Buddy - before and after

My former neighbor-dog, Buddy, got a haircut. He looks like a puppy again, and seems more energetic than ever. His parents said he really seems to like it. Plus they didn't know he was so fit. As my former landlord Tom said, "we always thought he was kind of fat."

Before:


After:


We made the chicken foot soup last night. It had about a dozen feet in it, plus a couple of wings and drumsticks. The soup was delicious - chickeny and spicy and full of veggies. I tried gnawing on the chicken feet like in the true non-American fashion, but they just didn't work for me - it was just some slimy skin covering bones, no meat involved whatsoever. K told me that not everybody eats the feet, so I felt less wussy about it.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover chicken foot soup
Grasshopper cookie

Catching up

Lots of stuff to write about.

Some yard signs I gave to my dad for his birthday:



I realize the graphic quality of the last one is poor. It was the only picture I could find. But you get the idea. My parents' town is very small and conservative, so I'm interested to see what reaction they'll get with their new yard signs.

I also gave him a button with this photo on it and the caption reading: "Partners in crime - Osama Bush-Laden"


And I gave my mom some ingredients to make him the Beijing birthday noodles, too. She's going to make it this weekend.

Some pictures I took at a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Michigan near Escanaba:






I did some heavy-duty shoe shopping yesterday. I think I visited about 9 stores looking for the perfect pair of black heels, and finally settled on some Nine West peep-toe pumps. Still not exactly what I wanted, but close enough. I like them because the heel is only 2-1/2 inches. Most heels are at least 3", and it's nice to have a change. I noticed patent leather has made a comeback. That's a little scary.

I was looking for something more like these Ushas by Fitzwell, but didn't find anything. If anyone wants to buy these for me, my feet are a size 9!


Today's Lunch:
Grilled stuffed burrito and nachos from Taco Bell (only ate 3/4 of burrito)

Family photos

Photos from my trip to my parents' house in lower Michigan

A U.P. rest area with a view of Lake Michigan


Joseph and Mary crack me up!




Me and my sister Becky. Yeah, we know we're hot.


El Chico!! (aka my youngest brother Tom)


My beautiful sister with her handsome husband Alfonso (aka Fonsi)


My dad. Today's his birthday. Happy 26th birthday, dad!


We went to Hartwick Pines State Park (my old stomping grounds) and toured the logging museum. This is my new boyfriend, Frank.


And last but not least... Christopher!

I'm planning on being the weird, eccentric aunt, lol.


Getting a bath...




He's just too cute!

Today's Lunch:
Turkey sandwich with avocado on Trader Joe's artisan sesame seed bread with mustard
Grape tomatoes

Lately...

I haven't done anything lately. I just work, go home, organize my room, and sleep. Although I did go shopping yesterday for food and things for the apartment, but I wasn't in the shopping mood so maybe it didn't really count as something fun.

I'd like to sleep for hours and hours.

Today's Lunch:
Oscar Meyer beef hot dog with mustard, sweet relish, and onions
Boca Burger with ketchup, mustard, and sweet relish
Pickle spear
Mini Oreos

UGh

I have to work 12 hours every day all week in order to make up for missing 3-1/2 days last week. Ugh.

I got up at 5 saturday morning to drive to Escanaba to give some things to my mom (she was headed up to Marquette for Mary's bridal shower and bachelorette party). We met at Jo-Ann Fabrics and ate a pasty for lunch. Then, on my way back, I stopped at a park on the shores of Lake Michigan. There was a wet, marshy area filled with beautiful flowers, butterflies, and bumble bees. I will post some pictures when I remember to upload them from my camera.

Saturday night Kevin and I went camping at a place not too far from Madison. We sat in my tent listening to music and drinking beer; it was a great time.

Today I shopped for shelves and bins to organize my new bedroom. Things are working out well with my new roomie; we're not usually home at the same time and generally keep to ourselves.

Kevin told me all about this Jamaican soup that involves a chicken foot, special broth and noodles that they sell at the Asian market, and lots of veggies. Now I can't stop thinking about it and want to try it, so this week we're going to make some.

Never did hear anything back from the crazy ex-landlord. And he never did call my workplace again, either. Perhaps, as mom and dad said, he was just full of hot air.

Today's Lunch:
Peanut butter sandwich on Trader Joe's cracked wheat organic bread. I really need to go shopping.

It's me again

Three postings in one day. Maybe we can make it five by the time I leave work.

Some randomness:

• I missed 3-1/2 days of work due to my landlord situation. I don't have any vacation left, so now I have to make up for it during the next week. Looks like I'll be working some long hours. Feel free to send me emails or something.
  
• My Chacos came back. I missed them so much! They look beautiful with their new soles, and they're so nice and comfy.
• I counted the bruises my quads endured from moving, and there were 22 of them. There are more on my calves and hamstrings. My legs look awful. I wore shorts yesterday and I'm sure I looked like a freak. I wish I had shorts on today so I could take a picture.
  
• The Trader Joe's peanut satay was much better than the pad thai. They also offer teriyaki noodles, but ever since I ate that nasty UW Cafeteria teriyaki I can't stand the thought of it.
• Kitty seems a little restless in her new apartment, but hopefully she'll get used to it.
  
• I have too much stuff, especially kitchen stuff - I'm meeting my mom in Escanaba this weekend and I'm going to give some of it to her to bring back to the house.
  
• I just received an email from the practically non-existent Forest Service HR department in Albuquerque. As I'd originally thought, the g'vt won't guarantee me my job while I'm in the Peace Corps. So we'll have to see what happens.
  

This made me laugh

Check out this post about Teri Hatcher on Go Fug Yourself.

Landlord shadiness

There are some things about this former landlord that are shady. First of all, he repeatedly called my workplace and spoke to Shantelle, my unit's secretary. He told her that my apartment was flooded and my cat was sick and that he needed to get my cell phone number so he could call me and tell me about it. I'm so glad Shantelle is so awesome, because she said that's private information that she's not allowed to give out. So instead she tracked me down and told me what happened. And of course, when I called the landlord back he didn't mention my cat or the apartment but instead began yelling at me and accusing me of stealing his painting.

We have reason to believe my former landlord is a racist. My awesome coworker Mike (whose basement is really nice and has its own bathroom, FYI) googled the guy and came up with a bunch of anti-Jew and white pride forums. Unfortunately, everything the guy wrote was in Serbian, so I don't know what it said, but I'm doubting he was saying something like, "you racists are all bastards and this site should be shut down." Today I'm going to look for a way to translate it (maybe online).

So maybe he saw Kevin, a black guy, in his house and didn't like that idea so he came up with a way to get me out of there. Just a thought.

He's also accusing Kevin of stealing his painting, but isn't accusing any of the other tenants or their friends. What a jerk.

Today's Lunch:
Trader Joe's peanut satay noodles (the pad thai was nasty, BTW)
Apple

It's a better day

I found a place to live! My coworker Dante needed a roommate so I went to look at his apartment last night. The place is really, really nice, in a great location, the rent is cheap, and - best of all - I know him and know he's not going to accuse me of stealing something, ha ha. I'm going to start moving in this morning. Also, I rounded up the troops and have some people from work helping me with the bulkier items this evening. I am so grateful to have friends to help me out. I try to be independent and not have to rely on people, but sometimes it's a good idea to ask for help. I'm trying to get more comfortable with that.

Today's Lunch:
Perhaps some Trader Joe's instant pad thai noodles. Or a peanut butter sandwich.

Latest bit o' drama

God, my life sucks.

My landlord accused me of stealing a painting out of the house I was living in. He gave me until noon the next day to clean all my stuff out of the house if I wanted to get my rent money back. So I hauled ass yesterday morning getting my stuff out, he gave the money back, and now..

...and now I'm homeless.

This really sucks. My colleague Mike is gracious enough to let me keep my crap in his garage and sleep in his basement for a couple of days (no more than that). Yesterday was day 1, today is day 2, and I'm planning on being out of there tomorrow. Now I just need a place to live.

I looked at an apartment this morning but had to fill out an application that they said would take "a couple of days" to process. Nope, not going to work. Tonight I'm looking at a couple of sublets that seem promising, but we'll just have to see what happens. It's REALLY hard finding a place with a short-term (3 month) lease, and hardly anybody does month-to-month leases anymore... not if you don't want to live in the slums, anyway. And those still require an application that takes more than a day, so even if I wanted to live in the ghetto I couldn't move in as early as tomorrow.

I hate being homeless. Right now my food collection is in my office, since I have no place to put it. I forgot my toothbrush at the old place (along with some very important kitchen tools that I'd like to get back but am afraid to do so at this time), so I had to go without brushing my teeth last night. My coworker Mike seems ready to have me out of his house/garage, considering he was giving me a hard time today about apartment-hunting. If I get to move tomorrow, it will be the third time in a week that I've had to move all my belongings. Three frickin' times. It really sucks. This time, however, I've asked some coworkers/friends for help, so maybe it won't be as bad as it is doing it all alone.

The nasty landlord called my parents last night and told them what a thief I am and how he's pressing charges and I'm going to go to court, etc. I didn't even do anything! He told them he's going to call my boss and tell her the same thing. My parents are worried I'll lose my job and not be able to join the Peace Corps.

But seriously, this guy has no proof I did anything, so how can he convict me? Three other people live in the house and one of them told me the basement door doesn't lock. I've contacted a free lawyer service here in Madison, but won't be hearing anything from them until next week. In the meantime, I guess this guy is using slander to try to make my life a living hell.

Like I said, my life sucks right now. Please, I hope it gets better, and fast.

Thoughts

Thoughts on moving:
God, I have a lot of stuff. Especially kitchen stuff. And a lot of food. Do I really need 6 types of vinegar?

Thoughts on yesterday's post:
Can words express how grateful I am to have such wonderful friends and family? The thing is, I know I could march into the living room of the AGD house and say what I wrote, and people would be just as supportive. I could sit at the dinner table with my family and say what I wrote, and I know my family would comfort me. I am so lucky.

More thoughts on moving:
I'm exhausted from moving out of my third-floor apartment. I've been sacrificing sleep to get the job done, so I'm just plain tired. And my body aches from all that lifting and stair climbing. I'm also kind of emotional - a lump forms in my throat due to the littlest things. I'm stressed and tired and hungry. I can't wait to get to Grayling, because I know it'll finally be over.

Today's Lunch:
Went to Michael's Frozen Custard. Got a kickass cheeseburger and fries, but no custard.

Not feeling pretty

Something happened last week that brought back some memories. I was told that someone said something nasty about me, and I can't get it out of my head.

She said I looked "horsey."

I haven't heard that since I was in the 5th grade. I was even under the impression that I had grown up and started looking good. I feel like I'm pretty, if my face is captured at the right angle. But that comment really hurt. And I was reminded of my adolescence, and how I hated the way I looked, and how I wished I could get a nose job.

After all these years... I can't believe it's come back to haunt me.

Apologies for a depressing post, but life can't always be cheery.

Today's Lunch:
Same sandwich - ham, salami, lite cheddar on 1/2 baguette with hot yellow pepper rings
Apple or pineapple

Eh

I got nothing.

Tonight I have to move stuff. And assemble a bookshelf. And see Sicko with some friends.

Today's Lunch:
Ham, salami, lite cheddar sandwich on half mini-baguette with hot yellow peppers, salt and pepper
Brownie leftover from meeting. The frosting obviously came from a can but it was okay.

Lots o' stuff

GirlfriendsCafe

I realized I only have a couple of girlfriends, and I hardly ever get to see them. So I joined this online networking tool called girlfriendscafe.com. You create a profile and meet up with other women in your area. Hopefully I can meet some like-minded ladies who like going out, seeing movies, having adventures, etc.

Work

Super-exciting - working on a new project with my homie Sam G. Tomorrow I get to sit in our mezzanine supply room (where it's something like 100 degrees) and dig around looking for the perfect Pyrex dish. I'll just bring my mp3 player, Nalgene bottle full of water, and ruler (for size measurements) and have a grand ol' time.

Websites

My newest subscriptions - Go Fug Yourself, which makes fun of celebrity fashion, and Hip Candy, which is about fashion trends. Good stuff.

Apartment

I finally found a place last week. It's about 2 blocks from work. (This is good because I don't have to walk far to get there. This is bad because I'll be able to see the building even when I'm not there. Arrgh!) Some details about the place:

It's owned by this little European man who lives in Chicago (can't place the accent). He's not the most personable person I've ever met.

It's a big, old, tudor-style house with hardwood floors and charming little closets and nooks and crannies.

I will be living there with two other people, a man and a woman, but I have only met the woman. She seems okay.

My room is huge and has two enormous closets.

The rent is $200 less than my last place, but I'll have to share the kitchen.

I started moving in last night and will finish it up tonight, hopefully.

I'll take some pictures this time. Overall it reminds me of a fraternity house.

Other Stuff

I'm excited to go back to see my parents in Michigan this weekend. I'll get to see Becky and Alfonso and little baby Christopher, which is way exciting. Plus a lot of my relatives will be there.

I had my 2-month Lasik checkup today. My eyes are dry. Now I have to put drops in them every 2 hours. Grrrr...

Last night I had a gin martini, straight up, with Bombay Sapphire and 2 olives. It was yummy, but now when I think about it my stomach does flip-flops.

I'm listening to a chick lit book called Shoe Addicts Anonymous. It's cute and entertaining.

Today's Lunch:
Taco Bell Chicken Taquito with guacamole
Nachos

My weekend

I had a dream I was at a dinner party and Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton showed up. Paris was actually kind of nice and laughed at my jokes, but Nicole was bitchy and just rolled her eyes. It was really strange.

I went to Africa Fest on saturday. I wore this crazy dress I got for $3 at a sale, but it was bright and scary and I don't think I'll wear it again.



I saw dancers from Nigeria and various bands that played African music. Edi from Atimevu showed us how to dance African, so I learned some new moves. It might look weird if I use my new moves at a party or something, but it was fun to learn how to dance African.



I also made some cakes friday night; a Pacman cake and a polka dot cake. I used a buttermilk cake recipe from the Joy of Cooking, and the cake turned out really light and fluffy. Also, for the Pacman cake I used Grandma's whipped cream frosting recipe, and for the polka dot cake I used cream cheese frosting.





Today's Lunch:
Ham, salami, white cheddar, and hot yellow pepper rings on 1/2 Trader Joe's mini baguette
Apple

Photos for blogger

How do cats see us?

Today my coworker Marshall and I were talking, and he told me about this show (on Animal Planet?) called "The Dog Whisperer." It's about a guy who really understands the behavior of dogs, and he goes to people's homes and helps them with their problem animals.

I wonder - is there such a person as a cat whisperer? And if so, what could they tell me about my cat?

I would generally like to know what cats see humans as, and what my cat in particular thinks of me. Here are my theories:

• I am another cat, albeit a big, hairless cat, but a cat nonetheless. With a really weird way of meowing.
  
• She doesn't know she's a cat and thinks she's a human like me. If Kitty were a human, I think she'd be a crabby old lady who really likes cuddling. Weird.
  
• She doesn't really know what she is and she doesn't really know what I am, but she knows we're different and she's cool with that.
• Maybe she sees me as the "alpha" cat and that's why she doesn't pee on my pillow.
• What if she thinks she lives in a zoo and I am her keeper? Or maybe she just sees me as something to feed her and pet her whenever she wants.
  

I'd really like to know why she used to jump on me and attack me while I was laying in bed. She's only done it once since we moved back to Madison, but in Evansville she used to do it all the time. Also, she really seems to dig it when I talk to her and tell her how cute she is.

The time has come

My blog is back to being public. Hell-lo, random strangers!

Today's Lunch:
Peanut butter sandwich
Apple

Latest obsessions

I'm obsessed with:

• Trader Joe's bread (any kind, as long as it's artisan) with Smart Balance. I could eat it all day.
• Yahtzee on my cell phone. When there's down time, you can bet I'm rollin' the dice. My highest score is 356.

Yeah, that's it. I thought I had more but can't think of anything else.

Today's Lunch:
Peanut butter sandwich
Apple

Beijing birthday treat

My coworker Houjiang had a little birthday gathering last weekend. He made a special noodle dish that is original to Beijing. Here's how it goes:

2 scallions
fresh ginger
1/2 lb ground pork
1 packet special Beijing sauce (kind of like miso paste)
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped coarsely
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped coarsely
Noodles

Cut up the scallions and ginger. Toss them in a heated wok with oil and stir fry for a few seconds. Add ground pork and cook.

Next, add a special sauce, a little water, and some dried chicken broth. Allow to simmer for about 1/2 hour or until thickened and reduced. Remove from heat.



Boil some water and cook Napa cabbage for about 3 minutes. Remove from water with strainer. Add noodles and cook until soft.

To serve, place noodles in individual bowls and add cabbage, some sauce, and cucumbers. Mix thoroughly. The coolest part - after you take a bite of noodles, take a small nibble of a piece of raw garlic. It's awesome!





Today's Lunch:
Trader Joe's lentil-and-vegetable soup
Saltine crackers (8)
Piece of cheddar cheese
M&Ms

Random stuff

• Today at work we were going to have a pizza party for our summer students before they go back home. It was really strange - we waited for an hour for the pizza people to deliver our food, and they never came. We called them repeatedly, letting the phone ring for a long time, but it was never answered. We wondered if they went out of business (since yesterday, when we ordered the food??) or perhaps they had caller ID and were ignoring us. Starving, we gave up on waiting for them and ordered some sandwiches from Jimmy John's. Later my coworker got a phone call from the pizza place. It turns out they got robbed last night and the opening worker spent the morning outside talking to the cops. Whoa.
• Last night was my last day of French class. My instructor brought in some crepes with currant jam and Nutella and I totally indulged. Then we played French Pictionary and French Scrabble. French Scrabble was really tough - take a limited vocabulary plus a bunch of vowels and you spell a whole lot of "eau."
  
• I'm scrambling to find a place to live. My lease expires in just over a week and so far I haven't had any luck finding a new apartment/room for just fall semester. Today I scoured craigslist and emailed about 15 people. Wish me luck!
• I'm hot, sweaty, and tired.
• I am finally getting my chaco sandals re-soled. I've worn them continually every summer for the past four years and the soles are completely flat and are even starting to bubble on the bottom.
  
• Tonight is my last night of Mandarin class. Zai jian!
• Am looking for a new pair of workhorse black heels. I have strict criteria so I'm having trouble finding the perfect pair.. but that's okay. Like deer hunting, the fun is in the hunt.

Today's Lunch:
Roast beef sandwich from Jimmy John's
Tortilla chips with salsa
Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Coke Zero

Dinner and a movie

I went to KFC yesterday, only because I wasn't in the mood for Noodles and Delitalia was closed.

I haven't really been to KFC in years. I didn't notice anything "healthy" on the menu (like oven-roasted or skinless chicken), so I just went for the 2-piece drumstick and thigh meal with the Colonel's original recipe. For sides I chose a corn muffin, barbeque baked beans, and coleslaw. Here's what I thought:

• The chicken rocked. The meat was hot, tender, and moist and practically fell off the bone. The breading was flavorful, but nothing new or unusual. In an attempt to be healthy, I only ate the skin/breading on the drumstick. However, I noticed the thigh meat without the breading and skin still had a ton of delicious flavor. Overall, I'd say the chicken exceeded my expectations. Very delicious, indeed!
• The barbeque baked beans weren't so great. They were nice and hot, but a bit too sweet/syrupy for my taste.
• Coleslaw was okay. Not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary.
• Corn muffin was okay, too. Nice and moist but a bit too sweet. However, it had enough flavor on its own where I didn't need to put any butter on it.

Then I went to Sundance 608 to see Golden Door, an Italian film about immigrants coming to the U.S. It was kind of artsy with good cinematography. The plot became boring at times, but overall I enjoyed it.

New t-shirt

I was wandering aimlessly around the mall yesterday and found this shirt for $10:



Except mine's in a gray color, not purple.

Other purchases include a tank top, black slip dress, and a camouflage t-shirt (from the boys' department at Target, ha).

Today's Lunch:
Out with former secretary, Rachel. Not sure where we're going but it will be delicious.

Crazy Ghanaian Food

I had some crazy food last night with some friends. We were gathered at my friend Mia's house, it was like 2:00 in the morning, and I sampled some Ghanaian food.

There was this soup made with chicken in a really spicy broth. The broth was red and greasy, and the chicken pieces were just tossed into it without being removed from the bone or de-skinned or anything. I remember picking up a big piece of skin with my spoon. Everything I had been taught about eating chicken skin came flooding back to me - it's really fattening, it should always be removed and discarded, etc. But I had to eat it. If they eat it in Ghana, I can eat it in Wisconsin (when in Rome, do what the Romans do, right?). So I ate it. And it had so much delicious chicken flavor! I was amazed.

Nothing is left uneaten, so I followed suit and chewed on the bones. They were good. You take the bone from a drumstick (after you've eaten every little piece of meat and gristle), bite off the end and chew and swallow it, then suck out the marrow in the bone. My Ghanaian friend continued to chew up the rest of the bone, but being an amateur I was left with a mouthful of bone shards and had to spit them out into my napkin.

Then we had fish. It tasted pretty much like any other deep-fried fish fillets, but the cool part was this spread that we ate with it. It's made from fish and hot peppers and is pureed together to make a spread (I think it's called shito). It had a nice, smoky flavor and tasted really yummy.

I also noticed a box of fufu mix, which my coworker Mike told me about (he went to Western Africa for the Peace Corps). It's a porridge made from the cassava root and I read somewhere it's the mashed potato of Western Africa. There was also some corn on the cob, but I can't remember how it was prepared.

Today's Lunch:
Tuna sandwich (with light Miracle Whip) on ciabatta
Doritos
Popcorn

Trip to Marquette

As promised, photos from my trip.

Mom!


Joey!


Mary!


Hay Zeus!


Big mushroom...


I couldn't resist squishing it...


Splat!


My bro and me.


We helped mom order a new computer online (notice the credit card by her hand).


Monday night we went to check out a waterfall.

I saw thimbleberry bushes, but no good thimbleberries.


It was a pretty steep walk uphill...


...then we were in this beautiful forest.


Does your fifty-something mom jump around on logs and cliffs? I didn't think so!


I like this picture. Something for you to remember me by when I'm in Africa.


Joe being all Backstreet Boyz.


I dug these patterns the tannins made in the water.


It was so hot, I just wanted to jump into this beautiful pool of water.




Another picture to remember me by.


Mom and Mary




Other activities included walking to Jilbert's Dairy and getting ice cream, visiting the Marquette Co-Op, and lots of catching up. We thought about playing Euchre, watching Sicko, and getting pedicures, but it didn't work out. Maybe next time.

Today's Lunch:
Peanut butter sandwich on ciabatta bread
Carrots and celery with yogurt dip