Wheee! It's Friday Five time!

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked?

God, I don't remember. Everyone in my family is very passionate about food and about cooking. When I was very little and my mom had to go to work, she would leave me with grams. We would spend most of the time in the kitchen, and I was happy to help her with anything she wanted. Especially because she would feed me afterwards. <.g> But my garndma's forte have always been the sweets, so my first grand thing to cook was probably a cake.

2. What's your signature dish?

I don't have a signature dish per se, I just have things I love to cook. For example, I love to make huge, yummy breakfasts on weekends. I love making wild rice. I love making scallops with mushrooms. I LOVE making pizza.

Now I'm hungry. ;)

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe.

Well, I've had flat cakes, gummy paellas, burnt lambchops... however, there's one that still makes me mad. On that bright, sunny day I had this horrible craving for pizza. So I went to the store and bought everything to make the Mother of All Pizzas, because I was planning to get stuffed until I exploded. I bought the best tomatoes, the most exquisite mozzarella... you imagine the picture. The pizza smelled like heaven, and when I took it out of the oven, my dog barked loudly and unexpectedly, because our neighbors were arriving and he decided he didn't like the sound of their keys that day. So, startled, I dropped the pizza.

Not only it landed upside down on the floor, but... oh. My dog was coming to eat the mozzarella!

I screamed, I cried, I pounded my fists on the walls, I kicked the oven and hurt my toe. If I didn't, I was gonna skin that fucking dog alive and kick him out of the window, and I live in the 14th floor. And I threw the pizza away, because if I wasn't eating the pizza, neither was he. FYI, I still have the dog. I love him. But he only had puppy chow to eat for two weeks after that.

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal?

Flavors From The East. Cantonese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese... you name it. I would be the Iron Chef, dude.

5. What are you doing this weekend?

Tomorrow's my Mom's birthday, and she'll blow the candles on a delicious cake from this French pastry place. I still haven't decided -- an Opera cake with nuts or an Oreo Mousse? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

[Photo courtesy of Stewart]

Those are real tire tracks, by the way. The story behind the image is here.

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Categorize Your Fandom Men In Three Categories:

1.- Sexiest: The one that makes you fan yourself, giggle, and say "what a man!"
2.- The Knight: The fairy-tale prince type who makes you sigh because men in the real world aren't like that.
3.- The One I'd Most Likely End Up With: Judging from past and present relationships, who's the most realistic guy for you.

So, let's split the answers in three fandoms: X-Files, Harry Potter and LotR, k?

X-Files

1.- Sexiest: Krycek. Meow. I can even find naughty uses for the prostethic arm. <.g>
2.- The Knight: Mulder. No way he's that fucked up and that beautiful and that smart and that witty. He's so imperfect, he's perfect.
3.- The One I'd Most Likely End Up With: Probably Pendrell, if he'd been willing to get through his Scully!crush and if they hadn't killed him in Season 4. Bastard.

Harry Potter

1.- Sexiest: Professor Lupin. He's smart, witty and dark. Aw, yeah.
2.- The Knight: Harry. D'uh.
3.- The One I'd Most Likely End Up With: Although I wanna say Fred, I know it would be Ron. I'm a grown-up Hermione, and everybody knows we're meant to be together. <.g> [Hey, I'm noticing a pattern with redheads here.]

Lord Of The Rings

1.- Sexiest: Aragorn, bar none. He's mysterious, strong, fierce, passionate, loyal, protective, sensitive, and he has this... air of superiority. And I mean that in a noble way. And oh yeah, he's damn hot. Even if you haven't seen the movie, you read him and you know he has to be a beautiful man.
2.- The Knight: Sam. Yeah, Sam. Even more than Frodo. Because he loves beyond cognition, and is able to risk everything in name of that love. Because he's more deep and complex than meets the eye. That gives him extra points in my book.
3.- The One I'd Most Likely End Up With: God, I don't know. Probably Boromir, who's loyal, noble and beautiful, but with a human side. Simple and complex. That's my man.

Now you do it and tell me. <.g>

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's currency plunged more than 20 percent against the U.S. dollar Wednesday after the government abandoned exchange controls to try to stem capital flight and restore investor confidence in the ailing economy.

The bolivar, which closed at 792 to the U.S. dollar on Friday, was trading at 990 by midday. Economists long have maintained that the bolivar was overvalued by as much as 30 percent against the dollar.

That's right. As of right now, 2:45 pm, the price is Bs. 1050 per buck. It's only 258 Bs. away from doubling the price it had on Friday. People is going crazy buying dollars everywhere. This, of course, pushes the price forward. Not a pretty sight, I can tell you. Especially because if the price keeps going up, I'll be soon earning half of what I used to last week. Which wasn't much to start with. Ha! Isn't that GREAT news?!?

How I LOVE my damn government. Great timing, you fuckers.

I'll go now and sink into the depths of my newfound poverty, thank you.

Manilow Inducted Into Hall of Fame.

NEW YORK (AP) - Barry Manilow writes the songs that make the whole world sing, and now those songs have earned him a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

I've been rendered speechless.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring got 13 nominations, while Moulin Rouge and A Beautiful Mind grabbed 8 nods each, including Best Movie. And what's with Harry Potter only getting 3? Ah well. Can't please everybody. Although it's obvious Sissy Spacek's gonna win Best Acress, I'd love to see Nicole Kidman grabbing an Oscar, and blowing raspberries to Tom Cruise in the acceptance speech. Hee.

On a funny note, Marisa Tomei is nominated this year, too. You know who'll win if Jack Palance shows up. <.g>

Must contact Melissa for our yearly Oscar predictions. I've been kicking her ass for five years straight, yet we keep on doing this. I guess It's still fun for her. ;)

Ooooh... figure skating on TV. My favorite part of the Winter Olympics. But I must move this party to the kitchen, because I have to make lunch, even if I want that grilled cheese sandwich this badly.

Three things.

1) Happy Birthday, Carolyn! Have a fantastic day. :)

2) {{HUGS}} to Rina.

3) I've tried not to, but I'm on the verge of giving up. I give myself three days to buy the damned Arwen pendant. I hate myself.

Oh yeah, my Blogger Insider Mate hasn't updated her blog since January 26. I have nothing to ask her, except what are her favorite Bono sunglasses. Should I worry?

Where is this image from? Why is Sean Bean holding those flowers? Why is he naked? Are his legs shaved? And is that a tattoo of a penis with a face on his pelvis?

I'm severely disturbed.

Sam looks like he really will kill Aragorn if he tries anything. <.g>

1. What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for someone else?

Well, I once sent roses to a guy -- I was proud of myself. But the one I really did like was the one and only declaration of love I've ever made. It was quit dramatic, at night, under the rain, when I was so angry I couldn't see straight. I said something like, "I love you, asshole!"

I'm not really good with the romantic stuff. ::sigh::

2. [pardon the cosmo question] What are your erogenous zones?

My neck, behind my ears, my inner thighs. And my ears, come to think of it. Speak to me, baby. Aw yeah.

3. How old were you the first time you had sex? Care to expound?

21. Rob. Perfect.

4. What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex?

Office, at night, with people in the office next door. I wish I had a wilder answer, though. <.g>

5. Do you have plans for Valentine's Day or is it just another Thursday?

Oh, I have plans! I'm going to the dentist so she can continue to work on this lovely root canal thing on my tooth.

Thank goodness I won't have to come Monday and Tuesday because of Carnival. Oh yeah. I plan to catch up on my movies. There's Serendipity, Zoolander, Training Day and Black Hawk Down to watch. Hee! At least I had my 4th LotR viewing last night. Aw man, the fun I had thinking of Cassie's Secret Diaries. And having read The Two Towers made me appreciate Boromir muchly. Not to mention Sam. I loved them before, of course, but now they had more depth. And yes, there was bawl-o-rama last night at the end of the movie. Unbelievable. Four times. FOUR times and we still cry. We're such geeks. And then, the credits roll, and you have Enya singing "May It Be," with this heavenly voice. She's an elf, my God. So we cried some more. <.g>

And I bought the soundtrack today. Yeheheah. And Robbie Williams' "Swing When You're Winning," and Garbage's "Garbage." I was thiclose to buy Westlife, but I didn't. So sue me. Oh, oh, and I got my Caracas Pop Festival ticket! I'm going to see Alanis, No Doubt and La Ley in a month. Coolness.

"De tanto andar una región que no figuraba en los libros, me acostumbré a las tierras tercas en que nadie me preguntaba si me gustaban las lechugas o si prefería la menta que devoran los elefantes. Y de tanto no responder, tengo el corazón amarillo."

The song/poem is "Otro/Letter From Nebraska." The performer, Mr. Mortensen himself, speaks Spanish fluently. His pronunciation is so impeccable it makes me weep. Is there something he can't do? Damn.

The man in this picture has the longest ear hair in the world. Isn't that something to be proud of? I think it is.

The man in this picture looks healthy.

The man in this picture has this post-coital glow that makes me wonder if he didn't pull an AngelinaBillyBob before showing up to that place.

The man in this picture feels a little choked up. The other is kinda happy.

The man in this picture is wiping his ass on the doorway. I think. Then some weird shit happened, if you pardon my pun.

Finally, the man in this picture is disturbingly cute.

Is it wrong that I'm moderately aroused by this?

I also have a dentist appointment today at 10:30 I'm not looking forward to, because I may have to stay home for the rest of the day. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if I didn't have so much work to do. This morning at 6:55 am I opened this e-mail from our Norway headquearters that said I had to send a presentation ASAP to them today, because they have a Venezuelan business commitive there tomorrow, and they need it with urgency. Oh, the joys of deadlines.

In happier news, I found LotR: TTT images on FantasyPlanet, and I must say that I can't wait to see Éomer take off that helmet. Hee. I also found a great (and funny!) Legolas article by Michael Martínez here. Orlando Bloom fans may want to check that one out, because it has a couple fanmail addresses. Because, let's not fool ourselves, we all know hordes of Mr. Bloom's fans stop here everyday.

I also got in the mail my Blogger Insider mate, who couldn't be more perfect. Go meet Ellie. Or not. I don't wanna be pushy.

Last, but not least: I fucking love ToeTag. Where does he find all these cool toys, huh?

Bid away, my lovely stalkers.

miggie, your inner rock star is Britney Spears!

Feel it, sweetheart; the rock star in you is all Britney -- the envy of cheerleaders everywhere. One part girl next door, one part naughty sex kitten, you're definitely not as innocent as you look. And that is why nobody can get enough of you. You are the ultimate American girl with some serious staying power. Unlike other success stories, you and Britney are more than just a pretty face: you've got talent, confidence, and the brains to back it up. With a talent list like yours it's no wonder you're at the top of the popularity charts and young men's hearts. We love you. Shout out your inner Britney!

Who's Your Inner Rock Star?

Miggie, you're the "Say Yes" candy heart!

Is it that surprising your candy heart implores you to "Say Yes"? Well it shouldn't if it's just mimicking what your true heart wants to say. Whether you're with your soul mate or still trying to find them, you're beyond flitting from date to date. You're ready for it all, the commitment of a lifetime, the white picket fence and the matching "his" and "hers" slippers.

Well, maybe not the slippers. But surprise you with a getaway trip to Paris, Ireland, the Southwest, and your partner can lock you in for good. And if you're still looking, remember this: The best ones are always in the least likely places.

Watch out, the chemistry between you two might start a chain reaction that could result in a far more serious question asked of you. But you know what to say...

Take the Which Candy Heart Are You? Quiz.

::squeal::

And I just ran into her... she had the growl face on. Full force.

I'm outta here -- Almost Famous at 4:30.

I was in some sort of class in this ancient place, maybe an old palace, that was beautiful and eerie. I remember knowing everyone, having friends in this class, and having a monstruous crush on the professor. I remember him on the dream and my knees get weak and everything. Go figure. I remember him having long hair, with a scruffy 3-day-old beard, but he had this intense look, almost haunting. He would look at you and almost pierce you with his eyes. And there was something about the sound of his voice that gave me chills. All this was a Good Thing, of course.

I really can't remember what the class was about, but he was walking us through rooms and corridors, telling us stories about this beautiful place. He really had a way with words, as if he had lived all the things he was talking about. I was in this constant awe, paying attention to every little thing he said. Did I mention he somehow knew I had a crush on him? And it's not as if he could't have done something about it because I wasn't 15 years old in the dream, I was quite grown up, thank you. And he wasn't an pervy old man, he was a nice thirty-something guy in the full bloom of his manhood (tm Mulder). Maybe he didn't like me. Whatever. But I digress.

Other thing was timespan. I don't know what year it was or where we were, but our professor (whose name I can't recall) was dressed all Aragorn-ish. With some sort of cape. Black. I don'r remember what was I wearing, because I wasn't aware of my clothes in the dream. But I do remember I had leather on. And pants.

The thing is, weeks pass, and one day he tells us he has to go to Sweden. Why Sweden of all places? Beats me. Of course, as I always react in these situations, I get depressed and in denial. Because, you know, I never got to tell him how I felt about him and everything. So I'm wearing this emotional burden until the day comes: the man is leaving. A few of us want to bid him farewell, and we're in this... airport? Bus station? I have no idea. But he's wearing a green t-shirt. He says his goodbyes to all of us, thanking us for being there and all. Then, he's in front of me and I wanna cry. He lets go of his luggage and holds me tight. Really, really tight. There's so much feeling and power into that hug, I'm somewhat shocked by it. Then, I give in and hug him back as hard as I can, not wanting to let go of him, in more ways than one. When we finally break apart and I've cried the Hudson on his shoulder, he gives me a small note, cups my cheek with his hand and goes away.

I open the little piece of paper, that says: "Believe when someone says you're special. Believe when someone says I love you. Believe when someone says you've changed his life with your existence. Believe you're more precious than you'll ever know. Believe when someone says your smile has the power to warm the coldest heart.

Thank you."

I just sit down, astonished by those words.

And that's the last thing I remember before System of a Down woke me up this morning at 5:55 am. Argh.

1. Have you ever had braces? Any other teeth trauma?

Nope, no braces for me or any other teeth trauma, unless you count my visit to the dentist early this week due to the most awful toothache.

2. Ever broken any bones?

I'm glad to announce my bones are fine, thank you.

3. Ever had stitches?

Eeeh. No. I guess my natural aversion to blood has kept me from hurting myself so far. <.g>

4. What are the stories behind some of your [physical] scars?

I have a couple scars on my knees, mostly from the junior school's playground. I used to fall on my knees a lot. :)

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?

I plan on going to the gym tomorrow morning for an extra powerbike class, but that will depend on the amount of alcohol consumed tonight. Also, I plan to watch with some friends "La Comunidad," a 2001 Spanish film that's supposed to be quite good. On sunday, some rest, some sleep, some couch-potato-ing.