The Priority of Tragedy

I spend a lot of time on checkout lines at the local Publix, Walmart, and BJs, and Waldbaum's long before that, and you know what that means - I read a lot of headlines from magazines and scandal sheets.  Don't laugh at me, you know you do the same exact thing.  Anyway, how can you avoid them?  They are the last thing you see before handing over your hard-earned cash (or sliding your debit card) for the cashier who is jaded from having seen it all.  I used to trust People magazine as the most accurate and least outrageous, but Time, Inc. must have fallen on hard times because People is now no better than Us Weekly.  Not quite National Enquirer.  Not yet, anyway.

First bloom from the new hibiscus at the front of the house

These days, I rely on the Internet if I want to read the news, because as I've previously mentioned, I am allergic to newsprint.  The best is the New York Times; everything else ranges from meh to feh.  It occurred to me this morning that Facebook has its own version of the scandal sheets, along the right-hand side of the computer and iPad screens.  Sometimes the headlines are indicative of important world events and are worthy of follow-up; others, not so much.  This morning, the juxtaposition of trending articles had me shaking my head in annoyance.

Trending

Manhattanhenge
Sunset aligns with New York City Street Grid For Second Day On Saturday (okay, big deal, I'm sure I've seen this numerous times in the past)

Kendall Jenner
Model Posts Photo Wearing Revealing Shorts On Instagram (this is news? She flashed a butt cheek? Or are we talking about - dare I say? - camel toe?  Shudder.)

Beau Biden
US Vice President's Son Dies From Brain Cancer at 46, Joe Biden Says  (This is news, real news, tragic news.  The Vice President has lost a child, and there is nothing worse.)

My question is, why wasn't Beau Biden's story mentioned first? He wasn't just the oldest child of the Vice President, he was a former Attorney General for the state of Delaware, an Iraqi War veteran, a candidate for governor of his state, a prosecutor who rightfully targeted pedophiles and child abusers.

So Kendall Jenner, one more spawn of that disgusting Kardashian clan, posted a picture of herself wearing a pair of Daisy Dukes, and that is "trending" news?

(If you clicked on the Kendall Jenner article first, please don't tell me.)

Some of the vegetables - Japanese eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, Roma tomato, and okra

I'm not cooking today.  That's the third day in a row, and I think it will take another two days before I undertake any serious cooking.  I actually had to do something today I hate to do - throw out spoiled food.  Damn, I hate to waste.  I should have looked to freeze the extras while they were still fresh, but I had too many aluminum pans stacked in the fridge and I lost track.

The remaining vegetables to be planted - red and green bell peppers, cherry tomato, and jalapeño 

I am having to restrain myself.  Cooking is therapeutic, and I'm missing my therapy sessions.  And there are things I really want to make:  Brooklyn Fried Chicken, My Mother's Meat Sauce, and Chili Rellenos.  I don't know where that last one popped up from, but it's there at the fringes of my cooking conscience, along with mussels steamed in a wine-garlic sauce.  If anything, I will start on the fried chicken, since it is a three day process.

Whole cut up chicken, seasoned with Montreal Chicken blend

Yes, three days.  One to allow the seasoning to penetrate the chicken flesh, the second day to marinate the chicken in a mixture of buttermilk and Crystal hot sauce, and the third to flour and pan fry that tasty bird.  And then maybe my guys will have eaten all or most of the existing food stash.  Hell, I'm holding back on that fried chicken until they do.

Although ... well, I have to admit I am in the middle of smoking a bologna ring in the oven, inspired by something we first had at Thompson Brothers BBQ in Smyrna, Georgia.  It's been a long time since we've taken a trip to the Atlanta area - or Savannah - or Little Rock ...

Blueberry bushes

In the meantime, we've been gardening.  No digging today - I done wore myself out yesterday - but we snagged two awesome blueberry bushes, so maybe tomorrow or the next day.  That goes for the peppers, jalapeno, and cherry tomatoes as well.  And that should just about wrap up our growing season - not bad for a late start.  I am proud of my little Victory Garden - next year, even better.

Blueberries on the bush

For whatever reason, my supervisor and I were unable to connect on Friday, so "that" discussion has not yet taken place.

No matter what, I know I am moving to the next phase of my life, but for the first time, I don't know what that is.