Looking For...

Okay, so I'm working, and what this means is that I have two things open on my desktop right now: The program where I type what people say, and this browser. Normally, while I work, I have this browser open, and I read Livejournal, peruse comic strips, and look over my Google statistics for my other blogs.

But I'm bored.

Please, share with me some interesting sites. I need them to NOT include sound or video, but visual media such as art and comics are fine. Comics are okay, but interesting articles are even better.

Interesting articles that include comics are priceless.

Art is good, but it REALLY has to hold my interest.

What've you got? Hit me!

Thoughts

Which would you rather be, noting that one does not necessarily preclude the other, but outshines it:

Persuasive, or Well-Liked?

Very Attractive, or Very Intelligent?

Graceful, or Rich?

Up Late

I can remember when "staying up late" meant that I saw the sunrise through the trees of my friend's backyard, or getting home just before it was time to get up for school the next day. Usually, I'll admit, I ended up staying home from school when I was up that late, but I never would have considered midnight "late."

Then I vaguely recall, with a sense of someone possibly making up the memory because they think they should be able to remember it, when "up late" meant after 8 or 8:30. The disappointment when my parents suddenly realized that it was after 9, that the movie they were watching was probably going to give me nightmares for a week, and that I was gleefully watching it, quietly watching them to make sure they didn't notice me.

Now, it's eleven at night, dark outside, the dogs sleeping in the bedroom with Maria, and my eyes are trying to betray me. I want to go to bed, go to sleep and be blissfully unaware for a while. I could, very easily, and not regret it in the morning except for knowing that I could have stayed up later and gotten more done. A small regret, when all is said and done, really.

At midnight I'll sneak into the bedroom, slide under the covers next to Maria while quieting Monster down as she yips at me from inside her cage, and push MaiTai closer to the bottom of the bed where she normally sleeps. I'll drop off into sleep quickly, without all the normal nighttime tossing and turning that comes with going to bed before I'm really ready, and I'll dream.

Morning will come, and hopefully, if my projection is correct, and I have actually been getting too much sleep lately, I'll feel refreshed and ready to face the day. I might stay in bed until after Maria's done getting ready for her day, since I don't have to actually go to work until nine or so, but at 7:30 I want to be up and out of bed, ready to face the day.



Yeah. Good luck with that. My other half that's not nearly as positive says quite plainly "Screw you! I'm going to bed now, sleeping in, and getting 9 hours of sleep!"

Guess we'll see who wins, both tonight and in the morning.

Cooking 101

Okay, I need your help folks, and I know there are people out there that can give me GREAT ideas. I'm trying to cook a nice meal tomorrow for Maria and myself. I'm not exactly stumped, and I have some thoughts as to what I want, but the exacts are missing.

Here's what I want: a meatless (yes, I'm back to eating meat, but we just don't have any right now) taco that is filling, and tastes fantastic.

Here's what I have: Kidney beans, taco shells, LOTS of cheddar cheese, lettuce, sweet tomatoes, most basic condiments (but NO salsa), and just about any dried spice I could ever need*.

How would you make this and have it be tasty? You have all day, as I don't need this until about 4 PM EST, and I'm posting it before midnight, so if you have to think, look around, research, feel free. I just need a little help.

And if there's an ingredient you think you need that I don't mention, let me know, I have more.

*Okay, so no Heart of Paradise, or whatever it is, but I only just heard about that like two weeks ago, and have never used it.