smart cookie

jungle fever

2009-10-18T18:31:00.004-04:00

my father's junk collection always amazes me. he could make a career out of being a pack rat.

got some old speakers that don't work you want to get rid of? he's your man. thankfully he has not learned about the "free" section on craigslist or he would need to build another house just for his junk.

so what prompted this post was my visit to his house today, during which we needed to get something out of the garage.

now before i go any further, i need to explain that we live in the northeast. so it is FALL. soon to be WINTER. currently its a few degrees above freezing and this is a typical picture at his house for october:

and here is the view into the non-insulated garage:

ok, so its not THAT highly unusual... garden tools, miscellaneous car fluids, tools, scraps... but wait....

what's that in the back?

some sort of leafy, vegetation..

OH MY LORD it is a tropical plant frenzy!

anyone need some amazon, 8-foot tall umbrella tree?

i counted at least 8 large tropical rain-foresty plants. apparently the back story is that my dad's work was going to toss them because they have gotten so large and out of hand, so my dad "saved" them and took them out of the dumpster.

i would have loved to see all 8 of them being transported in his honda civic.

reason #67 i love tina fey

2009-10-16T09:56:00.001-04:00

from dave letterman:

in case your wondering, reasons #1 - 67 are all the 30 Rock episodes.

brrrrrrrz

2009-10-14T00:11:00.002-04:00

this weather is unacceptable. this weather is unfair. this weather makes me want to stay under my nice warm covers until its spring again.

it is much too early for these type of feelings.

but then again... it could be like two years ago:

which turned into:

and then:

i guess i should count my blessings.

which i'll do.

from under my covers.

kinda cool, mostly creepy

2008-12-07T13:52:00.001-05:00

kind of creepy - this guy has a whole set of these bizarre/awesome facepaint videos [via Drawn]

favorite christmas song

2008-12-07T13:49:00.001-05:00

the weepies - all that i want

so good.

nablo-oh-no :(

2008-12-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

with what was possibly the worst week of 2008 for me*, all hopes for nablopomo vanished. and like all the diets i've ever tried, i don't jump back on the horse, i lie down and hope it all goes away.

so i'm sorry, nablopomo-ers, i didn't make it this year. go on without me *sob*.

oh wait.

it's december.

crap.

*which in reflection, while it was pretty bad, if that's the worst week all year, i've been pretty lucky.

knife giveaway

2008-11-17T00:10:00.003-05:00

score! another after-midnight post to take care of tomorrow's nablopomo :) i'm not lazy.. just forgetful.

anyway, the reason behind the late posting is that there is a knife giveaway at steamykitchen! fantastic knives! and the winner gets to pick out their knife! it was hard for me to decide - do you go for the most expensive, or the one you would like the most. i went for a fancy handled, mid-price 6-inch knife.

wish me luck!

polygamists

2008-11-16T23:12:00.001-05:00

TLC is rotting my brain (or enriching it?) - i can't stop watching!

first there was half ton mom, then 1100-lb dad - and now, a documentary on polygamists! there is no way that i am getting anything done before bedtime. including write a thought-provoking blog entry.

better hope there's nothing good on tomorrow night :)

crazy weather

2008-11-15T23:18:00.003-05:00

since when is it supposed to be 67 degrees in the middle of November?! and tornadoes? in the northeast? what?!

just to be clear, there were no actual tornadoes, but there were tornado watches. which is still ridiculous. in any event, none of this bizarro weather should be happening. hello, global warming - oh, what's that? you're real? no way.

if photoshop were real....

2008-11-14T23:29:00.001-05:00

via Drawn

side note

2008-11-13T23:10:00.001-05:00

i really shouldn't waste a post when i could use it for tomorrow, but two things:

1. i am currently #1 in nate's fantasy football league he dared me to join. suck it, boys!

2. i cannot get the phrase "hot bed of political action" out of my head. where did i hear this? why can i not forget it?!

that is all, goodnight.

another close call!

2008-11-13T22:51:00.002-05:00

almost didn't use the computer before bedtime because i thought, "hey, i should go to bed before 11pm." fail.

i was looking through my old photos and decided to do a snapshot timeline. of like three pictures. so here we go.

ONE YEAR AGO - hertel ave, buffalo

TWO YEARS AGO - traveling up north to visit nate's brother

THREE YEARS AGO - holy crap, this was three years ago!? (junior year)

FOUR YEARS AGO - ugly, the best fish ever

so cold

2008-11-12T22:01:00.001-05:00

i love the fact that so many other people are doing NaBloPoMo that inevitably I will read one blog that said "I almost forgot to post today" and I am reminded. thank you millions of other NaBloPoMo'ers.

today was one of those days where everything takes so much longer to do than it should and hours drip by. actually, come to think of it, this whole week was terrible. i got lost on my way to work monday, wore knee-highs instead of pantyhose and ended up with them at my ankles on tuesday and thought it was thursday today until i got home and realized tomorrow was not friday. and then remember NaBloPoMo. it should be called NaBloBitchMo.

i am so funny.

"no! not on my tassles!"

2008-11-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

best quote of the day as said by nate.

texting.

2008-11-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

me: most recent kate & nate fight just ended with tub of margarine flying across the room. in case you missed us.

j (old roommate): is the margarine ok?

me: mostly.

j: what was the fight about?

me: whether or not it was a good idea to chest pass the margarine container.

j: i sure do miss you two.

in other news, nate and i discovered the "photobooth" option in my laptops photobooth:

heart made of gears

2008-11-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

[via Drawn]

feeling xmas light-y

2008-11-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

and oh yeah, these:

new music.. uh.. friday!

2008-11-07T18:49:00.000-05:00

i was going to have a theme... like "new music tuesdays" or something equally themey, but since i am so great at updating, new music _____days will have to do.

today's new music isn't really new per say.. its from october 2007, but its new to me and probably alot of non-british people. i love this song's basic chord progression and adele's voice is hauntingly beautiful.

plus i'm a sucker for string lights.

so without further ado, here's adele with hometown glory:

calendarz

2008-11-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

i feel like this may be cheating, since i'm still up from last night, but hey - it's officially thursday, i can legally write this post and count it for thursday!

so lately, i've been obsessed with calendars and finding the right one. i know - thrilling, right? i think its because i just got my new cubical and its really dreary and dark (no windows nearby). i want to add some excitement in the form of calendar and i need to find the right one. i've been looking on etsy and have found a bunch, but not one i'm decided on.

last year, i got my desk calendar from ilee and it looks just as promising this year... but maybe i should switch it up?

sleepy

2008-11-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

so between the time change and the election excitement, i'm exhausted in the am. yet here i am, wide awake way past my lame bedtime of 10pm! what is wrong with my body?? go to sleep!

V-O-T-E

2008-11-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

this is the first time i ever used a voting machine! so exciting!

daylight saving related song

2008-11-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

nine in the afternoon by Panic! at the disco

henri

2008-11-02T22:33:00.001-05:00

daylight saving time fun!

2008-11-01T16:32:00.000-04:00

exciting daylight saving time facts! because today is the first day of NABLOPOMO!!

1. it's daylight saving time, not daylight savings time.

2. according to wikipedia, extra afternoon daylight reduces traffic fatalities.

good luck to all my fellow nablopomo'ers!

thinking..

2008-07-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

..about switching to tumblr??

i need to share

2008-07-09T22:37:00.003-04:00

i'm not proud of it, but i do read thesuperficial.com on occasion, whether to make myself feel bad about my body or because i enjoy the witty writing, but i needed to share this. you NEED to read this post. i would paraphrase, but it would ruin it. all you need to know is that verne troyer is involved.

and sex.

and while i'm ahead, can i also share this? because its hilarity rating is off the charts.

"Yes, we can vote for George W. Bush in 2008. We have the right to write in the name of our chosen candidate, regardless of whether or not he is officially on the ballot.

We know that George Bush was God’s Candidate in 2000. We know that George Bush was God’s candidate again in 2004. And George Bush has been God’s president for the last 8 years.

Trust in God and vote your faith. Keep America safe. Write-in George W. Bush for President in 2008." [Buffalo Pundit]

summer lists

2008-07-07T21:20:00.006-04:00

TV SHOWS I HAVE WATCHED THE ENTIRE SEASON IN ONE NIGHT OF
+ dexter
+ nip/tuck
+ 30 rock
+ arrested development
+ weeds

THINGS I HAVE PURCHASED
+ aloe vera lotion (see picture here to understand why - and this was day one)
+ awesome new planner

+ top chef cookbook (for sara's bday, but i peeked!)
+ these glasses from urban outfitters

PLACES I HAVE GONE
+ buffalo
+ montreal
+ buffalo
+ buffalo

in the summertime...

2008-07-06T22:39:00.001-04:00

...i apparently suck at updating.

happy 4th!

this song is sad enough, but the video makes me cry

2008-06-27T18:21:00.002-04:00

my new ride

2008-06-27T16:35:00.002-04:00

how did i miss this posting in the albany craigslist:

I HAVE A 1995 MO' VAN THAT GOT TRANSFORMED INTO THIS CATBUS. I BROUGHT IT TO A SHOPS AND I WAS LIKE HEY, CAN YOU TURN THIS INTO A CATBUS? SO THEY DID. THEN THAT DAY I DROVE IT HOME. THE CAT BUS ONLY HAS 50K, WHICH ARE ALL HIGHWAY MILES AS I DROVE IT TO WORK 2 DAYS A WEEK AND THAT WAS IT. IT'S IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE AND ALL THE FUR IS STILL ALL THERE. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A CAT ON IT. IM ONLY ASKING 2900 FOR THE CATBUS BECAUSE ITS REALLY FURRY AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET SICK ON IT.

i don't know which part is my favorite.. maybe the part where he (or she) says "i brought it in to a shops and i was like Hey, can you turn this into a catbus?" or the part where they assure the buyer that it "still has all the fur".

hey $2900's not a bad deal.

google analytics, part 2

2008-05-19T23:52:00.002-04:00

so every once in a while i like to check on my google analytics site-traffic-monitoring thingy. my favorite part is where it shows what keywords people searched to have the misfortune of finding my blog instead of what they were looking for. i thought you might enjoy them too:

rotting smell from dishwasher
"french lumberjack"
"nate grill"
cherry cola 90's cd
cowboys of moo masa

i think my favorite is the "rotting smell from dishwasher" one. because that is they type of searches i do. i google everything and anything.. with mixed results. i like to type in long phrases and questions because i imagine that there are millions of tiny people in a warehouse who work for google who get my question and then frantically search for the answer so that i get my results in ...0.00002 seconds.

a few of my own searches from last week, because why not attract more stray traffic from the bustling information super highway?

"high crime" areas in albany, ny
get rid of static cling
QOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN (i think this was stella's doing)
the end of the world
vespa girl
why do i like photos so much?
substitute for lime peel
internet marriage certificate

that's levitation, holmes

2008-05-17T15:49:00.004-04:00

they call me levicait.

[inspired by this post - clearly their quality and composition is much better]

2008-05-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

only so much unpacking can happen before wine gets brought in.

what? it's after 1pm.

i did it!

2008-05-15T22:55:00.002-04:00

i graduated! took long enough (five years), but i finished two degrees, neither of which were my original major, so i'm happy :)

i will blame the lack of posting on graduation shenanigans and just post a bunch of pictures cause that's easier to do..

nate's graduation (school of biomedical sciences):

posing:

they had a giant screen for my graduation because it was in the big gym. so this is hohl on the screen (all the way on the left):

and this is me on the screen:

immediately after the THREE HOUR BORING CEREMONY:

who could refuse a photo op by the lilacs?

it was windy

i'm just posting this so you can see my dress:

that is all.

flash mobs

2008-05-02T15:41:00.003-04:00

today i learned about flash mobs.

this is why i'm hot, part 2

2008-05-02T13:42:00.002-04:00

ok because i don't think anyone understood the meaning of my post the other day, i present you:

STELLA: I'M HOT CAUSE I'M SPINNIN'
a music video clip type thing

i like making stuff

2008-04-29T14:40:00.002-04:00

+ *awkwardly shrugs* i, uh, made this for you. [via Fussy]

+ graffiticreator is kinda awesome:

i'm hot cause i'm fly

2008-04-27T22:47:00.003-04:00

maybe because mims* was at spring fest this weekend, maybe because i'm just gangsta, but either way i can't get "this is why i'm hot" out of my head.

and then while i was doing dishes, stella wouldn't stop chasing her tail.

are these two things related? no, of course not. then why can't i get out of my head the made-up lyrics that i imagine stella is saying (in a gangsta voice) as she keeps circling:

i'm hot cause i'm spinnin'
you ain't cause you not
this is why, this is why, this is why i'm hot

yeah, try not to get it stuck in your head while you watch her:

*yeah i didn't know who he was either.

berry corn crunch and skim milk

2008-04-27T16:37:00.003-04:00

ok i have heard it all.

people have away messages. on aim, on yahoo, on skype, on ichat. for years (probably almost a decade). i'm ok with that.

people have status updates on facebook. also tolerable.

and people have twitter. you've heard of twitter, haven't you?

now people have foodfeed. foodfeed is a service/site that lets you post WHAT YOU ARE EATING. RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE EVERYONE CARES.

the world is entirely too updated.

happy 200th post!!

2008-04-18T01:45:00.003-04:00

after two straight tech weeks, i'm surprised i can still find my head in the morning.* so when i get home at 12:30am after doing wardrobe for 6 hours, the last thing i want to do is clear off my bed. so the usual procedure involves me pushing the crap to one side and then sleeping on the other.

so when i have a sleepover w/the dancers one night, i miss one of the clearing days and the whole system gets messed up. this is what happens:total chaos. but let's break this down a bit further...

1. winter jacket. have not worn in weeks. on my pillow.

2. backpack. ok, that's expected. ***nate stop reading or you will never want to take a nap in my bed again.***

3. tuesday's lunch in wegman's bag. ew. i'm sorry i am so gross. **really nate, stop.**

4. GARBAGE BAG. yes, a BAG of GARBAGE. on. my. bed.

5. notebook, sock. normal. (no the sock is not infested with some kind of horrible disease, as you would expect by now)

6. clean clothes!

7. other winter jacket.

8. purse. also acceptable.

9. makeshift sleeping bag from sleepover.

10. CAT. what? you couldn't see the cat?

there's the cat for ya.

so after i cleared everything off, you'd think i'd just dust off any dirt and be on with it, but this is what i found:

this right here is enough to give nate anxiety for two months. knitting NEEDLES. in the BED. they could POKE SOMEONE'S EYE OUT!!! and wait, there's more! a painful looking HEADBAND! OMGZ! and what are the SUNGLASSES doing in the bed?! you want me to crush them in my sleep?!

stella just looks on with disdain since i disturbed her sleeping spot.

* or make a coherent metaphor/hyperbole/sentence.

2008-04-13T23:21:00.002-04:00

i think i reached the pinnacle of my cliché-dancerness today when kelsey and i had an intense, passionate discussion about how great celery is.

i want to stab myself at that moment.

dancedancedancedance

2008-04-08T23:30:00.003-04:00

i feel like i have just discovered that my favorite cereal had a toy all the way at the bottom! the best of craigslist! how have i not known about you before?? my favorites after 5 minutes:

To the owner of the dog who took a shit outside my apartment building
- "Have you never had to clean dog shit out off of a pair of New Balance runners before? Maybe you should take a look at how many ridiculous grooves there are in the soles."
Thanks, Mr.Hipster Record Store Clerk. - No one will ever understand you. You’re so different.

the perfect way to end a night in the middle of hell week (aka: tech week.. show opens thursday!!).

here's a picture of me doing something that kinda looks cool (i'm third in from the left), but it's blurry:

i want to live in this house.

2008-04-03T23:52:00.004-04:00

if i could design my house - it would totally look like this. except maybe not so green. but definitely the moon surface floor.

p.s. note how tiny the stove area looks - imagine how big the rest of it is!!!

via Apartment Therapy

EDIT: apparently the floors are made of concrete. that kind of ruins it. i was hoping for that sturdy rubbery-foam stuff. in my head its made of that. and you can bounce from one place to another. and there are swings. and an indoor hockey rink. and..

tom--er, googlefoolery

2008-04-01T21:31:00.005-04:00

of my favorite Google April Fool's Day pranks, this year's "scratch n' sniff" book search and Gmail's custom time setting are pretty close to the top.

all-time favorite: Gmail Paper. "Now in Gmail, you can request a physical copy of any message with the click of a button, and we'll send it to you in the mail.

...cost of postage is offset with the help of relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements, which will appear on the back of your Gmail Paper prints in red, bold, 36 pt Helvetica. No pop-ups, no flashy animations—these are physically impossible in the paper medium."

the sad part is, is that alot of people (mainly my older family members) would probably actually love this feature. my aunt prints out almost every "important" email she gets. and when she finds a website with info, she prints every page. not just the text, but the whole page - banner, sidebar, ads, and all. we go through a lot of ink at home.

for a list of all Google's hoaxes, see the Wikipedia entry.

sleep tight

2008-03-29T00:35:00.003-04:00

i am currently obsessed with season one of the show 24.

when i interned this summer everyone at work was talking about 24 - apparently during busy season its the only permissible reason to turn on the giant flat screen tv in the conference room. oh that and basketball (blech).

so i thought i'd check it out and a few days ago my netflix delivered me the first season. the little red envelope sat unopened and i almost forgot about it until i needed something to watch while i was falling asleep last night.

i watched SEVEN episodes last night starting at midnight. meaning that i went to bed at SIX AM.

this is hauntingly familiar to finals week of fall semester last year when i watched 17 hours of Lost over four days. and no one told me there are six seasons. i am so predictable.

another fun thing with my predictable condition is that when i preface a "good night's sleep" with seven hours of tense, adrenaline-pumping, action-filled episodes of kidnapping, shooting, spies, etc, i have really good dreams. in case you are unaware, i am feeling sarcastic tonight.

goodnight!

this flickr group is awesome

2008-03-29T00:29:00.003-04:00

Hotel Bed Jumping
Originally uploaded by Hotels By City

via MightyGirl

i want a few of these roaming in my backyard*

2008-03-25T23:44:00.004-04:00

via Mighty Girl

*and that is NOT what she said

this is the entire month of march to me

2008-03-25T23:37:00.002-04:00

from garfield minus garfield

three wayyyyyyy!!!!

2008-03-19T18:56:00.002-04:00

through some strange internet wandering* i ended up at urbanbaby.com which is a site for mothers to b*tch about their kids/husbands/sad lives/strollers, etc. the message boards, however, prove to be horribly entertaining.

the format is set up so that the replies are all listed under the main post, on the main page, so you don't even have to click on the title to read the rest. which makes it interesting when you have a post like this (replies are bulleted):

would you stand by your dh if he was accused of rape? if the victim can identify marks on his pubic area???

Depends. could have been consentual sex. Who knows what you will do until you are in the position
three wayyyyyyy!
darlene?
Um, probably not.

endless hours of fun!

*if the internet was a big city and had a huge main street, i would always be lost in a back alley somewhere in the wrong part of town (in this case the maternity section).

just watch

2008-03-19T12:55:00.001-04:00

via seth godin's blog

cirque du soleil here i come

2008-03-18T23:46:00.002-04:00

at dance the other day, we were experimenting with make-up for our 'scary' piece. the choreographer wants us to have a black creepy eye on one side and a colorful eye on the other.

online chatting

2008-03-18T23:24:00.001-04:00

gregsadouch: hey

smartcookie: hi

gregsadouch: whats up?

smartcookie: nm
smartcookie: eating some frosting
smartcookie: u?

gregsadouch: coding a web page
....
gregsadouch: wanta trade places?

did you know...?

2008-03-18T21:47:00.003-04:00

being that march is american red cross month, i thought i would do a health-related post. conveniently, march is also colorectal cancer awareness month. and chronic fatigue-syndrome awareness month.

and kidney month.

and mental retardation, eye donor, hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, social work, nutrition, save your vision, sports eye safety and workplace eye safety month.

poor march.

really?

2008-03-15T21:36:00.002-04:00

so i have google analytics (website stats) set up on this site and i check it once every 3 months or so - whenever i remember that i have it. one of the fun features is that it tells me the search terms that resulted in people visiting my site. i would like to share these with you.

top search terms for the past month
1. horse vagina
2. cowboy of moo masa
3. "always sunny in philadelphia"
4. baby i just want you in my life
5. creepy cat

horse vagina? really? who is searching that? and why did i choose those words as a title for an entry in january 2006?

i mean, maybe i should re-consider my audience. bestiality? horse lovers? take that, google keywords!

16-20 on my netflix queue

2008-03-08T20:19:00.002-05:00

because other people are doing it and i want to be like them.

16. Jean de Florette / Manon of the Spring - i first saw this movie in 10th grade french class. i added it because this time i will control whether or not the subtitles are on.

17. The Notebook - i've never actually seen this movie, even though everyone gave it rave reviews. i will most likely watch this some night when nate is watching hockey and call him up crying because its sad / romantic / happy.

18. The Best of the Colbert Report - i can only stand stephen colbert in small doses, so i thought this would be a good compromise.

19. City of God (Cidade de Deus)- a portuguese, independent, foreign-film. let's just say nate would have to be tranquilized to watch this with me.

20. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 1 - this was a show i thought i would never like, but when nate's roommate put it on (he has the DVD), i sat down and watched 3 episodes. and actually laughed out loud.

black bean & avocado pasta salad

2008-03-02T13:42:00.003-05:00

so its kinda hard to eat well in the winter. i mean after valentine's day.. and new year's... uh, and christmas and thanksgi-- well you see the pattern, and its not very nice to waistlines. so i tried to make something healthy last week. and here it is:

black bean & avocado pasta salad
(adapted from Cooking Light)
3/4 cup uncooked pasta
1 cups cubed tomatoes
1/2 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or 3 pinches dry)
1/2 can black beans, rinsed
2 tsp grated lime rind
1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

cook pasta. in large bowl, mix tomatoes, avocado & black beans. combine all other ingredients in separate bowl.

when pasta is cooked, drain and run under cold water until cool. add to tomato mixture and add dressing mixture. toss well and serve w/lime wedge if desired.

yield: 4-5 servings

its better to eat the salad the same day because the avocado starts to turn brown if exposed to air - which makes the salad look unappealing (yet still tasty). also, don't pulverize the onions because you're too lazy to chop them or you whole salad will taste like onion and you'll have to give it all away to your garbage disposal boyfriend.

your salad will have more tomatoes - i only had one roma tomato left and i usually use 2-3.

happy march!

2008-03-02T13:28:00.003-05:00

so i have a lot of homework to do today.

because i'm a huge dork and a huge procrastinator, instead of doing my work, i have created an excel program that spits out a randomized 20-25 minute pilates work-out. yup.

here's where i list out all the pilates exercises i know (grouped into leg, core and back exercises) with descriptions.

and here's the result!

wow, i cannot get over how much talents like this will get me laid.

i need a caption

2008-02-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

potato leek soup

2008-02-28T14:59:00.002-05:00

and you thought i was kidding about the cooking!

this is my dad's recipe that i always crave in the middle of winter because its very thick and filling* and reminds me of home (awwwww).

leeks are kinda wierd, but you can't really taste them in the soup, so i still put them in the soup. they must do something for it.. who knows? anyway, they look like this beforehand (i forgot to take a picture of the pre-chopped leeks):
you only eat the whitish-green tube and throw everything else out. and make sure you wash them thoroughly because they have sand hidden in their crevices. weird, i know.

other than that, this soup is easy to make and pretty fast - you just need a pot and a blender and you're all set!

potato & leek soup (from the kitchen of k-hugz)
2 T unsalted butter
4-6 leeks, chopped
1 1/4 lbs peeled potatoes, thinly sliced
5 cups chicken broth (~2 cans)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. chop leeks into little pieces and place in saucepan with butter over low heat. cook until tender (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally.

mmmm... leeks...

2. while the leeks are cooking, slice potatoes thinly - the thinness should be relative to how impatient you are

3. when leeks are tender, add potatoes, chicken broth and heavy cream. bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft (about 20-30 minutes, depending on the thinness).

4. pour into blender and blend until creamy.

5. bake some oatmeal bread

6. devour :)

* thats what she said.

it's alivvvveee... IT'S ALLLIIIIVEEEE!!!

2008-02-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

henry the 2nd's alive!! and so happy and fixed!! and living in squalor since his medical bills will cause his owner to not eat for a week.

but that's not the point.

the point is that i can now write to you, my dear reader, with much more frequency and depth of content. so are you ready?

"ready for what?" you ask.

ready for my blog to become a cooking blog for like 5 posts?

"you cook? without the kitchen exploding?"

hmph. that was just that one time.. i'm much more careful now. and i take lots of pictures when i have no laptop... so at least you can imagine the food tastes good even if it didn't.

"uhh.. i think i hear my mom calling... or my cat... or something that will require me not to read your blog for the next few weeks... now that you mention it.. i kinda liked the two months of silence."

josh groben & robin williams make me laugh

2008-02-26T16:03:00.001-05:00

PART ONE

THE REBUTTLE

linkages

2008-02-24T13:28:00.001-05:00

best game ever: bloody pingu throw

best moment so far of 2008

2008-02-13T00:58:00.001-05:00

at approximately 9:32am, i rollerbladed backwards.

internet, it's been a while

2008-02-13T00:52:00.002-05:00

remember that time when i updated with real words and not just stupid memes and pictures?

yeah. me neither.

so its cold and stuff. and by stuff i mean snow. and ice. and 40+ mph winds. and freezing rain. and negative temperatures. and pretty much weather that makes me forget what its like to be warm.

so i'll window shop for pretty things online and buy overpriced produce to try to think of spring...

more quizzes cause my laptop is still MIA

2008-02-05T00:23:00.001-05:00

Find your own pose!

so i actually do sleep like this (i'm the one being the seatbelt). weird, huh? this was after answering questions like:

What is your dental history?

I have one or more fillings
Any oral alterations are strictly organic (sidewalk falls, bar fights, monkey-bar misshaps)
I lie to my dentist about my flossing habits
These aren't my teeth

mmm..

2008-02-01T00:37:00.000-05:00

33%

i heart the honey thing

2008-01-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

every since i read this post at the sneeze, i can't stop thinking about the Honey Thing. it really is post's chosen mascot of their cereal. The Honey Thing is centerstage, representing honey bunches of oats. no cute little animated character, no cartoon man, just the Honey Stick Thing.

i've never actually used such a utensil, but it is now one of my life goals to own a Honey Stick Thing so that i can.. well, so i can use it i guess. to put honey on my cereal? i guess? i imagine it would be a really good pretend microphone for when i sing in the kitchen. cause the hair brush is not cutting it.

the year in cities - 2007

2008-01-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

starting a new tradition (after seeing it here)... the list will be short this year because i didn't do much traveling (being a college student and stuff). the rules: cities only count if you stay for 1+ night and you can't include cities in the county where you live most of the year.

albany, ny
new york city, ny
sardinia, ny (uh.. not exactly a 'city')
west haverstraw, ny

wow i'm so boring. 2008 will definitely be more exciting!

how i know i'm getting over my cold

2008-01-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

+ my stomach, which up until this morning balked at anything other than grapefruits, breads/cereal or water, downed two huge bowls of minestrone and is currently enjoying brownie batter.

+ i can breathe through both nostrils AT THE SAME TIME!!

+ i realized that signing up for a 9am inline skating class could only sound good to someone suffering from cold medicine-induced dementia.

ok, last link for today, i swear

2008-01-14T20:47:00.001-05:00

thank you to sara's sister for this video.

possibly the best game ever

2008-01-14T20:24:00.001-05:00

thanks to my boyfriend and his hard-working co-workers, i have been playing this awful, horrible game. where you slay boyscouts. with a lawnmower. and its AWESOME.

do it. stagknight 2

things i am doing instead of working

2008-01-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

+ travel IQ game (can't get past level 6, IQ of 91) via infectedpapercut

+ learning how to get the first piece of cake out without wrecking it.

+ enjoying awesome customer service from zappos

+ reading stuff.

the coolest ad ever

2008-01-14T00:31:00.000-05:00

via ad goodness

procrastination is my middle name.

2008-01-09T00:17:00.000-05:00

writing a journal entry to put off doing something much more important? i've never done that before. oh wait.

so i'm supposed to be packing right now. but i don't want to. there's all that sorting business. and packing. and putting stuff away. and doing laundry. and forgetting the laundry is in the washer. and panicking cause its 12:30am and you haven't packed anything.

so... buffalo tomorrow... (or today.. but i hate when people say "today". anytime where you need to sleep before the next event makes it a "tomorrow" event - not a today event).

ok. must. pack. (or maybe i'll just go to sleep and everything will be packed by the magical packing elves)

ughhhh

spam, part two: trouser snake edition

2008-01-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

SPAM SUBJECT LINE GREATEST HITS OF 2007
turn your small knob into a huge meat stick
WallopingCock
hamper driver
gain a MAGIC stick to please your partner!
Become a real man - increase your aggregate.
ConspicuousRod
turn your trouser mouse into a monster schlong
There are no losers among the possessors of long d ' ick' s.

see what you miss with your fancy "filters" and SPAM folders?? you never know when you need to know five hundred different synonyms for "penis". seriously.

see part one here.

chocolate mint cookies

2007-12-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

i got this recipe as a result of a very awkward high school "first date". in ninth grade, i had a crush on this kid and he couldn't stand me. then in tenth grade he had a crush on me and i couldn't stand him. that year, he asked me if i wanted to go mini-golfing with him and then out for ice cream (oh high school). i agreed and was dropped off at his house where his mom was making these cookies.

the date turned out horrible but these cookies are awesome. i had to go on another date with him so i could get the recipe, but it was worth the awkward conversations and avoiding eye contact.

chocolate mint cookies
3/4 cup margarine or unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
2 cups chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
40 Andes mint candies, broken in half

heat butter, sugar and water in large saucepan over low heat until butter melts. add chocolate chips and stir until chips are mostly melted. remove from heat and continue to stir until chips are completely melted. let stand for 10 minutes.

with a mixer on high, beat in eggs one at a time. reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients. beat until well blended. chill for 1 hour.

preheat oven to 350. roll teaspoons of dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. bake 8-10 minutes at 350.

remove from oven and while cookies are still on sheet place half of mint on each cookie. after a minute or so, swirl mint with knife. enjoy!

makes about 5 dozen.

promt pictoral posting

2007-12-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

instead of writing stuff about the last few weeks, i will do one of my "i'm so lazy, i'll just put up pictures" posts. yay. at least i can categorize them.

WINTER WONDERLAND
the civic hibernating:

snow + blowing = buried cars

front porch

CAT v. FISH

STUFF I MADE BECAUSE I HAD NO COMPUTER
1. tissue holder:

2. ufo ornaments:

3. expresso chocolate chip shortbreads:

4. tiramisu:

5. hand-cut xmas tags:

6. chocolate mint cookies:

bad news

2007-12-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

well it isn't looking good for the laptop...

i took him to the mac store today and tried to play it off as if i had no clue what happened and hoped the warranty would magically cover it, but to no avail. i was like "it just stopped working.. i have no idea.. must be the battery... etc etc" and the guy was like "so what did you spill in it?" and since i'm a bad liar to begin with, i told him the truth and then he told me i would need a new laptop. the one good thing is that the hard drive is safe, so that's a plus. merry christmas laptop - you're dead.

at least i didn't ask for leopard OSX and other programs for xmas. oh wait.

cat + laptop = disaster

2007-12-15T18:48:00.001-05:00

so this is what happened... (if the cat could talk)

cat: what are you doing?
me: making some ornaments.
c: can i see?
m: no. get down. there's nothing to see.
c: i want to see.
m: no. get down.
c: i'm coming up there.
m: GET DOWN.
c: i just want help. the paper pieces look tasty.
m: no you don't. [picks cat up off the table and places her on the ground]
c: ok. i'll just sit on the chair and watch.
m: whatever.

[a few minutes go by. i get thirsty and get up to get a glass of water.]

m: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OFF THE TABLE!!
c: i just thought you would prefer to have all the papers on the floor. and me on your laptop. IMing people on your buddy list you haven't talked to in years.
m: ARGHHH!
c: relax. i only sent the message "444444444444444aikkkkkkkkkkkkkkkcccc" to five people you haven't talked to since high school. not a big deal. i'm sure they read cat.

[i pick up the fifty small pieces that have fallen to the floor and sign off of instant messenger. cat watches from arm chair with a smug look on her face.]

fast forward to an hour later, ornaments complete.

c: what are you doing?
m: hanging ornaments on the fan. in the spirit of christmas.
c: they look like birds. they are invading our house. i must destroy them.
m: no. they are not related to you. they are decorative. look - they don't even move.
c: must. destroy. foreign. object.
m: get off the table.
c: need. to. be. closer. to. objects.
m: no, get down!
c: ugh, fine. iwilljustgetthemlater.
m: what?
c: nothing.

[cat retires to arm chair, never taking eyes off ornaments.]

fast forward to middle of night.

CRASH!
m: what the...?
c: oh it's you. can you help me? i can't reach the flying objects. stand closer so i can use you to jump off of.
m: my laptop!!!!
c: oh that?
m: what did you do?!
c: it was in the way. as was the glass of water you left on the table. both needed to be destroyed. you're welcome.
m: you are so dead.

------end-----

so that is how my laptop met a glass of water and is now non-functional. which is why i haven't posted in so long. and why i have new earmuffs made of cat.

xmas list, part 5 - etsy edition

2007-12-06T22:13:00.000-05:00

i love etsy. now if only the bf would take a hint (psst - that means YOU, nate). for this handmade edition of 'buy me stuff', i will even select some item from a variety of price ranges.

STOCKING STUFFERS (under $15)

BETWEEN $15 - $30

OVER $30

xmas list, part 4

2007-12-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

these boots by madden. they look classy (they're leather), but yet i feel like i could walk from the parking lot to the office w/o wiping out. which is important. i love all the supposed "winter boots" that have 3 inch heels. i'm sorry, but in the northeast, heels + winter precipitation = disaster. so that's why i want these.

i have been searching for a less pricey (under $100) version and have come up with these three, but i still like the steve madden ones the best.

overstock: $44.99

payless: $29.99

piperlime: $74.99

sigh.

safety in the workplace, eh?

2007-11-30T14:34:00.000-05:00

canadians are serious about safety in the workplace. check out these commercials.

sorry if i ruined your lunch.

congratulations, nablopomo'ers

2007-11-30T01:58:00.001-05:00

well friends, it's over.

no more posts of random links found at the last minute. no more pointless entries for the sake of just having a daily entry. it was tough, but we got through it.

and besides, i found some cool kids through it all.

it's almost over!!

2007-11-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

word. word. words. more words. making sentences.

so close i can almost taste the cute animal, homemade jam, burt's bees products, fleece blanket and other various prizes.

good thing the prizes aren't based on good content.

i am writing this so i don't have to think about it tomorrow

2007-11-28T01:31:00.000-05:00

links again! so creative! i mean, if you really want to hear all about my exciting day of swing class, ballet and rehearsal i can -- oh, what's that? links are fine? well then.

a softer world. a web comic? art? something that's cynnical and twisted.

apple basket by mighty goods. buy me somethign!

zombie-brain dishes.

links

2007-11-27T23:25:00.000-05:00

because i have nothing to write about.

cardboard castle. i would have loved this as a kid.

office paintball photos.

tiramisu recipe i am going to attempt this weekend.

permafrost

2007-11-26T23:52:00.000-05:00

sorry for the angry-ness that was the last post. i am not usually that hostile.

tonight i am just cold. because it is cold out. brr. and because i'm developing a cold. sniffle.

here's to cough drops and hot tea.

whatcha gonna do..

2007-11-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

i hope everyone's thanksgiving was good! i had a good break, but while driving to and from home, i had plenty of time to observe some really bad drivers. and i have decided that my number one pet driving peeve is people who brake FOR NO REASON whatsoever. oh wait i know why you are randomly braking - its one of two reason: 1) you are SO impatient that you must drive on the BUMPER of the person in front of you. so when they slow down you have to brake to avoid causing an accident. great job. way to drive defensively. OR 2) you are just fking stupid. i hate you. kill yourself.*

LINKAGES
my favorite new artist on myspace (listen to the first song).

*i am not encouraging suicide. just don't drive. ever.

nablo oh no!!

2007-11-24T23:58:00.000-05:00

squeaking in at the last minute. this still counts, right?

black friday = bye bye $$$$

2007-11-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

so today my plan was to sleep in (check), eat leftovers (check), and buy nothing (...).

but... the sales... clearance... ahhhhhh cannot resist!!!

but at least i didn't leave my house. (does that make it worse?) i succumbed to the need to buy sale items and bought some stuff at aeropostale.com - they have a 50% off sale and some really good other sales. and i bought stuff for other people, so it wasn't entirely a loss. plus how cute are these flats?
totally worth it.

happy turkey day!

2007-11-22T12:02:00.000-05:00

elf yourself

2007-11-21T17:18:00.000-05:00

happy almost christmastime!!

if you do nothing else to get into the christmas spirit, you must visit elfyourself.com and send a friend some cheer.

buying time

2007-11-20T23:04:00.000-05:00

i'm leaving for home tomorrow and will be gone for the rest of the week. i am going to have to put "nablopomo" on my hand in permanent marker to remember to do it!!

talking about the weather

2007-11-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

me: ITS SNOWINGGGGGGGG!!!!!
theboyfriend: not here
theboyfriend: liar
me: it totally just snowed
me: well it's barely flaking
me: but it's totally snowing
theboyfriend: sure you're not seeing you white hair in front of your face?
me: OMG I FOUND ANOTHER ONE YESTERDAY
theboyfriend: [enter meltdown sequence]
me: i didn't pull it out cause i wanted to show you
theboyfriend: you lie
theboyfriend: you kept it to look distinguished
me: eww
theboyfriend: i bet its pollinating its whiteness all over your head
me: yeah i told you if i pulled it out it would hatch all of its friends
me: i should have never pulled that one out
me: i am going to go grey overnight
me: will you still love me?
...
me: i'll take that as a no
me: 3 minutes is plenty of time to respond
theboyfriend: haha

fall is almost over

2007-11-18T07:57:00.000-05:00

grammar

2007-11-17T01:36:00.001-05:00

i am a good proof-reader. i like to pay attention to grammar rules. which is why i am in the facebook group "i judge you when you use poor grammar."

tonight was sort of slow, so i was browsing the photos and i had to share two unbelievable ones.

1. check before you tattoo yourself. ask a friend. ask your tattoo artist. please.

added challenge: name that buffalo-originated musical artist!

2. the back story on this photo: this was ordered for a going-away party at an office. the office worker called the cake place (wal-mart) and told them they wanted the following message: "Best Wishes Suzanne, and underneath that, we will miss you".

weird things seen while driving

2007-11-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

this is my response to dooey and rachel's entries about weird things they saw on the road. while its definitely not as cool as giant tires or whole houses, it is two mattresses (or perhaps one mattress and a box spring) atop a SUV*, held on only by the gentlemen's arms who were inside.

look again:

notice the arm. there was one on the other side and they were driving about 25 mph. which still seemed a bit ridiculous as buffalo can get pretty windy. what would happen if a gust of wind got under the front of the mattresses? hence why i was driving along side.

* grammar check: "a SUV" sounds funny - should it be "an SUV"? i should ask grammar girl.

i am so disgusted

2007-11-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

i don't usually post "serious" stuff, but this was so awful, i feel that it needs to be spread:

via nobodylikesonions.com
1. Fake Myspace Account? Check!

2. False pictures and posts to trick your 13-yr-old daughter's friend into thinking a cute boy likes her? Check!

3. Spread false rumors to the community about your daughter’s friend after the friend had enough being treated like shit and ended their teenage friendship? Check!

4. Full knowledge that your daughter's friend is mentally unstable and on mind altering drugs for this problem? Check!

5. Telling your daughter's friend to go kill herself after ruining her reputation and using the fake account to do it? The fake account of the only boy who liked her? Check!

6. Saying that you don't feel very guilty after your daughter's friend hangs herself? Check and Mate!

http://ofallonjournal.stltoday.com/a...okin_1.ii1.txt
Full information.

cat = garbage no longer

2007-11-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

lately the cat has been smelling like garbage. possibly because she tipped over the garbage and ate whatever she found.

so today i washed the cat. stella was surprisingly agreeable and let me blow dry her after. such a weird cat. i would have taken pictures if my hands weren't full of wet cat.

my google search history is special.

2007-11-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

A LIST OF RECENTLY GOOGLED ITEMS (AND/OR PHRASES)
+ grey hair
+ wigs near 14214
+ toupee clips
+ "how big is a fat quarter?"
+ phantom wang
+ marshmellow guns
+ free trees
+ "do your nose and ears stop growing?"
+ funny smell coming from oven
+ squirrels safe to eat again
+ wrong!