How I'm Spending My Summer Vacation (the non-hospitalized remix)

Just got back home after spending the day with Nina. She came over and hung out for most of the afternoon, during which we watched Studio 60 and ate the chili I'd just made. Played Star Wars Monopoly. Drank a 2-litre thing of black cherry soda.

Then went to the fund raiser that her mom's non-profit was putting on at Cal Skate. It should at this point be noted that I haven't skated since I was seven years old, and so it's fairly impressive that I only fell once. Sadly, this once slammed the side of my head down into the floor. Kinda hurts still when poked, but didn't break the skin. I didn't go back out onto the rink after that, but Nina and I both won things in the raffle- she got four free passes to the miniature golfing on site there, I I got two free meals at Denny's. We decided to really make an evening out of it, and used them both. Fortunately, I redeemed myself at the golfing. So there was that. Something nice about living in Chico is that we could be out golfing at 9:30pm in shorts and still be comfortable.

In fact, it didn't get cold at all except for when we were in Denny's where they had the AC cranked. Was fun ordering full meals there, though, and they put up absolutely no fuss about just taking the vouchers (which were just handwritten on the back of a couple of business cards) and letting us go. So that was nice.

Might possibly be trying to bike to Butte College tomorrow. It'd be nice not to have to worry about missing the bus, and it's not like it gets dark at any time that I'd have to worry about biking in the dark. So we'll see.

But now, sleep!

I really hate it...

...when my day goes like this:



Though encountering more crossbows as part of my daily routine than I currently do would be cool.

Also, there have been a ton of ambulance type vehicles out this evening. Hey look, it's Thursday night in Chico!

Not something you see every day

So, the padded feet at the front-underneath of my comp's keyboard have lost a lot of the stickiness that keeps them adhered to the keyboard. They fall off when I shove it around too fast, and I have to turn it over and carefully stick them back in place. But this afternoon I was hurrying to get out the door to go to dance, and didn't have time to hunt down the pad when it fell off.

So now, 6 hours later, I'm getting ready for bed, taking off my trainers. And what falls out, but the little pad. I have absolutely no idea how it could have gotten in my shoe. It was a bit...bemusing.

I've never found a piece of a computer keyboard in my shoe before. Perhaps I haven't been watching closely enough.

Speaking of keyboards, though, I'd quite like this one.

Though this one would be all right also. It's ergonomic!

Please children mind the gap...

Miracle people with marvelous hair
And a knack to do anything better than anyone
I got a home with electrical air
And I live in a world
Smaller than anyone

Two years today since we moved back to the States. March 3oth, got up at around 4am for the taxi from the BnB we were staying at to the airport.


Breakfast at the BnB. Tea! And toast in proper toast racks!

I got a line on a new frontier
I got a line on a new America
All of the people are vanishing here
I could be huge,
If I could just get home

It doesn't actually seem like two years: rather longer, actually. Probably because I've done an awful lot in that time; three-and-a-half semesters of college, meeting so many new people, living in two cities and three residences (some, admittedly, longer than others). It doesn't seem...reasonable that all of that's happened in only a two year span.

I got a friend from the new frontier
And Galen, she says, this is not America
You need a girl with electrical hair
And the words that you wanted was al-u-min-i-um

Revising. Bin. Ground floor. Pants. Holiday. Layby. Sweets. All are differently nuanaced or used in ways I still have to think about. not that big a deal, and amusing more often than annoying. The funniest ones will trip you up, though. My English teacher staring at me when I referenced revising for math. Cilantro/coriander.

I'm entirely in favour of the English practice of saying "sorry" to someone who runs into you, no matter who's fault it is. Automatic apology is totally the way to progress as a culture.


Then there are the things you just can't find. Last caramel slice eaten, March 20th, 2007.

I was in bed with
The girl at the end of the world
She says I'm goin' home.
And you should come home too

Would I move back to Britain right now? No. I love Chico: the weather, my school, my friends, the professors, the atmosphere, my apartment. I like being close to my family, and especially getting to know some of them for the first time. I like being with people who are closer to being my peers than many 20-somethings in Britain would be right now. I'm very happy here

Would I move back to Britain once I've graduated, to work and/or raise a family? Yes. I miss the culture and the attitudes and the way of life. I miss the food, the sense of humor, the people. The tea. The much smaller number of people-with-guns. Agas. The lower bread prices. The more sane news coverage. The public transportation. The BBC. The proximity to Europe.


Mumsy! And an aga!

There are also heaps of US things I'm sure I would miss if I moved back. Goodness knows I love being near family and being able to get a good hamburger. But net, I think Britain wins. I like the culture more there; I think it feels more like home.


Last couple of days in Britain: out to dinner at a pub with good friends.

I'm at the end of a new frontier
Here at the edge of the flat earth ending
I'm getting off to get lost in the air
At the end of the world where the light is bending


Two years ago...


And now

Dude

This so totally happens to me.



I once had this dream, where it was suddenly announced that it was time for the final in the Swimming, Diving, and Ancient Egyptian History class that J and I were taking. Except that I'd forgotten I had that class, for the whole semester. And J was like, "Where have you been?" And we were swimming/diving in this big pool surrounded by giant gold Egyptian statues and heads.

That wasn't the only time I've had the dream, but it was probably the most bizarre.

And now the Matrix is on, demanding my attention. Sweet dreams, everyone!

My 'I Don't Have to Run' Day

Stew came out fantastic. Meat just fell apart, which was what I was hoping for but not expecting. I'd cut the potatoes into smaller hunks next time, though; they cooked through fine, but they were too big to eat without breaking them up with the spoon. Also, I'm hoping if I make a few of them quite small, they'll cook down and thicken it a bit; it was a little thinner than ideal.



Still, it tasted wonderful, the carrots cooked perfectly, and the meat turned out much better than I'd expected, having read about tough the cut it. Definitely something I'll make again. It made enough for me to have two bowls last night, plus a tupperware full for today. It was a little oily, but I was able to skim the leftovers this morning, after they'd been in the fridge overnight. Overall, though? Success!





Spence was napping when I went to take the pics, though, so these ones are from my phone. They're...a little sad, comparatively. Ah well.

Meanwhile, back in Chico, it's raining again. Still. More. I walked to campus to meet up with a friend to study for tomorrow's linear algebra test (which? not going to be fun) but she gave me a lift back (after we hit taco bell. starving mathematicians in training gotta eat). I have to run over to the student admin building tomorrow to get some transcripts ordered to send to the REU campuses that require official transcripts. And... it's supposed to rain all of tomorrow, too. Sigh.

On a lighter note, it's that time again. Yes, time for New Words Teddy Has Learned In College (the parent-friendly edition). Up today we have:

Peripatetic

Philippic

and

Rebarbative

I was going to try to go with all words that started with P, but rebarbative was too good.

Right. Words delivered, my work here is done. *Teddy wanders off to eat stew*

I can do the laundry,

and make dinner while I'm on the phone...

Saturday, day for errands and housekeeping. Started last night, really; finished the last batch of rice when I got home (from a rugby match, but that's a later story) so I made another pot. Had that for dinner, along with the last of the jar of masala sauce J got me for Christmas:


So that was nice. Only had about 1/4 of it; half went into the freezer, and the rest into the fridge for consumption in the next few days.

So, that was last night. Got up this morning at ten, went to the bank where I got quarters for the laundry that seriously needs to get done today, came home, and started...



Stew!

I bought a little over a pound of top round (labeled London Broil) steak at Winco about a month ago for two bucks; took it home, stuck in the freezer, and stared researching what it was I had purchased. I got the crock pot for my birthday last year, and haven't really had a chance to try it out. Pay no attention to the oatmeal experiment behind the curtain. Soooo, stew!



My crock pot is only...3 quarts, I think? So the amount of meat I was able to slice away from the fat on the steak was just about perfect. Put down a layer of 3 eighthed (well, quartered isn't accurate) potatoes and covered it with a bunch of Spencer's baby carrots chopped in half, about a third of a head of chopped garlic, 2 cups (or, one large Star Trek mug) of beef broth, and the meat cup up into little hunks.



So now it's sitting down on the kitchen table, cooking on high for a few hours. I stabbed the meat for a while to tenderize it (and because it was fun). Spencer was looking at me very oddly. Also, it should be noted: raw beef and coffee are not really smells that go well together.

What I really don't like about cooking with the crock pot is that I can't fiddle it; I like to mess with my food while it's cooking (stir, taste, add to, poke with spoons), and that's really not a good idea with the crock pot. Sigh. So I'm upstairs, trying to resist the temptation to take off the lid and stir the stew every five minutes.



I started at 12:45, so I'm gonna give it about 6 hours on high and then see how it's going. I don't know how many times I'll have given in and poked at it before then, though :)



Right, load of laundry is now in. Kitchen smells all garlicy, yay!

Just got an email form the other professor I asked to write me a rec letter for the summer REU programs to which I'm applying; he says he'll do it. Thank goodness. All but two of the campuses require 2 rec letters, and I've only had (minus this semester) two math professors. Now, they've both agreed. Phew. I'm applying to seven programs, including the one here at Chico. I'd be really, really happy to get accepted to even one of them, though I have no idea how many applicants they get. Hmm, need to arrange to get transcripts sent on Monday...

But, I promised a rugby story. Yesterday I had a bunch of tests, which is nice in that you can leave when you're done. So, I was loitering in the hallway, waiting for my next class to start, when a girl I know in a we-keep-ending-up-in-classes-together-let's-be-friends kinda way, saw me and bounced over. She's a bouncy kinda person, in a very non-annoying kinda way. She asked what I was doing at three, and upon learning I was free, told me I should come to see the Chico vs. BYU women's rugby match; she's on the team, and was pretty excited about it.

So, I said sure. Friday afternoon, gorgeous day, nothing better to do with my time. And... it was a lot of fun. I left a half time (rugby is played in 40 minute halfs. Who knew?) but it was fun to watch and easy to follow. Not a lot of people there, lots of really pretty dogs to pet, and I think we were winning when I left. I'll have to ask her on Monday how it went. But it was a really good time.

Right. Gotta write back to nice letter-writing professor now with pertinent info. He's really big into grad school/research/self-starters, so I had figured this would be right up his alley. Nice confirmation, though.

Hope everyone's having a nice weekend! *waves to Mom and Dad on their hol* Will post pics of the stew when it's done.