One Sentence Story

 Remember a while ago I told you about talking to a 'writer' (a realio trulio 'paid cash money to write' writer) that told me writing was a muscle that needed to be exercised?  This rings in my ears a little bit lately as I find myself caught between occupations, waiting for the enterprise to grow legs while protesting loudly to anyone who'll listen that 'I do not work in TV anymore'... not to mention the six month deadline growing in my abdomen.  Of course, just because conditions are right doesn't mean inspiration is complicit, but I just 'stumbled upon' a short term remedy in the form of www.onesentence.org/.  A collection of one sentence stories - 'telling the most interesting or poignant story possible in the fewest number of words'. 

This is me extending an invitation to myself and to you to participate - I intend to open a new word document right this minute, choose Calibri, size 12 and write a nice big heading 'One Sentence Stories'.  Perhaps if the results are anything to write (far from) home about, I will share some with you.

File Under 'For Safe Keeping'

Regular reader(s) would perhaps expect a post like this to show up on my OTHER blog 'We Like Things', but somehow this one feels a little more rambly and 'hey, look at this'.  So... hey, look at this! 

Some guy called Florian Pulcher has designed these rugs called Land Carpet that are inspired by aerial shots of rural countryside in four different styles - Europe, USA, Netherlands and Africa.  Aside from the fact that I like the idea, I like how the 'styles' are so general, except for Netherlands... those poor little anal souls with limited land and even less gradient.  I've always loved aerial photos, particularly after seeing an outdoor exhibition under the Eiffel Tower in about 2002 (oh yes... I have travelled internationally, don't you know), and I'd love to see a carpet inspired by the Texas landscape and it's centre pivot irrigation.

One would have to have a pretty special house to accommodate a rug as modern as this, and you'd pretty much be signing up to a life of Schleich-related presents, but I think this is the first time I have ever liked a rug that cannot be loosely classified as 'Persian', so that was worth a bit of a ramble.

In other news, I made the Pelmeni using chicken thigh mince at your suggestion and it all worked out okay.  Interestingly, while there was no sign of turkey mince anywhere, the 'chicken' shop did sell turkey legs and wings... but the rest of the bird was notably absent.  And the dumplings were stodgy and just what I felt like, but I won't need to make them again for a while.

One Track Mind

I'm embarking on this post with no intention or plan, but... the horror... July 27 was my last post?  And it's October?  Practically mid-October?  Practically my primary reader's 30th birthday?  Say it ain't so!

The truth, dear reader(s), is that it is VERY hard to write at all when every single thought in your head is inappropriate to share with an anonymous and unrestricted readership.  I am not under any misconception that this humble blog receives more attention than it does, but while the welcome mat is out, one must keep one's house tidy and ready for guests... with all the fluff and body hair discretely under rug swept.

Putting that aside (in an expression that makes it sound easier than it is), when I last was on US soil, I visited a friend in Seattle and he took me to a funny little place over the road from Pike Place Markets that served Russian dumplings with vinegar and sour cream with a big bowl of borscht.  I remember at the time not being particularly 'whelmed' by these things, but in the way that I suspect only a pregnant woman can, I am fixated with them right now and will not be cured until I've made them, eaten them and been similarly underwhelmed.  To that ends, I have been sent a recipe for 'Pelmeni' by that friend, but I need your help to de-American for me: the ingredient list calls for '1lb of turkey (you need to get 15% fat turkey because lean 7% is too dry; ground chicken is overly dry too'.  Aside from being a CRAP load of fowl... what is this in Australia?  Do I buy chicken thighs and mince them myself?  Or some sort of turkey limb?  This fat percentage thing is a little too obscure for me... and given that the only other ingredients in the filling are one brown onion and some water, I suspect it is important to try and get it right. 

On another note, does fresh pineapple sting the crap out of your mouth?