It always seems to happen when I am suddenly struck with a seemingly insurmountable amount of work.
First - I get that tight pit of my stomach feeling: "Oh, crap - for real?"
Second - Panic: "What the hell, there is no way."
Third - Fear: "I'm going to get fired/People are going to see my messy house"
Fourth - Hopelessness: "Akjgaskjgnkajn ::crying::"
Fifth - Resignation: "Oh well, this job sucks anyway, guess I'll do what I can/Oh well, if it's messy, its not filthy."
Sixth - Crazy productive. Thank goodness it's been ending up this way.
Of course this means I don't get much rest. Or relaxation.
On of my best friends from high school and her girlfriend are coming to visit me in 2 days. And I honestly do not feel my house is acceptable for them to stay in for a week. Almost, but not really. The Boy got a bunch of new equipment for his lair (AKA: his battle station/desk [I should totally post a picture of it. It's breathtaking.]) and my boxes from work shipping me equipment are taking OVER. I did manage to get new towels, keep my kitchen in a manageable order, and go grocery shopping for this week. But I also did work about 12 hours too. No exercise. :o/
I'm so so so excited to see them, but super worried because of the amount of work I have/deadlines to meet, I won't be able to relax and enjoy spending time with them. It's my goal to get caught up enough to spend all weekend with them.
Oh yeah, I'm also taking the California Lead Certification exam the day I'm picking my friends. Which cost the company $212 bucks. If I fail, I have to pay it all again, and they don't offer it in my area again for another 3 months. Joy.
So, I am making lists and drinking tea and depending on the comfort of these tasks to keep me on track. It will all work out. It will all work out. It will all work out.
Monday, April 16
Sunday, April 1
Coffee cake!
Last night I made a coffee cake. I LOVE coffee cake. My grandmother used to make a coffee cake she called "Merk's." I have no idea who or what Merk's was, but the coffee cake was a sour cream batter with nuts and brown sugar layered between the batter. Never failed to get me up in the morning when I smelled it out of the oven.
So, following that memory, when I saw Shutterbean's post on her mothers traditional coffee cake, I needed to make it. I went out and bought sour cream specifically for the purpose. Of course, seeing as it is only me and the boy in our house, there was no way I needed 12-16 servings sitting around taunting me while I work from home. Plus, I don't have a bundt pan. So I halved the recipe and improvised:
It's a smaller pan - I believe it's the 7-8" range and I stuck a greased metal prep cup in the middle. I should have weighted it because as the cake rose, it pushed the cup out with it. So the hole doesn't go all the way though.....it's just an indent. No worries though! It still worked! It was also about 10 pm, so rather than trying to document something that would have dingy images, I just instagrammed it. (Yep. That's a word).
And I had a bit left over batter, (and I knew that waiting 20 minutes for the cake to cool wasn't going to fly with our impatience for sweets) I made a tiny one for the boy and I to share:
I made a bit of the maple glaze to go over it, but really, it's sweet and moist enough without it. And of course, we had some leftover for our breakfast this morning.....
Though, right now we are attempting to finish the champagne with Mimosa's. Everyone knows you can't keep champagne, right?! Hehe. Happy Sunday!!
So, following that memory, when I saw Shutterbean's post on her mothers traditional coffee cake, I needed to make it. I went out and bought sour cream specifically for the purpose. Of course, seeing as it is only me and the boy in our house, there was no way I needed 12-16 servings sitting around taunting me while I work from home. Plus, I don't have a bundt pan. So I halved the recipe and improvised:
It's a smaller pan - I believe it's the 7-8" range and I stuck a greased metal prep cup in the middle. I should have weighted it because as the cake rose, it pushed the cup out with it. So the hole doesn't go all the way though.....it's just an indent. No worries though! It still worked! It was also about 10 pm, so rather than trying to document something that would have dingy images, I just instagrammed it. (Yep. That's a word).And I had a bit left over batter, (and I knew that waiting 20 minutes for the cake to cool wasn't going to fly with our impatience for sweets) I made a tiny one for the boy and I to share:
I made a bit of the maple glaze to go over it, but really, it's sweet and moist enough without it. And of course, we had some leftover for our breakfast this morning.....
Though, right now we are attempting to finish the champagne with Mimosa's. Everyone knows you can't keep champagne, right?! Hehe. Happy Sunday!!
Sunday, March 25
Just some things
I've been thinking about:
1. Visiting the Alameda Flea/West End Market
2. Attempting to work at a coffee/tea shop again
3. Getting a sewing machine
4. Organizing my closets (!!!)
5. Black boots. I really want an all around go-to pair I can pair with jeans, skinny pants, and skirts. I haven't had much luck in the past 3 shopping trips I've done just for boots. Any recommendations?
6. Work. It's going to be a busy week.
1. Visiting the Alameda Flea/West End Market
2. Attempting to work at a coffee/tea shop again
3. Getting a sewing machine
4. Organizing my closets (!!!)
5. Black boots. I really want an all around go-to pair I can pair with jeans, skinny pants, and skirts. I haven't had much luck in the past 3 shopping trips I've done just for boots. Any recommendations?
6. Work. It's going to be a busy week.
Saturday, March 17
Weekend of Green and Recovery
Completed this week:
1. An elusive site visit in the Tenderloin.
2. Whiskey Pound Cake via: Oh The Cuteness! (I um, used a really, really strong whiskey.)
3. And sent off a loaf to the homefront for St. Patty's Day tasting.
4. Salads!
5. Delicious Leek and Lemon Poached Chicken over teeny bowties.
6. Laundry. Yes, all of it.
7. A practically spotless kitchen!
8. Holding off a killer cold. (with lots of naps. mmm, naps.)
Weekend Plans:
1. Corned Beef, cabbage and taters.
2. Guinness.
2. Irish soda bread (not the real kind, the stuff with currants and caraway)
3. Brown Bread (to go with meals)
4. I want to do coffee blondies, but ran out of brown sugar.
5. Store, to get more brown sugar.
6. Still need a shelf/workstation for my printer and various papers I've been collecting.
7. Yoga?
8. Craft fair Sunday. Woo!
1. An elusive site visit in the Tenderloin.
2. Whiskey Pound Cake via: Oh The Cuteness! (I um, used a really, really strong whiskey.)
3. And sent off a loaf to the homefront for St. Patty's Day tasting.
4. Salads!
5. Delicious Leek and Lemon Poached Chicken over teeny bowties.
6. Laundry. Yes, all of it.
7. A practically spotless kitchen!
8. Holding off a killer cold. (with lots of naps. mmm, naps.)
Weekend Plans:
1. Corned Beef, cabbage and taters.
2. Guinness.
2. Irish soda bread (not the real kind, the stuff with currants and caraway)
3. Brown Bread (to go with meals)
4. I want to do coffee blondies, but ran out of brown sugar.
5. Store, to get more brown sugar.
6. Still need a shelf/workstation for my printer and various papers I've been collecting.
7. Yoga?
8. Craft fair Sunday. Woo!
Wednesday, March 14
Sunday, March 4
Grace/Gratitude
1. Herb seeds freshly planted.
2. Fresh food in the fridge, soup in the cabinet.
3. Redwall cookbook to send to my brother and my niece
4. Sun and 70 degree day.
5. Sunday permission to ignore work.
2. Fresh food in the fridge, soup in the cabinet.
3. Redwall cookbook to send to my brother and my niece
4. Sun and 70 degree day.
5. Sunday permission to ignore work.
Saturday, January 21
Tuesday, January 17
Sunday, January 15
Settling in
Settling in,
with the light of the day retreating,
I'm recalling eastern nights many years ago.
I recall the heat, the windows open and the sounds of the street.
I recall the chill, and plastic on the windowsill.
The music that moved my soul
and the spirit of friends that I could never let go.
Living, as I am now, in what seems like 3 hours in the past -
I watch the eastern nights pass while the light still fades on this foreign shore.
I watch the movement of eastern life
while my life in this warm Pacific light wraps me around it's hands
takes me in and makes me grin.
with the light of the day retreating,
I'm recalling eastern nights many years ago.
I recall the heat, the windows open and the sounds of the street.
I recall the chill, and plastic on the windowsill.
The music that moved my soul
and the spirit of friends that I could never let go.
Living, as I am now, in what seems like 3 hours in the past -
I watch the eastern nights pass while the light still fades on this foreign shore.
I watch the movement of eastern life
while my life in this warm Pacific light wraps me around it's hands
takes me in and makes me grin.
Friday, January 13
Grace/Gratitude
1.Hot showers
2.Having a job
3.Being able to travel with new job
4.Homemade Pumpkin Granola
5.Coffee
I wonder how many times I will be thankful for coffee this year? Seeing as my new job just started and I am off and running with several projects and a trip date to SoCal next week. (yay!)
2.Having a job
3.Being able to travel with new job
4.Homemade Pumpkin Granola
5.Coffee
I wonder how many times I will be thankful for coffee this year? Seeing as my new job just started and I am off and running with several projects and a trip date to SoCal next week. (yay!)
Monday, January 9
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