Karla May's Philosophy Nugget

This is the first, in what I hope, will be come a series of "nuggets".

One is not BORN a megalomaniac. Instead, one BECOMES a megalomaniac when he a) assumes he is 100% right 100% of the time, b) thinks that his way is the one and true way, c) refuses to listen to dissent and assumes peope are idiots when they actually question his way, and d) think that he is doing people a favor--nay, saving them--by sharing all of his wisdom.

Feel free to discuss. And to disagree with me. Because you see I am NOT a megalomaniac, and can therefore endure and respond to dissenting opinons.

Martha Stewart in Training.

The Geej spent Saturday night with my mother. One of the things The Geej loves about my mom's house--besides the fact that she has her OWN room with her OWN toys including a huge and fully-furnished dollhouse and a play kitchen and her OWN computer--is the fact that it has stairs. I too was fascinated with stairs when I was little--always wanting to climb any staircase I saw so that I could discover what was "up there". The Geej has requested, in fact, that our next house have not only a swimming pool and a playground, but also a flight of stairs.

So, when you marry her love of stairs with her excitement about Christmas getting ever nearer, I guess I shouldn't be too suprised with the decorating project she undertook while out at my mother's this weekend.

BEHOLD!! The Most Festive Stair Rail of All Time!!

And yes, it goes all the way to the top. (Here, The Most Festive Stair Rail of All Time is pictured with the artist.)

Feel free to adorn any stair rails you might have in YOUR house with multi-colored, sparkly pipe cleaners if you'd like. As you can see, it adds class and a splash of color, just in time for the holidays.

The best salad ever. I promise.

There's a joint here in Austin called House Pizzeria. It's up on Airport Boulevard. If you haven't been there, go. Like, now. The pizzas are imaginative and very, very good. But the thing that made me fall in love with this place is a damn spinach salad they serve. And it's the simplest thing in the world to make, which is good since I'm currently OBSESSED with it and make it at least a couple of times a week.

First, put your baby spinach leaves in a bowl. Get the pre-washed, baby spinach because it makes the prep time so much easier and faster, which means that the salad gets into your mouf mo' faster.

Second, drizzle just a little bit of olive oil on the leaves and put a little bit of sea salt. Gently toss. Don't put too much olive oil or toss to crazily b/c you'll bruise the leaves. Next, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon on the leaves.

Last bit, add some freshly shaved Parmesean.

And you're done*.

Serve (or eat) right away or the leaves will get wilty.

*House Pizzeria puts dried, crumbled salami on it if you order off the menu. But I don't eat salami, so this is the only way I've ever had it. It's the simplicity that makes it so amazing.

You're welcome.