renewed interest

Alright.  I’ve been accused of being a bad blogger (thanks, B!).  Really, it’s hard to deny.  One post a month is hardly satisfactory when I proved in November that I could post daily with no problem.  Apparently, some folks actually read this to find out about what’s going on in my life?  Weird.

Anyways, I had this entire post written out where I talked about how I don’t know what my blog is about anymore in which I questioned why I bother to post at all when it’s only been once a month recently.  In adding pictures to the post, though, I realized that I do have some pretty interesting adventures!  They’re worth sharing here, even if I have plenty of other places online to share knitting, chat with friends, etc.

The vision for this blog has certainly changed from my original detached and impersonal, craft-only mindset.  I like it.  I guess along the way, I came to some important realizations:

1. I have a lot of far-away friends that I can’t talk to as often as I used to.
2. This blog is never going to be one that gets a ton of traffic from unknown users looking for daily inspiration.
3. I am totally okay with that. This blog is about me!  It’s a place to share my adventures with people I love, catalogue them for myself, and perhaps entertain any stray guests who happen to come along for the ride.

I will really try to write more often.  I’m so busy that I don’t have as much time to spend talking to people as I used to, and I hope this will become a better medium for that than it has been recently.

Yesterday morning, we went for a long walk along the Wabash Heritage Trail.  It was beautiful in the fresh snow, and Snake had a really great time running around in the wild with the neighbors’ dogs.  We came home and made this amazing portobello lasagna.  I don’t have pictures, but they wouldn’t really convey how great it was anyways.  You’ll just have to trust me on this one..it’s a winner.  Try it out.

ketchup time

So it’s been a month.  Finals got the better of me, sucking up loads of time, stressing me out, and driving me insane.  I can now officially say that my first semester of grad school is over and done with!  I’m ready to work my ass off and be a real grad student now.  I’m excited to get some stuff done and learn a lot.  Whoo!

After finals, the rest of December whizzed by.  I flew out to Tucson for Dave’s graduation (we made a glorious, impromptu, blasphemous [maybe?] beer bottle menorah), we drove up to Phoenix for Christmas, and then we packed up Dave’s car and moved him out here, stopping for a few days to visit my family in Albuquerque.  So not only have I survived my first semester of graduate school, but I’ve also survived the long six months alone up here!

I made some Christmas presents.  Dave got socks, Mom got a scarf, and Brian got a hacky sack.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the hacky sack, but the socks and scarf turned out beautifully!  (Links are to patterns!)

Since we’ve gotten back, I’ve done a little bit of work and a little bit of knitting.  We’re getting this ridiculous snowstorm that’s all over the Midwest right now, so that’s been exciting.  Fortunately, I also finished my thrummed mittens a few days ago!  They’ve come in handy.  (No pun intended.)

I hope the rest of the world has been doing well!  Apparently, going out of town means completely neglecting the computer for me.

creamy bacon sandwich

Alright, so this sandwich is horribly unhealthy.  I was going to rock the cucumber and chivey cream cheese sandwich, but when I pulled out the cucumber in my fridge..it was growing!  So I improvised.  With bacon.

This sandwich would be really good for breakfast.  I think it would work better on a bagel, even.

YOU’LL NEED

• bread/bagel
• cream cheese
• bacon

Step 1: Fry up a few pieces of your favorite thick bacon.

Step 2: While your bacon’s frying, spread the cream cheese.  No brainer.  Mine has chives in it, but I think this sandwich would be better with plain.  Your call.

Step 3: Enjoy with some hashbrowns!  Try not to think to hard about the nutritional value of your lunch.

This might or might not be the last of the sandwich posts.  It might just be too silly..and I’m running out of ideas.

fried pb&j

What happens when you promise a weekly sandwich post, run out of ideas after three weeks, and then don’t even manage to get any sandwich materials at the grocery store?

You fry a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.  It’s actually quite good, once you get past the expectation that you are biting into a grilled cheese.

YOU’LL NEED

• plain, boring white bread (again)
• your favorite peanut butter
• your favorite jelly/jam/preserves (or this would ROCK with Nutella)
• unsalted butter

Step 1: Put some butter into the pan to melt.

Step 2: While the butter is melting, spread the peanut butter.  Place the peanut buttered bread, PB side up, in the pan.

Step 3: Spread the jelly on the other piece of bread, and place it on top of the PB bread in the pan to make a sandwich.

Step 4: Flip the sandwich to burn brown the jelly side.  (Setting off your fire alarm is optional.)

Step 5: Try it out!  It doesn’t go super well with potato chips, but I didn’t know what else to eat with it.

home is where the pooch is

I was really surprised at how good it felt to return today.  I’m still not a huge fan of Indiana, but something just feels right about falling back into your routine..even if it means a ton of work until Christmas.  And Snake went crazy welcoming me back.  :o)  I missed her, too.

Have I mentioned before how badly it sucks to have no airport in your city?  That hour and a half drive just kills me.  It was even worse today, thanks to post-holiday-weekend school traffic.  In no world did I ever expect the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be worse on the road from Indianapolis to Lafayette than from Phoenix to Tucson.  I was wrong.

However, I was smart enough to make the most of the trek home.  Indy has a Trader Joe’s that’s right on my way.  OH yeah.  Not only do I have an entire freezer and pantry full of yummy stuff, but I also have a Christmas tree!!  Hopefully I won’t kill it this year.  Bring on December!

priorities

Can I just say that hanging with the family I haven’t seen in months obviously must take precedence over interesting and meaningful blog posts during NaBloPoMo?  Who planned this during the month of November, anyways?  :oP

black friday

Let it be known that I have faced the wrath of Black Friday at 3 AM.  Let it also be known that I did not get my free copy of Lego Rock Band from Old Navy.  Apparently actually waking up to go there at 3 isn’t enough; you need to stand in line around midnight.  Meh.  Next year I’m staying home!

happy thanksgiving!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.  Most notably, I’m glad to be at home spending the holiday with my family.  I hope everyone’s turkey day was as relaxing and fun as mine was!

I AM HOME

This Albuquerque turkey made it home safe and sound. I don’t have anything to say except that I’m really happy to be here and ready for some days of family, friends, and relaxation! :o)

sweet relief!

My two major exams are finished!!  Now I can focus on packing and running home like a happy little turkey in love.  :o)  I feel so content right now.