Well...that's it for now I guess.

It's been swell.

Right now my head is spinning. This week marked the beginning of my return to school. The combination of overtime, my poor attention span and my failure to pick up my new reading glasses has made it a real challenge. The subject--"Research methods in management science" didn't help any. But I persevered, and completed what I needed to do. Only 7 weeks to go.

Yesterday MizBubs and I spent the day at Angelic Organics farm attending a workshop entitled "Farm Dreams: Addressing risks and resources to start a small farm or market garden". The picture of the lovely goat who graced yesterday's post was taken at that event.

Angelic Organics is one of the largest (if not the largest) CSA in the United States. Each week they pack about 1,400 boxes of fresh produce destined for their shareholders. The proprietor of the farm is the subject of an interesting little documentary titled The Real Dirt on Farmer John.

MizBubs and I know that what we want to do is to check out of where we're at, and head for someplace a little greener and more pastoral. We are officially on the 2-4 year plan for that. Anyway, we attended this workshop, got a nice tour of the farm, and reinforced our notions of what we want to do--which is to be out in the country playing in the dirt.

In the meantime, what do we do? We have a daughter who starts her junior year of high school in two weeks, and another who's half way through college. I have 7 months until I become eligible for my sweet police pension, but I have 4 years until I can begin to collect it. I have thrown myself into graduate school to attempt a master's degree in management, so I can successfully whore myself out to corporate America if necessary. No, wait, that sounds ugly. I'm doing the graduate school thing because I want to have more employment options when I pull the plug on my career in the next few years. I have a book I want to write that is for now a growing collection of articles and unread books and clever phrases banging around in my head that I can't put to paper. MizBubs is busy learning more about sustainable farming and is looking at going back to college as well.

Work continues to consume and amuse. I put in nearly 20 hours of overtime in the last week as a result of a flareup in gang activity and a robbery that landed an 85 year old woman in the hospital. I did hear one of the best lines I've heard in a while, from a loud, angry drunk who felt he'd been disrespected by the scrawny Polish-speaking bartender at a banquet hall:

"Yeah some time ah gotta indication ah oughtta knock a motherfuckah OUT."

As I heard this I was standing about 15 feet away, talking to a dapper gentleman in a creamy 4 button suit and bright blue shoes, trying to figure out what happened before the indication man's meltdown.

Yes indeed. Some times I get a indication too. Right now I'm getting a indication that something has to give, and for now it's going to be blogging. At least for a few weeks, until I get my head screwed on straight. Heck, knowing how I like to blab, it'll probably only be for 4 or 5 days. Who knows.

I haven't been commenting on other blogs. I'm lucky when I even get to read them. The fact is, I'd rather be a-bloggin' than reading about quantitative research methods, but this isn't going to bring me any closer to a master's degree. The main thing is, we are developing a plan, and right now I can't afford to be doing anything that doesn't help put me closer to where I want to be.

You know I like visiting y'all, and reading what you have to say, and following all your kooky links. And I like posting, and making y'all uncomfortable with freaks and clowns, and lord knows I'll never forgive myself if a single person falls victim to crack cocaine-fueled alligator attack because I didn't do my job.

All that being said, for now I'm taking a powder folks.

But first I'll give you a Sunday afternoon cocktail, and some tasty food images to chew on while I'm away:

The bee-stung julep

8 mint leaves
1/2 oz organic honey
2 oz Wild Turkey 101 bourbon

Muddle the honey and mint leaves together (use less honey than you would bar syrup in a traditional julep) in the bottom of a tall glass

Add bourbon, mix some more

Fill with ice (preferably crushed, but we were too lazy to do that yesterday)

Top with a splash of water if desired, and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint

Dinner on Sunday was lovely. The lovely and gracious MizBubs really outdid herself in the bounty-of-the-earth department. We picked up some tomatoes at the farm, and our own tomato harvest has started. Our own produce stacked up very nicely, thank you.

MizBubs sliced some tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and herbs



Then she made a chilled green bean and chickpea salad, again with the herbs from our garden. It was redolent of lemon thyme, and garnished with nasturtium flowers, as were the tomatoes

I cooked pork. Pork tenderloin crusted in creole mustard and panko, and some roasted sweet potatoes. The overall effect on the plate, and on the palate, was pleasing



See you later, alligators. I'll be around.