Picture Sunday

So, I'm bringing up the rear tonight. Picture Sunday is minutes away from being late, for no other reason than I was loafing in the Comfy Chair.

This weekend was, well, to say the least, interesting. I began it driving to B'burg yesterday in an ice storm.

Things were just getting underway as I left, and I went on the theory most people around here go on: "As soon as I get out of B'field, things'll be OK." Then that changed to "As soon as I get on Rt 460, everything'll be OK." Which later gave way to "As soon as I can get out of West Virginia back to the Virginia side, things'll be OK." Which later gave rise to, "Shit, things are not gonna be OK." It just got worse and worse the farther I drove, till I was stuck in the middle, ice pouring down around me, not able to go back and not feeling too good about going on.

The only thing that saved me was the 18-wheeler that pulled out in front of me around G'Lyn. I just decided to stay behind him no matter what happened. He went up the mountains at 2 mph? So did I. But it was horrendous, and I never got over about 20mph the whole way. It's such a horrible feeling, knowing you can't go any faster, and wanting to go just as fast as you can to hurry up and get to your destination.

When I finally hit the red-lighted intersection to turn into B'burg, I got into my lane, and the 18-wheeler stayed in the straight lane, so we were beside each other. I got his attention, rolled my window down, and thanked him profusely for letting me follow him. He appreciated it, I think. But going down those last two mountains - I was sure we'd both lose it. I kept telling myself, "Hold it together, you can cry when you get to Mr M's," but I didn't cry. I had the shakes, but I didn't cry.

Needless to say, I hope I don't have to go through that again.

Then today, I was one movement away from throwing a cake in the trash can when the doorbell rang, diffusing an incredibly tense situation. Clarinet quartet began, and blew all to hell not too long after. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen in my whole life, and at one point, I actually felt my body leave itself and hover above proceedings like I was watching it on TV. Everything ended OK, though, and I had the shakes going back home again.

It was a pretty shaky weekend, all in all.

First picture. This is the cake that almost lost its life. And as you can see, my extremely mediocre artistic skills, when applied to a cake are, well, still extremely mediocore.



Now, for a few pictures from the archives. Thought I'd put up a few I took in London lo those many years ago. 15, to be exact. I can't believe it's been that long. The first you can use in a rowsing rendition of "But What About This Guy?"



This is the Tube. In London. After a week in the city, I finally got a seat. It was orgasmic. But everytime I look at this picture, I think of Letterman. You know, when he shows a picture and picks someone out of the background and says, "But what about this guy?" That poor man, frozen in time 15 years, holding his newspaper. Hope he got to where he was going. And got a seat.

The next one you could caption "What Kind Of Poo-head Takes A Picture Of A Bathroom?" Well, this kind, I guess. I don't know, Harrod's loo was just so impressive for me, for some reason. I've not seen a finer bathroom before or since.



Wow. A little bathroom appreciation, please.

The final picture is one for the scrapbook. I guess everyone has this one, but I've always liked it. The Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge indeed. Look at it towering there like the structure of glory it is.

OK, and now the first recipe du jour from Series 6. And believe me folks, this one has been worth the wait. May I present to you Baked Stuffed Salmon!

Oh. my. God. Where do we start? The yellow stuff, or "dog's vomit," as I've referred to it in recipes past? The fact that they've decided to turn this into a little fish, complete with an olive eye? The parsley they've stuffed into the poor fella's mouth, as if to stop him saying, "Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"

The Card says we're supposed to enjoy a salad, Brussels sprouts (laying there naked on the tray), and whipped fruit gelatin with this. But really. I just want to sit and enjoy the artistic ambience of this one a while. Anything but eat it.

Happy week.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* Currently on the Music Match playlist? "Big Mama's Door" and "Illinois," Alvin Youngblood Hart, "Country Leaver," the Dandy Warhols, "Wishing Well," Terrence Trent D'Arby (guilty pleasure there), "Ariel," Dean Friedman, "Uneasy Rider," BR-549, "Judy Is A Punk," the Ramones.
* I'm not kidding. The podmobile was a block of ice when I arrived Saturday. You couldn't even chip it off with a pen.