Share the moon

I can go one day without calling
Two days without bawling
Three days without missing
But a lifetime of no kissing you
Is something that I just can’t do.

I wish I could be there to share the moon
I got more back for the breaking
More callous for making
A lifetime for the aching
I got no need to run this battery down.
I’m just trying to get the stains out.

I wish I could be there to share the moon.

~ Indigo Girls

Argh

I need to just decide about a few things right now so I can stop thinking about them:

Drive or fly back East this summer? I was all geared up to fly, but then I start thinking about traipsing all over the place. Then I start thinking about renting a car to do said traipsing. Then I think that is silly, and public transport could take me everywhere. Then I think think THAT is silly because I HAVE a car and public transport sucks up precious time. I have done the drive (alone) a couple of times. I would have my car, no baggage fees, and could get around whenever and wherever I please! If I fly, I get there in half the time; if I drive, I take the time I would spend on public transport and stick on my drive on both sides. Minimum I have to get from Boston to Rhode Island for a wedding. Ideally, I would also head to the Cape & MV to hang out with my parents and sister's family. Never mind seeing as many friends as possible and maybe professional visits too.

Stay a couple of days after my meeting in June to see CF or no? This should be a no-brainer, but last time I visited him right after my birthday, as far as I can tell, he had dinner planned after he picked me up from the airport, and that was it. I will not go into all of the things that frustrate me about our relationship (or lack there of), but it leaves me with no motivation to miss those days of work.

Make a doctor's appointment or no? Really the answer is yes. My hip has been bothering me for months, and a month of yoga has done nothing. It feels like it is not in the joint right. An improvement from when it started in the fall and felt like something was pinching every time I took a step. Maybe I should have made an appointment back then? Don't answer that... I also get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night and am exhausted. (and I have been exercising and eating well and all that good stuff.) I kinda wonder if when my generic thyroid medicine changing (because I forgot to remind the doc to write "no substitutions") has affected my energy and mood. It is difficult to tell when there is enough stuff going on besides the thyroid replacement to explain the fatigue and stress.

I think I just talked myself into driving back East and that I REALLY should make that doctor's appointment at least...

Hungry?

I have been trying to get lots done at work so I will be ready for a couple of undergrads to start after Memorial Day. I have been making time to decompress in various ways (like yoga!), but not making time to share some of the things I have been doing.

This is the food edition

The grad student in my lab and his wife had people over for Cinco de Mayo. I contributed margarita cupcakes with lime-tequila buttercream frosting. I made quite a mess with the frosting.

 I am not cupcake decorator, but they were cute-ish...and DELICIOUS.

I made popcorn and apparently shook the pot too vigorously because the top came off and I got popcorn all over the stove.

Other things I do not have pictures of, but let me tell you that pumpkin frozen yogurt (you do not need an ice cream maker!) and cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot are also delicious and easy. The frozen yogurt thing will likely be a regular thing this summer but in popsicle form.

Random weirdness

I do not often remember the anniversary of my thyroidectomy. I do remember to take my replacement hormone daily, like I am menopausal, only not. Yesterday there was something on the radio about an executive at some bank or company that did something stupid who is 'retiring'. One reason cited was that he was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Now I was lucky in the sense that I did not have to undergo the radio-therapy after my surgery, but I have a close friend who did for different reasons, and then there is VW's story that I read too. So I hope no one takes offense at this, but thyroid cancer is the MOST curable cancer. In a medical sense, NBD. Of course as surgery, recovery, isolation during treatment, cancer anniversaries, etc. go, it is a big deal.

What really reminded me of this though, was that I just went to rub my neck and can BARELY FEEL MY SCAR. It has been a little over 4 years, and I can still see it faintly, sure. Right after I had surgery I met a man with much darker skin than mind who barely had a scar just months after his surgery. It bothered me because I took REALLY good care of mine - lotion, sunscreen, it never burned, etc. - and I figured this meant mine would always be super visible. It is true that these scars fade though. :-) Maybe a metaphor for all life's scars?

T-shirt quilt, Part 4 - Ta Da!

MANY weeks ago, I FINALLY pinned the binding of my quilt. You can see the little pins all around it.

I thought I would want to do a stretch stitch for the binding to make it sturdier. Essentially, the sewing machine goes forward and backwards and then the seam is stretchy. So it takes a while, and I kept not making the time to finish it. I finally decided that it was stupid the quilt was sitting in the middle of the floor for weeks and I should finish it. I did a couple of test seams on the scraps of fleece and realized that a regular seam would work just fine.

It took me all of maybe 10 minutes to sew around the whole edge. I guess this should be a lesson or something about procrastination?

Here is the finished product! I am proud of it.

Also, I finished it and took pictures a week ago. It took me that long to actually post it.


T-shirt quilt, Part 1
T-shirt quilt, Part 2
T-shirt quilt, Part 3

Burned

I am almost burning my mouth right this second. I cannot wait for my dessert to cool down!

One of the benefits of being on your own and having a day off is that you can do whatever you want whenever you want. If you lose track of time, no one complains. Here on the western side of the time zone, there was still visible light on the horizon at 9 p.m. Summer screws me up because there are no good cues for when I should go to bed. I realized I was really hungry about two o'clock this afternoon and had not had lunch. When 7:30 rolled around, but the sun was out, I realized I had not thought about dinner. So I improvised again.

I had picked up some kale to make kale chips for a snack while I did work. Instead, I had them for dinner. You just wash and tear up the kale. Spread it on a cookie sheet. Spray with oil and sprinkle something on it if you want, and bake at 350 to 375 for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on your oven, but keep an eye on them). The first time I made them I did plain olive oil and salt. This time, I did chipotle olive oil. For dipping, I mixed up some Greek yogurt and dill seasoning mix.

I still have phyllo, so of course I cannot let it go to waste! I layered the phyllo, spraying in between with plain olive oil. Then scooped some Nutella on, added an over-ripe banana, honey, walnuts, marshmallows, and some cinnamon and nutmeg.

 Then I stuck it in the oven at 375 for maybe 30 minutes.

I think I could have used less phyllo, but it is still delicious. Look out for the bubbling sugary goodness that spills out of the phyllo pocket if you try this at home. Oh. And I forgot to add the raspberries and chocolate chips I had taken out of the freezer for the little banana packet. Next time.