News, Cribbage, Cover Art.

The news lately has been filled with murder and mayhem. You can see why people start predicting the end of the world. As you know we watch Good Morning America a lot and it comes to us through Channel 7 Buffalo so we get their news as well as national news. Every day it seems someone has been shot or something has been burning. Matt used to say he would never go to Detroit, seems to me Buffalo is getting just as bad. Then there's the woman I mentioned the other day who had driven the wrong way on a street and ended up killing herself, her child, her three nieces and three guys in the other vehicle. The toxicology reports said she had twice the legal limit of alcohol plus having marijuana in her system. Now her husband is saying it can't possibly be true, she didn't drink. The relatives of the three guys who died are talking of suing - who for goodness sakes? Click here for the latest reports. It seems to be a very strange story as witnesses are saying she was not drunk when she left the camp where she had collected the children - mind you, sometimes you can't tell. A phone call later, from one of the kids in the car, said her aunt was having trouble talking. We had an enjoyable afternoon playing cribbage yesterday although I regret to say Matt won LOL. The woman we were playing with seems to be a very nice person and we enjoyed her company. Its the first time we have been in the social room, rec room or whatever you call it, for some time and it has been improved considerably. For many years it wasn't even open and the super of the time used it for storage. There is a sauna which was once in use but he closed it because young people were having sex in there! The sauna is still closed, but the rest of the unit is quite pleasant. People are spending time doing jigsaws there too, one excessively complicated one was in progress on one of the tables. These days I prefer to do my jigsaws on line, then I don't have to turn over the pieces. Lazy? Me? Naaaah. People also put a lot of books there for others to read. I checked them out but couldn't see anything which appealed, not that I looked thoroughly I must admit. One thing, we opened the sliding doors which lead directly onto the lawn and park, then forgot to close them again, I had to go back down. Good spot for illegal entry and I had left an open invitation! I have just about finished The Last of the Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, I remembered some of the story, but I was surprised how much I had forgotten. The Valdemar books are very good. I am awaiting more from the library. Because they are an old series, they aren't readily available any more. During these re-reads I have been looking at the cover art. It is something that always tees me off because it seems to me the artists have never read the story. This particular trilogy covers a period of something like 15-20 years, the main protagonist is getting silver streaks in his hair because of working node magic and yet he looks the same on the first cover aged 16, as he does on the last cover, in his 30s. I really think authors should be given more input into such things, after all, who knows the story better than they. I know with Karen Miller's books, most of them end up with someone hidden in a blowing cloak. Come on, lets have some imagination please. I am sure you all know how good salmon is for your health, luckily I love it. In fact I like most fish, not sure I have a favourite, but Matt loves swordfish. Fresh tuna is good too. However, today its salmon and here is a recipe from Eating Well which we will probably try this weekend as we have just picked up some salmon fillets. Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon Makes 4 servings 1 scallion, minced 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (see Tip) 1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce. 2. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. 3. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Tips: How to skin a salmon fillet: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either. To toast sesame seeds, heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add seeds and stir constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Have a great day.