Ah, to be free

Freedom from caring about the political idiots is a wonderful thing. The LAT began an ed with something about W "bragging" just a year ago about the political capital he had earned as a result of the re-election and how he was going to spend it. I could feel the venom and the low-life smear-your-face-in-THAT-natural-disaster theme coming up. Click ... I didn't read any further, I don't care what Kingsley has to say behind the nameless "editorial" label.

Life is good. Watched the Yankees win the AL East yesterday. It was very kind of Boston to keep the seat warm for us most of the season whilst we juggled the pitching rotation. And today should be quite fun to watch - ESPN2 at 205/210. If Boston loses and Cleveland wins, then they play tomorrow to see who moves ahead. The fun part is this: they have Shilling on the mound. A great pitcher that Francona ruined last year when he kept him in to pitch over 130 pitches while he was hurt. Shilling's year was horrible. Now Boston's season hangs in the balance on this wounded soldier. It's a shame. Kinda.

I have a couple of days off this week. Quarter just ended. I teach on a quarterly basis full-time (undergraduate Sociology stuff) and a semester-basis part-time (graduate Criminal Justice). The quarterly teaching is paring back because I also manage the distance-learning school for the college. The application for accreditation will be finished tomorrow. Lots of big things happening. The part-time gig is three classes - two at night and one on alternate Saturdays. The night classes are tiring.

The new quarter will be just two classes - both Macroeconomics - so a lighter load and fun subject matter. I get to explain how utterly pathetic John Maynard Keynes was and how Arthur Laffer wasn't a theortician, he was just documenting what Coolidge/Harding and Kennedy did. Most of my students are fashion majors so I talk about supply and demand in terms of fabric and design. Corporate investment is buying product from the Far East or India, and opening a shop in SoHo. Personal consumption trades off the Martha Stewart Prison garb for 1940s Bette Davis slim-line dresses. Edith Head makes more than one appearance, as does Grace Kelly. I want to sit with the fashion professor and better understand her course content, but she is so enormously pregnant right now that I can't get too close - physically it is difficult, and I can't lose this picture of projectile vomit. So it's hard to keep a straight face. For now, I'll just do some research and borrow a book.

My part-time gig may continue to be three classes for the spring. That would be good. The extra money is how I keep two teenagers from feeling poor. I have Ethics, Law & Social Policy, and Writing at present. The L&SP goes away and may be replaced by Juvenile Justice & Deviance. The writing class is very cool - six hours on alternate Saturdays. The students are very attentive and involved. Grammar and writing for three hours ... but it's fun!! The rest is CJ docs. I have them write and share in the mornings. I like everything about the class. My other classes are wonderful, too (thought I'd write that in case some of YOU are in the audience; remember, these are my personal musings - just because I don't mention you fondly doesn't mean that I don't love you. Jessica - how's your grandmother? I hope she's feeling better and is comfortable. You finished your writing assignment yet?).

A recipe? Sure. This is very simple, but yummy. When the mornings get cooler, I love fresh pancakes. They seem to warm me through and through.

I have made these with wheat flour and thought they were too heavy. I have also whipped the egg whites with a mixer and by hand - I prefer the mixer. By hand seemed to have not quite enough impact on the pancake. I always go a little heavy on the pure vanilla (maybe 1-1/2 T?). I buy a litre at a time at a Mexican grocery - it's worth finding.

How many does it make? Never counted. I feed my family - wife has 2 or 3; girl has 3; boy has 3 or 4. Leaves 1 or 2 for me. So ten decently sized pancakes (or one Uncle Buck pancake - snow shovel flipper not included). If you keep your syrup in the fridge, be sure to nuke it for a moment or two.

Clyde's Pancakes

1-1/2 Cups unbleached white flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder

3 eggs separated
2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup melted butter
1 Tbs. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat the milk, eggs, and butter, and stir into the dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla.

Beat the egg whites until fluffy but not dry. Gently fold them into the batter.