It Started with a Journal

First day physically back in the office. Found a package of chocolate mocha covered English toffee on my desk along with a gift card to Wild Ginger, one of my favorite restaurants, from my managers. Along with a gift card to Schwartz Brothers restaurants that my manager gave me last month and one to the Cheesecake Factory that one of my aunts gave me, I'll be eating pretty! I'm least excited about the Schwartz Brothers one, because none of their 3 restaurants have gotten great reviews on Yelp. If you're in the know, would you recommend Daniel's Broiler, Chandler's Crabhouse, or Spazzo? I've been to Spazzo but it's not very interesting.

Later in the month corianderstem and I are going to see Avatar on IMAX 3D! I hope I don't throw up, lol. Afterward, we're going to go to Serious Pie for dinner. It's Tom Douglas's pizza place and I've been very curious about it!

I'm in rather desperate need of a haircut. I think I'm going to skip my regular stylist and try out this place in Kent that offers a wash, cut, and hot oil treatment for $17. If it turns out well it'll be worth the occasional drive.

Used a Barnes & Noble gift card to buy:

* Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (on which the show is based)
* Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
* The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

(It was buy 2, get the 3rd free.)

* How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (I really enjoy his Minimalist column at the NY Times. Wouldn't go to him for more complex dishes, but he's the perfect source for common, less involved recipes that still taste great.)

Last night I was craving a Caesar salad, so I followed the recipe in HtCE and it was YUM. It was a lot tangier and lighter than typical Caesar salad dressings served in restaurants and I enjoyed it verrrry much. Think it was probably healthier too. Well, you know, other than the whole raw egg/possible salmonella contamination thing. ( Here's the recipe. )

I'm all caught up on this season's House (thanks, Hulu!). I like how he's declared his love for Cuddy while being openly gay with Wilson. Oh how I love this show.

Am still raiding casually (by which I mean, I don't care if I raid or not, took like a month off, and am not getting worked up about things such as loot, wiping, etc.). Last night I replaced my really crappy lvl 200 boots with my first lvl 264 piece -- and it was only my second night back from vacation. This is really the way to play WoW.

ropo, I am looking at your photos! The first disc got some ink smudged on it (the purpley one you used to label it), so my computer is having a hard time reading the 2nd half of the photos, cry.

OMG at some of the ones you included on the 2nd disc, the older ones!! Wow I really need to lose weight, I look good in those ones of me and Forrest haha. I look so young! LOL and there's one where Trix totally looks like she's Meg White. A few cute ones of Alicia and Sharon!! And zomg the PUZZLE. It's really neat to see the progression of it. I wonder what ever happened to that puzzle. LOL when we had the sea of black pieces left.

I kinda sorta re-injured my ankle this weekend. Well, maybe that's going too far. Let's just say that I aggravated it to the point where, for a few hours, it felt achy and bad again (and proved that it's not fully healed). ( What happened... )

I fail at dishwashing gloves. Regularly, every few weeks, there's a hole in them, usually on one of the thumbs, and then I have to start with a new glove. I even tried buying a more expensive pair, which lasted me longer, but the other day, again, I found a hole in the thumb. Does this happen to anyone else, or am I doing something that's wearing them out so quickly/creating holes in them? I don't get it.

Food wise, I've recently made butter popovers and apple butter (basically, apple preserves), chorizo and eggs, a raspberry yogurt cake, and cabbage spring rolls (latter two not blogged about yet). I've also done my Daring Bakers challenge for this month, but I can't reveal what it was until next weekend.

So after finishing Buffy S3 for the... I don't know how many time, I have a general question/thought about the show that has occurred to me before, but that I don't think I've ever voiced out loud. ( Cut in case someone considers this a spoiler. )

I really need a haircut. This isn't usually something I think about until it starts being noticeably long and in my way. The woman whom I've had cutting my hair the last couple of years didn't do that great a job the last time, so I'm kind of hunting for a new place/stylist. Edit: Am trying a new salon that a coworker (whose hair I like) recommended. It's going to cost more than I have ever paid for a haircut before, but if it is good, it'll be worth it.