The War

Dear nations of the earth:

The War Against the Fruit Flies began this morning around 7:30 am STOP

I have taken down four on my own today (Malcolms I-IV) STOP

Don't know how much longer we can hold up STOP

A new army of Terrences seem to be nesting in the office down the hall STOP

Send aid (vinegar) as soon as you can STOP

Must go, the enemy is preparing a divebombing attack STOP

Send help soon, and love to my mother STOP

CAFF (Crusader Against the Fruit Flies) Capt Sharples

Classics and movies

Miss Piper and I were snowed in this weekend (well, I was able to drive around, but I didn't leave the house too awful much), and it was glorious! It started coming down on Friday night, snowed pretty much all day on Saturday. I got the ingredients for chili, and had that stewing during the day Saturday. I unfortunately couldn't find any ground beef at the grocery store Friday night, so its vegetarian chili. Though not my favorite kind, (and I didn't have the right kind of tomatoes) it turned out alright, I suppose. This technically wasn't something 'new', but I haven't made it in a while, so I think its okay to count it. There's always tons leftover, so I have a big container of it in the freezer, which will be nice the next time we get snow..I hope!

While being snowed in, I did some cleaning, clothes folding, and wine drinking. Being snowed in for pretty much three days straight is enough to drive a person to drink. I don't know how people can live in Siberia and not be raging alcoholics. Maybe that's how they do it though..they're perpetually drunk. On second thought, Siberia may be looking better and better as graduation nears..

Juuuuust kidding. Maybe.

I was supposed to go to the MS Society yesterday, but with the weather still dicey, it didn't seem like a good idea. So, I had yet another day at home with my pup. I left for a few hours and I think she was as happy I was that I got out of the house. She needs her personal space. I decided while having coffee with a friend that I'm going to read more of the classics this year. In lieu of that, I went to Borders and bought "Persuasion", "Mansfield Park", "Northanger Abbey", and "Wuthering Heights". Three Jane Austens and a Bronte sister should get me started off in the right direction.

I think I'm going to start writing my reviews of the classics I'm reading, and the movies I see. I have very important thoughts, so I think they should be aired. I started Persuasion last night, and so far, I'm enjoying it. I absolutely adore Austen's writing, and "Pride and Prejudice" is one of my all-time favorite books. Its just such a great read. I should be able to finish "Persuasion" by this weekend, hopefully, and then I'll start on "Wuthering Heights". I know that one is going to be harder to read, so I'm going to probably have to have something else I can read at the same time. You know, like the school books and articles I should currently be reading.

In terms of movies, I watched "Sleepers", "In Bruges" (yes, I watched it again, whatever), "17 Again", "The Education of Charlie Banks" and "North & South" this weekend. (Maybe I spent too much time inside. I dunno.) Charlie Banks was awful, 17 Again was surprisingly not as bad as I had feared, Bruges is obviously awesome if I watched within 2 weeks of my previous viewing, Sleepers was intense and well made, and N&S was a fantastic mini-series. (Its based on an English novel from Victorian times and not the John Jakes novel written about the Civil War, hence why I enjoyed it so much) Watching N&S actually got me into my reading Classics mode, though I don't know that I'll be reading that one. BBC and iTV productions of classic novels are usually extremely well done, and cover almost every minute detail that its actually hard to go back to reading the book. It is in no way possible for an cinematic adaptation of Austen to be better than the actual book, but jeez, the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice" is so close to perfection its scary.

I am breaking down and seeing Avatar this week, fully knowing that I'm not going to like it. I absolutely abhor James Cameron, so even if I begrudgingly think there are some good parts to the movie, I will stick to my guns and not like it on principle. (I do want to see the colors though.)

Here are some pictures of Piper and the snow - she sure did love it.

Night snow:




At the school on Sunday with some random dogs we met:


My favorite picture of her, in action:



And finally, Piper's dingo ears!

My choice? High class escort

After foolishly taking last week off from cooking anything, I made chicken stew on Sunday night. This is one of my favorite recipes from my childhood, and an all-around awesome winter meal. (Of course it decided to turn marginally warmer on Sunday, so its not exactly weather appropriate anymore. Whatevs.) I *think* this is my mom's recipe, but it may have been handed down from her mother. Either way, its a great meal. It turned out to be really easy, though it did take a good amount of time. I don't think I put enough milk in it, so next time I make it, I'll know better.

I'm learning with this cooking thing, though, that making a large quantity of something in the beginning of the week makes it far less appetizing by the end of said week. I'm only on day 3 of chicken stew, and I know its going to be a struggle to eat it again come Friday. Hopefully, my pallet will continue to tolerate the taste until the weekend. We'll see.

In other aspects of life, I've been turned down for or have not received interviews for about four more jobs, which is awesome. I also had a minor break up with running last week, but thankfully was able to push past it. I did a little over 7 miles this past weekend at a sub-9 minute pace, so that's a good motivator for me. I'm hoping to run around 25 this week, doing 10 on two different days. I don't know how smart this is, but both times I'll be running with someone, so I'll have actual human motivation. I had a great run last Thursday in the rain, and even took Piper out for 2 and a half of the 4 I did. She was soaked and was all too happy to be done, but it assuaged my guilt a bit to get her outside.

This past weekend was pretty great..I got to babysit for my nephew on Friday night, and got to see my brother-in-law for the first time since August. On Saturday we had a big get together with my mom's family to celebrate Christmas, so lots of love was felt and it was a really nice day.

I'm struggling to get a grip on this whole employment thing, and I think I figured out last night why this is affecting me so much. I'm not normally so worried about having a job or finding one because everything's just always happened serendipitously in the past. Well, this time, I can't rely on things just 'happening'. I have to actually make them happen, because I don't have the luxury of just moving somewhere and doing something ridiculous for a few years. I have to have an actual job now. There's no way of getting around it. I have the degree, or will have, so why can't I get a job? It has never made any sense to me that employers ask you to have a certain number of years experience BEFORE they hire you. How are you supposed to get the experience if no one will hire you?

I also think I have to stop talking about, or complaining about it (which is really what I'm doing in essence) because I get really upset when people offer platitudes as advice. No, I'm sorry, I don't have plenty of time. I am literally, literally running out of time every single day. And, yes, I have applied to positions outside my field. And, yes, I am volunteering. And, yes, I understand that everyone is swamped with applications and they are having to turn down millions of applicants. Unfortunately, hearing any of these things does not make me feel better. It actually makes it worse, especially the last one, because it means that I wasn't quite good enough to even garner an interview.

From now on in response to the 'What are you doing after graduation' questions, my patent reply shall be, 'I'm not sure. I can't decide between nannying and being a high class escort.' People who know me well will (hopefully) understand that I'm somewhat kidding (at least in regards to the escort path; nannying might not actually be so bad).

So, here's to being a high class escort. I could totally be arm candy.

Worst. Week. Ever.*

Or, at least of 2010. Which hopefully bodes well for the other 50 weeks of the year. Dear Zeus: please to make the rest of the year a bit more bearable.

Bad things of the week: turned down for two jobs (oops, make that three - just got another email), broke my favorite plate, haven't gotten a decent night of sleep all week, and had the absolute WORST dr. visit yesterday. Wow, I'm not sure that that visit could have made me feel any worse about myself. (Except maybe if they told me I had terminal cancer or something. Although, I wouldn't feel bad about MYSELF per se, I'd feel bad that I was going to die.)

Yeah, I know, it doesn't sound that bad, but jeez, it has just seemed like it was one thing after another after another after..you get the point.

Most of the stuff is self-explanatory, but I will explain the doctor thing. I haven't allowed myself to see my actual weight intentionally in a good 6 or 7 years. Considering I've had body image/weight issues for as long as I can remember, the only way I can stay sane is to completely ignore the actual number. It works for me, normally. Well, yesterday, I decided since I've been (literally) running my ass off since July, I would be able to handle the actual number. Boy, I don't think I could have been more wrong. I go in, already in somewhat of a bad mood, and I get on the scale, and had to hold back the tears, ALREADY. Yep, between November 2008 and January 2010, a good 14 month period where I consciously worked on bettering myself and getting into better shape, I lost a grand total of..wait for it, wait for it..FOUR POUNDS. FOUR POUNDS. The poor nurse practitioner. She came in and started to tell me how I needed to be 18 pounds (!) lighter to be at my ideal BMI. I a)couldn't believe I was being told I needed to lose weight after all my hard work and b)completely lost it and was almost inconsolable.

Needless to say, I won't be looking at the actual number again for a VERY long time. I'm thinking another 10 years needs to be put between me and the scales. Jeebus. I left the dr.'s office completely defeated and feeling pretty worthless, I won't lie. Unfortunately for me, my self-worth has deep deep ties to how I look physically.

Then, the most absolutely remarkable thing happened. I got a phone call from one of my favorite people in the entire world, my BFF** Christina who was also my roommate in England. We don't get to talk very often because our schedules are so different (she still lives in England), so we have to schedule our talking time either pretty far in advance, or catch each other on the off chance that the other is available randomly. To make communication MORE complicated, I can't call her on my phone, so its really on her end to call me. Suffice it to say, when we get to talk, I'm usually in an infinitely better mood.

Christa called to tell me an extremely funny story about a mutual acquaintance of ours with whom she'd had a recent encounter. It was quite delightful to hear the story, and it really made my evening. But, what really cheered me up and made everything all better was how the conversation began. She called to tell me the aforementioned story, but also to tell me she had finally gotten my Christmas card. Her exact words, "You look so great! How much weight have you lost?" I burst into laughter and we had a good laugh for the next five minutes about my horrible dr. appointment, and how insane the whole scenario was.

I honestly could not have asked for a better way to end the week/day. I'm not a believer in the adage that everything happens for a reason, but I am a believer in the idea that positive interactions with people make all the difference in the world. Especially for me. In literally a 30 minute conversation, my entire week was instantly forgotten and I relaxed. Its the most amazing feeling.

Here's to a better week next week. Not only for me, but also for the Haitians going through the horrible aftermath of the earthquake.

*And, although somewhat permanently locked in a self-serving stupor, I do realize my week PALES (to an unbelievable degree) in comparison to the happenings in Haiti, plus the loss of a dear classmate this week. I fully recognize that this is a whiny, annoying, and extremely ungrateful blog post.

**To clarify, Christina is my BFF from England. Kristen is my BFF from college/life. (Better, K?)

Attempt #2

To make up for the disastrous potato soup from Sunday, I made mom's stew beef on Monday. I'm telling you what, coming home to the smell of cooked food is probably the best thing in the world. I never actually have food in the crockpot, so this was a nice break from tradition.

I let the meet stew all day, and then added half a packet of beef stew seasoning, made some rice, and voila! A full meal prepared with really no fuss. If this is all cooking is, I can handle that.

Monday, otherwise, was a pretty uncool day. I got turned down for two jobs, including the fellowship I desperately wanted in Charlotte. The other one was actually in higher education, but alas, no go on that either. Later in the evening, to top off the great day I'd had thus far, I broke my favorite plate. Maybe that'll teach me to put it on the floor for Piper to lick. Blast!

I did get to watch the 100th episode of "How I Met Your Mother" though, so that was one bright spot in my evening. I'm not sure Neil Patrick Harris can get much cuter. Nor can Joshua Radnor. The musical number reminded me so much of NPH in "Dr. Horrible", which makes me long for a sequel of that.

Oh, I was asked to post the potato soup recipe:

2 c. hash browns
Carrots, grated fine (for color)
Onion, chopped OR onion powder, to taste
4 c. milk
Salt
Pepper
1/4 c. butter

Boil hash browns and drain. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top when serving.

I can't imagine where it went wrong with so little direction.

Potato soup

So, today, I made Easy Potato Soup. It did not turn out well. I don't know if I did something wrong or it just wasn't a good recipe, but it was pretty bland. That's okay though..I'll give it a shot another time and make some adjustments that will hopefully improve it.

Other events of the weekend included doing Hot Yoga on Friday, seeing "Up in the Air", watching the Jets game and hanging out with some friends, and running 9.5 miles. All in all, it was a really fantastic weekend.

I really, really enjoyed "Up in the Air". It's definitely a true testament to today's economic climate, and, all George-Clooney-loving-bias aside, George was so very good in his role. I can see how it could possibly be seen as being a bit depressing, but I think the message I got from it was pretty meaningful. What I gleaned was its not about how many people you surround yourself with if those people mean absolutely nothing to you; its the quality of the people you include in your life.

Also in the world of movies, I bought "In Bruges" and "Inglourious Basterds" with a gift card from Christmas (thanks, Steph and Taylor!). I watched the majority of "In Bruges" about a year and a half ago, but was never able to finish it. The dialogue is so unbelievably sharp, witty, and quick it blows me away. I strive to be that way, for reals. "Inglourious Basterds" became one of my all-time favorite movies the second I saw the trailer. Wow, I love this movie. I saw it twice in the theater, and it was the movie my family and I watched on Christmas Eve (replacing such classics as "A Muppet's Christmas Carol", "A Christmas Story", and "It's a Wonderful Life"). We have an odd sense of value, my family. I seriously don't know how that movie isn't considered the greatest movie ever made. So good!

But, I have to say, the best thing about the weekend was what happened in Goldsboro, NC at 1:30 pm on Friday: Captain Taylor Francis, my fabulous brother in law, returned from a 4.5 month deployment to Afghanistan. Taylor left at the end of August, when his son (he and my sister's first child) was just shy of three months old. Edward turned seven months old two days before his daddy came home, so Taylor has had to watch him grow via the internet and pictures. Thankfully, Taylor is in the Air Force, so his deployments are shorter, and the amount of time between them are 16 months. So, Edward, his mommy (my sister Stephanie) and their dog, Logan, have their soldier home! I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am for them that they are all back together, and how much more whole the family already feels, in just the short amount of time he's been back. Welcome home, bro..we missed you so.

To wrap up: potato soup - not good; movies watched this weekend - very good; brother in law being home finally - fantastic!; and, lastly, hot yoga?? ridiculously flippin hot. Wow.

On the docket for cooking next weekend will be something with a little more staying power, and possibly the ability to freeze half of it. I'm making Mom's Stew Beef tomorrow night though, which will hopefully make up for the lack of goodness produced with the potato soup!

Resolution of 2010!

I've decided to cook or bake something new every weekend of 2010. If I don't succeed on the weekends, I'm going to try to do it during the week. I really need to be more interested in cooking because I'm a runner, and I should be more cognizant of the nutrients my body needs if I'm running 20-25 miles a week. So, I shall be updating as I go about my adventures, and maybe I'll get my blog turned into a movie like Julie Powell (Julie and Julia) ;-)

Today I made Chocolate Biscotti with Cranberries, as well as white chocolate chips. It was a very intense project, and it took a good hour to make the delicacy. I've never made any sort of bread-like product, so I was taken aback at how difficult dough is to stir. I don't think I let the dough sit bake quite long enough in its initial form, and I definitely didn't cut it small enough. But, all in all, it turned out really well! Either everyone was lying about how much they liked it, or it actually was really really good. (Full disclosure, mostly only family members ate it, and they have to like me and anything I do.)

Tomorrow I'm making my specialty, sweet potato pudding, for Christmas dinner on my dad's side. I love this dish, and so far have made it 4 times in about 6 weeks. Its pretty easy though, and super nutritious, so I like having it in my cooking repertoire. I do have a scar on my thumb though from the first time I made this, but nobody ever said cooking wasn't dangerous.

Other exciting news - today is my one-year anniversary with my dog, Piper. We've had quite the year, and she is the most constant and wonderful thing I have in my life, at least in non-human form. She's a great running companion, greets me every time I come home with loads of kisses, and makes me feel like I'm the most important thing in the world. My life certainly wouldn't be as full or interesting without her. If it isn't obvious, I absolutely adore my Piper. Here's my girl:

Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2010 :)