Dream Weaver

I have been having the most lucid, crazy dreams lately. This morning, I woke up absolutely terrified from a dream I was having.

In this dream, I was at "home" (it didn't look anything like my house) and there were prisoners being brought into my living room for interrogation in front of a small crowd. There was this one prisoner that had to be beaten to a complete pulp to get him to settle down enough for the guards to walk him to the chair in the middle of the room and chain him down since he was trying to bite and kick everyone. As they were chaining him to the chair, I saw a giant missile coming towards my house out of nowhere. It landed right next to the window I was standing by, just tearing up earth, but thankfully not exploding. For some reason, these missiles seemed to be only for the purpose of destroying things with their sheer size and mass. Everyone in the room noticed that dozens more were coming at us and we all scrambled to run for cover.

Despite the previously mentioned prisoner's disposition, I immediately took his arm and dragged him with me to hide behind a couch. All previous notions of each other (his loathing of me, my fear of him) were left behind as we made each others' lives our priority. I took out my cell phone to text A and let him know that I loved him because I didn't know if I would ever see him again, but I realized in my dream that he was in jail and didn't have a cell phone! I started absolutely bawling because there was no way for me to give him a final message to let him know I cared if something bad happened to either him or myself. (I often have this fear when riding in a plane or having a daydream that the bus I'm on will lose control on the Washington Ave. bridge and plunge into the Mississippi below where I will die quickly from hypothermia and because I can't hold my breath underwater for shit.)

Suddenly, a giant, gold force field came out of nowhere to protect the entire planet from this alien attack. (It had just dawned upon me out of nowhere that the missiles were coming from outer space.) My mom and I realized that it was someone from the future coming back in time to protect us all. We chanted a cheer that I've forgotten in waking hours and danced around hugging each other. I called a friend in Boston (I have no friends in Boston) who had not been disturbed by anything of the sort and realized that the attack had only happened in a few places and very few people in the world knew that this had just happened and doom had been prevented by a prophet from the future.

That is when I woke up and thanked my lucky stars that hadn't really happened. Trust me, this dream is only as crazy as numerous others I've had lately. Is something in the water or am I just being driven crazy by ungodly amounts of thinking needed for classes, homework, and work?

"It's All Happening!"

Just finished my 500-word essay that goes along with my application to study abroad at Manchester Business School! The nervousness I was feeling a few months ago is gone, replaced totally by excitement and desire. I'm only a little worried about getting in! I might apply to this new, unannounced program to a school just outside of Paris as a backup. I'll have to wait 2 weeks for it to be added to submit my application if I want to do that. A talk with my adviser is due to see if it's worth waiting for!

Progress

Right after my car accident, I could only bend down and touch my knees, and that was working really hard at it.

The other night I was stretching and I touched my toes! It was a big accomplishment. I've been telling everyone!

Drained

I've been up since 6:30 and I'm just now about to go to bed at 11:30. I have not stopped doing things that I am required to do (physical therapy, classes, work, homework) since I woke up. Exhaustion doesn't even come close to describing this. I am completely overwhelmed.

And I'll be up at 7:30 to start it all over again.

Story of my life.

Fin.

Today I ended physical therapy. I'm both happy and sad because I do feel
a lot better than I did when I started, but I am also going to miss my
PTs. They are always super nice and we always talk about food and
school. I made them cheesecake brownies today to thank them.
Unfortunately, I was in too much of a rush last night to take pictures!
I will definitely be making them again so I hope to snap a few pictures
then.

I'm also bummed I don't have anyone telling me to work out anymore! It
will be harder to keep up the regimen on my own. I need to somehow set
aside sacred time that cannot be used to do anything else, especially
nap!!!

My back is still a little sore, probably from doing really heavy weights
on the machines there for the past week. I hope it clears up so I don't
have to go back. I'm trying to think positively and keep in mind that
3-hour chunks of my time won't be taken up by riding the bus to Eden
Prairie anymore.

Turkey Meatballs

A & I made turkey meatballs with rice spaghetti and sauce tonight for dinner - his brilliant idea. They turned out absolutely delicious; I have never liked meatballs but these were exceptional. They were super easy to make, too: Just mix, form, and cook! I'll definitely make these more often.

Recipe from Cooks.com as a result of a Google search.

How To Be Trailer from How To Be on Vimeo.

Opening The Hymnal/babies - Cu...

Bummed I missed this show, but more bummed that I had to spend that money on textbooks. I didn't have Happy Hollow until 2 days ago for some dumb reason but now I have it and I love it. This is my favorite songggg.

Gaga for GaGa

Lady GaGa fascinates me. She's like Karen O with the fashion, but crazier because she never wears pants... ever. At least she's got the hot body to do it. I have a little crush on "Just Dance" but I just downloaded The Fame out of curiosity and it suxxx. Oh well. She does have proven talent, though. She's been writing songs for pop stars for ages. She was also one of the youngest people ever to be accepted into NYU's Tisch School of Arts back in the day. Unfortunately, her Oompa Loompa tan ruins most of that credibility.

Kick It Up A Notch?

I was invited to be in the University Honors Program for my junior and senior years, something I declined when I was first admitted to the U of M. I don't know if that's something I want to do! I certainly haven't struggled too much in the classes I've taken so far, but do I really want to increase the difficulty level and workload with Honors classes? I would also have to complete a project to graduate with honors. I work two jobs already though, so I don't want to completely kill my social life and turn into a bona fide geek over the next two years. Plus, I don't know if it's possible to get enough honors credits in if I study abroad in the fall.

Overall, my mind is made up towards not joining the program right now. The kinds of jobs I'm interested in won't really care if I graduated with a couple Latin words behind my degree. However, I've been contemplating working for a food giant like General Mills after graduation. My uncle who works there said I should really consider a big company, even though I've rejected that idea from the start. He could put in a good word for me as well. I think I'll just need to talk to him about careers within General Mills that would intrigue me. A company like that would definitely be impressed with honors.

I guess I have until August to decide.

Fried Plantains

I have always wanted to try my hand at making these. With plantains on sale for 4/$1.00 in Kissimmee, I got my chance. They are probably the easiest thing I have ever made (besides toast). A simple, satisfying, not-so-good for you snack. I used a green plantain to make these, which is completely starchy like a potato. These turned out to be a cross between french fries and chips. Not too thick, but more substantial than a chip. I want to make these more often!

Sue's White Rice Muffins

Got this recipe from the side of the package of Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour that my grandparents gave me for Christmas. I've been craving something carb-y but manageable because of my stomach restrictions. These are pretty great! Just something simple and plain that serves as an excellent vessel for jams and butters. (I look for any chance to eat raspberry preserves or apple butter.) I whipped them up in less than 10 minutes and they were done baking in 14. This will be something I can put together at night for a fast breakfast before class this upcoming semester.

Greek Chicken With Artichokes (Kottopoulo Me Anginares)

I have Betty Crocker's New International Cookbook circa 1989 and often page through it for ideas. I was home with my family a couple of days before I went to Florida and decided to try something new for dinner. I had a can of artichokes, so this recipe was just begging to be made. It was a very light dish, not nearly as robust as I was expecting. The sauce is a classic Greek sauce, avgolemeno, made with chicken broth, lemon, and eggs. An easy dish to make that almost anyone will eat (well, maybe not the artichokes) because of the mild flavor.

Brrrrr...

Coldest morning on record in 5 years here in Minneapolis. This is what the inside of the doors in my apartment look like:

72 items in my Netflix queue already! Oh boy... At least I'm only doing one at a time so I don't go overboard and neglect real life.

Netflix...

To get or not to get, that is the question.

I feel like I would never do anything if I had Netflix. I kind of want just the super, super basic one at a time deal, so I can still watch unlimited stuff online. I did cancel my phone insurance so I'm saving $6.50 a month... $8.99 gets me one DVD at a time unlimited plus unlimited online stuff. Hmmm... decisions, decisions.

...and this is what I come home to.

Personal Letter of Hate

Dear douchebag taking pictures of me on the beach with your cellphone without asking me,

You are the scum of the earth. Not only are you disgusting for staring at me during my entire four hours at the beach, you documented it. You did it in front of my grandparents. They're the ones who noticed and informed me, making me feel completely humiliated. I should not feel self-conscious at the beach or have to worry about my privacy being invated while on vacation. There is nothing I would have liked more than taking your phone and throwing it into the ocean. I was so humiliated that I couldn't even bear to approach you after I found out about it. You ruined my day.

I hope karma pays you a nasty call.

Sincerely,

Yvonne

Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake from SuperTarget in Kissimmee, FL

I assume the package means the cupcake was made by Ticklebelly?

This cupcake was surprisingly good. The frosting tasted like grocery store frosting, unfortunately, but the rest was good. The cake was moist, something that never seems to happen at Cupcake by my place in Minneapolis. The filling was a little much, but I liked the flavor. More cream cheese flavor that just straight-up buttercream. I liked the little candy making disk on top, too. It was really messy to eat because there was so much filling and the cake was so flimsy.

I don't usually do plain cupcakes like this, but I'm glad I did. The cupcake was a perfect way to satisfy my sweet tooth for a while. It was big enough to split up and save for later, something I also appreciated for the $4 price tag. (I shouldn't complain - my grandparents paid for it.) Cupcake's cupcakes are $2.50+ and just regular size. I'll give this one a B-.

Florida Fotos

I didn't take a lot, but that's because I didn't do a lot.



Breakfast at the French Meadow Bakery at MSP Airport before my flight out.


Cocoa Beach, 80 degrees.


Average breakfast: Special K mixed with yogurt and topped with bananas, turkey bacon, hard boiled eggs.


Vanilla/Vanilla cupcake made by Ticklebelly, sold at SuperTarget in Kissimmee. Yum!


Fried Plantains I made :)


I often made my own dinners since I have such heavy restrictions. Shrimp marinated and cooked in Asian Toasted Sesame dressing with rice, fried plantains, and salad.


Pirate ship chillin' by Clearwater Beach.


Yum yum yum.


Apparently this pilot writes inspirational messages in the sky every Sunday. He was working on "PRAY" when I took this while laying by the pool.

Total Spent While In Florida
1 Small 7-11 Slurpee: $1.39

"There is no greater love than the love of food."

- George Bernard Shaw

Happy half-birthday to me!

Florida Update

+ SuperTarget in Kissimmee had cupcakes from TickleBelly in Denver. I
got vanilla/vanilla. Full review can be expected when I can get some
internet access on my laptop (This is an email from my phone.)
+ Grandparents are feeding me a constant feast. Rice pasta with ground
turkey spaghetti sauce tonight, scallops last night, chinese before
that, and on and on!
+ I haven't spent a dime except for a Ron Jon fleece for my dad that
he'll pay me back for when I get home. All I plan on buying is a Waffle
House breakfast, a Baskin Robbins cone, and a 7-11 Slurpee.
+Cocoa Beach yesterday, in 85 degree heat. I'm as white as a Cullen
compared to the regulars.
+ My grandparents let me sleep as late as I want, aka until noon or one,
and they stay up as late as I do!
+ I've been addicted to TV, watching everything ever. It was my first
time since who knows when that I got to watch Gossip Girl on cable.
- Cold front came through today. We had a high of 70-ish and it will be
in the mid-70s for the rest of my stay. Boo hoo, right?
+ Got a swim in at the condo's pool before it got cold
+ It's nice to have no agenda while I'm here. I can take a walk or take
a nap whenever I please, and change plans if the weather changes or I
want to finish a chapter in my book.
+ I've felt a renewal while here. I want to come back and cook and bake
more and just be more involved with my closes friends.

This is exactly my kind of vacation, although I wish it was warmer now!

Too Good To Be True

I was supposed to get those sweet boots from Karmaloop.com, right? Well I got my package last night. It wasn't a box but one of those loose things and the stuff inside didn't feel like boots. I opened it up at inside was a fugly men's hoodie and fuglier men's tee. I am leaving tomorrow morning, I don't have time to fix this and I want my boots!!!!

That's what I get for taking advantage of a 50% off coupon. What I save in money is spent in time.

Celeb Crush

I know he's old & I'm not into how he smoked for 36 years and likes drugs and getting drunk frequently, but he's a writer, a chef, loves to try new things, loves to travel, gets along well with people, has a dry sense of humor and isn't afraid to use sarcasm, and just emanates cool. Anthony Bourdain:



I've been watching No Reservations nonstop lately.

Another Great Gift

This time, the Listography book from Aaron.

Gifted

My roommate just gave me this as my Christmas present! The first recipe? Chocolate & chili cupcakes. Yum yum yum!

Today I deleted my myspace.