Cookies Aplenty

I hosted my third annual cookie party on December 3. The past two years, I made Snickerdoodles, but this year, I upped the ante with two new and very different recipes: Chocolate Mint and Anise Sesame. The recipes were fun to make, and turned out well. Still, I am always surprised by how much butter and sugar goes into these things.

I found both of these recipes using the Epicurious iPhone App, which I find to be an invaluable tool when I want to try and make something to eat.

Writing Workshop Assignment #6: At Arms’ Length

For this week's assignment, our teacher had the class members fill out two pieces of paper: one with a job title, and one with a slightly unusual activity. Everyone put their pieces of paper in two separate piles, and drew a job and activity from the pile. The assignment was to craft a story in which the protagonist holds the job described, and the story ends with the activity described.

The cards I drew:

• Deli Clerk
• Massages a lover's back (actually, the card originally read "pops pimples off a lover's back," but I took some liberties)

One of the benefits of writing for a class is that it inspires you to write outside your comfort zone, or at least to write stories that you wouldn't write if left to your own devices. I don't know that I'd put this story together on my own, but I had fun working on it.

I sometimes feel slightly self-conscious if I'm writing about a romantic couple. It feels almost like writing science fiction for an audience of space aliens; even if the story makes sense to my eyes, I worry that it is ridiculous in a way that I can't perceive. But, I suppose that's true of anybody writing a story that is a bit outside of their own experience, and most good writers find ways of understanding outside perspectives and experiences in an authentic way.

Writing Workshop Assignment #5: For the Road

This week's assignment:

Please read The Sock. Then, choosing your own object, write your own story, using that object to explain and/or reflect on the feelings your narrator has for someone else. In The Sock, Lydia Davis looks at the sock and is reminded of many things about her former husband.....using her example, write your own. If that doesn't make sense, send me an email and I can explain further.

Whatever your object of choice, let us see, taste, smell, hear, feel what the narrator feels as he or she reflects. See how much characterization you can fit in, too, using the techniques of action, speech, image, and thought... You'll probably note that The Sock is not heavy on plot. That's the way it is with almost all of Davis' stories. She's not at all a conventional writer.

---

Like many people, I sometimes reflect on my dependence on cars, and I know that I feel deprived when I cannot drive for some reason (because I'm carpooling or the car is being fixed) and resistant at times when I shouldn't be driving (because the car needs to be fixed or because I am tired). Given that even a temporary loss of driving ability can be difficult, I thought it would be interesting to meditate on feelings that might arise when one permanently losing his or her ability to drive.

By the time I started driving, I was able to rely on Internet printouts (now, of course, I can map things out using my phone), so I never used a Thomas Guide (I recall getting a smaller road atlas as a gift, though). Still, I do recall my mom using one extensively during junior high and high school, especially when I would tag around for my sister's auditions, which took place all around town.

A side note: In the original version of the story, the car was originally a Civic. I changed it per the suggestion of some of my classmates.

Writing Workshop Assignment #4: The Jackson Valley Maniac

This week's assignment:

You have two choices. Write either a story about growing up, like Mona Simpson did (we also read Reunion, which has this same subject), using two characters who are thrown together by some sort of circumstance. Two characters ONLY (although you can have an "extra" like the waiter or the car wash kid as in Simpson's story). Or use the following prompt to write a story:

Two characters are stuck on an elevator. One is seriously irritating. The other is normal. Write a story or a scene (decide which) in which we are shown how the one character irritates the other. 

For either of these, try to give us the details that matter. Use concrete details--the ones that appeal to our senses (see, touch, hear, taste, smell). Characterize your characters by their actions, by the way they look, by the things they say. Show, don't tell. Although "show, don't tell" isn't always appropriate, try to think about it while writing.

I went with the first assignment. I've been thinking of my own tendency to get "stuck in my head" sometimes, and I thought that might provide a good basis for a "coming of age" story. As an added bonus, I was able to put together something that was Halloween-appropriate.

Writing Workshop Assignment #3: Jared and Phoebe

This week's assignment:
Using the characters below (or come up with your own character - we are looking for cliché characters that we will make unique through characterization), write a scene individualizing your character through particular details that will make us sympathize and/or identify with him or her. Do this for two characters.

• An absent-minded professor
• A lazy laborer
• An aging film star
• A domineering wife
• Her timid husband
• A tyrannical boss
• A staggering drunk

To make the assignment more fun, I tried to create characters that fit the descriptions but were a few steps removed from the obvious archetypes (e.g. Norma Desmond or Albert Einstein).

Glamor Shots

Back in January, I had purchased a Groupon for a professional photographer; I thought that a set of flattering, professional photographs would be an invaluable keepsake, and would provide a nice ego boost. I finally decided to cash it in this September. I scheduled a one-hour shoot, got my friend Haley (a professional makeup artist who works for film and TV) to do my makeup, and made other preparations for the one-hour shoot.

The shoot was scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Barnsdall Art Park, on Saturday, September 17th. I thought Barnsdall would be a great location, since it was close to my apartment, and had a variety of different areas which could serve as backdrops for photos. At first, the photography company wasn't certain that they could take photographs there, and suggested some alternative locations. Happily, things worked out, and I was able to shoot at Barnsdall after all.

Haley came to my apartment about an hour and a half before the shoot to apply the makeup, which ended up looking very nice in a natural way, and, importantly, photographed well. After picking up a few "costume changes," Haley (who would be there to touch-up my makeup when necessary) and I headed to the park.

Once I had gotten to the meeting place at Barnsdall, I noticed that people were beginning to set up for a Thai festival. I briefly worried that the booths could interfere with the photos, but, fortunately, it didn't create any problems. We were even able to take advantage of the hammocks that had been set up.

The photographer and his assistant (who held up screens to reflect or diffuse the light, and intermittently gave me suggestions) appeared on schedule, introduced themselves, and started taking photos.

During the hour, we wandered through the grounds in search of locations which were interesting, but not too distracting. Once we found a setting, the photographer worked at capturing a bunch of different poses and expressions.

After the hour was over, the photographer told me that he would be sending a CD with the 100 best pictures and that I could chose 20 to be retouched in Photoshop. I have the CD, but I'm still debating about which photos I would like to have cleaned up.

I had a fun time, and I'm very glad that I went ahead and had these pictures taken. There are several that I am quite fond of, and it'll be wonderful to keep these photos around and share them with friends and family.

Writing Workshop Assignment #2: Errands

This week's assignment: Two characters have known each other a long time. Your characters can be friends, a married couple, a father and son, any two characters. Decide which of the two is your protagonist.
- Have the protagonist reveal something about themselves to the other character, or vice versa.
- Have this new piece of knowledge cause some sort of conflict.
- Have your protagonist learn something new about THEMSELVES at the end.

I had guessed (correctly) that most people would be writing stories involving romantic couples, or proto-couples, and I had just written a story involving a husband and wife, so I avoided writing a story about a couple. My first instinct was to write a story about a 'master' who seemed to effortlessly perform his or her craft, revealing to a longtime fan that the sublime effects that he or she created were the result of some sort of trickery or behind-the-scenes work. The admirer would be let down that the performance wasn't, in some sense, "real." The master would not quite understand the conflict, believing that it was the effect achieved that was ultimately important. But I had trouble figuring out the specifics in a way that would work, so I decided to run with something different.

Writing Workshop Assignment: Old Steven

I have started taking an eight-week writing workshop, and am looking forward to it. If nothing else, I look forward to the challenge of being 'forced' to turn in some creative writing each week.

This week, we discussed the basics of plot, and turned in our first exercises. The assignment was to "create your own story where a character's expectation of something is dashed completely." I have written out my assignment below.

Specs and Other Stuff

One of the fun things about poring through old journal entries is finding a record of exactly when certain minor events occurred. For example, I learned that I last got eyeglasses in September 2009. Although I mostly use them as 'backup' in case I can't wear contacts, I have been needing new glasses for some time now. So it's nice to have a newer pair with a stronger prescription.

I worry that my vision may have deteriorated over the past couple of weeks, though. I am hoping it's a temporary thing, brought on by increased screen-staring hours at work. Nonetheless, it is still something I should keep an eye on (no pun intended).

In the past month, I cashed in my accumulated credit card rewards points.which gave me the opportunity to do something nice for myself without sabotaging my budget. The biggest ticket item that I purchased was a fancy messenger bag to use when I am at work or carting my laptop around.

When I started work at my law firm, I bought an old-school style briefcase, and have used it my papers and other items. However, the briefcase is cumbersome (on several occasions, people have been compelled to joke about how the briefcase is larger than I am), and it just isn't well-suited for carrying stuff around on a day-to-day basis. It has a pocket of space at the top which isn't very usable, and doesn't have enough space designed for carrying random small items (for example a computer mouse, a checkbook, or a small book). I figured a nice messenger bag would be work-appropriate, but would also be easier to take around if I am carrying work with me during the weekend.

The bag seems to be pretty well-designed, with compartments for different items. It even has a removable sleeve for a laptop (my laptop is large, and therefore a little too big for the sleeve, but still fits in the bag itself). Even though I will probably use the briefcase from time to time, it'll be nice to have a more convenient alternative, and I hope it'll encourage me to work outside more often.

App Roundup: Timing is Everything

It is slightly hard to believe that I use so many different apps which relate to timekeeping, and it is curious that managing and controlling time has become such a priority. I suppose that, when one is working, it inevitably becomes important.

I have mentioned the Sleep Cycle timer and the Timer With Sections in the past. Sleep Cycle is an alarm system which wakes you up when you're at the most 'awake' part of your sleep cycle and keeps track of sleep patterns. Timer With Sections allows you to plan out and time a routine; I use it to schedule, and stick to, a morning routine.

I have also tried using apps to keep track of my work hours.

Because I sometimes work from home (or the coffee shop), I need to keep track of the hours I bill so that I can later enter my time into the system at work. For a long time, I would make do by recording the time on scraps of paper, but that system left a lot to be desired. I've tried out a few timekeeper apps, but I have sometimes found their interfaces to be awkward or not well suited to the kind of billing I need to do.

Sailing Along the LA River

When I'm traveling through foreign countries or other states, I feel driven, or even obligated, to see the sights while I'm there. However, I sometimes forget to explore my hometown. So, when I saw that Hidden LA was giving the last LA River Tour of the season, I thought it would provide a nice opportunity to get out and go exploring.

The LA River itself is something of a joke among locals; people don't think of it as a 'proper' river so much as a concrete scar running through town, often surrounded by industrial blight. The tour provided a corrective to that view, showing the more scenic parts of the river and explaining ambitious plans to restore the river and make it a boon to the surrounding communities.

Tips & Tricks

I've found myself making some minor but important changes (both intentional and unintentional) to my habits and routine, and they seem to be having a positive effect so far. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep the momentum and make these improvements last.

First of all, I've been trying to keep a more consistent morning routine. While I have been using a Timer app to plan out my routine, I've nonetheless struggled to find the energy or motivation to get out the door in a timely fashion.

Nostalgia and a Baby Party

I have finally finished the process of getting my old posts moved from LiveJournal to Blogger. I did not include a few posts (either because the material was "too sensitive," too dull, or reliant on broken links/photos), and cleaned up some minor mistakes, but it is 95% the same. I am hoping to get a couple of old written journal entries up there as well. In going through the many old entries, I've also come to appreciate the archive system that Blogger has; it's a lot easier to look through the less recent entries with their system, so it's nice to reproduce the entries in a more accessible format.

Most of the journal entries I've found date from 2000 or later, but I did find a charming letter that I wrote to myself in 8th grade. Among the blog entries, I've also come across some interesting things, like the record of my 2003 London Program adventures (beginning here), a bunch of old "interviews," and stuff from one of Chrissie's student films.

Crazy July

The past month was bookended by two pretty unpleasant events. Fortunately, the month has also had its share of fun times, and even the more negative experiences were not as bad as they could have been.

On the first, I sustained some nasty burns over my entire face as a result of a household incident involving a blast of hot water. For various reasons, I can't go into too much detail here, but, fortunately, my injuries have largely healed (though I still need to be careful about sun exposure). And I am eternally grateful that my eyes were closed when it happened, sparing me a much more profound injury.

During the afternoon of July 30, I was the victim of an attempted robbery. I was in right in front of the Gelson's on Franklin when I stopped to use my phone (I was entering the cost of my recent haircut into a budgeting app). Suddenly, a guy grabbed my wrist and tried to wrest the phone from my hands. I screamed almost immediately and held my phone tightly; after a short struggle, the guy gave up and made a break for it.

An Appful of Dollars

As I've mentioned previously, I am trying to be more conscious of my finances,and have enlisted my iPhone to assist me with this goal. I started out by creating a simple list of monthly expenses and by (finally) setting up an online banking account. Now, I am trying to become a little more sophisticated in my efforts.

I have started using Saver and AceBudget, a couple of apps which allow a user to input all expenses and see where the money is being spent each month.

State of the Blog

Since joining Google+, I've found myself gravitating toward some of Google's other services. I've joined Picasa in order to upload photos to my account. I've set up a Google voice number (because it has nice screening and blocking features, it is useful to have it as a semi-public number).

I've also set up a Blogger account.

State of the iPhone: I've Got a Little List

So, I've continued to enjoy my iPhone so far; it's been fun fiddling with the various apps floating around. Surprisingly, it seems like my most-loved ones have been organizational and practical, rather than entertaining.
 
One of my most frequently used apps is something called List Master, which is a flexible tool for organizing and maintaining various lists and ledgers. It is easy to create sub-lists, and to change the parameters of each list depending on the subject matter.

London to Los Angeles Flight

Well, it's over. I'm disappointed that I have no vacation time left, but it was genuinely a relief to have a couple of weeks where work was not on my mind.

After arriving in Copenhagen, I settled in to my Bed and Breakfast (a 3-bedroom flat north of Amalienborg palace), I headed down the Strøget shopping street, and toward Tivloi Gardens, the country's old-school theme park. I didn't go on any rides (each ride costs a few extra tickets), but I got a drink, began to fill out postcards, enjoyed a parade and a concert, and took in the ambiance.

I then headed over to the Nyhavn port for a tour of the canals, which was a restful introduction to the city. I followed up my tour with a visit to the Little Mermaid statue in Kastellet Park, and later strolled through the park and the central barracks. Finally, I treated myself to dinner at Nyhavn, and returned home quite late. When the sun doesn't set until 10 or 11, it allows one to tour more extensively, but it also makes it easier to forget when it is getting late.

Flight from Amsterdam to Copenhagen

So, after a somewhat difficult airport security experience, I made it onto my flight.

On Thursday, I started by going over to the Amsterdam History Museum, which was not yet open. I then headed down to the nearby Begijnhoff, which contained the sole remaining wooden house in the city (the rest had burned down in a fire), and the "English Church," where the Pilgrims worshiped before heading off to America.

Afterwards, I headed to the Leidseplein looking to get on a semi-secret boat tour (Guild of St. Nicholas) that had been recommended by one of the hosts at my Bed & Breakfast. One had to arrive in-person in otder to make reservations, and the tour reservations were operated through the Boom Chicago comedy club, which had not opened yet.

So, I went down to the Van Gogh museum to finish my visit (fortunately, I was able to complete the audiotour without repurchasing it). The museum was noticeably more crowded than it had been on Wednesday, when I arrived shortly before closing time, so I'm glad I was able to make it out on Wednesday, In addition to the Van Goghs, which I had mostly been able to see on the previous day, I was able to see works by Van Gogh's contemporaries (which were in the permanent collection) and a temporary exhibition of posters and other artworks about Montmartre).

De Keuken Van 1870, Seated Next to a Sleeping Black Cat

Amsterdam has been really fun so far. The weather has cooperated, too; after some initial cloudiness, the sky got clearer and the temperature warmer. I have had fun exploring and walking around the town.

On Tuesday, I went to the Rijksmuseum, which was undergoing renovation but was still quite impressive. I saw a couple of personable Frans Hals paintings (including a large double portrait of a married couple), some lighthearted Jan Steens, a peaceful Vermeer (the one with a woman pouring milk into a jar), and some stunning Rembrandts, including the Jewish Bride, De Staalmeesters, and the Night Watch. The Rembrandts in particular were exciting to see in person, because the impasto technique lent an air of three-dimensionality that resists reproduction.

Train from Antwerp to Amsterdam

I am on the 9:00 train to Amsterdam (I took the 7:18 train from Bruges to Antwerp).

My final day in Bruges was enjoyable. After finishing the brewery tour and grabbing a quick bite, I went through the small Begijnhoff museum (note: while the courtyard and premises were, in medieval times, inhabited by beguines, or lay "nuns," the need for such an order eventually dwindled, and it is now inhabited by nuns). I then took a boat tour of the city, which was peaceful (it helped that our boat was not full) and allowed passengers to have striking views of the town's landmarks.

De Halve Maan Brewery

Yesterday was quite busy. After checking in at my (adorable) bed and breakfast, I went to the Groeninge Museum. The museum houses several works by Flemish "primitives," who worked during the period in which Bruges was an economic powerhouse. It was interesting to see a Van Eyck up close: the characteristic strengths of his works are the degree of detail and crispness of the paintings, and it was interesting to see how the skillfully-deployed, tiny strokes of paint helped to create the illusion of shimmering cloth, jewels, fur, and glass.

Next, I went to the Memling museum, which is located at St. John's house, a former hospice where nuns would care for the sick. The building doubled as a museum for the hospice and an art museum. In the corner of the building, there were several works by Flemish artist Hans Memling, including a large altarpiece and a shrine dedicated to St. Ursula (who allegedly made a pilgrimage to Rome in the company of 11,000 virgins).

Afterwards, I went across the street to the Church of Our Lady, where I saw a small Madonna and Child sculpted by Michelangelo, along with some 10th-14th century crypts which had recently been uncovered.

Train to Bruges

Despite waking up slightly later than I had hoped (I blame the noise outside), I was able to check out of my hotel in a timely fashion.

The plan was to take the Metro to Zuid/Midi (South) station, then take the 8:02 train to Bruges. But, when I got to my local station at around 7:30, I discovered that the Metro was closed. So, I went straight to Central Station. Fortunately, I realized that my train would be stopping at Central Station at 7:59 anyhow. The train arrived (albeit a few minutes late), I got on, and here I am.

Hotel Opera

Today was my last day in Brussels, and it was low-key and fun. I started by taking the Metro to the outskirts of town, where the Atomium is located. The Atomium was created for the 1958 World's Fair, and naturally has quite a bit of tacky retro-futuristic charm. Its scale is also pretty overpowering when one gets up close

I went inside and viewed the city and its surroundings from the top "ball" (the building is meant to look like an atom, naturally, and consists of several metallic balls connected by tubes). Afterwards, I went through the exhibitions in the other "balls" (they involved the 1958 Fair and the issue of immigration in Belgium).

Next, I went to the nearby Mini-Europe, which contained miniature versions of various cities, towns, and monuments around the continent. It was like a low-rent Epcot Center. Although, it must be said, Mini-Europe was a bit more ambitious in its choice of locations; there were obvious sites like the Eiffel Tower, but the park also made space for places like Notre Dame du Haut (the church built by modernist architect Le Corbusier).

Hotel Opera

Antwerp was fun, although the weather was not ideal. I was able to buy an umbrella in town, which was necessary, as the off-and-on rain got pretty bad at times. I had planned on starting my day at the Rubens house, but, due to the swarm of schoolchildren ahead of me (I spent a good part of the day avoiding groups of schoolchildren), I saved it for later.

So, I started out at the Rockox House, which was owned by the local luminary (and Rubens' friend and patron) Nicolaas Rockox. The house contained several paintings and curios from Rockox's time. Afterwards, I headed towards Rubens' grand house, which contained several works by Rubens, his followers, and other artists, including an Annunciation and a work in progress depicting a scene from the life of Henry IV.

After grabbing a bite to eat, I went towards the cathedral. Like many Gothic cathedrals, it had a wealth of detail, including a pair of large altarpieces by Rubens, a golden ark, a wooden pulpit with a variety of birds in the design, and a variety of wooden confessional sculptures.

Train to Antwerp

I have decided to take a day trip to Antwerp, and am looking forward to seeing the sights there. Including:

• Rubenshuis*: Rubens' house/mansion
• Rockoxhuis Museum*: A restored 17th century townhouse which is home to a small museum
• Onze Lieve Brouwekathedral*: Gothic cathedral
• St. Pauluskerk*: Baroque cathedral
• Vleeshuis: Headquarters of the medieval butchers' guild
• Groenplaats: Open square
• Museum Plantin-Moretus
• Museum voor Schone Kunsten*

So, we'll see how it goes!

On an unfortunate note, it looks like it is drizzling a little. Hopefully this will not be much of a problem.

La Moule Provencale

I was able to visit the BELvue museum, which provided an interesting timeline of the country's (relatively brief) history as an autonomous power, along with biographies of the Belgian kings. Next, I went to the Royal Museums, which had a decent selection of works, including David's Death of Marat.

After the museums, I mustered enough energy to visit Brussels' curous icon, the Mannekin Pis (which is basically what it sounds like). I walked through the Grand Place, and over to Rue des Bouchers, or "restaurant row." The row is pretty vibrant, with lots of people dining and enjoying the area, strolling accordionists, and waiters accosting passersby for their business.

I have just about finished a filling, if somewhat pricey, meal, and am ready to head back and plan for tomorrow.

Mokafe

I was able to find an adapter without too much trouble. Fortunately, my hotel is pretty close to a shopping complex.

I spent the morning wandering around and waiting for places to open. Later, I went to the comic strip museum, which is housed in a grand Art Nouveau  building and focuses on Belgian comic art.

I am still getting a sense of my surroundings, although I do feel like I have a clearer idea of where everything is. Anyhow, I still have much more museum-ing to do today, so I'd better finish my lunch and head off.

Hotel Opera

I have arrived safely in Belgium. I got into town late in the afternoon on Wednesday. Because I was not up for any serious sightseeing, I spent the rest of the day getting acclimated, looking through some chocolate shops, and getting over jet lag. I was able to walk around the Grand Place and visit some of the surrounding stores.

My hotel is in the thick of things. Unfortunately, because I have a first floor unit which faces the street, I do get a fair amount of noise. Hopefully, this won't interfere with my sleep too much.

This morning, my power converter (which I bought before my Spain trip) died. I will need to get a new one, as I am dependent on my iPhone for my trip (it has my postcard checklist, addresses, travel guides, and other important information). Hopefully, I won't have too much trouble finding a replacement.

LAX - Gate 2, Samsung Charging Station

Well, I am here and getting ready to fly to Brussels (by way of London) and am looking forward to the trip. This is my itinerary:

• May 24 at 4:30 p.m.: Fly from Los Angeles to London
• At 12:40 p.m. London time on May 25: Fly to Brussels
• May 25 at 2:45 p.m.: Arrive in Brussels
• May 25-28 (4 days) in Brussels
• May 29 at 8:05 a.m.: Train to Bruges
• May 29-30 (2 days) in Bruges
• May 31 at 7:35 a.m.: Train to Amsterdam (transfer in Brussels)
• May 31-June 3 (4 days) in Amsterdam
• June 1 at 9:45: Anne Frank House
• June 4 at 10:20 a.m.: Flight to Copenhagen
• June 4-6 (3 days) in Copenhagen
• June 7 at 12:00: Fly from Copenhagen to London
• At 4:15: Fly from London to LAX

There was a bit of a scare over an Icelandic volcano, and the potential for airborne ash to disrupt flights, but it does not look like it will affect me. Which is fortunate; it would be such a huge disappointment if such a long-awaited trip fell through.

Dinner Party III: Greek Night

These recipes hail from the Epicurious website (or, more precisely, from their iPhone app).
Saturday, May 14
Guests of Honor: Alejandra, Natasha, and Samantha
The food from this dinner was all of Greek origin, and the main dish was Spanakopita. Needless to say, lots of feta and dill were involved.

Dinner Party II: Eggplant Parmesan

The Eggplant Parmesan is from the Food Network's How to Boil Water cookbook. The other recipes are from Martha Stewart's webpage.
Sunday, May 1
Guests of Honor: Chrissie and the Matts (Enlow and Hannon)
The main dish was a perennial favorite: Eggplant Parmesan. In addition, we had green beans with tapenade dressing, garlic rolls, and, by special request, the return of Berries with Sherry Sabayon.

Improving My Mornings

I sometimes have trouble motivating myself in the mornings. I'm not fully awake, I feel overwhelmed, and I have a tendency to daydream or otherwise lose track of the time.

So, I've been experimenting with this Performance Timer app. It is designed to time speeches and presentations, but I have adapted it so I can use it for my morning routine. I basically program a routine into the app, setting aside a specific amount of time for each task.

While the program is running, I have a time limit to do each of the tasks on my list; the time for each portion is up when the red timer in the center makes a full circle. If I finish a task early, I can use the additional time to complete a different task.

The timer is helpful because it breaks up the morning tasks, and also keeps me from getting in a rut or feeling paralyzed; I know exactly how much time I need to complete a task, and I am acutely aware when time is running out.

The program also allows you to log past 'performances,' although I haven't found that feature to be very useful yet.

I currently have two different schedules; one for weekdays, and another for weekends. It has been fairly helpful so far, so I hope to keep it up!

The Comic is Finished!

Over the past few months, I've been taking a comics class at Meltdown Comics, and I've finally completed a 12-page comic! 'Escape From Camp Artemis' is about a sheltered homeschooled girl who is forced to go to camp, and plans an escape with one of her fellow campers.

Copies of the comic should be available for sale at Meltdown by the beginning of next week.

You should also feel free to call/email/message me if you would like a copy; I will be more than happy to send one your way.

Preparing to Fly

I have been planning my May-June trip for so long, that it is hard to believe that it is coming up quickly. In fact, it is little more than one month before I make the flight to Brussels. However, I have been doing my best to make preparations and ensure the trip goes smoothly.

I've had flights and hotels lined up for months, and I just recently got train tickets. I also bought tickets to the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank house in order to avoid the lines there. I've got travel guides loaded into my Kindle, and some travel videos on my iPhone.

I've also loaded my phone up with some apps to help me get around. I have some transit guides, and some translators as well. Although I am guessing that I could get by using my English, pantomime, and awkward grin skills, it is reassuring to have the translator app handy just in case. The apps are, of course, not perfect, but between the general translator and the two phrase guides, I should be able to navigate any problems that arise.

There is really not much left to do, beyond creating lists of priorities, reviewing maps, and thinking of possible day trips and other excursions. I want to make sure to have a fairly good idea of what I want to do, so I don't end up wasting my time or backtracking. Nonetheless, I don't want to lock myself into a tight schedule; I'd worry that any disruptions to a meticulously worked-out schedule would leave me feeling very disappointed and frustrated.

In any case, I am looking forward to this trip! It will be wonderful to have a change of scenery, and to take myself away from my daily routines and responsibilities. I am excited to explore, and to learn about what Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark have to offer!

Dinner Party I: Codfish with Herbed White Wine Sauce

I haven't had much experience cooking. When I was growing up, I didn't have to take care of meals, and I don't have much motivation to try and cook an entire meal while I'm living on my own. I thought that it would be a fun project to set up some dinner parties with friends, and use the opportunity to test out some new recipes. This Saturday, I had my first dinner party!
These recipes are all from Martha Stewart's webpage. Without further ado, here are the recipes, along with my thoughts about making the dishes.
Saturday, April 16
Guests of Honor: Monica and Michael
The main dish was codfish with a white wine sauce, which was complimented by a mixed vegetable dish and a side of potoatoes.

From App to Zzzz...

One of my favorite new iPhone apps is the Sleep Tracker. It uses the phone's motion sensors to provide a rough estimate of how deeply a person is sleeping at a given time.
It works as an alarm, which is timed to activate at the period (within a designated 30 minutes) when one is most alert and likely to respond.
As an added bonus, it keeps a record of a person's sleep cycles for a given night, making it possible to track, in a more objective sense, how well a person has been sleeping. Obviously, the measurements are pretty rough, and it's not like this app is capable of reading brainwaves, but I still am excited to see the results.
I tend to be a night person, and struggle in the mornings, so I'm hoping this tool will help me to address my problem.
Finding Number One: It looks like I am not getting enough hours of sleep.
Finding Number Two: I kind of knew that already.

No Longer a Luddite

I've been wanting to upgrade my cellphone for a long time now; it's gotten to the point where smartphones are so ubiquitous that an old-school phone poses disadvantages. I was hoping to upgrade sometime after my trip in May, but wanted to hold on to the old phone for a little while longer. And then, I spilled tea on my old phone, completely disabling it...
I spent 20-odd days without a phone, which created some minor complications, given that people tend to rely so much on cellphones. Fortunately, my Kindle has (free) 3G networking and a primitive browser, so I still had a way of staying in touch while on the go. If nothing else, my phoneless state forced me to become a little more punctual, which is never a bad thing.
I finally joined the iPhone club on Wednesday, and have been enjoying the new gadget. While I've owned an iPod Touch for years, and the iPhone is pretty similar, the iPod is old enough that many of the newer apps are no longer compatible. Plus, it lacked certain capabilities, such as the ability to take snapshots or play podcasts.
In any event, it's nice to have the full use of the device when I'm not tethered to a wireless connection; since I'll always have a map and easy access to email and Facebook; it'll allow me to make more spontaneous plans or last-minute changes.
I do look forward to playing around with the phone's functions a little more. I've gone on something of an app shopping spree, and have found some fun and useful programs. I'm also starting to get into podcasts for the first time, and am enjoying the wealth of free information and entertainment out there.
And it'll be nice to talk to people on the phone, I suppose.