| Eating Africa |
[Aug. 13th, 2008|08:03 am] |
I made buttermilk pancakes this morning, and one of them was shaped like the African continent!
A map of Africa:
My wicked pancake:
I wish I could say I intended that, but it was a total slip of the pan! |
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| Clock Gazing |
[Aug. 12th, 2008|10:30 am] |
Stands Bart Simpson-like at the chalkboard
I will not procrastinate
I will not procrastinate
I will not procrastinate
I will not procrastinate
I will not procrastinate
Iwillnotprocrastinate
Iwillnot....
pause
Realization Dawns!
The mindless copying of lines is procratination
The mindless copying of lines is procratination
The mindless copying of lines is procratination
Sometimes, when the weather is as gorgeous as it is today, I find it really hard to keep my mind on the task at hand. My old office was basically a closet from which I could see nothing of the outside world. My new digs have a small, but pretty window looking out onto University College's beautiful green quad. Ah well. The sooner I finish my proposal, the sooner I can head to the lakeshore for a nice run down the beach (and maybe a swim afterwards). Until then, duty calls.
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| The Suantum of Qualace |
[Aug. 8th, 2008|02:41 pm] |
I love all things Bond, and I can't wait for Quantum of Solace, but this little video really got me laughing. Happy Friday, everyone!!
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| The Larvae Within |
[Aug. 6th, 2008|01:38 pm] |
I have a huge presentation to deliver today. It's the first big assignment I've been given since my "promotion", so I feel a little extra nervous knowing my supervisor will be more attentive today than he's likely to be in the future.
I think the butterflies in my stomach have laid eggs, and now their wriggly caterpillar babies are crawling through my guts. Is that a pleasant image or what? Great premise for a horror movie though. It needs a catchy title like...The Gnawing: A Different Kind of Butterfly Effect.
I'm not anxious about the presentation itself. I'm prepared. It's just the hours leading up to the presentation that have me "bugging" (pun absolutely intended). |
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| Heat Wave |
[Jul. 29th, 2008|12:45 am] |
It is so bloody hot! This weekend, I proved that a girl can, in fact, survive three full days on a mango popsicle diet. My air conditioner is on the fritz (ah, timing) and until it gets fixed, I have to find alternative ways of keeping cool. To this end, I've been exploiting the University's super-duper olympic sized swimming pool (pretending I'm competing in the women's 400m freestyle race in Beijing), and watching movies in gigantic refrigerators movie theaters where the temperature is always nice and glacial. |
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| Beyond the Pale |
[May. 28th, 2008|08:07 am] |
I went for a jog by the lakeshore after work Monday night, and came home burned to a crisp! I'd slathered on the suntan lotion, but some of it must have come off (or been sweated off) because my shoulders, forearms and calves got good and roasted. The glare off the water always makes the sun a little harsher.
I was lobster red yesterday, but today, my father's mediterranean genes kicked in and the red has turned to gold. Let's hear it for melanin!! |
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| Baby Overload |
[May. 19th, 2008|10:36 am] |
I swear, this is my last food post for a while, but I'm just so damn proud of the dessert table I set up for the baby shower, I could burst.
We've got cupcakes at the front, and behind them, the piece de resistance:a tower of chocolate mousses, all of them packaged in sterilized baby food jars. I'm so geeky, I even made labels for them with little storks that say, "Special Delivery":
Good to see the University's office supplies being put to good use, isn't it?
Anyhow, the baby shower was a huge hit. Along with desserts, we had tons of savory goodies (lasagna, empanadas, salads, cheeses, a fruit platter, and Anna's special challah bread with almonds). All thrity-five (yup, 35!!) women in attendance had a great time, and I think my poor brother is going to need a U-Haul to get all the baby presents back to Ottawa! My sister-in-law was really touched by everyone's good wishes and encouragement. And maybe a little overwhelmed too.
Five more weeks to baby time! |
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| No Rest For the Wicked |
[May. 16th, 2008|01:41 am] |
I'm having trouble sleeping. Too many thoughts trotting through my head, I guess. So I started baking the cupcakes for my sister-in-law's baby shower, hoping the monotony of mixing and stirring would put me to sleep. Instead, I got a little creative, and tested out a new recipe for chocolate caramel cookies.
Finished baking, washed the dishes, and rewarded myself with two cookies and a cup of chai. My coffee table is made of glass, so it looks like my teacup is floating, which I think looks kind of cool.
Now it's nearly two in the morning, and I'm still waiting for the sandman. If he doesn't find me soon, I'll be one grumpy girl come dawn! |
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| Austentacious |
[May. 14th, 2008|01:36 pm] |
I'm completely engrossed by the new Jane Austen adaptations of 'Persuasion' and 'Sense and Sensibility' on PBS. I missed the films when they aired on television earlier this year, but now they're out on DVD, and I bought the set for myself as a little treat.
The films are great, and a little more faithful to the books than previous adaptions. There's a fair bit of kissing in each movie though. Nothing wrong with kissing, of course (actually, there's plenty right with it), but it's very un-Austen, isn't it? Love is at the heart of almost every novel, and there are more than a few sex-scandals peppering each plot, but the kissing (and scandalous sex), when it does happen, happens waaaaay off the page. Not so in these films. The new 'Sense and Sensibilty' opens with a seduction scene (if you've read the book, you probably know who's doing the seducing), and 'Persuasion' ends with a kiss that (to use that old chewing gum adage) lasts an "extra, extra, extra long time" . It's simultaneously sacrilegious, and thrilling. I mean it's nice to have the gratification of SEEING the kiss, but part of the magic lies in NOT seeing it, you know?
Anyhow the lip locking didn't impact my enjoyment of the films. I thought they were really, really good adaptations, with a hint of modernity thrown in to make things a little more interesting.
PBS has a great website up for all the Austen films they aired, and a few juicy extras, like the Men of Austen page where you can scope out all the hot, eligible bachelors of the Austen lexicon. Each profile contains name, age, title, property details, occupation, and estimated worth. It's very Forbes-List-meets-Napoleonic-era-Tiger Beat. I'm a sucker for Edward Ferrars, myself. |
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| Lyrically Challenged |
[May. 13th, 2008|03:20 pm] |
Don't you think it's funny when you hear a song that's has a really catchy hook, or an awesome beat, and you just love it until you realize the lyrics are SO INCREDIBLY STUPID!!
I've been hearing Mariah Carey's latest ('Touch My Body') on the radio a lot lately. The refrain's kinda cute and has a nice, mellow rhythm, but then I hear:
'Cause if you run your mouth and brag
About this secret rendezvous
I will hunt you down
'Cause they be all up in my business
Like a Wendy interview
But this is private
Between you and I
Like a Wendy's interview? She's likening the paparazzi to a burger joint's recruitment practices? Not the CIA, or even the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), but freaking Wendy's??
I mean REALLY! Does that red-headed little girl scare anyone? Didn't think so.
Those lyrics are almost as bad as the ones in Shakira's "Wherever/Whenever
"Lucky that my breasts
Are small and humble
So you don't confuse
Them with mountains"
*Sigh*
Who gets paid to write this incredible crap?!
A lot of my favorite bands (The Decemberists, Interpol, Tom Waits, Modest Mouse...heck, even post-1994 Bruce Springsteen) have weird lyrics, but they don't really pretend to be mainstream.
I guess I'll have to try really hard to just suspend my disbelief the next time I get aural. |
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| Global Dimming |
[May. 10th, 2008|07:02 pm] |
The Japan Foundation threw a launch party for Joy Kogawa new children's book last night, just in time to celebrate the eighty year anniversary of Canada's diplomatic relations with Japan.
I'm a sucker for a good party, especially when I know there'll be free sushi involved, so I RSVP'd. I'm fickle, yes. Moving on.
Kogawa gave a very interesting talk, discussing everything from her early childhood growing up as a second generation Canadian on a farm in the prairies, to her current work as landmark perservationist. She was a very compelling speaker with a fascinating perspective on the world, and a genuine desire to affect positive change.
One of the things she said concerned her most about the world today was 'Global Dimming,' a term she used to describe the sort of apathy people often seem feel to one another. Compassion, she says, is what makes us human, and losing sight of that is dangerous.
I mulled the idea over. Yes, it's true, we can be very indifferent to the plight of others. I walk by homeless people daily, and I'm aware that there's a lot of need in the city I live in. But I'm not indifferent to it. I do what I can, when I can, to the best of my ability. I have faith in humanity. I have seen people do countless kind and generous things to help others. I don't think I'm ready to give up on the idea that we're basically good. We can always do better, but we are good. |
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| Hey There, Cupcake! |
[May. 8th, 2008|12:11 pm] |
My brother and his wife are expecting a baby at the end of next month, and I just can't wait!! They've chosen not to learn the sex of the baby, but I've become convinced that it's a boy, even though my conclusion has no basis in logic. It's just a feeling, but oh BOY, what a feeling!
So in honor of my NEPHEW's impending birth, I had a a few friends over last weekend for a cupcake tasting to help me decide which recipe I'd use at the baby shower I'm co-hosting on the 17th. We were all secretly seeking an excuse to scarf down cake, but dubbing the event a "cupcake tasting" makes it all sound soooo civilized, doesn't it? We're so ladylike.
So here are some pictures of my baked beauties. Boo took pictures for me, then quickly retreated to the study when the girls arrived. He's wise, that Boo. He knows it's best never to get between a gang of girls and anything sweet.
So here are the contenders
The white ones are coconut, and the pink ones are lemon-raspberry
Here we have the lemon-raspberries again, only with yellow icing, and my "Cocoa-Cola" cupcakes (a slight variation on the more adult rum and coke cupcakes I dreamed up last year). They're chocolatey, but a half cup of coca-cola gives them a little hit of caramel that makes them extra good.
And last but not least, we have my sneaky niece's little fingers creeping into the shot. She's a frosting junkie, just like her aunt!
In the end, the lemon-rasberry cupcakes got the popular vote, so they'll be the ones I bake for the shower. They're light, and summery, and probably best suited to the occasion (though I must confess that the coconut ones were my personal faves). We all had a lot of fun choosing. It's definitely the sort of party-planning I really love. Sort of a party-within-a- party.
After all the girls left, Boo came out of the study to help me with the dishes. When we were done, we sat out on the balcony for a while.
"You know," he said, "next time you don't need to have a tasting party. I can just taste them all for you."
I burst out laughing because that was EXACTLY what my five year old niece had said not two hours earlier. I guess greedy minds think alike. |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 7th, 2008|02:00 pm] |
Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?
I needed the break (even though it was't exactly voluntary), and I needed some time for myself. Part of me wishes I'd actually been more dilligent about journaling during my "off" time. It would have been useful to see my progress documented in a more concrete way, but at the same time, maybe a few months without too much self-examination was just what the doctor ordered.
I promise to work myself back into the social fabric. That includes posting regular entries here, and catching up on back-posts from my friends list. Hope you're all well!
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| O Legere Hirondelle |
[Jul. 4th, 2007|12:35 pm] |
Beverly Sills died yesterday. Heaven's choir of angels can add a new soprano to its numbers.
When I was young I used to listen to her sing Gounod's Mireille until I knew the whole opera inside out. The world is a bleaker place without her, but she leaves behind an amazing legacy.She was a beautiful singer, and a beautiful person; a humanitarian and a master of her craft. I think what I loved best about her is that she brought humour to an art form most people think of as antiquated and stoggy. There's a fabulous article on her in an old issue of Time where she discusses her feelings about one of her signature roles (Queen of the Night) in Mozart's The Magic Flute. She says, "I threw out that broad very quickly. I realized she wasn't for me when I found I could address 250 Christmas cards in my dressing room between her first act aria and her second act aria."
Goodnight, Beverly. Safe passage. |
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| RIP Pumpkins |
[May. 24th, 2007|06:11 pm] |
I accidentally stepped on my favorite Smashing Pumpkins CD (Siamese Dream) and broke it. I am heartsick over the whole thing. It was the first CD I ever bought, back in the days when you could still buy tapes. I am a dinosaur. A clumsy, old dinosaur.
All the songs are still on my i-pod, but it's not the same...
Farewell my circular friend. I will miss you. I'm sorry I scratched your mirrored underbelly so carelessly over the years. I was young and foolish, but admit it, those skippy tracks gave you character!
I love that you were there for me when I needed to sulk, when I needed to dance, when I was feeling nostalgic, and when I just needed some loud music to keep me awake when the coffee wore off.
Remember when my mom first heard you and said, "What's that noise"? Remember when Catherine and I were sixteen and we sang along to 'Mayonaise' while eating Lucky Charms at midnight? Remember when I put 'Soma' on one of my first mix tapes to Boo? Remember how I played you on a constant loop for almost all of my first year at University? And remember how I took you on that road trip to B.C, and how we travelled to Egypt together? You kept me sane when Cairo got too noisy, and it was so cool to play you while we drove across the desert.
We've had some good times together.
Good night, sweet prince.
</silliness> |
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| Things Lost and Things Found |
[May. 23rd, 2007|08:06 pm] |
I am $45.68 richer today and all I did to earn that dough was clean the house. Seriously. If that's not an insentive to do housework, I don't know what is. I've already got a change jar, so as I was cleaning the house, I just added every penny, nickel, dime, quarter, loonie and toonie I found inside, all in the hope that maybe I'd have enough for a fancy coffee or something by the time I was done. Turns out I have enough for more than coffee. My local grocery store has this neat change sorter thingy you just pour all your loose change into. I fed the beast my coins and it spat out beautiful crisp five-dollar bills. Isn't life beautiful? I took my winnings/earnings/findings/whatever, and bought tickets to this. I am over the moon! Stephen King AND Clive Barker? Pinch me, I'm obviously dreaming!
Now I'm off to watch the Lost season finale. For the next two hours, I am dead to the world. Tonight it's just me, the show, and my wicked homemade pina colada (complete with bendy straw and cocktail umbrella). Cause you know, you can't watch a show about an island without a frozen drink. Come on! Plus I'm just a big ol' geek. |
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| Water |
[May. 16th, 2007|09:42 am] |
I have a day off today! I was going to spend it reading in the bathtub until I wrinkled to death, but building management quashed my plans. Apparently they're going to shut down both hot and cold water from 9am-5pm. Ah well, such is apartment living. On the plus side, I never have to mow lawns, shovel snow, or fix leaks. And the whole city is my backyard!
So I went for a run at around seven, then came home, had a quick shower and filled up a few jugs with water for cooking and drinking purposes. Now I plan to catch up on e-mails, polish up a few grant applications (yes, it's that time of year again) and maybe (if I'm good), I'll treat myself to a movie tonight. I'm itching to see 28 Weeks Later. I'll see if I can rope Little L. into coming with me, otherwise, I'm going solo.
Boo is on the West Coast (U.S.A) and he's been checking in with me by phone every night. San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoeniz (AZ), Nevada...The boy is making tracks! He and his crew are travelling on the road, and I've been getting the most interesting postcards. I really wish I could follow him around on these adventures of his. We both have a lot of stamina, but his eighteen hour workdays would kill me. It's no wonder he sleeps for days when he comes home. It used to irritate me a little, as in "Helloooo, we've been apart for TWO MONTHS, how can you sleep??" But I've developped a better understanding of what he goes through everyday for those two months, and now I just let him recharge, no questions asked. He's so much cuter when he's well rested. |
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| Sunshine and Music |
[Apr. 30th, 2007|12:47 pm] |
I'm having a lovely, summery, beautiful Monday. I am well rested, I have gone for a nice long run, and I have found my rhythm for the day (I think).
Last week was a little crazy. Late nights, early mornings and long days kept things from getting boring, but I'm slowly learning that a little boredom can do wonders for my mental health. I spent Saturday with Boo. He is going to be in Nevada for the entire month of May, which makes me a little sad, but he promised to find me something kitchy from Las Vegas, so I'm willing to forgive him for abandoning me, yet again. We spent the day outside, took the dog out for two (count 'em two) extra long walks, and worked on my garden. He built lovely wooden borders for my two plots and helped me plant basil and thyme. God, I'm re-reading those last few lines, and I feel like I'm describing the weekend itinerary of two septuagenarians! We weren't exclusively boring, I swear! We shared some quality nesting time, and had drinks out on the balcony as the sun went down. The weather's been positively balmy. I love summer in the city.
Went to see Paul Verhoeven's latest movie, Black Book. Not bad. Not bad at all. It was good, smart--if yet forgettable--entertainment. Certainly better than Showgirls!
Kept the TV off and the radio on. Did lots of reading. Devoured Kelley Armstrong's latest literary confection (No Humans Involved) which was positively finger lickin' good.
Had a couple of lengthy chats with Dee, who's in L.A getting ready to take the Public Relations world by storm (Yay, Dee!!!) Thanks to an awesome phone plan, we have no need to forgo our marathon-length gab-fests. This makes the distance between us seem more bearable somehow...
Today is a nice, slow, lazy sort of day. For me at least. Most of my students are positively rigid with fear because they are in the thick of finals. Luckily, I don't have any to write any this year (for the first time in I can't remember how long). All teaching assistants have to do is procter exams, ie: look out for cheaters, answer technical questions and accompany female students to the bathroom if they need a quick break. It's boring as all get out because I can't read or do anything other than pace up and down rows and rows of desks for about two hours. But like I said, these days, I welcome a little boredom. One poor soul put his hand up today and asked me if "pyrrhic" was a " pyramid shaped object." In all fairness, I don't think I knew what that word meant when I was nineteen. It's just one of those slippery terms you inevitably have to get a handle on when you take a poetry or history course. Sometimes I think professors put words like that into exam questions because they know it makes the kiddies squirm, poor puppies.
Later this afternoon I have a meeting at the faculty of music. This little soprano is going to jam with a gang of very cool cellists. Hopefully I'll have more to write on that later. |
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| Ou Est Mon Agrapheuse? |
[Apr. 25th, 2007|08:52 am] |
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I've misplaced my stapler, which is unfortunate because I desperately need it to staple my eyelids to my forehead. |
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