a sign of the times

Okay. So I have just reached a new low point, or maybe a high point. I suppose it depends on how you look at it.

For better or for worse, I am in graduate school. I have spent 2 years working on an MA, and I just finished my 3rd year working towards the ever-illusive PhD. That means that I have an advisor.

As the years have passed, I've noticed that our interaction has drastically changed from the first time I showed up in his office & he looked at me with a deer-in-headlights glance.
Here's the run down:

Year 1: can be characterized by "scared to call, scared to talk, extremely intimidated". At the end of yr 1, however, we traveled together and bonded over beers and (lots of) rum. He ceased to be unapproachable in my mind, but I was still intimidated.
Year 2: I managed to get over being scared to call him (as opposed to traipsing down to campus) around the time I got my MA (so, at the end of the 2 yrs). This was a big step for me.

Years 3-5: The tone has changed. Put bluntly, the frequency and extent of our interaction has drastically increased and become much more demanding.
-I get phone calls where the response to my cheery "Hello" is a dark and brooding "This is your conscience calling."
-He calls just to make sure that I'm not going on vacation.. "So...just to be clear. You're NOT going out of town this weekend? Okay...good...Dissertation." And then he hangs up.
-He calls me into the office to demand more of my time & to complain that I have a boyfriend (which I why I specifically did not tell him that the boyfriend had moved in with me).
-Once we started going to Cuba, I programmed his office phone, his cell phone, his wife's cell phone, and their home phone into my phone. A reasonable measure, I think.
-He becomes a favorite email contact. He even has his own folder in my email.

This brings us up to the current situation.....to a sad, sad, sign of the times.

Today I programmed him into the speed dial in my cell phone. Specifically, he's #6, sandwiched in between my two best friends.

I know that it's reasonable to do so, but it's also depressing. That means that he is now as important or as frequently contacted as my parents, my boyfriend, and my best friends.

Dang.

DISSERTATION IN PROGRESS....

Posting will resume once I've actually managed to jump through a few more hoops!

pimp my ride

not sure if the details are right....but it seems like they might be.

the new face of american politics

Yay! Let's celebrate the end of an era of suckage & usher in an era of change. Although I'm disappointed that I'm listening to Rick Warren right now, I'm optimistic about the next four years. It's a relief to know that the leader of the free world isn't george bush!!!!!!!
And it's especially touching to see the nation unite to celebrate such a momentous occasion.
Let's hope it stays that way!
Yay for obama!

ninjas vs. professors, cartoon of the day

finding jesus

Hey everybody-
Sorry I've been so lazy with the posting. I ended up travelling a lot throughout holidays & things have been kind of busy. My boyfriend & I got back together a while back & he just moved to town, so we've been integrating households. It's been fun & I've been really really happy. Plus, school just started & I'm trying to write our new site report from our recent field season in Cuba. Anyway. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm happy, healthy, and loving life right now.

Now, back to lazy posting. I found this on a website this morning & it made me remember the summer after my freshman year of college. I had gone home to Knoxville & was running around a lot with an old high school friend. He had recently moved out of an apartment, so one day we went downtown to pick up a few things & hang out. He went down to the basement & about 20 minutes later we heard hysterical laughter. When asked, he merely responded, "Ha. I've found Jesus. And he's a little bent out of shape." When he finally emerged, he was carry a large gold Jesus pendant hanging from a thick chain. And he was, indeed, bent out of shape. Anyway. Blast from the past. Hope all goes well!

Teenage Waistland

Interesting collection of facts about fatness, obesity, etc.

I'll weigh in on this later....no pun intended.

happy new year!


oh, and on a side note, imagine what i could do with a PhD in anthropology?!?!?! watch out world, here i come!

cartoon of the day

I wish I could throw my shoe at W & not get arrested.

The closest I've gotten to it was at Mardi Gras when we were throwing beads & trying to get them to ring the lights & antennae on the cop cars in the parade. It was fun, although the antennae are hard to hit. D*mn tourists, right?

turning into my parents

Blogger Challenge #2: Turning into your parents.

So sue me- I'm running a little behind....

I'm writing this from TX, where I have just completed what I thought would be the most horrible holiday trip EVER. A few weeks ago, my mom came up with the brilliant idea of driving from San Antonio to visit family in Fort Smith, AR in the RV that my aunt/uncle own. Please note that I would have to fly from Alabama to Texas in order to catch a ride on the RV. Passenger list would include: myself, my mother, my aunt, her husband, and my 80-something year old grandma.

As the planning continued, the trip began to sound (and feel) like the preview to a holiday blockbuster:
(to be read in deep, booming voice):
"Want to know what it's like to be cramped like sardines with 10 hours of Christmas music? Well, imagine 5 people & 3 generations traveling together in an RV! Our quirky cast includes: one semi-grumpy uncle who smokes a lot, one bubbly aunt who LOVES George Strait, a liberal graduate student who's lacking holiday cheer (ahem...me), a grandma who can't stand Jennifer Aniston because "she exposed herself to try to get Brad Pitt back from Angelina Jolie", and a mother who takes care of everything. The close quarters drive them crazy, but they also drive them closer together as the holiday spirit emerges. Happy Birthday Jesus!"

I'm sad to say that my initial reaction to the whole thing was pessimistic. I love my family more than anything, but I did not like the idea of being cooped up in an RV with 3 generations. That's partially due to the fact that RV's are small & I didn't want to have to smell anyone else's poop throughout the long 10-hour drive. However, it would also serve to remind me that my mother & grandmother have the same relationship that my mother & I do (albeit for different reasons). Of course we're all very close & get along very well, but our relationships are fraught with the tension that I suppose is typical of some mothers & daughters.

So, bringing us back to the topic at hand, are we doomed to just repeat history & mirror the relationships of our forefathers or, in this case, the strucutral relationships within the matrilineage?
I can't say for sure whether this process is inevitable, but I'm sometimes taken off guard by the extent to which so much of my persective is reflective of my parents & family. I'm proud of that.

But perhaps there is hope that it isn't necessary to repeat the negative of the past. For example, my mom gave me permission to remind her that she's acting like an *sshole when she's old & spends her time complaining about made-up ailments & avoiding taking her medicine for the real ones.
Score 1 for future-me; Score 0 for future-mom.

In all sincerity, I had a great time on the trip (despite the fact that Christmas music was playing the whole time) & I'm happy of where I come from, even if it periodically drives me crazy. So if I turn into parts of my parents, I suppose that's okay with me.....

Signing off from Texas, now overwhelmed with holiday cheer but very happy that I don't have to get into an RV tomorrow,
a.brooke

happy holidays!

tahini lemon dressing

Tahini Lemon Dressing
-from the Moosewood

1 1/2 cups of plain nonfat yogurt
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed, minced, or pureed
1-2 tablespoons of tahini
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons of cumin
pint of salt
pepper to taste

Good on salads, sandwiches, falafel, or steamed artichokes.
Adjust the amount of yogurt for what you want to do. For a dressing, add a little bit more yogurt & adjust seasonings to taste. For a dip, use the prescribed amount.

Adios!

Prop 8- The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

lazy posting- cartoon of the day

origins of food

I've been interested in plants lately.

Reason 1: we're getting the results back from the paleobotanical analysis of charcoal & seedstuff from the archaeological site where I work. (it's way cool- if you want me to bore you, ask me about it).
Reason 2: I've had some cool conversations with friends who just went to the Terra Madre Slow Food conference in Italy.
Reason 3: the kids are learning about domestication in the intro to archaeology class I'm a TA for.

Major point: It's cool to know where plants were originally domesticated. It's even cooler to consider how domesticated plants were subsequently spread throughout both prehistoric & modern populations.
Case in point- Potatoes aren't Irish. They're were domesticated in Andean South America.

Anyway. Ripped straight from the class powerpoint, this image shows the original centeres of domestication for some foodstuffs. Obviously, a lot has been left out.
Africa, for example, was a hotbed of domestication of grains, fruits, etc. etc. etc. South American was a hotbed of root crops- manioc, potato, sweet potatoes, etc. etc. etc. Anyway. But you get the picture. I think it's cool.

This next graphic compares centers of prehistoric food domestication to areas of modern food production.......interesting.....anyone notice anything wrong with this picture?

Let's call the whole thing off

For the unawares, a friend has challenged bloggers to create posts generated around a specific topic as both a writing exercise and an effort to see how differently people approach things.
(Shameless promotion: I love this idea. It is excellent. Mambinki you are awesome.)
The inagural posts center around either "Let's call the whole thing off" or "Arguments," depending on your interpretation & inclination. While I was entertained looking up song lyrics, at the moment I'm more inclined to talk about arguments.
The Art of Arguing is too broad. In fact, I'm not even sure that I'm interested in tactics, what we get out of it, or what we all choose to argue about. I have a sneaking suspicion that maybe we all just have the same arguments over & over, regardless of whomever we may be arguing with. I think it's quite possible that arguments arise as a result of our own peculiar insecurities & the unmet expectations we place on others. At least for me, I can say that's part of it.

But I'm not talking about that. Today, at least, I'm more interested in the arguments that never come to fruition. A lot happens when a topic is raised for discussion, but perhaps even more occurs when it isn't. It's counter-intuitive, but the things that we don't talk about are likely to be larger problems. I can't articulate the last argument I had (well, that's a fib, but, regardless, it wasn't a big deal and, more importantly, I won't tell you), but I can name precisely, without faltering, the long-standing, very important issues that I have yet to bring up. Most likely, I will never discuss these issues unless under extreme duress. I'm not sure exactly what is preventing me from clearing the air, but I do have general guesses. So here goes. Different situations, very different people.

Situation #1: What if I'm the only who cares enough about the relationship to bring The Issue up? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? Extending the peace branch doesn't exactly matter when there isn't anyone standing there to accept it.

Situation #2: There are people I don't like arguing with. At times, it's out of fear of their response. Other times it out of fear of bringing their fears/issues/insecurities to the forefront. Other times it's out of fear of looking like a jack-ass (which, let's be honest, is always possible, if not likely). Close relationships of any type do not permit us to dictate truth as we see it. Compassion, patience, and a respect for the relationship must be considered before proceeding.
Very dangerous terrain. Not to be undertaken without due consideration.

Situation #3: I'm too embarrassed to bring it up. I'm scared about what it says about me, as a person, and I don't think that anyone involved would be happy at the end of that conversation. Perhaps some relationships are prefaced with the agreement that the truth will not be told by either party regarding certain situations, including, but not limited to: family, the lasting effects of divorce, recognition of personal achievement, lifestyle choices, politics, religion (or the lack thereof), or even how one regularly behaves. Such topics are relegated to the sphere of superficiality specifically because they're so personal. Especially with the family. It's odd to think of it like that, but I think it's true.

Those are the things I'm not talking about while, of course, still talking about them. The ultimate goal is to make the peace with myself so that such issues never have to be brought up in the realm of real, spoken words. The decision to Argue is surrounded by stiff consequences. Sometimes I engage in it rashly, selfishly, & recklessly, without considering the effects or how I will feel afterward.

So. Patience. Compassion. Respect for the relationship. Humility. Trying to not be selfish in my reasoning for bringing it up.
Those are my goals for arguing, or, more precisely, what I'm relying on to keep me out of it.

food porn

Last night, as I was about to take a bite of swiss chard, I was suddenly struck by how awesome my food looked. Before I go any further, I want to be clear that I'm not talking about lusting after cheesy nachos, pizza, or big slices of chocolate cake. I'm talking about the aesthetics of eating, including the broad spectrum of colors that NATURALLY occur in foods without the help of Yellow No 5., Red No. 46, Green No. 3, Neon 24, or whatever else prepared foods are injected with.

I've never understood people who eat just to eat. Seriously. How can someone injudiciously put just anything in their mouth, with no regard for substance, taste, craving, or health? Especially with no respect for the process?
As for me, I like the ritual of food. I like the process of washing, cutting, & preparing what I'm about to eat. And, consequently, that's one of the ways that I show I care for people. Aside from making dinner, I usually try to make enough muffins or cookies to give away. I'm always the one to bring food to a party, and I like to think that it's usually edible.

So thoughts about food:
1) We all have relationships with food.
In our modern society, very few people seem to have "normal" relationships with food.
[to the medical anthropologists out there, please forgive my amateur foray]

In these days of eating disorders, level-5 vegans (who don't eat anything that casts a shadow), Skinny B*tch Diets, elimination diets (which are not prescribed by a doctor), pre-packaged foods, Taco Hell's 4th Meal, and, of course, the ultimate ideal, supersizing, we often mistake the end result (health) with the means to the end (food). People eat out of hunger, depression, comfort, happiness, celebration, boredom, curiosity, excitement, & whatever else you can think of.

For many, food also plays a major role in the construction of identity. Think about how many people you've known who adopt eating habits as if they were just the newest style of designer jeans, or who just have to mention the fact that they have a dietary restriction/preference of some sort.
(Note: I don't care what other people eat- just don't make a big deal out of it. I was a strict vegetarian for a long time, and I've walked enough in those shoes to understand this situation.)

Food-based or food-influenced identity extends, as you anthropologists know, to notions of self-description, group membership, ethnicity, and status. For more traditional societies, increased access to prepared, Western foods indicates that the family budget is economically salient enough to afford a trip to McD's or to buy those Totinos' mini pizzas. However, by doing so, they're also consciously or unconsciously eschewing their traditional cultural diets & identities for a life of increased obesity & diabetes risk, higher blood pressure, etc. etc. etc.

Food marked status in prehistory as well. Elites get a higher diversity and quantity of foodstuffs, in addition to having access to exotic foods & the choicest cuts of meats. In some prehistoric societies, this led to drastic differences between two distinct sectors of society: the haves & the have-nots.

For an example closer to home, look at the organic food movement in the US. Look at the cars in a Whole Foods vs. Sav-A-Lot parking lot. I'm one of these people (granted, without the fancy car), so I'm treading in dangerous waters, but I'm just saying.
It is decidedly a healthier lifestyle, but it also decidedly a status marker.

So food. Our relationship to it is complex, which is why I don't understand people who just eat to eat. It's crazy to me, like intentionally wrecking your car, throwing away all of your own cd's, or ruining your own favorite pair of boots. Crazy...

2) I read an article in Harper's a while ago that was entitled "Debbie Does Salad: The Food Network at the Frontiers of Pornography." It draws an interesting corrolary between the presentation of food & presentation of pornographic sex, which brings me full circle back to how pretty my food was. I originally intended to only put up pictures of my favorite colorful foods, but then I got sidetracked because I like everything.
So, without further ado, here's my contribution to food porn via shots of pretty vegetables.

Now, go eat lunch!

cartoons of the day

yay for fall!

I love the fall. As far as aesthetics go, it's my favorite time of the year.
But I also love early spring. and summer. because things bloom.
When it boils down to it, I guess that makes winter my red-headed stepchild.
Anyway. Around this time last year, the boyfriend & I went with a couple of his friends on a small backpacking trip to Savage Gulf in eastern TN. It's a pretty place.
Here are some of the pictures that I took on that trip. They're not incredibly awe-inspiring, but I like them anyway. I had a good time on the trip & they're fall-esque.

cartoon of the day

HAPPY VOTING!!!!!!!!

Obama Postermania....... VIVA!!!!

Obama's run on the White House has inspired millions of people in a multitude of ways- folks have been inspired to register to vote, to rage against Muslims, to drag out "washed-up" domestic terrorists, and even, as the book title goes, to have the audacity to hope for change.

It's also inspired artists (real artists, mind you) to create incredible campain propaganda which illustrates the Obama message. Take one of the more famous posters (pictured at the left), created by Shepard Fairey, which has become almost an iconic symbol of the entire campaign. It invokes notions of bipartisanship, a united America, etc. etc. etc. I'm voting for Obama so I'm not going to continue.....

But apparently the same poster has inspired a number of other individuals to replicate the general design, some poking fun, some in support. Go here to see a more complete listing- some of them are pretty funny.

Can anyone guess my fave?

cartoon of the day

i recently watched a movie called Recount which describes the engineered theft of the 2000 election. it's a typical moral-laden kevin spacey movie, but it was enough to freak me out once i started thinking about the implications of being denied the vote.

i came across this cartoon, which sums my concern up perfectly. while i don't have the time to write a history of how voting regulations and voter intimidation have been utilized to deny populations (usually minorities) the vote (don't be so lazy and do it yourself- you'll find it interesting), the fact that voter fraud has already been as issue in the current election just compounds the issue (requiring id's, the ACORN scandal, etc.).

in the midst of my panic, i then remembered that my old roommate's sister worked for one of the major companies who provide & service electronic ballot machines. via my old seabeast roommate, she mentioned that the machines are so prone to error that it's really really really crazy. and that's someone who works for one of the big dawgs.

enough to scare you??? well, it's enough to scare me.

why can't the GOP adopt me for a little while?

are you curious as to why I would ask for such a thing? well...i admit that it's a little out of the ordinary.
so go here to find out.
or just remember the flack cindy mccain got during the RNC for wearing fancy clothing.


at least palin got a whole wardrobe. cindy mccain just got an outfit.

hope all goes well. adios.

moving to canada

previously, i had a funny video here about moving to canada, but it was too big for the formatting. so i took it down.

if you want to see the video, go here.

archaeological typos

Even with spell-checking tools & mad grammar & syntax, I am prone to making simple mistakes when I type. Some of them always make me laugh, so I figured I would share. PS, if you say them out loud it's funnier (or at least it was to me).

1. preshitory vs. prehistory
(editorial note: also can appear as shitory vs. history)
There isn't any 'shit' in what I study, although this one comes up in every paper I write. Is that supposed to be a hint?

2. poopulation vs. population
Again, no defecation is involved.

3. Tina vs. Taino
I talk about a group of people, not a diva with long legs.

4. concertations vs. concentrations
No explanation. just a typo.

5. grupations
A totally made up word based on a word in Spanish, but one that has no direct corollary in English.

6. shard vs. sherd
A subtle distinction which only some of you will recognize. Shards are broken pieces of glass. Sherds are broken pieces of pottery.

7. organizational astructure vs. organizational structure.
It's a linguistic translation tool, much like adding "a" to the end of a word to make it sound Italian or adding "o" at the end to make words sound Spanish.

8. perpinduclar vs. perpendicular
It's nucular! not nuclear!

9. invision vs. incision
The difference between a new line of tv's vs. a type of decoration found on pottery

10. explantations vs. explanations
I don't study anything having to do with agricultural property formerly used to subjugate poopulations.

11. figuringes vs. figurines
No funny comments on this one. Any suggestions?

12. icornographic vs. iconographic
Get your mind out of the gutter! I know it when I see it!

13. artifats vs. artifacts
I place no judgment on the size, or rotundness, of pieces of history, regardless of the plus-sized nature of some of them. Bless their heart!

Other than my tendency to misspeak and misspell, things are good. Thank you for the momma well-wishes. She didn't need surgery and is doing much better, although I think she gave me something that feels remarkably like the flu. More news later. Adios.

when celebrities speak

john cleese on sarah palin



and gratuitous a prince video...just because.

Live from Baton Rouge....it's Monday night!!!

Hello readers. For a change of pace, I'm broadcasting live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, right now. (shout out to the Beckster homeland!!!)
As much as I would like to say that my journey through Louisiana is directing me towards New Orleans for a fall break of fun, jazz, & booze in NOLA, this is just a brief stop on my way through to Texas.

Apparently my mom, who is a cycling wonder, got into a bad bike wreck this weekend when she was doing a charity ride in south Texas. 97 miles on Saturday, 60-something on Sunday. Around Mile 30 of the Sunday ride, some dudes decided to jump into the middle of her cycling team's group, which subsequently caused a pileup of bodies & broken bike frames. My mom walked out with road rash, a trashed bike, & a (maybe badly) broken wrist, so I'm headed west to help out. If you're the praying type, you should keep her in your prayers. If not, at least send her some good vibes.

All of this made me start thinking about my broken bones-

1. broken pinky finger. 3rd grade. Mooresville, NC.
A stinky (literally) boy named Stephen launched a basketball my way at a weird angle. I remember being excited about it being a sports-related injury, especially since that obviously confirmed that I was an athlete. I also remember being indignent whenever we were paired up as square-dancing partners later that year- as if I would let that boy touch my hand after he so cruelly (and unintentionally) maimed it!

2. broken nose. 5th grade. Mooresville, NC.
A friend called my name during PE. When I looked her way, it was too late to realize that she was calling my name to remind me we were playing catch & to draw attention to the fact that she had thrown a softball. If you look closely, I still have a bumpy nose.

Even despite the many years of competitive sports that followed, there was a long period where I honestly didn't think I would ever break any more bones. Funny, right?

3. right ankle broken in 2 places. age 19/20. Chattanooga, TN.
TN-LSU SEC Championship game, also happened to be a bachelorette party. I was drinking, TN scored, & I went next door to gloat. When I came back with wet shoes, I busted it. Damn Birkenstocks. Then I had to relive the shame when I went to wedding because, of course, EVERYONE had heard about 'that girl who broke her ankle at the bachelorette party.' A proud moment, indeed.
The funny part, though, was that I had another friend getting married at the same time who had to wear an ankle boot at her wedding. The most vivid memory I have of that is both of us sitting in boots and fancy dresses. Oooh- and that she used cranberries as part of the centerpieces. I liked that.

4. broken right arm. age 23. Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Oh, Puerto Rico. As much as I would like to say that it happened in frenzied night involving lots of rum, salsa, & Ricky Martin look-alikes, it really boiled down to the slate tiles used to pave the sidewalks, rain &, again, wet shoes. Damn Tevas. (Is anyone else starting to sense a pattern here?) That summer that I was supposed to supervise an archaeological field school & we were headed into the field the next day. Sadly, I never even saw the site since my trip was cut short because of the aforementioned injury.
But whenever it comes to archaeology & PR, I really don't have a good track record. On a different trip to God's Favorite Island, a worker's strike against a pending budget approval stopped my plans to visit archaeological sites & collections with specialists. Maybe it's a good thing that I work in Cuba, then. At least there I don't get (permanently) injured.

But all of this reminded me that you can't plan your life. Things always come up- it's just a matter of how you handle situations, how you react to them. As I try to gain ever-illusive "perspective" on my life in general, sometimes I have to remind myself of that.

So. More news from Texas later. But in the meantime, does anybody have any good broken bone stories?

cartoon of the day

it'll be rampant...like herpes, except for positive

I'm stealing this from both Becky & Patrick because I think it's funny.




So go register to vote.

cartoon of the day

I am eagerly anticipating the vice presidential debate which will be held on Thursday night. Admittedly, it's a vicious anticipation because I'm hoping that Biden will take the kid gloves off & will rip her a new one. Or, alternatively, it's possible that her nonsensical, political Mad Lib approach to public speaking could do the trick all on its own. That way he won't end up looking like a douche.

I know it's mean to want someone to be publicly humiliated (again & again, in her case), but I don't understand how inadequacy & mediocrity have become admirable traits that are even mildly appropriate for executive branch leadership. I don't want my politicians to be like me- I want them to be smarter, better educated, and more elite. They should understand things that I don't- that's what makes them qualified to lead.

So, that being said, I'm wishing Biden all the luck in the world. Hopefully he won't need it. But, in the event that she actually does show up to debate, I hope that he has the cojones to challenge her & call her out. To date, the democratic campaign has been somewhat reluctant to speak with a harsh authority about anything. We democrats like to stand on principle, which doesn't work in political campaigns. A differnt appraoch is necsssary in order to combat the propaganda being brought from The Right.
So, just like Ms. Jackson says, it's time to get Nasty. So do it!

writer's block on a tuesday

It has been a exciting day. So exciting, in fact, that I'm going to detail it for you because I can't finish the paragraph I'm working on. I'm hoping that the writing break here will stimulate the writing elsewhere.

Well, I woke up while it was still dark outside. I used to think of the moment of daybreak as the most unholy hour that existed, but I'm starting to see it with a new perspective. It's quiet & calm- the craziness of the day hasn't set in yet.

I spent a while drinking coffee & reading the news, which is something that I seem to be doing a lot of these days. It's not as if I'm even excessively well-versed in what's going on, but it's really to the point where I'm starting to wonder whether other people spend as much time as I do checking on the world. I don't know if it's The Bailout, The Election, or whether I'm just trying to procrastinate, but there is a lot going on.

Then I went to the class I TA for, where I wondered whether I'll ever be able to lecture like my professor. He's really excellent. I'm good, but not like that. I would like to think I'm capable of it, especially after 30 years of experience. So maybe I'll get there one day.

What happened next....lunch with friends who are about to get married. I wished them luck, love, & happiness in their journey together. I also offered to feed their cat while they're on the honeymoon.

I watched my cat, the Suk-man,sleep on and next to the bag of treats. I'm guessing he thinks that if he lays on it just long enough, eventually something magical will happen that will lead to getting a tasty snack. Or, put another way, if he lays there long enough, I'll finally pick up the hint.

In between long periods of working on The Dissertation, I spent a while observing & furthering the efforts of the fly holocaust which is currently happening in my apartment. Just to point out, I can see why people of the past would have attributed it to poltergeists or spontaneous generation- there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in my apartment which would justify such a gross invasion. Trust me. It's clean.
It very much reminds me of something that occurred in the first house I ever rented. It wasn't the nicest house, but we didn't really know better at the time. I blame it on youth.
One day, we saw a mouse. No big news after that. About a week later, we saw another one. Usually I have a 'I won't mess with you til you cause a problem' attitude with animals/insects. To be honest, though, that only refers to spiders. I typically don't tolerate other things well.
But- back to the mouse. Thankfully, my roommate's boyfriend decided to take action. He set a trap & it popped. He reset it, & 5 minutes later it popped again. This continued for a while. I think the 24-hour total came to something like 15 mice. It was horrible. Within 48 hours, there were even more. The educated guess would be that the first mouse that we saw had babies- & apparently had lots of them- in the crawlspace underneath the house. Ever since then, I go into mass extinction mode whenever there's a possibility of infestation.
As for the current situation, after about 3 days of intense warfare, I believe we're about done. I'm effective, if nothing else.

What else happened....oh. The dude from Friday called. In case you were wondering, I guess it [meaning the casual-date-thing] went pretty well. I think that's what good first dates are supposed to look like on paper. He's a nice guy. And he's funny and cute. I'm really not at all into dating right now, but I was little excited that he called. Since I had kind of blown him off earlier this week [I was just busy], I didn't expect him to pursue it. But he did, so at least we know he's persistent in the face of adversity, or at least the face of lukewarm sentiment. I'm not very open when I first meet people, so maybe his perseverance should be rewarded? I haven't decided yet. I will admit that I had a good time. I don't know what that means. Maybe I'll let you know how it turns out.

he's worth the money

Poll Positions

The top five teams in The Associated Press poll:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

back in the saddle again

A while back I wrote a post about "recent events" (aka my breakup with The Ex). To be truly honest (which I wouldn't dare to do in such a public setting), I might still be "working through" some of my feelings on the whole issue. Anger & frustration are the things that most readily come to mind, but, then again, so do the (many) moments of calm, acceptance, and excitement as I think about the double-edged sword of what it means to be single again. It's been a while, so forgive my indulgence.

For starters, there's sleeping alone; spending less time on the phone; having more free time to do the things I used to do before my "me" became a "we"; & starting a nightly ab workout.

And, of course, there's going grocery shopping & (occasionally) giving happy couples laser-beam-hate-eyes because, honestly, how dare they go shopping together? Don't they know how offensively disgusting that is? Ugh. Breeders. But I mean them no ill will. Cross my heart, pinky promise, or whatever. I've got nothing but love for those who have, ironically, nothing but love.

To my credit, it's been a while since I turned those laser-beam-hate-eyes towards that extra-large frozen pizza in my freezer, you know, the one I bought for "us" to eat, purportedly "together".
Drum roll, please: I can proudly say that I bear no more grudges towards the food in my frig!

Admittedly, here's my least favorite part so far. Of course, I violated a cardinal rule & decided to sh*t where I sleep: I dated someone in my friend group. Implications? Well, even though I think that our mutual friends should shut his *ss out, call him the tool that he is, and then ignore him for a reasonable period of time, of course they can't do that. Because we're all friends & because we're all good friends.
In case you were wondering, this would be the part where I start wondering whether keeping the diamond earrings he bought me means that he gets Friends X, Y, or Z in the divorce settlement. Even though I know that (probably) won't happen, I find this aspect of it all very disappointing for some reason.

It's easy to sound embittered and angry, and to feed the negativity. However, that doesn't quite explain how I feel, nor does it embody the tenets of good living as depicted in my overall perspective on life. Honestly, even with all of this, things are looking actually pretty good right now.

I fired up ye ole furnaces & have been reminded about how much fun it is to engage in random, harmless flirtation with random, harmless folks. And apparently it worked because I'm headed out for casual beers with a hot dude. Very casual- no pressure. no expectations on my part.
But, as I try to decide whether I should sass it up or tone it down for the first go round, I'm excited. It's something new. I get to dress up & engage in the meaningless banter that goes on in such situations. Anyway. It'll be fun to go out and play.

So I guess that's the news from Lake Wobegone. Catch you later.

long walks on the beach, steak, and weird characters

so apparently someone decided that football coaches would be able to offer great dating advice. this is the coach of texas tech.
watch out for those "weird characters"....and use them as a conversation starter in the event that you run out of stuff to talk about. happy dating everyone!

another joyous occasion

After a considerable amount of writer's block regarding The Dissertation, I have finally found a way to work & the creative juices are FINALLY flowing! I don't want to say anything else about it because I'm scared that I'll jinx it....but I'm excited.

I'm inclined to think that the deciding factor was the change in location, namely from working at my house to working at the German Master Baker's cafe (seriously, it's on their sign). I believe it's actually called Edelweiss, and they have excellent little pastries. Very German. Very delicious.

Some of the best dissertation advice I've gotten so far is to make yourself write something every day. Now, I don't think that the advising individual had blogging in mind, and so while I actually have more to say, I don't want to waste the juices on the blog.

Entonces, hasta luego.

brocco-licious salad

this recipe is delicious. you should eat it. enough said.

Broccoli Salad (with chicken if you want)

8oz chicken
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 big tablespoon of mango chutney (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon of curry powder (they suggest hot madras curry powder, but i used regular curry + chili powder)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro
2-3 cups of finely chopped broccoli
1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cashews (i added more)

Put chicken in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer until cooked. Maybe 10-15 minutes? When done, chop & let cool at room temperature.

Chop everything else & mix it together. When the chicken is cool, drop it in.
(credit goes to eatingwell.com)

Although the chicken was delicious & made the salad pretty substantial, this dish would be excellent without it. In fact, it might even be better without it. Just add more broccoli & maybe less yogurt.

if i die tomorrow....

....i want you to know that it was probably because of the bad raspberries that i just ate.
(note to self- if i survive this, don't buy fruit that's on sale)


since i'm already on this vein, i also want you to know that....

-i think it's sad that our government will fork out millions of dollars to protect venture capitalists but won't fork out the same amount to provide health care or a better structure for kids to pay for college.

-i'm not the same person i was whenever you met me. i like to think that i've grown since then.

-sarah palin is a sketchy little piece of work (see any number of recent news pieces if you need actual evidence), but she is a distraction from the issues. i would like to move on, please.

-i just had the most excellent, extra-long yoga session in my at-home studio (aka, my bedroom) & i'm extremely thankful for that facet of my life. sometimes i think it is the only thing that keep me balanced. well, that & exercise, but i'm not doing much of the exercise these days. for the moment, at least, it's just yoga...

to be honest, my first experience with "yoga" didn't actually involve yoga at all. it all began with a power yoga class taught by a crazy, masochistic aerobics instructor at UTC. the class took place in the school's basketball arena, and the only thing i really remember was that she made us cross the court (lengthwise) doing lunges...maybe like 6 times, down and back? i had problems sitting down for a week. maybe more. anyway. but it was enough for me to get the yoga bug, so i'm thankful for it anyway.

-i want obama to be the next president. and i sincerely hope that his message of change isn't just a stump speech.

-i don't think alec baldwin gets enough credit for his comedic talent.

-this might be one of the funniest things i've seen this year (some of you may have already seen it...but it's still funny). i want to see somebody make one about massage, farming, religious studies, or barred galaxies. hell, under the right circumstances, i maybe could even be convinced to do one about caribbean archaeology.

-even though it still makes me really sad to have to do so, i think i'm starting to get my groove back. hot random dudes have started giving me their digits, which makes me happy. maybe this will be a new trend?

-saturday will be a good day for football. the conference games are finally beginning & this week will begin to distinguish the men from the boys. seriously. it's gonna be sweeeeeeeet.
Alabama (9)-Arkansas. Florida (4)-Tennessee. LSU (6)-Auburn (10).

-i have never had a desire to participate in any sort of wwf-related activity. that being said, i'm pretty sure that this is what i want to be for halloween, although i don't know if it would work unless i get someone else to wrestle me. are there any takers out there????

i thought you were gonna pay for this round...

somehow i don't think suki is this suave

things i've learned recently

1) i like taking the long way home when i ride my bike.
it reminds me of when i was a wee thing & would tuck my head down to gain speed on the hill next to the house i grew up in.

2) thanks to quiz in the class i TA for, i learned that Chuck Norris was one of the founding figures of archaeology. who knew that this dude cared about prehistory? although i should have guessed it from the guns, this is news to me!

3) my bedroom is the best place to do yoga at my house. it's quiet, dark, and gives me some leg room. plus, there typically aren't any electronics there. i know it's crazy, but i feel like rooms with 'distractions' like tv or computers (even if they're turned off) carry a different energy than rooms that don't (like my boudoir).

4) i'm obsessed with cooking meat on the bone. well, not all meat. just chicken. but i think it's tasty.

5) (this is a two part thing) part 1: political situations in africa make me sad
although power-sharing agreements between incumbent and opposition governments sometimes lead to the cessation of rioting & bloodshed (kenya would be a recent example), the fact that such agreements even need to be struck is staggeringly depressing. the recent power-sharing deal struck between Zimbabwe's thug president, Roberto Mugabe, and the legally elected leader, opposition leader Morgan Txvangirai, is a good example of the type of situation i'm talking about. the AU, true to form, has administered fairly shallow admonitions amid talks of holding valid elections. they are in an admittedly difficult position, but it's a shame that they don't/can't take a stronger stand. the US and the UN have not lifted sanctions imposed ob the country but, unfortunately, a power-sharing deal does nothing more than deal further tolerate Mugabe's false claim to authority. perhaps temporary power-sharing will bring the peace & the eventual of roosting out of a stubborn authoritarian. who knows. i surely don't know anything about it. like many situations, i guess we can only hope for change.
part 2: when i think of situations like the one mentioned above, our own presidential campaign and the gas rush that hit whenever hurricane ike made landfall in texas come immediately to mind. it's so frustrating that we waste our governmental process on protecting our right to consume. we take it for granted that we vote without fear of intimidation or someone setting off a bomb. we forget the sorry state that our gluttonous level of comfort has left us in. we forget the privilege of participating in a political process that is (at least on the surface) reflective of the people's wishes. we ignore the misery that goes on elsewhere because we're busy with our own things- discussing the price of gas; laughing at the hillary & palin skit on SNL (which was funny); guessing which large financial or insurance institutions are going bankrupt (recently, Lehman Brothers, AIG and maybe Washington Mutual next); or taking the latest cheap shot at sarah palin (which i myself am guilty of).
the blatant fear-mongering that emerges in american society when our comfort is even minutely threatened is disheartening & shocking. i would have thought that we had a bigger set of huevos. i should know better by now, right?

6) i like coen brothers films. a few of us went to see burn after reading on friday night & i thought it was hilarious. you should go see it.

trite and contrary

around a year ago i came upon the PostSecret website (this week's secrets aren't the best, but you get the idea).
it's essentially an art project where people anonymously create & mail in postcards which detail their darkest and (sometimes) happiest secrets. i think that the whole project is interestting. it's incredible to be privy to information that is so personal, it can only be shared anonymously.
the whole project is voyeuristic, yet it also strikes at the core currents of the status quo in our modern times.

it's it takes some courage for Homo sapiens sapiens to admit:
1) we are not infallible, and thus we are destined to make choices that sometimes result in dangerous, or even dangerously ambiguous, situations.
2) that validation comes in the form of self-expression

and we all have secrets- they may not necessarily be something that would put you away for 20 years, but all of us have something that we don't want other people to know. something that we don't even like to admit to ourselves.

like i said, i like the idea. in my blind admiration for this type of project, i like to think that it creates a community or a place where a voice can be heard. where an individual can see that other people also have ambiguous thoughts that, in our typical society, aren't acceptable to express.

the perceived honesty is what is what really gets me. for a moment, i like to believe that someone achieves clarity, perhaps even a moment of peace, as they dare to express whatever it is they were scared to admit. it's admirable. because, truth be told, we're not a very honest breed.

today i came across another website where it looks like someone takes polaroids & then asks people to write down something they would like to do before they die. now, granted, if someone walked up to me at a keg party, snapped my photo, and then asked me the same question, i would probably say something that was just as trite as what the people on the website. but, come on, people!
"travel"...."go sailing"....."bungee jump"....

that's like saying i would like to eat another big mac. or even worse, the ever-feared mcrib! have some imagination! it's wrong of me to lambaste people, i know. and i'm not judging. travel, see the world, hit 7 continents, sure. and some people had great answers. but if you're going to go down in the history books, why not make it something cool? like "hear a leader of the world {politician, religious icon, etc.} speak," or "publish the book that's floating around in my head." or make it meaningful and personal. something like 'have the kind of relationships i deserve.' 'have the strength to be happy.'

maybe what bugs me is that everyone is so positive in their response. no one is talking about rectifying past wrongs. is that because the future is supposed to be bright & cheery & reflecting upon the past isn't helpful? hmm. interesting.

a very wise (almost) bald man told me once that it's not enough to critique, that you must offer something positive as a replacement.

in keeping, here's my list:
-find the perfect cardboard box for suki.
-learn to be patient.
-wake up in foreign countries as often as possible.
-be appreciated & understood.
-learn things about people, my family included, that surprise me.
-graduate.
-accept my family for who they are.
-quit being selfish & judgmental (only on occasion)
-trust people.
-publish a monograph that becomes a rare collectible in archaeological circles.
-improve my spanish so that i don't sound like a gringo.
-find the perfect beans & rice recipe.
-be more concise.
-enjoy the journey.

well. d*mnit.
after a brief review, i've come to the conclusion that i'm just as trite as everyone else. funny how that works out......

the state of things

apparently the joys and health benefits of high fructose corn syrup are being expounded via a pretty serious media campaign. (go here to see the you tube version of the commercials or here to check out their campaign).

seriously? between the subsidies/demand for corn-based biofuels & the overall food shortages which led to riots earlier this year, it's hard to believe that the Corn Refiners Association, or really any corn-related lobby, would need to launch such a campaign.

anyway. i find it kind of sad.

experimentation

i kind of have a love-hate thing for eggplant (kind of like i do with archaeology), but last night i ventured out beyond my comfort zone & it was awesome. it was so easy, i figured i should tell the world.

Delicious baked eggplant

eggplant
small handful basil
tomatoes
salt and pepper
gorgonzola/feta/goat cheese

preheat oven to 350.
slice the eggplant in 1-2cm rounds & toss it in salt, pepper, & olive oil.
put the rounds on a cookie sheet & sprinkle any other spices you want (i used some greek-flavored stuff)
chop the basil & put some on each eggplant round.
i topped half of the eggplant with sliced tomatoes and topped the other half with tiny crumblings of gorgonzola.
bake 10-15 minutes until the cheese is browned.

trust me. it's delicious.

moving up...and just plain moving on

topic 1:

NCAA Rankings, Week 2:
AP Poll ranks Alabama at #11.
USA Today ranks Alabama at #16.

i prefer the former. there's more hope (but also a bit more hype). we'll see how that turns out in 2 weeks whenever we play #1 Georgia.

topic 2:

on a different note, not to diminish the importance of recent events but i'm tired of it already.

a wise man once told me that people, relationships, and places will all come & go throughout a lifetime. the entire process will be full of joy, pain, laughter, loss, & frustration mixed with moments of sheer perfection. but, at the end of it all, if you can say that you've learned something about yourself, about people, about relationships, or about the world, then all of it (whatever it is) was worth it. [thanks to angle, the obtuse, for this one]
so. it was worth it. that being said. let's raise a beer to friends so near (i think that's an old panic lyric, for all you haters) and then move the f*ck on. feel free to take me out for drinks to celebrate.

recent events

steps:
1) throw away the toothbrush (again).
2) remove postcards, photos, & all related personal memorabilia from the front of the refrigerator.
3) move recently gifted framed picture to a less prominent location where i won't see it all the time.
4) remove number from speed dial & retire the (previously) personalized ring tone.
5) delete personal messages which may have accumulated during the last two years via phone or email.
6) delete text messages & photos on phone.
7) debate what to do with jewish cookbook purchased by my stepmother (keep it-the food looks good)
8) debate whether to delete the phone number (as of time of posting, not deleted)
9) move small trinkets, which have also accumulated over the years, to less prominent places.
10) begin to notify friends and family of recent events.
11) do something with small things which were purchased but not yet gifted. guess they're mine now.
12) inform the cat that he's got his side of the bed back.
13) stop motions of buying football tickets for the Alabama game next weekend.
14) begin to gather books with the intention of mailing them back to proper owner
15) apparently, blog about it all.

hoping for the best

How are we supposed to continue with our season after THIS?!?!?!?.

everybody knows about the SI curse. essentially, it's a kiss of death. if your team ends up on the cover, something bad is going to happen.... like prothro breaking an ankle or alabama's undefeated season grinding to a shrieking halt.


we're all scientists, right? so let's look at data.
This 2002 article reviews the curse over a period of 50 years.
a whopping 37.2% of the time, a team's overall performance drops after appearing on the cover.
now i know that 37% doesn't make a majority...but check these out to see how people have been affected:
2000s
1990s
1980s

their list goes back to the 1950's, but i think you get the idea.

some people say that there's no such thing as bad publicity. (this dude certainly seems to think so). and since alabama pretty much opened up the proverbial can-o-whoop-a** in the season opener against clemson, we were bound to get some coverage.

i'm not really superstitious.
but, just like palin's updo last night, if a pattern is discernable, it is suspicious.
and where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

so, my fellow alabamians, let's just hope for the best on saturday against tulane. wear your lucky undies, don't shower, do pushups whenever they score....do whatever you have to do.

god speed, my friends.

10 reasons why i hope that everyone attending the RNC gets a nasty case of crabs.

you may ask, why? why would a nice person like you wish such a horrible (and socially damaging) thing on fellow patriots?!?

1) abstinence-only sex ed works!
note: not criticizing the daughter, only the policy, which obviously doesn't work.

2) i just saw a person holding a sign saying "DRILL NOW!" standing next to a person saying "OIL INDEPENDENCE."
my overall feeling is best summed up in a song i know:
it's like 10,000 spoons, when you're eating bowls of soup.
it's like eating a whole of cheese. and then not being able to poop.

3) i don't want a VP who wears banana clips...let it loose, woman!
note: stylists seem to have gotten ahold of her, so i can neither confirm nor disconfirm whether there was a plastic accessory during her address earlier tonight. it did look suspiciously familiar, though......

4) because mccain soild his soul to the majority republican opinion.

5) because being in a PTA doesn't make you qualified for running anything other than the cake walk.

6) people laughed whenever guli-9/11-ani noted that obama was a 'community organizer.' go back to
your extremely "diverse" gated communities where everyone has food, opportunity, health care, and lodging. and let me know when any of those conditions change and you need help.

7) can we honestly say that anyone is surprised?

8) the last time hookers & blow showed up at a RNC party, it turned out a little differently...

9) romney on washington earlier tonight: "Is a Supreme Court liberal or conservative that awards Guantanamo terrorists with constitution rights? It's liberal!"

10) again, romney: "It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother!"
funny. i thought it was the other way around.

but, i respect their right to express their opinions.
and, since i was raised in the south & was taught to always say something nice, i think that their stage setup was nicer than what the DNC had. so, good job, republicans.

guess that's all i had to say.

so it begins....

so last night the #24 ranked (preseason AP poll) Alabama Crimson Tide took on the #8 ranked Clemson Tigers &, let's just say, the results were fantastic!!!

in an earlier post, i mentioned that i liked engaging in dangerous speculation.....
and even though it's especially dangerous to speculate with college football (as the previously #8 ranked Clemson will know), i would like to continue in that vein.
if alabama continues to play with the same authority & consistency they mustered last night, it's going to be an awesome season!!! i don't want to make predictions because i might jinx it. but, this momentum should carry us through the next few games before we have to take on tougher opponents. Arkansas will be the first SEC test, followed by #1 ranked Georgia. Then we'll know if it's consistency or just hype. who knows...maybe saban will actually be earning his position as the highest-payed coach in the SEC (if not college football?????)!

but all i can say is that i would love to see alabama take a title while i'm here (and, just as importantly, while i actually remembered to buy season tickets).

so, until next week.....ROLL TIDE!

Osama.....no wait., i meant to say Obama

with the upcoming elections & flurry of activity surrounding the DNC taking place ahora mismo in denver, the eyes and ire of the nation are trained upon those people....a.k.a...democrats.
while i feel no specific need to espouse my political views in this forum (i vote and write letters, that's good enough for me), i do fall into the category of people who wonder how the hell things have gotten this bad. i also dare to hope for change.

but i'm not talking about politics tonight- i'm talking about family politics (which are even dirtier).
i tend to know the boundaries & the general viewpoints of most of the people in my family: my dad (and his wife) are die-hard democrats; my grandma, Lola, (who once - jokingly?- threatened to cut suki's ear off with a butter knife) is a clinton democrat & loathes bush; & the rest of my family on both sides, as far as i can tell, consists mostly of reckless republicans. i say reckless because, as angel pointed out to me earlier tonight, it's an entirely different ballgame once religion is invoked in a political sphere. my mom, on the other hand, refuses to talk politics with me. this has occurred as long as i can remember, but i tend to think it began at the point where i was old enough to form an opinion, which was unbearably early. as a result, i have NO idea how my mother has voted. she always spouts something about private ballots being private for a reason. sure. i respect that.

within my immediate family, i'm joking referred to as the girl who always has a cause & i feel free to talk. but since my allegiance tends to lie on the very liberal side of things, i do not participate whenever my extended family starts to talk shop. quite frankly, i don't think they're ready for the wrath of a well-supported argument. furthermore, it's family. i'm southern enough to know how to sweep problems under the rug, talk about the weather, and ignore that big fat, stinky, loud white elephant who just barged into the room kool-aid man style & is breaking the collector plates hung up on the wall. and, in order to respect my family, i'm also kind enough not to barrage them with emails/letters/position papers detailing my beliefs.

however, tonight i have reached a boiling point. i have received 7 (literally) horrible emails today from a family member (who i love more than life itself). these emails are inflammatory, libelous, slanderous, & extremely misinformed. one message preceding the forward asks you to "search your heart for the appropriate response". another one tells you that "this is so scary if it's true. please pray that it isn't."

after feeling my blood pressure noticeably rise, i decided it was time for action. but it was difficult to rein it in whenever i sat down to write a polite note saying "hi. i love the family but would prefer not to receive emails about political campaigns." instead of stopping at a short, polite note, i felt the need to justify, to argue, & to set the facts straight. to tell them that i am just as offended by the content of the email, but for entirely different reasons! of course, i recognize the need for balance & don't expect everyone to agree with me. but how can i stand in the face of such libelous remarks without unleashing the same responses i would give a random person in the street? but this goes against my don't-ask-don't-tell policy of family politics! i'm so conflicted.....

so i ask you- how do you do it? any advice?

biting the bullet of beauty

i'm here to admit something. on sunday, i made the choice for beauty over brains.

to my credit- i did spend the morning reading about the development of chiefdoms in the caribbean. and i also got my fair of news this morning surfing the web & watching my sunday morning cartoon, This Week with George Snuffalufagus.

and i originally intended to to blog about Obama's new VP pick Joe Biden; about how Birmingham, AL insanely wanted to host the summer olympics [go here] ; or how i read a great article last night by Lewis Lapham in Harper's which espoused the virtues of traditional journalists while lambasting the tv-politicos who make insightful comments about "the situation" in washington [go here]. i had a great plan to contrast the goals of different types of media & whether i agree with the critique because, d*mnit, i like george.

but instead, i'm talking about biting the bullet of beauty. for some reason, i decided that it was time to make myself artificially pretty. and, just to be clear, i really don't know how this could have come up while switching back & forth between lord of the rings & a harry potter movie at home on saturday night. nothing quite brings out the "make me pretty" urge like hobbits, magic, sorcerers, & prepubescent teens, right? an exciting life, indeed.

that being said, i live in perpetual envy of women (and men) who actually do wear makeup successfully. it really is a mystery to me- when i see a bounty of brushes & creams & powders & tools
that look like they could only be used to torture, i immediately shy away.

so what's the most typical explanation according to late-90's psychology? i blame it on my mother, of course. i guess she never really wore much makeup & she seems to have just been doing the same thing ever since that mary kay consultation circa 1984. that also would have been right around the time everyone was having their 'colors' done. (i'm a winter, by the way). i can remember being utterly fascinated by that color wheel. fanning it out was like diving into a pool of crayons.

so ever since then i've gone through the typical makeup trends: cat-eyes, the tragic white eyeliner that was popular when i was in high school, and even more recently when, in a similar bout of attempted self-improvement, the estee lauder lady convinced me to buy a eye shadow kit that included tan, dark brown, robins egg blue, and navy. in case you find yourself in a similar situation, remember what you DARE officer said & JUST SAY NO!

however, i'm ready to leave all that in the past. i'm ready to take the plunge. not necessarily the plunge into this territory...

but i do feel like it's time to learn about how to actually use the stuff that i already own (in addition to the stuff i bought today).

so in an effort to become a beautiful woman, i bought makeup that came with an instructional DVD. how hilarious is that? of course i watched it. i sat down with a guiness and a mirror and applied THE FACE according to the dvd instructions [no adlibbing this time around]. i must admit, i did come out of it looking pretty hot. and i learned all about the natural minerals which were utilized in the making of THE FACE. the one where the makeup is natural & barely perceptible, but still manages to highlight your natural beauty (that's what i'm going for). i also learned that apparently the Suk-man likes the taste of Urban Decay eyeshadow (a separate, non-DVD related event)

Here's the picture I took of Suki during the process.
If there was a speech bubble associated with this , it would probably say something like, "oh my gosh. what is she doing now? and why doesn't it involve brush-loving, or those delicately flavored bits of food that she sometimes hands out. I WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE SANDWICHES!!!!!!"

but eventually it occurred to me that i just bought makeup that came with an instructional dvd???!!!!???? is that what we've come to? more appropriately, is this what I have come to? a point where The Beauty Ideal is only achievable through a multimedia experience? i will admit that my vanity is showing, because if i were a self-respecting woman i probably wouldn't even feel the need to trick myself out like that. or is it because i'm a self-respecting woman that i'm trying to do myself up? i am southern, after all.

that argument can be countered with a "but beauty is internal...it's about confidence, not makeup..." believe me, i know better & i agree. wholeheartedly. but i also fall prey to more superficial stereotypes when sitting at home watching tv, alone with my thoughts.

regardless, i like my new makeup & i'm not too ashamed of buying it. just thought i would fill you guys in. maybe you'll notice THE FACE the next time around....or maybe it'll be so sheer and natural that you won't.........i'll never tell!

you'll-thank-me-later turkey sandwich

i don't know about you guys, but i'm such a fan of taking other people's recipes & kind of making them my own in some ways. well this is one instance of that.

here's the recipe:

you'll-thank-me-later turkey sandwich

tapenade:
1/4 cup diced green olives
1/3 feta cheese (or goat cheese)
1/3 sliced almonds
2 tablespoons of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
crushed red pepper
2 cloves of garlic (chopped, crushed, whatever)
salt & pepper to taste
~ 1 handful of chopped fresh basil (chives and oregano are good too)
~would also be good to throw fresh rosemary into the saute


[note: my version of this tapenade was partially based on a topping for a ratatouille by Tyler Florence's. although i have changed it, he should be credited with its creation. no plagiarism here!]

toast the almonds on medium-high heat for around 3 minutes & stir occasionally (you don't want them to burn)
once the aroma releases, add the garlic, oil, crushed red peppers, salt & pepper. saute another 2 minutes. toss the flavored almonds with the olives, tomatoes, herbs, and cheese in a different bowl.
leave at room temperature for a few minutes for flavors to meld but chill afterward. will keep for a while in the frig in a tight lid.

use as sandwich tapenade or on top of couscous, salads, stews, or even as a pizza topping.

tonight, i chose to go the sandwich route & made a killer turkey sandwich by pairing the tapenade with good wheat bread & roasted turkey. trust me. it was awesome.
the sandwich would also be great with arugula or sprouts on the sandwich.

adios~

blogger

so i just updated my blogger profile & was surprised to note that i am the only person with a blog who, as an interest, listed that they enjoy "engaging in dangerous speculation."
FYI, i'm also the only one interested in "reading trashy celebrity blogs." now, i know that can't be true.

[in case you were curious who shares your interests, fill out your own profile & then click on it when you're done.]

it's kind of sad to know that i'm alone in the big wide interweb.
so now, i ask you, dear reader, don't make me a freak!
if you like to engage in dangerous speculation about life, other people's business, religion, celebrities, politicians, what foods might taste good together, whether your pet is planning your death, whether your parents ever broke the law, whether anyone is thinking of your right now, or how good those red shoes would look with that outfit, i encourage you to also admit to "engaging in dangerous speculation".

don't do it for me.....nay. i say...do if for yourself!
trust me. yourself will thank you.

friends & food

well. it's official. summer's over & school started today. it sucks, but i have to admit that i'm ready to move on, put the topspin on the ball, yank it into high gear, tighten the straps up on that saddle....i can't think of any other bad phrases. whatever else fits here.

but i did manage to spend the last few days of summer having fun though. i got to see My Ladies in nashville, which was awesome. and i got to hang out with my buddies Sarah & Angle and, very efficiently, waste some time.

of course, it's always great to see old friends, but as we were hanging out, it really struck me how much we've all changed in the 9-10 years that we've known each other. i've seen them go through breakups, marriages (no divorces), babies, moves to far away places, graduations, new jobs, loss of jobs, graduate school, meeting the 'perfect' man a few times, buying their first sex toys, actually managing to use it 6 months later....you get the idea. i'm sure you have college friends, too.

well in that same time frame, they've
seen me grow up & go through a few phases- the uninhibited one [read in-between the lines- i'm not explaining it. that would leave a record that would negate me ever running for political office. suffice to say, it's was wild); the one where i was going 'au natural' and refused to wear a bra [or shave] regularly; the one where i was a total a**hole (now i admit it); the one where i wouldn't listen to anything that didn't have Jay-Z in it; & even the one where i wore patchwork dressed that, of course, i made myself.

they've also seen me graduate (twice- i'm hoping for 3); borrow someone's 18-year old id cause i was only 17 when i came to college; get (numerous) fake id's taken up; get more e-du-ma-ca-ted; lose/gain boyfriends; lose the full ride i was given for undergraduate education; gain weight; lose weight; run a half-marathon; get my car stuck in a lot of very weird places; try some very interesting make up tips (no blue eye shadow, in case you were wondering); rip the bumper off the same car as we were heading out to go get mid-day margaritas; move; get new friends, & even lose a few of those. i guess a lot has happened.

in the hanging out, though, i can only say that i am thankful for the friends that i have- both new & old. it's just like that song that dolly parton sings- or is that a girl scout song? i don't remember...

i appreciate that some of my older friends have stuck around through times when i, quite frankly, have been a d*ck. i know it's hard for most of you to imagine, but believe me. it's more than possible.

with some people, though, the water under the bridge doesn't matter. and even though it may take a while, i've been forgiven & have forgiven in turn. that it what i am most thankful for. that, and all of the laughter in the meantime.

[please excuse the after-school special speech that may be forthcoming]
i just think it's rare to have the fortune to meet people with whom you can be yourself. it doesn't matter what you do for a job, whether you eat meat, smoke, sleep around, or {gasp} even if you're republican. that's the nature of real friendship.
i suppose that sometimes i get fooled for a while with some people, but it all seems to come out in the proverbial wash anyway. it's sad, though, to feel something slipping away. so let's all take a moment of silence for everything that was....(you know you've got at least one of those waiting around in your life)....and then let's move on.

a very wise man once warned me about burning bridges- essentially, don't do it unless you're REALLY ABSOLUTELY SURE that you will never, ever, want to build that bridge again. that was given to me in the context of personal relationships, which is mostly how i have been [hopefully, maybe, recently] trying to use it. in the past, when i've been rash & angry, i've been lucky & haven't really f*cked up to the point where things are irreversible.

that's cause i know nice people....i love you all.

The bell just rang, the show ended, & the kids who were watching the after-school special are out back smoking crack on a corner & talking about who they're going to make out with this weekend. back to normal stuff.


so here's another really good, delicious recipe. surprisingly good, fast, not many ingredients.....


DELICIOUS CARROT SALAD

Grate numerous (8-10?)carrots
Chop 2 tablespoons (or to taste) of cilantro
Juice of half of a lemon (start slow, you can always add more)
A few shakes of cayenne pepper/red pepper

Chill & enjoy.

yay!

okay folks!
i just want to mark the momentous occasion where, for the first time this summer, i was able to turn OFF my AC without dying of heat stroke!!!!
it's so wonderful, and it just hints at things to come, including crisp evenings watching football games, fall, and long-sleeved clothing.
i'm old enough to know that, soon enough, the stifling heat will begin to consume my happiness & that i will become a sweaty shadow of my formerly cool self.
but the fact remains that for two days (IN AUGUST, mind you), i was able to live comfortably in the summer heat without manufactured comfort.

yay for alabama! here's hoping that it doesn't end too soon!

foodstuff

Okay...more foodstuff. I discovered this in St. Croix last summer when I was doing CRM. It's fast & tasty, or at least it was the last time I made it. Let me know if you try it out & have suggestions.

Lime-Cilantro Black Bean Salad/Burrito

Zucchini, squash, onion, and bell pepper.

3 cloves garlic

cumin, coriander, or chili powder (all optional)

Salt & pepper

Half of the juice of a lime (start slow, you can always add more)

Fresh cilantro

Fresh tomatoes

Can of black bean soup

Cheese

Fritos (i know...classy, right?)

Sauté vegetables, herbs (if using) garlic, salt, pepper, & lime juice.

Heat up black bean soup.

When everything is cooked/warm, add hot sauce and cilantro both to sauteed vegetables and to black beans.

Stuff everything into a burrito or put it on top of lettuce (I prefer butter lettuce for this) for a taco salad. Add fresh tomatoes, cheese, Fritos. And, then, like a wise man once said, "EAT IT...EAT IT...DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO JUST EAT IT!"

balls & beer

The $ beer $ bowl night began, as all nights do, with friendly greetings & polite competition.
the mood was set by the black lighting, the carpet landscape mural on the walls, dirty music being played on the jukebox by 12-year olds, and the mean beer wench who scrutinized our id's with a scorn that was, well, obvious.

i started out strong, but my glory was short-lived.
sarah z & dr. t walked away victorious as poncho & i battled it out for last place.

here's a picture of sarah, probably saying something like "oh gosh! did i just knock ALL the pins down at the same time? what a surprise!"
check out her awesome skills. she killed it even on a video which was taken entirely at random!

my skills weren't quite as effective (see evidence below).

as the beer flowed & as the music changed to in-house karaoke, we got a little fierce.
(p.s.- if you were paying attention- the music blaring over the loud speakers was the karaoke)

here's our version of blue steel. very classy, right? after seeing these pictures, i just don't understand why we don't all have modeling contracts. i think we deserve AT LEAST part-time modeling contracts.

all in all, i must admit that $ beer $ bowl at Leland Lanes was probably some of the best fun i've had in a while. so thanks for good friends, good company, cheap beer, & even the dirty sock fight that ensued in the parking lot. that's the last time any of you (and you know who You are...sarah and angel...) get close enough to me to put a wet sock in my face!!!

burnin and lootin

howdy ho, everybody. a general update since the last post- everything is going pretty well. i'm settling back in from being gone so long, and my house is FINALLY clean! even though a good friend was taking care of everything, it's crazy what being gone for a month will do. well, that, plus all the wild parties suki probably had while i was gone. i should have known, even despite the excellent supervision, that no one would be able to keep the hookers out!

more general update....i'm getting more pressure from The Adviser to buck up & work harder, which i guess has to happen if i'm going to finish The PhD. believe me, i'm not one accustomed to finding solace or appropriate metaphors in mass-marketed advertising, however i did see a nike ad about running that seems to perfectly sum up how i feel about The PhD. it's something that you love & that you want more than anything, and it is decidedly something that you do for yourself, and yourself alone. and it feels great to do it well. however, who would imagine that it is so hard to motivate to do the exact thing that you want so badly. oh, the conflicted dilemmas of life. how wonderful.

what else...the boyfriend is good & on a family vacation in alaska, my family is healthy, my friends are mostly good (except for one who has to go to court), and i haven't acquired any new cactus injuries (except for two days ago when i found a 1cm cactus spine sticking out of my arm when i was in the shower- still have no idea how it got there). on the whole, it's good & i'm happy.

i ended up getting a job pretty quickly after coming back from Cuba- i'm actually doing CRM [cultural resources management] out at Moundville. this is what the park looks like from the bird's eye. for those of you not familiar with the very awesome prehistoric past of the american southeast, the site consists of huge mounds which are the result of human labor. it's a fantastic site & if you're ever near tuscaloosa, you should go there. if i'm around, i'll give you a tour.
we're excavating in front of the museum [building in the left side of the picture], partially in the shade of the large trees. the work is great, and i'm really enjoying not being in charge for once.

looting archaeological sites (at least on government land) is a felony. despite that, it is very common for looters (or amateur archaeologists for whom archaeology is a hobby) to dig or collect the surface scatter of artifacts in order to complete their personal collections. although this happens everywhere in the world, looters come out to moundville with a frequency that is amazing. almost every single person who comes to the moundville park is a looter. people walk away from our excavations saying things like "this is the kind of soil that we look for when we ride down the river to find sites" or "okay kids. let's go. we're gonna go dig around in the crick for arry-heads now." it's frustrating, but i guess it's a hazard of the trade.

what's your food got to do with me

well the last few days have been fun even though i've had to spend most of them finishing an expense report (ugh). i basically had to make a rumpelstiltskin deal when the university gave me money.
as a result, i am literally filled with terror every time i start adding up receipts. it's a weird kind of anxiety that i'm just starting to get used to. somehow i feel like that having to do big expense reports is some sort of marker that i have to start acting like an adult with "responsibility" now...dang.

i also made an awesome dinner tonight & found a new easy food. Here's my recipe.

ASIAN BLACK EYED PEA SALAD
salad:
3.5 cups of cooked black eyed peas (roughly what 1 lb. cooks to)
1/4 cup of diced bell pepper
1/4 cup of diced onion

marinade:
grated fresh ginger (to taste, but i like a LOT because it makes it kind of spicy)
2 cloves garlic
3 medium shakes of dark sesame oil
3 medium shakes of rice vinegar
5 big shakes of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste.

hope you like it!

cacti, guilt, and excess

hi folks! greetings from the sunny south! there will be plenty of awesome things to look forward to on my uber-fantastic blog, but i figured i would start out with a general update. in case you were wondering (and i'm sure that you were), i'm doing well & i just got back from cuba. this is the first time that i don't feel like i'm coming back with dengue, which is definitely a step up from how i was feeling at this point last year. on a personal note, it's also good. some things were squirrelly for a little while, but sometimes bad times lead to good times, and then maybe by the end of it all you end up with something that's better than what you started with. let's hope so.

so back to cuba because it's more interesting. the trip was great...productive...challenging...fun.... everything that work trips are supposed to be. actually, it's probably a little more than the typical because it was interspersed with moments of bañarme en el mar & passing around bottles of rum.

coming back is always strange, and it isn't because of the excessive guilt i feel due to being born american (which is inevitable). while there seem to be such large ideological/economic differences between the two countries, in some ways, the revolutionary side of cuban socialism is just as eccentric as the rampant consumption and ethnocentric tendencies most americans ascribe to. funny enough, as i sat discussing whether capitalist markets are capable of exponential growth or whether there is a carrying capacity that will eventually be reached, i realized that maybe there's a little socialist in all of us. or at least there may be in me. but enough of that- this isn't about politics. it's about pretty pictures & trying to depict a landscape which is almost impossible to explain (even despite all of my attempts to do so). this probably won't suffice either, but it might be interesting.



well here's the end result in one of the areas we excavated in:

it started out more like this, with us talking about LOTS of really important things.
really, really, really important things.


the wind was so strong that it would catch the parachute & pull out all the stakes. luckily no one was impaled, although there were a few close calls. but it was about this point where i realized that i wasn't going to have a future putting up tents with ringley brothers.

supervision:

digging postholes.......

the original cemetery, which spanish pre- and post-contact:

these are the little girls who helped us both of the years we worked in cuba. Daniela, the older one with the long hair, is honestly one of the smartest kids i've ever met & she's hilarious. if (and that's a huge if) i ever have kids, i would want them to be like her.

i thought these sheep were goats until the day before we left. kind of sad, isn't it? i thought i was better with ungulate identification.
but what doesn't show up in the photo is the large, angry, very mean bull who also lived in this field. apparently he's chased more than a few people and has gored his owner at least 3 times. let's just say that anytime he was around, i was accutely aware of where the lowest part of the cactus fence was (in the event that i had to jump over it)

speaking of cacti, if you look closely in this picture you can see the spines on the cactus plants. one day, when i very gracefully fell, i ended up with two cactus spines embedded in the tips of my fingers. minor surgery aided by a tweezers, a needle, and a few beers didn't seem to help much in the extraction. although they were eventually removed, even 3 weeks later i still have scar tissue on my fingertips. it's dangerous, yo.


that's probably enough for now. so i'm going to close my personal laptop; fill up my coffee mug with expensive coffee; grab a pecan-pie muffin (which i made) which has $5 of pecans in it; brush my teeth with toothpaste that i don't have to save up to buy; love on my excessively fat cat, whose food budget per month is decidedly larger than what a whole cuban family lives on; walk out of my excessively large apartment which could definitely house more than me & my fat cat; get into the car the i personally own; drive it to school; listen to my ipod along the way; shoot the sh*t until lunch time, at which i will go spend around $8 for lunch, which again is more than a cuban family spends in a week. at some point, i will enter a bathroom where toilet paper isn't a luxury and where flushing isn't dependent upon resource availability.
i will sit in my well-built, aesthetically pleasing, well-funded institution of higher learning, whose operating budget for landscaping probably outweighs the entire budget of the institution with whom we were collaborating, and i will talk about my degree, which will guarantee me a job than will put me well above the poverty line. and i will do all of that wearing new clothes & expensive accessories.
however, all of those moments will occur under the cloak of industrial america's isolation. i will not see/speak to my neighbors because everyone is inside living their own lives, i will take for granted everything that i have, and i will forget the guilt by the time i step into the air-conditioned doors of the anthropology department.

and i think to myself.....what a wonderful world