TGIF. Question of the day.

Stuff I want to cook this weekend:

* simple cheese lasagna
* bread (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/11/28/easy-slow-rise-no-knead-light-wheat-or-white-bread/)
* french toast made from aforementioned bread
* Chinese greens (it's been a while since I've eaten those)
* gingerbread cookies (mix is fine)
* something with phyllo dough to use up the roll that's left over
* buttermilk pancakes

How will I be able to eat all of that?

Stuffed.

Everything turned out delicious. The verdict?

Turkey: buying kosher results in a moist bird, but salty leftovers. A leave-in probe thermometer is a great investment. Get one now.

Cranberry sauce: 1 bag berries boiled with 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp zest, and with 2 tsp triple sec stirred in after cooking. A hit, and surprisingly fresh-tasting given that there was no orange juice involved.

Buttermilk mashed potatoes: buttermilk gives a nice tang, but makes for watery leftovers.

Green beans: surprisingly, doesn't need oil. Sliced almonds were a welcome addition.

Pie: Trader Joe's crust from the frozen case was a little thick for my liking, but shattered satisfyingly on first slice. The apples took an awfully long time to slice up.

Doing it right this time.

It's week two of living in my new cubicle. I still believe I am facing the wrong direction, even though it is technically facing the same way as my old cube. The reason is my old cube faced the window (not that you could actually see out the window), whereas my new one does not. The new one is significantly warmer than the old one and has far more interesting neighbors.

I am determined to setup this cube right. This meant scrubbing down all horizontal (and most vertical) surfaces with disinfecting wipes. Also, this has meant setting up the books properly on shelves and not hiding stuff behind cabinet doors wherever permissible. And acquiring hanging folders, so papers remain properly sorted.

The Lego set shall live on an open shelf, not on the desk proper. The desk shall remain as clear as possible. I'm hoping there's enough space in the overhead cabinet to leave my toothbrush in a non-disgusting spot.

Annoyingly enough, one cabinet is not hospitable to standard sized hanging folders. It may fit legal sized, assuming I can find some.

Food shall remain on the desk. It shall not be hidden amongst the books. If it were in the overhead cabinet, it would warm up because of the lights.

I still have not figured out how to hang up the plaques without killing anybody. Will have to check the neighbors' cubes when they go home.

And I never thought I would ever find this line of discussion particularly facsinating.

Can't wait! Ramblings from a rumbling tummy.

For the first time in two years, I'm actually having a real Thanksgiving, hopefully one as enjoyable as six years ago when we had an all-girls dinner. The negotiations class is all but done--all that needs to be done is to print out the project writeup, reformat the diary, and read the last articles and case. The marketing class is also all but done--all that needs to be done is present the project and read three more articles for the final.

No accounting project to stress over.

No management paper to stress over.

No marketing project to stress over.

Only one final. You either know it or you don't.

So I get to cook a lovely meal for three dear friends. Two girls and a guy who's recovering from Lasik surgery, so it's almost an all-girls dinner. I'm truly excited about the prospect of cooking a full menu.

• green salad (from a bag of course)
• either mango-shrimp or potato salad (C's secret recipe)
• roast turkey breast (hope there's enough meat; Trader Joe's didn't sell the full breast)
• cranberry-orange sauce (orange = triple sec, not juice)
• buttermilk mashed potatoes
• green beans
• corn
• pumpkin pie (C's secret recipe)
• apple-cranberry pie

I am debating whether to make the sauce as is, or do a cranberry-orange relish with the addition of triple sec. After all, I was rather proud of myself for finding the triple sec, so I might as well use it. I am secretly hoping B will bring cranberry juice just so we can have a mixer.

As for green beans and corn...I wonder if there is anything else that should be done with them besides a little dab of butter. Green bean casserole is evil and unhealthy anyways.

Also, there is no bread. I figure we don't need it, what with the potatoes and pie and the fact that there are only four of us.

It sounds like a lot, but the more I think about it, the more I realize the most involved dish will be the pie.

Question of the day.

Why is corn considered to be a strange pizza topping, but potatoes are not?

Eeeeeewwwww.

I moved into my new cubicle today. Previously it was filled with old equipment and was configured as a two-person cube.

The previous owner left:

• one reusable heating pack in a thin pseudo-cloth sleeve
• one wooden pencil with a broken lead
• one retractable red pen with about 1/3 of the ink left
• one container paper clips
• one ancient KVM switch, the kind that requires a power supply (power supply not included)
• two power cables
• one paper holder
• two very dusty cubicle coat hooks
• one dusty can Dr. Pepper, about 1/3 full, on the far top corner of the overhead bin
• one dusty can Dr. Pepper, unopened, next to the other can (but still in a location that I could barely reach even while kneeling on the desk)
• one cable lock with no key

I have gone over the desk six times with Clorox Disinfecting wipes. It is now to the point where you can barely make out the perfect brown handprint on the wipe.

The cabinet still has sticky splotches on the vertical surfaces. I found these on the desk drawers too, and was stymied until I discovered the previous owner's affinity for Dr. Pepper.

Question of the day.

You know what Nickelodeon needs? A cooking show.

Question of the day.

Dear Lysol,

When has anybody gotten sick because their toilet bowl cleaner didn't cling to the u-bend?

Sincerely,

Question of the day.

What is wrong with a night of fun and candy? A Halloween featuring only healthy treats is just plain wrong.

(Remember, fruit is nature's candy.)

Dear Escalade Owner,

Just because your tires would fit within the lines had you parked properly doesn't mean your car is a compact car. It's incredible to think that walking the extra 20 feet from the parking spot that would fit your car would actually kill you. Actually, you might have been better off taking two compact spaces; that way you could have saved an additional 20 feet.

Question of the day.

How do you get rid of the crud in your shower head?

I think it's from the hard water. I tried soaking it in bleach, then poking at the little rubbery holes with a toothpick, but the crud is still there. It only partially comes off when you dig your fingernail into the holes, but that takes a long time and sends little bits of hard water crud into your eyes.

Question of the day.

Dear Clothing Manufacturers,

Why can't you standardize your sizing and let women's egos fall where they may? I am sure many women are pleased to remain the same numeric size for years on end. However, I am not one of them. If sizes are any indication, I seem to be shrinking as I get older, whereas I would be perfectly willing to accept increasing girth as a byproduct of age.

Sincerely,

Things I want to accomplish this quarter.

• Swept floor.
• Clean toilet.
• Apple-cranberry pie, even if it's made with store-bought pie dough.
• Mashed potatoes with root vegetables, even if there is only one root vegetable, and it's carrots.
• Finish Christmas shopping early.
• Get a little something for myself for Christmas without making it seem totally selfish.
• Transfer rest of CD collection to iPod.
• Smooth job transition.
• Check up on my pal B, who is supposed to take GMATs this weekend. Either that or she took it last weekend. I can't remember.
• Get more sleep.

Oddly enough, none of these are "study hard and pass this quarter".

Every blog comment ever, summarized for your convenience.

• X is right, Y is wrong.
• Y is right, X is wrong.
• I'm right and everybody else is wrong.
• I'm right and you're stupid.
• No, I'm right and you're stupid.
• I'm educated and you're not.
• I'm not educated, but your point is wrong anyway.
• I'm right and you're not, and by inference, you were raised by wolves.
• (plagarize favorite news article here)
• It sucks to be you, and I'm great!
• *burp*
• Let's stop beating this dead horse.

Things I wish I could fix.

1. Hands that freeze easily despite gloves, hot water, pockets, or hand warmers
2. Feet that freeze easily despite thick socks.
3. Sweaty palms, which makes gloves rather miserable.
4. Two left feet.
5. Being tone-deaf.
6. Being half deaf.
7. Dry skin.
8. Tenderfeet.

Question of the day.

Where have all my ideas gone?

How to make vending machine trail mix healthier.

The vending machine trail mix is unsalted, but a tiny packet contains two servings, each of which sports 120 calories and 6 grams fat. Here's how I made it healthier:

1. Open packet.
2. Dump packet contents into a clean styrofoam cup.
3. Discard packet so I won't read the nutrition label.
4. Enjoy!

Back in the USA.

Harry Potter is a horrible book to travel with. I managed to get halfway through with hardly any effort. His only redeeming quality is he can keep your immigration/customs declarations forms uncrinkled.

小笼包 is not something that should be eaten every day.

HK has fewer opportunities these days.

There is no food in the fridge.

The guy who was supposed to be my boss left the company during my absence. Interestingly, the offer letter still went through. Fortunately, my previous colleagues still seem to love me and are calling for my return.

Seoul was the cleanest city visited on this trip and filled with incredibly polite and helpful people, even if we didn't speak the same language. It's too bad the food is so expensive.

I have no idea what horrors lie in my mailbox.

There was a giant cobweb stretching across the second floor. I walked right into it.

I dozed off this afternoon, which was a very bad thing to do. On the other hand, driving to the grocery store in a fog isn't such a great idea either.

The Curse of the Harry Potter.

The first book was great. I looked forward to reading every book...until this one. The last one looks thick, heavy, and even less well crafted than the others of late. It will take up a ton of space in my backpack. It's hardcover to boot.

Question of the day.

If people are drinking more soda and bottled water, are taking these with their meals and are getting obese as a result, is milk really the staple they say it is, and is the increase in price of milk really such a cause for concern?