I Know, You Know ... Psych Is Back

One of the best shows left on television was on for six years before I discovered it on Netflix. Psych is a fabulous, funny, crazy, quirky comedy/mystery series shown on USA cable network and set in Santa Barbara CA. (Like so many shows these days, however, it's filmed in Vancouver BC.) 

Before I discovered Psych -- all 6 seasons are on Netflix instant watch -- I hadn't heard of either lead actor, James Roday or Dule Hill, who play best friends since childhood, Shawn and Gus, respectively. There hasn't been a duo that puts forth more energy and just plain good acting in decades. And the scripts, fast-paced and always dealing with unusual mysteries and murders, keep us guessing right to the end. In between the lines, there's a lot of obscurity.

Shawn is a psychic detective (sort of) for the Santa Barbara Police Department, and Gus, a pharmaceuticals salesman, is his partner, and sometimes straight man, in the escapades. They're constantly in trouble with the police department and the bad guys. Always on the lookout for free food, they eat at crime scenes, at the morgue, wherever they can find food, usually in the form of snacks -- Doritos, churros, pizza cheese fries, jerk chicken, chalupas, smoothies. Pineapple in various forms appears in each episode.

Shawn and Gus recite obscure quotes from 80s movies and compare people they meet to 80s actors. A romance develops between Shawn and Juliet, a policewoman on the SB force. The actors Roday and Maggie Lawson, who plays Juliet, are real-life romantic partners, which might add to the authenticity of the various scenes between the two of them although the romance part, thankfully, is kept to a minimum. 

I could write a lot more about this favorite show of mine, but it's one of those things that you have to see for yourself. No one can tell you about all the innuendos, subtle jokes and the obvious ad libs that combine with everything else to make the show such an all-around hit. You know that's right.

Season 7 starts on USA cable this Wednesday night, Feb. 27, but you've got to watch all 6 seasons on Netflix first. I don't know if this season will be as good as the rest, however, so far, season 6 is the best. Seeing how those guys operate, and the rest of the crew too, I have no doubt I'll play season 7 over and over on my DVR. Supposedly, they'll make a season 8 and that probably will be it because there's just so long two 30-something guys can act so childish and hilarious and not be resigned to maturity. 

I'm so happy I found Psych because the selection out there, on TV or Netflix, is pretty dismal. It will be a long time before another series comes along that entertains me as much as this one. By the way, my favorite episode is Last Night Gus, #2 of season 6, and the whackiest scene with Shawn and Gus is in episode #9 of season 1. It'll psych you out in the end.

Eat Your Vegetables ... And Then Some

It's interesting being a vegetarian. Some people think that means I eat chicken and turkey, but not beef or pork. They think I might eat red meat if it's organic. Others think I'm vegan, meaning I don't eat dairy or eggs. And still others believe I subsist on pasta and broccoli every day. 

Once my husband I went to a banquet where we had requested vegetarian. While others were eating big steaks with baked potatoes and asparagus, we were served steamed broccoli and a big chunk of Jello. I needn't tell you what happened to the Jello after being alongside the hot broccoli for a few minutes. We never knew whether we were being punished for being so bold as to ask for a non-meat dinner or the cook simply had a ridiculous idea of what vegetarians eat. You know the most interesting part of what we were served? Jello is made from the bones, skins and hides of cows and pigs. 

In a future post, I'll write more about my decision to become a vegetarian 11 years ago. But for now, I'm going to share my favorite dish to take to a luncheon or potluck, for vegetarians and meat eaters, as well. I adapted the recipe from Casa de los Ninos restaurant in Sacramento, one of my top 10 favorite restaurants.

This casserole, which I call a bake because the word casserole has taken on a bad reputation (I can't imagine why), is an easy dish to make and I guarantee there won't be any left at the end of the meal. There is one ingredient that you must be careful about -- the marinated artichoke hearts. Stay away from Cara Mia brand and other cheapies. Select any of the Italian brands (or even Reese) because they don't slip in those obnoxious, tough leaves that are impossible to chew. 

It's a foolproof recipe and one vegetarians will appreciate because it shows you put some thought and work into making something other than another pasta or rice combo. 

My Artichoke-Spinach Bake

3 jars (about 7 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained (be sure any leaves are soft)

2 packages (about 16 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, then drained by squeezing out liquid

2 packages (8 ounces each) real cream cheese, softened (don't use whipped)

5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Butter or Pam-spray a 9x13-inch baking pan (I use glass). Spread drained artichoke hearts on bottom of pan, then place drained spinach over artichoke hearts.

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and milk until creamy and smooth. Spread the mixture over spinach. Sprinkle Parmesan over cream cheese mixture, then top with sliced almonds. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. 

Next day, remove the foil or plastic wrap covering the casserole. Bake it in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Remove dish from oven and serve. Makes 12 good-sized servings.

Being A Good Widow

I can't seem to do it right. This widowhood stuff. 

No one teaches us these things. No one tells us we have only so long to get over life-changing grief. No one says we'll be judged and chastised if we don't get over our grief quickly, certainly within society's imposed timeframe.  We've got a set length of time and that's it. 

Losing one's husband isn't bad enough on its own, with the loneliness, the decisions to make all on your own, the never-before-tried ways to fill the long days. In addition to those life changers, there seems to be an unwritten rule that a widow has a very short window of opportunity to be miserable, to grieve. Then it's time to stand straight, smile and shut the fuck up. To do anything else looks like whining -- they say. 

Well, I say this. Kiss my widow's fat ass. 

I've read that the death of a spouse is the #1 worst thing to happen to a person in their lifetime. Divorce is #2. I went through that one too, but it can be a post for another time. What I want to say here is how people ask how I am and I'd better say fine and then talk about them or they'll respond with something about their friend who lost her husband 40 years ago and she's doing great or an aunt who took off traveling soon after the uncle died and she never looked back. Good for them. But I don't care.

Soon after my husband died, in an effort to handle what had happened, I found this site:

http://silverreflection.tripod.com/reflections/id10.html

Things Not To Say To A Widow is great, but guess who's reading it. The widows. Those who are talking to the widows, and saying everything they shouldn't, aren't reading the site. And why should they? After all, they know women who haven't had a tough time recovering and that's enough for them to think that all widows should be like those women. 

I missed my chances to say something similar many years ago, when female friends were complaining about bloating and puking when they were pregnant. I should have said I never had a moment of nausea during my pregnancy and the women I've known did just great -- and they should too. I wonder how they would have liked that.

These days, I never talk about how I'm feeling. I say I'm fine when asked how I am, and nothing more. I might not be a "good" widow, but I'm an educated one. No one wants to hear me say one single sentence about what it's like for me. It might make them uncomfortable. They might have to think about someone other than themselves. 

Perhaps I should be more accepting because no one talks about death at all. It's still in the shadows, lurking there like some giant blob, ready to slither under the door at some inopportune time. If we don't talk about it, it will go away. But death hits all of us at some time. We can't get away from it. How we react to it is an individual decision and best left up to the person grieving. Hell, I'm still grieving over pets that died when I was young. If you don't think that's healthy, I don't care. 

So, there you have it, my thoughts on being a widow and how I'm not a very good one because I don't follow the "rules". I'll try to smile more, laugh more, become more engaged in listening to what others are doing. Now, you know I won't do that. Even before my husband passed away, I was to the point of not much caring what others thought of me. Today, I'm all the way there. 

I never wanted to be a widow and I doubt I'll ever be a good one. 

Feeding the Beastie

Black princess cat Samantha, the sweetest and gentlest little feline, 14 years old, has been a puker for a long time. That and a cougher, seemingly choking up every other day or so. Late last year, after cleaning up after her maybe 4 times a day, I decided something had to change. 

I was giving her 2 or 3 hairball treats daily, but it appeared she was needing to get rid of hair more and more frequently. She's a shorthair, but she was licking herself frequently and ingesting a lot of hair. I think perhaps her guts were bothering her and she was licking a lot to relieve the stress in that area. Just a guess, but it's probably a better guess than that of a vet.

I looked for remedies online. After reading numerous posts, I put together my exclusive, magic formula: 

I feed her small amounts of canned food, usually a rounded teaspoonful, 6 or 7 times a day, making sure that I use a clean dish each time. Cats are finicky and as they age, they get even finickier. A clean dish is a must. You don't want to mix foods either. They get confused by that.

Also each time, I drizzle olive oil over the food, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. I also discovered that extra virgin olive oil has too strong a taste for cats. The olive oil that says for sauteing and grilling is perfect. Pour it into an oil dispenser for ease of drizzling the olive oil onto the food. 

As for the food she eats, she's become a real fan of the type with gravy. In fact, she refuses to eat most other kinds, exception being Fancy Feast Turkey & Giblets, and Fancy Feast Aristocats Chicken. Sometimes she just eats the gravy and leaves the meat, which must be really foul. I believe the kind of meat put into pet food is disgusting and comes from who knows where on the animals. Even though I'm a vegetarian, I do feed her meats because cats can't survive in good health eating only grains and greens. 

I put a small amount of dry food in a bowl for her to have as she likes, although she no longer eats much of it because of all the canned food servings. I give her only the Blue brand for Indoor Cats, available at pet stores. That brand has meat as its first ingredient(s) where most dry cat foods have rice and other non-meat items as the first few ingredients. Cats aren't made for that.

In addition to the olive oil trick, I give Samantha the hairball treats each time I feed her, 2 treats one time, 1 the next, and so forth. The brand is Temptations and the foil packet says Hairball Control on it. These are carried alongside the canned cat food in any supermarkets. Along with the hairball treats, each time I also add 1 Whiskas dental treat (chicken flavor in foil packet), which is crunchy and she really likes it. It does nothing for her teeth, but it adds to her enjoyment.

Once a week, or sometimes every two weeks, I brush her with a soft brush, the type that's available at pet stores. Even though she's a shorthair, she does need to be brushed, but not daily. I've read where daily brushing a shorthair cat can cause them to stop grooming themselves. 

Fresh water is a must too. I keep a bowl of fresh water by her food dishes. And, crazy person that I am, I also keep a large mug of fresh water on the table behind my chair in the living room. She seems to drink most from that and I know she's getting enough water that way. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough. They don't get thirsty like dogs do.

Stopping her puking and coughing took some time, trying various remedies. It's not 100% effective because she has vomited once in the past 6 weeks. But I consider that a major success. Although every little cat is different, I believe this formula will work for any of them. The important thing is to watch and learn. They're telling us what they need, if only we'll pay attention.