Wins for the Weekend

Some little 'wins' that helped make this weekend a memorable one for me:

• Read the entirety of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's Planetary graphic novel series this weekend. I first started reading the series in high school and the final issue (#27) came out last fall (it was on an indefinite hiatus for about three years and came out at best sporadically after that).
  
  It had always been one of those books I really loved reading - it captured the imagination and filled you with a spirit of wonder - but it wasn't until this weekend when I put them all together and read them one after another that I realized just how... breathtaking the whole presented image really was. How seemless the story became. If you read one comics series (not including limited runs like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns), read Planetary - there really is something for everyone in there!
  
Here's a link to the cover of Planetary #27, the book's final issue. (Marvel at Cassaday's amazing art!)


• I bought a new car on Thursday - a white 2002 Chevy Malibu - and have been driving it around all weekend. Nothing really epic to report, but it's nice to have a reliable vehicle to get from A to B in. (Illinois friends, this means I'm in for possible roadtrips later this summer.)


• I've taken a summer job at Barnes & Noble (where I worked before becoming a teacher at Covenant) in order to get some extra cash. Last night, I was shelving some books in the bargain section and noted that someone had taken all of the copies of Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" and moved them from their designated section to the bargain section.
  
  This ticks me off for two reasons: (1.) You have political feelings. Awesome. So do I. So does everyone. Airing them out in a forum like Barnes & Noble by doing some lame, childish faux-covert ops move is not only juvenile, it's not going to convince anyone of anything except how dumb you are. (2.) When you put things back in the wrong spot, someone else who is not you has to put them back in the right spot. Sometimes, this person is me. I'm not your mom. Clean up your messes, people!
  
  I probably would have continued to be mad, but when I got to the section they were supposed to be in and got down to put them all away, I found they had been replaced with one solitary copy of this book. I mean, how can you stay mad about that?! Short answer: you can't.
  
• On my way home from work last night, I got an odd phone call from a group of my Illinois friends who decided to call me out of the blue and taunt me. It amused me and made me miss all of them a great deal. Which is why I'm contemplating a trip up there sometime between now and August. 'Cause they're good people.
  
• Today is Father's Day and, in addition to me getting my dad a 'Best of ZZ Top' CD, the whole family went out to Smokey Bones for some barbecue! I'm a big fan of barbecue myself and managed to take down their BBQ Chicken - an entire half-chicken covered in their sweet barbecue sauce. It was very delicious and, if I'm honest, I can say I'm still a little full from the ordeal.
  
• After lunch, I headed out to see a production of "Rabbit Hole" at Spotlight Players. I've done a couple of shows at Spotlight now (with another one on the way in August - tell your friends!) and knew a couple of people affiliated with the production. Brent Wooldridge, the director, was in "Sorry, Wrong Number" with me last summer, then directed me in "Dearly Beloved," and was also in "Insane With Power" with me immediately after that. So I know him well enough to be in trouble if I weren't there. My friend Ericka Barker - whom I met after auditions for "Dearly Beloved" - had managed to snag the lead in this show also, so I had to see her too. I had just seen her about a month or two back in "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder" and thought she did wonderfully in both shows, pulling off a level of emotional intensity in both productions that I was just astounded by! If this weren't the last day of this production, I'd encourage you all to go see it. Sadly, though, you can't.

Now, I'm gonna go home and eat food. Maybe finish watching season two of "Mad Men". We shall see.

What were some of the highlights of your weekend?

Summer Potato Salad

My mom has gotten me into eating food that's as fresh as possible - and I kinda like it. We got to the local Farmer's Market about every other week, buy local produce and dairy at the grocery store whenever possible, and Mom gets an order from something called Farm Fresh every other week.

Farm Fresh buys from local farms/food preparation places and delivers some great food to your doorstep however often you decide to pay for it. It's opened up our eyes to some great food possibilities and revealed to the family some new favorites. Occasionally, when Mom has leftovers (or things she's sure we'd enjoy) from Farm Fresh, she'll pass them along to my sister Emilee or myself.

Last weekend, Mom gave me a half a bag of small fingerling potatoes (I believe) and I decided to be a bit adventurous and craft my own little riff on a classic potato salad using whatever ingredients I happened to have around. I think I was successful!


I think this version is a great salute to the classic potato salad you know and love! The red wine vinegar and horseradish add a little bite, which balances nicely against the cooling sensation of the fresh dill (which I will be growing in my garden this summer!). With the weather warming up, what better time to try out this new take on a well-loved classic?

NOTE: I substituted red potatoes for the fingerling potatoes mentioned about for the second time I made this salad (which is what I based the recipe off of). Any small, thin-skinned potato will work fine, but if you like russets or yukon golds, you'll want to peel your taters first.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. medium to small red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, skins on!
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled then chopped
  
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (homemade is best)
• 1/4 c. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 dill pickle, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp. paprika
• - salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in salted water and bring to boil. Cook until they are easily piercable with a fork (not quite fork-tender/mashed potato-stage - you want them just after al dente).
2. Drain water from potatoes and add to a large bowl. WHILE THE POTATOES ARE STILL WARM, add mayo, mustard, horseradish, and vinegar. Stir together until the potatoes are evenly coated. (If you like your potato salad wetter, add more mayo.)
3. Add eggs, celery, pickle, onion, and garlic and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
4. Finish with dill, paprika, and salt & pepper, stirring after each to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
5. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or until ready to serve.

Serve chilled.

Serves: 3-5
Serving Suggestions: This salad is the perfect accompaniment to your favorite cookout foods - burgers, brats, hot dogs, barbecued chicken, ribs... whatever! Serve it cool on a hot summer day alongside your favorite grilled fare and a cool, refreshing glass of lemonade or beer (if you go in for that sort of thing).