1. I know I've thanked the universe for this already on more than one occasion, but I've got to say it: muscle relaxants 2. Butterscotch pecan muffins with too much whipped butter 3. Twitter, which manages to keep me informed, engaged, and crying with laughter (see @sween and @palinode and @ainsleyofattack) 4. The spam e-mails addressed to "schmilzalnick", because they make laugh every... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

I call this one "Blur of the Palinode". I created it using the iPhone Hipstamatic app (settings: John S lens, Kodot Verichrome film, no flash). A - AVAILABLE: My availability is pretty close to nill these days. The Palinode has to drop by the shoe store some days so that we can see each other for five minutes while we're awake. B - BIRTHDAY: 29 December 1972. My 20-year high school reunion is... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy ...

1. That a cold, no matter how achy and nasty it feels, is not likely to kill me 2. That the Palinode can sure cook up a mean batch of roasted red pepper and feta dip 3. That I learned of the wonderful knockout effect of melatonin in my fight against restless insomnia 4. Finding out that someone I know actually owns a ninja suit following a night of drinking with a martial arts supply... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy ...

The Palinode kissed me awake this morning. "Hah? Wah?" I said while I jammed my fists into my eyes, because I wake up all sexy like that. "I'm going to work. You should see it outside. It's snowing a lot and there's almost no wind." I don't know why that triggered me this morning, but it did. He was barely out the door by the time I had thrown on some clothes, a coat and scarf, and a pair of... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is ...

The Palinode and I are walking home in the dark after an excellent supper of ethiopian food. Ice crystals fall from the sky, finely dusting their coats and the cars that line the street. Palinode: Those are some tiny ass flakes. Me: They're so small. They're more like ice crystals. [turns to look at the Palinode] Did you just say "tiny assflakes"? Palinode: Like I said: those are some tiny... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

1. Fake bacon bits 2. Long, warm conversations with the Palinode 3. Finally hitting over 25,000 words in NaNoWriMo! 4. When we come together to create a fabulous MamaPop Roundtable video 5. Objects that look like they have faces Wage a... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

1. The moon 2. Mozza burgers from A&W 3. That the Palinode came home to hang out with me at lunch 4. Waterproof mascara, because it keeps my greasy eyelashes from marking up the lenses of my glasses 5. When the sadness if fake Wage a... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

It walks! It talks! It's Chatty Schmutzie! Without any further ado or senseless exclaiming, here is my face and my voice all together for the first time ever on this website, thanks to the Palinode's fancy interviewing and video editing... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

A couple of Sundays ago, I had you ask me questions for me to answer. So far, I've answered your questions about place, the Palinode and I, music, and myself and blogging. For the final entry in this series, I am answering the questions that didn't... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

I had you ask me questions last Sunday, and I've been busy answering ones about place, the Palinode and I, and music over the last week. Today, the second to last instalment, I am answering your questions about blogging. Ashley, The Accidental... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

I had you ask me questions on Sunday, and so far I've answered questions about place and questions about the Palinode and I. Today, I am tackling what you wanted to know about me music-wise. Anna asked: What band would you like to be the lead... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

I know that I promised to answer the music-related questions from Sunday, but I am putting off this questions series for a day to tell you some late breaking news: I did not smoke yesterday. Those of you who have never been smokers and haven't had... Click on the title to view the full weblog entry. 10% of Schmutzie.com's ad revenue goes to Kiva.org, so a visit to Schmutzie.com is a donation to a worthy cause. Thank you! ...

Today I bring you the second instalment of answers to the questions you asked me on Sunday. Because there were quite a few of them, I organized them according to kind, so while yesterday's answers were about place, today's answers are to the questions that pertain to the Palinode and I.I am always surprised that people are interested in how we met or what our wedding was like, because I am usually inclined to ask people about stuff like if they, too, know it's laundry day when they find themselves wearing their partner's underwear. To each his ...

On Sunday, I asked you to give me questions to answer. This was something I had done over two years ago and forgotten about, but when I unearthed those old entries in my archives, I just had to do it again. Your asking and my answering your questions really allowed me to experience that sense of conversation with you and pushed me to write about things I would not necessarily have written about.I took your questions from Sunday's entry, grouped them according to kind — questions about place, music, the Palinode and I, blogging, and miscellany — ...

1. Canadian white cheddar and claret cheese2. Friday afternoons having drinks with the ladies and the Palinode3. The heat finally being on in our building!4. Wooden buttons5. FireplacesWage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace in Small Things. ...

I started out today with the intention of talking about how this quitting smoking thing has been going now that I'm one month and almost six days in, how I got this far, how I have managed to avoid putting on weight, etc., but Wednesday got in the way.I woke up at 4:00 a.m. I hate 4:00 a.m., but there it was giving me its inky black stare, so I got up and wrote about the Miss Homeless Belgium pageant. A word of advice: don't write articles about places in Europe at four in the morning when, until last ...

1. Enjoying doing a video interview with the Palinode2. Exfoliating3. Photographs4. Grilled peppers5. Getting over a trollWage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace in Small Things. ...

After the following picture of a gentleman being happy is a list of complaints I have about things on the internet. I am putting up this picture of the happy gentleman first so that you have the choice to see him, think HAPPY!, and skip my litany of annoyances or you can choose to continue on subject yourself to my poor attitude.Oh, wait. I forgot that the Palinode doesn't actually look happy in that picture but rather a bit fearful. Ha! In my present mood, this mix-up makes me feel all kinds of pleased.You see, when I ...

1. Lemony rice with vegetables and green onions2. That it was finally too cold for the dumpster behind my building to be filled with wasps3. That the Palinode will accompany me down to the laundry room when it's late and I'm scared of the boogeyman4. The floatiness of dusty cobwebs5. That I will allow myself such linguistic laziness as "floatiness" when it's late and my bed beckonsWage a battle against embitterment and take part in Grace in Small Things. ...

The Palinode and I had the distinct pleasure of hanging out with That Girl on Saturday.She's fabulous to take pictures of, but we were too busy eating incredibly satisfying bowls of food at the 13th Avenue Coffee House for me to take too many.If you live in Regina, Saskatchewan, you should check the Coffeehouse out. If you're a meatatarian, don't let the vegetarian bent of the menu scare you off. My favourite thing on their menu is the Lucky Bowl, which is full of cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, brown rice, marinated tofu, and a zesty peanut sauce. ...