One Weekend, Two Big Events

When I called my mom Saturday night to tell her I had news, she was pretty sure I was going to tell her I got engaged. What a let down it was to tell her that we adopted another dog... And right now you're probably having the same mental reaction that she had vocally, thinking a big old, "...? ...Oh! ...Um, okay! ... Congratulations?"

So she was sort of a rescue, and I say sort of because it's not like we found her starving on the street or pulled her out of a shelter or anything. In fact, the 8-week-old English Pointer was purchased a week before by Alex's coworker's well-meaning brother who then realized he had no business owning a dog and began looking for someone to take her.

I allowed myself to be "tricked" by Alex, who called me asking if I wanted the new puppy (we've been talking about getting another one), told me she was super cute and trained to the peepee pad, and a light shedder, and would only grow to be about 35lbs. "Why don't you just come down and take a look at her?" he asked me. Of course, you can guess the rest, but I'll tell you anyway:

I took her home that night. It's true, she IS super cute, but she is certainly not reliably trained to the peepee pad (something I learned the hard way when I returned home from work yesterday to poop and pee everywhere), and she will probably be closer to 50 or 60 pounds! I am such a sucka.

As of right now, she doesn't have a permanent name, but I'll keep you posted.

Coconut is slowly adjusting to the situation. She is not quite sure if she likes The Playmate or resents The Stealer of My Humans' Undivided Attention.

*****

On Sunday, we went to a secret restaurant of Alex's mom's birthday. It's not actually a secret, but there's a lot of mystique surrounding the whole thing, and well, I'll just let you read about it here, because that guy does a better job of telling about the place than I will.

Plus, I can only speak to the deliciousness of the bread and the house salad, because right about the time that our entrees came, I got extremely hot, a little dizzy, and when I stood up to walk to the bathroom and splash some water on my face, I passed out!

I don't even really remember what happened... I was jammed in a corner, and I asked A to get up, which meant his mom also had to get up, and when I stood, he looked like he was miles away from me, and next thing I knew, his brother was standing over me asking if I was okay and some doctor from the table next to us was taking my pulse and asking me if this ever happened before (which it has). When I was able to sit up, I was ushered outside where it was cooler, and right about the time I decided I was ready to face the embarassment and reenter the restaurant to taste what was supposed to be one of my best meals ever, Alex's family emerged toting leftovers.

Everyone was all, "Don't be embarassed," and "Don't apologize! I'm just glad you're okay!" But you know. Still embarassed. Still sorry for ruining a delicious dinner.

And also? I'm thinking now that this has happened twice, I should perhaps have myself checked out. It'll have to wait though... my benefits don't kick in until November, and I can't afford the doctor visits.

A Smattering of Things

Hi All! It's been a couple weeks, but the update is pretty simple:

• Another interview
• Still no job
• 3 days down the shore with Mom and the dogs

I don't really want to elaborate on the first two. As for the last one, the time down the shore was okay, except that we've been working on cleaning out the house (it is my grandma's, but she doesn't live there anymore) and she is a pack rat and I have to say that it borders on a sickness. Like there is not much difference between her and the people you see on those crazy pack rat clean house shows, except that all of her mess is shoved into closets and drawers and corners because she likes the rest of the place to look perfect. You would not believe how small the apartment is, and yet how many bags of trash ended up on the curb. How did she fit it all in there?? I'm sure I don't know.

*****

My newest cooking project is poached eggs. This site in my blog feed reminded me of them, and at the time, my friend Alison was visiting for the weekend. We decided to make them the next day. Her method did not match SK's method, but they came out great, just the same. This morning I decided to make them on my own. I tried to do one with the whirlpool, and one without the whirlpool (which is how Al does them). I have to say, maybe my twister wasn't tight enough, but all the spinning water did was send the whites off in shreds around the pot. The whole thing eventually sort of came together, but I think one I just dropped into the almost-simmering pot turned out better. Next I will try the Julia Child method of dropping the still-shelled egg into the water for 10-20 seconds before breaking it into the water. I'll let you know.

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Another thing Alison and I did during her visit (what, you didn't think I held her hostage so she could cook for me, did you?) was see the new Batman movie at the IMAX theater. I have to say, the movie was great, I think, but I'm not entirely sure because I spent most of the time massaging the kink out of my neck and struggling to look around and figure out how what was happening on the left side of the screen related to was happening on the right. And behind me. It really was just too big. I don't know how the people in the back row fared-- it's possible that they were at an angle and distance that gave them a full enough view to be able to follow along and feel like they were in the movie, but we were somewhere in the middle. Ass-kicking scenes were especially hard to follow. The best part of the experience (and the reason I remember IMAX being cool) were the Flying-Over-Gotham scenes. A couple times it felt like I was about to fall off the edge of a building, only to glide across the street and through a skyscraper window. That part was pretty cool. I'd like to see it again in a regular theater... or even just in my own living room.

*****

I finally completed Week 1 of Couch-to-5k. It took me two weeks because the first week I did it left me pretty much feeling like I was either going to collapse into a cramped up ball or pass out from hyperventilation. There were only 8 one-minute running intervals during of 25 minutes of movement, but I could only do three of them the first time I went out. The second time I went I did 6, and I was finally able to do all 8 the third time I went. I decided to do a second week because I didn't feel like I was ready to move on.

Last night I made a new playlist on audacity for Week 2 with chimes at the new intervals. I definitely should have listened through it first. The first song sounded okay, but I forgot to adjust the volume of the chime, so I almost missed the first one. Then the second song came on and I don't know how it happened, but it was playing super super fast and so it sounded like I was listening to the Chipmunks. I thought I'd be able to keep going and not let it bother me, but just, No. I ended up walking the whole thing instead, and I was a little frustrated to realize that I got home at approximately the same time I would have if I ran. I suppose once I gain the endurance to actually keep running for distances, I can work on speed.

*****

It poured yesterday from start to finish, and Alex and I decided to celebrate the drink for our much dehydrated lawn by watching movies. All day. Four of them. In a row.

We started with Dan in Real Life. Then 27 Dresses. Then Strange Wilderness. Then Mr. Woodcock. Alex actually likes romantic comedies, especially anything with Hugh Grant really only likes movies with guns and/or fart jokes, but he watches romantic comedies for my sake, because I'm a girl. It was totally his my idea to watch the romantic comedies first, to get them out of the way, of course, and then move on to the stupid ones. For the record, Strange Wilderness was just as awful as you'd expect.

More Boring Jabber About Food

Just about the only time I ever wish I lived in the city (aside from the times when I have to refuse "just one more drink" because I have to drive back to my house rather than stumble down the street) is during the summer when I find a recipe I want to try and can't just walk down to the corner market and pick up the ingredients. There is a grocery store very close to my house, but still, a trip there requires getting into an hellishly hot car, maneuvering around the ill-engineered parking lot, and fighting with the self check-out because No I did NOT place something unauthorized in the bagging area! Whining aside, I tend to do a good deal of quick, "just running in to pick up a few things" trips (which inevitably turn into "ugh, this basket is too heavy; I need to go get a cart"). I have learned that if I am working on a new recipe, I should buy more than the recipe calls for, because sometimes I can't stop cooking something until I get it right.

Remember the quest for the 2nd Best Macaroni & Cheese? I made 4 different recipes until I decided next time I'll use Martha's recipe, but with italian breadcrumbs rather than the bread cubes it calls for, and even then, it won't match my mom's. But you know, I'm only looking for the 2nd best.

Last week I made 3 different batches of Blondies. First made this recipe, which didn't rise at all. Then I made this recipe because it was the same ingredients, with the addition of baking soda and powder. Finally, I made the second recipe again, but instead of melting the butter like both recipes directed, I just let it soften on the counter. I also left them in the oven about 15 minutes past the longer suggested baking times. They came out good, but after all of that I decided I like brownies better, anyway. And really, I'd take a good water ice over either.

This morning, I made my 4th omlette in 3 days. I've been working on it since this post, and I have made a couple discoveries.

• Discovery the First: Although most cooking show hosts tell you to stir the eggs a little when you first put them in the pan (before they start to solidify), I have found that leaving them alone until the bottom cooks keeps the whole thing from sticking to the bottom.
• Discovery the Second: This seems like a no-brainer, but ratio of eggs to pan diameter matters. 2 eggs in my small pan (the one in which I can perfectly scramble 2 eggs) doesn't work because the omlette gets too thick and the inside stays gooky even after I lift the edges and scrape some of the raw egg to the sides. Same for 3 eggs in my 10-inch pan (though this seems to be the recommended ratio). Today I did one egg in my small pan and it was the best one I've made, though I would have liked more.
• Discovery the Third: Also seems obvious, but heat is important. Too low and the thing never cooks, too high and the bottom burns. I have yet to avoid a bottom that is just a little more golden than I'd like, but today's was close.
• Discovery the Fourth: A thin, tri-folded omlette is where it's at. For me, at least. I definitely prefer thin layers to a thick, folded-in-half jobbie.

So there you have it. I am no expert, but making a bunch of the same thing back to back helps me figure out where I'm going wrong and fix it.

Why don't I approach everything this in my life this way??

I didn't want to get the union involved, but I had to. I have made it clear that I do not want to fight for my job. My main objective (Teacher Will Be Able To...) is to get out of there with as little damage to my reputation as possible.

Really, I'm tired of thinking and talking about this, but at the same time, I can't get it off my mind, and so it seems always to be the most natural thing to bring up in conversation. I am being constantly approached at work by people who, meaning to be supportive, want to know how I'm doing, how my week went, their thoughts on what kind of "raw deal," I got, or how the way in which I was, "screwed over is unbelievable." It's nice of them to show concern, and sometimes they do say things that make me feel slightly better ("J is wonderful, but she is having a very tough time over there."), but really? I just want it to be over.

So for now, let's move on to more cheerful topics.

*****

Family

My little brother made it home safely from Iraq yesterday morning! I saw him last night, and I have decided that from now on, I am going to make more of an effort to hang out with him. He has served his 4 years, and is going to start looking for another job, so it's not really the whole safety issue anymore-- it's just that we're older now, and so the years between us don't seem so significant.

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Food
Ahhh, perhaps my favorite topic of all...

I have never really been much into Indian food. I think this is mostly because I never ate it while growing up, and then in college I was turned off by the smell of it being cooked a couple doors down in my dorm. This past December, we randomly decided to spend our Jewish Christmas* in an Indian restaurant instead of a Chinese one.

I was pleasantly surpised, and ever since then I go through periods of craving. The problem is, there really aren't any good Indian delivery or take-out, or even dine-in restaurants in the immediate area.

I have found the answer in the Tandoor Chef. Tonight I had the Tandoori Naan with the Paneer Tikka Masala over some microwave-in-pouch basmati rice. I know I'm no expert, but the whole thing took 5 minutes to heat and plate, and it beat the shit out of a Hungry Man dinner. The Naan took about 3 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and came out steamy and tender, and it was the perfect scoop for the masala, which was flavorful and rich. I am stuffed after eating just half of everything, but I keep eyeing the leftovers, unsure of whether I can wait until another meal time to finish them up.

* I say this, however my Christmas was actually spent with Alex's family, which is not Jewish. They do the Christmas Day ethnic food thing anyway. The family dinner is Christmas Eve with his mom.

*****

TV

I don't know what I've been doing lately that's been keeping me so busy, but I have about 2 weeks worth of shows DVR'd. Since I arrived home at 2:45 today, I have watched Top Model, Grey's Anatomy, 2 episodes of Lost, American Idol, and now I'm watching SVU. All this was viewed around the 2 hour nap I took.

*****

Books

I just finished Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella, which was a nice, mindless and cheery way to distract myself. I have ordered Julie & Julia from the library, and will pick it up when I drop this one off. Which, by the way, I am having issues doing. My new (but not so new anymore since it's been a year since we moved in!) town is sort of city-like where it's not full of suburban neighborhoods, and so the library is on a street with parallel parking. There is a lot behind the library, but then you are forced to walk half way around the block to get to the door once you have parked. All of this, combined with my incredible laziness, has been preventing me from a speeding turn-around rate.

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TheBoy

I know I said I wasn't going to talk anymore about all the work drama, but this is really about Alex's reaction to said drama. He has never much seemed like the night-in-shining-armor type. He is usally laid back about everything, and will try to solve any concerns by telling me, "just don't worry about it." But since all of this shitty stuff happened on Monday, he has really stepped up to the plate. He has suddenly taken on this protective air, ranting about contacting the union and getting legal advice and conspiring with friends about how to best "make that asshole regret what he's done." I have never much been into the macho type, but I have to say I'm kinda liking this.

What's Cooking

I don't like the first entry you see on my blog on a Monday morning to be all depressing. So I'm adding another, more upbeat entry. Look below for the depressing entry, because you won't find it up here, nosiree!

Because I've been stressed lately, and because there are a ton of things for me to procrastinate, I have been cooking. And no, not my usual bowl of ramen noodles, Lean Cuisine, or cheese quesadilla-- real food!

On Tuesday, I made chili. I searched the internets for a good recipe, and I found one that proved to be so good that Alex actually ate firsts, seconds, AND took the leftovers to work the next day!! This has never happened before in our entire year and a half together. Usually I cook something, he says it's good, and then when he's finished his first helping, he searches around the kitchen for something else to eat. Occasionally, he'll eat a second helping. Never does he eat leftovers.

He loved this chili so, that he even passed it off as his own creation to his coworkers. *Screetching halt noise* Yes. He made his coworkers try it, and then he said HE made it. I have not yet figured out an appropriate punishment for this, and so a shocked, "WHAT?! You're a jerk," is about all he got. I am letting it go because he liked it enough to pretend he made it, and so I guess that's a compliment.

Amazingly, I had two successful cooking experiences in one week. I also made a chicken pot pie from scratch. There was only one slight fumble along the way: I misjudged how shallow the pie plate was, and so when I poured the gravy over the filling, it overflowed everywhere. Next time I'll just mix up the filling with the gravy and spoon it all in at once. And let's look back at the words, "next time," because again, TheJerkBoy liked it enough for me to make it again!

Success!

Sunday Sunday

I normally wake up around 8 on Sundays, which is more than two hours later than I wake on a workday. I probably could fall back asleep, but then I start feeling guilty that Coconut is in her crate. After all, I got up three times during the night to use the bathroom, and she has been stuck in there with a full bladder for 8 hours. Poor puppy.

Once I'm up, I start craving coffee. It's rare that I finish a cup before it gets cold, but still. I need it. Within the half hour, my stomach starts to feel too empty, and I scour the cabinets. Usually I try to grab something easy. Alex likes cooking me breakfast, and so I just need something to hold me over until he wakes up around 11.

This is why some Sundays I eat two breakfasts.

Breakfast 1: cereal, or a muffin, or a couple cookies... This morning I got fancy and opened a package of breadstick dough, brushed it with melted butter, and sprinkled it with cinnamon-sugar. While the sticks were in the oven, I made a cream cheese glaze. I was motivated this morning.

Breakfast 2: Like I said, Alex likes to cook me breakfast. I'd be satisfied with an egg on a slice of toast, but the boy likes to eat. Cheese omlette, bacon, hash browns... if we have pancake mix, he'll probably wrap the whole thing up and then throw a blob of cream cheese on the top. Sounds nasty, but I have to admit it is pretty damn good. Definitely a Fat Man's Delight, but delicious.

Have I mentioned that since we started dating, the two of us have collectively gained, oh, I'd say about 60 pounds? Not a surprise.

In Need of a Tune-Up

So I didn't mean for my last entry to come off all depressing. I'm sure my brother will be fine, and he actually extended his contract to get this deployment, so it's not like it's something that is happening to him. I just wanted to send a little love his way, that's all. Even if I don't tell him there is love being sent his way.

In other news, I have decided that my blog is boring, and I am trying to come up with a way to make it a little more fun. I think I used to tell funny stories and anecdotes and whatnot, and somehow that morphed into a weekly (if that) 26 year old's version of a pre-teen diary. As such:

In middle school:

Dear Diary,

Today we had a test that I didn't study for. Oops! But I
did get to sit next to You-Know-Who today and he let me borrow his
pencil. He is soooooooooooooooooooooo cute! I'm going to see if
Kelly can sleep over tonight. The rents have been so uncool
lately, so we'll see.

Love,
Jess

Now:

Dear IIFs,

My lesson plans were due today and I didn't bother having
them in on time. Oops! Also, a kid bit me.
Alex cooked me dinner last night and it was soooooooooooooooooo
yummy! Later, I'm going to my parent's house for dinner. My dog
won't stop peeing on the floor and eating rabbit shit.

Later,
J

Guess I need to work on this.

*****

But before I work on making this a non-boring blog, I just have to say: You know that whole coffee maker dilemma I was having? Well, sadly, Alex's brother broke up with his girlfriend, but not sadly, he moved back to Jersey, and since he is now living with his dad, does not need his Keurig coffee maker. He let us have it, and I. am. in. love. Also-- you can buy tea and hot chocolate pods to put in it. Woot!

*****

And One Last Thing (for now)

I want to start a product review blog, a'la Sundry or Awesome. I just can't come up with a clever name for it. Any suggestions are welcome, AND if I choose your name, I'll give you credit for it. Because I'm fair like that.

The Little Things

I always get all annoyed when I'm building a taco, because after I add the meat, lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheddar, I have to take a bigger blob of sour cream than I actually want so that it has enough weight to plop onto the taco without me having to either scoop it off the spoon with my finger, or risk getting lettuce stuck all over the spoon.

Alex's Genius Solution to the Sour Cream on My Taco Problem: Spread the sour cream on the shell/tortilla before adding the other fixins.

*****

We're having some issues getting Coconut house trained. She won't poop in the house-- she'll bite you and whine and tug at your pants until you let her out. But the whole peeing thing seems to not be sinking in. Occasionally she'll sit by gate (at the top of the stairs to the outside) for a second, but if you don't notice her, or you're waiting for a commercial, she just finds a nice spot, like anywhere on the floor, and lets it out. It's not even like the pees are so huge that she must have had a whole bowl of water and then held it in forever. I mean, sometimes they are. But sometimes they are tiny little pees that make you question whether or not she just likes to watch you clean it up.

Do any of you use peepee pads for your dogs? I'd like to keep her in the kitchen when I'm at work, rather than in her crate, because it's a long time to go without peeing (I can't do it...), but whenever I put a pad down, we find her sleeping on it like it's a bed, and a puddle just a few feet away on the floor. She has a comfortable bed in there, too! I thought those things are supposed to have some kind of smell that makes dogs want to pee on them? Not my dog.

*****

Kid-Bit

While playing charades...

TantrumKid: acting out "Sawing" by pretending to hold a handle and moving his arm back and forth... you know... like he's sawing something...
ChowDownKid: SLICING LUNCH MEAT!!!

Typical.

Impending

Summer school has been over for about 2 weeks, and next week I start up again with the regular school year. My classroom is nowhere near being ready, and this week I am stuck in a three-day autism workshop. Here I go, starting off the new year unprepared again... What else is new?

On the upside, I get a fresh crop of little behavioral darlings. This year's cast:

TantrumKid - 7-year-old known for toddleresque tantrums that include table-flipping and chair-throwing
OCDKid - Lines things up. All things. Crayons on the desk? Must be lined up. Legos? Line 'em up. What? It's time to put this away?? BUT I CAN'T UNTIL I GET THEM ALL INTO A STRAIGHT LINE!!!
ChowDownKid - Loves food, and often amuses himself by listing a list of things he'd like to eat; "chicken cheesesteak, french fries, meatballs, chicken fingers, ice cream, peanut butter and jelly... etc." Frequently pulls up shirt to expose jiggling middle while dancing.
BillCosbyKid - Looks like Little Bill, talks like a cross between big Bill and Bob Dylan's singing voice, and has been known to bring leftover fried shrimp to school. In his backpack. Loose. As in without a container or baggie.
TBD1 - Not sure about this kid, as he entered the other behavioral room toward the end of last year.
TBD2 - Another wild card; first year in a behavioral class.

I'm actually really excited, because I think I needed a change, and I think the personalities of my kids this year are much more quirky, and less angry than last year's group. Hoping for lots and lots of hilarious Kid-Bits to share.

*****

I was excited to find a Chinese delivery place in my area that has ONLINE ORDERING!!! I was able to order dinner tonight, complete with Alex's special-order lo mein (no veggies, pork and egg only-- god forbid there be something healthy in his meal), and pay for it with my credit card, without ever leaving the house! The only disappointing part was the Chicken with Almond Ding, which sounded fun but was disappointing. The veggies weren't cooked enough to accomodate my food allergies, and the chicken was cut too small to make it easy to pick out. Also? I think there might be peanuts instead of almonds. Still, it beats putting a bra on. Uh, which I'd have to do in order to leave the house and pick up the food. Duh.

*****

I've been using Firefox for awhile, and loving it. It made me (too) happy each time I could click on "Open in tabs" and all of my gajillion blogs would open up at once, tabbed right across the top of a single window. Likewise, when I could do a little online shopping comparisons simply by opening "in a new tab." However, during the last month, it has been super-slow, and I have to wait too long for a page to load and for links and menu bars to be clickable. I have tried to uninstall and reinstall without success. I was forced to return to Explorer, which works fine, but only had old blogs bookmarked.

Consequently, I *gasp!* stopped reading my blogs for awhile. I missed them, but was also too lazy to look up all the old addresses on my speed-retarded Firefox.

The silver lining: I have discovered Google Reader. I took the time to get the addresses and add them to my subscriptions, and now, each time I open Explorer, I am greeted with a fresh list of all my IIF's updated blogs on my iGoogle homepage. Dear Google, I love you.

Everybody grab yer hoe!

That is a lyric from a square dancing song in my students' spring musical. I always reach for the nearest coworker when they get to that part, and it hasn't stopped being funny yet. At least, not for me...

*****

Looks like updates are averaging about once to twice a month, and I have no excuse for that other than settlement is on Thursday and I have been spending most of my time online browsing for outdoor livingrooms and puppies.

*****

I got the summer school job I applied for, and will be teaching "school age students with multiple disabilities." I am actually really excited because for one, I will have a younger (cronologically and mentally) group to whom I get to teach colors and numbers and songs, and for two, some still curse, but it's because they are autistic and not because I just tried to pry a pencil from their hand after an attempted stabbing. Hours are only 8:30 to 12:30 each day, Monday through Thursday, and the hourly rate is way more than I ever got working retail.

*****

Alex and some people at work each put in $300, and whoever loses the most weight at the end of 5 weeks gets all the money. One one hand, we could buy something really cool for the new house with $1,800. On the other hand, he ate pizza for lunch yesterday while everyone else ate salad.

I have no room to judge, really. I spent almost $200 on Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Total Body Makeover, lost 10 lbs. the first week, and then, true to form, lost the will-power about a week and a half in. 8 of the pounds have come back already.

*****

We drove to "our house" yesterday. Since we don't have the keys yet, we couldn't go inside, but we did walk around the back yard and peek in windows. The place has been vacant for about a month now, and the yard is filled with too-long grass and weeds and dying trees and dog shit. I was prepared for the painting and floor stuff we are going to do inside, but I wasn't really thinking about the back yard because it was in okay enough shape when we saw it last that a good mow and a few flowers would have made it passable. Now, I fear that a major overhaul is due. (P.S. We don't have a lawn mower*.)

* When I was little, I called it a "mow lawner." I still have to consciously think about it each time I try to write or say it.

Spring Fever

I'm not exactly sure if Spring Fever refers to being indoors during the winter freezes and longing for warmer weather, or if it means that once it starts to get warm people get the urge to clean (or is that the point of the phrase "spring cleaning?") and hump like bunnies, but today's 50º weather allowed me to open the windows and air out my apartment and I actually did do some cleaning, and if truth be told, Alex is coming over soon and I could go for some... uh, well nevermind.

*****

I decided to purge my fridge of leftovers and old food last night, and once again, I filled up two tall kitchen trash bags with something like 5 styrofoam containers, 3 half-filled cartons of milk, bags and bags of brown, yet pre-washed, pre-cut vegetables, etc., etc. When the only thing left in there was a few beers and the lightbulb, I figured it was time to go grocery shopping.

This week I am going to cook a couple meals and store them portioned in containers so that when I come home from work, all I have to do is pop them in the microwave. I'm hoping this will contribute to my Weight Watchers efforts.

Sidenote: This would be the fourth time in my life that I've joined, not including times I've attempted to count Points while not paying out the ass for meetings. See also: South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Just Eat Sensibly Diet. And also: A diet book that had an ad in Teen Magazine, for which my 13-year-old self sent $12 in cash and quarters with the ripped-out orderform. Basically, it told you to douse half of every meal with salt until it was inedible, thereby cutting down your calorie consumption.

I'm trying a weird-looking but easy recipe, and I'll let you know how it goes. I like chicken, and I like ketchup, and I like diet Coke... and those are the only 3 ingredients. Like I said, weird but easy.

*****

A makeup heads-up: I bought Cover Girl LashExact mascara today and I looove it. I used to use Maybelline Full 'n Soft, which I also loved, but I recently read an article in Cosmo that suggested wiping your mascara brush on a tissue instead of on the side of the tube, and so I gave it a try and really liked the results. My lashes weren't totally full, but that's okay because they looked long and un-clumpy and fresh. The LashExact gives me the same turn-out, but because of its weird rubbery brush, I don't even have to wipe it at all, and I get that same look. I suppose if you want more volume, you can try the VolumeExact, but I stuck with the regular Lash Exact because it was 50% off and I NEEDED to save that $3.

*****

I recently rediscovered my U2: The Best of 1980-1990 CD, and can't stop listening. I don't think I appreciated it fully when I bought it (a friend convinced me to make the purchase a few years ago), but I'm all about it now.

*****

Remember my New Years Resolution to read a book a month? Yeah... I've been reading the book Perfume: The Story of a Murderer since the second week in January. I just can't seem to get through it, which is a shame because it's a good story. This is an embarassing confession, but I think it has too many words. Perhaps I should try it again during spring break when I don't have so much thinking to do, and switch to something more fluffy for now.

*****

I totally know the difference between it's and its, your and you're, and who's and whose, but sometimes when I'm typing out my blog entries I fail to pick the correct one. That's annoying.

Chopping Onions Makes Me Weep

I spent most of my day yesterday in tears because of work-stuff. I don't want to get into too much detail on here, but for the most part, a parent is accusing me of causing injury to her child during a restraint, when in actuality, we were restraining him to prevent injury to himself or someone else. And fuck you Lady, because hi. Remember this?


That's where your son bit me.
Also? You forgot to pack lunch for your kid yesterday. Two already-eaten bags of chips and a Gogurt from the day before don't count.

*Sigh.*

Anyway, I'm in better spirits today. Yesterday I was all destrought and depressed and scared and all I wanted to do was sit and cry. I missed Alison's birthday party and Christine's bowling extravaganza (heehee) and I layed on my couch at watched my DVR'd episode of Grey's Anatomy and went to sleep.

I woke up today with a clearer mind, and instead of a Woe-Is-Me attitude, I've got a Fuck-You-Bitch-You-Suck-As-A-Mom-And-That's-Why-Your-Kid-
Is-In-My-Class-In-The-First-Place one.

She is not ruining my weekend.

*****

In my everlasting quest to Even Things Out between TheBoy and me (who pays for everything all the time because he knows I can't afford to), I am going to attempt to cook him dinner tonight. I'm making pork loin with rosemary, red-wine risotto with peas, and asparagus, possibly with some fresh lime juice. I have never cooked any of those things before, but it's worth a shot.

Of course, My Thing will be cancelled out by Alex's Thing tomorrow when he makes me breakfast (cheese omelette, hash browns, sausage and/or bacon, and probably some kind of bread item), and he'll still be on top.

(Heh. My Thing. Alex's Thing. He'll be on top...

Sorry. If there is one thing I've gained from my relationship with TheBoy (other than a Burberry jacket), it's to appreciate adolescent male humor.)

Update: The pork loin came out fantastically (woot woot to my meat thermometer!), and the risotto was also fantastic, even though I didn't have any wine (?!) and just used extra broth instead and it sat for awhile because I cooked it too early... The asparagus was mucho overcooked, but that was okay, because when you've got meat and carbs, do you really need veggies?

Suds

There is only one thing I don't like about my apartment, and that is the lack of washer and dryer. I hardly did my laundry at my parents' house, because god forbid I walk up and down the 12 stairs a couple times. But now it's even worse, because not only do I have to walk up and down 12-or-so stairs, I also have to walk outside, around to the side of the building, unlock the laundry room door, and *gasp* pay $1.25 per teeny-tiny washerloadfull... plus drying. It's annoying, and I always feel like that "I forgot to add the fabric softener!" commercial.

So I'm leaving for Boston tomorrow*, and here I am, at almost 8pm, just starting my laundry because I have absolutely nothing to wear. Not even underwear. I went through all the comfy stuff, through the thongs, and today I had to go with none. That's how I know it's time.

I think I will one day cause my aide to have a heart attack. She has a special schedule for her laundry: 24-year-old son's work clothes on Monday, whites on Tuesday, colors on Wednesday, etc., until Saturday when she does all of her ironing at once. (She gasps in disbelief when I mention things like, "I had no more clean underwear today so I had to wear a thong." I kept the whole Freebird incident to myself.) Of course, this might just be because I gave her a little TMI, but anyways I admire her commitment to a pristine house, and actual clean clothes that she didn't just spray with Febreze and run through the "Fluff" cycle. Speaking of which, I miss the Fluff cycle, but the absence of one made me purchase a new iron, which I put a lot of research into before buying and absolutely love. You know. As far as irons go.

* Please don't burgle me when I'm gone...

*****

I got take-out Mexican for dinner (like from a real restaurant, not Taco Bell) and I am terribly disappointed. That might be because I waited an hour before eating it and now it's all cold, or it might be because I don't like enchiladas, and yet I keep ordering them anyway. Either way, I'm annoyed that they didn't throw in the usual chips and salsa, because along with the soup, which was pretty good, that would have made a nice meal. Note to self: Next time, just order soup and a half quesadilla.

*****

I was kicked in the shin today by a student. It still hurts, and there's a nice little bruise there.

*****

Crayola Jelly Beans? Not as "feel like a kid again" as they seem they'd be. Jelly Belly still reigns supreme.

*****

I fell asleep last night during the president's address. Not only is he a moron, he is boring and a poor speaker. I prefer the Today Show's summary and commentary any day.

In My Head

• Wawa has a seasonal butternut squash soup. It is fan-freakin-tastic, and I'm having it for dinner right now.
• On Friday I moved into a new classroom. Perhaps you recall my mention of working in a closet? Well this room is the fucking penthouse suite of classrooms: bathroom, 2 sinks besides the one in the bathroom, water fountain, closet big enough to double as a Time Out room, a huuuuuge round window, and vaulted fucking ceilings!!!! Pictures to come soon, once I'm finished unpacking. I feel like Harry Potter, moving from the Closet Under the Stairs to Hogwarts. P.S. Only a teacher could get so excited about a classroom that she curses about it.
• I borrowed Season 1 of Lost from a coworker. I had always wanted to watch it but didn't start from the beginning, and it seemed like too complicated a show to just pick up and start watching. It is so freakin good, I am angry that I'm going to have to finish this season, borrow Season 2, and then wait for Season 3 to come out on DVD (prob this summer) before I can watch next year's Season 4. And also? If I were to get stuck on a deserted island, I'd hope that it was due to a plane crash and that there was a doctor and a Chinese lady on board. I'd have everything I need, and Between the perfect stitches and herbal remedies, I'd be all set!
• My Elementary Teacher Standard Certificate finally came! That makes me a real, really real teacher! Woot woot!
• I attempted to do my laundry in my complex's laundry room this weekend. I fit about 4 towels in the washer for $1.25, and the dryer was 25cents for 10 minutes. Hardly worth it. Guess I'll continue traveling to my parents' to get the laundry done. Oh well. Free laundry and dinner. Not such a bad thing.
• TheBoy keeps marvelling at how easy it is to make me laugh. I keep marvelling at how freaking hilarious he is.