You know, sometimes I think it might be nice if I actually went out on dates fairly frequently, or as one friend put it, more than the once a year quota. Not to say that I'm desperate for a boyfriend/husband, but it could be a nice change from my constant singles status.
Now I know I'm not ugly—not by a long shot. But neither am I absolutely gorgeous. That doesn't mean there aren't guys out there who aren't or wouldn't be interested in me. They just never ask me out!
I don't know what the problem is. Well, I do know of one problem. Most of the guys in this state are more interested in hanging out with girls than actually asking them out on dates. It's rather frustrating when perfectly nice guys will talk to you every time they see you but never once take the chance of going out on a date. Even if nothing happens, you'll never know until you try.
Oh, well. I'm not worried about ending up a bitter, lonely old maid. I already am one. (Just kidding!) In all honesty, I know whatever will happen will happen, and definitely not when I want it to. I just think it would be nice to have fun going out on dates, oh say, on a bi-annual basis.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
My own little tutu
It was a hit at work today. What, you ask? My Pavlova. Now I know most people have no idea what that is, or even what type of thing it is. Actually, it's a dessert. A very tasty one.
The name actually comes from a famed ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova. When she visited New Zealand and Australia on a world turn early last century, an industrious chef created this light concoction and named it after her. The name is apt considering it looks very much like a tutu.
The name actually comes from a famed ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova. When she visited New Zealand and Australia on a world turn early last century, an industrious chef created this light concoction and named it after her. The name is apt considering it looks very much like a tutu.
It is a type of meringue, and very easy to make, though it looks spectacular when finished. The meringue is topped with whipped cream and then raspberries and kiwi. That, at least is the traditional topping, but after some discussion at work we decided everything from strawberries to chocolate to raspberry pie filling would all work incredibly well on top of the whipped cream.
That said, here is the recipe I made last night, which I adapted from Culinary Concepts.
I wish I had a picture of the Pavlova I made to share with you, but somehow the camera on my phone didn't save the picture I took even though I told it to. Technology, grrr. . . The one in the picture actually has pomegranates on it, which just goes to show how versatile this dessert really is.
That said, here is the recipe I made last night, which I adapted from Culinary Concepts.
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, divided
4 egg whites at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Whipped cream
1 kiwi, sliced thinly
1 small container fresh raspberries
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toast the hazelnuts for 7 to 10 minutes and then remove the skins by rubbing vigorously with a kitchen towel. Place 1/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor and grind finely. You will need 1/4 cup ground nuts for the recipe, so grind more in needed to get 1/4 cup.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are stiff. Slowly beat in the sugar with the mixer at medium. Then add the vinegar, vanilla, and cornstarch on low. Fold in the ground nuts.
Pile the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top an
d sides as evenly as possible without flattening; it will do so naturally as it cooks. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow to cool in the oven for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Carefully slide onto a serving plate. Spread the top of the Pavlova with plenty of whipped cream. Using a piping bag, decorate with rosettes, forming a ring around the outside edge. Decorate the center with sliced kiwi, then place a ring of raspberries around the kiwi. Finish by placing the remaining whole hazelnuts on each of the whipped cream rosettes.
Decorate Pavlova as close to serving as possible since the Pavlova will become soggy from the whipped cream. It will also become chewy if refrigerated for longer than 3 hours.
I wish I had a picture of the Pavlova I made to share with you, but somehow the camera on my phone didn't save the picture I took even though I told it to. Technology, grrr. . . The one in the picture actually has pomegranates on it, which just goes to show how versatile this dessert really is.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
TT 21 Foolproof ways to annoy your roommates
Hmm. . . how can I annoy my roommates. Let's think.
1. Leave food out on the counter to rot for several weeks.
2. Be the first one to shower in the morning: use all the hot water and shower for well over half an hour so everyone else is late. This works especially well if there is only one bathroom and everyone else is dying as they try to find a potted plant.
3. Use all your roommates dishes, then leave them dirty in the sink for over a month.
4. Keep a pile of dirty clothes as large as your bed on the floor so there's nowhere to walk.
5. Start the washing machine, which is broken so it makes loud banging noises as it washes, right as your roommate is about to fall asleep.
6. Decorate the apartment with horribly kitschy items so your roommates are embarrassed to show people where they live.
7. Don't pay your part of the bills, then get mad and act like you already did when they ask for the money.
8. Leave hair and makeup spills all over the bathroom counter.
9. Never clean the toilet or shower.
10. Eat all your roommates ketchup and never replace it. Then act like you don't know who would have used it all.
11. Claim your roommates movies and cds as your own as you are moving so they don't realize they're gone until it's too late.
12. Demand that everyone in the apartment be completely silent whenever you watch tv or a movie, which is most of the time.
13. Try to hit on your roommate's brother and hint that if your roommate was a good friend, they'd set you up. Also, loudly proclaim that if you like any guy your roommates had better back off, even if the guy has absolutely no interest in you.
That's just a sampling of all the joyous experiences you can have with roommates. There are many fun moments in between, but enough of the items listed above will create more than enough roommate drama for anyone.
Now, this list applies specifically to women, but I'm sure many of these translate for both sexes. I've had the misfortune to experience all of these (and have probably been the perpetrator of several). They are guaranteed to drive everyone around you absolutely mad.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Goals, part 3
Okay, so I got a little off my goals. Not completely, mind you, but I need to get everything back on track. The easiest way for me to do that is blog about it because then other people know and I can't pretend I don't have goals that way.
The biggest one I noticed today was my little problem with spending too much money. I love to shop, I really do, but instead of window shopping lately I've been buying things. I have a wonderful excuse for everything I've purchased, but no more.
I have to be good, and that means borrowing books and movies from the library instead of buying them. I don't need any more makeup or hair products, either since I have more than enough. Replacing something is allowed, but only if it is essential. Bringing lunch to work instead of eating out or buying something frozen will also keep my budget trimmed.
So the moral of all this is that I need to stop giving in so much and be more disciplined. Which leads to my next goal. I'm actually doing fairly good about eating better, but I need to continue with that. I also planned to work out six days a week. More often than not that translates into three or four days. I need to be a little more diligent, but if my dance audition last night is any indication of how hard I'll be working on the musical, I should be in good shape.
The last big goal of mine was to finish writing the first draft of my book by the end of March. Yeah, that didn't happen. So my new goal is a continuation of the previous one—finish the first draft by the end of April. I'm a lot closer now than I was at the beginning of March since I did have a couple good weeks where I was writing every day. Then I got sick and slacked off, though I can't remember in which order.
All of this, my friends, comes down to the same thing: discipline. I need it. A lot of it.
The biggest one I noticed today was my little problem with spending too much money. I love to shop, I really do, but instead of window shopping lately I've been buying things. I have a wonderful excuse for everything I've purchased, but no more.
I have to be good, and that means borrowing books and movies from the library instead of buying them. I don't need any more makeup or hair products, either since I have more than enough. Replacing something is allowed, but only if it is essential. Bringing lunch to work instead of eating out or buying something frozen will also keep my budget trimmed.
So the moral of all this is that I need to stop giving in so much and be more disciplined. Which leads to my next goal. I'm actually doing fairly good about eating better, but I need to continue with that. I also planned to work out six days a week. More often than not that translates into three or four days. I need to be a little more diligent, but if my dance audition last night is any indication of how hard I'll be working on the musical, I should be in good shape.
The last big goal of mine was to finish writing the first draft of my book by the end of March. Yeah, that didn't happen. So my new goal is a continuation of the previous one—finish the first draft by the end of April. I'm a lot closer now than I was at the beginning of March since I did have a couple good weeks where I was writing every day. Then I got sick and slacked off, though I can't remember in which order.
All of this, my friends, comes down to the same thing: discipline. I need it. A lot of it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
New life
As we learned earlier, I have a need to change things around come spring. This change comes in the form of a new skin for my little bloggie. I hope you like it, since I really do. I've finally gotten away from those boring templates offered by Blogger and into something more creative and lively.
Which kind of reminds me of the sparkly, lipstick-red dress I had to wear tonight as part of my audition/callbacks for Beauty and the Beast. (Not really, but I thought it was a nice sequeway.) Let's just say, I really hope I get picked to perform in the kick line. I have a lot of work to do to get my kicks high enough and my splits low enough, but oh, it was so much fun learning that dance tonight. Sadly, I won't find out which part I got until Monday.
I'm sure I'll be thinking about my audition a lot the next few days as my muscles scream and my knees turn a violent shade of purple. So much fun, though. I've missed this, performing and such. I'm excited for the next few months. Whatever happens, I'm going to enjoy myself.
Which kind of reminds me of the sparkly, lipstick-red dress I had to wear tonight as part of my audition/callbacks for Beauty and the Beast. (Not really, but I thought it was a nice sequeway.) Let's just say, I really hope I get picked to perform in the kick line. I have a lot of work to do to get my kicks high enough and my splits low enough, but oh, it was so much fun learning that dance tonight. Sadly, I won't find out which part I got until Monday.
I'm sure I'll be thinking about my audition a lot the next few days as my muscles scream and my knees turn a violent shade of purple. So much fun, though. I've missed this, performing and such. I'm excited for the next few months. Whatever happens, I'm going to enjoy myself.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sick with the travel bug
So, I'm getting tired of sticking in the same place, probably because of the winter. I don't travel much when it's cold and snowy outside, though that would probably be the best time to get away somewhere warm.
Anyway, I'm planning a few small weekend trips, camping in two weeks, then again three weeks after that, and then a month later I'm going to Book Expo America. Yes, my friends, work is paying for me to fly to L.A. so I can wander around a giant convention center filled with books, publishers, authors, and everything else you can possibly imagine that is book related. Let's just say I'm a touch excited, especially when I found out about all the free books and other goodies I'm hearing about. Can we say heaven? It makes me sigh to think of it. (Plus the added bonus of schmoozing with book people for, say, a still-unfinished book that I hope to get published some day soon. Yeah, it's a good thing.)
The thing that got me thinking of all this, though, is that I haven't gone off on a grand adventure in some time. I really want to get far away somewhere for several days. Somewhere new and exciting, and most importantly, somewhere I can explore and get totally lost in. I'd signed up for a beautiful little credit card that accrues sky miles, and I'm now at 20,000—only 5,000 more to go before I can get a free trip anywhere in the continental U.S. I was sad when I realized Hawaii wouldn't be included in that.
But that still leaves plenty of other places for me to explore. There's the South, which always sounds so interesting to me. There are several authors I've been working with from Georgia and the Carolinas, and I think those would be fun places to spend some time, especially along the coast. Then there's New York, a given for an incredible time.
I'm ruling out anywhere I can drive, so the West is out. But that still leaves New England, and oh, in the fall it would be incredible. So many places, but I can't decide. Plus, I'll need a traveling buddy because I won't go alone—that would get old very quickly—so I'll have to pick a place where someone would want to travel with me.
I've still got plenty of time to think about it, though, since I'm still a good four months away from accruing enough miles. Until then, I'll take my little weekend trips and enjoy the sights closer to home. And maybe if I have a lot of will power, I'll save them all up for a trip to Europe. That probably won't happen, though, since I'd have to double the miles needed. I'm just not patient enough for that.
Anyway, I'm planning a few small weekend trips, camping in two weeks, then again three weeks after that, and then a month later I'm going to Book Expo America. Yes, my friends, work is paying for me to fly to L.A. so I can wander around a giant convention center filled with books, publishers, authors, and everything else you can possibly imagine that is book related. Let's just say I'm a touch excited, especially when I found out about all the free books and other goodies I'm hearing about. Can we say heaven? It makes me sigh to think of it. (Plus the added bonus of schmoozing with book people for, say, a still-unfinished book that I hope to get published some day soon. Yeah, it's a good thing.)
The thing that got me thinking of all this, though, is that I haven't gone off on a grand adventure in some time. I really want to get far away somewhere for several days. Somewhere new and exciting, and most importantly, somewhere I can explore and get totally lost in. I'd signed up for a beautiful little credit card that accrues sky miles, and I'm now at 20,000—only 5,000 more to go before I can get a free trip anywhere in the continental U.S. I was sad when I realized Hawaii wouldn't be included in that.
But that still leaves plenty of other places for me to explore. There's the South, which always sounds so interesting to me. There are several authors I've been working with from Georgia and the Carolinas, and I think those would be fun places to spend some time, especially along the coast. Then there's New York, a given for an incredible time.
I'm ruling out anywhere I can drive, so the West is out. But that still leaves New England, and oh, in the fall it would be incredible. So many places, but I can't decide. Plus, I'll need a traveling buddy because I won't go alone—that would get old very quickly—so I'll have to pick a place where someone would want to travel with me.
I've still got plenty of time to think about it, though, since I'm still a good four months away from accruing enough miles. Until then, I'll take my little weekend trips and enjoy the sights closer to home. And maybe if I have a lot of will power, I'll save them all up for a trip to Europe. That probably won't happen, though, since I'd have to double the miles needed. I'm just not patient enough for that.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
When is cheating really cheating?
Does cheating on my hair stylist make me an adulteress? It feels like it. I have this burning guilt in my chest, not because I cheated this once. That, in my view, is fairly excusable since I was fed up with my bulky, wild hair. No, I had to get it taken care of immediately—for my sanity—and contacting my regular stylist can turn into a complicated, never-ending game of phone tag.
I feel guilty because, deep down, I really want to cheat again. No, not just cheat again. I want to divorce my current stylist so I can move on to the new one. (I must say, she did a great job with my hair tonight.) But instead of fessing up that I want to change stylists, I'm thinking of just not going to the old one anymore. Does that make me cruel?
Problem with this whole scenario is that my hair stylist has been a friend for a long time and has been cutting my hair since I was in high school. I really would feel bad about hurting her feelings by not going to her anymore. I just liked having someone cut my hair who was the same age as me. The new girl is up on current trends and doesn't cut my hair like I'm someone much older—and less in tune with modern styles.
It's all so complicated. I'm wondering, as a possible solution, if I could rotate hairstylists. Does that work, or would my friend know someone else has touched my hair, just like a wife can smell another woman's perfume on her husband's shirt? Ah! I don't know. Well, I have six weeks to think it over and decide. No need to feel guilty. Not at all.
I feel guilty because, deep down, I really want to cheat again. No, not just cheat again. I want to divorce my current stylist so I can move on to the new one. (I must say, she did a great job with my hair tonight.) But instead of fessing up that I want to change stylists, I'm thinking of just not going to the old one anymore. Does that make me cruel?
Problem with this whole scenario is that my hair stylist has been a friend for a long time and has been cutting my hair since I was in high school. I really would feel bad about hurting her feelings by not going to her anymore. I just liked having someone cut my hair who was the same age as me. The new girl is up on current trends and doesn't cut my hair like I'm someone much older—and less in tune with modern styles.
It's all so complicated. I'm wondering, as a possible solution, if I could rotate hairstylists. Does that work, or would my friend know someone else has touched my hair, just like a wife can smell another woman's perfume on her husband's shirt? Ah! I don't know. Well, I have six weeks to think it over and decide. No need to feel guilty. Not at all.
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