day 19: lists

I like lists.  I like to make lots of lists.  Today I made three lists for my upcoming holiday travel preparations.

On days that I work at the co-op, my lists are generally written on receipt paper, but when at home, I write lists of the back of old envelopes.  In a time where everything is electronic, I still love the feel of writing on paper.  This is why I continue to covet notebooks, despite the fact that I rarely use them.  The potential for list-writing is there.

I especially like the satisfaction of crossing something off a list, particularly if it is done with marker.  That is how I cross things off of lists relating to work.  There is nothing like crossing off a work project with a permanent marker.  It lends a certain finality to the whole thing.

write blogpost

twiddling my green thumbs

Last week, the weather was a wonderful 70 degrees and everyone agreed that spring had come. So I figured it was time to plan my garden. It's a tiny garden, so I decided that herbs were the way to go. I got some books on herb gardens from the library and came up with the following plan:

I'll have a 7x7 garden divided into 9 squares for 9 different kinds of plants.

1. Rhubarb: The house came with it, and I am not indifferent to its possibilities.
2. Chamomile: I love chamomile tea.
3. Chives: Sam loves chives.
4. Shiso: A spicy Japanese leaf that is tasty with sushi and other things.
5. Thai basil: Because regular basil is so readily available.
6. Parsley: Why not?
7. Dill: It's really good in tahini with falafal.
8. Mint: Last year's mint wine was fabulous.
9. Sunflowers: I have some seeds...

I'm also starting a few things up in containers as an experiment.
1. Lemon thyme: I had some seeds from two years ago.
2. Lemongrass: The guy at the Asian grocery showed me how to plant some extra stalks I didn't need for my soup.

And there's a little spot where some partial-shade flowers can go.
1. Columbine: Thanks to Sam's parents!
2. Daisies: Thanks to Sam's parents!

But now that I am all ready to go, the temperature has dropped back down to the 40s and my garden books tell me that the average last frost for my area is May 5. So, I started a few things indoors, but I don't know how much help it's gonna be since my house and the outdoors are practically the same temperature.

getting things accomplished

I don't really make Resolutions for the New Year, but I do have something I've been working a little harder on this year. I have been trying to finish the things I have started, whether I started them a year ago or last month.

The last week or so, I feel that I have been quite successful.

- Turned a pair of pants into a skirt (started last November).

- Cleaned out the planting and potting stuff on the front porch (looked at it in January).

- Turned two high school t-shirts into a skirt (you could say I started this in high school...).

- Turned a garage-sale muumuu into a shirt (had the idea since last July).

- Hemmed a pair of pants up to a pair of shorts (in a pile since last October).

- Started sprouting some alfalfa seeds (bought the seeds in February).

- Cleaned out the worm bin (needed to be done since January).

Now, let's see if I can keep this up in the midst of moving.

top ten

Top Ten things to do in the check-out line at the grocery to ensure the cashier will put your tomatoes, eggs, and grapes at the bottom of your bag underneath your milk.

10. Don't read the directions on the card swipe machine.

9. Talk to your friend behind you in line, ignoring everything going on with your groceries.

8. Have the cashier ring up $100 worth of groceries, realize you have only $50, and then ask the cashier to take off this one, that one, maybe that one too...until you get it down to $50.

7. Unload your groceries, push your cart into the walkway, and leave it there when you go.

6. Leave your groceries to go get that one thing you forgot, even though there's a line behind you.

5. Tell the cashier, "They did it for me at another store..."

4. Hand the cashier a granola bar your small child has been slobbering on as you shopped.

3. Hold out your hand full of change and expect the cashier to pick out the amount you owe.

2. Come over to the cashier's side of the lane and attempt to use the phone without permission.

1. Talk on your cell phone.

Trouble in Vegas

We went to Las Vegas for an Ultimate tournament. Rain for a week caused our fields to be moved, and our two day tournament shortened to four hours. Did we complain? Not much.

Instead, we:

...gambled, of course. I played blackjack and penny slots. I lost, and then I won. So I came out of the weekend pretty much even. My favorite dealer was the Janet Jackson look-alike.

...walked a lot. I have blisters from walking up and down the Strip to meet people, eat with people, drink with people, look at cool things, and bask in the sunny 55 degree weather.

...stayed up late. I'm trying to think of the last time I went to bed at 4:30am, and it was definitely years ago. The tournament party was at Studio 54, nothing closes on the Strip, and there are free drinks available everywhere. There was no reason to go to bed early.

...had a good time. I don't know whether Vegas was everything it was hyped up to be, everything I thought it would be, or neither of the above. It doesn't really matter, because we enjoyed ourselves.

a list of new things

Well, it's about time things started happening in the new year.

1. I went cross-country skiing. It was awesome.

2. I got a translation job! I will be translating Japanese patents into English. Not thrilling subject matter, but I will be using my education and working from home. Bonus!

3. I'm going to Las Vegas this weekend. I plan on winning lots of money so I can ditch above job and travel the world. Yep.

4. I got an aloe plant. This is not that exciting, but it is new.

And that's about it.

lazy days

With the summer Ultimate season comes the lack of lazy, unplanned weekends. When there does happen to be an empty weekend on our calanders, Sam and I take full advantage of hanging out in town. This past weekend is a perfect example. We:

-slept in.
-cleaned the bathroom.
-went to the grocery.
-made lots of good food.
-ate lots of good food.
-got ice cream from the local ice cream shop.
-walked along the river.
-tossed a disc.
-hiked to the top of the bluff.
-set up my sewing machine.
-sewed.
-watched some movies.
-hung out with friends.

Good times in La Crosse.

back to school

As if kids weren't crazy enough by themselves, schools put them all together in an enclosed space, tell them to sit still, and make them listen to boring, state-mandated lessons. The result is the chaos I experienced in an elementary school yesterday.

I spent the day in third and fifth grade classrooms for what was my first semi-professional translation job. Overall, I think it went well. After the initial shyness barrier, the Japanese students started talking a little more freely, and I stopped making stupid mistakes. We were able to get some much needed communication going between the Japanese students and their teachers, in addition to being able to answer the questions of curious classmates.

While the Japanese speaking was very exciting, I almost had a better time just watching the workings of the school. My favorite moments included:

- The student who slept under the computer desk for 20 minutes.
- Milk Break!
- The other visitor to the school - a chicken that lays green eggs.
- Baseball style greetings in Morning Greeting time.
- Molded mashed potatoes and meatloaf for lunch.
- The three kids having a farting contest during class after lunch.
- The overenthusiastic kid who volunteers all the time.
- Lining up for everything.
- Those stupid desks where you have to lift the lid to get anything out.
- The overall feeling that nothing has really changed since I left grade school.

lists of things

I am lazy and in a hurry, so here's another list.

Things accomplished lately:

-JaxHat Ultimate Tournament - my team didn't finish first or last. good.
-Thesis sent to bindery - yayayayaya!
-Conference paper submitted - now I just wait for the response.
-Bus tickets Bloomington procured - Greyhound raised their prices. not happy.

Things left to do:

-Find a job
-Clean my Bloomington house
-Mad-disc-on Ultimate Tournament
-Watch my garden grow

Seattle 2008

Seattle 2008 photos, and a summary in list form:

-Title Nine = disappointingly expensive.
-Greenlake = a nice walk around a big lake.
-Darth and Kat = Sam's nice friends who are awesome hosts.
-Gunther = their equally cool dog.
-Pioneer Square = the history of Seattle, revolving around excrement.
-Underground Tour = what happens when you build a city on top of an old one to solve the excrement problem.
-Uwajimaya Japanese grocery = $100 of Japanese goodness for my belly.
-Bainbridge Island = to ride a ferry and take stroll.
-That's a Some Pizza = amazing pizza.
-Wall-e = robots in love.
-Potlatch = see here.
-Mt. Si = I want to learn to rockclimb.
-Boom = gourmet ramen. Who knew?
-SEATAC = fish with luggage.

time for a break

The last two weeks have been crazy. CRAZY.
A summary in list form:

1. Louisville Derby Mini Marathon -
Finished in 1:49, just under my 1:50 goal.
Sam beat me by 7 minutes. Hmph.




















2. Final two papers of my MA career, not counting The Thesis.
One is so good, my professor says I should take it to a conference and publish it.
Fame and fortune, here I come!

3. Packing and moving to Springfield, Illinois
The Land of Lincoln is my new home.

4. St. Louis Classic Ultimate Tournament
Day 1 - 30mph winds; Day 2 - spectacular.




















5. Grading Finals is not fun. Not even when people write in ridiculous answers.

6. Cat-sitting
Banjo is not sure what to make of loud garbage trucks, chirping birds, and the footsteps of the apartment above us. He has taken to hiding in the back of my closet and behind the refrigerator. It's a shame, because there's a nest of baby robins just waiting for him to eye menacingly at just off of the beautiful screened-in porch.

downward spiral

Countdowns to insanity:

16 days until a thesis draft due
31 days until the end of classes
32 days until the Louisville Mini Marathon
37 days until the end of the school year
38 days until I move to Springfield, IL
39 days until the first ulty tourney of the season (St. Louis Classic)
41 days until final grades have to be turned in
42 days before I get a break

what i'm eating

Successful additions to my recipe book:
1. Gyoza (Japanese pork dumplings)
2. Zucchini Bake
3. Miso soup
4. Creamy potato soup

Unsuccessful recipes that need a little tweaking:
1. Homemade tofu-burger
2. Vietnamese noodle soup

Soon to be tested recipes:
1. Homemade pizza with homemade dough
2. Korean noodle stir fry

common annoyances

Things that have annoyed me lately:
1. The cat comes back inside and proceeds to step all over my computer and desk with his muddy feet.
2. A woman stands in the middle of the indoor track talking on her cell phone while people swerve to avoid her.
3. I don't have any ice cream.
4. My students haven't answered their quiz questions correctly.
5. The bus doesn't run on Sundays.

almost here

A list of things I had planned on blogging about this week but never got around to:

1. The OED
2. Thrift store shopping
3. Sweet potatoes
4. Pigs as pets
5. Plastic bags
6. The soundtrack to Juno
7. Winter League win
8. The Tale of Genji

Maybe someday soon...

lessons to learn

Lessons I would take if I had the time and the money:

1. Pottery: I started this in Japan and loved it. Someday, I'd like all of the dishes in my house to have been made by me.

2. Voice: I used to be a singer, and not a bad one at that. I even thought I might go to college to be a voice major, but changed my mind to something more useful. ha. I'd like to do a little more than just karaoke singing again.

3. Sanshin: Ideally, these lessons would be taken on a tiny island in Okinawa from an old master whose speech I can barely understand. I would intuitively grasp the songs and soak up his knowledge as easy as I drink water.

4. Painting: Preferably, my teacher would be similar in manner and appearance to Bob Ross of PBS fame.

5. Sky diving: Do you really "take lessons" for this?

6: Baking/Cooking: I want to be good enough to have a chance of getting cast on Hell's Kitchen. This, of course, would also be good for my day-to-day meals as well.

7. Swimming: I don't know how I've managed to get this far in life with just the doggy paddle, but I would like to rectify that.

8. Sewing: I won honorable mention for a skirt I made in 4H when I was twelve. It was an ugly skirt, although well sewn. I have since lost my skill; however, Project Runway has inspired me to try again.

9. Chinese/Korean: Languages are cool, yo.

10. Gardening/Herbal Knowledge: Again, I don't know if this would be considered "lesson-taking," but I'd like to learn about these things in a non-homework requiring environment.

wish list

The Christmas trees are up in Target, so it must mean I can write my Christmas wish list:

1. Non-stick rolling pin. This would be extremely nice if I continue making cakes with fondant. While a tall water glass covered in Crisco has been working so far, if I ever want to do something stunning, I need to be able to roll and move my fondant with ease.

2. This book - Ultimate: The greatest sport ever invented by man. Last year, the definitive guide to Ultimate came out. This is the hilarious version. Order it from the author and you pay less...

3. Vacuum sealed travel mug or backpack size thermos for taking tea to class on cold days.

4. Incense holder. I have a particular one in mind. It's about six inches long and has a lid with holes in it so you put the incense stick inside and the smoke comes out. It also has a drawer for storing your incense underneath.

5. Bike light. It gets dark early here now.

As I get older, my list gets shorter.

lovely afternoon

Things I love about Thanksgiving.

Turkey.
Mashed potatoes.
Gravy.
Sweet potatoes/candied yams.
Stuffing.
Green bean casserole.
Cranberry sauce.
Dinner rolls.
Wine.
Pecan pie.
Pumpkin pie.
Apple-cranberry pie.
Cool whip.

Food coma.
Wine buzz.
Football.
Napping.
Wine tasting.
More napping.
Leftovers.

the big number fifteen

Although the initial estimate of 120 participants was about 30 people high, the Illinois Hat Tournament in Rantoul, IL was a success this weekend. Well, I think so because I got to play five good games of Ultimate with great people, and win. Yes, the Grey Team won. This is the fourth time that I have been on the winning team at an Ultimate tournament. And it felt great.

Personal good things:
3 handblocks
3 sky-ing of people for D
1 layout for a score
1 rolling pull
no drops
hammer for a score

Other good things:
Sam was there.
The fields were nice and lined.
Thai food for dinner.
Getting back together with some friendly Ultimate faces.

Some not so good things:
No bathrooms, except in the nearby hotel.
No food. How do you put on a tournament and don't provide bananas?
Wind, and more wind.
Wind/sunburn.

And now the extra long day (starting at 5:30am) of my 15th Ultimate tournament this season will draw to a close. Goodnight.

things i used to do

I haven't done these things in a long, long time:

1. a cartwheel, round-off, or handspring
2. jumped into a pool from a diving board
3. watched a live sports game other than Ultimate
4. played on a playground
5. taken a leisurely bike ride with no goal in mind
6. gone on a picnic
7. baked a pineapple upside down cake
8. chased lightning bugs
9. gone canoing or paddle boating
10. searched for the oldest tombstone in a cemetery
11. jumped in a pile of leaves
12. cooked over a campfire
13. colored in a coloring book
14. picked strawberries
15. eaten a ham salad sandwich
16. watched the stars
17. climbed a tree
18. drank whole milk
19. watched a movie at a drive-in
20. ridden a roller coaster
21. screamed at the top of my lungs
22. fed bread crusts to ducks

I want to do these things.