Miscellania

While not quite approaching the sparcity of Hanson Kun, I have been remiss in posting of late. So herewith, a few brief tidbits of info:

• Last weekend I made cassoulet. Not quite the linked recipe, but you get the gist. As made, it was a bit too salty, but otherwise incredibly tasty. Jean, who is not nearly so big a soup fan as I am, voted it top marks. So it joins the list of standards.
  
  I'd recently seen an episode of America's Test Kitchen where they demonstrated an easy-bake version of cassoulet, but when I went to their website, I discovered that the episode was a rerun from some earlier season, and was now behind their pay firewall. Fortunately, by an amazing coincidence, Jean's mom sent us a recipe for cassoulet that very same week. With some modifications, it became our new favorite!


• This was a NOVA weekend, but I was unable to attend, as Jean had a work shift that day. Next meeting is the first weekend of February, and the following is the third weekend. Depending on when Jean's every-other-weekend shifts work out, I may never get to go again! If not, I'll definitely be trying to arrange alternate weekend visits with my friends.


• That alternate weekend thing probably won't happen this time around, as Jean's parents are coming to visit on their way to Hawaii.


• Finally, I know I've been mentioning Magna Carta, and how I've been unable to work up the momentum to play it. Now it applies double. I was down at work with Renee this morning, and we stopped by Gamestop just to browse, and they had a copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, a game I've been looking for for months. So I bought it, and I've been goofing with it part of today. Don't know which game will win my minimal game-playing cycles, but for now, it's Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.

Happy Birthday Max

I didn't go to NOVA last weekend as Jean had nursing shifts overlapping the usual meeting day. I won't be going next weekend for the same reason. As a result, I was looking at over a month without being able to visit my friends. Adam Goetz, from up Olympia-way, told me over the IRC that the Washington gang was coming down to visit this weekend at Tom's and that I should come. I confirmed with Tom that it would be okay, and then made sure that Jean was good with it as well. Jean's only stipulation was that I get home by 9pm, so that she could get to bed without Renee bouncing around waiting up for me.

Then Saturday morning came, and I had a runny nose. But I still wanted to go! So I called Tom around lunchtime and had him take a poll of his guests. They seemed okay with it. I took some Dayquil to suppress any sniffles and whatnot, and went over around 3pm. Brian and Max were there with their kid Ethan (three years old, and almost making sense when he talks). Eric Ho was there, and Jen and a fellow named Jovan whom I have not met before. James was buried in his PSP much of the evening, and Alan joined us in time to go to Gustav's for dinner. If you like meat, you'll like Gustav's!

Afterwards, we returned to Tom's place and played a movie trivia game. I took my leave before cake was served, but if you're reading this, Max, I hope you had a happy birthday! It was great to see you guys from up North again.

My External Memory

I was wondering what time it was when I had my last cold, since I'm wrestling with one right now. A quick search of my weblog reveals that it was around the end of October, running into November. I'd never have been able to pin it down that closely without some sort of journal, but at least I could have made myself believe it had been longer than two and a half months between annoying respiratory maladies! It's not uncommon for me to get two colds over the winter, but still...

QOTD

HBO's Westminster will continue the trend pioneered by Deadwood and Rome by making 19th-century England really dirty and weird, like Jane Austen with Tourette's. (Actually, I can't wait for that one.)

Guest Columnist Joss Whedon Eyes the Future of TV

Munich

This is the final movie in my holiday viewing schedule. Really, there aren't many others I'd care to see which are out, so it's just as well.

Munich is based on the book Vengeance, by George Jonas. It is about vengeance, about a state sanctioned vendetta designed to inform the world that Israel is not a soft target. If Clausewitz said that war was an extension of diplomacy, then this story is about an extension of war.

I'll be thinking about this movie for some time, but I don't think I want to write about it. It was worth seeing, but very dark.