My life is rather dull. Stable and happy, but dull. I find myself with little new experiences to share with the world because I am currently at a stage where I am doing the same things over and over. I don't want to say in in a rut, because I'm really not. It's just that stage in my life. I'm school, not close enough to being done to look for a job and all the drama that comes with that, but so far in that there is little that surprises me. I have my lovely, though little, circle of friends and my collection of creative outlets that keep me sane. I actually kind of like it, even the boredom. For most of my life I never experienced this kind of stablity. It makes for a content Michela, but a boring blog.
So until I come to the next stage in my life, "The Uncharted Mind of Michela" is going to sleep. I'll be back when my life is more interesting than watching paint dry. I'll continue to update "Michela Knits" in the mean time. Or drop me alin on myspace (I should warn you though, I am a facebook addict, so I'm not on myspace that often) myspace.com/michela84
One last happy thing. G:"Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye". Such a hopeful, happy little saying. And remember, I'm not gone forever! Just for now :)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
New Year
Christmas came and went. It was good. Everyone got along, and I had a super amount of fun on boxing day. That's about it. I won't be that person you gives a list of what I got and what I did. I got stuff I liked and I had fun with my family. That's the important thing. Oh, and I went to Church, so no hell for me this year, I fulfilled my duty.
So now it's a new year. Hurrah.... I never got in to the whole new years thing. The date changes, that's it. It's like going Hurrah! Lets get drunk because at midnight it will be Tuesday. Because of this, I don't really celebrate it and I don't make resolution. Real change happens the moment you decide to do it, not weeks later on a random date. Those changes never stick. It's the reason gym memberships explode in January, but come mid-February, the place is empty again.
Despite this, I had a moment of change this week. Two actually. The first my mom. She likely has diabetes. She's been put on a special diet to see if it can be reversed because it could possibly be one of the med's she on, but the point is, I now know I have the genetic gun and the bullet for the disease, and I'm not stopping myself from pulling the trigger with my poor eating habits. I skip meals, I snack, I eat foods I shouldn't because I'm on campus and too poor to buy good food, I don't get enough veggies. All bad things. In an effort to avoid my mothers fate I made a few new rules for myself.
1. At least one proper meal a day (I'm a realist. I'm a student and I can't cook three meals a day). It must include at least 2 veggies, a protein and a dairy.
2. I am only allowed to buy food on campus once a week. This is so I can keep having lunch with my awesome anthro crew on Fridays. Coffee doesn't count. Neither do granola bars. Chips, cookies, bagels from Timmy's and candy bars do.
3. Drink more water and less juice. I don't drink soda, so at least I have that going for me.
4. Try and avoid snacking, particularly at night.
5. Some for of breakfast before class so I don't get hungry before it's time to go home. Even if its just a glass of milk and some crackers, its better than vending machine crap.
So far I've done well, and I already have more energy, but that might all be in my head. Yesterday was interesting because my stomach rebelled at all the extra veggies. I had waaaaay more than usual. I normally eat about 4, plus a glass or two of juice a day. Yesterday I had four at dinner alone, plus the ones I had lunch and breakfast. Apparently it was a slight stock to the system and it wasn't happy. I'm fine now and had the same amount today without feeling sick. Who knows,. maybe it was because I just didn't wash that zucchini properly.
The second moment was just a few hours ago. I was bored because its late Sunday night and there's nothing to do and I stumbled on a random blog. It's written by a late-20something girl who is everything I fear becoming/remaining. She complains about being overweight but does nothing to change it, bemoans her siblings success in regard to her own perceived failures, still lives with her parents, wishes she were married or at least had a serious boyfriend ("Like ever!" in her words), and spend her evenings and weekends at home watching a ridiculous amount of TV shows and movies which she then blogs about.
I saw parts of my self reflected in this blogger. She seems like a sweet girl who has self esteem issues and a slight fear of society, so she hides in TV and her family. Granted I have a few up on this girl, such as education, a completely consuming drive to leave my mothers home the moment I graduate and be independent, and a lack of patience with TV shows these days. There's hope for me yet, but I need to take steps to not become what is easy, but rather to who I want to be. Even if I am terrified. Even if they are hard. Even if I wish I had opted for the easy route. I just don't know how to do this yet. Give me time, I'll get it.
Happy things E (I'm skipping the second F. The first one was fine):
Elephants. Love them! Since I was a kid! But only African Elephants. I think Asian Elephants are ugly. I used to collect elephant things, that collection is currently in a Rubbermaid container in the rafters of the garage.
So now it's a new year. Hurrah.... I never got in to the whole new years thing. The date changes, that's it. It's like going Hurrah! Lets get drunk because at midnight it will be Tuesday. Because of this, I don't really celebrate it and I don't make resolution. Real change happens the moment you decide to do it, not weeks later on a random date. Those changes never stick. It's the reason gym memberships explode in January, but come mid-February, the place is empty again.
Despite this, I had a moment of change this week. Two actually. The first my mom. She likely has diabetes. She's been put on a special diet to see if it can be reversed because it could possibly be one of the med's she on, but the point is, I now know I have the genetic gun and the bullet for the disease, and I'm not stopping myself from pulling the trigger with my poor eating habits. I skip meals, I snack, I eat foods I shouldn't because I'm on campus and too poor to buy good food, I don't get enough veggies. All bad things. In an effort to avoid my mothers fate I made a few new rules for myself.
1. At least one proper meal a day (I'm a realist. I'm a student and I can't cook three meals a day). It must include at least 2 veggies, a protein and a dairy.
2. I am only allowed to buy food on campus once a week. This is so I can keep having lunch with my awesome anthro crew on Fridays. Coffee doesn't count. Neither do granola bars. Chips, cookies, bagels from Timmy's and candy bars do.
3. Drink more water and less juice. I don't drink soda, so at least I have that going for me.
4. Try and avoid snacking, particularly at night.
5. Some for of breakfast before class so I don't get hungry before it's time to go home. Even if its just a glass of milk and some crackers, its better than vending machine crap.
So far I've done well, and I already have more energy, but that might all be in my head. Yesterday was interesting because my stomach rebelled at all the extra veggies. I had waaaaay more than usual. I normally eat about 4, plus a glass or two of juice a day. Yesterday I had four at dinner alone, plus the ones I had lunch and breakfast. Apparently it was a slight stock to the system and it wasn't happy. I'm fine now and had the same amount today without feeling sick. Who knows,. maybe it was because I just didn't wash that zucchini properly.
The second moment was just a few hours ago. I was bored because its late Sunday night and there's nothing to do and I stumbled on a random blog. It's written by a late-20something girl who is everything I fear becoming/remaining. She complains about being overweight but does nothing to change it, bemoans her siblings success in regard to her own perceived failures, still lives with her parents, wishes she were married or at least had a serious boyfriend ("Like ever!" in her words), and spend her evenings and weekends at home watching a ridiculous amount of TV shows and movies which she then blogs about.
I saw parts of my self reflected in this blogger. She seems like a sweet girl who has self esteem issues and a slight fear of society, so she hides in TV and her family. Granted I have a few up on this girl, such as education, a completely consuming drive to leave my mothers home the moment I graduate and be independent, and a lack of patience with TV shows these days. There's hope for me yet, but I need to take steps to not become what is easy, but rather to who I want to be. Even if I am terrified. Even if they are hard. Even if I wish I had opted for the easy route. I just don't know how to do this yet. Give me time, I'll get it.
Happy things E (I'm skipping the second F. The first one was fine):
Elephants. Love them! Since I was a kid! But only African Elephants. I think Asian Elephants are ugly. I used to collect elephant things, that collection is currently in a Rubbermaid container in the rafters of the garage.
Friday, December 21, 2007
blankness
Christmas is 4 days away. Now I should be mildly freaked because I have yet to finish knitting one a gift, there is half decorated gingerbread house on my dining room table, I haven't done laundry in nearly two weeks and I'm booked up between now and the 28th. I'm not freaking though because of the simple fact that I ONLY have one project to finish, the gingerbread house of baked, build and half decorated, laundry is easy and I have finished all my Christmas shopping. I didn't have much to buy this year, thank goodness, but it still took a while because my grandparents are quite the challenge. But lets be honest, no one has an easy time shopping for grandparents. I went the practical route thus year. Gran wanted double sided photo frames in silver, grampa wanted socks. Seriously, socks. They man lives in Barbados, on a golf course, own a race horse, and own suits worth more than every article of clothing I've ever own, EVER, and when asked what he was hoping for this Christmas, he said socks. The first conversation went like this:
Me: So Grampa, what did you tell Gran you wanted for Christmas
Grampa: Peace
Me: Well she might have a hard time wrapping that.
Grampa: But its what I want.
Realizing I had reached a dead end. I turned to my grandmother. I asked her what grampa wants because Gran knows everything. She said socks. My impossible to shop for, has everything, hates clutter grandfather wants socks in light brown and dark brown. So that's what grampa is getting. Four pairs of socks. Had I known earlier I would have knit him a pair. Oh well, maybe next year.
I'm off, time to do a load of laundry and make some royal icing for the gingerbread house
Me: So Grampa, what did you tell Gran you wanted for Christmas
Grampa: Peace
Me: Well she might have a hard time wrapping that.
Grampa: But its what I want.
Realizing I had reached a dead end. I turned to my grandmother. I asked her what grampa wants because Gran knows everything. She said socks. My impossible to shop for, has everything, hates clutter grandfather wants socks in light brown and dark brown. So that's what grampa is getting. Four pairs of socks. Had I known earlier I would have knit him a pair. Oh well, maybe next year.
I'm off, time to do a load of laundry and make some royal icing for the gingerbread house
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Update: SUCCESS!
SUCCESS! The time is 2:08 am EST on December 13 2007, and I am done my ginormous research project! AND! It's done a full 36 hours before the due date! AND! its a whole page over the required amount meaning I have made serious progress as a student.
Tomorrow....er..... today, all I have to do is edit, and write a measly 1200 word take home exam. But now I'm just jinxed it but I don't care! I too happy being done the ginormous research project to let anything bring me down. Seriously, if there were any mike's hard in the house right now and it weren't past 2 in the morning I'd be downstairs doing a serious happy dance.
Happy Thing: Finishing ginormous papers! Boo ya!!!
(OK I cheated a little, I'll do another F next post)
By the way, if you aren't watching Pushing Daisies yet, what the crap is wrong with you?! Start now damnit!
If you are: first, you are awesome. Second, Holy Crap! Did you see that coming?
Tomorrow....er..... today, all I have to do is edit, and write a measly 1200 word take home exam. But now I'm just jinxed it but I don't care! I too happy being done the ginormous research project to let anything bring me down. Seriously, if there were any mike's hard in the house right now and it weren't past 2 in the morning I'd be downstairs doing a serious happy dance.
Happy Thing: Finishing ginormous papers! Boo ya!!!
(OK I cheated a little, I'll do another F next post)
By the way, if you aren't watching Pushing Daisies yet, what the crap is wrong with you?! Start now damnit!
If you are: first, you are awesome. Second, Holy Crap! Did you see that coming?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Starting to relax a little...
I have 14 of 20 pages written for my final research report and half a take home exam done both of which are due before 2 pm on Friday. Now normally the thought of having to write about 10 pages of quality text AND editing about 30 pages plus doing bibliographies in the span of about 3 days in case I am not quite freaking. Why you ask? Because on Thursday I had nothing written. I did all this writing in 4 days and if I can do that and still manage to see a crappy crappy movie (The Golden Compass, Do yourself a favour, save your money), decorate several dozen cookies and assemble a gingerbread house. If I can do all that, than I can write less than 10 pages, edit 30, write two short bibliographies AND make a roast beef Christmas dinner on Wednesday night. Yes, I am making a Christmas dinner on Wednesday. That because we won't get to spent Christmas eve or Christmas day with Donna and Tay so we are doing it early.
Now since I have spent most of the week researching and writing, I have done nothing worth blogging! No really. On Saturday I escaped with Angela and went to Wimpy's to have the most awesome American omelette ever, see the Golden Compass, had a purple haze at Kelsey's (was super sour and awesome. I want another one), then walked around Indigo for half an hour. On Sunday my sorta-cousin came over and we decorated the gingerbread cookies I've been making obsessively and put together a gingerbread house. It's still not decorated though. I think I'll do it on Friday, after the papers are in.
Oh, and I knit a glove. Yeah, one glove. I'll work on the second one later.
Yeah, that's my fascinating life this week. Don't you want to be me?
Happy thing! This week is the letter E and I admit, this one had my stumped for a little while. Then I came to my senses and remembered that I love elephants! Seriously, I had a total brain fart moments cause when I was a kid I had a major obsession with elephants. I still have a soft spot for them. Specifically African Elephants, (Asian elephants are ugly) they are just too cool! I think its the ears. Or maybe I watched Dumbo one too many times. Or maybe it was because they were the animals I was watching when a camel spit on my sister at the Houston zoo when I was 5 and I found it to be the funniest thing ever (Jenn didn't didn't think so and cried for more than half an hour). Who knows, but I have an unreasonable affinity for elephants
Now since I have spent most of the week researching and writing, I have done nothing worth blogging! No really. On Saturday I escaped with Angela and went to Wimpy's to have the most awesome American omelette ever, see the Golden Compass, had a purple haze at Kelsey's (was super sour and awesome. I want another one), then walked around Indigo for half an hour. On Sunday my sorta-cousin came over and we decorated the gingerbread cookies I've been making obsessively and put together a gingerbread house. It's still not decorated though. I think I'll do it on Friday, after the papers are in.
Oh, and I knit a glove. Yeah, one glove. I'll work on the second one later.
Yeah, that's my fascinating life this week. Don't you want to be me?
Happy thing! This week is the letter E and I admit, this one had my stumped for a little while. Then I came to my senses and remembered that I love elephants! Seriously, I had a total brain fart moments cause when I was a kid I had a major obsession with elephants. I still have a soft spot for them. Specifically African Elephants, (Asian elephants are ugly) they are just too cool! I think its the ears. Or maybe I watched Dumbo one too many times. Or maybe it was because they were the animals I was watching when a camel spit on my sister at the Houston zoo when I was 5 and I found it to be the funniest thing ever (Jenn didn't didn't think so and cried for more than half an hour). Who knows, but I have an unreasonable affinity for elephants
Monday, December 3, 2007
I <3 my ugly boots
I cracked and bought me some Ugg knock offs. Rest assured, the selection of these ugly ugly boots was based purely on practicality; they are super warm, comfy, and tall so I can take on even the tallest snow bank without ending up with wet feet.
I resisted, really I did but yesterday (or maybe it was Saturday, I don't know) Toronto got a dumping of snow and I had a moment of clarity. I had to go in to the downtown core to pick up a book from the Indigo at Bay and Bloor (the very same Indigo that I went to for the HP7 launch). IT seems that the City of Toronto is just as bad at plowing its streets as its suburbs are. During the half a block walk from the car to the front of the store, I walked through 3 puddles and over 2 snow banks. Needless to say I had very wet and cold feet. I was not a happy girl.
So I cracked. I put it off for as long as possible, but I realized that I needed to buy boots especially since the weather network is predicting the coldest winter in a generation.
Greeeeeeat.....
Thank God I only have class 3 days a week next term. And I have me some ugly ugly super warm boots.
This entry's happy thing is brought to you by the letter D. Double Pointed Needles. Its a knitting thing. For knitting in the round, perfect for socks and the top of hats. Both of which I love knitting more than anything else in the world.
I resisted, really I did but yesterday (or maybe it was Saturday, I don't know) Toronto got a dumping of snow and I had a moment of clarity. I had to go in to the downtown core to pick up a book from the Indigo at Bay and Bloor (the very same Indigo that I went to for the HP7 launch). IT seems that the City of Toronto is just as bad at plowing its streets as its suburbs are. During the half a block walk from the car to the front of the store, I walked through 3 puddles and over 2 snow banks. Needless to say I had very wet and cold feet. I was not a happy girl.
So I cracked. I put it off for as long as possible, but I realized that I needed to buy boots especially since the weather network is predicting the coldest winter in a generation.
Greeeeeeat.....
Thank God I only have class 3 days a week next term. And I have me some ugly ugly super warm boots.
This entry's happy thing is brought to you by the letter D. Double Pointed Needles. Its a knitting thing. For knitting in the round, perfect for socks and the top of hats. Both of which I love knitting more than anything else in the world.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Cookies, Cookies, Cookies
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.
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.
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