Friday, November 27, 2009

Who's the Mac?

I don't like it when people say they can't cook. If you can read and follow instructions, then it's pretty simple. It's like if you could talk you could sing and if you could walk you could dance [word to Kweli via an ancient African saying]. Anyway since our Thanksgivings are generally potluck, I wanted to contribute the Mac-n-Cheese. After skimming through countless recipes and recommendations [sorry Tiff I opted for something else!], I decided on this one courtesy of Ina:

Grown Up Mac-n-Cheese

After seeing the title you might think it's a little too foo-foo [not sure of that spelling, but just say it phonetically], but it's not after making a couple adjustments. I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, as I didn't add bleu cheese [too stinky] and just used gruyere and extra sharp cheddar. And I substituted Panko instead of white bread crumbs. After incorporating my renditions, I've renamed it Grown Folk Crac-n-Cheese, and when combined with my Super Smashed Potatoes, makes for a lethal 1-2 punch. I can't lie, it was probably the best mac-n-cheese I've made, and I've made a few. And despite it's name, the kids loved it as well. Just a warning - gruyere is like $16/lb and the sharper the cheddar, the most pricey it is too! And when you got to feed an army, this was one costly dish! I spent more on this than the deep fried turkey I got last year haha. It was definitely worth it, as it complemented the other great dishes we had.

As a segue, I want to introduce my sister-in-law's and her friend's food blog:

It's So Yummi

Pay them a visit!
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Lay[-off] Away and Away

So yesterday we had even another round of lay-offs, making this about 5-6 within the past 24 months. Yep I already lost track. While I'm grateful that I wasn't chosen [again and again], it makes you ponder what if. I already got let go once and it was a sucky feeling. If I wasn't in the wonderful world of accounting in the financial services sector, what would reeg do? First of all, I need to identify my passions. I kinda believe that cliché if you find out what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Here are my choices off the dome:

Warriors Statistician: I could inflate my own fantasy teams' numbers, and at the same time discredit my opponents. My fear though is I would have to sign a disclaimer stating I wouldn't have any fantasy teams, since that would be a conflict of interest. So that got me thinking of being a Super Stat Geek, similar to what Daryl Morey does, and use those metrics of new age numbers to help the W's out.

Hip-Hop Historian: I was watching one of those VH1 behind the music shows, and there was a dude there. Underneath his name, it said "Hip-Hop Historian." Ever since I was like, how do you get that gig?? If I had a focus, it would be east coast, circa 1990's. I would do my thesis on that geographical area's era. This decade though I probably listened to half hip-hop, half other, but I was like 99% rapped up in the 90's.

Shoe Analyst: I could survey your kicks, tell you what to unload, what to keep, and what you should get. Critically analyze what you have and try to fill in the gaps. I figure a shoehead's girlfriend would be my target customer. She would say, "hey - I totally want to surprise my BF but I don't know what to get him! He currently has such and such." Then I come in, provide my fairness opinion, and the boyfriend would be totally stoked on Christmas day. I would also get a finder's fee if can provide the kicks.

I-Tunes Organizer: How many people have jacked up I-tunes catalogs? Naming conventions are all off and what not…the ish is irritating to look at. I could charge like $4.99 per 100 songs to clean up the titles, and I would add the artwork for free! I'll service both PC's and Macs even.

Golf Instructor: It may not seem like it lately, but I really do understand the mechanics of a textbook golf swing…I just can't translate it into my own performance. However I can easily see swing flaws of anyone, and can provide my 2 pesos of how they can improve. My approach would be more Phil Jackson and less Hank Haney, since golf is a very mental sport. Sometimes habits are really grained in, so I would try to fix certain hitches rather than reinventing your whole swing. Not everyone's jumper looks like Ray Allen's.

If you see my as anything else, I'm open to ideas!
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Monday, November 23, 2009

Confessions of a Sneakerhead, 2009 version

Yes I'm still a shoehead, even though this is the first new pair I copped in fiscal year 2009. So Kram and I met up during lunch, strolled over to NTSF and bought our 10.5s. It felt like I was in HS getting the same pair as a friend haha. But I don't care, I wanted these ever since the final sample pics were released. Plus I didn't want to relive the fiasco of the original Bacons, where I strolled into Hazard Shoes on Burlingame Ave sometime in 2003 and had the shoes on my feets. At last second I didn't want to pay the $90 for some pink based kicks. Then if I listened to myself in 2005 when I wanted some pink kicks, I would've paid around $150-$200. If you click on the link, you'll see X's - but they were the bacons, the linens and the Dunkles. Now sellers are charging up to $600 for a pair. Don't they know we're in a recession??!

Anyway fast forward to 2009, and I'm not a fan of hybrid kicks or secondary collaborations, of which these both are. But these resonated with Reeg, and despite the inflated price tag of $120, I got them. As I was lacing them up moments ago, it woke up the [hype]beast in me. So welcome Air Max 90 Current Huarache PR to the fam. One day I'll have them OG bacons to join you though.

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4 Months

Wow it feels wierd to be in this area. Once my comments section started to spam out, I figured I should revive this spot. Plus I've been talking to my blog crew and little by little they're unknowingly providing me with the energy necessary to update this lil page. Plus the boss is out, it's a short week, so here I am - trying to shake off the blog rust.

Where have I been these past 120 days? Probably in Emeryville. Oh you meant virtually? I've been around, occasionally updating my FB status whilst fighting the urge to sign up for a Twitter account haha. But I've been here, feeling an array of adjectives - comtemplative, retrospective, joyful, regretful, despairful, hopeful - I guess a lot more but these were the first to mind. But you know how some people have a woe-is-me attitude? I'm trying not to be like that, although I can't front - I'm guilty at times. Play the cards you were dealt yeah? Nope! Here goes my obligatory Kanye reference:

I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars


So yep, my cards were changed, my prayers were voiced and I'm waiting for my stars to align. Of course it's never fast enough, but as long at it happens right? Instant karma's gonna get you, word to Mr. Yoko Ono. "A lot of your outlook depends on your attitude" - I got that off someone's page, and it's pretty apropos. When I look into my own crystal ball, I know I won't fall. After 30 years I'm built to be the dopest person I could be, in whatever capacity. I'm destined to shine!

Apologies on the jibberish that I call this entry, but at least I know what I'm talking about. I think I wrote a couple sentences...worked for a bit...added a few more lines...then finalized it. So my bad for the staccato flow.

Hope to see more of you soon, with the regularly scheduled updates.
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