I used to like giving presentations. I thrived on that rush of adrenalin that comes with standing in front of 5, 10 or 300 people. I once made an unpracticed speech about weapons of mass destruction in front of about 300 people at a Model United Nations conference in the real-live meeting palace/conference center of the United Nations in The Hague.
Tomorrow I have to give a presentation to four people, in a tiny little dingy meeting room. I won't even have to stand up or dress up for this presentation.
When did my adrenaline become ineffective in overcoming presentation horrors?!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
No windows
I like windows. I like big windows that let in lots of light. When I looked at houses I did not consider any houses with those small, eye-level windows so many houses from the 60's and 70's seem to have. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put in a 2-foot window 5 feet off the floor? I don't like living in a dungeon, but maybe that was the cool thing to have 30/40 years ago.
Lately I've noticed that there is one place I am glad does not have big, or for that matter, hardly any windows: the lab. The space is large, if I had to guess, the entire lab with office space is probably about 1500 sq. feet. But I'm a bad guess-timator, so let's just say the space is about the size of a small/medium 2-3-bedroom one-level house, just partitioned differently.
The lab doesn't have any real windows that you can open. It has this panel of glass about 18 inches high 6 and a half feet from the ground in this one area, maybe a total of 18 inches x 12 feet of glass. The only thing you can see is sky. Most days it's just clouds, every once in a while a ray of sunshine sneaks in, but this is pretty rare.
Without windows it's hard to tell the time of day without looking at a watch. So when I'm in the lab when most other people are getting ready for bed I can hardly tell that it's pitch-black outside, because I'm basking in the glow of fluorescent lighting.
Lately I've noticed that there is one place I am glad does not have big, or for that matter, hardly any windows: the lab. The space is large, if I had to guess, the entire lab with office space is probably about 1500 sq. feet. But I'm a bad guess-timator, so let's just say the space is about the size of a small/medium 2-3-bedroom one-level house, just partitioned differently.
The lab doesn't have any real windows that you can open. It has this panel of glass about 18 inches high 6 and a half feet from the ground in this one area, maybe a total of 18 inches x 12 feet of glass. The only thing you can see is sky. Most days it's just clouds, every once in a while a ray of sunshine sneaks in, but this is pretty rare.
Without windows it's hard to tell the time of day without looking at a watch. So when I'm in the lab when most other people are getting ready for bed I can hardly tell that it's pitch-black outside, because I'm basking in the glow of fluorescent lighting.
Friday, June 26, 2009
I don't know
Today a very astute person pointed out to me that I say "I don't know" a lot.
I rarely don't know what to say. I can fudge my way through most topics of conversation and even if I truly don't know something I usually say something like "Interesting," or "OK" and/or tilt my head and nod.
So why would someone point out to me that I use the phrase "I don't know" a lot? A whole lot, apparently.
I know why. I say it when I don't want to answer a question or when I'm nervous. Mostly these are personal questions about emotions and opinions. I also say it when I know the answer will upset the other person. Then the "I don't knows" come flying out.
So today I made a resolution to stop saying "I don't know." Well, except for when I truly don't know the answer, and even then I might be better off with something less clueless, such as "Let me think about this question and I'll get back to you" or "I'm not entirely sure, but here's what I think..."
I rarely don't know what to say. I can fudge my way through most topics of conversation and even if I truly don't know something I usually say something like "Interesting," or "OK" and/or tilt my head and nod.
So why would someone point out to me that I use the phrase "I don't know" a lot? A whole lot, apparently.
I know why. I say it when I don't want to answer a question or when I'm nervous. Mostly these are personal questions about emotions and opinions. I also say it when I know the answer will upset the other person. Then the "I don't knows" come flying out.
So today I made a resolution to stop saying "I don't know." Well, except for when I truly don't know the answer, and even then I might be better off with something less clueless, such as "Let me think about this question and I'll get back to you" or "I'm not entirely sure, but here's what I think..."
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Armadillos and proteins
Two random facts of the day:
- the Dasypus genus of armadillos gives birth to four homozygous armadillo babies (that's identical quadruplets) every time they give birth.
- titin is the largest known protein with almost 3,000 kDa, which is about 5x10^-18 grams, which is, really, really small, but huge in the protein world.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Lavish indulgences
Today around 3pm I got this inexplicable urge to get a haircut. The last haircut I got was about 8 months ago and cost about $14 at Super.cuts. It wasn't much of a haircut, I just needed my hair shorter and it did the trick. The shortest hair on my head is at least a foot long and it's curly on the approximately 2 days a year I don't tie it up. It's quite hard to mess up a hair cut for me. Today, however, I decided I was going to go to a real hair cutting place, a non-generic, unique, one salon only no hair cutting chain.
So I pulled up my default for finding anything and everything (Google) and soon learned that there was a place only about 3 minutes out of the way on my way home from school, and it even had two positive reviews mentioning "unique decor" and "drinks and snacks". I was intrigued by the lure of food and drinks and I was looking for a non-generic hair cutting place. Also, I'm a little paranoid sometimes, and the name was a word play on "hair and paranois" and thus appealed to me. Off I went, even got a free parking spot right ouside the door, but when I walked in I knew this was about 5 notches too fancy for me. The place looked like out of a magazine! Granted, my experience with hair salons is next to nothing, but this place looked awesome. It was a mixture between a chateau, a stylish lake-side cabin and a Super.cuts on steroids. Lots of powerful, expensive steroids.
I was immediately greeted by a very stylish (without a doubt gay) man in his 50's, who asked if I had an appointment. Uhm. No. I've never gone to a hairdresser before that required an appointment. Of course I didn't say that, I just mumbled something about spur of the moment, busy schedule. He gave me a disappointed look and said that one of the ladies had an opening next Friday. He handed me a business card and as I was backing out the very stylish door in my not-so-stylish outfit, probably looking terrified and embarrassed at the same time, he said "I might have an opening at 6.30 tonight, give me a call".
I got in the car and drove home, convinced I was forever banned to the likes of Master and Super.cuts. But I was so intrigued by the decor that I called Michael (his name was on the gold on black background business card), and sure enough, he told me to come in at 6.30pm. Not wanting a repeat of my somewhat understyled appearance, I showered, changed, went to the bank (who knows, maybe hair stylists don't take credit cards, or maybe I would need to leave a cash tip), and off I went.
Michael greeted me, told me to help myself to the food and snacks (I was too intrigued by the decor and the original, at least 10 foot high ceiling to even bother with the food), and within 5 minutes I was getting a scalp massage. This was no Super.cuts 30 seconds hair rinse with Sua.ve. This was the real deal. I usually don't fuss with my hair, and I've mostly been using Burt's Bees and equally natural stuff on my hair. Michael washed/condition and who-knows-waht my hair about five times, and my scalp went from feeling warm and balmy to cool and minty and then as refreshed as it must have felt the day I was born, but I coulnd't have cared less if he was pouring radioactive shampoo on my head. I was in scalp-massage heaven. In retrospect I regret not asking him what shampoo he had used. And then buying it. For $60 without any regrets.
The rest of the hair cutting adventure was equally grand. The mirror I sat in front was gigantic, and I mean entire-wall, spotless and wow-I've-never-seen-myself-in-such-a-big-mirror-for-such-an-extended-amount-of-time large. Michael chatted away and told me about the hospice work he does (when he's not giving scalp massages or haircuts to slobby-looking people like me, I assume). He didn't look at me funny when I asked him not to blow dry my hair, but said "I can tell you don't blow dry your hair, it's so healthy and strong and free of damage, that's pretty rare with the stuff people usually do to their hair!" Wow. Usually I get something like "But it's the same price with or without blow drying."
By the time I was done and standing by the "check-out" (is that what you call it at a salon?) I didn't care it if cost $20 or $100. It cost $30 and I gave him a $5 tip, although I almost felt strange tipping him, because what I really wanted to do was thank him profusely and tell him I'd never go anywhere else to get my hair cut. ever. And that I would tell everyone I knew to make an appointment. Today.
And then I felt so utterly luxuriously refreshed and new and whole that I went and had some Sushi for dinner, all the while wishing I had asked what shampoo/conditioner/myster stuff he has used to wash my hair. I'll be sniffing my hair occassionally until I wash it again to soak up the smell. Or maybe I'll just go back for another haircut in a couple of months and make sure to ask for/buy some magic shampoo.
So I pulled up my default for finding anything and everything (Google) and soon learned that there was a place only about 3 minutes out of the way on my way home from school, and it even had two positive reviews mentioning "unique decor" and "drinks and snacks". I was intrigued by the lure of food and drinks and I was looking for a non-generic hair cutting place. Also, I'm a little paranoid sometimes, and the name was a word play on "hair and paranois" and thus appealed to me. Off I went, even got a free parking spot right ouside the door, but when I walked in I knew this was about 5 notches too fancy for me. The place looked like out of a magazine! Granted, my experience with hair salons is next to nothing, but this place looked awesome. It was a mixture between a chateau, a stylish lake-side cabin and a Super.cuts on steroids. Lots of powerful, expensive steroids.
I was immediately greeted by a very stylish (without a doubt gay) man in his 50's, who asked if I had an appointment. Uhm. No. I've never gone to a hairdresser before that required an appointment. Of course I didn't say that, I just mumbled something about spur of the moment, busy schedule. He gave me a disappointed look and said that one of the ladies had an opening next Friday. He handed me a business card and as I was backing out the very stylish door in my not-so-stylish outfit, probably looking terrified and embarrassed at the same time, he said "I might have an opening at 6.30 tonight, give me a call".
I got in the car and drove home, convinced I was forever banned to the likes of Master and Super.cuts. But I was so intrigued by the decor that I called Michael (his name was on the gold on black background business card), and sure enough, he told me to come in at 6.30pm. Not wanting a repeat of my somewhat understyled appearance, I showered, changed, went to the bank (who knows, maybe hair stylists don't take credit cards, or maybe I would need to leave a cash tip), and off I went.
Michael greeted me, told me to help myself to the food and snacks (I was too intrigued by the decor and the original, at least 10 foot high ceiling to even bother with the food), and within 5 minutes I was getting a scalp massage. This was no Super.cuts 30 seconds hair rinse with Sua.ve. This was the real deal. I usually don't fuss with my hair, and I've mostly been using Burt's Bees and equally natural stuff on my hair. Michael washed/condition and who-knows-waht my hair about five times, and my scalp went from feeling warm and balmy to cool and minty and then as refreshed as it must have felt the day I was born, but I coulnd't have cared less if he was pouring radioactive shampoo on my head. I was in scalp-massage heaven. In retrospect I regret not asking him what shampoo he had used. And then buying it. For $60 without any regrets.
The rest of the hair cutting adventure was equally grand. The mirror I sat in front was gigantic, and I mean entire-wall, spotless and wow-I've-never-seen-myself-in-such-a-big-mirror-for-such-an-extended-amount-of-time large. Michael chatted away and told me about the hospice work he does (when he's not giving scalp massages or haircuts to slobby-looking people like me, I assume). He didn't look at me funny when I asked him not to blow dry my hair, but said "I can tell you don't blow dry your hair, it's so healthy and strong and free of damage, that's pretty rare with the stuff people usually do to their hair!" Wow. Usually I get something like "But it's the same price with or without blow drying."
By the time I was done and standing by the "check-out" (is that what you call it at a salon?) I didn't care it if cost $20 or $100. It cost $30 and I gave him a $5 tip, although I almost felt strange tipping him, because what I really wanted to do was thank him profusely and tell him I'd never go anywhere else to get my hair cut. ever. And that I would tell everyone I knew to make an appointment. Today.
And then I felt so utterly luxuriously refreshed and new and whole that I went and had some Sushi for dinner, all the while wishing I had asked what shampoo/conditioner/myster stuff he has used to wash my hair. I'll be sniffing my hair occassionally until I wash it again to soak up the smell. Or maybe I'll just go back for another haircut in a couple of months and make sure to ask for/buy some magic shampoo.
Divorce, Adultery and Mayhem
I'm a compulsive news-reader. Maybe it's an addiction. I just like to know what's going on in the world.
The last few days have been pretty sad news-reading days. There's been a much-more-than-fair share of violence and protests, on top of accidents. Add to that Steve Jobs' new liver and I'm sure that some bottom rung overnight new typists have been working hard.
What has bothered me most this week, however, have been two cases of highly publicized adultery. First, there was Jon & Kate Gosslin, who decided to "call it quits" after 10 years of marriage, because it's what's best for their children. Since when is it best for children to lead two separate lives, one with each parent? Divorce is not best for their children. It's what seems best for themselves right now. Getting out of a relationship that has hit a hard patch and renounce a covenant they entered into 10 years ago by walking onto a courthouse and arranging the paperwork? Nothing easier than that, apparently.
I hold a firm belief against divorce, except for cases of domestic violence and repeated adultery. But I'm not about to impose my belief system on someone else. However, I hope, no, wish fervently, that they have the sense to retreat into some much-needed privacy so their eight children (please, stop calling them kids, it sounds diminutive) can adjust to their new lives privately and NOT in front of a camera with the whole world watching.
The other instance of adultery was Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina. First he simply disappeared at the end of the legislative session, and his staff said he went to hike the Appalachian trail. I thought "good for him! I hope he gets some quiet time to himself". Then they redacted that statement, and not even his wife knew where he'd gone. Then he said he went to Argentina to visit Buenos Aires, which he said was a beautiful city. A few hours later he admitted to an affair with an Argentinian woman.
Did he really think he could disappear for a week, not telling his wife where he went, without causing some sort of stir? Apparently he admitted (privately, I can only assume) to the affair five months ago. Are we to believe that he simply continued his affair? The man had to fly to a different continent to see this woman. He didn't just bump into her again at the store after not seeing her for several months. No. A trip to Argentina is something very intentional (and planned. and pricey.).
So there. Two highly publicized cases of adultery. I'm glad the governor of SC admitted to his affair (at least he tells the truth, part of the time?), and I can only hope that the Gosslins somehow realize that they need to step out of the limelight, because, after all, they're only doing what's best for their children.
The last few days have been pretty sad news-reading days. There's been a much-more-than-fair share of violence and protests, on top of accidents. Add to that Steve Jobs' new liver and I'm sure that some bottom rung overnight new typists have been working hard.
What has bothered me most this week, however, have been two cases of highly publicized adultery. First, there was Jon & Kate Gosslin, who decided to "call it quits" after 10 years of marriage, because it's what's best for their children. Since when is it best for children to lead two separate lives, one with each parent? Divorce is not best for their children. It's what seems best for themselves right now. Getting out of a relationship that has hit a hard patch and renounce a covenant they entered into 10 years ago by walking onto a courthouse and arranging the paperwork? Nothing easier than that, apparently.
I hold a firm belief against divorce, except for cases of domestic violence and repeated adultery. But I'm not about to impose my belief system on someone else. However, I hope, no, wish fervently, that they have the sense to retreat into some much-needed privacy so their eight children (please, stop calling them kids, it sounds diminutive) can adjust to their new lives privately and NOT in front of a camera with the whole world watching.
The other instance of adultery was Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina. First he simply disappeared at the end of the legislative session, and his staff said he went to hike the Appalachian trail. I thought "good for him! I hope he gets some quiet time to himself". Then they redacted that statement, and not even his wife knew where he'd gone. Then he said he went to Argentina to visit Buenos Aires, which he said was a beautiful city. A few hours later he admitted to an affair with an Argentinian woman.
Did he really think he could disappear for a week, not telling his wife where he went, without causing some sort of stir? Apparently he admitted (privately, I can only assume) to the affair five months ago. Are we to believe that he simply continued his affair? The man had to fly to a different continent to see this woman. He didn't just bump into her again at the store after not seeing her for several months. No. A trip to Argentina is something very intentional (and planned. and pricey.).
So there. Two highly publicized cases of adultery. I'm glad the governor of SC admitted to his affair (at least he tells the truth, part of the time?), and I can only hope that the Gosslins somehow realize that they need to step out of the limelight, because, after all, they're only doing what's best for their children.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Happiness is...
...a set of Pyrex dishes with lids.
Work on the house is nearing completion, and tomorrow the kitchen cabinets will be put in. When I lived with my roommate I had very few kitchen utensils, and most of those were for baking. So tonight I set out to buy the things one needs in the kitchen, from plates to bowls, to a good knife, cutting board(s), pots and pans, down to the paper towels.
Those Pyrex dishes just about made my day, which was definitely on the crappy side for the most part.
Work on the house is nearing completion, and tomorrow the kitchen cabinets will be put in. When I lived with my roommate I had very few kitchen utensils, and most of those were for baking. So tonight I set out to buy the things one needs in the kitchen, from plates to bowls, to a good knife, cutting board(s), pots and pans, down to the paper towels.
Those Pyrex dishes just about made my day, which was definitely on the crappy side for the most part.
8 days
That's how much time off I get per year. Not all at once, not even two days in a row. Nope. There are eight national holidays, that I get off. Let's see if I can come up with a complete list:
-New Year's day
-MLK day
-Washington's birthday
-Memorial day
-July 4th
-Labor Day
-Thanksgiving
-Christmas day
And in the lucky year 2009, July 4th is on a Saturday, so make that 7 days. Plus I didn't stay at home on Washington's birthday, which makes that 6 days. That's a whooping 25% vacation cut! (In 2010, July 4th will be on a Sunday, which means another 12.5% reduction in days off for the year 2010.)
Wait, I know what you're thinking: "Isn't everyone supposed to get, you know, a few days of vacation? Or maybe just a stay-cation in these rough economic times? Perhaps a long weekend? What about some family time around Christmas? Perhaps visiting some family over Thanksgiving (taking off Black Friday)?"
Excellent questions. I'm glad you brought those things up. After being told that any request for vacation would be met with the reminder that anyone can be "fired" (they don't call it that in grad school, they call it Master's degree), I got the following answers: No. No. No. No. and. No. Does that answer your questions?
I sure hope it does, because that's all the answer(s) I got. It's gonna be a loooong summer, I can tell already.
-New Year's day
-MLK day
-Washington's birthday
-Memorial day
-July 4th
-Labor Day
-Thanksgiving
-Christmas day
And in the lucky year 2009, July 4th is on a Saturday, so make that 7 days. Plus I didn't stay at home on Washington's birthday, which makes that 6 days. That's a whooping 25% vacation cut! (In 2010, July 4th will be on a Sunday, which means another 12.5% reduction in days off for the year 2010.)
Wait, I know what you're thinking: "Isn't everyone supposed to get, you know, a few days of vacation? Or maybe just a stay-cation in these rough economic times? Perhaps a long weekend? What about some family time around Christmas? Perhaps visiting some family over Thanksgiving (taking off Black Friday)?"
Excellent questions. I'm glad you brought those things up. After being told that any request for vacation would be met with the reminder that anyone can be "fired" (they don't call it that in grad school, they call it Master's degree), I got the following answers: No. No. No. No. and. No. Does that answer your questions?
I sure hope it does, because that's all the answer(s) I got. It's gonna be a loooong summer, I can tell already.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Combating negativity
Overly negative people who always only see the negative side of something really wear me out. They grate on my nerves and make me want to scream. Everything is glass half-empty and blah, blah, blah. How do people like that live anything close to a happy life? Can't they, for once, just see something GOOD or POSITIVE in something, anything?
I have a giant negative cloud hanging over me (impersonated by a person), and it is wearing me out more than anything else in my life. My mind is tired and my soul is writhing in pain. No kidding. It's that bad.
On the flip-side of life, I now have a gym-buddy and a gym-date; a fellow-student, and a girl on top of that (I work with all boys, there is way too much testosterone in my life). My locker at the not-so-great-but-essentially-free gym at school has probably rusted shut. I'm not sure I still know the combination to get into the locker! I also have no idea what may be inside the locker. All I know is that I pay $25 a semester to rent the thing. I guess Thursday will bring all kinds of surprises with it!
Here's to Thursday and to some soul and mind-purging exercising.
PS: I've been reading (OK, listening to books on tape) about mountaineering and Alpine-style mountain climbing lately and find it fascinating. Perhaps I will climb some high mountain some day. I also just finished listening to a book about yoga, and I think my life, body and mind could benefit from yoga (please leave a comment if you know of any good tapes or yoga books for beginners - I have a yoga mat).
I have a giant negative cloud hanging over me (impersonated by a person), and it is wearing me out more than anything else in my life. My mind is tired and my soul is writhing in pain. No kidding. It's that bad.
On the flip-side of life, I now have a gym-buddy and a gym-date; a fellow-student, and a girl on top of that (I work with all boys, there is way too much testosterone in my life). My locker at the not-so-great-but-essentially-free gym at school has probably rusted shut. I'm not sure I still know the combination to get into the locker! I also have no idea what may be inside the locker. All I know is that I pay $25 a semester to rent the thing. I guess Thursday will bring all kinds of surprises with it!
Here's to Thursday and to some soul and mind-purging exercising.
PS: I've been reading (OK, listening to books on tape) about mountaineering and Alpine-style mountain climbing lately and find it fascinating. Perhaps I will climb some high mountain some day. I also just finished listening to a book about yoga, and I think my life, body and mind could benefit from yoga (please leave a comment if you know of any good tapes or yoga books for beginners - I have a yoga mat).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Dentist Consumerism
I never had any big problems with my teeth. My siblings had braces (one had them more than once even), but the worst thing that's ever happened to me was chipping some teeth. Add some cavities and my dental history is complete. Every 18 - 24 months I work up the nerve to go to the dentist, and it usually coincides nicely with moving, so I hardly every see the same dentist twice.
Two weeks ago I had my first dentist appointment in almost two years, and I was mostly just a little mad at wasting two hours of my life on a dentist visit. A friend of mine had recommended this dentist to me, the office is within walking distance of school, and they take my insurance. So I went, with no negative or positive expectations and I was appalled.
The waiting room looked like a mall for teeth! Between your normal routine care poster reminders, there were advertisements for veneers, whitening procedures and other dental stuff I had never heard of. Every poster was sponsored by some sort of a dental accessories' manufacturer, and the receptionist asked me if I anticipated needing to set up a payment plan. I just shook my head, but not because I didn't think I would need one, but because I was shocked! I hadn't even seen the dentist, how was I supposed to know whether I could afford the bill.
Then I went in to see the dental hygienist, who treated me like a 3-year old. She politely informed me of THREE different products I could buy on my way out to help with the individual needs' of my teeth. No thank you. She then told me I would have to come back another time to see the dentist, since we had taken such a long time already. I said no, but no thanks. I didn't mind waiting for a while, but I was definitely NOT going to come back a second time (and pay another $20 co-pay!). If we were out of time, I would just leave without seeing the dentist, since I didn't have any dire dental emergencies anyways. I said this politely and non-threateningly, just matter-of-factly. All of a sudden a window of time opened up in the dentist's window. How convenient!
Almost 90 minutes after stepping foot into the front door I finally saw the dentist, who said that three of my teeth were in absolutely dire need of serious work. Really? None of them hurt... what's wrong? My two chipped front teeth apparently need to be redone as soon as humanly possible, and my chipped molar would need to be fixed even sooner than humanly possible to avert some kind of serious dental crisis.
I chipped my front teeth in 1993, and my molar in 1999. 16 and 10 years ago, respectively. I've seen at least three dentists with each of these teeth and they have all said the same thing: no need to do anything unless the teeth start giving me problems, or the look of my chipped teeth bothers me. No and No.
So after telling this newest dentist of mine that I had no interest in doing anything about my chipped teeth she looked at me as if I had told her I wasn't interested in fixing the life-threatening internal bleeding in my abdomen. But I said No. NO thank you.
She then pointed out four teeth that had cavities and said she would get a pre-certification from my insurance to see if they would pay anything to get those taken care of. Sure, go ahead. I'll let you fix my cavities, but I do think that it's a little strange that my insurance pays for four cavities per year and you found exactly four of them today...
I will be calling my dental insurer to inquire about costs/co-pay for fixing cavities and also to see if I can go to see a different dentist in my network without having to pay out of pocket. I walked out of that dentist's office utterly perplexed and appalled at how I had been bombarded with advertisements and tricked (unsuccessfully) into spending a pretty penny for something that is not as necessary as this lady told me it was. I can only liken this feeling of commercial onslaught to the horrors some people experience when they step foot onto a car sales lot.
Before I forget - the proverbial cherry on top of this dental visit was the TV blaring Dr. Phil in every room, an episode about children resulting from affairs and the corresponding child support. I asked the dental hygienist to turn it down and she turned it down about 0.001 notch and said something about how she enjoys Dr. Phil. *vomit*
Two weeks ago I had my first dentist appointment in almost two years, and I was mostly just a little mad at wasting two hours of my life on a dentist visit. A friend of mine had recommended this dentist to me, the office is within walking distance of school, and they take my insurance. So I went, with no negative or positive expectations and I was appalled.
The waiting room looked like a mall for teeth! Between your normal routine care poster reminders, there were advertisements for veneers, whitening procedures and other dental stuff I had never heard of. Every poster was sponsored by some sort of a dental accessories' manufacturer, and the receptionist asked me if I anticipated needing to set up a payment plan. I just shook my head, but not because I didn't think I would need one, but because I was shocked! I hadn't even seen the dentist, how was I supposed to know whether I could afford the bill.
Then I went in to see the dental hygienist, who treated me like a 3-year old. She politely informed me of THREE different products I could buy on my way out to help with the individual needs' of my teeth. No thank you. She then told me I would have to come back another time to see the dentist, since we had taken such a long time already. I said no, but no thanks. I didn't mind waiting for a while, but I was definitely NOT going to come back a second time (and pay another $20 co-pay!). If we were out of time, I would just leave without seeing the dentist, since I didn't have any dire dental emergencies anyways. I said this politely and non-threateningly, just matter-of-factly. All of a sudden a window of time opened up in the dentist's window. How convenient!
Almost 90 minutes after stepping foot into the front door I finally saw the dentist, who said that three of my teeth were in absolutely dire need of serious work. Really? None of them hurt... what's wrong? My two chipped front teeth apparently need to be redone as soon as humanly possible, and my chipped molar would need to be fixed even sooner than humanly possible to avert some kind of serious dental crisis.
I chipped my front teeth in 1993, and my molar in 1999. 16 and 10 years ago, respectively. I've seen at least three dentists with each of these teeth and they have all said the same thing: no need to do anything unless the teeth start giving me problems, or the look of my chipped teeth bothers me. No and No.
So after telling this newest dentist of mine that I had no interest in doing anything about my chipped teeth she looked at me as if I had told her I wasn't interested in fixing the life-threatening internal bleeding in my abdomen. But I said No. NO thank you.
She then pointed out four teeth that had cavities and said she would get a pre-certification from my insurance to see if they would pay anything to get those taken care of. Sure, go ahead. I'll let you fix my cavities, but I do think that it's a little strange that my insurance pays for four cavities per year and you found exactly four of them today...
I will be calling my dental insurer to inquire about costs/co-pay for fixing cavities and also to see if I can go to see a different dentist in my network without having to pay out of pocket. I walked out of that dentist's office utterly perplexed and appalled at how I had been bombarded with advertisements and tricked (unsuccessfully) into spending a pretty penny for something that is not as necessary as this lady told me it was. I can only liken this feeling of commercial onslaught to the horrors some people experience when they step foot onto a car sales lot.
Before I forget - the proverbial cherry on top of this dental visit was the TV blaring Dr. Phil in every room, an episode about children resulting from affairs and the corresponding child support. I asked the dental hygienist to turn it down and she turned it down about 0.001 notch and said something about how she enjoys Dr. Phil. *vomit*
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Oh, Canada
Tomorrow I am doing something I have not done in a long time (8 years is my best guess).
I am going to go to a tourist-y place, stay at a very nice hotel, have a fabulous dinner at this hotel, and then breakfast before seeing the sights (read: ride that boat that goes to the falls). I am going to spend the day/night in Niagara Falls with my mom tomorrow. The hotel, dinner, breakfast and parking will probably amount to 1.5 weeks' pay, which doesn't say much, since I'm on a stipend, but I just don't do extravagant things like this.
When I go places, I try to find a free place to stay (a friend, a friend's friend), and I've even slept in my car to avoid shelling out money for a place to stay. Whenever possible I stay at hostels, but these are a little scarce across the US, unlike in Europe.
I spent 5 weeks in Spain last year and spent a total of $1500, including transportation (from another European country, so no cross-Atlantic flight), lodging, food, souvenirs, camera batteries, etc. That was probably the best trip I've ever taken. Where did I stay and what did I eat? That's another story for another day.
I don't do extravagant things but I will try my very hardest to enjoy a night in relative extravagance. It helps that my dad will be footing the bill, since the trip is mainly for my mom.
I am going to go to a tourist-y place, stay at a very nice hotel, have a fabulous dinner at this hotel, and then breakfast before seeing the sights (read: ride that boat that goes to the falls). I am going to spend the day/night in Niagara Falls with my mom tomorrow. The hotel, dinner, breakfast and parking will probably amount to 1.5 weeks' pay, which doesn't say much, since I'm on a stipend, but I just don't do extravagant things like this.
When I go places, I try to find a free place to stay (a friend, a friend's friend), and I've even slept in my car to avoid shelling out money for a place to stay. Whenever possible I stay at hostels, but these are a little scarce across the US, unlike in Europe.
I spent 5 weeks in Spain last year and spent a total of $1500, including transportation (from another European country, so no cross-Atlantic flight), lodging, food, souvenirs, camera batteries, etc. That was probably the best trip I've ever taken. Where did I stay and what did I eat? That's another story for another day.
I don't do extravagant things but I will try my very hardest to enjoy a night in relative extravagance. It helps that my dad will be footing the bill, since the trip is mainly for my mom.
Little things
I hung up some curtains yesterday and from the moment they were up it bothered me that I had attached the brackets holding up the rod to the frame of the window instead of the wall next to the window frame. I had trouble falling asleep, because I just kept staring at the curtains, since they were in my bedroom. So today I took them back down and put them back up. An hour of work to fix the two hours I did yesterday.
Little things can bother me so much that nothing else matters. They get under my skin.
Little things can bother me so much that nothing else matters. They get under my skin.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Scratchy
Having an itch is one of my least favorite sensations. It drives me crazy.
Today everything seems scratchy and itchy. The seams on my shirt are almost painful and my sweatshirt is not warm enough to keep me from being uncomfortably cold in this air-conditioned ice-box.
I can't wait to go home and put on soft, non-scratchy clothes.
Today everything seems scratchy and itchy. The seams on my shirt are almost painful and my sweatshirt is not warm enough to keep me from being uncomfortably cold in this air-conditioned ice-box.
I can't wait to go home and put on soft, non-scratchy clothes.
Old man in the corner
I sat in this waiting room yesterday for about 10 minutes, and about an hour later for another 5 minutes. An old man was sitting in the corner, wearing non-descript, drab grey and brown clothes, head lowered and hands leaning on his cane. He didn't respond to my "hello-s", or my "goodbye-s". He never flinched or moved, and as far as I could tell he didn't move in that hour I was gone either.
When was the last time I sat someplace without speaking or moving for an entire hour?
When was the last time I sat someplace without speaking or moving for an entire hour?
Monday, June 8, 2009
Full speed ahead
From the moment I got up today to the moment I go to sleep I will not have had any idle minutes (seconds probably). I jumped up with the first sound of my alarm and it was go, go, go all day with school/work, house, dinner at someone's house, picking out a sink and sink accessories at the store, laundry, brushing teeth, and very soon it's back to bed.
I had about 10 uninterrupted minutes of silence and idleness today, but that was in the waiting room of a doctor's office, so it wasn't like I was enjoying myself or sitting in the yard gazing at the greenery. It was the anticipation of awkwardness and uncomfortableness, so I was glad I only sat there for ten minutes.
Maybe tomorrow will bring a little bit more rest.
I had about 10 uninterrupted minutes of silence and idleness today, but that was in the waiting room of a doctor's office, so it wasn't like I was enjoying myself or sitting in the yard gazing at the greenery. It was the anticipation of awkwardness and uncomfortableness, so I was glad I only sat there for ten minutes.
Maybe tomorrow will bring a little bit more rest.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What real people do
I have this picture in my mind of what real people do.
Real people get up at the same time every day and eat breakfast.
Real people dress appropriately for work.
Real people eat lunch.
Real people go home at around the same time every day.
Real people eat dinner.
Real people have some leisure time in the evening.
Real people go to bed at a decent hour.
Real people do the dishes regularly.
Real people buy new clothes when their old ones are worn-out.
Real people spend some time with friends and family regularly.
Real people have hobbies that they tend to on a regular basis.
I don't do most of those things on any sort of regular basis. I get up at a different time each day and I eat at random times throughout the day. I don't do things a little bit or moderately. I either do them right and right now, or I don't do them at all.
People pick up a hobby. I decided to learn how to play the piano, and memorized entire leaflets of piano notes within a few months.
People have a plant or two. I planted about 30-some different plants, herbs and vegetables when I decided I wanted a plant.
I'm either going 180 mph or not at all. My car's roof is taped up with shiny, silver plumbing tape and an extra-thick black trash bag. I wear the same five shirts over and over and over again, and I've had most of them for at least 3 years. I buy multiple pairs of my favorite pants so I can wear them more often (read: every day). I probably own about 150 shirts and 50 pairs of pants/skirts/shorts, and I'm pretty sure that most of them haven't been worn more than a couple of times, if that.
Someone recently told me that my picture of real people is unrealistic. Hardly anyone has a routine that they follow to the t, and most people have a certain degree of chaos in their lives. I just feel that my life is more chaos than routine.
I have a feeling that owning a house and having a real, physical place to call home may help with the chaos in my life. I hope it doesn't make me boring.
Real people get up at the same time every day and eat breakfast.
Real people dress appropriately for work.
Real people eat lunch.
Real people go home at around the same time every day.
Real people eat dinner.
Real people have some leisure time in the evening.
Real people go to bed at a decent hour.
Real people do the dishes regularly.
Real people buy new clothes when their old ones are worn-out.
Real people spend some time with friends and family regularly.
Real people have hobbies that they tend to on a regular basis.
I don't do most of those things on any sort of regular basis. I get up at a different time each day and I eat at random times throughout the day. I don't do things a little bit or moderately. I either do them right and right now, or I don't do them at all.
People pick up a hobby. I decided to learn how to play the piano, and memorized entire leaflets of piano notes within a few months.
People have a plant or two. I planted about 30-some different plants, herbs and vegetables when I decided I wanted a plant.
I'm either going 180 mph or not at all. My car's roof is taped up with shiny, silver plumbing tape and an extra-thick black trash bag. I wear the same five shirts over and over and over again, and I've had most of them for at least 3 years. I buy multiple pairs of my favorite pants so I can wear them more often (read: every day). I probably own about 150 shirts and 50 pairs of pants/skirts/shorts, and I'm pretty sure that most of them haven't been worn more than a couple of times, if that.
Someone recently told me that my picture of real people is unrealistic. Hardly anyone has a routine that they follow to the t, and most people have a certain degree of chaos in their lives. I just feel that my life is more chaos than routine.
I have a feeling that owning a house and having a real, physical place to call home may help with the chaos in my life. I hope it doesn't make me boring.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
"We can see everything!"
Is what my across-the-street neighbors said about my lack of curtains.
Needless to say, I was appalled, both at the fact that people could see (no worries, nothing incriminating happened, I think), and that they would tell me so matter-of-factly. They even complimented my choice of color for the walls. I guess they could REALLY see.
I measured all the windows tonight and by mid-week every window that faces a neighbor will hopefully be adorned by some sort of view-obstructing piece of fabric.
Needless to say, I was appalled, both at the fact that people could see (no worries, nothing incriminating happened, I think), and that they would tell me so matter-of-factly. They even complimented my choice of color for the walls. I guess they could REALLY see.
I measured all the windows tonight and by mid-week every window that faces a neighbor will hopefully be adorned by some sort of view-obstructing piece of fabric.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Box Spring
Where I'm from there are no box springs. There are just beds and mattresses.
About a year ago I bought a brand-new bed with a box spring, and while the bed frame is absolutely great, the whole box spring and mattress combination left me wondering if I would have been better off spending my money on a platform-style bed.
The mattress seemed to sag, and despite my frequent and sometimes middle-of-the-night-frantic efforts at flipping and turning the mattress did not alleviate this problem. I was sad, because I had spent more money on that mattress than on a month's rent (add the bed and box spring and you're up to three months' rent. ouch), yet I woke up every morning with aches and pains.
For several months I had seriously considered buying a new mattress, but put it off, because I knew I would be moving sometime over the summer. So last week I moved, and the box spring for my queen-sized bed did not fit up the staircase. Four people tried, someone removed a window, things were shoved and pushed, but the box spring was not going anywhere. I was a little bit excited, because now I had an excuse to buy a new bed, or at least get rid of my mattress.
I actually went and looked at full-sized beds, but they are just a little short, so I mulled and moped for a few days until I realized that my mattress (now on the living room floor) was actually extremely comfortable! I concluded that the problem was NOT the super-expensive pillow-top mattress, but the box spring! So, I thought to myself, maybe I could transform my box-spring wood-frame bed into a platform bed! After consulting several handy men and women I set out with a plan and measurements, and with the wood cutting department at the home improvement store that is not orange, I soon found myself in my bedroom with a pile of 2x6's and some plywood. After two hours, my mom and I had successfully converted my bed into a platform bed and I dare say it looks good!
Unfortunately there are no pictures of the process because my camera is on an extended vacation. I will post pictures of the end result.
Cost of the conversion: $80 in lumber and screws
The averted costs of new mattress and/or new bed: $1000+
Having the neighbors think that you're crazy with all the wood bashing and drilling at 10pm: priceless.
About a year ago I bought a brand-new bed with a box spring, and while the bed frame is absolutely great, the whole box spring and mattress combination left me wondering if I would have been better off spending my money on a platform-style bed.
The mattress seemed to sag, and despite my frequent and sometimes middle-of-the-night-frantic efforts at flipping and turning the mattress did not alleviate this problem. I was sad, because I had spent more money on that mattress than on a month's rent (add the bed and box spring and you're up to three months' rent. ouch), yet I woke up every morning with aches and pains.
For several months I had seriously considered buying a new mattress, but put it off, because I knew I would be moving sometime over the summer. So last week I moved, and the box spring for my queen-sized bed did not fit up the staircase. Four people tried, someone removed a window, things were shoved and pushed, but the box spring was not going anywhere. I was a little bit excited, because now I had an excuse to buy a new bed, or at least get rid of my mattress.
I actually went and looked at full-sized beds, but they are just a little short, so I mulled and moped for a few days until I realized that my mattress (now on the living room floor) was actually extremely comfortable! I concluded that the problem was NOT the super-expensive pillow-top mattress, but the box spring! So, I thought to myself, maybe I could transform my box-spring wood-frame bed into a platform bed! After consulting several handy men and women I set out with a plan and measurements, and with the wood cutting department at the home improvement store that is not orange, I soon found myself in my bedroom with a pile of 2x6's and some plywood. After two hours, my mom and I had successfully converted my bed into a platform bed and I dare say it looks good!
Unfortunately there are no pictures of the process because my camera is on an extended vacation. I will post pictures of the end result.
Cost of the conversion: $80 in lumber and screws
The averted costs of new mattress and/or new bed: $1000+
Having the neighbors think that you're crazy with all the wood bashing and drilling at 10pm: priceless.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Things I will miss...
and things I will NOT miss about living in the apartment I lived in until last week and/or apartment life in general.
Things I will miss:
Things I will miss:
- my roommate (10 months and no arguments or fights!)
- the short walk to school
- the large semi-walk-in closet in my room
- my roommate's cats
- the large hallway closets
- my roommate's cats' fur and litter box
- not being able to paint the walls or make any other "major" changes to the place
- the tiny bathroom
- the turquoise tiles in the bathroom
- the lack of counter space in the kitchen
- the lack of ample kitchen cabinetry
- the fruit flies that came with my indoor gardening
- the gas stove with a giant food-devouring hole around each burner
- the extra short toilet
- the smell of cigarette smoke downstairs and in the elevator
- the maintenance men walking in 2 seconds after knocking on the door without waiting to see if anybody was home
- the elevator door that regularly jammed into my (insert appendage or body part here)
- having to drag my bike up and down the stairs from the basement
- paying $1 for laundry and $0.75 for the dryer
- paying another $0.75 for the dryer because the first round didn't actually dry anything
- having permanent stains on my clothes because the washers were so old and inefficient
- having to wait 3 hours to do laundry because everyone else was also doing laundry
- finding my freshly washed and mostly dried clothes on the nasty couch next to the washers
- being scolded by the ladies in the landlord's office for changing my own light bulbs
- handing half my monthly pay over to the landlord
- dead bugs in the cheap-o light fixtures
- the lack of dishwasher
- the nails that stuck up from the hardwood floor and ruined almost every pair of socks I have, and one pair of long pants!
- waiting 5 minutes for the hot water to come on
- the lack of a fan in the bathroom and the subsequent mold/mildew
- the lack of control over the heating system (I wore shorts around the apartment ALL winter long, even when it was below zero outside)
- the fear of never seeing my security deposit (two months' rent) again (the lady in the office assured me yesterday that I'd be getting it all back, most likely... I'll believe it when I see it)
- getting mail addressed to every person who has lived in the apartment over the past 20 years or so
- having someone over only to hear them say "these two weird girls lived here last year, they had the same couch you guys have, and ya, they were strange".
- the constant feeling of impermanence and lack of a true home.
Tired
This week has been just one thing: tiring. I wake up tired, I go to bed tired, and in between I just work, work, work, and then work some more.
I have a big presentation at school tomorrow, and the preparations for it have been exhausting (mentally), and when I'm not preparing for the presentation I'm trying to get things in order at the house, and when I'm not doing either of those things I'm out trying to find some part to some thing in the house that needs fixing. I also have another project due Friday, and by the looks of it, it won't get done unless I pull an all-nighter tomorrow. Judging by my current state, that will not happen, which means I'll be working on that over the weekend. And on Monday I start work in my permanent "lab home" for the next 4 or so years.
I'm tired.
I have a big presentation at school tomorrow, and the preparations for it have been exhausting (mentally), and when I'm not preparing for the presentation I'm trying to get things in order at the house, and when I'm not doing either of those things I'm out trying to find some part to some thing in the house that needs fixing. I also have another project due Friday, and by the looks of it, it won't get done unless I pull an all-nighter tomorrow. Judging by my current state, that will not happen, which means I'll be working on that over the weekend. And on Monday I start work in my permanent "lab home" for the next 4 or so years.
I'm tired.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The programmable thermostat works!
How do I know? I had to turn on the heat, because it is 40 degrees outside.And who needs heating vents anyways.
Coming attractions for the next two days: electrician and professional painter (for the convoluted hallways).
Saturday, May 30, 2009
What to do when you see a U-H.aul truck
Drive the other way. FAST.
The biggest thing I had driven before Friday was a minivan. I drive a fairly small hatchback-type car, and I am neither the greatest nor the most precise driver on the road. In fact, I am a little surprised I have never gotten into a real accident, or gotten a speeding ticket. I will readily admit to frequently eating while driving or talking on the phone while driving. Sometimes both at the same time, while speeding.
On Friday I drove a 14 foot moving truck, and the first thing I did was drive up a one way street. the wrong way. I didn't turn around, it was only a block.
Then I drove 25mph on a 40mph road, but I was too scared to change lanes so I drove in the left-most lane with cars flying by me on my right side.
Pulling into the driveway I took out some shrubbery in my neighbor's front yard.
If I had gone another 5 inches up the driveway I would have taken down the electrical wiring that runs between he house and the garage, and since the garage has a very visible left-ward slant (also the side the wires are attached on), that may have resulted in the demise of the garage.
Then I realized the truck would have to be backed out of the driveway.
At last I handed the key to someone else and decided that I would be the worst truck driver. ever.
PS: the neighbors said that they were not overly attached to their shrubbery, and I'm pretty sure they are not plotting a revenge.
The biggest thing I had driven before Friday was a minivan. I drive a fairly small hatchback-type car, and I am neither the greatest nor the most precise driver on the road. In fact, I am a little surprised I have never gotten into a real accident, or gotten a speeding ticket. I will readily admit to frequently eating while driving or talking on the phone while driving. Sometimes both at the same time, while speeding.
On Friday I drove a 14 foot moving truck, and the first thing I did was drive up a one way street. the wrong way. I didn't turn around, it was only a block.
Then I drove 25mph on a 40mph road, but I was too scared to change lanes so I drove in the left-most lane with cars flying by me on my right side.
Pulling into the driveway I took out some shrubbery in my neighbor's front yard.
If I had gone another 5 inches up the driveway I would have taken down the electrical wiring that runs between he house and the garage, and since the garage has a very visible left-ward slant (also the side the wires are attached on), that may have resulted in the demise of the garage.
Then I realized the truck would have to be backed out of the driveway.
At last I handed the key to someone else and decided that I would be the worst truck driver. ever.
PS: the neighbors said that they were not overly attached to their shrubbery, and I'm pretty sure they are not plotting a revenge.
The Move
...is done.
I slept at the house for the first time last night (on my mattress, in the living room, because I can't get the box spring up the stairs, despite the all-out efforts of the volunteer movers that were compensated with pizza, wings and soda).
There are boxes stacked up in the dining room and the office, and there are no light fixtures yet. Tomorrow I am going to buy some more light fixtures and on Monday or Tuesday someone will hang them up. That someone will not be me. I spent the better part of 3 days fooling around with light fixtures, and eventually moved on to installing the programmable thermostat. I'm not sure if it's wired correctly, I'll have the electrician look at it.
The office is yellow,
My bedroom is green (after a pretty horrid detour from the original dark grey to neon purple).
The living room is tan-ish.
The dining room is brown-ish.
The bathroom is light yellow.
The kitchen will be green (a different shade than it currently is).
The hallway will be tan. maybe. the painter is coming on Monday or Tuesday.
The porch is still shades of gray, but that is a temporary state.
The people at the paint store know me by name now and ask me how the last color I bought turned out. I think my ceaseless painting needs will allow at least one of their children to go to college now. Paint is not cheap.
I installed all but three light switches today. I'm down to about 5 minutes per light switch. I can also install an outlet in 5 minutes.
I am sitting in the dining room, next to the chandelier on the floor, and now I am going to walk over to the living room and plop onto my bed. Good night.
I slept at the house for the first time last night (on my mattress, in the living room, because I can't get the box spring up the stairs, despite the all-out efforts of the volunteer movers that were compensated with pizza, wings and soda).
There are boxes stacked up in the dining room and the office, and there are no light fixtures yet. Tomorrow I am going to buy some more light fixtures and on Monday or Tuesday someone will hang them up. That someone will not be me. I spent the better part of 3 days fooling around with light fixtures, and eventually moved on to installing the programmable thermostat. I'm not sure if it's wired correctly, I'll have the electrician look at it.
The office is yellow,
My bedroom is green (after a pretty horrid detour from the original dark grey to neon purple).
The living room is tan-ish.
The dining room is brown-ish.
The bathroom is light yellow.
The kitchen will be green (a different shade than it currently is).
The hallway will be tan. maybe. the painter is coming on Monday or Tuesday.
The porch is still shades of gray, but that is a temporary state.
The people at the paint store know me by name now and ask me how the last color I bought turned out. I think my ceaseless painting needs will allow at least one of their children to go to college now. Paint is not cheap.
I installed all but three light switches today. I'm down to about 5 minutes per light switch. I can also install an outlet in 5 minutes.
I am sitting in the dining room, next to the chandelier on the floor, and now I am going to walk over to the living room and plop onto my bed. Good night.
Friday, May 22, 2009
You want to clean what?
My mom has arrived, minus luggage at first, but that didn't keep her from making me drive to W.almart, L.owe's and AT.&T store the minute I got out of school today. She bought every conceivable cleaning agent and many cleaning utensils at W.almart, claiming that one really does need a glove that looks like a mixture between a shag rug and wet cookie monster to clean properly. By the time we walked out of Lowe's I was ready to just stop, drop and sleep. I am already exhausted and we haven't done anything to the house yet!!
To start my mom's 3.5-week stay in style we are going camping this weekend, well fake-camping at a camp with cabins, but no electricity! I really look forward to the green and quiet, and the smells of the country and the woods.
Happy Weekend!
To start my mom's 3.5-week stay in style we are going camping this weekend, well fake-camping at a camp with cabins, but no electricity! I really look forward to the green and quiet, and the smells of the country and the woods.
Happy Weekend!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Everything for sale
I answered an ad on craigslist for "everything for sale - moving to CA" today, and a few hours later I went to these people's house. They had a beautiful home filled with beautiful new things, a spectacularly well-outfitted kitchen (really awful, cheap, mass-produced cabinets though), solid furniture and high-end electronics. And they're selling everything except the two dogs. The guy was very specific. NO DOGS FOR SALE. Good, because those dogs were slobbering all over my legs and feet.
The guy said that he and his wife (both lawyers, which explains the incredibly nice stuff) got married 6 months ago, and furnished the house and also got tons of stuff for their wedding. I took a tour of the house, and while I didn't particularly like their taste in furniture (very yuppie, minimalistic, urban, hip) they had some very nice kitchen things. He admitted that they cook dinner maybe twice a month, so most of the pots and pans had never been used. They weren't selling the stuff quite yet, because they would still need some of it, so he said he would get back to me with prices, and then I can come get it in 1-2 weeks if I want it.
I told him to give me a price on the following things:
-kitchen stools
-lawn mower
-hedge trimmers
-garden hose & trolley
-snow shovel
-weed whacker
-pots & pans
-dishes
-Pyrex dishes (a whole set of them)
-crock pot
-microwave
-toaster oven
I hope they don't ask for outrageous amounts of money for these things. It would be awfully convenient to just pick all these things up in one place, rather than spend the rest of the summer lurking around garage sales. And now that I think about it I should have asked him for prices on the glasses (yes, drinking glasses, I have no shame when it comes to using cheap not-new things), the snow blower, the tool box with the tools and the coat rack. I also think the guy thought I was crazy, because I asked about the dishes. He admitted that they didn't think that they could sell those (as in, who would want to buy used dishes?!). I would!!
The guy said that he and his wife (both lawyers, which explains the incredibly nice stuff) got married 6 months ago, and furnished the house and also got tons of stuff for their wedding. I took a tour of the house, and while I didn't particularly like their taste in furniture (very yuppie, minimalistic, urban, hip) they had some very nice kitchen things. He admitted that they cook dinner maybe twice a month, so most of the pots and pans had never been used. They weren't selling the stuff quite yet, because they would still need some of it, so he said he would get back to me with prices, and then I can come get it in 1-2 weeks if I want it.
I told him to give me a price on the following things:
-kitchen stools
-lawn mower
-hedge trimmers
-garden hose & trolley
-snow shovel
-weed whacker
-pots & pans
-dishes
-Pyrex dishes (a whole set of them)
-crock pot
-microwave
-toaster oven
I hope they don't ask for outrageous amounts of money for these things. It would be awfully convenient to just pick all these things up in one place, rather than spend the rest of the summer lurking around garage sales. And now that I think about it I should have asked him for prices on the glasses (yes, drinking glasses, I have no shame when it comes to using cheap not-new things), the snow blower, the tool box with the tools and the coat rack. I also think the guy thought I was crazy, because I asked about the dishes. He admitted that they didn't think that they could sell those (as in, who would want to buy used dishes?!). I would!!
Frustration
I know it's a bit early in the game for frustration to settle in, but I had a few pull-my-hair-out-moments today. None of them were major disasters (at least not yet), but each one is a potentially time-consuming, and in the worst case, expensive problem I will have to hire someone to fix.
I can't get the drain pipe out of the hot water tank. I can't turn the tank on until I get the drain pipe out, buy a replacement pipe (the current one is missing a valve) and install the new pipe. I really don't want to call a plumber just to unscrew a pipe that some Hercules screwed on. (good news, sort of, is that there may be more work for this plumber - read on)
I managed to turn on the water, with some help from the water company guy (very helpful!!), but for some reason, there is NO water in the shower. I started to take the shower apart, but stopped after a few minutes, because I was afraid water would come gushing out at me.
I bought and installed hoses for the washer, but I can't test the washer because the outlet doesn't work. There is no other outlet within easy reach. That means I have to install a whole new outlet, possibly from scratch from the breaker box, which is, luckily, only 10 feet away.
The dryer works, but there are coils or something else inside the back of the drum that get glowing red hot. I do not want glowing red hot coils near my clothes.
On the up-side, the hardwood guys started their work today. However, it seems that their day went sort of like mine. What they thought would be some simple weaving in of some new boards turned into the construction of two new pieces of support brackets for the floor. It took them 4 hours to construct these brackets, and the highlight of my day was that they are NOT going to charge me for that work :) I saw them put the first coat of polyurethane on and the floors look AMAZING! I'm so glad I decided to have them refinished instead of throwing some carpet down.
So today's tally is:
-one non-functioning water-heater
-one dangerous non-usable dryer
-one questionable washer
-one non-functioning shower
The things I was afraid to touch today:
-the furnace and the corresponding non-existent thermostat
-the sump pump that is submerged in its hole, and plugged into a non-functioning outlet.
And that reminds me that I left all the breakers ON at the house, and that most of the electrical wiring is iffy right now. Gotta go!!!
PS: I went and turned off the electricity. I also realized I hadn't locked the front door or the side door. A little while ago I realized I left the kitchen windows open.
PPS: I just bought a new washer and a new dryer (online, I did look at them at the store a few weeks back though). the old ones are listed for free on craigslist. I realized that I really didn't want to use a dirty, potentially dangerous dryer and an equally sketchy washer. Even if they had worked, I would have replaced them before the year was out. Now I'm happy. My budget, however, can't take ANY more major hits like this!!
PPPS: If I wasn't so tired I'd post some pictures of the hardwood floor, but I can barely move.
I can't get the drain pipe out of the hot water tank. I can't turn the tank on until I get the drain pipe out, buy a replacement pipe (the current one is missing a valve) and install the new pipe. I really don't want to call a plumber just to unscrew a pipe that some Hercules screwed on. (good news, sort of, is that there may be more work for this plumber - read on)
I managed to turn on the water, with some help from the water company guy (very helpful!!), but for some reason, there is NO water in the shower. I started to take the shower apart, but stopped after a few minutes, because I was afraid water would come gushing out at me.
I bought and installed hoses for the washer, but I can't test the washer because the outlet doesn't work. There is no other outlet within easy reach. That means I have to install a whole new outlet, possibly from scratch from the breaker box, which is, luckily, only 10 feet away.
The dryer works, but there are coils or something else inside the back of the drum that get glowing red hot. I do not want glowing red hot coils near my clothes.
On the up-side, the hardwood guys started their work today. However, it seems that their day went sort of like mine. What they thought would be some simple weaving in of some new boards turned into the construction of two new pieces of support brackets for the floor. It took them 4 hours to construct these brackets, and the highlight of my day was that they are NOT going to charge me for that work :) I saw them put the first coat of polyurethane on and the floors look AMAZING! I'm so glad I decided to have them refinished instead of throwing some carpet down.
So today's tally is:
-one non-functioning water-heater
-one dangerous non-usable dryer
-one questionable washer
-one non-functioning shower
The things I was afraid to touch today:
-the furnace and the corresponding non-existent thermostat
-the sump pump that is submerged in its hole, and plugged into a non-functioning outlet.
And that reminds me that I left all the breakers ON at the house, and that most of the electrical wiring is iffy right now. Gotta go!!!
PS: I went and turned off the electricity. I also realized I hadn't locked the front door or the side door. A little while ago I realized I left the kitchen windows open.
PPS: I just bought a new washer and a new dryer (online, I did look at them at the store a few weeks back though). the old ones are listed for free on craigslist. I realized that I really didn't want to use a dirty, potentially dangerous dryer and an equally sketchy washer. Even if they had worked, I would have replaced them before the year was out. Now I'm happy. My budget, however, can't take ANY more major hits like this!!
PPPS: If I wasn't so tired I'd post some pictures of the hardwood floor, but I can barely move.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Hardwood Floor Windows
I officially took possession of my new old house on Friday, and the first thing I did was run for cover. I spent the weekend visiting friends, knowing it would probably be about 2 months until I would be able to spend a weekend there again.
Today, however, it's back to reality and the joys of home-ownership are starting to creep up on me. OK. They're hitting me like a moving train. I have a few appointments today for various people to come to the house for various estimates and such. 8am, 4.30pm, 5pm, 5.30pm and between 5 and 9pm. I met someone at the house at 8am this morning and started showing him the hardwood floors in need of refinishing, asking if I should pull up the tacks from the former carpet. He looked at me, slightly puzzled, and said "I'm here to look at some windows."
I'm just hoping the other people coming today know what they're there for, or I just might end up asking the "home energy assessor" (aka. insulation guy) to please change my locks. Who knows, maybe he'll do it!?
Today, however, it's back to reality and the joys of home-ownership are starting to creep up on me. OK. They're hitting me like a moving train. I have a few appointments today for various people to come to the house for various estimates and such. 8am, 4.30pm, 5pm, 5.30pm and between 5 and 9pm. I met someone at the house at 8am this morning and started showing him the hardwood floors in need of refinishing, asking if I should pull up the tacks from the former carpet. He looked at me, slightly puzzled, and said "I'm here to look at some windows."
I'm just hoping the other people coming today know what they're there for, or I just might end up asking the "home energy assessor" (aka. insulation guy) to please change my locks. Who knows, maybe he'll do it!?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
My not-so-secret Obsession
I don't watch much TV, mostly due to the fact that I don't have any cable, or any other kind of TV hook-up. Just DVDs, and those I watch mostly on my computer. This lack of TV has not kept me from becoming mildly (OK. totally) obsessed with a TV show.
I know TV and life are separate and that things on TV are not what happens in real life. The characters on this show are real though (sh*t up and don't tell me otherwise, pleeeeaaase), and I frequently talk about them as if they were real, mainly with fellow-obsessors.
I readily admit to this obsession, even though this show has quite a bit (OK. a LOT) of content that I find morally objectionable. And just so you know where exactly I draw my moral line, the show is Grey's Anatomy.
And now I have to go. The two-episode season finale is on tonight, and I have to find someone with a TV and cable so I can watch it.
I know TV and life are separate and that things on TV are not what happens in real life. The characters on this show are real though (sh*t up and don't tell me otherwise, pleeeeaaase), and I frequently talk about them as if they were real, mainly with fellow-obsessors.
I readily admit to this obsession, even though this show has quite a bit (OK. a LOT) of content that I find morally objectionable. And just so you know where exactly I draw my moral line, the show is Grey's Anatomy.
And now I have to go. The two-episode season finale is on tonight, and I have to find someone with a TV and cable so I can watch it.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
New Used Furniture
Furniture is insanely expensive. Who has the money to spend $500, $600, or even $1000 on a dining room table with chairs? My house came without furniture (which is OK), and I own very little furniture (bed, dresser, desk, office chair, wooden chair, two bookshelves). The large private University in town recently ended the spring semester, and the exodus of students left behind a lot of furniture. I've been craigslisting and garage sale-ing to find a dining room table with chairs, one or two couches, a coffee table, shelving and whatever other cool furniture I can find.
Yesterday I got a (potentially very) nice hutch/bar for the kitchen with some stools, a coffee table and a TV with a built-in DVD player - all for less than $100 (combined). The hutch needs a good cleaning, some paint and some refinishing, but I like it a lot. It's stored in someone's garage for the week, so no pictures yet, but I'll be sure to post some before and after pics. So exciting. I really enjoy refinishing/fixing up furniture.
I do still need a dining room table and a couch or two, but it's not super urgent, since I have about two weeks until I can move any furniture into the house.
Yesterday I got a (potentially very) nice hutch/bar for the kitchen with some stools, a coffee table and a TV with a built-in DVD player - all for less than $100 (combined). The hutch needs a good cleaning, some paint and some refinishing, but I like it a lot. It's stored in someone's garage for the week, so no pictures yet, but I'll be sure to post some before and after pics. So exciting. I really enjoy refinishing/fixing up furniture.
I do still need a dining room table and a couch or two, but it's not super urgent, since I have about two weeks until I can move any furniture into the house.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Mother of all To Do Lists
I like lists. I frequently make lists, and unless I lose them they usually come in handy. Most of my lists are small. groceries, clothes, household items, errands.
Now, however, I have to make a much bigger list.
Things I have to do/have done to make my new house livable.
-replace two windows in the kitchen
-refinish hardwood floor in living + dining room
-install lamps in every room
-install outlet covers on every outlet
-paint kitchen
-paint living room
-paint dining room
-paint bedroom x 3
-install kitchen cabinets and counter-top, and kitchen shelving
-install dishwasher
-install range hood (possibly with microwave)
-install light switches
-install thermostat(s)
-install heating vents
-buy and put in two doors
-till a portion of the garden to plant vegetables
-plant garden
-mow lawn and tame the crazy hedges
*-insulate attic, possibly the whole house
*-put up curtains/blinds
*-cosmetic touch-ups in the bathroom
*-replace washer & dryer
*-replace one outside door
*-paint front porch
*-find cheap furniture (craigslist, garage sales, unwanted furniture from the side of the road, etc.)
(items marked * are optional and/or non-urgent and may happen if there's room in the budget after all essentials have been completed)
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, and whatever it is, I hope it's not a big item.
Just looking at this list makes me want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep for a few weeks. I will hire someone else to do the bigger things (hardwood floors, kitchen, windows, insulation), but everything else will be done by me and my mother when she comes to visit. She's a good painter, and also much less messy than I am. She's also a very motivated person, and I know there won't be much idleness and relaxing until that list is worked off.
Now all I have to do is wait for closing day, and then the madness can commence.
Now, however, I have to make a much bigger list.
Things I have to do/have done to make my new house livable.
-replace two windows in the kitchen
-refinish hardwood floor in living + dining room
-install lamps in every room
-install outlet covers on every outlet
-paint kitchen
-paint living room
-paint dining room
-paint bedroom x 3
-install kitchen cabinets and counter-top, and kitchen shelving
-install dishwasher
-install range hood (possibly with microwave)
-install light switches
-install thermostat(s)
-install heating vents
-buy and put in two doors
-till a portion of the garden to plant vegetables
-plant garden
-mow lawn and tame the crazy hedges
*-insulate attic, possibly the whole house
*-put up curtains/blinds
*-cosmetic touch-ups in the bathroom
*-replace washer & dryer
*-replace one outside door
*-paint front porch
*-find cheap furniture (craigslist, garage sales, unwanted furniture from the side of the road, etc.)
(items marked * are optional and/or non-urgent and may happen if there's room in the budget after all essentials have been completed)
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, and whatever it is, I hope it's not a big item.
Just looking at this list makes me want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep for a few weeks. I will hire someone else to do the bigger things (hardwood floors, kitchen, windows, insulation), but everything else will be done by me and my mother when she comes to visit. She's a good painter, and also much less messy than I am. She's also a very motivated person, and I know there won't be much idleness and relaxing until that list is worked off.
Now all I have to do is wait for closing day, and then the madness can commence.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Busy hands make pink dragons
That's right. I've taken my crocheting into the third dimension. I can only make so many potholders, so I found a pattern for a dragon here.
Dragon exploring the living room.
And exploring the jungle.
In the near future the pink dragon will be relocating to live with a three year-old, who will take much better care of it than I ever could, being at school all day and all..
The pieces of dragon.
Dragon exploring the living room.
And exploring the jungle.
In the near future the pink dragon will be relocating to live with a three year-old, who will take much better care of it than I ever could, being at school all day and all..
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Colliding Worlds
I live far away from my family (parents, siblings, extended family), and I visit them about once a year. It's almost as if I had two separate lives - my life here, and my life (for a few weeks each year) in yester-land, where my parents live. These worlds are about to collide. My mother is coming to here-and-now-land to help me move. 3.5 weeks with my mother in a world she barely knows.
I just made my mom sound like she lives in a mud hut somewhere (nothing wrong with that!!), which she doesn't. She lives in a modern, western country and leads a very nice life. She just isn't used to the hustle and bustle and overly consumerist culture of the US, and the one time she visited (for a weekend) she commented on how much open land there is here. She visited some of the more populated states in the union, and the open land she saw was just the land she could see from the highway. She also saw Boston and was highly unimpressed. I guess US cities are not very exciting when you live in a city that has remnants built 5-some-thousand years ago.
Nevertheless, I plan on showing my mom around this part of the country a little, and the following things are on my agenda of possible things to do (other than move to the new house, paint every room and furnish a house for about $23, of course)
-NYC (it's so different from where she lives, she just might find it impressive)
-Niagara Falls
-camping (a very un-yester-land-like thing to do)
And the countdown for my mother to arrive from yester-land has begun. T-15 days.
I just made my mom sound like she lives in a mud hut somewhere (nothing wrong with that!!), which she doesn't. She lives in a modern, western country and leads a very nice life. She just isn't used to the hustle and bustle and overly consumerist culture of the US, and the one time she visited (for a weekend) she commented on how much open land there is here. She visited some of the more populated states in the union, and the open land she saw was just the land she could see from the highway. She also saw Boston and was highly unimpressed. I guess US cities are not very exciting when you live in a city that has remnants built 5-some-thousand years ago.
Nevertheless, I plan on showing my mom around this part of the country a little, and the following things are on my agenda of possible things to do (other than move to the new house, paint every room and furnish a house for about $23, of course)
-NYC (it's so different from where she lives, she just might find it impressive)
-Niagara Falls
-camping (a very un-yester-land-like thing to do)
And the countdown for my mother to arrive from yester-land has begun. T-15 days.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Consumerism Americana
On Sunday I went to seven stores (craft store, clothing stores, grocery store). I was looking for a handful of very particular things and found most of them at the first store, and then spent 3 hours looking for that one last elusive item. At the end I had wasted 3 hours, had not found what I was looking for and was most likely responsible for the death of a tree somewhere with all the gas I wasted.
Aggravated at not being able to find that one thing I was looking for (blue, 4-ply, worsted-weight cotton yarn, I really, really needed some. go ahead. call me crazy.), I realized before going to bed, that there is probably no other place in the world with more stores and more stuff more readily available at all hours of the day, no matter the day of the week. The grocery store (which carries many things that are not in fact edible) is open 24 hours, and whatever you can't get there, your favorite, large, evil megastore probably carries it (and how dare they close the changing rooms after 11pm!!).
If I was l iving in my hometown, yester-ville, my search for navy blue cotton yarn would have looked something like this:
Walk out the front door, take the bike if the weather is nice, otherwise walk into the town center. This involves walking across a bridge over river and walking up the cobble-stoned market square, which has probably been some sort of market square for many centuries (Roman artifacts that back to 3500BC, the town was first mentioned in records almost 800 years ago). Then I go into the old alley ways of the city, which house most of the stores and restaurants in this part of town. The craft store is next to a church, and a real bell rings when I walk in the door (the bell is rigged to the door with a pulley of some sort). The store is probably about 20x30 feet, and the walls are lined with wooden cubbyhole-shelves filled with balls of yarn. After asking for blue cotton yarn the lady either shakes her head and offers me some other shades of blue, or immediately pulls out a ball of navy blue cotton yarn. Then she writes a receipt by hand, asks me if I need a bag, and if yes, put the yarn in a paper bag. I leave with my yarn, pass by a church, walk down the market square, maybe have some ice cream, walk over the bridge, walk by another church, walk by the brewery and arrive back home after a 10 minute walk.
And, of course, the store is closed on Sundays, and after 5pm Monday through Friday, and after noon on Saturday, and during lunch. Wait. WHAT? That's it? I can only shop during business hours? Yes, and on weekends people go and see things like this:
Snow-covered flower pasture on a mountain just outside of yester-ville (April 2007)
Aggravated at not being able to find that one thing I was looking for (blue, 4-ply, worsted-weight cotton yarn, I really, really needed some. go ahead. call me crazy.), I realized before going to bed, that there is probably no other place in the world with more stores and more stuff more readily available at all hours of the day, no matter the day of the week. The grocery store (which carries many things that are not in fact edible) is open 24 hours, and whatever you can't get there, your favorite, large, evil megastore probably carries it (and how dare they close the changing rooms after 11pm!!).
If I was l iving in my hometown, yester-ville, my search for navy blue cotton yarn would have looked something like this:
Walk out the front door, take the bike if the weather is nice, otherwise walk into the town center. This involves walking across a bridge over river and walking up the cobble-stoned market square, which has probably been some sort of market square for many centuries (Roman artifacts that back to 3500BC, the town was first mentioned in records almost 800 years ago). Then I go into the old alley ways of the city, which house most of the stores and restaurants in this part of town. The craft store is next to a church, and a real bell rings when I walk in the door (the bell is rigged to the door with a pulley of some sort). The store is probably about 20x30 feet, and the walls are lined with wooden cubbyhole-shelves filled with balls of yarn. After asking for blue cotton yarn the lady either shakes her head and offers me some other shades of blue, or immediately pulls out a ball of navy blue cotton yarn. Then she writes a receipt by hand, asks me if I need a bag, and if yes, put the yarn in a paper bag. I leave with my yarn, pass by a church, walk down the market square, maybe have some ice cream, walk over the bridge, walk by another church, walk by the brewery and arrive back home after a 10 minute walk.
And, of course, the store is closed on Sundays, and after 5pm Monday through Friday, and after noon on Saturday, and during lunch. Wait. WHAT? That's it? I can only shop during business hours? Yes, and on weekends people go and see things like this:
Snow-covered flower pasture on a mountain just outside of yester-ville (April 2007)Saturday, May 2, 2009
Let me know if you need any help...
In less than two weeks I will be the proud owner of this 89 year-old house - an 89 year-old house that needs some TLC (read: for at least a couple of months, every free minute and spare penny will be spent on renovations).So far project house has taken up very little of my time. Over the last 4 weeks I have done the following:
- Finding a realtor: 1 hour (thanks to some awesome friends)
- Looking for a house before putting a (winning) bid on one: 5 hours
- Buying appliances: 3 hours
- Picking out kitchen cabinets and countertop: 10 hours
- Picking out colors, er, 200 different swatches of sample colors for all the rooms: 1 hour
- Search the internet for various ideas for cabinets, colors, etc.: 3 hours
Unfortunately (or fortunately, since I'm really excited) all this is about to hit the fan. Closing day is less than 2 weeks away and I had better hit the ground running! I hope the people who have offered to help (mainly with painting) realize I plan on taking every last one of them up on their offers of help.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Special friend
I don't make friends easily - I'm picky, and I'm not overly social. I have a few good friends, and everyone else is an acquaintance. Don't get me wrong, I like people (most of the time), and I do enjoy meeting people (most of the time), but it just takes a lot for me to call someone a good friend.
I have a special, sort of secret friend, I think. I used to work full-time as a translator and one client had a lot of collaborative projects I worked on, and it just happened that I was often paired up with this one lady. For these projects we would spend anywhere from 1 to 3 hours on the phone, and being from the same corner of the world, but both living far from that corner, we quickly found that we had a lot in common, even though she is more than twice my age. We've collaborated on about 20 projects and every time we get to talk to each other we catch each other up on our lives, and just enjoy chatting away in what we both consider out native language.
So there. I have a secret friend. We've discussed the possibility of a real-life visit, and considering that she lives in a fairly well-known town that I wouldn't mind visiting (we're talking driving distance!), that just may happen at some point. But for now she's my not-so-secret-anymore phone friend.
I have a special, sort of secret friend, I think. I used to work full-time as a translator and one client had a lot of collaborative projects I worked on, and it just happened that I was often paired up with this one lady. For these projects we would spend anywhere from 1 to 3 hours on the phone, and being from the same corner of the world, but both living far from that corner, we quickly found that we had a lot in common, even though she is more than twice my age. We've collaborated on about 20 projects and every time we get to talk to each other we catch each other up on our lives, and just enjoy chatting away in what we both consider out native language.
So there. I have a secret friend. We've discussed the possibility of a real-life visit, and considering that she lives in a fairly well-known town that I wouldn't mind visiting (we're talking driving distance!), that just may happen at some point. But for now she's my not-so-secret-anymore phone friend.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Busy hands
One of the most important people in my life once told me to keep my hands busy. I was dealing with some things and struggling with life in general, and everything just felt out of place and unsettled. He told me to keep my hands busy because busy hands are happy hands. It sounds so corny, but, for me at least, it's so very true.
I grew up in a far-away place with lots of mountains, and went to a tiny elementary school. Part of our old-school curriculum was needle work and crafts. By the time I was twelve years old I had learned to crochet (flat things, patterns), knit (socks, mittens, hats), stitch (cross-stitching and a slew of other stitches I'd be hard-pressed to remember now), sew (simple bags and simple clothing by hand and sewing machine), and make those knotted bracelets that never seem to go out of style with tweens. Add to this a mother who, before having children, was a needle work and crafts teacher herself.
I always loved making things with my hands and even as an adult I've crocheted blankets and knitted scarves, and done some sewing. However, it seems that I forget that I know how to do these things! I haven't crocheted anything in a year, and if it wasn't for my visit to a friend, who was doing some crocheting, I would have never thought of starting a project myself.
So off I went to buy some yarn and a crochet hook (all my knitting needles and crochet hooks seem to run away when I don't use them for months at a time...), and here is the fruit of my labor:
I grew up in a far-away place with lots of mountains, and went to a tiny elementary school. Part of our old-school curriculum was needle work and crafts. By the time I was twelve years old I had learned to crochet (flat things, patterns), knit (socks, mittens, hats), stitch (cross-stitching and a slew of other stitches I'd be hard-pressed to remember now), sew (simple bags and simple clothing by hand and sewing machine), and make those knotted bracelets that never seem to go out of style with tweens. Add to this a mother who, before having children, was a needle work and crafts teacher herself.
I always loved making things with my hands and even as an adult I've crocheted blankets and knitted scarves, and done some sewing. However, it seems that I forget that I know how to do these things! I haven't crocheted anything in a year, and if it wasn't for my visit to a friend, who was doing some crocheting, I would have never thought of starting a project myself.
So off I went to buy some yarn and a crochet hook (all my knitting needles and crochet hooks seem to run away when I don't use them for months at a time...), and here is the fruit of my labor:
The pattern is completely accidental, as the yarn was multicolored. I used 100% cotton yarn.
Rag #2 and the giant roll of yarn.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Life without a kitchen
In 4 short weeks I will be moving out of my apartment and into the house, no matter what kind of state the house is in. I hope I can have the downstairs hardwood floor refinished before then, and the kitchen painted. However, there definitely will not be a kitchen in the house yet. Cabinets take 4 weeks to order, and countertop takes 4, sometimes even 5 weeks. I am also very hesitant to order the cabinets and countertop before I've closed on the house, because you never know what might happen.
So, the bottom line is that I will be without a kitchen for about 2 weeks. I can't afford to eat out for every meal (my eating out budget is one dollar per day, which equals about 3-4 lower end eat-out occasions per month or 1 to 2 higher end occasions). I can't go to someone's house every day to eat, and I also can't use someone else's kitchen to cook.
I've tried to come up with a list of things one can eat without a stove, fridge and microwave. Basically, what can one eat without a kitchen? (luckily there is a sink in the bathroom)
Just the sight of that list is making me hungry (as in - I don't want to eat those things for 2 weeks, so I'll probably end up being really hungry).
So, the bottom line is that I will be without a kitchen for about 2 weeks. I can't afford to eat out for every meal (my eating out budget is one dollar per day, which equals about 3-4 lower end eat-out occasions per month or 1 to 2 higher end occasions). I can't go to someone's house every day to eat, and I also can't use someone else's kitchen to cook.
I've tried to come up with a list of things one can eat without a stove, fridge and microwave. Basically, what can one eat without a kitchen? (luckily there is a sink in the bathroom)
- ketchup (does NOT need to be refrigerated)
- bread
- peanut butter (am I the only person who finds PB revolting?
- jam
- food that comes in a bag and is horribly unhealthy (chips, oreos, pretzels, etc.)
- fruit
- vegetables (if eaten fairly quickly after buying them)
Just the sight of that list is making me hungry (as in - I don't want to eat those things for 2 weeks, so I'll probably end up being really hungry).
Monday, April 27, 2009
Some things are just more important
This past weekend I had about four minutes of me-time, when I was able to do whatever I wanted to do to my own pleasing. I got up at 5am on Saturday and at 6.30am on Sunday. On a school day you'd have a hard time finding me awake anytime before 7.30am.
By the time Sunday evening rolled around I was barely able to keep my eyes open anymore, but I did not regret a single thing I had done over the weekend. I saw friends I only get to see a few times a year, held babies, prepared food, comforted a sick friend, celebrated a child's birthday and spent time with people I care about very much. Reading, laying out in the sun and watching TV took a backseat, but they were not missed.
I tend to go through life wishing I had more time in a day, or wishing it wasn't that late yet, or wishing I could sleep just a little bit longer. My pining for more time is rarely ever a pining for more time to do things for other people, but usually it's me wanting more time to do what *I* want to do.
This weekend I wanted to sleep, watch a movie, eat some good food, have fun, spend time outside, and just relax. I did sleep (a little), I did watch a movie (sporadically, from the kitchen), I did eat (with friends, and cooked for them), I did have fun (playing a character in a very impromptu skit in front of about 100 people), I did spend time outside (walking across parking lots mostly, and soothing a baby in the quiet shade), and I did relax (sitting with a sick friend).
And my approximately four minutes of me-time were spent doing, well, never mind, I'm pretty sure I was asleep for most of those four minutes.
By the time Sunday evening rolled around I was barely able to keep my eyes open anymore, but I did not regret a single thing I had done over the weekend. I saw friends I only get to see a few times a year, held babies, prepared food, comforted a sick friend, celebrated a child's birthday and spent time with people I care about very much. Reading, laying out in the sun and watching TV took a backseat, but they were not missed.
I tend to go through life wishing I had more time in a day, or wishing it wasn't that late yet, or wishing I could sleep just a little bit longer. My pining for more time is rarely ever a pining for more time to do things for other people, but usually it's me wanting more time to do what *I* want to do.
This weekend I wanted to sleep, watch a movie, eat some good food, have fun, spend time outside, and just relax. I did sleep (a little), I did watch a movie (sporadically, from the kitchen), I did eat (with friends, and cooked for them), I did have fun (playing a character in a very impromptu skit in front of about 100 people), I did spend time outside (walking across parking lots mostly, and soothing a baby in the quiet shade), and I did relax (sitting with a sick friend).
And my approximately four minutes of me-time were spent doing, well, never mind, I'm pretty sure I was asleep for most of those four minutes.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Chocolate cheesecake
My latest baking adventure:
Chocolate cheesecake with a crust of crushed Oreos. I ate one piece for breakfast and one for dinner. I gave two pieces away to a friend who had a baby this week, and I cut the rest into individual servings, put them in plastic bags and stuck them in the freezer.
Cheesecake is just about the ultimate dessert to me. I like it best when it's ice cold, right out of the freezer and barely thawed. Almost like ultra-rich ice-cream. Last semester I would treat myself to a piece of store-bought cheesecake after a completed exam, and I spent about $1.50 per piece of cheesecake! Never doing that again...
I got the recipe from the back of a Baker's semi-sweet box of eight individually wrapped 1-oz. squares of baking chocolate.
Chocolate cheesecake with a crust of crushed Oreos. I ate one piece for breakfast and one for dinner. I gave two pieces away to a friend who had a baby this week, and I cut the rest into individual servings, put them in plastic bags and stuck them in the freezer.Cheesecake is just about the ultimate dessert to me. I like it best when it's ice cold, right out of the freezer and barely thawed. Almost like ultra-rich ice-cream. Last semester I would treat myself to a piece of store-bought cheesecake after a completed exam, and I spent about $1.50 per piece of cheesecake! Never doing that again...
I got the recipe from the back of a Baker's semi-sweet box of eight individually wrapped 1-oz. squares of baking chocolate.
Kitchen
The house I recently bought, and am waiting to close on, came without a kitchen. No appliances, no cabinets, no sink - just walls, windows, a water pipe and a gas pipe. I knew that there was no kitchen when I put a bid on the house, so I knew what I was in for. Here is the kitchen in all it's stuff-less glory:
Over the course of the past two weeks I have spent a total of almost 9 hours at two different kitchen planning places. One was a large, national DIY home improvement store (not the orange one...), and the other one was a specialized, local kitchen and bathroom place. I enjoyed the service at both places. The atmosphere was admittedly a little more ritzy at the small local place, whereas the prices were better at the large chain.
I could launch into a tirade on buying local and supporting the local economy, but the bottom line is: I only have so much money to spend on a kitchen. Sure, it would be nice to spend the money someplace other than a national chain, but it looks like I just can't afford it. Plus, no cabinets are made locally, so wherever I spend my money, the bulk of it will go someplace entirely unlocal anyways.
Wherever I end up buying the kitchen, I have to order it next week, since delivery takes four weeks and I'm moving out of my apartment at the end of May. Any advice on kitchen-buying would be appreciated.
Over the course of the past two weeks I have spent a total of almost 9 hours at two different kitchen planning places. One was a large, national DIY home improvement store (not the orange one...), and the other one was a specialized, local kitchen and bathroom place. I enjoyed the service at both places. The atmosphere was admittedly a little more ritzy at the small local place, whereas the prices were better at the large chain.
I could launch into a tirade on buying local and supporting the local economy, but the bottom line is: I only have so much money to spend on a kitchen. Sure, it would be nice to spend the money someplace other than a national chain, but it looks like I just can't afford it. Plus, no cabinets are made locally, so wherever I spend my money, the bulk of it will go someplace entirely unlocal anyways.
Wherever I end up buying the kitchen, I have to order it next week, since delivery takes four weeks and I'm moving out of my apartment at the end of May. Any advice on kitchen-buying would be appreciated.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Brand-new, adorable and clueless
I'm one of those things. The 2-day old baby I held for an hour this morning is the other two things.
A friend of mine had a beautiful baby girl with a beautiful old-fashioned-newly-revived name. One of the perks of working in/right next to the hospital is being able to sneak out of the lab to go visit new babies, and I couldn't get enough of the perfect little 6 pound bundle of adorableness. Mom and baby were doing well so the visit was all smiles and oooh's and aaah's and awww's. Plus, brand-new baby and I share a birthday, which makes her extra special.
Clueless is me. Until graduate school I was an excellent student, getting mostly A's. In graduate school my grades are still good, but I just feel like I know next to nothing! In college I almost always understood the lecture material and any reading I did. Now, on a good day, I understand about a third of what people say around me. They speak in acronyms and super secret science lingo and when everyone nods in agreement or makes appropriate gestures and facial expressions, the last thing I want to do is ask what they're talking about. I usually have a pad of paper on my desk with lists of words and questions that I google and look up in books. Most of the time this results in more words being added to my list and more google searches, which means more words on the list, and... you get the idea. However, ever so slowly, my command of the super secret science lingo is improving. I understand more words, terms, techniques and theories now than I did two months ago, and I like it. I no longer feel like the village idiot, but more like a clueless passerby who accidentally wandered in.
And now I'm going to wander out. The wonderful world of kitchen remodeling is waiting for me at Lowe's...
A friend of mine had a beautiful baby girl with a beautiful old-fashioned-newly-revived name. One of the perks of working in/right next to the hospital is being able to sneak out of the lab to go visit new babies, and I couldn't get enough of the perfect little 6 pound bundle of adorableness. Mom and baby were doing well so the visit was all smiles and oooh's and aaah's and awww's. Plus, brand-new baby and I share a birthday, which makes her extra special.
Clueless is me. Until graduate school I was an excellent student, getting mostly A's. In graduate school my grades are still good, but I just feel like I know next to nothing! In college I almost always understood the lecture material and any reading I did. Now, on a good day, I understand about a third of what people say around me. They speak in acronyms and super secret science lingo and when everyone nods in agreement or makes appropriate gestures and facial expressions, the last thing I want to do is ask what they're talking about. I usually have a pad of paper on my desk with lists of words and questions that I google and look up in books. Most of the time this results in more words being added to my list and more google searches, which means more words on the list, and... you get the idea. However, ever so slowly, my command of the super secret science lingo is improving. I understand more words, terms, techniques and theories now than I did two months ago, and I like it. I no longer feel like the village idiot, but more like a clueless passerby who accidentally wandered in.
And now I'm going to wander out. The wonderful world of kitchen remodeling is waiting for me at Lowe's...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The more you know...
I've had a cold for almost 3 weeks, accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, intermittent sinus pain and almost constant fatigue. Colds are supposed to last one week, or seven days. It has been well over two weeks, and I'm feeling almost worse than I did when this whole thing started. Some days my cold symptoms are very minor, but the swollen lymph nodes have been persistent.
Unfortunately I have a slight penchant for paranoia, especially when it comes to being sick. Headache? Brain tumor. Neck pain and a slight fever? Meningitis. Swollen lymph nodes? Lymphoma or a benign growth at best. Stomach pain? Appendicitis. You get the idea.
I'm pretty sure I am a little more overly concerned about my physical well-being than the average person. Maybe it's because I tend to be a little bit unlucky (broken bones, two orthopedic surgeries, post-surgical infection, but that's another post altogether), or maybe I just spend too much time thinking about myself. I think my discovery of Google about 10 years ago has only fueled this paranoia, as the Internet's answer to every search for a set of symptoms seems to be "you'll probably die young, writhing in pain".
My PhD program is located at a medical school, and some of the material and classes are medically oriented (some of my classes are in the medical school curriculum). Every time I hear or learn about a new disease I make sure I don't have it. So far I haven't self-diagnosed myself with anything awfully terrible, that is, until this lymph node thing. A visit to student health is probably in my near future, but I'm pretty sure they get their fair share of "I learned about this disease...".
So today is spent wishing I was more ignorant, because sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.
Unfortunately I have a slight penchant for paranoia, especially when it comes to being sick. Headache? Brain tumor. Neck pain and a slight fever? Meningitis. Swollen lymph nodes? Lymphoma or a benign growth at best. Stomach pain? Appendicitis. You get the idea.
I'm pretty sure I am a little more overly concerned about my physical well-being than the average person. Maybe it's because I tend to be a little bit unlucky (broken bones, two orthopedic surgeries, post-surgical infection, but that's another post altogether), or maybe I just spend too much time thinking about myself. I think my discovery of Google about 10 years ago has only fueled this paranoia, as the Internet's answer to every search for a set of symptoms seems to be "you'll probably die young, writhing in pain".
My PhD program is located at a medical school, and some of the material and classes are medically oriented (some of my classes are in the medical school curriculum). Every time I hear or learn about a new disease I make sure I don't have it. So far I haven't self-diagnosed myself with anything awfully terrible, that is, until this lymph node thing. A visit to student health is probably in my near future, but I'm pretty sure they get their fair share of "I learned about this disease...".
So today is spent wishing I was more ignorant, because sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I have a job
I'm pretty sure this blog will be focused on my life outside of school/work. But I DO have a job. I'm in a Biomedical PhD program with a specialty yet to be determined (probably Cell & Developmental Biology & Anatomy). I basically spend some time in class and then spend the rest of my time in the lab doing research, some days more, some days less. It looks like I will be doing my work mostly with cells, and specifically a certain protein that is believed to play a part in how cells move around and invade other tissues (like cancer cells do).
Maybe I'll write about what research is like someday soon. It's lengthy, slow and tedious, but it's pretty thrilling when you get actual, usable results and data.
This is a picture I took of a cell stained for the cytoskeletal protein actin.
Maybe I'll write about what research is like someday soon. It's lengthy, slow and tedious, but it's pretty thrilling when you get actual, usable results and data.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thankful
Mondays are my least favorite day of the week. It's hard to get up, it's hard to find something to wear, it's hard to get to school on time (or at all, for that matter), and it's hard to be motivated to do much of anything.
Today was a particularly challenging Monday. Rain, a broken car, a bike that needs fixing, a cold that won't go away, and a generally malcontent attitude on my part. I moaned and whined and complained all day, and then I went home and had dinner and watched part of a movie.
And then I realized that really I am quite lucky. I am fortunate enough to get an education that comes with a (small) paycheck, I will soon move into my very first own home, I had a nutritious and delicious dinner, and I generally have everything I need in life, and many of the things I want.
So here's to being thankful.
Today was a particularly challenging Monday. Rain, a broken car, a bike that needs fixing, a cold that won't go away, and a generally malcontent attitude on my part. I moaned and whined and complained all day, and then I went home and had dinner and watched part of a movie.
And then I realized that really I am quite lucky. I am fortunate enough to get an education that comes with a (small) paycheck, I will soon move into my very first own home, I had a nutritious and delicious dinner, and I generally have everything I need in life, and many of the things I want.
So here's to being thankful.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Recession garden
The current economic recession has not really affected me personally, fortunately. A few weeks ago I first heard the term "Recession Garden" when the new first lady broke ground on what is to be an 1,100 square foot garden somewhere on her front lawn. The term "Victory Garden" was mentioned as well, referring to the vegetable gardens that were abundant during WWI and WWII, and helped to stave off food shortages. Now, with so many people unemployed, or afraid they might soon be unemployed, or simply trying to cut back on their spending, recession gardens are popping up all over the place apparently. Nine million American households are expected to plant a garden for the first time this year, and the seed company Burpee has seen an unprecedented rise in sales.
Apparently people have realized that with a little bit of money spent on seeds and supplies, and some good, earnest labor, they can grow their own vegetables! Produce makes up a large chunk of my grocery bill, and so I decided last winter that I would try to grow some of my own vegetables. In my usual all-or-nothing mentality of doing things I planted the first seeds about two months ago (a little too early for this latitude) in a mini plastic greenhouse on the windowsill. When the first green seedlings popped up I was ecstatic, and fueled by this success my attempt at gardening has taken over the back of the dining room, and is now spilling over into the living room.
Overall I am growing about 35 different vegetables (well, tomatoes are technically a fruit) and herbs, and I added my very first (real) fruit today: strawberries. I cheated and bought four little strawberry plants, but only because I couldn't find strawberry seeds.
My garden population currently includes the following, spread over seven planters/pots:
cilantro
hot Portugal peppers
sweet Cayenne peppers
Santiago hybrid peppers
sweet pepper mix (yellow, red, purple)
red rubin basil
dark opal purple basil
sweet basil
oregano
lettuce leaf basil
parsley
spinach
microgreens
hot shot spicy green mix (I swear, that's what the package says)
black beauty eggplant
rosa bianca eggplant
sweet reba acorn
black OP zucchini
rocky ford muskmelon
moon & stars watermelon
cantaloupe
artichoke
yellow perfection tomatoes
yellow pear tomatoes
early girl hybrid tomatoes
jubilee tomatoes
green zebra tomato (I kid you not)
jelly bean hybrid tomatoes
rainbow heirloom tomatoes (supposedly includes Omars Lebanese, Dutchman, Golden Sunburst, Black Russian, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Djena Lee's Golden Girl)
red cherry tomatoes
tomatillos
sage (it's growing like a weed, and I have NO idea what to do with it... anyone?)
rosemary (is holding on to dear life as we speak)
summerlong basil
lemon lime basil
brussel sprouts
I really have no idea what some of these plants will look like, or how large they will get. My future yard is small, and I will use whatever space I can to grow as many of these to fruition as possible. I don't know how much it will cost to water these come summer, or how much labor will be necessary to maintain, weed and pick all of these. I'm not too sure how much money this garden will save me, but so far I've spent somewhere around $160 on seeds, soil and planters. About $40 of that was for planters, which are reusable. Plus, I gave some seeds to some friends of mine, since I cannot possibly grow all my seeds into plants.
Apparently people have realized that with a little bit of money spent on seeds and supplies, and some good, earnest labor, they can grow their own vegetables! Produce makes up a large chunk of my grocery bill, and so I decided last winter that I would try to grow some of my own vegetables. In my usual all-or-nothing mentality of doing things I planted the first seeds about two months ago (a little too early for this latitude) in a mini plastic greenhouse on the windowsill. When the first green seedlings popped up I was ecstatic, and fueled by this success my attempt at gardening has taken over the back of the dining room, and is now spilling over into the living room.
This is how I start all seeds out. Little peat/soil pellets that are soaked in water and put into a plastic greenhouse (plastic tray with clear domed lid, about $3-4 at your home improvement store).
My garden as of a week ago.
One of my latest additions: large plants (zucchini, watermelon, squash)
Overall I am growing about 35 different vegetables (well, tomatoes are technically a fruit) and herbs, and I added my very first (real) fruit today: strawberries. I cheated and bought four little strawberry plants, but only because I couldn't find strawberry seeds.
My garden population currently includes the following, spread over seven planters/pots:
cilantro
hot Portugal peppers
sweet Cayenne peppers
Santiago hybrid peppers
sweet pepper mix (yellow, red, purple)
red rubin basil
dark opal purple basil
sweet basil
oregano
lettuce leaf basil
parsley
spinach
microgreens
hot shot spicy green mix (I swear, that's what the package says)
black beauty eggplant
rosa bianca eggplant
sweet reba acorn
black OP zucchini
rocky ford muskmelon
moon & stars watermelon
cantaloupe
artichoke
yellow perfection tomatoes
yellow pear tomatoes
early girl hybrid tomatoes
jubilee tomatoes
green zebra tomato (I kid you not)
jelly bean hybrid tomatoes
rainbow heirloom tomatoes (supposedly includes Omars Lebanese, Dutchman, Golden Sunburst, Black Russian, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Djena Lee's Golden Girl)
red cherry tomatoes
tomatillos
sage (it's growing like a weed, and I have NO idea what to do with it... anyone?)
rosemary (is holding on to dear life as we speak)
summerlong basil
lemon lime basil
brussel sprouts
I really have no idea what some of these plants will look like, or how large they will get. My future yard is small, and I will use whatever space I can to grow as many of these to fruition as possible. I don't know how much it will cost to water these come summer, or how much labor will be necessary to maintain, weed and pick all of these. I'm not too sure how much money this garden will save me, but so far I've spent somewhere around $160 on seeds, soil and planters. About $40 of that was for planters, which are reusable. Plus, I gave some seeds to some friends of mine, since I cannot possibly grow all my seeds into plants.
Austrian chocolate cake.
Until I turned 18, moved out of my parents' house and went to college the most cooking and baking I had done was scrambled eggs and some rather disastrous attempts at Indian food. My college scholarship/financial aid included unlimited visits to the dining hall, so I didn't do too much cooking during the school year. In the summers I sometimes lived on rice and lentils for weeks, and considered milk and cereal a real treat.
Since graduating from college I have taken it upon myself to learn how to cook and bake. Initially it was mostly out of necessity, but it's become a fairly central part of my life. I like trying out new recipes, and I almost prefer baking over cooking. There's just something about making a meal or a dessert from scratch and eating it and watching others eat it.
Yesterday I made my first attempt at what is probably the most famous Austrian cake there is: Sachertorte. It's a little bit like Coca Cola. The recipe is in a vault, except with chocolate instead of ascorbic acid. I had to rely on various online sources for imitation recipes. I found one that looked promising, and here is the result
Here is the original, sold only in two places in Austria, at exorbitant prices:
The most exciting part was the chocolate glaze, and I'm happy to say that it's NOT fondant, nor does it contain any added sugar, granulated or powdered. It's simply half semi-sweet Baker's chocolate (54% cocoa) and half margarine/Crisco. Melts very nicely and hardens nicely too. I figured out too late that I should use a spatula of some sort to shape the chocolate, thus the lumps and bumps on my cake. The target audience for this cake didn't seem to mind though, as the entire thing was eaten and compliments were uttered. I'm not sure I'll make it again any time soon, but I'll definitely be making the chocolate glaze again, since I have about 1.5lbs of Baker's chocolate left over.
Since graduating from college I have taken it upon myself to learn how to cook and bake. Initially it was mostly out of necessity, but it's become a fairly central part of my life. I like trying out new recipes, and I almost prefer baking over cooking. There's just something about making a meal or a dessert from scratch and eating it and watching others eat it.
Yesterday I made my first attempt at what is probably the most famous Austrian cake there is: Sachertorte. It's a little bit like Coca Cola. The recipe is in a vault, except with chocolate instead of ascorbic acid. I had to rely on various online sources for imitation recipes. I found one that looked promising, and here is the result
Here is the original, sold only in two places in Austria, at exorbitant prices:
The most exciting part was the chocolate glaze, and I'm happy to say that it's NOT fondant, nor does it contain any added sugar, granulated or powdered. It's simply half semi-sweet Baker's chocolate (54% cocoa) and half margarine/Crisco. Melts very nicely and hardens nicely too. I figured out too late that I should use a spatula of some sort to shape the chocolate, thus the lumps and bumps on my cake. The target audience for this cake didn't seem to mind though, as the entire thing was eaten and compliments were uttered. I'm not sure I'll make it again any time soon, but I'll definitely be making the chocolate glaze again, since I have about 1.5lbs of Baker's chocolate left over.
I guess I have to make some jam now
I went to the store this past week to buy two canning jars, but apparently you can't just buy one or two. They come in boxes of a dozen. I am not the proud owner of 12 canning jars. For now 10 of the jars are on the shelf, while the other two are being used as sprout-growing vessels. This blog is about the 10 jars I have left. Perhaps I will make some jam.
This blog is also about my other pursuits to make life just a little more bearable and fun. I go to school during the day, but when I get home I like to garden (in a 4th floor apartment). Due to a lucky sequence of events I am about to become a first-time homeowner, so my 4th floor garden will move into my very small yard in a few weeks. This blog is also about the house, and the garden, and my attempts to take care of them. I don't own a screwdriver or a shovel (other than the snow kind), so please join me on my journey to becoming a gardening, homesteading single female graduate student. My house came without a kitchen, so the next few weeks should be interesting.
Welcome. Take a seat, but please, make sure you don't accidentally break any jars. They only come by the dozen!
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