Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Mood buttons You Can’t Wear To Work: Part 3
I should be writing a paper but...
And yeah, I just returned to campus to finish writing the damn paper.
And yeah, I just returned to campus to finish writing the damn paper.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ugh!
Isn't this semester over yet? Too much crap to do and not enough time. Especially when all I want to do is sleep.
Worked the late night program on Friday, spent Saturday making up for it. Fun times, drunk girl arrested, drunk guy got on the roof of a building and passed out..no kidding. Wonder if that will make the school newspaper....
Peace ya'll.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Stood Up
I am beginning to feel like the ugly prom date. In the last two days, I have been stood up four times by other people for set appointments. One person missed a business meeting with me, twice! The other two were both interviews I had arranged for my class project. I spoke to one of them and have still not heard from the other but am trying to reschedule all three.
So frustrating!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
From Crib to Cubicle, A Familiar Voice -- Our Own -- Reassures
(This article was on the intranet at work and a co-worker pointed it out to me...one who sits shares a cubicle wall with me. I wonder why..)
When a voice rises from a nearby cubicle, a better question than "You talking to me?" may be "You talking to you?"
Susan Shapiro, a business-technology consultant, talks to herself constantly in what amounts to auditory to-do lists and step-by-step instructions. She calls herself an "idiot" at times, "brilliant" at others and occasionally says things out loud such as, "I can't believe I'm talking to myself out loud." She once discovered a colleague hovering behind her, waiting for her and her cubemate to finish their conversation. "We weren't talking to each other," she says. "We were each talking to ourselves."
Self-talking starts early, beginning as crib speech for the fun of it and becoming toddlers' repetition of rules they're learning to live by, researchers say. Late in life, you might say to yourself, "Why am I looking for my eyeglasses in the refrigerator?" only to discover -- holy cow! -- that's where you left them.
In between, in your cubicle-bound life, researchers say as many as 96% of people talk to themselves aloud, and deaf people have been observed signing to themselves while answering test questions. It's believed that people primarily blather to themselves when alone so as not to appear nuts. But those of us in the cube farm know better.
The irony is that self-chatter, like sharp objects, is both most suited and least suited to the workplace. "At work where we would most benefit from talking out loud is also the place we are least likely to do so for social reasons," says Alain Morin, a professor of psychology at the Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta.
Among the things it's useful for is what's called self-regulation: goal-setting, problem-solving, decision-making and planning ("When she says, 'You already got a raise,' I'll say, 'Which didn't keep pace with inflation' "). These conversations with one's self tend to increase, research shows, with the complexity of tasks and when someone's having a bad day.
"There's not a lot you can say when things are going really well: 'I want to keep things as they are,' " notes Tom Brinthaupt, professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University. Self-talk is "not that different from a thermostat. It's one of the ways we monitor ourselves, control impulses and guide actions."
The downside: "It can very much be disruptive."
Self-talk, unscientifically, also seems to be the stuff in the noisy maelstrom of the mind that slips out. It's also ensures that at least one person is listening to you.
When the pressure's on before, say, a big presentation, there's a lot of anticipatory conversation -- a stress rehearsal. Evan Steingart, former head of sales at a consumer-products company, worked with a salesman who rehearsed his entire pitch the day before he met with clients, including their objections in a different voice.
"It was an extreme distraction to the rest of the group," says Mr. Steingart. "People were so mesmerized by it."
They couldn't stop themselves from secretly dialing into the conference-room phone and listening in whenever he went there to practice. "Fortunately, he would always make the sale, and he never got into an argument with himself," adds Mr. Steingart.
For some, talking to oneself is a way to reach group consensus, sans group. Chris Weyers, who works for a financial-services company, talks himself up all day, he says, "as if someone is helping you get the day organized, urging you on to get things done faster, telling you not to check email when you hear the ping."
He's more efficient, he adds, because "two heads are better than one." The problem is his assistant, whose hearing isn't what it once was, rushes in throughout the day, asking, "Are you talking to me?"
Many of us are as used to someone's self-chatter as we are to people with invisible cellphone headsets seemingly blathering on to themselves. J.P. Tristani, a former commercial-airline pilot, flew with a DC-8 captain who, whenever faced with bad weather on radar, would "consult" aloud with an Indian chief he pretended sat in the jump seat behind him.
"I didn't care who he was talking to back there," he says, "as long as I didn't hear a voice coming out of that black void."
Self-talk can be both a cause of distraction in the office and its cure. After a while, you listen to yourself think aloud so you don't have to listen to the soliloquy next to you.
"Talking to yourself eliminates some other distractions," says J.J. Stives, who sat next to an incessant self-talker. His partner, Christine Ascherman, a commercial photographer, talks to herself about exposure and aperture before and during her shoots. "It wards off conversation," she says.
Carli Entin, an associate magazine editor, loves talking to herself whether it's "appearing" as a panelist on "Meet the Press," narrating her imaginary cooking show ("replace some of the water with coffee for a tastier cupcake"), or blogging.
At work, even when a colleague told her she stopped listening, that didn't stop Ms. Entin's side of the conversation or the fun she had engaging in it. Besides, her self-chatter can be efficient. "By acting out the conversation," she says, "I no longer need to have it."
• By JARED SANDBERG.
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120640272238360897.html
When a voice rises from a nearby cubicle, a better question than "You talking to me?" may be "You talking to you?"
Susan Shapiro, a business-technology consultant, talks to herself constantly in what amounts to auditory to-do lists and step-by-step instructions. She calls herself an "idiot" at times, "brilliant" at others and occasionally says things out loud such as, "I can't believe I'm talking to myself out loud." She once discovered a colleague hovering behind her, waiting for her and her cubemate to finish their conversation. "We weren't talking to each other," she says. "We were each talking to ourselves."
Self-talking starts early, beginning as crib speech for the fun of it and becoming toddlers' repetition of rules they're learning to live by, researchers say. Late in life, you might say to yourself, "Why am I looking for my eyeglasses in the refrigerator?" only to discover -- holy cow! -- that's where you left them.
In between, in your cubicle-bound life, researchers say as many as 96% of people talk to themselves aloud, and deaf people have been observed signing to themselves while answering test questions. It's believed that people primarily blather to themselves when alone so as not to appear nuts. But those of us in the cube farm know better.
The irony is that self-chatter, like sharp objects, is both most suited and least suited to the workplace. "At work where we would most benefit from talking out loud is also the place we are least likely to do so for social reasons," says Alain Morin, a professor of psychology at the Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta.
Among the things it's useful for is what's called self-regulation: goal-setting, problem-solving, decision-making and planning ("When she says, 'You already got a raise,' I'll say, 'Which didn't keep pace with inflation' "). These conversations with one's self tend to increase, research shows, with the complexity of tasks and when someone's having a bad day.
"There's not a lot you can say when things are going really well: 'I want to keep things as they are,' " notes Tom Brinthaupt, professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University. Self-talk is "not that different from a thermostat. It's one of the ways we monitor ourselves, control impulses and guide actions."
The downside: "It can very much be disruptive."
Self-talk, unscientifically, also seems to be the stuff in the noisy maelstrom of the mind that slips out. It's also ensures that at least one person is listening to you.
When the pressure's on before, say, a big presentation, there's a lot of anticipatory conversation -- a stress rehearsal. Evan Steingart, former head of sales at a consumer-products company, worked with a salesman who rehearsed his entire pitch the day before he met with clients, including their objections in a different voice.
"It was an extreme distraction to the rest of the group," says Mr. Steingart. "People were so mesmerized by it."
They couldn't stop themselves from secretly dialing into the conference-room phone and listening in whenever he went there to practice. "Fortunately, he would always make the sale, and he never got into an argument with himself," adds Mr. Steingart.
For some, talking to oneself is a way to reach group consensus, sans group. Chris Weyers, who works for a financial-services company, talks himself up all day, he says, "as if someone is helping you get the day organized, urging you on to get things done faster, telling you not to check email when you hear the ping."
He's more efficient, he adds, because "two heads are better than one." The problem is his assistant, whose hearing isn't what it once was, rushes in throughout the day, asking, "Are you talking to me?"
Many of us are as used to someone's self-chatter as we are to people with invisible cellphone headsets seemingly blathering on to themselves. J.P. Tristani, a former commercial-airline pilot, flew with a DC-8 captain who, whenever faced with bad weather on radar, would "consult" aloud with an Indian chief he pretended sat in the jump seat behind him.
"I didn't care who he was talking to back there," he says, "as long as I didn't hear a voice coming out of that black void."
Self-talk can be both a cause of distraction in the office and its cure. After a while, you listen to yourself think aloud so you don't have to listen to the soliloquy next to you.
"Talking to yourself eliminates some other distractions," says J.J. Stives, who sat next to an incessant self-talker. His partner, Christine Ascherman, a commercial photographer, talks to herself about exposure and aperture before and during her shoots. "It wards off conversation," she says.
Carli Entin, an associate magazine editor, loves talking to herself whether it's "appearing" as a panelist on "Meet the Press," narrating her imaginary cooking show ("replace some of the water with coffee for a tastier cupcake"), or blogging.
At work, even when a colleague told her she stopped listening, that didn't stop Ms. Entin's side of the conversation or the fun she had engaging in it. Besides, her self-chatter can be efficient. "By acting out the conversation," she says, "I no longer need to have it."
• By JARED SANDBERG.
URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120640272238360897.html
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Umm...
Went to bed at 11:00, got up at 2:00 to work on a position paper due at 7 p.m. tonight. Taking a break right now. I have a long way to go, including finishing my research on the topic. Was very depressed at 10:30 when I realized that I left the textbook that is the basic text I was going to use for this paper at school tonight. While my brother generously offered to drive me to school since I was so tired (Really, Zipper, I can't thank you enough), I declined and went to take a nap stating that I would figure something out.
Thank goodness it is a well known text and a simple google search brought up a teaching outline of the chapter I needed from the publisher. Really a shorthand but when you have a lot to write, hey - you take what you can get. I found a couple other articles I can pull from although I have a bunch I can add to the essay once I get it completed. Three sources is a little light for a graduate paper but I have to get the dang thing written first. I have written the introduction, the conclusion and the transition paragraph between the second and third main point to the paper (boy, teaching outlining has really helped my scholarship...). Now I just have to read and write the body of the essay! The syllabus gives us a length of 4-5 pages, I am about 2 in already. My goal is to have a complete draft done by the time I have to get ready for work so that in my break from 12-2 today, I can proofread a final draft. That is my goal, fingers crossed.
During my study break, besides taking a moment to vent in this space, I also emptied and refilled the ice cub trays in the (brand new) freezer while getting myself a glass of water, repacked my backpack for tomorrow so I am not carrying a million things I don't need to, wrote a speaking outline for my 3:30 presentation in my last request for funding for my service assignment (Not to brag but I have managed to secure $3,200 of the $4,900 needed - in contrast to the $1,000 that the faculty advisor brought in). The request is for $1,000 although at this point, all we really need to fully fund the event without department funds is $700. So even if they only give us $100, I pulled it off. All I have to do is generate some publicity in the next three weeks (event is April 22), write up event reports for the sponsors and this monkey is off my back. Believe me, I am counting the days....
Everything is actually going well for me, with the exception of being a student. I am really struggling with that part of my life. And on that note, my break is over.
Ciao!
Thank goodness it is a well known text and a simple google search brought up a teaching outline of the chapter I needed from the publisher. Really a shorthand but when you have a lot to write, hey - you take what you can get. I found a couple other articles I can pull from although I have a bunch I can add to the essay once I get it completed. Three sources is a little light for a graduate paper but I have to get the dang thing written first. I have written the introduction, the conclusion and the transition paragraph between the second and third main point to the paper (boy, teaching outlining has really helped my scholarship...). Now I just have to read and write the body of the essay! The syllabus gives us a length of 4-5 pages, I am about 2 in already. My goal is to have a complete draft done by the time I have to get ready for work so that in my break from 12-2 today, I can proofread a final draft. That is my goal, fingers crossed.
During my study break, besides taking a moment to vent in this space, I also emptied and refilled the ice cub trays in the (brand new) freezer while getting myself a glass of water, repacked my backpack for tomorrow so I am not carrying a million things I don't need to, wrote a speaking outline for my 3:30 presentation in my last request for funding for my service assignment (Not to brag but I have managed to secure $3,200 of the $4,900 needed - in contrast to the $1,000 that the faculty advisor brought in). The request is for $1,000 although at this point, all we really need to fully fund the event without department funds is $700. So even if they only give us $100, I pulled it off. All I have to do is generate some publicity in the next three weeks (event is April 22), write up event reports for the sponsors and this monkey is off my back. Believe me, I am counting the days....
Everything is actually going well for me, with the exception of being a student. I am really struggling with that part of my life. And on that note, my break is over.
Ciao!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Off the Face of the
So April is going to be very busy for me. I managed to post at least three times in March but I will probably be silent all this coming month.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Countdown
Spring Break is almost here. I get off work around 5 p.m. today and am counting down the minutes. 7 hrs, 25 min and too many seconds between me and time off.
There is a bottle of vodka calling my name...
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Soundtrack of my life
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool
1. Opening Credits: Makes No Sense at All/ Andre 3000
2. Waking Up: Apparently Nothin’/Young Disciplines
3.First Day At School: Espacio Sideral/Jesse & Joy
4.Falling In Love: Sexx Laws/Beck
5.Fight Song: Where’s the Love/Hanson
6.Breaking Up: Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas/Tori Amos
7.Prom: World Go ‘Round/No Doubt
8.Life: Love is Stronger Than Justice/Sting
9.Mental breakdown: La Unica/Juanes
10.Driving: Hey Jupiter/Tori Amos
11.Flashback: You Had Me, You Lost Me/Eve
12.Getting back together: Altisimo/Hector Buitrago
13.Wedding: Let Love Rule/Lenny Kravitz
14.Birth of Child: No, You Don’t/NIN
15.Final Battle: I Begin to Wonder/Danni Minogue
16.Death Scene: Glitz Rock/Felix da Housecat
17.Funeral Song: I’m Not In Love/Tori Amos
18.End Credits: Your Joy/Chrisette Michele
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool
1. Opening Credits: Makes No Sense at All/ Andre 3000
2. Waking Up: Apparently Nothin’/Young Disciplines
3.First Day At School: Espacio Sideral/Jesse & Joy
4.Falling In Love: Sexx Laws/Beck
5.Fight Song: Where’s the Love/Hanson
6.Breaking Up: Don’t Make Me Come to Vegas/Tori Amos
7.Prom: World Go ‘Round/No Doubt
8.Life: Love is Stronger Than Justice/Sting
9.Mental breakdown: La Unica/Juanes
10.Driving: Hey Jupiter/Tori Amos
11.Flashback: You Had Me, You Lost Me/Eve
12.Getting back together: Altisimo/Hector Buitrago
13.Wedding: Let Love Rule/Lenny Kravitz
14.Birth of Child: No, You Don’t/NIN
15.Final Battle: I Begin to Wonder/Danni Minogue
16.Death Scene: Glitz Rock/Felix da Housecat
17.Funeral Song: I’m Not In Love/Tori Amos
18.End Credits: Your Joy/Chrisette Michele
Monday, February 18, 2008
Ready to come home
I should probably use this time to tell you about my adventures in CO but I'm tired of sitting in the lobby of the hotel by myself to use the free wifi. Which I didn't learn about until today, the day before I leave for home. Some random thoughts regarding this trip:
Traveling alone sucks. JW got sick and stayed in LA at the last minute.
The Omni Interlocken hotel either must be the best job in the world in CO or else they drug all the employees with Prozac daily. They are way too happy. And I mean Waaaaay too happy. All the time.
I am not a fan of housekeeping trying to open my door before 8:30 on a Monday morning,
New American Cuisine is not as scary as it may sound. It's actually quite tasty.
When flying, be sure to stock up on cold meds. Especially if your hotel is in the middle of BFE.
Read the entertainment and info guide they send out before going somewhere. That way you won't pay $87 for a taxi ride instead of $22 for the super shuttle.
Going to a conference by yourself sucks.
I love my discipline. Where else can someone talk about Spiderman and 9/11 and Jem and the Holograms all in the same day. And be taken seriously. (Meesh, i wish you were here). There was also a paper titled, "What would Jesus Smoke?" about freedom of speech. And that one comes out of my department too.
Alright, thats enough for now. I am counting down the minutes until I can come home safe and sound. Fingers crossed, no delays and I land in LAX at 4:00 p.m.
Ciao bella.
Traveling alone sucks. JW got sick and stayed in LA at the last minute.
The Omni Interlocken hotel either must be the best job in the world in CO or else they drug all the employees with Prozac daily. They are way too happy. And I mean Waaaaay too happy. All the time.
I am not a fan of housekeeping trying to open my door before 8:30 on a Monday morning,
New American Cuisine is not as scary as it may sound. It's actually quite tasty.
When flying, be sure to stock up on cold meds. Especially if your hotel is in the middle of BFE.
Read the entertainment and info guide they send out before going somewhere. That way you won't pay $87 for a taxi ride instead of $22 for the super shuttle.
Going to a conference by yourself sucks.
I love my discipline. Where else can someone talk about Spiderman and 9/11 and Jem and the Holograms all in the same day. And be taken seriously. (Meesh, i wish you were here). There was also a paper titled, "What would Jesus Smoke?" about freedom of speech. And that one comes out of my department too.
Alright, thats enough for now. I am counting down the minutes until I can come home safe and sound. Fingers crossed, no delays and I land in LAX at 4:00 p.m.
Ciao bella.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Goin' to CO
Yup, that's right. My flight leaves at 4:35 for Denver, Colorado. Gonna participate in the Western State Communication Association conference. Gonna be on a panel about teachin'. Cuz its all about the teachin'.
I had a funny blog planned about my recent (and first) bout with the flu but I don't have the energy. I am hoping that my decision to go on this trip does not turn out to be a bad one.
Oh, and I got my first semester teaching evals back. One of my classes thought I was a good teacher, the other class though my lectures came across as condescending. I haven't finished reading that class' eval yet, I have to teach at 12 and I can't let it mess with my head. Ah well, win some, lose some.
Signing off, Marz.
I had a funny blog planned about my recent (and first) bout with the flu but I don't have the energy. I am hoping that my decision to go on this trip does not turn out to be a bad one.
Oh, and I got my first semester teaching evals back. One of my classes thought I was a good teacher, the other class though my lectures came across as condescending. I haven't finished reading that class' eval yet, I have to teach at 12 and I can't let it mess with my head. Ah well, win some, lose some.
Signing off, Marz.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sometimes...
something just jumps out at you when it is least expected.
"What we experience is most often whatever needed to be expressed, whether through story, gossip, or humor on the one end, or poetry, novels, or films on the other"
- D. Soyini Madison, Critical Ethnography: Method, Ethics, and Performance
This is the book I am reading for my Performance Studies class. I really like the readings for this class, even as I am concerned about keeping up with the assignments.
Better go, more writing and grading to do. Happy Sunday night!
"What we experience is most often whatever needed to be expressed, whether through story, gossip, or humor on the one end, or poetry, novels, or films on the other"
- D. Soyini Madison, Critical Ethnography: Method, Ethics, and Performance
This is the book I am reading for my Performance Studies class. I really like the readings for this class, even as I am concerned about keeping up with the assignments.
Better go, more writing and grading to do. Happy Sunday night!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
A House Divided
After Super Tuesday, our Democratic household is split down the middle. I'll let you guess which generation voted for which candidate.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Oh...
I'm still at school. For that damn class I assist with as my service assignment to my department. The above picture is how I feel about it all.
Either shoot me or let me gouge my eyes out. *sigh*
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Sigh...
So, I guess posting once a month is the best we can hope for. Some things that have happened in the last few weeks:
*Had my first assignment for my Performance Studies Class - go to a bar and perform a ethnographic study. Gotta love graduate school.
*Got some great news, a paper I submitted for my conference in March was accepted! Yay! Another thing to my CV. Also, I think I forgot to mention that I am attending a conference in a couple weeks in which I will be on a roundtable discussion about teaching. Slowly but surely, I move towards the future.
*My new boss still rocks. We had a organizing/calendering 'party' on Friday. She loves office supplies as much as I do. I get to order more office supplies in fact. He he he. The GAs are still trying to schedule a coffee hour. We are aiming for Thursdays but we are all still creating our schedules for this semester. We moved our team meeting so things are still in flux.
*As for the student leaders I work with, the candidate we had couldn't accept the position after all and the other two stepped down before the retreat so we now have 4 open spots to fill. But everyone has been pitching in and we have some candidates to consider. The interview committee has been created (yes, I am on it) and I will be calling to set up appointments this week. We are on a roll.
*The retreat went well. A couple of rough spots and we forgot a couple things but we were able to take care of it at the last moment. Some of the young men make my blood pressure rise, part of the job.
*Things are not looking great for my girl Hillary. Super Tuesdays is this week, my fingers are crossed for her.
I have to go to bed but I will post again soon.
Oh - and if I do say so myself, I made a kick ass flier for the Barbie Chronicles. Getting it printed was another story but it looks awesome. One down, 5 flier to go.
*Had my first assignment for my Performance Studies Class - go to a bar and perform a ethnographic study. Gotta love graduate school.
*Got some great news, a paper I submitted for my conference in March was accepted! Yay! Another thing to my CV. Also, I think I forgot to mention that I am attending a conference in a couple weeks in which I will be on a roundtable discussion about teaching. Slowly but surely, I move towards the future.
*My new boss still rocks. We had a organizing/calendering 'party' on Friday. She loves office supplies as much as I do. I get to order more office supplies in fact. He he he. The GAs are still trying to schedule a coffee hour. We are aiming for Thursdays but we are all still creating our schedules for this semester. We moved our team meeting so things are still in flux.
*As for the student leaders I work with, the candidate we had couldn't accept the position after all and the other two stepped down before the retreat so we now have 4 open spots to fill. But everyone has been pitching in and we have some candidates to consider. The interview committee has been created (yes, I am on it) and I will be calling to set up appointments this week. We are on a roll.
*The retreat went well. A couple of rough spots and we forgot a couple things but we were able to take care of it at the last moment. Some of the young men make my blood pressure rise, part of the job.
*Things are not looking great for my girl Hillary. Super Tuesdays is this week, my fingers are crossed for her.
I have to go to bed but I will post again soon.
Oh - and if I do say so myself, I made a kick ass flier for the Barbie Chronicles. Getting it printed was another story but it looks awesome. One down, 5 flier to go.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Beginning 2008
Hi there, my three loyal readers!
Sorry for my long absence, I have not had much time/been in the mood to blog lately but I though I should fill you in on my corner of the world before the semester gets crazy and I cannot keep up with anything. I have a lot to say that I have been storing up so I apologize in advance for the really, really long post.
First, to follow up on my last post, check this out, upper right hand corner:
Caption: Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gets a kiss from a supporter as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa takes their photo after her speech at California State University Northridge, Thursday January, 17, 2008, in Northridge CA. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News)
It was so exciting and fun and thrilling. Also tiring, 5 ½ hours on bleachers waiting for Senator Clinton to arrive with stage lights glaring down on you is really tough. And you know what? Even if you are not a Hillary fan, it is still really cool to be a part of the political action. There is even footage from the event on TMZ. Wish I could send you the link but I can't figure out the html to make it work.
So, that is that adventure. If you will indulge me, lets jump back in time so I can share what I did during winter break.
I had the chance to do some cooking and baking. From Vive La Vegan I have cooked the Lemon-Herb Tofu (p.65 and in the oven right now), Three-Bean Curry Tomato Soup (p.79), Roasted Tomato Bean Stew (p.78), and the Chipotle Corn Black Bean Soup (p. 74). All have been yummy and all way too much food if I were on my own. When I am out in my own place, I will have to invest in some Tupperware to freeze portions of these dishes for later use.
From Vegan With a Vengeance, I have baked Sparkling Ginger Cookies (p.192), Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies (p.199), Buttery Lemon Cutout Cookies (p.201), Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (p205), and Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars (p.210).
See, I had this brilliant idea that I would bake and put together Christmas baskets since for the first year ever, I have more couple friends that single friends. I am not sure how I feel about that BTW… Any who, I think that I got good reviews on all the goodies although I was not happy with the blondie bars. I need to try that one again with the correct dish size. I don’t think it baked all the way through. Still, I have two baskets left to deliver, although I think I would need to rebake the goodies as I do not know if they are still good. All the recipes make a lot of goodies. The only one I would not retry is the Lemony cutout cookies, I could barely roll them out and I followed directions. Although the feedback I got was positive, I though they were rather gross and wouldn’t inflict them on anyone.
I also made a double batch of Red Velvet cupcakes for a pot luck that didn’t happen due to a power outage in December at the University that cancelled the event and Mint Chocolate Chip cupcakes for the rescheduled event in January. Both from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (VCTOW).
Sorry, I have no pictures. I thought I had at least taken pictures of the Mint Chocolate Cupcakes at least but apparently not. The cupcakes were yummy and eaten up quickly. Here is a gratuitous Cupcake picture to tide you over.
In school news, I got the grades I expected but worse that I had wanted to get last semester. Does that make sense? I also discovered that even if I got straight A’s from here on out, I will not be able to graduate with honors. I just can’t get to the GPA that is required. Ah well.
I got a new boss at the Union in the beginning of December and let me tell you, she is awesome. We have the same sense of humor, the same response to what is going on and even though I am her employee, in many ways she treats me like an equal, which, as great as my previous boss was – I never got the same feeling. She is really trying to bring the department together as a team and to make our processes as smooth and collaborative as possible. She has us each meeting and networking on campus at least one person a month. Pretty cool, even when I think – ‘gee, I have the time for this.’ I have one more week to meet with someone. Thank goodness I have to do outreach for my other job and can combine these efforts.
We are a better team already. We have expanded the team to include the 3 graduate assistants and we meet once a week to share and trouble shoot and check in with everyone. The GA’s also are going to meet for a coffee half hour, on the clock, to form our own support group to discuss the challenges that we face as para-professional staff and graduate students as well. Organized by me so we have not met yet. Next week I think we will start.
I also am now going to be supervising two undergraduate workers. One is still to be hired but I helped streamline the job description and get the interview questions over to HR for approval before we start posting. I will be involved in the job search. I like the job search stuff, I did several last semester and over the summer.
I am also on four committees at the union, working on creating the 08-09 budget for the department and planning a day long training for the BOD this Saturday. This is on top of my usual duties, which include paying invoices, requesting checks for the BOD, clerical work, scheduling meetings and managing the turn over on the BOD. Yeah, we have one new member joining us this week, an official resignation of another today and two more people whose status is up in the air. Yay! All my job to manage the revolving personnel.
Speaking of my other job (several paragraphs ago), today was the first day that I taught. I have the same schedule, as last semester so in some ways this is old hat. In other ways, it is a brand new adventure. I am still playing catch up although now that I have done it once, it is a little easier. I wasn’t shaking in front of the class nearly as much as I was at the beginning of last semester. It’s crazy, I have 25 students per class and a waiting list of at least 6 for each class. And everyone showed up today. Man I am hitting the ground running.
I also had my first class on Tuesday night, Performance Studies Seminar. It is going to be a lot of work but very informative. I have to conduct an ethnographic study this semester in a community. I plan on either working with Dress for Success or MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity). Both are awesome charities and Dress for Success is something I have wanted to get involved with for a couple years now. It will have to depend where they are located, when they operate and who is open to allowing me to participate in their community. I shall let you know how that goes. Also, our first assignment, which is due next Tuesday, is to go to a bar to conduct an ethnographic study. You have to love Graduate School. Now if only I could figure out a way to make cupcakes for a class project…
For my department service department, we met today to divvy up the work that needs to be done. We have two- three performances to publicize and get money for this semester. I fear that I will be screwed because the new TA who shared this assignment is notorious for allowing others to do her work and being real cozy with the instructors. And she is very close with both the head of our department and the advisor for the performance group. She is doing an independent study with the advisor to adapt
“The Barbie Chronicles” as the show for the group to perform this semester. She is going to adapt and direct the show. So guess who will get to take care of all the publicity and logistics for the visiting artists and all events? Yup, lit’ ol’ me. She already tried to say that she would put up the new display case by herself and leave all the flier work to me.
Nuh uh, no way chica. I said I would work on the fliers, yes but I very calmly said that I would like to help on the display as well. I phrased it as two sets of hands are better than one to help her vision come to life and made a decorative suggestion which she likes. She agreed that we should decorate the board together and then started complimenting me on how creative I am and how great a project I created last semester, so detailed, blah blah blah. Yeah, I am proud of my project and am creative but she laid it on a little thick. She is known for this kind of behavior. I hate to be this suspicious but I have to CYA this semester. I am going to start logging the hours I work on this service assignment so that if anyone tries to say I have not worked my max 5 hours each week, I can prove I did. And I know that I can’t say that Chica is not pulling her weight, she is much beloved by the staff involved. I just have to keep in mind and always phrase it as we are both so busy and could really need an extra set of hands. I can’t ever let anyone hear me say that she isn’t doing her job. I just think that the lines between her independent study and this service assignment will conveniently blur.
Oh and the kicker? The advisor is finishing her thesis this semester, trying to graduate with her PhD. So there is a lot that I think will be allowed to slide here. Whoopie.
This will be my last Wednesday night home for a while. The group will met at 7 on Wednesday nights. Ah well, no one else is home. Mi hermano is visiting with the cousins, mom will be out to dinner with a colleague each week and Pops is teaching a night class on Wednesdays this semester. He is going to be so tired but maybe we can figure out a way to carpool so he is not driving home by himself at 10 each week.
I have a Comm Theory class Tomorrow night which is going to be intense. I also am coding responses for a professor on campus for a research project. Paid and a good Curriculum Vitae builder.
I have a lot on my plate this semester, all this and two very intense classes. I really have to be on the top of my game. But I survived last semester, so I know I can do it. So if you don’t hear from me often, all of the above is the reason. Can you say:
Sorry for my long absence, I have not had much time/been in the mood to blog lately but I though I should fill you in on my corner of the world before the semester gets crazy and I cannot keep up with anything. I have a lot to say that I have been storing up so I apologize in advance for the really, really long post.
First, to follow up on my last post, check this out, upper right hand corner:
Caption: Presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gets a kiss from a supporter as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa takes their photo after her speech at California State University Northridge, Thursday January, 17, 2008, in Northridge CA. (Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News)
It was so exciting and fun and thrilling. Also tiring, 5 ½ hours on bleachers waiting for Senator Clinton to arrive with stage lights glaring down on you is really tough. And you know what? Even if you are not a Hillary fan, it is still really cool to be a part of the political action. There is even footage from the event on TMZ. Wish I could send you the link but I can't figure out the html to make it work.
So, that is that adventure. If you will indulge me, lets jump back in time so I can share what I did during winter break.
I had the chance to do some cooking and baking. From Vive La Vegan I have cooked the Lemon-Herb Tofu (p.65 and in the oven right now), Three-Bean Curry Tomato Soup (p.79), Roasted Tomato Bean Stew (p.78), and the Chipotle Corn Black Bean Soup (p. 74). All have been yummy and all way too much food if I were on my own. When I am out in my own place, I will have to invest in some Tupperware to freeze portions of these dishes for later use.
From Vegan With a Vengeance, I have baked Sparkling Ginger Cookies (p.192), Crunchy Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies (p.199), Buttery Lemon Cutout Cookies (p.201), Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (p205), and Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars (p.210).
See, I had this brilliant idea that I would bake and put together Christmas baskets since for the first year ever, I have more couple friends that single friends. I am not sure how I feel about that BTW… Any who, I think that I got good reviews on all the goodies although I was not happy with the blondie bars. I need to try that one again with the correct dish size. I don’t think it baked all the way through. Still, I have two baskets left to deliver, although I think I would need to rebake the goodies as I do not know if they are still good. All the recipes make a lot of goodies. The only one I would not retry is the Lemony cutout cookies, I could barely roll them out and I followed directions. Although the feedback I got was positive, I though they were rather gross and wouldn’t inflict them on anyone.
I also made a double batch of Red Velvet cupcakes for a pot luck that didn’t happen due to a power outage in December at the University that cancelled the event and Mint Chocolate Chip cupcakes for the rescheduled event in January. Both from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (VCTOW).
Sorry, I have no pictures. I thought I had at least taken pictures of the Mint Chocolate Cupcakes at least but apparently not. The cupcakes were yummy and eaten up quickly. Here is a gratuitous Cupcake picture to tide you over.
In school news, I got the grades I expected but worse that I had wanted to get last semester. Does that make sense? I also discovered that even if I got straight A’s from here on out, I will not be able to graduate with honors. I just can’t get to the GPA that is required. Ah well.
I got a new boss at the Union in the beginning of December and let me tell you, she is awesome. We have the same sense of humor, the same response to what is going on and even though I am her employee, in many ways she treats me like an equal, which, as great as my previous boss was – I never got the same feeling. She is really trying to bring the department together as a team and to make our processes as smooth and collaborative as possible. She has us each meeting and networking on campus at least one person a month. Pretty cool, even when I think – ‘gee, I have the time for this.’ I have one more week to meet with someone. Thank goodness I have to do outreach for my other job and can combine these efforts.
We are a better team already. We have expanded the team to include the 3 graduate assistants and we meet once a week to share and trouble shoot and check in with everyone. The GA’s also are going to meet for a coffee half hour, on the clock, to form our own support group to discuss the challenges that we face as para-professional staff and graduate students as well. Organized by me so we have not met yet. Next week I think we will start.
I also am now going to be supervising two undergraduate workers. One is still to be hired but I helped streamline the job description and get the interview questions over to HR for approval before we start posting. I will be involved in the job search. I like the job search stuff, I did several last semester and over the summer.
I am also on four committees at the union, working on creating the 08-09 budget for the department and planning a day long training for the BOD this Saturday. This is on top of my usual duties, which include paying invoices, requesting checks for the BOD, clerical work, scheduling meetings and managing the turn over on the BOD. Yeah, we have one new member joining us this week, an official resignation of another today and two more people whose status is up in the air. Yay! All my job to manage the revolving personnel.
Speaking of my other job (several paragraphs ago), today was the first day that I taught. I have the same schedule, as last semester so in some ways this is old hat. In other ways, it is a brand new adventure. I am still playing catch up although now that I have done it once, it is a little easier. I wasn’t shaking in front of the class nearly as much as I was at the beginning of last semester. It’s crazy, I have 25 students per class and a waiting list of at least 6 for each class. And everyone showed up today. Man I am hitting the ground running.
I also had my first class on Tuesday night, Performance Studies Seminar. It is going to be a lot of work but very informative. I have to conduct an ethnographic study this semester in a community. I plan on either working with Dress for Success or MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity). Both are awesome charities and Dress for Success is something I have wanted to get involved with for a couple years now. It will have to depend where they are located, when they operate and who is open to allowing me to participate in their community. I shall let you know how that goes. Also, our first assignment, which is due next Tuesday, is to go to a bar to conduct an ethnographic study. You have to love Graduate School. Now if only I could figure out a way to make cupcakes for a class project…
For my department service department, we met today to divvy up the work that needs to be done. We have two- three performances to publicize and get money for this semester. I fear that I will be screwed because the new TA who shared this assignment is notorious for allowing others to do her work and being real cozy with the instructors. And she is very close with both the head of our department and the advisor for the performance group. She is doing an independent study with the advisor to adapt
“The Barbie Chronicles” as the show for the group to perform this semester. She is going to adapt and direct the show. So guess who will get to take care of all the publicity and logistics for the visiting artists and all events? Yup, lit’ ol’ me. She already tried to say that she would put up the new display case by herself and leave all the flier work to me.
Nuh uh, no way chica. I said I would work on the fliers, yes but I very calmly said that I would like to help on the display as well. I phrased it as two sets of hands are better than one to help her vision come to life and made a decorative suggestion which she likes. She agreed that we should decorate the board together and then started complimenting me on how creative I am and how great a project I created last semester, so detailed, blah blah blah. Yeah, I am proud of my project and am creative but she laid it on a little thick. She is known for this kind of behavior. I hate to be this suspicious but I have to CYA this semester. I am going to start logging the hours I work on this service assignment so that if anyone tries to say I have not worked my max 5 hours each week, I can prove I did. And I know that I can’t say that Chica is not pulling her weight, she is much beloved by the staff involved. I just have to keep in mind and always phrase it as we are both so busy and could really need an extra set of hands. I can’t ever let anyone hear me say that she isn’t doing her job. I just think that the lines between her independent study and this service assignment will conveniently blur.
Oh and the kicker? The advisor is finishing her thesis this semester, trying to graduate with her PhD. So there is a lot that I think will be allowed to slide here. Whoopie.
This will be my last Wednesday night home for a while. The group will met at 7 on Wednesday nights. Ah well, no one else is home. Mi hermano is visiting with the cousins, mom will be out to dinner with a colleague each week and Pops is teaching a night class on Wednesdays this semester. He is going to be so tired but maybe we can figure out a way to carpool so he is not driving home by himself at 10 each week.
I have a Comm Theory class Tomorrow night which is going to be intense. I also am coding responses for a professor on campus for a research project. Paid and a good Curriculum Vitae builder.
I have a lot on my plate this semester, all this and two very intense classes. I really have to be on the top of my game. But I survived last semester, so I know I can do it. So if you don’t hear from me often, all of the above is the reason. Can you say:
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Whoa Becky!
Okay, first I finished my paper I last wrote about on time and got the grade I expected in the class.
Second, I plan on writing more later but in the meantime....
Tomorrow I am vying for one of 56 spots to be on stage with
I kid you not. I promise I will let you all know what happens and why I have this opportunity. So excited!
Second, I plan on writing more later but in the meantime....
Tomorrow I am vying for one of 56 spots to be on stage with
I kid you not. I promise I will let you all know what happens and why I have this opportunity. So excited!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Son of a...!
Here I am, it is 3 on Tuesday and I am stuck at 16 pages on a 15-18 page paper. At this point, it is not even about making the page limit, it is about writing a coherent paper that will help me retain my grade describe the poor performance I turned in for the final a week ago. And even more than that, this is the paper I submitted for consideration to one of my associations to present in the Spring of 2008. Augh! This is what I want to write about but I am just stuck! I don't know if it is because I don't have enough information or if I am trying too hard or if I really need to rethink my topic, which I just don't have time for. So here I am, venting in this space and trying to motivate myself to get done in one hour so I can proofread and bake cupcakes as my contribution to tonight's celebration.
oh, and here is a little hint on what my paper is about....
Yes, that is right, I join the rest of the world in writing about J.Lo's butt. My paper is titled, “Butt” What Does it all Mean? The Performance of Latinidad in Popular Culture and its Effect on Latina Identity. of course, this is the third title I have created...
oh, and here is a little hint on what my paper is about....
Yes, that is right, I join the rest of the world in writing about J.Lo's butt. My paper is titled, “Butt” What Does it all Mean? The Performance of Latinidad in Popular Culture and its Effect on Latina Identity. of course, this is the third title I have created...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
get er dun, part II!
Well, this weekend is starting differently. I just finished everything I need to get done for the classes I teach. I graded all of the final lab assignments(45), the last of the speeches(24), and wrote my final exams (2 versions to help prevent cheating). All I have to do is copy the exams for my classes today at some point and grade the scantron tests and prepare the test key before Wednesday. Easy, breezy, done!
Woo hoo! On the home stretch. I have a paper due Tuesday evening that I need to get working on and I took all day Tuesday off to prepare. Next on the list, X-mas shopping!
Woo hoo! On the home stretch. I have a paper due Tuesday evening that I need to get working on and I took all day Tuesday off to prepare. Next on the list, X-mas shopping!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
get er dun!
i turned in my final and i presented on the paper that i still need to write which is due on tuesday. still have lots of grading for my classes i teach and getting sick again. i just got well from a cold at thanksgiving and here i have a bad headache and feeling queasy. bleh.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Primal Scream
[insert here]
I have a final due at 7. What I have written so far is not good but I have four out of five questions answered. One more to go and then research and present my final paper in class tonight. I can do this in 2.5 hours, right?
big sigh.
I have a final due at 7. What I have written so far is not good but I have four out of five questions answered. One more to go and then research and present my final paper in class tonight. I can do this in 2.5 hours, right?
big sigh.
Monday, December 03, 2007
It's been a while
Since I did a music blog. As I am taking a break from finishing my final exam.
Soundtrack of my life
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool
1. Opening Credits: Bodels by 311
2. Waking Up: If I Could by Seal
3.First Day At School: When I Look into your Eyes by Andre 3000
4.Falling In Love: Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters
5.Fight Song: If you Could Only See by Tonic
6.Breaking Up: Too Little Too Late by Barenaked Ladies
7.Prom: baby Hold On by Dixie Chicks
8.Life: Girl by Tori Amos
9.Mental breakdown:Blue Jean by David Bowie
10.Driving: PJ & Rooster by Outkast
11.Flashback: Sixteen by No Doubt
12.Getting back together: I Love You by Sarah McLachlan
13.Wedding: Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks
14.Birth of Child: 125 pt. 3 (Connections) by Joell Ortiz
15.Final Battle: Intuition (Todd Terry Radio Remix) by Jewel
16.Death Scene: Pulse by Ani DiFranco
17.Funeral Song: American Angel by George Michael
18.End Credits: Come Original by 311
Wow, some of those are strangely appropriate, at least with the song title I did not change anything up, I swear, I just hit party shuffle in iTunes and started typing.
Okay! Back to work!
Saturday, December 01, 2007
As Requested via Email
Hey Lucky,
I was going to give you the Mac n' cheese recipe straight out of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook since that is the one I use all the time but in typing up the recipe, I realized that I don't use that one at all. I will give you the recipe as best as I remember, the noodle size is an estimate, I usually just use one package and fill the dish, if there is any extra - I'll eat it or put it in Tupperware.
Marz' Mac n Cheese
Ingredients:
16 oz. pkg Elbow macaroni
Approx. 1/4 Lb mild cheddar - shredded(or what ever amount looks good to you)
Approx. 1/4 Lb jack cheese - shredded
White Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter (or margarine)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350.
Follow the package instructions to boil the noodle. Drain, and rinse noodles. Place half the noodles in the casserole dish and half the cheese on top of the noodles. Or, you can put half the noodles in the dish and then mix half the cheese into the noodles. Keep the other half of the noodles and cheese within reach for after making the white sauce.
For White Sauce: Using a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it is completely melted, add in the flour, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients together; you should end up with a kind of paste at the bottom of the pan (your rue). Caution, be sure to keep stirring so this paste does not burn. Add the milk in, it is best to add it a third at a time, stirring the paste into the milk so you don't end up with lumps, although you can add it in all at once if you really want to. Keep stirring constantly until the sauce starts to thicken up. It will feel like you are stirring forever and then all of the sudden, the liquid will start thickening up. You want it to a consistency of cream.
Immediately pour half the sauce into the casserole dish. Add the rest of the noodles and most of the cheese, reserve a little of the cheese for a decorative topping. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the noodles and cheese, covering the dish as evenly as possible. Use the last of the cheese to sprinkle in the middle of the dish.
Put the casserole in the heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and you have a nice light browning of the top.
So, that is the basic recipe. Sometimes, for a little bit of a kick, I use cayenne pepper in place of the black pepper. Just eyeball the amount, you don't need a lot. Or if I am feeling gourmet, I use white pepper so you can't see the flecks in the white sauce. I also tend to double the white sauce recipe I gave you above so that the dish is extra creamy (2 cups of milk, etc.). You can also put half the noodles in the dish, then a layer of cheese and then a second layer of noodles and cheese and then make the white sauce and pour it over the entire dish at one shot. The sauce will drip down through the dish and it is easier to construct that way. I like to be sure that the sauce is all the way through the dish using the method I describe in the recipe above since once I let the sauce get too thick while stirring and it didn't sink in and the casserole had a weird layer of sauce that baked into it. My brother liked it but I wasn't too crazy about it. But that only happened once.
Hope you enjoy!
Love,
Marz
I was going to give you the Mac n' cheese recipe straight out of the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook since that is the one I use all the time but in typing up the recipe, I realized that I don't use that one at all. I will give you the recipe as best as I remember, the noodle size is an estimate, I usually just use one package and fill the dish, if there is any extra - I'll eat it or put it in Tupperware.
Marz' Mac n Cheese
Ingredients:
16 oz. pkg Elbow macaroni
Approx. 1/4 Lb mild cheddar - shredded(or what ever amount looks good to you)
Approx. 1/4 Lb jack cheese - shredded
White Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter (or margarine)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350.
Follow the package instructions to boil the noodle. Drain, and rinse noodles. Place half the noodles in the casserole dish and half the cheese on top of the noodles. Or, you can put half the noodles in the dish and then mix half the cheese into the noodles. Keep the other half of the noodles and cheese within reach for after making the white sauce.
For White Sauce: Using a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it is completely melted, add in the flour, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients together; you should end up with a kind of paste at the bottom of the pan (your rue). Caution, be sure to keep stirring so this paste does not burn. Add the milk in, it is best to add it a third at a time, stirring the paste into the milk so you don't end up with lumps, although you can add it in all at once if you really want to. Keep stirring constantly until the sauce starts to thicken up. It will feel like you are stirring forever and then all of the sudden, the liquid will start thickening up. You want it to a consistency of cream.
Immediately pour half the sauce into the casserole dish. Add the rest of the noodles and most of the cheese, reserve a little of the cheese for a decorative topping. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the noodles and cheese, covering the dish as evenly as possible. Use the last of the cheese to sprinkle in the middle of the dish.
Put the casserole in the heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and you have a nice light browning of the top.
So, that is the basic recipe. Sometimes, for a little bit of a kick, I use cayenne pepper in place of the black pepper. Just eyeball the amount, you don't need a lot. Or if I am feeling gourmet, I use white pepper so you can't see the flecks in the white sauce. I also tend to double the white sauce recipe I gave you above so that the dish is extra creamy (2 cups of milk, etc.). You can also put half the noodles in the dish, then a layer of cheese and then a second layer of noodles and cheese and then make the white sauce and pour it over the entire dish at one shot. The sauce will drip down through the dish and it is easier to construct that way. I like to be sure that the sauce is all the way through the dish using the method I describe in the recipe above since once I let the sauce get too thick while stirring and it didn't sink in and the casserole had a weird layer of sauce that baked into it. My brother liked it but I wasn't too crazy about it. But that only happened once.
Hope you enjoy!
Love,
Marz
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Shoot me...
shoot me now. I realized that I am listening to speakers in my classes, both the ones I teach and the ones I am in, for the next two weeks straight. And there are very few good speakers, even in the graduate classes!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Bleh
I am suppose to be working on my final due tonight (not really, officially it is but we can turn it in later) but all I want to do is mess around on the internet, reading blogs and pulling research for my paper due in 2 weeks, research that I have no time to read all of it but is fascinating all the same. This is why I took the morning off of work, to sleep in, try to get over the cold I got for Thanksgiving and catch up on my work.
So far I have the page formatted and one sentence written. Too bad it is suppose to be a 10-15 page paper that answers 5 questions in essay form. Maybe writing this will get me motivated.
Hmm, not even I believe that. I am going to take a shower and get my butt in gear. I have 2 hours before I have to be at school.
So far I have the page formatted and one sentence written. Too bad it is suppose to be a 10-15 page paper that answers 5 questions in essay form. Maybe writing this will get me motivated.
Hmm, not even I believe that. I am going to take a shower and get my butt in gear. I have 2 hours before I have to be at school.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Oh my...
I leave tomorrow for Chicago for a conference. Here is the weather forecast:
high/low
Tomorrow - 59/32
Thursday - 46/28
Friday - 44/32
Saturday - 50/35
I am packing a coat and thermals and warm socks. I hope it is enough. Wish me luck!
high/low
Tomorrow - 59/32
Thursday - 46/28
Friday - 44/32
Saturday - 50/35
I am packing a coat and thermals and warm socks. I hope it is enough. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Lordy..
It's October and I haven't posted this month yet. It's crazy. It's not that I have bitten off more than I can chew, it's that I an juggling so much, I don't have time for much else.
To my 3, make that 2 loyal readers - so sorry. I don't even have a cupcake picture to post since I have not baked since mid-August. Right now, I am trying to stay afloat, not get sick and keep my sanity. Sometimes it feels like my priorities are exactly in that order.
How about a picture from my trip to Mexico?
Ah, that's better. I was there! Climbed it too. Later!
To my 3, make that 2 loyal readers - so sorry. I don't even have a cupcake picture to post since I have not baked since mid-August. Right now, I am trying to stay afloat, not get sick and keep my sanity. Sometimes it feels like my priorities are exactly in that order.
How about a picture from my trip to Mexico?
Ah, that's better. I was there! Climbed it too. Later!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Okay...
Lemmee 'xplain.
The office I work out of is a big room with 12 tables for the Teaching Associates and one sort of cubicle for the part timer. Any who, I am the oldest in the room by one year, by the calender. The divide is much greater than that.
If someone is in office hours, the door is open. If no one is, most of the time the door is shut. The problem comes from the really inappropriate, nasty, sexual, sexist and general immature conversations that go on no matter if the door is open or closed.
I just completed my training at the other job for harassment, both the not how to harass and how to handle harassment as a supervisor. Oh My God. It has really been bothering me. I mean, its bad, really bad.
I mentioned it to one of the other TAs when we left to get food and she asked what she could do to help. I came up with the idea that we all needed to be responsible for our office hours when the door is open.
It happened today. When someone is telling a story and is repeating what happened, which involves screaming "She's a cum-sucking whore", yeah, I had to step in. So I used my, 'the door is open, maybe we should watch our language.' It worked.
Then it happened again this afternoon. I always start with, "Is someone in office hours?" I try to point out that I am not being a stick in the mud, I am trying to make sure we are not opening the office up to harassment allegations and more importantly, we look professional. So I used the maybe we should watch what we say line... It didn't work, they quieted down for a moment and then started back up again. And I had to go to my other job so I grabbed my bag and left.
So there is the story behind my comment early, delivered when I returned to the TA office from the other job. Its frustrating. I don't have time nor the energy to deal with this kind of crap. Its so juvenile.
The office I work out of is a big room with 12 tables for the Teaching Associates and one sort of cubicle for the part timer. Any who, I am the oldest in the room by one year, by the calender. The divide is much greater than that.
If someone is in office hours, the door is open. If no one is, most of the time the door is shut. The problem comes from the really inappropriate, nasty, sexual, sexist and general immature conversations that go on no matter if the door is open or closed.
I just completed my training at the other job for harassment, both the not how to harass and how to handle harassment as a supervisor. Oh My God. It has really been bothering me. I mean, its bad, really bad.
I mentioned it to one of the other TAs when we left to get food and she asked what she could do to help. I came up with the idea that we all needed to be responsible for our office hours when the door is open.
It happened today. When someone is telling a story and is repeating what happened, which involves screaming "She's a cum-sucking whore", yeah, I had to step in. So I used my, 'the door is open, maybe we should watch our language.' It worked.
Then it happened again this afternoon. I always start with, "Is someone in office hours?" I try to point out that I am not being a stick in the mud, I am trying to make sure we are not opening the office up to harassment allegations and more importantly, we look professional. So I used the maybe we should watch what we say line... It didn't work, they quieted down for a moment and then started back up again. And I had to go to my other job so I grabbed my bag and left.
So there is the story behind my comment early, delivered when I returned to the TA office from the other job. Its frustrating. I don't have time nor the energy to deal with this kind of crap. Its so juvenile.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Okay...
I'm still planning a real post, maybe with pictures of my various trip and B-day. However, considering I am writing this while I am still at work on a Friday night at 7:23 p.m., it may be a little while.
Ah, I love grading papers.
Gratuitous cupcake picture from the Seattle trip.
starting upper left, Blueberry Creme, Cherry Creme, Chocolate with Amarula flavored buttercream, Cookies and Creme, Tiramisu
Ah, I love grading papers.
Gratuitous cupcake picture from the Seattle trip.
starting upper left, Blueberry Creme, Cherry Creme, Chocolate with Amarula flavored buttercream, Cookies and Creme, Tiramisu
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Friday
Super tired, preparing for class last night and didn't sleep much. Now I don't want to do anything but haven't finished my hand out for class tomorrow.
Tomorrow night should be fun, right now I am more tired and have too many things to get done to be excited. the Jessica will be there - yeah!
later. And happy 30 to me, tomorrow at 10:00 sharp - when I begin class (hee hee).
Tomorrow night should be fun, right now I am more tired and have too many things to get done to be excited. the Jessica will be there - yeah!
later. And happy 30 to me, tomorrow at 10:00 sharp - when I begin class (hee hee).
Monday, August 20, 2007
Short and Dirty
- Spoke with Ms. S today - finally! My fault, I have had her name next to "call" on my to do list for several days now.
- First day of training for teaching. Yawn inducing and still no lesson plans for first few classes.
- Had a lovely dinner with Meesh last Thursday. She came to campus to buy her books, we had a lovely chat and dinner at Veggie Delight.
- As I mentioned to Ms. S, I have already received some lovely Birthday gifts, Plet helped me organize the party - doing all that icky call around for prices and locations, Ms. S is staying in Vegas and taking care of business - which is exactly where I want her to be right now (there are other years), my big sis hosted me in Seattle and Ms. B sent me "Vegan with a Vengance" (Book love from far away, I love it!)
- Speaking of Settle, I am still planning on posting but until I do, here are a couple teaser pics:
Tiramsu Cupcakes (Sorry T3, they have coffee and alcohol in them!)
Marble cupcakes with an almost perfect yin-yang shape on the bottom, the dot in the top is actually where a bubble and therefore a hole formed in the cupcake, I haven't done anything to this cupcake other than bake it and peel the wrapper off. And yes, that is my chubby hand holding the cupcake. Nice nails though right?
More to come.
- First day of training for teaching. Yawn inducing and still no lesson plans for first few classes.
- Had a lovely dinner with Meesh last Thursday. She came to campus to buy her books, we had a lovely chat and dinner at Veggie Delight.
- As I mentioned to Ms. S, I have already received some lovely Birthday gifts, Plet helped me organize the party - doing all that icky call around for prices and locations, Ms. S is staying in Vegas and taking care of business - which is exactly where I want her to be right now (there are other years), my big sis hosted me in Seattle and Ms. B sent me "Vegan with a Vengance" (Book love from far away, I love it!)
- Speaking of Settle, I am still planning on posting but until I do, here are a couple teaser pics:
Tiramsu Cupcakes (Sorry T3, they have coffee and alcohol in them!)
Marble cupcakes with an almost perfect yin-yang shape on the bottom, the dot in the top is actually where a bubble and therefore a hole formed in the cupcake, I haven't done anything to this cupcake other than bake it and peel the wrapper off. And yes, that is my chubby hand holding the cupcake. Nice nails though right?
More to come.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Whew Becky!
Okay, will post all about my Seattle trip soon. In the meantime, here are some highlights:
- Ate vegetarian Vietnamese food with my big sis - new favorite! Nothing like a good Pho and spring rolls.
- Went to the Experimental Music Program - amazing.
- Had an almost vegan cupcake and Champagne party with my sis and her friends
- walked everywhere
I like Seattle, not sure if I could live there but love to visit. So green and I love that there is art everywhere. I will post more later with photos. Oh - my sister lives in the Queen Anne neighborhood so we were able to walk to the space needle. Didn't go up since the lines were horrible, I'll have to do it next time.
Okay, I am suppose to be working and since it is my boss' last day, I better get going! (tear)
- Ate vegetarian Vietnamese food with my big sis - new favorite! Nothing like a good Pho and spring rolls.
- Went to the Experimental Music Program - amazing.
- Had an almost vegan cupcake and Champagne party with my sis and her friends
- walked everywhere
I like Seattle, not sure if I could live there but love to visit. So green and I love that there is art everywhere. I will post more later with photos. Oh - my sister lives in the Queen Anne neighborhood so we were able to walk to the space needle. Didn't go up since the lines were horrible, I'll have to do it next time.
Okay, I am suppose to be working and since it is my boss' last day, I better get going! (tear)
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Shhhh...
I'm not suppose to know yet but I just found out that when my current boss leaves the company on August 15, I am going to be reporting to my previous boss, who is really cool and we get a long like a house on fire.
It's nice to have a little more information about the upcoming semester.
Oh, I also found out that I will be teaching from 10-11 and 12-1 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (No Julie, you may not come and sit in the back of the class to see me teach. The classrooms are tiny and I am capped at 26 students. Plus, do you really want to spend $5.00 on parking for one hour?)
It's nice to have a little more information about the upcoming semester.
Oh, I also found out that I will be teaching from 10-11 and 12-1 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (No Julie, you may not come and sit in the back of the class to see me teach. The classrooms are tiny and I am capped at 26 students. Plus, do you really want to spend $5.00 on parking for one hour?)
Monday, August 06, 2007
This weekend
It was an adventure. I guess I failed to mention that I was working the retreat I was at this weekend, rather than attending it. It occurred to me that this means that I will be working ten days in a row. That's last Monday through this Wednesday when I fly out to Seattle to visit my big sis, leaving for the airport straight from work. At least I had from 3:00 yesterday off until I came into work this morning and I have my evenings free. Wee!
I'll try to write more later, but no guarantee.
I'll try to write more later, but no guarantee.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Arizona!
I loved AZ except for...
These are HUGE and they fly! Ew ew ew ew ew ew!
This one was dead when we came out the next morning and Ms. B picked it up so I could get a good picture. EW!
We had so much fun, the three amigas. It rained every afternoon and one day we saw a double rainbow. Here is a partial picture. Meesh actually has a video following the whole double rainbow. so pretty!
That's the Mr. on the right, out taking a look.
I liked Tombstone, nothing like $6.00 for three cranberry vodkas. We had a good time with the Kareoke bar. Meesh sang Earl by the Dixie Chicks and Ms. B sang...oh heck, I can't remember! Meesh? Ms. B? What were the other songs sung that night? Maybe next time I will get up and sing.
Below is a picture of the main hotel in Bisbee, where we visited for the day.
Got to try lots of yummy flavored honey from "The Killer Bee Honey Company". The Orange honey and the Cinnamon honey were my favorites. I need to order myself some. I couldn't buy any then because the jars were over 3 oz. and I only had carry-on luggage. A great afternoon, even though we had a flat tire and that is an adventure for another time. Plus, I don't have the best pics for that.
This was my attempt to take a picture of the storm that was falling in slect areas while we were driving back to Tombstone. It was so pretty. It was strange to see how the rain was falling in some places but not in others.
Any who, that is some of the trip. It was a lot of hanging out and visiting. One of my favorite memories was sitting in the hot tub in the evening with our hosts and enjoying a glass of wine and some great conversation. I can't wait to go back for another visit. 8 months is too long to go without seeing a good friend. Hmm, that means I need to get my butt to Vegas as well....
Ciao!
These are HUGE and they fly! Ew ew ew ew ew ew!
This one was dead when we came out the next morning and Ms. B picked it up so I could get a good picture. EW!
We had so much fun, the three amigas. It rained every afternoon and one day we saw a double rainbow. Here is a partial picture. Meesh actually has a video following the whole double rainbow. so pretty!
That's the Mr. on the right, out taking a look.I liked Tombstone, nothing like $6.00 for three cranberry vodkas. We had a good time with the Kareoke bar. Meesh sang Earl by the Dixie Chicks and Ms. B sang...oh heck, I can't remember! Meesh? Ms. B? What were the other songs sung that night? Maybe next time I will get up and sing.
Below is a picture of the main hotel in Bisbee, where we visited for the day.
Got to try lots of yummy flavored honey from "The Killer Bee Honey Company". The Orange honey and the Cinnamon honey were my favorites. I need to order myself some. I couldn't buy any then because the jars were over 3 oz. and I only had carry-on luggage. A great afternoon, even though we had a flat tire and that is an adventure for another time. Plus, I don't have the best pics for that.
This was my attempt to take a picture of the storm that was falling in slect areas while we were driving back to Tombstone. It was so pretty. It was strange to see how the rain was falling in some places but not in others.
Any who, that is some of the trip. It was a lot of hanging out and visiting. One of my favorite memories was sitting in the hot tub in the evening with our hosts and enjoying a glass of wine and some great conversation. I can't wait to go back for another visit. 8 months is too long to go without seeing a good friend. Hmm, that means I need to get my butt to Vegas as well....
Ciao!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Holy Moley!
Just checked out August's Horoscope at my favorite site: Check out how it starts for me.
You are a flexible, mutable sign, so when the chips are down, you roll with the punches better than most signs, but that doesn't mean it's been easy. In the coming two years, your entire life will look different, with new friends, associates, and possibly a new position, home, or partner - or the whole kit and caboodle. It will be exciting, but change demands a great deal of adjustment, and that's been the hard part.
Not what I wanted to hear...
You are a flexible, mutable sign, so when the chips are down, you roll with the punches better than most signs, but that doesn't mean it's been easy. In the coming two years, your entire life will look different, with new friends, associates, and possibly a new position, home, or partner - or the whole kit and caboodle. It will be exciting, but change demands a great deal of adjustment, and that's been the hard part.
Not what I wanted to hear...
A Tale of Two Cupcakes
Yes, this past weekend I baked cupcakes twice. And since I have been a little lazy on the posting, here are two sets of pictures to drool over.
First, Pineapple Right Side Up cupcakes for my Saturday night dinner party. Single view.
And these are full size cupcakes for a change, not minis as I am want to make. Here is half a dozen.
For future bakings, I think I would like to try a lighter whipped pineapple mousse type topping. As yummy as the pineapple compote on top was, I think I would like a lighter sweet as to not overpower the delicious spicy cupcake below. I also got some critique on the use of the marachino cherries. I was told I should have used a half cherry and I had a couple people pick their's off, which I kinda don't understand, I think they're yummy! My only change with the cherries is I might wash them off a bit so I don't have the red juice drip on my cupcakes like you can see in the picture above.
Cupcakes #2
For work I decided to try my hand at the Chai Latte cupcakes. After several false starts finding out that I was missing ingredient after ingredient, I finally got baking. Mini's at work:(Yes, that is the 'marble' table in the breakroom)
Once again, I had a heck of a time with the recipe. I had to really play with the baking time as they seemed uncooked in the middle and I also feared that they were sticking to the lining. So I sprayed the liners, which then made them rise funny because of the extra 'oil'. The next morning they were fine, the original batch came off the papers with out any problem.
These were not my favorite but they were inhaled at work! Normally there are a few left in the main break room when I am ready to go home and I transfer them to a paper plate and they are gone by the next morning. The cupcakes were gone by 4:00. And I take a seperate container to the Design Factory since it is a seperate building and they rarely come up to the break room. Those cupcakes were gone by three, and I usually have to give them two days to finish and then there are usually a couple still there. Who knew?
Coming up next, an overview of my AZ trip and finally! some of my Mexico trip.
First, Pineapple Right Side Up cupcakes for my Saturday night dinner party. Single view.
And these are full size cupcakes for a change, not minis as I am want to make. Here is half a dozen.
For future bakings, I think I would like to try a lighter whipped pineapple mousse type topping. As yummy as the pineapple compote on top was, I think I would like a lighter sweet as to not overpower the delicious spicy cupcake below. I also got some critique on the use of the marachino cherries. I was told I should have used a half cherry and I had a couple people pick their's off, which I kinda don't understand, I think they're yummy! My only change with the cherries is I might wash them off a bit so I don't have the red juice drip on my cupcakes like you can see in the picture above.
Cupcakes #2
For work I decided to try my hand at the Chai Latte cupcakes. After several false starts finding out that I was missing ingredient after ingredient, I finally got baking. Mini's at work:(Yes, that is the 'marble' table in the breakroom)
Once again, I had a heck of a time with the recipe. I had to really play with the baking time as they seemed uncooked in the middle and I also feared that they were sticking to the lining. So I sprayed the liners, which then made them rise funny because of the extra 'oil'. The next morning they were fine, the original batch came off the papers with out any problem.
These were not my favorite but they were inhaled at work! Normally there are a few left in the main break room when I am ready to go home and I transfer them to a paper plate and they are gone by the next morning. The cupcakes were gone by 4:00. And I take a seperate container to the Design Factory since it is a seperate building and they rarely come up to the break room. Those cupcakes were gone by three, and I usually have to give them two days to finish and then there are usually a couple still there. Who knew?
Coming up next, an overview of my AZ trip and finally! some of my Mexico trip.
Friday, July 27, 2007
"oh hell no..."
Scanning the news today, I ran across this little item, originally posted under regional news on CNN.com. This story details how a 15 year old girl in Missouri has alleged that a sheriff's deputy sodomized her before returning her to a relative's house this week.
The "Oh hell no" part comes from the second line in the article. And I quote,
"This is a nightmare that any police administrator does not want to face," Jackson County Sheriff Tom Phillips said."
So, this is a nightmare for the police administration? Really? How about the teenage girl who no doubt suffered physical and emotional trauma from this act of violence that was perpetrated against her by a figure of authority? This dumb ass 34 year old deputy no doubt thought that he could get away with abusing a young woman while he was on duty, especially since he caught her out after curfew and she had been reported as a runaway earlier.
And then this idiot states how tough this is for the police administration...Wow, what compassion.
"There was nothing in his background that would indicate anything like this would ever occur," Phillips said. Because rapists look crazy and wear a big red 'R' on their chest and list rape as a hobby on job applications....
He said he wants the public to know that the sheriff's department is taking the allegations very seriously. That's comforting...
"Even if it's one of our own, we are going to begin an investigation thoroughly and quickly and take the appropriate action if it's necessary," Phillips said.
No charges have been filed. Phillips said he expects the case will be presented to the Jackson County prosecutor's office on Monday.
I wait with baited breath for a follow up on this case. Ain't gonna' happen.
This crap pisses me off.
The "Oh hell no" part comes from the second line in the article. And I quote,
"This is a nightmare that any police administrator does not want to face," Jackson County Sheriff Tom Phillips said."
So, this is a nightmare for the police administration? Really? How about the teenage girl who no doubt suffered physical and emotional trauma from this act of violence that was perpetrated against her by a figure of authority? This dumb ass 34 year old deputy no doubt thought that he could get away with abusing a young woman while he was on duty, especially since he caught her out after curfew and she had been reported as a runaway earlier.
And then this idiot states how tough this is for the police administration...Wow, what compassion.
"There was nothing in his background that would indicate anything like this would ever occur," Phillips said. Because rapists look crazy and wear a big red 'R' on their chest and list rape as a hobby on job applications....
He said he wants the public to know that the sheriff's department is taking the allegations very seriously. That's comforting...
"Even if it's one of our own, we are going to begin an investigation thoroughly and quickly and take the appropriate action if it's necessary," Phillips said.
No charges have been filed. Phillips said he expects the case will be presented to the Jackson County prosecutor's office on Monday.
I wait with baited breath for a follow up on this case. Ain't gonna' happen.
This crap pisses me off.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
What is wrong with people? part I
Some of you may remember back over a year ago when I would frequently post articles I would find on crime in the news from MSN.com. That was back when I was working at the newspaper and had way too much time on my hands to read the news online while I was at work. I have been having extra time at work recently but here I love my job and actually keep asking for more. Slightly different atmosphere. But I digress.
In this recent article on MSN.com, police in Reno, NV have arrested and charged Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, with Child Neglect because they were too busy playing Internet and video games to care for their two children, ages 22 months and 11 months. Say it with me, what is wrong with these people?
Both children were undernourished, one suffering from severe dehydration, the other from starvation. Both suffered from infections.
“They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games,” [prosecutor Kelli Ann] Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
The American Medical Association has been discussing if video game addition should be designated as a mental disorder, like alcoholism. But they cannot come to an agreement and therefore, have not made a determination yet.
"Patrick Killen, spokesman for Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, said video game addiction’s correlation to child abuse is 'a new spin on an old problem.'"
Poor babies. At least the article reports that in foster care, both children are doing well and gaining weight. I am normally not a vicious person but I was glad to read that these 'parents' face a maximum 12 year sentence in this case.
In this recent article on MSN.com, police in Reno, NV have arrested and charged Michael Straw, 25, and Iana Straw, 23, with Child Neglect because they were too busy playing Internet and video games to care for their two children, ages 22 months and 11 months. Say it with me, what is wrong with these people?
Both children were undernourished, one suffering from severe dehydration, the other from starvation. Both suffered from infections.
“They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games,” [prosecutor Kelli Ann] Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
The American Medical Association has been discussing if video game addition should be designated as a mental disorder, like alcoholism. But they cannot come to an agreement and therefore, have not made a determination yet.
"Patrick Killen, spokesman for Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, said video game addiction’s correlation to child abuse is 'a new spin on an old problem.'"
Poor babies. At least the article reports that in foster care, both children are doing well and gaining weight. I am normally not a vicious person but I was glad to read that these 'parents' face a maximum 12 year sentence in this case.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes
My co-workers better feel the love, I had baking problems this time and it is really hard to tell why. I changed to real cupcake liners (mini's from Michael's Crafts) and I followed the recipe's instructions to fill the liners all the way to the top. They turned out looking like this.
I can't serve these. So that was 2 dozen that were donated to the family. Which they appreciated. The next batched turned out like this:
Much better.
Interesting recipe, it calls for 2 tablespoons of Bourbon or whiskey. I used an aged whiskey, made the same year I was born. How is that for showing some love for a good bye party? So, is it a good thing that I have been asked to bake for an event or a bad thing?
I can't serve these. So that was 2 dozen that were donated to the family. Which they appreciated. The next batched turned out like this:
Much better.
Interesting recipe, it calls for 2 tablespoons of Bourbon or whiskey. I used an aged whiskey, made the same year I was born. How is that for showing some love for a good bye party? So, is it a good thing that I have been asked to bake for an event or a bad thing?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Another Batch
So, I will get to my trip and the wedding I attended but in the meantime, enjoy these pictures of Chocolate Cherry Creme Cupcakes.
Before - yer basic chocolate cupcake
After - With Cherry Creme and Buttercream filling, topped with more buttercream, semisweet chocolate shavings and a maraschino cherry.
Minis! for work (over 2 dozen)
I made the large ones for a family dinner last night.
Yummy. And tomorrow I will be baking is Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes for a co-worker's going away party.
Before - yer basic chocolate cupcake
After - With Cherry Creme and Buttercream filling, topped with more buttercream, semisweet chocolate shavings and a maraschino cherry.
Minis! for work (over 2 dozen)
I made the large ones for a family dinner last night.
Yummy. And tomorrow I will be baking is Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes for a co-worker's going away party.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Back!
So, most of you already know that after a day and a half of adventures at airports I finally arrived back in LA yesterday afternoon. I am back at work today (so tired!) but hope to have a real post and maybe even some pictures for you all soon.
Ciao!
Ciao!
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