After toying with the site for a long long while, I've decided to transfer my blog to Wordpress at symbolandsubstance.wordpress.com. It's basically the same blog but there's a better format for pictures and I think the potential for more traffic. Although right now I have a new post and the stupid thing isn't loading. Whatever.
I've also made a small title change, "Symbol and Sustenance" based on my desire to make it more focused around both my dissertation and my cooking. So although changing the name entirely to Dissertation and Dinner was tempting, I thought a tweak to my old blog name was more clever.
Yeah, I said it, I'm clever. How's that for some arrogance. Anyway, check it out.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
a new way to blog
I downloaded an app onto my new phone that will supposedly help me blog more frequently. so just testing it out!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Holy Week
That could be a Batman-esque exclamation. Holy WEEK, Robin!
It's not, however, in this case. It's actually Holy Week. Tomorrow I'm having a fish-fry lunch with my coworker and doing stations of the cross, hopefully.
Today I'm going to write not about Holy Week, but about distractions and my dissertation.
Distractions
I've re-discovered Google Reader as a way to keep up with good blogs and other things I read on a regular basis. I follow a variety of blogs, from Lifehacker to BlissTree to Carrots 'N' Cake. I actually just got distracted for 5 minutes when I surfed to Lifehacker to get the link, and started reading about how to make better passwords.
Yet another distraction - one of my students just walked by my office and said "Nicole!" Kind of a drive by hello. I have no idea who that was. Then another student came in looking for a professor.
So, my life is a mess of distractions for two simple reasons: I'm an information junkie and I work with college students. I'd also like to be a better blogger but I'm erratic and, well, have a dissertation to write, so blogging always feels like something I shouldn't do. Yet there's women out there who are working at multiple places, writing books, raising children, and managing to eek out 5-8 blog posts a day. It's not a matter of having the time, it's deciding what you're going to do with that time.
Which brings me to...
Dissertation
I had a nice breakthrough on my dissertation when I had Spring Break off, an entire week of uninterrupted time where I could work on my literature review. Now I'm back in the doledrums. The problem, quite simply, is that I just don't make the time.
So finding a way to make the time is my next goal. We'll see how it goes.
It's not, however, in this case. It's actually Holy Week. Tomorrow I'm having a fish-fry lunch with my coworker and doing stations of the cross, hopefully.
Today I'm going to write not about Holy Week, but about distractions and my dissertation.
Distractions
I've re-discovered Google Reader as a way to keep up with good blogs and other things I read on a regular basis. I follow a variety of blogs, from Lifehacker to BlissTree to Carrots 'N' Cake. I actually just got distracted for 5 minutes when I surfed to Lifehacker to get the link, and started reading about how to make better passwords.
Yet another distraction - one of my students just walked by my office and said "Nicole!" Kind of a drive by hello. I have no idea who that was. Then another student came in looking for a professor.
So, my life is a mess of distractions for two simple reasons: I'm an information junkie and I work with college students. I'd also like to be a better blogger but I'm erratic and, well, have a dissertation to write, so blogging always feels like something I shouldn't do. Yet there's women out there who are working at multiple places, writing books, raising children, and managing to eek out 5-8 blog posts a day. It's not a matter of having the time, it's deciding what you're going to do with that time.
Which brings me to...
Dissertation
I had a nice breakthrough on my dissertation when I had Spring Break off, an entire week of uninterrupted time where I could work on my literature review. Now I'm back in the doledrums. The problem, quite simply, is that I just don't make the time.
So finding a way to make the time is my next goal. We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dinner Party Post-Mortem
So the chicken poached in milk was a success. I do not have any pictures, unfortunately. I doubled the recipe and it worked out great. The only thing I didn't do, which I should have, is use the sauce. I was a little worried about serving the curdled milk to guests, but it wasn't even that curdled and it smelled great.
On the side we had broccoli and mashed red potatoes, with some of the skins left on. We served a Sancerre wine, I had two glasses so I'm feeling a little sleepy but going to push through and try to get some more of this lit review done!
BTW go health care, it's certainly far from perfect but we need to VOTE YES. I have some funny stories about the tea party protesters we saw as we took our Saturday evening stroll around the hill. We were at Good Stuff Eatery and a guy, some sort of press type with a badge, blue blazer, and khakis was sitting near us. Some protesters walked by, with totally reasonable signs like, "Don't Tread on Me" or "You're not American if you believe in health care" (ok, it didn't say that, but it was to that effect) walked by, and one said to him "Vote no!!" The guy's reaction, which was to shrug with his hands out like a question, was great. I told him it was the blue blazer. Because everyone on the Hill in a blue blazer is a Congressman.
The protesters in general were a) white; b) over 40; and c) either well-to-do baby boomers or people that hang out in motorcycle bars. Strange bedfellows. Their numbers on the hill were dwarfed the next day (today) by the immigrant reform marchers; I saw more of them at RFK Metro Stop than all the tea partiers on the hill. Because at the end of the day, the young, multicultural and multiracial people of this nation are the future, not the old haters. So much of the tea party rhetoric is tinged with racism, it really upsets me. I just keep telling myself that the rhetoric of hope and optimism will win out. I have to believe that my children will grow up in a more tolerant world than the one I did, where anyone can be president and we don't hate people because their first language isn't English. I look at my students and that's who they are, and they're smarter than I'll ever be, so I just have to believe in them.
So Si, Se Puede!!!
On the side we had broccoli and mashed red potatoes, with some of the skins left on. We served a Sancerre wine, I had two glasses so I'm feeling a little sleepy but going to push through and try to get some more of this lit review done!
BTW go health care, it's certainly far from perfect but we need to VOTE YES. I have some funny stories about the tea party protesters we saw as we took our Saturday evening stroll around the hill. We were at Good Stuff Eatery and a guy, some sort of press type with a badge, blue blazer, and khakis was sitting near us. Some protesters walked by, with totally reasonable signs like, "Don't Tread on Me" or "You're not American if you believe in health care" (ok, it didn't say that, but it was to that effect) walked by, and one said to him "Vote no!!" The guy's reaction, which was to shrug with his hands out like a question, was great. I told him it was the blue blazer. Because everyone on the Hill in a blue blazer is a Congressman.
The protesters in general were a) white; b) over 40; and c) either well-to-do baby boomers or people that hang out in motorcycle bars. Strange bedfellows. Their numbers on the hill were dwarfed the next day (today) by the immigrant reform marchers; I saw more of them at RFK Metro Stop than all the tea partiers on the hill. Because at the end of the day, the young, multicultural and multiracial people of this nation are the future, not the old haters. So much of the tea party rhetoric is tinged with racism, it really upsets me. I just keep telling myself that the rhetoric of hope and optimism will win out. I have to believe that my children will grow up in a more tolerant world than the one I did, where anyone can be president and we don't hate people because their first language isn't English. I look at my students and that's who they are, and they're smarter than I'll ever be, so I just have to believe in them.
So Si, Se Puede!!!
Disserting
I haven't been posting as much because I've done quite a bit of (gasp) actual work on my dissertation. I had this hare-brained plan of finishing a draft of my proposal by the end of this Spring Break week, and although I'm not there, I'm definitely closer. For one, I know the proposal outline and how it will play into the final dissertation. I've done a skeleton intro, a huge chunk of literature review (bleh, like pulling teeth. Every sentence has like 5 sources), and had some nice thoughts towards a methodology section. That will also be painful.
BUT, once I've done the literature review, the dissertation itself will be a careful weaving in of the "findings" with the literature review to create more chronological chapters. The end result will probably be something like 6 chapters: an intro, a stand-alone methodology chapter, and three chapters of results/lit review that follow the contours of Alatis's life: beginning as a child up through education, with history of Greek immigrants and foreign/second language education history of the time, his time at the Dept of State/Ed with the Sputnik, post-WWII years of policy, and his life as dean, with info on being a dean as well as the FL policy of the time. But all that lit review stuff will be WRITTEN, making it painful now but hopefully less so for the final product.
In any case, I'm having "Sunday dinner" with friends tonight and making Jamie Oliver's chicken poached in milk along with some mashed potatoes and salad. Friends are bringing some broccoli and dessert.
Here's a glimpse of my table layout for this evening (done my DH was taking apart the chicken to make it a little easier to cook, so I'm not doing the whole chicken poaching thing as prescribed by the recipe.)
And the whole dining room, with the chandelier rescued from my parents-in-law's:
I'll update you on the meal later! I also have a few more recipes to post that I've made over the past few weeks.
BUT, once I've done the literature review, the dissertation itself will be a careful weaving in of the "findings" with the literature review to create more chronological chapters. The end result will probably be something like 6 chapters: an intro, a stand-alone methodology chapter, and three chapters of results/lit review that follow the contours of Alatis's life: beginning as a child up through education, with history of Greek immigrants and foreign/second language education history of the time, his time at the Dept of State/Ed with the Sputnik, post-WWII years of policy, and his life as dean, with info on being a dean as well as the FL policy of the time. But all that lit review stuff will be WRITTEN, making it painful now but hopefully less so for the final product.
In any case, I'm having "Sunday dinner" with friends tonight and making Jamie Oliver's chicken poached in milk along with some mashed potatoes and salad. Friends are bringing some broccoli and dessert.
Here's a glimpse of my table layout for this evening (done my DH was taking apart the chicken to make it a little easier to cook, so I'm not doing the whole chicken poaching thing as prescribed by the recipe.)
 |
| From 2010-03-21 |
And the whole dining room, with the chandelier rescued from my parents-in-law's:
 |
| From 2010-03-21 |
I'll update you on the meal later! I also have a few more recipes to post that I've made over the past few weeks.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Putting 'em on notice
So we had a neighborhood incident today where a group of high schoolers (probably about 8 of them) were gambling in the back of one of the houses on my street. They said hello to me as I walked the dog by, and being that I can't count, I thought that it was at a house on our street where there are lots of comings and goings and conceivably, one of them could temporarily be living there.
Well, as it turns out, it was at Mrs. N's house, as I discovered when she came home and pulled into her driveway to find them. Apparently they cruise houses and try to find a place to gamble. It's likely it was the same crew I saw a few days ago in the alley. Apparently they try to find houses where no one is home and play their games.
As Mrs. N, who is a high school teacher, said, "This is the future. I'm going to an island someplace."
I guess this wouldn't happen if I lived in some fancy place elsewhere in the city like many of my friends do, but at the same time, I couldn't afford my mortgage and I wouldn't work so hard to make friends with our neighbors.
Bev on the street did call the cops, and they cruised by about 10 minutes too late. Next time I'm not going to be so chicken and just call.
Well, as it turns out, it was at Mrs. N's house, as I discovered when she came home and pulled into her driveway to find them. Apparently they cruise houses and try to find a place to gamble. It's likely it was the same crew I saw a few days ago in the alley. Apparently they try to find houses where no one is home and play their games.
As Mrs. N, who is a high school teacher, said, "This is the future. I'm going to an island someplace."
I guess this wouldn't happen if I lived in some fancy place elsewhere in the city like many of my friends do, but at the same time, I couldn't afford my mortgage and I wouldn't work so hard to make friends with our neighbors.
Bev on the street did call the cops, and they cruised by about 10 minutes too late. Next time I'm not going to be so chicken and just call.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Spring Break
One of the benefits of working at a University is things like spring break. Oh, and summer break. This year because of furloughs we have almost the whole week off, and since there are some things that we need to work on anyway on my team, the one day we'll be working we really need. (Summer break is a different story - we're actually at work, but it's a nice time to work on longer term, strategic projects without as many distractions.
My goal for this spring break is to have a first draft done of my dissertation proposal. A colleague and I were discussing my proposal, and I said that because I wasn't doing it the traditional "5 chapter format" (that is, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings, Analysis), I had no idea how to write my proposal. He asked why I wasn't doing that format, and I replied that I didn't know. He suggested that if it was going to help me to get it done, I should just go ahead and use that format. It was like a revelation.
So now I've gotten back into thinking about making my proposal the first three chapters. I won't act like it's a piece of cake, but I definitely have a handle on most of my lit review and methodology. The introduction will get re-written anyway, so putting something together that works for the proposal isn't a big deal because I can always edit later. The truth of the matter is I could always write it in the 5 chapters and then go back later to edit it into a chronological format (which was my original plan but I kept getting stuck by the need to weave in literature and methodology).
So that's my plan. I'll try to take breaks and report the progress.
Oh, and I still have some photos of food and house stuff to upload. I feel like instead of symbol and substance, this blog should be called research and renovation, or dissertation and fine dining. ;)
My goal for this spring break is to have a first draft done of my dissertation proposal. A colleague and I were discussing my proposal, and I said that because I wasn't doing it the traditional "5 chapter format" (that is, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings, Analysis), I had no idea how to write my proposal. He asked why I wasn't doing that format, and I replied that I didn't know. He suggested that if it was going to help me to get it done, I should just go ahead and use that format. It was like a revelation.
So now I've gotten back into thinking about making my proposal the first three chapters. I won't act like it's a piece of cake, but I definitely have a handle on most of my lit review and methodology. The introduction will get re-written anyway, so putting something together that works for the proposal isn't a big deal because I can always edit later. The truth of the matter is I could always write it in the 5 chapters and then go back later to edit it into a chronological format (which was my original plan but I kept getting stuck by the need to weave in literature and methodology).
So that's my plan. I'll try to take breaks and report the progress.
Oh, and I still have some photos of food and house stuff to upload. I feel like instead of symbol and substance, this blog should be called research and renovation, or dissertation and fine dining. ;)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
$100 Bathroom Update
I updated my bathroom two weekends ago as a surprise for my dh. Being that we're in debt due to our kitchen remodel (worth it) I decided to try to do a remodel inexpensively.
This is the only before picture I have of the bathroom:
It had dingy grey/white walls and a cracked and gross basketweave floor. I'm sure those floors look great new, and I do love the vintage black/white bathroom tile, but it felt like I was showering in a a bathroom that hadn't been cleaned since the 1940s. Plus at some point someone re-caulked the bathroom, but they didn't use their finger to smooth out the caulk, so it was clumpy and way too much caulk than was actually needed, making the bathroom look as if it had a serious water problem. When I recaulked it there was to be expected mold, but nothing that makes me think that we couldn't just simply replace the tile around the shower eventually.
Here's the update:
And now the lowdown on what I did:
Freebees:
I am really lucky to have a husband who scours Craigslist for deals (like 29 lampshades - a tale for another post) and parent-in-law who never throw anything away. My father-in-law owns a storefront that used to be a Waterworks. It went out of business and we benefited.
Right now the items in the bathroom that are freebies are the linen shower curtain and nice beaded curtain hooks and all the "extras" - trash can, tissue holder, soap dish, soap dispenser, tray, and clock. I should clarify that since my father-in-law hasn't found a tenant for the store I guess they're not really free for them. But I digress. If I were able to do plumbing, I would have hooked up the $560 pedestal sink we also have that is just waiting in the basement to join the upstairs bathroom.
Cheapies:
I used Benjamin Moore's Aura Bath & Spa. It's a matte paint that is mold and mildew resistant. Because our walls are wonky, the matte paint goes a long way to hide imperfections. This color is Palladian Blue.
The extra special part is that I needed 2 quarts of the paint, but Frager's didn't have quarts in the Bath & Spa. So instead of selling me inferior paint, they sold me a gallon for the price of 2 quarts. $36 bucks as opposed to $60+.
For the floor I used peel and stick tile from Home Depot. I'm not thrilled with it, it's sort of a parquet look, but unless I wanted to spend $80 on a case of the black and white from the internet, this was my option. It was about $35 although I cut it pretty close by buying only one box.
Clearance items from Target: $6 toilet seat to replace the weird "cushy" one we had, a $4 mold-resistant shower curtain liner, an $8 small towel ring, and a $10 towel bar so my hubby can hang out his towel to "dry" (magically, mine still seems to dry even though it is folded neatly, but whatever).
I also tried to update the light fixture, but that failed when the globe I bought for the naked light bulb didn't fit and then fell on the floor and broke. Oh well.
Personally, the biggest difference was re-caulking the tub. It made the shower look cleaner and feel more pleasant. Adding a white shower curtain also made the shower feel bigger.
Little tricks, small cost, but it has made getting ready in the morning so much more pleasant!
This is the only before picture I have of the bathroom:
 |
| From 2010-02-06 |
It had dingy grey/white walls and a cracked and gross basketweave floor. I'm sure those floors look great new, and I do love the vintage black/white bathroom tile, but it felt like I was showering in a a bathroom that hadn't been cleaned since the 1940s. Plus at some point someone re-caulked the bathroom, but they didn't use their finger to smooth out the caulk, so it was clumpy and way too much caulk than was actually needed, making the bathroom look as if it had a serious water problem. When I recaulked it there was to be expected mold, but nothing that makes me think that we couldn't just simply replace the tile around the shower eventually.
Here's the update:
 |
| From 2010-03-04 |
 |
| From 2010-03-04 |
 |
| From 2010-03-04 |
And now the lowdown on what I did:
Freebees:
I am really lucky to have a husband who scours Craigslist for deals (like 29 lampshades - a tale for another post) and parent-in-law who never throw anything away. My father-in-law owns a storefront that used to be a Waterworks. It went out of business and we benefited.
Right now the items in the bathroom that are freebies are the linen shower curtain and nice beaded curtain hooks and all the "extras" - trash can, tissue holder, soap dish, soap dispenser, tray, and clock. I should clarify that since my father-in-law hasn't found a tenant for the store I guess they're not really free for them. But I digress. If I were able to do plumbing, I would have hooked up the $560 pedestal sink we also have that is just waiting in the basement to join the upstairs bathroom.
Cheapies:
I used Benjamin Moore's Aura Bath & Spa. It's a matte paint that is mold and mildew resistant. Because our walls are wonky, the matte paint goes a long way to hide imperfections. This color is Palladian Blue.
The extra special part is that I needed 2 quarts of the paint, but Frager's didn't have quarts in the Bath & Spa. So instead of selling me inferior paint, they sold me a gallon for the price of 2 quarts. $36 bucks as opposed to $60+.
For the floor I used peel and stick tile from Home Depot. I'm not thrilled with it, it's sort of a parquet look, but unless I wanted to spend $80 on a case of the black and white from the internet, this was my option. It was about $35 although I cut it pretty close by buying only one box.
Clearance items from Target: $6 toilet seat to replace the weird "cushy" one we had, a $4 mold-resistant shower curtain liner, an $8 small towel ring, and a $10 towel bar so my hubby can hang out his towel to "dry" (magically, mine still seems to dry even though it is folded neatly, but whatever).
I also tried to update the light fixture, but that failed when the globe I bought for the naked light bulb didn't fit and then fell on the floor and broke. Oh well.
Personally, the biggest difference was re-caulking the tub. It made the shower look cleaner and feel more pleasant. Adding a white shower curtain also made the shower feel bigger.
Little tricks, small cost, but it has made getting ready in the morning so much more pleasant!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
An Old Friend
This weekend was a busy one! We had a party for B's birthday, which turned out great. It was actually a surprise! I don't have any pics, unfortunately, but I need to upload several from the past couple of weeks.
One of the nice surprises from this past weekend was an old friend who was in town for a PAC she's involved in. She's actually my oldest friend, someone I've known since 6th grade. She's now a doctor, married and from the short time I could tell, both happy and her same old self. She was always an intense person, full of life and vigor and strong opinions. It was so nice to see her, but we only got to hang out for a very short time so I felt kind of sad afterward. Distance definitely separates us from the people we love, and so much time can go by without seeing them.
She's considering a fellowship here in DC at Washington Hospital Center, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she ends up here in DC. Although maybe if she doesn't I'll just see her in another 10 years... ;)
One of the nice surprises from this past weekend was an old friend who was in town for a PAC she's involved in. She's actually my oldest friend, someone I've known since 6th grade. She's now a doctor, married and from the short time I could tell, both happy and her same old self. She was always an intense person, full of life and vigor and strong opinions. It was so nice to see her, but we only got to hang out for a very short time so I felt kind of sad afterward. Distance definitely separates us from the people we love, and so much time can go by without seeing them.
She's considering a fellowship here in DC at Washington Hospital Center, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she ends up here in DC. Although maybe if she doesn't I'll just see her in another 10 years... ;)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Andes, NY
Hipster paradise! Yet another New York Times article about the town where B and I got married. This time it's about vintage clothing store Clementine which also has an online store.
In some ways this couple is totally living my (maybe even our) dream of renovating a $150,000 farmhouse outside of Andes and raising two kids in "good, clean dirt." Only I guess my dream involves me being on faculty at nearby SUNY Delhi, not owning a clothing store.
Other great Andes places:
Tay Tea
The Andes Hotel
In some ways this couple is totally living my (maybe even our) dream of renovating a $150,000 farmhouse outside of Andes and raising two kids in "good, clean dirt." Only I guess my dream involves me being on faculty at nearby SUNY Delhi, not owning a clothing store.
Other great Andes places:
Tay Tea
The Andes Hotel
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Dinner FAIL
I forgot to write about my utter dinner failure on Monday night. I wanted to make a fish and kale dish with curry. Rather than get tilapia, I splurged and bought cod, thinking it was a more high-quality fish. I don't know if it's how I cooked it or the fish itself, but it totally turned to mush in my frying pan. I oversalted the dish as well, and managed to undercook the brown rice as well as oversalt it. I picked out all the kale and fed the rest to the cat and the garbage disposal. My DH ate it, but definitely not one of my better dishes.
Not only did dinner (literally, at least the fish) fall apart in salty mush, but I attempted to make the Vanilla Pudding I made for my Coconut Layer Cake and also failed. I don't know what went wrong, but instead of using all half-and-half I attempted to use some of the 2% milk that we need to use up in the mix (so 1 cup half&half and one cup milk). Trying to do too many things at once - clean up, cook dinner, let out the dog, etc and the milk mixture first boiled over. Then I took it off to let it steep with some green tea, thinking I would make green tea pudding. When I put it back on with the cornstarch mixture and let it simmer, it never came together like pudding and was gross and lumpy. I don't know if it was the fact that the milk boiled over, or that I used 2% milk, or what.
Well, so that was Monday. I ended up eating the kale (which, despite all else, was really good) and a bowl of cereal. I woke up this morning super hungry.
Tonight I made chicken and dumplings, which turned out remarkably better, although this time I didn't salt it enough. Generally on weeknights I just don't take the time to taste, taste, taste because I'm trying to do too many other things while cooking. Focusing on cooking is relaxing, and I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world to have more dishes to clean up afterward.
Not only did dinner (literally, at least the fish) fall apart in salty mush, but I attempted to make the Vanilla Pudding I made for my Coconut Layer Cake and also failed. I don't know what went wrong, but instead of using all half-and-half I attempted to use some of the 2% milk that we need to use up in the mix (so 1 cup half&half and one cup milk). Trying to do too many things at once - clean up, cook dinner, let out the dog, etc and the milk mixture first boiled over. Then I took it off to let it steep with some green tea, thinking I would make green tea pudding. When I put it back on with the cornstarch mixture and let it simmer, it never came together like pudding and was gross and lumpy. I don't know if it was the fact that the milk boiled over, or that I used 2% milk, or what.
Well, so that was Monday. I ended up eating the kale (which, despite all else, was really good) and a bowl of cereal. I woke up this morning super hungry.
Tonight I made chicken and dumplings, which turned out remarkably better, although this time I didn't salt it enough. Generally on weeknights I just don't take the time to taste, taste, taste because I'm trying to do too many other things while cooking. Focusing on cooking is relaxing, and I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world to have more dishes to clean up afterward.
Elation and Frustration
I never finished explaining How I Became Nicole X. Although I suppose I was trying to show rather than tell as I learned I should do in my college fiction writing class, I should probably just finish the story by saying that I became my married name when I was in the ICU at Sibley Hospital back in November. The nurses and lab techs would come in at 4am to begin everything, the chest X-rays, the blood work, and they called me Mrs. X, my married name. After that I haven't slipped up once in calling myself by my new name. My maiden name has slipped into the past with a lot of other things that I used to be.
I wrestle between frustration and elation these days. Elation because I feel so much better than I did back in November and December. There were so many inconclusive tests back then, and they were painful. I still have the marks on the right side of my upper thigh where they cut in to put catheters into my heart, the first time to see if there were electrical problems and the second time for the myocardial biopsy that left me writhing in pain. Back then when I had no answers, I was really convinced that my Christmas present might be getting on a heart transplant list. Now, even though I have no more answers than I did before, we know that's not the case. My heart is healing, slowly slowly, but healing.
On Sunday I went to the grocery store and coming back up the steps with a couple of bags into our new kitchen, my husband said, "It's so nice to hear you do that and not be out of breath." I agreed, "Yeah!" It was exciting, realizing that I feel better. But with the same hand it's still hard because I used to be someone different. I took things for granted, but I used to run three miles without thinking about it, run around my office building all day without breaking a sweat, or drink too many glasses of wine, the only consequence being a headache the next morning.
I try to be positive, look how far I've come and not try to think too much about the Nicole C. that I was before I got sick, the one who ran the day before her wedding in the rain or swam in the ocean on her honeymoon for hours, or who thought that everything was possible the moment she wanted it. Although I know I will get back to being active again, no one can promise me that I'll ever run a 5K again. I used to take that so much for granted, I could run a 5K in my sleep. Now I see people running along Rock Creek in DC or I read blogs where women talk about how their exercise class kicked their butt, I'm envious. I try to remind myself that the reason this has all happened is to make me more thankful, think about what I have, value it more, but it's tough.
I know I have an amazing life, one that might have not still been going on had we not gone to the hospital when we did. I know I'm supposed to learn from this, it's the proverbial blessing in disguise that makes you thankful that you're here at all. When things change suddenly for you, though, there are times when you maybe get a little sad. I wish I could say I'll never take anything for granted again, but I will and I welcome the time when I slip into the sweet ignorance of living without a care. Life is really sweet, and I guess sometimes being sad about what isn't is just part of that.
It's a tough month, February, no? Cold, dreary... in less than a week, though, it will be March, both of our birthdays, and a spring that I think I will enjoy like no other in my life!
I wrestle between frustration and elation these days. Elation because I feel so much better than I did back in November and December. There were so many inconclusive tests back then, and they were painful. I still have the marks on the right side of my upper thigh where they cut in to put catheters into my heart, the first time to see if there were electrical problems and the second time for the myocardial biopsy that left me writhing in pain. Back then when I had no answers, I was really convinced that my Christmas present might be getting on a heart transplant list. Now, even though I have no more answers than I did before, we know that's not the case. My heart is healing, slowly slowly, but healing.
On Sunday I went to the grocery store and coming back up the steps with a couple of bags into our new kitchen, my husband said, "It's so nice to hear you do that and not be out of breath." I agreed, "Yeah!" It was exciting, realizing that I feel better. But with the same hand it's still hard because I used to be someone different. I took things for granted, but I used to run three miles without thinking about it, run around my office building all day without breaking a sweat, or drink too many glasses of wine, the only consequence being a headache the next morning.
I try to be positive, look how far I've come and not try to think too much about the Nicole C. that I was before I got sick, the one who ran the day before her wedding in the rain or swam in the ocean on her honeymoon for hours, or who thought that everything was possible the moment she wanted it. Although I know I will get back to being active again, no one can promise me that I'll ever run a 5K again. I used to take that so much for granted, I could run a 5K in my sleep. Now I see people running along Rock Creek in DC or I read blogs where women talk about how their exercise class kicked their butt, I'm envious. I try to remind myself that the reason this has all happened is to make me more thankful, think about what I have, value it more, but it's tough.
I know I have an amazing life, one that might have not still been going on had we not gone to the hospital when we did. I know I'm supposed to learn from this, it's the proverbial blessing in disguise that makes you thankful that you're here at all. When things change suddenly for you, though, there are times when you maybe get a little sad. I wish I could say I'll never take anything for granted again, but I will and I welcome the time when I slip into the sweet ignorance of living without a care. Life is really sweet, and I guess sometimes being sad about what isn't is just part of that.
It's a tough month, February, no? Cold, dreary... in less than a week, though, it will be March, both of our birthdays, and a spring that I think I will enjoy like no other in my life!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Death of a Colleague
Some things make you stop and realize where you are and where you've been in life. Today I found out that my colleague from my teaching days in the French department passed away this week. I went back and looked at old emails between us and found another one between me and one of my old students as well. It's sad, it's almost as if I was a whole different person when I was teaching, so close to people I don't stay in touch with now. It's not that I don't care about them, it's just so hard to maintain relationships with people you were friends with for three years or less, and when you have a whole wonderful circle of friends to share your current life with.
Reading the old emails brought me back. I don't think my life is better or worse now that I'm not a teacher, just different. I "know" (as much as anyone can) that I'm on the right path, but still, sometimes you ache for your past self and the life you once lived. And for the people you once shared it with, because of course, you never know when goodbye might be for good.
So goodbye, Monique.
Reading the old emails brought me back. I don't think my life is better or worse now that I'm not a teacher, just different. I "know" (as much as anyone can) that I'm on the right path, but still, sometimes you ache for your past self and the life you once lived. And for the people you once shared it with, because of course, you never know when goodbye might be for good.
So goodbye, Monique.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Coming Soon!
I have 10 minutes before I have a work event, so I'll quick preview some things that will be coming up.
1) I have a yummy recipe for roasted chicken thighs with mushrooms and asparagus that is in the camera, ready to load!
2) I have some tips on making homemade pasta.
3) I have a surprise remodel coming up. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I'm taking some before pictures and will soon (hopefully!) have some after pics as well.
4) I'm continuing to work on the literature review about deans and their leadership, but will be shifting gears soon to work on a brief history of foreign language education policy so I can present it at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
OK. That's it. Going to go set up for the event.
1) I have a yummy recipe for roasted chicken thighs with mushrooms and asparagus that is in the camera, ready to load!
2) I have some tips on making homemade pasta.
3) I have a surprise remodel coming up. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I'm taking some before pictures and will soon (hopefully!) have some after pics as well.
4) I'm continuing to work on the literature review about deans and their leadership, but will be shifting gears soon to work on a brief history of foreign language education policy so I can present it at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
OK. That's it. Going to go set up for the event.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Oh, the '60s.
In an article on deans (written 1968), the author wrote that his wife came into his study WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION TO INTERRUPT HIM. The horror! Now, the author is an academic and as many of us know, it does require solid blocks of uninterrupted time. I think she was forgiven because she was coming in to tell him that the dean had died, which seemed to be followed by an celebratory bout drinking along faculty row. Miraculously during this celebration, food appeared and children were put to bed. It must have been a lot easier to get research done when your wife took care of everything else around the house.
Of course, this is part of my dissertation research, not some sort of fun reading. Believe me, it's not fun. I'm trying to trace how writers have thought about the office of dean over time, and this is my starting point since it's more or less when my dissertation narrator began his career as dean. But it's led me to think a little about my own situation.
Here I am, having been stuck inside my house for the past 10 days due to Snopocalypse '10, and suddenly I'm becoming a domestic, writing about food, cleaning house, baking, etc. I do really enjoy all those things, but I probably should have been working on my dissertation. And yet for women I don't think this idea of "I'm in the study, don't you dare interrupt me" would ever work. Regardless of where I am in the house (my "study" having become an oversized storage closet for books and papers), it doesn't seem right to just banish someone from talking to me for hours. No, rather I'll just adjust my own schedule, stay in my campus office or go to the library, so that it's clear that I'm working. Or, quite honestly, take a lot longer to finish my dissertation because there are multiple demands on my time.
I don't want the tables to turn, but sometimes I think that the expectations women place on themselves are too high. Keep a lovely home, cook for your family, look pretty and put-together every day, be a success at your career, finish your dissertation, raise a family, exercise 5 times a week (get all those muscle groups!), plan perfect parties and get-togethers, be an understanding confidante to your friends and husband, don't screw up. I underscore again that these are expectations we place on ourselves. It's tough, how do we expect less? People judge us on how we look and keep our houses; they also expect a lot out of us in the workplace. Something at some point has to give.
And with that, I am going home to make dinner.
Of course, this is part of my dissertation research, not some sort of fun reading. Believe me, it's not fun. I'm trying to trace how writers have thought about the office of dean over time, and this is my starting point since it's more or less when my dissertation narrator began his career as dean. But it's led me to think a little about my own situation.
Here I am, having been stuck inside my house for the past 10 days due to Snopocalypse '10, and suddenly I'm becoming a domestic, writing about food, cleaning house, baking, etc. I do really enjoy all those things, but I probably should have been working on my dissertation. And yet for women I don't think this idea of "I'm in the study, don't you dare interrupt me" would ever work. Regardless of where I am in the house (my "study" having become an oversized storage closet for books and papers), it doesn't seem right to just banish someone from talking to me for hours. No, rather I'll just adjust my own schedule, stay in my campus office or go to the library, so that it's clear that I'm working. Or, quite honestly, take a lot longer to finish my dissertation because there are multiple demands on my time.
I don't want the tables to turn, but sometimes I think that the expectations women place on themselves are too high. Keep a lovely home, cook for your family, look pretty and put-together every day, be a success at your career, finish your dissertation, raise a family, exercise 5 times a week (get all those muscle groups!), plan perfect parties and get-togethers, be an understanding confidante to your friends and husband, don't screw up. I underscore again that these are expectations we place on ourselves. It's tough, how do we expect less? People judge us on how we look and keep our houses; they also expect a lot out of us in the workplace. Something at some point has to give.
And with that, I am going home to make dinner.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
MYO Vegetable Stock
I used to think stock was an all-day affair. You can get a lot of flavor in a short amount of time, however. I made some sweet potato fries earlier in the week and saved the skins and unsightly parts in the freezer, along with onion ends, mushroom ends, and garlic skins. I knew I wanted to make some Sweet Potato Risotto later in the week.
I roasted the vegetables for about 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven. This browns them and brings out their rich flavor.
Then put in a pot with about 4 1/2 cups of water (the perfect amount for the risotto, once it boils down). I brought it to a boil, then simmered for about 30-40 minutes and strained out the vegetables.
If you'd like to make risotto on a weeknight, make it on the weekend and stick in the fridge. It usually keeps for about 3 days, or for 3 months in the freezer.
I roasted the vegetables for about 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven. This browns them and brings out their rich flavor.
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| From 2010-02-12 |
Then put in a pot with about 4 1/2 cups of water (the perfect amount for the risotto, once it boils down). I brought it to a boil, then simmered for about 30-40 minutes and strained out the vegetables.
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| From 2010-02-12 |
If you'd like to make risotto on a weeknight, make it on the weekend and stick in the fridge. It usually keeps for about 3 days, or for 3 months in the freezer.
Sweet Potato Risotto
My original plan was to make fish tacos, but when we went to the grocery the first day after the snopocalypse, there were no avocados or green cabbage and the fish looked less than fresh. So I improvised. I had a couple sweet potatoes, risotto, and a pack of 5 pepper and onion sausages that I didn't need all of for my baked pasta dish later in the week. The final dish had great flavor, sweet and umami and perfect for two feet of snow on the ground.
And I had randomly gotten some radicchio, which I thought would make a yummy side dish. For that, I chopped up the radicchio, marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for about an hour, grilled in a grill pan, and then dressed with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.
Sweet Potato Risotto
2 sausages, taken out of casing or about 1/3 lb of loose sausage (I used pepper and onion from Harris Teeter, made fresh in store)
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into small 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 1/2 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see my next post for a quick and easy homemade version!)
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup shredded romano or parmesan cheese
2-4 T olive oil
1. Heat stock in a pot so that it's ready for the risotto. For quick and easy homemade stock, see my next post!
2. Heat a medium to large pot to medium high heat. Pour in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Put in the sausage and brown, 3-5 minutes. Add in the vegetables and cook until the potatoes start to soften, 8--10 minutes. You will need to stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pan to mix in the browning vegetables and sausage.
3. Add the cup of arborio rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, mixing in with the vegetables and sausage.
4. Begin adding in the stock a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir, and once there is no more visible liquid, add in the next 1/2 cup. You will need to stir almost the entire time (although unlike the way some people do it, we often walk away from the pot for a couple of minutes to say, change the station on Pandora. Continue until you've used all the stock and the rice is getting to the texture you like. This part will take about 20 minutes.
3. Add in the 1/2 cup of wine or vermouth and check the consistency. Finally, add in the 1/2 cup of cream or half and half and stir until absorbed into the rice.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of romano or parmesan. Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with parsley.
And I had randomly gotten some radicchio, which I thought would make a yummy side dish. For that, I chopped up the radicchio, marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for about an hour, grilled in a grill pan, and then dressed with balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.
 |
| From 2010-02-12 |
Sweet Potato Risotto
2 sausages, taken out of casing or about 1/3 lb of loose sausage (I used pepper and onion from Harris Teeter, made fresh in store)
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into small 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 1/2 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see my next post for a quick and easy homemade version!)
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup shredded romano or parmesan cheese
2-4 T olive oil
 |
| From 2010-02-12 |
1. Heat stock in a pot so that it's ready for the risotto. For quick and easy homemade stock, see my next post!
2. Heat a medium to large pot to medium high heat. Pour in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Put in the sausage and brown, 3-5 minutes. Add in the vegetables and cook until the potatoes start to soften, 8--10 minutes. You will need to stir frequently and scrape the bottom of the pan to mix in the browning vegetables and sausage.
 |
| From 2010-02-12 |
3. Add the cup of arborio rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, mixing in with the vegetables and sausage.
 |
| From 2010-02-12 |
4. Begin adding in the stock a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir, and once there is no more visible liquid, add in the next 1/2 cup. You will need to stir almost the entire time (although unlike the way some people do it, we often walk away from the pot for a couple of minutes to say, change the station on Pandora. Continue until you've used all the stock and the rice is getting to the texture you like. This part will take about 20 minutes.
3. Add in the 1/2 cup of wine or vermouth and check the consistency. Finally, add in the 1/2 cup of cream or half and half and stir until absorbed into the rice.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of romano or parmesan. Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with parsley.
 |
| From 2010-02-12 |
Tip of the Day
A good marriage is when you build on each others ideas. I had set up Pandora on my netbook while I was making dinner. My dh then said, "Why don't we find the cord and hook this up to the Bose?" We searched in several places and found the cord, and voila, we had music that sounded great and was free, with the exception of a few commercials.
A while back our computers both busted with our entire collection of iTunes on them, and both of our iPods made that sad iPod face, so we've been without music since 2 apartments ago. I think the last time we had music from an iPod was for our 2008 Christmas party. I'm less convinced of Apple's quality than most other people seem to be, since what it seems like is that you pay more for a product that lasts the same amount of time as PCs.
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| From 2010-02-12 |
A while back our computers both busted with our entire collection of iTunes on them, and both of our iPods made that sad iPod face, so we've been without music since 2 apartments ago. I think the last time we had music from an iPod was for our 2008 Christmas party. I'm less convinced of Apple's quality than most other people seem to be, since what it seems like is that you pay more for a product that lasts the same amount of time as PCs.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Ready for Valentine's Day!
This morning Mike McGrath from @wtop was giving tips for the best Valentine's flowers. He suggested red tulips, which in the language of flowers literally mean "I love you." See his explanation here. I braved the messy and congested (with snow and traffic) roads to find some! I tried Fragers, Ginkos, and finally found them at Harris Teeter.
Now I have a lovely Valentine's display! With, of course, a mostly eaten coconut layer cake.
OK, now back to reading about the academic deanship. Zzzzzz...
Now I have a lovely Valentine's display! With, of course, a mostly eaten coconut layer cake.
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| From 2010-02-12 |
OK, now back to reading about the academic deanship. Zzzzzz...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Putting it all together
Get out your cake plate. What? No cake plate? Then buy this one. In the meantime, use a regular plate. 
Put the bottom layer on the plate, top side down, and frost.
Next, spoon on a layer of pudding and spread. It will get a bit messy.
Put the next layer of cake on top, flat side (the bottom of the pan) down. Frost the top. Then frost the sides of the whole cake and sprinkle coconut all over.
Display, and enjoy! It's really best to eat this the day you make it. So invite over some friends for cake!
Put the bottom layer on the plate, top side down, and frost.Next, spoon on a layer of pudding and spread. It will get a bit messy.
Put the next layer of cake on top, flat side (the bottom of the pan) down. Frost the top. Then frost the sides of the whole cake and sprinkle coconut all over.
Display, and enjoy! It's really best to eat this the day you make it. So invite over some friends for cake!
Vanilla Pudding/Cake Filling
There are two ways to make the filling for the cake. One is to use instant vanilla pudding (I love that in a martini class with berries and a dusting of cinnamon, it looks like such a classy dessert). The other is to make it from scratch. Since I'm snowed in with clearly no intention of doing any dissertation research today, I chose the latter.
2 1/2 c half-and-half
2/3 c sugar (yay odd-size measuring cups from All-Clad!)
Pinch salt
1 t vanilla extract
3 T cornstarch
2 T unsalted butter (cut into smaller chunks)
Put 2 c of the half-and-half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat and heat until it begins to steam. In the meantime, mix together the remaining 1/2 c half-and-half with the cornstarch until there are no lumps. When the mixture on the stove steams, mix it in and heat together until it just begins to bubble, 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring in the butter and vanilla.
Pour the mixture either into individual ramekins if you're serving as is or into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the pudding to avoid the skin (yuck). Cool for use as a layer of the cake.
2 1/2 c half-and-half
2/3 c sugar (yay odd-size measuring cups from All-Clad!)
Pinch salt
1 t vanilla extract
3 T cornstarch
2 T unsalted butter (cut into smaller chunks)
Put 2 c of the half-and-half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat and heat until it begins to steam. In the meantime, mix together the remaining 1/2 c half-and-half with the cornstarch until there are no lumps. When the mixture on the stove steams, mix it in and heat together until it just begins to bubble, 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring in the butter and vanilla.
Pour the mixture either into individual ramekins if you're serving as is or into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the pudding to avoid the skin (yuck). Cool for use as a layer of the cake.
Seven Minute Pink Coconut Frosting
Get ready for pinkness.
1 1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites (the ones you saved from making the cake)
2 T light corn syrup (again, something I randomly had around and was excited to get to use)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/3 c water
Pinch salt
Put all ingredients in a metal bowl that will fit into a pot except for the vanilla and salt. You're going to double boil the mixture as you're making it. Fill the pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Before setting the mixture into the boiling water, mix with a hand mixer so ingredients combine. Then place in the boiling water and mix until fluffy and white, about 7 minutes. Hence the name. At the end, mix in about 4 drops of red food coloring to get a light pink (use more if you like!). Remove frosting from double boiler and stir in about 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut.
Here's the trick: it really is easier to have a hand mixer (rather than a stand mixer) for this one. Basically I ended up taking the bowl back and forth from the boiling water, whisking it while it heated, and then running it back to the stand mixer to mix at high speed for a couple minutes. It worked out anyway, but I got pretty tired by the end.
1 1/2 c sugar2 egg whites (the ones you saved from making the cake)
2 T light corn syrup (again, something I randomly had around and was excited to get to use)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/3 c water
Pinch salt
Put all ingredients in a metal bowl that will fit into a pot except for the vanilla and salt. You're going to double boil the mixture as you're making it. Fill the pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Before setting the mixture into the boiling water, mix with a hand mixer so ingredients combine. Then place in the boiling water and mix until fluffy and white, about 7 minutes. Hence the name. At the end, mix in about 4 drops of red food coloring to get a light pink (use more if you like!). Remove frosting from double boiler and stir in about 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut.
Here's the trick: it really is easier to have a hand mixer (rather than a stand mixer) for this one. Basically I ended up taking the bowl back and forth from the boiling water, whisking it while it heated, and then running it back to the stand mixer to mix at high speed for a couple minutes. It worked out anyway, but I got pretty tired by the end.
Coconut Layer Cake
Stuck inside with a new kitchen = baking a complicated cake! Right now the parts are all made, just not assembled. While I'm waiting, I'll post the recipe.
10 T butter, softened
2 c cake flour
1/2 c shredded coconut (which I had in the house randomly!)
1 1/4 c sugar
3 eggs, 2 egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c half and half
Preheat oven to 350. Since mine is testy, I preheated it for awhile. Butter the pans (sides and bottom) and flour them. You can also cut a circle of wax or parchment paper for them. I used two 9" round pans; you can use what you have but you'll need to adjust the cooking time up or down, depending.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter then gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Make sure to keep scraping the sides until it's well mixed. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt.
Next, mix together dry ingredients (coconut, flour, baking soda) alternate adding the flour and milk by hand, mixing just until smooth. Overmixing the cake can make the finished product more tough.
Scoop the batter evenly into the two pans and spread out using a spatula. You may want to "spank" the bottom to make it spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake and make frosting (next post!).
To make the cake extra rich, I'm also making vanilla pudding to put in between the layers. YUM.
10 T butter, softened
2 c cake flour
1/2 c shredded coconut (which I had in the house randomly!)
1 1/4 c sugar
3 eggs, 2 egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c half and half
Preheat oven to 350. Since mine is testy, I preheated it for awhile. Butter the pans (sides and bottom) and flour them. You can also cut a circle of wax or parchment paper for them. I used two 9" round pans; you can use what you have but you'll need to adjust the cooking time up or down, depending.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter then gradually add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Make sure to keep scraping the sides until it's well mixed. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt.
Next, mix together dry ingredients (coconut, flour, baking soda) alternate adding the flour and milk by hand, mixing just until smooth. Overmixing the cake can make the finished product more tough.
Scoop the batter evenly into the two pans and spread out using a spatula. You may want to "spank" the bottom to make it spread evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake and make frosting (next post!).
To make the cake extra rich, I'm also making vanilla pudding to put in between the layers. YUM.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Snowed in with a new kitchen!
Well, we both will be home tomorrow as the federal government and my university are closed tomorrow. And we're supposed to get five more inches of snow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Oh well, at least I can cook (if we ever get to a grocery store again).
So, in the meantime, some new pics.
1. The finished product! Well, except for the shelf that goes between the stove and the hood. Not sure about that!
2. My beloved apron sink (I believe you saw this already).
3. Another view, from the door to the outside.
4. The island from the dining room.
5. The powder room (right now sans toilet)
6. And finally... this was actually early on Saturday morning, we got at least another 6-8 inches after this!
So, in the meantime, some new pics.
1. The finished product! Well, except for the shelf that goes between the stove and the hood. Not sure about that!
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| From Renovation |
2. My beloved apron sink (I believe you saw this already).
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| From Renovation |
3. Another view, from the door to the outside.
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| From Renovation |
4. The island from the dining room.
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| From Renovation |
5. The powder room (right now sans toilet)
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| From Renovation |
6. And finally... this was actually early on Saturday morning, we got at least another 6-8 inches after this!
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| From 2010-02-06 |
Friday, January 29, 2010
Kitchen Remodel: Almost There
All that's left in the remodel is waiting for the granite countertops to be cut, a few paint touch ups, and the bathroom floor. We bought our tile floor at Amicus Green Building Center (the same place where we got the cork.) Although I really like the products Amicus carries and what they stand for - green building materials - their service is a little uneven. Some people are really knowledgeable while others are kind of like, "You totally just interrupted my blogging/The customer is always annoying." We think they need to communicate more regularly with their suppliers to make sure that the materials arrive on time.
That said they have some good stuff. We got some clay for our basement walls (one of the products they didn't know much about) and the beautiful cork in the kitchen (one that they did). Here are the latest pictures!
1. A glimpse into the kitchen:
2. The new cabinets
just as a point of reference, here's what this angle used to look like:
3. A good look at the cork floor, the apron front sink:
4. New built-in shelves in the dining room
5. Better view of the apron sink:
6. View of the whole kitchen, with the rubbed bronze knobs and pulls:
Can't wait for the finished product! I'll also post where we bought the various items.
That said they have some good stuff. We got some clay for our basement walls (one of the products they didn't know much about) and the beautiful cork in the kitchen (one that they did). Here are the latest pictures!
1. A glimpse into the kitchen:
 |
| From Renovation |
2. The new cabinets
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| From Renovation |
just as a point of reference, here's what this angle used to look like:
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| From Kitchen |
3. A good look at the cork floor, the apron front sink:
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| From Renovation |
4. New built-in shelves in the dining room
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| From Renovation |
5. Better view of the apron sink:
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| From Renovation |
6. View of the whole kitchen, with the rubbed bronze knobs and pulls:
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| From Renovation |
Can't wait for the finished product! I'll also post where we bought the various items.
Kitchen Remodel: Phase ??
Lights! Color! Cabinets! It's all here! I've been a little lax this past week - most of you know I've had health issues so although I'm definitely on the mend, I have to work pretty hard to "listen to myself" and know when it's a day I need to just rest. So, I'm going to post the developments in stages for you. We're almost done - 2 weeks! Amazing! Once we put some finishing touches on the house ourselves, such as grounding some of the electrical circuits, getting vent covers, painting some woodwork, putting up pictures, and cleaning, we'll be ready to have a true housewarming party.
I have to say, I LOVE my new kitchen. And it's not even done yet!
So where were we? You'd seen the "before" and the post-demo. Now its time for the fun to begin!
1.After the framing, the drywalling.
the kitchen:
and the powder room:
2. Post-painting
In this picture, you can see the arch that we created between the dining room and kitchen, the frame of the island, and the wall cabinet boxes as well as the Colonial Revival Green of the kitchen paint.
Just for comparison... This was the entrance to the OLD kitchen.
I have to say, I LOVE my new kitchen. And it's not even done yet!
So where were we? You'd seen the "before" and the post-demo. Now its time for the fun to begin!
1.After the framing, the drywalling.
the kitchen:
 |
| From Renovation |
and the powder room:
 |
| From Renovation |
2. Post-painting
In this picture, you can see the arch that we created between the dining room and kitchen, the frame of the island, and the wall cabinet boxes as well as the Colonial Revival Green of the kitchen paint.
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| From Renovation |
Just for comparison... This was the entrance to the OLD kitchen.
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| From Kitchen |
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
RMSF is a tick-borne illness, like Lyme disease. According to the CDC, between 250-1200 cases have been reported annually in the past 50 years, although it is possible that many go unreported. Because there are so few cases, it's kind of hard to get any information about the disease. I was diagnosed with RMSF (as well as Lyme) in mid-November, after I fainted and went to the hospital with an arrhythmic tachycardia on Nov. 12th. At the time (and really, to this day) although my heart has been weakened to the point of being classified as having congestive heart failure, no one has really confirmed that RMSF is the culprit.
I've found a source that says RMSF leads to myocarditis and congestive heart failure in some patients. However, I never had a rash, remember a tick bite, or had any of the other symptoms. And they did a heart biopsy and found nothing in my heart. Of course, this was after a course of doxycycline that most likely killed the disease.
It's frustrating being an anomaly and not having anyone be able to tell you what's wrong with you. The good news out of all of this is that I seem to be improving, and if you offer knowing what's wrong with me versus geting better, I'll take getting better. I just hope that the "parts of my heart that aren't beating as strongly as they should" start to heal. (In quotes b/c that's how the docs explained it to me.)
I could write at least this much on what it's like to live with a chronic illness and how it impacts every small aspect of your life, but I'll save it for another day. The good news is that most likely, it will be temporary for me, unlike for many others with lupus and other diseases.
I've found a source that says RMSF leads to myocarditis and congestive heart failure in some patients. However, I never had a rash, remember a tick bite, or had any of the other symptoms. And they did a heart biopsy and found nothing in my heart. Of course, this was after a course of doxycycline that most likely killed the disease.
It's frustrating being an anomaly and not having anyone be able to tell you what's wrong with you. The good news out of all of this is that I seem to be improving, and if you offer knowing what's wrong with me versus geting better, I'll take getting better. I just hope that the "parts of my heart that aren't beating as strongly as they should" start to heal. (In quotes b/c that's how the docs explained it to me.)
I could write at least this much on what it's like to live with a chronic illness and how it impacts every small aspect of your life, but I'll save it for another day. The good news is that most likely, it will be temporary for me, unlike for many others with lupus and other diseases.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Interesting Kitchen...
A faux aging glaze from Ralph Lauren (via @ATColor) created the aged look in this kitchen. You can see more here. I dislike the monochrome white-on-white with the walls and backsplash all being white, but other than that I think it's a neat effect. I wouldn't use it on my brand new cabinets, but I might use it on the dining room furniture we're about to paint. And by about to, I'm hoping it happens before 2011. It might be an easy way to paint and not have to work too hard to age the paint.
Find the glaze here.
Find the glaze here.
Bathroom Style
So for the "cozy" powder room, I am making it more interesting thanks to my sister-in-law. She had remnants of the wallpaper they used in their dining room. Although there wasn't enough to wallpaper the whole room, I'm going to make a collage of matching frames, hopefully 8"x10", arranged in a 3x3 mosaic.
Here's the wallpaper:
I'm going to pair it with Duron's Grays Harbor paint.
Here's the wallpaper:
I'm going to pair it with Duron's Grays Harbor paint.
Kitchen Reno: Stage 1
The basic overall plan is this: knock down the wall between the dining room and kitchen, add a powder room, add an island with the sink and dishwasher. Doing so creates a lot more counter and cabinet space.
1. Ready for demo!!!
2. The new wall. The arch between the dining room and kitchen will mirror the one between the living room and dining room.
3. The wall creating the new powder room. It's one of those rooms people will call "cozy" in real estate descriptions, i.e. it's freaking tiny.
4. Another glance at the space.
5. And another. Love the super safe hanging electrical wires.
1. Ready for demo!!!
 |
| From Renovation |
2. The new wall. The arch between the dining room and kitchen will mirror the one between the living room and dining room.
 |
| From Renovation |
3. The wall creating the new powder room. It's one of those rooms people will call "cozy" in real estate descriptions, i.e. it's freaking tiny.
 |
| From Renovation |
4. Another glance at the space.
 |
| From Renovation |
5. And another. Love the super safe hanging electrical wires.
 |
| From Renovation |
Kitchen Renovation: The BEFORE
Our kitchen is being renovated! How exciting.
Here's some before shots:
1. Looking from the (messy) dining room into the kitchen. Messy mostly because we have no kitchen cabinets since June, the former ones being rusted out and generally not having been cleaned for, oh, 10 years or so.
2. Looking directly from inside the dining room into the kitchen.
3. The kitchen. We ripped out the top cabinets which would have been over the sink before we moved in. I couldn't take them, they were gross.
4. Looking from the back of the kitchen to the door to the back of the house.
5. Looking out the (mostly useless) door to the basement from the kitchen. Conveniently mostly blocked by the fridge.
Here's some before shots:
1. Looking from the (messy) dining room into the kitchen. Messy mostly because we have no kitchen cabinets since June, the former ones being rusted out and generally not having been cleaned for, oh, 10 years or so.
 |
| From Kitchen |
2. Looking directly from inside the dining room into the kitchen.
|
| From Kitchen |
3. The kitchen. We ripped out the top cabinets which would have been over the sink before we moved in. I couldn't take them, they were gross.
|
| From Kitchen |
4. Looking from the back of the kitchen to the door to the back of the house.
 |
| From Kitchen |
5. Looking out the (mostly useless) door to the basement from the kitchen. Conveniently mostly blocked by the fridge.
 |
| From Kitchen |
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