Loose Ends Tied Up In Knots: 07.2009

31.7.09

smooth sailing; or, the joy of shredding algebra notes

EVEN though I've taken more standardized tests than anyone else I know (transferring teaching licenses between states)-
EVEN though I've already done grad school-
EVEN though I studied for the past three weeks like it was my new unpaid full-time job-
EVEN though I know I'm not a brainless potato-

I was still scared. Because I am a WORRISOME person.

Short version of events: yay! I walked out of the testing center with a big smile on my face and drove to the art store and bought a handful of new pens, because I love new pens and they are fun fun things to pick out. Then it was off to the library with very loud happy music playing to pick up the latest E. Lockhart book that was waiting on hold and then Bruce came home and we went to McFoster's for dinner and had sweet potato fries and enchiladas and beer and I brought home carrot cake with a GIANT GLOP of cream-cheese frosting on and it was niiiiiiiiice.

This morning I slept in and finished the library book and enjoyed coffee. Today I get to clean up the detritus that's built up since I've been studying so madly.

Thank you for all the luck-wishing and smart thoughts sent my way--they must have done something because I thought I blew the math portion and I did well, actually!

Here's to many happy irrational number-free days.

29.7.09

point of fact

From Loose Ends Tied Up In Knots

I am upset about how much algebra fell out of my head since high school. I've studied a LOT for the past three weeks but there is no way to contain every little rule (or even every big rule) in my skullcase.

I generally think I have a pretty decent vocabulary. But, for many words, it turns out I have more of an inkling of meaning instead of the Official Definition. (I could pick a chary person out of a lineup but I couldn't tell you exactly what makes them chary.) My knowledge of Greek & Latin roots and prefixes is negligible. I am an excellent speller; sadly, spelling is not part of the GRE.

This culminates in moments of frozen panic and despair and of searching the Web for what constitutes a decent score for a MLIS degree.

(It all goes back to my lousy SATs.)

I realized this morning that the purpose of a GRE score is to predict an individual's potential success in grad school. Well, guess what? I've ALREADY BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GRAD SCHOOL! I have a nice little transcript and everything.

So I feel better.

(Wish me luck, anyways. Thursday, noon to 4pm Central time.)

26.7.09

I do love me some fancy French cheese.

Bûcheron, originally uploaded by arahsae.

I've spent way too much time cramming forgotten math formulas and facts into my brain in preparation for the GRE (THURSDAY!THURSDAY!THURSDAY!). I can't sleep well, I have bad dreams about math and failure (except for the nice dream I had where I graduated from library school and none of my friends-family could come but Neil Gaiman showed up to congratulate me).

After studying a few hours at a teashop with Bruce yesterday (I had a pot of Jasmine Pearls), we trekked to Whole Foods to buy fancy aged goat cheese to make a fancy dinner to break the parade of quadratic equations marching through my head.

I hacked off large branches of my basil plant and made pesto (the Cook's Illustrated recipe is my favorite), which was spread between slices of (local) fat, red tomato. The tomato slices were arranged (not very neatly) around a sliced round of Bûcheron that had been dipped in olive oil and ciabatta bread crumbs before being baked in the oven for ten minutes. The pesto stands up to the Bûcheron and you get creamy bits of cheese with crunchy breadcrumbs and mmmmmaaauughhh.

It was fabulous, especially with a glass of cold white German wine. I'm sad not to be eating it right now.

19.7.09

weekend

Saturday started with this:

Saturday contained a lot of time spent here:

Saturday ended with pretty flowers.

Click through for details on the landscaping adventure. LANDSCAPING ADVENTURES--how can you resist?

14.7.09

no more embarrassing hair!

Lookee tomorrow, in RED! And also give me pity for all that green studying; there will be some after dinner as well. Sigh.

From Loose Ends Tied Up In Knots

Just a cut; no highlights. I was going to wait until travelling took me to such curly-hair-cutting meccas as Seattle, Portland, Boston or Chicago, but then I got tied of waiting for Susie's house thing to finish and then allow me to make plans and THEN I've been wearing a bun all the time and looking too PRIM. I'm going back to the same woman who cut my hair in . . . December? (Photo here; I think I'll go a little shorter.) Augh.

13.7.09

please let this be the last standardized test ever

to study, perchance to dream, originally uploaded by arahsae.

I'm registered and $150 poorer, set to test on 30 July.

All the math has fallen out of my head. I will spend quite a bit of the next couple weeks with this book.

Tomorrow I'm making pesto because the basil plant exploded.

6.7.09

in the kitchen

first try ciabatta, originally uploaded by arahsae.

I counted up the recipes I've made from The Bread Baker's Apprentice and today marked the twelfth! Ciabatta is one of the more time-intensive breads. I made a starter (poolish) on Saturday and today went through the mixing, fermentation, shaping (need to work on that part), proofing and baking.

The loaves had good oven spring and now I am waiting for them to cool down so I can check the innards---ciabatta is supposed to be quite holey.

Two cherry tomatoes are almost ready. The basil is exploding. Maybe I'll have some bread and mozz and tomatoes and basil with olive oil drizzled on top tonight.

2.7.09

hanger space

purge, originally uploaded by arahsae.

GIRLY BLOG ENTRY! YAY!

I'm bad about getting rid of clothes. (Not as bad as Bruce, who has a WAY larger and OLDER wardrobe than I do--and that's not counting all his uniforms.)

PROBLEM: I tend to wear things until they fall apart (not OUT, mind you; I have way too many "around the house clothes") because I am stingy.

PROBLEM: Because I am stingy, I also keep the things that I do not wear. This is obviously to punish myself for buying the garment in the first place. You don't wear it? Too bad! You paid for it and now endure the reminder of wasted monies every time you open the closet.

It is July and I've halfheartedly gone through my clothes several times this year, tossing a few things in a bag to take to Goodwill. Today I finished a hardcore look-through and divided and conquered. Pile for Goodwill, pile to sell and garbage pile (ucky old tees and other worn items).

My main fashion flaw is buying tops that are too big. This is most evident in my professional wardrobe because I end up looking like I was caught playing dress-up. I also have a lot of boring clothes.

My best fashion skill is buying great coats and jackets (I did give away two that were too big, however). This does one little good in steamy Nebraska summers.

GOAL: Buy blouses that fit properly. Get some structured light jackets or blazers that will work in warm weather. Things that can be layered.

Not that I know where to buy these things . . . malls are not fun anymore.