Burnt Toast

HOORAY!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:47:28 GMT

HOUSE!

WE HAVE ONE!!!!

Champagne tonight, garden and renovation planning tomorrow!

:) :)

Updates

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:52:47 GMT

UPDATE TIME!!

-We close on our house next Friday. Everything is going according to plan. No surprises at the last second, hopefully! I'm so excited, and I can't wait to move in and make it our own! I'm already thinking about the vegetable garden I'd like to plant next year.

-Bought a wall oven and cooktop for the planned new kitchen yesterday on ebay. Good deals.

-Out of the $10,000 we had to put down to get out of the condo, we'll be getting back $1700. Oh well, at least it's something. I heard that the condo's AC has been broken all summer and only recently got fixed. Must have sucked to live there. Awfully nice to be free of that place.

-I've been growing tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers in pots at the town home. The yield so far is two cherry tomatoes and four cucumbers. A deer ate a good chunk of the tomato plants last month, so I'm surprised that they're producing at all. The bird feeder that I put up has lots of activity. We routinely have two baby cardinals that hang out there.

-Wedding plans are crawling along. Right now we're thinking about either a small wedding in Yellowstone/Tetons with a later reception at the Walker Art Institute in Minneapolis or having the whole thing at the Walker or elsewhere in MN. The fiance is set on having Wolfgang Puck's restaurant cater, but we'll see how that prices out. Current date is spring to early summer next year.

-My clinical fellowship is going smoothly. I should have a paper accepted next week with 2-3 more in the pipeline for submission. Over the next year I'm going to be the acting director of a lab with 100 people that runs 1 million tests a year. Yikes!

UPDATE!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:21:18 GMT

Hi! Wow, it's been a while since I updated. Here's the scoop:

-We sold our condo! Okay, it's not really official until this Friday when we close. But yay! The asking price was fair and the inspection went well. We ended up selling the place no more than a week after we listed it with the agent. Lucky!

-WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Funny how the timing worked out so well. A couple of weeks after we had sold the condo we found a great house that had just come on the market. An older couple had been living there and apparently they're very picky. This is great for us, as they were very picky when the house was build and accordingly the craftsmanship is fantastic. The basement is finished (and has a wet bar, what the heck am I going to do with a wet bar??), the deck is complete, and the yard is a good size just begging for a garden in the back. We're planning on closing in August.

-For the transition, we're renting a townhouse. And we're currently living there until we've finalized on the house. It's a nice little two-story with a patio in the back. I've installed a bird feeder and purchased a bunch of plants for pots out front (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers). We signed a 6 month lease, which is a little bit over than when we'd officially own the house. That's okay though, since we're planning on renovating the kitchen and we can stay in the townhouse while that mess is taking place.

-Wedding plans. We've decided to have the wedding next year. We'd both like an outdoor wedding, so it would be likely May or later as April is still a bit cool here. Location has yet to be determined, anywhere from a nice spot in Minneapolis to Yellowstone (!). To be updated.

-Work. Busy as always. I went to a scientific conference last week to present data and I'll be going to another one in the middle of July to present another project. I'm also planning on taking the first part of my accreditation boards, crazy. The fiance will be done with internship hell on June 26 and is planning on getting good and drunk. He'll be starting research for the next two years, so it's back to jeans and sneakers for him!

Condo...sold?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:54:18 GMT

We've been listing our condo for a while on Craigslist with only a few nibbles, so last Monday we started working with a realtor (I know, yikes) to list our place officially. So far we've had several people come through, and today the realtor calls to inform us that we've gotten an offer! No idea on price or whether we're being lowballed (hopefully not), so fingers crossed! We'll find out tonight.

Of course, we have to list our place now because this time is the best time to sell to residents, students, and fellows that will be starting at Mayo at the end of June. But...we still don't have a house to move into yet. One resident has offered to let us rent his house for 6 months starting in July, so we may take him up on that but we'd still have to move twice in the end. And if the buyer of our place wants us out in June we'll be scrapping for a month or so. I make a mean cardboard house. ^_^

In the meantime, I'm still looking for new homes that are being listed. The fiance is more interested in drawing out some plans and having a company build for us. The current plans are lovely, but I'm really concerned that he's drawing out something that's going to be prohibitively expensive. Guess we'll have to see.

I'm sure everything will work out in the end, but I keep getting this nagging feeling that we haven't thought our cunning plan through all the way...

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:43:17 GMT

Hee. I gave Kiwi a whole small strawberry on the bottom of his cage. He loves strawberries. He delicately picked off all of the little seeds on the outside before starting on the fruit. Now his beak is stained red and the floor of the cage looks like a bloody mess. What a riot!

WANT

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:21:46 GMT

This is the best geek sleeping bag EVER. EVER EVER EVER!!!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/tauntaun.html

(Too bad it's an April Fools gag. ThinkGeek is trying to see if Lucas inc. would bite at a licensing deal, but I'm pretty sure it would never sell for a mere $40.)

Owl nest

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:10:42 GMT

Last weekend we went up to the cities for a little R&R. We took the camera gear and went over to Black Dog to see if any eagles were left from the winter. We weren't disappointed! One eagle pair was building a nest right by the side of the road! As we watched (but didn't get any good photos, unfortunately) another photographer pulled up and told us about an owl nest further down. Sure enough, we drove down and saw this:

A great horned owl comfortably tucked into a nest! I've never seen an owl nest before. How cool! The owl didn't pay us much mind either. I wonder how long it takes for owl eggs to hatch? We should try to come back to catch a peek at the fledglings.

DAMN

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:07:14 GMT

Hahahaha....ahaha...aha...

So I jinxed the house. :(

We went back a third time to check it out, this time with parents-in-law in tow. Inside still great. Outside...wait wtf is that?!

The snow had melted so we discovered that the owners had put in a cute little tile patio right around the back of the house. Except the tile and all the ground around the house had sunk about half a foot below the house line. Why? The backyard was graded too high, which meant that the yard was higher than the house. Every time it rained the water would run down the backyard toward the house, sinking the ground, and getting into the foundation and cracking the concrete basement floor.

So yeah, serious damage to the house that would require several tens of thousands of dollars to repair. We don't want to touch the house now. Back to the search, sigh.

And the shittiest thing of all is that the realtor admitted that she knew about it when we asked her and that the owner was going to have it repaired blah blah blah. SHE KNEW ABOUT IT AND DIDN'T TELL US. Wow, seriously? Lying by omission? Do we have the worst luck with realtors or what?

Oh well, screw it. BSG SERIES FINALE tomorrow, and I'm going to watch the hell out of it with a happy heart.

OMG HOUSE!!!

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:43:17 GMT

OMG you guys.

I don't want to jinx it, but I think we've found a HOUSE! Yes, after over a year of searching and after having one deal fall through at the last minute and after seeing, I don't know, 100 or so homes we've found something we both like!

It's a decent price, it's in a reasonable neighborhood, it has a great floorplan, it's a walkout and has a nice not too big/not too small yard, it has a screened, covered deck. The kitchen is great - granite countertops, nice cabinets, cherry wood floor. The owner is a drywaller and finished the home himself, and he did a great job with recessed niches and arches and everything. And (esp. for my man) it has an underground garage with separate driveway (it's on a corner lot). WOW.

The landscaping is kinda nonexistent, but that's pretty easy to fix with some trees and bushes and whatnot. Wow, to think that I might be able to go out and buy flower bulbs and plants and seeds for a garden!

I think we might be making an offer within the week, and we may be buying the place before we sell the condo. Downpayment will probably come out of the bank account, good thing I've been saving up! Ack!

Keep fingers crossed, please! :) :)

wtf, GW?

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:59:28 GMT

Blech, GW has been fucking things up since the shiny new Vision Statement was announced.

There will be no new "anti" threads or "complaints only" threads for SGU. Open discussion threads only. The mods want to emphasize happy comments over angry/disappointed comments, though I can't tell you the number of times I've seen SGU fanboys openly insult those who dare to think the show could suck with no mod consequences (and I've grown tired of using the "report post" feature, especially since I've felt let down by the mods of late).

There will not be any more anti-ship threads like anti-McKay/Keller. No, instead there's going to be a anti-all McKay ships thread (for all your anti-McKay/Keller, anti-McKay/Katie, anti-McKay/Weir (shut your mouth! ^_^) needs) and an anti-all Keller ships thread (Keller with McKay, Ronon, etc). So if you're anti McKeller you have to watch both threads instead of just one. And if you don't like McKeller you'll have to share space with those who don't like Keller/Ronon (oh gee, NO potential for conflict there! Imagine if/when the Shep/Weir and Shep/Teyla shippers butt heads in the anti-all Shep ship thread!)

Anti threads get merged or closed. Pro threads don't go anywhere. Anti threads are apparently bad because they create a closed environment that fosters fanaticism, anger, and isolationism. But pro threads are apparently peachy keen, even though they are often just as closed off and fanatic. Yeah.

Anti-McKeller posters are understandably upset, but the response from the mods has been either aloof or arrogant. The only people that are happy with the change are those who like McKeller, several of whom have the gall to get on their high horses and lecture others. Gee, who'da thought? I swear, the whole reason the mods are fucking up the character/relationship subforum is just because certain posters and/or PTB complained about the anti-McKeller-ness of GW. And the whole reason they're clamping down on SGU is because TPTB complained that their shiny new show isn't as beloved as they'd like.

tl;dr - GW is screwed because the mods are wasting all this time and isolating fans by revamping the forum instead of BANNING PEOPLE WHO BEHAVE LIKE CRAP.

A weird aside, TPTB have started filming SGU, they had a whole-cast dinner the other night, and yet they've released all the male actor names and none of the female ones? That's...really odd. Suspicious even.

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:30:59 GMT

Woke up with a mild migraine this morning. I think tylenol is keeping it at bay for now. I had a worse migraine on Saturday - took Midrin and slept from 6-10 pm, blech. Sleeping in the late afternoon or evening always puts me in a weird funk.

You know you're adjusted to the Minnesota winter when you think 30 degrees is warm. ^_^

The last two BSG eps were stellar and now I'm back on the Adama/Roslin bandwagon like whoa. I have a feeling that a good chunk of the main cast is not going to make it to the end. I've been watching these last eps with such a feeling of trepidation...

Sigh.

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:50:52 GMT

I just got a text page that says "Y*p>5q" Hmm.

Oh Cardinals, you had to shock the hell out of me by getting to the Super Bowl in the first place, and then with about 2:00 to go you have to go and make me think you might just win it. Oh well. When I was growing up we always thought a good season for the Cards was when they made it over 0.500. The owner was a dick though, whining that he was going to move the team if they didn't give him a stadium. So they gave him a stadium, but then none of the suburbs wanted to build it. Heh. They got it in the end, out in Glendale or something, but it's funny as hell to see such apathy toward a professional team.

STRESSFUL LIFE IS STRESSFUL. I was sick this weekend but still had plenty of work to do. Abstract due for a conference this Friday, ACK! Plus, we've decided to step it up on getting a house (we've been looking over a year, it's getting ridiculous) so I need to start making a list and calling realtors.

THIS CALLS FOR A HAPPY MORCHEEBA SONG!

The ring

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:43:31 GMT

For the curious, here's my engagement ring:

It's a platinum eternity band with diamonds all around. It's so simple and classy, I love it. My knuckles tend to be big, so when I get rings on they tend to spin around and the stone ends up on the palm side. Not a problem with a band! Plus it's so nice to not have a stone get snagged when I put on lab gloves.

I find that my fingers are swollen in the morning and getting the ring off can be a pain. But by the evening my fingers are small and it's easier to pull it off. Huh.

Movie weekend.

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:14:26 GMT

Oh BSG, I love you for your wtf moments and you SO did not disappoint last night! WOW. I'm still trying to figure out a timeline that explains what was revealed.

I finally have a free weekend where I don't have to immediately prepare for a presentation! So I'm watching a bunch of DVDs. "Funny Games" was first (two guys hold a family hostage, VERY dark and disturbing, one of the creepiest movies I've seen recently). Now I'm on "Paranoid Park". And later I'm going to start watching the old series "The Prisoner" in honor of the recently passed Patrick McGoohan.

OMG NO

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:55:17 GMT

Waitwaitwaitwait.

Keanu Reeves is going to play Spike in the live action Cowboy Bebop movie???!!!

WTF IS THIS SHITTERY????

BSG ZOMG!

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:48:48 GMT

BSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSGBSG!!!!!!

Random funny science stuff:

The instruments in the clinical labs generally have names so the staff knows which one is down or acting up or whatever. Sometimes the names are obvious or bland, but occasionally there are clever ones like:

The MS that measures testosterone is called "The Hulk." (and has a little figurine of the hulk on the top)
The MS that measures vitamin D is called "Sunny D." (sunlight promotes vitamin D synthesis in the body)
The GC that measures nicotine is called "Joe the Camel."

Heeheehee.

ZOMG BSG

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:45:36 GMT

IS IT CAN BE BSG TIEM NOW PLEES????

I am SO looking forward to new BSG this Friday, after weeks of having to turn my head and plug my ears every time the preview commercial came on skiffy. I'm a little scared too - I'm hoping the show really goes out well and that the ending kicks ass but there's always some trepidation after one has seen so many good shows with crappy endings.

In other news, I presented to the department yesterday. The audience is given a form to rate our presentations and we get to go over them afterward. I think I did really well and the forms indicate likewise, except for one mysterious comment that stated "Audience questions were distracting". Huh. Well, I don't have that much control over when and how people ask questions, other than perhaps telling people to zip it until the end (yeah, like I'm going to tell a lab director that!). But that's not really in the spirit of these presentations - people ask questions throughout the talk, lab directors often step in to add clarification or other comments, etc. And I prefer those talks when the audience gets involved rather than me just standing up and blabbing for an hour while everyone gets that glazed look. So pfffft, you anonymous comment, you.

Icicles

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:16:17 GMT

Ha, it's currently -8 F and the prediction is it won't get above zero today. The wind chill takes it down to -10 to -40. Wow.

Days like this make it tough to walk to work. When I breathe through my mouth the air is so cold that it gives me asthma. When I breathe through my nose the cold air pinches off my nostrils. I get inside and it takes a good 5-10 minutes before my face has fully thawed.

It's snowed a lot this year, about several times a week. I'm already looking forward to spring!

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:16:31 GMT

So I just finished "Equal Rites", my first (and definitely not last!) Pratchett book. Loved it. But then I read that Esk doesn't appear in any more of his books. Well, that's a bummer. :(

Speaking of bummers, was anyone else disappointed by the SGA finale? It felt rushed and hollow and I wish they had spent time on SGA characters instead of SG1 cameos. Sigh. I think the only season finale I liked was s3.

Now I guess we wait for the SGA movie. That Joe M is writing. And none of the actors have signed on for yet. *headdesk*

Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:34:35 GMT

I made pasta last night with a sausage cream sauce, only it didn't go quite according to the plan.

The recipe called for browning a bit of sausage and then adding evaporated milk and cheese to make a sauce. Sausage browned check, pecorino cheese grated check, open up the can of evaporated milk aaaaaand...

The milk had separated in the can. I poured off almost clear liquid and a chunk of milk protein was stuck in the bottom. EW EW EW.

So I had to scrap that particular version of the recipe and instead made a quick butter/flour roux and added milk. Turned out great, THANK GOODNESS!

Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce (serves 2)

Brown 1/4 lb ground italian sausage in a pan. Remove sausage and add 1/2 T butter. When melted, whisk in 1/2 T flour. Cook until barely brown. Add about 1/2 cup milk, whisking to blend. Add back sausage. Gently boil until sauce has thickened, adding more milk if the sauce becomes too thick. Dump in a handful or so of grated hard italian cheese like parmesan or pecorino. Mix until melted and blended. Serve hot over cooked pasta, ideally penne or rotini but spaghetti and linguini works too! YUM.

Happy New Year!

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:52:15 GMT

Happy New Year! We didn't celebrate last night because the bf was exhausted due to long call. But I have a bottle of sparkling white grape juice in the fridge, so we'll celebrate tonight instead!

My resolution is to try and cook more this year. We've been so busy that we've been defaulting to packaged meals, and those aren't very good for you. I ordered a huge cookbook from Cooks Illustrated with 1000 recipes, so that should be fun to read!

Thanks to everyone for the engagement congrads! We're both very excited. I forgot to mention that the bf had to figure out my ring size secretly, so he would measure my other ring while I was at the gym or measure my finger while I slept (!) Unfortunately, the ring ended up being a little too big, so it's currently being returned for the proper size. So boo, no ring pictures to show just yet. He went with a non-traditional style and got me a platinum eternity band. Very pretty!

(Gah, I keep on calling him my bf. Fiance! Should I start calling him the f? ^_^)

Wedding bells

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:05:12 GMT

It's official, I'm an engaged woman!

Heh, I thought the bf was acting funny last Friday. I was getting ready to leave for Phoenix (and sadly leave him behind, sniff, he couldn't leave because he was on the reserve list to work at the hospital if they called). He was going to help me pack some camera gear so I could get some sunny AZ shots. He told me to grab that little camera bag and open it for him to get it ready...and there was a little box inside. What could be inside? Well a ring of course, and he asked me if I would marry him and I got all misty and said yes. OF COURSE!

And Kiwi was on his shoulder the whole time, so it was like our little family, sniff sniff. What a Christmas gift!

Alas, there is currently no wedding date. Right now the two of us are just trying to get through our first year of residency/fellowship. I have no idea where or when it will happen. Guess we have some planning to do!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! :)

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:16:14 GMT

Stupid wire, get back in my bra!

Ah, the trials of being a woman...

LOL WUT?

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:41:01 GMT

GW has a new Vision Statement, which essentially boils down to "Hay guize, too much negativity makes my monkey sad, so hatas can roll right out of here and all those anti threads are as good as gone!!" And "We want the SGU section to be for SGU FANS!!!"

Yeah, we'll see how that works out.

I wonder if someone on high had a chat with Darren about making the forum a shiny happy place or else no more interviews for him...

Guh?

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:33:18 GMT

Oh crap, it was SO cold today. I don't think it got above zero and the wind chill was in the range of -20 to -30. SUCK.

My poor car, it normally spends most of its time in a toasty heated garage at the condo. Today it was out in the cold all day because I had to drive to an off-site lab. I started it to go home and it made a handful of awful sounds before finally starting. The clutch pedal was like molasses!

I was hoping to have a nice productive and relaxing weekend but I spent 12 hours yesterday with the worst migraine in recent memory. So that sucked. Throbbing head and horrid nausea and everything. I only started getting better around 8pm when the bf went on a McNugget run. Aw, what a sweetie. :)

We started a new lab rotation today and the director assigned us to a 3-10 page paper due this Friday. AAARRRGH!