Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

Given my terrible early exposure to the Furry community in the 90s, I gotta say, they ended up being amazing allies in my later years.

(Art by Hellbreakfast)

Something I see when I look at my collection of Transformers is how incomplete and worn they are. And unlike a lot of collectors, I don't mind this. I don't need perfect toys, sealed mint in box. I like knowing that these toys were played with an enjoyed as a kid.

I remember some decades ago, when a friend visited my apartment with her son, he started playing with my Jetfire figure. She said "you probably shoudln't play with that." I said "No, it's quite alright. Just be gentle and don't break it."

Toys are meant for playing with and enjoying. Sometimes, enjoying them is keeping them in a box to look at admiringly. Sometimes, it's transforming all your guys into Devastator and flying him around the house.

Ah, the one thing I hate about collecting. Having to reshuffle a million little things so I can reorganize and dust.....

Spoilers for The Giggle, AND The 1984 Transformers Movie....

Today in The Further Adventures of Jenn:

Watching the Dirty Pair movie from 1987 right now, and there's something in this and other anime movies of the time I really love, that I wish we'd do here.

When a TV animated show gets made into a 2D movie (A rarity these days), they tend to just add a lot of airbrushing effects to kind of simulate 3D. Anime, instead, just upped the line detail and color detail and way more fluid animation. I'd way more like to see that over the faux 3D effect.

The only movie I remember doing this in the US was the Transformers movie.

I had Kei on the left drawn on one of my school book covers in the 90s, and no one noticed.

This Week's Meals: Hana-Wanna Meatballs.

This was actually pretty good! I'm not the biggest fan of meatballs beause they're essentially very tiny meatloaves, and that bready texture doesn't work with meat for me. But it's the sauce that saves this and makes it's something I'd absolutely make again.

There's a LOT of pineapple in this, but it and the vinegar give the sauce (and the meatballs) a very sweet and savory flavor that really works. I used crushed pineapple versus tidbits or chunks which made the sauce super thick, and made it part of the meal, versus just a gravy or glaze.

# Hana-Wanna Meatballs

From the Green Kitchen

1.25 pounds ground beef
0.75 tsp garlic powder [meatballs]
0.5 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp salt [meatballs]
0.5 tsp ginger (grated)
1.0 whole egg (beaten)
0.6666666666666666 cup crackers (crushed)
0.3333333333333333 cup onion (finely chopped)
0.25 cup green pepper (finely chopped) [meatballs]
0.5 cup milk
2.0 tbsp shortening
2.0 tbsp cornstarch
0.5 cup brown sugar
0.25 tsp ground ginger
0.25 tsp garlic powder [sauce]
0.25 tsp salt [sauce]
0.3333333333333333 cup vinegar
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1.0 cup water
20.0 oz pineapple tidbits
pineapple juice (from can)
0.3333333333333333 cup green pepper (finely chopped) [sauce]

Meatballs:
1 - In a bowl, mix the ground beef, garlic powder for the meatballs, black pepper, salt for the meatballs, ginger, egg, cracker crumbs, onion, green pepper for the meatballs and milk.
2 - Roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls.
3 - Heat a large skillet at medium heat with the shortening and brown the meatballs. Remove to a platter.

Sauce
4 - In the same skillet, whisk the cornstarch, sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder for the sauce, salt for the sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, water and pineapple juice.
5 - Add the meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the meatballs from sticking.
6 - Transfer to a crock pot and add pineapple chunks and green pepper.
7 - Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

Oooh, which one should I watch tonight? Star Wars is NEVER bad. Maybe I'll watch that one. Star Wars has NEVER let me down before....

No crock pot, no problem.

My laptop in the living room, VNCing into the main computer in thr office, running a virtual machine to run Windows 11.

Russian Nesting Doll Computing.

".......Jackie Chan!"

An early Christmas present from mom, some leather scrunch boots.

I bought my suede ones MANY years ago in Austin, where it was sunny more than rainy. Sadly, when I moved back to Seattle, the rain was pretty bad for the poor things. They got little wear here.

Mom wanted me to get some leather boots for the weather. She didn't want me to get scrunch boots cause "they're out of style." Well...I don't care. I spent 26 years wearing stuff I didn't want, I'm going to wear EXACTLY what I want. 🙂

I'd hope they were here in time for the City Council meeting last week, which was an important one for me. But they weren't (and it was literally pouring rain, we got something like five inches over that week, and we're STILL flooding through town), which is why I wore those flats.

Oddly, I found the EXACT SAME boots in leather as my suede ones, so I'm very happy. I love my suedes, I'm hoping to love the leathers, as well, wear them a little more often than my suedes.

It's not Vindaloo pizza, but it is Vindaloo and therefore I am happy. :)

Nice and hot. :9

WHY IS THERE A WHOLE SECTION FOR FISCHSALATE

When you're the only bridge open over the river for ten miles in any direction....

Yes...yes that's a flood, alright.

One of my favorite lines in all of Television, from Doctor Who's "The Crusade."

Taiwan's look a little more yum....

Sometimes I like to look at Japanese pizza menus and figure out what the wierd toppings would taste like: