Pickling Phobias + Fender Benders

Pickling intimidates me. I'm fearful that I'll screw it up and be forever linked to a botulism epidemic ala Typhoid Mary. Except I'd be Botulism Erica. But with last weekend's Farm and Fleet purchase (jar grabber, pint and quart jars, and a few other tools), I will conquer my fear. As god is my witness, I shall never be pickle-less again. :) I've enlisted a few friends, and we might try beets and dilly beans next weekend.

And now a small recap of last weekend: On Friday night, I attended a Cock Party at the Inferno. We knew one of the four bands (The Type), so we went to see them perform. There was also an art show gravitating around....you guessed it, male genitalia. The reasoning behind the show was that male erotic parts are generally ignored in art. Well, that may be the case (with some notable exceptions such as Mapplethorpe and Michelangelo), but it's also true that you could throw a stone and hit a guy who'd be more than happy to regale you with a description of his junk.

On Saturday morning, I went to Macy's to get a bachelorette party gift. As I was waiting behind a parked SUV for another car to leave, the SUV proceeded to back right into my passenger-side door. The driver was very nice about it, though. He first asked if I was alright and then apologized, saying he's not used to driving his wife's car. He was using the camera viewer thingy to back up, but apparently something wasn't functioning correctly. "It usually beeps," he said. I didn't ask why he didn't also look in the rearview mirror. He gave me his insurance and contact info., and I've already filed a claim. So not a big deal, although I must admit that I was shaken up for awhile that day.