It was held last weekend at the Valley Tavern in Noe, and it was a HUGE turnout. At least 100 people RSVP'd, and about 75 showed, to the obvious dismay of the bartender, who was caught off-guard by the crowd (the owner forgot to let her know, apparently.)
It was far more organized than last year's event, which was held at a park that should have been named "Tornado Alley." It was so windy, people had chapped cheeks before even trying the cupcakes.
This year, everyone bought a box for $5 (donations that went to public school teachers) and filled it with four, luscious cupcakes right off the bat. While judging was taking place, attendees could munch on sugary sweets and drink beer instead of waiting endlessly for the tallies. Good thinking to the gals that co-organized.
I definitely owe most of the work-debt to Sharon, Shelley, and Anna for their amazing efforts. Sharon and Shelley helped do pretty much everything. Admittedly, I just sat there and gorged myself the entire event. Now without further ado, here are the results.
The first cupcake on our list is the Best Chocolate Cupcake, a black bottom concoction created by Christine K.
If I win, that is. You need to fill out this simply little form with words and phrases like, "fabulous" and "innovative" and "supercalafragelisticexpialadocious." If I win, I get a makeover...a Jones NY makeover...but still, free clothes is better than NO free clothes!
Buttermilk Pie? I wasn't sure about it when I saw the recipe for the first time about ten years back. But after trying it, I was convinced it was made by God's angels. It was so sweet and delicious. Although I always had this idea that food made by God's angels would be fat and calorie free. And this pie is the opposite of healthy, so I guess that only means one thing...THE DEVIL MADE IT!
My friend, Connie, told me to take the Keirsey Temperament quiz so I could find out what kind of personality I have. I thought I already knew...married Asian female, looking for a good Law and Order CI marathon on USA, enjoys a good cupcake and Beard Papa puff, occasionally partakes in a cold glass of double chocolate Yoo Hoo. But apparently, I'm FAR deeper than all that fluff. It turns out I'm an INFJ, whatever the fark that means.
The Protector
As an INFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system.
INFJs are gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. Artistic and creative, they live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types.
INFJs place great importance on havings things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. On the other hand, INFJs operate within themselves on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. They know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. They are usually right, and they usually know it. Consequently, INFJs put a tremendous amount of faith into their instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the INFJ not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Or we may see some signs of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk.
INFJs have uncanny insight into people and situations. They get "feelings" about things and intuitively understand them. As an extreme example, some INFJs report experiences of a psychic nature, such as getting strong feelings about there being a problem with a loved one, and discovering later that they were in a car accident. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the INFJ themself does not really understand their intuition at a level which can be verbalized. Consequently, most INFJs are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, who are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back part of themselves, and can be secretive.
But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.
Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments. They have strong value systems, and need to live their lives in accordance with what they feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of their personalities, INFJs are in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, they have very high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don't believe in compromising their ideals.
INFJ is a natural nurturer; patient, devoted and protective. They make loving parents and usually have strong bonds with their offspring. They have high expectations of their children, and push them to be the best that they can be. This can sometimes manifest itself in the INFJ being hard-nosed and stubborn. But generally, children of an INFJ get devoted and sincere parental guidance, combined with deep caring.
In the workplace, the INFJ usually shows up in areas where they can be creative and somewhat independent. They have a natural affinity for art, and many excel in the sciences, where they make use of their intuition. INFJs can also be found in service-oriented professions. They are not good at dealing with minutia or very detailed tasks. The INFJ will either avoid such things, or else go to the other extreme and become enveloped in the details to the extent that they can no longer see the big picture. An INFJ who has gone the route of becoming meticulous about details may be highly critical of other individuals who are not.
The INFJ individual is gifted in ways that other types are not. Life is not necessarily easy for the INFJ, but they are capable of great depth of feeling and personal achievement.
Jungian functional preference ordering:
Dominant: Introverted Intuition
Auxilliary: Extraverted Feeling
Tertiary: Introverted Thinking
Inferior: Extraverted Sensing
Am I the only woman in the City who can drive a stick-shift car? It sure seems like it. And not that I want the answer to be "YES." I definitely hope more women drive manual transmission vehicles. It's fun. I'm like Speed Racer going down Lombard Street.
Ok, maybe not. Maybe like Speed Racer in a Rascal Scooter with a low battery going down Lombard Street. But still...women, you need to learn how to drive a stick. It's too cool for school!
Not to mention...I'm sick and tired of boys always saying, "Girls don't drive stick. They like cute, easy, automatic tranny, bunny-mobiles." GRRRR...
Show us something you're allegic to.
I'm really allergic to the world, if you think about it. Gluten, animal hair dander, milk products, pollen, trees, strawberries...but I'm deathly allergic to CATS. So naturally, while looking for a good picture to post, I Googled "HAIRIEST CAT."
These were among my top choices on the first page...ENJOY!
Hey! Guess what? I saw Willie Wonka! The Castro Theatre is showing their annual Sketchfest movies and providing some time with special guests. One of their booked guests was none other than the infamous Gene Wilder, of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame.
Before they showed the classic, near-perfect comedy, Young Frankenstein, Mr. Wilder (74 years old) came on stage and spoke for a very short while, greeted the audience, and thanked everyone for coming. People went absolutely wild, including one war protester, who chose this forum to announce his intentions to the crowd. Unfortunately for him, no one seemed pleased to see him and he was forcefully escorted off the premises by security. The movie was just as I remembered it. Amazingly funny. I couldn't imagine it being any more ridiculous, yet it hit a nerve. I miss those comedic actors of that era. Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman. I remembered my first reaction to the movie and their acting when I saw it decades ago. It made me laugh to the point of tears. 
The UESF (teacher union) representative visited our school the other day during our staff meeting and told us the bad news. Over 500 teachers will be receiving pink slips this week. Administrators will also get them, but most likely they will not be touched, as is the norm for the past three layoff emergencies I've managed to survive while a teacher in the Unified Schools.
You need to see this cupcake cookbook. It's super awesome. read more
on 2nd Annual Cupcake Bake-Off RESULTS!