scones

Butterscotch pecan scones cooling, with a handmade dough cutter. (Ignore the two large lumpy strawberry scones, they were the remnants of the last batch.)

Last year my father in law gave me two dough cutters, one large and one small. He turned them himself on his lathe, out of a chunk of black walnut from a tree on his family's land that came down. They are really pretty, almost so pretty you feel a little guilty covering them in flour and butter and sticky dough. But they cut absolutely perfect rounds for scones I've discovered. Buttery, crumbly, delicious scones with strawberries or butterscotch pecans. Later I'm going to make some blueberry ones, and perhaps some coffee & chocolate ones as well.

the banality of evil

We finally saw District 9 this evening. I have to say I'm glad my meal arrived before the film itself. It's been a long time since I had to close my eyes during a movie and when was the last time you saw that kind of violence that wasn't torture porn?

It was also the first time in a very long time that a movie's ambiguous ending didn't scream immediately "we left this open to make a sequel." I think the dread and nebulous nature of the ending speaks volumes to our souls and what we think we might deserve.

The pre-show at the Alamo included several commercials Neil Blomkampt directed and the original short film Alive in Joburg that spawned District 9.

This is a hard movie to watch. But it is worth it, because it is incredible. Totally fucking incredible.

I suppose I'll be sleeping on the couch again

Seriously, why does the cat feel the need to pee where I sleep? He never pees on Mike's side of the bed or on Mike's things. Just right in the middle of my side of the bed. The mattress pad is ruined and I'll have to throw that out - it soaked right down to the mattress. Damn it. Of course this happens at eleven thirty at night.