Outside My Window... rainy greyness.
I am thinking... that I should finish making up my package for Grant.
I am thankful for... large mugs of peppermint tea.
From the kitchen... a fresh pan of Almond Roca.
I am wearing... jeans and a grey shirt.
I am creating... a letter for Nina.
I am going... to hopefully pick up my computer today.
I am reading... Easy to Kill.
I am hoping... to make more progress cleaning my room today.
I am hearing... some unknown song on the radio.
Around the house... it is kind of empty with everyone else gone doing things.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: The Conference.

Outside My Window... the lilacs are in bloom.
I am thinking... that Apple is really quick about repairs.
I am thankful for... tax returns.
From the kitchen... absolutely nothing is happening.
I am wearing... jeans and a work shirt.
I am creating... mental additions to my book list.
I am going... to set up sprinklers for the vegetable garden.
I am reading... Easy to Kill.
I am hoping... they aren't serious about the new dress code at work.
I am hearing... Kennedy's Kitchen, and Jenni singing along.
Around the house... there is conference prep going on(Jenni collating as she sings).
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Picking up my laptop, and The Conference.

The Summer Reading List

So, due to 5 days without my laptop, and not much to do for leisure aside from lots of gardening, a trip to the library was in order last week. And a very small library resulted in not having a very worthwhile selection of fiction to choose from without planning ahead and ordering things in. But they do have a few Agatha Christies, and now I'm hooked. So my summer reading list is mostly short pleasure books(aside from Sheen and Mallory). But here it is in all its length, and I'm sure it will continue to grow.

(Italics are finished)
Endless Darkness – Agatha Christie
Murder for Christmas – Agatha Christie
Easy to Kill – Agatha Christie
Cards on the Table – Agatha Christie
The Sittaford Mystery – Agatha Christie
Sparkling Cyanide – Agatha Christie
The Hollow – Agatha Christie
Funerals Are Fatal – Agatha Christie
Third Girl – Agatha Christie
The Man in the Brown Suit – Agatha Christie
N or M? – Agatha Christie
Passenger to Frankfurt – Agatha Christie
Three Blind Mice – Agatha Christie
Murder in Three Acts – Agatha Christie
Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha Christie
Thirteen at Dinner – Agatha Christie
The Clocks – Agatha Christie
Dead Man’s Folly – Agatha Christie
At Bertram’s Hotel – Agatha Christie
Mystery of the Blue Train – Agatha Christie
Ordeal by Innocence – Agatha Christie
Postern of Fate – Agatha Christie
The Secret of Chimneys – Agatha Christie
There is a Tide – Agatha Christie
The Body in the Library – Agatha Christie
The Boomerang Clue – Agatha Christie
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
Tears of the Giraffe – Alexander McCall Smith
Morality for Beautiful Girls – Alexander McCall Smith
The Kalahari Typing School for Men – Alexander McCall Smith
The Full Cupboard of Life – Alexander McCall Smith
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies – Alexander McCall Smith
Blue Shoes and Happiness – Alexander McCall Smith
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive – Alexander McCall Smith
The Miracle at Speedy Motors – Alexander McCall Smith
Le Morte d’Arthur – Thomas Mallory
Three to Get Married – Fulton Sheen

Outside My Window... darkness.
I am thinking... that maybe this is a cold instead of allergies.
I am thankful for... good friends and good food.
From the kitchen... more chocolate chip cookies, though not as fresh.
I am wearing... capris with socks(yeah, yeah, but I didn't do it in public).
I am creating... a mental list for the next couple of weeks.
I am going... to be working lots next week.
I am reading... nothing at the moment because I finished a book just before I left this evening.
I am hoping... that next week isn't so stressful as it looks like it will be.
I am hearing... the news in the next room.
Around the house... there is conference stuff being assembled.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Work in the morning and the Conference this weekend.

Until I can find something subtantial to blog about. . .

I'm going to steal Gianna's form for blogging.

Outside My Window... the freshly planted and almost finished garden.
I am thinking... that I need to take a Claritin before bed.
I am thankful for... Smithwick's(because "it's damn good!").
From the kitchen... The smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies, and the sound of Dad emptying the dishwasher.
I am wearing... jeans and a slightly dirt-streaked t-shirt.
I am creating... Well, I picked up the fabric for a really cute top this afternoon, so I'll be creating soon.
I am going... to bed soon because I have work in the morning.
I am reading... Murder for Christmas.
I am hoping... that this allergy goes away.
I am hearing... the TV in the family room, and cups being stacked in the kitchen.
Around the house... all the gardens are just about finished, two flowers left to plant.
One of my favorite things... satin PJ's.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: A bit of work, some room cleaning, and The Conference.

Dead Tired

So I'm off to a bit a slackerly start here, but I'm about to drop over dead asleep. I had a long day of work and some play as well and have definitely earned my rest. I'll have a real post sometime after work tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo

So, because both the fiance and I are slackers lately when it comes to blogging, I threw down the colloquial gauntlet and challenged him to participate in NaBloPoMo. So let the posting begin!

Saint Gianna Pray For Us

From Adoro

"In the spirit of St Gianna Beretta Molla, Dr. Ellice Hammond of Australia gave her life to save that of her unborn daughter, Mia. Dr Hammond was diagnosed with Hogkins Lymphoma in the 21st week of her pregnancy and refused the chemotheraphy which might have saved her life. Instead she had mild chemo just to protect Mia (the baby) and then they induced Mia at the 31st week. Mia is being cared for in Monash Medical Centre's neonatal unit and doing well. Ellice died three weeks after Mia was born. As can be expected, there was an American press silence on this story."

Actually, there was more than just American press silence on this, I could only find one real news story on it here.

Pictorial

Alright not quite 3 months away from blogging has certainly been pleasant, at least in some ways. I was nice not to feel the need to write something(not that I'm sure I ever had that feeling. . .), but, on the other hand, I've shorted myself of a creative outlet and I'm beginning to feel my brain atrophy. So, to explain at least some of my absence here's my summer so far.



Myself and Kate toasting my 21st, albeit a day late.



Thursday drinking a fruity blue drink(which completely goes against his scotch-drinking grain).



The handsome Fiance at lunch in the lovely town of Stockbridge.



Shooting lots and lots of photos of a crumbling historic prison. And of course touring the mines underneath, a thing which is probably best done before watching the video in the main building that tells prison horror stories.



Playing lots of 9-ball with vintage cues.


Well, at least that was the later half of June, my July has been mostly working and getting ready for school. Oh, and trying to get in all that reading that I've been meaning to do all summer.


(And getting to gratuitously show off photos of the Fiance.)

I'm Engaged

Hosted on Zooomr

I realized that it's almost been a month already(Easter Vigil) and I hadn't mentioned this. So in the efforts of keeping The Fiance happy, I should mention it.

I'll get around to posting the story eventually here. . .

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The Midland
The West
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

For those of us who can't have real pumpkins...

There's virtual pumpkin carving.

Oh I'm a wanderer, yeah, I'm a wanderer...

create your own personalized map of the USA.


I think that's everywhere I've been(correct me if I'm wrong).

H/T to The Dork

Very, very interesting...but stupid!

It's official, the latest version of iTunes is definitly not empathic. In fact it may well be posessed. The older versions of iTunes seemed to be at least somewhat empathic; I could be thinking that I'd like to hear a song and it would be the next song that played(I suppose that may also point to posession), or at least it would pick music that could make me feel better.

The new version is just strange. I've had the flu all week and my brain, nerves, and emotions have all been a little bit on edge. I was feeling better today for the most part and was eating again(only light stuff) and now I'm still up because I'm sick again. In the time since I started feeling worse(5-ish hours), and out of 1600 songs, iTunes has played "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind three times, "Sounds of Silence" four times and "Brick" by Ben Folds three times. I'm mildly worried about my computer being preoccupied with playing songs about suicide and abortion. I'm having a really hard time trying to get it to randomly select any of the upbeat music that it normally goes with.

Just a tad odd.

Five things

Five things in my freezer:
1. Ice cubes
2. Vermonty Python Ice Cream
3. Pizza Rolls
4. Half of a chocolate orange
5. Socks

Five things in my closet
1. Scrapbooking stuff
2. Trauma kit
3. A box of sweaters and other clothes that I don't need just yet
4. Shower caddy
5. The legs to my bed

Five things in my car
I don't have a car up here, so this is kind of moot, but I have a good idea of what might be in the car at home.
1. Jumper cables
2. Lots of bottled water
3. Tool kit
4. A jacket
5. Maps

Five interesting things in my backpack
1. My stress ball
2. Digital sudoku
3. Headphones
4. Sketch pencils
5. A laptop mouse

Asparagus Ice Cream

Ingredients

* One bunch asparagus
* 1 cup sugar (to make double sugar syrup)
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup Amaretto
* 2 eggs (at room temperature)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 600mL (1 pint) cream
* 200mL (1/2 pint) milk

Method

Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in the water and bring to the boil. Remove the woody part of the asparagus, and chop into small pieces. Add the asparagus. Return to the boil and take off the heat.

Make the custard. Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Gently warm the cream and milk. Add the cream/milk to the eggs while stirring. Strain the custard back into the pot over a gentle heat. Stir until the custard will coat the back of a spoon.

Blend the asparagus and almond liqueur.

Add the asparagus purée to the custard.

Churn as per the instructions on the ice cream machine.

It's Getting Worse!

Okay, so I took this test about a year and a half ago and got a score of 88, or High-Nerd. And now I just don't want to know what happened...

I've only seen 50

My friend Matt emailed me this and I decided that instead of emailing it, I'd just post it here. I'd really like to know what the criteria was for picking these movies, there's nothing over 25 years old on this list.

Supposedly if you've seen over 85 movies, you have no life. There are 163 movies on the list, bold the ones you've seen and italicize the ones you've seen part of.

Rocky Horror Picture Show
Grease
Pirates of the Caribbean
Boondock Saints
Fight Club
Starsky and Hutch
Neverending Story
Blazing Saddles
Airplane!
The Princess Bride
Anchor Man: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
Napoleon Dynamite
Labyrinth
Saw
Saw II
White Noise
White Oleander
Anger Management
50 First Dates
The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Scream
Scream 2
Scream 3
Scary Movie
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 4
American Pie
American Pie 2
American Wedding
American Pie Band Camp
Harry Potter
Harry Potter 2
Harry Potter 3
Harry Potter 4
Resident Evil I
Resident Evil 2
The Wedding Singer
Little Black Book
The Village
Lilo & Stitch
Finding Nemo
Finding Neverland
Signs
The Grinch
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
White Chicks
Butterfly Effect
13 Going on 30
i Robot
Robots
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Universal Soldier
Lemony Snicket's: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
Along Came Polly
Deep Impact
Kingpin
Never Been Kissed
Meet The Parents
Meet the Fockers
Eight Crazy Nights
Joe Dirt
King Kong
A Cinderella Story
The Terminal
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Passport to Paris
Dumb & Dumber
Dumber & Dumberer
Final Destination 1
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 3
Halloween
The Ring
The Ring 2
Surviving X-MAS
Flubber
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Practical Magic
Chicago
Ghost Ship
From Hell
Hellboy
Secret Window
I Am Sam..
The Whole Nine Yards
The Day After Tomorrow
Child's Play
Seed of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Ten Things I Hate About You
Just Married
Gothika
Nightmare on Elm Street
Sixteen Candles
Remember the Titans
Coach Carter
The Grudge
The Mask
Son Of The Mask
Bad Boys 2
Joy Ride
Lucky Number Slevin
Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Twelve
Identity
Lone Star
Bedazzled
Predator I
Predator II
The Fog
Ice Age
Ice age 2 The Meltdown
Independence Day
Cujo
A Bronx Tale
Darkness Falls
Christine
ET
Children of the Corn
My Boss' Daughter
Maid in Manhattan
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Frailty
War of the Worlds
Rush Hour
Rush Hour 2
Best Bet
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
She's All That
Calendar Girls
Sideways
Mars Attacks
Event Horizon
Ever After
Forrest Gump
Big Trouble in Little China Town
The Terminator
The Terminator 2
The Terminator 3
X-Men
X Men 2
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Sky High
Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers 2
Catch Me If You Can
The Others
Freaky Friday
Reign of Fire
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions 2
The Hot Chick
Shrek
Shrek 2
Swimfan
Miracle
Old School
K-Pax
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
A Walk to Remember
Boogeyman
The 40-year-old-virgin

I'll tag Thursday, Holly, Victor,and Jenny.

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?