My Dallas Photowalk Slideshow

I participated in Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk last month, which was fun. I didn't get any particularly stunning and fabulous photos, but I've put some of the nicer ones in a Slide slideshow down at the bottom of this blog, if you care to peek.

Also, check out the Kaboodle box on the side, because I've got a brand-new kit out! It's Appletime! :)

Yay, I had a date! :)

Last night was one of those anomalies: my husband & I got to go on a date! :) And if you know me, you'll know that it was inevitable. Steely Dan was in town. We have not missed them in Dallas since their July 2000 show, where I officially became a big DanFan. We went to Luby's for dinner (I know...not so romantic, but we were pressed for time and I didn't want fast food) and in a bit of serendipity, we heard "Do It Again" on Luby's music system while we were eating. I told dh that it seemed like a very appropriate choice.

This was my fifth SD concert, having gone to the ones in 2000, 2003, plus 2 in 2006 (Dallas and San Antonio). I think the 2000 one will always be the gold standard for me, but I certainly enjoyed last night. We got The Royal Scam again, which hasn't been done here since it was the opener after the 2000 intermission. I finally got to hear a Donald Fagen song live (The New Frontier). Walter Becker sang a song again, after skipping any vocals in 2006. (Walter, maybe you're not the casual fan favorite, but I & others enjoy you and would LOVE to have heard something from Circus Money, a d*** fine album.) I was missing Carolyn Leonhart a bit since I'm a fan of her, but I can't argue with the wonderful trio of ladies they currently have.

And it almost didn't happen, but I got to see a Fez Guy. Every SD concert we've been to in town, I've seen some guy(s) wearing a fez. I now make it a point to check for Fez Guys; it just wouldn't seem like a SD concert without 'em. :) So, Fez Guy at the souvenir stand after the show, we caught ya and we salute you! I was hoping to see one before the show, because I figured they'd be happy to hear (if they already didn't know) that The Fez was *finally* part of the setlist this year, albeit in instrumental form.

Due to our smidgen of a budget, we couldn't spring for close seats this year. We were up in the balcony, but I think it worked out pretty well because there were only about 8 people in our section. So we had some privacy,which was nice. (This is assuming you can call a concert with thousands of people "private". LOL)

Mr. Fagen announced in an article earlier this year that there would be the possibility of a solo tour in the fall. If either Donald or Walter do this, PLEASE COME TO DALLAS. We usually get overlooked in favor of the coastal cities. So, somebody pass it on, ok? :) Thanks!

I've had a busy couple of days, so I'm looking forward to trying to relax before Monday arrives. (Monday is THE DAY: kindergarten for my firstborn!)

Please don't let The Mole season finale be *the* finale!

In only a few more days, we'll find out who this season's Mole is, on ABC's The Mole. If you're watching and you like the show, consider taking a moment to pop over to The Mole message board at ABC.com and sign the online petition to save the show. If you read the board, you'll find there are other ways to get involved, too, but the petition is quick and only requires you to register to post, then give your name & city. Every person we add can help!

Oh, and I'm still picking Mark as the Mole, Craig as the winner, and Nicole as the loser. We'll see soon! :)

Man cannot live by bread alone...

...but with these rolls, you might consider it! :D I just finished up another double batch of Honey Oat cloverleaf rolls, my favorite rolls! This bread dough recipe makes enough to have 1 dozen to eat & 1 dozen to freeze. It's from The Bread Machine Cookbook series of books (Nitty Gritty Publications), although I forget which one. (I think it's the very first one.) Anyways, I make the 2 lb. loaf in my bread machine on the dough setting, and then shape them into these.

Here's what you need for the 2 lb. recipe for Honey Oat Bread:

1 1/2 Cups water

2 Tablespoons oil

1/3 Cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Cups oats

3 1/2 Cups bread flour

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

I put it all in the bread machine in that order, and I choose the dough setting. Then, when that's done, I'm ready to shape rolls! You can expect to need two 12 count muffin/cupcake pans for this. I divide the dough in half, then start pinching off bits of dough that are just slightly smaller than ping-pong ball shape. Roll it into a nice ball, and add it to a muffin cup. Put three of these in each muffin cup.

I also prefer to double-baste them with butter. One basting goes on before they cook, while they are rising, to promote browning. Then, as soon as they are out of the oven I'll baste them with butter again, which adds more flavor and keeps the crust softer. (Yeah, the butter's not so healthy, but it's good. It *might* work with something like Smart Balance Spread, as long as you're using one with a high oil content.) I've been cooking them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. They may not be the prettiest rolls on the planet, but man, are they tasty!

The Mole: We're down to 4!

Well, either I got the text clue correct, or I'm lucky with that 1 in 5 chance. :) But I really, really had a feeling I was going to be right when the show started to milk Nicole's comments about throwing the game & going home. And when Jon (love ya, Jon!) said there was a tie, I figured that was the big "shocker" that was mentioned on the Behind-the-Scenes blog. (The shocker being that she doesn't go home like you would expect after all that talk.)

I'll go ahead & make my prediction for who goes home next week: Paul. This is just based on some web readings. Plus, the preview for next week showed Mark & Nicole reacting (or in Mark's case, not really reacting) over the next execution. I can envision Nicole reacting that way about Paul.

One week to go to find out, though! LOL!

Mole thoughts, and a reminder...

It's Monday! That means...another episode of The Mole! :) Mark is still around, although after last week's run on the treadmill, it's hard to say if it was done to throw off Mole-y suspicion, or if it was genuine. I don't have a good theory at this point, so I'll stick with Mark.

And I'll make another prediction. (What the heck? We'll all have a good laugh if I'm wrong. :) ) Supposedly the text clue for tonight's ep is EP 1245. Most people are speculating that the number "3" is missing in that sequence. And usually these text clues point to whoever is going home on that episode. I've looked at some thumbnails of screen shots of tonights show, and Clay (and his wife) are sitting in the number 3 spot. So, I'll guess Clay is leaving. We'll know for sure around 10:55 Eastern!

The reminder: Friday is the last day of the Christmas in July event. All my Xmas stuff at Digitals is 50% off through then, plus there's a non-Xmas related Product of the Day that's 50% off each day. (Today it's the Neutrality paper pack, which will give you 16 "go-with-anything" papers for $1.75!) And we're on day 8 of the Christmas quickpage givaway. Check out my Seebee's Freebies Blogspot for that.

I also got up a new product in the store over the weekend: it's the Fairyland brush set, for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. It's a fun way to add some "pixie dust" to your layouts. :)

That's all for now!

Who is The Mole?

With the second half of the season beginning tonight, and a recap show about to start in 20 minutes, I figure it's as good a time as any to proclaim my love for The Mole. :) I normally abhor reality tv, like Survivor or Big Brother, but The Mole is more like a mystery, and not a popularity contest like the others. I started watching around the middle of the first season thanks to a friend's recommendation, and it wasn't long before I was hooked. Seriously, if you haven't watched before, give it a try; they could use the ratings & I really would like to see it return next year. (It's even given me a reason to look forward to Mondays! LOL!)

And if you want my current opinion on who The Mole is, I'm choosing Mark. (Now, watch him get executed tonight!)