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 odd bird 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.

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.

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.

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?

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

I feel stupid, oh so stupid.

I just took an online test to see if I qualify to be a contestant on Jeopardy (Task 1). I am pretty sure I bombed it. It was sooo fast and my brain was moving at glacial speeds. At least I tried. My mother has been urging me to try out for years. Now, when she tells me yet again to try to be on a gameshow, I can inform her that I am getting progressively stupider and that I am not gameshow material. It seems my brain has kicked out all information that is not relevant to psychology, musical theatre or how to apply to graduate school. But, on the bright side, I think I may have a few things to add to my list of 100 Things I Want to Learn About.

Have you ever tried out for a gameshow? Reality show? If so, how did the experience go for you?

Start of Something (Kind of) New

Well, dear readers, 2011 came and went, made us laugh til whatever we were drinking came out of our noses, made us cry like babies, surprised the stew out of us, bored us to tears, made us angry, and brought us joy. And now we face a new year. (I’m really starting to sound like a Hallmark card.) Last year brought some pretty big accomplishments for me personally (Hello, Master’s degree!) along with some disappointments (Josh Groban still doesn’t know I exist). And I really slacked off on my annual to-do list. I think I may have accomplished 13 or 14 tasks out of 52.
For those of you who may be tuning in for the first time, a) welcome, b) you must be really bored, and c) for the past two years, I have tried to complete an annual 52-task to-do list within a year. If you do the math, you will realize that there is one task for each week of the year.

2010 was pretty successful (40-something tasks completed), but 2011 was not so victorious. I could and will blame certain life events (grad school, starting a job) for my less-than-favorable attempt at completing the list. Also, some of the tasks were not very reachable given the resources I had available. And maybe you’re shaking your head, muttering, “Excuses, excuses.” I am, too. I’m saddened by my overabundance of excuses and dearth of effort. Along with all those excuses, I have realized that I’ve begun to climb back into the box that I have tried so hard to get out of over the past few years. So this year, as I attempt to complete my to-do list, I plan to use the same motto as the newest season of The Biggest Loser: No excuses. And I have a favor to ask of you (yes, you). Hold me accountable for getting this list done. When I come to you with some pathetic excuse, such as “I broke my big toe” or “I have no money,” I give you full permission to pull a drill sergeant move and yell in the comments section. Will you please do that for me? Thanks.

So, without any further ado, I present my 2012 To-Do List.

1. Audition/try out for a game show.
2. Learn the “Thriller” dance.
3. Do something drastic to my hair.
4. Write and send a letter to each of my family members telling them what they mean to me.
5. Be a vegan for a day.
6. Go an entire day without complaining or saying something negative.
7. Try on a designer ballgown or evening dress.
8. Host a dinner party.
9. (Re)Memorize Romans 8.
10. Try rhubarb.
11. Go snowshoeing or boxing.
12. Do 40 push-ups in a row without stopping.
13. Try caviar.
14. Visit a state I have never been to before. (I can visit a state I have travelled through, but have not stayed at or toured for any length of time other than to simply get through it in order to get to another state.)
15. Carve a pumpkin.
16. Correctly and successfully poach an egg.
17. Swim a full lap (2 lengths of a 25 yard or 25 meter pool) in 35 seconds or less.
18. Cook a whole chicken.
19. Watch “The Wizard of Oz” to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album.
20. Get into a Ph.D. program. (I have a task for this to replace this if it does not happen, but I’ll cross that bridge only if I need to.)
21. Make panna cotta.
22. Drastically improve my British accent.
23. Learn conversational [insert a specific language here].
24. Eat tofu for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same day.
25. Watch every episode currently in existence from “The Big Bang Theory.”
26. Make a homemade pizza from scratch.
27. Help somebody in need.
28. Finish my list of Top 100 Things I Want to Learn About that I began last year.
29. Learn about the first 50 things from the list mentioned in Task #29.
30. Plant a plant.
31. Take a dance class at a professional dance company’s studio.
32. Watch every John Hughes film.
33. Pick a country and cook a meal made up of dishes from that country.
34. Attempt a form of exercise that I have never tried before.
35. Do something unexpected.
36. Make a loaf of Challah bread (Third time’s the charm!).
37. Finish Special Topics in Calamity Physics and then convince someone else to read it.
38. Hold or pet a tarantula.
39. Make a traditional French dish.
40. Make something by myself (with guidance, if needed) that requires at least one of the following tools: hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and/or drill.
41. Drink the recommended 64 ounces of water per day for a full week.
42. Memorize a piano piece that is at least 2 pages long.
43. Get a spray tan.
44. Read the entire Bible from Genesis through Revelation.
45. Complete some sort of shame-attacking exercise, such as going out in public is incredibly mismatched clothing.
46. Spend a day without using my phone (except in an emergency), computer (except if necessary for work), TV, or radio.
47. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or other charity.
48. Learn how to do an ice skating trick.
49. Choreograph a dance piece to be performed in a setting other than a musical.
50. Bake a soufflé.
51. See a live platypus.
52. Learn where every country in the world is located on a map.

So, there it is. My third annual to do list. I'm already a week behind, since I've procrastinated posting it on this here blog. Yeehaw. That should make things more funner. Yes, more funner. Wish me luck!