I can't believe how EXCITED I am! I mean, I can't believe how smoothly this is going! Of course, now I've doomed us all, but I mean, I am just walking on air right now!
Kind of like this guy. But in a different way.
Charity :)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
since this time last week.
Since this time last week (check it out), I have done SEVEN interviews with physicians. Plus, I have three more scheduled, and one more who has committed to participate but who is out of town until June. So that's eleven, out of the 18 I need.
I can't believe how EXCITED I am! I mean, I can't believe how smoothly this is going! Of course, now I've doomed us all, but I mean, I am just walking on air right now!
Kind of like this guy. But in a different way.
Charity :)
I can't believe how EXCITED I am! I mean, I can't believe how smoothly this is going! Of course, now I've doomed us all, but I mean, I am just walking on air right now!
Kind of like this guy. But in a different way.
Charity :)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
the significance of 1649.
I found out this evening that the four digit number listed in the subject line of this entry is the dollar amount of income tax (state + federal) that I owe the government(s). Luckily, as part of the "economy stimulus package" passed in February, I will be getting a rebate of $600, maybe (why can't they tell me for certain?!?), which is great news in many ways! For example, now I won't have to sell one of my kidneys on ebay to buy gas.
In better news (hey, at least I finally did my taxes!), I went to the Pet Parade in Candler Park today with a friend. That was a lot of fun. There was actually a cat there, surprisingly. And on a leash no less! And called "Hoss" if I heard his human companion correctly. He was very curious and calm, and didn't seem threatened usually, unless dogs barked at him. And to my surprise, almost all of the dogs did pretty well with him. Some more than others, but most didn't bark. One of the most "okay" with him was a dog named Rocky.
Rocky LOVED Hoss! It was so cute! At first he bent his front body down and wagged his tail in the air, trying to get Hoss to play. When that didn't work the way he seemed to think it would, but Hoss didn't back up or seem scared, he crouched down until he was lying on his stomach, and inched his paw towards Hoss, trying to lure him into a fun game. People all turned to watch, and this went on for some time. Everyone was fascinated at his apparent infatuation with Hoss, but finally Rocky's people began pulling him home, with his lady friend promising, "We'll get you a cat friend, Rocky!" Rocky at first stood looking back at Hoss while his humans pulled him in the opposite direction, clearly mourning his inability to stay and play. Oh my gosh, how adorable.
Also, I cut my hair again. I'm getting ready to start on my interviews with physicians (hooray!) and wanted to look as professional as possible. I'm thinking about taking out my tongue piercing, but having a hard time committing to that, since I know I'll never have the guts to get it done again.
In other news, I got two GREAT air purifiers. They were on sale on the manufacturer's website, 2 for the price of 1. I'm glad I bought them before I paid my taxes, because I never would have committed to that if I'd known about the 4 digit payment I was soon going to have to make to cover the governments losses this year. Part of me would rather have two new air purifiers than an endless war, but I can see the other perspective too. Wait, no, I can't.
Sam is hurt again, speaking of emergency expenditures. Bless his little heart. It's tearing me up to see him so uncomfortable. I'll have to take him to the vet Monday, and I hope it doesn't get any worse for the little guy. He's in a lot of pain it seems, but the vet is booked up tomorrow, so if I take him in, I'll have to wait for hours and then pay an extra $50 IF they get around to seeing him. I feel it should be one or the other frankly. Why should I pay $50 extra just for the privilege of waiting four hours for the privilege of paying for an exam and treatment (and my vet is not cheap, either!)? I mean, if you can fit us in, just take us! If not, don't. But don't take my money for no good reason at all. (Speaking of rude penalties, I had to pay $50 to the government because my employer didn't withhold enough. That is ALSO BS if you ask me.)
Finally, I finished The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which was absolutely amazing. Highly recommended. I also saw The Frighteners (directed by Peter Jackson, 1996), which I also highly recommend. Ben Hur (directed by William Wyler, 1959), which I watched the other night was pretty good, but it's kind of weird to sit through a 3 hour movie in order to watch a 15 minute long chariot race. Of course, there were other good parts, too, but everyone seems to talk about the chariot race, which apparently was astronomically expensive. It's interesting to compare that to something like 300 or The Lord of the Rings (speaking of Peter Jackson). The crowd scenes, the fight scenes, the death scenes, the battle scenes, all done without CGI. Anyway, recommended, especially if, like me, you are trying to watch the AFI Top 100 American Films before you die. Or before they update the list again.
I hope you, whoever you are and wherever you are, are well. I've been listening to my Pema Chodron CDs (when I'm not listening to my learning German podcasts or the Grateful Dead; I don't know what it is with me lately...) but I want you to know I'm practicing tonglen for you.
Charity :)
In better news (hey, at least I finally did my taxes!), I went to the Pet Parade in Candler Park today with a friend. That was a lot of fun. There was actually a cat there, surprisingly. And on a leash no less! And called "Hoss" if I heard his human companion correctly. He was very curious and calm, and didn't seem threatened usually, unless dogs barked at him. And to my surprise, almost all of the dogs did pretty well with him. Some more than others, but most didn't bark. One of the most "okay" with him was a dog named Rocky.
Rocky LOVED Hoss! It was so cute! At first he bent his front body down and wagged his tail in the air, trying to get Hoss to play. When that didn't work the way he seemed to think it would, but Hoss didn't back up or seem scared, he crouched down until he was lying on his stomach, and inched his paw towards Hoss, trying to lure him into a fun game. People all turned to watch, and this went on for some time. Everyone was fascinated at his apparent infatuation with Hoss, but finally Rocky's people began pulling him home, with his lady friend promising, "We'll get you a cat friend, Rocky!" Rocky at first stood looking back at Hoss while his humans pulled him in the opposite direction, clearly mourning his inability to stay and play. Oh my gosh, how adorable.
Also, I cut my hair again. I'm getting ready to start on my interviews with physicians (hooray!) and wanted to look as professional as possible. I'm thinking about taking out my tongue piercing, but having a hard time committing to that, since I know I'll never have the guts to get it done again.
In other news, I got two GREAT air purifiers. They were on sale on the manufacturer's website, 2 for the price of 1. I'm glad I bought them before I paid my taxes, because I never would have committed to that if I'd known about the 4 digit payment I was soon going to have to make to cover the governments losses this year. Part of me would rather have two new air purifiers than an endless war, but I can see the other perspective too. Wait, no, I can't.
Sam is hurt again, speaking of emergency expenditures. Bless his little heart. It's tearing me up to see him so uncomfortable. I'll have to take him to the vet Monday, and I hope it doesn't get any worse for the little guy. He's in a lot of pain it seems, but the vet is booked up tomorrow, so if I take him in, I'll have to wait for hours and then pay an extra $50 IF they get around to seeing him. I feel it should be one or the other frankly. Why should I pay $50 extra just for the privilege of waiting four hours for the privilege of paying for an exam and treatment (and my vet is not cheap, either!)? I mean, if you can fit us in, just take us! If not, don't. But don't take my money for no good reason at all. (Speaking of rude penalties, I had to pay $50 to the government because my employer didn't withhold enough. That is ALSO BS if you ask me.)
Finally, I finished The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which was absolutely amazing. Highly recommended. I also saw The Frighteners (directed by Peter Jackson, 1996), which I also highly recommend. Ben Hur (directed by William Wyler, 1959), which I watched the other night was pretty good, but it's kind of weird to sit through a 3 hour movie in order to watch a 15 minute long chariot race. Of course, there were other good parts, too, but everyone seems to talk about the chariot race, which apparently was astronomically expensive. It's interesting to compare that to something like 300 or The Lord of the Rings (speaking of Peter Jackson). The crowd scenes, the fight scenes, the death scenes, the battle scenes, all done without CGI. Anyway, recommended, especially if, like me, you are trying to watch the AFI Top 100 American Films before you die. Or before they update the list again.
I hope you, whoever you are and wherever you are, are well. I've been listening to my Pema Chodron CDs (when I'm not listening to my learning German podcasts or the Grateful Dead; I don't know what it is with me lately...) but I want you to know I'm practicing tonglen for you.
Charity :)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Another musical.
No Johnny Depp, but it's not as gruesome as Sweeney Todd either, and a lot funnier.
Enjoy!!
Enjoy!!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Broccoli Vegetable Quiche
My friend asked for this recipe many moons ago. The other day I glanced at the Post-It note on my refrigerator, reminding me to give it to her and thought, "There's no way she remembers and still wants this," and almost tore it down.
I saw her at school that very day, and despite the fact that we hadn't talked about it in a year or so, she asked, "When are you going to give me that Tofu Quiche recipe, Charity?"
That's so funny to me! So anyway, since I'm typing it up for her, I'll give it to you guys too. A good diet is so important. I recently read an excerpt (Thanks, Mom!) from a book called Your Life in Your Hands by Jane Plant that described the link between milk products and breast cancer. I want to read the book! But anyway, hopefully this recipe can give you a start in the right direction.
(I mainly like it because I hate runny eggs, though, and quiche has to be cooked just right in order to not be gross to me. Tofu is easier, plus you get soy protein.)
The recipe comes from my favorite and most used cookbook, The Compassionate Cook or, "Please Don't Eat the Animals!".
Broccoli Vegetable Quiche
1 pie crust (get a sprouted wheat one for optimal health benefits and yumminess!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pound firm tofu, patted dry with a paper towel (don't skimp on this step, it makes a big difference--pat that tofu dry!!!)
pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried (I like using dry--it tastes good, and doesn't add to the wateriness)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup soy milk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Follow directions on pie crust to prepare it for filling (in the book, they use fresh dough, but I never have).
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion, green pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms until cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, blend the tofu, nutmeg, turmeric, basil, salt, and soy milk until smooth. Stir the vegetables and the tofu mixture together and add pepper to taste.
Pour the batter into the pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted just off-center into the quiche comes out clean.
Serves 4 to 6.
Enjoy!
Charity :)
PS-By the way, I saw Sweeney Todd last night. The performances were great and the music was good, but overall I feel like they overdid the horror element. The original fun challenge that drew in Sondheim all those years ago was to try to make people scared in a musical. I would be interested in seeing the theatrical production of that, because I think it might be more intense. The movie felt a little schizophrenic or overdone. I kind of want the soundtrack, though. The singing was really good.
I saw her at school that very day, and despite the fact that we hadn't talked about it in a year or so, she asked, "When are you going to give me that Tofu Quiche recipe, Charity?"
That's so funny to me! So anyway, since I'm typing it up for her, I'll give it to you guys too. A good diet is so important. I recently read an excerpt (Thanks, Mom!) from a book called Your Life in Your Hands by Jane Plant that described the link between milk products and breast cancer. I want to read the book! But anyway, hopefully this recipe can give you a start in the right direction.
(I mainly like it because I hate runny eggs, though, and quiche has to be cooked just right in order to not be gross to me. Tofu is easier, plus you get soy protein.)
The recipe comes from my favorite and most used cookbook, The Compassionate Cook or, "Please Don't Eat the Animals!".
Broccoli Vegetable Quiche
1 pie crust (get a sprouted wheat one for optimal health benefits and yumminess!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pound firm tofu, patted dry with a paper towel (don't skimp on this step, it makes a big difference--pat that tofu dry!!!)
pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried (I like using dry--it tastes good, and doesn't add to the wateriness)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup soy milk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Follow directions on pie crust to prepare it for filling (in the book, they use fresh dough, but I never have).
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion, green pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms until cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, blend the tofu, nutmeg, turmeric, basil, salt, and soy milk until smooth. Stir the vegetables and the tofu mixture together and add pepper to taste.
Pour the batter into the pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted just off-center into the quiche comes out clean.
Serves 4 to 6.
Enjoy!
Charity :)
PS-By the way, I saw Sweeney Todd last night. The performances were great and the music was good, but overall I feel like they overdid the horror element. The original fun challenge that drew in Sondheim all those years ago was to try to make people scared in a musical. I would be interested in seeing the theatrical production of that, because I think it might be more intense. The movie felt a little schizophrenic or overdone. I kind of want the soundtrack, though. The singing was really good.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Elephant art
My mom sent me a link to this video, and I had to find out more. You can look on this website for more information. They sell these paintings in order, supposedly, to raise money for protecting the elephants, but I imagine they go pretty quick. It's pretty incredible, but I'm not sure to what extent it's actually a "self-portrait" as described. Although, apparently elephants are some of the only animals (also including apes, dolphins and humans) that we know can recognize themselves in a mirror (source). There was a fascinating article about animal intelligence in a recent National Geographic magazine. (In fact, National Geographic has posted a very interesting video about elephants on their website as well, which you can see here, and which I highly recommend watching after watching the video below).
This one is not as realistic. But funnier. (source)
Enjoy!
Charity :)
Enjoy!
Charity :)
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