Dragonfly
Are you still here? *peeking into the monitor*

I've just escaped a hideous tool of procrastination sent from the depths of hell (or suggested by Lani Diane Rich on her
Will Write for Wine podcast). You won't believe how hard it was to get away. Here, take a look for yourself:

Bubble Shooter Match 3 or more bubbles to knock them out.


The code won't show up just right, like it does in MySpace but if you click that link, you'll get the picture. Warning: We may not see you for a WHILE if you do click that link. Click with Caution, folks. Seriously... it's dangerous!!

In the midst of this procrastination fixation of mine, I realized the true secret of my marital happiness. I know, weird... a game being the secret to marital bliss? Heh. Just wait for it.

See, Mr. Clean and I are opposites in So. Many. Things. It's not even funny. I'm loud and just a few toes over the line of crazy. I categorize my M&M's before I can eat them (I do... it's really OCD the way I have to have them in two's and will not eat an odd #). I'm what you call high maintenance but not in a monetary way. It's more of a hyper-active-save-the-wife-from-floating-away-in-the-clouds-like-a-kite form of high maintenance. I tend to live in a semi-conscious dream state.... OR I'm so rooted to the ground, you might search for a little pile of Super Glue nearby.

Mr Clean? He's quiet and laid back, hardly ever speaking unless you've hit upon a subject dear to him (history, politics, the fact that the eldest spawnling didn't clean the cat litter... again). Nothing much gets his panties in a bunch (whereas mine are always crawling, I think).

I cook. He eats it, never complaining unless it's taco salad night (tonight!). He doesn't really care for taco salad. I beg for more books to read. He sighs and works it into the budget. I beg him to WANT something... anything.... (Christmas is hell when buying for him). He quietly changes the subject. He'll go on for hours about politics and history. I make snoring sounds halfway through his diatribes (started because I asked a question). He's incapable of simply saying Yes/No.

Many might think we're nowhere near suited for each other and yet, in two months time, we'll be celebrating our 17th anniversary. How the hell do we do it?

COMPETITION

We are so stinking competitive it's almost pitiful. I found that game and started playing it. Mr. Clean saw me one evening and said, "Oh... what's that you have there?" I replied, "A game. It's mine. You can't play it." (because I knew where it would go)

Two nights later, I found him sneakily trying to hide the fact that he was SO playing that game. The next morning, a sticky note adorned my monitor, stating his high score and "Beat that."

I did. Twice. HAH! But then he whooped my butt on it. I turned around and put his score into the ground. And so it has gone for the past couple of weeks, with the general air around the house being happy and fulfilled - because we are competing. Because we are FREAKS that way.

I read two books in one week? He'll read three. I tanked him playing Disney Trivial Pursuit? He punished me in the regular version. It goes on and on.

God help us when the spawnlings get into the game fully.....

Anyhow, that's where I've been. I've emerged because we've both beat the game and there's no reason to keep playing now. The synopsis is still being worked on. I'm still not rushing it. I've called on a few folks for some assistance in pinning down CIA-shadow organization type agendas (both public and hidden). I need it before I can go further.

Oh! And I baked those Poppy seed cupcakes. I'm calling them Poppy Seed Lemon Drops and they were pretty good - though the filling needs some work.

The cakes themselves were a lemon cake (with fresh-squeezed juice and zest from a gorgeous enormous organic lemon) with poppy seeds in the batter. Then I filled them with lemon pudding (from a box *gasp*). The icing was a simple confectioner's sugar glaze made with confectioner's sugar, more fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and a little zest.

The problem? I tried filling these with the shove-a-piping-tip-into-the-cake-and-squeeze method instead of my usual way of cutting out a cone and then replacing the top over the scooped filling. I wanted a clean top to the cupcake because the glaze shows everything and it didn't look nice with the cut top showing. BUT... the filling was uneven. Some had a bunch, some not so much. It's back to the drawing board. Or I need to add something to the top, over the glaze, to cover the cut edge... or cut deeper but not use as much filling so the top goes back on cleaner. I don't know. But they were GOOD. The glaze had a pucker to it, like fresh squeezed lemonade and the pudding was a milder lemony flavor than, say, lemon curd so it accented the cake well. They were really good (and gone within a day). Once I figure out the top issues... I'll post the recipe and pics.

Well, that's it for now. I have to go get that taco meat going for dinner and then I think we're watching a movie.
3 Responses
  1. Anonymous Says:

    Still here! Can't get rid of me that easy. heh. It's weird. I am very similar to you with the whole line of crazy thing and the M&M's (but I sort mine by color) and an odd mix of practicality and fancy. But I'm so not competitive.....I think...maybe a little. The cupcakes sound great! I love lemon. I'll have to try something like that (yet without anything near your expertise!) for everyone at work. My daughter just got married so I'm home alone now and there's no way I'd eat them all myself!


  2. Anonymous Says:

    My birthday cake Sunday (made by Aunt Silly, of course) is going to be a lemon cream cake made with sponge cake and lemon curd/marscapone cream filling. I am so excited!

    So, we can devise a plan for spoons this year to make sure Mr. Clean loses everytime. Or spades, he would HATE that. Can hardly wait to see you all.

    BTW, I filled Tiny Dancer in on what Shaggy said. She got a kick out of it.


  3. Dragonfly Says:

    Slow, slow, slow to comment back and with many apologies. It's been a BUSY week or so around here!!

    Katkin - It's nice to know I'm not the only one with the M&M issue. And I'm planning on posting the cupcake recipe in the next couple of days - if I can get myself unglued from work for 2 seconds. Congrats on your daughter's marriage! :)

    Bubbles - HAPPY BIRTHDAY and I'm a BOOB for forgetting!!! You know me, though.... unless it's tagged to my forehead (and sometimes even when it is - and it was, I had a reminder pop up on my computer). I'm a mess. How was the cake? I LOVE marscapone. YuM! Devising Spoons plans around Mr. Clean could be dangerous. He might take out the table in the process.. HEh.