Spoon Fed

My week is going by very slowly (as is evidenced by the fact that I sincerely thought it was Wednesday at about 12 noon today... Tuesday) but despite its slowness, I am having a grand time.

Brittany and I made crepes on Sunday which were amazing. I think they changed my life. We put vanilla and amaretto in the batter and they tasted amazing, I highly recommend it.

Also on the food train of thought, I consumed a spoonful of Nutella straight off the spoon just now. I have no regrets.

I've started to learn Flash and Java concurrently and it's been challenging but so fun! I've been having fun with arctangents and sine curves for animations in Flash, and I bought a JavaSwing book which is super fun and shows you how to do a million cool things. I am finally discovering why programmers love it so much.

Brittany, Guest Blogger

So I am feeling compelled to write a journal entry but I am plumb out of ideas. Luckily I live with a gal whose hilarity knows no boundaries. In a moment (when I am done typing this) I am going to hand over my keyboard so she can type something so new, so creative, so over-the-top inappropriately funny that it will totally boggle your mind forever (but Brittany, no pressure). Here goes:

Hello, my name is Brittany, and I actually am extremely hilarious, completely inappropriate, gloriously intelligent, and amazingly beautiful. Also, I am incredibly inventive. In fact, I spent the last half hour singing into small Korean drink bottle (the ones Meghan loves), trying to make my voice sound like Darth Vader. This was accompanied by taking atrocious pictures of myself and then scanning them onto a website to determine which celebrity I most resembled. I was a combination of Frankie Muniz, Catherine Zeta Jones, and an elderly Asian man, and I am not really sure how to feel about that. After reading this enlightening guest entry, I am sure you all must be impressed with my awesomeness, but I ask that you keep the fan mail to a minimum. However, letters, presents, and declarations of love can be directed to my agent, Meghan.

Bad News Bears

Today was rather unfortunate. Here's why:

1) I had an appointment that somehow got lost from the records, so I had to reschedule it.

2) I walked to a store in the (relative) cold specifically to get this french cheese, and when I arrived they were all out.

3) My regular subway train was acting all crazy (shuttling back and forth) and I was totally on the wrong track.

4) I missed the delivery of a package.

5) Heath Ledger died a block away from where my roommate was working today (I actually don't care too much about this, but still it's always sad when someone young dies unnaturally).

Today was not outrageously awful, but there were an uncanny number of unfortunate events. Ho hum.

It ended well, though, with a rousing viewing of Aladdin! I give it the world's best movie award for the day.

College Music Videos

My friends and I in college made these music videos (well, really they were not music videos so much as us doing silly stuff and putting it to a bunch of music, but whatever) for our sophomore and junior years. They are really fun to have and are a great way to look back on the good times we had.

Senior year I took a ton of footage (much to the chagrin of all my friends who were, no doubt, tired of having a camera shoved in their faces 24/7) but my two friends and I never really got it together. Senior year is really busy and we didn't have 50 hours to devote to a silly video.

I'd always wanted to take the footage I had and do something with it, but my old computer was too slow to even play the videos my camera had taken (not to mention I deleted iMovie once upon a time). However now that I have a new cmputer and two versions of iMove, all of a sudden the possibilities are endless.

I've slowly been organizing all of my video files, and today I edited them all together. So far I've got about 15 minutes and I am guessing in about 5-10 minutes the video will be finished. This time around the format is a little different (some of the footage does not have music behind it) and it's not as polished, but I think it will still be fun for all my college friends to see when I am finished with it.

It's actually really funny, some of the clips. I found some really embarrassing stuff of myself that I've tried to include, especially since my embarrasing moments are nothing compared to some other clips I found of my friends.  ;-)  

I hope I still have friends when all is said and done - this is always the risk with the making of our college music videos.

Concerts and Computers

I'm going to go to three concerts in three weeks and I am really looking forward to it! The first is for a politician (oddly enough), the second is The Click Five (embarrassingly poppy but should be fun) and also Matchbox Twenty. February is going to be a busy month for me!

Also, Apple has released a new notebook computer called, "Air." It's really thin and it looks very sleek (as you'd expect coming from Apple). It's aesthetically pleasing, but it's not very practical and it seems as though the price is mostly for aesthetics. Sure, it has some cool touch technology and lots of wireless capabilities, but those things alone don't really make it worth the price (for me personally).

The thing I really can't figure out is why the version with an 80 GB hard drive is selling for $1800 whereas the 64 GB "solid-state" drive version is selling for $3100. I'm wondering what is so amazing about a solid-state drive because as far as I can see, 80 trumps 64, solid or hard... especially in this day and age where file sizes are getting bigger and bigger.

Home In Record Time

Today when I got out of work it was raining, snowing and blowing wind like nobody's business and for some reason I couldn't seem to negotiate putting on my mittens, carrying my umbrella and walking/running to the subway all at the same time so my hands were freezing!

Anyhow, when I made it to the subway I heard the arrival alarm, and I thought, "Ok, today will be the one day that I will run to catch the train!" So I swiped my card, crowd-dodged and flew down the stairs to arrive just as the train doors were opening. I got in line to get on the train and I realized that the people in front of me were not going to get on the train.

These people standing in front of me were large. Now I am not one to be sizist, but I'm not going to lie - they were hard to get around. Also, you know when you play the "you go this way I go that way" game and every time you try to pass them they go the same way you do? Needless to say, it was a big old mess. I finally got around them but the train doors were shutting.

I'm not a pushy person, but I was in no mood to miss this train. So I shoved my arms into the closing doors, pushed the doors open and got on the train. Woohoo!

It's official... I've become one of those annoying people who doesn't "stand clear of the closing doors" and holds up the train, much to the chagrin of all the other commuters. It was totally worth it, though... when I got to the station where I make my connection, the other train was waiting right across the platform which is something that is almost unheard of. It sort of made my day!

Gingerbread House

Yesterday I went to go see this house in Bay Ridge. It was pretty cool!

How I Accidentally Became a Political Activist

Today my friends and I were supposed to go to see the ultimate chick flick movie. As it turns out, two of my friends are both politically active (go them!) and knew about a rally for Obama taking place right near the theatre we were going to be going to for the movie. I didn't want to go to Manhattan by myself, so my plan was to go to the movie theatre and buy the tickets, hang out at the rally but more probably ditch them and spend some quality time in the Barnes & Noble.

Unfortunately the movie we had wanted to see was already sold out. No big deal though, I decided I would still go to the bookstore until we were supposed to meet up with our other politically disinclined friend.

Everything was going according to plan until Brittany called to tell me that the rally had turned into a march, and they were going to be walking to Columbus Circle (?) 45 blocks away. Well, since I did not know where that was I decided I best walk with them.

The cons to marching along were the crazy loud chants that were being shouted (though I did enjoy the one that went, "Ba-rock the vote!"), the tourists taking pictures of you as you walked long, and the police men threatening to arrest the marchers (I wasn't to worried about this because I had no posters, buttons, stickers or other paraphanalia, but still...).

The pros were much more numerous: (ONE) Lots of people honked their horns in support of the marchers, which was fun to witness; (TWO) Random people joined in the march who were really funny; (THREE) Actually, everyone at the march was really nice; (FOUR) We got to meet this really nice guy who Emily knows and as it turns out, he speaks French so I got to have a conversation in French; (FIVE) He also happens to be in a band and we totally scored an invite to go see him play; (SIX) Finally, I got some really good exercise and built up a huge appetite!

Here's Brittany and Emily at the end of the march. I am actually really glad I accidentally ended up going with them - it's actually sort of fun to be involved in something that people are so passionate about.

In other news, my cold is progressing and I have now entered the "cough up a lung" stage which made having a chat with my other friend on the phone this evening very difficult!

Also, last night our neighbors had a very raucous party. I wouldn't have really minded (we're all young in this apartment building and they should be able to have some outrageous fun sometimes) if the noise had been made in their apartment, but people kept running up the stairwell shouting, throwing things and probably falling down stairs (from the sound of it). Also, some party goers kept buzzing our apartment via the intercom system, which thoroughly pissed me off.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell (well, I also cleaned the apartment, but apart from Brittany's toothbrush incident the details of that are fairly mundane). Oh, and I got invited to a no-pants party! So that should be fun. :-)

Whoops

Cleaning certainly does have its hazards. I was cleaning out the bath tub and the hook over the shower head somehow came undone, causing everything on the hook to come crashing down into the vat of bleachy/dirty tub water. Mmmm.

And that is the tale of how I came to be dunking Brittany's new toothbrush in boiling water.

Household Chores

How is it that you can clean and clean and clean and there is always more cleaning to be done? I mean, hypothetically I understand how it works, but I am always astonished at how quickly dirt and dust and whatever else accumulates in nooks and crannies will manifest itself. Honestly.

Therefore I am devoting my Saturday to cleaning. That's right, folks. I am going to get everything all good and clean so I can enjoy the sparkling gleam and the fresh scent for all of 24 hours before the state of my apartment starts the deterioration process yet again.

I've had a really long week. It started last Sunday when I had crazy amounts of school reports to finish and did not do so until about 3:30 in the morning. Monday was really difficult, I'm not going to lie.

I've been trying to catch up on sleep all week but I've actually created a social life for myself here - who'd have thunk - so that's been a little difficult. My throat is now tickling me and I am fearing that a cold is coming on. For me, the worst bit about having colds is staying away from dairy, which means no yogurt, no cheese, and worst of all, NO TEA. I'm almost brought to tears merely contemplating this horrible state of being.

Wish me luck as I enter into a temporary caffeine-free state of existence.

Let's Talk About FOOD

Tonight my friends have gone to watch the NH primaries (or some debates? What?) in a sports bar. Since I am from NH I suppose I should have gone as well, but I just can't muster enough caring to dig myself out of the apathy I feel towards everything political/important. I wish I was more politically inclined, but I am not. So there.

Anyhow, since everyone I know is doing something important with their life tonight I decided I would make my own personal contribution to the world by taking pictures of food on my cell phone and posting about it in my blog (hey, I never said anything about making a positive contribution...).

First, let's talk Korean beverages. If you have never tried these little Korean dessert/breakfast drinks, you better hop to it. They are so good! The best way I can think of to describe the taste would be like the liquid form of candy necklaces mixed with powdered milk (don't gag, it's good - I swear!). I can't really read the ingredients (being in Korean and all), but it doesn't take a genius to know they are pure sugar. Delight!

Second, my sister and I bought a very good bottle of wine the other day. I had been lamenting the fact that there was no good Beaujolais to be found in the US. Since Beaujolais is my soup wine of choice I was really sad about this. So Sarah and I went to a fancy wine store and paid a pretty penny for a good bottle and it was totally worth it! We made soup with it and life was good.

The other day, inspiration struck me! I eat canned soup all the time and while it is delicious, it lacks a little je ne sais quoi. Short story shorter, I have been adding wine to my canned soup and it is very good. I definitely recommend this technique to those wishing to spice up an ordinary meal, or those who are simply looking for one more excuse to imbibe some alcohol.

Third, I'm a huge tea drinker and this past week at the grocery store they were having a huge sale on tea and so now I have the best-stocked tea cupboard in the city. I bought a new kind of tea called Darjeeling Tea, and I swear life wasn't complete before I knew about this tea. It's lovely and delicate (if you can say that about tea) and I'd recommend it to anybody with a pulse (though the fact that you like tea would also probably be helpful).

Finally, my high school advisor sent me the nicest email and included a recipe for cheese grits! I was so excited, because recently I have completey fallen in love with the food (if the food pyramid were based on my diet, grits would occupy the big bit at the bottom) and I can't wait to try out the recipe. In fact, I went to the grocery today to get the ingredients only to realize I left the list at home (yes, I know) so I will have to report on how they turn out once I have assembled everything that I need.

For those of you who have ever had the pleasure of tasting my advisor's cooking, you'll know that everything she makes is amazing! This grit recipe is her mother's, but I am sure it will be good. Hopefully she won't mind that I'm sharing it with you right now:

1 c grits
1 t salt
4 c water

Cook grits in all that til done (the grits package will tell you how).

1 stick butter, diced
1/4 # Velveeta
1/4 # sharp cheddar, grated
3 eggs
1/3 c milk

Stir all this into the grits til melted and smooth.

Pour into buttered 1.5 qt. casserole and bake at 350 for an hour.

Top Ten Email

I just got the funniest email from one of my dearest friends asking me if I wanted to go to a concert with her boyfriend on Valentine's Day.

I'm definitely considering it - it's one of my favorite bands!!

In other news, I read today that on average, women in NY between the ages of 21 and 30 make 117% what men of the same age in NYC make. That's sort of awesome, I think.

Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC)

I had forgotten how much I love this show! I find it beyond funny. Sure, it's raunchy and inappropriate, but that's what makes it so amazing.

Local Liquors

Last night after picking up my friend Jill from the subway we all had a run to the local liquor store. Being New Year's Eve and all, I decided it would be a good idea to ring it in with my favorite drink. Brittany and I being the boozers that we are had never been to the liquor store even though we can get there from our apartment in under 30 seconds, so it was an adventure for us.

We did not realize just how big of an adventure it was going to be until we stepped foot into the craziest store I've ever seen. I am going to now use my amazing ASCII drawing skills to demonstrate the layout of the store:

--------------------------------------------------
booze booze booze booze booze booze booze booze

                 till    till
--  ---------$$----------------$$---------  ------
    --> booze                    booze <--
-------------  ----------------  -----------------

people looking to buy some celebration in a bottle

--------------------------------------------------
booze booze booze booze booze booze booze booze

--------------------------------------------------

As you can see, there was alcohol of every variety lining every single wall of the store from floor to ceiling. The customers walk into the center, and choose what they want by searching the rows. All this is made more complicated because everything is behind plexiglass (this store is not for the faint of sight). Two people running the till ask/shout to you to tell them what you want, and they run (no joke!) to grab it. They put it in a black bag and you slip the money under this tiny slot on the plexiglass. Once you've paid, they slide your bottle through an opening in their plexiglass and you grab it from your opening.

It sort of felt like all the alcohol was in prison, and we were bailing the bottles out. Curious... If you still can't picture it, have a look at this picture which closely resembles our friendly neighborhood liquor store. I also should add that it was definitely worth going as I got a "free" mug out of the experience which I was particularly pleased about. Somehow the blow of paying $20 for alcohol is softened when you figured you're getting a fancy $3 mug out of the whole deal.

After playing some games and having dinner I went to Pratt to see the train whistles be blown. If you've never stood right next to an old fashioned train whistle, you should try it. There was lots of steam being let into the air and the train whistles are super loud - your whole body vibrates when they go off next to you! We also got to see the engine room (I think that's what you call it) for Pratt, which was fun to see - and really warm!

I was woken up early this morning (8 am, to be exact) by a good friend of mine who told me some news that rocks my world (well, hers more than mine but I am so happy for her), and I also saw that my dad had been riding around in Model T's until 2 in the morning in NH, so so far the New Year is off to a good start.

(No resolutions, as normal I've resolved to not resolve and created my favorite contrary statement.)