Two posts in one week?! Has the world come to an end?
No, I'm just a procrastinator and blogs are a wonderful tool for the procrastinator. So is baking by the way, which I have been doing a lot of. Cookie baking to be exact. Cookies for Christmas. It started last week because I have finals and its spilled over because I've been have certain flavour and texture issues. I found an awesome Gingerbread recipe in one of my mothers numerous cook books. It was simple and heavenly. No, my problem is my shortbread recipe.
I should probably explain the story behind my shortbread. Its award winning. Granted it was small community contest, but the point is I won a cooling rack because my shortbread is awesome. Its so awesome because years ago I went though nearly 10 pounds of butter trying to recreate my grandmothers shortbread recipe that she used to make for her Christmas parties. I had to tweak it quite a bit cause Gran has a cookie press and I don't. I needed to find a balance between the super butteryness of a spritz cookie and still have it stable enough to be a sliced cookie. It took me freakin' forever but in Winter of 2003 I did it. And I only make it once a year, for my grandfather at Christmas.
I am fiercely protective of this recipe. Apparently it is a family trait, my great grandmother was just as protective of her doughnut recipe. She went as far as to give her churchgroup recipe book the wrong recipe so people would stop asking her for it. I am just as paranoid so I share my shortbread recipe with no one. Seriously, not a soul on this planet knows the recipe and until about 20 minutes ago, that included me. I refused to write down the recipe because then it could be stolen. I figured that I had spent so long working these cookies, I would never forget it. Yeah, I'm an idiot. I forgot the ratios, so I've been spending the past week trying to remember how to make these cookies. After 4 batches and 6 pounds of butter I got it right!!
Grampa gets cookies this year! And I've written down the recipe and hid it so well I'm wondering if I'll be able to find it again but that's OK because I'll remember the recipe this time....
On to Happy Things! I could cop out and just say cookies, but that would be too easy. The newest happy thing is my Coat. Yes my new red wool coat. Its red. Its wool. Its flippin' awesome! Its a double breasted pea coat from Torrid. I bought it in Buffalo last month. Wanna see?
http://www.torrid.com/torrid/store/product.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302032102&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442165990&bmUID=1196476318852
Isn't is just so pretty? It makes me so happy on so many levels. Its warm, its red, its pretty, and it looks grown up!
I'm off to study for my last geography exam ever! Seriously, I am never taking another geography course ever again. That too makes me happy.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
huh? what?
"Finals. Papers. Panic. Readings. So far behind. What to do! what to do! Need sleep."
That's whats been running through my mind for the past week and a half. I have just over a week until finals start, then I have 10 days in which to finish all this terms work including a 20 page research report that I have barely started the primary research for. Sometimes being an Anthropology major sucks. I love it even when I hate it though so I can't really complain. All I can say is thank goodness I haven't had to work in the past few weeks, My boss has done one of three things.
1. He's taken pity on my fellow research assistant and I and decided to wait until the new year to load us up with new data since we both have a lighter course load next year.
That's whats been running through my mind for the past week and a half. I have just over a week until finals start, then I have 10 days in which to finish all this terms work including a 20 page research report that I have barely started the primary research for. Sometimes being an Anthropology major sucks. I love it even when I hate it though so I can't really complain. All I can say is thank goodness I haven't had to work in the past few weeks, My boss has done one of three things.
1. He's taken pity on my fellow research assistant and I and decided to wait until the new year to load us up with new data since we both have a lighter course load next year.
2. He has forgotten that he hired to RA's to do his bitch work, so we're still on pay roll even though we don't actually do any work
3. He is just as big a procrastinator as I and doesn't actually have anything to just us yet.
Now it's quite possible that its option one. After all he is a very nice man and took pity on my during finals/mid-term this summer when I was up to my eyeballs in school work plus spending 24 hours a week in classrooms and another 30 doing course work. It would be awesome if its option 2. I'd just keep getting overpaid (cause I am grossly overpaid for what I do but apparently that's starting salary so I won't complain) until my contract runs up in April. But it's likely 3. I've come to realize that most profs are permanent students thus are just as big procrastinators as the ones they teach. IT doesn't really matter as long as I don't have to work until at least December 13. December 13 is my freedom day. My last final is a taken home and its due that day and since my research report is due in 14th at the latest, I will have it done bu then and save myself the bus fare.
Since I have been spending the last 3 weeks doing nothing just school work (4th year is kicking my ass), I haven't had a social life. I did see Enchanted last night. Cutest movie ever! Love and Adore! Now I was very tired and in desperate need of a brainless happy cheesy Disney McDreamy moment so I may have enjoyed it far more than the average person but it was still quite good. Next on my movie list is August Rush and Fred Claus. Possibly the Golden Compass but the jury is still out on that.
Now to concluding this rambling blog of stress. My Happy This brought to you by the letter B.
Blue Raspberry Sour Starburst. Random, I know, but deeply embedded in Michela-Lore. I shall share the story that will probably end up being longer than the actual blog. My OAC year of high school nearly killed me. OAC for the vast majority of the population that doens't know what it is, is basically grade 13. In the old Ontario curriculum there were two diplomas; The basic grade 12 diploma which you got if you were going directly in to the workforce or in to college, and the OAC diploma which you got if you did an extra year of high school and were planning on going in to university since Canada doesn't have standardized tests like the SATs or ACTs. Entrance is based on your grades in your final year of school. To be an OAC student you had be have at least a C+ or B in the required courses from the previous year and you were stuck in school for an extra year. My OAC year was the last one before it was phased out.
I have never been a very strong student. I work my ass off for my grades. Even the C+'s (I am proud to say I haven't got anything lower than a C+ in University. Quite an accomplishment I think). In OAC I was not only trying to get in to university, I was competing with nearly twice the number of people because the OAC class and the 12 class were both applying. Needless to say I was stressed and pushed myself too hard. I got sick a lot, didn't have time for a social life, and developed a panic and anxiety disorder. Yeah it sucked.
There was a bright spot though. A lot of the people in my grade fast tracked. They took summer school, or an above required course load, and finished a term or even a whole year early, so by the time second term came around, there were only about 75 OACs left and most of us had been going to that school since grade nine so we all knew each other. We'd show up to class in sweats or even PJ pants. Girls didn't bother with make up or styles more complicated than a messy pony tail. guys didn't bother with hair gel or shaving. It was awesome. We were all comfortable just being ourselves. After all who the hell did we have to impress, we were the top of the food chain and had bigger things to worry about lol.
Everyday in fourth period I had World Geography, my favourite class with my favourite teacher. It was a small class, like less than 20 people, compared to the 35 in some other classes we had to share with the grade 12s. I sat next to my good friend Angela, and everyday one of us would buy a pack of sour starburst from the caff to give us little sugar jolt to get us through those last 2 periods of class. I got the Orange ones, Angela got the Grape, and we would split the Cherry and Blue Raspberry ones. But the Blue Raspberry were the best because of one very special trait; they would turn your tongue blue better than any other candy on the market, even tongue painter chupachups (anyone remember those). So we'd pop one in at the beginning of class when the teacher was giving the lesson and quietly suck on it until it was gone, then we'd compare tongues. Who ever had the bluest one won. There was no prize, no punishment. the loser didn't have buy the starburst the next day, and the winner didn't extra candy. It was pure bragging rights ( for the record I won more than Angela).
Eventually the other girls in the class got in on the action and there would be multiple packages bought everyday and shared in class. On supply teacher days and video days we'd bring crafts (one girl knit, not me I hadn't quite mastered that yet, one made bracelets, Angela did origami, I made little beaded bags). It was awesome and I miss it and to this day I think of that class and those people whenever I have a Blue Raspberry Sour Starburst and I smile.
Friday, November 9, 2007
I enjoy the little things
I've always known that small things amuse me, but today it struck me how much joy I derive from the little things in life. Here are a few things I noticed between 11:30 this morning and 5 this afternoon that make me very happy:
I love that my new red coat that keeps me warm when its freezing but not too warm when its just cool. And my pretty black ballet flats with the ribbon bow on the front make me want to dance down the sidewalk on the way to class. The delicious smell of Apple Cinnamon Tea after a long break-less lecture. The feel of soft yarn as I knit (especially when I knit in class). That satisfying squish of a new piece of gum. Remembering that I have friends who so desire my presence, that they track me down in tutorial because they are hungry, but don't want to start lunch without me. Laughing at nothing with the same friends. Walking through the rotunda in Vari Hall and feeling so small, but at the same time a part of something so big. Customer service reps who take my complaint seriously, courteously and with the promise to resolve the issue. The first 12 bars of Keys to the World by Richard Ashcroft. Coming home and seeing my mother in a good mood.
That's a lot of things in less than 6 hours. It was a lot of things I needed to notice today. I've been having a stressful few weeks. Not new stress, all of it is school related which I am thankfully used to at this point, but enough stress to make me feel a little down. Add a stolen cell phone to the mix and the discovery that my beloved iPod, Georgie, has lost nearly 50% batter capacity meaning I'll have to replace her soon, and I was feeling rather bummed this week.
Things are better now though. I replaced the phone, with a much prettier model, and reminded myself that Georgie still gets nearly 8 hours of battery life out of a single charge meaning she has enough life inside her to keep going for a few more months before I'll have to send her away (at which point I will cry). At the the mix my list of simple little happy things and I am feeling quite good.
In the spirit of this, I am going to do something I've posted on a bunch of other blogs. At the end of every entry, I'm going to do an ABC of happy things. After 26 blog entries, I'll have a list of 26 happy things to remind me (and you, if you keep reading) of some of the things I may not always notice, but are always there.
A: Apple Juice. I love apple juice. Its sweet and a little tangy and reminds me of being 6 years old and playing with barbies on the front lawn.
P.S. Halloween was a hit. did 6 pumpkins including Oogie Boogie. Voldemort, A Werewolf, A Dragon, and from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Zero, Jack Skellington, and Oogie. They were all popular, but Voldemort was the favourite this year.
I love that my new red coat that keeps me warm when its freezing but not too warm when its just cool. And my pretty black ballet flats with the ribbon bow on the front make me want to dance down the sidewalk on the way to class. The delicious smell of Apple Cinnamon Tea after a long break-less lecture. The feel of soft yarn as I knit (especially when I knit in class). That satisfying squish of a new piece of gum. Remembering that I have friends who so desire my presence, that they track me down in tutorial because they are hungry, but don't want to start lunch without me. Laughing at nothing with the same friends. Walking through the rotunda in Vari Hall and feeling so small, but at the same time a part of something so big. Customer service reps who take my complaint seriously, courteously and with the promise to resolve the issue. The first 12 bars of Keys to the World by Richard Ashcroft. Coming home and seeing my mother in a good mood.
That's a lot of things in less than 6 hours. It was a lot of things I needed to notice today. I've been having a stressful few weeks. Not new stress, all of it is school related which I am thankfully used to at this point, but enough stress to make me feel a little down. Add a stolen cell phone to the mix and the discovery that my beloved iPod, Georgie, has lost nearly 50% batter capacity meaning I'll have to replace her soon, and I was feeling rather bummed this week.
Things are better now though. I replaced the phone, with a much prettier model, and reminded myself that Georgie still gets nearly 8 hours of battery life out of a single charge meaning she has enough life inside her to keep going for a few more months before I'll have to send her away (at which point I will cry). At the the mix my list of simple little happy things and I am feeling quite good.
In the spirit of this, I am going to do something I've posted on a bunch of other blogs. At the end of every entry, I'm going to do an ABC of happy things. After 26 blog entries, I'll have a list of 26 happy things to remind me (and you, if you keep reading) of some of the things I may not always notice, but are always there.
A: Apple Juice. I love apple juice. Its sweet and a little tangy and reminds me of being 6 years old and playing with barbies on the front lawn.
P.S. Halloween was a hit. did 6 pumpkins including Oogie Boogie. Voldemort, A Werewolf, A Dragon, and from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Zero, Jack Skellington, and Oogie. They were all popular, but Voldemort was the favourite this year.
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