Got my first work performance review in 2 1/2 years yesterday. Needless to say, we have differences in perception of what's going on. Also, not really happy to be reminded that in the 9 years I've spent making high-end musical instruments for a living, my wages have gone up less than $2 an hour.

In addition to that, my car had a "check engine" light yesterday, as if I needed more to worry about. It turned out to be a loose gas cap, but still annoying.

As I was cleaning up the kitchen after supper this evening, I was thinking about the cost of the meal that I had just made. We're on a pretty tight budget, and the grilled mahi-mahi and fettuccine Alfredo felt a bit extravagant.

I realized, though, that I needed a little perspective. If we went out to McDonald's and had a couple value meals, it likely would've cost us more, and we wouldn't have awesome leftovers, either.

Since it's summer here in Austin, we're always looking for an excuse to not heat up the house by cooking indoors, so it's to the grill we go. Grilled corn on the cob has become one of our favorite things to have lately, and it's relatively easy.

I strip off all but the innermost three or so layers of husks, and peel back those back and clean off the silk. I then melt a couple tablespoons of butter with some finely-chopped herbs (cilantro or basil work best) and that gets brushed onto the corn, followed by a dash of salt. A bit of lime juice is nice too. I cover up the ear with the still-attached husks, and tie them in place. String would work to hold it together, but I've been using strips of husk, tied end-to-end.

It takes thirty minutes to cook over nicely hot coals, turning once halfway. When the husks are somewhat charred, it's done on that side.

Every once in a while, I take the time to read The US Constitution, and I'm always struck by how forward-looking and flexible the framers had designed it to be. Downright progressive, I think.

I've noticed that on a lot of blogs, Thursday nights are typically pet picture night. Today, I asked myself if that means I should post pictures of our fish. Is the world ready for fish blogging?

Some years ago, there was a little coffee shop that I frequented that served some really tasty panini, with chips and salsa. The salsa was pretty unique, made with carrots and pineapple. I eventually asked the owner what went in it, and it turned out to be pretty simple. One pineapple, diced, a few carrots, grated, a couple habanero peppers, seeds removed, a little cilantro, and a bit of salt. Chop it up in a food processor, and then cook it for a bit.

I made a batch today, and even remembered to wear rubber gloves while working on the peppers.

Not too long ago, in an effort to save a little money, LM and I put ourselves together into a "family" cell phone plan. Needless to say, I was a little surprised to find out that it's costing us more than two individual plans. (And stuck in a 2 year contract, too.) Sure, I could've added up all the little fees that I was expected to pay, but they were spread out all over the forms, nowhere close to being on the same page. (I did the account changes online on the horribly sluggish Verizon site, so my patience was already thin.)

It got me thinking about how my old $40 phone plan somehow cost me $55, and how cable and internet access prices (beyond introductory rates) are nowhere to be found most of the time. It's pretty much impossible to know how much telecommunications services cost, so it's impossible to comparison shop.

If we're supposed to have a free-market telecommunications system, we seriously need new telecom laws to dictate some pricing honesty.

So, we haven't made any entries for well over a year. Lame! Anyway, just to have something to show for paying for hosting, how about some food blogging?

LM had suggested this week that I make cookies, using some quinoa flakes that were in the cupboard. I followed the oatmeal cookie recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Plaid Cookbook, substituting the quinoa for the oatmeal, along with some chocolate chips. The results were spectacular.

Two weeks after my car successfully passes its safety inspection, a state trooper pulls me over to inform me that I have a "defective license plate lamp."

I think if someone posts a YouTube video or whatever on their blog, with little or no explanation about what it is, it should be less than 1:30 long.

I can't handle any more commitment than that.