Ask Me No More

I had the most enchanting dream last night. I literally popped out of bed this morning in my haste to jot it all down. Needless to say ... I'm very tired right now. However, here's what was in this scrumptious dream.

I first started out traveling to visit my friend (she lives in NYC but in this dream the area looked more like Southwest Omaha, with housing developments and strip malls, strange.) In anycase, visiting her was completely surreal because I had brought (surely the word 'packed' wouldn't work here?) my bed -- the actual boxspring and mattress. Imagine, trying to haul your luggage AND a boxspring and mattress through LaGuardia airport? Very unnatural! So there I am hanging out at her place for a while -- which was, delightfully enough, a replica of my grandparents house in middle Nebraska. While I was there, she was instructing me on some such thing or another, which she often does when I speak with her on the telephone.(he he) Then I left to go to some unknown destination.

The destination happened to be an elder-care facility. However, it was a fun place, people were laughing and talking and telling stories and having a really good time. Not what you normally think of for an elder-care facility. It was situated in a building that was heavily influenced by post-modern architecture. Something like this ...

Just fascinating and very bright and cheerful. I was being introduced around to the staff members. Hey look at that ... I was getting a job in my dream. Gives new meaning to the phrase 'in your dreams baby!'

(somewhere about here the dream drifted to a parking lot and I was looking at cars, perhaps because I've been thinking of replacing mine.)

The dream switched and I was sitting outside this lovely post-modern building. I was surrounded by all sorts of interesting people. They all worked for the facility. The tables we were sitting at were very modern lucite picnic tables in fun colors and shapes. The place was sort of spa-like as well as circus-like. And while they had what we would consider normal personnel there, they also had the following: An historian, a biographer, an architect, a pilot, a poet, a cowboy, circus performers, and all manner of others. A strange group of people, and they were the STAFF! Eventually I realized that I was there for the position of Librarian -- maybe more like "The Librarian"? -- a pretty staid position among those other folks.

So myself and other staff members were all sitting getting to know eachother. I had a feeling of awe and amazement at all these incredible people. I felt decidedly lackluster next to them. There was a structure behind the main housing building, and it looked like a long wave of balconies about 10 stories high and they formed a semi-circle around a large area behind the initial building. Each of the rounded railings on each of the small balconies had lovely potted plants and inside the balconies were sets of seating, 2 to 4 spaced seating alcoves like below ... (also consider performing arts center's balcony seating, but more flowery)

The back yard of the building housed a stadium, and those were the stadium seats!! People, I swear you can't make this s*&t up. All the little old people were out in the stadium ... showing off their talents, high diving, synchro-swimming, horseback barrel racing, tight-rope walking ... etc etc etc ... it was really fascinating. And there I was ... smack in the middle of it ... taking it all in and talking to these staff members about going out later for a little karaoke to wind down.

All I have to say is ... that's some damn hat Harry! Often times my friend SPARKLE at Sparkle's Soup of the Day shares some of her stranger dreams, I think this may have been a worthy rival of one of them! The whole dream was soooo enchanting. When I was coming out of sleep and I was trying to stay in the dream, I realized if I didn't get right up and jot it down, I would NOT remember it later. So there you have it ... crayzee dreamtime with Surry!!! Fun huh?

Okay ... onto a bit of TV programming.

Last night I watched:

Hell's Kitchen
In the episode one of the contestants completely went OFF on G Ramsay. I mean the contestant went completely ballistic and wanted to take Gordon outside for an old fashioned fisticuffs. What a complete and utter hot-headed moron! Way to ruin your chances for a dream job man! (see the theme here?)

The Closer
Tom Skerrit was in this episodes. I love shows with excellent guest stars! It was a fantastic episode with Skerrit being a retired detective who couldn't close one of his murder cases. He finds out he only has three months to live and decides to take matters into his own hands. He kidnaps the murderer, ties him up and drags him all night long behind the murderers own truck, dragging him along. Then Skerrit gets a confession, on tape. Finally in the end, BL Johnson gets to the truth, which she nearly always does. Also, the fact that she allows someone to misfile the taped confession in order for Skerrit to be released on his own recog before trial, thus essentially leaving him free until his imminent death. Excellent job by the LAPD!

Tonight on TV is:

So You Think You Can Dance
A bunch of dancers perform.

Leverage
Nate s team takes aim at a thieving felon by commandeering a whole hospital floor and staging the deadly outbreak of a virus.

Dark Blue
The sting is on when Carter s team targets a sly drug dealer with a professional background in law.

That's all for today.

ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

If there's anything unsettling to the stomach, it's watching actors on television talk about their personal lives.
- Marlon Brando

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

Do you think animals have a sense of humor?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Menticide

PRONUNCIATION:
(MEN-tuh-syd))

MEANING:
noun: The systematic undermining of a person's beliefs, attitudes, and values.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin ment- (mind) + -cide (killing).

USAGE:
"Our compliance with the dictates of Donor Agencies and environmentalists not to use DDT amounts to suicide or at least menticide of our people."

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Ask Me No More

Ask me no more: the moon may draw the sea;
The cloud may stoop from heaven and take the shape,
With fold to fold, of mountain or of cape;
But O too fond, when have I answer'd thee?
Ask me no more.

Ask me no more: what answer should I give?
I love not hollow cheek or faded eye:
Yet, O my friend, I will not have thee die!
Ask me no more, lest I should bid thee live;
Ask me no more.

Ask me no more: thy fate and mine are seal'd:
I strove against the stream and all in vain:
Let the great river take me to the main:
No more, dear love, for at a touch I yield;
Ask me no more.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ

Pork Chops Saltimbocca w/ Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients:
2 (1-inch-thick) center-cut rib pork chops
2 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 very thin slices Italian Fontina cheese
2 thin slices prosciutto (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 (10-ounces) bag fresh spinach, stems discarded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Cut a deep, wide pocket in each pork chop. Sprinkle half of sage into each pocket and stuff pockets with cheese and prosciutto. Pat chops dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook chops until undersides are golden, about 2 minutes, then turn chops and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

While chops cook, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Transfer chops to a platter. Add butter and lemon juice to hot skillet, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour sauce over pork.

Serve pork with spinach.

(I picked up some P-chops last night while getting the ingredients for my Tuna Noodle Casserole ... it looks like I'll just have to pick up a few more ingredients to make this. Yummy!)

Enjoy!

Brightest Blessings,
~Surry~