Study Up

I found the following list written in my Series 6 study books from last Fall. I was clearly fully engaged in learning about variable annuities . . .

• must like wheat bread
• must like sarcastic humor
• must enjoy non-blockbuster films but not expect me to be an expert
• must take interest in social and/or environmental issues
• must be a little romantic with a penchant for sweeping me off my feet, but without being too mushy

• breath-taking good looks are preferable
• familiarity with/knowledge of the female anatomy desired
• personal charm required
• interest in dancing or dance class a plus
• healthy sense of competition/ambition
• willingness to travel

I'm currently interviewing qualified candidates. . .

Motley Princess Strikes Again

Life is about to get a little crazier. Tuesday was my last day of a 2+ year job that I wasn't really excited about anymore. So now I start an adventure. I'm going to Costa Rica next Thursday and not coming back until October 1. The plan is to learn some Spanish, learn how to surf, go on zip-line canopy tours, get from place to place on horseback, and generally enjoy myself. I bought a new fancy rain jacket because I'm supposed to see a lot of that. I bought a refurbished ipod nano. I'll probably buy a few other toys before I go.

Wait a second.... what about when you get back? Well, I don't know. I'll think about that when I'm away. I have some ideas, but no point in spewing out that crap here.

Rest Ice Compression Elevation (RICE)

High school health class came in handy this week. A friend of mine got into what turned out (very luckily) to be a minor motorcycle accident. He rode home from the event without a scratch on the bike and barely a scratch on him. But his ankle was pretty swollen and through a series of phone calls and internet research sessions, we determined it was sprained. So he stayed off of it. We iced it until he couldn't stand it anymore. I learned how to wrap an ace bandage. And of course he kept it elevated.

Pretty good orthopedic nursing job if you ask me. We'll see if he runs that triathlon on Saturday though.

Pray with me.

Anorexia Bicicleta

I made a few more changes to the bike. New back wheel and hub. Ditched
old cassette (the cogs/gears in the back). Replaced tires with much
skinnier ones. Removed lock holster. Removed bracket for bike pump
(since I don't have one). Removed bell (might put it back on). New
single cog in back.

All in all: Bike lost 9 pounds and a whole lot of extraneous junk and
I can carry it down 7 flights of stairs in heels. It looks kind of
like it's anorexic.

Now I need pedals to clip into, shoes, and a water bottle cage.
That'll be next month.

Converted!

A friend of mine (B) met a new friend (G) who has an art studio which he lovingly refers to as his "getting dirty space." They were talking at a party and came to the conclusion that they would help me convert my bike. So yesterday, G called B and they made plans to meet. B and I arrived at the studio and 1 hour and a few country songs later, we were flying out of there on my new single speed setup. Removed a couple of chain rings in the front, ditched the shifters and derailleurs, and shortened the chain. We also chopped about an inch and a half off of my handlebars. Way better handling. G also polished my remaining chain ring and it's so pretty.

I still need to get new wheels/tires so that I can get rid of the back cogs and really lighten this baby up, but I can already feel the difference. I'm gonna be one zippy little thing especially after chugging along on 35 pounds of bicycle. But for now, I'm still a little heavy and on an odd gear ratio, so going up hills kinda sucks, but I still rode about 10 miles today -- more than 7 of them were with a friend who lives in Brooklyn now, but was my skating and biking buddy in middle school back in Indianapolis.

Sweet Dreams II

My little sister (age 9) recently had a dream that she went to heaven. So my mom asked, "What did God look like?" Without missing a beat, she replied "He had white pyjamas with red spots all over them, bunny slippers, and spiked hair."

Of course he did.

Not So Cute

Lately, my friend Laura (soycube) has been posting about interesting-looking bugs on her blog. She seems to find them endearing and cute. Well, I had a slightly different experience yesterday morning.

I had just arrived at the office and was taking a quick post-bike ride rinse in the shower, when I saw something moving in my peripheral vision. "Oh, no, you're just imagining it as usual" I thought. Then I looked again and on the wall of my shower was a 2+ inch long water bug (some might say cockroach).

So imagine: I'm completely nude, trapped in a small room with a huge bug, with no options but to take it on. So I did, but not without repeatedly screaming at the top of my lungs. My colleagues came running down the hall thinking that I was being attacked (I was). One thought I was singing, but he obviously has very little faith in my ability.

It was terrifying. I couldn't escape (because I had no clothes on), I couldn't get help (same reason), and I had to take on this battle in the nude (which is extra terrifying when you hate creepy crawlies like I do). I felt like I was Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises, only I was armed with a Puma (shoe) and not a knife. But I got the job done. It took me a few hours of cooling off to be able to go back in there and remove the carcass, however. But I did that too.

Vegetable Pie II

I made another pie with vegetables. When my friend asked me to bake a pie for (what turned out to be) her fabulous summer dinner party, I was stoked. I searched for a recipe at gourmet.com with only one criterion: rhubarb. I've always wanted to use it, but never have. I found recipe that makes what they call a cake, but you bake it in a pie pan, so it still counted in my mind. Plus, the whipped cream called for whiskey, which was an awesome addition. I also altered the recipe to include real vanilla bean instead of just the extract. What a treat!

So, true to form, I'm asked to make dessert and I bring a vegetable dish!

Mermaid Parade

Saturday's event was the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. I went with friends and it was hot hot hot. Apparently many of the participants were also hot. Most of them were wearing very little clothing. I generally enjoyed it. If you want to see more colorful pictures, check the flickr feed. All photos are unedited, uncropped, even. Maybe I'll get to that one day.

Deconstructing Chicken

I realized recently that I've never cooked a whole chicken all by myself. I'm guessing that this is because I was vegetarian when I might have learned this from my mom, then I went to college where my food was cooked for me (and subsequently made me gain 20 pounds), then I cooked for myself but armed only with vegetarian cookbooks. So I never really figured out how to cook anything other than a boneless breast.

All of this probably explains why I used to think that chicken is kind of like tofu: flavorless and able to take on the flavors of its surroundings. Well, when you leave the bones in, it's a different story.

Tonight, at the direction of my little sister, I roasted an entire 3.22 lb chicken. Only used a bit of butter, salt, and rosemary. And guess what? It's delicious. Flavorful, juicy, and delicious.

I also made a vegetable pot pie with biscuits.

Now I'm tired.