at the risk of seeming ridiculous...

Aaand we're done! No? We're not? Balls.

2010-06-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

...And shaft.

I finished my hours! I was psyched about this for a day, until I realized I was still at work, and still had to be at work until the end of June.

The world is going crazy, work is going crazy, and the LSATs were on June 7th.

Additionally, there will be nothing alive in the Gulf of Mexico. I feel as though the vast majority of people are having far less hysterical reactions to this as they should be...this is a story that's juicy for all types of people. From a lefty perspective, you've got stuff for environmentalists and conservationists to get upset about, EJ folks, corporate responsibility, everything! And on the other hand, why isn't the government taking a stronger stance, or if this was a Republican administration there would be so much more criticism on the way it's being handled etc.

Regardless, it is clear that this disaster has had an ENORMOUS economic impact on everyone whose livelihood depends on fresh, oil-free product from the Gulf of Mexico. And besides BP paying them, what else can be done to help shore up the economy in that region? I heard a fisherman saying, take a vacation down here and find that there's more to it than lying on the beach. While I love the beach, I always thought it was kind of silly spending time and money to get to a beach if you had one at home.

I'm thinking I'll go.

After this year ends, I'm taking another AmeriCorps position as a National Teaching Fellow in Albuquerque, NM and will be roadtripping out. Maybe I'll go by way of New Orleans.

At the beginning of this post I was complaining about how slow everything seems to be moving...but now it's June 14th and time seems to be flying by.

UTEC is going to the US Social Forum in Detroit and I CANNOT wait.

Also, last Sunday I made salad with apples and walnuts in a balsamic vinegar dressing (lots of garlic and brown sugar and brown mustard) followed by a cavatappi and cheese casserole (like mac and cheese only classy, not orange, with a pound of cheese in it) and a lemon and tarragon pan-fried trout. With a free-form apple and apricot tart for dessert. Photos to come.

three months to go

2010-03-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, or rather, in 21 minutes, it will be April 1st. This means I will have all of April, May, and 25 days into June left as an AmeriCorps volunteer (Youth Civic Engagement Specialist.)

Three months.

I'd be lying if I said my feelings towards how short of a time that is were less than excited and happy. Recently I've been reminded that obviously, things won't always go my way, but it struck a chord because I've always believed that you will be duly rewarded for your efforts and that good things generally happen to reward good behavior.

Clearly this is not always the case. It's selfish to forget all of the other incredibly good (better) people than I who have suffered far worse. I don't think that I always deserve good things or that everything would always go my way, but suffice to say that this experience has been far from what I had been lead to expect.

Lessons learned:

1.) The best roommates are the ones with whom you can agree to a specific set of living standards, who cares what you like, if you can be friends, your lifestyles, doesn't matter if he or she cannot wash dishes before two days have passed and you need dishes to be washed immediately after eating off one. Also, the best roommates are the ones who are honest about what they will and will not, or can and cannot, accomplish and guarantee. Knowing what you're getting into is probably one of the most important things (in retrospect...) that you should look for in a roommate.

2.) Keep many circles of friends. One small group that you see ALL the time can become stifling, and god forbid anything happens and tension rises between some or all of the group members, suddenly being social seems less appealing. Also, the more circles, the more likely you'll have people who are especially skilled or talented in certain areas. All good friends make you want to be better and do more than you already are and do, and I am thankful to be blessed by such incredibly diverse and talented groups of friends.

3.) Find the things that make you satisfied, grounded, and happy and do them as often as you can.

4.) Don't take a testMasters prep course unless you're able to devote all, (ALL) of your time outside of class studying for class....

5.) I hate ANTS. Good ant poison is not as easy as you'd think to find.

6.) The more consistently you pay your rent on time, the more your landlord will feel obligated to take care of things like your ant problem...the less consistently the entire rent of the apartment is paid on time, the less likely the landlord will do anything. Like, unclog all the drains, fix the windows, fix the fridge so it actually closes...

7.) Meet your neighbors. You'll never know when you need to borrow an egg...

8.) Budgets = just don't buy stupid shit.

9.) Just as you don't shit where you eat, don't fuck where you work.

10.) Just don't lie to your boss. And follow the rules so that you can legitimately complain when things are messed up, instead of complaining and then backtracking because actually you're a raging hypocrite.

11.) I love cooking. And baking, and reading, and museums, and driving. And my former roommates, more than I ever knew.

MAP House reunion NY March 2010

Faves, minus Eli

Sideways, platform through window

Rockinghorse, with brunch drinks

Epic Walk: Lowell

weekend awesome not enough to overcome monday suck.

2010-03-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

I made almond chocolate cream pie in a homemade graham cracker crust with strawberry brown sugar whipped cream.

And I had three leftover egg whites, so I made some almond meringues. unfortunately, i took them to a party and ate them before i could take a picture.

(And yes...I went hoping no one would like it so I could eat them myself.)

(I'm a fatty.)

Then on Sunday, it was again a gorgeous, though slightly chillier, day. Studied, then went on an epic food shopping trip that started at H-Mart in Burlington, MA and ended at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, with Trader Joe's in between.

I'm planning an eggplant broccolini carrot onion mushroom turkey meatball red curry soon...if it weren't for the 298347298347298 logical reasoning questions I have left to do.

Also, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are the shit.

100 Days 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

And healthcare reform passed, so much stuff! But it was raining today.

It's also Monday, so it sucked.

This is what I miss most about the Bay Area...

2010-03-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.japantownnow.com/

The US Census 2010

2010-03-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

...that was it?

Okay, I mean, I knew it was only ten questions, but here I was all excited and ready for the challenge of taking on the US Census!

After I x'ed my information, I look through the rest of the pages in the booklet and realize that I don't have to fill them out and...

am sadly disappointed.

Well that was a breeze...EVERYONE SHOULD FILL OUT THE CENSUS!!

first day of LSAT prep. ugh...

2010-03-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

FIRST I stupidly put my apartment address in my registration instead of my work address, assuming that the test prep materials would fit in my mailbox. False. THEN the FedEx guy unsuccessfully attempts to drop off the massive package four freakin times at my empty apartment, which, needless to say, failed to sign for the package.

Finally, day of my class, I have to drive all the way to Wilmington to pick up the package, not before work as I had planned, but right before class started. Apparently, I called too late (I called at 8:30 instead of 8am) and the delivery guy already had my package on his stupid truck. So I had to wait for him and his stupid truck to return from his stupid route to the FedEx Express Ship center for me to pick it up.

Google then gave me stupid directions and I got lost and luckily found some FedEx employee unloading boxes at not-the-FedEx Express shipping center who could tell me where I went wrong.

Finally I pick up this huge box...with its huge amounts of test prep materials.

I jump back in my car and race to Harvard Square, after getting lost and almost driving through Arlington to Lexington...then, I circle the hotel where the class is around seven times before giving up and parking with the valet. I hoist the massive box under my arm and head to class.

The door, inevitably locked. Everyone is seated taking a diagnostic exam, there appears to be no empty seats. I stare hopelessly at the door for a moment, go ask the concierge if he can open the door so I don't have to knock loudly and interrupt.

He can't open the door and so, knocks loudly and interrupts the exam so someone will come open it for me. I get in, verify that yes, I am late, yes we are just taking the diagnostic exam the whole class period, so no, I didn't need my books today. I dump them on the floor in the back and then squeeze in between two guys at the only empty seat in the front of the room and try to race through the rest of the exam.

Post-diagnostic, valet parking costs $20.

Exhaustion. Must find a different way.

On the other hand though, I started watching Parenthood, and I love it.

boo caramel.

2010-03-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

how to make caramel

Okay, so, I love food, good cooking is in my genes, as is technical and scientific precision. I also can read and follow directions well. These things ostensibly make for a good cook and baker, and for someone who should be able to make caramel.

Alas, "stirring gently" lead to my caramel sauce turning back into sugar. Again.

thanks to the above video however...the second time around came out much better.

Needless to say, I'm still working on my cooking and baking skills.

what to do?

2010-03-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

me: 1. my stomach is going crazy

2. i think i might make flan

3. i have to get up at 7

G******n: I am fascinated by all three of those things

I still don't really know how to blog. I don't even know why I'm bothering to attempt this, given the fact that I can't even consistently write in a journal.

However, I do know that my blog will not have either grammar or spelling errors.

...Probably because there won't be anything in it. Maybe it's a lame thing to quote, but to quote Julie from Julie and Julia, "I have thoughts!" I have interests, for example, I LOVE food, I'm an organizer so you know, politics and revolution and all that is good and worth fighting for, I read things. It'll just be a mishmash of all of those things.

Here is a recipe for a flan I may or may not make right now:

"It's really very simple. All you need is a blender, a beat up baking pan and either a pyrex, or a pan that holds the baking pan.

FOR THE CARAMEL:
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water

FOR THE FLAN:
4 eggs
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 10 oz can condensed milk
1 tsp. of vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL:
Place the sugar and water in baking pan and stir gently over medium heat until the sugar
gets to be amber. As soon as that happens, take the pan from the heat and let it harden (10 minutes)

TO MAKE FLAN:
Put everything on a blender and mix for 1 minute or so, until all ingredients look like cream.

Pour the flan into the hardened caramel.

Place the baking pan into a bigger pan with 1/2 cup of water (to double boil it)

Put the whole thing in a 350-degree oven for 56 minutes. Serve and get married!!!!!!!"

I wonder about the get married part. Are they marrying you because the flan is so good? Hopefully marriage is based on deeper things than flan, unless of course the flan is that good...

Here's something else entirely:

a reminder of what it means to be a part of something greater than yourself

they don't talk like this anymore

2010-02-01T06:04:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H6vazOz018

and they wonder why we're so apathetic

favorites

2010-01-31T20:37:00.000-08:00

starting on a positive note with some favorite images.

"the fundamental clay of our work is the youth."

el prado

ballroom turned laundry complete with clotheslines

el malecon

Viva Fidel: youths working in hot sun

chino and junior on the malecon

so much irony and contradiction it reminded me of the US. except better educated and with more general practitioners, less petty crime with a more obvious police presence. (except for maybe the police presence in lowell...) an indescribably awe-inspiring eclectic mix of mostly everything.