Marquis Cooks a Meal

Good evening, mina-sama. I had a decidedly good run today, from getting up and not tripping over Sebastian to not being run over biking from work to mom's office [essentially close to Comcast Center]. This has been a post I've been brewing on for a while, and just never got around to putting anything up. I even went so far as to make a bare boned skeleton draft post so I wouldn't forget to eventually get around to it. Today's topic [as if you couldn't guess]? Food.

Aside from normal activities being more consuming than a post, forgive me, another predicament came up in my delay of posting this. According to people who eat my food, I am a good cook. I myself believe I am a decent, if not good cook. Recipes do not give me grief, all methods of cooking [except for grilling, since that's sort of a hassle and takes more effort than any one dinner thing] are my friends, and since I am part German [haha] I have a bit of the mixologist in me, which means I get random ideas to throw in this or that ingredient that has next to nothing to do with the meal.

However, I don't cook often. It is not a necessity for me to cook for myself, and the one day a week I used to, I relinquished since the spring because I was wearing myself out at work. And my repitore is often limited to what is in the refridgerator and pantry. So though on that one day I'd love to make clam chowder, I settle for chicken cordon bleu because I don't have clams [for example]. I am also STUPENDOUSLY indecisive. I could sit in a room full of my favorite foods and still starve to death because I wouldn't be able to decide what I want to eat first. So when it is my day to cook, I often stand in front of the refridgerator [doors closed, no energy wasting], contemplating for minutes to hours on end what to make. Nothing comes to me. I don't like to just pop a DiGorno in the oven, though I have done that, but yet, I very rarely want to be all over the kitchen with mixing bowls and whisks and knives flying because of an overly complex dish. I also try not to rehash what we've had the past few nights. And when all the good things are taken, it leaves me with a select few options. Usually, this is okay, because these last few things I end up making, only I make; curry, sushi, French onion soup, pancakes, nabe, etc.

Breakfast is usually cereal, even on the weekends when I have the time to make it. If I'm feeling classy, a bagel may be involved. Very rarely do we eat breakfast together [as in something was prepared for all of us to partake of at once] in my house because we all get up at odd hours, and want whatever we end up making for ourselves. I can make mean French toast and pancakes, and once I get a waffle iron, those are definitely going to be on my menu more often.

Lunch is unusual. In an aforementioned post on my health, I touched on how lunch was either junk food or non existent. But lately, with the rise of picnics--not with Toriberry yet, but with Nobu more--and the ges-sui-kin schedule working out as it is, I've been packing my bento more often. It's a four compartment thing that I've been meaning to take a picture of, that usually is stuffed with leftovers from dinner, octopus hot dogs, fruit, and sandwhich quarters. Usually I make it on ges-sui for ka-moku, since I don't have anything to do besides work on ka-moku. There are supposed to be a certain amount of aesthetics to the bento preperation, in terms of the food groups that go into it, but you know, in the end,. I just want something substantial, and put whatever the hell I want in there. Maybe I will comprise mini-posts of bento. If I remember.

But back to cooking. Yes, this marquis does it, yes, I am fairly good at it, but oddly enough, no, I seem to never know what to prepare. However, dinner got dumped on me a week ago, and so when finished wracking my brains, firing up the stove-top, and plating, I at last remembered to take a picture.

Tada~ behold, shrimp pasta with mini quiche and buttered green beans. Incredibly simple, amazingly tasty. If I had thought about it, I would've taken a picture of mom or dad's plate, since I put red and orange peppers on their spaghetti [I'll eat em, but since I'm controlling the meal, I didn't put them on], thus making it a bit more colorful. We were severely lacking on groceries when I made this, so I was a bit limited to frozen things [no the noodles weren't frozen]. Some feta cheese--later--crumbled on top or a spoonful of alfredo sauce makes it your own meal. Whatever you like; whatever's in your cabinets and fridge. I often put bacon bits on top of my greenbeans, even though those greens are yummy on their own. If you have other noodles besides spaghetti, don't make it a squiggly doodle; go ahead and dump those bow ties in. Hell, if i had more soumen, I would've used that. Instead of mini-quiches, maybe you'll put a few triangles of spanikopita as a side, or make garlic bread with tomato sauce to dunk it in.

As I always like to say, just keep your juices flowing. Don't let lack of ingredients stop you from creating a tasty meal. If you like eggs, hard-boil one and add it to any salad or entree; same with deli-sliced ham lightly pan fried. It's whatever you want and have on you.

I don't know when the next time I'll be cooking a "full blown" meal will be, but there are definitely pictures to be had for the bento and treats I plan to prepare for tomorrow's meet up. I have some azuki bean paste from my ever favorite Asian food market Super Grand, and I have a thought to make mini pancakes, smear the red bean deliciousness between two, and quarter them. If you don't have time ingredients to make panckaes, toast is a great supplement. If I had whipped cream, it make a great dipping side. Instant dorayaki. The octopus hot dogs are definitely on the menu too. I make mine on my George Forman grill, and they curl up great.

Damn all this talk about food and I haven't had anything for lunch yet [plus chewing gum and fuming makes me hungrier]. I think I'm due for an om nom.

Tou zakaru memory, waka chiate memory~
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante Isaak

Aeon Pants Completed

Good evening, mina-sama. I've had an eventful last couple of days in my spare time. I meant to post all of this last night, but I got caught up with things and wanted to go to sleep. I at least made sure to take all the pictures and post them up to a draft, because I know I'd be able to type up at work. I'll add things as need should something come up that I forgot.

I had a quite random burst of energy on Wednesday; I think it's all those clementimes I've been eating recently [mmmm~ quick sugars]. That, and my mother had white thread in the sewing machine. I know how to thread a machine, but I don't like doing it, the bottom thread part that goes on the mini-spool beneath. So as long as she didn't put it away, I was waiting some for her to put thread in. [on a side note, the thread she had was some weird rayon decorative thread supposed to be used for embroidery I believe. Twas very easy to snap...] So now with the first step done, I sat down to work.

Here are the steps I took in recreating Castlevania: Judgement's Aeon pants, complete with pictures of the stages along the way.

First is to gather all of your materials of course, so you don't have to get up and search for them hither and yon in the middle of a snip or stitch. Not shown here is the sewing machine, hammer, and board used [but that comes later]. Yes, the pants I did not make myself, they were bought a year and half ago for graduation, because administrators at my school are stupid. Tonikaku... I bought smaller eyelets, about 5/8 inch or so, but you can pick them as large or small as you want. The tie I used for the cross effect through the eyelets is one of those round threads, that fray really easily at the end are usually burn-tipped or tied with a bit of tape; again, you can choose whatever color or type you want. Lastly, I bought about 1 and 3/4 yard of a cheap white fabric to use as a lining underneath the pants, since it's suggested to have a thick layer for the eyelets to bind to.

The first thing I did was iron out the pant legs sideways, to create a crease down the front of the legs so it would be easier to cut. It gives you a guideline to make your divide straight. If it's not completely straight cut, don't worry, it's hemmed to the lining fabric and turned around. If you're worried about where the cut up the leg ends, you can put something in the way like another eyelet, or feather-stitch it like it did. If you know your pant material won't rip further with wearing and washing, then don't worry about this part. Next, I cut out a length of the white lining fabric and pinned it along the edge, then sewed from top to bottom. To me, this was easier then bottom to top, and trying to go around the cut and back down the leg. Make sure you have enough for four sides, two on each leg.

When I finished the legs, it looked like this. I went back to the ironing board to smooth down the hemmed line as close to each edge as I could, to there wouldn't be any of the lining fabric making a lip beneath it once I put the eyelets in. If you have a lot of excess going around the rest of the leg, you can cut it out now, but make sure you leave a couple inches for the eyelets; the eyelets don't go right on top of where the hem is.

After ironing, I took a break, and didn't come back to it until after work on Thursday. In all, that took about 45 minutes, from pinning in my fashion that had to be as straight as I could humanly get it, and reminding myself that the sewing machine runs going back as opposed to forwards. Hahahaha... that made me feel stupid for a minute there... *Sigh.* Tonikaku~

The next step was to measure out and mark where the eyelets would be placed. I was having a hell of a time with my mathematics that night. Must've been those clementines. Let me just remind everyone that the metric system rocks, and whatever the hell we use sucks. If you're going freeform, whatever looks right to you, you won't have to worry about measuring [in this case, I would suggest to at least make sure the eyelets are aligned correctly across each side of the leg]. As it was, I had a lot of dots from incorrect positions, so I'm glad I measured and marked until I got it right. Use a washable fabric pencil/marker. When you've got the placement, trace the inside of the deep end eyelet, the one that goes in through the front, so you'll know how big your hole is supposed to be. It's better to have a slightly smaller hole than a hole too big. If you have a hole puncher that can cut through thick or multiple layers of fabric, use it. I'm not so lucky, so I was snipping 48 tiny holes for about 45 minutes.

It's painstaking, and monotonous, so if you want, break it up by doing one side of one leg, then putting the eyelets in. If you don't have a kit and the eyelets are larger then one or two milimeters, be sure to buy an eyelet set with a kit in it, and just follow the directions on the back. Be as paranoid as you want to make sure you're putting them in the right direction. You don't want the back side facing out, because it just doesn't look as good.

I put in one eyelet after I cut one hole just to make sure it would fasten through both layers, which it did. This is the right side facing out. When you're hammering your eyelets, put the right side down and hammer the shallow end eyelet from the top. As for me, I was in the zone as far as cutting, and so didn't take a break until I cut all the holes. You may or may not want to wear a thimble, as the scissor tip ran along my finger and risked cutting it with each stroke. I am of good finger control though, so it worked without for me.

The last major part is to finish up and hammer in those eyelets. This is the major labor intensive part, and took me a little over an hour to do, with putting things outside in the florida room--since it was getting late and I would be hammering without abandon--and searching for a deep side eyelet that rolled off the table. When I made my first Visual Kei black pants, I used the much larger cousin of eyelets, grommits, and used the garage's cement floor when hammering them. You need a sturdy surface that you won't mind putting a dent in if you miss your mark with the hammer a couple times. Whatever you use, be mindful of your fingers and don't skimp on the number of hits. I happen to have a spare plank I use for numerous occasions where I don't want to mess up tabletops or carpets, so I put that between the eyelet tool base and my hammering.

For the number of eyelets that I had to put in, I didn't count, that would've made it seem longer. And to take away from the manual labor of it all, I took the boombox outside with me and played Versailles Philharmonic Quintet album 'Noble'. Definitely kept me going and put an Aristocratic atmosphere over my space.

So when all is said and done and the last eyelet is in, thread your string of choice through them shoe-string style, and I left mine untied, true to Aeon's appearance. I am very happy with the final product, that cost only about $10-$12 for the materials--can't remember the price of the pants--and took about three hours over the course of two nights. In fact, I wore them today to work with my Demonia boots, and they are a hit. There are small things, of course, that I'm nitpicking at, but overwhelmingly I am pleased with the results. I will post a picture of them worn with said shoes along with my first V-Kei black pants in a later post.

What do you think, mina-sama? I love these to death, they are my new pride and joy. Since there is white thread still in the sewing machine, I might go ahead and try to do the cutsew to my shirt next. I didn't end up with as many eyelets left over as I thought, but packs that are without the tool kit are cheaper, so I won't mind buying more.

Hahaha, now if I want to do my jabot I'm going to have to wait for the black thread to be put in. ^_^ Not really, I'm actually trying to find patterns and tutorials for it first. We'll see what comes along.

Now if only to have Aeon's white jacket and pocket watch... hmmmm~...

Eternally yours,

Il Ruinante Isaak

Shopping for Cane Parts

Good afternoon, mina-sama. Oh my, here I am again up and at em during the middle of the day, ahaha. I think I would be like this normally, except maybe I am wary of being interuppted while at work. Which I am right now, as well as the last time I posted at some hour other than evening. Not that it's really a bother, thanks to this handy auto-save. And I have a very wonderful boss [sort of the stereotypical super-nice little Indian lady] who asks for so little but thinks of me so much, and doesn't mind what we do with the computers [as long as it's not downloading/installing things like IM messengers].


Yesterday, I took the day off from work to go to a consultation at an orthodontists. I don't want to think about it. So afterwards, I had the car, and decided to run some errands and go ahead an enjoy myself on my day off for once [you see, Tuesdays were my days off until I suddenly covered for a colleague one day; now my boss thinks I want to work every Tuesday, which I don't]. So making a loop that involved money, cotton balls, nail polish remover, books [which I didn't end up getting] and a bike-lock, I stopped into Lowes to get a guage on how much the materials for my cane would cost.


The dowel was cheap, but taller than needed. I might buy two though, so I can have one for my normal height, and the second for my height in my Demonia boots. Maybe. We'll see. The dowels cost about $1.50-$3.00 depending on the material it was made from. One was oak, that was more expensive. The other one was wood, but not specified. But it looked fine to me so I would go for it. I decided to go with a 5/8ths inch diameter dowel, and I didn't check, but I think to get wood cut and Lowes is free for the first cut. So if I still decide to get two, I'll leave one at it's height, and cut the other to forty inches.


I didn't find the rubber footer thing. I think I need to look it up for a more specific term before my next hunt out [to Home Depot]. I don't think it'll cost more than a couple bucks, with any luck... And I need to make sure it can go over the width of the dowel. I wanted to describe it to an employee there, but all I could think of was 'it goes on the bottom of a cane', yet somehow I didn't think that would be entirely helpful, since it can't be a uni-tasker... right...? I don't know. I'll figure it out [or find something better to put on the bottom].


Last but not least--aside from the paint--was the handle. My original thought about the door handles doesn't seem to be in my favor, since most handles I saw on display for the cabinetry and doors had a "globe" to grab, then a thin little back, smaller than the diameter of the dowel. I'd end up with an odd shape on the top, some weird configuration, aauh. I didn't want to think about it. So I purused actual doorknobs, and those were too big around at the back. I was peturbed. So the last thing I did was peruse around the bathroom fixes area, looking for Delta faucet replacement faux crystal knobs. Those looked promising, except I suddenly found myself eyeing them and thinking them too big. Also, some of them I don't think the dowel would fit into, and lastly, they were kind of expensive, ranging from $9-$13, for individual or dual packs--hot and cold--knobs. In all, considering the other materials and the price of the made cane, I'm going to suck it up and buy it, but only after I work out the other problems with the knobs first.


I'm hoping when I next go on my outings, I can find something more suitable at Home Depot. The only other place I can think of in terms of retail stores is Jo-Ann's Fabric, but that's a stretch. If you have any suggestions, tips, or ideas, I am welcome to them. Again, this is all worked out in my head, and only in my head so far, except now that I've got at least an example of my resources, I'll have to tweak it a bit.

I'm trying to get back into my swing of endless passionate, random, writing, be it fanfiction or my own series excerpts. I really want to write at least one portion of my prison game story so I'll have it and it can be difinitive, but first I need to get this sexy image of Father Hugue and Father Tres shooting together out of my head... and Brother Petros in nothing but leather pants... mmmm... *Sniffs up trickling blood.* I can intepret anything you say that is too general as something helpful, I know it. And I'd like to get to cooking for you soon if I can. So much work, so little time... I guess I'll just have to knuckle down and do it. Yosh!

This week does not bode well in weather terms. And I am not looking forward to having to bike everywhere now that I have a lock. I was fine walking. There are too many factors that I was only reminded of this morning involved in bicycling. Sheesh. But here's to staying cool, drinking the night away [responsibly, if your involving alcohol, which wasn't my plan].

A glistening sheen in the wheat fields of June... and black plumage rains down.
Eternally yours,
Il Ruinante

The Newly Acquired; Jacket and Boots.

Good evening, mina-sama. The weather is still frightfully warm, but I am looking towards the coming fall weather with great anticipation, especially considering what I am about to talk about in this post [as in, the reason I write, not neccessarily the post itself]. I still make due with what Mother Nature gives us; after all, at a moment's notice, she could choose to screw us all over with another snowmaggedon. I think I'll be ready for that though.

Now, this may seem unrelated, but have you all heard of the saying "keep your friends close, and your enimies closer"? I am familiar with it, and understand it. But I suppose I can't use it until I get enemies, given that, to the best of my knowledge, I have none. But even if I did, with the friends that I know for certain I have, who'd want to keep someone who is my rival and adversary close? They would not go out of their way to do something kind for me, like my most lovely and wonderful friend Toriberry. In addition to having commissions done, shopping online for second-hand, and knitting her own things in her goal of becoming Lolita, she keeps her eyes out for Aristo related items that I might take interest in. So maybe now about three weeks ago, she came across this beautiful number here.

From the front. The stripes are my own shirt, separate from the jacket itself. There are black buttons down the middle that fasten in, and the vest isn't separate, which is fine by me.

From the rear. I left the tie in the back basically as it was. Does it look like I should cinch it a bit more?

It fits me like a glove. We were a bit puzzled before because the seller gave her flat measurements. And we weren't entirely sure in what context to take it. I even asked my mother, and she said to call Jo-Ann's Fabric. I called two locations, one confirmed my thought as to what it was, the other didn't know [and the other I shop regularly at, so was hoping for that reassurance as well]. But taking a chance on it being what I now know it to be--laying the garment flat and measuring it's "2D" width and or length--I asked a favor of mein herr Lolita, to which she agreed. She was even so kind as to let it be shipped to my address. I can't thank you enough, Ashu-chan. Let's get together on a date other than our Aristololikei picnics and I'll drive you wherever.

In addition, as aforementioned in my last post, Otakon weekend--ah truly is it a week ago already?--bore a particularly lovely fruit in the form of Demonia platform boots. I didn't know until I checked the website that this is in fact a UK brand, as opposed to a Japanese brand [it will not surprise me though, if down on Takeshita Street, or wherever Atelier Boz is located, there is a Demonia store]. Paired with my slacks--the ones I have my eye set to add a half skirt to--and the Angel Secret jacket, it makes a very completed look.

My Demonia's from the front [and a bit of promotion. I recommend them for style and comfort].

From the side. They fasten with a zipper.

These are with my slack pants up, but not folded so they look tucked in. I might wear them in that way, once I put them on together again and see if they're alright looking.

With the slacks down. In fact, I wore these like this today on my grocery shopping trip [Sam's Club]. My favorite employee there said to enjoy it while I can, because I won't be able to stand so high when I'm older. Also said I won't get a date, but I told her I like them a bit shorter than me. Do you all have a preference between the two pictured, third mentioned?

When I finish my Aeon pants, I suspect these will go great with them as well, even though they are white. You'll be able to see through the eyelet crossing.

And to touch on projects, I have decided to add one more to the list, but this one is a bit out of the listed scope thus far. Though I was highly, highly tempted to just put out the case for a cane from a booth in the Dealer's Room, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the ones being displayed weren't what I wanted. And so all along the ride back home, I thought about the basic construction of a cane [yes, sometimes I go on very elaborate and blueprint-like thoughts]. And after laying out in my head that I need only a few basic items, easily acquired at a DIY store, I have decided to make my own cane. In case I don't get to this for a while, or anyone else is curious as to making their own and not putting out forty bucks for one, here is my basic plan:

Buy a dowel maybe an inch or less in diameter thick [Jo-Ann's had some, but not of the right thickness], a rubber stopper that can fit over your dowel, and a doorknob of your choice that can screw into the top, or be screwed in through the side. Give your dowel a finish or paint job as you like. I have some veneer spray, so that's one less expense for me, but I might decide to go with high finish gloss anyway. Put the rubber stopper on one end, and the doorknob on the other. Instant cane. Practically. And at a fraction of the cost. I really look forward to it.

Saa, it's a bit hot, even at this late hour, so I am seeking to lay down in the coolness of the other room, and hopefully get some rest. Next time around, perhaps I will have made my jabot. But if not, then maybe it's about time I got to a food entry...?

Endless rain, fall on my heart, kokoro no kizu ni.

Eternally yours,

Il Ruinante Isaak

Aristo Otaku's Weekend Out.

Good afternoon, mina-sama. It's been almost a week since I posted last, it seems. Things have been very eventful, as has been mentioned prior to my leave. I don't want to bog you all down with a lot of unrelated convention adventures and happenings, so I mean to make this concise and elaborate on more interesting fare. Please join me in my recollections, at your leisure.

I had set down a schedule for Otakon of all the things I wanted to do on each day; in the end, I would say I only ended up following about five or six things out of perhaps 25-30 panels, workshops, and signing sessions planned. But when I think about the things I might have missed if I had I instead chosen to wait in lines and sit around in rooms for hours on end, I can come to appreciate spontaneity. Just doing whatever came to mind. Meeting up with people, and stopping cosplayers for pictures. And getting your picture taken. Yana Toboso's 'Kuroshitsuji' Undertaker was a big hit, and over Friday and Saturday when I was fully adorned, I was asked for a picture about 35-40 times [not including the two Kuroshitsuji photoshoots]. The weather was not as harsh as it had been, and I was mercifully inside a majority of the time, so I managed to pull through without passing out from heat stroke. For next year--the dates have already been officially set--I will go with something more climate friendly, for the central AC BCC, and for whatever Baltimore summer heat wants to throw at us.

I bought a lot of things; my most important--and expensive--purchase of the weekend was Demonia black chunk boots. I has looking for something maybe half the height of what I bought. But they are comfortable, easy to put on, minimal difficulty to get up from the floor in, and easy to move around in. There will be pictures to come, along with the jacket that just arrived in the mail [a more elaborated post will follow soon].

I think the highlight of the entire weekend was the X Japan halftime performance and Q&A during the masquerade. Yoshiki is as skilled and sexy as ever, and new bassist Sugizo was too cute for words in that older man type of way [he even stands in a cute way, if you can imagine that]. By popular choice as voted on the Otakon site, with Yoshiki at the piano and Sugizo playing a beautiful silver weathered-hollowed out violin for the vocals--since Toushi was not there--the first song played was 'Forever Love'. I mouthed the words along as I cried. I think after I saw 'Forever Love' on the Last Live performance was when the song first started to make me try--towards the end. But I believe it was the song, plus the experience of it being live, live, before my very own eyes, two members of the world renown X Japan playing, that made me cry almost from start to finish. I have heard few things in my life that are as beautiful as that rendition of 'Forever Love'.

After that, they answered a brief Q&A of the most popular questions submitted from the fans. Sugizo doesn't speak English as well as Yoshiki, so at one point, although Sugizo answered what his opinion was of US fans vs. Japanese fans in a way that made the audience go all 'Awwwww~', Yoshiki added, "So let me just translate that. You all are fucking awesome." Euphoria. They ended by playing 'Endless Rain', another beautiful ballad among their usual rock genre, and are off to Chicago to play in Lollapalooza. My night--my weekend--was completely made.

And while there were many other adventures and tales and pictures abound, there is another place for that, to go on in elaboration. But know that for the rabid otaku inside of me, I still want to turn back time to that Friday, and do it all over again.

But now I must look into the future, because the dates are set, and a hotel booked. I'll take you on my paths to recreate Kazuya Minekura's 'Saiyuki' Ukoku Sanzo, and Yuya Aoki's 'Get Backers' Akabane Kuro'udo. Yes. Somehow I've been coaxed into doing the latter one as well. ^_^

We are in the final weeks of summer, mina-sama, so for those of you fond of warm weather, enjoy these lovely temperatures while they linger. Those longing for the autumn weather, try to enjoy the remnants of summer too, if you can. Soft winds in warmer weather can soothe the soul just as well as a cool breeze in crisp air.

As I count my blessings, and dance in my heart...
Eternally yours,
Il "Undertaker" Ruinante Isaak