'll check it out, 40 is not a multiple of three. It's probably the first time in 3 or so years I've done that.

I'm freeing myself from the anal bonds of conformity!

Now, what else happened this weekend? Well, my little Sherman was framed!

No, not for a crime he didn't commit. Several months ago (hell, more than several months ago), I bought a studio drawing from an actual episode of S & P. It was the episode where they go back to the first Kentucky Derby. Mr M said he'd mat and frame it for me, so I left it in his kind care, where's it's stayed for, well, for a long time. This weekend he decided we were going to get it in order. And we did. Here's the whole schmeer, frame, mat, and all:



If you're itching to see a close-up of the actual drawing, take a quick look here:



And now. This is where it gets good. I decided to go back to that episode on DVD and look at the finished product. This was taken right off my very own tee-vee:



Well, it excited me, anyway.

Now for the recipe picture of the week. And it's, for lack of a better word, bland. The dish as well as the picture, I fear. It's the dreaded carrot soufflé.



OK, my only thoughts on this one. First, the damn soufflé is lopsided in the bowl. Someone must have stomped around while it was in the oven. The other thought is, "If it says on the back of the bowl that the serving suggestion is with tomato aspic and pineapple upside down cake, why is the damn soufflé sitting there with some beef stroganoff? Cause I'd go for that, and the tomato aspic could go straight to hell, as far as I'm concerned."

And finally, one more picture. I knew I said I wasn't going to say anything in this blog about this but, well, I am. So there.



Yep, a half-dollar to signify to the world that I've now passed the 50 pound mark in weight loss. I'm at 51. I'm kinda proud about that. Now I'll go back to not talking about it.

Have a good week everyone!