Thursday, November 30, 2006

TV Shows

I"m SO close to being done for the semester! one paper and a handful of exams. Of course, I then get 2 weeks off and get to start all over again! this is a dumb system! of my own choosing. :-)

I'm watching Jericho. Its an interesting show, about a small town that survived a big nuke attack and have no idea what happened and are completely isolated. But doesn't seem to be goin anywhere. Its interesting, but they are starting to write themselves into a melodrama-type corner and the main storyline is weak.

Heroes is much better. I LOVE that show. The characters are interesting, and the story is shaping up to be very cool. There is enough mystery in it to keep you interested, but they don't keep you in the dark forever like they do in Lost. And I think my Husband is becoming obsessed with it. its too cute!

Anyway, I should get back to doing my last paper.
I"m out

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Nothing Much. And Cajun Food

I have been meaning to write in my blog for weeks now. But now that I am sitting here I realize I have nothing to say.

Life is adverage. New boss at work cut my pay back to minimum wage, playing lots of computer games and reading, hanging out with friends... blah blah blah.

I am however trying a new Cajun dinner recipie tonight that a friend of mine emailed to me. Kinda excited about that.

Here it is if you curious 2 people.


Cajun Crusted Chicken with Creole Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Four 6- to 7-ounce/180- to 200-g boneless chicken breasts (with the skin on)
6 tablespoons/50 g Cajun spice blend (including cayenne pepper, dried
thyme, garlic powder and paprika)
4 russet potatoes (about 3 pounds/1.36 g total), peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
4 andouille sausages (about 13 ounces/369 g total), sliced thinly into rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
6 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
1 cup/286 ml chicken stock, warmed
1/2 cup/10 g chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour, for dusting


Method:

To marinate the chicken:

Using a large sharp knife, score 3 slits over the tops of the chicken
breasts. Rub the chicken breasts all over with the Cajun spices and
cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To prepare the potatoes:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes for 25 minutes or
until soft. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to steam
dry in the colander for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon/15 ml
of oil in a heavy large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the sausages and fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using a
slotted spoon, transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside. Add
the bell pepper, shallots and garlic to the same pan, and sauté for 8
minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the shallots are golden.

Add the potatoes and half of the chicken stock to the pepper mixture
and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, coarsely mashing the potatoes with the
back of the spoon. Stir in the parsley, cooked sausage and the
remaining chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

To cook the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon/15
ml of oil in a very large oven-proof sauté pan over high heat. Be sure
the pan is large enough so that the chicken breasts do not touch each
other. This will allow them to brown nicely. If you don't have a pan
large enough to fit all the chicken breasts without crowding them, use
2 large pans and divide the oil and chicken between the pans.

Dust both sides of the chicken breasts with a little flour and place
them in the pan skin side down. Cook for 2 minutes or until the
chicken skin is crisp and golden. Transfer the pan to the oven and
roast the chicken for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over and
return to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked
through. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

To serve:

Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into thick slices. Mound the
potatoes on 4 dinner plates. Arrange the chicken slices alongside the
potatoes. Drizzle the pan juices from the chicken around the chicken
and potatoes and serve.

Friday, May 19, 2006

My Professional Value

I love feeling wanted. It doesn't often happen, especially when one is pursueing a degree is something as generic and generally impractical as English Literature. Academics and professionals are not really clammering for your time, as being able to quote Shakespeare and Dickens inside out and backwards is not really a employable skill. Unless you are an actor, in which case you would have a theatre degree instead or as well. So, because of this lack of enthusiasm, I got very excited when I got begged to take a job with my former employer at another of his video stores. Its a nice feeling to be wanted like, NOW, and to be able to skip the resume/interview process. I think this has been the most painless job search ever. Now if only the library would call and want me too. That would be awesome. In the meantime I will settle for working a minimum wage job that is actually quite similar and that I do enjoy. And continue to pursue my all but useless degree. (good thing I am adding a Library Tech Certificate to it!)

Monday, May 15, 2006

Charity Screening of "Serenity" in Vancouver, BC for "Equality Now"

There we go. We have a confirmed event. NOW you can buy tickets from the Link at the bottom of my blog. All Profits from this movie showing are going to Equality Now, an organization that works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.

There is an Extra charge when paying via paypal to cover the silly paypal fees and possible shipping if you order early enough (otherwise you can pick them up from me at the door). You can also contact one of the Organizers directly and pay them in person for no extra charge.

Date: Saturday, June 24, 2006
Time: 2:15 pm
Doors open at 1:45 pm

Location: Pacific Cinematheque
202 - 1131 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-688-8202


Tickets are $13 until May 31st, $15 after May 31st.

For information about this screening and Door Prizes to go The Offical Website For Vancouver

Or check out the worldwide website at Can't Stop The Serenity

For information Equality Now check out Their Website

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Planning for Big Things

Just so you Guys know, I am using my Blog to test the HTML code and functionality of a PayPal checkout Cart for a Charity Event I am helping in. HOWEVER, we are not technically confirmed to be having this thing yet, so DO NOT use the button! Yet. I'm trusting in the fact that the only people I know of for sure who read this blog are in the same group. But the possibility of others reading it means I have to post this. Not that I would not gladly take your money if it was offered, but it is such a pain to refund and sort it out if things don't go the way we would like.

Anyway, I will post more details of the event when we know for sure when/where/if it is happening.

Later!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Wedding Pictures!

for those who care, here are a few that my sister took. some are a little fuzzy, but we have not got the other ones yet. so these will do.

So this is about half the crowd that was there. very small wedding!




Me in the car on the way there. (stupid corset made it really hard to sit at the angle cars usualy insist you sit at. which is why I had to sit straight up against the back with my head against the back window. it was not fun.)





Walking down the isle with my parents.


Just after the actual Ceremony part (which was about 15 minutes long. thank goodness cuz it was FREEZING cold. although the rain held off until after pictures. I was actually warm enough but my bridesmaid was so cold. the best man gave her his jacket in the middle of the vows :-) )




General Kissage. although if you look hard enough I am trying SO hard not to laugh. mostly because they are all trying to get a picture of it and we had been lip locked for about 3 minutes while ppl were directing us. it was strange.



anyway, thats it! I still have to get the pictures of our Honeymoon in Tofino, but that is a lot of pictures of open sandy beaches and crashing Surf and pretty trees,so I probly won't post it :-)

I'm out!

PS: they are bigger in PhotoBucket so if you want, let me know and I will send you the links for that. or you can check out the other Address for this blog, cuz they are posted there too. and bigger.
(http://www.serenitymovie.org/browncoats/forums/blog/xandira)

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

More Nervous than Me

So, we have 3 days left til the wedding.  What I want to know is how many people are scared out of their wits before their wedding, because me and Gord have heard nothing but "are you scared?"  "ooh its your last week of freedom" and " are you sure your not gonna back out from nerves?".  I mean, WTF?  I"m starting to feel like the only people in the world who the idea of Marriage seems natural and exciting, but not in the slightest bit nerve-racking.  Gord's Co-workers are really starting to bug him with this kinda talk.  Of course he is in the works yard with all the middle aged, machine driving, drinkin with the guys, married for 15 years kinda people, so its kind of to be expected.  but still. give it a rest already

I have no problem with feeling unsure or scared or nervous or anything.  Not even about the prepareations for the wedding event. I mean, I have my dress, flowers, pastor, paperwork. so everything else is details. heck, even if the pastor gets stuck in Arizona where he is on holiday until friday and can't make it, we will just call another one, or find a JOP as soon as we can.  meh. It will all work out somehow.

What I wonder is if this lack of nerves is because the actual wedding part is so casual and generally as simple as I could get away with. I have no professionals of any kind, its all family, and very small.  I could see being much more stressed out if I was trying to have a big formal detail heavy type affair.  Maybe that stress is what people see as nerves.  hmmm..

I just don't get it


Monday, April 10, 2006

AAAAAHHHHHHHH

Thats it. just AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

*hair pulling stressed out me*

pretty much says it all.

Friday, April 07, 2006

My drinking teacher

I have never had this much trouble focusing on an assignment before! its annoyin the heck out of me.  And I keep finding other things to do instead.  like Blogging.

Anyway  I have the coolest English Prof EVER. She took the whole class out for drinks and appy's yesterday instead of going to class. It was awesome.  I don't drink alcohol, but virgin margaritas are really good!  as is milestones popcorn shrimp.. mmmmmmm....  It was kinda strange sitting there discussing stuff like cute geeky faculty, chest sizes, and travel plans with a teacher.  as you could probably tell our class was mostly girls :-)  anyway. awesome time. especially when Karen (the teacher) got a little drunk. SO funny!

and I got to impress the heck out of the whole class with my knowledge of how to jump a car and my recognition of alternator problems. It was funny.  I know next to nothing about cars, but I have has 3 junkers in the last few years, and had to replace the alternator in all 3 of them. so I know what that looks like!

Anyway, I really have to go beat my head into submission over this essay thing. I still have another one to do for tuesday too!

I'll be around!

Friday, March 31, 2006

If you don't like sex.....

Okay, so I downloaded a copy of Buffy Season 7.  Bad me, I know.  But I own all the other ones and REALLY didn't like Season 7, but figured I should have it for continuity and completeness.  I might buy it one day.  HOWEVER, the point is, that I have been watching it, and when I come to the episode "Touched", the person who ripped the copy cut out the sex scene! I mean seriously! if you don't wanna watch the occational not-even -any-nudity sex scene, this is really the wrong show for you! 

Course, I think it may have something to do with someones supermorality and the prevalance of Gay Willow/Kennedy Love. but I mean seriously, what? Violence, Devil Worship, Demons, Black Magic, and Ripping DVD's is okay, but two girls kissing warrents censorship?  *sigh* I don't get people. I mean, I respect that some people don't wanna see it, but its none of their business if I do. And its jarring to the flow of the show.  And if they are in the business of supplying a product, it should be intact!


anyway, gotta go watch the old recorded VHS copy I have to get over the annoying censorship frustration!

I"m out!

Friday, March 24, 2006

The Black Hole I Live In

How much Crap can one fit into a 7x10 foot room? with a Queen sized bed in it!??

I am packing to move tommorrow  (YAY we get our apartment tomorrow!) and I have an amazing amount of stuff. I am throwing all kinds of things out, and have boxes filled with stuff like extra purses, candles, books I forgot to pack in the book boxes, jewelry, and caligraphy pens.   I thought I hardly owned anything.  boy am I ever glad I am not packing a whole house!  Luckily, I am coming back here for a couple weeks before the wedding, so I will have time to pack or trash the dregs of my belongings. Who ever had this brilliant idea that moving around the end of the semester would be okay should be shot.  oh wait. that was me.  crap.  *sigh*

Anyway, on the plus side, I am very excited cuz I am FINALLY moving out of my Parents house! YAY. and its a nice apartment and eventually it will be me AND Gord and that is just cool :-) and he bought me a corner, red cherry desk with a hutch and everything. SO nice!  He spoils me rotten sometimes. :-) Always a good thing to look for in a man.. And to think, I almost married someone who I would have to support with my minimum wage job....  Phew.

Anyway, back to dust stirring and feeling guilty that I am not doing homework because I am packing.  gr.  I have a week to do a 3000 word paper I have not really started yet. plus a hand full of smaller 1500 word essays that I sort of have started.

And I"m off again!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

My Super Power

If I could have a supernatural power of some kind, I would do one of 2 things.  The first would be to have the ability to think something onto paper (or in this case computer screen) that way I do not have to waste all this time and energy organizing my thoughts and typing. For example, I have this story in my head, and I managed to get the short version onto paper once, but the long version is still rattling around in there.  If I had this ability, I would be able to just will it to be written, and it would. with perfect grammer and everything. A direct link out of my brain into a hard format.  Or, I would do the same thing for this paper that I am having such a hard time with that it is overdue. BAD me! Typing and planning and organizing take so much time its annoying.

The other thing, and actually probably the first thing I would do is have the ability to take on any characteristic of any fictional character I want, from books or movies or whatever.  This probably gives me every power in the book, not to mention some interesting personality choises.  so to keep it from being completely all powerful, it would have to be from any character I know about, and probably only one power at a time.  This of course means that I can WRITE a story about a character who can think papers into exsistance, and I would be able to do it!  or I could fly. or I could say all those witty, clever things I would love to say if I ever thought of them at just the right moment, or any thing else you have ever admired in a character. 
To be fair, I stole this idea from Gord.  He thought of it first and I tweaked it :-)

Anyway, back to the long way of doing things.  *sigh*

Pressing onward!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

After Class Venting

so, I am neck deep in school stuff. you know it is bad when you feel guilty for taking 10 minutes at 10:30 at night to mess around on your blog and type random things, cuz you really could be doing something constructive.  and this is all after 2 oral presentations, a meeting with the arts advisor, and a midterm, all in the same day.  *sigh*  ah well. another 60 days of this and I will be on my honey moon.

Thats right, I started the official countdown today.  It is 60 days til my wedding. YAY!  I am very excited, in case you can't tell :-)  anyway, lots to do between now and then.  and I am starting to doze off and I am sure my ramblings are becoming less and less coherant (much like my presentation today when the nerves hit me. in the gorram middle of the blasted thing!  what a time to get nervous!  when its almost over!)   anyway, I am gonna go watch some Buffy (Season 3, Faith just turned evil)  and go to bed. I think

Life and Stuff

YAY for me! I just found out that I only have 11 more classes to go til I am done my BA degree! that is a year and a half if I continue going full time. one year if I take courses in the summer semester. which I probably will next year. Unfortunately, my Library Tech courses are unmeshy with my BA program, so I will be another year and a half after that getting my LIBT certificate. *sigh* oh well. thats about what I expected. and at least the LIBT classes are lower level and thus less of a work load.

Other then declaring my major and planning my life for the next 3 years, I have nothing really new to report. Lots of homework and wedding stuff. My dress is coming along nicely, and we have got fabric and stuff to make ties. although Gord's best man refuses to wear a white shirt, and I am not sure how we are gonna work that in. I"m sure we will figure something. I think I am in the lull before the storm. all assignments, plans and hell is gonna break loose at the end of March and last through most of April.

I miss my Vancouver Browncoats! :-( all this business compounded with the fact that they are an hour and half away means I haven't seen any of them since late november! I keep trying or meaning to go, but blasted other stuff gets in the way. Its annoying. I am really looking forward to my move in April, cuz I will be 45 minutes closer and have some more spare time since I will not be in school, or driving so much. I"m gonna have to invite them to my housewarming open house in may. That should be fun! Yet another of the wedding/life party business that I gotta work on. I"m all excited about it though. I am not having a bridal shower and having this post wedding bash instead. hee hee hee. anyway, on to lunch and classes!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

My Dirty Little Secret

okay, so I am a long time Browncoat, secretary-type person for the Vancouver Browncoats, I've seen the movie 4 times, and I put it on in the video store as often as I can, but I do not yet own a copy of Serenity. Its been out since December, and I do not own it. I will have to do that one of these days. I guess I have been holding out til I feel like I NEED too see it again (up close. the video store screens don't count :-) ) also for when I don't feel broke. I think I didn't get it for Christmas cuz everyone expected me to get it for myself.
anyway, I fully expect the Browncoat community to make shocked faces at me for while now :-)

Anyway, I am watching the movie "Proof" with Gweneth Paltrow. so far its okay. about a crazy girl, so its a little disjointed, but so far good.

Oh! wedding plans are going pretty well. Getting all my wedding dress alterations done, picking out flowers, getting the guys ties made, getting shoes dyed, trying to find someone else to marry us cuz our bishop can't do it now. all that fun and exciting stuff. I just want it too be april now. school being done and wedding coming up. Its amazing how two and a half months can seem SO far away, and way to soon all at the same time. I just have too much to do before then! but I want it to be now!

I can't win!
cept last night with Gord. That was pretty awesome :-)
not as awesome as it could be. that is still comin....
yet another reason that I want 2 and a half months to come faster!

Monday, January 30, 2006

Weird Dream. Strange, Weird Dream

something random I was thinking about.

if we were to stop all law inforcement, how bad would it actually get?

I"m not saying we should DO that. I'd just curious to find out how bad would it actually get. there would probably be a sharp increase in crime, since it would be the whole "yay now I can" thing. But I think it would probably hit a peak and either plateau or decrease again. I mean, the people who really want to break the law would do it anyway right?

Course that would put the emphasis of society onto raising our children right in the family.

Never mind. now that I think about it, people are screwed up and the concept family is fragmented and broken. If we can't even get the basic unit of society right, there is no hope for the rest of it.

My hands are dry. I need cream.
(hey, I said I was random!)

Sunday, January 22, 2006

I am now a whole lot richer

cuz I have signed house and morgage papers with my fiance! (who has quite the savings by the by) Anyway, if all goes well and no unexpected hiccups occur, we will be taking possestion of a very nice apartment at the end of march. YAY! a block or so from my school, has 2 bed, 2 bath and a fireplace, deck, and walk in closet. we have more then 25% down so its gonna be a fairly small morgage and will hopefully be paid off well withing 10 years. I am very excited!!!

Its been an insane week, and I am sure I have missed some important hanging out with friends and some even more inportant homework, but I think that grown up life stuff is important enough for that. As far as I know, we are all clear until march and I can get back to multitasking my school and wedding and social life arranging for a bit. without the added apartment hunting issues. too... much.... multitasking........

Although we do still have to figure out what in heavens name we are gonna do witht he largeish, crystally chandeleir that the very nice old lady wants to leave for us in the fairly small apartment. Its not an ugly thing by any strech of the imagination. I just find it a little ostentatious for the size and scope of the place. maybe we will take some of the ornamentation chrystal off of it so its not quite so big and cluttered. We shall see. but it is very pretty.

OH and I got my bridesmaid's dress in. and we ordered our shoes.

Left to do: small flower order, look into renting chairs and maybe a carpet(or fake grass) for the soggy lawn, make up a lunch menu, talk to my doctor about anti-baby pills or some such crap, get the alterations on my dress done, buy the best man a suit, sign more morgage and property papers, clean my room, throw stuff out, pack, paint, remove ostentatious lighting, move, stock kitchen, 8 essay assignments, 10 small assignments, 2 midterms, 4 final exams, read MANY books and poems. and I am sure much more. Thats just what my up for 19 hour brain can come up with.

Is it April yet???

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Insanity

aaah back to the crazy familiarity that is school. And having 4 or 5 hours at a time to sit in the computer lab doing nothing. I"m suddenly sensing.... more regular blog entries! I"m thinking tuesday and thursday afternoons. We will see how it goes. I am taking a few 3rd year upper level courses, so I may be insanely busy.

In fact I already have an assignment I should be working on that is due in a couple weeks. But YAY its on shaepeare! and a play I know really well! I am jsut SO glad that the teacher of my Shakespeare course didn't put Hamlet on the course. cuz how many times can one study Hamlet without going a little crazy themselves??? cuz I've worked up to 3 courses including a fairly in depth stufy of Hamlet. I got an A+ on the last Hamlet assignment I did cuz I have so much time invested in that silly play.

Okay, I love the play. its great and complex and facinating. But there are so many other plays that I would LOVE to learn about. so I am getting a few of those this semester. YAY! they are mostly some Roman plays, with a few comedies thrown in so the class does not commit mass suicide from the sheer depressing force that is Shakepearian Tragedy.

Anyway, between that and the wedding coming up at the end of this semester, I am gonna be goin nuts. but I"m going house hunting on sunday (I think) and I'm VERY excited about that! :-) Technically I think Gord is buying the house. I"m not sure if we are gonna joint sign for it or not, since it will be signed for before the wedding. Either way I won't always be able to make it to look with him, but we are gonna make sure we are on the same page this week so he doesn't get hopeful about some hedious place while I am at work! We are buying an appartment or townhouse or something, so I'm demanding my own washer/dryer and hoping for a fireplace of some kind. And of course a hot tub, but I am thinking that may be a little out of our range. :-)

GGGRRRR I"m trying to order books online, but blasted Chapters site is SO slow. and only working half the time. this is not inspiring confidence in those of us who are paying by credit card over the internet. I mean, if it seizes up, and you click it again, is it gonna charge and ship it twice or not? Its like Russian roulette. With money. That you do not have. oh well. hopefully I can get my books sometime this week.

But I gotta go beg a prof to let me into her class. Later!