The Fixen Vixen

Why I am against the raw milk movement

2011-02-01T18:18:00.002-09:00

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert on this topic. I do not work for any dairy operation or any company associated with the dairy industry. The discussion below simply expresses my opinions about this issue and is based on what I know from my Ph.D. in microbiology. If you disagree with these opinions, please let me know! Like I said, I am not an expert on raw milk, and I am open to other opinions and interpretations.

Being a smart consumer is about understanding both sides of an issue and making informed decisions. I try to adhere to this credo as much as possible because I think people are so inundated with information these days they do not always take the time to evaluate the information they are given. Who can blame them? Evaluating all this data takes a lot of work, but I do think it would behoove us all to ask, “Is that true? Does it make sense?” when a company/industry/etc. makes a claim that their product is better for us. Drinking raw milk instead of pasteurized milk is a new trend in my neck of the woods. My initial gut reaction as a microbiologist is that this is a bad idea. Pasteurization, along with other sanitary procedures, was put into practice to protect people from pathogens that can infect milk. If this practice is no longer used, aren’t we simply opening ourselves up to an increased chance of drinking infected milk?

According to the CDC and the FDA, the answer is yes. The CDC reported that, “Among dairy product-associated outbreaks reported to CDC between 1973 and 2008 in which the investigators reported whether the product was pasteurized or raw, 82% were due to raw milk or cheese.” (See http://www.cdc.gov/Features/RawMilk/ for the full article and http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/scientific-references/ for the scientific references the FDA used in support of their stance on raw milk). While my search was not exhaustive, I did not find any scientific studies from peer-reviewed journals to refute these findings by the CDC. What do I mean by peer-reviewed? I agree with Wikipedia’s definition, which is “Peer review is a generic term for a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field.” Obviously this method is not without fault, but I think it is the best method we have in the pursuit of truth. Therefore, I maintain my stance that there are inherent risks in drinking raw milk. However, the raw milk movement says that drinking raw milk has many advantages over pasteurized milk. Perhaps these advantages outweigh the risks of drinking raw milk.

What are the advantages claimed by proponents of raw milk? Since I couldn’t find a scientific article describing the advantages, to answer this, I will use information I found here http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html because unlike many of the websites I found about raw milk, this site actually listed some references to support their claims. I would like to point out that some of their references are links to other like-minded websites, which I consider simply opinions not facts. Keep in mind, there may be better sites out there.

One of the proposed advantages to drinking raw milk is that pasteurization destroys active enzymes and antibodies in milk that have beneficial properties. Enzymes and antibodies are simply proteins, and yes, heat can denature, or inactivate, them. However, acids can also denature proteins, and the acidic environment of the stomach has evolved to do just that. In my opinion, I am not convinced that these enzymes and antibodies could have any appreciable activity once they have passed through the stomach. Also, antibodies and many of the beneficial enzymes they describe in raw milk such as lactoferrin, catalase, and lysozyme are already made by our bodies, so why would we need to get them from milk? Do we even know how active and in what quantities these enzymes and antibodies are in our bodies after ingesting milk? To me, until we answer these questions the claim that raw milk is more beneficial than pasteurized milk because there are more active enzymes and antibodies in raw milk is speculation at best.

Another proposed advantage of drinking raw milk is that people who are lactose intolerant should not have as strong of a reaction to raw milk. The reason stated for this is that raw milk contains Lactobacillus, a group of bacteria that can break down lactose into lactic acid. It is true that pasteurization can kill these bacteria. However, complete consumption of lactose in milk into lactic acid by these bacteria takes time, and as the bacteria consume lactose they produce more and more lactic acid which eventually leads to sour milk. Can these bacteria break down enough lactose before the milk goes sour to allow lactose intolerant people to drink it without having a reaction? I think the answer is that we don’t know, and because the magnitude of lactose intolerance can vary from person to person there are some people who cannot tolerate raw milk. To me, this proposed advantage is not compelling enough for me to advise lactose intolerant people to start drinking raw milk.

The presence of the enzymes listed above and production of lactic acid by Lactobacillus can inhibit the growth of other bacteria, including some pathogens. This is why some proponents of raw milk claim that it is safer than pasteurized milk. If that is true, then I would expect that we would only find pathogens infecting milk after pasteurization, but we know that pathogens can infect raw milk and pasteurized milk that is not kept in a sterile environment. Plus, the natural defenses found in milk are also found in your body. Pathogens have evolved mechanisms to overcome these natural defenses, which allow them to cause disease in your body. I do not find this a convincing argument for raw milk being safer than pasteurized milk.

There are other proposed advantages to raw milk that I have not mentioned, such as the probiotic effect conferred by ingesting Lactobacillus, which can easily be consumed in other, safer food products like yoghurt. In my opinion, most of the proposed advantages to raw milk are merely conjecture and do not outweigh the increased risk of contamination in raw milk. For me, that is the bottom line. You are free to agree or disagree!

My cover star!

2010-09-10T15:31:00.002-08:00

The hubby made it onto the cover of sailing magazine! Can you guess which one he is? I'm so proud!

My second marriage proposal...sort of

2010-08-29T18:04:00.004-08:00

A little over a year ago, I lost my wedding ring. For those of you who have seen me lose numerous keys, gloves, and other items, this is probably no surprise, but I was devastated! Luckily, my husband understands the depth of my forgetful/ditsy tendencies and had a very good insurance policy for it.

Thus enter the era of the new ring! The picture you see above is indeed my ring, but we didn't get the wedding band with it. It would have put us way over what our insurance was willing to pay, but I love it all the same.

I was anxiously awaiting delivery of said ring. After losing my old one, my ring finger felt lighter, and I was starting to get phantom ring pains (you laugh, but I bet this really exists especially with women who have been married for a long time). Anyways, another week had passed and still no ring! The hubby talked me into taking my mopey self out for a hike in the Central Cascade Mountains. We ended up getting into a bunch of shenanigans that involved a Canadian couple and two flat tires, but I won't get into that until a later time. We did get to go on a short hike to a mountain stream. As per my usual, I was trying to find a cool rock or shell to bring home as a reminder of our trip. I spotted a particularly nice one and pointed it out to the hubby. When I realized he wasn't looking where I was pointing, I turned to him full of annoyance that he wasn't paying attention and noticed that he was holding something under the water. He said, "I like this rock much better." 'Lo and behold, it was my new wedding ring. I shrieked and cried just like when we got engaged the first time. It was the best second-proposal I have ever had!

By the way, my husband is a brave man to propose twice! When he forgets to do dishes or clean the house, I like to remind him that next time he asks I may say no.

Come on Lefty!

2010-07-29T10:41:00.002-08:00

As a scientist, I work a lot. This should come as no surprise since any progress in my career depends largely on how much data I procure, and being the type A personality that I am, I want to do well. This is no doubt why so many scientists are workaholics, and we engender a culture where working 70+ hours a week is considered fundamental to being a great scientist. Okay, okay, before scientists out there skewer me for saying that, I will say that I think this culture may be shifting a little bit. I do think that more scientists are placing greater value on their life outside the lab, which totally makes sense to me. Lab work has a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and I think weathering the emotional storm that is lab work is more easily navigated if you have something other than work to fulfill you.

But I digress...

The reason for my above really comes down to one thing that I am determined to achieve, which is getting a hobby! It's true that I enjoy reading, but I wouldn't exactly consider it a hobby. Plus, I want something that keeps me active since my brain gets a workout everyday. I decided to try ballet. Now I am sure some of you are experiencing the same thing my husband did on hearing this announcement, namely an attack of the giggles, but I assure you I am serious. For the past six weeks, I have been taking a beginning ballet class, and it has been great! I'm not sure how far I will go with it, but I find it fun and challenging.

Here is the main thing I have learned, though. The left side of my body is not in communication with my right side. While my right side is doing a fair rendition of Swan Lake, my left side looks like it is taking a cigarette break. My right side is Cinderella and the left side is the ugly stepsister. What is up with that? It's true the right is my dominant side, but apparently I didn't know how dominant. I am hoping that more ballet classes will help with this, but until then I will continue my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde version of ballet. Wish me luck!

No Mans, no dog, sad Vixen

2010-06-15T15:58:00.002-08:00

Here I am. I have this grant that I should be writing, but instead I am procrastinating and having a pity party. My husband is off sailing to Bermuda, and my dog is off at doggy fun camp with her two biggest fans so I can, allegedly, get some work done. Instead, I am sitting here beating my head against a wall trying to find the best way to make my work sound significant. How do I, someone who hates to do anything resembling boasting, brag about how my work is significant? *sigh* Don't worry. I will get 'er done. Procrastination is all part of the process.

With the hubby gone, though, I have noticed a few small changes around here. So here are some ways you can tell the Fixen Vixen is minus one man in her home.

-All of the dishes in the sink are coffee cups and wine glasses. Definitely not a lot of cooking going on right now!

-Now that I don't have to share the bed with a dog or a man I have taken over the bed. I go to bed on my "usual" side of the bed only to find myself flipped around 180 degrees or draped horizontally across the whole bed. Apparently when I don't have a man/dog fence to contain me, I take over.

-I get to sleep in because there is no dog waking me up to go for a walk!! Yippee!

-I watch every Jane Austen book turned into a movie that I own, and every Sex in the City episode that I have seen a gazillion times.

-I sometimes wear the same holey sweater two days in a row. GASP!

-I am reading trashy romance novels and eating oreos in bed. Yep, I know, so cliche!

Sometimes it's nice to be a single girl again. Just not a single girl with a grant to write! Back to work Fixen Vixen!

Back to blogging

2009-09-29T04:54:00.002-08:00

It has been over a year since my last post? Really? Truly? By now the five people who read this blog have gone on to greener, and I am sure more interesting, pastures. I would love to say that my life has just been so slow, relaxing, and carefree over the past year that I just could not bring my relaxed self to post a single blog. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and I have had a crazy, hectic year. First and foremost, I graduated with a Ph.D.! Whahoooo! For the past three months, I have been swamped writing my thesis, training my replacement, and generally getting everything ready for The Defense. It is almost completely over. I just have to fill out some paperwork and get my thesis bound and then I will be done done done.

Two really awesome things happened to me this past year. One, I got a post-doc position in Seattle, which I am super excited about. The people seem great, and I loved Seattle. What a gorgeous place! You all have to promise to come visit once I settle into my surroundings. Secondly, I have a new love in my life. Her name is Penelope (Penny for short), and she is a beautiful golden retriever. She is so sweet, loves all people and dogs, and I spoil her like crazy. I am pretty sure I've lost about 5 pounds since we got her from all the running/walking we do, and I am pretty sure she has gained 5 pounds because I spoil her with treats. The look she is giving the camera is exactly the same look she gave me when I was home writing my thesis. Once she realized I wasn't at home to play with her, she would just lay there and give me this sad stare. It was brutal.

Anyways, I hope I get to post more in the future. If you haven't noticed, I am not terribly great at this whole blogging thing, but I am going to give it a go. I will keep you posted!

Tired of pipetting?

2008-07-15T04:45:00.001-08:00

For my fellow science geeks, watch this video. It is hilarious!

More to come about my trip to Bermuda...

Where did June go?

2008-06-18T05:37:00.003-08:00

I have had a crazy June. Between attending two major conferences in Boston, having one of my best buds plus husband visit, and going to Bermuda at the end of this month, I feel like I just haven't had time to breath! Despite the craziness, it has been a great month so far. I got to hang out with a lot of old friends and colleagues, and it made me realize how lucky I am to know and be part of such a great group. It was great!

By the way, I did say Bermuda. The husband and I will be traveling there next week so he can participate in a sailing race. I'm the lucky duck since I only have to lay on the beach, drink cocktails, and generally relax. He actually has to sail the boat back to Boston.

Back to Blogging!

2008-06-18T05:29:00.002-08:00

I have had a major relapse in my blogging. Blogging is kind of like a rollercoaster of productivity for me. Sometimes I have lots to blog about and other times I just don't have time/inclination to blog. Plus, if I haven't blogged for a while, I find it hard to get back on the horse since I feel like I need to comeback with an awesome, funny, and witty post about my life. Unfortunately, I don't think I have ever had a post like that, so this is me getting back on the horse. Please excuse the lack of witticism and humor, but I am back to blogging!

Hamish, the sexy beast

2008-03-31T06:41:00.008-08:00

After Manchester, the fam and I took the train to Edinburgh, Scotland. If you are ever traveling in England, I would definitely recommend taking a train. We saw beautiful stretches of English countryside. The rolling hills were just promising to become the verdant summer pasture, and sheep dotted the hillside like popcorn balls. It was a very peaceful picture, and some of the sheep even had little lambs tripping beside them, which was awfully cute.

Edinburgh is a great city. It is broken up into 'Old Town', which includes Edinburgh castle and the Royal Mile, and 'New Town', which as the name implies, is the newer part of town. We mostly stayed in Old Town because most of the tourist attractions are there. The Royal Mile is a road that runs through Old Town and has lots of pubs and shops to peruse. It is called the Royal Mile because it has Edinburgh castle at one end and the Scottish parliament building and Holyrood house, which is where the Queen stays when she is in town, at the other. There are also tons of alleyways, or 'closes' along the royal mile, which are really fun to explore. Some of them have even been sites of massacres, and one of the things most tourists do is go on a ghost tour of these closes. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go on a ghost tour, but I would definitely do it if I ever go back.

We did get to explore Edinburgh Castle (see the first picture), which is a must see if you are in the city. Not only does it have tons of history, it also houses the crown jewels of Scotland and has some of the most amazing views of the city itself.

After spending a day exploring Edinburgh, we took a bus tour of the Scottish highlands and Loch Ness. It was wonderful!!!! The Scottish highlands are a gorgeous backdrop that really belies its turbulent past. You are surrounded by giant hills with deep valleys and mirror-like lakes (known as lochs--make sure you practically spit on a person when you say it!). It is so beautiful, it is hard to imagine the bloody clan fights that took place there. I cannot say enough about it, but I know I can never do it justice in words alone. You just have to see it!

On our way to Loch Ness, we stopped to meet Hamish, who is a very studly Scot. He is a highland cow (see him in all his glory above), and I only mention him because he is cute and because I think he pulls of bangs better than I do. If you don't know what I am talking about, refer to my "Big Bangs" post. Amazingly, he can still see treats from miles away despite his crazy 'do.

The main stop on our tour was Loch Ness where we took a boat tour around the lake. There is a marine biologist on the boat that tries to convince you with sonar data and pictures that Nessie lives, but I'm not sure I was convinced. However, Loch Ness is a really interesting place in its own right. It has tons of weird fish, such as the cannibalistic trout known as a ferox and giant eels that bury themselves deep into the mud of the lake's bottom. It also has beautiful scenery in case you didn't get enough of it on the way to the loch. It was really fascinating.

Once we got back to Edinburgh, we went out for dinner in Grassmarket, an area that has some of the oldest pubs in Edinburgh (I think the oldest has been around since the late 1600's, but don't quote me on that number!). We ended up going to a pub called Maggie Dickson's, which owes its name to a very lucky woman. The short story is that Maggie Dickson was accused of murder and hung for her crimes. As her coffin was being pulled to the graveyard, the rough ride delivered by the cobbled streets of Edinburgh was enough to jump-start her heart. Imagine the surprise she caused when she started banging on the lid of her coffin to be let out. Luckily for Maggie Dickson, Scottish authorities figured she had already died once for her crimes and didn't need to die again. She was was granted pardon and went on to run an ale house and have lots of kids. You can read the full story here.

All in all Scotland was awesome. The people are so friendly and helpful. It really is a magical place.

My trip across the pond

2008-03-25T12:08:00.006-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since February!! I am absolutely horrified! What a slacker I have been! The two people out there that regularly read my blog can flog me later. If it is any consolation, I have plenty to blog about right now. My husband and I recently went on a trip to the United Kingdom with his family, and it was absolutely fantastic. We were only there for ten days, but we hit just about everything. Here are some highlights, and I promise to post some pics as soon as I can tear the camera away from my husband (it is new, bright, and shiny, which are all things he is fascinated by). I may have to do multiple posts to make sure I cover everything, so bear with me.

Manchester

My husband and I flew into Manchester where my brother-in-law is studying at the university this semester, and that is where our adventure began. Manchester is a nice city with a really young demographic. There isn't much for sight seeing (although they do have some free art and science museums), but it definitely has a fine selection of clubs and pubs. We definitely had our fill of beer and pub food, including fish 'n chips and mushy peas, while we were there.

In Manchester, I had my first experience staying at a hostel. It really was not too bad since the one we stayed at was clean and the people were friendly, but it definitely had its downsides. For instance, I never had a hot shower the entire time I was there. The best I could do was lukewarm. Also, I was the only girl in a room with four sets of bunk beds all occupied by men. I made my husband sleep on the bottom bunk so he could guard my honor as needed. Other than that it was not bad, and one of our roommates was a very nice Norwegian guy who hung out with us while we were in Manchester.

The weather was almost always cloudy and chilly while we were there. I had planned for this and I made sure I was nicely bundled up in jacket, hood, and gloves. Congratulating myself on being so well prepared, I stepped out was amazed at what the native Manchesterites wore, in particular the young women like myself. Most of these women were wearing club clothing, which hardly covers anything, and none of them had jackets. Imagine wearing tube top, miniskirt, and heels while it is 40 degrees F and raining. I thought they were crazy!

Football (soccer to us yanks) is huge over in the UK. Manchester has a very well known football team called Manchester United, and as you can imagine, the city loves its football. We got a chance to see the Manchester City team, which I think is a step below Manchester United, play while we were there. I have never seen anything like it! The opposing team's fans had their own specific section, and this section was completely surrounded by a ring of security guards to keep Man City fans out and keep the visiting team's fans in. The crowd was constantly singing fight songs, but the only one I could understand was "Come on City! Come on City!" Instead of shouting obscenities when the ref made a bad call, which is standard protocol for any Red Sox's game, the fans yelled out, "Rubbish! You're rubbish!" For some reason, I found this hilarious, and I couldn't help but get caught up by all the energy and foreign accents surrounding me. It was a lot of fun.

Put on your kilts and break out the whiskey because my next post will be about Scotland...

Valentine Surprise!

2008-02-21T08:07:00.003-09:00

My husband is the sweetest man ever! He is twice the romantic I am, which is not hard since I think it is romantic when he washes dishes and cleans the house before I get home. Case in point, he made me melt (along with the various people who heard this story) on Valentine's Day. As part of my daily commute, I have to walk home from the bus stop, which is about two blocks away. My husband knows the route I take home, and he tied flowers and little notes addressed to "(insert my initials here)" to sign posts along the way so I would find them. How sweet is that!?!?!

Apparently, I wasn't the only person to notice my husband's PDA. The next day a couple of people went onto craigslist.com (a forum for selling/buying/trading/job hunting/people hunting/etc.) and wished "(insert my initials here)" a happy Valentine's day, and a couple of other (insert my initials here) were wondering if it was for them! Isn't it amazing how romantic gestures can inspire people and capture their attention? My husband was absolutely thrilled that other people saw it. I'm just thrilled that it was for me. I would feel terrible if I took another (insert my initials here)'s flowers!

Nano Technology

2008-02-12T08:40:00.000-09:00

May my shuffle rest in peace! After a couple of years of not shuffling or only shuffling between four songs, my shuffle (can it rightly be called that if it can't shuffle?) finally died. I was planning on replacing it with one of the new and very cute shuffles that Apple has recently come out with, but my husband talked me out of it. Instead, I splurged and bought the new iPod Nano, and naturally, I bought it in black. Much to the relief of my husband, I did not buy pink or red, so now he can borrow it without feeling like less of a man. He also talked me into getting the 8GB version versus the 4GB version. Unfortunately, this vast expanse of space led me to many impulse song purchases on iTunes the first couple of days, but I think I am becoming wiser and hopefully more discerning now.

So what do I think of the Nano? Well, so far, I'm a little underwhelmed. Maybe as a stalwart PC user I am just not compatible with an Apple interface. Already I have been having some issues. When I first tried turning on my new Nano, my finger slipped on the sensitive keypad and somehow everything switched to Japanese. I had to go back to the Apple store and tell a salesman that I couldn't understand what my Nano said. He gave me a funny look, but immediately went into business mode and used a display Nano to translate which menu item would let me switch over to English. I think I may also be having issues with my battery. The Nano is supposed to run for 24 hours when fully charged, and mine lasted about 6 hours when it was almost fully charged. Luckily, I got the two year warranty. Since I tend to freak out the electronic equipment around me, I figured it was a good investment.

A Wii injury

2008-01-28T12:16:00.000-09:00

Have you tried playing a Nintendo Wii? If not, do so immediately! Even if you do not enjoy playing video games, I am positive you will enjoy the Wii. Unlike other video games, you do not press only two buttons on an itty bitty controller. Instead you actually make the movement you want your player to do in the game. For instance, if you are playing tennis, you swing your arm to make your player swing their arm. Your timing and the angle at which you swing the control also has to be right for your player to hit the ball. How cool is that! You even get to make a Mii-- a player that looks like you! One word of precaution, however. Beware Wii injuries! I was playing boxing (again, you actually have to box with the controllers in your hands), and I am pretty sure I pulled some major muscles in my arms. I cannot even lift them over my head. Ouch!

Where did all the Sabra go?

2008-01-14T10:52:00.000-09:00

It is a tragedy! It is a catastrophe! It is a gastronomical nightmare! My grocery store no longer sells the best hummus I have ever tasted. It is called Sabra, and if you ever find some, buy it and send it to me. The pine nut or spicy pepper flavors are the best. I've never tried the greek olive shown in the picture, but I'm sure it is awesome. Oh woe is me!!!

A deprived childhood?

2008-01-14T10:17:00.000-09:00

A coworker of mine recently came up to me full of excitement and holding a doll. Okay, to be fair, he would call it an action figure. He proudly showed it to me and said, "Look what I got!" I was puzzled. He was holding a doll/action figure that was vaguely familiar, but I really had no idea who it was. I said, "What is it?" My coworker was incredulous! "You don't know who this is??? It's Beaker from the Muppets!" What's worse is that almost all of my coworkers knew who Beaker was and couldn't believe I didn't know. Did I have a deprived childhood?

In my defense, I grew up without watching a lot of television (which is totally different now, but that is neither here nor there). As most of you know, I grew up in a somewhat isolated area, and I played outside a lot. The only television show I remember watching was Sesame Street and some Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, but I don't even remember those shows very well. In fact, there is a whole slew of things like music, television, politics, etc. that happened during my childhood that I had no idea was happening at the time. What irks me even more is that most people my age know a lot of this stuff and think of it as common knowledge. Then I think back on my childhood and remember all the great times I had outdoors playing with my friends, fishing, skiing, etc., and I have to say that I had a really great childhood. Okay, so maybe I really suck at 80's trivia, but I like to think I was pretty lucky. Just don't ask me questions about He-man or She-Ra. I probably won't be able to answer them.

P.S.- Based on this image, I'm not sure if having a doll/action figure of Beaker will bring you good luck in the lab.

A Placid Christmas

2008-01-08T05:18:00.000-09:00

I am finally back! I had a great holiday, and I thought I would share my holiday adventures over the next couple of posts. It was so nice to have a break that now it is hard to get out of bed in the morning. Back to the grind...

Over Christmas, my family and I decided to go skiing in Lake Placid. I come from a family that has done mostly cross-country skiing, but my husband really wanted to go downhill skiing. In an effort to keep up with my adrenaline junkie of a husband, I decide to go downhill skiing while my parents and sisters went cross-country skiing. Some of you may know from my previous posts that I have tried snowboarding. I have only been snowboarding 3 times, and basically all I can handle is slowly coasting downhill. Now, I have been downhill skiing a couple of times, and I travel at a much faster speed and feel a little more confident of my abilities in that area. Since I wanted my husband to have as much fun as possible, I decide to ski so he wouldn't have to stick to the bunny hill. Unfortunately, I think I gave off more confidence that I really warranted, and my husband took me straight up to the blue and black trails. As our lift went higher and higher up the mountain, my dread escalated. Sure enough, I fell almost continually down the mountain. Luckily I was wearing a helmet. In one memorable fall, I was rolling down the mountain with one ski still intact, but I was continuing to roll much longer than I had before (by this point I was a falling expert). I was literally thinking, "Gee...I just keep rolling. Where am I going?" When I finally stopped, I looked up and realized that I had just rolled down a steep drop from one trail down to another. My errant ski was lodged into the side of the ledge, and my husband was standing at the top of ledge wondering where I went. Poor guy! I like to think I probably looked like the guy in this picture but with a little more flailing involved. After that, I practically walked down the rest of the way. If my dignity would have allowed it, I probably would have crawled down the steepest hills. My dear, sweet husband stayed with me the entire way. Needless to say, I stayed on the green trails after that and did much better.

Lake Placid was beautiful, and I had a great time with my family. It was a very relaxing Christmas, despite the bruising from skiing, which was exactly what I needed.

Past two weeks in one blog!

2007-12-13T09:56:00.000-09:00

I know I haven't blogged forever, so here is the past two weeks in a nutshell.

I saw two movies, Atonement and The Golden Compass. Atonement was good, but made me bawl my eyes out (seriously, they were swollen the next day!). The Golden Compass was okay, but if you haven't read the book, it might be a little hard to understand. Every scene happens in at a machine-gun-like pace--boom-boom-boom-boom, the end! It has some good scenes, however, such as the bear fight. If you have read the book, you should see it (if you haven't read the book READ IT--it's a great book!).

Chipolte is just starting to open up in Boston, which made me so excited. I love their chips and guacomole! Imagine my horror when I went to the one near my house and I waited 45 min for a burrito. Mostly it was because the service was so slow. It wasn't even busy. Plus, to top it all off, they ran out of chips! As a tex-mex place, running out of chips is just not cool. Quel nightmare! I am never going to that place again. I just have to travel to Minneapolis to get my Chipolte fix.

I lost to my sis at this year's cookie exchange for best tasting cookie. 'Nough said about that. Boo!

The Big Bangs

2007-10-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

My hair was getting dangerously close to my shoulders, and as I usually do, I decided to hack it all off. I usually get a concave cut that is about chin-length, but this time I went a little crazy and decided to get bangs. (The picture is pretty close to what it looks like, and no, that is not me. I'm pale but not that pale!) Not a good idea. I look like a teenager. As a co-worker of mine said, " It makes you look sweet and innocent." I said, " It makes me look like I am fourteen." To which my co-worker replied, "Yeah, it kind of does." Oh well, until they grow out, I guess I will just have to live with them. Please, please, please remind me in the future not to get bangs. I'm sure someday I will think it is a good idea once again.

The funny thing is, my bangs have a side effect. I get stopped quite a bit by people who are lost and need directions. Even when I first moved to Boston and was lost myself 99% of the time, I would get asked for directions. For the first couple of months in Boston, I worried I would get asked where such-and-such was or how to get to X street. I'm pretty sure a number of people got sent on a wild goose chase because of me and now curse my name. My theory as to why I was always getting stopped is because I am totally not intimidating and pretty approachable. At least, that was until I learned how to give off those stay-out-of-my-face vibes most Bostonians develop. I got approach much less as time went on, or at least that was the case until I got bangs. Since then, I have gotten stopped almost every day. I actually had a woman chase after me to ask for directions even though I had my ipod on and there were other people walking by. Why is this happening? I think it has to be that I look sweet, innocent, and less intimidating with bangs. Fortunately, I know Boston much better, and I am hopefully not sending them on a wild goose chase.

Movin' on Up!

2007-10-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

Yeah! My hubby and I are officially moved into our new apartment. As a bonus, I was able to convince my hubby to get rid of the golfer futon and the old (he thinks retro) mustard-colored love seat. It could be because of my awesome powers of persuasion, but I think he just didn't want to carry the heavy thing down and then up a bunch of stairs. I'll take it either way!

Apple Picking

2007-10-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, I went to visit my older sister and my little niece-the-cutie. As always, it was great to see sis, and my little niece is still the cutest baby ever. We took her out apple picking, which is almost a requirement for any New Englander (along with traveling north to see the fall colors--check out Family Guy episode about "Leafers"). It was a lot of fun, but when I got home, I had no idea what to do with all of the apples. I'm not a canner, and my husband doesn't like to eat apples unless they are in a pie. Luckily, I got a really easy apple crisp recipe from a coworker. It was so easy, I had to share it with you all. Enjoy!

Andrew's Easy Apple Crisp

Slice apples or cut into chunks. You can leave the skins on or off, whatever you prefer. Put into a casserole dish and generously sprinkle cinnamon.

For the crust:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick of butter (softened)

Beat flour, sugar, and butter together until crumbly. Pour on top of apples and sprinkle more cinnamon on top. Bake at 375 degrees until apples are soft and the crust is golden (20-30min).

The Donnas

2007-10-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went to a really awesome concert. The Donnas are one of my favorite rock bands. Not only do they sound great, but there are not many all-girl rock bands out there. They played a good mixture of old and new songs, and I think I am really going to love their new album (which is not surprising since I love all of their albums). Listen to their new songs on their myspace page. I think one of the reasons their concert was so great is because they really seemed to love rockin' out. If they ever swing through your hometown, check them out!

Morris the Cat

2007-09-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

As most of you know from my previous posts, I have been volunteering at Nevin's Farm. However, because of my work schedule, I have started volunteering a little closer to home at the MSPCA in Boston. Unlike my work at the farm, I mostly help take care of small companion animals like dogs and cats. I get to do fun stuff like walk dogs and play with cats, and I get to do some of the not so fun stuff like follow them around with plastic bags to pick up their poo and clean out their cages. I have only been there for two weeks, but I love it all ready. The best part is learning from the behaviorist that works there and discovering all the new animal characters. In particular, I thought I'd share one character I met last week. He is Morris the cat.

Most cats seem like fairly independent animals that do not always seek out social contact with others to same extent as dogs. Morris is not like that at all. Morris is the most loving, attention-seeking cat I have ever met. He is an adult cat with grayish-brown, long hair and black stripes running through it, and for some reason he has a spot behind each shoulder where his hair looks like it got shaved. He has the most incredible green eyes, and he really knows how to be heard. One of my jobs is to clean out the 'Kitty Condos', which are basically large cages that have four stories. I was cleaning out the condo next to Morris, and he obviously thought my attention was not turned in the right direction (namely himself). He would reach through the bars of his cage, tap my shoulder a couple of times, and then meow at me as if to say, "Helloooo! Pay attention to ME!" Finally I got to his cage, and as soon as I opened his cage door, he was all over me. He rubbed up against me, butted heads with me, and kept putting his front paws on my shoulder purring like mad the entire time. Normally when I clean out the condos, the cats generally keep to themselves or at least get out of my way. Not Morris! He was so lovey he started getting in my way, and finally I had to pick him up and put him on the top story of his condo. He must of thought it was some sort of game. As soon as I bent over to scrub out his condo, he reached down, put his paws (thankfully declawed) into my hair, and proceeded to bat it around. It was my first head massage from a cat, and when he was done, I looked like I had been through a wind storm. As soon as I moved on to the next condo, he started banging on his cage doors, admonishing me for leaving him (or so I like to think--he probably just wanted food).

Mrs. Tomato Head

2007-09-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

I did something really stupid this weekend. I went sailing with my husband and his sailing team just for fun. This was not the stupid thing. The stupid thing was leaving my sunblock in the car. After 6 hours of sun and wind out on the ocean, my face was as red as a ripe tomato. Plus, I was wearing sunglasses, and I now have lovely white skin circling my eyes and everything else is an angry, beet red. It is so bad people will not sit next to me on the bus even though all other seats are taken. It is so bad I have had a number of people from work ask me if everything is all right because I look REALLY flushed. It is so bad that even a fluttering breeze is agony on my tortured membranes. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go dip my head in aloe vera.

To Facebook or not to Facebook

2007-09-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

I want to pose a question to the world at large. Should I join Facebook? I have avoided joining Facebook for quite sometime because I don't like putting too much information about myself on the internet (semi-anonymous blogging is much more my thing!). I have recently felt more pressure to join, however, because a) almost all of my friends have joined and b) I recently read in Money magazine that it is a great way to network/find jobs. Even though I like the idea of talking to my friends and Money magazine makes a good point, I am still hesitant to join. So what do you think? Facebook or not Facebook? That is the question.

Two great recipes!

2007-09-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

I have actually had a chance to do some cooking lately, and I thought I would share two of my more successful ventures. The first one is a Rachel Ray recipe, and the second one I kind of made up but is loosely based on RR's pumpkin ravioli recipe. My husband really loved the Chicken and Pear (and brie!) Turnover. As always, I improvised a little with RR's recipe, and my changes are in bold. Enjoy!

One 2-pound rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
1 large Anjou or Bosc pear, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (I didn't add this)
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon (I just used dried herbs)
Salt and pepper
1 large egg
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
I also added a little Brie because I love cheese!!

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, pear, shallot, chicken broth, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water; set aside.
2. Unfold and flatten the puff pastry sheet; cut into 4 squares and refrigerate 3 squares. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pastry square into a 9-inch square. Pile one-quarter of the chicken mixture in the center. Lightly brush the 4 corners with the egg wash and pinch together to seal, leaving the seams open (I also brushed some egg on top to give it a more golden appearance after baking). Place the turnover on a baking sheet and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining pastry squares, filling and egg wash.
3. Bake the turnovers until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes.

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with your favorite sauce!

1/2 cup chopped spinach (or more if you like)
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus shaved parmesan for serving
Salt and pepper
32 wonton wrappers
8 oz of cream cheese
1 large egg

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the spinach, cream cheese, parmesan, egg and 2 pinches each salt and pepper.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Spoon a tablespoon of the cheese filling into the center of 16 wonton wrappers, brush the edges with water, top with the remaining 16 wrappers and press to seal, gently squeezing out the air. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
4. Working in 3 batches, cook the ravioli in the boiling water until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes.
5. Divide the ravioli among 4 plates; season with salt and pepper. Pour your favorite sauce over it and pass the shaved parmesan at the table.

My favorite sauce of choice: Tomato cream sauce
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup half and half
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Mix above ingredients together and simmer until warm.

Sophia's Back in Black premiere!

2007-09-05T06:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, one more post about my cute niece! My sis has discovered movie maker on her computer and has been sending us footage of Sophia on YouTube. Check it out!

Going Country

2007-08-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

Since my first post about Nevin's Farm, the animal shelter where I am volunteering, I have gotten a bit more experience 'workin' on t' farm'. I thought I would give a little update about my time there.

Horse stalls are a lot like people's apartments. Some are neat and tidy with all things unmentionable pushed into corners or buried out of sight (definitely not reflective of my apartment!). Ducky's stall is a great example of this. Ducky has some draft horse in her, and as you may imagine, she is a big 'un. As such, I was expecting a big messy stall to go with her size. Lo' and behold, her stall looked almost spotless except for the far back corner of her stall where all of her waste was deposited and fastidiously covered with shavings. It was so easy to clean! This was in stark comparison to those stalls where you have to watch where you step and weave your way through piles of trash. Now, I hate to be sexist, but naturally these stalls belong to the stallions (typical male!). Food and poo were everywhere, and their stalls have to be completely gutted everytime I am there. I think we have all run into apartments like this at one point or another.

Nevin's farm has a lot of people stopping by just to see the animals with their kids. Kids love watching the animals, which means I generally have an audience if I am working out in one of the pens. In general, I tend to forget people are even there, but there are definitely times when I am reminded of their presence. These times tend to be a source of embarassment for me, such as the first time I had to herd geese into the adjoining pen. I'm pretty sure geese are not smart animals, but I was beginning to suspect some hidden intellect since they seemed to be doing their best not to go where I wanted them to go. There I was crouched low to the ground, my arms flung out to my sides, trying to herd the geese into the next pen while simultaneously shuffling behind them, snapping my fingers, and clucking at them. My frustration with the geese was only heightened by my awareness of three moms with their small children lined up along the fence watching my goose two-step with open amusement. Although this still better than the time I passed by a mother and her son just after I had finished mucking out stalls, hauling hay, and cleaning the chicken coop. The son turned to his mother and asked, " Why is that lady so dirty?" Children are so (sometimes brutally) honest!

All in all, I am really enjoying my time at the farm. The animals amaze me constantly. Some of them have experienced nothing but pain and misuse all of their life. Yet give them good care and kind attention, they forgive and forget. The staff is great; all of them lovely people to work with. I'm just glad I can be a part of it.

My niece the cutie!

2007-08-16T11:38:00.002-08:00

Another Quiz? Gimme a break...

2007-08-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of my favorite trilogies is 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman. If you enjoy fantasy/science fiction books, read these books! This trilogy is remarkably refreshing in a field of so many Tolkien-wannabe series. Imagine my excitement when I found out they are making a movie out of the first book, The Golden Compass! You can check out the trailer here. In this book, each person has a daemon, which is essentially a reflection of your soul and personality in animal form. As you may have guessed from my previous post, I love taking personality tests. Generally, they are not very accurate, but I think it is fun anyway. As you may have all ready guessed, the website for this movie has a quiz to find out what kind of daemon you would have in this fantastical world. Even better, other people can tell you if you agree with the daemon you got (see below). So what do you think? Should I have a fox daemon? I have to say, it is pretty fitting for the Fixen Vixen...

What flower are you?

2007-07-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Auntie Fixen Vixen

2007-07-31T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hurrah! My sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl today! I am officially an Aunt! Welcome to the world little one! Can't wait to spoil ya!

Misery

2007-07-25T07:21:00.000-08:00

I have slowly been working my way through a book I borrowed from my sister called 'The Dance of the Dissident Daughter'. It is a book by Sue Monk Kidd that discusses many issues concerning feminism, christianity, etc. I have not gotten very far, but it has some interesting ideas. I would highly recommend it to women. Anyway, she discusses one of the characters from a previous novel who walks in her sleep every night. The character says that this is because 'people deposit their misery somewhere in their body...mine is apparently is the sleep center of my brain'. As someone who frequently gets sick whenever I am stressed, I totally agree with this idea, and I have recently had fresh evidence that this is the case.

For the past couple of months, I have been very stressed. I have been busy at work, apartment hunting (one of my least favorite things), traveling like crazy, and being very social (which is stressful for me since I am a bit of a hermit). A couple of months ago, I had a really bad cold (see my post Diseased). Last month, I noticed I had a big red patch on my thigh, and last week I broke out into red bumps all over my chest and back. Chicken pox? No, I all ready had those. Ringworm? Maybe, the red patch on my thigh looked right, but it spread to so many places. Although, I did pet some sheep while we were in Maine... I finally went into the doctor and they told me I had pityriasis rosea. Whaa? Well, apparently it is not contagious, goes away in 8-10 weeks, happens mostly to women my age, and they have absolutely no idea why it happens except that it may appear after exposure to a virus (like my bad cold). Maybe this is true, but I have another explanation. I was depositing my misery into my body, and it was made manifest by raised, red bumps. My misery definitely resides in body.

Animal Farm

2007-07-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have been contemplating a career change. I could write a number of posts on this blog about why and how long I have been thinking about this, but instead I decided to cut to the chase and firmly state I may/perhaps/am thinking about becoming a veterinarian. Before making such a life altering decision, however, I decided I needed to learn a little more about it. My biggest step towards this goal is that I have volunteered at an animal shelter called Nevin's Farm. My first day volunteering was last week, and it was very satisfying. I work indoors all day at a job that is mentally intensive, and I kind of miss doing more physical labor. I definitely got my chance to use my muscles, puny as they are, at the farm. My four hour shift started at 8 am mucking out stalls. Even though it is not the most glamorous job, I get to be around one of my favorite animals--horses. While I am not allowed to handle them myself, I still have the chance to admire their many colors and personality quirks up close. It was worth a couple of hours of scooping just to be around them. Plus, there is something peaceful about being in a barn full of contented animals, the smell of hay and sawdust, and the sound of soft whickers and snuffling from the inhabitant in the next stall. It's a pleasant change from police sirens, traffic, and general hubbub of the city.

Unfortunately, mucking stalls was not the only thing I had to do. I also had to clean out the pheasant and quail pen, which is definitely not as glamorous as mucking out stalls (okay so mucking out the stalls is glamorous compared to cleaning out a coop). Nevin's Farm rescued about 400(!) quail from an abandoned farm, and because they were so crowded and pecked each other to pieces, about 100 of them had to be euthanized. Don't worry, I did not have to clean up after hundreds of quail. Many of them have gone to good homes. But I did have to clean up after about 20 of them along with one rooster and hen pheasant pair. I was a little concerned about the rooster, since I have been told a number of times how awfully mean a rooster can be. Despite some indignant squawks, however, he was as gentle as a kitten. What I did have to worry about was the tiny quail! Or at least one quail in particular. She was a tiny little hen, who looked like she had been picked on by some of the other quail and was definitely the loner of the group. Whenever I came close, she hunkered down like a cat about to pounce on its prey then with a flurry of little quail wings fly at my shovel or boots pecking like crazy. Her frenzied attacks only felt like little taps on my big work boots or resulted in tinny clangs on the shovel, so it was kind of cute. Maybe she was tired of being picked on, and my presence was the last straw. Whatever the reason, her pluckiness was quite courageous, if a little stupid (but no one ever accused quails of bing too smart), and I had to admire her for trying.

The Maine Thing

2007-06-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hurrah! My husband and I made it to our 1 year anniversary without killing each other! Since this is definitely quite a feat for us, we decided to take ourselves out of the bustling ball of stress that is Boston and try some sweet serenity in Maine. We were really looking forward to this trip since both of us were (still are) feeling a little burned out. We stayed at a great bed and breakfast called the Three Pines Bed and Breakfast. It was wonderful! It has a gorgeous view and the owners were fantastic. It was a little off the beaten path so it wasn't as touristy as nearby Bar Harbor. I have nothing but good things to say about it!

We spent most of our time at Acadia National Park. We drove up Cadillac mountain, which had great views of the surrounding ocean (see pictures), and we biked around Jordan Pond. There are so many beautiful views in this park that you become a bit desensitized. Toward the end of the day my husband and I were like, "ANOTHER gorgeous view... again..." It was really great, though, and it was so nice to be surrounded by nature and quietude.

We also spend a little bit of time at Schoodic Park, which is a smaller park nearby. It was great because it had fewer people but still had great views of the ocean. My husband and I hiked out to what we thought was a penninsula. Unfortunately when the tide came in it became an island, and the land bridge we had crossed to get out to the point was completely covered with water. My poor husband and ultimate hero swam across the channel and got our kayak, which we had luckily brough with us. He rowed back across and picked me up. What a sweetheart! Anyway, that was our first anniversary trip together.

Mini Cheesecakes

2007-05-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

I just made these last night. They were so easy to make, and my husband (a.k.a. my official taste tester) said they were pretty good. I found this recipe at the can you cook? blog page, which is a great blog! The recipes all seem pretty easy, and the creator of the blog takes real pictures of the finished product. Check it out or just enjoy this recipe!

You will need:

paper or foil muffin cup liners
12 vanilla wafers (I used crushed graham crackers mixed with some mini snickers)
2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Line your muffin pan with foil muffin cup liners, or two paper cup liners. Place a wafer in each one.

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs and mix well. Pour (or spoon) the mixture over each wafer, filling cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Garnish (or leave as is) just before serving. Mmmmmm!

Cheeseburger soup

2007-05-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

This is one of my husband's favorite soups, probably because it has cheese and hamburger (his two major food groups) in it. It is really easy to make and very tasty. Even though we are going into the warm summer months, which are not very conducive to hot soup, I have had a couple of requests for this recipe.

1lb ground beef
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. shredded carrot
3/4 c. diced celery
3 Tbsp. butter or oil
3 c. chicken stock
4 c. diced potato
1/4 c. flour
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. basil
1/4 c. sour cream
salt and pepper

Brown hamburger, drain, and set aside. Saute onion, carrot, celery, and basil in same pan for 5min. Stir in flour and add broth, potatoes, and beef. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15min or until potatoes are tender. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream then enjoy!

Diseased

2007-05-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

For the past three weeks, I have been a walking pit stop for all microbes that can make a person miserable (well, okay not quite ALL...mostly just the cold/flu related ones--thankfully no Shigella!). First, I got a sore throat that then developed into laryngitis. I am a pretty quiet person, so no talking would not normally upset me too much. Unfortunately, I had to give a lecture for class, so not talking was not an option. I spent an entire weekend trying every possible measure to get my voice back. Luckily, I recovered enough to squeak through the lecture, and it actually went fairly well (here's a tip: if you lose your voice and have to teach a class, ask the students lots of questions so they do all the talking!). Was that the end of my misery, though? Perhaps I angered the gods in some way because within days of recovering my voice I got a major sinus infection. Were the microbes content to stay in my sinuses? No! They then happily took up residence in my eyes giving me pink eye! Again (I got pink eye in college. I think I got it after petting a cow, which is a very long story...)! So not only did I sound like a fog horn, I looked like I was doing crack. Let me tell you, no one wants to be around someone who looks cracked out. I recently helped a guy pick up something he dropped. He started to thank me when he looked up, took one look at me, and walked off (well, hopefully it was because of my pink eye).

Here is the upside to having pink eye. I wore sunglasses everywhere, which may seem weird, but it is actually a terrific way to spy on people. In the subway, you don't have to worry about not making eye contact with crazy people, and if you want to check out some cute shoes or a handbag someone is wearing, you don't have to worry that they think you're a crazy person checking them out.

My Ghetto Booty goes Lucky

2007-03-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

Get your mind out of the gutter! My title is not meant to be a double entendre. I thought about going for 'My Ghetto booty gets Lucky' or 'Getting Lucky with my Ghetto Booty', but I thought that would be even worse. What I really mean is that I have found the most fabulous pair of jeans, which is even more amazing because I have what my sisters and I refer to as a 'ghetto booty' (a.k.a a bubble butt). Finding jeans that fit right in the legs and still has room for my bum has always been a challenge for me. The few pairs of jeans I do own have been with me for at least five years, and let me tell you, they are not looking so hot. What's worse is a couple of weeks ago I lost a load of laundry at the laundry mat (either by theft or my own thoughtlessness, and knowing me it was probably the later), and this load of laundry had my one good pair of jeans left to me. I decided I had to do something about it, and I went shopping. As an undergrad, I never bought a pair of jeans over $40, and since my last jean purchase was roughly around the time of the last ice age, I decided I could afford to buy a really nice pair of jeans (read expensive here). I tried True Religion, Seven, and other designer jeans, and I was disappointed that none of them gave me the fit I wanted (plus I still couldn't bring myself to spend $200 dollars on a pair of jeans--there are children starving in Africa for crying out loud!). Then I remembered that my older sister swears by Lucky brand jeans, so I went to a local store and tried some on. Not only did they fit my bum, but they also came in long sizes and a number of styles with my personal fave being the flared. I have never been happier with a pair of jeans! The only down sides are that they are expensive (almost $100!) and you want to buy a size smaller, which feels tighter at the store but the fabric really loosens as you wear the pants. I'm so glad I got Lucky! Sorry, just had to throw that one in there one last time.

Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup

2007-03-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of most of Rachel Ray's recipes because they quick, easy, and taste good, which is about all an amateur cook such as myself requires. This recipe is, of course, courtesy of Rachel Ray. I had a bag of lentils that I had absolutely no idea what to do with and was, I admit, a strange impulse buy on my part. I made it one weekend when my husband was out of town since anything that sounds remotely like a vegetable does not appeal to him, and I lived off of it all weekend without getting tired of it. I had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (this was extreme and I would not advise it--I really like soups in general). I tend to alter recipes to fit my tastes, which can lead to some pretty bad meals, but this recipe still tasted great. I put the changes I made in bold below.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 1/2 pounds bulk hot Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (you can leave these out if you don't like onion)
2 portobello mushrooms, gills scraped out, chopped (I hate mushrooms so I didn't add)
1 cup pre-shredded carrots, available in sacks in produce department of the market
1 cup lentils
1 large starchy potato, peeled and chopped (I think the lentils are enough so I didn't even add potato. Besides, they are pretty bland tasting, and I think they dilute out the flavor)
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (or substitute a mix of 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and 2 pinches cayenne pepper) (I used the substitute mixture and it tasted great!)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, in tact on stems
1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted chopped tomatoes, such as Muir Glenn or, regular diced tomatoes (I used regular diced, but if you want spicier go for the fire-roasted)
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups kale or chard, a small bunch, veins removed and chopped (I didn't add this because I couldn't find it in my supermarket)
Crusty pumpernickel bread, to pass at table
Butter, for bread

Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, then add sausage to pot and brown and crumble it, then add garlic, onions and mushrooms. Cook a few minutes, then add carrots, lentils, potato, salt and pepper, bay leaf, paprika or substitute mixture and rosemary (leaves will fall from stems as stoup cooks). Add tomatoes and broth and cover pot then raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Uncover pot and place heat back a bit but keep stoup at a good rolling boil. Cook 15 minutes until lentils and potatoes are tender. Wilt in greens in small bunches, remove rosemary stems and turn off heat. Let stand 5 minutes (or even longer since some of the lentils were still somewhat firm; I also boiled a little longer to get really soft lentils). Serve in shallow bowls with bread and butter to mop up stoup. Reheat leftovers thinning it with broth or water.

Cheap rent among other things...

2007-03-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, finally I post something new! I'm sure almost nobody was waiting with baited breath, but here it is.

On my way to work every morning I pass by a maroon Cutlass sedan, which seems uninteresting in itself except that this car is completely packed with stuff. Clothes are stacked neatly in the back window, and every possible surface is covered with trash or cloth. Most mornings there are towels rolled up in the windows so you can't see into the back seat. After a couple of days in which the car never moved, I realized that someone actually lives in their car. Shock was my first response, but then I realized it's a great idea! Rent in Boston is so exhorbitant I'm sure I am paying the gross national product of some small third world country, or at the very least enough to feed several villages. If I lived out of a car, I would only have to pay $100/month for a residential parking permit, and I could park near my work, turning my hour commute every morning into a mere minute and a half. Fabulous! Since my husband and I have a four door pickup, we could hold dinner parties in the truck bed, and somebody must make a hot plate that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter. Even better, we can grill outside all the time. Now where would I keep all of my shoes...

I am bookless. I have no books to read right now, and I keep rereading books I all ready own. I've been so incredibly busy lately, I have not had time to go to the library. In lieu of a new book, I have been doing crossword puzzles on my way to work in order to keep my mind occupied (my mind would go crazy if I had nothing to do during my hour commute). Crossword puzzles are starting to really get on my nerves. There are somethings I am just never going to know, but how can I finish a crossword puzzle that has obscure hints like 'limerick writer - Nash' or 'Hell -'? Some days I do really great, and I almost finish a puzzle and revel in my vast knowledge. Some days I do really bad, and I barely get one out of every ten hints and curse my stupidity. Emotionally, I think books are just better for me, so if you have any suggestions let me know.

My husband and I are now the proud owners of a Toyota Tacoma. Driving a pickup in Boston is something I never thought I would have to do, but driving a pickup with a manual transmission seemed even less likely. Here I am, though, not only driving a pickup but trying to cope with a stick-shift as well. So far I have not killed it at any crucial moments such as in the middle of an intersection or in rush hour traffic. I like to think that my dad taught me how to be a pretty smooth manual-transmission operator, but I'm still a little rusty. Cross your fingers for me!

Respect Your Edges

2007-02-13T14:24:00.000-09:00

My husband loves the cold and snow for two reasons: snowmobiling and skiing. Since there is no way a snowmobile could get into our apartment (once in our apartment it would have to replace our couch, which I don't really mind since our couch has golfers on it--see entry about living in a bachelor pad!--so we can't get much worse), my husband is left with skiing. Since I am the supporting, loving wife that I am (I think I just heard my husband guffaw...), I try to go skiing with my husband when he has no one else to go with. Personally, I'm not a terrible skiier, and I can at least hold my own on most mountains. But do I stick with skiing anymore? Needless to say, I have left the confines of what I know and wandered into the realm of the unknown, also known as snowboarding. Let me tell you, the unknown hurts and is much harder to master than you think! Falling while you are snowboarding is much worse than falling while you are skiing. If you fall while skiing, you just kind of crumple up and roll down the mountain. If you fall while snowboarding, your body is like a plank of wood so you have no time to crumple into a protective ball before falling flat on your face or the back of your head. Also, sometimes the only way to stop on a snowboard is to fall, usually on your knees or your wrists. Such physical trauma drove half of my class to quit midway through our lesson, and we were only on the bunny hill! Our instructer kept telling us to respect our edges, and believe me, I learned to respect my edges plenty by the end of the lesson. I have bruised knees, wrists, and skull to prove it. After seeing me go down the mountain, my husband asked me if I was sure I preferred snowboarding to skiing. Here's the funny thing, I really do prefer snowboarding. It's crazy, but despite all the pain I really like the challenge. Plus, I know if I can conquer snowboarding, I can do anything!

Heroes

2007-02-08T12:38:00.000-09:00

My favorite new show on primetime is Heroes (my favorite character, Hiro the time traveler, is shown on the right). Those of you who know me best are probably not surprised by this. I have a history of enjoying extraordinary/fantastical/bizarre characters and plots. I love X-men, Star Wars, and most sci-fi shows, and fantasy novels are my guilty pleasure. Why exactly do I like this genre so much? Well, I'm not entirely sure, but I think it is the combination of appealing to my belief that everyone has some unique gift that makes them extraordinary and my crazy imagination, which leads me to believe that nothing is too far fetched. Anyway, I digress. I am totally hooked on Heroes. If you haven't started watching it, you should! Plus, NBC makes it easier for you by allowing you to watch past episodes online. Pretty soon you will be wondering what kind of super power you would have if you were on the show. Lucky for you, the website has a quiz so you can find out what kind of hero you would be. My super power? Flying, of course.

I work on an island!

2007-02-02T08:05:00.000-09:00

(I know, I know, it has been a while since I last posted a message. I have no excuse except for work, work, work. Anyways, I will try to do better in the future, but I can make no promises!)

My work environment is very isolated from the outside world. I am not entirely clear on why this is. We do not work on classified material, so that cannot be the cause. Granted we have a 'guard' who you have to pass to get into the building, but he/she only slows people down. We have internet access even if we don't have television or other sources of media. Despite all this, I don't think I could be more isolated from the outside world unless I was in Fort Knox!

Here is a great example of what I am talking about. I am sure most people who aren't living under a rock have heard about the potential-bomb-plot turned marketing-ploy-gone-bad incident in Boston. Half of the city was shut down almost all day, and all traffic was totally gridlocked. The incident was all over the news. Where was I at the time? I was blissfully unaware of all that was happening. I worked for 10 hours without ever finding out that half the city was shut down because of potential bombs scattered throughout the city. As I was commuting home, people seemed on edge, and some students wouldn't get off at certain stops. It all seemed like odd behavior to me, so when I got home I asked my husband if someone got shot at one of the T-stops (this has actually happened a couple of times this year). He looked at me like I was from a different planet and had sprouted two green tentacles from nostrils. He then told me all that had happened. I was totally floored! How could I not know this was going on!?! Then I realized my work is an island unto itself. The only way I would know about a bomb threat is if it blew up right next to my building. So next time any of you hear about a bomb threat in Boston, you should probably give me a call. Chances are I have no idea what is happening.

Great Microbiologists and City Arborists

2007-01-09T12:47:00.000-09:00

A friend of mine told me to watch this great clip about great microbiologists. It is worth the 8 minutes of your time it takes to watch it, especially if you are a microbiologist. Also, check out what my husband does all day as a city arborist. Enjoy!

Six Weird Things About Me

2007-01-03T07:40:00.000-09:00

I've been tagged! So here are six weird things about me. I hope you aren't freaked out.

1. My OCD side: Whenever my husband and I get down to the last little dollop of jelly, mayo, syrup, peanut butter, etc., I absolutely refuse to finish it. I don't know why, but I cannot bring myself to finish off any food in our kitchen. I would rather throw it away than finish it. I also tend to leave some food on my plate, which I usually make my husband eat. I think this is very bizarre and probably OCD behavior. Think I'm crazy yet?

2. Watered-down juice: Whenever I drink juice, I like to have equal parts water equal parts juice. I think most juice is way too sugary, so I like it watered down. I've even trained my husband to fix juice for me this way. My older sis also does this, so if this is weird behavior, it is definitely genetic.

3. Eating Grapes: Most people eat grapes by popping a whole grape in their mouth. I, on the otherhand, like to bite grapes in half while eating them. One of my ex-boyfriends had a theory about this behavior. He was convinced that at some point I had a terrible run-in with a seed in a grape, which is why I always bite them in half. I'm pretty sure this is not true, unless it was so tramatic I blocked it out. Memory loss caused by a grapeseed? I don't think so.

4. I can read anywhere at anytime: I know, I know, I always talk about my reading, so I am sorry to bring it up again. I read while I am blow drying my hair in the morning and while I brush my teeth at night, so I basically can read anywhere at anytime. I think that is pretty weird.

5. My runny nose: My nose is the bane of my existence. Whenever I wake up in the morning or from a nap, my nose will immediately start to run. It doesn't matter if I am sleeping in the car, on a plane, or in my bed, as soon as I wake up it starts running. It will also get runny for no particular reason. My doctor thinks it is probably a dust allergy, which they can't do a whole lot about. All I can do is take allergy medicine that doesn't really work. The worst part is that my husband has even suffered from it. One morning I woke up with a runny nose, and naturally I got a kleenex and blew my nose. The problem was that I went back to sleep still holding the kleenex. My husband rolled his face right into it and got a very nasty wake up call. Needless to say, I was mortified.

6. Weird, recurring dreams: I go through stages where I have the same weird dream over and over again. For the longest time, I dreamed that I was the leader of a militant group involved in guerrilla warfare in Mexico. I saved women and children imprisoned in old missionaries and trekked miles through an arid desert. I also had a dream where I was in a video game and I had to defeat a number of fantastic monsters like werewolves, vampires, and some obscure water beast. I think that was when I was watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire slayer, however, which may account for that particular dream. My dreams can be very vivid and very weird.

Okay, so that is six weird things about me. Some of them aren't too pretty, and I hope I didn't scare anyone away from my blog. I also don't know anyone I can tag since my blogging sphere is pretty small, so I am tagging You, the reader, to leave something weird about yourself as a comment to this post. You can even stay anonymous!

Snowmen and Cookies

2006-12-18T11:16:00.000-09:00

If anyone has recently been walking down Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, he or she may have noticed that a number of walls containing graffiti also have snowmen spray painted on them. A simple snowman, and nothing more. No words or symbols besides his stick hands and top hat (the picture is not of the snowman on Mass Ave., but it looks similar). What's more is that the snowmen started popping up on building walls in August. It made me wonder why someone went through all of the trouble to spray paint a snowman. Was it a gang called the Snowmenz/Frosteez/Izemen/etc. that was simply marking their territory with something other than the bubble letters normally sported by gangs in the area? If so, their territory is contained in a five-block radius. Is it someone who is desperately wishing for snow and hoping to coax frozen water from the sky by invoking a symbol composed entirely of snow? Perhaps a crazy ski bum who is dying to hit the slopes early? If so, it is definitely not working since we have not a speck of snow to be seen. Is it some right-handed person who recently lost their right hand, is learning to use only their left hand, and drawing snowmen is all they can draw at present so this is them shouting their accomplishment to the world? If so, rock on, buddy, rock on. Let me know if you have any ideas, because I have not a clue.

Okay, now for cookies. This past weekend I went to a cookie exchange where everyone had to bring one type of cookie to exchange for a bunch of others. There was prizes for best tasting and best looking. Now, I am not much of a baker, a home chef on the rise perhaps but not a baker. I got a fabulous recipe from my friend MJ for peppermint tea cakes. After some minor setbacks in the beginning (I tried to get fancy and shape them into candy canes, but they just fell apart), I was able to bake 86 cookies all by myself. Not only that, but I got a prize for best tasting cookie! It just goes to show you can always surprise yourself even with a little help from your friends!

Craftless

2006-12-01T04:41:00.000-09:00

I know a lot of awesome women, and the one thing I've noticed about them is they are proficient at some sort of art or craft. Some of them paint/draw, play an instrument, sew, knit, scrapbook, crochet, etc., and most of them have mastered more than one of these. I am always in awe of these women. Some of them are so good they can make contemporary art from old cans, lamp shades from old rags, and just about everything else as long as they have a glue gun. They are like a feminine McGyver (who, by the way, plugged a sulfuric acid leak with chocolate because it has lactose and sucrose, and when you mix acid with sugars it forms elemental carbon and a thick gummy substance). For many years now, I have been working on trying to find my craft. Now, I realize that some things require a certain amount of talent, but I figured I should be able to find my niche somewhere. I do not have a musical bone in my body as my friend MJ can attest to (I subjected her to an awful day of bad caroling while helping to hang up Christmas lights--side note: I did somehow get a lead role in a middle school musical, probably because my music teacher couldn't completely hear me over the piano during auditions, and it was so bad people said I sounded "interesting") so playing an instrument is probably not right for me. I tried painting, first something abstract which came out as a big blob of maroon streaks, and then I had my talented sis (see my previous post) sketch a picture for me which I then proceded to fill in like a coloring book. I think a five-year-old could have done better. I've tried crocheting, but I get bored too quickly to ever finish anything, so knitting would probably not work for me either. My family use to do themed stocking stuffers for Christmas, and one year we had to make something homemade. You know what I made? Bookmarks, and they weren't even pretty. Maybe I should have Beadazzled more when I was younger.

Anyway, that brings me to my most current attempt at finding a craft. I have tried to take up sewing. My older sister has kindly let me inherit her old sewing machine. Sewing has been an attractive hobby to me ever since I started watching Project Runway, a reality TV show about fashion designers. They design and make their own clothes, which I would love to be able to do. Obviously, that requires much more skill than I currently have, so I am trying to take baby steps. My first project was to sew curtains for our apartment, which has a big windows in the dining room and living room, and all our neighbors can see right into our apartment. Since my fabulous husband is not afraid to walk around in his boxers for all the world to see, I figured I take it upon myself to give us a little more privacy. I got all of my supplies, and I even managed to set up the machine by myself. Things took a turn for the worst, however, when I broke two sewing needles before I had even finished one edge of the curtain. Then my foot would not stop spasming (is that a word?), so now my seams are straight with intermittent areas of spastic zigs and zags. My curtains were also going to have some fringe along one edge of the right curtain and the edge of the left curtain, but then I put the fringe of the right curtain on the wrong side. When I asked my oh-so-sensitive husband what he thought of them, he just started laughing. Hmm, not exactly the reaction I'm looking for but better than crying I guess. Oh well, hopefully practice will make perfect or in my case at least presentable.

Post Secret

2006-11-16T07:08:00.000-09:00

Even if you are against blogging in every way (which if you are, how come you are reading my blog?), you have to check out Post Secret. It is a community art project where people can put a secret of theirs onto a homemade post card and then send it anonymously to the people that run the site. Every week they put up ten new postcards, and there is no archive so you can only view the new ones each week. The postcards are funny, sad, and endearing, and project was developed to help people heal. I learned about it from some co-workers who are addicted to the site. I can't blame them. Don't we all want to hear each other's secrets?

A Few of My (New) Favorite Things

2006-11-15T10:03:00.000-09:00

1. Shabu-Shabu: Shabu-shabu is the Japanese version of hot pot. What is hot pot, you ask? It is only the funnest way to eat slices of uncooked meat and raw veggies! In a nutshell, there is a pot of boiling broth in the middle of the table (can be communal or individual), and you put your uncooked meat and veggies into the boiling water to cook it. The meat is sliced very thinly so it cooks in minutes. Naturally, because I am in the field that I am, the idea of touching raw meat with chopsticks and then putting those same chopsticks in my mouth to eat is not very agreeable. As far as I know, no one has gotten sick from the shabu-shabu place I go to, but I believe it is better to be safe than sorry. I overcome this by keeping my chopsticks in the boiling water while my meat cooks. While my favorite food will always be Indian cuisine, I have to say that shabu-shabu comes in a close second.

2. Stranger than Fiction: I just saw this movie over the weekend, and I really loved it. I thought it was the smartest film I have seen since Little Miss Sunshine. I never thought Will Farell could star in the same movie as Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Queen Latifah. I was very pleasantly surprised.

3. Re-reading old books: As I have admitted all ready, I am addicted to reading. I actually devour books so quickly it is simply not cost-effective or convenient to get my hands on new ones all the time. Therefore, I have resorted to re-reading my old favorites. Anything by Jane Austen, Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic", and Ayn Rand's "We the Living" have been read almost a dozen times. Right now I am re-reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. You notice things you've never noticed before, and you appreciate all the things you loved about them in the first place.

Sequel to the Eight!

2006-10-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you want an interesting read, I would highly recommend anything written by Katherine Neville. Her books have a lot of history blended into fictional thriller stories. Plus, she has basically led this amazing life. She has traveled all over the globe, set up computer systems for Algeria, been a top exec for Bank of America, a model, a photographer, world famous author, married to a renowned neuroscientist... the list goes on! Anyway, she is currently working on a sequel to my favorite book by her, The Eight. I'm not sure when it is coming out since right now it seems like it is still in a very rough stage. I can't wait!

I Heart NY

2006-10-19T06:03:00.000-08:00

"New York is a granite beehive, where people jostle and whir like molecules in an overheated jar."-Nigel Goslin

I saw this quote about New York city, and I couldn't resist including it in this post. This past weekend, my husband and I went to New York to visit a friend. This quote is, I think, an accurate portrayal of the energy New York has. Everything in New York seems like it is on a grander scale. Bigger buildings, bigger stores, bigger attitude. Unlike the subway in Boston which can be coded by color, the New York subway system has numbers, letters, express, local, uptown, downtown, etc. I think we got on the wrong train almost half a dozen times. People were everywhere! When we went to Times Square, we actually had to get in line to cross the street, then get in line for the waiting list of a restaurant, then get in line to be seated. We really wanted to go to the restaurant Serendipity, which is featured in the movie by that name, but it was a 2.5 hr wait at 3pm in the afternoon! We did get into the Museum of Natural History, which is really an amazing place. They have one of the best dinosaur collections, and we only got through a very small part of it since it was so large. My favorite part was the butterfly exhibit, whcih was basically a tropical room filled with an amazing variety of butterflies. Some were electric blue and some had a wingspan as big as my two hands put together. The best part was that a little brown butterfly with orange spots landed first on my hair, which must have been too unstable, and then landed on my shoulder. Since you are not supposed to brush away any butterflies that land on you in case you cause them injury, I simply let him/her/it hitch a ride around the exhibit until the butterfly tired of my company (lacking in nectar and witty banter, I'm sure I was not a terribly exciting companion) and flew away. We also explored Central Park, had dessert in Greenwich Village, and walked around Ground Zero. I cannot even begin to describe how eerie and sad, yet strangely hopeful Ground Zero is. It's one of those things you have to experience for yourself. New York is always an amazing trip because no matter how many times you go, you always see/feel/hear/smell something completely new.

Crazy story!

2006-10-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

Check out this crazy story on Dr. Pistachio's website! It's under the heading "Urban legend...or a true story?"

The Boston Crazies

2006-10-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

It is inevitable that every major city has its crazies. Some of them are fun and amusing, like the guy in San Francisco who hides behind a bush and scares tourists, and some of them are just plain, well, crazy. Boston definitely has a lot of crazies, and since I ride public transportation (the crazies' Mecca) almost everyday, I get to see a lot of them. Because I see crazies all the time, I think I can safely say I know of the two craziest of crazies. One of them is an old woman who carries around an unlit cigarette wherever she goes. Originally when I met this woman, I thought she simply carried it around because she was going to smoke it as soon as she got off the train or maybe she was trying to quite and simply carrying the thing helped sooth her addiction. Just as I was thinking this, the woman put the cigarette to her lips and started taking discrete little bites of it. The woman was literally eating her cigarette! When I told my sister about this, she did not believe me until a couple of weeks later when she saw it too! The other craziest of crazies was seen by my sister while she was standing at a bus stop. It was a guy who went around picking up trash while talking to himself and making weird noises. Now you may be thinking that picking up trash and making weird noises is not too crazy, and it may actually help the environment. This guy, however, doesn't only pick up the trash, but he has to put it in his mouth and chew it before throwing it away. When he picks up bottles, he has to put it in his mouth before he throws it away. Gross!!!! Most crazies in Boston just talk out loud to themselves or to God or maybe some imaginary person. I was thinking the other day that maybe this behavior is not so crazy. Living in a large city surrounded by people, you may think that you are never alone, but really everyone builds a bubble of self-containment around them so that no one waves, smiles, looks you in the eye, or says hello to each other. Maybe all the crazies want is someone to listen to their complaints and thoughts, even if that person is themselves, God, or imaginary.

Just one of those days

2006-09-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

There are days when I should just not get out of bed. Days so filled with bad luck, I would probably serve myself better by simply snuggling as far as possible under my down comforter while 24 hours pass. One of those kind of days just happened to me, and being the responsible glutton-for-punishment that I am, I left the safety of my bed to face it. First, I overslept, and since I had a long day ahead of me all planned, I basically made it much longer. Then on my way to work I spilled half of my HOT coffee all over my only clean pair of jeans (I really need to do laundry), which not only left a nice wet spot in a very embarassing area but also stained them brown for the rest of the day. Everything I touched literally fell to pieces. I broke a number of glass bottles, got the printer to malfunction, and caused a computer to freeze and probably almost crash. I almost messed up every project I had planned for the day, so really I should have just stayed home. Oh well, according to Ralph Waldo Emerson, this probably means I am going to have one hell of a spectacular day coming my way. I'm just wondering when it will get here. I may miss it by staying in bed.

Shout out to my talented sis!

2006-09-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

I just have to give a shout out to one of my talented sisters. She is a great artist, and tonight we are going to go check out her paintings, which are currently hanging up in a local restaurant. I am always amazed by her creativity. This picture is one she gave to me, and I just love it. Can't wait to see her paintings!

My Little Friend

2006-09-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have recently gained a new friend during my morning commute. He hops around, likes to eat crumbs off the sidewalk, and is not afraid to come within a few inches of me. No, he is not the crazy homeless guy that shouts obscenities towards the sky. I'll give you a clue--he has feathers. He is a little brown bird that haunts my bus stop looking for crumbs that people drop from their morning bagel/croissant/donut. One morning I saw him hopping around looking for crumbs. Apparently, the commuters were not our usual messy selves because he was having no luck finding breakfast. I just happened to be eating a croissant, and I thought I would help the little guy out by throwing him little pieces of the flaky crust. At first he was pretty hesitant, which is not surprising, being a native Bostonian he is likely to be very cautious and skeptical of any handouts. He would pick up the pieces and quickly retreat to a very sad looking clump of bushes next the bus stop. When he was ready for another piece, he'd hop out slowly and look at me from the corner of his eye as if to say, "Are you for real lady? Are you going to squash me during my next bite?" We continued in this way until he had finished my croissant and hopped away with, judging by my lack of croissant, a very heavy belly. I looked up, and all the other commuters were completely fascinated by the bird. Some people even had little smiles on their faces! Who would have thought that normally stoic commuters could be entertained by a little bird? I figured if he could brighten the morning of others by simply eating some breakfast, he deserves a little treat now and then. Now it has become something of a ritual. I try to bring bread or a croissant with me, and if the little guy is around, I throw him little pieces. He has become brave enough now that he almost will come within inches of my feet. It's not much, but I like to think I am making someone's day better.

Bored in the Midwest?

2006-09-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was my darling husband's grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. We got to see a lot of his extended family, which we had not seen since our wedding, and we ate lots of food (I think my husband ate almost a pound of steak). It was a great weekend, but I have to say that the most memorable thing about this weekend was the entertainment at the reception hall for the anniversary party. My husband and I went for a little stroll after the lunch for the party. Behind the reception hall, a pen was set up, and a bunch of people were standing around it in anticipation. My husband and I decided to walk over and see what all the fuss was about. Inside the pen, a grid was marked out on the lawn in yellow paint, and each square in the grid had a designated number. As we walked up to the pen, this guy was trying to get three miniature goats into the pen. We had no idea what these people were planning on doing with the goats until a nervous goat poohed on one of the squares. Everyone started cheering! Apparently, the object of the game was to place a bet on which square the goats would pooh in, and if they pooh on your square, you win! Can you believe that? I think only midwesterners could come up with a game like that!

Men with Claws

2006-09-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

For the past year and a half, I have been noticing an alarming trend in the length of young men's nails in Boston. When I go to shake their hands or they hold open a door for me, their long claws are instantly noticeable. What was even weirder is that it was only on one hand. Were they two lazy to clip both sets of fingernails? Did they have some weird disease where only their nails on their left/right hand grew extra long called Mononailelongisis? Was this their way of sticking it to the Man? Even one of my male friends started growing his fingernails long. So I asked if he decided to put a ban on nail clippers, and he told me he keeps them long because they help him play the guitar better. I'm not sure how this helps since I thought that was what a pick was for, but being the musically-challenged individual that I am I can't really argue. What I can say is that it is definitely not the most attractive thing in the world to see yellowing nails about an inch long at the end of a big, muscular arm. Maybe it's balanced out by the fact that being able to play the guitar is pretty attractive to most women. Anyway, if you have ever wondered why some guys have long fingernails on one hand, now you know why. Unless they are trying to break the Guinness World Record (the current record is held by Lee Redmond, who hasn't cut her fingernails since 1979).

My addiction and more on the Shoe Nazi

2006-09-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

I have been accused of being addicted to books. It is true. I love books. Some people may think that compared to crack or cocaine, books are not the worst addiction, but I am beginning to wonder. I get way too emotionally involved in books. I recently read a book about a women whose husband is a complete SOB, and as a result, I get angry at men including my husband. Also, when the main characters were eating popcorn, I got a massive craving for popcorn! Now granted this phenomenon does not happen with every book I read, but I really think books are my drug. They alter my moods and give me the munchies!

Update on the Shoe Nazi: I have been in the building where the Shoe Nazi works only twice in the past week. The first time she was not talking on the phone to friend/relative/other shoe nazi, so she did not say anything about my shoes. The second time she was replaced by a man (who did not appear to have a problem with my clacky shoes). Needless to say, I have not confronted her yet, and maybe I won't have to if she got transferred somewhere else. If so, myself and my shoes will be eternally grateful.

Bachelor Pad

2006-09-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Recently, my darling husband informed me that some of his friends think our apartment looks like a "bachelor pad". I was completely mortified! I live in a bachelor pad, moi? Then I started to look around our place. Yes, there is an ugly green futon covered with golfers in our living room. Yes, fishing, camping, biking, and various other manly equipment are strewn everywhere. Yes, my husband has pictures of himself with his friends who are girls around the apartment. Yes, there is a coat hanger shaped like a paddle and a stolen park sign still attached to its metal pole in our front entry way. Okay, apparently I live in a bachelor pad, which is perhaps not much of a surprise since I have never been much of a decorator. If any specific style would accurately represent my decorating skills it would probably be minimalist. So what can I do to improve this situation? Here is what I came up with.

1. Get new living room furniture. Goodbye golfers!

2. Organize and store various outdoor equipment, preferably in a place where they won't be seen.

3. Get more knick knacks. I've never really had knick knacks, but a bachelor probably doesn't have knick knacks.

4. Paint the walls various shades of purple, yellow, and/or pink.

5. Get flower-covered curtains. I have these wonderful blue striped curtains in our bedroom, but again, they look kind of male.

6. Lower testosterone level in apartment while viewing (basically, kick Leif out until people have seen the place; sorry honey).

7. Get milk. Okay, not going to get rid of my bachelor pad problem, but I definitely need to get some.

If you have any other ideas, let me know!

Gone and Back Again

2006-08-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it already seems like I am slacking in my blogging duties, but I promise I have a good excuse. For the past twelve days, I have been vacationing back home. Not only did I get to imbibe lots of strong and sometimes amusing liquor (e.g., the F.U. Manchu served in a cup shaped like a man's head) and go fishing, but I also got to visit with my parents and some of my college buddies.

For the first part of my vacation, I went with my husband, a.k.a. the Soused Spouse after this past weekend, to a wedding along a beautiful, scenic lake. Since my husband was one of the groomsmen, he took it upon himself to make sure the groom had one last night of drunken debauchery. He definitely succeeded since the poor groom had a terrible hang-over the next day and could not even eat food or drink champagne at the rehearsal dinner. Everything worked out fine the day of the wedding, however, and the rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful.

I also got to spend some time with my parents, which was probably the most relaxing part of my trip. After eating too much cake and other goodies from the wedding, I felt I should try and do some running. Normally physical activity and myself do not go hand in hand, but I had great scenery, and it made me feel fabulous depsite the sweat and soreness. Plus, I lost two pounds, which I was really excited about (although my excitement over this was crushed when my firefighter friend told me my weight probably fluctuates that much everyday). It was great to see my parents again even if it only serves to remind me how much I miss being within driving distance of them. We also watched a really funny film called Little Miss Sunshine. Watch it! I haven't laughed that hard at a movie in a long time.

Finally, at the end of this jam packed vacation, I visited some of my old college buddies. It was great to see them all again, and I am constantly amazed at how together their lives are. It's not that I ever doubted their abilities, it's just that I can't believe they are all doing such grown up things, and I am constantly in awe of it. I miss them lots already!

Now I am home again, and I still haven't unpacked. Maybe I should just go on vacation again.

2006-08-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

The Shoe Nazi

Almost every other day, I have to visit another building to drop off stuff for work. Everytime I do, I walk past the receptionist, who is always without fail on the phone talking to friend/relative/other shoe nazi. Anyway, I have to walk on a hard tile floor with my shoes, which are usually my favorite pair with little kitten heels, that invariable clack, clack, clack across the floor. A couple of days ago, I thought I heard her say to her friend/relative/shoe nazi, "She always walks by making so much racket. I swear she is doing it deliberately." Was she talking about me? I figured I must just be hearing things and reminded myself that the world does not revolve around me. Today, however, I walked by again and heard her say,"It's that annoying girl again, clacking her heels across the floor. She is so annoying!" Like I wasn't 5 feet away and hearing every word! Trust me, there are plenty of other women with heels walking that lobby, and I am the only one doing it deliberately? I think next time I am going to have to confront her (a very scary thing for a passive agressive person such as myself), because I refuse to apologize for my shoes!

2006-08-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

After seeing Doctor Pistachio's awesome blog, I was inspired to start my own. Since I am terrible at keeping in touch with people via phone, I thought setting up my own blog might be a great way to let people who are interested (mainly my parents) learn more about my everyday happenings. We'll see how long I stay faithful to this endeavor.