Pretty simple, really: shelves make me purr, Edmund hide, Tenzing deathly curious, and Jeff wish he could sit on the couch and do something else for a while.

Funny to think that I've been waiting three years to get all this figured out, when it seems so obvious now. Shelves, shelves, everywhere. Then, toss in enough furniture to make the room respectable, plus a few tables and some nice lighting, and suddenly you've got a room that isn't ignored, but enjoyed.

This is a recipe that is barely even a recipe—more of a guideline. Chances are, I'm the only person I know who likes this dish as much as I do, but that's ok. More for me.

Steph's (heavily modified) corn chowder

4 baking potatoes (I like high-starch ones; they thicken the chowder nicely)
2 cans cream corn
2 cans whole kernel corn
1 can milk
1 white or yellow onion
half-package of bacon (adjust to your bacony wishes)
1 bunch green onions
several cloves of garlic, minced
seasoning ideas: Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, tabasco/cayenne to taste

All these years, and I still don't like my eyes. Silly squinchy grayish-blue things. Mind you, a good portion of the squinch probably has just as much to do with my nearsightedness as it has to do with the genetics of small eyes, but, nevertheless, part of me wishes I'd been born with eyes that didn't practically shut themselves of their own volition every time I decide to crack a smile.

I never expected this guy to show up again. I have to wonder, was last time's tongue-lashing not enough for this guy? I'm starting to think that this guy is just a glutton for punishment. That, or he's not scoring nearly as often as he'd like us to think he is.

Again - this is his real Yahoo screen name. Can't say that I feel the need to change it; this guy needs protection far beyond a level that changing his screen name would give.

On my way back down the stairs, I poked my head into the living room, where Brad was packing up his things. He looked up from his packing, undoubtedly expecting me to say something at least halfway interesting.

Instead: "Blue or purple?"

I held out my hands, indicating the newly-scrubbed nails that, up to a few minutes ago, had been painted royal blue. "Purple," he said, with that bemused, louder-than-words look that said I was being silly, and why in the world was I asking him such a question of a geekboy anyway?

Thirty minutes later, the nails were purple.

Such has been the weekend.

Is it silly of me to say that I 'miss' someone, when for the vast majority of the years we've known each other, we've been nothing more than screen-printed words and occasional phone calls to each other? I think not. I've missed Brad—enough to say it when I know that my saying it publicly will probably make him grimace in embarrassment.

Got home at 4:30 Central time today, having driven since six a.m. Eastern time. (For those of you unfamiliar with US time zones, that's eleven and a half hours total.) Traffic in Chattanooga and Huntsville was worse than metro DC, due to the number of bad wrecks I saw today.Rule #1: if you are driving a truck, and you are hauling a heavily-laden U-Haul trailer, it is most definitely in your best interest to obey the little road sign thingies when they yell things like "Sharp Curve Ahead - Slow To 40 MPH, You Dumbass." Mr.

By most people's standards, I don't think you'd call today a day of rest. There's nothing quite like realizing for the seven-millionth time that making dinner for fewer than eight people really isn't that big of a deal, but, really, it isn't. Dinner for five (like tonight) - a cakewalk. I could practically do it in my sleep at this point.

As with every good problem, there are constraints that must be obeyed. The events in question will take place in the same state, which is far enough away from my home that I can only afford to go one time.

My question is, which option would you choose?

I'm thinking of extending my oh-so-geeky touch a bit further out into this InterWebNet thingy, and could use an opinion or two.

As most of you longtime readers know, domesticat.net isn't exactly your home for the latest and greatest linkfood. (All adverbs, all the time!) I've toyed with the idea of creating something shorter and snappier - a place to just post links.

Your questions are….

I haven't actually tried this recipe yet; I found it on a box of "Santa Sweets" grape tomatoes. Geeky name, true, but the tomatoes were sweet, and that's saying something in the depths of October.

This recipe was tucked under the lid. It looks promising, and since I'm going to be doing some major kitchen work this weekend, I suspect I should archive this recipe now before I give myself the chance to lose it amidst this weekend's kitchen upheaval (more on that soon enough).Penné Bosciaola

I never thought I'd see the day that I had a post that qualified under both "freeform writing" and "kitchen life." I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it would be Will that would make it happen.

He's adorable, and the next time we get together, he's making me dinner. I'll even buy the wine and clean the kitchen up afterwards.

I present what is, quite possibly, the most conversational recipe known to mankind. I can't even read it without getting a grin. It's probably the next best thing to actually getting to eat it.