stacy was here (and probably spinning....): 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006

 

 

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Stacy Was Here :
Back at the Beginning

Monday, January 30, 2006

shrug completed

Woot. The shrug came out well, though it's practically unrecognizable from the pattern I started with. I simplified it a bit because I didn't want as much of a collar, and I messed with the sizes like I said before. I'm happy with how it came out though.





It used only 2 balls of yarn, so I returned the other 2 balls, and got the yarn for Amie's shrug. I also got ze stuff for ze
chicken viking hat, which I am adapting for an adult sized head. I suspect it will be the first of many a chicken viking hat in my future.

Still sickish, feeling really tired and run down even though I've not been exerting myself and I've been getting plenty of rest and all that. Hopefully it's not mono, so everyone think good, healthy thoughts for me.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 5:13 PM   3 comments

Sunday, January 22, 2006

this week in the life...


Ivory soap is one of my simple pleasures. I can sit and smell it for ridiculous amounts of time. The smell reminds me of my Grandma Mary, and going to visit her when I was a little girl. She's actually my stepmothers mother, but her and Grandpa Eddie have always treated me just the same as they treat their own grand children. I always loved going to visit them, and actually, some of my fondest childhood memories are there. I remember playing in their backyard, eating Grandpa Eddie's tamales, which are still the best I've ever had, and their big pink porcelain bathtub, which seemed huge when I was a little girl taking baths in it, using Grandma Mary's ivory soap. I have always loved the smell, probably because it still reminds me of her.


Socks. So y'all know I have the worst feet ever, right? Especially since I bitch about them all the time? Well, I'm really picky about socks. I absolutely need them to be roomy in the toes, because if they constrict my toes, I cannot get comfortable and I spend the entire day thinking of nothing but my feet and trying to adjust them into comfort. So I first saw these socks weeks ago, when they were on sale for 74 cents. Being a bargain fiend, I bought a few pair, and they were comfortable. So yesterday, me and Fuzzy were running our errands, and I noticed they were on sale for 29 cents. 29 cents! For comfy socks! Thats 3 pair for a dollar! So I sorta went a little crazy. And bought 30 pair. *shame*




So you could say we've had a little rain this season... Poor Fuzzy... He had cleaned out the drain just the day before, because the tenants warned him that it floods out every year, but it flooded anyway, and when he picked me up from school he was soaked :( Fortunately, when we got back, the city people were there so he let me talk him into letting them handle it and we got him into some dry clothes.


Since my wedding dress is only going to have spaghetti straps, and since the wedding is in the evening with the reception stretching into the night time, I've decided to knit a nice shrug to wear once it starts to cool off a bit. I was tempted by a couple of lacey patterns, but since we bought that gorgeous lace to go on the dress, I don't want to add a different lace to take away from it, so I'm going with a really simple, stockinette stitch pattern. The pattern is by Fiber Trends, and I'm using Lacette by Pattons in Lilac Lace. It's beautiful yarn, reminds me of this play makeup I had when I was little, I swear it's the same color as the eyeshadow. It's got a nice sheen to it, but it's subtle, so it won't be obnoxious.

In this picture, the flash picked up more of the shine in the yarn. It's knitting up surprisingly quickly, and I'm thinking of making one in black for my sister, to match her dress. I'll have to see if she likes mine when I finish it. It's something I think I'll wear again, after the wedding, so it'll be a nice wearable memory. I'm adjusting the pattern, because my back width is consistent with the small size, but my arms are consistent with the large size. Fortunately the difference is only 4 stitches, so it won't look silly. Yay knitting. It helps keep me slightly less crazy, lol.

I got all my books and the stupid calculator, spent just under $500 for all of it. *sigh* Now it seems totally fair to me why scientists make such disgustingly large amounts of money. It's to help them pay off all the books and supplies they had to buy during college. Maybe by the time I'm 50 I'll be out of debt. I just want to make enough money to be comfortable, and hopefully enough so that Fuzzy doesn't have to work if he doesn't want to.

Well, off to my reading and knitting and getting over this stupid cold I've got. I'm going to steal this idea from Meigan, and say if theres anything you want a picture of, leave a comment and I'll do my best to satisfy all requests.

Labels:

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 10:38 AM   1 comments

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

so now that the semester is somewhat underway...

Biometrics: This class seems like it's going to be really straightforward. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but based on the lab we've done so far and the lecture, it really seems like the professor makes a huge effort to break it down into baby steps and walk you through it so you know what you're doing.

Chem 110: Basically just a continuation of Chem 109, so I know it will be stressful and intense, but I love the professor because he's funny and always always willing to help. I find it easier to get up for his 8am lab than my 8am photo class from a few years ago. You can't often say that of a chem lab. The second half of lab is all dedicated to qualitative analysis, where they give us a substance and we have to run tests on it to determine what it is. Finally, something that is starting to vaguely resemble what I might be doing as a forensic scientist in a few years.

Brief Organic Chem: What if Chemistry and Biology met in a bar, got a little too drunk, and had wild sex (nerd sex) resulting in an illegitimate bastard child? The prof is either excellent in a been-doing-this-forever-a-la-dr.-Adam sort of way, or tired and about to retire. Not sure which, but since beloved prof of the Chem 109/110 variety highly recommends him, I'm eagerly looking forward to the former. Spent the whole lecture talking about the molecules bugs use to communicate with each other and other interesting things. Showed picture of the wild ants of the serengheti. Revealed that the smell of the corpse flower comes from two molecules, one found in feces, one in roses. Believe this will be interesting in a possible Jeopardy final question sort of way.

Aikido: Not sure about this yet. Couldn't fully participate due to achey toe of doom. This will either be really good for me, or reeeeaaaally excrusciating on my poor feet. Probably the latter, in which case I'll drop it soon. If I can hack it, though, it may prove to be really cool and interesting in a daniel-san sort of way.

Books: Are going to be over $300, even though I already have the books for Chem 109 (which would bring the total to over $500, nearly $600, actually, if I wasn't using the same one from last year.) *sigh*

Oh, and did I mention: I also have to buy a graphing calculator. Another $100+. Being an English major was a lot less expensive. *sigh*

But!: I have friends in every class. It's like having study groups all built in and stuff. Aracelli the magnificent is in O-chem.

And!: This morning, Diane the supremely fabulous introduced me as her student assistant :) Wooooot! Plus in choir the other night she announced to everyone that I am "the shit".

So, things are mostly schweeeet right now. I'll probably lose my mind soonishlike, but that's par for the course, really.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 11:17 PM   1 comments

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

New Years Resolutions...

So now that we're ten days into the new year, I'm finally ready to make my new years resolutions. Technically I've already started the main one, just haven't posted about it yet, so I'm not really that behind.

1) The perennial favorite, I'm resolving to lose weight. I'm tired of feeling tired, tired of it hurting to move and of lacking the motivation in the physical exertion category. I'm also hoping to not look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on my wedding day (Michelle thought this was funny, so I'm betting I'll hear "Mother Puss Bucket!" on my way down the aisle.) I would also like it if people stopped asking me if I'm pregnant (although it is secretly satisfying to say "Nope! Just fat" and then watch the look of horror dawn on their faces.) I have also made several steps in the right direction already:

* Fuzzy bought me a treadmill as an early V-day present. It's manual, so it's a lot harder than the ones at school, but it really works my lower body a lot more. Eventually I'll be able to stay on it for more than ten minutes.

* I got myself an ab roller. It's one of those doohickies that supports your head when you do crunches, and man if it doesn't seriously isolate your abs. I'm a little sore, but it's getting less and less, so thats a good sign.

* I'm signed up for aikido this semester. It's at least two hours a week of scheduled physical activity.

2) Get through this semester with less stress. This means staying current on my homework so that I don't have to cram before every test, just review. I managed a 4.0 that way last semester, but it's only going to get harder, especially with o-chem and stats and all that. So I seriously need to not procrastinate any more. I will do my homework every week, not just right before the test.
.........
So, I had my other foot worked on, stupid feet. It hurts less this time than it did last time. Funny, what going to a competent doctor will do, eh? I still think the other dr used lidocaine with epinephrine, instead of without like they're supposed to do on fingers and toes. It would explain why I had such a bad reaction to it. If it were purely psychosomatic, it would have been worse this time, since I had an idea how bad it would be and was basically panicking until the horrible pain failed to manifest. It's much easier to walk this time than last time, too. Last time it felt like the blood would rush to my toe every time I stood up, and it was this awful throbbing pain sensation, but this time it's not doing that (though I'll let you know after work today.) I'm betting it will heal faster this time, too.

Oh, funny cat story. I do my crunches in the living room, and my right arm passes back and forth right by the edge of the couch, so Zelda has taken to sitting right there and positioning her head so that my hand brushes it with each pass. We've decided that, for Zelda, it is not an ab roller, it is an automatic petting machine.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 11:15 AM   0 comments

Sunday, January 08, 2006

bleh... is it school time yet?

So school starts in just over a week. I know it's going to be stressful and that within a week I'll be over it and ready for another break, but I hate the in between times too because I feel bored and like I'm not accomplishing anything.

I'm worried about my mom and sister. My grandmother is, as usual, doing everything she can to make them both miserable. She made my sister cry yesterday by being in one of her damned woe-is-me-I'm-so-neglected moods and then yelling at her when my sister tried to make her feel better, god forbid. My mom needs a serious vacation from her, but of course that won't happen. She's taken to hovering around the entry way/kitchen in her wheelchair so that it's impossible to get in or out of the house without dealing with her and her constant nosiness and her constant guilt trips and pity parties. It just reminds me of the years I spent in that house, utterly miserable. It's like a big depression factory... She's really like a dementor, when you think about it. She works her mojo on you until you feel like you could never, ever be happy again. Really, she's the primary reason I went to school out of state and then up here. It hurts really bad to see her doing the same thing to my mom and sister , when I know they can't get out like I did. They won't have any peace until she's dead. It's particularly hard for my mother, because they used to be so close. I think I figured part of it out, that really, she's never accepted any of us for who we are, she just harbors these extreme ideals of who we're supposed to be, according to her, so that every single day when we go about being ourselves she's constantly disappointed. It wouldn't matter if I spent a full half of my time with her when I'm home, she'd still sit there being bitter and hating me for not spending the other half with her as well. But why should I? Being in that house with her is like poison.

But enough about her. I forgot to mention that I met the cutest kitten at home. Our stupid neighbors who can't take care of their own kids and have just stopped taking care of animals in the past got a pair of kittens who aren't even 2 months old, but are already being left outside in the rain and cold :( Tony, the one I fell in love with, is so cute and cuddly I just wanted to smuggle him home with me, but Fuzzy would get in trouble with the apartment people, so I couldn't. I just hate the idea of him being neglected like that. I know our other neighbor who recues cats will look after them, probably find them a new home, but I wanted to take him home with me.

He's the only animal that likes me better than Fuzzy. *sigh*

Ugh. I still have to get my books for the semester. Fortunately I can use the same Chem books for next semester, so that saves me over $200, but I don't want to know how much the o chem and biometry books are going to be. urgh. I love books and all, but seriously, these publishing companies take major advantage of students being forced to buy the books and jack up the price as much as they can. Jerks.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 11:47 AM   0 comments

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Also, Fuzzy says watch this

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 9:19 PM   2 comments

for Wendy

So, on our way back up, whilst I was sleeping, Fuzzy got onto route 99, which we have come to call Brigadoon Highway, because both he and my mother have mistakenly wandered onto it before. It wasn't bad, though, because it eventually meets up to the freeway we were actually supposed to be on. It also passes through Fresno, the armpit of California. Which led to this lovely little conversation.

Me: "Ah, Fresno, home of Timmy T."

Him: "No wonder it smells like ass."

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 9:07 PM   2 comments

Monday, January 02, 2006

Installment #5

41) He's really easy to buy Christmas presents for. Seriously. Talking moving yoda doll, Best of John Belushi, build-your-own lightsaber kit, and legos, and me and my family are awesome in his eyes.

42) He's helped me to channel my inner dork. Some people would say thats a bad thing, but I'm having fun, so who gives a shit?

43) We got so much wedding crap this weekend, and he endured it all very calmly and gave lots of input, so the plans are now officially ours, not just mine. It was awesome.

44) This trip was awesome, because he was there. I love visiting my family, but it is always stressful because I feel like I'm always being yanked in too many directions. With him there, it was still stressful, but having him there with me made it awesome, too, and I don't think anyone could have any doubts about us now, if they did before.

45) He did spectacularly on the x-mas gift front. The forensic psych book I wanted, the Michael Buble CD/DVD set, the sweater I wore all week, and a lightsaber, which I didn't even know I wanted.

46) If you're dating someone who wont play with lightsabers in the front yard, throw him back, because we had so much fun with my brothers.

47) Speaking of which, when my brothers came over, only him and Jason had lightsabers, so Fuzzy went out and bought one for me and for Ricky so that we could all play. You know its love when you can dork out with him and your whole family.

48) It's become very obvious that my uncle really likes him. Why, you ask? My uncle gave him $100 for the express purpose of getting the lego millenium falcon. Never underestimate the power of dork-bonding.

49) When I was tired and not feeling good, he baked the punkin pies with my sister :)

50) We just have so much fun together. There's no one else I'd rather laugh with.

actual update later, must go take car to mechanic, ugh.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 4:41 PM   2 comments

update, as promised

So last night we got back into da 'boldt after a slightly longer visit than expected. There was a huge storm, so the freeways we normally take were closed due to flooding and landslides, so we waited for the storms to (mostly) pass and took an alternate route, and finally we're back.

It was a nice visit, got to spend time with my brothers and my mom and sister, and it was all very nice. Christmas Eve, the dinner came out awesome. I would totally spend the $40 for a Willy Bird every year, at least for a holiday, because it was so effing good. I used a combination of a couple recipes, heres the basic breakdown:
1) brined the turkey overnight in water and apple cider with allspice and salt.
2) mixed fresh chopped herbs in butter (tarragon, sage, rosemary, thyme), rubbed all over the outside of the turkey, and put the rest of the herbs in the cavity.
3) roasted upside down (breast side down) - turns out juicier that way.
4) basted roughly 8,000 times, also poured chicken broth over turkey and added butter to baking pan.
It ended up being the best turkey I've ever had, and everyone else sure seemed to like it. I got most of the stuff out of Bon Apetit magazine, except the roasting upside down part, which was 1/2 accident, and 1/2 my Aunt telling me thats how my grandmother used to do it when she was still alive. I'm really happy with it, especially for it being a first attempt and all. Will definitely do it again in the future.

Got cool stuff. The mamma got me a black 30G video iPod (with my future name engraved on the back :), and Fuzzy got me the aforementioned presents (in the last post). Also got two beautiful ornaments from my dad and company, one is a fairy, and one is a yellow rubber ducky, only it's sparkly :). Fuzzy also totally got me addicted to Full Metal Alchemist. *Sigh* The second volume gets here Thursday, and we already have 3 and 4 waiting.

Got a lot of stuff done for the wedding. Seriously, we're going to have the most awesome wedding ever. We reserved the catering, and the tables/chairs/canapies and stuff. Also, we ordered the cake, which has four layers: lemon with cream cheese filling/white with oreo filling/chocolate with raspberry and bavarian cream filling/peach with tropical fruit filling. Seriously, this place makes the best cake I have ever had, and I don't generally like cake. If you're down there in socal, they are called Michelle's Cake House, in La Habra, and you can go in and pick up some "cake nachos", which are little bite sized pieces of cake with powdered sugar, and they are to die for. Also, Fuzzy picked the tux for the guys. It's not my fault, I was fine with him wearing a suit, but we're going through the Mens Wearhouse because they're nation wide and it'll make it easier for everyone to get measured, and they only rent tuxes. BUT I let him pick it out himself, didn't interfere at all, and he's happy with what he picked, so it's ok. We also picked the DJ, and he is totally awesome. Him and Fuzzy bonded over their love of the Blues Brothers, and he's totally excited because I said he could play "They're Coming to Take Me Away" once everyones started drinking. All in all, it's going to be fun, quirky, and probably the most awesome wedding ever. Very Excited.

I got my grades, and holy shit, I got another 4.0 semester. Totally didn't think I would, but jesus I'm so excited about it. Next semester I'm going to work harder and hopefully do it again with slightly less stress.

Also, go sign
this petition.

posted by Cat Named Eggroll @ 4:38 PM   2 comments

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