- I Love You Man is mostly not that funny, but the Andy Samberg parts are.
- I don't want any more of my friends to move to the Tri Cities.
- I was wrong when I said I was acclimated to hot summer weather. It is disgusting.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
What blogs are for
Thoughts on my weekend (ohhhh, openings like that are what blogs are all about!)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The neat freak
Fact: Emmy hates being dirty. She cleans her paws and face like a cat, will go awkwardly out of her way to avoid mud puddles, and won't even let sprinkler water touch her sensitive hide. But for reasons unknown, about once a year, our meticulously clean little dog finds something incredibly disgusting and gets it all over her petite self. Last year, she rolled in some sort of unnamed animal poop while she and Brad were vacationing at Priest Lake and had to have a bath, immediately. Since they weren't at home Brad had to use Head and Shoulders instead of dog shampoo, and she's been flake free ever since.
Two days ago, Brad and I took Emmy for a walk and for some bizarro reason, she rolled in a bunch of overripe plums. She smashed so much onto the top of her head that it seemed like she had covered it in gel, and it looked like she had gashes of plum blood on the sides of her body. When we got home she jumped onto the couch right away and I shrieked because I didn't want plum blood on it, but it turns out that all of the plum had hardened, much like hair gel, and was no longer leaving stains. So, it was into the bathtub with Emmy again, but this time she had her Pina Colada doggie shampoo.
She can be a little bit annoying sometimes, but even in the midst of that she always makes me laugh, and there is just nothing nicer than having a little dog live with us. Even when she gets water in her beard and drips it all over the kitchen floor, every day. Even when she jumped up to pick plums out of our backyard tree and broke her foot and had to be taken to the doggie emergency room. And especially when she greeted us at the front door one night with such an excited wag of the tail that the vet officially diagnosed her with a tail sprain. That's love.
Two days ago, Brad and I took Emmy for a walk and for some bizarro reason, she rolled in a bunch of overripe plums. She smashed so much onto the top of her head that it seemed like she had covered it in gel, and it looked like she had gashes of plum blood on the sides of her body. When we got home she jumped onto the couch right away and I shrieked because I didn't want plum blood on it, but it turns out that all of the plum had hardened, much like hair gel, and was no longer leaving stains. So, it was into the bathtub with Emmy again, but this time she had her Pina Colada doggie shampoo.
She can be a little bit annoying sometimes, but even in the midst of that she always makes me laugh, and there is just nothing nicer than having a little dog live with us. Even when she gets water in her beard and drips it all over the kitchen floor, every day. Even when she jumped up to pick plums out of our backyard tree and broke her foot and had to be taken to the doggie emergency room. And especially when she greeted us at the front door one night with such an excited wag of the tail that the vet officially diagnosed her with a tail sprain. That's love.
Friday, August 28, 2009
A night of fashion
Whoops, I fell asleep early last night and forgot to post. Or, to be more accurate: I fell asleep from about 9 until 10, when I of course woke right up and watched Project Runway before falling immediately back asleep at 11, only to be cruelly (I thought at the time, but soon changed my mind) awoken by Brad at some point between 11:30 and midnight to watch a little segment on Conan called "Puppies Dressed as Cats." Omg, omg.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Anybody?
My rule for the rest of the summer (a.k.a. the few weeks I have left to draft essays for my thesis before school starts): I will not panic. So far, my approach to thesis writing is the same as my approach to most important and complex things requiring careful thinking mixed with bursts of creativity. Things which will ultimately be evaluated based on their quality. My pattern: thinking about big things that need to get done, deciding that it’s really unlikely that I can ever do them justice in the time allotted, procrastinating because the potential for failure or mediocrity is just too great, making some un-thoughtful, blind stabs at work that I end up tossing, feeling confirmed in my fears of mediocrity because my panic-induced attempts have turned out poorly, spending a lot of time moping about the fact that I'm not getting anything done, making lists of ways to start getting things done, worrying more about how badly things could all turn out if I don't hurry up and finally do something, repeat, repeat, repeat.
And then: in the last little smidgen of an inch of time remaining, I buckle down and rapidly turn out exactly the necessary amount of work, and whatever I was supposed to do turns out just fine, or better. Just IMAGINE what would happen if I would use all of that time for thinking and daydreaming or playing or brainstorming or praying or pondering instead of worrying and mulling and psyching myself out.
PS: This post is not intended to be a pity party. I'm just thinking. And I'm assuming I'm not the only one out there like this. :) This emoticon welcomes you to Procrastination Nation.
And then: in the last little smidgen of an inch of time remaining, I buckle down and rapidly turn out exactly the necessary amount of work, and whatever I was supposed to do turns out just fine, or better. Just IMAGINE what would happen if I would use all of that time for thinking and daydreaming or playing or brainstorming or praying or pondering instead of worrying and mulling and psyching myself out.
PS: This post is not intended to be a pity party. I'm just thinking. And I'm assuming I'm not the only one out there like this. :) This emoticon welcomes you to Procrastination Nation.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
In all its glory
My flower garden is looking remarkably good this year. Not good for someone who has the patience and knowledge and instinct to actually be a gardener, but good for someone who likes blithely planting things in the spring and leaving them to fare for themselves through the heat of the summer. Is that not how this is supposed to work?
In all its glory.
The gigantic blossom of my indomitable Butterfly Bush.
Snapdragons, living large. I have to confess though that about 3/4 of the snapdragons I planted died within a week. And maybe because of that fact, I'm a little extra pleased with what's going on here.
Monday, August 24, 2009
What I would like
The perfect concert-going earplugs. They must:
- Protect my precious, button-sized ears from hearing loss
- Look inconspicuous, a.k.a. not fluorescent, giant, etc.
- Not block so much sound that, as Brad would say, "It's like I'm listening to this concert on my ipod in a coffee shop."
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Best food ever, Bellingham edition
There are always a few things Brad and I HAVE to do while we're in Bellingham, and when we make a list of those things, food we must eat usually makes up about two thirds of it. So, I ate all sorts of good things - pizza at Rudy's, a burrito at Taco Lobo on my first-ever visit there, and a shockingly good cupcake (because really, you usually know what you're going to get with a chocolate cupcake, but this one was outstanding) from a new-to-me, oh so hip and trendy cupcake place in Fairhaven. Have I mentioned that I want to open my own cupcake place? Well, I do. Anyway, I ate a lot of good things, but there were three highlights.
1. Yam Alechiladas from Boundary Bay
When we were living in Bellingham I don't think that Boundary Bay served a huge menu of delicious food like they do now, because I think the first time I ate there was two years ago. This time I got their yam alechiladas (which I'm sure means that the enchilada sauce is enhanced by a little Boundary Bay ale), and they are really, really, really, really good. I wasn't expecting something amazing, but they are amazing. I wish I had taken a picture or something so that I could remember what exactly made me so enamored of them. But I'll just say that if I recall correctly (I am a great food writer!), they are spicy, a little bit sweet (but not too sweet, oh no), full of yams and beans and cheese and sauce, and garnished with some salsa and sour cream.
2. The Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream at Mallard's.
Now, much like the really good cupcake I ate, I was not expecting to fall in love with something so run-of-the-mill (and something I so frequently consume) as cookies and cream ice cream. But it was so good, with huge cookie chunks and (shock!) sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream. I can't put my finger on why, but it is just better than other cookies and cream. I ate said ice cream right after I ate way too much of my enchiladas. Totally worth it. You have to sacrifice for the things you love.
3. Cinnamon Chip bread from Great Harvest.
I don't know if this is offered at other Great Harvests in the world (it's not in Spokane), but at Bellingham's Great Harvest they have this cinnamon chip bread that comes as a round loaf with this, shall we say, crust of cinnamon sugar on top. My longtime college roommate and sometime soul mate Kathryn introduced me to this delight, which is, more specifically, fantastic bread with little pockets of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled throughout and that addictive crust on top. I hadn't had any of this delicacy in years, but while Brad was spending way too long at Everyday Music (formerly Cellophane Square), I thought I should take a walk up to Great Harvest to see if Saturday was one of their Cinnamon Chip days (because a bread this good can't be put out each and every day, or people in the know would go crazy - it must be released in small, regulated doses). And it was just such a day. The bread was better than I remembered it, and Brad and I snacked on it for three days, even sneaking it into international waters on our ferry ride to Canada.
1. Yam Alechiladas from Boundary Bay
When we were living in Bellingham I don't think that Boundary Bay served a huge menu of delicious food like they do now, because I think the first time I ate there was two years ago. This time I got their yam alechiladas (which I'm sure means that the enchilada sauce is enhanced by a little Boundary Bay ale), and they are really, really, really, really good. I wasn't expecting something amazing, but they are amazing. I wish I had taken a picture or something so that I could remember what exactly made me so enamored of them. But I'll just say that if I recall correctly (I am a great food writer!), they are spicy, a little bit sweet (but not too sweet, oh no), full of yams and beans and cheese and sauce, and garnished with some salsa and sour cream.
2. The Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream at Mallard's.
Now, much like the really good cupcake I ate, I was not expecting to fall in love with something so run-of-the-mill (and something I so frequently consume) as cookies and cream ice cream. But it was so good, with huge cookie chunks and (shock!) sweet, creamy vanilla ice cream. I can't put my finger on why, but it is just better than other cookies and cream. I ate said ice cream right after I ate way too much of my enchiladas. Totally worth it. You have to sacrifice for the things you love.
3. Cinnamon Chip bread from Great Harvest.
I don't know if this is offered at other Great Harvests in the world (it's not in Spokane), but at Bellingham's Great Harvest they have this cinnamon chip bread that comes as a round loaf with this, shall we say, crust of cinnamon sugar on top. My longtime college roommate and sometime soul mate Kathryn introduced me to this delight, which is, more specifically, fantastic bread with little pockets of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled throughout and that addictive crust on top. I hadn't had any of this delicacy in years, but while Brad was spending way too long at Everyday Music (formerly Cellophane Square), I thought I should take a walk up to Great Harvest to see if Saturday was one of their Cinnamon Chip days (because a bread this good can't be put out each and every day, or people in the know would go crazy - it must be released in small, regulated doses). And it was just such a day. The bread was better than I remembered it, and Brad and I snacked on it for three days, even sneaking it into international waters on our ferry ride to Canada.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Party people
I just got back from the second ten-year reunion I've attended in a three-week period. Sorry Bothell High class of '99, but Lewis and Clark is the clear winner in party planning. Probably because there wasn't much planning involved at all with LC's - it was super casual, at a bar, no tickets to buy, no name tags to make ahead of time, no elaborate skits featuring masked friends wearing cougar costumes, etc. This kind of party was just more my style. They didn't try very hard, and that took the edge off.
The highlight of my night was probably when a high school friend of Brad's, a guy I had first met about half an hour earlier, came up to me and asked if I was having a good time. I said, "Yeah, this is the best night of my life." Which made him laugh a lot. So we chitchatted for a minute and then he goes, "OK. So how can we turn this around? Do you know any jokes?" And I don't really, so I told him so. So THEN he starts TELLING ME DIRTY JOKES! And high five-ing me after them! And I'm a stranger to him basically, and I feel like he shouldn't want to offend me or something, as the wife of his high school buddy Brad, and I'm laughing like a maniac, not at the jokes, but just the freaking weirdness of it all. I hope he's got some new dirty material ready by the time the twenty-year rolls around. Apparently I love that stuff.
The highlight of my night was probably when a high school friend of Brad's, a guy I had first met about half an hour earlier, came up to me and asked if I was having a good time. I said, "Yeah, this is the best night of my life." Which made him laugh a lot. So we chitchatted for a minute and then he goes, "OK. So how can we turn this around? Do you know any jokes?" And I don't really, so I told him so. So THEN he starts TELLING ME DIRTY JOKES! And high five-ing me after them! And I'm a stranger to him basically, and I feel like he shouldn't want to offend me or something, as the wife of his high school buddy Brad, and I'm laughing like a maniac, not at the jokes, but just the freaking weirdness of it all. I hope he's got some new dirty material ready by the time the twenty-year rolls around. Apparently I love that stuff.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Dinner party
Tonight my friend Bekka and I (hi Bekka!), along with Bekka's boyfriend Joel and of course Brad, had our first of many dinner club parties together (I don't know what we're really going to call this, but that name was super awkward). Bekka and I cooked this time, while Brad and Joel immersed themselves in the world of Whale Wars in the living room, because we are domestic goddesses, and they are big nerds. We made the Anasazi Bean Burgers, as seen at such places as The Elk, Moon Time, etc. (except we made them with black beans instead of the elusive Anasazi), roasted red potatoes, and a really good quinoa salad/pilaf type thing, with red bell peppers and tomatoes and zucchini in it. I wish I could tell you more about the quinoa, but Bekka was the mastermind for that part of the evening and I really don't know what all went on. However, the bean burgers are REALLY GOOD and REALLY EASY (although they took about 473892 years tonight since I never read recipes well enough beforehand to really know what's going on), and the roasted potatoes were perfect.
And then we played Settlers of Catan, which is a nerdy-sounding game, and it IS nerdy. But playing it is less nerdy than when, after Joel finally won (after about, oh, two hours), he and Brad started chanting "King! Of! Catan!" and doing their Harry Caray impressions. Dinner party club is going to be great.
And then we played Settlers of Catan, which is a nerdy-sounding game, and it IS nerdy. But playing it is less nerdy than when, after Joel finally won (after about, oh, two hours), he and Brad started chanting "King! Of! Catan!" and doing their Harry Caray impressions. Dinner party club is going to be great.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Summertime travels
Brad and I got back yesterday from our little summer vacation: Bothell and Seattle for a Mariner game, a few days in our beloved Bellingham, and then off to Victoria, BC to revel in queenery (I made that word up). Now, what I am about to attempt to do is this: upload and post some pictures from our trip on this very blog! This should not be very complicated. However, I tried to post some pictures of my flower garden last week and it ended in disaster, with a cluster of five tiny photos, out of order, at the top of my screen, and no way to write words around them or put them in the right order. So, here we go.
We went to the Mariners vs. Yankees game on Thursday. Yawn! Every time I go to a baseball game I bequeath the responsibility of protecting my head from a fly ball on someone who will actually be watching the game, since I know my attention will drift to daydreaming and people watching after the first inning. Brad agreed to be my protector, and I survived unscathed.
Shortly before this picture was taken, I spent half an hour hiding out at the Mariner Team Store buying Brad that hat. He asked me, "What's better? Standing in line at the team store, or watching the game?" The answer was obvious.
We were in Bellingham from Friday until Sunday morning, and we spent a large chunk of Saturday reading books at Boulevard Park. I can't tell you how much I love Bellingham. It makes me happy just being there. On both of my Bellingham mornings I woke up and ran and ran and ran along the Interurban Trail and just loved being alive. Someday we will move back.
One of the things I pride myself on is my fine photography. This is probably most evident in the "glamour shots" I take of Brad. Just look at that face. He can't get enough.
We did a drive by tour of our former Bellingham homes. This lovely abode in the York District neighbors Nelson's Market and was my home for two years. It used to be green. Now it features red paint, a boat trailer, and a heavenly anointing of light.
Brad's cousin Staci is great and let us stay at her house in Bellingham. We had a lot of fun with her, and on our last night we all went to the Archer Ale House to play the aforementioned dart game we made up, Shrauge (the artful combination of Staci's last name, Shrum, and our last name, Hauge, obviously).
Brad, mere moments after his humiliating defeat. Good job Staci!
Game faces. Shrauge is not a game for the fainthearted.
And after we ate at all of our favorite places (EXCEPT LEMON GRASS! Lemon Grass is closed! Why didn't anybody tell me?!), met up with friends, browsed the farmers' market and bookstore, and mastered the art of darts, we ferried over to Victoria for a couple of days. It was great to just sit around the harbor and watch the boats and seaplanes (did that sentence not just make me sound about 70 years old?). We went to a great concert (Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups, plus a little Cage the Elephant for good measure), and just loved being on the water and out of town.
And, I hereby proclaim myself the master of adding photos to my blog! I finally did it. I have entered the space age.
We went to the Mariners vs. Yankees game on Thursday. Yawn! Every time I go to a baseball game I bequeath the responsibility of protecting my head from a fly ball on someone who will actually be watching the game, since I know my attention will drift to daydreaming and people watching after the first inning. Brad agreed to be my protector, and I survived unscathed.
Shortly before this picture was taken, I spent half an hour hiding out at the Mariner Team Store buying Brad that hat. He asked me, "What's better? Standing in line at the team store, or watching the game?" The answer was obvious.
We were in Bellingham from Friday until Sunday morning, and we spent a large chunk of Saturday reading books at Boulevard Park. I can't tell you how much I love Bellingham. It makes me happy just being there. On both of my Bellingham mornings I woke up and ran and ran and ran along the Interurban Trail and just loved being alive. Someday we will move back.
One of the things I pride myself on is my fine photography. This is probably most evident in the "glamour shots" I take of Brad. Just look at that face. He can't get enough.
We did a drive by tour of our former Bellingham homes. This lovely abode in the York District neighbors Nelson's Market and was my home for two years. It used to be green. Now it features red paint, a boat trailer, and a heavenly anointing of light.
Brad's cousin Staci is great and let us stay at her house in Bellingham. We had a lot of fun with her, and on our last night we all went to the Archer Ale House to play the aforementioned dart game we made up, Shrauge (the artful combination of Staci's last name, Shrum, and our last name, Hauge, obviously).
Brad, mere moments after his humiliating defeat. Good job Staci!
Game faces. Shrauge is not a game for the fainthearted.And after we ate at all of our favorite places (EXCEPT LEMON GRASS! Lemon Grass is closed! Why didn't anybody tell me?!), met up with friends, browsed the farmers' market and bookstore, and mastered the art of darts, we ferried over to Victoria for a couple of days. It was great to just sit around the harbor and watch the boats and seaplanes (did that sentence not just make me sound about 70 years old?). We went to a great concert (Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups, plus a little Cage the Elephant for good measure), and just loved being on the water and out of town.
The harbor.
And, I hereby proclaim myself the master of adding photos to my blog! I finally did it. I have entered the space age.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Queen of darts
We are moving on from Bellingham tomorrow and going to Victoria, so, goodbye forever! Or maybe we will have ample internet access and no goodbyes will be necessary. Who knows what might happen while we're visiting America's hat?
Tonight we spent a long, long time at the Archer Ale House. Brad totally dominated Staci and me in the first two rounds of darts. HOWEVER, Staci won the third round with a whopping 308 points (we played to 301 - is that completely weird? we made up a bunch of rules and then taught those made-up rules to a bunch of drunken 60-year-olds, who proceeded to break them left and right). And guess who came in with triple digits each round? Yes, that's right. Me. Queen of darts. 200 points behind my competitors, but what sportsmanship I displayed.
Tonight we spent a long, long time at the Archer Ale House. Brad totally dominated Staci and me in the first two rounds of darts. HOWEVER, Staci won the third round with a whopping 308 points (we played to 301 - is that completely weird? we made up a bunch of rules and then taught those made-up rules to a bunch of drunken 60-year-olds, who proceeded to break them left and right). And guess who came in with triple digits each round? Yes, that's right. Me. Queen of darts. 200 points behind my competitors, but what sportsmanship I displayed.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bellingham
Brad and I are back in Bellingham for the weekend and, as usual, as soon as I got here I wondered why I ever left. Today we spent forever browsing at Village Books, wandered around Fairhaven, ate way too big of a delicious dinner at Boundary Bay (Yam Alechiladas = ! My Yam Alechiladas are like, whoa), ate even more when we got ice cream at Mallard's after dinner, walked along the water (where I took "glamour shots" of Brad), and then capped it all off by lounging around at his cousin Staci's house watching The Soup. Tomorrow I'll run at one of my favorite places, check out the giant farmers market, meet some buddies for Rudy's pizza, and laze about at Boulevard. And all the while I'll be recycling like a mad woman and watching out for the millions of bicyclists racing all over the place. Oh, Bellingham. Every time I get here I realize just how much I've missed it.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
When the weather is high
Every summer Brad and I choose a "summer project." Our projects (I love calling these projects, which makes something very fun sound very strenuous and admirable) are TV shows that we've heard are great but that we never saw in "real time" and which we can rent on DVD and watch in every waking hour all summer long. Our current year's undertaking is Alias, as I can't stop mentioning all the time because I love it. Past projects have included LOST, Veronica Mars, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, and Mad Men. It's a kind of silly thing, but I have come to love this little summertime tradition of ours. It's nice to have the leisure time to get wrapped in the world of a really good series, and it's fun to theorize and speculate with Brad about the characters' fates as we hide out in our basement on the way too hot summer days.
In fact, I'm already starting to think about the series we should take on next time. Any recommendations for a great series to watch on DVD? I've thought about The Wire, and Six Feet Under. I tend to go for the hour-long dramas, but you might be able to sell me on a sitcom.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Magically modified spicy soba noodles
It's that magical time again: BEST FOOD EVER!
So, on Tuesday I made something that was so very delicious that I had to write down notes immediately, lest I forget my night of total kitchen deftness and not be able to re-create this ever again. I started with a recipe from Smitten Kitchen for spicy soba noodles. But, I made some modifications here and there, because of my deftness, and because Albertsons does not have green onions! Who is manning the store over there? Seriously.
Sarah's Magically Modified Spicy Soba Noodles
(although this spontaneous title might imply otherwise, this meal is not drug induced)
Sauce
Everything Else
So, here's what you do. First, make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium, until the sugar is dissolved; remove from heat and set aside.
In a skillet of sorts, heat the peanuts for a few minutes until they're golden brown. (You could also stick them in the oven for a few minutes.) Set aside. Put a little bit of oil in the pan, and add the ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute or so. Add the mushrooms and the red onions and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
Then, scoot everything over to the side of the pan so you have a little room to work with. In the cleared space, scramble the two eggs. Then mix the egg in with everything else. Add the cabbage mix and cook for 5 or so more minutes. Heat the noodles as the package says (mine just said to microwave them for 1 minute to loosen them up), then toss them into the pan. Pour the sauce and peanuts on top, and ta-da! It's spicy and so good.
I also sauted some blanched green beans with chopped red onion, salt, and pepper to have on the side. AND - Brad ate ten of them! Ten green beans! The only thing he picked out of this entire vegetable-laden meal was the mushrooms. That is big news.
So, on Tuesday I made something that was so very delicious that I had to write down notes immediately, lest I forget my night of total kitchen deftness and not be able to re-create this ever again. I started with a recipe from Smitten Kitchen for spicy soba noodles. But, I made some modifications here and there, because of my deftness, and because Albertsons does not have green onions! Who is manning the store over there? Seriously.
Sarah's Magically Modified Spicy Soba Noodles
(although this spontaneous title might imply otherwise, this meal is not drug induced)
Sauce
- 1/3 C water
- 1/3 C soy sauce
- a few squeezes worth of Sriracha (I'd recommend doing this to taste, for those spice babies out there)
- 1 T packed brown sugar
Everything Else
- 1/4 C (or so) unsalted peanuts, shelled
- 2 T minced giner
- 1 T minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
- 4-5 largeish mushrooms, sliced
- some red onion, chopped or minced (I used about 1/4 of a large onion)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 bag of prepackaged slaw mix (or just use a regular old head of cabbage - I had leftovers from yesterday, but I liked the mix because it had some carrot and radicchio in it)
- 1 package soba noodles (mine were from the refrigerated section of the grocery store)
So, here's what you do. First, make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium, until the sugar is dissolved; remove from heat and set aside.
In a skillet of sorts, heat the peanuts for a few minutes until they're golden brown. (You could also stick them in the oven for a few minutes.) Set aside. Put a little bit of oil in the pan, and add the ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute or so. Add the mushrooms and the red onions and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
Then, scoot everything over to the side of the pan so you have a little room to work with. In the cleared space, scramble the two eggs. Then mix the egg in with everything else. Add the cabbage mix and cook for 5 or so more minutes. Heat the noodles as the package says (mine just said to microwave them for 1 minute to loosen them up), then toss them into the pan. Pour the sauce and peanuts on top, and ta-da! It's spicy and so good.
I also sauted some blanched green beans with chopped red onion, salt, and pepper to have on the side. AND - Brad ate ten of them! Ten green beans! The only thing he picked out of this entire vegetable-laden meal was the mushrooms. That is big news.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Transportation
Brad’s car is having some major alternator issues this week, so today he drove our Subaru to work. Since I didn’t have the option of driving, and since I’m trying to bike more anyway, I biked down to the Rockwood Bakery this afternoon to write for a while. For whatever reason, I decided that my only real route option would be to ride straight down Grand. This is certainly the most direct route, since both my house (around 38th) and the Rockwood (around 17th) are just one block off Grand, and Grand is an arterial, etc.
However, an efficient ride down Grand means riding IN TRAFFIC, meaning amongst monstrous cars, which makes me extremely uneasy. I spent the whole ride trying to stay as far right as possible, gasping when I saw that the far right was full of potholes and gravel, and repeating, “I’m sorry!” (to the real drivers, who couldn’t hear me) and “It’s okay” (to myself, because I needed to be consoled and encouraged).
I arrived at the coffee shop sweaty and a little shaky, but alive and unharmed. But under no circumstances will I take the same route home. It means crossing paths with two traffic lights, navigating multiple lanes of traffic, and having no choice but to loosen my clamped hands from the handlebars to signal to the law-abiding motorists when I am going to make a turn. I will be meandering back up Manito Boulevard in a couple of hours, a less-direct route that will take me several blocks out of my way, but that will give me a much less harrowing ride home. I am all for commuting by bike, but this (and “this” was really a mere mile-long trip) is going to give me a panic attack.
However, an efficient ride down Grand means riding IN TRAFFIC, meaning amongst monstrous cars, which makes me extremely uneasy. I spent the whole ride trying to stay as far right as possible, gasping when I saw that the far right was full of potholes and gravel, and repeating, “I’m sorry!” (to the real drivers, who couldn’t hear me) and “It’s okay” (to myself, because I needed to be consoled and encouraged).
I arrived at the coffee shop sweaty and a little shaky, but alive and unharmed. But under no circumstances will I take the same route home. It means crossing paths with two traffic lights, navigating multiple lanes of traffic, and having no choice but to loosen my clamped hands from the handlebars to signal to the law-abiding motorists when I am going to make a turn. I will be meandering back up Manito Boulevard in a couple of hours, a less-direct route that will take me several blocks out of my way, but that will give me a much less harrowing ride home. I am all for commuting by bike, but this (and “this” was really a mere mile-long trip) is going to give me a panic attack.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Looking good
Today I got a GREAT and very necessary haircut from my lovely sister-in-law Amanda. Thank you, Amanda! She always does a very good job, and does more to style my hair in five minutes than I have figured out in a lifetime. Amanda, want to come over with your curling iron and straightening iron and product every morning to get me ready for life? Thanks.
I also realized recently that when I mentioned in one of those surveys I can never resist doing that I hate my hair, I should have been more clear: I hate my hair COLOR, which is because it is two colors (plain old roots versus way blond ends), which is because I am being very stubborn and have chosen to slowly and painstakingly grow out all of my highlights, instead of allowing Amanda to dye my whole head to match my natural light brown/dark blond, as she has repeatedly offered to do. I have vowed to see my natural color again, on every inch of every strand of hair, and it seems like it may take the rest of my life for that to happen.
But, at least I have a super cute haircut while I wait. I took a series of really embarrassing self portraits featuring said haircut tonight, thinking that I would post one on this blog, but I had some flash issues and some lighting issues and some weird-face-making issues. So just trust me: I look GOOD.
I also realized recently that when I mentioned in one of those surveys I can never resist doing that I hate my hair, I should have been more clear: I hate my hair COLOR, which is because it is two colors (plain old roots versus way blond ends), which is because I am being very stubborn and have chosen to slowly and painstakingly grow out all of my highlights, instead of allowing Amanda to dye my whole head to match my natural light brown/dark blond, as she has repeatedly offered to do. I have vowed to see my natural color again, on every inch of every strand of hair, and it seems like it may take the rest of my life for that to happen.
But, at least I have a super cute haircut while I wait. I took a series of really embarrassing self portraits featuring said haircut tonight, thinking that I would post one on this blog, but I had some flash issues and some lighting issues and some weird-face-making issues. So just trust me: I look GOOD.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Best Food Ever
So, this blog kind of cracks me up because it is so all over the place. Which really just means that I am all over the place. But, if I haven't made it clear before now, I love food, and I want my blog to be at least partly about food. So, I had the idea tonight that I could capture my love of food - things I eat out, things I make, etc. - in a delightful regular post called The Best Thing I Ate All Week. Or The Best Food Ever. I'm not sure which one yet.
So, for this week, we (apparently, I have introduced the royal "we" to this blog, hello!) have a couple of contenders. First, did you know that at Ben and Jerry's, you can get two different flavors on a "small" (small is definitely a relative term) scoop? It's true! Last night, pre-500 Days of Summer, I indulged in just such a double-faceted scoop. For my first flavor I chose Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, which is good but, if we (hello again) are being blunt, just average. For my SECOND flavor though, I chose the amazingly extraordinary, exceptionally delicious, forever endeared to my heart Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk is the kind of flavor that I really don't think I should like that much. I am not the hugest of lovers of oatmeal cookies, and I am kind of neutral in how much I like cinnamon, but this flavor brings together a bunch of things I only sort of appreciate to form The Ice Cream of My Life: sweet cream cinnamon ice cream with chunks of oatmeal cookie and fudge. And also chunks of plain old chocolate. It is the best. You must try it.
And the other Best Food Ever would have to go to the smashed chickpea salad I made tonight, which I put on top of some of that arugula I guilt tripped myself into buying the other day, and some of the tahini sauce my best friend Deb recommended, all on some toasted pieces of this very mysterious sourdough bread I guilt tripped myself into buying at a different farmers' market today. It was all so very tasty. And when I looked at my plate, which also featured some baby carrots, I felt like the vegetarian of the year. I mean, seriously. What a plate of produce and local baked goods and health, health, health. It was really, really good, but still, when I spied all of that over-the-top good-for-me-ness all together, it actually did make me laugh. In high school I was fine with going to Denny's at 11 pm and ordering a side of fries and a milkshake. Who have I become?!
PS: I know that Ben and Jerry's does not scream health, health, health! and that I therefore am horribly contradictory and/or hypocritical and/or completely out of touch with reality. But I am going to just allow that character complexity to add to what I referred to earlier: being all over the place. Both things are true. Most of my diet screams health, health, health! And the rest screams, ice cream!
So, for this week, we (apparently, I have introduced the royal "we" to this blog, hello!) have a couple of contenders. First, did you know that at Ben and Jerry's, you can get two different flavors on a "small" (small is definitely a relative term) scoop? It's true! Last night, pre-500 Days of Summer, I indulged in just such a double-faceted scoop. For my first flavor I chose Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch, which is good but, if we (hello again) are being blunt, just average. For my SECOND flavor though, I chose the amazingly extraordinary, exceptionally delicious, forever endeared to my heart Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk is the kind of flavor that I really don't think I should like that much. I am not the hugest of lovers of oatmeal cookies, and I am kind of neutral in how much I like cinnamon, but this flavor brings together a bunch of things I only sort of appreciate to form The Ice Cream of My Life: sweet cream cinnamon ice cream with chunks of oatmeal cookie and fudge. And also chunks of plain old chocolate. It is the best. You must try it.
And the other Best Food Ever would have to go to the smashed chickpea salad I made tonight, which I put on top of some of that arugula I guilt tripped myself into buying the other day, and some of the tahini sauce my best friend Deb recommended, all on some toasted pieces of this very mysterious sourdough bread I guilt tripped myself into buying at a different farmers' market today. It was all so very tasty. And when I looked at my plate, which also featured some baby carrots, I felt like the vegetarian of the year. I mean, seriously. What a plate of produce and local baked goods and health, health, health. It was really, really good, but still, when I spied all of that over-the-top good-for-me-ness all together, it actually did make me laugh. In high school I was fine with going to Denny's at 11 pm and ordering a side of fries and a milkshake. Who have I become?!
PS: I know that Ben and Jerry's does not scream health, health, health! and that I therefore am horribly contradictory and/or hypocritical and/or completely out of touch with reality. But I am going to just allow that character complexity to add to what I referred to earlier: being all over the place. Both things are true. Most of my diet screams health, health, health! And the rest screams, ice cream!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
1 day of Zooey
I just saw 500 Days of Summer, with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and it is really cute/funny and much more interesting and different from the typical, shall we say, rom-com. The 500 days are the 500 days of their relationship, but they're shown out of sequence. If I were hipper, I'd want to have Zooey's (she's kind of my girlfriend, so don't worry - we're totally on a first name basis) whole retro wardrobe.
AND - earlier today, I watched a rerun of Top Chef Masters, and the remaining chefs' challenge was to cook a delicious vegan meal for none other than vegan Miss Deschanel and a bunch of her vegan friends. I'm not a vegan, but if anyone wants to hold a competition to see who can prepare me the most delicious vegetarian food, I wouldn't put a stop to it. I've always thought being a food critic would be pretty fun, and I realize that I've really limited my potential there since there are now so many foods I won't eat. A vegetarian competition/feast/competifeast by amazing chefs sounds like a good idea. Anyone?
AND - earlier today, I watched a rerun of Top Chef Masters, and the remaining chefs' challenge was to cook a delicious vegan meal for none other than vegan Miss Deschanel and a bunch of her vegan friends. I'm not a vegan, but if anyone wants to hold a competition to see who can prepare me the most delicious vegetarian food, I wouldn't put a stop to it. I've always thought being a food critic would be pretty fun, and I realize that I've really limited my potential there since there are now so many foods I won't eat. A vegetarian competition/feast/competifeast by amazing chefs sounds like a good idea. Anyone?
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Oops I did it again
My friend Elizabeth tagged me in a note on Facebook with all of these many questions. Thanks Liz! I should note that this survey took me a while, so I did some on Thursday and some on Friday morning and some on Friday night.
1. What time did you get up this morning?
6! 6 AM! Every day! (This was my Thursday answer. My Friday day off answer is 9 AM! We slept in!)
2. How do you like your steak?
I like it not at all.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Ooh, the cinema. How elegant! Harry Potter.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
What a complicated question. The still-airing show I get most excited about is LOST. This summer, I am anxiously awaiting Mad Men and Project Runway.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
In the Pacific Northwest! Lucky me.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Kashi Go Lean cereal with craisins and walnuts, and a chai tea latte. (Thursday answer! On Friday, I awoke at the luxurious hour of 9 AM to find that Brad had made delicious blueberry pancakes, from scratch, and coffee. Thanks buddy!)
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Big salad.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Canned green beans, cucumbers, meat, fake cheese, Boca burgers, cottage cheese, casserole, things with creamy centers.
9. Favorite place to eat?
I am in love with the Picabu Bistro lately. I love their falafel, and I love their summer salad menu, and basically everything I've ever had there. PLUS, Brad and I get their VIP discount when we go in, because Brad went to high school with the owner's son. And sometimes free drinks. I like to whisper "VIPs in the house!" when we walk in.
10. Favorite dressing?
My own homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
My vehicle is a Subaru Outback. I can't drive Brad's vehicle because it is a stick shift and I never learned how to drive one; whoops! I am a bad wife.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
I have a hard time liking my own clothes.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Oh, everywhere. I don't even know where to begin.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Half full. Unless it's a cup of ice cream.
15. Where would you want to retire?
Well, not Florida. That's for sure.
16. Favorite time of day?
I like the early morning, as long as I've slept enough, which almost never happens. I like the evening when the sun is setting.
17. Where were you born?
Edmonds, WA.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
As if I care! I guess I would say college basketball.
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
I think I didn't tag anyone.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
Come on...
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Stop asking me about tagging! Enough is enough!
22. Bird watcher?
No, but I think it runs in the family. Ask me later.
23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning ish.
24. Do you have any pets?
Yes, one dog, a funny lady named Emmy.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Well! I've been hoping you would ask that, survey!
26. What did you want to be when you were little?
A teacher.
27. What is your best childhood memory?
Hmm. Going to my grandparents' "Beach Place," perhaps.
28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dogs, dogs, dogs.
29. Are you married?
Yes. It is almost our SIX YEAR ANNIVERSARY, which is completely insane. September 7.
30. Always wear your seat belt?
Always.
31. Been in a car accident?
No, but I don't like to talk about it, because I'm afraid I'll jinx myself.
32. Any pet peeves?
I have quite a few, but I can never remember them when asked. If I can think of them I might post them separately.
33. Favorite pizza toppings?
I love love love the "Saxon" pizza at Benniditos: artichoke hearts, mushrooms, goat cheese, mozzarella, and pesto, with tomato and garlic sauce.
34. Favorite flower?
I don't really have one. I do love peonies though. I wish they bloomed longer. I was very disappointed with how long mine were pretty this year. And dahlias! Big fat flowers are my thing.
35. Favorite ice cream?
I love a lot of ice creams. No plain chocolate, and I don't usually get the fruity flavors. And no marshmallows!
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy's.
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Nine times. Just kidding, zero.
38. From whom did you get your last email?
Um, from someone I work with. I think.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Hmm. Well, I wouldn't do that. If I did, maybe this year's Nordstom sale. Or maybe Anthropologie? Or a home store.
40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Hmm. Let me think. I spontaneously bought a two pack of Softlips chapstick at Target today. I am really flying by the seat of my pants!
41. Like your job?
I like it pretty well.
42. Broccoli?
Sure, why not. When I was at the Spaghetti Factory recently I was offered some broccoli with mizithra, and it was really delicious.
43. What was your favorite vacation?
Probably the London/Rome/Florence/Paris trip we went on a couple of years ago. Or New York and Boston. Both trips were fantastic.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
I went to the Spaghetti Factory, home of the broccoli with mizithra, for my grandpa's 90th birthday, and there were lots of people there. Also, Autumn and I had a fine dining experience at Taco Del Mar in Ellensburg on our way back to Spokane on Sunday, with her foster baby.
45. What are you listening to right now?
Not listening.
46. What is your favorite color?
Green, I think.
47. How many tattoos do you have?
No thanks.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
OMG, you are so self-absorbed, quiz!
49. What time did you finish this quiz?
Um, what? It's 11:52 right now. I am really dedicated to this posting every day business.
50. Coffee Drinker?
Yeah. Two cups this morning, one cup this afternoon. I avoided it for a long long time, but I love being a coffee drinker.
1. What time did you get up this morning?
6! 6 AM! Every day! (This was my Thursday answer. My Friday day off answer is 9 AM! We slept in!)
2. How do you like your steak?
I like it not at all.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Ooh, the cinema. How elegant! Harry Potter.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
What a complicated question. The still-airing show I get most excited about is LOST. This summer, I am anxiously awaiting Mad Men and Project Runway.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
In the Pacific Northwest! Lucky me.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Kashi Go Lean cereal with craisins and walnuts, and a chai tea latte. (Thursday answer! On Friday, I awoke at the luxurious hour of 9 AM to find that Brad had made delicious blueberry pancakes, from scratch, and coffee. Thanks buddy!)
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Big salad.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Canned green beans, cucumbers, meat, fake cheese, Boca burgers, cottage cheese, casserole, things with creamy centers.
9. Favorite place to eat?
I am in love with the Picabu Bistro lately. I love their falafel, and I love their summer salad menu, and basically everything I've ever had there. PLUS, Brad and I get their VIP discount when we go in, because Brad went to high school with the owner's son. And sometimes free drinks. I like to whisper "VIPs in the house!" when we walk in.
10. Favorite dressing?
My own homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
My vehicle is a Subaru Outback. I can't drive Brad's vehicle because it is a stick shift and I never learned how to drive one; whoops! I am a bad wife.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
I have a hard time liking my own clothes.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Oh, everywhere. I don't even know where to begin.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Half full. Unless it's a cup of ice cream.
15. Where would you want to retire?
Well, not Florida. That's for sure.
16. Favorite time of day?
I like the early morning, as long as I've slept enough, which almost never happens. I like the evening when the sun is setting.
17. Where were you born?
Edmonds, WA.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
As if I care! I guess I would say college basketball.
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
I think I didn't tag anyone.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
Come on...
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Stop asking me about tagging! Enough is enough!
22. Bird watcher?
No, but I think it runs in the family. Ask me later.
23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning ish.
24. Do you have any pets?
Yes, one dog, a funny lady named Emmy.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Well! I've been hoping you would ask that, survey!
26. What did you want to be when you were little?
A teacher.
27. What is your best childhood memory?
Hmm. Going to my grandparents' "Beach Place," perhaps.
28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dogs, dogs, dogs.
29. Are you married?
Yes. It is almost our SIX YEAR ANNIVERSARY, which is completely insane. September 7.
30. Always wear your seat belt?
Always.
31. Been in a car accident?
No, but I don't like to talk about it, because I'm afraid I'll jinx myself.
32. Any pet peeves?
I have quite a few, but I can never remember them when asked. If I can think of them I might post them separately.
33. Favorite pizza toppings?
I love love love the "Saxon" pizza at Benniditos: artichoke hearts, mushrooms, goat cheese, mozzarella, and pesto, with tomato and garlic sauce.
34. Favorite flower?
I don't really have one. I do love peonies though. I wish they bloomed longer. I was very disappointed with how long mine were pretty this year. And dahlias! Big fat flowers are my thing.
35. Favorite ice cream?
I love a lot of ice creams. No plain chocolate, and I don't usually get the fruity flavors. And no marshmallows!
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy's.
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Nine times. Just kidding, zero.
38. From whom did you get your last email?
Um, from someone I work with. I think.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Hmm. Well, I wouldn't do that. If I did, maybe this year's Nordstom sale. Or maybe Anthropologie? Or a home store.
40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Hmm. Let me think. I spontaneously bought a two pack of Softlips chapstick at Target today. I am really flying by the seat of my pants!
41. Like your job?
I like it pretty well.
42. Broccoli?
Sure, why not. When I was at the Spaghetti Factory recently I was offered some broccoli with mizithra, and it was really delicious.
43. What was your favorite vacation?
Probably the London/Rome/Florence/Paris trip we went on a couple of years ago. Or New York and Boston. Both trips were fantastic.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
I went to the Spaghetti Factory, home of the broccoli with mizithra, for my grandpa's 90th birthday, and there were lots of people there. Also, Autumn and I had a fine dining experience at Taco Del Mar in Ellensburg on our way back to Spokane on Sunday, with her foster baby.
45. What are you listening to right now?
Not listening.
46. What is your favorite color?
Green, I think.
47. How many tattoos do you have?
No thanks.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
OMG, you are so self-absorbed, quiz!
49. What time did you finish this quiz?
Um, what? It's 11:52 right now. I am really dedicated to this posting every day business.
50. Coffee Drinker?
Yeah. Two cups this morning, one cup this afternoon. I avoided it for a long long time, but I love being a coffee drinker.
Aches and pains
I just went to the farmers' market (for the first time all year - I'm sorry! Albertsons is practically next store, and even though I hate it there it's just so freaking convenient) and bought corn on the cob and some arugula, and I am pretty excited to eat them for dinner. No, Brad will not like the arugula, thanks for wondering. But I bought it anyway, even after a lady there gave me some to sample and I remembered just how spicy and non-lettucey arugula can taste. It will freak him out. Actually, I probably wouldn't have bought any EXCEPT that the booth lady offered me a sample. After I'd tasted it, even though it was making my eyes kind of water and all I'd really wanted was plain old regular romaine or something, I felt a little guilty and therefore ready to buy. She'd just done me a favor! Free samples are probably a well worth the sales person's efforts when dealing with eager-t0-pleasers like me.
Which is why, when I saw a little old man with a little old stool and a box full of something labeled "That Stuff," I tried to pass by unnoticed, so that I wouldn't have to engage and, shortly thereafter, feel the unignorable obligation to buy something I didn't want. But he stopped me.
"Excuse me, miss, do you have any aches or pains?"
The truth is that I do have aches AND pains, and most of them are concentrated on the outside of my right knee, and all over my right shoulder. But I knew he was selling something and I didn't want to be pitched to, so I just stayed awkwardly silent for a minute. He was undeterred.
"Injuries? Illnesses? Migraine headaches? Any discomfort at all? If you do, That Stuff" (he picked up one of the bottles of clear liquid that was next to the stool) "will cure it in just 30 seconds!"
I didn't want to try That Stuff, because I didn't want to feel any pressure to buy That Stuff. So I straight up lied. "Actually, I'm feeling pretty good right now."
"What about your parents? Your grandparents? Do THEY have any aches or pains?"
Hmm, how to address this? Yes, I do indeed have parents, who I'm sure have more than enough aches and pains. No, I don't like lying to little old men. Yes, it is ridiculous that I internally agonize over moments like this.
"Well, they don't live in the area."
"Oh. Well, where do they live?"
"Seattle."
"OK, well, do they ever come visit? If they do, bring them by. I'm here every Thursday."
It was the saddest and most earnest of pitches. If you have any aches or pains, please see the extremely eager little old salesman at the Perry Street Farmers' Market. He's there every Thursday from 3 to 7. Tell your grandma!
Which is why, when I saw a little old man with a little old stool and a box full of something labeled "That Stuff," I tried to pass by unnoticed, so that I wouldn't have to engage and, shortly thereafter, feel the unignorable obligation to buy something I didn't want. But he stopped me.
"Excuse me, miss, do you have any aches or pains?"
The truth is that I do have aches AND pains, and most of them are concentrated on the outside of my right knee, and all over my right shoulder. But I knew he was selling something and I didn't want to be pitched to, so I just stayed awkwardly silent for a minute. He was undeterred.
"Injuries? Illnesses? Migraine headaches? Any discomfort at all? If you do, That Stuff" (he picked up one of the bottles of clear liquid that was next to the stool) "will cure it in just 30 seconds!"
I didn't want to try That Stuff, because I didn't want to feel any pressure to buy That Stuff. So I straight up lied. "Actually, I'm feeling pretty good right now."
"What about your parents? Your grandparents? Do THEY have any aches or pains?"
Hmm, how to address this? Yes, I do indeed have parents, who I'm sure have more than enough aches and pains. No, I don't like lying to little old men. Yes, it is ridiculous that I internally agonize over moments like this.
"Well, they don't live in the area."
"Oh. Well, where do they live?"
"Seattle."
"OK, well, do they ever come visit? If they do, bring them by. I'm here every Thursday."
It was the saddest and most earnest of pitches. If you have any aches or pains, please see the extremely eager little old salesman at the Perry Street Farmers' Market. He's there every Thursday from 3 to 7. Tell your grandma!
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
When the living's easy
My brain is tired! My brain! I just started two posts that I then discarded when I decided they were stupid. One was about riding my bike to work. The other was a few delicious recipes. Both of them seemed like a waste of everyone's time after about thirty seconds of writing.
So, instead, what? I'll just say that I love this summer. I've never had such a free, uncommitted, easygoing summer before. Last summer was technically just as free time-wise, but I had just left the bank, and readjusting to a whole different style of life was still overwhelming.
This summer is different. I have loved reading on the front porch, waking up early and running, hanging out at coffee shops with my laptop and attempting to write (sometimes I've also hated that), checking out more books from the library than I could ever read, getting ice cream at The Scoop, biking to work, hanging out with high schoolers, watching Alias, reading and praying and being quiet in the morning times, writing articles about rodeos, and just having TIME to do whatever I want with.
When school starts again in September I know the stress and the pressure will be back, and I'll be short on sleep and generally unrelaxed until June. That's because I'm a perfectionist, not because my program is trying to beat me to a pulp. And it will be good for me in some ways and exhausting in others and it will all work out okay eventually. But I want to remember how restful (even though, honestly, I haven't been sleeping all that much) these few months have been, and how rejuvenating this time off has felt (even though this heat is trying to melt me). It feels good to love life.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Fembot
I don't know how many of my tiny pool of readers are Alias fans, but as I've mentioned a few times, Brad and I are watching the episodes on DVD this summer. We're most of the way through season 2 now and all I have to say is (and I hope this isn't much of a spoiler): fembot?!
I've heard that this show devolves into something really weird by the later seasons. But I've been so in love with it for these past few weeks that I'll be really sad if it starts to get too bizarre to function. So far, it's just a little bit weird, but I'm starting to get scared. Sidney, Vaughn, and JJ, please give me at least one more good season, ok?
I've heard that this show devolves into something really weird by the later seasons. But I've been so in love with it for these past few weeks that I'll be really sad if it starts to get too bizarre to function. So far, it's just a little bit weird, but I'm starting to get scared. Sidney, Vaughn, and JJ, please give me at least one more good season, ok?
Monday, August 03, 2009
Question of the summer
So the funny thing is that since I went to my high school reunion last weekend I expected that the number one question I'd be answering this summer would be something like, "So what are you up to?" Or, "What do you do?" Or, "Are you married?" or "Do you have kids?" or "Have you made anything of yourself OR WHAT?"
And I did get asked some version of those things a number of times. However, with the pre-reunion Westport trip, and a little grandpa's surprise 90th birthday party thrown in between, I ended up being around all sorts of people I don't see very often or know very well over the past week, and the question I found myself answering again and again was, "Why are you a vegetarian?"
And the thing is that I don't really have a great answer ready to go for that one. I have a little story I often tell, about how I never liked meat all that much, and how when I ate meat, I wasn't doing anything to make sure it was not all hopped up on steroids and creepiness or that it was generally healthy and happy prior to meat-making; I thought it might be healthier not to eat meat since I wasn't eating high-quality meat anyway. I usually say something about how I'd wanted to be a vegetarian for a long time and one day I realized I should really try it instead of just thinking about it, so I had a meat-free May and really liked it and just continued on, forever and ever, amen.
And people usually seem pretty satisfied with that. They want to know things like how long ago that all happened (2 years and a few months), how I get my protein (it's insanely easy), and what Brad and I do since he's not a vegetarian (he basically doesn't eat much meat anymore either, because I don't usually make him any, whoops!). But there are some other factors that go into the vegetarianism that I feel like are a little less easy to explain and that I therefore usually avoid mentioning.
For example: Sarah's Philosophy of Eating Things that Once Lived. I'm not really anti meat-eating. I'm anti cruelty and anti sad mass mega unhealthy farming practices where the animals are treated horribly. But I feel like people have been eating animals and animal products for a long, long, long time and that's kind of how the food chain is built (I probably sound like an idiot right now because I'm not, oh, let's just say educated about this stuff). But here's where Sarah's Philosophy kicks in. I know that I could never, under normal life circumstances (who knows what might happen if I were on Flight 815 or something and while I was stranded on my mystery island the only thing I had to eat, pre-Dharma food drop, was fish and fruit), kill an animal. I just couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. And something feels bad to me about eating something that someone else killed when I know that I couldn't kill that food myself. It's like having someone else do my dirty work.
Then there's the What I Don't Know Probably Would Hurt Me But I'd Rather Not Do the Research and Deal with the Icky Sadness factor. Meaning that if I knew more about what actually goes on in some of these places where animals are raised and slaughtered and all that jazz, I'm pretty sure I would be majorly grossed out and extremely sad about commercialism and cruelty and how messed up the whole food system is, etc. But I kind of don't want to deal with it and any emotional repercussions, so I just assume that I would hate what I'd discover and continue on in blissful ignorance, but still meat-free and therefore guilt-free.
And there are other factors, like what our current system of meat-raising is doing to the environment, and the fact that not eating meat makes it easier to avoid bad fats, and the fact that there are so many vegetarians in the world now that becoming one two years ago seemed really doable. Someday maybe I'll find a way to boil my response down a little, to make it into a little wieldy kernel of wisdom for all of my admirers. In the meantime, I'll keep on responding as I have been for the past two years: with a long, awkward, "Weeelllllllllllllllllllll," many seconds of hesitation, and a quick mental Rolodex-type flip through all my cards of reasons why not to eat meat before I choose the answer of the moment.
And I did get asked some version of those things a number of times. However, with the pre-reunion Westport trip, and a little grandpa's surprise 90th birthday party thrown in between, I ended up being around all sorts of people I don't see very often or know very well over the past week, and the question I found myself answering again and again was, "Why are you a vegetarian?"
And the thing is that I don't really have a great answer ready to go for that one. I have a little story I often tell, about how I never liked meat all that much, and how when I ate meat, I wasn't doing anything to make sure it was not all hopped up on steroids and creepiness or that it was generally healthy and happy prior to meat-making; I thought it might be healthier not to eat meat since I wasn't eating high-quality meat anyway. I usually say something about how I'd wanted to be a vegetarian for a long time and one day I realized I should really try it instead of just thinking about it, so I had a meat-free May and really liked it and just continued on, forever and ever, amen.
And people usually seem pretty satisfied with that. They want to know things like how long ago that all happened (2 years and a few months), how I get my protein (it's insanely easy), and what Brad and I do since he's not a vegetarian (he basically doesn't eat much meat anymore either, because I don't usually make him any, whoops!). But there are some other factors that go into the vegetarianism that I feel like are a little less easy to explain and that I therefore usually avoid mentioning.
For example: Sarah's Philosophy of Eating Things that Once Lived. I'm not really anti meat-eating. I'm anti cruelty and anti sad mass mega unhealthy farming practices where the animals are treated horribly. But I feel like people have been eating animals and animal products for a long, long, long time and that's kind of how the food chain is built (I probably sound like an idiot right now because I'm not, oh, let's just say educated about this stuff). But here's where Sarah's Philosophy kicks in. I know that I could never, under normal life circumstances (who knows what might happen if I were on Flight 815 or something and while I was stranded on my mystery island the only thing I had to eat, pre-Dharma food drop, was fish and fruit), kill an animal. I just couldn't do it. I wouldn't do it. And something feels bad to me about eating something that someone else killed when I know that I couldn't kill that food myself. It's like having someone else do my dirty work.
Then there's the What I Don't Know Probably Would Hurt Me But I'd Rather Not Do the Research and Deal with the Icky Sadness factor. Meaning that if I knew more about what actually goes on in some of these places where animals are raised and slaughtered and all that jazz, I'm pretty sure I would be majorly grossed out and extremely sad about commercialism and cruelty and how messed up the whole food system is, etc. But I kind of don't want to deal with it and any emotional repercussions, so I just assume that I would hate what I'd discover and continue on in blissful ignorance, but still meat-free and therefore guilt-free.
And there are other factors, like what our current system of meat-raising is doing to the environment, and the fact that not eating meat makes it easier to avoid bad fats, and the fact that there are so many vegetarians in the world now that becoming one two years ago seemed really doable. Someday maybe I'll find a way to boil my response down a little, to make it into a little wieldy kernel of wisdom for all of my admirers. In the meantime, I'll keep on responding as I have been for the past two years: with a long, awkward, "Weeelllllllllllllllllllll," many seconds of hesitation, and a quick mental Rolodex-type flip through all my cards of reasons why not to eat meat before I choose the answer of the moment.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Better than ever
I'm back. Facts:
1. Westport was fantastic. That trip is one of the best things I've ever been a part of. More to come!
2. My 10 year high school reunion was this weekend. I am still a little bit weirded out. In a goodish way.
3. It was 87 degrees inside the house when I walked in the front door half an hour ago.
4. Better facts coming tomorrow, and every day for the next month. All day, every day, facts facts facts.
1. Westport was fantastic. That trip is one of the best things I've ever been a part of. More to come!
2. My 10 year high school reunion was this weekend. I am still a little bit weirded out. In a goodish way.
3. It was 87 degrees inside the house when I walked in the front door half an hour ago.
4. Better facts coming tomorrow, and every day for the next month. All day, every day, facts facts facts.
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