08.28.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:10 am by trueepicure
In the never ending quest to replace corn products in my diet, I’ve been trying to find mints that are safe for me to eat. I found some great mints online: St. Claire’s Organics. They have a variety of products from mints to candies to throat drops. And they’re all corn-free! They are also free of most other allergens and are vegetarian.
I bought a tin of peppermints last night at Whole Foods. They’re a little off-putting at first because they are brown (from molasses crystals) as opposed to the usual white peppermints like Altoids. They taste good, however, and two tiny mints get rid of coffee mouth! I’ll be trying some of the fruit flavors next.
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08.26.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:16 am by trueepicure
Sarah is the winner of the impromptu Armed Forces quiz! She’ll be receiving some DC fun this week in the mail.
For those interested, the five branches of the Armed Forces are: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. A lot of people, including me until about 2 months ago, think the fifth branch is the National Guard. The National Guard is actually the Army National Guard, and it grew out of the militias from the Revolutionary War. The Guard became part of the Army in 1933 after the passage of the The National Guard Mobilization Act.
The Coast Guard is the oldest organizations in the Federal government, and until the Navy was formed in the late 1700s, it was the only armed force afloat. The Coast Guard provides a number of different services to the nation’s waterways, including natigation aid, search and rescue, and to my knowledge, is the only branch of the armed forces with regulatory and (US) law enforcement powers.
So there you have it; a little history lesson on the US Armed Forces. Be on the lookout for another quiz in the near future!
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08.17.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:27 pm by trueepicure
The balcony has turned into a mini jungle. I think I now have all of the cuttings and plants potted up, and a couple extras to boot. (I had to replace the couple of babies that perished on the way, you know. ;))
Plants are a sickness, a good one, but a sickness nonetheless. It’s the middle of August, and I planted some seeds. Just a few. Really. I’ll have to move them inside for the winter, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
The suspects:
Hibiscus ‘Red Shield’
Nicotiana alata (Aztec Nicotiana, smells like Jasmine!)
Lathyrus odorata (Sweet Pea)
Salvia sclarata (Clary Sage)
Nasturtium ‘Empress of India’
Whee!
Well, it’s better than illegal substances, right?
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08.13.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:54 pm by trueepicure
Head over to the Bloomin’ Knitiot and donate to her daughter’s 3-Day Walk fund. She needs $400 dollars to make her goal. You’ll be glad you did.
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08.08.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:24 pm by trueepicure
I was reading some conference proceedings at work the other day, and I happened upon the transcripts of the comments of some Federal government official or other. Apparently the transcriber wasn’t very well versed in french phrases that we have adopted into our American lexicon.
The official was speaking about the theme of the conference, the team spirit of whatever agency he was from, and the esprit de core of the organization. Huh? Esprit de WHAT? It’s esprit de corps. Right?
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Posted in Uncategorized at 10:16 pm by trueepicure
Home.
Home, where my thoughts escaping
Home, where my music’s playing
Home, where my love lies…
Grilling the chic-ken!
Actually, I think it was steak, but it didn’t have enough vowels. Many apologies to Simon and Garfunkel for my co-opting their song.
I’m still weirded out by the fact that I live in DC-Land. It’s kind of strange driving, and looking to the left to check the lane, and noticing the Pentagon sitting there. Riding home from the Metro: Oh, hello, Washington Monument. You’re looking kind of pale today, is everything alright? On the freeway to go visit some friends: Mr. Lincoln, you’re looking quite dapper today. It’s really weird - but I love it.
I’m sure that I’ll get over the novelty of it, but I’m totally enjoying it for now. Growing up in NYC, I was somewhat immune to the novelty aspect of the landmarks. (Though I do get a thrill anytime I see one in a movie or in a picture) I hope I don’t get totally jaded living here.
Oh, and I learned what the 5th branch of the Armed Forces is! Do you know? Post a comment with all five by August 20th and you’ll be entered to win a prize. I’ll send one lucky (random) commenter some nifty DC schwag. Two limitations: you are NOT allowed to look it up, and you can’t be military. (Sorry Ashley) Scouts’ honor folks!
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