Moo Moo

2012-01-09T09:30:00.001-08:00

The seeds are arriving! I'm unbearably excited.

2012-01-02T11:17:00.001-08:00

finally put the tropical plants up high and decorated. I love the kitchen when it is clean.

2012-01-01T17:32:00.001-08:00

My thrift store bowls: disinfected, cleaned, and oiled. Shiny and beautiful.

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2011-11-25T12:14:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving enchiladas, a day late.

2011-10-10T11:14:00.001-07:00

This is my favourite skirt. It's left over from a gypsy costume I wore many years ago.

2011-09-19T16:38:00.001-07:00

Someone decided to set up Christmas abominably early, so I decorated the black tree. So far no one has mentioned Ray Bradbury, but I have hope.

2011-09-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

Got a huge Aloe plant from the Virginia Beach Fall Festival. $5!

2011-09-06T11:44:00.001-07:00

Halloween is arriving! Yay!

2011-08-05T20:40:00.001-07:00

Things I Own That I Am Secretly (or not so secretly) Ashamed Of, #1:
Starbucks mugs. I like them because I secretly like going to cafes and being a yuppie. I am ashamed because I aspire to pure elitist hippie-dom and Starbucks (even yard sale grabs) is the antithesis of my lofty goals. I take solace in the fact they cost me nothing and didn't waste resources.

2011-07-21T17:14:00.001-07:00

We are in the middle of a move. Some of the animals are finding themselves a little lost. Especially Logan.

2011-07-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

Someone doesn't quite grasp the "arrow" concept.

2011-07-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

The fruits of my labor... My tomato plants are super healthy, but they aren't exactly producing much. To be fair, this was from a cherry tomato plant. It was the second cherry tomato so far (there was also a tasty roma) but my heirlooms haven't done anything. I'm not too miffed though, since I was afraid they would just die.
A non-producing garden is better than no garden!

2011-07-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

What strange and suspiciously unnatural drink is this? One of many store things that I do not understand. See also: liver mush.

2011-06-22T12:45:00.001-07:00

My sister is visiting! My parents were here last week. I guess June is visiting month. Yay.

2011-03-29T12:57:00.001-07:00

More rampant waste of life and materials. All these guys go into the crushing dumpster.

2011-02-21T10:54:00.001-08:00

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2011-02-10T17:11:00.001-08:00

This is an example of the heinous waste that goes on every day. These plants, which are wilted because they need water, are soon to be thrown into the dumpster to be compacted. That includes the pots. Donation is possible, theoretically, and is rumored to have been done in the past; but I've never seen it.
I should really be more aggressive in encouraging people to change their evil ways. Unfortunately when I suggest (and by suggest I mean walk around whining and bemoning the wanton waste and destruction) they rarely think it's worth talking about. Maybe one day the ball of responsible consumer development will start rolling here.
Viva la revolucion! Viva reduce, reuse, recycle!

2011-02-09T10:58:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we went to a concert, and I kept seeing people walk by with deliciously gooey looking nachos. This isn't quite the same as the delicious Nachos Of Sin, but it's pretty awesome.
I got a food processor and finally had some inspiration to use it. Cucumber, red cabbage, and a little knot of ginger. I added cilantro, olive oil and a tiny bit of sweet and sour sauce. Then I put it on top of greek yogurt (which is my favourite thing in the world lately) and mixed it a little before adding some chunks of avocado.
Eaten with corn chips topped with melty shredded cheese.
Super delicious.

Baseless Accusations

2011-01-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

In high school, my friends and I were on a continuous search for places to hang out. Generally we stuck to coffeehouses -- but Denny's, being cheap and 24-hr, was also alluring. Or as alluring as a diner can possibly be. Nearby there was another diner that we [un]affectionately called "Iowa". Somehow we got it into our heads that that Iowa was the most boring place in the world, and this stereotype has managed to stay with me so long that I actually forget its origin sometimes. Iowa is a strange place to have a random bias against. It seems so innocuous, like having a deep seated distrust of men in yellow hats. What could they ever do? Withhold corn?
For those of you in Iowa (if any happen to stop by) I'll admit that this is probably not true. However it is really not a contest where any participants come out as winners. There are undoubtedly places that are more boring than Iowa. Like trying to find the stupidest person on the internet; there's always someone worse*. At some point the argument becomes moot as one approaches the boredom equivalent to zero degrees Kelvin. It's not Iowa's fault that people don't associate it with swinging nightlife. Instead they get occasionally hip during election cycles only to fade once again into the beige of the Midwest.
I do love corn though. And ethanol. Good work Iowa! I hope the condition of your farmers improves. After reading Michael Pollan, I am forever traumatized regarding the corn industry. I don't know where I was going with this, except that I think it is funny that I have this deep seated idea that Iowa is dull for almost no reason at all and that it is inexorably linked to a badly decorated second-tier chain diner. I think maybe because there was a lot of cow-rustlin' paraphernalia and as Southern California city kids we had little to no idea where they used cow-related things or even where cows lived except Chino, or Iowa. And everyone knows Chino is a scary, dangerous place where criminals are raised, as we saw in The OC.
I also have a bias against New Jersey, though that is more a result of cultural indoctrination than youthful punk-ness.

*I used a semicolon correctly! I think...Rachel? This is always a victory for me.

Charitable Donations

2010-12-04T21:29:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when we are supposed to be spreading the love, but often even forget to save our change for the Salvation Army bucket on the way out of our local Corporate Retail Establishment. Even so, remembering to donate time or money one season a year is better than not at all. Particularly this year, when charities have already been reporting record numbers of needy so far. Both to remind myself to be better during the entire year, and to maybe spread the word in some feeble way about some of my favourite charities, I thought I would write a blurb about each one in the next few weeks.
Also after a while "charity" starts to look like a really funny word...

By Way Of Introduction

2010-11-29T22:53:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be nice to come clean about my cat situation. You see, I have a pet problem. Mainly cats, though I have dabbled in dogs and various animals from time to time. I went petless for a long time. Years, in fact. But then one day it happened. I moved into a new apartment building (or, we can call a spade a spade and admit it was as close to a slum as my college town had) and there was a pretty white cat that would sit outside and meow for food. Naturally I immediately went out and bought cat food to have on hand whenever she came around. When I got to know the neighbors a bit more, I asked around to find out where she belonged. I was dying to haul her into my apartment and make her my own. Paul resisted my excessive animal sympathies, or so I thought, but eventually he cracked and soaked up nearly as much bleeding heart syndrome as I already carried around every animal shelter.
Soon enough we found that she belonged to someone in the building, but was for all intents and purposes an outside cat. She was obviously not a cat who wanted to be an outdoor cat. Being pure white it was remarkable that she had survived as long as she did in our barely cultivated wilderness settlement. Then, her owner let it be known that he and his wife were looking for a new home for her. Paul and I gleefully leaped at the chance to save her from neglect, especially when we found out that their ridiculous reason for needing to be rid of her was that they were having a baby. Seriously? As though the cat will suck out the baby's breath? Or the baby will get scratched? Unlikely. Especially with this cat. She sleeps, she avoids the unknown, and she meows a lot. This is not a baby killing cat.
And that is the story of how we got Pickle. [Previously with the abominable name Angelbaby]

Dexter came first, really, but his was a story over a long time and isn't mine to tell ultimately. Paul and his roommate at the time decided to get an [unauthorized] dog at their apartment. He was more Paul's dog from the beginning, particularly since Paul had had dogs before and his roommate had not and seemed unwilling to learn what Dex needed and when. Roommate gave Dex his name, after overruling Paul's suggestions. Dexter's tag now reads "Dexter Zolthor". When Roomie and Paul parted ways, both wanted Dexter (despite Roommate's complete inadequacy when it came to taking care of Dex.) but Paul offered to take Dex in lieu of money owed and Roommate didn't have a lot of choice but to agree. The story was actually much longer and drama-laden but as I said, it's not my story. That, more or less, is how I [we] got Dexter.

And here is where many other pet introductions would end. Not ours! When we moved to Virginia, Paul was jonesing for a cat. Initially we thought I would just bring one of my cats from home (I left my parents with 8 cats... ) that my Dad has referred to as my sisters' and my dowry. Unfortunately my mom wasn't willing to part with any of the cats that would be suited to an indoor life. Paul and i went to visit a no-kill shelter and picked out a kitten. The entire time I was hesitant about the idea of a second cat. I wasn't sure that our place was big enough for three animals. Even when I had filled out the application to be approved as a potential adopter I wasn't convinced.
In fact, when I came home and saw a furry little muffin on Paul's shoulder I still wasn't sure. But how can someone resist an adorable little fluff that aggressively burrows under your chin to purr so loudly your head rattles and eats as though he's never seen food before? That was when I relented and accepted Logan into the apartment. It is also when I found out that black cats are terribly hard to photograph.

Aaaand then there was the fateful day I condescended to take Dexter out in the morning. Usually I will hide out and avoid having to do that at all costs. Well, maybe not all costs, but I certainly don't like having to crawl out of bed and take a stinky dog out to into the freezing morning air. I saw a girl outside, with a black cat rubbing against her legs. She saw me looking over and asked if I was missing a cat. No, but I couldn't leave her out there! Paul and I got her into a carrier, which was easy since she was enthusiastic about being petted and completely unafraid of people (though scared of loud noises).
Found posters and Free Cat posters were made and posted, with no results. She was probably abandoned by one of the multiple apartments that moved out after we moved in. We quietly wondered if the other realized that we were getting attached. Many pleading looks and freudian slips later we admitted to ourselves that she was probably going to stay, unless we found a really good place for her. So that was how we found ourselves with Zelda.

And this is all in a one bedroom apartment. Oddly enough we manage to not smell constantly like cat pee and wet dog. Don't get me started on how many plants we have in the living room alone.

Funny/Not Funny

2010-11-20T22:28:00.000-08:00

Paul and I have many things in common. Some of those things are things that we both find funny. We like to meow at Pickle and narrate her internal monologue of disgust with humans and eternal terror that we (or various inanimate objects) secretly are trying to kill her. We think it is funny that Paul can unintentionally scare me without doing anything at all, including when I already know he is there*. Weird Al. Zoolander. Crazy irrational retail shoppers.

However there is a lot of discrepancy in our sense of humor. Some things that he finds to be the funniest thing currently in the world, I look at and say, "What? That is gross/stupid/makes no sense". There are many things that I find world shatteringly hilarious that Paul looks at and says, "huh. That's funny". Not even a laugh. He actually gets so little amusement that he has so say aloud that he thought it was funny because his reaction failed to convey anything that could be read as even mild amusement.

There isn't any real pattern to predict what we will or won't agree on. It's especially frustrating to Paul, when he laughs at Dumb and Dumber or Wayne's World, but I can't do anything but seethe with frustration and the gross/stupid/makes no sense/everything. Then I counter with "Man, I love Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. So-crates." And dissolve into snorting giggles. He at least recognizes things that are funny, usually, and makes the obligatory "That was funny" declaration. I lash out at things that are not funny and want to take them apart and destroy them. As a female, I am entitled to be irrational. It is the right of a lady.

So when I find a blog, like this one that makes my face melt from laughter (even though I already read all the posts months ago when it was introduced to me) it is frustrating that I know he probably won't find it as hilarious as I do. Well, that and the fact that it will be WEEKS until he checks his email and actually looks at the link, but that is an entirely different problem.

*No, really. For example: I am standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror examining my face wrinkles in a way that every girl does, and Paul is talking to me and enters the room. We continue talking. He opens the cabinet and noisily takes out a flosser. I eventually turn to leave the bathroom, only to find that there is SOMEONE IN THE ROOM OMFGNESS!! And I screech like he is about to murder me. At least once a week, repeat in various similar forms.

2010-11-09T20:16:00.001-08:00

What? I can blog from my phone now? New and more advanced ways to slack off on posting!

Transitions

2010-11-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

Tidying up the blog, since I never did quite finish fiddling with the first incarnation. Or more accurately, I never did finish, after having fiddled with the first incarnation. Hah. The new publisher is quite nice for things that are not fancy.

Butternut Squash Custard/Pie/AltMuffin?

2010-10-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to call this, since it is sort of like a pie without the crust, but it is adapted from a custard recipe that I forgot to save and only vaguely remembered. Either way the taste is reminiscent of Mimi's Buttermilk Spice Muffins (the best muffins ever, but like ten million calories per bite) and the texture is like a pumpkin pie.

Ingredients
1 half of a butternut squash (or more, if you are gluttonous or have moochers coming over)
2 eggs per squash half
Vanilla Extract
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Allspice (if you want, it would probably be tasty)
Sugar of desired browness (I used dark brown, but probably others would work too.)

Preheat oven to 350!

Wash and Cut Butternut squash in half lengthwise (this is way harder than I thought it would be!)
Scoop out seedy area (Set seeds aside so you can dry and grow them.)
Spray the cut half liberally with scary imitation spray butter, coating your arm in the process (or some other method for buttering the cut side)
Set squash half facedown in an ovensafe pan, fill with half an inch or so of water.

Bake for about 40 mins, or until squash is mushy and seems done.

Let squash cool; meanwhile go to the store to buy the ingredients that you don't have on hand and didn't think to buy before you randomly started cooking. Did I just use a semicolon appropriately? I think maybe?
Drain water out of pan, or transfer to the oven safe dish you want to serve in.
Peel squash as best you can. I did about 85% of a peel job before I got annoyed with it and stopped. It did not kill me to eat a little bit of peel.
Cut squash into manageable pieces, and go to work smashing it up.
Meanwhile scramble the eggs in a separate bowl, add a splash of vanilla. Anywhere from 1/4 tsp to a full teaspoon depending on how enthusiastic you are about vanilla.
Mix spices into squash.
Add egg to mush slowly so that it doesn't cook the egg if it is too warm.
Add sugar!
Smooth mush around the dish so it is even.
Put back in oven until it is set all the way through and browned on top.

Eat while warm! Its better that way! It tastes way better than it looks in the picture.

Rellenos-y Quiche-ish Enchilada Casserole

2010-06-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

You need:

Wheat Tortillas (enough for a few layers in your pan)
1 Can of green enchilada sauce. Salsa verde?
Two eggs for each layer
1 pkg frozen spinach
Mozzarella cheese, to taste.

Process

Preheat oven to 300
Defrost Spinach, squeeze out as much water as you can
Shred Mozzarella cheese
Mix Spinach and most of Cheese (set aside about a third), add desired spices (such as cumin), set aside
Crack eggs into bowl, scramble, set aside
Put tortillas into saucepan, pour sauce over them, make sure they are coated. Keep them turning until they are evenly soaked and warm, but not quite falling apart.
Begin making layers: tortilla, spinach mixture, some scrambled egg, more cheese on top, then start next layer. End with a tortilla on top.
When layers are finished pour remaining sauce over the top and stab all over with a fork so that the sauce and egg can permeate everywhere.
put in oven! When most of it appears set (but with a lot of thin liquid drains into a cut, around 20 mins) stab some more and turn oven down to 200 until it starts to brown and puff. Make sure it is completely cooked through.

Delicious!

Presidential Plastics

2010-04-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

An article reviewing the changing portraits of the presidents on our currency has an humorous twist. They are proposing that the artistic representations have been given cosmetic enhancements.

I'm not sure I buy this though. Some of it looks like they have been "cleaned up", but a lot of it just looks like the drawing is done from a different angle. Lincoln's portrait, especially, looks like most of the difference attributed to imaginary rhinoplasty and cheek implants is actually due to an artist changing the angle of the drawing.

The Man Who...?

2010-04-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

My dad has an enormous collection of Analog magazines. I should know, I had to put them back in chronological order when we moved. I would peek at them from time to time, reading a story here and there, or an article when it was passed on to me. Once I recall reading a story, and really loving it. Even re-reading it. I am reasonably sure I didn't dream it up. However, I have never ever again been able to find that story. Not with all my google-fu or through manually going back through the magazines. It has been about a decade since I read that story, I think, but the magazines go back to around the 80s so it is anyone's guess what era I may have been poking my nose into.
Just in case someone thinks this sounds familiar, or in case I forget as I get older, here is a synopsis:
The Man Who Once Made Bunnies (I am pretty sure that was the title)
This was about a man who loved children, and had a business of making stuffed bunnies. However he was sued, time and again, for "defects". A child bit off the nose and choked. A child was allergic to the fur. The glue was toxic when eaten. After years of being sued and changing the bunnies each time only to be sued again for something else, he was tired and cynical and had had enough. He started making a product called a "wire hug" that was basically a ball of razor wire. It was so obviously dangerous that he was never sued for it.
I don't know the ending, but I remember it being sad and thoughtful. A man disillusioned, and obviously suggestive of where our culture was headed (and now is).

Help! Cookies and Karma to anyone who can prove to me that this wasn't some haunting dream that I invented myself only to be tortured by its incompleteness.

Actual Conversation

2010-03-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

ME: Could you help me put risers on my bed?

PAUL: Sure... Tomorrow? Could we do it tomorrow, does it have to be today?
ME: pouty That's what I thought.
PAUL: Could I at least finish eating first?
ME: Ok. Goes into bedroom. Clanking sounds.

PAUL: Just wait! I'll help!
ME: I'm just changing. clank. thump. pant.
PAUL: What are you doing in there?
ME: I'm just changing my pants.
PAUL: Did you just take your hammer and maglite in there with you?
ME: Grunt. smash. Crap. Ok. Nothing's going on, don't worry!

PAUL: Gets up to come make sure I'm not dead You okay?
ME: I'm Done! Come look at the freakish bed!
PAUL: What the did you do??

My bed, which used to be a very low 5 inches or so off the ground, now has my bed risers on. It is now like, waist high. MUAHAHAHA. I am not super positive how stable it is, but it seems okay.

You make me [sic]

2009-12-10T02:17:00.000-08:00

In my trollings of the internet to find a suitable Nature Oriented Religion for one of my final essays, I found this WikiAnswers gem:

Q: What was Chumash religion?
A: duh its so obvious. they just belive in "magic" to heal. and other worlds and stuff. Look in the library. ull c.

It took me longer than it should have to realize that the "ull c." was not some type of copyright code but rather idiot-speak for "you'll see". If I had any kind of essay-writing buzz, this could have killed it. Or perhaps filled me with some kind of misguided superiority. Maybe not so misguided. Just superiority.
In similar but also quite tangential news; I've always wanted to get one of these for someone but I never know for whom or which one, since after awhile the funny might wear thin and just become depressing.

Angst! Sadness

2009-12-10T01:01:00.000-08:00

Paul and I were emo kids for Halloween. This is just a little preview. We did pretty well, if I do say so myself. Ratty black wigs cut in angles, too much colorful makeup, black clothes with tacky neon accessories, angsty band shirts, and sad/troubled/deeply misunderstood expressions on our faces.
Pictures available on request.

Adventures in Male Cooking

2009-11-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes gentlemen seem to make decisions that, although obviously following some version of logic, certainly don't seem to make sense to the untrained eye. This afternoon Paul proposes that he make eggs for lunch. Sure. Great. Particularly since he recently filled out his kitchenware, and among other things he bought a pan accessory for poaching eggs. I was suspicious about his knowledge of the tool because I had seen weird burnt stuff left on the pan when it was left in the sink before. Lo and behold, I came over to find that rather than sitting in a pan full of water, the egg poaching apparatus was laid directly on the burner. Though they were a bit tough, the eggs turned out fine. Next time I will probably be giving a poaching tutorial.

Today I....

2009-09-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Made an oil change appointment.
Laughed in class. Along with everyone else.
Watched a sad romantic movie.
Made rice krispie treats and ate them warm out of the pot.
All of them.
I put up shelves. With a drill!
The closet is starting to take shape.
I cut my hair. The long braid is now hanging on the wall. Heh.

Cleaning Channel

2009-09-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

While I clean, I like to have something running in the background. Gilmore Girls has been done to death, so has to have some extended time to rest between viewings. Lately I've been watching a trashy treasure by the name of Sex and the City. The benefits? Some really adorable pieces of clothing that make me want to re-vamp the wardrobe when I get into cash. A downside? Aforementioned cute single items are placed with eachother in ridiculous and sometimes atrocious ways. There's the occasional good outfit (usually on Charlotte, who almost always at least manages to have a blandly acceptable ensemble) but for the most part it looks like a blind or possibly malicious anti-fashion group runs the costume department on set.

In other news, without a washer/dryer, I have started washing clothes in the bathtub. I went to the laundromat once. It ate ALL MY MONEY. Well, about 7 dollars. It was ridiculous. Now fancy things like rented washing machines are only for big obnoxious things; comforters, jeans, towels -- stuff it would wear me out to attempt to stomp into cleanliness.
Also a pizza guy thought I was British. Not because I had some kind of unintentional accent but because I very college-ly have a huge British flag hanging in the living room. And he was very surprised to find that Sarah and I (who ordered pizza at 1am) were neither high nor inebriated.

Things That Are Tacky and/or Trashy pt.1

2009-06-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Animal print:

When used sparingly, it can be fun. On some people. However on most people, and/or when used more often than one uses the tredmill that you got and swore you would use but it is such a pain to drag out from under the bed and unfold and by the time you do there's only five minutes before you have to go to work and then it just sits there for a week and a half awkwardly in the way but you can't put it away until you use it and then you will have gotten it out for nothing and yet all that happens is it gathers paraphernalia that people are too lazy to put away but want to remember like unmatched orphan socks and dirty coffee cups when the sink is too far away and that sweater you spilled the coffee on and needed a place to lay it out so the spray n' wash has time to really soak in, then the animal print is clearly a mistake. Look at your closet. If there is enough animal print in there that you could wear an outfit entirely made out of animal print, then you have too much. If you can wear an animal print ensamble and still have pieces left over, you are probably a hooker. If any of it is in unnatural colours, you probably had a very rough childhood.

Also see: Faux Fur

Exceptions: Drag Queens (They have enough flair to pull off pretty much anything.)

All this happened, more or less.

2009-06-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

I am having such an itching to buy books. I haven't been to a used bookstore in ages. It was that urge that engouraged me to update my Goodreads booklist. Which of course reminded me of the list of authors to acquire I have. Naturally I ended up with ten different tabs open, cross referencing and comparing prices versus shipping charges.

Naturally I then chickened out because money is money. So I am left with an empty feeling and a burning desire to read about Prague and the Dalai Lama. Every time I turn around there is another entry for my list. There's not enough time in the day to buy all the books I need -- much less enough time for actually reading them.

Of course dwelling on those lists brought me to whistfully read my other lists. Things to grow, books I already own, air filtering plants, movies to see, projects in the queue... The faux-excel in Google Docs has resulted in a ridiculous number of lists for me.

Among my current projects is building a bookcase, building plant stands, and finding a haircut. Even though I know that I will probably start growing my hair out again immediately I still want a change. I've wanted it awhile, but I still haven't found a style I like. It's a hard decision, especially considering I haven't had a haircut since 1999.

I wish I had more activity to report, aside from an antsy feeling that I should be doing something. I miss my cats. Next year I will have an adorable Jewish couple for landlords. I want to pierce my ears again. I might have a job. It's another retail slave job, but it is something. Oh, and I want goats and chickens when I have a real home. Fresh eggs and cheese. At least, in theory if I find out how to deal with farm animals.

Douglas Adams Is in my Brain

2009-06-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the college town after a sojourn in the tourist trap, and life is dull. Nice, but dull.

Paul: "I've been playing Metal Gear for almost two days."
Me: "It has been two days. 42 hours is two days."
Paul: "What? No, two days is 48."
Me: "No it's.. it is 48. What's 42? Why did I think 42?"
Paul: "I don't kn--"
Me: "Oh wait, 42 is the answer to the Universe. Nevermind."
Paul: *stares quizzically*

Days consist of clawing my way toward employment, evenings I hang out with Paul. As he plays Metal Gear Online, I surf the internet. Or we read. It's like we're already a stodgy geriatric couple. A technologically adept geriatric couple.

Yassas Palm Sunday!

2009-04-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Palm Sunday! Happy Catholic Easter!
I feel like I have been living very biblically lately. Lentils and spinach on a bagel for lunch. Peanut butter tofu, figs, and diet sugar-free root beer for dinner. Oy with the poodles already. I need to eat something that was once mobile of its own accord.
In other news, I have two-plus weeks of hell all lined up. Two large papers, two (maybe three) big presentations, and a ridiculous amount of research. Plus at least three other finals. Am I complaining? Heck yes I am complaining! This stinks.
But there isn't too much left. I just have to buckle down and endure. Job did alright in the end, didn't he? I honestly don't know. I'll probably find out. Funnily enough, one of my thesis topics is actually regarding the Bible. Alas. I soldier on.

Lenten Food Extravaganza

2009-04-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

So right now I am sitting at the computer, trying to think of things to say about Tver in Russian, eating a giant pile of spinach and lentils. They are pretty good, but I am intensely craving something savory. The no-meat diet leaves me snacking like crazy for lack of satisfying proteins. It would be fine if only I had more vegan resources.
In other news, I was recently up until 5 am making very detailed versions of planters that I want to build. All to scale and such. I just need a toolkit. And wood. And a job so I can buy tools and wood. And room to put the planter.

Dr. Strangediversion

2009-03-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

or How I learned to stop worrying and love L-- is that a steak??
Lent began on the first of March. So far I have done pretty well, albeit a little unbalancedly. I started out abstaining from meat and dairy, with exceptions for 2% milk (bc I need to drink more milk) and healthy fish fillets (to encourage healthy habits and avoid living off discount chili). For spring break though, I was at home, where they were doing no-meat only with no fish allowances. So I swapped, which was a nice change.
It always gets easier the longer that one is on Lent. Eventually when Lent is over, it takes a while to get used to eating meat again. The best thing about Lent though, is that it makes cooking more active. Finding recipies, preparing meals. It's no longer a matter of just microwaving a hot dog or eating a block of cheese like one normally would when dinner comes around.
So far my mom and I made veggie lasagna from scratch, baked chili relleno, and a bunch of salads. I have been eating pineapple on everything as a condiment. Fish becomes more versatile and food feels more interesting.
And yet, today my mom and I lustily watched a man eat a hamburger a few tables away at a local pizza place.

Life in a Bento Box

2009-03-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

So, Japan. A possible new adventure for the gentleman and I. Gentleman, mind you. Just the one. Though there are many places I would rather go, namely eastern Europe, I am coming around to the idea of Asia. After talking to people about it who have known me for awhile we've generally come to the same conclusion; Japan doesn't represent something fabled and new to me. I grew up around and among Asians of varied heritage. Asia is not a vast, unexplored frontier. Asia is a place like most others (in that every place is different) that happens to like things very small. That has a lot of irking potential since I am very attached to furniture and space.
However, the worst part? Not the bathrooms. I can [maybe] adjust if I end up with a strange bathroom. Those are usually somewhat western at this point. The thing I fear most is the kitchen. No oven? Small, almost camp-style cooktop? Little counter space? Tiny fridge?? How do I use that?
I hope to be able to use Ikea to solve a lot of my problems. Alton Brown (May he live forever) has always been a fan of multi0taskers. I should light a candle at my Good Eats altar and ask for guidance...

Eternity In An Hour

2009-03-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

Ultimately, what do I want to do with my life? What do I want to study? From whom do I want to receive my W-2 forms?

"Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity."--Flaubert

Alas, these are the questions. There's an answer but it is amorphous and I seem to be the only person who isn't entirely bothered by that. I want to study language, to write, to be involved in religious and cultural dialogue, and to not be so entrenched in writing grants and doing studies that I can't have a family.
To me, remaining flexible is really valuable. My degree is currently excellent for use as a placemat. After grad school it will only be as good as my desperation, depending on what I get a masters in. Paul has a clear idea of what he wants to do and it is not only feasible and is likely to pay better than my job ever could but he also seems naturally talented at it. Therefore it is in my best interest in being able to take my skills where ever he finds gainful employment.
I can be perfectly happy writing articles for a magazine or working as a secretary. Neither is soul-crushing work and I am moderately optimistic that my education combo would be worth something in the entertainment-related arts. If nothing else I suppose I can do culturally conscious exotic dancing and write about it for an academic journal in my spare time.
Ideally I would be a librarian in a glorious private library, owned by an old and eccentric woman who sends me and my family on overseas journeys in search of new literature. She will have lavish parties and adore me and leave me everything in her Will. My family will spend Christmas in London, summers in New Zealand, and eat chocolate cake every day for breakfast in her honour.

The Moral of the Story...?

2009-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

When I think about the conversations I have been having recently, it becomes all the more apparent that I am officially not only in a different life stage but also preparing for transition into yet another one. I'm finishing college soon, and looking toward what comes next. Friends and I have talked in all seriousness about the state of the economy. Stories about weddings are personal and in not only present but also past tenses. Life decisions become more imminent.
Right now I am coming to terms with the idea of applying for work in Japan. Hopefully I can get a job there. The demand for teaching jobs is supposedly high but one can't always rely on hearsay to be reliable. There are a couple issues with moving to Japan that I will probably expand on later. But there are other implications. Moving to Japan, an entirely different country. With Paul. Even if we are there with two good friends (one is definitely looking to go, the other is more tentative.) it has serious connotations. I'm not afraid of serious connotations, but it does put me in the early stages of The Rest Of My Life. It would be exciting, if it wasn't so serious.
Okay, it is kindof exciting.

Heigh-ho, Content!

2009-01-26T22:27:00.001-08:00

How do I know when I am procrastinating? When it is one thirty in the morning and I am making lunch for tomorrow, washing all my bedsheets, reorganizing my books, locating studs in my wall for shelves, and becoming overly concerned that my blog is more or less lacking in any real content. And none of that is hyperbole. My mattress cover is currently tossing in the dryer, lunch is in the fridge, my bookcase is more efficient than ever, and I am sitting here typing.
In my defense, yesterday I was struck down with a very sudden and incapacitating fever. I was jittery and freezing whilst burning up and aching all over. It was weird, considering I don't get impressively sick very often. It dogged me all night, blinding headache and active sinuses thrown in to the mix as well. Then quite suddenly in the wee hours the fever broke and twenty four hours later I sit here perfectly fine with nothing to show for it except a nose that is not quite decisive enough to be stuffy.
On the positive side it's been warm lately. All the way up into the forties. We are pretty excited. Any day in winter where one can get away with only one jacket is cause for celebration. My window is even open. Astounding.
In other news, I have started searching for a roommate for next year. It's troublesome. Everyone thinks they are neat and not insane. How does one screen for such things? I have a prospect in one of Paul's friends which turned out well last time. Unfortunately the first year up here turned out so awesome that it's hard to deal with situations that aren't as perfect. Not everyone can be Sarah, Anais, and Cambria. It ruined me for all subsequent non-ideal living situations. So it's either Paul's friend, or an internet random. Randoms right now consist of a female grad student or a guy who prefers living with females.
I'm really craving a kitten. I miss having furry entities around.

Recent Distractions

2009-01-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

A break from school. It has been amazing. Finals was so pressure packed and when everything was done I was so relieved that when I got back to the apartment I dumped everything on the floor, kicked it in distracted revenge, then wandered back downstairs and began walking around the hill picking up sticks. I went up and down the stairs multiple times until I had a sizable pile. There was actually a point to this since Paul and I had been using his fireplace lately but had mixed success with the initial lighting stages. Therefore I decided to gather kindling. Then I cleaned out my notebooks and made a pile for tinder. It was very satisfying.
Tomorrow he is taking me skiing, in theory, but it means that I have to find appropriate clothes and wake up in time to get picked up. We'll see. I'd like to do the outdoors thing more often.
In other news, does anyone else find onomatopoeia in other languages as interesting as I do? There are some adorable shirts here. Not that I can afford shirts these days.
Also, with Natalie's marriage looming large on my horizon I have been looking at a lot of wedding stuff. In my travels I (or maybe Rachel?) found some aggressively adorable wedding toppers. There are the skinny funny birds, and the little round wooden people.

And yea, I am undone.

2008-12-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Today, in the midst of cleaning and fiddling on the computer, I started watching A Walk to Remember. This is a movie from which I got a very morbid message from the first time I watched it. I laughed often and poked holes in the logic all over, especially when he bought her a star. Didn't they do any research? That whole thing was a scam!
And yet, I have apparently grown disastrously soft. I thought it was cute the first time around, I wouldn't have watched it again if that wasn't true. However this time I got misty eyed. It's not the same when I am not labouring under the false impression he is building her a coffin. A telescope is so much more mundane. And instead of laughing at the star and the state line, I flinch or ignore it.
Gah! What has become of me? The high school "me" would probably be bored or annoyed with my current state.
And worse still? I plan to watch The Notebook. It looks spunky and cute.
I still think the books are insipid though. There's no covering for bad writing and they aren't ridiculous like Twilight so there is nothing to recommend them.

Cite your sources!

2008-12-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

On facebook there is an application called "flair".
You can send little buttons to people, of varying quality (both buttons and people, I'd guess), and they place them on a little corkboard on their profile. It's cute and I get addicted to looking new ones up. A cute one has a picture of Andrew Jackson on the $20, and says, "Irony is Andrew Jackson on a central bank note"
Sometimes I come across particularly atrocious ones. Such as one claiming Patrick Henry said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
Which is almost always attributed to Voltaire.
Which was actually said by Evelyn Beatrice Hall.

In other news: I Love BBC and NOVA! Archaeology class is much more entertaining than expected.

I Am Afraid

2008-11-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

That this movie will be every bit as bad as it looks.
And as bad as the books were.
And that I will watch it.
And like it anyway.

"I stopped reading [the book] when it said, 'Even in the rain he looked like he was in an underwear commercial.'"

– Twilight star Robert Pattinson, on why he initially thought he wasn't right for film's romantic lead, to EW

And Now We Shall See.

2008-11-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

Our aim is not to do away with corporations; on the contrary, these big aggregations are an inevitable development of modern industrialism, and the effort to destroy them would be futile unless accomplished in ways that would work the utmost mischief to the entire body politic. We can do nothing of good in the way of regulating and supervising these corporations until we fix clearly in our minds that we are not attacking the corporations, but endeavoring to do away with any evil in them. We are not hostile to them; we are merely determined that they shall be so handled as to subserve the public good. We draw the line against misconduct, not against wealth.
Theodore Roosevelt, State of the Union address (2 December 1902)

Today is a special day. No matter what, there would have been something special about it. A woman VP, a black president, or a third party actually winning.
I didn't support either of the two frontrunning candidates. There was too much with each of them that I couldn't stomach. I thought my mind was made up, but when I stepped into the voting booth I just couldn't fill in the bubble. I gave my support to the Libertarians. Had I known Ron Paul was endorsing a candidate I would have chosen him.
This has been an interesting election and I am excited for what will happen. And, of course, nervous.
Good Luck, America!

Time goes by and still I think of you

2008-09-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

I need lessons in time management.
I love my classes. I love school. I even sometimes enjoy writing papers.
How can I train myself to study outside class better?
Just do it. Is the general consensus.
But if I could Just do it then wouldn't it be getting done?
I need a system. I love systems.

Also, I searched "Cordwainer Smith" on goodreads.com and it asked me if I meant "Sam Godwin".
Wtf? No. That makes me sad.

Help! Help! I'm trapped!

2008-09-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

So I went to California this weekend. It was Natalie's bridal shower, and as Maid of Honour, I figured I should show up or something. I got there and immediately sensed a difference. People were colours! They didn't try to make awkward eye contact with me! Natalie and I reunited at the baggage claim of LAX and made our rip-roaring way back to her house with her father at the wheel.
We spent the first part of the weekend preparing for the Shower, and indulging me in all the gastronomical splendor I missed while I was away from my homeland. There were Mexican restaurants galore, including one with authentic mariachis playing so loudly that we had to yell to be heard despite being on the other side of the room.
The shower was a blast. Natalie and I spent the beginning in the laundry room frosting last-minute cupcakes and all the games went over quite well. Bridal shower games are obviously (for the most part) throwbacks to the fifties and yet any girl who tells you she hates them is a liar. Guess the cleaning product? Especially when the cleaning product eats its way through the freezer bag? Priceless and entertaining.
However the trip came to a unique twist when Natalie dropped me off at LAX around 730am for my 9am flight. I got meekly in line to check in and soon after a woman with an apologetic look frozen on her face began making the rounds. Anyone with "Houston" on their ticket was instructed to follow her. I look down. Well golly, my connecting flight goes through Houston. Joy.
I follow the poor harangued woman (not everyone is as open to an alternative situation as I am. Or at least, some are faster to flip out.) to another line where we are told our flights have been canceled.
After an hour or so in line, new plans are made. Plans that involve an extra twoish days in California. Normally this would not be traumatic, but it means missing school. I hate missing school. Regardless of the perceptions one might have of my study habits, I have a history of being freakishly unwilling to miss school. At least in college. Even when I was so sick with the flu that I fainted in the bathroom, I went. Which turned out to be a not fantastic idea. I felt like crap on toast past its 'best by' date.
Eventually, instead of being home at 7pm on Sunday, I arrived home at about 8pm on Tuesday. After a nice quick trip to San Diego where I watched fancy TV, visited Encinitas, tidepooled, and met some Chargers Cheerleaders. There was some football nonsense going on.
And thus ends the brief California trip overview.

I have a dream

2008-09-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

I dreamt that I had cats. There was other stuff in the dream too, I had magical powers and so did paul and there were these giant robot things and I was caring for a tiny orphan baby. But also there were cats. I went into the back yard area and there was an endless vista of cats and kittens. Twenties of kittens, and tens of cats. At least thirty older cats, and many more kittens. I was filled with a glowy sort of joy as I thought about how I would have to get collars for them all. It occured to me, in the dream, that I didn't know where they came from. It didn't matter. Even when we were fighting an epic battle on a mountaintop surrounded by flames as the sun set I was still preoccupied - when could I go back to the cats?

I know where I am, But I don't have to Eat it

2008-09-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

So here are some gastronomic reasons I am not a good candidate for living in the south:

I Don't Like
Gravy
Grits
Fried Food
Chicken on the bone
Pork (except bacon)
Sweet Tea (unless Roommate Sarah makes it)
Biscuts
Banana Pudding
Meat originating from cute animals (Bunnies, lambs, baby cows, Bambi, Duckies, etc.)
Any part of the animal other than muscle tissue (liver, intestines, stomach, etc)
Anything with a lot of butter
Cake with fruit in it
Pecan Pie
Lard, or anything that Lard may have breathed on.

So you see, I get to drive my roommates a little crazy with my pseudo-yankee ways. However I do love some southern things such as pecans, peaches, and the crazy friends I have made out here. More to come, perchance. I've finished my Religion homework and am being called to our ceremonial viewing of Gilmore Girls.

Di-a-grams are Di-a-awesome

2008-08-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

In regard to my new roommate who wants to move the living room furniture, which is fine by me, but who has very mistaken TV placement ideas.

Paul: So it sounds like she wants to feel like she has some influence in the apartment.
Me: Right, and Sarah and I want to feel that we still have complete and utter control.
Paul: So there is going to have to be some bending with you guys.
Me: Yeah, she will have to do something about that.

Therefore, I have began making a diagram of the living room. Which distracts from the one I am making of my bedroom which was what initially distracted me from my planning for the plant stand I want to make. I love diagrams and planning and organization. It rocks my world.

Feed the Flame

2008-07-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Okay, so I think dinner's almost ready, so I'm going to go.
Sonya: Dinner is for those who can't feed themselves with the fire of their
ideals!
Crystal: ... Yeah, but I'm hungry.
Sonya: Alright. I made that up just now though, so I was pretty
proud.
Crystal: I can tell.

Everlasting Shame

2008-07-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm moving on to the next book in the Twilight series.
It's horrible.
It's awful.
It's despicable.
And I am going to finish the series.

In The Zone

2008-07-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

So I downloaded an online text of the latest pseudo-goth-teen-romance novel, Twilight, because a few friends have been all a-twitter over it. Downloaded because I refuse to venture any money in support of such a strange endeavor. I am currently on page 46 and had to stop and email Rachel. Here it is for your cut-and-pasted pleasure:

So you know how sometimes you see something really unexpectedly funny, and you can't laugh because you don't have a breath in your throat, so you just make a little wooshy choking sound and grin dumbly? That is pretty much how I feel as I read every new sentance in Twilight. It's amusing enough that I want to continue to see where it goes, but man it is bad. It is definately a bad Queen cover. An entertaining bad Queen cover, but still not an actual song with musical value. Oooh dear I think I will at least finish this book, although reading on the computer is quite tedious and always reminds me of Jane Eyre.

Leftover Pizza on a Rainy Morning

2008-07-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I love waking up and knowing that I don't have to get out of bed. Particularly when you peek outside and it is sunny but raining like mad, and there is last night's food left over in the fridge. Jalepeno and pineapple pizza, to be precise. I considered anchovy but I don't really know how well I like salty fish on my pizza anymore. Any moment now and there will be some kind of point or theme to this passage.
I got the Orange Box game set to play on Paulo's PS3. My main interest in that is the game Portal, which happens to be hilarious and fun, but there are a few other games on there as well that have good reviews and why turn down spending an extra ten dollars for four additional games? Paulo has recently consumed and conquered the last and latest of the Metal Gear series. It is definitely an interesting game.
Speaking of interesting games, everyone has words that constantly evade them in spelling. I made the mistake of putting one in the address of my blog. Alas. I hope it is changable.

A long, long time ago...

2008-07-09T18:42:00.001-07:00

...I can still remember when that sonya used to blog all day....
And if you don't understand that, it is a Don McLean/Weird Al reference. Don did American Pie (the song!) and and Al remade it as a Star Wars song parody. I have had an odd mix of both in my head lately.
Anyhow, updates. There is not a lot that is new that I can think of right now. The Tour De France is on! My man this year is Thomas Voeckler. I've been rooting for him ever since he rode in yellow next to Lance. He looked so happy I couldn't help but like him. However I am more or less rooting for everyone. It is just an awesome event.
Oh, I got new glasses. I really wanted this pair of Juicy Couture frames, a sort of rounded rectangular tortiseshell with a lot of green, becuase I want more colour in my glasses now that I have contacts too. However I couldn't quite swallow the price. So we shopped around awhile so I could contemplate and I ended up with some darkish green granny looking frames. The fifties not-quite-cat-eye but with no bottom on the frame. I don't know if there is an official name for that. They are cute and I look rather like a naughty fifties librarian. Perchance pictures.
Maybe I will post something more enlightening later.
Night!

Layout Prodding

2008-04-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

I am very aware that my blog currently looks like a troubled interior designer stricken with blandness and bad taste (a terrible combo. bad, but not entertainingly so) stumbled through. However I am actually quite pleased. I found a layout I can edit to my little heart's content and I am making way more progress than I was before.
Any crazy colours that appear, especially those in the fluorescent pink family, are there to tell me what that particular bit of code is linked to. So please excuse the mess. Amateur at work.

Wedding Bells

2008-04-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

So I need to get it out of my system.
I need to go to a wedding. Or watch a lot of wedding shows.
It's called a "Social Clock" and mine is going mad crazy. It doesn't help that I am dating an attractive and eligible young gentleman.
In the past year-plus, Rachel has gotten hitched, Sara has gotten engaged, Natalie's wedding is off the ground and running, a friend from work is to be hitched in a matter of weeks, and friendly acquaintance Kurt is also tying the knot next month.
A girl could go nuts with all the matrimony happening around here. I know it's not the time in my life yet, but I can't help feeling that female urge to convince a man to get her a ring. There is one wicked tennis match going on between the logic and the imagination in my brain.
A year and a half is too soon for me to be married. No matter how much certian areas of my brain might think it is a good idea.

A Letter to Serbia

2008-04-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have a definite soft spot for eastern Europe. It's below my left shoulder, second rib to the left. Lately I have been doing a lot of research in the Balkan Region. Hopefully one day I can study there officially. On that note I present to you:

Dear Serbia, From Richard Byrne

Kilgore Trout Makes a Mark

2008-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

A quote, particularly good on Earth Day. At least in my estimation.

It was Trout’s fantasy that somebody would be outraged by the footprints. This would give him the opportunity to reply grandly, “What is it that offends you so? I am simply using man’s first printing press. You are reading a bold and universal headline which says ,’I am here, I am here, I am here.’
--Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions

Of course, right now we are much more concerned with controlling that footprint.

Flowers Bloom, Finals Boom.

2008-04-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Finals are upon us. Suddenly the library is packed. People I have never seen appear in my classes. I start to feel an urge to do homework. I go online and check web comics.
Okay, so the last part isn't unusual.
We all know that I don't freak out much. I usually get by without doing a lot of homework, studying is minimal, and attendance is compulsory. It's a weird sort of college attitude maybe. When I was sicker than ever with the flu, I still went to class. But I can't bring myself to buy some of the books or even do simple response pages sometimes. I hope to break that habit. Next semester I will have to buckle down and conquer, or at least severely injure, my procrastination habit.

In other news, today is Earth Day!
I wish I had an apartment more conducive to growing plants. Most of mine have been relocated to Paul's, because although they will be fine for a little while, they start to spontaneously die. I blame Sarah and Cambria. They have bad plant juujuu.
Hopefully one day I will have an earth-friendly home. Right now I try not to leave the water running, and we recycle what we can. I wash clothes in cold water and have eco-friendly lightbulbs. But nothing wild.
Also I need to buy more beans and tortillas. They are awesome.

A half and a half make a pear.

2008-04-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

A scene from today's New Testament class, with the professor's part delivered in his characteristic monotone...

Professor: "...so we will be dividing up the chapter. We'll do half of it today, another half on Tuesday, and half when we get back."
Student: "Three halves?"
Professor: "Do you have a problem with that?"
Student: *silence*
Professor: "You must have a very narrow view of mathematics."

He's a great professor. And the way he talks, you wouldn't suspect him of being hilarious. But the jokes just get rolled along with everything else as he deadpans his way through the lecture. It still takes half a beat for people to figure out when he is kidding sometimes.

Goblins and Gremlins, Oh my.

2008-04-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

So an aspect of my recent changes in hobbies is pretty evident in a conversation Paul and I had recently... Well, not so much conversation as it was a small, dorky altercation. Paraphrased, because it was a few days ago.

Paul steps between the bed and TV, as I play Oblivion.
"Hey! What are you doing getting in front of me when I'm trying to sneak up on a goblin!?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I mean... I can't see! He's going to see me, and-- AAACK!"
"I love hearing you talk about goblins. All serious."

I really do like that game. And the PS3 lets you customize accounts and stuff, so it's pretty great. I love anything I can customize. Currently my background is a huge picture of a cow. Which in and of itself is interesting. I seem to be plagued with cows recently. I made a paper cow at work, Paul got me saying Moo, and I've drawn them on the chalkboards at work. It's definitely not a trend I would have guessed.

And the day dawns on a new blog...

2008-04-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Yet another blog. Oy vey. But it becomes necessary as life changes. I only wish I could take down the old ones and put them somewhere for safe keeping. Somewhere no one can see them. Alas, the internet is not terribly forgiving. It haunts us with all the shadows of our mistakes.
And so, the design is still in the evolution stages. The content is minimal. The linkage is nonexistent. Enjoy!