Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

So I wanted to wait a few days before I announced this so, you know, made sure i didn't die or anything, but i ate an 11 year old MRE this weekend.

Still good, but, frankly, I don't like to eat these after about six years because they do do bad if not taken care of. This one was given to me by a friend and for some reason didn't have the date stamped on the bag. If I knew it was ten years old, I probably would have trashed it sight unseen. After opening it, though, everything seemed fine, so I tried it.

Back to slightly fresher MREs.

So, I was cleaning out the car a few days ago when I noticed that there was a match box on the floor. I have a few in the car but they're from MREs. I got a better look at it and, lo and behold, I had a collectors item. It was obviously in the package with the movie script, so I need to check my packages better for surprises.

Oh, mama.

Speak of the devil...

So, full disclosure: I have a credit in that last Roddenberry Archive video, under Special Thanks.

Normally, I don't like to toot my own horn, and wasn't going to really say anything about it, until I noticed that I'm just above Susan Sackett in the Special Thanks block.

Susan Sackett wrote "The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture." It was this book that I read in 1984, at the ripe old age of 10, that taught me there were Star Treks that didn't get made: The God Thing, Planet of the Titans, Star Trek (Phase) II.

That lead to years and years and years of accreting information about all those projects. Checking scripts at Sci Fi cons, finding scripts online, asking around for copies of rarities, reading books and exposes about those years (in fact, I'm about to go to the post office for a copy of a script with revisions I dont have!). It's 2025, I just turned 51. And all that work now helped create this short, as well as the ST:TMP Special Features, which I also have a credit on.

So, along with Michael Okuda and David C. Fein for those credits, a big heartfelt thank you to Susan Sackett. Happy to sit next to you in that little credits block. :)

Just cancelled my vacation plans. The $289 I just spent on TWO medications (TWO!) and the $150 I paid for a blood test wiped out everything I'd saved up for, as well as ate fairly deep into next week's groceries.

I paid $20 for these two meds on my last employer's insurance, and on Medicare when I was unemployed? $0.

I decided to check and see why and apparently my medical expenses for July was $1000, or about a quarter of my monthly income. Between that and rent, no wonder I can't make ends meet despite the pay bump.

I went from a trip to California, to a trip to the coast, to a trip to Leavenworth, to a trip to the couch, to a trip to the MRE stash all because of the cost of medical stuff.

Those of you with socialized medicine? Count your blessings.

...i also now need a vacation from my vacation planning...

Highway to Heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU_Gd623HJo

My prized possession of the hour: a big box of the GOOD Ice

Calories and carbs do not count on birthdays. It's the law

Stop judging me.

Guh.

(34.4C for those of you who don't use Freedom Units)

Taking the edge of the heat.

It should not be 88 degrees in my living room, I'm calling the FBI.

This Weeks' Meals: Mexican Bento Box!

We got ourselves some tasty Carne Guisada, a nice helping of Mexican Rice (it's got tomoato paste, sorry, Mom), and Mom's low-cost fave an unnamed tomato and spinach concoction a friend dubbed "Mexi-saag."

I wish I'd made tortillas. :)

Recipes in the coments, since it's two recipes (The Mexi Saag? A can of tomatoes, a can of spinach, salt, pepper, and warm it up).

#cooking #thisweeksmeals

The 1.25 hour commute isn't too too bad when this is your view from the break room...

This Week's Meals: Indian Chicken Curry

This is a quick and wasy way to make a tasty dinner without a lot of time. I did this entire meal under an hour, which is great, because I'm under the gun right now, and had enough leftover time to write this.

It's not going to be a gourmet Indian curry, but it will be a tasty quick dish that hits the spot. Serve it over rice if you're not diabetic like me, and you have a good quick meal that's actually kinda fancy tasting.

Taken directly from the file "For Warren - Recipies you absolutely can't fuck up" because I don't have time to make it pretty:

Ingredients:
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped celery
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomato juice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp curry powder
4 cups diced chicken
4 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions
Lightly brown onion & celery in hot fat.
Add flour and blend.
Add stock, cook until thick, stirring constantly.
Add tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings and chicken.
Heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

Had a very nice roadtrip today hugging the coast of the bay while visiting a few little towns in the area (Bayview, Edison). I needed to connect to some water, and get a few miles under my wheels.

I used to do this a lot, but with the long unemployment, tight money, no time and a somewhat sickly car, I hadn't done a drive in forever. And oh, boy does it show.

I feel amazing. Refreshed. Ready to take on tomorrow.

I need to do this way more often now that I have cash.

Where I am now:

It's wierd not getting amiibo from the Nintendo Store at NOA.

Also, MY BESTIE RIJU!