Hmmmm

Do you think that everyone has a need to make an impact in the world? Or is it just a few people?
Is it something that lies dormant until inspiration hits? Or are some people just born that way?

I feel like I am meant to do more with my life than work for Big Box Co. And it may sound arrogant but I feel like my life should mean more than just sitting in a cubicle everyday. Most of the things in my day to day life impacts myself and a few other people. I want to make an impact, leave my mark on the world..... so that when I leave the world I can feel like I am leaving it a little better than it was before I got here. I feel like I just haven't found my cause yet. There are so many to choose from.

I wonder if Nancy Brinker (founder of Susan G. Komen) knew that her mission would take off and become one of the first thing that comes to millions (if not billions) of people's minds when they hear the words breast cancer.


Here are a list of organizations (not all, just a few) that I support or am considering supporting.....
What organizations do you support?

Susan G. Komen
Ordinary People Change the World
Ronald McDonald House
Let's Say Thanks
National MS Society
The Humane Society

Diane Arbus

"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." ~ Diane Arbus

I once wrote a term papber about Diane Arbus. We were allowed to pick any topic and my Dad had just introduced me to her work. I don't know why but her work made an impact. She was a strange person, and I don't mean that in a bad way. If you look at her photographs you can see. She took pictures of 'deviant' people- dwarves, giants, transvestites, nudists, circus performs, etc. I wouldn't necessary call her subjects deviant so much as people who sometimes live on the fringe of society.

Here are a few of my favorites of hers:

The top two photos I like because in the first one, whatever is going on here looks absolutely hysterical. In the second one I can only imagine what the Disney Land castle looked like when she took that photo.

The twins creep me out, particularly the one on the left. I wonder who they are....

The lady with the dog is neat, for one thing there is the possibility that this is a man. I don't think it is but with Arbus it's hard to tell sometimes. I love her pose, it's so out of place for the room... and that carpet is just wild.

This kid.... the only thing I can say is awesome!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Arbus

http://diane-arbus-photography.com/

http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId=%7BE9C11548-26E7-431C-9F83-03E1EBC758CD%7D

Pork Chops

We had pork chops for dinner on Sunday, they were good. I marinated 3 chops in Stubbs BBQ sauce. The other 3 I made up a marinade, it turned out quite good. I think I will use this marinade again, it added a lot of flavor to the chops. Unfortunately I didn't measure anything..... here's my best guess:

½ a Lemon zested
Juice of ½ a Lemon
1-2 T Honey
Couple good shakes Soy sauce
2 spoons full Hoisin sauce (maybe 1-2 T)
2 glugs of Vegetable oil
S&P TT
Garlic powder

Next time I will use fresh garlic. I also tried a new macaroni and cheese recipe... pretty tasty! But of course it's hard to go wrong when you use an Alton Brown recipe. Here's the recipe, it's well worth the effort.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese - Alton Brown
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

I used radiatore instead of the usual macaroni. My only complaint about this recipe is, I microwaved some leftovers and that didn't go so well. I'm sure if you baked it in the oven it would probably turn out better. I've got meatloaf, skillet ziti, and maybe spaghetti with bolognese sauce on the menu for this week. We'll see if all of that get's made. Have a great week everybody.

Boots

I have horses, I drive a truck, and I wear cowboy boots. First I'm a Texan. ~ Henry Thomas

One must always have one's boots on and be ready to go. ~ Michel de Montaigne

While I don't have horses (I do love them), and I used to drive a truck.....and it's questionable as to whether I am a Texan as I was not born here. (I've been here for 28 out of 29 years, that counts right? ) I still love boots. There is nothing better than a comfy pair of boots to make you feel right with the world. I don't know why that is, but when I wear my boots I feel good. Montaigne has the right idea, in my boots I feel prepared and ready to go.

I have more than one pair of boots now, for a while I only had the one pair. My trusty brown Justin boots. They look similar to this:

These aren't them exactly, but pretty close. I have worn these boots for a long time. They were my first pair of boots. I love to dance in them. The way they help me slide across the dance floor while two-stepping, lots of good memories with these boots. They have scuff marks that betray my inability to walk upstairs and they have a flat spot on both heels that proves I drag my feet, no matter how much I deny it. I've ridden horses while wearing these boots, and I've been in a fight. While I'm definitely not ready to retire my old boots, my new boots are slightly more comfortable to wear. They have more support for my feet and they are certainly more cool looking. I feel kind of bad b/c I've been wearing them more than my old trusty boots. My new boots look like this:

They are pretty awesome, I get comments on them everywhere I go. Who wouldn't like that? I feel like I'm making a statement with my boots!

If you don't have a pair of boots, go find you a pair. You won't regret it. I promise. Once you put on your pair of boots you'll be hooked.