Hey y'all. And by y'all, I mean my two readers. Well, it's the third month in 2013 and things have been fun so far. I am in a play. A FUNNY play. I'm talking a bring-some-tissues-and-a-pair-of-pants-because-you're-going-to-cry-and-pee-from-laughing-so-hard funny play. If you've never seen "Leading Ladies" by Ken Ludwig, you are missing out. I've actually seen it before, and it was probably the most hilarious show I have ever watched. I'm playing a ditzy, roller skating carhop who isn't the brightest crayon in the box. This may be my favorite role yet. Her lines are fantastic. I love one-liners, and my character spits 'em out right and left. Due to a lot of physical comedy (which I love!), this show has been quite a workout and has resulted in some battle wounds. So far, I'm up to three play-related bruises, and we're still a month out from opening night. I may look like I'm wearing black-and-blue camo by the time the curtain rises.
As for my 2013 to-do list. I successfully made a homemade pizza from scratch (#36) in January. It was a mushroom pizza with, and I cannot believe I'm typing this, entirely too much cheese on it. Seriously, it was almost gross. But I love cheese, so it wasn't gross. But almost.
In February, I made an elaborate cake for my Valentine (#48). It was a Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze. I found the recipe at Smitten Kitchen (click the recipe name for the link to the actual recipe). I forgot to take a picture of it before we dug into it, so this picture will have to do. Y'all, this cake was DELICIOUS. It may be my favorite Pinterest-found recipe yet. I'm telling you, make this cake now.
Just thinking about that cake inspires the urge to work out (I ate so much of it, I think I'm still working off the calories. But it was definitely worth it). Speaking of working out, I have been working on doing 40 push-ups without stopping (#34). I got up to 12, then got lazy, and now I'm back to somewhere between 5 and 6. It's true- I'm a wimp. Maybe by the end of this year, I will be able to do 40 push-ups and arm wrestle a caveman.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
2013 To Do List
I have been trying to complete annual to do lists since 2010, yet I have not successfully completed one yet. Last year, I got done with about 18 or 19 out of 52, which is better than 2011 (14?), but worse than 2010 (30-ish). This means that there have been several tasks that have not been completed across the past three years' lists. So, for 2013's list, I decided to include many of these uncompleted tasks, as well as some new stuff. I have learned that the tasks need to seem do-able, need to be concrete, and need to be fairly inexpensive. Hopefully, I have succeeded in making this year's list achievable. Here's to a great 2013! Cheers!
1. Go on a picnic.
2. Memorize "99 Luftballons" (in German or English or both).
3. Watch “The Wizard of Oz” to the Pink Floyd's" Dark Side of the Moon" album.
4. Write a letter to a person in the military.
5. Visit Amish country.
6. Memorize the entire Animaniacs "Nations of the World" song.
7. Visit someone in a nursing home.
8. Teach my cat how to do a trick.
9. Make a loaf of Challah bread.
10. Go hiking in the mountains.
11. Master Moonlight Sonata.
12. Ride in a form of transportation I have never ridden in before.
13. Cook a vegetable or fruit I have never cooked before.
14. See a “World’s Biggest” something.
15. Learn how to perform a magic trick.
16. Solve the Rubik’s cube.
17. Do the No Junk Food Challenge for 21 days.
18. Volunteer at a charity.
19. Watch every film directed and/or produced by John Hughes.
20. Eat stuffed grape leaves.
21. Take a self-defense class.
22. Wear flowers in my hair.
23. Finish reading Wuthering Heights.
24. Mail a secret to PostSecret.
25. Buy a stranger’s coffee or meal for them.
26. Do something dangerous.
27. Learn the “Thriller” dance.
28. Write and send a letter to each of my immediate family members.
29. Finish my list of 100 Things to Learn About and learn about the first 25 things.
30. Try on a designer dress.
31. Memorize an entire chapter in the Bible.
32. Make French macarons from scratch.
33. Try rhubarb.
34. Do 40 push-ups in a row without stopping.
35. Carve a pumpkin.
36. Make a homemade pizza from scratch.
37. Attempt a form of exercise I have never tried.
38. Bake a soufflé.
39. Learn where every country is located on a map.
40. Learn conversational Danish or Greek.
41. Get six-pack abs.
42. Go camping.
43. Hang curtains in my apartment without any help.
44. Visit a festival.
45. Submit a piece of writing to a blog, magazine, newspaper, etc.
46. Be a vegetarian for a week.
47. Ride a Ferris wheel.
48. Make an elaborate cake entirely from scratch.
49. Try chia seeds.
50. Figure out my Circadian rhythm and then follow it.
51. Journal at least once a week.
52. Read the entire Bible in order from Genesis to Revelation.
1. Go on a picnic.
2. Memorize "99 Luftballons" (in German or English or both).
3. Watch “The Wizard of Oz” to the Pink Floyd's" Dark Side of the Moon" album.
4. Write a letter to a person in the military.
5. Visit Amish country.
6. Memorize the entire Animaniacs "Nations of the World" song.
7. Visit someone in a nursing home.
8. Teach my cat how to do a trick.
9. Make a loaf of Challah bread.
10. Go hiking in the mountains.
11. Master Moonlight Sonata.
12. Ride in a form of transportation I have never ridden in before.
13. Cook a vegetable or fruit I have never cooked before.
14. See a “World’s Biggest” something.
15. Learn how to perform a magic trick.
16. Solve the Rubik’s cube.
17. Do the No Junk Food Challenge for 21 days.
18. Volunteer at a charity.
19. Watch every film directed and/or produced by John Hughes.
20. Eat stuffed grape leaves.
21. Take a self-defense class.
22. Wear flowers in my hair.
23. Finish reading Wuthering Heights.
24. Mail a secret to PostSecret.
25. Buy a stranger’s coffee or meal for them.
26. Do something dangerous.
27. Learn the “Thriller” dance.
28. Write and send a letter to each of my immediate family members.
29. Finish my list of 100 Things to Learn About and learn about the first 25 things.
30. Try on a designer dress.
31. Memorize an entire chapter in the Bible.
32. Make French macarons from scratch.
33. Try rhubarb.
34. Do 40 push-ups in a row without stopping.
35. Carve a pumpkin.
36. Make a homemade pizza from scratch.
37. Attempt a form of exercise I have never tried.
38. Bake a soufflé.
39. Learn where every country is located on a map.
40. Learn conversational Danish or Greek.
41. Get six-pack abs.
42. Go camping.
43. Hang curtains in my apartment without any help.
44. Visit a festival.
45. Submit a piece of writing to a blog, magazine, newspaper, etc.
46. Be a vegetarian for a week.
47. Ride a Ferris wheel.
48. Make an elaborate cake entirely from scratch.
49. Try chia seeds.
50. Figure out my Circadian rhythm and then follow it.
51. Journal at least once a week.
52. Read the entire Bible in order from Genesis to Revelation.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Of lobster fishing and Italian desserts
Greetings from a new city, a new apartment, and a new cat. For those of you who don't know, I recently began a doctoral program in a new city. I've been here almost two months, although it has felt much longer than that. School has been going on for about a month, although it, too, has felt like it's been much longer. It's amazing how quickly one can forgot how to be a student. However a weekly average of 100-300 pages of reading has been a nice cold bucket of ice water to wake me up and remind me. Yesterday, one of my professors was talking about that show, "The Deadliest Catch," which is about one of America's most dangerous jobs (lobster fishing). "You should look at it sometime to make you appreciate the softness that is graduate school." I may have to take his advice.
As well as working on school-related assignments, I have also been making fairly good progress on my 2012 To Do List. I hosted a dinner party (Task 8) (although it was technically a pot luck) for my classmates around the first week of school. I've got to work on my hosting skills- I made them use coasters and placemats and freaked out any time something touched my newly refinished table. "Oh, please be careful. I just painted this table. It took a lot of work and if you mess it up, I will lose it." Okay, I wasn't that bad, but still...
I have now also made panna cotta (Task 21) and correctly and successfully poached an egg (Task 16). I'm kind of obsessed with poached eggs now. I grew up in a household in which our eggs were always cooked until they were good and dead, so the concept of eating eggs whose yolks aren't completely solid has been a novel and fascinating concept for me ever since sophomore year of college. Here I am, many years later, and I'm still mesmerized. Anyway, the panna cotta recipe called for whole milk AND heavy cream and made enough servings to feed the Avengers plus Superman and Batman, so I got tired of it pretty quickly. It's pretty much like vanilla milk Jell-o. Interpret that idea as you like.
Even though I don't have much free time (doctoral school is a full-time job plus homework), I have been trying to maintain the all elusive work-life balance. One of the ways I have been doing this is by taking a jazz dance class once a week (except when the exhaustion is too much). The class is at a really great studio that targets adults who dance, instead of the traditional preschool-high school studio that may occasionally have beginner adult ballet classes or something similar. At least one or two professional dance companies rehearse at this studio, so I can mark off Task 31 from the list (Take a dance class at a professional dance company's studio.).
Oh, and did I mention that I got a cat? Yeah, I did. She's an oddbird animal, and a klutzy one to boot, which, as you can probably imagine, is incredibly entertaining. She falls off of something pretty much on a daily basis. And she plays fetch. (No, you didn't read that wrong. My cat plays fetch.)
So, now for a confession. I have 5 articles that I need to read sitting next to me. Writing this long overdue post was a way to procrastinate. Wow, I feel so much better now that that's out in the open.
As well as working on school-related assignments, I have also been making fairly good progress on my 2012 To Do List. I hosted a dinner party (Task 8) (although it was technically a pot luck) for my classmates around the first week of school. I've got to work on my hosting skills- I made them use coasters and placemats and freaked out any time something touched my newly refinished table. "Oh, please be careful. I just painted this table. It took a lot of work and if you mess it up, I will lose it." Okay, I wasn't that bad, but still...
I have now also made panna cotta (Task 21) and correctly and successfully poached an egg (Task 16). I'm kind of obsessed with poached eggs now. I grew up in a household in which our eggs were always cooked until they were good and dead, so the concept of eating eggs whose yolks aren't completely solid has been a novel and fascinating concept for me ever since sophomore year of college. Here I am, many years later, and I'm still mesmerized. Anyway, the panna cotta recipe called for whole milk AND heavy cream and made enough servings to feed the Avengers plus Superman and Batman, so I got tired of it pretty quickly. It's pretty much like vanilla milk Jell-o. Interpret that idea as you like.
Even though I don't have much free time (doctoral school is a full-time job plus homework), I have been trying to maintain the all elusive work-life balance. One of the ways I have been doing this is by taking a jazz dance class once a week (except when the exhaustion is too much). The class is at a really great studio that targets adults who dance, instead of the traditional preschool-high school studio that may occasionally have beginner adult ballet classes or something similar. At least one or two professional dance companies rehearse at this studio, so I can mark off Task 31 from the list (Take a dance class at a professional dance company's studio.).
Oh, and did I mention that I got a cat? Yeah, I did. She's an odd
So, now for a confession. I have 5 articles that I need to read sitting next to me. Writing this long overdue post was a way to procrastinate. Wow, I feel so much better now that that's out in the open.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Of one incredibly lazy summer
In anticipation of my upcoming move, I have been ridiculously lazy this summer. Since I have been in grad school before, I have had a glimpse of what is about to occur (For those of you just tuning in, I got into a Ph.D. program- Task 20!). As is my way, I have sorely neglected this here blog, yet I have completed some tasks and am working on others. But before I begin recapping my task-completing, I have a little story for y'all about something that just happened. Ahem.
I was writing this entry when I noticed something moving on my bedroom floor. It was near my laundry, so I was immediately concerned. My backyard is a mountain, so I am used to all kinds of bugs, including scorpions and spiders. I quickly realized it was a frog. We have never had a frog get in the house. After I finally caught it in a shoebox, I took it downstairs to my mother, who was intently watching a movie.
Me: "I have a very important question. Why is there a frog in my room?"
Mom: "What?"
Me: "A frog. Why is there one in my room?"
Mom: "IT's A PRINCE! KISS IT!"
Me: "Seriously, how did a frog get into my room?"
Mom: "KISS IT! It's a prince!!"
My mother is such an optimist.
Anyway, I took the little guy outside and released it outside in the yard. Don't worry mom. One day, my prince will come.
Aaaand moving on. Let's start with some newly completed tasks, shall we?
Task 13- Try caviar.
A few months ago, I went to San Francisco and Yosemite with my mother and one of her friends. While in San Fran, we ate at this fancy-schmancy restaurant (whose name escapes me). Halfway through my meal, I practically shouted, "Hey! I just completed a task on my list!" And then I realized I had actually done this task a lot, already. I love sushi. And for those of you who don't, I'll provide you a little sushi education. Roe (aka fish eggs, aka caviar) is often an ingredient in sushi rolls. Actually, the dish I got a Chez Superfancy was something like wasabi-encrusted shrimp with fish roe and some kind of cool rice-cake thing. The "caviar" was virtually the same stuff you'd find on a sushi roll, but, hey, fish eggs are fish eggs, right? Oh, and yes, it was delicious.
Task 35- Do something unexpected.
For those of you who know me well, you know I am not one for heat, working outdoors, or intense manual labor. Keep that in mind as I describe the following situation. I used to live with my aunt and uncle, who have semi-recently begun gardening on a piece of land a little ways out of town. One day this summer (keep in mind, I lived in a place known for its ridiculously hot summers), my uncle said he was going to pick vegetables. Before I knew it, I had volunteered to go help him. I can hear some of you now: "Eh, big deal." Go reread the first sentence of this paragraph. Thanks.
So, we drove out to the garden and he taught me how to pick snap beans and crook-neck squash.
It was in the mid-to-upper 90's. If you look closely at the photo above, you will notice that I am wearing a jacket. While I have been to know to walk around outside in the summer wearing a jacket or cardigan due to my tendency to always be cold, it was far too hot for a jacket. But my aunt had advised me to bring one because of the squash. Squash stings when you pick it. Who knew, right? Squash-pickers, I guess (whom I now have a deep respect for). After beans and squash, my uncle taught me how to scratch for potatoes. That's right, y'all. I went potato scratchin'. See, the difference between potato diggin' and potato scratching lies mainly on how many potatoes you need to get. If you need a whole bunch of them, then you go diggin'. If you only need a few, say five or six to cook with your snap beans, then you go scratchin' for taters. 
How about one more? This spring, I choreographed and ended up performing in a children's theatre version of Seussical (called "Seussical Jr.), which was basically a shortened version of the full show. I played one of four Wickersham Brothers. The WB's are monkeys that bully Horton the Elephant. For our show, we had a gang-like theme to our costumes. We were also decked out in color. My hair was streaked with purple and teased to the high heavens, my eye makeup was insanely bright (turquoise and orange and blue, oh my), and my costume came complete with a tail.
After the show, the cast and crew often went out to eat. Well, you've now seen the makeup. It took a lot of elbow grease to scrub off, and it took a long time to untease my hair and wash out the purple. So, I ended up going to the restaurant (more than once) in full stage hair and makeup (minus lipstick). I've gone to restaurants in heavy stage makeup before, but not in anything as heavy or crazy as this. I once ran into some acquaintances from my church and they did not recognize me. The first time I went to the restaurant after the show, I was really nervous and embarrassed, because I looked pretty bizarre. I eventually shrugged it off and moved on with my life and my chicken wonton tacos. So, I therefore can mark Task 45, "Complete some sort of shame-attacking exercise," off my list.
Okay, this entry is getting long. So, basically I've completed about 9 or 10 tasks out of 52. Gotta keep keeping on. Lata' peeps.
I was writing this entry when I noticed something moving on my bedroom floor. It was near my laundry, so I was immediately concerned. My backyard is a mountain, so I am used to all kinds of bugs, including scorpions and spiders. I quickly realized it was a frog. We have never had a frog get in the house. After I finally caught it in a shoebox, I took it downstairs to my mother, who was intently watching a movie.
Me: "I have a very important question. Why is there a frog in my room?"
Mom: "What?"
Me: "A frog. Why is there one in my room?"
Mom: "IT's A PRINCE! KISS IT!"
Me: "Seriously, how did a frog get into my room?"
Mom: "KISS IT! It's a prince!!"
My mother is such an optimist.
Anyway, I took the little guy outside and released it outside in the yard. Don't worry mom. One day, my prince will come.
Aaaand moving on. Let's start with some newly completed tasks, shall we?
Task 13- Try caviar.
A few months ago, I went to San Francisco and Yosemite with my mother and one of her friends. While in San Fran, we ate at this fancy-schmancy restaurant (whose name escapes me). Halfway through my meal, I practically shouted, "Hey! I just completed a task on my list!" And then I realized I had actually done this task a lot, already. I love sushi. And for those of you who don't, I'll provide you a little sushi education. Roe (aka fish eggs, aka caviar) is often an ingredient in sushi rolls. Actually, the dish I got a Chez Superfancy was something like wasabi-encrusted shrimp with fish roe and some kind of cool rice-cake thing. The "caviar" was virtually the same stuff you'd find on a sushi roll, but, hey, fish eggs are fish eggs, right? Oh, and yes, it was delicious.
Task 35- Do something unexpected.
For those of you who know me well, you know I am not one for heat, working outdoors, or intense manual labor. Keep that in mind as I describe the following situation. I used to live with my aunt and uncle, who have semi-recently begun gardening on a piece of land a little ways out of town. One day this summer (keep in mind, I lived in a place known for its ridiculously hot summers), my uncle said he was going to pick vegetables. Before I knew it, I had volunteered to go help him. I can hear some of you now: "Eh, big deal." Go reread the first sentence of this paragraph. Thanks.
So, we drove out to the garden and he taught me how to pick snap beans and crook-neck squash.
How about one more? This spring, I choreographed and ended up performing in a children's theatre version of Seussical (called "Seussical Jr.), which was basically a shortened version of the full show. I played one of four Wickersham Brothers. The WB's are monkeys that bully Horton the Elephant. For our show, we had a gang-like theme to our costumes. We were also decked out in color. My hair was streaked with purple and teased to the high heavens, my eye makeup was insanely bright (turquoise and orange and blue, oh my), and my costume came complete with a tail.
After the show, the cast and crew often went out to eat. Well, you've now seen the makeup. It took a lot of elbow grease to scrub off, and it took a long time to untease my hair and wash out the purple. So, I ended up going to the restaurant (more than once) in full stage hair and makeup (minus lipstick). I've gone to restaurants in heavy stage makeup before, but not in anything as heavy or crazy as this. I once ran into some acquaintances from my church and they did not recognize me. The first time I went to the restaurant after the show, I was really nervous and embarrassed, because I looked pretty bizarre. I eventually shrugged it off and moved on with my life and my chicken wonton tacos. So, I therefore can mark Task 45, "Complete some sort of shame-attacking exercise," off my list.
Monday, March 5, 2012
It's a good thing I like school.
A bit of recent and big news: I will be a doctoral student beginning this fall! I was pleasantly suprised to complete Task 20 (Get into a Ph.D. program). Getting a Ph.D. has been a dream of mine for many years now, so I am incredibly thrilled to begin the long process.
If I complete my doctorate in the amount of time estimated by the program I will be attending, I will have completed over a decade of higher education. I repeat the title of this post: It's a good thing I like school. Actually, I really like school, so that will be helpful.
If I complete my doctorate in the amount of time estimated by the program I will be attending, I will have completed over a decade of higher education. I repeat the title of this post: It's a good thing I like school. Actually, I really like school, so that will be helpful.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Of chicken, tofu, Indiana, and drastic measures
I have a confession. The thought of cooking a whole chicken (Task 18) has frightened me just a bit. I cannot really figure out why. It could be that it is basically a chicken body, minus the head. When it's just chicken parts, like drumsticks, it is a lot easier to ignore the fact that it used to be a living thing. Morbid, I know. As I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago, I found a smallish "natural" chicken on sale ($4.75!), so I seized the moment and decided to conquer my fear. So, a few days later, I cooked that chicken with some lemons and garlic. I used a combination of recipes: one from a cookbook titled, .Poulet (guess what its focus is), one from a friend, and basically some decisions made at the last minute, with the guidance of my beloved aunt and uncle. Before I began preparing it, I had to have a chicken anatomy lesson thanks to my uncle. "This is the short thigh, attached to the drumstick. The gizzards and liver will be somewhere inside." "Oh, please no." I don't do blood and guts well. Fortunately, the chicken was already cleaned out, so no gizzard and no liver. However, I did stab my hand with a chicken rib. That baby hurt. After covering and stuffing the chicken with butter, garlic, and lemon, I stuck it in the oven for an indeterminate amount of time. ALthough it was quite an ordeal (I'm not the most skilled traditional chef), it was delicious. The meat was tender and basically fell off the bone.
About a week or two later, I then ate tofu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Task 24). That was more than likely a one-time deal. I have eaten tofu before and it was okay, but cooking it grossed me out for some reason. It just looks weird and unless it is covered in sauce (which I did not do), it has a strange taste. For breakfast, I made a breakfast burrito with super greens, tofu, and some other healthy stuff. Lunch consisted of an English muffin with almond butter, tofu, banana, and cocoa. Dinner was salmon, pasta, and a few tiny slices of tofu. My idea of becoming a vegetarian has come across a potential road block.
Two weeks ago, I visited Indiana and therefore can now mark Task 14 off my list. I have never been to Indiana, other than potentially traveling through it. Indiana was cooold, and much nicer than I expected. I was in Indianapolis the weekend after the Super Bowl, and the city seemed to be recovering nicely.
And now for the big news. [Insert drumroll here.] I drastically changed my hair (Task 3). And by drastically, I'm talking approximately 9 inches from the back of my head and 6 inches from the front. I was a bit nervous, but less nervous than I expected. It was somewhat of an impromtu decision and I am really glad I did it. And although I keep getting spooked when I pass a reflective suface, I love it. I can no longer be identified as the girl with the long, blonde hair. I feel like I now can wear my haircut, instead of the other way around. What are your thoughts?
About a week or two later, I then ate tofu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Task 24). That was more than likely a one-time deal. I have eaten tofu before and it was okay, but cooking it grossed me out for some reason. It just looks weird and unless it is covered in sauce (which I did not do), it has a strange taste. For breakfast, I made a breakfast burrito with super greens, tofu, and some other healthy stuff. Lunch consisted of an English muffin with almond butter, tofu, banana, and cocoa. Dinner was salmon, pasta, and a few tiny slices of tofu. My idea of becoming a vegetarian has come across a potential road block.
Two weeks ago, I visited Indiana and therefore can now mark Task 14 off my list. I have never been to Indiana, other than potentially traveling through it. Indiana was cooold, and much nicer than I expected. I was in Indianapolis the weekend after the Super Bowl, and the city seemed to be recovering nicely.
And now for the big news. [Insert drumroll here.] I drastically changed my hair (Task 3). And by drastically, I'm talking approximately 9 inches from the back of my head and 6 inches from the front. I was a bit nervous, but less nervous than I expected. It was somewhat of an impromtu decision and I am really glad I did it. And although I keep getting spooked when I pass a reflective suface, I love it. I can no longer be identified as the girl with the long, blonde hair. I feel like I now can wear my haircut, instead of the other way around. What are your thoughts?
Friday, January 20, 2012
Something's gonna change
Okay, this post is going to be much more girlie than usual. I've been looking at and considering options of how to drastically change my hair (Task #3). I have considering dying it either brown or red (a la Emma Stone), but I a) like my natural hair color and b) dread the potential disasters that may occur. So, I am almost certain I will cut it nice and short, because hair grows back. And it wil be cheaper than having to redye it every few months. I have been poring over numerous photos of celebrity haircuts on Google. The following photos show the styles I am currently considering. Here's where you come in. I want your opinion. Please vote!
Choice A
Choice B
Choice C
Choice D
Choice E-part 1
Choice E-part 2
Choice A
Choice B
Choice C
Choice D
Choice E-part 1
Choice E-part 2
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