Bagels!

I got Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything for Christmas, and it is probably one of the first cookbooks I've actually enjoyed using. This is really fortunate because I recently canceled my college meal plan. I've made two bread recipes so far; one didn't quite work out, but my bagel attempt actually worked really well!

I am working on learning how to cook for real, which is now especially important since I've requested (and been approved) to be exempt from my meal plan and will soon be a college graduate. If you have any recommendations for cookbooks/cooking blogs/quick recipes, feel free to pass them along!

The Game: Annoying or Enlightening?

I hate playing "the game." In fact, when someone points out that I have "lost the game," I usually tell them I have enough reasons to feel like a loser and that I refuse to allow anyone to make me feel like a failure. However, this video made me think: what if everything we yearn for is ultimately a game we cannot win because we are human? We will one day die, we will always be unsatisfied, we will always lose. And that's okay! Shouldn't it all be about the journey, not the destination? What's the point of only enjoying the piece of paper you get at graduation if you didn't enjoy the steps that got you there?

Maybe next time I "lose the game," I will be reminded that losing is a way to be mindful of the goals I set and to always enjoy the journey. Yeah, it is still a silly game, but maybe it can remind me of something greater instead of being simply annoying.

The Eve of the Eve

I rode along with a few friends on a short trip, and I happened to have my camera on me. The dry and smoky air made a creepy-pretty sunset that I kinda liked. It's starting to feel a lot like fall!

Happy Fall!

I'm working on a big application, still editing the newspaper, and class. I just took some time to walk around with my camera and a friend the other day. It was so nice to just walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather. I hope to write a real update soon, but until then, hope it is beautiful wherever you are!

iPod Sleeping Bag Project

It's fall and The Boy's new iPod needed a sleeping bag.

A piece of felt, a fat quarter of red plaid and an afternoon with a cup of tea, and his iPod is snug and secure! Yay for simple fixes!

A Bit of Guilt

One summer, not so very many years ago, I sat down to read The Catcher in the Rye in the Greene County library. I had a lot of books and needed to weed out a couple before I could leave. I read the first couple of pages of The Catcher and did not like it. It was one of those books that I couldn't help but ask myself what was the big deal? The narrator was whiny and obnoxious and there was this big stack of other luscious books waiting to be taken home...why take The Catcher home?

I've never given it another chance, and I suppose I should, but it will have to wait. In the meantime, I hope J.D. Salinger finds some peace outside of this earth.

Self-Segregation

I had never heard of this experiment. What are your thoughts? Do you think life really works like this in your cafeteria, for instance?