How does one drive when one is shaking like a leaf in a gale? I've got it kind of bad today - I feel really sick, even though I'm forcing myself to eat, because I might not get another chance for 3 hours and driving on an empty stomach is an even worse idea than driving while shaking. Well, because I shake even worse when I'm hungry.
Livejournal, you've always been here for me before a test. And once more we go through this together. I keep trying to tell my body to stop with this nonsense, but it won't listen, so maybe you can talk some sense into it instead. Thanks.
27 April 2012
23 April 2012
dog park adventures
We brought River to a dog park with a lake (pond) yesterday. She swam for her (possibly) very first time. She really loved jumping through the water - I don't think she liked swimming so well, so she got around by doing this leaping-forward-through-the-shallow-water thing. It was cute, and pretty funny.
While we were there a little dog swam too far out and panicked. He swam around in circles for ages. His owners called and called him, but any time he started heading towards them he'd get turned around again and start swimming the wrong way. Eventually the man took his shoes and t-shirt off and went in to rescue the dog. Everyone got back to shore safely, but I'd say the little dog was wrecked for the rest of the day.
The weekend was seriously hot. The thermometer in the car read 41 at one stage. The thermometer in the house got up to 38. It's really too hot for doing anything much - we did manage to laze around in the pool for a bit yesterday, but I worried about getting burned (because obviously I was too lazy to put on suncream).
While we were there a little dog swam too far out and panicked. He swam around in circles for ages. His owners called and called him, but any time he started heading towards them he'd get turned around again and start swimming the wrong way. Eventually the man took his shoes and t-shirt off and went in to rescue the dog. Everyone got back to shore safely, but I'd say the little dog was wrecked for the rest of the day.
The weekend was seriously hot. The thermometer in the car read 41 at one stage. The thermometer in the house got up to 38. It's really too hot for doing anything much - we did manage to laze around in the pool for a bit yesterday, but I worried about getting burned (because obviously I was too lazy to put on suncream).
20 April 2012
Spinach Curry
I need to write down last night's curry before I forget about it. It was amazing and I made it by modifying a recipe - hence the needing to write down.
Serves 3 (or 2 very hungry)
Ingredients:
1 package firm or extra firm tofu, well pressed and sliced into 1 inch cubes
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbsp garam masala (I used Shan Tikka spice, but garam masala is close enough)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup greek yogurt
6oz baby spinach leaves
1 large tomato, chopped
Preparation:
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spices (this amount makes it very spicy, use less if you like less spice) and water, mix together, then add the yoghurt. Mix together.
Add the spinach, and cover until wilted (about a minute). Stir to coat in the yogurt sauce. Remove from heat and let cool a bit while you move on to the next step.
In a separate large skillet or a wok, sautee tofu and onion in one tablespoon of olive oil until tofu is lightly crisp and onions are sweet.
Once spinach has cooled a little, process the spinach mixture in a food processor or blender until almost creamy.
Add the spinach to the skillet with the tofu and onions. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, until the tofu is well mixed with the spinach.
Serve with rice, naan, or whatever (I'll bet this would be amazing with chopped boiled potatoes).
Serves 3 (or 2 very hungry)
Ingredients:
1 package firm or extra firm tofu, well pressed and sliced into 1 inch cubes
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbsp garam masala (I used Shan Tikka spice, but garam masala is close enough)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup greek yogurt
6oz baby spinach leaves
1 large tomato, chopped
Preparation:
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spices (this amount makes it very spicy, use less if you like less spice) and water, mix together, then add the yoghurt. Mix together.
Add the spinach, and cover until wilted (about a minute). Stir to coat in the yogurt sauce. Remove from heat and let cool a bit while you move on to the next step.
In a separate large skillet or a wok, sautee tofu and onion in one tablespoon of olive oil until tofu is lightly crisp and onions are sweet.
Once spinach has cooled a little, process the spinach mixture in a food processor or blender until almost creamy.
Add the spinach to the skillet with the tofu and onions. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, until the tofu is well mixed with the spinach.
Serve with rice, naan, or whatever (I'll bet this would be amazing with chopped boiled potatoes).
19 April 2012
Rye Pita?
I managed to make some kind of rye pita bread today. I've been experimenting with this yeast-free pizza base recipe over the last few days - making it into flatbread and cooking it like a pancake. Today I had the random idea to swap out the semolina and all purpose flours for cornmeal and rye flour. I also left out the baking powder. It mixed up well. I tried kneading it, but I don't know if rye has any gluten to work with the kneading. So I squashed it into a flat circle between 2 sheets of wax-paper and 2 chopping boards. It came out super flat, and super circly. Onto a pan it went and the pan went onto a super-hot cooker and the bread cooked away, until I turned it over, when suddenly it popped. It magically turned into pita bread - which I wasn't expecting at all. In surprise and delight I took it off the pan, tried a bit (acceptable but the dough needs some extra flavour), and proceeded to stuff it with cheese. Nom nom nom (this sentence translates to "I ate it, and it was good"). Now I just need to figure out something I can add to the dough to make it really yummy.
18 April 2012
Food Entry and other things
I haven't done one of these in a while.
We made pizza last night. We each kneaded our own little bit of dough and put on our own toppings. It was wonderful. Mine had a ricotta / garlic powder / parsley sauce, caramelised red onions (when I say caramelised I really mean fried with oil, spices and salt), baby spinach leaves, smoked salmon, feta and parmesan cheese. Unfortunately all my flavours were strong and none really came to the fore (but I think the onions were winning). lordkilljoy had a standard pepperoni pizza (with extra red chile).
Lunch today is going to be amazing (if the rice will ever cook). I got random ingredients (stuff about to go off in the fridge) and threw them together into a one-pot meal thing. It's composed of brown rice, half a red onion, most of a red bell pepper, half a can of stewed tomatoes, salt and minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Nom nom nom. Even though I haven't eaten it yet, the bit of sauce I tried was delicious. I'm starving. Come on, cook. It's been an hour and the rice still isn't done.
I'm trying to get a bit fit for the 40km cycle me and penelope_stone are going on. Yesterday I cycled 5 (miles or kilometres) on the cycling machine in the gym, and today I did an easy 5 and a hard 5. I was happy to be done the hard 5, but by the time I got home I was fine again. So I think the machine is in km, because after 5 miles I'd be way more tired. And... on the road, it takes me 5 minutes to go 1 km. And I was on the machine for 15 minutes, and I was working a bit harder than I do when going to the shop... So I guess I have to work up to 45. I don't think I'll be able to add on 5kms every day. Or maybe, with breaks in between. Or maybe do half easy and half hard.
We made pizza last night. We each kneaded our own little bit of dough and put on our own toppings. It was wonderful. Mine had a ricotta / garlic powder / parsley sauce, caramelised red onions (when I say caramelised I really mean fried with oil, spices and salt), baby spinach leaves, smoked salmon, feta and parmesan cheese. Unfortunately all my flavours were strong and none really came to the fore (but I think the onions were winning). lordkilljoy had a standard pepperoni pizza (with extra red chile).
Lunch today is going to be amazing (if the rice will ever cook). I got random ingredients (stuff about to go off in the fridge) and threw them together into a one-pot meal thing. It's composed of brown rice, half a red onion, most of a red bell pepper, half a can of stewed tomatoes, salt and minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Nom nom nom. Even though I haven't eaten it yet, the bit of sauce I tried was delicious. I'm starving. Come on, cook. It's been an hour and the rice still isn't done.
I'm trying to get a bit fit for the 40km cycle me and penelope_stone are going on. Yesterday I cycled 5 (miles or kilometres) on the cycling machine in the gym, and today I did an easy 5 and a hard 5. I was happy to be done the hard 5, but by the time I got home I was fine again. So I think the machine is in km, because after 5 miles I'd be way more tired. And... on the road, it takes me 5 minutes to go 1 km. And I was on the machine for 15 minutes, and I was working a bit harder than I do when going to the shop... So I guess I have to work up to 45. I don't think I'll be able to add on 5kms every day. Or maybe, with breaks in between. Or maybe do half easy and half hard.
15 April 2012
Best Weekend Ever
Friday we went to the cinema to see Cabin in the Woods. A bit scary, a good story and a fun ending. I enjoyed it.
Yesterday we drove the start of the Apache Trail. We brought River along with us, but I guess the sharp bends and ups and downs didn't agree with her. She was very pathetic, and when the road turned into gravel we turned back. It was a good trip all the same, ans we're going to try it again some day without River.
Today, we got up and I didn't know what to do with myself. Go to the hot tub, go to the pool, waste time on the internet... lordkilljoy somehow came up with the idea of going to a waterpark (I wish I could remember how this idea came about). So we looked up waterparks and the big one in Phoenix was having the last day of its reduced price season passes. On an absolute whim we bought season passes, got in the car and went to the waterpark. It was the most amazing fun I've had in ages. All the slides we went on were so much fun - and this one was the best:
The Tornado
You get in, go around a bit, down a big dip and into this huge funnel where you go back and forth a few times until you get spit out the end. It was so amazing. And the great thing was that the park was really quiet today so we got out of the pool, ran back up the steps and didn't have to wait at all to do it again.
The only downside to the day was that the weather was cold. Okay, it was 20degrees, but windy, and when you are wet in a swimsuit that's not quite warm enough. I was shivering badly by the end of the hour and a half we spent there. That's the cool thing about passes. You don't feel like you have to make the most of it, because we can go again whenever we want and it's only 45 minutes away.
Yesterday we drove the start of the Apache Trail. We brought River along with us, but I guess the sharp bends and ups and downs didn't agree with her. She was very pathetic, and when the road turned into gravel we turned back. It was a good trip all the same, ans we're going to try it again some day without River.
Today, we got up and I didn't know what to do with myself. Go to the hot tub, go to the pool, waste time on the internet... lordkilljoy somehow came up with the idea of going to a waterpark (I wish I could remember how this idea came about). So we looked up waterparks and the big one in Phoenix was having the last day of its reduced price season passes. On an absolute whim we bought season passes, got in the car and went to the waterpark. It was the most amazing fun I've had in ages. All the slides we went on were so much fun - and this one was the best:
The Tornado
You get in, go around a bit, down a big dip and into this huge funnel where you go back and forth a few times until you get spit out the end. It was so amazing. And the great thing was that the park was really quiet today so we got out of the pool, ran back up the steps and didn't have to wait at all to do it again.
The only downside to the day was that the weather was cold. Okay, it was 20degrees, but windy, and when you are wet in a swimsuit that's not quite warm enough. I was shivering badly by the end of the hour and a half we spent there. That's the cool thing about passes. You don't feel like you have to make the most of it, because we can go again whenever we want and it's only 45 minutes away.
14 April 2012
Lucid Dreams
A while back, I was browsing reddit and I came across r/luciddreaming. It quickly became one of my favourite places to check when I had a few minutes with nothing to do. I read the posts and marvelled at some people's natural ability to lucid dream. I wanted to do it too - because I have a little natural talent in this area (I've lucid dreamed in the past without trying and I've always had amazing dream recall).
So I set up my dream journal and tried to remember to do reality checks often (I fail at remembering to do things, though). So I went back to reddit and read about an app that helps you to remember to check if you are dreaming. It chimes at random intervals throughout the day and pops up a screen with "Am I dreaming" written on it. I downloaded that about a week ago. And slowly, the idea to remember to reality check has written itself into my brain. I remember to do it every so often without the app's help. So anyway - that's backstory.
Last night I dreamt I was in a shop, wandering the aisles. As I passed a shelf its generic contents changed to jars of nutella. My brain went: am I dreaming? And sure enough... Woooooooo! I tried to change some things but couldn't quite focus enough. So I tried stabilising the lucidity and that worked enough for me to create a doorway out of the dream (with the intention that it would pop me into a far more interesting space). I went through, but as I did, the lucidity vanished and I was back in a normal - but very adventurous - dream.
I'm thrilled and hope that I can become lucid a bit more frequently. Now I just have to learn how to hold onto it for longer.
So I set up my dream journal and tried to remember to do reality checks often (I fail at remembering to do things, though). So I went back to reddit and read about an app that helps you to remember to check if you are dreaming. It chimes at random intervals throughout the day and pops up a screen with "Am I dreaming" written on it. I downloaded that about a week ago. And slowly, the idea to remember to reality check has written itself into my brain. I remember to do it every so often without the app's help. So anyway - that's backstory.
Last night I dreamt I was in a shop, wandering the aisles. As I passed a shelf its generic contents changed to jars of nutella. My brain went: am I dreaming? And sure enough... Woooooooo! I tried to change some things but couldn't quite focus enough. So I tried stabilising the lucidity and that worked enough for me to create a doorway out of the dream (with the intention that it would pop me into a far more interesting space). I went through, but as I did, the lucidity vanished and I was back in a normal - but very adventurous - dream.
I'm thrilled and hope that I can become lucid a bit more frequently. Now I just have to learn how to hold onto it for longer.
10 April 2012
Photography Musing
I've been thinking about RAW photos recently, even though I can't remember what put them in my head. Possibly post-processing all the photos from Miami. So I reinstalled CHDK on my camera (a cool little program that gives Canon point and shoot cameras the ability to record RAW photo data, and a bunch of other cool stuff) and messed around with it. I finally got it working today and the difference in photo quality is spectacular.
The one on top is the JPG.
See the way the carpet and the bag are over-exposed and the shadows around the table are quite dark. The RAW file smooths all of this out and gives a really balanced light. That's really impressive. It also saves the image at a higher resolution, but I think that could be because I don't have my camera set to the absolute highest resolution.
I just wanted to post my findings here. Now I'm off to clean the kitchen.
The one on top is the JPG.
See the way the carpet and the bag are over-exposed and the shadows around the table are quite dark. The RAW file smooths all of this out and gives a really balanced light. That's really impressive. It also saves the image at a higher resolution, but I think that could be because I don't have my camera set to the absolute highest resolution.
I just wanted to post my findings here. Now I'm off to clean the kitchen.
07 April 2012
Wedding Shoes
I got some pretty dolly shoes to go with my wedding dress. I had to settle for what was available, even though it's not really what I wanted. They are white, soft leathery material, and about 2mm too small, but the next size was about a centimetre too big.
This is them.
They are pretty, and I did want flat shoes. So they'll do. We had considered getting cons, but we woosed out in the end.
I also got two pretty tops today. We had a good day's shopping, really.
This is them.
They are pretty, and I did want flat shoes. So they'll do. We had considered getting cons, but we woosed out in the end.
I also got two pretty tops today. We had a good day's shopping, really.
06 April 2012
Weekend in Maimi
I just made ketchup. I needed 1/2 cup of the stuff, and using heinz would have put me way over my sugar limit for the day. So I made my own with just a tiny bit of sugar. Yeay.
Miami was brilliant. I'd totally go back there for a proper holiday. The beach was amazing (for the whole hour we got to spend there). That's all I keep thinking about. Wrestlemania was good fun and the craic with the lads was fantastic, but it's the beach my memories dwell on. I even have a photo I took of the beach as my desktop.
We actually got to do quite a bit of touristy things (like eating ice-cream and drinking cocktails). We went on the hop-on hop-off bus tour and strolled the bayside area and even managed to make it to the beach for a quick swim in the clear, warm water. It was the perfect time of year to be in Florida, too. It wasn't humid and the temperature was just perfect (perfect being about 28C). It's actually crazy. 28 is my new comfortable temperature. I can sit around and feel somewhat cool in 28 degrees. I'm going to freeze when we go home.
We ate in Bubba Gumps (spin off from Forrest Gump) most of the time. I think it's my new favourite restaurant. Their salmon skillet is the most amazing thing I've ever eaten (I could be exaggerating, but I can't think of any better meal right now).
I'd like to think I could live quite happily in Florida, but then I remember the mosquitoes (not that many around yet, but I still got one bite) and the hurricanes, and I think perhaps Florida is only nice to visit.
I don't have a whole lot of other news, so I'll leave you with some pics...
Miami was brilliant. I'd totally go back there for a proper holiday. The beach was amazing (for the whole hour we got to spend there). That's all I keep thinking about. Wrestlemania was good fun and the craic with the lads was fantastic, but it's the beach my memories dwell on. I even have a photo I took of the beach as my desktop.
We actually got to do quite a bit of touristy things (like eating ice-cream and drinking cocktails). We went on the hop-on hop-off bus tour and strolled the bayside area and even managed to make it to the beach for a quick swim in the clear, warm water. It was the perfect time of year to be in Florida, too. It wasn't humid and the temperature was just perfect (perfect being about 28C). It's actually crazy. 28 is my new comfortable temperature. I can sit around and feel somewhat cool in 28 degrees. I'm going to freeze when we go home.
We ate in Bubba Gumps (spin off from Forrest Gump) most of the time. I think it's my new favourite restaurant. Their salmon skillet is the most amazing thing I've ever eaten (I could be exaggerating, but I can't think of any better meal right now).
I'd like to think I could live quite happily in Florida, but then I remember the mosquitoes (not that many around yet, but I still got one bite) and the hurricanes, and I think perhaps Florida is only nice to visit.
I don't have a whole lot of other news, so I'll leave you with some pics...
22 March 2012
bread x ∞
I may have mentioned this before but... I love bread. Bread is the best thing ever. You can have it with butter, or toast it. You can rip it into pieces and nom each bit individually, or you can stuff a whole slice into your mouth. You can dip it into soup, or sop gravy up with it. You can build with bread (seriously, the Chinese used rice flour as mortar).
I made some lovely bread today. Even better than last weeks scones... which were good, but not perfect. I found out that if you put a lot of baking powder into bread that it can give it a strange taste. 3 teaspoons of power to 1 cup of flour is too much baking powder for my poor sensitive taste buds. Apparently, there are 2 kinds of baking powders and one has this taste for some people, but the other never does. I'll have to change the brand I have.
I'm going for a driving lesson on Tuesday. Ahhh. I'm going to try to act all confident so that I can just do the test at the end of this lesson (and pass it, of course) so that I don't have to go for my second lesson. I'm such a social goof. Maybe I'll really love the lesson and want to do the second one.
Anyway. I don't have much other news.
I made some lovely bread today. Even better than last weeks scones... which were good, but not perfect. I found out that if you put a lot of baking powder into bread that it can give it a strange taste. 3 teaspoons of power to 1 cup of flour is too much baking powder for my poor sensitive taste buds. Apparently, there are 2 kinds of baking powders and one has this taste for some people, but the other never does. I'll have to change the brand I have.
I'm going for a driving lesson on Tuesday. Ahhh. I'm going to try to act all confident so that I can just do the test at the end of this lesson (and pass it, of course) so that I don't have to go for my second lesson. I'm such a social goof. Maybe I'll really love the lesson and want to do the second one.
Anyway. I don't have much other news.
15 March 2012
hot weather
It's starting to get hot here. The apartment was at 29 degrees last night (that's partly because I'd been baking too), and today cycling to the shop I felt that another few degrees and it will be too hot for cycling. Don't know what I'll do for food then :( The climate is so mild here, that the leaves on the trees don't fall off - they are pushed off by the new growth in spring. It's really weird to see all the leaves falling now. And if you are curious, like I was: Phoenix is the second hottest city in the world. Yuma, AZ is the hottest, and somewhere in Egypt is the third hottest. And I live here. Crazy.
I don't have a whole lot of other news. I made chicken cordon bleu last night. It was amazing. The breadcrumbs were so perfect. I had some issues with the cheese - it wasn't gooey enough. It didn't melt out of the chicken when you cut into it. So if I make them again I will look for some other way to do the filling (last night was just grated swiss cheese (which I don't think I like the taste of)).
Here's a photo, because I was so proud:
I don't have a whole lot of other news. I made chicken cordon bleu last night. It was amazing. The breadcrumbs were so perfect. I had some issues with the cheese - it wasn't gooey enough. It didn't melt out of the chicken when you cut into it. So if I make them again I will look for some other way to do the filling (last night was just grated swiss cheese (which I don't think I like the taste of)).
Here's a photo, because I was so proud:
13 March 2012
disaster
Livejournal, I must lament to you. River ate my scones. I ate one, she ate eleven. I can't believe she got at them. They were on the high counter - out cooling. And they were delicious. The best scones I've ever had. So light and fluffy and crispy on the outside. And lordkilljoy didn't even get to see what they looked like, let alone taste one. I'm so annoyed.
11 March 2012
don't bake with dead yeast
I made bread last night. Or I attempted to. I suppose I should have realised something was wrong when the dough could barely absorb half the flour it was supposed to (but having never come across a problem like this before, I just put it down to warm weather). I turned the dough out and let it rise for an hour - in which we went out for dinner - and when I checked on it, it was the exact same size it had been. Now, my brain went something like, "it /has/ risen, surely. It's just that the bowl it's in is so ridiculously over-sized that the bread just looks the same size in comparison." The bowl was not over-sized.
Anyway. Then I remembered that the package of yeast I'd used had been open for a few days. And then I realised the yeast had died sometime over those few days. Poor yeast. And poor me, who had no bread to look forward to. I shaped it into a loaf anyway and left it alone for another hour, hoping something might happen. It didn't. I used the dough as clay to make a very basic duck (which got thrown out today) and threw the rest of the dough in the bin.
Failed bread attempt #1. So, for being baking bread for a few months now, that's not bad at all.
Anyway. Then I remembered that the package of yeast I'd used had been open for a few days. And then I realised the yeast had died sometime over those few days. Poor yeast. And poor me, who had no bread to look forward to. I shaped it into a loaf anyway and left it alone for another hour, hoping something might happen. It didn't. I used the dough as clay to make a very basic duck (which got thrown out today) and threw the rest of the dough in the bin.
Failed bread attempt #1. So, for being baking bread for a few months now, that's not bad at all.
10 March 2012
First sunburn of 2012
It is official. The sun here is very strong. I got pretty burned across one shoulder while wandering around the ostridge festival today.
The festival was fun. We got to see a very silly ostridge race, pet a bunch of animals, watch a dog-jumping-into-water show, a monkey show, and eat some ostridge. Nom nom nom.
I don't know what else to say... I think I'm a bit tired. I might go a lie on the hammock.
The festival was fun. We got to see a very silly ostridge race, pet a bunch of animals, watch a dog-jumping-into-water show, a monkey show, and eat some ostridge. Nom nom nom.
I don't know what else to say... I think I'm a bit tired. I might go a lie on the hammock.
04 March 2012
The End
So. I'm officially done with Artificer :)
penelope_stone is reading it and I might make some final changes based on her feedback, but right at this moment I'm moving on to book 2 and not looking back. I've been tossing ideas about book 2 around in my head for the last few weeks, and I think I'm coming to the realisation that I've lost a lot of what made book 1 good in book 2. I need to bring it back to Zachery - it's still his story. Not Zan and Kej's (or whatever Zan will be called once I settle on a new name for her). So I'm thinking of rewriting most of what I've done from Zachery's point of view. I'm also thinking I don't have nearly enough plot to fill this book out, and that frightens me. Because there's nothing worse than filler. Anyway. That's a worry for tomorrow morning. I'm actually thinking of reworking the outline - doing it in long-version to get a really good idea for just how much content I have. But I don't know if that's just a form of procrastination.
Anyway. It's weird. I thought I'd feel more at putting Artificer away, but I guess I've been done with so many drafts at this stage, it's just another link in the chain. And I guess in the back of my mind, I know that it will be there if I want to make more changes. I guess at this stage, the hard part will be staying away from it. (Nah - not really.)
I don't have a lot of other news. Did I mention I'm playing Planescape Torment again? I have come to the realisation that this is my all time favourite game ever. Yes - it even beats the Elder Scrolls games. The story, the characters, the setting - I love everything about this game. And I love the fact that it's so thoughtful at the same time. There are bits of philosophy in this game that you can't help get caught up in, and get thinking about.
Right then. I'm off.
penelope_stone is reading it and I might make some final changes based on her feedback, but right at this moment I'm moving on to book 2 and not looking back. I've been tossing ideas about book 2 around in my head for the last few weeks, and I think I'm coming to the realisation that I've lost a lot of what made book 1 good in book 2. I need to bring it back to Zachery - it's still his story. Not Zan and Kej's (or whatever Zan will be called once I settle on a new name for her). So I'm thinking of rewriting most of what I've done from Zachery's point of view. I'm also thinking I don't have nearly enough plot to fill this book out, and that frightens me. Because there's nothing worse than filler. Anyway. That's a worry for tomorrow morning. I'm actually thinking of reworking the outline - doing it in long-version to get a really good idea for just how much content I have. But I don't know if that's just a form of procrastination.
Anyway. It's weird. I thought I'd feel more at putting Artificer away, but I guess I've been done with so many drafts at this stage, it's just another link in the chain. And I guess in the back of my mind, I know that it will be there if I want to make more changes. I guess at this stage, the hard part will be staying away from it. (Nah - not really.)
I don't have a lot of other news. Did I mention I'm playing Planescape Torment again? I have come to the realisation that this is my all time favourite game ever. Yes - it even beats the Elder Scrolls games. The story, the characters, the setting - I love everything about this game. And I love the fact that it's so thoughtful at the same time. There are bits of philosophy in this game that you can't help get caught up in, and get thinking about.
Right then. I'm off.
21 February 2012
Pancake Day
On nom nom. I just made the most delicious pancakes ever (okay, maybe not ever - that honour may go to the pancakes I made for lunch last week). I used Alton Brown's recipe, but cut down to size (I ended up with enough for 4 pancakes). Anyway. I've never had a recipe before where I enjoyed eating pancake with nothing on it. I find them flavourless and boring. But this mix. Oh wow. It was like a delicious, fluffy, soft, warm bread. (That sentence may be subject to hyperbole, but not by much.) I ate them with nothing on them. Not even the charms of nutella worked. I did put a bit of grated parmesan cheese on the last one and it made it even yummier.
So... last week's lunch pancakes - also delicious. I didn't have any bread (still haven't made any) and I didn't have anything for lunch. There was some pancake mix in the pantry (we have a pantry :) ) but I didn't feel like boring pancakes. I also had some fresh basil and a half a can of tomatoes in the fridge, so I threw them into the processor and mixed them into pancake batter. I cooked them - putting some cheese on top and they were so delicious. I totally didn't even remember than pancake day was coming up next week when I made them. But anyway - two delicious pancake meals. Nom nom.
What else - we got a basil plant. Woo. Can't wait for it to get big enough so that I can take leaves off it without harming it.
I cast off the string top I was knitting and started an easier one. I would have stuck with the first, but I measured it and it was coming out 4 inches too big, and the pattern didn't work so well with the colouredy wool. So the one I'm working on now is plainer, easier to knit and looks lovely.
Was noch? We went out on Friday to a mardi gras themed dinner. It was quite a good night. I wore 5inch wedges and my feet weren't so sore at the end of the night (but I was sitting for a load of it) and I didn't trip over. Yeay.
Ooh - River's doing really well with the whole not barking when I tell her to be quiet. She actually listens to my command. Woo. She's still doing paw like mad, and she's mostly grasping roll over. She still has no comprehension that down means lie down, but I think that could be that we also say down when we want her to stop jumping on us.
Finally - I'm back playing Skyrim again. It's such a fun game. Steam opened their workshop (where they collect mods) so I've been having fun trying out different mods. I must download the creation kit and have a go messing with my own mod.
So... last week's lunch pancakes - also delicious. I didn't have any bread (still haven't made any) and I didn't have anything for lunch. There was some pancake mix in the pantry (we have a pantry :) ) but I didn't feel like boring pancakes. I also had some fresh basil and a half a can of tomatoes in the fridge, so I threw them into the processor and mixed them into pancake batter. I cooked them - putting some cheese on top and they were so delicious. I totally didn't even remember than pancake day was coming up next week when I made them. But anyway - two delicious pancake meals. Nom nom.
What else - we got a basil plant. Woo. Can't wait for it to get big enough so that I can take leaves off it without harming it.
I cast off the string top I was knitting and started an easier one. I would have stuck with the first, but I measured it and it was coming out 4 inches too big, and the pattern didn't work so well with the colouredy wool. So the one I'm working on now is plainer, easier to knit and looks lovely.
Was noch? We went out on Friday to a mardi gras themed dinner. It was quite a good night. I wore 5inch wedges and my feet weren't so sore at the end of the night (but I was sitting for a load of it) and I didn't trip over. Yeay.
Ooh - River's doing really well with the whole not barking when I tell her to be quiet. She actually listens to my command. Woo. She's still doing paw like mad, and she's mostly grasping roll over. She still has no comprehension that down means lie down, but I think that could be that we also say down when we want her to stop jumping on us.
Finally - I'm back playing Skyrim again. It's such a fun game. Steam opened their workshop (where they collect mods) so I've been having fun trying out different mods. I must download the creation kit and have a go messing with my own mod.
10 February 2012
Bread is Delicious
I have a honey-wheat loaf doing in the oven and it smells absolutely delicious. I really need to get myself another loaf pan, so that I can make two loaves at a time. It doesn't really seem justified - all the effort for one loaf (which depending on how scrumptious it is might not even last a day). I love this baking malarkey. It's amazing being able to eat your bread you've made yourself, that you know exactly what went into.
I now have 10 rows done on my string top. I'm a regular speed-knitter I am [sarcasm]. It's going to take months and months to finish at this rate. Though lordkilljoy's going on a wwe stint tonight, so I might get a lot done if I sit on the couch with him (rather than sitting at my desk playing games).
The wwe stint is therapy from a terrible, terrible end of week. Yesterday (was it only yesterday?) he lost the car keys. When they didn't turn up by noon today, he called a tow-truck to come pick up the car. Half way back to the rental place, the keys showed up. So typical, you really just have to shake your head and shrug. That's life, isn't it? Anyway, we have another car now, so it's all good.
I don't think I have a whole lot of other news.
I now have 10 rows done on my string top. I'm a regular speed-knitter I am [sarcasm]. It's going to take months and months to finish at this rate. Though lordkilljoy's going on a wwe stint tonight, so I might get a lot done if I sit on the couch with him (rather than sitting at my desk playing games).
The wwe stint is therapy from a terrible, terrible end of week. Yesterday (was it only yesterday?) he lost the car keys. When they didn't turn up by noon today, he called a tow-truck to come pick up the car. Half way back to the rental place, the keys showed up. So typical, you really just have to shake your head and shrug. That's life, isn't it? Anyway, we have another car now, so it's all good.
I don't think I have a whole lot of other news.
06 February 2012
News Things
I finished my skirt on Friday. Wore it on Saturday. It's a bit weird - not exactly even and I cut the material sidewards. So I'm not sure if I'll wear it that much; probably just wear it in the summer when I'm hanging around the apartment.
Did I mention at all that we taught River how to do paw. She does it for everything now. It's very cute: waiting to get lead on for walk - paw; want food - paw; looking at treats - paw. I think she thinks paw means I'll get what I want. Hee.
I went out with the girls on Friday. It was a good night - I got to dance, which is always fun. I think I'm good now for nights out for another few months. I can ignore all the things I dislike about night clubs when they only happen once in a while, but too often and I just get to hating.
What other news... Did I mention that I started on my cotton string top? I have 5 rows knitted at the moment. I've given myself until June, but this is going exceptionally slowly.
Dinner tonight was amazing. I did a tofu and veg stir fry and it was so delicious. Soy and oyster sauces make an amazing base for stir fry - add in a little stock, ginger and mirin and you get something absolutely divine. I love Mondays. I could eat rice and stir-fry every night.
Right so. I'm off to play Star Wars.
Did I mention at all that we taught River how to do paw. She does it for everything now. It's very cute: waiting to get lead on for walk - paw; want food - paw; looking at treats - paw. I think she thinks paw means I'll get what I want. Hee.
I went out with the girls on Friday. It was a good night - I got to dance, which is always fun. I think I'm good now for nights out for another few months. I can ignore all the things I dislike about night clubs when they only happen once in a while, but too often and I just get to hating.
What other news... Did I mention that I started on my cotton string top? I have 5 rows knitted at the moment. I've given myself until June, but this is going exceptionally slowly.
Dinner tonight was amazing. I did a tofu and veg stir fry and it was so delicious. Soy and oyster sauces make an amazing base for stir fry - add in a little stock, ginger and mirin and you get something absolutely divine. I love Mondays. I could eat rice and stir-fry every night.
Right so. I'm off to play Star Wars.
29 January 2012
Drive to Fry's
I just drove us to the shop and back (and around the estate). Go me :) I need some work on mirrors and on trusting that I'm seeing everything. I'm kind of slow because I'm afraid there's something there (like a bike or person) that I've overlooked. And there was a lot of, "Okay, I'm just going to go. Ahhhh." I'm such a girl. But I got us there and back safe, and got lunch for myself too. Yeay.
We got the matrix on blueray recently and have been watching them over the weekend. They are quite good movies. The first one is still so much fun to watch, and even the second one (last night) was a bit of action.
Not much else is going on - Royal Rumble is on tonight, so we're going to watch that. It would be really fun to watch John Cena (the ultimate good guy) turn bad (or heel, as they say). That's the only reason I'm watching. Does that make me evil? Because I want to see the good guy fall? I guess it's just a story element I really like to see unfold.
I don't have a whole lot of other news. Ooh - the thermometer in the car got to 26 yesterday. The one on the balcony got to 20. That's pretty cool (or hot, really).
We got the matrix on blueray recently and have been watching them over the weekend. They are quite good movies. The first one is still so much fun to watch, and even the second one (last night) was a bit of action.
Not much else is going on - Royal Rumble is on tonight, so we're going to watch that. It would be really fun to watch John Cena (the ultimate good guy) turn bad (or heel, as they say). That's the only reason I'm watching. Does that make me evil? Because I want to see the good guy fall? I guess it's just a story element I really like to see unfold.
I don't have a whole lot of other news. Ooh - the thermometer in the car got to 26 yesterday. The one on the balcony got to 20. That's pretty cool (or hot, really).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)