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?

Pardon the Blandness

To satisfy my seemingly constant need for change, I've been searching for a new template. And that lime green was grating on my nerves. I love green, but there's gotta be some limits, right? I have yet to decide on one, and due to sheer exhaustion, have settled on this stark white template temporarily. I know, I know. It's about exciting as a denture commercial, but I promise, it will not be here long.

In more exciting news: I saw a van full of Girl Scout Cookies today. Is it really Girl Scout cookie season? I wants me some Thin Mints and Samoas. Me want cookies. Me don't need cookies. Me need celery and broccoli and healthy food.

Speaking of healthy food, I have gone 24 days sans fast food (excepting two excusable, previously mentioned detours). I was walking into the house and smelled French fries. I don't even like French fries all that much, but my hiatus from McDonald's and Friends seems to have brought about olfactory hallucinations. In all honesty, the positive impact this fast food-free life has done on my wallet and my health has really caused me to consider nixing fast food all together (except in some situations, i.e. travel). I generally eat like a health nut, but my frantic schedule had me thinking I only had time for drive thrus. That's a lie, my friends. A lie! It is a) much cheaper and b) not very time-consuming to go grocery shopping and prepare easy to grab meals that are far less likely to cause cardiovascular disease or some extra poundage.
Four more days until the task is complete, but I may have a new lifestyle change. Sorry Mickey D's. It's not me. It's you.
On a similar note: I've been considering venturing into quasi-vegetarianism for one month on a trial-basis. I've been researching it for about 6 months now. Any thoughts? Experiences? Suggestions? Warnings?

Oh! Before I forget! I went up on pointe shoes today for the first time since possibly 2008 or early 2009. The class I assist began lectures on ballet, so my boss asked me to bring the ol' pointe shoes and put them on and flitter around stage. It was great, except that my boss literally had to support me while I was on my toes. Someone told me today, "Hey! That's cool that you did that. I bet the students really enjoyed it." But, I'm pretty sure they were waiting for me to fall off the stage. It's all for the sake of academia.

Wanted: Tall, dark, and handsome, complete with a double cheeseburger and an Irish accent

So, I originally planned on being my usual cynical, hermit-esque self on Valentine's Day, but then I figured, "Hey, your goal this year is to change things up, get out of the ol' comfort zone. Get off your lazy butt and be proactive." So, I've decided to take applications for my Valentine for 2010. Questions cover everything from basic demographics to movies to pick up lines. So far, there have been two Valentine hopefuls: one has told me my eyes are pond-colored (I've yet to decide if that's a good thing or not) and one has decided my pet name should be Muffaletta. So... TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO APPLY!

Anyway, moving on to something a bit more serious... I am craving a double cheeseburger from McDonald's. I can almost taste those little onion bits and the slice of fake cheese half-melted over what may or may not be hamburger meat. Twenty more days. Actually, in about 5 minutes, it'll be 19 more days. Task 10 might be more difficult than originally anticipated.

Okay, so I'm not a romantic person by nature at all. Ask anybody who knows me really well. I hate food dates, I hate awkward situations, and I am not the kind of girl who is easily swayed by a Fabio look-alike with a box of chocolates in one hand and a dozen roses in another. However, I been searching iTunes today for some new music to get me through the next semester and stumbled across one of the most beautiful and yes, romantic songs I've ever heard. It's called "I'm Yours" by The Script. So, in the spirit of this week o' love or at least materialistic overindulgence of chocolate and red and pink confetti, go to iTunes, youtube, whatever and listen to it. Let me know your thoughts. Have I become hopelessly romantic and sappy in my old age?
"I'm Yours" by The Script (P.S. I'm pretty sure they're Irish. Yay.)

"Everyone's a superhero. Everyone's a Captain Kirk."

Three down. Forty-nine to go. This week I will begin to memorize "99 Luftballons" in the original German (Task #8). Also, since tomorrow is conveniently February 1 and a Monday, I will begin my one month hiatus from fast food (Task #10). I just thought of this, but February is a short month. I didn't plan it that way, but it'll work out nicely.

I guess I need to operationally define "fast food" (Can you tell I'm currently taking a Behavior Modification class?). "Fast food" consists of any restaurant with a drive-thru or drive-in-and-order-in-your-parking-spot (a la Sonic). Sit-down, non-fast-food restaurants, such as McAlisters and Chile's do not constitute "fast-food" (obviously), and are up for grabs within reason. Those restaurants may only be eaten at once every 10 days, unless it is a family dinner that I did not plan myself as a way to cheat.

And now, for fun, here is the English translation of 99 Luftballons (originally sung by Nena)!

You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got.
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone.
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, Something's out there.
Floating in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by.

99 red balloons.
floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it's red alert.
There's something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life.
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky.
Where 99 red balloons go by.

99 Decision Street.
99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a superhero.
Everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
As 99 red balloons go by.

99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standing pretty.
In this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier.
Just to prove the world was here.
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.

SO, Creaves, they DO say "Captain Kirk!" Our ears did not deceive us!

99 Luftballons music video