tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025Mon, 25 May 2009 17:36:44 +0000Liberté. Égalité. Des Autres Choses.http://www.french-roast.com/noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)Blogger384125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5704665601676631539Mon, 25 May 2009 16:16:00 +00002009-05-25T11:22:17.123-05:00 Because no one should have their 20s so fastidiously documented online.After 1131 posts, 117 unpublished drafts, and seven years, French-Roast, the personal soap box of my roaring 20s, is no more.Archives through August 2006 will remain online for another year. After that, French-Roast.com will return to the people of the internet underworld. Or I'll sell it to you for a million dollars. You http://www.french-roast.com/2009_05_01_archive.html#5704665601676631539noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-6477767355847151Wed, 13 May 2009 03:51:00 +00002009-05-12T22:56:44.563-05:00French-Roast is up for renewal on Sunday and being the spineless (some would call this a "softy") blog owner I am, I renewed it. But don't get all jazzed, yet. There are going to be some changes around here.Number 1: Appreciate my archives now and avoid the rush because they're about to go offline. I know it's a great joy to re-live my mispent youth but it's making it hard to move on into my http://www.french-roast.com/2009_05_01_archive.html#6477767355847151noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5857261950228280479Fri, 01 May 2009 15:34:00 +00002009-05-01T10:54:43.929-05:00If you weren't convinced F-R was going down the tubes, I hope this post will do it for you. We now return to the occasional series (very occasional it seems) in which I make comments and reply to the people who have, in their wild internetting, come to F-R with very wrongheaded ideas about what it is we (the royal we, of course) do here. Or rather don't do, considering my consistency of late. http://www.french-roast.com/2009_05_01_archive.html#5857261950228280479noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-4013295327113847062Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:57:00 +00002009-04-09T09:05:32.823-05:00If you want my fake, undeveloped answer as to why this blog is on the way to meet its maker, it's because of Twitter. You see, while I have not been blogging with anything resembling consistency (or quality for that matter!), I have been burning up the tubes with my tweets of hipsters, bad manners, amazing inventions, star turns, and more. The underlying reason is, of course, laziness.Twitter http://www.french-roast.com/2009_04_01_archive.html#4013295327113847062noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-1477843101823799414Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:53:00 +00002009-03-24T16:18:46.480-05:00I had an epiphany this morning that almost every major fight I've had with anyone has revolved around me being overly upset about a messy living space. It seems laughable to think about, but I tell you when I had this revelation, I was completely humiliated and haunted. Consider the lost amity from my obsession! I say this because I am almost certain that I picked every one of these fights, http://www.french-roast.com/2009_03_01_archive.html#1477843101823799414noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-3036827874818584822Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:18:00 +00002009-03-23T21:27:11.243-05:00Hello out there in TV-Land,I'm not entirely sold on sticking around in the blogosphere, but should I decide to, some things must be in place. And what might those some things be? A snappy domain name, mainly. I have considered just writing about food: eating it, making it, enjoying it, dreaming of it (as I do) and have looked up a few domains that represent my cooking style (haphazard, http://www.french-roast.com/2009_03_01_archive.html#3036827874818584822noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-1377314090441266616Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:48:00 +00002009-03-04T14:05:26.364-06:00Hello Blog and Blogosphere,Remember my resolution to keep up with you twice weekly? I remember it, too, but alas, have decided it was not my best resolution. That got me to thinking: why am I still blogging? Habit, mostly, as the joy is all but gone. Also, how many tales of my dealings with AT&T can you really stand?This is not a cry for help or a plea for anyone to tell me how French-Roast has http://www.french-roast.com/2009_03_01_archive.html#1377314090441266616noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-7082924829294076280Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:15:00 +00002009-02-10T14:33:44.950-06:00In honor of Valentine's Day, one of my most favorite of all holidays, I am going to start loving me more and start loving you less. Ha! Kind of.I had a lengthy pep talk with Team yesterday, during which I repeated the mantra "I am inherently good and likable without any type of servitude to bizardclaws." What this means is that, per my New Year's resolution (you knew I would get back around to http://www.french-roast.com/2009_02_01_archive.html#7082924829294076280noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5042482594467459301Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 +00002009-02-05T12:39:51.283-06:00You know those doucheful expressions that people love to toss around in business meetings: "Well, we don't want/need to reinvent the wheel here." or "Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater." ? I have no use for such sayings and I typically want to slap the sayer of them. Unlike most people, I do prefer to reinvent the wheel and I have no use for someone else's baby in someone else's http://www.french-roast.com/2009_02_01_archive.html#5042482594467459301noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5318330961859634881Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:47:00 +00002009-02-01T18:15:23.496-06:00Matt and I were recently watching The 1940s House on dvd, which is meant to cause the participants to feel as though they're in WW2-era London, when no resource, especially food, can be taken for granted. At one point, the peops drop or spill a whole recipe of something or the other on the floor and then lament their loss of their butter ration. The whole time, I, the home viewer, am saying "http://www.french-roast.com/2009_02_01_archive.html#5318330961859634881noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-8396693931606818115Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:15:00 +00002009-01-30T12:19:20.664-06:00I now interrupt this imposter color week to bring you a blog I should have written a week ago, or at the very least twittered. Of course, I did go on about it at last Saturday's Crafternoon, which is pretty close to telling everyone I know, but...Last Saturday, on my drive home from Hobby Lobby on Hwy 7/Fredonia inside the loop, I saw what is becoming a bit of a motif 'round these parts: a http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#8396693931606818115noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5978452867339367961Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:47:00 +00002009-01-30T09:05:28.904-06:00We can all breathe a sigh of relief because it's the end of what felt to me like a marathon blogging session, in which I said nothing and did nothing. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy others' photo-centric blogs and I actually think I learned a lot from these case studies in color, but this is not a photo blog. Yes, occasionally I throw in the odd image, but what has kept my approximately 5 fans loyalhttp://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#5978452867339367961noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5387090468079174449Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +00002009-01-29T08:00:00.917-06:00It is a little known fact, but there are actually ancient frescoes in Nacogdoches. They don't exactly date back to the caves of Lascaux or anything, but there certainly haven't been re-conditioned since well before the smoking ban took effect in town.Yes, this is a wall detail from Casa Tomas. And those of us who are loyal to Casa Tomas get somewhat out of sorts when it is suggested that we http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#5387090468079174449noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-661414532387887641Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:46:00 +00002009-01-28T13:00:08.864-06:00Hi! It's Green Wednesday here at Imposter Color Week HQ and I am at an unusual loss for words, so let's just get right to the photos, eh?Is it tacky to post pictures of other peoples' children? I can't help it. Rees is Nacogdoches's favorite toddling socialite. While other girls had Barbie dolls, I had a Bobbie Doll who wore just such a suit as this (except it was blue). I was never much of a http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#661414532387887641noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-3214920802055080049Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +00002009-01-27T08:00:00.897-06:00It's only Tuesday (and really, if you see what time my blog is being posted, I think we all must know it's truly Monday night) and already we, the imposter/renegade/faux color week all-star band are busting out of the color wheel and polka-ing into ur internetz.I anticipated today's "color" challenge to be kind of a pain since only clowns and clown groupies surround themselves in hot vats of http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#3214920802055080049noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-1705191077378996941Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:00:00 +00002009-01-28T13:10:04.014-06:00A couple of weeks ago, Chrissy (I always link her, but if you read my blog with any regularity, it's hard to imagine you don't know who she is by now) participated in a color week, organized by another blogger, in which she posted photos in a specific color/pattern each week day for one week. I was dying to participate myself, but not only was I kind of not aware of it until mid-week, but I also http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#1705191077378996941noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-1110390768736547560Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:44:00 +00002009-01-22T13:50:01.172-06:00 MY president is already showing the world what a lefty can do. (Yes, I know some people I like a lot less are also lefties.) Today, Obama signed an order to close Guantanamo in a year.Cue national anthem and mass movements of hands over hearts.I swear my blog is not going to forevermore be the Obama lovefest blog, but can you believe?! President! Obama! It sounds better every day.P.S. A very http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#1110390768736547560noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-7088642618654654436Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:26:00 +00002009-01-20T17:28:56.849-06:00In solidarity with the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at our former commander-in-chief for his crimes against humanity, I also bid adieu to the same with my own shoe throw, joining voices across the blogosphere who say "Adios, Dubya!" by throwing their virtual shoes today.Welcome President Obama!(I'm on the road today, so this is the best I can do for now. Go easy, Tiger.)http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#7088642618654654436noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-7597467810241889604Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:49:00 +00002009-01-15T13:00:16.277-06:00In light of my last post, Jo brought this clip to my attention and I am more aware now than ever that it is vital I get my pantry whipped into shape. Why? Because a well-organized pantry is what keeps families together.See for yourself.http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#7597467810241889604noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-9014866561166708280Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:04:00 +00002009-01-14T13:35:19.954-06:00I am really chugging along on these New Year's resolutions. Maybe it is because if I don't, I will feel like a complete sitter-arounder after reading Chrissy and Sonnie's blogs. (Their lists of daily accomplishments are ridiculous! Example: "Today I did 900 sit-ups. Ran 47 miles. Read 8 books. Cooked gourmet meal from scratch. Invented the internet. Made two new friends. Slept 9 hours!") I mean, http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#9014866561166708280noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-5545086644129290495Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:11:00 +00002009-01-13T17:18:38.070-06:00I am really not sure why I occasionally achieve a very small amount of notoriety (and then immediately succeed in alienating all new readers in myriad ways, most often by not blogging), but I am always completely flattered by the attention.I learned from my sitemeter that F-R was recently featured on Houstonist.com. Much thanks goes to longtime reader (and blog author)Brittanie, who I have http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#5545086644129290495noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-8259301508059723054Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:47:00 +00002009-01-11T23:05:24.487-06:00Alright, let's all just cross our hearts and kiss our elbows right now because Li'l Zippy (faithful steed!) is NOT going to break down anytime soon.That said, with all the business travel and whimsical road trippin' I do, the old girl ain't what she used to be and I have to plan for the purchase of my future used car (I do not buy new cars--ask me why!). To that end, I have started to have http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#8259301508059723054noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-8367910817619037290Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:18:00 +00002009-01-08T12:28:18.028-06:00This morning, I was once again tuned in to Morning Edition (yes I am a listener-member, thank you! And so should you be.) As I was in my usual hazy stupor, I missed some of the details (and here we get in to modern jackass territory), but I distinctly heard that the Israelis offered whomever they were shooting at (all of the Gaza strip?) a three hour cease fire, so those being shoot-upon could gohttp://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#8367910817619037290noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-3629097908542268414Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:56:00 +00002009-01-07T20:00:34.364-06:00Isn't it amazing how when you dislike someone intensely (yes! go my '09 resolutions!), everything they do becomes the object of your wrath, even if whatever it is is completely inconsequential?Oh, that's just me? I have a problem you say?Isn't it obnoxious when people who read your blog criticize you on your blog? Hee.Anyhow, today I was having a conversation with Team (and Chrissy and Noonan) http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#3629097908542268414noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3520025.post-2188628335296013016Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:27:00 +00002009-01-07T13:55:40.363-06:00I didn't forget you or my promise to blog more often*, but I am having a bit of a hard time snapping out of my vacation routine which began December 17 and only sort of came to a halt on January 5, with three brief interludes for work days on the 29-31. Also, Husby is still out of school for another couple of weeks, so instead of whipping me back into our whole early-to-bed routine following our http://www.french-roast.com/2009_01_01_archive.html#2188628335296013016noreply@blogger.com (Mary T)