Just putting the blog into hibernation for the winter. There's been lots of family stuff, lots of wurk stuff, lots of other stuff to keep up with lately. Please to be checking back again in the springtime, or when I actually find the time to update. Whichever comes first. Or you can catch me on the Twitters.

And now to sweet slumber...

m.toast: Um.
dangerboy: whoa
m.toast: Yes. O.O
m.toast: I was just walking along. Minding my own bidness. And there it was.
m.toast: Sitting in a parking lot at 75th and Wornall.
m.toast: I'm disturbed.
dangerboy: is the german restaurant still in bidness?
dangerboy: could be another convention in town
m.toast: I don't even know. I haven't kept track.
m.toast: I sort of hope they're to blame.
m.toast: But then again, I kind of hope not.
dangerboy: very odd
m.toast: Haven't noticed any goose-stepping
m.toast: or brown shirt-wearing in the neighborhood.
m.toast: But. Scary.
dangerboy: indeed. have you reported it to the mayor of waldeaux?
m.toast: Har. He hangs at Tommy Farha's.
m.toast: You forget. The Italians were in with the Germans for that round.
m.toast: Maybe I should post it on Craig's List under Lost and Found.
dangerboy: lol
m.toast: On the other hand, I guess I don't need 400 skinheads knowing where I live.
m.toast: Fucking unsettling in one's own hood.

Looked it up. The Berliner Bear closed last May. It's a Scooby-Deutsche Mystery...

I'm merely in hiding for the duration of the Xmas madness. I've retreated into my bunker at Casa Toast until further notice.

I put the traditional Sanity Clause toilet seat cover on the toilet last week, made gingerbread fetuses the week before, and went to my favorite Xmas play the week before that. So I've performed my usual token holiday duties.

Will think about emerging from my anti-Xmas bunker after things settle down a bit (ie, when it's safe to go to the gawdamn Hyvee without fear of losing a limb). Maybe in a week or two. In the meantime, the rest of you feel free enjoy the seasonal winter holiday of your choice. I'll catch you in the new year, beaches.

Going right off the wagon to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. w00t! Turkey for me! Also, real pho for a change. *nom* Heading south for Okie-Land for a few days for family times and favorite old haunts. By roughly this time next week, I should be sitting around scratching my full stomach and watching the Step Unit eat giant slices of ham on top of giant slices of pie. With whipped cream. Oy.

If you need me, I suggest you check inside these fine establishments:

Guestroom Records                                             The Opolis
                                   

Pho Thai Nguyen                                                 Super Cao Nguyen
                                            

Grand House                                                        Edna’s bar
                                               

OKC Museum of Art – Chihuly!                              Skulls Unlimited – Might do a little shopping...
                                            

Yes. I used to want to be a goat pharmer, once upon a time. And I still wouldn’t mind that sort of life. White rubber overalls and sterilized Wellies all around. Milking the goats first thing in the morning, purifying the pharmaceuticals (or explosives?) in the afternoons, etc. But a recent turn in current world events has grabbed my ear and made me reconsider…

m.toast: Drudge is picking up the pirate news now.
m.toast: Awezome.
shellystorm: You like the pirates, huh.
m.toast: Becoming a minor obsession.
m.toast: The sociopolitical complexities appeal to me.
m.toast: Besides the grenade launchers.
shellystorm: They're interesting.
shellystorm: Though I have noticed
shellystorm: that pirates of the Caribbean types
shellystorm: are overly trendy these days.
m.toast: Eh. That's Disney.
shellystorm: Yeah.
m.toast: Pirates have layaway apparently. At port.
m.toast: It's not just Kmart anymore.
shellystorm: I hear layaway is making a comeback these days.
shellystorm: Why not let the pirates take a shot.
m.toast: Har. Automatic weapons. Many shots to be had.
shellystorm: Ha.
m.toast: Al-Qaida is now claiming to be involved with the oil supertanker pirates.
shellystorm: Craziness.
m.toast: Not too unlikely. Ultra conservative Muslims do run more than half of Somalia, I’ve read.
m.toast: But I'd bet a $10 m ransom is small potatoes if you've got private Saudi backing.
shellystorm: Oh yeah. $10m ain't nothin.
m.toast: You see, I like the endless potential for armchair speculation involved.
m.toast: And it gets weirder and weirder daily. *bonus*
shellystorm: It's been all over the news as of late.
m.toast: "When the ransom payday comes, the money sometimes literally falls from the sky."
m.toast: "Pirates say the ransom arrives in burlap sacks, sometimes dropped from buzzing helicopters, or in waterproof suitcases loaded onto tiny skiffs in the roiling, shark-infested sea."
m.toast: Frickin sweeeeet.
shellystorm: I think you have a new profession in the making.
m.toast: Tempting. Very tempting.

Fall always makes a grumpy Toast. Because the next season down the line is inevitably winter, which I despise. But then I remember all the wonderful fall foodie-ness, and it cheers me up a bit. Lately I’ve been oven-roasting tasty squashes, baking apples and apple pies, and swilling the Louisburg apple cider like there’s no tomorrow.

And pumpkin everything has been ruling my face. Pumpkin spice coffay, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spice cake, and especially pumpkin pancakes. After attempts with two different pumpkin pancake recipes (FAIL and FAIL), AllRecipes.com came through with this keeper. I’m posting it here after several sharing requests, but I warn you, these suckers are addictive. I’m on batch #3 in three weeks. Been making giant batches on Saturdays, freezing some, and parceling them out for breakfast microwavings through the week. I highly recommend it.

Pumpkin pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, stir into pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Heat an oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop batter onto griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

(Recipe also available here at AllRecipes.com.)

Just went to vote, and am slightly sad. My polling place is some sort of religious school around the way (I forget what flavor). And for about a year since I've been voting there, there's been a picture of Creepy Jeezus on the wall in the hallway leading to the voting area.

By Creepy Jeezus, I mean a stern-faced gaunt-eyed jeezus, glowering down disapprovingly from a background of dark storm clouds. The kind of jeezus you look at and you know that HE knows that you've voted all wrong. Yet again. You godless hippie freak.

Wonder if maybe the little old polling ladies finally got a complaint about the picture and took it down. It made me feel sorry for the schoolkids who had to use that hallway every day. I'll bet some of them feel every ounce of the weight of their little kid sins looking at that picture. I felt every bit of my voting sins, and I only saw the thing for a few minutes on election days.

But I guess I actually will miss the creepy bastard a little bit. Around the edges maybe. I really wanted to get a photo of him this time. Ah well. Maybe the election results will cheer me up...

Came home last Friday to find this happy little present parked in my front yard. Yay! I was beginning to think the requested signage wouldn’t appear until too late, but it finally showed up. Yes. It’s true. I worship at the altar of light rail.

Probly not that surprising considering my enthusiasm for public transportation. But I never much thought about light rail until I began visiting the Sister Unit in Portland, OR. In PDX lies the Holy Grail of Light Rail. Or maybe the giantest vat of light rail kool-aid ever brewed. Yes. I drank some... OK, I drank a lot. Hard not to when the PDX rail system, (prophetically?) known as the MAX, goes to the airport, downtown, uptown, suburbs, and the Holy Temple of Housewares, the Ikea on the NE side of town.

I realize it’s hard to think about paying for light rail at the moment, considering the sewerage/drainage renovation issues KCMO is facing. Considering the cost of a rail system and the uncertain funding situation. And the expansion plan that depends on support from the suburbs. But I’m going to vote yes. As an act of faith. Based upon my belief that this city might someday get its shit together. Yea, fellow voters, let us all climb aboard the Grace Train.

To that end, I offer a few verses from the Bible of Public Transport. From the book of Bill the Bus Driver; Bus 56, Standard Fare $1.25:

While they were boarding, Bill the Bus Driver took some light rail brochures,
and after the bus fares were collected, He gave them to the bus riders,
and said, "Take this, keep it; this is thy light rail map."

When He had taken a cup of light rail kool-aid and given thanks,
He gave it to the riders, saying, "Drink from it, all of you”;
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks,
He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

And then He distributed light rail fare tokens and gave thanks,
He gave them to the riders, saying,
"This is thy fare which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of public transport."

And in the same way He took the cup after they had drunk,
saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in light rail tax...”