Happy Halloween!

Welcome to Disney! I went to downtown disney today and had some fun looking through the shops and wearing my awesome green dress. I guess I was a wingless fairy. I have to admit that there is a certain magic to this place, even as you grow older. I still get fascinated by the cool toys and stuffed animals. The two kissing frogs actually have magnets on their mouths, so their faces come together like a real kiss! So cute! Oh, and that is me spending some quality time with Pooh and company.

I really really want to buy myself this Goofy doll! Maybe I will by the end of the trip.

Here are some creepy images inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas, one of the most awesome of Tim Burton's creations. I am super excited for his new take on Alice in Wonderland, by the way. I cannot wait for that to finally happen.

This is by far the greatest shirt I have encountered in a long while. It is a very dark version of the Mad Hatter's tea party. Maybe I will buy this, too. It is amazing.

Here are some of the cool girls at the conference (and me in my dress) posing with Mickey. Yes, he is splattered in paint!

And last but not least for today's show and tell, is an awesome version on Clue that I found in the hotel gift shop! It looks so amazing. I want this too. Honestly, I want to go back 20 years and just point to everything I want and have it magically bought for me! No guilt involved. But I guess I could always buy everything for myself...

El Moro, San Juan

I decided to try sketching one of my favorite places to visit in the world. My parents grew up in Puerto Rico and most of family still lives there. They mostly live in Ponce, but one of my favorite places on the island is the Old San Juan. There is an old fort called El Moro. This is a sketch of part of the fort. I want to dedicate this to my parents, who have been awesome and took me here plenty of times when I was younger. I will definately be trying this again, but for a first try, I like it. It is a great depiction of it. A bit fragmented. But isn't that how most of our memories are? They are never 100% fluid. We remember bits and pieces. That is how this sketch came out. It is as if I tried to piece together my feeling and memories about my times in Puerto Rico, from the twime I was barely 2 years old until the last time I visited (almost 5 years ago).
Just wanted to share a piece of me and my memories with you.

Disney World Resorts...at 25

Disney has a different feel when you are not 8 years old anymore. Instead of being fascinated by all the people and all the colors and all the Disney, I can't help but think, "I wish all these people would get out of my way" and "Wow, everything is expensive". It is a bit sad, actually. You look at the kids and they look so happy. You look at the parents and they look so stressed. Why is it that being a responsible adult sucks the wonder and fantasy out of a Disney trip? Why can't I just relax and enjoy and forget about the people in my way or the money I am paying?
Good question. Which is why I can't help but walk loops around the resort, attempting to see the magic at every angle and maybe capture the wonder I felt at 8...maybe.
I can't lie to you, it is beautiful.

Yup, beautiful. And there are hammocks! I love hammocks, especially when they are hanging over sand and overlooking water. It makes a relaxing nap or at least a closed-eyes moment. I have been settling in, got some dinner, and now I'm just relaxing and wondering if the girl I am rooming with is actually going to show up ever.

Tomorrow, the conference starts. Updates later!

More Wisconsin and Multi-grain Pilaf

I love the downtown areas of cities like Madison, because there are always super cute shops with awesome window displays. These shops were closed when I walked by, but I really wished that I could go in and play with the sock monkeys. I should get a sock monkey...they are just too awesome. The ties just look really artsy and fun in the window. I am going to miss this place after I leave tomorrow. It has been nice to have a city where I can use my feet to get around!

Now for more Trader Joe's:

Today's Trader Joe's food is multi-grain pilaf. It has grains, and soy beans, and tomatoes. It was really yummy and satisying, and it makes me wish that I had a Trader Joe's in College Station because this is the greatest quick dinner. It would be perfect for those nights when I teach lab at 6:00 and need to eat something before class. I definately recommend it!

Today I found out that I may have a job offer! A company I interviewed with invited me to tour their facilities. They were my favorite company so far, because they are a small exploration company based out of Billings, MT. I would be working in the Houston office, which is pretty convenient given my current situation. I'm pretty excited to have a possible option!

So for next year, my options are:

Keep on working on my masters if I don't finish by the end of the summer (no!)

Start a phd program on meteorites.

Start an actual full time job and start paying off my loans and getting financial stable.

Join the Peace Corps (would be awesome, but not super likely)

Start a completely random degree (either an MFA in directing, or a degree in culinary arts)

I have a secret desire to just be a professional student all of my life. Couldn't I just bounce from degree to degree and get my masters or bachelors in several subjects? I would keep deferring loans, and a lot of grad programs actually pay you if you teach or do research, so I wouldn't go poor. I could travel to different states and countries getting these various degrees. When people ask me what I do, I can say: I learn. EVERYTHING! I think this is an awesome idea.

But seriously, a possible job option is wicked exciting given the current state of the economy. Which, honestly, thanks to being a grad student, I don't really feel the blunt of it at all.

Wish me luck trying to lug my monster suitcase onto the crowded bus tomorrow morning!

Lentil Rice Biryani

For dinner today I tried one of Trader Joe's heat and eat packets. I had the Lentil Rice Biryani. It has rice, potatoes, chick peas, and green beans. It has a very light spice to it and actually pretty good and satisfying. It made for a yummy dinner while catching up on episodes of Glee. The thin section I analyzed today came out well, which is awesome, because it was a redo from the crappy data from the weekend! So this trip is definately not a waste after all. I got a copy of an awesome poster that is about my study area. So I feel like I am definately going in the right direction!

I had some flashes of inspiration last night.

Number 1: I am going to start training for a half marathon with Stephen when I get back from my travels. Then during spring break we will do a half marathon. Right now we are considering the one in Moab. Now, this is quite an undertaking for both of us. We are not runners. But that doesn't mean we can't try to do it! If anything, it will make for some laughs and lots of sweat and showers!

Number 2: If I go for my phd, I want it to be on the mineralogy and petrology of meteorites. My honors thesis at Bowdoin was on a meteorite. When I was little, I always dreamed of working for NASA. How cool would it be to work as a geologist for NASA? Plus, there is one in Houston, which seems to fit miraculously into place. So, this is definately an exciting option! It makes me happy to think about it.

To add on to my inspiration, I decided to go for a walk today and find the more campus-like part of the city. I found an area near the law school that comes up to a pretty steep hill. The hill overlooks the lake and part of the city. It was AWESOME!! I love how new and exciting this city feels to me. Everywhere I look, I feel so impressed by everything. Everyone else looks bored with the scenery, but it is not boring to me!!

Sad news: Tomorrow is my last full day in Wisconsin.
Happy news: Tomorrow is my last full day in Wisconsin.

I'm having a nice time, but there always comes the time to go back home to be welcomed by pretty comfortable arms, a talkative kitty, an annoying puppy, and a grunting chinchilla.

Trader Joe's and Fall

I have been to a Trader Joe's twice in my life. Once was before my train ride from LA to Boston to get snacks to sustain us for the long ride. Twice was today! I decided to go for a walk and find the local Trader Joe's to buy myself food for the rest of my time here. I decided on fresh wheat bagels, trader joe's organic peanut butter, huge green apples, and some other stuff. I had a blast looking at all the good food. The picture shows my dinner...a bagel and peanut butter, already nearly half eaten! I wish there was a Trader Joe's in College Station, but there is a natural foods store, and I think I will need to frequent it more often!

Yesterday, the people I am staying with carved pumpkins. These are two of the pumpkins on their front porch. I was at school doing work, so I didn't partake in the festivities. But I didi eat the veggie chili that someone brought over (yum!).

I had a chance to draw the other day. I took the change of scenery as inspiration and drew a tree with leaves everywhere. I really love the way the fall looks here. It makes me feel like I am walking inside of a postcard. I feel like everyone should watch me walk around in th leaves with my warm peacoat and of course, my awesome cowboy boots!!

As you can see, I am enjoying Wisconsin. I am getting into my research and getting the change in scenery I desparately needed. I feel like I can breathe here...and breathing feels so good. The EBSD technician is finally warming up to me (because I am awesome) and even gave me code to access the wireless and carbon coated some of my samples to help me get better results. You should have seen his face when he saw me using the EBSD all by myself. He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that I could possibly know what I was doing! But I do!

Alright, I will be back tomorrow to update on my Trader Food goodies, and to tell you how the first day on the EBSD without Virginia goes. Seth and I will try our very hardest to not break the machine!

Madison adventures and chocolate leaves

Today I decided to walk around downtown Madison and just get lost. I had nowhere to be after setting my sample in the EBSD, and so I could just wander around the city and find things. I found a nice coffee shop called Steep and Brew, and had a yummy latte and scone. Then, I went to the Madison capitol and I found a model of a plane and this really awesome saying. "I thought I would keep it on the ground... but I unexpectantly took to the air, and the first thing I know, I was flying." -A.P. Warner. Isn't that an amazing quote? Sometimes great things happen when you are not looking for them. When you are finally satisfied with things, something new and amazing comes along. Or maybe you are finally hit by the idea that you've had something amazing right in front of you all along. I thought this was an awesome thing to come across today!





On my way back to the campus, I stumbled upon an art museum. It was free. So I went it and noticed that a free concert was starting in half an hour! I stayed and listened to a very talented pianist and cellist. The museum itself was pretty awesome, too. These are three of my favorite pieces from the museum.

The lovely people I am staying with let me help them make a cake yesterday. Well, they let me help make chocolate leaves! It is such an awesome idea, so I will share it! You collect some leaves. You melt chocolate (any kind will do). And then you spread chocolate on the backside of the leaves. You let the chocolate (you want a pretty thick coat) sit for about an hour. Then you put them in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened. You peel from the leaves and ta-dah! An awesome cake decoration. I will be using this in the future for a thanksgiving dessert. You just wait.

Beautiful Wisconsin

Wisconsin feels amazing. I just went for a walk down to the lake and felt like I was in a completely different universe than where I have been lately. Today was a long day of collecting crappy data, and for some reason the lake washed everything away from my mind. It felt awesome to be walking along on the leaves wearing a warm coat and a scarf with my hands dug deep in my coat pockets. I felt like I was home, it just felt so familiar.

I have been contemplating getting my phD next year and moving to a place like this. But that is just a random thought and who knows what thoughts will pop into my mind in the upcoming days. The change of air, people, and scenery is doing things to my mind, and I am pretty sure they are great things.

I hope you like the pictures I took. There are pretty leaves! And water! Two phenomenons I have not seen in quite some time. And here there are, waiting for me in Wisconsin, of all places! So far, its been a good trip...if not for my research, then definately for my mind.

More Like Jim

On the airplane yesterday I was sitting next to a man who told me some of the most amazing stories. This man spent the first fifty years of his life in Chicago and now he lives in Hawaii. He was a sky diver and now since he doesn't actually want to die, he scuba dives. He tries to get onto the show Lost on almost a weekly basis. He volunteers as a big brother for a teenager in Hawaii. He has never been married, never had kids, and has just lived his life the way he has wanted to. He told me about a friend of his named Jim who would swin with the sharks in Hawaii and apparently was a huge part of shark week that week. Jim was fearless, was a huge adrenaline junkie, but never did drugs. He ended up dying while base jumping. But that's not the point. The point is he lived. He did not let his fears get in the way. There are red bumper stickers on the island that say "More Like Jim".

So I am taking this as a sign to start lightening up my ways of thinking. I can be so task and responsibility oriented that I always lose sight of life and what is actually in front of me. So my goal is to start taking advantage of the little things, no matter if they "get in the way" of my day. So, more morning showers with my boyfriend, more random lunches bought in Northgate, more vacation planning, more hanging out with random people. Just more life.
I think I had a little bit of a wake up call in the form of a very awesome man that really made me stop and think about how I am living my life. And isn't that the point of this blog? To make sure I don't take myself too seriously? So I should keep up with that!
Here are some pictures that my mom sent me of some snow in Massachusetts. It snowed already!
Alright, back to eating a very yummy pear and luna bar for breakfast and then off to campus.

Tomorrow...Wisconsin!

Tomorrow I am going to the University of Wisconsin at Madison to get training on some of their equipement and hopefully get some research done. I have never been to Madison, and I have no idea who I am staying with once I get there, but for some reason that makes the trip more exciting. I can't wait to have some new scenery, a new campus to explore, and new people and professors to meet. I also can't wait to feel a change in season and actually feel it get cold and have to wear a jacket! Maybe then I will appreciate the Texas weather again.

I will not get to do any cooking while I am there (at least not that I know of) but I will be bringing my pastels and I will be taking lots of pictures of Wisconsin. It's a new state to add to the list. Maybe I will eat cheese?

These flowers represent the idea that I am trying to move on in my research by going to Wisconsin and hopefully the trip and experience will give me the motviation to make some great progress, give a great presentation at AGU (a geology conference) in December and have a big hope of graduating by the end of summer. It will be nice to be somewhere where the only thing I need to worry about is my research. I don't need to worry about classes, or organizations, or the animals, or anything else. Just me and my research and fresh Wisconsin air. I really don't know anything about Wisconsin...hopefully there are actually people there.

Open faced turkey burgers with swiss, apples, and bbq sauce

Today I am going to make a list of things that make me happy:

1. Kisses from Stephen
2. Cuddling with one or all of my animals
3. Listening to music from my favorite musicals
4. Being outside in nature, especially in the woods or near the ocean
5. Christmas...the snow, the lights, the excitement and smells.
6. Finding a great new outfit or accessory and buying it for myself.
7. Being in a play
8. Directing a play
9. Seeing a play in a theater
10. Going to the movies with candy and soda from Target or CVS
11. Smelling candles
12. Going to a bookstore coffee shop and sipping on a chai while reading magazines
13. Losing myself in a great book
14. Drawing, painting, creating art
15. Looking at the stars on a clear night
16. Laughing so hard that my face hurts
17. Getting a hug when I feel drowsy or sleepy
18. New underwear
19. Painting my nails
20. Cooking or baking something new and having it come out great!
21. The smell of baking cookies at every step from dough to cooked form.
22. Seeing an old friend and feeling as though you have never been apart
23. Recalling happy childhood memories
24. Being in a plane or train and feeling in between destinations
25. Watching favorite movies

Now for a yummy meal to make me even more happy.

Turkey burger patties made with ground turkey, chopped apples, and minced garlic. Once they are cooked, I melted swiss cheese on top. I toasted wheat bread, put a cheese covered turkey patty on the bread, put some apple slices on top and poured bbq sauce. I of course served tostones on the side, because they make me happy too. And to end a good meal...lemon bread!

Hope you had a good day.

Turkey, apple, and swiss panini with bbq sauce!

Happy Monday! I booked plane tickets this morning, so I am officially going to Wisconsin this Thursday. I am going to the University of Wisconsin at Madison to get trained on some research equipment and hopefully collect a lot of data. I am excited for the opportunity to have nothing to worry about except my research. And it is a new place, new scenery, new people...I am excited! I just wish I could fast forward so I don't have to worry about finding people to cover my labs or worry about missing classes.
Now I am home for lunch and decided to make a fun sandwich (yes, I know, I love sandwiches). I made a sandwich on wheat bread with turkey, apple, swiss cheese, and bbq sauce. It was delicious. And now I have to pack up my stuff and get back to school to prepare a presentation I may or may not have to give.
Have a great Monday!

Lemon glazed lemon bread and Turkey sloppy joes with sweet potato fries!

Today Malcom decided to poop on the drawing I posted yesterday. I was so mad at him!! So to fix my anger, I made a lemon bread. For some reason lemon desserts always feel good to me. That and chocolate. But chocolate is more of an indulgence, while lemon just feels like I'm floating away from all of my problems. Lemon feels delicate and soft and comfy. If you need a nice dessert, try this. You won't regret it!

This lemon bread is good. So good that I will start with this first. There is nothing wrong with eating dessert first. But, in this case, I did not eat it first. But I did just eat a slice and it was scrumptious!!!

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Butter a loaf pan

For the lemon bread:
1 stick butter softened (set out on the counter for at least an hour)

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup milk

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter for about 2 minutes. Then add the sugar and honey and mix for another 2 minutes or so. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Then slowly mix in the milk and lemon zest and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, and flour.

Mix the two mixtures together.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour. Test with a toothpick.

While it is baking, make the glaze:

Glaze

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp honey

Heat these in a small saucepan until the sugar is melted.

Once the bread is taken out of the oven, poke hole on the top with toothpicks and spoon the glaze on top. Cool for 10 minutes then take out of the pan and slice.

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For dinner, turkey sloppy joes and sweet potato fries! Super easy to make. For the sweet potato fries, I sliced a sweet potato and coated it in olive oil. I roasted it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 425 F. While the potato was roasting, I just cooked the turkey, garlic, and diced tomatoes in a skillet. When everything was done, I toasted a piece of bread and poured the turkey mixture on it and served with the fries. Yummy! And sort of good for you, too.
Enjoy!

Retreat, kids, and color

Last night's retreat was so much fun! I made a very cute caterpillar and enjoyed wearing the greatest dress ever. It is seriously the best thing I have ever found at a thrift store, and I have found some great things. I got an Abercrombie sweater coat for 5 dollars once, and a green wool pea coat for 5 dollars. Now I have my green sequince dress that only cost me six bucks and will give me so many fun costumes! (I am the second one from the right).

The higlight of my night was musical chairs. I don't like that game, because it makes me nervous. I get scared of running and jumping on chairs and getting pushed off and fighting just to win the game. But I got 3rd place!! The last 3 people were all on the PR team, so I felt like I won anyways. The music was awesome, it gave me some energy at midnight, and I almost won!

This morning, I babysat my neighbor's 2 year old son. He had some fun with Stephen's guitar. I took an almost 3 hour nap today, which felt awesome, made yummy chicken for dinner, and got to make some art. So no a bad day at all!

Cream of Wheat for the kid in me!

I am in a strangely good mood this morning. I took Malcom out for his walk and it was not humid and disgusting outside! I feel kind of well rested. I get to dress up as a caterpillar tonight, which is super exciting! And it is Friday! So I decided to share my favorite meal of the day with you. I love breakfast so much. I usually keep it simple, and wholesome, and yummy. This week, I decided to pick up a box of an old favorite: cream of wheat. I used to love this stuff when I was little. I honestly don't know when the last time I had it was. I got the whole grain version (still good, and extra good for you), and have been having fun mixing different things in it. This morning I put about half a banana (the rest was bruised), some dried tropical fruit that I picked up at Target theh other day, a little bit of brown sugar, and some milk. It is so soothing and satisfying to me that I can't help but sit back in my chair and sigh in happiness. I also had a cup of hazlenut coffee (my favorite). My favorite way to make coffee is to heat up about half a cup of milk and pour in about 1 cup of coffee. My dad makes it this way, it is good, and gives me some calcium in the morning, which is extra good.

I hope your Friday is excellent. I may post some caterpillar pictures tomorrow so you can see what a cute little bug I make (hopefully).

Caterpillars and butterflies

Today I decided that I am going to be a caterpillar for a retreat I am going to tomorrow. The theme is "Once Upon a Time" so the PR managers are going as Alice in Wonderland. I was going to be the Queen of Hearts, but when I was at Goodwill, I found a cute little sparkly green dress and decided to be the caterpillar instead! I am really excited. I love dressing up. This inspired me to draw a butterfly, so here it is! I think it would be really fun to be an illustrator for children's books. My work tends to be more bright and whimsical and I know I would like to see pictures like these in my books (if I was six...or now would work, too).
Today was a good day overall. Stephen took me out to dinner at my favorite italian restaurant in town. They have the best lasagna in the world. Seriously it is amazing and I would eat it every day if I could. They also have perfect bread, and amazing desserts. I was in heaven. Then I had to rush over to a flyer raid, which involves running around campus putting up flyers for our upcoming shows. So now I am relaxing and sipping on a blueberry beer (delicious!). Not a bad day overall!

Black bean patties!

There is one great thing about being comfortable in the kitchen. You can throw together a yummy and healthy meal in mere minutes and it is actually pretty fantastic!

Black bean burgers! Super easy recipe:

Throw one can of black beans (rinsed), a slice of bread shredded, some cilantro, one clove of garlic, and some mustard (or mayo if you want) into your food processor. Then form into two patties and cook in a little bit of vegetable oil on a skillet for about 5-10 minutes. Super easy. You can serve in a bun or just spread some sour cream and salsa on top.

I am not a vegetarian, but I enjoy making vegetarian meals, they just taste and feel good to me.

Delicious meals: BBQ chicken and baked potato with caramelized onions and a fun sandwich!

Sometimes when I am having a hectic or exhausting day, making myself a nice meal makes everything better. Good food makes you smile from the inside out. You feel nourished and sometimes throwing in favorite ingredients from your childhood (like peanut butter or carrot sticks), just makes you feel good. Today I made it a point to fix some especially comforting meals.

I love sandwiches. I think that they should be their very own food group. They are just so comforting and delicious and can be either easy or incredibly messy to eat. For lunch, I decided to make a fun sandwich with peanut butter, apple, and cheddar cheese. It works, trust me. It's like eating those cheddar and peanut butter cracker sandwiches with a few slices of apples on the size, but everything is in your mouth at once!! If you have a panini press to make the cheese melty, it is even better.


Another thing I love is chicken. I love chicken, breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks...anything! Today for dinner I made chicken breasts in barbecue sauce with a little bit of cheddar cheese on top. I used Sticky Fingers bbq sauce, which is quite delicious. I also baked potatoes, and made some caramelized onions to round out the meal. It was delicious.