The Frank Funny Farm

it's a bit dusty in here. *coughcoughcough* cobwebs and whatnot. oh well. new year, potential new dedication to blogging... possibly. i've been thinking about how it's a good exercise to get writing and thinking 'out loud' so to speak. is probably beneficial in some ways just for that. but i am wondering if there should be something else behind this whole blog idea. i mean, originally, we set it up as our blog (you know, me, ben, the dogs), but it sort of devolved into mine, where i invariably ranted about a rather unpleasant last semester in grad school and a bit about the ensuing depression over lack of employment and student loans. bright, cheery stuff. that's part of the reason i just sort of let it die. but now, the boy has graduated to his own blog, the dogs are even less interested in the computer, and i don't know that i feel the need to chronicle the lame happenings of my existence. we partly started it to keep a few folks updated on our ramblings, but most of those folks have made it on to facebook, so the need to repost photos or tiny lil' updates or links disappeared. (let's face it, it was never that strong to begin with.)

now, i think if i get into some regular blogging-type habit, it should serve some purpose. i don't know what, persactly. everybody loves that 'accountability' word, which means it's on my list of words that cause an involuntary eye roll and mini-vomit when i hear or see them. i'm not entirely sure what i'd need the interweb to hold me accountable to anyway. sure, there are plenty of things i'm aiming to do, actually do in the immediate future, but i don't feel like having some sort of weird journal focused on one specific thing. too limiting, too boring. blech. maybe that's it, though. maybe i should throw a blog into one of my numerous and oft-mocked 'to-do' lists, so that i do it regularly. but with the caveat that it should be something creative, something fun, useful (fun is totally useful, for the record), beneficial or challenging to me and that one person who may accidentally and inexplicably find themselves reading it. that's what i'm thinking anyway.

so i guess what i'm saying, dear blog, is, maybe it's time to put you to rest. well, officially to rest. pull the plug, and all that. i mean, everyone's assumed you were dead for quite some time now, so it just seems the humane thing to do. maybe...

it does seem somewhat silly to set up a whole new blog when there's a perfectly good one right here. but it's more than an out with the old, in the with new thing, though there's more than a bit of that. i think its perhaps about just setting one up for me. that's mine. even though this one is, for all intents and purposes. there's something about starting from the beginning with the clear delineation that it's megan's crazytown logs, ramblings and rumblings from the shallow depths of my brain. and there's just something to that starting afresh thing. blasted new year. well, i take that back actually. if all goes according to plan, 2010 needs to suit up and stand up, 'cause it is not ready for what we're going to do it. i'm not sure if the changing of the calendar really had a lot to do with us making plans (like, actual, workable, REAL plans) to clean out, rearrange, deconstruct and shape up this life we've made, i think it's more of that whole winter-leads-to-spring thing. growth, renewal, reinvention, LIFE.

but i digress, as i am wont to do. so, to recap: have blog; perhaps have renewed interest in blog-having (at least renewed intrigue); may require death of old blog, silly? perhaps; 2010, put your big boy pants on.

hey look! a blog! yippee and whatnot. no, this doesn't mean i have a job. sadly, no. i've in fact concluded that i sit in the perfect storm of unhirable: master's degree, but little experience in my preferred field, which is irrelevant, since said field is scarce in nashville + master's degree, which prevents me from even getting an interview for an admin assistant-type job at any place + glorious economy = i'm just going to rot for a while. great. awesome. but that's beside the point of el blogo here.

you know that show 'what not to wear'? i'm sure you do, as it's been on for a while and seems to be on fairly often, especially saturday afternoons, which is when i found it this weekend. ben and i both always get sucked into it (and if anyone wants to turn me in to them, gimme a heads up and i'll look extra crappy for the 'secret' submission tape). it's one of those sappy feel-good type shows that doesn't always make me want to throw up, and i like shoes. anyway, the point, if there is one: the thing that's always kinda bugged me about that show, aside from the inexplicable hatred of comfy lazy clothes, is the extreme emphasis they place on putting so much time and energy into 'assembling a look,' creating the perfect hairstyle and mask of make-up every day. it bugs me partly because it's usually completely ridiculous and impractical for most of the womens' real, actual daily lives, but mostly because it's bullshit.

the one saturday really tipped me over on the rage scale because that big moment when the woman cries and wails about how she feels beautiful (it's in every episode) was right after the make-up artist held up the mirror so she could see her new air-brushed, plastic-looking face. really? at this moment, when you are wearing so much make-up you can't even tell what you look like, this is when you feel beautiful? the whole show is built around how you look, so i know it's no big shock or whatever that they make such a big deal over sending them to get their hair done at the end of it; i guess the make-up artist kinda makes some sense, except she always puts so much make-up on them they even look over-done on TV. shouldn't this tip someone off? anyway, back to my gripe. for a show that is so into helping people take time for themselves and regain lost confidence and blah blah blah, why is it they must be told that all the fancy new clothes and shiny bouncy hair are useless without a ton of clown paint? you can dress well, have great hair, and be confident in how you look and happy with who are, but only if you don't forget the eye shadow. cuz without all that you're still a busted old mess. what not to wear most definitely doesn't include make-up, so enjoy working the extra half-hour into your no doubt leisurely morning routine!

bollocks, i say. bollocks!

how 'bout they do something revolutionary and don't proliferate this idea that women have to wear make-up and look completely 'done' in order to be beautiful, confident, smart, capable, etc, etc, and etc? i'm all for the aspect of the show where they teach people how to dress for their body and personality, etc, and for the fact that most of the crying, oh-my-i-forgot-about-taking-care-of-me moments come much earlier in the show, often when the family and friends who turned the chick in say why. anyway, that part's great. they show the women how to work with whatever flaws they think they have and are trying to hide, which usually starts the whole confidence boost / i'm not hideous thing. they give them a couple of days of glorious new wardrobe aquisition, send them off for a new haircut and color, and the women are all feeling fantastic and renewed and confident and ready to go back to their lives. instead of letting them do so, the show has to ruin it by saying, wait, wait, you're not quite good enough for all this stuff unless we can fix that face of yours, and wow are we gonna need a lot of foundation. jerks.

i liked to tease to boy by asking "why do you hate our blog?" since he never posted even though he said he was going to. you may have noticed he actually did post the last post there, which was a while ago. he then, of course, asked me why i hated the blog - with a hint of smugness, i might add. well, i don't hate the blog, the blog is fine and really, if one of us is a blog-hater, it's the one who went and started his own blog for his newfound love of taking pictures of his food. but i digress. i am a blog neglector mostly because i don't think any more posts are needed about me freaking out regarding a lack of job. i feel that's pretty well covered and sadly, that's mostly what my brain focuses itself on. i mean, things happen, good times are had,  we've been cooking lots and lots of delicious things due to the CSA stuff and i have been seriously squirrel-like with the stuffing of the freezers. plus i was forced to organize them, which those who know me know i greatly enjoyed. because i'm a weirdo. but i dunno, blog, i just haven't really been in the frame of mind to write things or do things i deem unproductive or frivolous or useful to the household. i've more or less mentally grounded myself it seems. and it sucks, but what can i do? i'm grounded.

Editor's note: Megan is gonna die of shock from my posting, but, whatever. she wanted me to post more, so i hope you guys don't mind seeing more food.

We had some friends over last night for a little 4th of July shindig; it turned out rather awesome. As with most of our friendly gatherings it was pot-luck style. I made Ground Venison Burgers with a Coffee Spice rub that were amazing. I also used a purple cabbage and some fresh cord we got from our CSA along with some hot peppers (including some cayenne from our garden!), carrots, lime, red wine vineagar and cilantro to make a spicy southwestern slaw. Keith and Laurie brought along an amazing whole grain mustard warm potato salad. Carey & Jared brought some hot dogs and brats. It was fantastic!

For dessert Megan made the most amazing trifle! Using some peaches from the CSA along with strawberries and blueberries she layyered the fruit with poud cake and an out of this world lemon curd. it was unbelievable.

Jared put on an amazing fireworks display in our back yard that was much more enjoyable than going downtown and standing in the rain amidst all the crazies – a great night indeed.

And as an added bonus, the leftovers for both breakfast this morning (trifle) and lunch today (potato salad) were awesome!

Tags: 4th of july, fireworks, food, friends, grilling, party

i just posted this about my friend susan, who happens to be a fantastic artist in addition to being a pretty rad human. so go read it n stuff. or at least pretend to read it, i'm getting pennies per page view, people! that is all. thank you veddy much.

Tags: art in nashville, go clicky please, new examiner post, susan bennett