Dr. Cocoa Puffs

Booorring...

2008-10-14T18:37:00.003+02:00

boorring me. Fall's creeping in, and while I love this time of the year, it turns me into a homebody. As opposed to my usual on the go 24/7 self. Ok, it turns me into MORE of a homebody. Which means there is really not a hell of lot interesting to report. I voted two weeks ago. Urban Outfitters opened a branch in Hamburg so I bought a belt. The Guitar Hero and I spend a great night here and ate the most wonderful food here. I burnt the hell out of my tongue yesterday on some tea. Umm, yeah. That's about it.

On the other hand, sometimes no excitement is a good thing. It means I'm not some shitheel manager or politician responsible for fucking up thousands of jobs and investments or, even worse, one of the many now worried about making ends meet because of the idiotic moves made by a lot of shitheel managers and politicians.
I'm thankful for that.

Potpourri

2008-10-02T23:00:00.004+02:00

Belgium was great - had a good time and some great food. And, at the Brussels airport, found the navy blue dress I had been seeking. Score!

Since I've returned, life's been a lot of running around. Lots of work stuff going on, started rehearsals for a new production, some friends got married. The Guitar Hero and I got rid of a lot of stuff and he rearranged the living room so I know longer feel like our living room is overwhelmed by superflous pieces of furniture. I'm kinda of a clean and simple lines type of gal when it comes to home decor.

Tomorrow evening I'm having some friends over for a girls' night in and clothes swap and baked up this delicious apple cake. Yum yum. Go bake some yourself.

The weather's turned cold and rainy and will most likely stay that way for the next six months so I'm returning to my hermit habits of staying in and cooking and watching Dexter and huddling under afghans. If needed, you'll know where to find me.

Shopping update

2008-09-07T16:09:00.003+02:00

So I went downtown yesterday in the high hopes of picking up a dress or two for a conference next week. I had found this gray empire dress and this black wrap dress and this light gray t-shirt dress plus this blue one on the Esprit online site and thought, I'll try these babies on, maybe purchase one of them and hurry back home before the crowds drive me mad.

Apparently, the Esprit shops in Hamburg do not carry the online Sortiment because they didn't have crap in the way of dresses. I ended up slogging my way through masses of slow-walkers for two hours and came up with nothing. Arrgh! Dresses are all over fashion spreads this fall and yet nobody's carrying anything for the Doctor.

On the positive flip side, the useless shopping trip forced me to clean out my closet today. I have a few ideas in mind and, as an added bonus, have a huge bag of clothes to give away. Which means there's room in the closet once I finally find something I like. Even if I have to order it online!

Another boring post

2008-09-06T12:43:00.004+02:00

I decided to post although I have nothing of particular interest to report to the wide, wide world of readers. Let's see what I can come up with:
- Saw The Dark Knight. Excellent.
- Been very lazy with my WiiFit workout schedule. Need to get back on a daily routine so that my back doesn't feel like I'm 80.
- Have been re-arranging the living room in my head and am looking at furniture. Feel like the room is way too cluttered, so we're getting rid of one of the sofas and replacing it with a chair and ottoman. I'd personally like to get rid of both sofas but baby steps, people, baby steps. The Guitar Hero's job in all this is to find a new TV.
- Auditioned for a play in the first time in almost a year. It felt so good to act again.
- Am breaking in new shoes (metallic purple ballerinas bought on sale) and have the gaping hole on my heel to prove it. Why oh why must I have weirdly shaped feet?
- Am off to Belgium next week to a conference and am having wardrobe issues. May have to go shopping this afternoon (on an over-crowded Saturday, the horror) to solve that problem.

Retail therapy is calling my name so I'm off, peeps.

Best chocolate chip cookies ever

2008-08-23T12:17:00.005+02:00

So a couple weeks back the web was all over this article in the New York Times and people were baking up a storm. One of my favorite internet cooks, Orangette, put her stamp on the recipe and I thought, hmm, I need to see if it lives up to the hype.

Thursday afternoon I finally got around to mixing up a batch of dough. Last night (24 hours later) I baked four cookies. And they were good. Damn good. This morning (some 40 hours later) I baked the rest and we tried one for breakfast. OH MY GOD. These are the best chocolate cookies ever. The Guitar Hero agrees - he claims it was the best cookie he's ever eaten in his thirty-odd years on this planet.

This is what they look like just out of the oven:

And here's a close up of one fine specimen:

My two cents to the recipe:
- I followed Orangette's recipe and just used one type of flour (in my case, plain old all-purpose flour).
- As I am out of chocolate chips and will be till the next trip to the States or a well-meaning care package arrives, I chopped a couple of bars of dark chocolate (60% cocoa, Herrenschockolade for the German speakers). Worked just as well as chips would have.
- I should have skipped using a mixer as our cheap-ass piece of shit didn't do a great job of making the butter and sugar creamy. Had to use old-fashioned arm power. If I had a Kitchen-Aid (cough, birthday present, cough), I'm sure my poor little arms would have been spared.
- I halved the recipe as I didn't have enough flour, sugar or brown sugar (see care package above). My half recipe made 21 good-size cookies, so I'm thinking the 24 the full recipe makes must be some big-ass cookies. Like as big as my not-very-small ass.
- Follow Orangette's tip to let the dough warm up for 30 minutes before scooping. Mine was very hard just out of the fridge. Also, my dough was very crumbly, which I first thought would equal messed-up cookies, but everything turned out fine (see above pics).
- Sea salt, sea salt, sea salt, I think I love you.
- Wait the full 36 hours before baking. It is totally worth it as the cookies do indeed develop a caramelly flavor while sitting in the fridge. They honestly taste like something you would pay money for. In a good way.

In short: bake the damn cookies already. Your taste buds will thank you for it.

Vacation pics

2008-08-22T11:56:00.002+02:00

Will wonders never cease - I've got pics up within a month of our vacation. I rock!

This was the view from our terrace - what a view for breakfast!

Digital photography's effect on the economy - this little camera-shaped one-hour photo place has long shut down. But I thought it was worth a shot for historical purposes.

Lifeguard stand on the beach. The water was incredible - not too warm, not too cold, just right. And no algae and jellyfish!

My only pic of myself, taken at the airport just before our flight home. Notice the huge zit on my forehead. That's what I get for using children's greasy-ass sunscreen.

Life in the slow lane

2008-08-16T00:21:00.004+02:00

We're back and to put it succintly, our vacation was great. We just chilled, doing tons of reading, eating and going to the beach. As I feared, snorkeling didn't work so well for me. Too complicated. Proving once again anything beyond walking is too much hand-eye-foot coordination for the Doctor. But the Guitar Hero got snorkeling time in and even learned to scuba dive. Yay, Guitar Hero! Next time we need a week or two to re-coup, we know Fuerteventura's the place.
Some things we learned while there:
- I only rock at Yahtzee every other night
- Check the map listing the gas stations BEFORE setting off on a road trip across the island.
- Salted butter and baguette make a great breakfast.
- And bread and aioli and papas arrugadas with mojo sauce make a great dinner.
- Read the label when buying orange beverages. Orange drink is NOT orange juice.
- My high school Spanish is still good enough for me to understand the Spanish InStyle. Marie Claire, on the other hand, is somewhat more difficult.

And the best lesson:
- We can spend 10 days without internet or tv and not kill each other.

Vacation all I ever wanted

2008-07-25T21:15:00.004+02:00

And we're off to the sunny beaches of the Canary Islands. Fun, sun, SPF 1,000,000 and lots of books. And no work, no emails, no internet for the next 10 days. The Guitar Hero and I will either come back as better people or not come back at all as we will have killed each other in this no internet zone.

I'm planning to try out snorkeling for the first time. Being a Kansas girl, I don't have much seaside experience so the thoughts of "omigod, I'm going to drown" are not completely unwarranted.

If I come back with any semblance of a tan under all that SPF, I'll post a picture of that miracle.

Hello? Is this thing on?

2008-07-13T20:32:00.002+02:00

Has it really been two months since I posted? Jeesus...
Here's the short version of what's been going on:
- Trip to the States was great. Bit stressful cause it wasn't all for fun, but got to see a lot of the country which was nice. A number of burritos were eaten. Got a great dress at Old Navy and summer shoes at Target. My hardware handbag rocked the conference in D.C. Thanks, Allie, for the shopping tip.
- My older niece graduated from high school and leaves for college in a month. That makes me old. Guess what makes me even older? Realizing I have no idea what kids take to college these days. I'm guessing quarters for the pay phone are obsolete. As are floppy disks.
- Spent June working my butt off. As in the number of hours of overtime were double the number of hours I get paid for. Finally cried uncle, which turned out to be a good thing. Should have someone assisting me soon.
- Bought a new laptop that's just the cutest thing in the world because it's so little (but has a normal keyboard - yay!).
- The Guitar Hero got a Wii so I might, just might, start working out with the Wii Fit. Because seriously, I'm getting the body of a flabby old lady. And that's just sad.
- And we're going on vacation in two weeks. 10 days of sunshine, just reading, relaxing and snorkeling (if I can figure out how!).

Sad news

2008-05-04T19:19:00.004+02:00

So I haven't blogged in over a month and although there are lots of good things I'd like to write about, it's really time for me to write about a bit of sad news.
A few weeks ago, Friskie, our wonderful blunderful creature cat, died. We think she had a stroke or something like that, but I can tell you, watching her die (and yes, she died right here, at home) was the worst thing I've ever experienced. I know now why I could never be a doctor or nurse or vet. And weeks later, it still sucks that she's gone albeit not as much as it did. That little cat was such a huge part of our lives and the Guitar Hero and I still find it a bit spooky coming home to a silent apartment. It's weird not being woken up every morning by a tabby wanting her breakfast or just to snuggle. There's something not right about it. But we know she's somewhere watching us and batting our heads with her paw-paws whenever we do something she wouldn't approve of. Here's a little picture showing how she reigned over our lives - after 7 am, no matter the day of the week, my side of the bed belonged to her, dammit:

She was the only cat to have a slogan: Big and cuddly, soft and wuddly.
A tribute to her unique style of catness.

Bought a bag!

2008-03-30T19:59:00.003+02:00

Thanks to some advice from Ms. Allie and a discount, I ordered this little gem. It should come in handy come May when the Guitar Hero and I are traipsing around the States on my business trip. Yes, grown-up me is being sent to visit some American partners and go to a big conference in DC. Cool, weird and nerve-wracking, all at the same time.

The Guitar Hero's on a mission, too, and that's to travel with one bag only. We've been checking out innovative ways of space-saving packing, and I think about how far we've come in the past seven years. This is the man who carried a portable chess computer and tupperware full of snacks on our first overseas trip together because 'you never know'; actually, he carried that chess computer and snacks with him just about everywhere. The latter can be blamed on his German-ness, the former's just weird.

In other news, we discovered that Friskie might just be more clever than any of us thought. Last Saturday morning, we awoke at 7:30 to the sound of our neighbor knocking on our OPEN apartment door. The cat, of course, was nowhere in the apartment - the Guitar Hero found her in the stairwell, down several flights. That damn cat had apparently decided she'd had enough of our weekend late-sleeping shenanigans and decided to go an adventure, probably to find food. Needless to say, we're being more careful about double-locking the door. I tried to tell the Guitar Hero that a dog, say a beagle, would have warned us, but he's not buying it. Damn.

I'm so boring

2008-03-16T15:49:00.003+01:00

I've been lazier than lazier on posting lately. I've been swamped at work and by the time I get home, I just need to zone out. I haven't been particularly creative and feel rather boring at the moment. Poor lil me!

Things of interest, perhaps, for you dear readers:

- Germany's Next Top Model: Which candidate amongst this year's group of crybabies is the most annoying and deserving of a massive ass-kicking? IMHO, Gisele, closely followed by Sarah and Boo-hoo-hoo-I-posed-for-Penthouse-girl (I think that's her real name).
- This pico de gallo fucking rocks.
- I'm in need of a big tote bag, and think this one or this one, which Wardrobe Oxygen gave a thumbs-up to, would suit the bill. What do you think?
- I haven't put up any new pictures on my flickr page because that would require me to actually upload them from my camera to the computer. By the time I get around to it, there are going to be something like 2 months of outfits for me to sort and date. Yeah, don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
- I think I may have broken our new red coffee machine. The steam function doesn't work and it made unhealthy sounds the last time I used it. Thank god we got it on the cheap. Perhaps because it's no longer being manufactured.
- I taught the Guitar Hero the insult from my childhood "Up your nose with a rubber hose!" If I remember correctly, one retort was "Down your pants with a pound of ants!" Anyone remember that one or is my memory completely screwed up?

Yeah, as you can see, the creativity and interestingness* is just overflowing here.

* Should be a word.

I am such a cliche...

2008-02-22T20:00:00.001+01:00

... and I'm soooo white!

The Femmes

2008-02-08T18:07:00.000+01:00

After working so much in four days that I accumulated enough overtime to theoretically take an entire week off, I took a free day today. And went out and finally, finally bought the Violent Femmes CD. The one that Skaterbol and I listened to on the record player (back when people still rode horses) in our parents' living room when I was 12. One of the most awesome albums ever and I can't explain why it took me over twenty years to pick up the CD. But now I own it punks! I rock! 'Specially when I'm jammin' out to it in yoga pants and the Guitar Hero's old sweatshirt.

What I do when I'm sick...

2008-01-06T17:14:00.000+01:00

Having bronchitis this weekend and being confined to the house forced me into finally doing what I've been talking about doing for over a year - opening a flickr account. Go on over and see mah purty pics. Knowing me, I'll update over there about as much as I do here, so don't go expecting any miracles or anything.

2007 re-cap

2008-01-02T21:27:00.000+01:00

Sooo, let's look back on the Doctor's 2007. Was it a good year? A bad one? Does anyone care?

2007 was a just a great year for so many reasons. In no particular order, here are a few:
- made a film
- got promoted
- got a new washer AND dishwasher (yay! Grown-up appliances purchased!)
- learned not to flip out so much about the small stuff
- gained some fucking confidence in how I look and dress (it was about damn time!)
- discovered Benefit concealer
- Paris
- Berlin
- the Guitar Hero. Actually, he's the reason so many of these other reasons were even possible.

There were of course some bad things, like my acting coach returning to the states, but the good things just generally outweighed them. Or I am seriously turning into one of those people who block the bad out. As if.

I'm looking forward to what 2008 has in store. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying I fell like I'm in a really good place right now.

(However, I could deal with no stomach flu in 2008 - 2007 kind of kicked my ass in that area.)

34

2007-12-09T22:01:00.000+01:00

The trip to Kansas went well. I successfully brined a turkey, all siblings and family were well-visited and we took advantage of the great exchange rate. Although maybe I should have made more use of that as I stand in front of my wardrobe and bemoan not buying that cute $12 camisole at tar-jay or that beautiful $40 sweater at express. Hate my clothes. Hate my clothes. (Actually like most my clothes, just feeling uninspired).

Since our return I turned 34 and we celebrated in true thirtysomething fashion: sushi, Japanese beer and falling asleep in front of Seinfeld DVDs at 11:30. Blame the early night on the jetlag.

In other news, I have resurrected the ole Laptop Lunchbox and am enjoying lunching on food I like and not MSG-laden cafeteria food or overpriced mediocrity.

Did I mention that the Seinfeld DVD set is autographed by none other than Mr. Jerry Seinfeld himself? What would I do without the Guitar Hero? Yes, I'm lucky.

Vacation holiday

2007-11-13T22:58:00.000+01:00

5 days to go til we're off to Kansas for two weeks.
It'll be Thanksgiving time when we get there and I think we're going to try out brining a turkey for the family dinner.
It's gonna rock!

Huh?

2007-11-02T18:16:00.000+01:00

I just realized that my blogger profile had me listed as working in the architecture branch. WTF? Why in god's name would I have chosen that? Was I drunk one night and thought I was Mike fucking Brady?

Anyway, I changed that shit. Can't have anyone thinking I'm an architect, for god's sake.

Laughing

2007-10-28T22:25:00.000+01:00

...my ass off at this.

Oh my God.

Big in Berlin

2007-10-28T20:58:00.000+01:00

Just got back from spending a few days in Berlin. Had to go up there (over there?) for a conference - I actually had to work, too, - and the Guitar Hero came up on Friday to join me once the working was over and done with. We had a great time; it was so nice to hide away in a hotel and be silly and serious and romantic. And have brilliant, life-expanding conversations over dinner and the middle of the night. Like about the awesomeness of Hart to Hart and which show rocked more, Automan or Manimal. Saturday we shopped, ate the best hummus sandwiches on the face of the planet (Skaterbol, you know what I'm talking about), met up with Mr. Highsteaks, watched Superbad (laughing our asses off) and did some midnight shopping.

I feel refreshed. I really needed two days with my favorite person.

Now I can return to regularly scheduled programming.

I get it

2007-10-20T00:58:00.000+02:00

I get it so badly, that want. There's nothing that big, that want and that wish that all will go it should.

It's that wish of if only.

Back again

2007-10-16T16:48:00.000+02:00

Estonia was wonderful - I fell in love with Tallinn and want to go back there soon with the Guitar Hero. The Old Town is a beautiful maze of narrow cobblestone streets. The perfect place to get lost in your thoughts while wandering. It was the first time in a long time I travelled by myself and, although I missed the Guitar Hero a lot, I enjoyed being on my own, talking to no one for hours on end.
Here's a picture of the beautiful Estonian goodness:

I'm back at home now with Friskie and the Guitar Hero having fun with the few beautiful days of fall we're having. And enjoying my better than ever pimped-up laptop - I go to Estonia and the Guitar Hero and his friends take my laptop from close to the garbage can to 2007. That rocks!

We've been cooking a lot, drinking red wine (yes, the Guitar Hero will finally drink wine - only took me 6 1/2 years to train him!) and being happy. It's a really good fall!

Estonia here I come

2007-09-30T18:02:00.000+02:00

Going to Estonia, going to Estonia, going to Estonia. Just a few short days. Can't hardly wait.

In other news, Verkaufsoffener Sonntag is a good thing, especially if you need to buy business clothes at the last minute. Because you lost weight and your other business suits no longer fit properly. Unless sagging is in when it comes to business suits.

And in other other news, saw David Cronenberg in person at the Hamburg Film Fest. He seems like a cool guy. He's at least able to give a decent speech unlike the moron from Spiegel who obviously had not read the speech some intern had written for him before going on stage.

And in other other other news, adding peanut butter to chocolate chip cookie dough makes some damn good cookies.

A month

2007-09-23T14:49:00.000+02:00

It's been over a month since the Doctor last posted. I have been neither bored nor depressed nor deliriously happy nor lacking for material. I've been incredibly fucking busy. For the first time I have a job that is actually a career job. I have spent the past month (more like two months) working my ass off on a couple of projects. As I'm new to my position, things take me somewhat longer than I like (I don't always know the answers right off the bat) and, due to my annoying perfectionism, I want to do everything right. It's been quite stressful at times (the Guitar Hero's been great at listening to me vent), but being in charge of certain things, bearing responsibility, has had its good side - I know now that there are people out there who think a lot of the work I do. And that's really cool! At the same time, by the time the past several weekends rolled around, my good intentions of posting and finally getting some pictures up fell by the wayside. I usually ended up sleeping most of Saturday or Sunday and spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with the Guitar Hero. On a random, somewhat related note, really liked the Bourne trilogy, especially Identity.

Friday I finished up a big, big project and, let me say, it's a relief. I've got some other projects still in the works (including a trip to Estonia!) but this was the bitch of them. I feel as if I've passed a big test - now I know what to expect with related work projects, and that makes me confident. And being confident makes me feel like I have more time to devote to things like this blog and you, dear reader(s)!

Another session with a wannabe Ebert

2007-08-20T18:25:00.000+02:00

Yes, I've been watching more movies and feel the need to enlighten you of my critiques of them a la Mr. Highsteaks. Speaking of which, he visited us recently, and we watched and/or re-watched a number of cinema classics.

Blow-Up: Let's see, how should I put this nicely? Dated. That's the word. Probably groundbreaking 40 years ago, not so much now. And what the fuck's up with the ending?

The Cannonball Run: The Guitar Hero didn't remember seeing this as a child, so Mr. Highsteaks and I thought it was high time he saw this must-see. As a child, this was one of my favorite movies, ranking up there with Grease and Nine to Five. I have to say, watching it as an adult I laughed a hell of a lot more than I expected. Do you think Dean Martin was drunk the entire time they were shooting?

Animal House: Just fucking awesome. Have to break out that DVD at least once a year.

And, of course, it's that time of the year known as the Fantasy Film Festival, a haven for the more Comic Book Guy-like persons amongst us. And moi. This year's selection actually looked pretty good, but due to silly little things like work I've had to pick and choose. This are the two I've seen so far:

Black Water: Yay, a crocodile movie! Really liked this. Similar concept to Open Water (except with crocodiles, duh) but original enough to carry it off. I had my feet in the air for most of it as I am a scaredy-cat freak.

The Messengers: Yawn. Let's cross The Others with The Sixth Sense and a number of other horror films and add several sprinklings of bad acting and what do we get? Pure and utter lameness.

Just wait til I fancy myself a book critic...

Smiley McSmile

2007-08-15T22:23:00.000+02:00

I'm happy. No particular reason, nothing brilliant going on. Just really content with my life at the moment. And smiling like a dork while walking down the street.

Like I'm Roger friggin' Ebert

2007-07-30T22:51:00.000+02:00

Saw two films at the theater last week. Yes. at. the. theater. Twice. The theater showing the original English version actually had its act together and wasn't showing complete and utter crap, apparently bored by its usual fucking the Doctor up the ass cineastic policy.

My views on Death Proof: first half was way, way too long - I think it was more than obvious that the European cut was stretched since it wasn't being shown as a part of the Grindhouse double feature. Overall, it was okay - not brilliant, but didn't make me embarrassed to watch. Kurt Russell was good, I liked the car stunt, there was some dialogue that made me laugh, and can I just say that Vanessa Ferlito is fucking hot? Seriously. Could I have an ass like that? The Guitar Hero thought it sucked and he even has a big ole crush on Rosario Dawson, bein' as how her & me looks like twins & all, but he's generally been in a bad mood with newer Tarantino films, so don't mind him.

And my critique of The Simpsons Movie: laughed my ass off. Go see it. Nuff said.

Getting a break

2007-07-15T01:58:00.000+02:00

Do you ever have moments in your life where you think you just can't get a break? Where you want something so badly and it seems like no matter how hard you work at it, how hard you try, you just can't have it? Sometimes it's a pair of shoes, sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's a goal? And doesn't it just sometimes completely suck?
Welcome to my July.

What's up doc?

2007-06-24T15:58:00.000+02:00

About a billion weeks ago I promised an update of what's going on here. The biggest news is that I've started a new job. I won't go into much detail due to a) doocing reasons and b) boring my reader(s) reasons, but here's the lowdown: it's in the same area I was working in before, i.e., international relations, it's a step up on the ole career ladder and it's a permanent position. Woo hoo! No more nail-biting come contract renewal time. So far I'm liking it; my supervisor's great and actually entrusts me with responsibility, confirming my sneaking suspicion that I am, in fact, a grown-up.

In other news, the Guitar Hero and I saw The Who in concert last week and it fucking rocked. They played for two hours straight, playing all of my favorites as if the playlist was designed by me. A part of why the concert was so great was that the average audience age was 45. 45 year old Who audience members simply don't get sloppily drunk, push through the crowd rudely or act cooler-as-thou, making for a happy concert experience for crowd-hater Cocoa Puffs. I did not have the need to kill any obnoxious jackasses and that lifted the concert up to best concert ever status.

This weekend the Guitar Hero's in Berlin on bizness and hanging with Mr. Highsteaks so I'm chilling with Friskie and hiding from the mountain of ironing that's threatening to overtake the bedroom. As a part of my procrastination measures I've baked scones and chocolate chip banana bread and straightened the kitchen. I even vacuumed, for crying out loud. Alas, there are a number of items on Mt. Wrinkly that would like to be worn next week so off on the expedition I go.

WTF?

2007-06-23T23:36:00.000+02:00

Why in God's name would people submit themselves to 'treatment effects' like these just to lose some weight?
Color me strange, but the possibility of spontaneously shitting my pants just makes fitting into a size four so not worth it.
And seriously, what's the point of wearing those XS jeans if everyone can see your adult diapers underneath?

City o' freaks

2007-06-02T19:22:00.000+02:00

I have lots of things to post about, all of which I hope I'll get to at some point. But for now, just a random observation: why is it acceptable in Hamburg to take a piss in public, as in piss on the sidewalk, in broad daylight? Today I was sitting outside my favorite cafe having a cup of coffee and some delicious chocolate cake. I had a new book of short stories, a super table and all the time in the world - the set-up for a wonderful and relaxing afternoon. And what happened? Immersed in a E.M. Forster story, I heard the sound of liquid hitting the pavement. I looked across the street expecting to see someone watering flowers or perhaps someone pouring out a bottle of water. Instead, a hobo-like person had his or her (not clear which, and frankly, don't want to know) pants pulled down and taking a piss while standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Keep in mind it was round about 3:30 in the afternoon on a fairly busy street. And no one blinked an eye. I would think this was just some random occurence, but it's the fourth such incident I've seen in the past 2 years. That may sound random to you, but keep in mind I spent over 25 years in Kansas as well as two years in the Rheinland and never experienced anything like that. Did I miss the day in German class when the cultural acceptance of daytime sidewalk pissing in Northern Germany was discussed? 'Cause I just can't seem to find it in my heart to be ok with that. Guess I really am a closet conservative.

Innernets cookin'

2007-05-27T12:19:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned a few posts ago, the cooking hormones have kicked in again. And even though I have shelves full of cookbooks (seriously, around 50 of them are taking up precious bookshelf space), I've been wandering the net looking for simple but delicious recipes. So far, I've tried out these three:
- chick pea salad. Perfect because it only calls for 4 ingredients. Making it takes all of five minutes.
- cold sesame noodles. Maybe not perfect, but damn good. Simplest peanut sauce recipe I've come across. BTW, I used vegetable broth instead of chicken, and I added carrots and dropped the scallions (not a huge fan of the onion family).
- maple breakfast loaf. Perfect because I always have the ingredients (in one form or another) on hand. Also perfect because it doesn't have eggs, which I hardly ever have in the house. Have I mentioned my egg aversion?

Here a few others I have bookmarked for future cooking runs:
- biscuit muffins - biscuits but without the pesky rolling-out part
- tuna pasta salad - I think I'd make it with the edamame. Could be good in a laptop lunchbox.
- eggrolls - not what I would categorize under simple, but it sounds delicious. Maybe I can con the Guitar Hero into taking over head chef responsiblity for this one.

And this one could be good, but I wonder if I would actually go to the trouble of making them. I think gorging on regular potato chips once in awhile is perfectly acceptable.

Cravings

2007-05-24T11:48:00.000+02:00

I'm lusting after
... rich, fudgy chocolate brownies
... crumbly peanut butter cookies
... melt-in-your-mouth oatmeal butterscotch cookies
... greasy cheesy pepperoni pizza from Minsky's
... wheat thins and vegetable thins and, oh my god, triscuits
... melty cheese quesadillas with fresh guacamole
... hot from the fryer cheese-topped tator tots
... Cap'n Crunch and Crunch Berries and, damn it, Peanut Butter Crunch
... and a large Diet Dr. Pepper followed by a pitcher of margaritas to wash it all down.

Yep, the Doctor's feelin' kinda klassy today.

The doctor's cuckoo for the perfect outfit

2007-05-22T22:40:00.000+02:00

I sometimes wonder if I might have a touch of OCD. Seriously. The people who know and love (and are sometimes highly annoyed with) me don't wonder this; they, indeed, know it to be a fact. My little case of obsessiveness manifests itself most prominently in one aspect of my life: namely, answering the question of what to wear. And although it sounds a bit like a joke, and, let's face it, it really can be, sometimes it's just very frustrating. Less than three weeks ago I spent two mornings in a row nearly in tears because after putting on and then tearing off half of my closet, I still felt like I didn't have that perfect outfit to wear and was reduced to boring mediocrity. On both occasions I arrived at work an hour later than normal. Keep in mind, people, that I only live fifteen minutes away from my office - my saving grace is flexi-time and approximately a billion hours of overtime saved up. Things have gotten better since then, thank god. I've done some shopping (losing weight had actually left some holes in the ole spring/summer wardrobe) and I've been really, really good about planning what I'm going the next day before I go to bed. That alone has been a huge help. But the whole thing makes me so mad at myself. It's such a superficial thing, and I know much of it has to do with my own securities about how I look (that's another month of posts in and of itself). And I'm also angry that I can't just accept this one thing about myself, that my brain has a bit of faulty wiring, and work with it instead of trying to fight it. So if you see the Doctor tripping over is today a black sweater or green t-shirt day, please don't judge her. She's not trying to be a fashionista bitch. She just didn't do her job of wardrobe planning the night before.

Good and bad

2007-05-20T00:02:00.000+02:00

Some completely non-life-changing good and bad stuff from the past few days:

First, the bad: Veronica Mars got cancelled. Which sucks. Why oh why do TPTB have to hate us so much? Will the Guitar Hero and I be stuck watching According to Jim come fall?

And the good: My cooking hormones have kicked in again. Finally mastered a hummus recipe, baked some chocolate chip cookie bars AND made a kick-ass rice salad that you should go make now. Seriously. It's just rice, chickpeas, celery, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and parsley with a dressing of tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. So simple, yet so delicious. It's the type of salad that's perfect for a laptop lunchbox.

Now should I torture the Guitar Hero tomorrow with the fresh asparagus I picked up at the market?

American Idol I am not

2007-05-17T18:35:00.000+02:00

Last night the Guitar Hero and I had some friends over for a little karaoke. And guess what we discovered? I suck. Really. I had the worse score of all of us on the little singstar game. According to singstar, I can't carry a tune to save my life. For those who have had the (mis)fortune to hear me sing, this might not come as the biggest surprise. On the other hand, perhaps my sad, sad scores had to do with my choice in songs. I guess I really don't sound like Mick Jagger or OutKast. I was somewhat better at the rapping parts. Maybe there's a place in the music business for a mid-thirties middle-classe white female hip-hopper with no street cred?
At any rate, I guess we can add this to the list of things I'm not any good at. Here's a partial list:
1) physics
2) sports, particularly those involving running and catching/throwing/hitting balls
3) finding the 8 count in dancing
4) singing

To offset my suckiness and save my self-esteem, here are a few things I'm good at:
1) acting
2) cooking
3) shopping
4) Trivial Pursuit

Sitcom moment

2007-05-12T19:26:00.000+02:00

Hilarious sitcom moment today in the rather staid lives of the Doctor and the Guitar Hero. We were walking to the supermarket and the Guitar Hero kept complaining about how hot he was. We stopped so he could take off the sweatshirt he had on under his jacket and over his t-shirt, which is when he realized that while getting dressed this morning he'd forgotten to take off his pajama top. The extra layer he had on might explain why he was so hot. I thought I was going to piss my pants laughing. Color me weird, but I tend to take one set of clothes off before putting another set on.

Damn, it's May

2007-05-12T01:19:00.000+02:00

I feel like the laziest frigging blogger. It's been almost two weeks since I've updated, and for that I'm sorry. We went to Paris and had an awesome time. Two words: Sephora; cheese. Damn, what more could you want of life? More on that later, once I've uploaded my pictures. Can I just say I hate the administrator function this damn laptop has? I have to jump through 45 fucking hoops to down- and upload pictures. Not cool. I am lusting after this cute mac.
Want it, want it, need it. If I go back to free-lancing full-time, it's definitely mine. It's called a tax write-off, people. If it were available in red, I'd already have it, that's how much I want it.

What else is going on here? I made some fucking delicious hummus. It only took me 6 years of trying. There are epic novels that cover shorter periods of time. You cannot, however, eat them.

I discovered this cool site, The Slow Roll. I could suggest so many films for it, but that might be because the Doctor's a bit of a film bitch. I can totally deal with crap films, and can, in fact, even enjoy them, but the mediocre ones make me crazy. Mediocrity's for jackasses, my dear friends. I think that one entence may have had two or eight too many commas. Once again, can't get the Kansas out of the girl.

Newest sucky thing about Hamburg: Blades of Glory is NOT showing in English. Bastards. Why's the city gotta be hating on me like this?

Got some ideas for some future posts. Let's see if the idea to fruition concept can come to pass...

Uhh, short term memory?

2007-04-23T22:59:00.000+02:00

The other night I finally, after weeks and weeks of writer's block, had something I wanted to blog about. It was anything off the wall, nor a topic that was earth-shatteringly important. It was just a small blurb, but one that was quite funny. At least I found it funny. And my blog equals my humor, punks. You're just forced to laugh at my jokes. Well, as it's wont to do, laziness took it's toll, and I never got around to posting. And now I can't fucking for the life of me remember what the potential post was about. It's completely gone, leaving just a shell of a post that could have been but never will be. What the hell is up with that? Seriously, kids, I don't remember puffing enough magic dragon back in the day to warrant this ditziness. I'm going with the blonde.

Time warp dance

2007-04-20T16:31:00.000+02:00

If I were in Kansas City tonight, I'd go see David Sedaris, who's only one of the funniest fucking writers on the face of the planet. Damn, why can't I time warp and be there? Damn, when did I turn into a geek who says things like time warp?

Utter randomness

2007-04-13T22:11:00.000+02:00

I haven't written a real entry in so frigging long I think my creative juices have dried up. Which is why I'm going to take an old writing tip and just write about whatever comes to mind in the hopes that something other than complete crap comes out. Please bear with me, however, should that be the case. Life is rather staid at the moment. I can't even call it boring as I've been meeting up with lots of friends and the three jobs thing is keeping me on my toes. It just seems, however, as if some spice is missing. Perhaps an acting project, ehh? Yes, actually. I'm in desparate need of that outlet. And the attention that comes with it, of course. I'm updating the ole resume (actually have a feature film on it now, ha ha) but I must, must get new headshots taken. The ones I have are of a girl who looks, how should we say this delicately, a bit different than the current Doctor:

It's amazing what changing the 'do and stressing off a few pounds can do to a person...
I'm still waiting on tape from the film, so I don't actually know how my scenes came out. Did I mention I got to scream a lot? And that I'm really good at screaming? Like really, really good? Maybe I should add that to my resume.
On a totally unrelated note: my younger sister's put up a page on myspace and I've noticed that a lot of other myspacers are in serious need of an internet design course. People, there's a reason simplicity rocks. If your internet site moves so much users get motion sickness, then it might be time to consult some layout tips. For the love of god, check out blurbomat or dooce for inspiration. Please.
God, did I just turn into a snobby blogger bitch? Why yes, I did. Fuck it. Being a bitch about this is probably the last on the list of grievances I'm accused of as Queen Bitch.
And I'm craving this cake but I'm too fucking lazy to get off my ass and bake it. One of the things I miss about the States is gooey chocolate frosting. The Vaterland here isn't too big on gooey chocolate frosting. Socio-political ramifications of such? Anyone?
A final note: By googling my real, non CocoaPuffs name, you'll find hits for my two grown up jobs, a few professional articles I've co-authored, an academic essay I once published and my imdb link. A bit schizophrenic, you might think. Welcome to my world. Honestly. I wake up some (ok, maybe a lot of) mornings and have no idea which identity is really me. It's like trying to figure out which shirt suits me best. Which one do you, dear reader(s), think I should wear?

Happy dead then alive baby Jesus day!

2007-04-07T14:50:00.000+02:00

To fully celebrate the baby Jesus festival upon us, you really should go make these cookies.
The world is truly becoming a scarier place...

Not there yet

2007-03-31T01:52:00.000+02:00

So I finished filming a week ago, but I'm not there yet. I'm still mentally out at the set and haven't quite re-adjusted to real life yet. Please bear with me. It'll come. I've been listening to Syd Matters "To All of You", which fits my mood perfectly. This is such a short post, it shouldn't really count, but I'm still working on being the Doctor. If that's who I am after all.

I'm back, baby

2007-03-25T19:06:00.000+02:00

I decided to take a short blogging break during filming as my schedule was more or less like so:
- Pick-up at 5 pm
- Arrive on set at 6 pm
- Film (or sit around drinking coffee and wait to film) until 4:30 am
- Arrive at home at 5:30 am
- Take off layers of eyeshadow and concealer and attempt to comb hair til 6 am
- Sleep til 12 pm
- Get up, dizzily try to figure out what needs to be done and take twice as long to get ready - 2 hours
- Go to work til 4 pm
- Eat breakfast and drink a big coffee. A really big coffee
- Pick-up at 5 pm

Needless to say, everything else has been kept to a bare minimum. Filming itself was an interesting experience, to say the least. Sometimes it was incredibly fun, sometimes incredibly trying, and generally chaotic. Luckily, there were no real assholes on board; otherwise the shooting outside in freezing rain would have been unbearable.

I'm slowly re-adjusting to a normal schedule and re-learning to sleep at night. I'm in a bit of a funk, though. After spending three weeks hanging out with some really cool people and getting to do what I really love, it's a bit of a reality check to have to return to my day job tomorrow.

Here's a bit of pr on the film:
Fangoria article in English
Lübecker Nachrichten article in German

I'll post a few pictures of the set at Schloss Grabau soon. If you're lucky, I'll post one of me in my zombie make-up. Kunstblut is very sticky, I discovered.

What's this here blogger bookmark?

2007-03-04T21:29:00.000+01:00

God, I've gotten really lazy with updating. My poor, poor circle of (3) readers. I'm sure they've been oh so worried about what the Doctor's been up to.
Well, this one'll be short as I need some sleep so I can be out of bed by 6 am. Why so early? Because shooting begins! Yes! The. film. is . actually. going. to. be. shot. I know, I can't believe it myself. I'll report back if I enjoy it or if it's time to hang up the ole acting career.
As for life at the Puffs', ya ain't missin' out on much. The Guitar Hero, the Doctor and the cat all had a case of the pukes last week. One of the three was suffering from a hairball, the other two from a virus that's been going around. I'll let you guess who had the hairball. By the way, I am so over puke viruses. Could we move on to something of the cold variety, perhaps?
Hmm, what else? We watched the Oscars, which were incredibly booorrring this year. Could trained actors at least put forth a little effort when reading from a teleprompter? Jesus Christ, a parrot could do a better job.
Finally, an entertainment recommendation for those of you with klass: Flavor of Love is the rockingest reality show ever. Pure trash. Pure.

Wassup? Nuttin'!

2007-02-19T21:13:00.000+01:00

Well, my big ole movie star career has been postponed YET AGAIN. Is the Doctor happy about this? Not really. Is the Doctor mad about this? Not really. I'm really working on not flipping out about every little thing. The eternal postponements of the zombie castle film are just getting a bit old. The upside to this is that by breaking my back over the past few weeks work-wise so that I could disappear for shooting has opened my schedule up this week for things like having coffee with friends. Wow. If I can overcome my natural laziness, I might even get around to opening that flickr account I've been a wantin'.

Speaking of free time, the Guitar Hero and I baked a cake yesterday. A cake so delicious you must try it. You can find the recipe in Sophies Cakes (German edition) or Sophie's Sweet and Savory Loaves (US edition); it's the cake in the fall section calling for pecans and maple syrup. Mmm, maple syrup.

On that note, I think a piece of cake is calling my name from the kitchen...

The Doctor lives!

2007-02-11T16:32:00.000+01:00

Wow, it's been quite a while since I posted. Sadly, there's not much new to report. I've just been working my ass off, running from job 1 to job 2 while working on job 3 in between. Thank god for my laptop lunchbox - it's been keeping me from starvation. And it's soo cute.
In 8 days I pick up job 4: the film is actually going to start to shooting! Yay! I am really and truly considered an actress (and maybe someday my name will get corrected on the imdb page). So the next month will be a little bit crazy and hectic, but, hey, it's only been my dream since I was a little girl to be in the pictures. Here's to dreams coming true!

Photo essay part two

2007-01-26T17:39:00.000+01:00

And here we are with more visuals of Kansas. I had to visit my old stomping grounds in Lawrence and actually made it to my old Stammkneipe, the Red Lyon, which totally rocked. A good part of college was spent here. The only thing that's changed is that you can't smoke inside anymore, which sucks. If I were going to college in Lawrence today, that might just cause me to drink less. Might.

Same trip, different bar, pretty blue and red cocktails. Mmmm, cocktails.

And look, the Guitar Hero ate a catfish. One of the few fish I find absolutely inedible. Catfish tastes like lake. Gross.

Finally, c'est moi sitting on the banks of the Missouri. From which the above catfish possibly came. Gross.

It's a photo essay

2007-01-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

I've finally looked at some more of the gajillions of photos we took in Kansas and thought I would share some as I really have nothing interesting to write about, other than I'm sick of wearing boots every goddamn day (could no one make cute winter SHOES?!) and I'm sick of getting my period (seriously, 22 years of this shit is enough). On that pretty note, away to Kansas...

This one's of the bridge crossing the Missouri River into my hometown of Atchison. From a distance, it looks very pretty. When you're driving over it, however, you're praying for your life. It needs some drastic work. Drastic as in being torn down and rebuilt.

Taken from the same place, down by the river, this is what downtown Atchison looks like at sunset. When we took the picture, it was a bit eery. Everything was closed, even though it was only 5:30 pm. It was like a ghost town.

Luckily, we found some signs of life the next evening when we went out for drinks with my brother E. and his girlfriend T. This is possibly the only bar in Atchison where you will not get a communicable disease from the toilets. In Atchison, that makes it a classy joint.

To get a taste of big town life, we headed to Kansas City to meet up with Skaterbol and friends. Here's a picture of us having breakfast at a really cool cafe at the City Market. Our table's in an old elevator shelf. The guy with the towel over his head is a friend of Skaterbol's. Don't ask.

To keep with the theme of eating, here's the Guitar Hero enjoying a burrito, the likes of which one cannot find in Hamburg. Why oh why must Hamburg hate me so?

More photos coming up, I couldn't get any more uploaded with this post!

I'm, like, so much smarter

2007-01-20T18:44:00.000+01:00

I am happy to say I just finished a wonderful book which actually made me smarter. Or at least made me feel smarter. For my birthday, my co-workers gave me Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which treats how the universe, the earth and life came to be. It's a subject that I find incredibly interesting (hey, one of my electives in college was a geo-bio course on the history of the earth), but most books on it are incredibly intimidating to a physics idiot such as myself. Bryson, mostly known for his humourous travel books (The Lost Continent is a favorite of mine), brings the subject down to a true layperson's (i.e., my) level. Read it to understand how our whole existence came to be and how it works.

Funny anecdote: When I was telling the Guitar Hero how fascinating I found the concept of space curving to be (that is, if you shoot an arrow far out into space, it will eventually curve back), his response was "You didn't know that? We learned that in school." Guess a few hours of physics back in high school wouldn't have been so off the wall.

Funniest visual I got from the book: guinea pigs the size of rhinos. That totally rocks.

What I wore

2007-01-15T18:00:00.000+01:00

The innernets guided me to Dilly's great what to wear site, and I think it rocks. Even cooler, in my humble opinion, is her daily site on what she's wearing. Probably because she has great fashion sense (or maybe it's because her style is similar to mine - which is the same thing).

As a tribute to how cool I think her site is, I'll tell you what I wore yesterday (would've posted yesterday, but laziness got in the way).

I had to go to a brunch so my usual Sunday attire of what I slept in just wouldn't do. I chose my new yet old (it's secondhand) denim mini, a long black cardigan from H&M over a ribbed white wife-beater from Old Navy, black tights and my kick-ass red leather boots from Berlin. Yes, I've mentioned their awesomeness elsewhere on this site. Jewelry: silver hoops and my silver Esprit bracelet watch.

Hair & make-up: Laura Mercier Vanilla Nuts and a bit of Laura Mercier Sable on the ole peepers, Laura Mercier Black Orchid Gloss on the mouth, drugstore hairspray.

And it's the mirror that makes me look that hippy. Seriously.

Happy birthday GH!

2007-01-07T15:26:00.000+01:00

It's the Guitar Hero's birthday today, woo hoo, so happy thirtysomething to everyone's favorite Guitar Hero playing, Buffy watching, the Last X-Men reading, over BoingBoing laughing, latte drinking Hamburger!

Happy 2007!

2007-01-01T07:31:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year punks!

We're celebrating New Year's at Skaterbol's, which means I have dsl access, so I can finally update.

The trip is going well - as I predicted, lots of eatin' & shoppin' - photos coming soon. Thank god I can still fit into my pants.

New Year's brings the Guitar Hero, Skaterbol and the Doctor hanging out at Skaterbol's house having drinks, petting her three cats, playing trivial pursuit (and sucking at it) and watching The Aristocrats. Might sound lame to some assholes, but it's actually been lots of fun.

Here's a toast out to all of you for a great 2007 with lots of laughs, love and fun.

ETA: I've finally transferred all my Kansas photos from the camera to the computer. Here's a few first looks at all the fun we had...

This is a photo of Skaterbol and the Doctor at a family get-together between the holidays. Lots of alcohol. Lots.

Skaterbol and the Doctor are having some music lessons here. It's very scary how little I can read music, even after 8 years of piano lessons as a child. As in, I can't play worth a shit. Please excuse the lime green sweater; it was cold and Skaterbol tried to pawn it off on me. I recognized, however, the Faded Glory tag for what it was.

And this one's of our New Year's Eve trivial pursuit game. Let's just say the anniversary edition sucks, and the combined 5 college degrees at the table were of absolutely no fucking help. TV Guide helped me out more, for Christ's sake.

Off to see the wizard

2006-12-12T05:54:00.000+01:00

We're off to see the wizard! Seriously, a taxi's picking us up in like 20 minutes to take us to the airport as we're leaving on a jet plane for the Sunflower State in a couple of hours. I'll try to update somewhat regularly while we're there - how often depends on internet access at the 'rents and the family frustration level.

Don't I look excited:

(Note to self: Do you have to look 33? Use more concealer!)

My new toy...

2006-12-09T15:34:00.000+01:00

I did it - I went out and bought myself a little digital camera so as to finally be a part of the 21st century. I'm still figuring things out with it, but so far I like it. Here's one of the first pictures I took:

It's at my new favorite cafe around the corner, a great place for wine or coffee.
And here's a beautiful one of me (yay me for getting rid of the red eyes):

I hope to God I look a bit more awake after the latte.

Grow up, 33-year-old bitch...

2006-12-08T00:18:00.000+01:00

The Doctor's just celebrated a Schnapszahl, as they say in German, and the 3 glasses of white wine are currently inhibiting any rational thought. I've had a great birthday. But still having deep thoughts, as I'm currently listening to Ben Folds Five's Brick, which always brings back the deep thoughts. Should spend more time listening to the other stuff on the ole player. Like Alan Parsons. I'll leave my music taste open to my reader's (or is it readers'?!) comments...

I'm productive. Yay me!

2006-12-03T19:31:00.000+01:00

Whilst having the apartment to myself this weekend, I actually managed to get a lot of shit done. Some of it was boring, like filing 2 months of mail, but some of it was fun: I sorted out 5 bags of clothes from my closet. It felt so good to say don't wear it, don't need it. My closet now actually looks like it belongs to a non-crazy person. As non-crazy people do not need 8 black tank tops; 5 will do in a pinch. I also completed another sewing project (this time without any hotlines being contacted). I altered an old blouse so that it fits, following the instructions provided by the Aug./Sept. issue of the brilliant Bust magazine. Even though my seams aren't the most even (because I suck, suck, suck at following lines), it's still wearable. And my sewing machine and I are getting to know and like each other better.

At any rate, I feel ready for the next 9 days before we head off to merry old Kansas. And man, they are packed. I have to work, go to one office Christmas party, bake something to take to another office get-together, bake a cake to take to the office on my birthday (yes, I'll be 21 in a few days!), buy Christmas gifts and chocolate for my family, clean the apartment so our cat sitter doesn't have to live in our filth for three weeks, figure out what I'm taking with me to Kansas, pack it, re-pack when I change my mind, and, oh yeah, buy a digital camera. Because there's one out there crying out for me, saying "Buy me, oh buy me, Dr. Cocoa Puffs. Buy me now!". Now if only I could figure out which one it is...

Feelin' better

2006-11-30T00:20:00.000+01:00

So I'm feeling better. Things aren't as dark as I thought they might be. I got through a big work deadline. And the Guitar Hero and I moseyed through Hamburg's Christmas Market and went to see Borat (yes, I saw a movie twice!) so it was a good day. What is there bad to say about a day where you get to eat fresh Reibekuchen aka Kartoffelpuffer aka potato pancakes AND smoked mackerel as well as drink Glühwein aka mulled wine?
As to the list of things I want, as promised here they are in no particular order:
1) A digital camera. I want a camera with which I can take decent shots and plug into ANY computer to download (or upload, as the case may be). No schnickschnack needed as I am a crap photographer. Suggestions welcome.
2) New headshots showing off the thinness mentioned in previous posts.
3) Hmm, independent wealth?!
4) And how about some motherfucking boots that fit? Seriously, I don't like my boots baggy around my ankles. Why does the shoe industry have to be hating on me like that?

Funny things and hot stuff

2006-11-26T17:37:00.000+01:00

So to escape my deep depressing thoughts, I've been filling myself with comedy this weekend. Yesterday I saw Borat, which I thought was hilarious. I giggled, I chuckled, I even guffawed. Favorite moment: when his suitcase fell open on the New York subway and the chicken hopped out. Friday night I re-watched Fast Times at Ridgemont High for the hundred thousandth time and found it as funny as ever. One question, though: why in fuck's name is the German title Ich glaub' ich steh' im Wald! (translation: I think I'm in the forest)? There are no forests in this film, nor are any of the characters under the illusion that they are, indeed, in a forest. Was the German title-maker perhaps smoking some of Spicoli's stash? Last night I watched another of my all-time favorite films, 9 to 5 (yes, I have a thing for 80s comedies. So sue me), which also has a moronic German title if my memory serves me. All I have to say is one word, Skaterbol, one word: stud.

As for the hot stuff, I was sorting through some pictures recently and came across this one, shot at a Banana Republic in Florida several years ago:

Isn't he fucking delicious?

Why Kansas is good

2006-11-25T18:48:00.000+01:00

Okay, so here goes a post written after I've had 2 glasses of wine (if retail therapy doesn't work, wine should, right?)...
So even though there are many reasons why I left the Sunflower State, there are also a number of reasons why I'm looking forward to visiting 17 days from now (the fact that I almost needed a calculator to figure that out should once and for all clear up any ideas of Dr. Cocoa Puffs = intellectual):

- my family's there. I come from a big family and have 3 great sisters and 1 great brother plus 2 brilliant nieces, one of whom I'll be meeting for the first time this trip, and a hilarious step-nephew who loves cake. I've been known to bitch about my family, but I get along great with my siblings and seriously, the stories Skaterbol and I could tell about the 6 years I was in Lawrence while she was in Kansas City would fill a book. A perhaps scary, full of drunken decandance book, but a book nonetheless.

- Yello Sub. Look, I know Kansas is not even listed in 1000 Places to See Before You Die, but if you're ever driving cross-country or in the KC/Lawrence region for whatever reason, you must stop there. It fucking rocks. It may be perhaps one of the reasons I chose to go to graduate school at good ole KU.

- Good Mexican food (or what we Americans consider good Mexican food). My fool ass could deal with some 2 for 1 margaritas and guacomole infused burritos round about now.

- After hours diner food. I know I sound like a complete fat ass writing this, but I need me some Nichols 24 (sorry, I can't find a link for it - it's a great little 24 hour diner that's been around since ca. 1922).

- Old Navy. If you suffer from body dismorphic disorder (not like I do - ha! Actually, I just spend most of my life thinking I was fat as my mom and all 3 sisters are incredibly thin), there's nothing like trying on a US size 6 and discovering it's too big.

And what else is there: Free State, the Lyon, Dairy Queen - yes, I'll be fattening myself up...

So here we go...

2006-11-24T17:05:00.000+01:00

I haven't written anything of significance in awhile because I am having somewhat of an existential crisis. As I am a bit way too good of keeping up appearances, I've steered away of putting this out there for the public to see (confession time: I worry way, way too much about what other people think of me. I have got to get over that shit). But the facade is cracking and there are only like 2 people who read this, so maybe this, this putting it out there, will do me some good. (Facade should have a c with a curly tail. Don't know how to put that in because I don't know fucking html. Ahh! Note to self: Go back 10 years, learn how to program websites so that 10 years later you can blog properly. Or become rich programming websites for other people. It's all good). I won't go into details here, but suffice it to say I have to make some decisions that I don't really want to make. And I hate this because I'm in constant worry of making the wrong decision. Which is sort of irrational as I've made it this far in life without things going horribly, horribly wrong. Ok, so there have been some fuck-ups and I've done some stupid shit (fucking around with a college guy when you're 14 in a small town will indeed make you known as a woman of ill repute or, in Kansan speak, a whore); however, it's not as if I've ever done any time or reduced to drinking mouthwash to get my alchohol fix. At any rate, I'm the only one who can decide what to do or what path to take and it's kind of wigging me out at the moment. When I have things figured out (ha!) or at least have made a move, I'll let the internet public know, as I'm sure they're sitting on the edge of their seats in suspense.

To put my life in perspective, there have been a few highlights this week:
- after a couple of weeks of crazy cd testing, I'm almost done with this year's edition of the project that pays my rent. This is due in great part, indeed probably 95%, to my kick-ass programmer and his team - this is the fucking awesome place to turn to if you, dear reader(s), have techno projects. It's so nice to work with people who are not assholes.
- a long, long time ago in a previous life as a brunette I was an academic (seriously, the Doctor almost was a doctor). As such, I published an article in a essay collection on Thomas Mann's Tod in Venedig and then basically forgot the thing ever existed. Whilst googling myself recently (yes, I am that fucking vain) I discovered that on last year's Abitur exam in Hamburg, students could write about my essay. For the German speaker(s) amongst my reader(s), here's the link (scroll down to Aufgabe III). It's so weird. Something I wrote is considered intellectual. I can think of many adjectives to describe myself, but intellectual is not one of them. For crying out loud, I can't even pronounce Kyrgystan correctly (although I do know where it is!). If only those poor kids knew how I've ended up - almost 33 years old and blogging about having existential, woe-is-me crises.
- the stress I've been under has had one positive aspect. My body's rocking, if I don't say so myself. I tried on a pair of pants today (I needed a mental break from thinking and retail therapy is helpful for things like this) and I fit into a size 36. A 36, people (that's a European 36, not US - a US 36 is just a very scary thought). I'm thin! For once in my fucking life I think I'm thin! Yay! Now I'll probably go back to Kansas for Christmas and gorge the weight right back (Note to self, number bajillion: but if I drink and smoke enough while in the states, I can offset the junk food cravings. Pack lots of Gauloises. Skaterbol: buy lots of wine).

More later about what I'm looking forward to in Kansas (trying to think "glass half-full") and stuff I want and might just fucking buy (thank you German tax office for giving us money back this year) because consumerism could possibly be key in solving my silly crisis.

Oh, and by the way, why is it that the likelihood, as expressed in a percentage, that in a bus of 50 passengers the smelly crazy one will sit next to me over 90%? Is there something about me that says, hey, you over there, you smell like you haven't taken a shower in 3 months AND you're a schizophrenic off your meds? Then next to the Doctor's where you wanna be? I don't think so!

Wow

2006-11-18T18:15:00.000+01:00

This is some of the most honest and powerful writing I've ever read. Anything else I could possibly say about it would belittle its worth, so just go and read.

Ahhh

2006-11-14T22:34:00.000+01:00

This post will be short, too, you reader(s) awaiting a long story. Work is just kicking my ass at the moment - I have a million deadlines to meet this week at job number one and, of course, there's the fact that I've still got to go to work at job number two. That's added to the fact that over the weekend I jumped in for sick actress for four performances of a play (learned the part in three hours, thank you very much). Plus I have a cold and am not in the best mental state. Lot going on in my head right now. When I'm in a better place mentally and/or feeling healthier physically (i.e., emitting less snot), I'll be back...

What's goin' on

2006-11-04T18:20:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to provide my many or four readers with a quick summary of things here in the North.

1) It's been so cold this week that Friskie's taken to wearing her scarf:

2) My sister Skaterbol visited last week and had a rockin' time. We visited Mr. High Steaks in Berlin and laughed and laughed. I think there were even some guffaws. More about that in a later post.

3) I have the apartment to myself tonight as the Guitar Hero is meeting up with friends and have determined that yes, I am a loser dork. I am looking so, so forward hanging out on the couch the entire first season of Sex and the City on DVD (never got around to watching it when it was still on regular tv) while chowing down on nachos. Mmm, nachos. It feels like Christmas, that's how happy it makes me.

Oddities on the Net

2006-10-30T18:52:00.000+01:00

Just when I think I can't stumble across anything weirder on the internet, I find this:

What makes it weird is the description.
More Boomer pics here.

Shaking my head in amazement...

Dr. Klass and Good Service in the Vaterland

2006-10-21T16:59:00.000+02:00

First things first: I was able to finish the sewing project with no further catastrophes. I'm now in possession of a pair of cords that don't drag on the ground making me trip over my own damn feet and look like more of an ass than usual. If I were more talented or the owner of a digital camera (hint, hint birthday and Christmas gift buyers!), I'd post some pictures of my sewing talent. Yay me!

Secondly, my junk food addiction has revealed a new, positive side of Hamburg to me. The other night the Guitar Hero dropped by a little sports bar/restaurant next door for some mozzarella sticks. This place, Paco's, has the best mozzarella sticks around and the Junk Food Slut in me was craving some. We've had some problems with them not having them in stock in the past, so imagine my horror when I discovered they no longer had them on the menu. Not on the menu! We asked the waitress if they really, truly didn't have them anymore. Luckily, the manager recognized us and our mozzarella dilemma and came over to explain the situation. The sticks, in all their delicious deep-fried goodness, were expensive, Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis, yada yada yada. Long story short: the owner used to drive to Lüneburg, an hour's drive away, just to get the sticks. In a bold move, unlike anything I've ever experienced in the Vaterland before, the manager offered us a brilliant deal: if we give them a week's notice, they will pick us up some sticks for us. We don't have to live a mozzarella stick-less existence or lower our standards for lesser sticks. I've heard of fancy schmancy restaurants doing things like this for really expensive items like truffels but a neighborhood sports bar doing it for mozzarella sticks? That, my friends, rocks. I have a restaurant (in Germany, for God's sake!) willing to go the extra mile to load me up with junk food. And that is why I'm the Doctor with Klass!

The Doctor and a moment of dumbness

2006-10-11T10:07:00.000+02:00

So for the past few days I've been mentally motivating myself to do a sewing project, one that actually requires the use of a sewing machine. Several years ago, while looking for a new hobby, I took a few evening sewing classes at the local Volkshochschule. Surprisingly, I didn't completely suck at it (anything involving hand-eye coordination is generally NOT my forte) and found it fun enough to invest in a sewing machine. As I'm not a Rockefeller, however, I only invested in Aldi's best. I tried the machine out once, then got the acting call, and it's resided in its box on our bedroom floor ever since.

Three years later, bringing us up to the present, I decide to hem my cute but incredibly long Gap corduroy pants using these great internet instructions. Last night I decided it might be smart to hook up the ole machine first and have a practice run, being as I was never a Naturtalent at anything except random TV trivia.

Problem number one involved threading the bobbin. Let's just say it was pure dumb luck that finally helped me after half an hour of trying to get the Obergarn to hook up with the Untergarn. As the evening wore on, I did however have plenty of opportunity to thoroughly practice those threading skills due to problem number two.

Problem number two was, in a nutshell, the fact that the damned machine wouldn't sew. As in, everything was threaded properly, stitch length and tension were correct, and all I ended up with were knots. Let's just say that at this point I was ready to throw Aldi's best in the trash. Which I mentioned several times to the Guitar Hero. Who was by now forced (yet again) to listen to my bitching. No matter what settings I changed, nothing would sew. Yet another half an hour later, as I'm flipping through the instruction manual I stumble across the page with all of the accessories included with the machine. And realize that the Nähfuß (ha, sewing foot in English) is missing. The Nähfuß is the little doohickey that holds the material down and guides it, therefore making a line of stitches possible. A little light bulb went off in the dumb Doctor's head. Maybe this could be the problem... However, in looking through the cute little box of accessories, I couldn't find the standard Nähfuß which was supposed to come assembled to the machine. I bitched some more to the Guitar Hero, who in his brilliant and patient way found a hotline for the company that makes the machine, called them and ordered a replacement part (for 15 EUR). Sounds like a happy ending, right? The Doctor's so dumb it took her over almost two hours to realize an essential part of her sewing machine was missing, but it's replaceable and everyting works out.

No, here's where dumb Doctor meets even dumber Doctor. After the Guitar Hero calls the hotline, after the Guitar Hero orders a replacement part, after the Guitar Hero goes back to his internet world - only then do I have the bright idea to check the box the sewing machine came in to see if the Nähfuß might have fallen off - the box which, by the way, had been lying open on the floor next to my feet for the past two hours! And there it was, that little bastard of a Nähfuß, the one that caused hours of anguished cursing on my part.

To his credit, the Guitar Hero, upon receiving said news, did not make a point of kicking the dumbness out of me, which I would have been tempted to do were the roles reversed; instead, he calmly cancelled the replacement part order and put me to bed. We agreed that it might be in everyone's best interest for me to postpone my project until he's out of the house.

The new millenium brings us the slanket

2006-10-09T11:14:00.000+02:00

Wouldn't it be cool to be the proud owner of a slanket? You would no longer have to endure the indignity of cold arms whilst lounging on the couch perusing serious news, chuckling at the subtle humor of Germany's best television or enjoying a platter of pommes frites. And that, my friends, would rock. Totally fucking rock. A blanket with sleeves - that surpasses the revolution that is a pancake-wrapped sausage on a stick.

Do you even wonder that I groove on the slanket? I crossed the line into sloth long, long ago...

Ode to Junk Food

2006-10-02T16:24:00.000+02:00

Okay, so posts about this have been roaming around the net recently. The Guitar Hero was appalled at the thought of pancakes wrapped around sausage (ironic, considering this is the same man who dreams of vegetarian corndogs). My response: That would have made Saturday morning breakfasts so much more convenient when I was a kid. I could have continued to watch cartoons without the bothersome interruption of using eating utensils. Pancakes and sausage on a stick - it's revolutionary!

As an American living in Germany, I catch a lot of flack for the amount of junk food Americans appear to consume. Such accusations always put me on the defense, and for years I would deflect them by pointing out how awful I thought junk food was and how much attention I placed on eating healthily, and, oh god, how horrible those nasty fat Americans are for buying their kids Happy Meals and taking them to Chuck E. Cheese for their birthdays and feeding them the aforementioned corndogs. But here's a big secret. Deep breath as the Doctor comes out of the closet: I love junk food. Love it. And no, not as in, once in a blue moon a plate of fries hits the spot. In my case, a plate of fries would hit the spot everyday. Bean burritos from Taco Hell, Sonic burgers, Ben & Jerry's, Doritos (mmm, Doritos), hot fudge sundaes, tuna melts, onion rings with ranch dip, and the ultimate in white trash, tater tots with chili and cheese - this is what I crave. I am a junk food slut. However, due to the fact that I am also a fashion slut, I have learned to control the junk food cravings as I would find no pleasure in no longer fitting into my wardrobe full of H&M's best. So there you have another big secret: it's not fear for my health or well-being that keeps me from eating luscious, luscious deep-fried goodness on a daily basis, but fear of becoming/looking like a fat ass. That, and the fact that many of my secret sins are unavailable here in the land of 1000 Wursts. At times Germany does have some advantages.

And the award goes to...

2006-09-24T12:11:00.000+02:00

Mr. High Steaks for Rette Robert! For all of you who couldn't make it last Saturday, you missed a couple of good films, several really bad films and one excellent submission. The case of excellence being Rette Robert. Luckily, the audience (or at least the jury) agreed, and Rette Robert came away with the first prize. Picture of the award-winning writer and director coming soon!

In other news: check out Mrs. Kennedy's cool new t-shirts. I'll be wearing a red one soon, but you can feel free to copy my incredibly cool fashion sense.

In vacation news: we booked our flights for the states. Kansas, here we come. Look forward to plenty of posts about the insanity of spending three weeks with my collected family. Thank god, there'll be lots of liquor.

In acting news: I haven't signed the contract yet, but all systems are a-go for a little low-budget thriller co-starring yours truly. It's with a real director, a real film crew and I actually have lines and stuff. I play a pretty American girl. I know, a real stretch. Yay me!

Sorry this is so boring, but we are continuing to have problems with our 1+1 piece o'shit high-speed internet. This means the Doctor can't always post when something interesting or funny happens. By the time the internet's up and running again, I'm too pissed off to write anything. Everyone together: 1+1 sucks, sucks, sucks (enter really disgusting thing 1+1 should suck).

Hungry for Steak?

2006-09-13T11:32:00.000+02:00

Yeah? Then get your ass to Hamburg's Zeise Kino on Saturday because Mr. High Steak's newest film, Rette Robert, will be playing as part of the shortfilm slam competition.

So not only will you be able to rejoice in Mr. High Steak's creatitity, you will also be able to judge it! You'll have the opportunity to fulfill your dream of being a film critic, or, if you're a prick, your dream of destroying someone else's dream. Whatever. Just go. Support young independent filmmakers. Make the Doctor happy.

Here's the 411:
Where: Zeise Kino (as I said above, duh!), Friedensallee 7-9 in Hamburg
When: Saturday, Sept. 16, 10:30 pm
How much: 5 EUR, you cheap fucks

Be there or be motherfuckin' square.

Just hangin...

2006-09-08T18:27:00.000+02:00

I haven't written in awhile because, strangely enough, things are going well. Really well, in fact. I can't remember the last time I was in a good mood for this long. Why, you might ask. Well, some things are picking up on the acting front. We've just made some vacation plans to visit family in the states, which means yummy, yummy Yello Sub. More on both of those topics once there's official news - I don't want to jinx anything. Yes, I'm superstitious like that. And the Guitar Hero and I are on a good groove for the moment. Which all means I don't have anything majorly meaninful to bitch about.

So what exactly is new at the Doctor's?

Let's see...
The cool weather's been encouraging us to cook more and the Guitar Hero has made some really yummy meals lately. If I weren't such a glutton, I'd have taken some pictures and posted them but I don't think you want to see me gorging myself on luscious roasted tomato sauce. It's not pretty.

We've been watching the first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD. I can't decide if I think the series as a whole is good or not - it's a bit hit and miss. Maybe it'll pick up in the 2nd season.

I've been laughing my ass off at this site. The Klaus Kinski clip is classic. Too bad he's dead. He'd make a great Supernanny.

And the Guitar Hero has been continuing his sleep deprivation experiment and is trying out polyphasic sleep. He's doing pretty well, considering he's only sleeping 3 hours a day. I'd NOT be in a good mood were I the one trying it out and most definitely certifiably insane. Dr. Cocoa Puffs without sleep equals Return of the Queen Bitch. I would need one of these attached to me:

To avoid looking like this:

That's about it. Later taters!

Hate weather. Must move.

2006-08-29T14:36:00.000+02:00

Remember back when I was bitching about how hot it was and generally being an ass? I was an complete idiot. We are back to dreary, rainy weather and I have nothing to wear! It's too cold for summer clothes and too warm for winter clothes and I don't have any in-between shirts and I'm sick of my black pants and I want cute fall shoes, even though I just bought really expensive red leather boots and I've got no money to go shopping because we're trying to save money (sooo boring) and I'm being a whiny baby. So naahh. Life is crappy not because of millions of people dying of AIDS in Africa and starving in North Korea and being killed for oil and stupid pseudo-religious reasons in the Middle East, but because I don't have anything cute to wear. Because it's all about me. Not you. Me. Me. Me.

Unfortunately, the crappy weather is making me homesick once again for my homeland. I often think about the ways my life would be better if we just up and moved back to the States. To do so, however, I need a job there. A really good one as it could take some time for the Guitar Hero to get a green card (god forbid the immigration people ask him what face cream I use; we would be so fucked). And the job has to be in a neat-o place with a high percentage of coolness and a low percentage of right-wing asshats, which quite possibly rules out 90% of all towns in the US.

On the glass is half-full side of life: I'm going to be in another play. Yay! No money, but it's a fun play and the other actors are good. So for the next few months I'll have something more to do than lay around bitching about how horrible my life is. Granted, I'll still do it, I'll just have less time to do it. I'll have to organize the bitching into regular snippets. Coordination is key!

Speaking of coordination, here's what I need to do more of:

And, of course, what I need to do less of:

Cool t-shirt folding thing

2006-08-26T13:30:00.000+02:00

How to know you have a little too much time on your hands:

When you and your Guitar Hero watch this video over and over trying to figure out how the hell she does it and practice until you can do it, too. It only took us about 15 times watching it and 15 times practicing to get it. And yes, knowing how to fold our t-shirts in that cool Asian way now makes life perfect. Nothing can touch us, baby!

If/when we both lose our jobs, we'll at least be able to find work in a laundry with this new-found skill. Bye-bye, middle-class. Hello, sweatshop!

She's back...

2006-08-19T15:23:00.000+02:00

Dr. Cocoa Puffs finally returns to the blogging world! No, I wasn't off on some exciting adventure round the world. Nor was I whiling away on the set of a major feature length film. The reason I haven't blogged in so long is quite simple - our stupid, stupid internet connection was down for almost 2 weeks. And the fuckers at 1+1, our DSL provider, were of absolutely no fucking use (sorry for the cursing, Mr. High Steaks, but the situation calls for it). For internet addicts such as the Guitar Hero and Dr. Cocoa Puffs, this was akin to detoxing. Not that I would know what that's like - I'm not stupid enough to give up my beer. And wine. And vodka. At any rate, it wasn't pretty. We actually had to spend much of our vacation talking to each other and were unable to solve arguments such as what season Dirk Benedict left The A-Team because we couldn't access imdb. It caused serious marital strain, and we're not sure if we'll ever recover. But thanks to our friend, known henceforth as the Computer Genius, we're back online, baby! Thank God, and Buddha as well!

By the way, Berlin was great. We ate incredibly yummy Mexican food and I drank my fill of Berliner Weiße and I spent way too much money on red leather boots. But hey, you gotta have red leather boots. Life is too short without them. We also saw the surprisingly decent German film Hotel (to those who don't know: I usually avoid German films because they generally suck. And not in a good way). Some of the dialogue in the film was great - it completely took the piss out of German Spießertum, (my definition of Spießertum is acting like there's a stick up your ass). If you find Germans (or Austrians, as the case may be) often appear to have a stick up their collective asses, you'll probably get a kick out of this film. If you are a German with a stick up your ass, you might recognize yourself in this film. If you are a German and take offense at my opinion that (many, albeit not all) Germans appear to have sticks up their asses, get over yourself. I come from a country of gun-toting bible-beaters yokals, one of whom is president of the goddamn country. Trust me, there are worse things in life than being spießig.

This picture shows us, carefree and unaware of our internet-less state, at the Hackesche Höfe in Berlin. We took my zit along for the trip because it had never been to Berlin. We're generous like that.

Berlin, Berlin

2006-08-02T22:29:00.000+02:00

The Guitar Hero and I are on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Originally we'd planned to stay in Hamburg and hang out as we're trying to save money, but fuck it. We need to get out of Dodge. So we're off to Berlin for a couple of days to enjoy some of that famous Berliner Schnauze (as opposed to the oh-so-friendly Hanseatische Kühle). Anyway, Berlin has lots of great shopping, lots of good, cheap food (mmm...falafel), great cinemas and, of course, Berliner Weiße, one of my all-time favorite drinks. And which I've unfortunately yet to find in Hamburg and have been craving for the past two years since our last vacation to Berlin. I told the Guitar Hero I just might drink Berliner Weiße with every meal to catch up on what I've been missing. His response was surprisingly and scarily positive - he says I make for a jolly drunk and am easy to get along with. Anyone see vodka cornflakes in my future?

Block Party - 2 Hands Up

2006-07-30T12:03:00.000+02:00

For today's pleasure a little movie review...
Well, I finally got up off my ass and went to see a movie. And it was great. Friday night we went to Open Air Kino at Millerntor to see Dave Chappelle's Block Party. It's probably the best concert film I've ever seen, surpassing even The Song Remains the Same (a film I may have seen while under the influence, so my judgement on that one may not be the most reliable). Granted, I'm into hip hop, the irony of which (white girl living in really white northern Europe) is not lost on me so I could get into the music - I knew who most of the performers were - but even the Guitar Hero and our friend A. really liked the music. Could I just marry Mos Def in a parallel existence? The bits with Chappelle were also great, but then again, I think he's a brilliant comedian.

Seeing the film put me in a good mood, but it also made a part of me homesick. I miss the multiculurality (is that a word?) that exists in the States. I know, I know, there are lots of racial and cultural problems in the States, but my own personal experience during my over 20 years there was that there was more acceptance of differences and more mingling. Music, fashion, food - wherever you look, the 'other' has flavored the 'norm'. Over here, on the other hand, different cultures, be it German, Turkish, Russian, what have you, don't seem to mix much. I guess the main difference is that over here the various cultures exist as islands with little connection to one another and in the States they're peninsulas somehow hooked together.

Okay, enough with the pseudo-socio-political commentary. I really liked the film. I even plan to see it again. Go see it. Buy the DVD. Get the soundtrack.

Mmm... couscous salad

2006-07-27T17:25:00.000+02:00

Although this is by far not a food blog (for two really lovely food blogs go to Delicious Days or Domestic Goddess), if I discover a really yummy recipe I will share it with the rest of the net world.

So here's my new discovery. It's actually not so new, it's just that in its modified form it's more than delicious. And it's incredibly easy and really, really fast. And since you only need the stove to boil the broth, it's also perfect for friggin' hot weather.

Presenting Couscous Salad a la Dr. Cocoa Puffs

You need:
- couscous
- vegetable broth
- curry powder
- vegetable oil
- butter

Prepare the couscous. I use more or less equal amounts of couscous and broth, with about 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder and/or tumeric mixed in. Boil the broth, add 1 tablespoon oil, mix in the couscous, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter and fluff with a fork

Meanwhile, mix together:

- cucumber, peeled and chopped
- bell pepper, chopped
- tomato, chopped
- black olives, sliced
- fresh mint, finely chopped
- fresh parsley, finely chopped

Once the couscous has cooled down, mix the couscous in with the veggies. Let it sit for a bit (hey, I'm a poet and didn't know it!) to let the flavors blend. It can be served so, but to make it even more special serve it with a Yogurt Herb Sauce, a brilliant stroke by the Guitar Hero.

Yogurt Herb Sauce

Mix together:
- plain yogurt
- fresh herbs, finely chopped (we used mint and parsley)
Season with a little garlic powder and a pinch of curry powder.

As for the amount of couscous and veggies needed, this depends on how many people need food and how hungry they are. Guitar Heros might need a bit more than your normal everyday person.

Enjoy net world. Mmm... couscous. I think the leftovers are calling me...

My husband's many nicknames

2006-07-26T11:51:00.000+02:00

My husband, known here thus far as the Lovable Hobo, has made it known that he's not too happy that I refer to him on my blog as a hobo. It's another one of the many nicknames I have for him that he doesn't like. I admittedly have a tendency to give him a new nickname every other week. When we first got together oh so many years ago, I called him Herschel after Krusty the Clown. If this needs explaining, you're not a Simpsons fan. So go here for help. This was followed by periods where he was called, among other things, Bautzi, Boodles, Mumu, Dipshit, and the list goes on and on.

A few months ago, while watching Frauentausch, i.e., one of the best piece of crap shows on German tv (yes, we are klassy), one of the husbands strongly resembled a hobo. Or at least how hobos look in comedies from the 1930s. Seriously. So I jokingly said, "Hey, there's a hobo." And it became a joke with us and we started calling each other a hobo. But apparently my husband takes offense to being called a hobo on the internet. So I need to find a new nickname for him. How about Guitar Hero because this is his new favorite game. Yes, it's love when he's plays "More than a Feeling" over and over on a little plastic guitar in front of the tv and I DON'T run screaming out the door. Lovable Hobo, thou wilt henceforth be known as Guitar Hero.

Oh, and here's a little trivia fact: there's actually a fucking hobo homepage. Check it out.

By the way, the picture is of when I had a little accident one time cutting the Guitar Hero's hair. I told him a million times, I can analyze the fuck out of Goethe's Faust, but I can't cut other people's hair. Sadly, he wouldn't listen...

Picture test

2006-07-24T17:40:00.000+02:00

Let's see if I can upload a picture and copy it over to my profile...

So friggin' hot

2006-07-24T16:58:00.000+02:00

It's been hot. Really fucking hot. It's getting close to summer in Kansas hot. So hot that I brought work home from my non air-conditioned, west-facing (is that a word?) office thinking it would be easier and more comfortable to work here. Instead my concentration seems to have melted like a scoop of Ben and Jerry's (mmm, Ben and Jerry's) and so I'm sitting around in my underwear (it's not as sexy as you might think) and surfing the net and getting grumpy because I feel like I should be getting something productive done. Work, do the dishes, clean the house, do my taxes, start a sewing project, get an acting career off the ground. Something, anything goddamn it! Ahh! Yes, I think I'm a bit manic. Any advice on how to cure myself of it is welcome.

Another negative side effect of this heatwave is that I, normally a semi-avid kitchen chef (Was machen Sie gerne? Ich koche gerne.), have absolutely no desire to cook. Zero, zip, nil. I just want to go out to eat at any of the great restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating we've discovered since moving to the new pad in May. Sounds great, right? Only the new place is more expensive than the old one and the move took a bite out of our bank accounts. So we're trying to save money. Have I mentioned that saving money sucks when the bistro down the street has these really yummy appetizers, including homemade fries and chips, or this lovely Italian restaurant has linguine in clam sauce that's to die for? Anyway, I guess I'll be grown-up about it. Which is no fun. Tuna sandwiches and corn on the cob it'll be for the Lovable Hobo and me. At least that only requires only minimal kitchen time.

Before any comments on the topic: yes, I know how hypocritical my bitching about the heat is. Yes, I know that I bitch and bitch and bitch about the gefühlte 360 days of cold and rainy weather per year in Hamburg. So what. I'm manic AND hypocritical. It's a winning combination. Are you jealous of the Lovable Hobo yet?!

P.S. A bright spot on the horizon: Law & Order: Criminal Intent is on tv tonight. Okay, it's dubbed in German, which sucks, but still. It's got Vincent D'Onofrio and Vincent D'Onofrio rocks!

A Hero Saves the Day

2006-07-22T18:23:00.000+02:00

This morning our chubby 13-year old cat, Friskie (slogan: Big and Cuddy, Soft and Wuddly), saved us! From two big, scary pigeons!
She was sitting at the open balcony door, looking out at all the lovely herbs she likes to sniff and mark with her cheeks when she suddenly started making "chea chea" sounds (that 'ch' is a very back 'x' sound, linguistically speaking. Yes, linguistic courses were on my grad school curriculum.).

My husband, the lovable Hobo, and I wondered what the fuck was up as Friskie hasn't gotten excited about a potential intruder in, well, ever. So we looked out and what do you know, there was a pigeon perched on the railing. Ole Frisks quieted down a bit. We thought the danger was over. But then she started up again and also began meowing very pitifully. The enemy had backup - a second pigeon had joined him (her - who knows with pigeons). Frisks kept meowing, but she wouldn't venture outside. We think she wanted us to do her dirty work. Finally, she gathered up all her courage, crept out onto the balcony and...
politely and rather quietly meowed at the pigeons to please leave. Which they did. I think they were more annoyed than scared. As we didn't want to wear our cat's confidence down, we heaped praise upon her and told her those pigeons were probably deathly afraid of her bold actions.

The picture shows our courageous bodyguard just moments after the confrontation

My blog is born!

2006-07-21T17:33:00.000+02:00

Announcing the birth of my blog, Dr. Cocoa Puffs!
After spending way, way too much of my freetime reading other people's blogs (some really good, some ehh), I finally decided to join the blogging crowd. All along the lines of being active instead of passive.

Sooo, let's see how this goes...