The Return of the Dead

Walker heads! [insert walker noises here]

Most people know that I am unabashedly obsessed with the TV show “The Walking Dead.” As I’ve remarked before, it’s like they made a show just for me. I knew when I saw the trailer for this brand new show that it was something I wanted to try, and I was hooked from the very first episode. “Little girl? I’m a policeman.”

Zombie Zone!

I’ve also become a fan of the companion series, “Fear the Walking Dead,” but the original is still the big dog for me. “Fear” got me through the summer (along with all kinds of other fun stuff), but I was beyond excited for the Season 6 premiere of TOS. Which was last night!

These premieres and finales are such big deals to me that I try to do fun stuff. I had a couple of zombie signs to put up and I hung the strand of “walker lights” that Shane and Matt got me for my birthday. I told Ken, “Those are staying up year-round!” (I have them lit even as I type! They are so cool!) For dinner, I made a Head Loaf, a meatloaf that looked like a zombie head (garlic cloves for eyes and teeth). For dessert, I made my Slimeballs brain mold (recipe to follow), and while the premiere was airing, we drank Zombie Dust beer (also a birthday present, that one from my sister).

It was an enjoyable evening and I loved the season opener. I won’t go into any spoilers here, so no worries. It was an hour and a half long, so it was essentially a movie! It went back and forth in time a bit and they handled it really well. A few things got explained although there is plenty to deal with going forward. I’ve seen this episode referred to as ‘ambitious,’ and I think that’s a good word for it. Special effects guru and executive producer Greg Nicotero directed it, and the walkers were particularly gnarly. Keep in mind that we’re well into the zombie apocalypse on the show, so the walkers continue to decompose and fall apart. It makes for some gruesome (and totally fun!) moments.

Am I happy? Yes, I am happy. It’s back and they did a great job with it, setting up the season as we explore life—and death?—in the Alexandria Free Zone. I’m ready!

Slimeballs (double batch)

2 packages of lime Jell-O (I use sugar free)

2 cups boiling water

1 cup vodka

1 cup Midori melon liqueur

Make the Jell-O like you usually do. (I don’t need to explain that, do I?) I let it cool in the fridge for a little bit before I add the booze. If you’re just putting it in a pan, you can go ahead and do that. If you’re using a mold (you don’t have to use a mold, but a brain mold is really a lot of fun!), you’ll want to spray the mold with cooking spray and cool the slimeballs in the fridge for a bit before you put it into the mold. This results in an intact brain. An intact brain is very, very important in the zombie apocalypse.

I like to decorate it with red and black gel frosting. Serve with whipped cream and be careful! Slimeballs pack a punch!

A Dead night

I found myself a tiny bit bereft today, because the season premiere had come and gone!

I think it was one of those deals where you anticipate it so much that once it’s over, you’re like, “Aww, man.” There was a little bit of that involved with the Stones show back in May, too.

I won’t write about it here—I did that on Facebook—but suffice it to say that despite a rather bucolic start, I’m pretty sure that shit is gonna get real very quickly. I think my prediction might come true. I think some sort of infectious disease other than the zombie microorganism is happening. The visual of the zombies coming through the roof was just fantastic. The splats were super cool, as was the zombie hanging by his guts. Wow!

I was pretty pleased with how my “zombie nails” turned out. I texted the pic to my sister and she said they looked infected! Perfect! That’s exactly what I was going for. Pus-filled nails? Success!

The Slimeballs were also a success, and I think I might have to have some more tonight. Yum!

This week is going to be busy. I’m working on getting ready for New Orleans, and will have to start packing soon. This is also my busiest week with the online courses I’m taking. In addition to History of Rock and Vaccines, today the Walking Dead class started, and tomorrow, the Epidemics class starts. The latter two are kind of nice tie-ins.

The Walking Dead class looks like it’s going to be very interesting. I watched the intro lecture today, as well as a video where they talk to some cast members about the show (a nice feature). The Epidemics class will look at pandemic infections from a purely epidemiologic point, but the Walking Dead course is going to explore the sociological and psychological impacts. I think it’s going to be fascinating. My friend Lisa is taking it, too, so it will be fun to discuss with her!

If my online presence is down this week, this is why. Just a lot going on, but you can watch for New Orleans updates next week!

It’s almost here

As my buddy Daryl there says, just ONE MORE DAY!

I am so psyched to have my absolute favorite show back tomorrow evening that I can hardly stand it!

We’ll be heading down to my Mom’s tomorrow afternoon for a visit and to wish her a happy birthday (which is coming up on Tuesday). She says she’ll stop and get a pizza on her way home from church, so YUM!

Then we’ll head back here to take care of a few housey things, and the countdown will begin.

I’ve got a couple of things planned. Last year’s season premiere zombie finger cookies didn’t turn out too well (I wish I’d taken a picture...they still tasted good, but they just flattened out and looked like looked like long flat slabs of cookie with an almond stuck on the end. Talk about a Pinterest Fail!) so this year I decided to do a tried and true treat: Slimeballs!

I haven’t made them for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever made them for Ken.

Slimeballs

2 packages Lime Jell-o (or one large package...heh...large package)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup Midori melon liqueur
1 cup vodka

Dissolve the Jell-o in the boiling water, and let it cool for a few minutes, but not so much that it starts to set. Add the booze and let it set. Serve with whipped cream.

I can tell you that it’s some tasty stuff, but really packs a punch! There’s always room for boozy Jell-o!  I got some red gel stuff to drip on it, too. Slimeballs don’t really look like zombie guts or anything, but they’re almost fluorescent green, and the red stuff on the whipped cream will look cool and bloody. Fun!

I also plan on wearing my I ♥ Daryl t-shirt that I got in Senoia at The Woodbury Shoppe.

Finally, I bought some new nail polish today, with several different colors (one is a kind of bright yellow) and a black “crackle” glaze. That’s that thing where you put it on top of another color, and it dries and looks cracked. I was showing Ken, and it resulted in this conversation:

Me: So you put this on top of another color, and it looks crackly.
Him: [nodding] Okay.
Me: I was thinking maybe green underneath? [Then I show him the yellow polish.]
Him: That yellow would look cool underneath the black, too.
Me: Yeah! It would look like pus!

So we’ve got green slimy stuff with bloody whipped cream and fingernails oozing pus. [clapping hands] All right! We’re good to go! I thought about making a couple of these, but I think we’re good with just the slimeballs.

BOOM!