Edelweis, Stieg Larsson, and GAP wars

Thursday: After work I went with Phil and the gang to Edelweis, a charming little German pub with the most amazing Thursday special I've ever experienced. You can get a liter of beer for $5 and a brat with sour kraut for $3. I downsized to a 1/2 liter and then ended up having two of them. But all in all the cheapest dinner you can get. Also you get to rub elbows with Mike the accordion player and Richard Prichard and old (possibly senile) old man who as allegedly been married 6 times and showed us not only his moon rocks but some antique Chinese coins he's "not supposed to have." This week we also met Lupe and Carlos and their white, uber-friendly "bro" who joined our table unsolicited. They were fun. No harm done.

Friday: I got up and did... nothing. I read the rest of "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" by Stieg Larsson. Not going to lie, it was a little difficult at points because it's set in Switzerland and there are mentions of things I know nothing about and casual references to places I've never heard of and can't pronounce. Overall I really enjoyed it though. I suppose I also went to Chicken Express with Rachel Seo (not my roommate) so that was good. At least I left the apartment once.

Today: I went to check my mail and STILL don't have the work pants I ordered from the GAP at the beginning of LAST MONTH. Geesh! Can't even call them because they're not open on Saturday. Dumb. I went and got a couple of grocery items at Target and now I'm chronicling my less than thrilling weekend. Being broke is no picnic. You pretty much have to invent things to do for free or read books. I'm ok with it but it doesn't make for very exciting blog posts. I'll let you know how the sequel to my book ("The Girl Who Played with Fire") is when I finish it. Possibly this weekend unless I finish watching class lectures. Which reminds me I have several hours of that left to do. Gross.

One long and painful day

So I had the longest day on record. Seriously someone called in from Guinness Records to confirm. Ok not really. My day started out rough. I forgot my badge so I had to get a temporary one. I tried to figure out the best place to park to minimize my walking in and out of the building since I can't use my normal gate with a temporary ("turkey") badge (that's what the guys on the floor called it). This ended up making me drive against the arrows in the parking lot like a doofus and then park in what felt like downtown Fort Worth. I probably walked between 1.5 and 2 miles to my desk this morning.

Once I was finally there I had just enough time to check my e-mail before I went to take my test for my online class. I feel like I was well prepared except that I left a key equation off my sheet which made me take the full 2 hours to finish the exam. I then had one hour to use until a training session. Thing is once you include walking and buying my lunch I was working for about 20 minutes. Keep in mind that going between my desk and the building where I took my test and did my training is about a 15 minute walk. Brisk walk. Add that to the 1.5-2 miles I booked before and after work and we've successfully integrated exercise into my work day! In my work clothes! Across a steamy parking lot! Yay! (Obviously NOT yay).

But who am I to complain? Our friend Rachel (not my roommate) had a car accident yesterday (she's fine physically just, you know, not thrilled about the situation). We are making her dinner tonight (I'm contributing some easy-peasy brownies) so she doesn't have to hang out by herself. That should make both of us happier I would imagine. :)

It's been a long day but tomorrow will be better.

No phone makes me feel crazy...

Well because I can't talk much about what I do it's hard to think of things to put in these updates. I have started going to the shop floor to figure out the process so I can hopefully help them improve it. Other than that I've just been getting training and access to files and other "housework" of starting a new job. I've made friends with a group of assemblers on the floor and they and everyone else has been very nice and helpful. The other engineers are very busy but they always do their best to help me out. I'm trying really hard not to hover over them or seem needy but it's hard at first when you don't even know what questions to ask or what to do next after you finish each task. I'm getting the hang of the rhythm of the place and I don't think anyone wants to push me off the mezzanine yet so that's good.

As for other stuff I haven't done much outside of work since there are limited hours and I haven't quite gotten the complete lay of the Fort Worth social land. I've been to the grocery store a lot. The produce at Central Market is RIDICULOUS! AMAZING! Peaches taste like CANDY! Clearly I spend a lot of time thinking about, purchasing, preparing, and enjoying food. Down here that's mostly fruit. It's awesome. I've also started running. Not much but something has to counteract my other activities. In fact the other night I went to Fuzzy's Tacos and then shopping for produce. It was a magical night. Followed by a jog. You see what I'm talking about? If you'd ever had a taco from Fuzzy's you'd really get it. That's a new favorite of mine besides the TX peaches.

In related news if you haven't tried a Rolo McFlurry may I suggest you immediately go to the nearest McD's and get one? Stat. Seriously.

This random stream of consciousness is brought to you by a broken Samsung Rogue that now functions on par with a rotary phone. I'm having thoughts buildup that is causing these sudden and unorganized outbursts. Expect nothing better for the next week and a half or so. Sorry.

Drinking from a fire hose

This summer's gonna be good! I got my project described to me in detail today, and I am supposed to feel free to seek out additional projects and work. I should feel like I'm "drinking from a fire hose" for the rest of the summer... Hope I don't drown!

Today I started getting my access to various files and online resources as well as getting my desk stocked with supplies. After work I went to lunch with my supervisor who is great. She's a fellow wildcat! There are several wildcats in the department as well as a very friendly longhorn (who showed me pictures of his grand-kids) and a quiet but very nice horned frog who sits at the desk behind me. Sports allegiances are quite prominent for those who have them and no one is bashful about any school pride or ribbing of rivals. It's going to be a fun work environment.

This evening I finished up my lecture for my online class and then went on a bit of an adventure. I had a happy accident when I landed at a World Market (an international food and decor store) instead of the Central Market (a grocery store). A simple mistake. It worked out. I found sugar free coconut syrup for my coffee (I swooned and hugged it right there in the store) and a mini bottle of white wine for my dinner. I also picked up a treat: chocolate covered macadamia nuts. :)

I then came home to kind of butcher my dinner plan. Word to the wise, if you are planning to make faux noodles out of zucchini you should boil them for perhaps 10 seconds. Barely at all. Just kind of warm them up. I actually boiled mine. They basically turned to mush. Oops. Lesson learned.

The plan for the rest of the night... well I'm not certain at this point but I'm guessing I don't do much. My work schedule is a match to the shift work so I go in around 6:30am and then leave around 3:30 or 4 depending on how long it takes me to eat my lunch. Hence I'm tired. Quite tired. I may go to the pool and hang or perhaps I'll just read. We'll see what happens.

I am a Lone Star...

My parents have gone and I'm finally moved into my apartment. Now what? Well here's what I did today:

~Breakfast at Paris Coffee Shop

~Groceries at Tom Thumb (not kidding...check out the twitpic from that trip!)

~Rearranged the living room furniture

~Made sangria

~"Worked out" (a little... at least I TRIED!)

~Skyped Kyle

~Drank Sangria

All in all it was a productive day! More exciting news to follow once I start working. At least I hope so! ;)

More Low Carb Adventures

I cheated big time for lunch yesterday. Pizza. I know it's shameful. But I tried to make up for it at dinner. I found a recipe for chicken online that has no carbs (according to the recipe anyway...I think it's a stretch...but whatever).

Just take 4 chicken breasts, top them with feta (roughly a 1/3 cup...ish) and then wrap them in a couple pieces of bacon. Stick 'em in a baking dish and then in the oven for 45 minutes at 375 or until they're done (you know, clear juices and whatnot).

Turns out pretty tasty considering the uncomplicated nature of the thing. I'm trying to think of other things I could add to it to jazz it up just a little more. I was thinking about pouring something over it that would just give it a little zestiness but i can't figure out what. I'll think on it and get back to you mom. :)

Shrimp Mock-o's

So I started Atkins (and by that I mean I'm trying to be as Atkins-y as possible but fully accepting that I won't be following it to the letter) and I'm using it as an excuse to find fun new recipes. Today I invented something that was, in my humble opinion, SUPER TASTY, as well as mostly low-carb. Not to mention "meat" free for lent. Trifecta! Since Mom and Dad are also doing the Atkins dance I felt I should share. Brace yourself. And before you get to thinking I'm some kind of culinary genius, know that Pioneer Woman really invented this, I just tweaked it.

First go here and make PW's firecracker shrimp. It's a two parter but if you skip to page two you get the simple, picture free recipe at the end. I added a tablespoon of lime juice to mine which is in my opinion quite nice. Once those tasty little buggers are done, you get to my invention.

You'll just need some guacamole (homemade if you have a minute) and some kind of lettuce. I used butter lettuce because it's folds up nice around other foods and doesn't break apart. It's the soft shell of the lettuce world. Take a leaf of lettuce and put some guac in it and then add a few shrimpies. I was as generous as the lettuce would allow. I recommend it. I ate two and I'm full. These things are pretty dang yummy if I do say so myself.

If you want to make homemade guac, my approach is as follows (I eyeball everything so forgive the inexact amounts just taste it and decide what it needs more of. Just go with a little less than you think because you can always add more!):

• 1 avocado (of average size...)
• 1/2 a tomato (or three grape tomatoes...it's what I had...)
• garlic salt (a good shake)
• lime juice (a good squirt)
• paprika (a dash)
• chili powder (a couple good dashes...or three)
• cilantro (if you are lucky enough to have fresh a small clump, if it's dry... a couple shakes)

Mush up everything but the tomatoes and once it's the consistency you want dice the tomatoes up small and stir them in. Voilà! It only takes a few minutes for a small amount and with good soft avocados. It's definitely worth it to make your own. Much yummier that way.

Also Atkins friendly and a delicious treat and supplement to your mock-o's, a diet Sierra Mist (I like the grapefruit kind). Om nom!

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

I am here at...Rocheport Missouri...rhyming is overrated anyway. We arrived in Missouri Wednesday night after stopping off in Kansas City for dinner. We met Kyle and Chris (Scarlett's friend who is having her do website work) at Winstead's. If you've never been to one, go. It's cute. Very 50's diner-esque and tasty cheap burgers. Also the best onion rings I've had in a long time. Possibly ever. Bold statement, I know. But anyway...

We're staying with Scarlett's aunt and uncle in the tiny berg of Rocheport (population 208) which is comprised primarily of cute homes, b&b's, and antique shops. It's right on the Katy trail (the purpose of our trip) so it'd be an adorable place to stay if you were doing the Katy trail thing. Also it's close to Columbia and Booneville if you need to go shopping or anything of that nature.

Our trusty steeds courtesy of Chuck's Bikes in Booneville.

An OLD grain bin on the trail. A perfect chance to take a break. Hi, Scarlett!

A shot of the trail... super straight for a long time. But nice just the same... :)

Yesterday (Thursday) we biked from Booneville on rented bikes (thanks Chuck's Bikes!) back to the bridge just outside of Rocheport. We would have gone all the way "home" but the trail bridge is under construction. The trail is long and flat and for most of the portion we rode it was also straight. It's a nice easy ride and if the weather were nicer I could have rode longer than our two hours.

Scarlett looking up the mileage of our ride. Should've been about 13.5 miles but with the bridge out it may have been more like 10.

Stopped at Snoddy's after our ride to pick up a few things for breakfast. This is quite the convenience store. All kinds of goodies including decent wine!

Unfortunately the weather isn't cooperating so we are seeking other things to occupy our time. Today we walked down to the main drag and looky-loo'd through the antique shops and general store. I feel in love with some tiny little glass globes you put votive candles in and hang from the ceiling. I don't know where I'd put them so I didn't buy them... yet.

Now we're over in Columbia getting some Dunn Brother's coffee and mooching some free wireless. We are children of the computer era...we can't be disconnected for too long or we start to have meltdowns.

On the agenda for tonight: all we can eat fish dinner! Lent is not without it's perks. Unfortunately I'll probably go meat free again tomorrow because I forgot and had scramble this morning with sausage and bacon. Woops. Throw in a Hail Mary for me today, Mom.

We'll be heading back to Manhattan tomorrow "morning." On this trip morning has been whenever we roll out which tends to be near lunch. We'll see what that means tomorrow.

My SIM family

It's currently the middle of the night and I am still in the lab. I have been in the lab for basically every spare moment this week and it's starting to get cagey in here. I'm running on 11 hours of sleep since Monday and it's not looking like there will be any improvement before Friday (and even then the improvement will be small). On the bright side I am "stuck" here with my team who has fashioned itself into a family. No really. We are calling Jeff "dad" because he keeps bossing us like our fathers would. We also call Brant dad because he was the one who mandated that we wouldn't be leaving for dinner until everyone reached a stopping point (which didn't happen until 8pm). Yep. We have two dads. Two "gay" dads. They aren't so fond of this. Like I said...we're not functioning at our peaks here people. Kevin, Ruth and I are pretty good kids and we're trying to be obedient to the team leaders but we tend to drift. We took a "family trip" to Dara's (the gas station across the street) for late night sodas and snacks and a boost in team morale (Kevin's personal mission on this project is team morale so we try to do things to uphold it often).

Which brings me to my next barely coherent point. My diet is abysmal these days. Well during the day it's fine. Emily has even fed me REAL DINNER twice this week. But after about 10 pm I try to be strong and fail. I either eat whatever candy I can find, drink a pop, or eat a baked good Jordan brought in (she did some baking and we are all reaping the benefits). I've just resigned myself to the fact that I have to get energy from somewhere and late night food (CAFFEINE!) is my only option (sleep just doesn't make the cut). It is what it is. I keep telling myself that after finals I'll try to reign myself in. It shouldn't be too hard because I'll go into a temporary coma once I finish everything and I'll sleep through the sugar jonesing that would pull me off the wagon.

The things keeping me going at this point besides coffee: Christmas music, Greek yogurt with honey (discovered it at Dillon's the other day and it changed my outlook on life), Kevin's morale boosting efforts, Tweeting all the ridiculous happenings of the lab, and short naps.

If you don't hear from me in the next two weeks (or for a few days after that) it's probably fine. I'm either holed up somewhere trying to furiously iron out four projects simultaneously or I've fallen into that coma I alluded to.

Countdown

to the end of this project: 1 day (technically 2 but we're pretending otherwise so we can go to the pub crawl)

to Christmas break (end of finals for me): 15 days

to actual Christmas: 23 days

People... good things are coming. At least that's what I keep repeating to myself in hushed tones when I get more assignments and tasks added to my list...

The news as of late

I have had what I thought was some ornery allergies for about two weeks now and it's just getting to the point where I'm tired of trying to ride it out. I want off this ride immediately. I'm going to Lafene this afternoon for a consult to see if we can nip this thing in the bud. Here's hopin'.

I'm writing to you dear reader (Mom) from the OR 1 exam that I am proctoring today. Mom, you must give several tests a month between all the subjects you teach; you must get a lot done while those kiddies are sweating away over their spelling words. This is really boring because I didn't come prepared with anything to occupy me so I'm aimlessly surfing the internet. And writing about it. On the upside Dr. Wu paid for my lunch for springing this on me last minute and let Robbie come along (but since we have to be quiet this doesn't do me much good in the entertainment department).

Also, Mom, you would be so proud of me. I played softball last night with Stacey's fiance's team (because they needed some more ladies to fill out the roster) and I was actually kind of a productive person! I played catcher which people always say is good for someone who doesn't really know anything. I have always thought that it seemed like a scary place to stand--next to someone swinging a metal stick while someone throws a "soft" (not soft at all) ball at you. But I did ok. I got less scared each inning and by the end only a couple rolled by me. This is quite the feat for me. I also hit the ball every time I was at bat. Not well but I got to first base and since I was immediately before the slugger of the team that meant I made it home all but once (he made me go on LONG sprints...). Anyway I'm sort of beaming with pride at having been helpful.

Oh and I made that chicken taco pizza on Saturday. I shared it with Robbie and Ed and they both tell me it was pretty tasty (I thought so too but I can't taste anything really with these "allergies" so I rely on others to confirm). Here's how it goes:

Crust dough: Go to thepioneerwoman.com and find the pizza dough recipe. Make it (at least a day in advance)

Make some chicken. I used two frozen chicken breasts, thawed and marinaded for about 30 minutes in some tequila and lime juice (the kind in the plastic lime)--about a shot of each I'm estimating... Then I just put it in a skillet until it was cooked. Nothing fancy. I had to add a little lime juice in the middle because things were looking a little dry. Do what you want.

Once you have the dough spread out, spoon on

3/4 (ish) of a can of sauce (I used a spicy tomato sauce I found in the Mexican food isle of Dillons. Robbie would have went with salsa. Do what you think is right.)

3/4 (ish) of a can of black beans

1 med-small green pepper (or a large on if you really like green peppers...or none if you don't)

1/2 a small onion (again if you really love onion do more...or leave it out...whatever)

2 frozen chicken breasts, shredded up (or cubed if you like it that way I guess)

1 bag of Mexian cheese (you can do it P-Hut style and put 1/2 the cheese on under the veggies and 1/2 of it on top of the chicken... if you want) unless you really love cheese then you can put more.

Clearly pizza leaves a lot of room for interpretation so go with your gut. Mine was good but I'll probably change it up a bit next time just to keep things interesting.

Nothing else has really happened since I last touched base (we are ignoring the Nebraska massacre of Thursday because it is too painful to recount). We SIM happened but no one wants to hear about that.

So in closing, I'd like to offer a special shout out to my parents, Ed and Anita. On this day in 1986(if I did the math right) they tied the knot-- Happy Anniversary! I hope you get to do something fun! Love you guys!

Behold!

I know you're asking yourself: "Self? What IS that?" The answer, dear reader (Mom), is Bubble Tea! It's a little weird but in all the right ways... Mine (left) is taro root with black tea (also milk and tapioca pearls--the black things at the bottom) and Ed's (right) is red bean with black tea (and milk and tapioca pearls). Mine tasted like cookies & cream to be honest which isn't what you'd think looking at this purple-y drink. It was yummy to be sure. Ed and I went to get these at the Chinese Grocery that opened up in Aggieville recently. It was a fun little field trip/experiment that we plan on repeating. there were plenty of nifty food items (none of whose labels were in English) and even a box of fresh (alive on Tuesday) crabs! It was a magical journey and I found things that one day I'll need to buy when I get ambitious and try to make fun Asian food that I like. Who knows when that will actually be...

Also before our field trip, I made Ed and I PW's favorite pizza: eggplant and tomato (produce courtesy of the farmer's market...mmmm)! It was pretty good but I think I have a few tweaks for next time planned. I still have 1/2 the dough I made (don't be impressed, it's SUPER easy) so I get to make my experimental pizza soon. I decided on chicken taco pizza. I'll let you know how it goes (and if it's good how to make it yourself!).

All in all it's been a really good food day. :)

Apparently I'm broke

So what happened this week... huh... not that much really. School, grading, some hanging out with friends. Nothing huge. Oh I signed up for Mint.com this week. Apparently the fact that there is any money in my accounts is basically a miracle. Like a serious, write-to-the-pope-to-get-this-validated act of God. Mint is basically budgeting and money managing software online. It reads your bank account and categorizes your spending. It sets budgets based on your spending habits and shows you at the end of the week how you're doing. It seems as though I've had no concept of my spending up to this point. Hopefully we'll get that under control.

Wednesday I had a birthday dinner at Olive garden with a group of my people. Leslie, Kristin, Stacey (and Mike), Carrie, Scarlett, Emily, Robbie, Brant, Jeff, and Ed all came. I felt so loved! :) It's always fun to sit down with you're people to break bread.

Speaking of hanging out with your people, we decided on a new Friday ritual--Friday FroYo at 5! There's a new self serve place called The Orange Leaf and it's awesome! Go check it out online (you can see a local perspective at thescoopmanhattan.com) and then promptly go there to experience it! This week we followed up our desert with dinner (just Robbie, Scarlett, Sarah, Ed and myself) at Pat's and then Robbie, Ed and I spent a night in (as opposed to spending money out and about) watching that old classic film, Mystery Men.

Today I mentored for a GROW event (because of the aforementioned lack of cash flow) in spite of having a weird vertigo type feel all day. I bucked it up and toughed it out and it got better enough to go to Emily's for a chilly dinner (which was spectacular to say the least). I still feel just a little wonkey but I think I'll survive. Hopefully I'll shake it enough to be productive tomorrow.

Oh and finally the highlights of Chicago! Enjoy!

The big city lights... as seen from the Hancock Building.

My drink at the Hancock Building-- so pretty!

Free hat at the Sox game in honor of 1/2 way to St. Patty's day!

Dinner at the Sox game--as good as(or better than) it looks!

Postin' up at the bean in Millennium park. Possibly favorite part of Chicago.

See? I rock the Sr. Pics at the bean...

Crew at that classy silver bean again...

Adam walks on water sometimes... whatev.

In the new viewing boxes that hang out over Chicago in the Sears (Willis?) Tower. I am breaking ground in the field of fake Sr. pics here people. Check me out!

And that red thing... I forget what it's called. We checked it out though. Also very cool. :)

There are more up on the Facebook and even more on SnapFish. These are just the ones that struck my fancy enough to make it into the blog...

I live to simulate another day...

So SIM got done Friday at 9:10pm and I promptly went to get my fun on. Power hour at Brant's is always a good way to start the night. :) Actually before that I took a break to have Birthday dinner with Kyle. He took me to 4Olives which is swanky-er than I knew. It was AMAZING. He also brought me flowers. Very pretty ones...

See? :)

He's a nice boy. Anyway, the rest of the weekend was pretty much engulfed by sports. The cats won but I didn't see it live because of the crazy weather and my wimpy outlook on said weather. But it was ok because watching it at Leslie's over pizza sitting on a couch was much more enjoyable than sitting through the end of the cold and then through some steamy heat and burning sun to watch my cats play like a high school team and just pull out the win in the end. Anyway I digress. We spent some time with Preston (Kyle's BFF) and his family that evening and then some more time with friends in Aggieville. Today we watched the Chiefs game at Tubby's (again with Preston and his girlfriend Alex) before Kyle left for home. They won too. Which is good because I figure Kyle would be crabby if they lost. He'll be in fine gloating mode since my Broncos lost too. Awesome for me. Anyway. I digress again. This evening I went to play flag football for my department. It was double header night and we just couldn't pull out a win to save ourselves. But true to our unofficial name, we will show continuous improvement (team Kaizen!). Football is always fun even when we lose.

We get our next SIM project tomorrow (it's technically posted now but I'm too scared to look at it) and I have to knock out a quick CAM lab report tomorrow before class so tomorrow is shaping up to be super fun. On the bright side, Stacey brought me cookies tonight for my birthday so I have those to look forward to...

PS Chicago pictures are uploading and I'll try to pick out highlights to post soon. I'm just too tired to do it now.

Windy City Love Song

So when I last left you, dear reader (Mom), we were on our way to Gino's East. It was amazing. After Gino's, Taberie, myself, and the boys went to go find Coyote Ugly. Bad news is, it's been closed for at least a year. Good news is, it was located right next to a couple other clubs. People, my lady bits were far too covered for me to have been there (in my Sperry's and Cardigan to boot!) and paying $9 for a drink just made it all the more... uh... special. Let's go with that.

Friday we spent most of our day at the trade show. Good times. It was a lot of walking and my normally comfy dress shoes wore a blister in my heel. Irritating. Saw lots of neat stuff (mostly reruns from last time but still worth looking at) and had fun running around with the other K-Staters. After we finished up there we headed down to the US Cellular Stadium for a Sox game. We didn't get to see a win but it was lots of fun and we got a free hat for 1/2 way to St. Patty's day (I love that Chicago celebrates 1/2 St. Patty's day). After the game we grabbed some beverages from the 7 Eleven across from the hotel and just enjoyed our own cheap company for the evening.

This morning we got up and headed up north to Murphy's Bleachers to watch the ISU game with the other K-Staters living in Chicago. It was a great time and as always we ate too much. It was a long ride home on the El (I have no idea how I'm supposed to spell that but whatever... it's short for elevated I think) feeling so stuffed but after a win for the Cats (again!) I can't complain. After we got back we took a long scenic (we stopped in Millennium Park!) walk over to the Sears (Ok Willis but no one calls it that) Tower to see the view. We got to stand in the new glass boxes that hang over the edge and take artsy pictures of each other and the Chicago skyline. Good times. Afterward we went to go stuff ourselves at Hackney's and we ended dinner by deciding to walk back home after all (we needed the exercise bad) and we got to see the crazy sculpture that looks like a baboon. I'll put up a picture later...

Tomorrow we depart at 10 to head back home. The highlight will likely be the World's Largest Truck Stop in Iowa. I missed it on the way up in favor of not getting out because I was sleeping. Judge me if you want but those 3 hours brought me to almost 8 and I survived the rest of the day because of it! It's gonna be a long day.

Pictures of the trip will get put up...when they get put up. This week SIM is due so it may be ill advised to hold your breath. It'll happen though.

Chi-ca-GO!

We arrived in Chicago this morning after touring ArmaLite on the way in (they make rifles...damn good ones!). We drove all night so I needed a shower and a nap like nobody's business but we couldn't check in to our rooms until 3 so we had to kill an hour. We walked down to Navy Pier just to look around and then came back for said naps and showers. Oh and before we did anything we ate at Hot Doug's. Amazing hot dog place. Go there. Seriously. North side of Chicago. Do it.

Next up on the agenda is the Hancock building and then dinner at (I think) Gino's East (I could be mistaken but I guess if I am I could just lie to you). Probably play it a bit low key this evening so we can enjoy the trade show tomorrow but I guess we'll see...

It's been...one week (since you looked at me)

Ok so it's been another week (and another W for the Cats! Holla!) and I have (again) not much to report. Especially since I've called to talk to Mom and she's about the only person reading this on the regular (no offence to anyone else using this for some attempt at entertainment but I have doubts you exist).

I had a traumatic experience the other day while dropping off my rent. I was marching over to my landlady's house next door in the light rain (rain being relevant because I was just in a hurry to get this job done and get back inside) when I stepped on something that made a fantastic crunchy sound. I didn't pause to look at whatever it was and just wondered what it could have been. On my way back down the driveway I found to my dismay it had been a snail. This is distressing for a couple of reasons. 1) I killed something. Poor innocent little snail never saw it coming. 2) I like snails (at least in theory, I haven't really had many real life experiences with them). They're cute. I know they're pests but that little swirly shell is just kinda nifty. And I smushed it. I am sure Karma is on the prowl and has my number. I'm just waiting for the hit.

Tonight I had dinner with a rep from Conoco Phillips (free dinner at Harry's Uptown. FREE! Ritzy and FREE!) and a few other ladies from the college of engineering. It was pretty dang good and I wish I could afford to eat there more often. Also I think I may be in love with Conoco Phillips so bonus points there. I'm gonna try to work some game on them at career fair next week. Better dust off the ol' resume...

In the larger events category, Susan leaves this week. I'll be on a trip (I'll get to that) so I won't actually be there when the band-aid is ripped off but we keep having send off's and farewells and it's painfully real that she's leaving. Damn you Virginia Tech and your better title and pay increase. Damn you. Tomorrow we're going to the famous Brookville for all you can eat fried chicken tomorrow for a final goodbye. I swear it's like we're trying to force ourselves to have a proper anxiety attack over this with all these goodbyes. That or we're trying to get me to put on a second spare tire. Either way I don't like it.

On a happier note, it's time again for our SME trip to IMTS (International Manufacturing Trade Show) which is in Chicago! My bestie Andrew won't be there (doing work crap in TX which is super lame and just terrible timing) in spite of the fact that he moved away from me to be in Chicago. Whatever. It's still going to be a fun trip. We get to walk around a HUGE convention center full of kick-ass stuff (water-jet cutters, CNC machines, laser inspection equipment, and the list goes on!) and spend time exploring Chicago. We're also planning on a baseball game (beer and hot dogs!) and we'll tour ArmaLite on the way there (they make rifles!). Gonna be a sweet trip. I'll report back later (probably much later because when I get back I'll have a lot of catching up to do). We leave tomorrow night and don't come back until Sunday night (soooo much driving). Unfortunately that means I'm doing laundry right now to prepare. Ugh.

So anyway I'm going to fold some of said laundry now. Oh the exciting life I lead...

Holy AWOL Batman

So I've been effectively ignoring this sucker for a while. My bad. It's not like I have such a whirlwind lifestyle that I can't update, in fact it's more the opposite. I am doing nothing worth talking about and then when I do I am busy doing that thing and can't tell you about it. I also usually forget to tell any good stories after the fact. Blogging may not be my calling...

Things I think that might be worth mentioning (sorry if I'm wrong):

Robbie got an office... mine! We are now office mates! It's gonna be awesome. By awesome I mean we'll get nothing done. Oh well. It'll be fun.

I learned a new recipe: eggplant bruschetta... it's amazing. Like life changing. I had never really eaten much eggplant so I was just feeling adventurous and it turned out phenomenally. If you want to have your life changed please see one of my new fave food blogs: smittenkitchen.com specifically http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/eggplant-salad-toasts/print/ . Hang on to your butts people. It's gonna blow your mind. Also see http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/mustard-roasted-potatoes/ if there's anything left of your brain... these will polish it off.

I visited Kyle at the end of August for a wedding and I have now been to Power and Light! It's pretty fun... basically an upscale version of Aggieville. Good times.

This past weekend we put a tally in the win column for the Wildcats... always a good time. I had forgotten how much I missed gameday... tailgating before hand, standing in the sun while I get burnt to a crisp, cheering for the cats and telling the refs how to do their job... ahh... so glad it's fall again.

Last night we went to watch Fiddler on the Roof...on the roof of Fiedler Hall. Yea. I know. A laptop, a projector, and 70 ft. of extension cord require an epic venue. Mission accomplished.

So all in all it's been a semi-eventful couple weeks. Hope you don't feel cheated by not getting this info live. Trust me...it wouldn't have been much more interesting in multiple installments.

Desi food makes you sleepy

***Before I say anything else, my mother pointed out that my last entry implied I flossed my teeth for the first time ever. I would like to point out that I have flossed many times before, it's just...been a little while... nobody tell Melvin!!!***

So day two of school was pretty good. I only have one class on Tuesday Thursday (T and TU as the University calls them) and it looks like it's gonna be easy. John and Matt (a guy in my department and a friend of another guy in my department) are in it with me so if nothing else I'll have study buddies (but I reinforce that I don't think I'll need them that bad). When I finished with that I went and transcribed my notes from paper to OneNote (if you haven't tried it you should-- it' s pretty great!) and then went home for lunch. I spent my afternoon doing a couple errands and then I helped Mahj make some desi food (the main event of my day...maybe my week). I made palak paneer which is literally translated spinach cheese. It sounds sketch, it looks suspect, but it tastes pretty good. We had all kinds of food and I ate enough for at least three normal sized people and possibly enough for a small child as well. It was amazing.

I would have stayed at Em's eating all night but I had to grade a quiz (thankfully... I think that much food could kill a person). I went to bed early so that I could get up EARLY (6 am...which I considered sleeping in this summer...oh how times have changed) to go swimming (I had to try to compensate for all that eating I did...). Since I was up I decided to blog. I know you are riveted by all this recapping...settle down.

Tonight is "old" roommate dinner with my girls Leslie, KVD, and Stacey. Gumby's! I'm excited! I figure since I'm off to such an ambitious start, my day is gonna be pretty good. I'll let you know how it goes.

Showing Dad that I'm no fool...

Today was the first day of school...hooray! It's been a couple days so quick recap of what you've missed (not much):

I am no longer jobless! I am grading Operations Research 1 for Dr. Wu. I am supremely thankful for this because 1) I needed a job that fit my schedule and grading rocks in this aspect and 2) I can't work at the GAP in real life because I would spend all my paychecks on their clothes (that arrangement only works in my dreams). I got my first quiz to grade today (Yup, day one... Wu doesn't mess around)

I've also decided not to mess with the title of the blog... so what if my life is no longer an adventure? I fixed the tagline anyway... I'll change it when my girl J Greene tells me what to change it to alright?!

I did go see Vampires suck with Scarlett and it was... a movie. Like those Scary Movies they made it is really awkward... I dunno.

Farmer's market was delightful. I got cherry tomatoes, edamame, and peaches. All tasty.

IE pub crawl was, as expected, lots of fun. Hitting the ville with my people is always a good time and it's just so good to get the band back together.

Sunday I discovered tamarind sauce. It's better than any condiment I have ever had. I can't do it justice in words so get to a store with a desi (Indian/Pakistani) food section and get you some. It will change your life.

So that brings us up to today. I didn't sleep well last night because I flossed my teeth last night and my gums hurt something terrible and I think I was excited to get started with the semester. Even so it was a good day. I started by visiting the office before class... there were PW cinnamon rolls and they were AMAZING.

First class was simulation with Dr. Wu (who doesn't mess around) and he told us (as he tells all his classes) that his goal for day one was "enrollment reduction" and he informed one of the grad students (who do all their projects solo) that project two (which will take something like 200 hours) was going to be...well... he said "if you alone...you get killed" (all in his fantastic Chinese accent). Good start to my day. I then sat through Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and then Advanced Engineering Economy. Advanced Econ will be fun because it's an Easton class. CAM...well it'll be CAM.

Tomorrow is my last UGE credit, Urban and Regional Economics. I don't know what to think about this at this point. We'll see. After my one class tomorrow we get to meet our freshman "buddies" and talk to them about time management and all that good orientation crap. Should be fun. I'm just crossing my fingers that for once the kids I am assigned will actually show up and be in our department. The last two years I've had non-existent kids. Fortunately there are always unaccounted for orphans for me to adopt.

Tomorrow night is desi food night to say goodbye to Mahjabeen who leaves for NYC on Thursday. I promised not to cry... the jury is out on whether or not I'll deliver on that. I guess if it get's misty I can just cuddle up to some tamarind sauce or samosas...

Gone Rogue

So I've been AWOL for a while again... sorry about that. I've been enjoying what summer vacation I get. Kyle visited me in Manhattan when I got back which meant I didn't sit down and type up anything. I then journeyed to exotic St. Francis (SFKS as I've been known to call it...) where I have hunkered into the buttery soft leather couches my parents put in our living room and realized I left my laptop cord in Manhattan so blogging has stayed by the wayside. Woops.

Manhattan is LOVELY... I just missed it SO MUCH! Kyle and I visited his friends...in Aggieville, and Pillsbury Crossing (I've never been so I can cross that one of the ol' bucket list). We also went and saw The Expendables (because as girlfriends go I am fantastic) which was pretty good (Kyle might have LOVED it) and saw Kate and Dad on their way to (and from) Atchison. All in all it was a pretty stellar weekend.

I came home Sunday (sans laptop cord) to hang out with the fam and meet our new dog Jackson (who we call Jack, naturally) who happens to be the cutest, most awkward dog ever. I love him already. The family is pretty busy living their lives so I sleep in and bond with the couch but I do get some face time with Aly...by visiting her at work. She's across the street at the "St. Francis Aquatic Park" (if you want to see the reason behind the sarcastic quotes, I'll show you on google street view why it's so ironic) where I used to "work" (best gig ever). I've tuned up my "tan" and even reconfirmed that I can still do a "one and a half" off the diving board (kind of... I think I may bruise a little from my less than graceful entry).

Last night we also went to dinner at Big Ed's just because I requested it (my family loves me...and steak). Tonight I made them Pioneer Woman pancakes so I think we're about even. On tomorrow's agenda is mani/pedi's for Aly and I (a late birthday present...) and then I think I may head back east. Mom's trying to talk me out of it (which I respect) but I have stuff to do in MHK so it's anyone's battle at this point. We'll see.

For now I close with this: I have been told that this blog shouldn't die with my internship ending. Should I chose to keep this up, a problem arises: what do I call this after I'm not having intern adventures? I'll probably keep the URL (to make my life easy) but the title should probably get a facelift. I'll be thinking on this as you should be dear reader(s?). If you have any wicked ideas please feel free to post them in the comments section and help a sister out. I can only be so creative on my own.

Peace, Love, and Chicken Grease, Sam