But I tried. This morning I stepped out on to my front steps, completely oblivious to the fact that everything was completely covered in a sheet of ice, and on my first step my feet flew up from underneath me ("just like in the movies!" said the nurse. Yes, how glamorous...) and I came crashing down, spine first, onto the concrete steps. It was so painful, you guys. I was totally trying not to go all hysterical while I rang the doorbell 8 million times because I could not bend over to pick up my keys. I went inside and put some ice on my back and took some of Bill's leftover prescription pain medicine, but it wasn't really feeling very much better and one of the vertebrae seemed to be twice the size of the other ones, so eventually I decided to go to urgent care and get it looked at. Oh yeah, that was after my family doctor's office told me they couldn't get me in until tomorrow afternoon. Like, yeah, no problem, my SPINE X-RAYS can totally wait a day and a half.
Anyway, the undramatic end to my story is that the exam and x-rays seemed fine. I actually even went in at 2 for a half-day of work, because my stubborn refusal to take ANY time off for the next three months even extends to possibly serious back injuries. I'm feeling okay now, but my back hurts like crazy if you touch it at all, and I can almost guarantee you a rad bruise to rival the one I got...well, the one I got the last time I fell down the stairs. Watch this spot for pictures.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Snot rude, is it?
What are people's thoughts on nose-blowing? When I'm at work and have to blow my nose, I never know how "polite" I have to be about it. Do I have to go in the bathroom and shut the door, or what? Usually my rule is as long as I'm not looking at somebody while I do it, it's not a big deal. Like, if I'm sitting at a desk looking at a computer and other people are at other desks or whatever, I would probably just blow my nose right there assuming it is not some huge, disgusting post-cold epic event. Am I totally out of line on this? I was just looking at something online that made it sound like blowing your nose anywhere other than a closed restroom is inexcusable. Oops.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
What's cookin good lookin
I feel that this is not the most exciting or cutting edge web site out there, but I have to say, I freakin' love allrecipes.com. Let me tell you why.
1.) Lots of people use it, so there are a ton of recipes and usually a ton of feedback on those recipes. The feedback is my absolute favorite thing about the site. You can obviously get recipes anywhere, but having 5-500 people leaving comments really helps you to figure out how to perfect the recipe. People who have actually made the dish will leave suggestions about cooking time, a different type of dish or pan to use, a change in technique, or about what ingredients to increase, decrease, add or omit. You also don't have to waste your time making a recipe that a bunch of other people have found to be no good. This feedback is invaluable, especially to a beginner/intermediate cook like myself.
2.) There is a wide variety of recipes. There are some very fancy, gourmet recipes on the site, and there are a lot of very basic, family-friendly type recipes (the type that a lot of people might say are gross or low-class or whatever, but let's face it, that's what a lot of people are eating most days, and frankly a lot of it tastes plenty good). Most of the recipes that I've looked at are good, middle of the road dishes in terms of fanciness and difficulty. In any case, whatever you're looking for is probably on there.
3.) The site has a lot of simple but useful features: you can create your own recipe box to save recipes that you like or want to try; you can upload a photo of a recipe you've made, and view other members' photos; you can print off recipes in a variety of formats; etc.
The only thing that I don't like, which actually led me to write this post, is the hokey-ass terms that so many of the site's members use in their recipe comments. I hate when they use corny words like "zippy" to describe a dish. What does that even mean? I also hate when people say their family/friends/co-workers "gobbled" a dish up, or, similarly, "wolfed it down." I do not need the image of these people as turkeys/wolves, cramming some slop down their pie-holes as fast as they possibly can. Not appetizing at all, thanks. Lastly, the use of the word "hubby" is about to drive me to suicide. I don't even know why, but I HATE it. Is it that much easier to say/type "hubby" than it is "husband?" It's not really a shorter word. It's just so unnecessarily cutesy, and for whatever reason I always imagine the women using it to be the type of women who are totally stupid and fawning/submissive to their men; I think a lot of times I see it in the context of "I made this dish but hubby didn't like it at all; I won't make it again" which makes me think they're just slaving around in the kitchen until they finally find something that Master Hubby approves of.
Anyway. If you like to cook or bake, I do suggest that you check this site out. It has been super, super useful to me and has even earned a place in my bookmarks toolbar thingy. I'm chasemytail on there (natch), although I don't know if I even have a public profile or if you can "friend me" or anything like that.
1.) Lots of people use it, so there are a ton of recipes and usually a ton of feedback on those recipes. The feedback is my absolute favorite thing about the site. You can obviously get recipes anywhere, but having 5-500 people leaving comments really helps you to figure out how to perfect the recipe. People who have actually made the dish will leave suggestions about cooking time, a different type of dish or pan to use, a change in technique, or about what ingredients to increase, decrease, add or omit. You also don't have to waste your time making a recipe that a bunch of other people have found to be no good. This feedback is invaluable, especially to a beginner/intermediate cook like myself.
2.) There is a wide variety of recipes. There are some very fancy, gourmet recipes on the site, and there are a lot of very basic, family-friendly type recipes (the type that a lot of people might say are gross or low-class or whatever, but let's face it, that's what a lot of people are eating most days, and frankly a lot of it tastes plenty good). Most of the recipes that I've looked at are good, middle of the road dishes in terms of fanciness and difficulty. In any case, whatever you're looking for is probably on there.
3.) The site has a lot of simple but useful features: you can create your own recipe box to save recipes that you like or want to try; you can upload a photo of a recipe you've made, and view other members' photos; you can print off recipes in a variety of formats; etc.
The only thing that I don't like, which actually led me to write this post, is the hokey-ass terms that so many of the site's members use in their recipe comments. I hate when they use corny words like "zippy" to describe a dish. What does that even mean? I also hate when people say their family/friends/co-workers "gobbled" a dish up, or, similarly, "wolfed it down." I do not need the image of these people as turkeys/wolves, cramming some slop down their pie-holes as fast as they possibly can. Not appetizing at all, thanks. Lastly, the use of the word "hubby" is about to drive me to suicide. I don't even know why, but I HATE it. Is it that much easier to say/type "hubby" than it is "husband?" It's not really a shorter word. It's just so unnecessarily cutesy, and for whatever reason I always imagine the women using it to be the type of women who are totally stupid and fawning/submissive to their men; I think a lot of times I see it in the context of "I made this dish but hubby didn't like it at all; I won't make it again" which makes me think they're just slaving around in the kitchen until they finally find something that Master Hubby approves of.
Anyway. If you like to cook or bake, I do suggest that you check this site out. It has been super, super useful to me and has even earned a place in my bookmarks toolbar thingy. I'm chasemytail on there (natch), although I don't know if I even have a public profile or if you can "friend me" or anything like that.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
My new girlfriend:
And of course some Ben Folds:
Personally I am still sucking about 8 pounds of balls on the ukulele, but I HAVE been practicing which is surprising. I think I need an actual live teacher though in addition to just books and Youtube videos. I need someone to, like, grab my hands and stuff.
Monday, November 17, 2008
10 Random Things About Me
Ok, so I am like cross-contaminating my blog worlds here, but anyway, here goes. Ten random things about me:
1.) I don't mind the taste of mint (toothpaste, gum, etc.) but I don't like mint flavored foods (ice cream, thin mints, etc.).
2.) I've been swearing since I was at least ten.
3.) My first car was a 1990 Toyota Tercel. Somebody named it the Flaming Maple because it was red and because the speedometer was in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour, indicating that it came from Canada. It was pretty crappy but I didn't mind it.
4.) I can't touch my toes; not even close.
5.) I have a pair of bowling shoes from Stuckeybowl, the bowling alley from the TV show Ed, which I was obsessed with in college. Unfortunately they are not my size.
6.) I am learning to cook. Every Sunday I find a recipe online and make it, with Bill's help. So far I have made jambalaya, beef stew, spicy mac and cheese, and a rad Thai chicken and shrimp stir-fry, among others. No major failures....yet.
7.) Before I started at my current job, I had worked at 7 different jobs in 7 years and had never worked in one place for more than six months. I am now at 2.5 years in one place...it's crazy!
8.) I think honeymooning in Hawaii is totally cliche, but I really, really want to do it.
9.) For two years I insisted that the crazy itching I have on my legs was not due to a cat allergy, but I'm starting to admit to myself that that's probably exactly what it is.
10.) Other careers I would enjoy include jewel thief, tattoo artist, Jeopardy clue writer, TV critic, and baker.
Good lord, that took me forEVER. I hope you appreciate it. ;)
1.) I don't mind the taste of mint (toothpaste, gum, etc.) but I don't like mint flavored foods (ice cream, thin mints, etc.).
2.) I've been swearing since I was at least ten.
3.) My first car was a 1990 Toyota Tercel. Somebody named it the Flaming Maple because it was red and because the speedometer was in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour, indicating that it came from Canada. It was pretty crappy but I didn't mind it.
4.) I can't touch my toes; not even close.
5.) I have a pair of bowling shoes from Stuckeybowl, the bowling alley from the TV show Ed, which I was obsessed with in college. Unfortunately they are not my size.
6.) I am learning to cook. Every Sunday I find a recipe online and make it, with Bill's help. So far I have made jambalaya, beef stew, spicy mac and cheese, and a rad Thai chicken and shrimp stir-fry, among others. No major failures....yet.
7.) Before I started at my current job, I had worked at 7 different jobs in 7 years and had never worked in one place for more than six months. I am now at 2.5 years in one place...it's crazy!
8.) I think honeymooning in Hawaii is totally cliche, but I really, really want to do it.
9.) For two years I insisted that the crazy itching I have on my legs was not due to a cat allergy, but I'm starting to admit to myself that that's probably exactly what it is.
10.) Other careers I would enjoy include jewel thief, tattoo artist, Jeopardy clue writer, TV critic, and baker.
Good lord, that took me forEVER. I hope you appreciate it. ;)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I made a LOLveep
Heh heh. I come up with the best things when I'm supposed to be cleaning the house.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Why I'm Moving To Ravenna
They have found a way to combine two things I love.
If I find a library that actually circulates cake, you'll never see me again.
If I find a library that actually circulates cake, you'll never see me again.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Success!
I know I've posted here before with tales of baking woe, but today I have a success story!! One of my co-workers is leaving the library, so we were bringing in food today. She's a vegan, so I figured it was finally time to break out my Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World cookbook. I originally was planning to make lemon macadamia cupcakes, but last night I realized that the recipe called for a bunch of ground macadamia nuts, and I don't have a coffee grinder or a food processor or anything like that. So I decided to go with basic chocolate and do the variation that turns them into cookies and cream cupcakes.
They came out SO perfect! I took them out of the oven right at 18 minutes, and they were just right: toothpick came out dry, cute little rounded tops. I made the frosting this morning, and it was also great. It was tasty and a perfect consistency for spreading. When I finally got to work and could try one, I was not disappointed. They were moist, chocolatey, and just basically delicious. I was so happy! I know part of the reason they worked out is because I've moved and have a better oven, but my co-worker Cassie also suggests that the vegan gods were smiling down on me. Haha, who knows! I may actually make another batch because I still have half a package of Newman-Os (yum) and a bunch of soy milk (not so yum) sitting around.
They came out SO perfect! I took them out of the oven right at 18 minutes, and they were just right: toothpick came out dry, cute little rounded tops. I made the frosting this morning, and it was also great. It was tasty and a perfect consistency for spreading. When I finally got to work and could try one, I was not disappointed. They were moist, chocolatey, and just basically delicious. I was so happy! I know part of the reason they worked out is because I've moved and have a better oven, but my co-worker Cassie also suggests that the vegan gods were smiling down on me. Haha, who knows! I may actually make another batch because I still have half a package of Newman-Os (yum) and a bunch of soy milk (not so yum) sitting around.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
All CNN and no play makes Chaser something something
Well, I haven't blogged in a long time, but I am so annoyed with all this election bullshit that I just couldn't control myself. I really want to punch Sarah Palin in the face. I hate her and everything to do with her. HATE. I disagree with her on, like, every issue, for starters. I am also totally enraged by the women who were Hillary supporters but now are supporting McCain only because he picked a woman as his running mate. There was a woman on American Morning the other day who acknowledged that she did not agree with the politics of McCain or Palin but that she was going to vote for them anyway. That is the most irresponsible fucking thing I have ever heard. That woman is retarded. She said something like "well, I don't want to vote FOR McCain as much as I want to vote AGAINST Obama." WELL GUESS WHAT, LADY. You can't do that. When you vote FOR McCain, it's a vote FOR McFuckingCain!! Damn. She was also saying that Obama not picking a female running mate shows that he doesn't care about women/the female vote. Uh, what? I did not know that you could only care about the thoughts and opinions of your own gender. Fucking idiots. Would these women vote for McCain if he had picked, say, Britney Spears or the green M&M as his running mate? I don't really want to know.
I'm also totally insulted that I'm supposed to be all up in her shit just because she's a woman and I'm a woman. Guess what. There are like 3 billion women in the world, and a lot of them are stupid jackasses who I would very much like to kick in the shins. I mean, if you like the Republican ticket because you feel that they are the best people to run our country, then fine. I'm just saying that it takes a lot more than having a chocha to get in my good graces.
Finally, I'm offended by all the people (male and female alike) at the convention who are proudly wearing buttons encouraging everybody to vote for the "hot" VP candidate. I don't even want to get into that one, it should be self-explanatory. She's not running for Miss America, boys and girls, she's a fucking vice-presidential candidate.
The only real upshot to all this is that Bill gets crazy angry at like, every politician on TV, and the reporters too, and it's hilarious. Here's a bit of our conversation from dinner, upon hearing America The Beautiful being sung at the RNC, with lots of patriotic posturing:
Me: Man, I guess I don't love my country as much as I should.
Bill: Why, because you're not raising your hands in the air and waving them around? This country's fucked up.
Me: ...but, I mean, they're like crying and clutching their flags at the mention of purple mountain's majesty.
Bill: They're a bunch of self-important asshats.
Hehe. Constant loop of CNN+angry Bill=good times.
I'm also totally insulted that I'm supposed to be all up in her shit just because she's a woman and I'm a woman. Guess what. There are like 3 billion women in the world, and a lot of them are stupid jackasses who I would very much like to kick in the shins. I mean, if you like the Republican ticket because you feel that they are the best people to run our country, then fine. I'm just saying that it takes a lot more than having a chocha to get in my good graces.
Finally, I'm offended by all the people (male and female alike) at the convention who are proudly wearing buttons encouraging everybody to vote for the "hot" VP candidate. I don't even want to get into that one, it should be self-explanatory. She's not running for Miss America, boys and girls, she's a fucking vice-presidential candidate.
The only real upshot to all this is that Bill gets crazy angry at like, every politician on TV, and the reporters too, and it's hilarious. Here's a bit of our conversation from dinner, upon hearing America The Beautiful being sung at the RNC, with lots of patriotic posturing:
Me: Man, I guess I don't love my country as much as I should.
Bill: Why, because you're not raising your hands in the air and waving them around? This country's fucked up.
Me: ...but, I mean, they're like crying and clutching their flags at the mention of purple mountain's majesty.
Bill: They're a bunch of self-important asshats.
Hehe. Constant loop of CNN+angry Bill=good times.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Wanted: One house, non-awful
So. Bill and I are currently elbow-deep in the search for a place to live. It hasn't been going spectacularly thus far. Just today we looked at a place that sounded perfect on paper but just didn't sit right with me for whatever reason. I suspect that I am being too picky about some things based on the age of the houses we are looking at (mostly built in the '20s, one in the '40s), but at the same time just because a house was built in the '20s doesn't mean that it shouldn't have been updated or maintained in any way since that date. The kitchens and bathrooms are my real problem, I think. A crumbly, moldy tub or splintered, crusty kitchen cabinets (see also: cabinets with 80 layers of old paint on them) are a real turn-off to me. I'm pretty quickly learning that "updated bathroom" means "we updated the cabinet under the sink; the tub is still a barrel that you fill by hand with icy water and then use a rag on a stick to wash yourself."
The alternative to all this would be just finding some nice two-bedroom in a modern apartment complex somewhere. I've looked at a couple online, and I'll admit I'm attracted to the pristine appliances and luxuries like electrical outlets in the bathroom, but on the whole living in a traditional apartment complex just holds zero appeal for me. I'm not even sure why. I guess it feels very temporary and anonymous to me to be living in a big complex with neighbors in identical units on both sides, above and below. I'm getting too old for that. I need to feel like I have a home, not just a place that I'm staying.
The good news is that we have quite a bit of time left to find a place. If we go another month or so and still haven't found anything, I'll really start to worry. In the meantime I will continue to check Craigslist 10 times a day and hope for a miracle. You never know.
The alternative to all this would be just finding some nice two-bedroom in a modern apartment complex somewhere. I've looked at a couple online, and I'll admit I'm attracted to the pristine appliances and luxuries like electrical outlets in the bathroom, but on the whole living in a traditional apartment complex just holds zero appeal for me. I'm not even sure why. I guess it feels very temporary and anonymous to me to be living in a big complex with neighbors in identical units on both sides, above and below. I'm getting too old for that. I need to feel like I have a home, not just a place that I'm staying.
The good news is that we have quite a bit of time left to find a place. If we go another month or so and still haven't found anything, I'll really start to worry. In the meantime I will continue to check Craigslist 10 times a day and hope for a miracle. You never know.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Poppin' Fresh
I just tried using my Blast Off Belly Fat DVD for the first time. Oh man.
First of all, it's ridiculous because I don't really have anywhere to do it. There is space in the basement, but that room is swimming in toxic mold so I don't really want to be rolling around on the carpet or breathing deeply. I'm stuck upstairs in the living room then, in this 4 by 2 foot space I made by pushing the coffee table over a little bit. And then the cat sees me laying on the floor and thinks it's jungle gym time and I have to beat her off me every two seconds.
On top of all that, I am a fat, lazy librarian and I could not really even get through ONE of the ten minute workouts. I am so deeply out of shape that I'm not sure how I can even stand up or do simple tasks like typing or scratching an itch. I could only feel the muscles at the very top of my stomach working; the rest, I suspect, have turned from muscles into thick reserves of frosting that my body feeds off of when it's gone too long without cupcakes.
I was really hoping to see at least some small loss in inches/increase in tone before I hit the beach this summer, but it's not looking good. Maybe I will get lucky and this year's trends will include "soft" and "translucent."
First of all, it's ridiculous because I don't really have anywhere to do it. There is space in the basement, but that room is swimming in toxic mold so I don't really want to be rolling around on the carpet or breathing deeply. I'm stuck upstairs in the living room then, in this 4 by 2 foot space I made by pushing the coffee table over a little bit. And then the cat sees me laying on the floor and thinks it's jungle gym time and I have to beat her off me every two seconds.
On top of all that, I am a fat, lazy librarian and I could not really even get through ONE of the ten minute workouts. I am so deeply out of shape that I'm not sure how I can even stand up or do simple tasks like typing or scratching an itch. I could only feel the muscles at the very top of my stomach working; the rest, I suspect, have turned from muscles into thick reserves of frosting that my body feeds off of when it's gone too long without cupcakes.
I was really hoping to see at least some small loss in inches/increase in tone before I hit the beach this summer, but it's not looking good. Maybe I will get lucky and this year's trends will include "soft" and "translucent."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The long and winding road
Man, I feel like no one has been blogging lately, myself included. What's up with that?
So I graduated on Sunday. About freaking time, right? I have been out of college for exactly four years, which makes me feel super, super old. But anyway, I'm very happy to not have school hanging over my head any more, and it feels weird for the first time in 20 years not to have any plans to attend school....ever. I'm sure I will at least take a class or something in the future, but for the most part I think this is really the end of the line for me, school-wise. I am alright with that.
My mom bought me a gift certificate to Build A Bear as a graduation present, which is awesome because I am eight and also because I had been hinting around that I wanted one to about fifty people for quite some time now. I do not care if it is weird to build a bear at age 25, I am going to build one and it is going to make me happy. Don't judge me. As a totally random "graduation present," my dad was also able to fix that horrible "corpse in the trunk" noise my car was making by screwing down a piece of plastic back behind the rear tire. After the Nissan dealership was unable to find the problem despite having the car ALL DAY, that's all it took. So now I don't feel like I'm gonna die all the time. Bonus!
The other big thing that happened is that ONE day after receiving my degree, I had my first professional job interview. I really have no idea how it went. I know there are other candidates out there who deserve the job as much as or more than I do, but I have to say that I think I would rock that job. Rock it like a hurricane.
So I graduated on Sunday. About freaking time, right? I have been out of college for exactly four years, which makes me feel super, super old. But anyway, I'm very happy to not have school hanging over my head any more, and it feels weird for the first time in 20 years not to have any plans to attend school....ever. I'm sure I will at least take a class or something in the future, but for the most part I think this is really the end of the line for me, school-wise. I am alright with that.
My mom bought me a gift certificate to Build A Bear as a graduation present, which is awesome because I am eight and also because I had been hinting around that I wanted one to about fifty people for quite some time now. I do not care if it is weird to build a bear at age 25, I am going to build one and it is going to make me happy. Don't judge me. As a totally random "graduation present," my dad was also able to fix that horrible "corpse in the trunk" noise my car was making by screwing down a piece of plastic back behind the rear tire. After the Nissan dealership was unable to find the problem despite having the car ALL DAY, that's all it took. So now I don't feel like I'm gonna die all the time. Bonus!
The other big thing that happened is that ONE day after receiving my degree, I had my first professional job interview. I really have no idea how it went. I know there are other candidates out there who deserve the job as much as or more than I do, but I have to say that I think I would rock that job. Rock it like a hurricane.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Touching base
I have not blogged in a while, so here's a token entry for ya. :)
The only major thing that's happened, I think, is going to see Avenue Q, which was awesome. I've also been having fun getting outside more and trying to enjoy the weather, which has been kind of depressing with my new pseudo-full-time schedule. But I do my best. Also, I have a long list of things I want to buy and only a tiny little bit of money. I'm sure no one reading this can relate to that feeling.
That's pretty much it. I hope everything is going good with you. We should hang out more, call me sometime.
The only major thing that's happened, I think, is going to see Avenue Q, which was awesome. I've also been having fun getting outside more and trying to enjoy the weather, which has been kind of depressing with my new pseudo-full-time schedule. But I do my best. Also, I have a long list of things I want to buy and only a tiny little bit of money. I'm sure no one reading this can relate to that feeling.
That's pretty much it. I hope everything is going good with you. We should hang out more, call me sometime.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A rude awakening
Sometime after six this morning I woke up from a very real and scary dream about somebody coming into my work, taking hostages, and trying to kill a whole lot of customers and staff. It was really intense and actually made me nervous about going in today. Later on I found out that at exactly that same time, someone was getting beaten very soundly and thoroughly in the head with a pipe right outside the back door of my work. A bloody hat, a bloody knife, and video surveillance tell the whole story, but I don't really have all the details.
Say what you will about the coincidence between the dream and the beating; it happens to me a lot, but logically I know that it's crazy to try to draw any really connections between the two. Regardless of all that, though, I find it kind of disturbing that somebody got jumped like that right on the sidewalk at my job, just a couple of hours before we start showing up for work. Most people were kind of making light of it, but it seemed pretty serious to me. Maybe if I work there for a couple more years, things like this will just be normal. I'll let you know, I guess.
Say what you will about the coincidence between the dream and the beating; it happens to me a lot, but logically I know that it's crazy to try to draw any really connections between the two. Regardless of all that, though, I find it kind of disturbing that somebody got jumped like that right on the sidewalk at my job, just a couple of hours before we start showing up for work. Most people were kind of making light of it, but it seemed pretty serious to me. Maybe if I work there for a couple more years, things like this will just be normal. I'll let you know, I guess.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Nothin says lovin like my jacked up oven.
You know how some people say they can't keep plants alive, and claim to have a "black thumb" or "brown thumb?" Is there a correlate of that for baking? Because that's what I have. Tonight I had to make a cake for work. I was making a cake-mix cake, because it is easier but mostly because the girl had specifically asked for the Funfetti type of cake. So I mixed all the crap together and put it in the oven; the box said 350 degrees (which I did) for 32-36 minutes for a 13x9 pan. So I set the timer for 30 minutes, just to be safe.
At 20 minutes into baking, I just happened to go into the kitchen and peek at the cake. The thing was totally golden brown and when I opened the oven I even got the faintest whiff of the beginning of that burnt smell. So I pulled it out of the oven, and dudes, that bitch was done. DONE BAKING. The middle was slightly iffy, but the edges were browning, firm, and pulling away from the edge of the pan. The cake sprung back when touched lightly. I don't know what to say. It was insanely early for it to be done. I don't know if our oven temp is messed up (I have never had any other problem with it), or...who knows. I know that I did not do anything wrong, I checked a million times. And yeah, thank god I happened to check it when I did or it would have gotten totally crispy, but it still stresses me out that it might be gooey or gross or something when people go to eat it tomorrow.
Stuff like this happens to me all the time when baking. And I mean, if you can't make a cake mix cake, you should really just quit with the baking. Because that shit is easy, and they test it a million billion times. So, I don't know. It seems like I have finally found one thing that I really enjoy/am interested in, and I have some stupid jinx or something that keeps me from being able to do it at a level above, like, a four-year-old. If I make one more cake that comes out burned, or hard as a rock, or still raw in the middle, or flat as a pancake, I think I will finally snap. Pillsbury can pretty much suck it, is what I have to say. God.
I did make a tasty icing though. I'm good at icing.
At 20 minutes into baking, I just happened to go into the kitchen and peek at the cake. The thing was totally golden brown and when I opened the oven I even got the faintest whiff of the beginning of that burnt smell. So I pulled it out of the oven, and dudes, that bitch was done. DONE BAKING. The middle was slightly iffy, but the edges were browning, firm, and pulling away from the edge of the pan. The cake sprung back when touched lightly. I don't know what to say. It was insanely early for it to be done. I don't know if our oven temp is messed up (I have never had any other problem with it), or...who knows. I know that I did not do anything wrong, I checked a million times. And yeah, thank god I happened to check it when I did or it would have gotten totally crispy, but it still stresses me out that it might be gooey or gross or something when people go to eat it tomorrow.
Stuff like this happens to me all the time when baking. And I mean, if you can't make a cake mix cake, you should really just quit with the baking. Because that shit is easy, and they test it a million billion times. So, I don't know. It seems like I have finally found one thing that I really enjoy/am interested in, and I have some stupid jinx or something that keeps me from being able to do it at a level above, like, a four-year-old. If I make one more cake that comes out burned, or hard as a rock, or still raw in the middle, or flat as a pancake, I think I will finally snap. Pillsbury can pretty much suck it, is what I have to say. God.
I did make a tasty icing though. I'm good at icing.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I Think I'll Go To Boston
For starters, I just want to say that any time I talk to someone around here who has a British accent, I assume that they are faking. And then I immediately start to treat them like they're insane, because you would have to be insane to fake a British accent all the time. So, I don't know. I have felt that way for a long time and I just wanted to get that off my chest. Stop being pretend British, y'all. It's not funny.
Secondly, work has been insane for the past three days specifically and the past little while generally. I don't want to get into details on this blog, but so far this week has been easily one of the worst since I started working there. To use a totally played out but accurate metaphor, I feel like I am in a huge pool of water and just barely, barely keeping my head above the surface. And when you feel like that day after day it's just like, how long can you keep treading water?
Finally, I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately because I feel like the entire rest of my life is beyond my control. After I graduate I will just be sitting around waiting for someone else to decide where I can work, and I will be moving around based on somebody else's needs, and I have even been planning my free time lately based on what everybody else wants. I just want to call the shots for a little bit. I just want to say "I'm moving here" or "I want to work there" or "I'm paying this much money for ___" without having to consult with anybody else or convince them of my point. It all makes me feel helpless, and kind of worthless, which just makes me feel bad about a million other things.
Pretty much I just feel like running away. I mean, don't you remember what your mom used to say when you were little?
"Running away solves everything."
Secondly, work has been insane for the past three days specifically and the past little while generally. I don't want to get into details on this blog, but so far this week has been easily one of the worst since I started working there. To use a totally played out but accurate metaphor, I feel like I am in a huge pool of water and just barely, barely keeping my head above the surface. And when you feel like that day after day it's just like, how long can you keep treading water?
Finally, I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately because I feel like the entire rest of my life is beyond my control. After I graduate I will just be sitting around waiting for someone else to decide where I can work, and I will be moving around based on somebody else's needs, and I have even been planning my free time lately based on what everybody else wants. I just want to call the shots for a little bit. I just want to say "I'm moving here" or "I want to work there" or "I'm paying this much money for ___" without having to consult with anybody else or convince them of my point. It all makes me feel helpless, and kind of worthless, which just makes me feel bad about a million other things.
Pretty much I just feel like running away. I mean, don't you remember what your mom used to say when you were little?
"Running away solves everything."
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The Shack of Democracy
I'm sure there are a lot of meaningful things I could say about the democratic process, but my favorite quote from election day comes from Becky, re: finding our voting location:
"I drove back and forth like fifty times, and then finally I was like, oh, am I supposed to go into this shack?"
Hehe! The place was a little gangster, I'll admit, but that train of though just cracked me up. Yay for voting in a new town.
"I drove back and forth like fifty times, and then finally I was like, oh, am I supposed to go into this shack?"
Hehe! The place was a little gangster, I'll admit, but that train of though just cracked me up. Yay for voting in a new town.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Out in the cold
The good news: I neither crashed my car nor showed up a half an hour late to work today as I've done seemingly every other Wednesday this month.
The bad news: I went out at 8 to start and scrape off my car. I got in, started the engine, and got out. When I went to open the back door to get out my scraper, I realized that the back door was locked. As was the front door. And all of the rest of them. This kind of thing sucks donkey balls for about 80 different reasons, but the worst one is that my car doesn't let you lock the door when the key is in the ignition, and I never even TRIED to lock the door, and yet somehow it still happened. The one saving grace in this whole situation was that Becky had a snow day; if she hadn't been home, I would have been locked out of both my car AND my house with my purse and phone trapped inside of my running vehicle.
So I rang the doorbell 50 times and Becky came down to let me in. I used her phone to call Pop-A-Lock. (I don't have a spare car key at the apartment because I figured that generally if I can't get in my car, I can't get in my apartment either, and Becky's not home all that often. So the spare is at my parents' house. Not helpful.) Pop-A-Lock informed me that they would be at my house in AT MOST 45 minutes, and took my address, name, and phone number. So I waited 45 minutes. And then I waited 20 more. And then I called the company back. They told me that the roads were bad and that there were a lot of calls, and that they'd be there shortly. So I waited another....hour and a half. And called them a third time, at which point they finally contacted the driver to find out where the hell he was. Apparently they had added a silent K to the beginning of my street name, and the driver, unable to find me in his GPS, had been driving around aimlessly for two and a half hours. And no one had called to let me know, or bothered to inform me when I called the first time. The dispatcher said that he did not have the authority to authorize any kind of discount on the service (obviously I asked) and that I would have to speak with the driver about that; he assured me that the driver would be there in 10 minutes.
A half an hour later, the driver showed up. He popped the lock in about 3 minutes, tops. At this point my car had been running with the heat on full blast for three and a half hours. The driver then presented me with a bill for $45 dollars, which I informed him that I would not be paying. He told me that he did not have the authority to give a discount, and that I would have to talk to a dispatcher about that. When I told him that the dispatcher had told me the exact opposite thing, he kind of shrugged and held up the bill. I was all, "Do you take checks?" and he's like, "Cash or charge only." So I gave him my Discover card, and looked at me, knowing I was already so pissed off, and said "Uh...we only take Visa or Mastercard." "WELL THIS IS ALL I HAVE." Heh heh. He wrote down the number anyway and left.
I ended up calling the company back for the FOURTH time that day and basically saying that I was NOT paying for their service. I got put on with a manager who eventually agreed with me. I have never been so freaking pissed off at a company before. I understand that things happen, but to never contact me ONCE when a driver takes THREE HOURS to get here is unacceptable. As is misspelling my street name which I SPELLED FOR THE GUY OVER THE PHONE THE FIRST TIME. I ended up missing a full day of work today, which I have never done before in my life, and I feel really bad about it. Like I said before, I don't even know how the damn car got locked, so it's extra infuriating. I strongly suggest that no one ever call Pop-A-Lock to get your car unlocked. And I will very shortly be making about 900 copies of my car key to keep....well, everywhere.
The bad news: I went out at 8 to start and scrape off my car. I got in, started the engine, and got out. When I went to open the back door to get out my scraper, I realized that the back door was locked. As was the front door. And all of the rest of them. This kind of thing sucks donkey balls for about 80 different reasons, but the worst one is that my car doesn't let you lock the door when the key is in the ignition, and I never even TRIED to lock the door, and yet somehow it still happened. The one saving grace in this whole situation was that Becky had a snow day; if she hadn't been home, I would have been locked out of both my car AND my house with my purse and phone trapped inside of my running vehicle.
So I rang the doorbell 50 times and Becky came down to let me in. I used her phone to call Pop-A-Lock. (I don't have a spare car key at the apartment because I figured that generally if I can't get in my car, I can't get in my apartment either, and Becky's not home all that often. So the spare is at my parents' house. Not helpful.) Pop-A-Lock informed me that they would be at my house in AT MOST 45 minutes, and took my address, name, and phone number. So I waited 45 minutes. And then I waited 20 more. And then I called the company back. They told me that the roads were bad and that there were a lot of calls, and that they'd be there shortly. So I waited another....hour and a half. And called them a third time, at which point they finally contacted the driver to find out where the hell he was. Apparently they had added a silent K to the beginning of my street name, and the driver, unable to find me in his GPS, had been driving around aimlessly for two and a half hours. And no one had called to let me know, or bothered to inform me when I called the first time. The dispatcher said that he did not have the authority to authorize any kind of discount on the service (obviously I asked) and that I would have to speak with the driver about that; he assured me that the driver would be there in 10 minutes.
A half an hour later, the driver showed up. He popped the lock in about 3 minutes, tops. At this point my car had been running with the heat on full blast for three and a half hours. The driver then presented me with a bill for $45 dollars, which I informed him that I would not be paying. He told me that he did not have the authority to give a discount, and that I would have to talk to a dispatcher about that. When I told him that the dispatcher had told me the exact opposite thing, he kind of shrugged and held up the bill. I was all, "Do you take checks?" and he's like, "Cash or charge only." So I gave him my Discover card, and looked at me, knowing I was already so pissed off, and said "Uh...we only take Visa or Mastercard." "WELL THIS IS ALL I HAVE." Heh heh. He wrote down the number anyway and left.
I ended up calling the company back for the FOURTH time that day and basically saying that I was NOT paying for their service. I got put on with a manager who eventually agreed with me. I have never been so freaking pissed off at a company before. I understand that things happen, but to never contact me ONCE when a driver takes THREE HOURS to get here is unacceptable. As is misspelling my street name which I SPELLED FOR THE GUY OVER THE PHONE THE FIRST TIME. I ended up missing a full day of work today, which I have never done before in my life, and I feel really bad about it. Like I said before, I don't even know how the damn car got locked, so it's extra infuriating. I strongly suggest that no one ever call Pop-A-Lock to get your car unlocked. And I will very shortly be making about 900 copies of my car key to keep....well, everywhere.
Monday, February 18, 2008
...Srsly?
I meant to post this a while ago, but now that I've come across it, please find below a list of really inappropriate children's book titles I found while working on a project:
Where Oh Where's My Underwear?
Peter's Package
What's In My Pocket? A Pop-Up Book
Where Oh Where's My Underwear?
Peter's Package
What's In My Pocket? A Pop-Up Book
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rim job
I was really hoping for a snow day this morning. I got two around this time last year, so it seemed within the realm of possibility. Almost every school in Franklin county shut down, but we didn't even have a Level One Snow Emergency, so off to work I went. The roads were BAD. Nothing in town had even been touched with a plow. I hadn't even made it a mile from my house when I hit a particularly rough patch; my car did a complete 180, skipped up the curb, and landed fully in the front lawn of Westerville South High School. Thankfully nobody was around to witness my idiocy/be killed by my wildly careening (20 mph) vehicle, so I just put it in reverse, turned around, and went on my way to work (1 hour commute today). The freeways were in nasty shape, and King Avenue was its usual almost impassable self. I don't know what it is about that road when it snows, but you should definitely avoid it.
Anyway, when I got to work I saw that my back left rim was all bent up and a piece of the hubcap had broken off. Great. Everything else seems okay, so I shouldn't really complain, but it put me on edge because I had a similar bent-rim situation a couple years back and I ended up with a flat tire by the end of the work day. Luckily this tire has held up. I just have to make it to work and back tomorrow...Thursday I work just down the road, and Friday I'm off so I can take it in to get straightened out. Ugh. Why couldn't they have just closed the damn library? It was a slow day anyway.
Oh, and I also found like 4 dead roaches and their, um, "leavings" in a book today. And yesterday a crackhead told me to fuck myself like, 9000 times in a row. So...not the best week so far.
Anyway, when I got to work I saw that my back left rim was all bent up and a piece of the hubcap had broken off. Great. Everything else seems okay, so I shouldn't really complain, but it put me on edge because I had a similar bent-rim situation a couple years back and I ended up with a flat tire by the end of the work day. Luckily this tire has held up. I just have to make it to work and back tomorrow...Thursday I work just down the road, and Friday I'm off so I can take it in to get straightened out. Ugh. Why couldn't they have just closed the damn library? It was a slow day anyway.
Oh, and I also found like 4 dead roaches and their, um, "leavings" in a book today. And yesterday a crackhead told me to fuck myself like, 9000 times in a row. So...not the best week so far.
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