Archive for February, 2008
February 21, 2008 at 8:00 pm · Filed under Thinking
I guess I feel more officially unemployed today than yesterday so it could be considered day one but if I am to follow my logic over feelings (can I actually divide them?), today is day two.
It being such a beautiful day, I packed a lunch and went to the beach. The sand was cold under my bum and the book I was reading was quite pessimistic, it tasted quite off under the blue sky. My mind wandered. I thought about my life in 5 years and whether or not it will involve sufficient daylight and time for strolls.
February 19, 2008 at 7:39 am · Filed under Experiences
Kim, being the wonderful person she is, chose black as a colour for the bridesmaid dresses. We were also lucky to have her aunt who owns a dress shop in Regina give plenty of useful advice and suggestions. After tossing some ideas around we all settled on what you see below. It is an amazing dress, the best that I have ever worn. Immediately after first putting it on I wanted it to be the one. It is beautiful and so comfortable. I don’t have a picture of the back, but there are also two long strips of train. If the dress is still up on the Bagley Mischka site, you can see the back view there.
I don’t know what else to say about it but, given how much I have been talking about this dress for the past 4 months, a picture post is due.
Now plotting where and when it can be worn again…
February 18, 2008 at 10:29 am · Filed under Experiences
February 18, 2008 at 9:46 am · Filed under Experiences
Friday we met Kim at the hotel for manicures. Jemma and Steph were making the women working on their nails laugh so hard that it was quite challenging to get those french manicures straight. We were talking about “drunkles” - every wedding has one - the drunk uncle. I guess that could be “druncle”. I don’t think spelling has been established yet.
Following was champagne in the prime minister suite. The charter of rights and freedoms is framed on the wall in the dining room - just in case he forgets. Kim’s mother left gifts for us in the bedroom. The first time for me to receive a heart-shaped box of chocolates. It filled me with glee and sometime in the future will fill me with chocolate.
February 15, 2008 at 10:32 am · Filed under Experiences, In the Kitchen and Foodstuff
Twenty-two bobby pins were just pulled out from my hair. I am close to resting after a day and a half celebration in the sask hotel. Jumping before that, I was trying to write something but never had a chance to finish. Here’s what I started…
I can’t promise that I’ll manage to continue with entire sentences. I feel like taking a break from writing for a while. But still, there are important events to document so, to expand on the previous post a little…
I arrived in Regina late Wednesday night. Kim’s wedding is on Saturday - everyone must know this by now - and I am E-X-C-I-T-E-D. The world will be a better place once her and Jeff are married. More on the wedding later.
For now, yesterday there were wedding-related errands to do and I was happy to spend the day with Kim as I felt like I had been in my own little thesis bubble for so long. We drove around the city which is currently blanketed with mounds of beautiful snow and managed to finish everything at a reasonable hour to continue with one of the main plans that day…cupcakes.
Kim and I share a love for baking. Particularly the visual appeal…
…then my ride came to do pre-wedding bridesmaid errands. So much has happened between then and now (Saturday night) that I think I have to skip complete telling of the cupcake party. Instead, cupcake porn:
Did everyone get that?
February 14, 2008 at 8:09 pm · Filed under Random Thoughts
Steph: “I brought 4 beer and pop five!”
and they say they saved some mead from December…excited
cupcakes are baked, pictures to come…tomorrow
there is plenty of snow on the ground and the rumble of ABS brakes under my feet is very satisfying despite white knuckles
it’s lung hurting cold in SK but warm inside
February 12, 2008 at 1:50 pm · Filed under Experiences, Theeeeeeeeeeesis
early
nervous and hiding
forgetful
practicing
defense
and I passed! yay! now waiting to get off this campus, back home and into bed.
February 12, 2008 at 11:37 am · Filed under Theeeeeeeeeeesis
Squatting in the hallway, waiting for the verdict. The defense did not feel so bad. I think the hardest questions to answer were ones from the students. Not to say everything was a success but I didn’t cry. Now just waiting…
February 9, 2008 at 3:44 pm · Filed under In the Kitchen and Foodstuff
It’s been much too long since the last documented exploration in my kitchen. So on this gray Saturday I present another episode of in the kitchen:
To begin, meet the lotus root:
I did when in Japan. In stews, deep fried, with stuffed holes, as garnish, and baked in little snack packages at the combini. The latter, れんこんチップス (renkon chippusu - lotus root chips) makes a particularly tasty snack and is perfect with beer at the izakaya.
Wanting to eat them again, I found some instructions. After you find lotus root (note to those in Regina: I’ve seen them in the Asian grocery store by the police station), cut ends off and peel. Put in water with at least 1 tbsp of rice vinegar while not in use.
The instructions followed mentioned using a food processor or mandoline and, oh, now I really want a mandoline but did not have one today so managed with a knife. My slices were uneven but I guess it allowed me to experiment with varying thicknesses.
When slices are not being prepared, put them back into the vinegared water. The vinegared water is the naked lotus root waiting room. When ready to be dressed, they can be taken out and dried with a paper towel.
To season, place them in a bowl with a sprinkle of your favorite herbs and/or spices and a drizzle (your call on how much that is) of olive oil. Mix to coat all slices evenly. I actually used the put in closed container and shake method. Quite effective. Sorry to mislead you about the bowl.
After that, spread the slices onto a baking sheet trying to make sure they do not overlap. Eric has already called dibs on what he thinks will be the tastiest lotus root chip. Which one do you want?
Put the sheet in an oven preheated to 375 F. After 10 minutes take them out and turn the chips over with a spatula. They will stick to the pan but can be jimmied off. Put back in the oven. Maybe for another 5 minutes.
From this point the steps are up to you and your oven. You want to bake them until they are golden brown and crispy to your liking. The time and temperature can depend on your oven. After the 5 minutes I turned the temperature down and after another 5 minutes turned it down even lower to dry more than bake the chips.
Results:
Yum. A bit too salty though - note for next time.
To summarize what I’ve done today:
Actually I have not followed through with contribution #2 yet but will in a bit when I have supper. Please try lotus roots. They are most amazing.
February 8, 2008 at 1:03 pm · Filed under Random Thoughts, Theeeeeeeeeeesis
What is writer’s block called if you are not writing but making powerpoint slides? Or putting together, framing up, drawing up, etc. powerpoint slides? The root of my frustration with this presentation must be in the unavailability of a more specific action word for making slides (something other than making, creating, etc.). It has nothing to do with thinking the thesis is a sham.
Yay for Lunar eclipse on February 21st! Perhaps I should stay in Saskatchewan for a few more days and increase my chances of clear skies?
Last night’s practice was a battle with my height. To start - running with one finger brushing the ground. Later learning that my feet should be closer together when in shikodachi, making it harder to squat down. Conclusion: it will be very very very difficult for me to have beautiful kata.
Three more slides where are you??!!
February 7, 2008 at 10:38 am · Filed under Mundane
I enjoyed buying groceries, cleaning, doing laundry. I baked sour cream-maple bread and it turned out a bit crumbly, but moist and not too sweet. I picked out a book to read while eating soup and then I went to bed at 9pm. All done without the hot breath of guilt on my neck.
I slept 10 hours and woke up with a sore throat. A mix of feeling quite better and a lot worse. I went for a run to shake out a cold possibly coming along. Then I went to a job interview and the fact that I stayed engaged despite drowsiness and sore throat and even had ideas firing off in my head told me that it would potentially be a good position for me.
I came home and read again, enjoying Nabokov as I did before. His descriptions of things are still so satisfying. Then I slept more and more. I think I might be able to avoid that cold. And after a taste of freedom, I must return to the thesis and work on my defense presentation.
I I I I I
am feeling too self-absorbed and am looking forward to seeing girlfriends next week as they make me laugh so hard that I can’t think about myself for very long.
February 5, 2008 at 8:45 am · Filed under Theeeeeeeeeeesis
I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a stretch of time as long as this. I was never an allnight-er person. A good sleep could always speed work up so much - who could say no? But this is different. My thesis has been a monster to me. It still is. Though today is my deadline. I have no other choice. I’ve been working since 8am yesterday, running on naps totaling around 2 hours. In two and a half hours I want to leave the house and go print the beast off, drop it off at UBC, and then sleep for a while.
There is not much left to do but it feels like there is so much. Actually, given my current state the little left to do is probably a lot. That would be why I am writing here and not there. I have done everything else except wrap up some results that I feel I don’t have. Things are reviewed and summarized and discussed but is there a point?
I’m in awe of how much these pages and these words have constantly been in the background and often foreground of my life for the past…2 years? 3 years? Who will I be when it’s over? It will be like having this massive space in my head drained of its contents and be open for * new * things.
Okay…back…just a little more to go.
