Rice Salad with Avocado Dressing (Giant Food)

The new recipe I tried this week was the rice salad with avocado dressing that my aunt had clipped out for me (the recipe can be found online here). I was especially excited for the dressing, since I’ve been enjoying avocados recently, and this one was absolutely perfect when I cut it in half! 

I made some changes to the recipe, though: I was able to grill the zucchini on the panini press/grill but not the corn, so I boiled it instead. I left out the red onion because I’m not a fan of raw onion, and I used just a bit of dried cilantro as a garnish instead of fresh. The dish worked out with these modifications but it took me longer than the recipe’s estimate of 35 minutes, and the end product was just OK. I probably won’t make it again, but if I did, I’d leave out the red wine vinegar (it made the dressing taste a bit odd) and add more salt. 

Served with tortilla chips and salsa.

And here’s what I had for a quick and easy dinner tonight… 

Gardein fishless filets, golden wax beans, and tater tots with ketchup

Here’s the Sharpie sketch that I did yesterday of a cross-looking kitty… 

And the one I did today, of the mini automaton my D&D character is going to be working on building hehe… 

I went to a writers group last night, and I was a little nervous; while it was my third time attending, it was the first time that I’d submitted something to the group to critique. It was a 4,000-word excerpt from a story I wrote for National Novel Writing Month; the first person narration shifts between five characters. I knew I needed to do a better job making each character’s voice more distinct and unique, and this was reinforced in the feedback I got. (Especially since what I’d shared only included the perspective of the first two characters, and they both sounded a bit too similar to the people reading it, haha!) But yeah, everyone provided really helpful feedback, and they all seemed to have enjoyed reading it. I marked up my copy with all the comments, suggestions, and questions that came up, and three people gave me their copies with recommended edits and other notes. So that was pretty cool, and now I have lots of things to think about and rework!

Here is a cute little Leela… 

Peace. :)

My Apologies for the (Novella)

Hi everyone! It took long enough, but it's finally here! I've officially self-published my story about Mystery: When I Was Midnight, available now at CreateSpace (best royalties hehe) and on Amazon. I'll order some copies of my own, so if you want a signed book, I can put up a Paypal link in a week or so. (I might also look into Kindle publishing, but no guarantees on that yet.)

Rambly backstory if you want it: This novella was written in April 2013 during Camp NaNoWriMo. Once that was done, I did some edits here and there whenever I got the chance, but Mystery often interrupted me. There were always more important things to do, like cuddling with her. After she died on June 17, 2014 (I later wrote about it here), it was tough to get back into the swing of things without her. Eventually I opened up her story and picked up where I'd left off editing. I designed (and re-designed loads more times, haha) the cover, experimented with the formatting, edited, edited, and edited some more. I ordered a physical proof, marking it up with my red pen and recalling all those days spent editing newspaper articles in high school and college. I then edited it a bunch more times using the digital proofer online, and I think it's finally in a good place and ready to be read. Overall, this process has been a lot of fun; I know I've whined “I just want this to be done already!” so many times, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm glad I published it myself, maintaining control over my words and taking responsibility for all the behind-the-scenes work. At various times, I've viewed it as a puzzle, and the editing process in particular as a linguistic version of sculpting – carving out chunks when you realize they aren't necessary, gently chipping away, smoothing rough edges, smiling as the final form comes into view. OK, maybe a bit dramatic but you get the picture haha.

As a preview, here's the introduction to When I Was Midnight...

My human friend is going to help me share my story since I can’t type anything other than “,mkcvaiugew lds.” You might know me as Mystery, but that hasn’t always been my name; for most of my life, I was called Midnight. My new name has a nice ring to it, however, and the two humans who adopted me like it as well. Sometimes they call me “Missy” or “Baby,” which is odd since I am significantly older than they are, but I humor them since it seems to make them happy.

My life now is a lot calmer, safer, and definitely more predictable than it was before. I have three square — well, round, if we are being literal here since they are presented in a bowl — meals a day and I get treats and cuddles and always have fresh water. It’s nice and warm in the apartment where they live and, while they have had to give me a couple baths, at least I am always clean.

I still find myself falling back into old habits every now and then, like getting that nervous feeling that would keep me on high alert when I was out on the streets. Sometimes I stalk around carefully and check for anything out of the ordinary. My human friends call it “checking for monsters,” and I find that slightly patronizing. I know there are no such things as “monsters,” but there are always things that can hurt you, and they are not imaginary. I hope I’m not coming across as pessimistic or dark, but I still remember that dreaded feeling of being scared, of not knowing, of fearing injury and pain.

I have a little stuffed pink bear that I cuddle with; none of the other toys they got for me are the least bit interesting. I mean, I appreciate the sentiment behind them buying all these things for me, but I’m a simple little lady, and I value my leisure now that I have it. Running around and chasing things is for young ones who have excess energy that would otherwise make them bounce off the walls. I have more than earned my rest, so I will treasure it.

I’m good at jumping up onto couches, chairs, and beds. I grumble every now and then, and I greet my friends with a short “m’rahl!” I’ve started talking a lot more; to my human friend, it often sounds like I’m sad and crying, and sometimes, I actually am, so she comes to comfort me; she pets me and snuggles me and sometimes even picks me up. And then I purr and purr and purr.

I like it when they hold me close, me on my back, snuggled into their arms, “like a baby,” as they say. And I like them to rub my belly and to scratch my head with their knuckles. The tall one recently discovered the best scratching spots behind my ears; I like it so much that I can’t help but kick my back legs whenever he does it.

And I don’t hesitate to tell them when I need attention, or to remind them that I would love to have more food added to my bowl. When my human friend sits at her desk and writes, I put my front paws on her seat and meow for attention, and — ever since that time I tried to pull myself up on my own and ended up with my back legs swinging underneath the chair, claws dug into the seat, eyes wide — she lowers my front paws to the ground and picks me up to either sit on her lap or be snuggled like a baby.

I’ve heard I’m also a rather effective alarm clock because my morning yowls — right in their ears — startle them awake faster than any beeping or ringing of their phones ever will. And if they ignore my calls, I just walk on top of them, across their bodies, stepping on their necks and heads, sometimes even on their closed eyes. Eventually they wake up.

There’s not much else to tell about my life right now; the real story started many years ago. I don’t remember exactly when, since we cats don’t keep track of things the way you humans do, with so many different numbers for years, months, days, hours, minutes, and even seconds. If I try really hard, I can almost understand why you would want to, for the purposes of exactness and sureness, but it’s not something we can relate to.

We just have days and nights, warmth and cold. We start out tiny and grow bigger and then start to shrink again. We get older, but we don’t count the years, for that would distract us from living them. It also forces us to be a bit more honest with ourselves. We can’t hide behind a number, nor can we be hurt by one. We are who we are at each point in time, and right now, I’m simply a little old lady cat with a story to tell.

April 1, 2013

Peace. :)

NaNoWriMo, Turkey Sketches, and Mystery!

Hello everyone! Just another quick writing update, more sketches, and of course, Mystery!

With NaNoWriMo, I passed the 2/3 mark last night and am currently at a total of 34,508 words (I haven't written today yet). I'm going to buckle down and start writing more each day because I want to build up enough of a buffer so I won't have to write on Thanksgiving. If all goes well, I might even finish NaNoWriMo early (I've never done it before, though, so we shall see). 

Here are the most recent turkey sketches I've done.

"It is difficult to sneak up on a turkey. They have excellent vision and hearing, even though they have no external ears." (http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/learn-3/factory-farmed-animals/turkeys/)

"Male turkeys, called toms, love to feel noticed and admired. Toms on sanctuaries are known to follow busy human caretakers from chore to chore, standing off to the side, puffing out their exquisite feathers in a blast of scalloped ruffles, quietly and patiently waiting for the prospect of attention." (http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/learn-3/factory-farmed-animals/turkeys/)
[sketch based off of second photo from the above link]

"A male turkey is called a tom or a gobbler, a female turkey a hen, and a baby turkey a poult or chick. A young male turkey is called a jake and a young female is called a jenny. A group of turkeys is called a flock." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of first photo from here: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/the-sanctuaries/rescued-animals/2011-rescues/a-safe-thanksgiving-for-25-baby-turkeys/]

"Wild turkeys spend most of the day searching for food like seeds, wild berries, small insects and acorns." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)

"Wild turkeys have dark feathers which help them blend in with their habitats." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of this photo: http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Pictures/Turkey3.jpg]

"Domesticated turkeys have been bred to have white feathers." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of this photo: http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Pictures/Turkey4.jpg]

"Male turkeys will start making their gobbling sound before sunrise and continue through most of the morning. Hens make a clicking sound." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)

On Tuesday, I had to bring Mystery to the vet for some blood work. As a senior cat, her kidneys aren't so great, so the vet has her on special prescription food and she gets blood tests done every now and then so we can make sure that she's doing OK. The vet called me yesterday with the results: Mystery's blood work came back showing improvements in her BUN (blood urea nitrogen), creatinine, and hematocrit levels. Yay for Mystery and her old kitty kidneys! (She's also gained weight; she's at 6 lbs. now!)

And finally, a cute Mystery story: Yesterday while I was putting away laundry, Mystery climbed onto the nightstand from the bed and from there climbed into the third drawer of our dresser, but it was filled too high for her to snuggle in. I picked her up and pulled out the next drawer instead, which had more room, and set her in it. She soon curled up and took a little cat nap; when she was done, she climbed out, using the little step-stool (laundry basket turned upside down) I'd put there for her. And she went in and out on her own two more times that night to enjoy additional naps. 

Peace. :)

NaNoWriMo Update, More Turkey Sketches

Hello everyone! I'm nearly to the halfway point for NaNoWriMo; I'm currently at 22,578 words (still need to do my writing for today). 

I've been continuing with my turkey sketches as well, so here's the next batch for you to enjoy!

"Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. On the ground they can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. Domesticated turkeys usually weigh too much to be able to fly. Their weight is about twice the weight of a wild turkey." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)

"Turkeys like to listen to music, especially classical, and will often sing along!" (http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/learn-3/factory-farmed-animals/turkeys/)

"[Turkeys] have a field of vision of about 270 degrees and are able to see in color. They can see movement almost a hundred yards away. They don't see well at night." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of first photo from here: http://littlebitsofgreen.com/article/a_new_thanksgiving_tradition/]

"[Turkeys] have a poor sense of smell, but a good sense of taste." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of this photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151966007245569&set=a.10151965989580569.1073741857.25267825568&type=3&theater]

"Male turkeys have black, hairlike feathers on their breast called beards. Some female turkeys have them too." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of this photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151966007230569&set=pb.25267825568.-2207520000.1384316201.&type=3&theater]

"The bare skin on the throat and head can change color from flat gray to shades of red, white and blue when the turkey becomes distressed or excited." (http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_facts/Turkeys.htm)
[sketch based off of this photo: http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/2013/05/nutmeg-the-turkey/]

And to bring this short post to an end, here's a little photoset which I like to call "Mystery and the Art of the Blurry Close-Up."

Peace. :)

NaNoWriMo, Turkey Sketches, and More!

Hello everyone! I'm currently in the midst of my fourth NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), wherein participants attempt to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I've been keeping myself on track (writing at least 1,667, if not a bit more, words per day). Yesterday, I passed the 10,000-word mark, so I am already a fifth of the way done (I still have to get my writing done for today, though; writing this post is a bit of procrastination on my end).

My story's still coming together, and I'm always hesitant to share what I am writing, but here goes: My story is about a girl (a senior in high school) who decides one day to leave home, setting off on foot for the city, determined to walk to her new life and never look back. Shortly after she leaves, however, her family's cat is attacked by some neighborhood boys. The girl learns that her parents intend to have the cat euthanized (disabled, the cat is now useless to her parents for the purpose of "pest control"), so she returns to rescue her friend, and the two continue the journey, together.

Also, in these days leading up to Thanksgiving, I have been doing sketches of turkeys, which I have been posting to Facebook, accompanied by some turkey facts. Each post ends with: "Respect turkeys. Go vegan." Here are the sketches I have done so far; all the quoted facts in the captions are from the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

"Turkeys like to eat breakfast and dinner together as a family. They have two main meal times, one mid-morning, the other mid-afternoon."

"Young turkeys under four weeks of age, known as poults, learn crucial survival skills and information from their mother, including what to eat, how to avoid predators, the geographical layout of the home range, and important social behaviors."
[sketch based off of this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/etaddei/5267958686/]

"Mother turkeys are fiercely protective of their young, and will risk their lives to save their babies. If she senses a threat, a mother turkey sounds a specific warning cry to her brood that means only one thing: run for cover. She may also attack, or pretend to be wounded to distract the predator from her offspring."

"Turkey hens are devoted mothers who care diligently for their young, with broods staying together for 4-5 months and male siblings maintaining a social bond for life."
[sketch based off of first photo from here: http://www.dennisgoulet.us/2009/08/turkey-and-poults/]

"Turkeys are sensitive, social individuals, and in conditions where they are permitted to thrive, they are seen for the complex, adaptive, and intelligent animals that they are."
[sketch based off of photo from here: http://www.ourhenhouse.org/2013/08/tilley-the-turkey-at-cedar-row-farm-sanctuary/]

"When trust has been established, turkeys love to be stroked, snuggled and petted for long periods of time. When receiving such affection, many turkeys make a sound that can only be described as 'purring.'"
[sketch based off of photo from here: http://www.woodstocksanctuary.org/learn-3/factory-farmed-animals/turkeys/]

I've also gotten my Thanksgiving decorations set up...

In the spirit of fall, I've made my pumpkin brownies. I didn't even use the full can of pumpkin this time, but they still turned out super mushy, so I cut them up as best I could and froze them. I've been enjoying one each night with my tea (just warm it up in the microwave for about 45 seconds). 

Also, as you may have noticed, my background design has been updated to reflect the lovely sights of fall!

Finally, here's a picture I took about a week ago of Mystery enjoying the sun; today she's grumpy because it's cloudy and rainy.

Peace. :)