Dismantled Christmas

Powder

Awoke this morning to another 6 inches of snow. It's still coming down. By my count this is at least the 8th snowfall since Thanksgiving. I've never seen anything quite like it. The weather reporters here have been off base all week: a "major storm" on Tuesday yielded only an inch, whereas last night's "few inches" brought considerably more.

I've always loved the snow, but even this is testing my patience. It does create a remarkable inconvenience, and people just seem edgier.

Which is a shame, because one of the things I like best about the snow is the potential to bring a quiet peacefulness.

About snow, the naturalist Joseph Wood Krutch has said:

"There is no other time when the whole world seems composed of one thing and one thing only."

The pup let me sleep in until sunrise this morning, but still required a walk. So we headed out into the snow. It was quiet still. Only a very few others had yet rallied themselves to begin the task of excavating the sidewalks and the cars parked on the street. The quiet chaos of city life had momentarily been suspended. The neighborhood was bright and the air fresh. Atlas turned primal, sniffing out marking spots, even under the frosty blanket. For 15 minutes I didn't think about my job, or what I was or wasn't doing enough in my acting pursuits, who I was missing or what shopping needed to be done. Just me, the dog, the snow, the neighborhood.

When we got back home, I opened up all the blinds, then made bacon and pancakes from scratch.

Super Broker Shuffle

Thanks to Becky for bringing this to my attention. Be sure to stick around for at least the first two rounds of individual raps.

The sheer dedication it took to pull this off is amazing. I will buy ALL of these products.

Cupboard Maintenance

A little over a year ago, I found an article in Real Simple magazine that listed 10-12 items to have on hand for each food storage area in the kitchen (fridge, freezer, pantry), and while I no longer follow it to a "T", it's still something of a reference point for me when I go shopping--and the reason why I'll always, ALWAYS have a little bacon on hand.

The Times posted a similar article today, all about what to pitch and and what to keep in your pantry. Where Bittman's real strength comes is in the little off-handed recipes he suggests for each recommended substitution. He motivated me to try cooking with white beans tonight (beans, diced onion, garlic, mushrooms, said bacon, chopped basil, olive oil, canned tomato sauce, s&p to taste), which is something I rarely ever do. He also threw out an idea for pasta with a walnut sauce that totally caught my interest. Maybe this weekend?

Give it a glance over and see if you have any inspiration.

The Minimalist - The Latest Must-Haves for the Pantry - NYTimes.com

How Smart Is This Guy?

Reportedly, today's photo op of the living Presidents with the President-elect was all Obama's idea, pitched when he visited Bush at the White House in December.

What do you do when one of the strongest arguments against your appointment (and one with more validity than I'd care to admit) is your lack of experience? You give the world a visual reference point for the word "President" and position yourself in the middle of it. Clever. Scary. We're either going to be walking streets of gold dubloons by the time this guy's done or toiling under the regime of the United States of Obamanation.

Presidents Past, Present and Future - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Banner Day

I made three new friends on Facebook today. I'm da bomb, as they say in the French.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled lives, already in progress.

(We must learn to celebrate the little things.)

Pop'd Art: Lily Allen's "The Fear"

When the young British neo-soul artists started crossing the pond a few years back, I quickly aligned myself behind Amy Winehouse rather than Lily Allen, partially because I liked Winehouse's sound better, but also because I thought Allen's songs were a little weak.

It appears Lily Allen is about to release a new album, and this is the first single. It skews more to straight-up pop than soul, but the lyrics are witty and sarcastic, a relentless satire of modern values. Listen to the verses (it's amazing she can sing with tongue planted so firmly in cheek) and then the chorus, and try to tell me there's not a smart girl behind this song.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's something you can shake your booty to.

Foodie Report

A pretty cool little article about food trends, with a tasty tie-in to the President-elect. Enjoy.
How Caramel Developed a Taste for Salt - NYTimes.com
By KIM SEVERSON

In 2008, salt caramel became one of those rare flavors that works its way from an elite culinary obsession to the American mass market.

Worst Best Man at a Wedding EVER.

I have no idea if this is legit or not, but the thought that it could be cracks me up.

One Year Ago Today

I was 25 pounds heavier. I never ate things like protein powder or soy milk. I couldn't finish a half mile on the treadmill. Yesterday I ran a 7:30 mile.

I lived in St. Louis, with a view of Highway 40 and the Zoo. Today I live in Chicago with a view of the Chicago River. I paid literally half the amount of rent.

I met my pup for the first time, never awoke before 6:30, and had no idea little dogs could provide massive enjoyment.

I wasn't on Facebook, and lived in ignorance of how many people had kids, were still in my hometown, or had moved away to interesting places.

I was doing community theater in Clayton, not walking the halls of Second City in the footsteps of Belushi, Farley, Fey, Poehler, and so many others.

I had never voted for a Democrat in the presidential election.

I had about the same amount of money in my bank accounts, but more debt, and WAY more in my 401k.

I never rode public transportation.

I welcomed in the New Year with my closest friends in a single-family home in Maplewood. I passed last night on the 7th floor of a West Loop high-rise with virtual strangers (who were nonetheless awesomely friendly).

I was still single, and just about as okay with it.

I wore different shoes, walked on different rugs, and sat on a different couch. I ate off the same dishes, drove the same car, and listened to the same iPod.

I had never been the victim of a natural disaster, and had certainly never received assistance from FEMA.

IKEA was still exotic, not the building on the other side of the parking lot at work.

I had never fired a handgun.

I had never had a Bloody Mary. Mmmmm....Bloody Mary. Weekend cannot come soon enough.

I had dinner with my extended family once a week, but we said less than we do in our weekly phone calls now.

I attended church about as often as I do now, which is to say not as much as I should. Especially for a guy with a seminary degree.

The hair. I'm not even going to open that can of worms.

I was complacent, bored, and restless. Today I am terrified, thankful, and eager. I'm not entirely sure I am in a better place than I was a year ago. I miss my family and friends, and have NO IDEA where my career path is headed right now. But I'm glad I took some chances, I feel like I've grown up some, and have certainly enjoyed a lot about Chicago. Especially in the summer. Sidewalk cafes. The dog beach. People watching in Wicker Park. Scooter! Decided lack of weekly snowfalls, sub-zero wind chills, and nightmare street parking. Forget New Year's resolutions...I just need to make it to May.