Picture Sunday

Hello, end of weekenders, and welcome to yet another mind-numbing round of Picture Sunday.

You know, I don't know which makes me hate the end of the weekend more - a weekend where I've been on the road and then come back home Sunday to realize the weekend flew away before my very eyes, or a weekend where I stay at home, do sod-all, then lament on Sunday night the Weekend That Could Have Been.

I had the latter this time around. I didn't travel to Mr M's, for the simple fact that I wanted to catch the Hokie football game yesterday on TV and he doesn't get the channel it showed on. A silly reason to stay home, to some, and for a while it was shaping up as pretty silly to me as well, as the Hokies took about 3 quarters to catch some steam before they finally pulled it out. However, the real treat of my Saturday night was watching WVU get beaten and therefore knocked out of a chance to play for the National Championship. The only thing that makes me happier than a WVU loss is seeing it on television, where we get various and sundry shots of pissed off West Virginians in blue and gold. It was great - about as unexpected as the Italians dropping a match in Olympic Clarinet.

Then today I lived a life of absolute sloth, didn't do a thing except fix dinner.

And because of that, my friends and blogees, I have no Picture Sunday pictures for you tonight. Count your blessings. Had I documented my weekend, you'd be looking at pictures of me in various stages of half-dressedness, with really bad hair. However, I have a slight update to my blog of Friday, courtesy again of the dishy Michelle.

See, it was her link to a newspaper article that prompted the Friday blog, and she sent me something of, well, not an update so much as a companion piece. You can read the article here.

Seems the Chicago Public at Large isn't happy anymore with just stealing the Baby Jesus from Nativity Scenes and have decided to go for the whole schmeer. They're now trying to tear down people's entire Christmas displays, and this story tells the tale of one poor soul who tried to do something about it, and ended up being dragged by a car driven by the vandals.

Now, I'm no fan of vandalism, I think it's a pretty silly way to pass one's time. But I have a sneaking suspicion these ruffians might have been hired by the people who live across the street from this man, because if I had to look at all those decorations for the past 17 years (the length of time he's done this), I might be thinking of hiring someone myself. Let's do a quick summary of the picture there. OK, well, I don't know. I can make out some horses, what look like a few polar bears, a couple of reindeer. The trees are nicely decorated. I don't see any of my pet peeve, secular and non-secular items displayed together. Actually, if he'd lose the house lights, drop some of the tackiness from what all's in his yard, and get the lit Santa off his roof, I could accept it. So no, it wasn't me who hired the thugs who ended up dragging him behind their car. I'm innocent. However, I was alone in my house Friday night, so my alibi's a little shaky.

One other thing. I got an email from Mike, Man of Mystery and Movies, today. I just want you people to know the kind of friends I have. It read simply:

"**MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There was a dislocated thumb, an inaccurate news report, a hastily called press conference, a Mizzou meltdown, a Hokie revenge, a Sooner stunner, a Pitt uprising, a Les Miles redemption, a Mountaineer gag job and overwrought fan bases in all directions.**

Kinda makes that WVA game sound a little more unseemly than it really was. Like a night in the mantrap."

Yeah. Thanks, Mike.

But now on to the recipe du jour. You know, the holidays are smack-dab upon us, and I'm sure you're all going to be doing your fair share of party hosting. And aren't you all sick of the same old desserts, the cheesecakes, Christmas cookies, Baked Alaska, fudge, and so forth? Well, here's one your guests are sure to have never been served. Please say hello, from the Fun With Fiber file in cardland, to Bean Parfait.




















Now, it helps to have lots of leftover beans in the refrigerator. Which I happen to have had, since I made two very beany recipes this past week. All you do is take the bean of your choice, some vanilla pudding, layer the two in a fancy glass (it has to be fancy, it's Christmas!), and top with whipped cream, cinnamon, and a few decorative beans. Serve to guests, then herd them out of your house as quickly as is humanly possible.

Happy week.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* Boy, "The Amazing Race" is getting good. And now I have a definitive team to root for, since Stennie sprung the news on me that grand-dad/grandson team of Nicholas and Donald are in fact the son and father-in-law of singer Robbie Fulks. Blew my mind, that did, and I've liked that team from the beginning. I say, win it all, Robbie's family.