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.
Monday, February 18, 2008
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!
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