OR GET THE RSS FEED HERE
2011
Ten Things
1. I am taking the next six weeks off school. Not sure if this is a great idea or not, but I can no longer resist the siren song of the pool and farmers market. And the not driving to Philly every weekend.
2. One school break project is going to be boot camp. I have a phobia (truly) about sweating and being out of breath in front of other people, and I am so horrifically out of shape I’m basically dead, and I’ve never been able to function in the morning, AND I detest the heat, so it should be fun.
3. I’m a little obsessed right now with the Game of Thrones books…but WHY is he killing everyone I love? I’m Team Stark! And why am I such a nerd?
4. My brain is fucked up lately.
5. I just booked a trip to Paris and Seville for the fall. If you have awesome travel trips to share about either, or the south of Spain in general, please do. Also, should I go to Morocco for a day or two? With my mother? Taking a ferry from Spain to Morocco is on my bucket list. Losing my mother in a souk is not.
6. I would like to open a Vespa store called Scootique and start a food blog about Philly called Philadelicacies, but only so I can use the names. I don’t want to do the actual work.
7. I’ve been thinking lately what a shame it is that I do all of my best writing anonymously. The stuff I do for work is either dull as dirt or just copywriting (which I enjoy, but doesn’t show me at my best, I don’t think.) Although I am stuck in the soul-sucking horror of my current job until the loan I took against my 401(k) is paid off in 4,5 years, I would like to pave the way for my next job to be all writing and idea-generating. But how?
8. I love, love, love Radiolab. I’ve heard almost all the episodes now, and I’m getting anxious about what I will do when I run out. Do you have an awesome podcast to recommend? I’ve heard all of the This American Life episodes too. I’m deeply in love with Ira Glass, and I don’t understand why he never calls when we would obviously have such a lovely time together. My favorite TALs are: The House at Loon Lake, Christmas and Commerce, Fiasco!, 81 Words, Music Lessons, Accidental Documentaries, Notes on Camp, By Proxy, The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig, and My Experimental Phase.
9. I made the world’s most awesome green beans last week. First, I parboiled them (trimmed string beans) for about five minutes in very salted water. While that was happening, I softened some medium-thick rings of sweet onion slowly and gently in olive oil. I put in a handful of whole garlic cloves as well. Then, I added the beans and some tomatoes (jarred, from last year’s farmers market, but I would have used fresh if I had them, with some extra broth) and a bit of vegetable stock and let the whole lot simmer away gently for a long time, like 45 minutes. Toward the end I added the juice of a lemon, a couple of handfuls of torn basil, and some crushed red pepper flakes, and I ate them with boiled new potatoes. Oh, man, it was awesome. (Bonus note: I am lazy, and trim string beans by holding a bunch in my hand and using scissors–or “kitchen shears”, as I call them if I am drinking verdejo and listening to NPR–to snip off the ends.)
10. Obviously, I am having trouble coming up with blog topics lately, mostly due to the aforementioned brain fuckedupness. Please ask me something in the comments. Please.
The correct term, I believe, is fuckupedededness. I know how important grammar is to you, so I thought you should have the correct usage.
2 – I will do bootcamp with you if you think a workout partner will help.
5 – Paris has no areas that aren’t paved. And everyone has a dog. And they don’t clean up after them. Rivers of piss and shit. Enjoy. Go to Lyon for good food.
6 – my husband will shop at Scootique.
7 – does grant writing sound like fun?
8 – also love TAL.
9 – you can cook green beans for 45 minutes? Really?
10 – what are your plans to correct your current brain fucked-upedness? And what do you think is causing it? Do you think taking time off from school is related? You did say to ask something….
Green beans and potatoes is the best! Classic Ohio summer food. I recently brought it to work for lunch, and none of the West coasters had ever eaten it. Can you imagine?
And yes, you cook the shit out of the beans. I really like this Paula Deen recipe: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/green_beans_with_new_potatoes/.
I skip the salt pork and bacon grease and use a small amount of pancetta.
Don’t you think you should maybe start by just taking a single week off of school? Ditching class for six weeks, while likely glorious in the short term, seems to have “regret” written all over it.
Heart,
–Your Nagging Mother-esque Friend Dakota.
Definitely take the ferry. Maybe bring a leash for your mom?
For bootcamp, here’s a free option if you just want to give it a try first:
http://www.meetup.com/BootCampWaterfront/
The instructor is great and the group is a good mix of ability levels, and everyone is super supportive.
As for your trip….if you get the chance, go to Ronda. It’s about a 2 hour drive south from Sevilla, but is a super cute smaller town with a lot of charm.
I have the Ira Glass hookup! My college roommate’s ex-boyfriend is one of the producers for this American Life — Ben Calhoun. We shared the same 60 square feet of space for two years. You’re only two degrees away! And those Radiolab guys went to Oberlin too, so that has to count for something.
I can appreciate why you need a break! Hope it’s helping you clear your head and feel better about things.
I hate packing (no pun intended) too many countries into a short trip, but if the Morocco is on your bucket list, go for it! Have you done a post about what is on your bucket list and why? xoxo