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Chocolate Chip Cookie bars

If chocolate chip cookies are comfort, than chocolate chip cookie bars are comfort squared! I have definite memories of Mom making them when dropping the cookies individually was too time consuming; you must admit the square shape is definitely more economical. But even more so, I associate them with my memories of Grandma M. Having a cookie and glass of milk with the Corelle dinnerware at the wooden table in the den. Comfort squared indeed.

Ever since upgrading to the newest version of WordPress, I’ve been having some minor issues with it. Lots of troubleshooting led me to try a new theme, and thus I’m considering changing the look. My first blog post was March of 2007, so as we close in on two years of blogging, perhaps change is good. That being said, Adrienne thinks this new theme is too dark. I like that it has a little more contrast – less monotone – than the old theme. So we’ll keep playing with it. This theme has taken a bit of customization to work the way I want, and it still needs some work. There is another theme I think some of you might enjoy, so I may try that at some point. Keep an eye out.

So here is my pizza sauce idea (I’m sure it’s not a new one, but the first time I’ve implemented it): I make my own pizza sauce, and one recipe makes maybe enough sauce for 8 or more smallish artisanal-style pizza, like I make. We’re usually pretty good about using the sauce in time before it becomes a science experiment. But this time I PAMed an ice cube tray and spooned in pizza sauce. Overnight in the freezer, and now anytime I want to make pizza, just pull a couple cubes of pizza sauce out and defrost. I’m hopeful the cold doesn’t do too much to the flavor.

It’s been said these are interesting times we live in. And no doubt this is an interesting place I live in. But those words don’t seem to do justice to what I observed on my way home.
First: in a busy train station, a bullet-proof vested uniformed officer stands at guard with an assault rifle in hand.
Second: one of the neighborhood homeless, who hangs out in front of the deli down the block, belts out “jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way… the batmobile, lost its wheel…”, all the while laughing and greeting me as he usually does (and asking for spare change).

The officer of the law, standing there to protect us, I assume. To make sure we get home safely, to ultimately make us comfortable. Seeing someone with such a serious weapon in such a public place – and this is not the first time I’ve seen as much – scares me. Is this necessary? Is this the world I live in?

The homeless man, in most places considered a threat… bringing a chuckle and a smile on my way home.

What should inspire confidence, scares me. What should threaten me, brightens my day.

Perhaps my stereotypes need reconsideration. How did we get here?

I give Adrienne credit for this… I saw it open in her browser window.

Adrienne is among the few (of which some of you are also included) that I’ve forced to read some work of author David Foster Wallace. Some of you may know I’m a fan. His non-fiction short works are very accessible. Other non-fiction and some fiction, not so much, for some.

But this is apparently a commencement speech he gave a few years back. And this is what I hope you’ll read.

p.s. this whole post assumes that you know he died not too long ago. If you didn’t, now you do.

Some of you might think I’m overzealous in sharing my passion for music – telling you about all the cool projects I get to work on, and by extension hopefully making you passionate about it. I know it probably doesn’t work. But I found this video, where the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic talks about music and passion. It’s pretty great. I hope you’ll spend the 20 minutes and give it a watch.

By the way, if you haven’t surfed through the TED Talks site, spend some time there, there’s great stuff to be found!

I don’t know why, but lately I’ve had in my head the memory of going over to Uncle Greg and Mary’s for pizza… sitting somewhat cramped around the table – the Tallacksen clan, 6-strong, imposing on the relatively newlywed couple – eating homemade pizza, then going downstairs and playing with Uncle Greg’s latest toy… from the digital compact cassette to the CD-ROM game machine (was there a brand name? I don’t remember) with pinball. In retrospect, I wish we had spent more time just listening to music on his pretty decent sound system. Nonetheless, a good memory. And I think it’s safe to blame him at least in part for my love of electronic boxes with buttons and lights on them.