A's in both of my classes and now on to a well deserved summer break and GenCon starting up next week. John is very excited!
I've been enjoying yoga and zumba each week and hopefully during the break I can add another yoga class and a kickboxing one. I'm also going to be adding in P90x as much as I can and trying to take advantage of the time. Almost to my birthday! It's a big one this year and I'd like to shape up a little bit.
Cooking has been minimal since I don't have tons of time. My little Black-Eyed Susan has been pretty wilty after almost one full month of 90 degree temperatures.
In all other things in our life we are trying to remain positive and relax and see what happens. Not much else we can do. :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Keeping busy
Up early early today. My final speech is on Monday and I'm doing it about CAFOs again. I feel pretty ashamed that I haven't taken the time to get up and go to the farmer's market and get humane options even when I feel so strongly about an issue. No time like the present to rectify that. We're trying to eat on a diet at the present and sadly this week I don't have a vegetarian option for us.
Breakfasts - Strawberry breakfast shake - need milk
Lunches - Veggie burgers or Chef salad - need eggs
Dinners - 2x Hamburgers, 2x Spicy Tofu, 2x Fajitas - need hamburgers, ground pork and chicken breasts
I was able to find all of that at the market. I always forget that natural chicken breasts are so much smaller than conventional. We will have to fill our fajitas up with a good amount of onions and peppers! One thing I didn't find at the market was 1% milk. The local dairy only sells whole milk. I wonder if I buy that I can dilute it with water or if there's just no alternative option.
On a side note, studying for my speech I realized that the brand Dean owns the majority of dairy products in the USA and markets them under a variety of different brand names. John's favorite dip is Dean. :(
After the market and the freezer asap because it is still 90+ out here, I went to the Carmel Petco to start this new volunteer program. It's for a group called Rescue Me. I've been feeling a strong desire to get involved with volunteering again. I did some as a child and also some immigrant ESL tutoring as a young 20 year old. Our lives are so hectic with school and work that it has been hard to figure a way to fit everything in. I found the opportunity on VolunteerMatch. It's pretty small; I don't think they even have a website. I go in and clean 6 cat cages in a Petco, takes about an hour every Saturday or Sunday. The program has someone go in every day to visit the cats so the cages aren't really nasty. The hope is that someone will come to Petco and just adopt them out of there.
It seems like a great program and is such a light commitment. Plus I LOVE cats. I could stay in there and pet them for hours. We had 2 kittens today and then 2 sisters that came from a lady who had to go to a nursing home, a boy and then 1 other. They were all so sweet. If only Bonnie wasn't so territorial and John didn't put his foot down about more cats, I would TOTALLY adopt another. I hope I will be able to keep this up because helping animals is something I really care about.
After the shelter, I took Gavin to McDonald's play area and let him run around with the kids for 2 hours while his dad was home working on his homework. Too bad McDonald's is the only place Gavin likes to go. We had ice cream afterwards. He had blackberry and I had cookie dough from Sundae's, a really tasty little local ice cream shop. Daddy got Reese's of course.
Stopped at the Asian grocery to pick up cans of Arroy-D green curry, baby corns and bamboo shoots. Green curry in a can is becoming a staple meal. Takes only the amount of time to cook the rice. That curry really tastes like what you get in a Thai restaurant, just add chicken and rice and good to go. The curry paste they sell never ends up tasting the same way. John dutifully eats the vegetables I mix in (usually green beans) but I've discovered he's sort of nuts over bamboo shoots. So I bought him an extra can. They ARE a vegetable and I have to figure out how to add those in so we love our meal instead of just eat it because THE WIFE makes us.
I'm going to blame it on the heat but I took a 2 hour nap and it was fabulous. Sadly waking up sweaty really stinks. Next week is supposed to be 80s and I sure hope it will be or I may die. I was watching youtube videos of people cooking eggs on sidewalks and cars. That's when you know it is TOO hot.
I have some schoolwork to do but it is pretty mild. I studied the crap out of this quarter and while I have a final approaching on Thursday in my Microbiology course, I'm just going to lightly review. I like my memory. When I am nuts about something I really commit it to memory. Reviewing will just take a little bit. Got a 94% on my last lab test and 107% on chapter exam 3. I think I can fail the final and still get an A. :)
Tonight we are going to John's mother's house to get an audience for his online speech course. He is going to do a speech on aliens. I think when his speech course is over, we are going to be sad. It has been a lot of fun to visit his mother, sister and her family every 2 weeks for his speeches. We'll have to figure out how to work the time in to get over there more often. Wish it wasn't a 45min drive one way.
Upcoming is our break and we are *fingers crossed* going to get into the fitness routine for at least 3 weeks before fall semester starts up.
Breakfasts - Strawberry breakfast shake - need milk
Lunches - Veggie burgers or Chef salad - need eggs
Dinners - 2x Hamburgers, 2x Spicy Tofu, 2x Fajitas - need hamburgers, ground pork and chicken breasts
I was able to find all of that at the market. I always forget that natural chicken breasts are so much smaller than conventional. We will have to fill our fajitas up with a good amount of onions and peppers! One thing I didn't find at the market was 1% milk. The local dairy only sells whole milk. I wonder if I buy that I can dilute it with water or if there's just no alternative option.
On a side note, studying for my speech I realized that the brand Dean owns the majority of dairy products in the USA and markets them under a variety of different brand names. John's favorite dip is Dean. :(
After the market and the freezer asap because it is still 90+ out here, I went to the Carmel Petco to start this new volunteer program. It's for a group called Rescue Me. I've been feeling a strong desire to get involved with volunteering again. I did some as a child and also some immigrant ESL tutoring as a young 20 year old. Our lives are so hectic with school and work that it has been hard to figure a way to fit everything in. I found the opportunity on VolunteerMatch. It's pretty small; I don't think they even have a website. I go in and clean 6 cat cages in a Petco, takes about an hour every Saturday or Sunday. The program has someone go in every day to visit the cats so the cages aren't really nasty. The hope is that someone will come to Petco and just adopt them out of there.
It seems like a great program and is such a light commitment. Plus I LOVE cats. I could stay in there and pet them for hours. We had 2 kittens today and then 2 sisters that came from a lady who had to go to a nursing home, a boy and then 1 other. They were all so sweet. If only Bonnie wasn't so territorial and John didn't put his foot down about more cats, I would TOTALLY adopt another. I hope I will be able to keep this up because helping animals is something I really care about.
After the shelter, I took Gavin to McDonald's play area and let him run around with the kids for 2 hours while his dad was home working on his homework. Too bad McDonald's is the only place Gavin likes to go. We had ice cream afterwards. He had blackberry and I had cookie dough from Sundae's, a really tasty little local ice cream shop. Daddy got Reese's of course.
Stopped at the Asian grocery to pick up cans of Arroy-D green curry, baby corns and bamboo shoots. Green curry in a can is becoming a staple meal. Takes only the amount of time to cook the rice. That curry really tastes like what you get in a Thai restaurant, just add chicken and rice and good to go. The curry paste they sell never ends up tasting the same way. John dutifully eats the vegetables I mix in (usually green beans) but I've discovered he's sort of nuts over bamboo shoots. So I bought him an extra can. They ARE a vegetable and I have to figure out how to add those in so we love our meal instead of just eat it because THE WIFE makes us.
I'm going to blame it on the heat but I took a 2 hour nap and it was fabulous. Sadly waking up sweaty really stinks. Next week is supposed to be 80s and I sure hope it will be or I may die. I was watching youtube videos of people cooking eggs on sidewalks and cars. That's when you know it is TOO hot.
I have some schoolwork to do but it is pretty mild. I studied the crap out of this quarter and while I have a final approaching on Thursday in my Microbiology course, I'm just going to lightly review. I like my memory. When I am nuts about something I really commit it to memory. Reviewing will just take a little bit. Got a 94% on my last lab test and 107% on chapter exam 3. I think I can fail the final and still get an A. :)
Tonight we are going to John's mother's house to get an audience for his online speech course. He is going to do a speech on aliens. I think when his speech course is over, we are going to be sad. It has been a lot of fun to visit his mother, sister and her family every 2 weeks for his speeches. We'll have to figure out how to work the time in to get over there more often. Wish it wasn't a 45min drive one way.
Upcoming is our break and we are *fingers crossed* going to get into the fitness routine for at least 3 weeks before fall semester starts up.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Making my way through the quarter
One lab test, lecture test, final lab, final lecture and I'm done! Ugh 4 tests all in a row! Tomorrow is my DNA informative speech. I'm still quite pleased that I was able to do a speech on something I was studying in microbiology lessening how much I have to study. My final speech is going to be on CAFOs which is something I wrote a paper on last quarter.
This is the fourth week I've been going with my coworker to Zumba and yoga. Yoga is a blast. Zumba is a waste of time. But it IS nice to get out of the house and get moving. Exercise is going well and I will have the time to do 3 weeks of P90x when the quarter is over. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm hoping that my current fitness will help it be less painful. As always I really need to tighten up on my diet especially late night eating. Go to bed at 10:30 Emily!
Finally I'm trying to figure out if I am going to continue with dental hygiene or pursue biotechnology.
Dental Hygiene
Pros - high probability of making 60k in 2 years, solid, reliable, growing profession, I have this all planned out
Cons - I'm not passionate about it, I will have to stop working to attend, I have to be accepted into the program
Biotechnology
Pros - very interesting field, prestigious, I would be able to graduate a year earlier than dental hygiene, it isn't a competitive program, allows up to a graduate degree if I were so inclined
Cons - I would probably have to work for companies that I have found to be morally questionable, money amount after 2 years is lower than dental hygiene, I'd have to tell everyone I changed my mind
Not huge problems but a little frustrating. I wonder if I will EVER be able to settle my mind on to ONE thing that I want to do.
This is the fourth week I've been going with my coworker to Zumba and yoga. Yoga is a blast. Zumba is a waste of time. But it IS nice to get out of the house and get moving. Exercise is going well and I will have the time to do 3 weeks of P90x when the quarter is over. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm hoping that my current fitness will help it be less painful. As always I really need to tighten up on my diet especially late night eating. Go to bed at 10:30 Emily!
Finally I'm trying to figure out if I am going to continue with dental hygiene or pursue biotechnology.
Dental Hygiene
Pros - high probability of making 60k in 2 years, solid, reliable, growing profession, I have this all planned out
Cons - I'm not passionate about it, I will have to stop working to attend, I have to be accepted into the program
Biotechnology
Pros - very interesting field, prestigious, I would be able to graduate a year earlier than dental hygiene, it isn't a competitive program, allows up to a graduate degree if I were so inclined
Cons - I would probably have to work for companies that I have found to be morally questionable, money amount after 2 years is lower than dental hygiene, I'd have to tell everyone I changed my mind
Not huge problems but a little frustrating. I wonder if I will EVER be able to settle my mind on to ONE thing that I want to do.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Exhausted
I feel tired this weekend and nothing reflects the exercise and somewhat good eating I did these past few days. Halfway through my summer semester and I'm already exhausted. I love MB so much but I can't let the idea of being a biotech major sway me from dental hygiene. One equals a rabbit trail, working for companies I despise and INCREDIBLY interesting field of work. The other equals a steady but boring income for my family which needs it so much. And I need to lose 50 lbs and dye my hair blonde to fit in.
I always feel grumpy on Mondays.
I always feel grumpy on Mondays.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Baumkuchen
My cake turned out fantastic! I have to refrigerate it now and ice it tomorrow and then I'll have some pics. This is a cake I came across when I lived in Japan and it was so delicious I started craving it last year and had to find out more about it. Since it is a specialty German treat that they usually only have around Christmas time, it's relatively hard to find. We have a local bakery that sells them around Christmas but they are imported and usually stale when they get here. I'm taking a speech class with a bunch of hardcore religious, Republican, members of the military so many of the topics that I might choose to speak about probably would not ingratiate me with the locals. I figured I should talk about what I like. What I like is cooking and eating. And when I think of something strange and interesting, I think of baumkuchen. It looks spectacular, it tastes good and most people have never heard about it.
I had a bit of a saga today trying to find a pan for cooking my baumkuchen. Since you have to broil it layer by layer, you can't use nonstick. Nonstick past 400 or 450 emits noxious fumes that can be dangerous or carcinogenic. Usually you broil on a baking sheet or with foil. Well, I needed a cake pan. Specifically a springform. I started out at Target and bought a springform before I remember the whole nonstick business. I returned it and then went to Walmart. All their pans were nonstick. Springform, basic cake pan, everything! Luckily I found anodized aluminum cake pans at Meijer that were blessedly nonstick. I have no idea what the other people who made baumkuchen at home did with their pans (I found a bunch of recipes on the net) but they certainly made no mention of nonstick. Since you put it in for 2 min at a time perhaps the coating wouldn't melt off. But who wants to take chances like that?
I'm doing my speech on Wednesday. I'm prepping the cake this weekend and I also ordered one made in Chicago which I'll be defrosting because I ordered it WAY too early. I think it's probably overkill for the grade but hey, it'll be a lot of fun and everyone likes to eat cake.
This last week has been topsy turvy simply because of the house stuff. I don't want to jinx that or talk about it any further until we have it so I'll leave it at that. Suffice to say I had a melt down mid week because I thought I got a B on a test. Lol. I know. Dental hygiene school is so competitive and I don't want to be where I am for any longer than I have to be. Anything short of perfect is not good. Worried for nothing. I got a 97% on the test which was the highest grade in my class. 103% on my first test. 100% on lab exam. Most of the class is averaging 70%. Pardon my brag but I really do love my microbiology class. I think if I didn't have to hurry out there and go make money in a practical field, I might have possibly had a future in biochemistry. Perhaps in another life...So MB is going well as long as I spend nearly every minute waking studying.
At home we are watching Big Bang Theory season 2 on Netflix. I can't think of much on TV that was funnier than BBT.
It's really hot outside. GAH.
Cracking down on the diet and exercise again this week. Some days are good. Some days are less so. I never used to eat movie theater popcorn. Now I'm ruined on it!
Oh Bad Teacher was hilarious.
I had a bit of a saga today trying to find a pan for cooking my baumkuchen. Since you have to broil it layer by layer, you can't use nonstick. Nonstick past 400 or 450 emits noxious fumes that can be dangerous or carcinogenic. Usually you broil on a baking sheet or with foil. Well, I needed a cake pan. Specifically a springform. I started out at Target and bought a springform before I remember the whole nonstick business. I returned it and then went to Walmart. All their pans were nonstick. Springform, basic cake pan, everything! Luckily I found anodized aluminum cake pans at Meijer that were blessedly nonstick. I have no idea what the other people who made baumkuchen at home did with their pans (I found a bunch of recipes on the net) but they certainly made no mention of nonstick. Since you put it in for 2 min at a time perhaps the coating wouldn't melt off. But who wants to take chances like that?
I'm doing my speech on Wednesday. I'm prepping the cake this weekend and I also ordered one made in Chicago which I'll be defrosting because I ordered it WAY too early. I think it's probably overkill for the grade but hey, it'll be a lot of fun and everyone likes to eat cake.
This last week has been topsy turvy simply because of the house stuff. I don't want to jinx that or talk about it any further until we have it so I'll leave it at that. Suffice to say I had a melt down mid week because I thought I got a B on a test. Lol. I know. Dental hygiene school is so competitive and I don't want to be where I am for any longer than I have to be. Anything short of perfect is not good. Worried for nothing. I got a 97% on the test which was the highest grade in my class. 103% on my first test. 100% on lab exam. Most of the class is averaging 70%. Pardon my brag but I really do love my microbiology class. I think if I didn't have to hurry out there and go make money in a practical field, I might have possibly had a future in biochemistry. Perhaps in another life...So MB is going well as long as I spend nearly every minute waking studying.
At home we are watching Big Bang Theory season 2 on Netflix. I can't think of much on TV that was funnier than BBT.
It's really hot outside. GAH.
Cracking down on the diet and exercise again this week. Some days are good. Some days are less so. I never used to eat movie theater popcorn. Now I'm ruined on it!
Oh Bad Teacher was hilarious.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Struggle with having it all
Facebook gets me upset some times. I had a lot of dreams for my life and while some of them have come true, I feel that I haven't done what I wanted to do with my life. Its hard when so many others have achieved and I feel that I am still 10 years behind. Keeping a positive attitude is hard.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Discouraged - a lot of balls in the air
I guess I didn't realize just how tough work and school would be with this M-Th night school stuff going on. What makes it more difficult is at the same time I'm trying to spend time with my online friends. I really want to get my image together this year. I feel that I'm at a critical point and that it would really help my career to have a better looking self. I need the self confidence as well.
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