the bell (pepper) tolls for thee

I enjoy watching the odd documentary here and there. From hard rock bands, real life mercenaries, the death of electric cars, world wars, or skateboarders from Dogtown one can find a documentary that fits any interest or, in my case, curiosity. Strangely, I have refrained from "An Inconvenient Truth", somehow finding the subject more depressing than trench warfare. I was able to convince my father-in-law to tape the monstrous four-hour CBC documentary, The Great War. Justin Trudeau's lisp-ridden narration occasionally takes away from some of the drama, but the overall the presentation has been impressive and the reality-tv-ish portions (where descendants of WWI veterans are immersed in early 1900s military drills and experiences) have been surprisingly interesting. I was able to take in about an hour during a homework break and I heard a poignant statement on the blunt reality of wartime battles: "Young men were goaded into killing other young men wearing different uniforms." Hmmm.

I have an interview lined up next week for a substitute position in a particular school division. If I can squeeze out a nice moustache in time maybe my pleated shorts will amalgamate with my socks and sandals to create the ultimate substitute teacher stereotype and I'll be hired before you can say "I don't know how to teach math...let's play Heads Up 7up!"

Today I had to make some habanero pepper jelly. Seriously, I had to. Due to the unstable molecular structure of the pepper, one cannot make the jelly on any other day than Friday the 13th. The recipe is quite simple really. The only part that became a bit complicated was when I had to bring two black cats (cursed by witches) to a rolling boil. After adding the blended peppers, (lots of) sugar, and pectin it was done! I couldn't help myself from nibbling the chunks in the sieve, the pepper still taunting me even after its death.