...is a parallel universe, so that I have time to go out for romantic dinners with Scott. We got some "treat yourself to something nice" cash for Valentine's Day and still haven't had an unscheduled night to go out for dinner together!
If you get me a parallel universe, I'd also use it for frisbee tournaments... especially ones with Scott (but I'd let you be on my team too!). (Scott got to play today, but I had to stay home and do homework. The weekend of Fool's Fest, there are at least three teams that I'd like to play with... one in DC with Wellesley alums, one in CA with Scott & Night Train, and another one in CA with fun ladies.)
I'd probably use it for cooking desserts too, which I'd be happy to share with anyone who chipped in for said parallel universe. Seems like a win-win situation, right?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Happi Pi Day!
I'm off to a one-day tournament today! I'm excited to see my Night Train teammates again, and I'm excited to get outside and run around a bunch. And I'm excited that I get to wear my Pi jersey! (I used to play for a frisbee team called Pi.)
Last week was good and busy. I spent Wednesday through Friday being recruited by the Nutrition Department. Nothing is 100% settled yet, so I'm hesitant to say too much about it, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be starting as a Master's student next fall! I'm glad I got to attend recruitment - it clarified my thinking about what I want to get out of this program, and I got to meet some very nice faculty members and students. Plus they took us out to dinner at Bistro 33, which is one of my favorite places in Davis. (Not as romantic without Scott there, but still nice!)
Last week was made even busier because it was the last week of the quarter. Despite a full two days of homework last weekend, and being diligent about getting HW done during gaps in my schedule this week, I'm still feeling behind and a little stressed for finals.
Fortunately, they're spaced out well:
Monday - last day of class
Tuesday - studystudystudy
Wednesday - general chem final
Thursday (my birthday!) - bio final
Friday - organic chemistry final
Saturday (6-8pm) - genetics final
I'm glad I've only got one final per day, but I'm pretty impatient for 8pm next Saturday to roll around! On Sunday, we'll be heading south on a camping trip. One day at a time... it will be over before I know it, right? In any case, I'm celebrating Pi Day by thinking about coursework as little as possible and about flying discs as much as possible. 3.14159...!!!
Last week was good and busy. I spent Wednesday through Friday being recruited by the Nutrition Department. Nothing is 100% settled yet, so I'm hesitant to say too much about it, but I'm pretty sure that I'll be starting as a Master's student next fall! I'm glad I got to attend recruitment - it clarified my thinking about what I want to get out of this program, and I got to meet some very nice faculty members and students. Plus they took us out to dinner at Bistro 33, which is one of my favorite places in Davis. (Not as romantic without Scott there, but still nice!)
Last week was made even busier because it was the last week of the quarter. Despite a full two days of homework last weekend, and being diligent about getting HW done during gaps in my schedule this week, I'm still feeling behind and a little stressed for finals.
Fortunately, they're spaced out well:
Monday - last day of class
Tuesday - studystudystudy
Wednesday - general chem final
Thursday (my birthday!) - bio final
Friday - organic chemistry final
Saturday (6-8pm) - genetics final
I'm glad I've only got one final per day, but I'm pretty impatient for 8pm next Saturday to roll around! On Sunday, we'll be heading south on a camping trip. One day at a time... it will be over before I know it, right? In any case, I'm celebrating Pi Day by thinking about coursework as little as possible and about flying discs as much as possible. 3.14159...!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Quick update
1. The Saab saga continues! The bracket that holds the alternator in place had cracked, and a replacement was not to be found in the junkyard, so John had to special order it. Hopefully we'll get our car back today or tomorrow!
2. We spent last weekend in Santa Cruz with Nina, Sibley, Nate, Jess and other cool people. It was pretty dry on Saturday, so we got to take a nice walk on the beach and climb up to the treehouse. But Sunday was very wet and windy - too stormy to go through with the bonfire as planned. Plan B, B for Boardgames, was an excellent alternative. Settlers of Catan, Mafia, Munchkin, good stuff. And plenty of good food and wine to boot!
3. I had a biology midterm on Wednesday, so spent most of Monday and Tuesday cramming for it. I think it went well.
4. As soon as I got out of my midterm, I gave my long-neglected bike some much-deserved love. I cleaned and oiled the chain, and I polished up the gears. I tried using dental floss, but it wasn't strong enough, so I ended up using a bamboo skewer to pick away all the layers of crud. (I really wish I had a set of dental tools!) It rides like a dream now.
5. I finally used up the last of our 14-pound turkey - the one that Scott bought right after Thanksgiving for $5 and the remains of which have been lingering in our freezer. I made a beautiful turkey wild rice hotdish with it.
6. Scott and I are going climbing tonight, and will probably have a date night tomorrow night, but the weekend will be full of writing for him and midterm studying for me. Pretty crazy how quickly the quarter is going by.
2. We spent last weekend in Santa Cruz with Nina, Sibley, Nate, Jess and other cool people. It was pretty dry on Saturday, so we got to take a nice walk on the beach and climb up to the treehouse. But Sunday was very wet and windy - too stormy to go through with the bonfire as planned. Plan B, B for Boardgames, was an excellent alternative. Settlers of Catan, Mafia, Munchkin, good stuff. And plenty of good food and wine to boot!
3. I had a biology midterm on Wednesday, so spent most of Monday and Tuesday cramming for it. I think it went well.
4. As soon as I got out of my midterm, I gave my long-neglected bike some much-deserved love. I cleaned and oiled the chain, and I polished up the gears. I tried using dental floss, but it wasn't strong enough, so I ended up using a bamboo skewer to pick away all the layers of crud. (I really wish I had a set of dental tools!) It rides like a dream now.
5. I finally used up the last of our 14-pound turkey - the one that Scott bought right after Thanksgiving for $5 and the remains of which have been lingering in our freezer. I made a beautiful turkey wild rice hotdish with it.
6. Scott and I are going climbing tonight, and will probably have a date night tomorrow night, but the weekend will be full of writing for him and midterm studying for me. Pretty crazy how quickly the quarter is going by.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
I got to ride in a tow truck today!
The Saab saga continues... I was on my way to visit my hospice patient this morning - driving instead of biking, since I had my violin along and was planning to play for her. I noticed the radio acting funny - it got very quiet and then turned off by itself. Then my turn signal stopped blinking. And then the whole car started sounding weak. I decided I'd head back home and save my visit for another day, but at the very next intersection, while I was waiting in the left turn lane, the old panzer died. A very good samaritan let me borrow his phone to call Scott (I'd forgotten mine, of course), and he helped me push it to a curb. Scott called a tow truck to take the Saab to our trusty mechanic John. John looked a little nervous when he saw it come in - he had just installed a new clutch, so he was relieved when I told him the clutch was fine and it was probably the alternator.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Napping!
I had a lovely, relaxing weekend. Watched Battlestar Galactica on Saturday night with friends. Dim sum in Sacramento on Sunday, and dinner and games at Brian & Marion's house on Sunday night. Played some pickup on Saturday morning, took a nice afternoon nap on Sunday. But I'm tired today! I went home at 1pm and took a solid nap, despite the jackhammers working right outside my window! Glad I live close enough so that I can go home between classes and nap.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
25 Things About Me
(This is a Facebook chain letter.)
1. I really like being 27 years old, because it’s three cubed. Being 29 will be nice too, since it’s the first of a pair of twin primes. I’m not so psyched about turning 28. This year Scott will turn 32, which is very cool – it’s two to the 5th, so when you write it in binary it’s 10,000. I can’t wait til I turn 10,000!
2. I’ve wanted to be a doctor most of my life but didn’t pursue it until I turned 27 that I realized: if I don’t at least try to go to medical school, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
3. I can clap with one hand.
4. There are three pink things I like. First, pink painted fingernails (mine, in particular). Second, my hot pink shoes from Payless with big pink flowers on the toes. Third, beets, and the way they turn everything they come into contact with magenta… including my pee.
5. I have a terrible memory for faces. I’m pretty good with names.
6. I’m proud of these three things. First, the blue quilt with yellow stars I sewed for myself in high school. Second, the marathon I ran in 4 hours and 20 minutes. Third, the fact that I can do an honest-to-goodness pull-up (2 or 3 in a row on a good day!).
7. One of the most important things I learned at Wellesley is how many ways there are to be a woman.
8. The best part of my day is dinner with Scott. Nearly every night, we cook dinner together, from scratch, and sit down at the dining room table to eat together. We light a candle and pour wine. Scott made time for this ritual all year last year, when he was horrifically busy studying for prelims, and all this winter, when my weird schedule means that most nights I get home from lab or practice after 9pm.
9. I like to pick music that goes with whatever we’re having for dinner. For instance, Bach cantatas go with a frittata.
10. The second best part of my day is my morning ritual – drinking espresso (with frothed milk!) out of Turkish tea glasses with Scott.
11. I’ll wear my grandmother’s wedding dress when I get married next fall! My mom and aunt also wore it, so I’ll be its fourth bride.
12. The thing I miss most about Duluth, besides my family, is Lake Superior.
13. I don’t own a Bundt pan, even though they were invented in Minnesota, and I’m a fan of all things Minnesotan.
14. The thing I miss most about Rome is the pizza. Pizza is my favorite food, and I feel like an 8-year-old when I say that, but it’s completely true.
15. I miss my friends from DC so much, I can’t remember what else I miss!
16. The thing I love most about Davis, besides the people, is the produce.
17. When I go to the gym, I feel great disdain for the people on the treadmills and elliptical trainers and moderate disdain for those on the weight machines. I believe that CrossFit workouts are the absolute best and try not to be too evangelical about it.
18. I’ve dreamt I was dead several times, and I’ve dreamt about our dead pets.
19. I wish I didn’t drool so much when I sleep.
20. I like going to the dentist, because I get such rave reviews of my oral hygiene. I floss at least six days a week. And it doesn’t hurt having overactive salivary glands.
21. I’ve only ever dated ultimate Frisbee players.
22. Someday I’ll layout.
23. Scott is turning me into a lover of board games. Right now Race for the Galaxy is our favorite. But I’m still not so sure about Settlers of Catan.
24. We don’t own a TV, and I don’t miss it, but Scott and I do watch Battlestar Galactica every week at a friend’s house.
25. I keep a ten-year journal. I’m five years into it, so on any given day, I can tell you exactly what I was doing on that day in any year going back to 2004.
1. I really like being 27 years old, because it’s three cubed. Being 29 will be nice too, since it’s the first of a pair of twin primes. I’m not so psyched about turning 28. This year Scott will turn 32, which is very cool – it’s two to the 5th, so when you write it in binary it’s 10,000. I can’t wait til I turn 10,000!
2. I’ve wanted to be a doctor most of my life but didn’t pursue it until I turned 27 that I realized: if I don’t at least try to go to medical school, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
3. I can clap with one hand.
4. There are three pink things I like. First, pink painted fingernails (mine, in particular). Second, my hot pink shoes from Payless with big pink flowers on the toes. Third, beets, and the way they turn everything they come into contact with magenta… including my pee.
5. I have a terrible memory for faces. I’m pretty good with names.
6. I’m proud of these three things. First, the blue quilt with yellow stars I sewed for myself in high school. Second, the marathon I ran in 4 hours and 20 minutes. Third, the fact that I can do an honest-to-goodness pull-up (2 or 3 in a row on a good day!).
7. One of the most important things I learned at Wellesley is how many ways there are to be a woman.
8. The best part of my day is dinner with Scott. Nearly every night, we cook dinner together, from scratch, and sit down at the dining room table to eat together. We light a candle and pour wine. Scott made time for this ritual all year last year, when he was horrifically busy studying for prelims, and all this winter, when my weird schedule means that most nights I get home from lab or practice after 9pm.
9. I like to pick music that goes with whatever we’re having for dinner. For instance, Bach cantatas go with a frittata.
10. The second best part of my day is my morning ritual – drinking espresso (with frothed milk!) out of Turkish tea glasses with Scott.
11. I’ll wear my grandmother’s wedding dress when I get married next fall! My mom and aunt also wore it, so I’ll be its fourth bride.
12. The thing I miss most about Duluth, besides my family, is Lake Superior.
13. I don’t own a Bundt pan, even though they were invented in Minnesota, and I’m a fan of all things Minnesotan.
14. The thing I miss most about Rome is the pizza. Pizza is my favorite food, and I feel like an 8-year-old when I say that, but it’s completely true.
15. I miss my friends from DC so much, I can’t remember what else I miss!
16. The thing I love most about Davis, besides the people, is the produce.
17. When I go to the gym, I feel great disdain for the people on the treadmills and elliptical trainers and moderate disdain for those on the weight machines. I believe that CrossFit workouts are the absolute best and try not to be too evangelical about it.
18. I’ve dreamt I was dead several times, and I’ve dreamt about our dead pets.
19. I wish I didn’t drool so much when I sleep.
20. I like going to the dentist, because I get such rave reviews of my oral hygiene. I floss at least six days a week. And it doesn’t hurt having overactive salivary glands.
21. I’ve only ever dated ultimate Frisbee players.
22. Someday I’ll layout.
23. Scott is turning me into a lover of board games. Right now Race for the Galaxy is our favorite. But I’m still not so sure about Settlers of Catan.
24. We don’t own a TV, and I don’t miss it, but Scott and I do watch Battlestar Galactica every week at a friend’s house.
25. I keep a ten-year journal. I’m five years into it, so on any given day, I can tell you exactly what I was doing on that day in any year going back to 2004.
Friday, January 23, 2009
We're in!
We moved into our new apartment yesterday! There's a lot of unpacking left to do, but things are not in total disarray, and it definitely feels good to have all the heavy lifting out of the way.
If anyone (in Davis) has a microwave they're not using, let us know! We need one...
If anyone (in Davis) has a microwave they're not using, let us know! We need one...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Year of the Camel!
It's awful - the times when I have the most to write about, I also have the least amount of time to write about it! Here's a recap of the last month.
December 11 - I made Christmas presents for my family the night before I left for Minnesota! Of course I couldn't blog about it until everyone had received their gifts, and I had the worst time keeping them a secret. I used an antique fabric stamp that I bought in Turkey and printed t-shirts and scarves with it.
Later December: I had a wonderful, cozy, snowy vacation in Duluth. The worst part was not the -10°F weather; it was not having Margaret there. I kept waiting for her to arrive, but alas she spent Christmas in Colorado this year - it would have been too short a trip to be worth it. I did get to visit Alissa and her family at their beautiful cabin, just south of Duluth. It was a treat, even before her mom sent us home with a loaf of cardamom bread!
December 24-25: Wonderful family feasts on both days. The Christmas Eve service was beautiful - really fantastic music. My grandma was down from Baudette to spend the holiday with us, and my mom's sister and her family came up from the Cities on Christmas day.
Grandma, Mom, Fred, Dad and the Turkey
Andrew, Peter and Benjamin on the couch, the rest of the family in the kitchen.
Late December: Scott and I flew to L.A. on the 27th, and spent the week with his family. We started off in the desert - hikes through Joshua Tree National Park and dinner at a very posh country club with friends of theirs (we drove to dinner in their Rolls Royce!). We had a big family dinner, with Michael's family (Michael is Julie's fiance) and with my Aunt Barbara. Scott and I spent a night and a day with Aunt B, which was great - I don't get to see her nearly often enough, especially now that we live in the same state! Julie and I went shopping for bridesmaids dresses at vintages places (Scott and Michael and Becky gamely came along). I bought a really cute one for Margaret to wear, and Julie found some good options. I'm jealous she gets to shop at these places whenever she wants!
Sporting our CamelWear at Joshua Tree!
Video from the car window
New Year's Eve: A quiet evening with the McNivens. We got to watch a DVD of Scott's grandparents talking about their childhoods and the war years (including how they met). The movie was about 10 years old, and it was wonderful to "meet" Scott's grandpa, who passed away a few years ago.
January 1: We got back to Davis and had a few days to get our lives in order (laundry! bills!) before heading to San Francisco for the weekend. Scott attended an economics conference, and I got to hang out with my friends Mavis and Maya. We drank tea, visited the De Young museum, and then drank more tea. Scott says he had fun at the conference, but I think I got the better end of the deal.
January 5: Classes started, which was just as stressful for me as it was at the beginning of fall quarter. Since I'm taking classes as an extension student, I can't pre-register and have to just show up and hope there's space in the class for me. Happily, I got into all four classes that I wanted to take: easy bio (intro) and hard bio (genetics), easy chem (intro) and hard chem (organic). My schedule is a little crazy, but I'm so thankful that I can take all of these classes.
January 9: We flew to Austin for Sarah and Keith's wedding! It was a great weekend, filled with lots of friends (Scott's high school buddies) and amazing food and beer (much of it homemade by the couple and their families) and a great dance. I spent lots of time working on my M.S. application essays, but at least I had partners in crime - Jess was writing her M.B.A. application essays, and Scott was writing proposals. I submitted my application on Monday when we got back. Yay! Now I just have to wait and see if they'll take me...
This week: Tonight is the 5th Annual Minnesota Party, and on Thursday we're moving into our new apartment!
December 11 - I made Christmas presents for my family the night before I left for Minnesota! Of course I couldn't blog about it until everyone had received their gifts, and I had the worst time keeping them a secret. I used an antique fabric stamp that I bought in Turkey and printed t-shirts and scarves with it.
Later December: I had a wonderful, cozy, snowy vacation in Duluth. The worst part was not the -10°F weather; it was not having Margaret there. I kept waiting for her to arrive, but alas she spent Christmas in Colorado this year - it would have been too short a trip to be worth it. I did get to visit Alissa and her family at their beautiful cabin, just south of Duluth. It was a treat, even before her mom sent us home with a loaf of cardamom bread!
December 24-25: Wonderful family feasts on both days. The Christmas Eve service was beautiful - really fantastic music. My grandma was down from Baudette to spend the holiday with us, and my mom's sister and her family came up from the Cities on Christmas day.
Grandma, Mom, Fred, Dad and the Turkey
Andrew, Peter and Benjamin on the couch, the rest of the family in the kitchen.
Late December: Scott and I flew to L.A. on the 27th, and spent the week with his family. We started off in the desert - hikes through Joshua Tree National Park and dinner at a very posh country club with friends of theirs (we drove to dinner in their Rolls Royce!). We had a big family dinner, with Michael's family (Michael is Julie's fiance) and with my Aunt Barbara. Scott and I spent a night and a day with Aunt B, which was great - I don't get to see her nearly often enough, especially now that we live in the same state! Julie and I went shopping for bridesmaids dresses at vintages places (Scott and Michael and Becky gamely came along). I bought a really cute one for Margaret to wear, and Julie found some good options. I'm jealous she gets to shop at these places whenever she wants!
Sporting our CamelWear at Joshua Tree!
Video from the car window
New Year's Eve: A quiet evening with the McNivens. We got to watch a DVD of Scott's grandparents talking about their childhoods and the war years (including how they met). The movie was about 10 years old, and it was wonderful to "meet" Scott's grandpa, who passed away a few years ago.
January 1: We got back to Davis and had a few days to get our lives in order (laundry! bills!) before heading to San Francisco for the weekend. Scott attended an economics conference, and I got to hang out with my friends Mavis and Maya. We drank tea, visited the De Young museum, and then drank more tea. Scott says he had fun at the conference, but I think I got the better end of the deal.
January 5: Classes started, which was just as stressful for me as it was at the beginning of fall quarter. Since I'm taking classes as an extension student, I can't pre-register and have to just show up and hope there's space in the class for me. Happily, I got into all four classes that I wanted to take: easy bio (intro) and hard bio (genetics), easy chem (intro) and hard chem (organic). My schedule is a little crazy, but I'm so thankful that I can take all of these classes.
January 9: We flew to Austin for Sarah and Keith's wedding! It was a great weekend, filled with lots of friends (Scott's high school buddies) and amazing food and beer (much of it homemade by the couple and their families) and a great dance. I spent lots of time working on my M.S. application essays, but at least I had partners in crime - Jess was writing her M.B.A. application essays, and Scott was writing proposals. I submitted my application on Monday when we got back. Yay! Now I just have to wait and see if they'll take me...
This week: Tonight is the 5th Annual Minnesota Party, and on Thursday we're moving into our new apartment!
Friday, December 19, 2008
More snowy bliss in Duluth.
Scott and I met with the pastor who will be presiding over our wedding next fall, and since the church is so close to the Lakewalk, we went down and took a walk afterwards. Short, because there was a strong wind coming off the lake, and it was cold. Here's a video of the waves crashing up on the breakwater.
It's been snowing all day - big, fluffy "Christmas card" flakes. Scott and I helped Mom clean off the driveway, so we don't feel too guilty about sitting inside and drinking tea during the rest of the day.
More photos here!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Life is good
1. I took the GRE this morning! Given that I only studied for three and a half days, I'm pretty happy with my scores. And I'm pretty happy to have it over with.
2. Scott is en route to Minnesota as I type! He'll get to Duluth around midnight... just 9 more hours to go.
3. My mom took me to go see the Minnesota Ballet's production of The Nutcracker! We were supposed to go on Sunday, but bad weather postponed it to Monday night. I danced in this production all the way through my senior year of high school, so it brought back lots of great memories. The only strange part was not recognizing any of the dancers - Lindsay was supposed to be in Merlitons, and Anna should have been the Chinese Maiden. Thank goodness Suzanne was still the Snow Queen and Robert was Mother Ginger.
4. My dad took me out for pizza last night, since my mom was at a meeting and neither one of us felt like cooking. I am such a spoiled daughter... especially when I'm the only kid home. (Fred gets in tomorrow, so then things will return to normalcy around here.
Finally, a few photos to illustrate the last post.
Mom's baking extravaganza!
The view out the back door - very white, and very cold!
And, just for fun, here's a picture from last year. Scott and I are both very much looking forward to NOT having our noses buried in our computers this year! Maybe we can actually play in the snow instead!
2. Scott is en route to Minnesota as I type! He'll get to Duluth around midnight... just 9 more hours to go.
3. My mom took me to go see the Minnesota Ballet's production of The Nutcracker! We were supposed to go on Sunday, but bad weather postponed it to Monday night. I danced in this production all the way through my senior year of high school, so it brought back lots of great memories. The only strange part was not recognizing any of the dancers - Lindsay was supposed to be in Merlitons, and Anna should have been the Chinese Maiden. Thank goodness Suzanne was still the Snow Queen and Robert was Mother Ginger.
4. My dad took me out for pizza last night, since my mom was at a meeting and neither one of us felt like cooking. I am such a spoiled daughter... especially when I'm the only kid home. (Fred gets in tomorrow, so then things will return to normalcy around here.
Finally, a few photos to illustrate the last post.
Mom's baking extravaganza!
The view out the back door - very white, and very cold!
And, just for fun, here's a picture from last year. Scott and I are both very much looking forward to NOT having our noses buried in our computers this year! Maybe we can actually play in the snow instead!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
At home in Duluth!
Right now, Mom is in the kitchen cooking spritz cookies, biscotti, cranberry chutney, venison stew and apple carrot spice bread.
I'm in the kitchen studying GRE vocab: distaff, dyspeptic, enconium, etc. Lots of interstitial chat with Mom though...
Dad is outside. He got out the BIG snow blower for the first time this year and is clearing out the driveway. It's stopped snowing, but it's still blowing, so some of the snow will probably drift back in over night. Still, better to get the bulk of the work done this evening, when the temperature is in the double digits. Tomorrow, the predicted low temperature is -18. The predicted high is -7. Uf da!
I'm in the kitchen studying GRE vocab: distaff, dyspeptic, enconium, etc. Lots of interstitial chat with Mom though...
Dad is outside. He got out the BIG snow blower for the first time this year and is clearing out the driveway. It's stopped snowing, but it's still blowing, so some of the snow will probably drift back in over night. Still, better to get the bulk of the work done this evening, when the temperature is in the double digits. Tomorrow, the predicted low temperature is -18. The predicted high is -7. Uf da!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Apartment excitement! And a master's degree?
Scott and I ran through the Arboretum today, and took a quick detour to check out our new apartment. The great news is that it's on the ground floor, and the patio faces south, so we can plant a little garden for ourselves! Not quite as much fun as a kitten, but it is exciting.
I'm all done with finals, but still have a pretty full plate. I've decided to apply to the M.S. program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis. And my application is due January 15th. I registered to take the GREs (next Wednesday! eek!) and contacted professors about writing recommendation letters and have been meeting with nutrition faculty about research I could help out with. I'm still hoping to have a low-stress Christmas break... we'll see!
(I'm still planning to go to medical school afterwards... I think I'll be in school forever.)
I'm all done with finals, but still have a pretty full plate. I've decided to apply to the M.S. program in Nutritional Biology at UC Davis. And my application is due January 15th. I registered to take the GREs (next Wednesday! eek!) and contacted professors about writing recommendation letters and have been meeting with nutrition faculty about research I could help out with. I'm still hoping to have a low-stress Christmas break... we'll see!
(I'm still planning to go to medical school afterwards... I think I'll be in school forever.)
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Good news & bad news
First, the good news! Scott and I get to move into Solano Park! This is a subsidized apartment complex for UCD students, so we'll be saving $500 per month on rent, and it's even closer to downtown and to campus. Now that both of us are students, this is wonderful news for our bank account.
The bad news is that Solano Park doesn't allow pets. Not even kittens. So we won't be getting a kitten for a few years.
The bad news is that Solano Park doesn't allow pets. Not even kittens. So we won't be getting a kitten for a few years.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Feeling vacation-y...
So much good stuff going on... besides the imminent kitten.
1. The advent calendar I made for my sister a while ago finally arrived! I sent if off before Thanksgiving, and it was supposed to get there on December 1st, so I was nervous about its whereabouts when it still hadn't arrived a week later. But today it showed up, safe and sound. Yay!
2. My bro is arriving tomorrow! I get to pick him up at 6:15 AM (how's that for sibling love), take him and his buddies out for breakfast (I'm thinking Ciocolat), and then send them off in our trusty Saab on a climbing & bouldering trip in Bishop. I'm excited to see him, and to show him around Davis.
3. I took my bio and chem exams today, and they both went well. I just have one left (Physiology) to take on Thursday.
4. I'm making stock from our turkey carcass. It doesn't actually fit in our dutch oven, and the neck is sort of hanging out the side, but I bet it will be tasty!
5. I get to go climbing with Scott tonight.
1. The advent calendar I made for my sister a while ago finally arrived! I sent if off before Thanksgiving, and it was supposed to get there on December 1st, so I was nervous about its whereabouts when it still hadn't arrived a week later. But today it showed up, safe and sound. Yay!
2. My bro is arriving tomorrow! I get to pick him up at 6:15 AM (how's that for sibling love), take him and his buddies out for breakfast (I'm thinking Ciocolat), and then send them off in our trusty Saab on a climbing & bouldering trip in Bishop. I'm excited to see him, and to show him around Davis.
3. I took my bio and chem exams today, and they both went well. I just have one left (Physiology) to take on Thursday.
4. I'm making stock from our turkey carcass. It doesn't actually fit in our dutch oven, and the neck is sort of hanging out the side, but I bet it will be tasty!
5. I get to go climbing with Scott tonight.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Kitten update...
We just made plans to pick up our kitten on January 1st! Here's what his breeder has to say about him:
He is big, going to be the biggest in his litter. He is very playful. He is a little shyer than most of them. He loves interactive toys, will pounce and hang on since his jumping is generally good enough to cling to the toy. His color is red silver, similar to his mother's. I have had other people come in and ask for him because he is so handsome.So it sounds like we're getting the most athletic, most handsome cat. We'll try to make sure it doesn't get to his head (or ours). How on earth am I supposed to study for final exams when there's a kitten to anticipate?
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Submit your kitten vote!
Thanks for all the great name suggestions! Now it's time to vote. Here's the official ballot. Voting ends when the kitten comes home, sometime after January 1st. I promise to post photos!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Call for kitten names!
As many of you know, Scott and I are getting a kitten this Christmas! A hypoallergenic Siberian cream and white tabby, like this one:
We were thinking that a Siberian name would be good. For instance, Numi - the supreme god or father god of the Ob-Ugrian peoples in Siberia. Or Taiga, which is the world's largest biome, is characterized by coniferous forests, and happens to cover Siberia and northern Minnesota. Taiga has the added bonus of sounded like a bad-ass version of Tiger. "Tigah!"
But then again, Mr. Scratchy Pants would make a pretty great name, in honor of Mr. Splashy Pants, a humpback whale in the South Pacific Ocean who's being tracked with a satellite tag by Greenpeace. (The Wikipedia article is really worth reading if you haven't heard of Mr. Splashy Pants before.)
What do you think? Have any better ideas? Send us your ideas for names (or post them in the comments), and in a few weeks we'll put it all up for a vote on the world wide web!
- Libby & Scott
We were thinking that a Siberian name would be good. For instance, Numi - the supreme god or father god of the Ob-Ugrian peoples in Siberia. Or Taiga, which is the world's largest biome, is characterized by coniferous forests, and happens to cover Siberia and northern Minnesota. Taiga has the added bonus of sounded like a bad-ass version of Tiger. "Tigah!"
But then again, Mr. Scratchy Pants would make a pretty great name, in honor of Mr. Splashy Pants, a humpback whale in the South Pacific Ocean who's being tracked with a satellite tag by Greenpeace. (The Wikipedia article is really worth reading if you haven't heard of Mr. Splashy Pants before.)
What do you think? Have any better ideas? Send us your ideas for names (or post them in the comments), and in a few weeks we'll put it all up for a vote on the world wide web!
- Libby & Scott
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving weekend is off to a beautiful beginning. I started cooking Thanksgiving dishes yesterday:
Chipotle-mashed sweet potatoes (my favorite Thanksgiving recipe) and a cranberry-apple relish. And, for Wednesday night dinner, I made a fantastic squash stew from my new Vegetable Love cookbook (recipe below). Scott and I had a relaxed evening - we drank a bottle of dark chocolate oatmeal stout beer, nibbled on dark chocolate, and watched TV - the second episode of Supernatural that his sister Julie guest starred in (Go Julie! She was great!) and then an episode of Nova that was all about fractals - I loved it.
This morning, we both woke up at 4 am, so I baked the dinner rolls (very easy, when you already have a bunch of dough in the fridge). We went back to bed from 6-9. Woke up, went for a run (it's beautiful out today!), made a Northwest Waldorf salad, and called to wish my parents a happy Thanksgiving. We're just about ready to head over to Lindsay & Nathan's house. What a wonderful day.
Also, here are some photos from our trip to Yosemite, a week and a half ago.
Coconut-Jarrahdale Vegetale Stew
* 3 T butter
* 2 medium onions, diced (2 cups)
* 2 medium carrots, chopped (1/2 cup)
* 1 bunch broccoli, chopped (5 cups)
* 2-3 pounds of winter squash (Jarrahdale, acorn, etc.)
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 1/2 cup stock/broth
* 1 T ground cardamom
* 2 T celery seeds
* 1 T salt
* Black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, or until limp & translucent. Increase teh heat to high. Add the carrots, broccoli and squash. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cardamom and celery seeds. Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through.
3. Remove the lid and cook over high heat to reduce and thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka
Chipotle-mashed sweet potatoes (my favorite Thanksgiving recipe) and a cranberry-apple relish. And, for Wednesday night dinner, I made a fantastic squash stew from my new Vegetable Love cookbook (recipe below). Scott and I had a relaxed evening - we drank a bottle of dark chocolate oatmeal stout beer, nibbled on dark chocolate, and watched TV - the second episode of Supernatural that his sister Julie guest starred in (Go Julie! She was great!) and then an episode of Nova that was all about fractals - I loved it.
This morning, we both woke up at 4 am, so I baked the dinner rolls (very easy, when you already have a bunch of dough in the fridge). We went back to bed from 6-9. Woke up, went for a run (it's beautiful out today!), made a Northwest Waldorf salad, and called to wish my parents a happy Thanksgiving. We're just about ready to head over to Lindsay & Nathan's house. What a wonderful day.
Also, here are some photos from our trip to Yosemite, a week and a half ago.
 |
| Yosemite November 2008 |
Coconut-Jarrahdale Vegetale Stew
* 3 T butter
* 2 medium onions, diced (2 cups)
* 2 medium carrots, chopped (1/2 cup)
* 1 bunch broccoli, chopped (5 cups)
* 2-3 pounds of winter squash (Jarrahdale, acorn, etc.)
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 1/2 cup stock/broth
* 1 T ground cardamom
* 2 T celery seeds
* 1 T salt
* Black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, or until limp & translucent. Increase teh heat to high. Add the carrots, broccoli and squash. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the coconut milk and stock. Bring to a boil. Stir in the cardamom and celery seeds. Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through.
3. Remove the lid and cook over high heat to reduce and thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka
Monday, November 10, 2008
New cookbook yields delightful results
Mini pumpkins!
I saw them at the farmers market, and even though we already had four large winter squashes sitting on our counter at home, I couldn't resist taking these little guys home with me.
At the time, I had only a vague notion of filling them with something and baking them for a while. But then along came a fantastic new cookbook: Vegetable Love, by Barbara Kafka. It's a book for non-vegetarians who love vegetables. I found a recipe for ground lamb stuffing, and seeing as we'd had a pound of ground lab in the freezer for quite some time, it seemed like a good first recipe to try. The lamb was spicy (from curry and chipotle powder), and the pumpkin was sweet, and we will certainly be making this again in the future!
I saw them at the farmers market, and even though we already had four large winter squashes sitting on our counter at home, I couldn't resist taking these little guys home with me.
At the time, I had only a vague notion of filling them with something and baking them for a while. But then along came a fantastic new cookbook: Vegetable Love, by Barbara Kafka. It's a book for non-vegetarians who love vegetables. I found a recipe for ground lamb stuffing, and seeing as we'd had a pound of ground lab in the freezer for quite some time, it seemed like a good first recipe to try. The lamb was spicy (from curry and chipotle powder), and the pumpkin was sweet, and we will certainly be making this again in the future!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Berkeley Day Trip
I had a great day in Berkeley today - it's only about an hour from Davis, and a very easy trip on I-80. I spent $120 at Games of Berkeley (some Christmas shopping!) and $40 at The Cheeseboard (truffle goat cheese!). But the highlight of the trip, and the reason for it, was visiting with my friend Anna, who's in town for work for a few weeks. It's always fun to reconnect with a Minnesotan, especially one who endured many Nutcracker seasons with you. And, of course, it's a bonus when that person has an excellent taste for cheese and can help you decide how to spend your money on the stuff.
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