Marmalade Daydreams

I'm ostensibly working on a freelance research project right now (to create a chapter on Hinduism for a social studies textbook), but I need a momentary break, so I just wanted to wish everybody a happy Purim. Unfortunately, as I'm hard at work, I'm unable to imbibe enough alcohol to follow the wisdom of the sages (to get so drunk that one can't distinguish the story's hero and villain so that one cheers and boos at all the wrong times), but the bourbon and water that I've been sipping on for the last few hours has definitely ameliorated the near-crisis situation that was my gastrointestinal system earlier this evening.

Partly on a dare, partly out of curiosity, around noon I took on a mighty task -- BC Burrito's "Gutbuster". No mere lunch item, the Gutbuster is approximately 180 cubic inches (I'd estimate 14 inches long with a 2 inch radius) of tasty filling wrapped in two overlapping 12" tortillas. All went well until I got to the rice-filled stub, which I had to finish to save face (and to get everyone else to chip in on the $14 monster). Let's just say that it was a little difficult to focus during the 2 1/2 hour seminar on Japanese Religions. I pretty much came straight home and took a 3-hour nap, but I woke up feeling a bit distended (as you might imagine). I was afraid to take an antacid (I'd rather break the food down than neutralize my digestive juices), and I feel I made the right call with some diluted Jim Beam. Who needs Tums when you've got corn liquor?

I'm going to take a walk to Safeway to grab a pineapple for an egg-dying Good Friday brunch I'm attending (I think it's safe to assume I'll be the only one dressed as Mordechai) ... once it stops raining. Until then, I guess it's time to get back to work. Glad it's spring break -- without classes, I hope to have time to get all of that stuff done that I usually put off (like this freelance project) before I fly halfway across the ocean to celebrate my grandpa's 80th with the family skiing at Alta. Tropical paradise to alpine paradise -- pretty sweet.

By the way, my radio show now streams online here Mondays 9 AM to noon, EST. Yes, that's the middle of the night here in Hawaii. I'm working on getting a less masochistic timeslot, okay? Jeez. I'm thinking of it as hazing. Anyway, tune in for the funky sounds of The Science of Soul...