It Started with a Journal

Good news and bad news, but mostly good. The bad is that my cold symptoms are worse than ever. I always think, okay, I should be able to get over this in a few days, AND I NEVER DO. This is why I hate getting sick... it always seemed to linger and linger and linger. I always wake up with a sore throat because it gets so dry while I'm sleeping. When I'm awake, it doesn't feel so bad. Now it's all about the congestion. Ugh.

Now for the happy stuff.

1) My new computer has shipped!! It was originally estimated to ship *next Friday*, which is really rather ridiculous, but still, way to lower my expectations then overdeliver, HP! If only my friend akscully could learn from you.

2) I have tidied up my entire workspace at home in preparation for the new arrival. :D Long overdue, of course, but whatever. It got done finally.

3) One Direction’s ‘Happily’ gets an acoustic makeover and it’s ridiculously AMAZING - For once an over-the-top headline is actually quite accurate. It is ridiculously amazing. TY adelagia for letting me know this existed!



4) Another TY to akscully, for sharing this gifset:







Larry's face in #3...

And finally:

5) Three guys' reaction to the Red Wedding. I know, I know, this was ages ago on GoT, but I haven't seen this vid before and it's one of the best reaction vids I've seen. Usually the reaction vids are of girls who are freaking out while the guys in the room look all stone faced; these guys lay it all out there. LOL. It starts when the wedding itself begins, so the real "action" starts around the 5-minute mark.



"I don’t care. I don’t even care now. I’m completely dead inside."

Yeah, I'm sick. It's got to be just a cold because I don't have body aches or anything like that; if my throat wasn't sore I'd be feeling pretty normal.

I know where I got it, too. Monday night I had dinner with J. and R., who I haven't seen in over 15 years (CRAZY). We were pretty good friends in college, though we did have our moments of tension (such as when R. decided she couldn't be friends with me because I was too boy crazy. lOL! Which was probably true, but also, judgmental much?). I'm just really bad at keeping in touch with people. If they don't live within 30 minutes of me, or participate in fandom, it's just too hard to keep that friendship going. Anyway, J. and R. are really good friends, so when R. was called by one of her Jewish friends in Seattle to perform a bris on her new baby (R.'s a physician, not a mohel ;) ), R. came up to stay with J. and we all got together for dinner at the Vios pub (downstairs from Third Place Books!). Had a great time -- R. is exactly as I remembered her, though I think we are all more mature and have more perspective now (I hope) -- but J. mentioned that she had a sore throat. We all shared dessert and I thought R. and I avoided eating the parts J. touched but apparently I was not successful. GRRRRRRR.

I have purchased the new PC after days of hemming and hawing (akscully can attest to this). I ended up going with a compromise solution once I realized it was possible. I customized a base HP PC with a 4th-gen processor, building it exactly like the one I wanted with a 3rd-gen processor. Due to a coupon code I used from Chase Rewards I was able to make it cost (marginally) less than the 3rd-gen version, and with that being the case my brother said to opt for the 4th-gen, so that's what I did. Final specs:

- 4th-gen Intel Core i7-4770 processor quad-core [3.4GHz, 8MB Shared Cache]
- 16GB RAM (2 DIMM)
- 3TB hard drive
- Blu ray reader/multi-DVD burner
- Graphics card: 4GB Nvidia GeForce GT640

If I let myself think about it more I'd probably keep changing my mind, so I finally had to just make a decision and stick with it.

In ridiculous news, I had a bill from my healthcare provider for $7.88 moooooonths ago. I was going through all the dizzy spells and what not, so I put off paying for it (though I had already paid much-higher bills from earlier), because I figured other bills would be forthcoming and I could just pay them all at the same time. Except that did not happen. It was like the only bill for months, and I'm an utterly ridiculous person and kept forgetting about it, even after several reminders. And yes, I did keep thinking that I would have another bill at some point and could pay them together. Finally, after coming back from LA, I got a notice that the bill had been sent to a collection agency. And I also got another bill for $0.95. That's right, $0.95. So I called my healthcare provider and said that I wanted to pay for the $0.95, because clearly I needed to do it right away or it wouldn't be done, and I didn't want THAT to eventually be sent to the collection agency as well. That's when she found out about the $7.88 I was delinquent, and she said that she would pull it out from the collection agency so that my credit score wouldn't be affected (I didn't even THINK about that. Ridiculousness #2, if my credit score got negatively affected due to freaking $7.88), and I paid for that. Hopefully nothing will go wonky with the system or something and it doesn't actually affect my credit score. :/ Anyway, I said, well what about the $0.95, I don't want that to haunt me later. And she was like, "Oh, I think they've already forgiven that. I mean, they usually forgive really small amounts. I'm surprised the $7.88 got sent to the collection agency instead of just being forgiven." So ridiculousness #3, that if they regularly forgive small amounts, that that amount wasn't forgiven. HONESTLY.

I have finally decided on and purchased a netbook. This is the one I ended up getting, at Newegg. I basically had to decide between that one and an Acer from Walmart. The latter was $50 more, but had the latest processor and a battery that lasted up to 8 hours. The one I got had the benefit of being pink and lighter (2.3 pounds!), but of course that's at the cost of a smaller battery, which only lasts up to 3 hours. Since I plan to use it mostly in places where I can plug it in, though, I decided it was an OK trade off for me. My dad is going to send me a spare 1gb RAM module so that I can run the machine at its max 2gb RAM. He's sent me like 5 different emails with links to YouTube videos and other written instructions on how to install it. I keep telling him I have it under control (I have built my own computer before, after all), but his latest email is like, "Since I may have given many and confusing pointers on how to install a memory module for your netbook, I thought I would recap them to make them clearer..." It's like 2 pages long. I wonder where I get my anal tendencies from.

It will be sweet though, once I have it and have the extra RAM safely installed... now I can write in bed! Like my dgficexchange story! And since it's running Windows XP, I may just keep it that way so that I can update my Shuffle on it (which I can't do on my Vista machine)!

The demi glace went well, in theory. It came out as I expected it to, but I haven't used any of it yet so I'm not 100% sure it's exactly right. Basically, I roasted the veal bones with some veggies, simmered the bones/veggies with some tomato paste for 20 hours, strained the resulting broth and stuck it in the fridge, put the bones back in the stockpot with fresh veggies and simmered another 20 hours to make veal stock, got rid of the fat from the first batch, put the original stock into another pot and reduced it to about 1 1/2 cups, ladled that into 2 ice cube trays, placed the trays into the fridge to make solid Jello-like cubes, then popped them out into freezer bags and stuck them into the freezer. The result is super-concentrated stock that I can use like boullion when I need it. I tasted a bit of the demi glace when it was in liquid form, and wow, is it super meaty in flavor (and sticky). Anyway, so from those 10 pounds of veal bones I ended up with 1 1/2 cups-ish of demi glace, and about 9 cups of veal stock. Which I think is pretty neat. Takes a long damn time, though.

Watched The Hurt Locker, which was good but not SUPER great or anything. It was a decent military film, a la Black Hawk Down. Don't know why it's getting such accolades, other than because Kathryn Bigelow is female. I mean, totally good for her and everything, but it wasn't like it was super visionary or stood out as being a really finely crafted film or anything. Maybe I just don't understand directing.

Well, as I suspected I don't really like the new work situation with the cubicles. I feel really self conscious about anything I do on my computer that's not work related, which does not help with stress levels. However, the good thing about having to be THERE way more often than I usually am is that it's forcing me not to be as much of a hermit, which I've realized is kind of a problem. I need a lot of me time, but maybe I have too much of it. I know other hermits out there can probably relate...

It isn't often that I have a number of things to share that are all good, so yay!

1) Every year around bonus time, I splurge on one 'big ticket' item in order to reward myself (and a number of little things too, ahem). Since this year also came with a promotion, I was immediately at www.louisvuitton.com trying to decide if I wanted a Vernis or Damier Azur. Handbags -- one of my many frivolous weaknesses. On Friday, however, we had a work BBQ, and the coworker who hosted it had a Wii. And Rock Band. And I became totally hooked. Instead of adding to my modest LV collection, I decided I'd get a Wii instead, and all the games I really want. Thanks to jade_okelani I found a really good deal on eBay with a preowned console that came with 18 games, about 5 of which I actually really wanted. I think I'll probably sell the rest to recoup some of my cost and help fund the games I want that it didn't come with. I am super excited about this, and hope that the system/everything comes in working condition and it won't be a PITA eBay thing. ( Checklist of the games I want. )

I'm already planning a Wii/Lambrusco night with corianderstem, haha. Has anyone here had or has heard of Lambrusco? It's apparently a sweet red wine (I found it in the dessert section at the liquor store) that's popular in Wisconsin but I've never had it. I don't typically like alcohol as my body doesn't process it very well, but given that it is sweet it may be one of the few drinks that I'll like (like the ale I drank when I was in the UK -- haven't been able to find that kind of ale in the States).

2) There used to be a semi-decent Chinese place just down the street from me, but they went out of business and the space they occupied has been empty for awhile. Today I noticed that they're preparing for a new occupant: Mayuri! Nothing will ever compare to the Indian food I had in the UK so I'm not even using that as a bar, but Mayuri is my favorite Indian restaurant in this area, and I've been to many, so I am super excited. Their chicken makhani is sooooo good. Plus I love curries in general. The only problem is that delicious Indian buffet 2 minutes from me = not good for my diet.

3) My brother wrote the other day saying he was done with my computer! He put it together in less than a week; amazing. He's just waiting on an extra sata cable because I have 2 DVD writers and apparently the motherboard didn't come with enough cables. And then it will be on its way to me!!! As with the Wii, I can only hope that nothing gets damaged during shipping.

4) I have learned to make Vietnamese spring rolls. /cheer I think Vietnamese might be my favorite cuisine of all time. And I'm not just talking about pho. Pho is just a small sampling of Vietnamese cuisine. It's good, and it's prevalent, but it's not the best the cuisine has to offer. That is reserved, in my mind, for sugar cane shrimp and barbecued meats (preferably grilled yourself at the table) that you wrap in translucent rice/tapioca paper with your choice of veggies/herbs, rice noodles, crushed peanuts and/or hot sauce, then dipped in nuoc mam. Damn that is good stuff. That kind of Vietnamese food has been near impossible to find here (much easier in California), though just the other week I was finally recommended a place nearish me that served these kinds of dishes in addition to pho. After eating there for the first time I actually had the thought that if I died right then, I was glad that that had been my last meal. But I digress. Back to spring rolls, which are fairly common, but a bit frustrating for me because they always put cilantro in them and I can't stand cilantro. Plus sometimes they have pork and I like shrimp only, some places don't have basil and I like basil, etc. So after reading a post about it on another food blog, I decided to make my own. ( Results here. )

( Academy Awards Poll Winners :D )

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Confession: In the last three weeks, I have consumed three pies. By myself. I'm even considering getting another one. The blame rests solely on Marie Callender's, which has pies for $5.99 in the month of February. Luckily, the ordeal is almost over. (If I were a cat, and cat food were pie, this would be me.)

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Speaking of ordeals, my new computer may be working at last. *weeps* Let me tell you, if this had been my experience last time, I don't think I would have been so enthused about it this time. As for the next time, well, I can't even think about it right now. I mean, partially because of what I went through, and partially because I can't fathom that I'll ever need more than 160GB of space or need to go faster than 2.19GHz.

I'm not caught up on LJ, but I wanted to say thank you so, so much to everyone who left a reply about either the story or the icons in my last two posts. I honestly meant to reply to everyone, but my weekend (and life force) was sucked away by computer issues.

( Herein lies my long tale of woe. )

Now that everything is working, I am really excited to finally implement multiple-screen technology. :D Windows has had this capability since Windows 98 or something -- it automatically detects if you have two video cards, and going into Control Panel --> Display --> Settings allows you to set it up so that you can use both monitors. It is really cool and convenient, because now I can have two things open at the same time (say, a browser and Photoshop), on two different monitors. I also like to move download windows to the other monitor, so I can kept track of progress without needing to click on it from my taskbar all the time. It's also cool because it allows me to use that extra monitor lying around, as well as my video card from two computers ago. You can learn more about doing this here.

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If you haven't yet seen Arrested Development, YOU MUST. It is absolutely brilliant. I rented the S1 discs from Blockbuster, and the pilot was just amazing. Jade tells me that it's the episode they submitted for the Emmys (and shows never submit pilots), and THEY WON. Very deserved, too. It's completely wrong, and so damn funny.

I used to love Jason Bateman as a teen, but that faded along with my crushes on Kirk Cameron, Ricky Schroeder, Brice Beckham, and the like. The Jason love is back. He's just fantastic. I had no idea! (The last time I saw him was in The Sweetest Thing, and he was great, but his role was really small, so I thought it was a fluke.)

So, yeah. Highly recommend AD.

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As if this entry weren't long enough, here's my ( Alias: Echoes commentary )

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Oh, and I keep meaning to say this but always forget: If there is anyone left on this planet who does not have a Gmail account but wants one, let me know.

*HUGS to everyone on my friends list* It sounds like you need it. Some more than others.

This morning, I drove into the Darkest Cloud Ever [tm], which has apparently moved from the California-Nevada border. But it's okay, because it was 43 degrees when I got into my car, as opposed to the 27 degrees it was yesterday. Yay for cloud cover!

At the moment, I am doing something v. exciting and momentous.

( You know you want to know. )

If, like me, you enjoy the Green Day: They will be on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (1:30am PST), where they will play the 9-min. "Jesus of Suburbia."

OMG Alias is on tonight, isn't it?! Crap, I have plans to have dinner/go see The Aviator and I didn't set a timer!! That means I have to drive all the way back home to set it, which is in the opposite direction of where I want to go. ARGH. I could always get Jade to send it to me, I suppose, but I don't want to wait that long. And you don't really want to wait that long for my commentary, do you? *snicker*

Also, will likely see Elektra and In Good Company this weekend, both of which look like guilty pleasure fun. :D

When I got back from vacation, I found out that while I was gone I received another MVP award at work! Crazy. And it turns out there is a bonus for getting it, other than just kudos and the chance to put it on your review, only I didn't know about it until Monday because they put it in my physical mailbox at work ... and on average I check that about once every three months. <g> The reward is gift certificates to the mall, which is nice, except I'd prefer cash. The two awards together would have paid for my Kate Spade splurge in Vegas, thus easing my conscience, but now I am being forced to splurge some more. Oh, it's just not right. These are not the lessons I should be learning.

I'm pretty smug right now because UCLA and UW sit atop the PAC-10 (mhoops). (Though I can't believe the Bruins beat the Huskies and the Huskies only dropped two spots while the Bruins remain unranked! :-l) Another reason I want to live in LA again: The PAC-10 tournament March 10-12 is at the Staples Center this year. And tix for the whole shebang is only $100! *weeps bitter tears*

Oh yeah. You might have already seen pimping about this, so if you've already done your fandomly duty and voted, ignore this reminder. The Portkey Readers Choice Awards are going on right now, and many wonderful stories by authors you like are nominated. I would never presume to tell you to vote for one ship pairing (D/G) over another (D/G), so go forth and (D/G) do what you must, as best (D/G) befits your conscience (D/G). The important thing (D/G) is that you make your voice be heard. <3

Also, I want to give a shout out to the nice, loud Ukranian man at the shoe repair shop who fixed the broken zipper on my favorite pair of boots for free. Thank you, Nice Loud Ukranian Man!!!

Edit: You know you're too involved with fandom when you read this headline: Power Plants Agree to Slash Coal Emissions and think, OMG, Power Plant/Coal Emissions slash? How would that work?