sweets for my sweet...

monkey has been a sick boy. no crazy symptoms…just mention of a bad headache on day one & a fever reaching over 100* solid the rest of the time. after playing nurse, comforter, & empathizing onlooker for 2 days, his fever finally broke this morning…hooray! so, this afternoon, it was time for me to play baker. because after all, to get my sidekick back to 100% he’s gonna need some yums, right?! i had remembered a brownie recipe that i had seen on parents.com & thought i might have all the ingredients on hand. check & check.

be-mine brownies

8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup butter, sliced

3 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

confectioner’s sugar

1. heat oven to 350*. grease (8) 6 oz ramekins & place on baking sheet. in a double boiler, combine chocolate & butter & stir over simmering water until melted. remove from heat &  let cool 5 minutes.

2. in a bowl, whisk eggs, granulated sugar, salt, & vanilla with an electric mixer until frothy (like 2 minutes). lightly whisk in chocolate mixture. fold in flour until combined. divide mixture among prepared ramekins. place baking sheet in the oven & bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until sides are firm & center is slightly soft. cool completely.



"frothy"

3. place a small heart-shaped stencil or paper cutout on top of each ramekin. sprinkle confectioner’s sugar; carefully remove stencil.

so i had 4 small pyrex dishes that i used instead. they worked great, perhaps more on the 8 oz side. & i had semisweet chips that i used (no chopping needed). & "yours" will most likely be done around 22 minutes, however if you accidently turn off the oven, like i did, then it will take you at least 45 minutes to realize just why they don’t seem to be baking correctly. (yes, i did…oh, my gracious!) also, i didn’t have any paper lying around to use, but an empty beer box ready to go outside caught my eye & voila…a stencil out of that fine cardboard (i’m such an improviser…ha!)

chocolate always seems to do the trick in these situations. i will never make “box” brownies again…not that i was ever that good at it to begin with (seriously).

& i stuck to this recipe. baking is like an exact science; not like cooking where you can kind of wing it. buuuut, i just keep on trying. enjoy!



asian slaw, y'all...

i love food! making it, eating it; trying different things, fine tuning my palette…that’s food network talk, folks, & i love being in my kitchen creating. are you seeing a correlation here? now, the hubs is wonderful about expanding his horizons among cuisines…in restaurants; but i think i worry him a bit when i “try” something that he’s either not had, thinks he doesn’t like, or sounds unappealing. to this, i say, “pish posh!” i have to sow my mad (scientist) cooking oats…is that a crime?! (to his credit, he does eat what i present on the plate & even when it’s questionable, i still get his appreciation.)

so, i’m familiar with the faves (staples), including, but not limited to: spaghetti, a type of fish dinner with veggies of some sort, sloppy joes, salmon patties/burgers, taco-ish/mexi dinner, eggplant parmesan, etc…et cetera. oh, & did i mention that half the time spent in the kitchen (that i love) is spent either disguising something or making 2 separate meals or making some 3 people = one thing, but extra sides for an anti-“aw mom” dinner together. & i know, it’s my fault, but i just don’t want to fuss over food with the monkey (if i can help it).

to deviate from the usual suspects, i often add a little flair to mix it up. this week was no different. in an effort to stray slightly away from the sloppy joe-esque scene, but still be met with happy faces, i enlisted the help of some rice vinegar that was calling my name. i love me some vinegar, ya’ll & for some reason spring/summer weather reminds me of this taste (i adore it with cucumbers & tomatoes). & who would’ve thought a simple thing like vinegar would be the basis for an entire meal? but it did. & it goes a little something like this…

i had some chick strips (meat sub protein) in the fridge. saute onions & bell peppers in a tablespoon of evoo (extra virgin olive oil). meanwhile, i threw together some asian inspired slaw to serve with my “chicken sammies.”

bear with me (like always) as i don’t traditionally measure anything, but i tried my best to share:

in a small mixing bowl

4 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp canola oil

kosher salt (just in case you trip adding it…not as potent as iodized or regular) & pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic salt

stress ball squeeze of lemon or 1-2 tsp lemon juice (taste between tsp for your preference…or the level of stress you might be experiencing)

¼ cup of green onion, chopped

a sprinkle of sesame seeds

whisk together & pour over:

½ lb of mix (red & green cabbage, shredded  & carrots, julienned) or about half a bag of the pre ”washed” slaw…i always wash again!

*& taste, taste, taste…important. if it’s too oily, add a hint more vinegar; too vinegar-y, a bit more lemon juice…experiment.

i gave the “chicken” & veggies (out of pan & in a separate bowl) a flick of the wrist in a korean style sweet & spicy sauce, to keep my asian theme going (& because i'm fancy) ta-da...the sammie-sam was ready to build.

eggplant lunch!

this will accommodate 2-4 people. we (2 of us) had leftovers, so on day 2 i piled it on top of sauteed onions & eggplant slices for a quick lunch.

but you don’t have to put it on a bun. you can put it on top of a hot dog, or use as a side; double or triple recipe for an outdoor family get together. i think i will pair it with fried green tomatoes next time…yum!

just get creative. make it fun! & if you find yourself stumbling upon a new favorite, please share with me. i will gladly try it out!

ps…if anyone is wondering…i do feed the hubs real meat! i swear, i do…more often than not. oh, & monkey...he had whole grain wheat chick nuggets that night (don't judge me :) ) happy experimenting!!

origins...

where did i come from? why am i here? nope, this isn’t the beginning of a ‘judy blume’ novel (or my version of)…are you there, mae west? it’s me, ash. but, it may give you insight to why you, dear reader, are, well, reading this. you see, i am a simple, off kilter kind of gal, who always has a lot to say, but keeps the majority of the inner voices down to a minimal “raise your hand, then speak” kind of momentum. ever wanna scream, but can’t? yea, me too. thus the beauty of said voice via script; diary of sorts. & in the tradition of all things “interwebs,” i started thinking; blog?

no, not a blog. that’s sorta vain or in your face, right?! & who the hell would read what i had to say…not for me, not doing it. but…i’ll check it out. that is to say, i do love reading them, myself. all sorts. maybe i’ll set one up. & a year goes by. nothing. (that was 2 years or more ago…so why last year? where did the courage come into play?)

well…

one of my great inspirations comes in an awesome package of mom of three, excellent friend, who will make time for the craziest stuff, if you need her…no questions asked. she’s a regular girl, humble beginnings, sweet, & agenda driven…late, frazzled…normal lady. but to me, she’s got it all together. how? she laughs when i attempt to explain my admiration, but whatever. she’s amazing in my eyes & i am so thankful that a crazy job experience brought us together (business is no longer, but our alliance sure is) & not only did she encourage (& continues to), she helped to set me up; i may possibly be dumbfounded still by most of this jazz if not for her...seriously. plus,  we have the same name…yea, we do!
next, comes an excellent pal from younger years…he used to laugh at my jokes, i’d laugh at his…hey, that’s important in friendship. fast forward to 16 years later (post high school fun-ness) & (gawd love it) the mysterious powers of the internet…*insert ahhh’s here. he’s been one of my favorite folks from the moment i met him. after we touched base (& i fell in love with his blog), i asked some questions…like, okay, say i were to write something…would you read it? it probably helped that he’d remembered just how awkward & “off” i was to help him with that “yes, i would.” & he was serious. he, along with my friendgirl (mentioned above) were the very first two to follow & become miscellane-folk! i swear! plus, i’m still waiting on him to need me to be the polar opposite of his quintessential whatwhitechickscherish.com when he finds a quirky excuse to switch it up…haha!

others contributed to this soapbox, of course…the hubs, who is always the guy holding onto the kite string as i flap in the wind. my sister, who sends me at least 2 texts a week telling me how proud she is of me. did i mention that my ‘rents read the tales i spin? (i was a little nervous at first, but they know that i’ve always been more the black than the white sheep.) & you know, they actually like it. it’s weird. no one ever told me that i shouldn’t or couldn’t (which is usually my motivation) not to my face, anyways. actually, there are many people who’ve allowed my spirit to continue this journey. to be miscellaneash…to use my voice. & i look forward to, well…going forward. life is never a dull moment, really, & i will continue to document it, even if it is…keeping in mind, i’m bound to have my skirt fly over my head in front of 5 bazillion people or something to keep it interesting…right?!

"can't we all just get along?"

i had an idea to write a piece about bullying; my thoughts/experiences combined with observations, news stories, etc. i reached out to friends for input & help. i figured that this was something that we’ve all been through at one time or another. & the responses confirmed this suspicion. what i thought would be easy turned into overwhelming. people sent me articles, shared book titles; an incident with someone very close to me (a tween) took place on facebook, & most recently, another school shooting. the basis for cruelty is still the same…it only takes one person to draw attention to someone else, with a snarky comment or joke, & others will follow suite. this starts as children, but i have known some adults who never quite outgrew this mentality. maybe that’s why the cycle is never broken. after all, kids will mimic their parents & other adults around them.

the biggest issue that i have with bullying nowadays is that it is way too easy to do. i mean, when i was younger, if there was a mean girl or two being heinous, i could go home & do my best to ignore it. it wasn’t perpetuated with phone texts, social networks, etc. & hopefully by the end of the school year or a long weekend or out of boredom, i was no longer a target for such meanness!

some people will argue that this behavior is just a rite of passage…”look at that beautiful girl or buff guy, they were nerds. without the bullying, they may have never turned around.” really? i’m calling a big ole bullshit on that nonsense. it’s never healthy…it’s just not. (in my opinion)

that being said, i find it easier to perhaps write a letter to my 15 year old self. good gracious, what an awkward time, but if i could go back, this is perhaps some of the advice that i might give…

dear young ash,
people are generally insecure, like you are, but making someone else feel low will never result in you being higher. be kind, you never know what someone is going through. mean kids may be that way because they too are being bullied & feel the need to lash out. always stick up for what you think is right. if your friend is being victimized it’s okay to go against the crowd. numbers are powerful…positive or negative. boys won’t like you more if you abandon friends for them. this is scary & possessive & may lead to bad things. it’s okay to be your “age!” you will be an adult soon enough. it’s cool to dress differently (second-hand), not drive a brand new car, & have a job. it will pave many paths & teach great ethics for later, trust me. the kids that are “awesome” because their parents are never home, are most likely starving for attention when you get closer to the surface. it’s great to be friends with everyone! just because you’re not in a “clique” or sit at a certain lunch table means absolutely nothing in the long run. if something doesn’t feel right…question it; always. at the end of the day, everyone is trying to figure things out & feel exactly like you do. smiles & nice words go a long way. & as for ugly words, actions, or conversations; once they’re out there, there’s no turning back…the damage is done. embrace the recluse, the nerds, the freaks, the socially outnumbered! (or whatever quote/unquote groups surround you) you are not too skinny or too fat or too tall or too short. don’t doubt yourself. not everyone will like you…& that is fine! be you, just be you!

so, these are a just a few things that i might go back & emphasize. & even though i think i made okay decisions, some of these suggestions might’ve been helpful. would i have listened to myself? probably not. hindsight, right?!

the best thing out there is still realization & awareness; as an adult not to turn my head to a child in need. & also as an adult, to not be a mean girl or a bully myself. i am not perfect & i can be critical, but i am constantly working on that; to not judge others or my own self. like i mentioned before, i actually know folks (who i’ve slowly removed from my life) who are still living that "high school-talk about others-tit for tat" lifestyle…it’s sad. i hurt for these children who feel that they have no options! it really does “get better,” but that’s hard to believe when you’re a youngster in that moment. & it’s getting really terrifying out there anymore. for my 7 year old to be conscience of bullying & how to avoid it or some ways to deal with it, says a lot about the world we are living in. but just maybe, if he sees the hubs & i show a little compassion, then he will most likely copycat. one less bully in the world? i hope so…it’s a start, anyways.

*& among all the info that came my way, a ny times article caught me off guard (in a great way) passed on by my friend, jillian (refashionista.net). it was a wonderfully refreshing read…http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/magazine/27lives-t.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1332215976-qo6mJrfY133ZhFYKcjFWlg

50 foot ash strikes back...

just when i thought i knew all about the inner creative workings of the hubs, he goes & amazes me further. not only is he finally sharing his artwork little by little with friends & family (most had no idea outside of my big proud mouth…he’s not a show boater like yours truly), he has “pen pals” that he works with.

i had no idea what all went into comic book/pin up type art, or what collaborations could transpire. now, one artist could produce the whole shebang, but apparently there are several folks that are utilized. one person draws the image, one person inks it in, & one colors it. even j.scott campbell (danger girl, grimm fairy tales, etc. & the hubs favorite) has his drawings colored by the amazing nei ruffino. wow! the hubs has done all of the above, of course, but he has recently hooked up with a belgium colorist via deviantart.com (where he’s been posting works for years) & the outcome is just super coolness.

nahp (stéphan lemineur) is his “french connection.” & he has his own quirky characters that he draws into comic book fashion & has collaborated with multiple artist. but what he truly shines at is his coloring skills; which have allowed him to be published (he’s also done grimm fairy tales).this is something that the hubs stresses over (we are our worst critics). & i can see where it would be tricky…a smudge here versus over there could change the whole look of the image. the neat thing about nahp is that his coloring makes the hubs’ drawings pop off the page; as opposed to being, what he would say is “flat.” i think it’s insanely talented either way. i can barely draw stick people!

with each correspondence (& the help of google translator…ha) a new project is born. maybe art is the “international language?!”

anyhoo, remember when the hubs immortalized me as the 50 foot woman, nancy archer, last summer? (“see a female colossus”…july 17, 2011) well, folks, i’ve been remastered! he kept most of the original, but changed a few things & added a hollywood backdrop. within a week nahp had added his own coloring interpretations to the lines & holy cow…looky, i have my own “movie poster!!”   

brown bagging it...

so, i had a dilemma today. this morning i realized that i had a 3 lb bag of apples that i had totally forgotten about. they weren’t all bad, except for one; & the song does say, “one bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch, girl!” but i needed to act…fast. now, the monkey & i love a dang apple, but there was no way that we could gobble all of these guys up before it was curtains! & i hate wasting food, you guys. i mean, hate! (& i never use that word because my momma always said “hate is a strong word!”) but having to throw food out or letting it spoil? well, i avoid it whenever possible. i even catch myself at the market picking out the unfortunate fruit & veggie souls that i don’t see anyone selecting first; especially if i know that i will use them that day or the next.

back to the apples…what to do, what to do? i am stocked up on apple butter right now (‘double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble’…jan. 30, 2012). applesauce? slice & freeze? i knew what…a pie…an apple pie! i’ve never made a pie before. could it be that hard? (did i just hear someone snicker?) nah, i’ll just google "apple pies." wow! that’s a pretty wide ranged recipe there. granny’s this…my favorite aunt sally’s that. & do i remember hearing about someone baking a pie in a paper bag at some point? i googled that, too! what i found was a whole lot…so, this is what i did! i searched the cabinets to see what i had on hand, said a little “please give me guidance; julia, paula, betsy ross (she probably baked apple pies, right?),  & went from there.
the only thing i was missing was the actual pie crust. now, i realize that a fine domestic vixen (like myself) could just whip one right on up. this didn’t happen…i cheated & bought a crust of the frozen variety. (then called my pops to get the dos & don’ts on said crust because well, i’ve never used one before.)

okay, the “recipe,” (bear with me):

pie filling

3 lb bag small apples (minus one…ha) peeled & sliced
half a lemon squeezed, or like a tablespoon(ish) of lemon juice *(i adore fresh lemons, plus if you don’t use the other half for tea or the like, you can use it to clean your cutting boards…just fyi)
1 heaping teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup sugar

*mix up in a decent sized bowl (i used my stand-by yellow pyrex, mixing with my bamboo spoon so not to crush my soft little apples) & pour into pie crust.

on top

(hold on to your drawers...southern girl's ingredients. i hope you saved your diet points…ha.)
1 stick butter (real butter! whole stick!)
½ cup flour
½ sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

mix together. this takes a little upper arm strength (not really, but make sure your butter is soft or at room temp) oh, & use another good sized bowl, unless you want to sling flour everywhere like i did…which is cool, too! the mixture will form into a dough-y kind of consistency. it will break apart, that’s fine. & crumble it on! (then i added another little sprinkle of cinnamon across the top.

bake at around 400 degrees for an hour. oh, & put it in a paper bag!

yes, i did! i slid the whole pie in a grocery sized paper bag (i had my few grocery items bagged in it, knowing it would be instantly recycled) & stapled it shut. (i think the hubs was a little scared at this) i lowered the oven grate, terrified that the paper would get too close to the heating curvy thingy at the top; inside the oven. i said a little prayer & set the timer. of course, i checked it about every 5 minutes of that hour…i just knew that bitch would burst into flames! but, it didn’t…& the end result?

yum-freaking-mers…& i didn’t burn the house down…hoo-ray!! now, you try it! you know you want to tell your friends that you baked a pie in a bag. & you can even check it 12 times, just like me…to make sure it’s not apple pie flambé! action, adventure, baking! yours…ash

"who do you do?"...

days before i would meet a wonderful ‘gone with the wind’ aficionado, i would experience “the vapors,” what with all the excitement that was consuming me.  a rock star of the midlands with substance? i was intrigued!

with over a decade in the drag show business tucked away (no pun intended), patti o’furniture sets the bar high when it comes to entertainment & philanthropy. actually, everything is high-er, when this 7 feet in heels, bodacious broad makes her entrance; the “yard sale with legs,” indeed.

i met pat on a monday afternoon near usc in columbia, sc at the corner of college & main, to be exact. we had never officially met, but i had heard very nice things about him from mutual friends, & was already fascinated by his persona, patti. despite my nerves, my lack of note cards, & forgetting to press record on my newly installed quickvoice iphone app, i was ready to soak in as much as possible. (i must’ve seemed really professional, huh?) but as the sweet tea was being sipped & the conversation started flowing, i immediately felt like i could’ve known this person forever. at times, i caught myself tearing up from the laughter (it was that great).

in keeping with my planned, casual theme (plan b is always my savior); i asked questions, but mostly listened. (it’s what this lady does best) a southern raised gentleman with a strong performing arts background, a lover of his family, a humongous heart, & the ability to teach! what? can you say entire package? you see, pat teaches theater over at midlands technical college, is involved in everything artsy &/or human rights committee, & does two shows a week as patti o’furniture. (& then some…)

throwback to 1999, when pat was the advisor for the local bglsa (bisexual gay lesbian student alliance) at the university of south carolina. he challenged the group for their 2^nd annual drag show, ‘the birdcage’ (after the movie). the first year had been a success, but in an effort to be even bigger, the students needed $500. “you raise the money & i’ll mc in drag.” the money was raised in less than 24 hours! & the rest is history. that history? well, upon an attempt to move from colatown, a bon voyage/fundraiser for aids awareness was held. the response was basically, you raised what? don’t leave columbia…come work for us! (aids benefit foundation of south carolina)

& as for patti o’furniture, who could resist a woman who started from humble beginnings…the spawn of anita man & lott o’furniture…sent adrift by a twister (in her part of the double wide) into the backyard of a shandon home; a swanky zip code that allowed the glamour that she would learn to adore! *this back story was a fantastic added bonus! & i too, became a student that day, as pat passionately explained the importance of character identity.  “you can learn a script, but what does that person like to eat? what is their favorite color?” would i soon be in on the color that patti, herself, liked? i couldn’t wait.

what impressed me the most in discussing the whole drag experience via pat? the selfless giving of tips to charities. when the wig goes on & pat transforms into patti, she is not working her tail off for rent or makeup or what have you. that tall drink of water is hustling for charity! yea, you heard me! & among the biggest & brightest stars on the stage, every dollar is going towards a cause. that’s her thing! even the clothes…they are given to her or refashioned from other outfits or made from actual “trash” (hence the “yard sale” nickname) among the most impressive is the local aids benefit…which was very close to home for me, & awareness (to pat or patti) is no holds barred…“wrap it up!” (right?! my heart definitely swells…big.) so what prompted such hiv/aids awareness? the passing of a close fraternity brother from aids; in his memory. but it doesn’t stop there…the donations support many charities; the local arts in january, mom’s fave charity for mother’s day, dad’s for father’s day & so on & so forth. amazing? yes, truly!

after over an hour and a half of chatting/getting to know yous, he was reminded of yet another meeting (this soul is crazy busy…i love it!), so we exchanged “see you laters” where he mentioned that patti might be taking the audience to “church” the following night. i promised to bring my prayer cloth.

*it’s the following day & i am anxious to see my first drag show. it’s true. i see myself as a lover of everything theater; plays, musicals, etc. plus, you know how you have that one awesome girlfriend who you can call up, ask crazy requests, & they’re on board? well, i had lined up said dear friend to meet me after 9:30ish, on a “school” night (& after monkey had gone to bed)…it was on. we had arrived & were super excited!

the fun began as soon as we found a spot at the bar & drinks were ordered. now, being a beer gal normally, i felt a sassy beverage was in order. “cosmopolitan? yes, please!” 5 minutes into our new found environment of fun & girlfriend was pulled up on stage!! (this is why i love her…& called her.)

the “early show” was great. very entertaining; but i was waiting for miss patti o’. & at midnight, it was time. i recognized the instrumental theme of ‘mame’ coming from the dj booth a few minutes prior (as house music mash ups had been the overhead tunes filling the club between shows) & knew my wait was over!

there she was! (i got chills…the good kind) it was crazy, but i was so looking forward to this & was just happy to be there, in that moment. “i’m every woman. it’s all in meeeee…” with signature disco ball earrings, pearl necklace, & legs that go for days! i could feel the energy from the whole place immediately shift. & whoa, where did all these people come from? now, i realize that patti is meant to be crazy & funny & a little campy (“i’m the funny one.” me too, girl...me too.) but i found her be-a-utiful! she is not an illusionist or pop icon impersonator. “you will not catch me as ‘liza’ or ‘adele’” says pat (in reference to patti’s show) & you better believe me when i say, that killer personality is all her…you definitely can’t paint that on with make-up, that’s for sure!

“so who does she do?” do you even need to ask? why, herself, of course! patti o’furniture…& as a new fan, i wouldn’t want her any other way!

the tuesday night show is going to become a regular option for a girl’s night outing when we are given the chance again (girlfriend & i decided…ha) & why the heck not? what a blast it was!

oh, & so no one misses out…you can see patti o’furniture for yourself at pt’s columbia 1109 assembly street every tuesday night or every saturday night at club patrick’s in charleston, sc.

**a very special & heartfelt thank you to pat patterson for taking time out of his very busy schedule for this gal (who writes a silly little blog) & allowing me to share his awesomeness!!**

sweet revenge? eh, some day...

night time is wide awake city for me…i simply cannot sleep. i drag most days for this reason. *insert caffeine here. but when it comes time to call it a day, my brain is going a bazillion miles a minute. (anyone else have this problem?)

last night, however, was different. i actually convinced myself that i was tired around 12:30…hooray! pleased with the possibility of much needed rest, or more than 5 hours of it, i brushed my chompers & made my way to the comfy bed that was calling my name.

i was almost giddy thinking to myself…’oh, sleep…& it’s early, kind of…it’s going to be so nice’…but, something interrupted my thought process as i slipped into bed (changing the tv from the "manly" fish catching-shooting-arm wrestle whatever to golden girls...ha) & that something was the snoring beast of a hubs already fast asleep. i understood why he was sawing away…he has a cold. (because of the crazy weather, they’re all the rage right now) at first, i sorta gently tugged at the covers. then, i tugged with a little more force. nothing. i tried the ole hand pat on the arm a couple of times…the side…slid my arm under his pillow. ran my cold foot up his leg, plopped my arm around his waist; anything i could imagine (short of waking mister bear) to get him to move, causing the snore to cease maybe long enough for me to drift off. no such luck. lightbulb moment…a ha! i knew exactly what to do!

you see, when i was prego with monkey, i gained just a teensy bit of weight. (65 pounds) so at 8 months or so, if i did get situated long enough to sleep, i did it good & hard. the extra L to the Bs (with the rampid, ever changing hormones, naturally) made my z's less than quiet. but i couldn’t help it, & most of the time didn’t even realize. one night, though, my snoring was too loud for the likes of my marital counterpart. how do i know this, you ask? well, when i awoke the next morning, i had this tight feeling on my face. weird. i tried to wriggle my nose, but something was pulling on my skin. i immediately touched my face & screamed “what the hell?” apparently, sneaky sneakerson had gingerly stuck a breathe right strip on my nose in the middle of the night! isn’t he clever? & i always had that in the back of my head & vowed to one day…yada yada.

so, there it was, guys. finally…revenge would be so sweet! even if it was like 7 ½ years later. i’m like an elephant…i never forget. i started to grin to myself as all the nonsense was running through my head & then chuckle. & you know how you can be thinking about something really funny & you make yourself laugh so much that you lose control of your inner crazy? well, it happened. i was watching him, with my brilliant scheme in mind, giggling & let a snort out by accident. one eye popped open & met mine. (the jig was up) but just as soon as he had made that eye contact, he was back to sleep. i laid really still & stared for a sec. all ready to get up & grab a strip out of the bathroom, i noticed a shimmer off of the tv light. upon closer inspection…dammit, he already has one on! great. fantastic. what do i do now? i turned over. & perhaps it was that last slight pull of the covers, but he too turned to face the other way. snoring stopped. ahh, finally… sleeeep! (& then a thunderstorm…& then the alarm clock! oh wells, better luck next time!)

"today i say! without delay!"...

so, i just had to recognize the birth (march 2nd) of a brilliant man & one of my all time faves…dr. seuss! as long as i can remember this author has made me giggle with his silly rhymes & zany characters. did anyone else make actual “green eggs & ham” in kindergarten? i did. some of the first books that i learned to read were by the good dr. & who can forget every christmas watching, as boris karloff (yes, "frankenstein") narrated, how the grinch stole christmas! the ‘grinch’ kind of scared me when i was little…until, of course, “his heart grew three sizes.” (it’s still a traditional must see for me…every single year!)

as i grew away from childlike books, babies, & toys, i never forgot dr. seuss. actually, i began to appreciate him more; you see, he’s a genius! it’s true. i’ve enjoyed him as a listener, a reader, a student, a creator, & a writer.

here are some interesting things that i’ve learned along the way.

theodor seuss geisel (1904-1991) was born in springfield, massachusetts. he experienced world wars & a great depression. he worked in advertising as an illustrator & was a cartoonist for political cartoons. he attended both dartmouth & oxford, but never obtained a degree. he began to sign works as seuss early on & added dr. later. seuss (actually pronounced zoice, of german origin…rhymes with voice) was mispronounced from the get go, so he decided to switch to the more anglical (english language friendly) pronunciation. plus, he felt that it “evoked a figure advantageous for an author of childrens’ books to be associated with mother goose.”

when he wrote his first children’s book, and to think that i saw it on mulberry street (evolved from a poem inspired by “the rhythm of the ship’s engines” on an ocean voyage), it was rejected like some 27 times. now, i had initially heard somewhere that it was 19 times, but as i have researched, the numbers vary. but still…how many times would you or i have to hear the word “no” before throwing in the towel? i hope that i would have that drive, but i don’t know. thank goodness, he kept on keeping on! i mean, could you imagine a literary world without him. not to mention the infinite number of folks that did, do, & will find great joy from his legacy.

he wrote over 60 books (46 published children's books) throughout his career; as dr. seuss & for some, used the pseudonym, theo lesieg (geisel spelled backwards) for the books that he wrote, but did not illustrate. his stories (as anti-serious as they seem) almost always have a moral, & were quite avant-garde in respect to social & political issues that still affect us today. (i’m serious!)

& can i just mention those wonderful quotes?

“fun is good.”

“be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

“don’t cry because it’s over. smile because it happened.”

“unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. it's not.”

“why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

“today is your day! the mountain is waiting. so…get on your way.”

“and will you succeed? yes, indeed! yes, indeed! ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!”

happy birthday, dr. seuss! we love you & thanks! (you like how i just spoke for everyone, don’t you? but c’mon, how could you not love this man?)

*just a side note, yours truly will be reading the most fantastic hooray for diffendoofer day! to a class of 2nd graders tomorrow morning in honor of "read across america day!" because after all, "you're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book & read to a child!"