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.

Day 1

Well my first day (half day) is over. I have been photographed for a badge and my paperwork has been filled out. It was largely uneventful. Sorry about leading anyone to believe that my life would get more exciting or be more newsy today. My bad.

On the plus side I met some fun fellow interns and we may very well be going bowling this evening! Hopefully that is enough to satisfy anyone's need for news.

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.

Tales of a poor college student

I am still unemployed. I have a promising lead at a Dominos (so glamorous) but due to my apparent lack of employ-ability I'm not counting any eggs just yet. I've been trying to focus on school but the fact of the matter is when you have extra time it means you feel even less pressed to accomplish things. Like for instance, you'd think I would clean my room with my spare time, or exercise perhaps. No. I have been watching tv. Mostly reruns. Pathetic.

I'm in Manufacturing Information Systems and right now we are just learning about making html websites. I'm wondering if this will make me able to do anything nifty with this ol' blog here. Probably not but I can dream. And poke around. I have the free time.

At this point if anyone was following along here... I've officially bored them to death. Sorry guys.