This weekend a reader informed me that my cooking video featured at Unzipped Blog had been pulled from You Tube for violating of their terms of service. Just when you thought Google could make everything better this had to go and happen. Thankfully I own my own web site and don’t require the convenience of You Tube. Enjoy!

The boys over at Unzipped Blog went nuts when I told them I was going to start a series of cooking videos. In honor of their enthusiasm I gave them the first webisode to premiere on their blog. Go have a look for yourself.

People in my life sometimes like to point out that things often go my way. Maybe things do happen for me more easily than for others, but it certainly didn’t feel that way in March. I was trying to find a living situation in West Hollywood and a renter for my place in Palm Springs without much success. When I found a renter I was still without a place to go to and then the renter fell through leaving me back at square one. It didn’t help that I didn’t have a job lined up, but where was the time to take care of that?

Then fate turned her frown upside down and I secured a really great renter and a potential roommate all about the same time. Through my network I discovered a friend of mine in WeHo was moving and needed a roommate. He and I had always gotten along very well and soon we found a cute place in a great location we could afford. Well, if I could get a decent job anyway.

My readers know me as an organic food eating, animal rights supporting, environmentally aware, music loving wine freak with an affinity for nudity and spreading positive energy in every direction possible. Well now there are two of us at home and we spend a whole lot of time here in relative peace providing The Abbey keeps the noise down. I’m very excited about this very new phase in my life and to share some of my enthusiasm I put together a little welcome video for your amusement.

The sleepy town I call home during the winter has gone through some changes in the time I’ve been gone. The video store that was run by the Lowells is now vacant with a “For Lease” sign in the front window that reads more like “Closed For Lack Of Interest”.

There used to be a small independent grocer by the name of Diane that dealt with the local farmers in the desert and surrounding areas. Everything was home grown and the only way to get this honest produce was to fill out an order form. She had broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, various kinds of apples and pears, beans and asparagus just to name a few. It felt really good to support local farming and to be part of such a healthy and beneficial interaction that you rarely see anymore.

As I drove into town I thought of how much fun I had preparing my meals around the seasonal produce. The stews I used to make. The elaborate omelets I would whip up so I could use what was left in the fridge to make room for what I would pick up that afternoon with all the other flip-flop wearing desert rats. However, as I drove by I caught glimpse of the store and saw the dreaded sign. This one read “Squeezed Out by Corporate Fucks!”…well not those words exactly, but close enough. Damn it!

Needless to say I was very disappointed by these discoveries. I mean, the list of reasons I like living in Palm Springs isn’t all that long to begin with. It wasn’t a very good time for a really annoying experience with an uncaring corporation. Enter Bank of America.

Whenever I have any interaction at all with Bank of America it usually ends with me fantasizing about removing all of my money from their greedy hands, packing it into Mason jars and burying them under palm trees. Not only do they have control of my money, they took over my credit card companies so it’s like there’s no escape. They have me at their incompetent mercy, but that lack of control I experience is admittedly offset by the extreme convenience of their normal operations. And I don’t really have that many Mason jars.

Last week I lost my ATM card; complete financial paralysis, right? It seemed like a visit to a local branch would be the best way to fix this. At the branch I was instructed to pick up a small white phone and press 1. Why did I bother coming to the branch if no one would help me? After a couple of minutes speaking with someone who sounded like he was all of 15 years old, I allegedly had my ATM card re-issued and left feeling some accomplishment and relief that my account had not been emptied.

This morning I called to check on the status of my card. I have learned from years of experience that thinking everything is taken care of will only lead to disappointment. I called my customer service (don’t even get me started on that phrase) number; the same one I’ve called for all of the nightmare problems I’ve had with them in the past. Sure enough, my ATM card had not been reissued and I had to sit on hold for three minutes grinding my teeth before they could find evidence that I reported it lost a week prior. I was livid and there was nothing they could say to make me feel anything less – especially not another one of their empty “I’m SO sorry!” statements.

It isn’t just the banks or the utility companies. More and more I find that my human interaction is being replaced by something more cost efficient. It isn’t an upgrade in any sense. Our population is booming out of control and yet companies are employing fewer people each year. While the companies protect their profit margins, we get crap service and have to visit megastores to get broccoli that was grown in Nova Scotia and have our movie rentals shipped to us from a distribution center in Kentucky. Personally, I’d rather support my local economy, get superior merchandise and have a nice chat with my favorite video store guy about new releases.

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun! An hour after I arrived in Boston from Toronto I was packing up Milo and heading for P’town to give my place a stiff cleaning. I met someone when I was last in LA and he came out for a visit this weekend. Everything had to be in order.

I LLLLUUUUUHHHHHUUUVV my place here. Cleaning this place is so much fun when the sun is out. I open the windows, and every so often look out the window at the ships on the bay as the sun reflects and sparkles. As I moved into the kitchen I noticed that the pans beneath the burners on the stove had had it! I contemplated throwing out the blackened plates, then my crafty pack rat mentality kicked in and I thought of a perfect use for them.