Apparently I once again missed Spring here in New England. I keep expecting a long slow slide from winter to summer, filled with beautiful days and cool nights. Where short sleeves and long pants feel perfectly comfortable, but you want a sweater at night. Yeah I know- I forget sometimes that I don't live in Paradise. Instead... one day I'm in jeans, socks and a long-sleeved shirt or T-shirt/polarfleece combo; the next, I'm in shorts and a tank top sweating bullets and trying to remember how our central air works.
The sweaters, turtlenecks and heavy shoes have gone back into hiding, replaced by shorts, sandals and the occasional ::gasp:: dress. I made Kid Brillig try on all her clothes from last year and filled in the gaps where she changed sizes, and had my minor panic attack that this time next year she could well be shopping in the Junior and not the Girl's Department. Expect to hear about it here :-).
The baristas at the coffee shop don't ask anymore whether I want my drink hot or iced; no, the only question they now have is "three shots or four?". (No,they don't ask what I'm having... I've been getting the same thing for so long that on the rare occasion I order something else the entire staff stops and stares. I keep reminding myself when they get new staff that my order is not part of their orientation training :-))
I always know it's summertime, though, when our eating habits change. Heavy meals suddenly don't sound appealing, nor do those taking hours in the kitchen. Simmer stock for hours? Nuh uh. Toss a burger on the grill or sausages with sauteed onions and peppers? Now you're talking! (Obdisclaimer: when I say "toss on the grill" I of course mean Mr. Brillig is grilling, while I ready condiments and cutlery. Outdoor cooking is to me one of those Traditional Gender Role things, and I'm a strict constructionist in this arena.) Burgers and hot dogs, steaks, pork tenderloin or tasty chicken, it all tastes better on the grill. Vegetables and fruit fresh from the twice-a-week local farm stand are staples. I love pasta with a bit of olive oil, black pepper and grated Parmesan instead of with meatballs and hearty red sauce, and would gladly eschew most other vegetables for an ear or three of fresh sweet corn. The first day of local sweet corn is one of my most favorite days of summer.
What are your favorite foods this time of year? Do you crave fresh greens and a delicious vinaigrette, or are you a potato salad and lobster roll fan? Share what you love, so we can all drool our way into summer!
And now on to Top Comments! Grab a Fenway frank as we check the contents of the TC mailbox. You did send a comment in, right? ::mumbleIforgotmumble:: OK, then promise to do it tomorrow!
From jnhobbs:
In nyceve's The looming scandal of taxpayer-subsidized Congressional
healthcare , Dallasdoc suggests we: Give members of Congress straight Medicare.
From mayim:
In georgia10's diary A Fool or A Fraud there were great responses (among others...):
The Termite makes up a new word
Bindle has a snack suggestion for reporters
and Bobdevo points out the third option
From kath25:
Chris in West Seattle has a nice timeline of the past week. (kath25 modestly omits that the comment was in her diary Obama Will Staff Up in Every State!)
From ezdidit:
This comment from MotleyC will explain a lot to FOX Noise. I think it may be the original source of the secret (non-)handshake.
Send it to Keith O. (I have no address for him.)
From Land of Enchantment:
From the one and only ct, the one person Daily Kos really cannot do without, in his diary on behalf of the Netroots Nation Scholarship Program today.
From Your Diarist du Jour:
snowitch's diary I went to Appalachia this weekend left me unsettled. bluejeandem made me feel better.
In BarbinMD's Obama: McCain offers "a full-throated endorsement of George Bush's policies", litho said what I would have if I'd gotten there first.
In dansac's Obama Told Lieberman to Stop Spreading "Muslim" Meme, BonzoDogBand makes Harry Reid sound like an irresponsible pet owner.
Next up... Top Mojo!! I used the mojo-to-excel magic of cskendrick tweaked by sardonyx to lovingly compile these two lists of the comments most recommended by you the members of DailyKos.
Top 30 comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first comments and C&J:
1) Give him a break. He's having an identity crisis. by Krum — 176
2) That's their formal wear. by Timroff — 145
3) Our Dem leaders need to draw attention by dansac — 138
4) IIRC, this place was all Edwards all the time by Delaware Dem — 133
5) Activists and Bloggers by mikeplugh — 115
6) From what I understand, their no-drama strategy by dawnt — 112
7) Okay. I'll be brave!!! by Lava20 — 105
8) Dewberry, PaRR, URS by mikeplugh — 97
9) Yes, because... by elishastephens — 93
10) Read this awesome slam Gibbs put out by turneresq — 86
11) I have no words for how great this is. by droogie6655321 — 86
12) Recommended... by droogie6655321 — 85
13) In defense of Kucinich . . . by osterizer — 84
14) Now this is by DMiller — 83
15) Not the point exactly. by mikeplugh — 81
16) Audience reaction was astounding by kamarvt — 81
17) Give members of Congress straight Medicare by Dallasdoc — 80
18) Personally I didn't need more than the title by cishart — 79
19) I wish that was true, but these m**erf**kers... by Melody Townsel — 78
20) "by the way" by JoeW — 78
21) I work for URS by pmc1970 — 77
22) where is FEMA? by alizard — 76
23) Just the wingnut sense of humor by InsultComicDog — 76
24) Wrong by elishastephens — 75
25) I'm watching it now because of your diary... by Jimdotz — 75
26) I'm also partial to: by Tiny Wurlitzer — 73
27) This also forces McCain by TomP — 72
28) It's also a cheap shot by fat old man — 70
29) McClellan needs secret service protection by darthstar — 70
30) From Wiki... by Lava20 — 68
Top 30 comments with no exclusions:
1) Tips for getting the word out? by hannah — 693
2) Tips for stopping Joe from spreading lies by dansac — 616
3) Tips for Barack Obama, by TomP — 592
4) Tip jar by elishastephens — 453
5) Tips for All 50 States! by kath25 — 441
6) Tips for Substance by Muzikal203 — 426
7) Tips by JedReport — 287
8) Tips, comments, flames N/T by ARingMD2B — 238
9) It's a cheap shot . . . by nyceve — 237
10) Tips for "Toss Up" by Larry Kissell — 231
11) Tips / mojo: 8 June 08 by A Siegel — 224
12) I hit the wrong effing button and accidentally by Bill Prendergast — 212
13) Tip jar by Elrod — 203
14) Give him a break. He's having an identity crisis. by Krum — 176
15) Somewhere in the White House by BoiseBlue — 163
16) That's their formal wear. by Timroff — 145
17) Tip jar - as requested... by Dave Kamper — 144
18) belated tip jar. by billlaurelMD — 139
19) Our Dem leaders need to draw attention by dansac — 138
20) Post a tip jar please by Lava20 — 128
21) Activists and Bloggers by mikeplugh — 115
22) From what I understand, their no-drama strategy by dawnt — 112
23) Okay. I'll be brave!!! by Lava20 — 107
24) Dewberry, PaRR, URS by mikeplugh — 97
25) Yes, because... by elishastephens — 94
26) Read this awesome slam Gibbs put out by turneresq — 86
27) I have no words for how great this is. by droogie6655321 — 86
28) Recommended... by droogie6655321 — 85
29) In defense of Kucinich . . . by osterizer — 84
30) She should be fired by smash artist — 84
