Two Pipers

Doggie update

2010-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

It is not Addison's Disease, but we are hopeful about the treatment we are doing. The vet(s) have diagnosed her problem as kidney failure. So, each night we give her a subcutaneous saline injection - 100 cc's. She also has to take a pill for incontinence. So far, the pill seems to be helping with the incontinence. But, she is not very interested in her food. We've been alternating beneful and treats and shredded chicken breasts and dry food with chicken stock poured over it. She seems to just lose interest in the food.

But, hopefully her appetite will even out. The vet said (anecdotally) dogs can live for several years with the subcutaneous treatment. She goes back for blood work in a few weeks to see if the treatment is helping.

I am the laziness.

2010-09-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have been a seriously slackerly blog updater.

The big news right now: we are very concerned about the health of our little dog, Cortana. She has been having some accidents in the house, so we took her to the vet. It's unclear what exactly is wrong - they are running lots of tests. Our hope is that she has Addison's Disease, which is apparently fairly easy to treat. It's also possible that there's just a kidney infection that we can treat with a weekly fluid treatment at home. It's also possible that she has cancer. We don't have a lot of information really yet. She's having the test for Addison's Disease today, and then visiting another vet for a second opinion tomorrow.

Here she is in younger days, escaping having her picture taken.

Housecleaning

2010-09-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I am a terrible housekeeper. There is clutter throughout, the dishes are rarely finished, the laundry doesn't get put away. The only household chore I actually keep up with well is bathroom cleaning and sheet washing, and even that doesn't happen as frequently as one might hope. But I hate living in a cluttered house. I suppose cleaning instead of blogging about the problem might be one solution...

2010-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Everything keeps coming out angsty, so I will just recite a few things for which I am thankful and move on.

1. I am thankful I got to go to law school.
2. I am thankful that today was (hopefully) my last first day of school (as a student at least) ever.
3. I am thankful that at least one of our cars is still in working (albeit uncomfortable) condition.
4. I am thankful that my professor was flexible with me on the one day of class I know I have to miss coinciding with 30% of our grade for the semester.
5. I am thankful for the husband, who is excellent at grilling delicious dinners. All that's left to me is to sweep the kitchen floor.
6. I am thankful real estate is so cheap in Norman so I can live in a lovely house.
7. I am thankful I have a real shot at gainful employment after I graduate.
8. I am thankful that the MPRE was not a giant registration pain.
9. I am thankful for my cute orange striped j.crew tee that I've already overworn.
10. I am thankful for my raise at Talbots.

An open letter to people from the Megalopolis

2010-08-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dear residents of the Eastern Seaboard,

You know how you think it's hilarious/ignorant when we Texans confuse the relative geographic positions of Boston and New York? We Texans find it equally stupid when we say we're from Dallas and you say "Dallas, Texas?"

Love,

The Pipers

Arlington National Cemetery

2010-07-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

From the top: Associate Supreme Court Justice Brennan marker; Out over the Cemetery; Fourth Infantry Memorial; JFK and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Markers with the Eternal Flame; Associate Supreme Court Justice and Civil Rights Leader Thurgood Marshall Marker

More pictures - click for larger image

2010-07-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

I am such a slacker. Sorry!

2010-07-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

From the top: Giant Panda at National Zoo; Pied Piper at National Zoo; Atrium at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History; National Archives from Navy Memorial

2010-06-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hipstamatic is a super cool iPhone app. Photo taken in our little studio apartment with iPhone 3GS.

Day 2 of operation silliness

2010-06-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like I was able to run nearly as much of the route today. My legs were quite sore. We did push ourselves to run part way up "The Hill." That was brutal.

Surely by the end of the summer I will be in shape. 2 miles walking for work commute M-F, plus the roughly 4 miles we're doing for working out, plus walking to Metro for anything. I will certainly at least be less lazy if not better looking.

4.03 miles

2010-06-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Realized the route below didn't actually include our house, so expanded, the route is 4.03 miles. I tried to run as often as I could, and there is one pretty serious incline as you go around the south (House) end of the Capitol. B came too, and engaged in such helpful behaviors as belting out the Chariots of Fire theme and stating loudly "I've been training my whole life for this." There was also an occasional butt pinching. Quite distracting.

Apparently (according to B) I twist my body strangely when I run. I blame Jerry Heidenreich.

I'm gonna try this...

2010-06-06T18:11:00.001-07:00

<p><a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/dc/washington/493843608">CHRC - Union Station/Smithsonian Loop</a><br/><a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/dc/washington">Find more Runs in Washington, District Of Columbia</a></p>

walk + run until I can run it.

Scenes from around town

2010-06-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

The pretty flowers were spotted on the way to Eastern Market, and the wooded area is the area over which the Duke Ellington Memorial Bridge passes (connecting Woodley Park and Adams Morgan).

The National Cathedral, and more lovely flowers spotted on the way to Eastern Market.

Failed to post yesterday...

2010-05-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

We walked nearly 8 miles yesterday, all told. But the national cathedral was worth it!

Waiting for FedEx

2010-05-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today we spent most of the day lazing about waiting for FedEx to arrive with B's computer, which he needs for Rosetta Stone practicing + research computing powers. His goal is to have 4 papers out for review by the end of summer, which is ambitious, but doable (according to him.)

Realized we needed yet more supplies after the computer arrived (particularly a surge protector...) and figured another trip to Target was in order. I didn't realize how much I take for granted just being able to drive to Target and put as much as I want in my cart because I don't have to carry it all home! I really am enjoying being outside walking a lot though. Soooo, B promised we could go to Open City today, so we decided to eat an earlyish dinner there since we didn't have any lunch, and then trek over to Target.

For dessert, we shared a giant red velvet cupcake. Yum.

We also saw a secret service motorcade while we were eating dinner, which was kind of an exciting (albeit loud, as we were sitting on the patio) event. About ten officers on motorcycles stopped traffic, then there were 2 limos, then 4-5 black yukon/suburban things, then a few more police on motorcycles.

Are we there yet?

2010-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Awoke at 4 am, and B's mom drove us to ABIA to fly to BWI via O'Hare. Arrived in Baltimore at 2 pm, took the train to Union Station, took a cab to the apartment, where we arrived about 4:45 pm. Our key opened the front door to the apartment building, but not our unit. Waited in the non-A/C'ed hallway over hours for landlord to arrive to let us in and give us a key. Luckily, B got us some subway, and we both have iphones, so the wait was not ridiculously heinous. We got in a bit after 7, tried to do a little unpacking, realized we really needed some cleaning supplies... so we hoofed it about 1 mile to the CVS, and ran into a Chesapeake PR guy from OKC on the street....he took a picture for Chesapeake's twitter feed - Chesapeake printed the OKC Thunder Playoff shirts.

Got back, thought about cleaning, then collapsed about 9 pm.

Day 2: Awoke at 6:50 am due to a lack of blinds in the apartment. B cleaned, I unpacked, I cleaned, B unpacked. I tried to take a shower but couldn't figure out the water and gave up after about 4 minutes of freezing cold water. Went to target to acquire our own sheets, pillows, and bedding, as it was creeping me out to sleep in someone I never met's bed. Also got some kitchen things so we would have a few plates and some silverware. Got a few groceries, and an electric skillet, because we're not sure that the stove or oven actually work, and I'm frankly a little afraid to try a gas stove that looks suspicious.

Worked hard, then, went to a lovely dinner in Dupont Circle at Kramer's. I had the scallops with wild mushrooms, which was AMAZING. B had some spaghetti stuff, which was okay.

Then we came home. Our feet are tired, but I am feeling much more enthusiastic about life than I did at this time last night!

Mrs. Piper goes to Washington.

2010-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, we leave for Austin. New Braunfels fun for me with Nikki and Jim on Saturday, then off to DC on Monday morning (NOT EVEN BRIGHT and early... our flight leaves at 6:30 am)

I obviously will endeavor to be a better updater from our summer digs. Finals have had me quite crazy for at least the past month.

Tonight's agenda: start (...and finish) packing, take the dog for a walk since we're about to abandon her for nearly 10 weeks, watch LOST, engage in one last b-day celebration.

Study mascot

2010-04-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Last seen guarding the Trammel Crow Asian Art Collection. Whereabouts: unknown.

From the backyard...

2010-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Some previous occupants of this house planted some irises. We have done nothing to help them and, in fact, sometimes accidentally get them with the lawnmower. But! Apparently irises, as hope, spring eternal.

Not the prettiest cake.

2010-04-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hopefully it will be more delicious than it is attractive...
Coca-cola Cake Recipe: here.

Coca Cola Cake and Chicken Tikka Masala

2010-04-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

Chicken tikka masala: the revenge, or, How Pipers learned to stop worrying and use up that 25 lb bag of white rice from the Asian market that our parents got us for Christmas...

Pics to follow...

I win!

2010-04-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

The guest room is nearly finished!

2010-04-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

See inspiration below and at coco+kelley. I think it's turning out nicely!

Awh =)

2010-04-01T17:24:00.001-07:00

Brian is cute. I am dieting.

Gridiron is tonight...

2010-03-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am way behind and should be studying, but the law prom is tonight. So, instead, I'm primping and wishing I weighed 20 pounds less...

I'll post pictures. B bought a bow tie. It's gonna be good.

Les Miserables

2010-03-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

I really, really should not put the Les Mis soundtrack on while I'm cleaning. I get to the part where Fantine dies and just totally lose it. Sobbing doesn't really help organize things. =)

This is Cosette, not Fantine.

Risky business.

2010-03-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

I am just trying to survive until spring break. I'm having a bit of malaise - dunno if it's the weather or what. A few disappointments lately I suppose... my paper wasn't selected for publication (but I'm gonna work on it and submit it elsewhere!) and I wasn't selected for the editorial board.

Some good news though! We have signed the sublease for DC and managed to stay under budget and within walking distance of my job! B is still applying for internships, so hopefully he will find something. He will be there for June and July until he has to teach and will just work on his dissertation and Rosetta Stone if he doesn't have an internship.

I have been swooning over this bedroom, via Coco + Kelly. Brian is opposed to white bedding in our room though, because he thinks it will get dingy, so, we're going to use the white bedding that Gramma bought me and put it in the guest bedroom with my bedroom furniture from Gramma when we retrieve it over spring break next week. Which means I need to get some paint samples, stat! I think we will go lighter than this though, maybe just slightly darker than our living room. I want to keep it neutral so the landlord won't be annoyed. We have permission to paint, but I'd like to keep it useable by other people. The yellow kitchen is probably really pushing it...

Got new glasses....

In our next house I want WHITE TILE. Not that I am opposed to color, but I am SO sick of this green stuff (even though it's vintagey and I love vintagey) that I would never put anything so unreasonable in a bathroom for future dwellers. At least with white tile you can add your own paint color and linens and shower curtains and kinda go where you want with it, even if you're not crazy about white. Ugh.

EEEP!!!

2010-02-26T05:22:00.001-08:00

Dwell Studio's new line is previewed on facebook. (No, I'm still not on facebook...another blog linked to it)

More overpriced but extremely lovely linens to ogle!!!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3597377&id=29206454820

J'adore l'amour.

2010-02-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

I have been trying so hard to get stuff done this weekend, and I really have been dedicated. Unfortunately, it's all been the sort of stuff that doesn't really give any "Oh good I've achieved something" vibe. Nothing like - a freshly organized room, or planted flowers, or lovely dinner. More like answering emails, writing emails, answering emails and writing useless "journal entries" for my issues class to get credit for my externship (which is wonderful - I am totally loving it).

Unfortunately, doing all this crap inevitably makes me be in a productive mood, and then I look around and see all the tangible things that need to be done -- sweeping, laundry, mopping -- and then I'm just frustrated because I've been working for hours and nothing is "done."

Officially official!

2010-02-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

My background is officially checked! All systems are go!

Thisclose to subletting, I believe. B's sister graciously is going to help us with the exchange of check for keys when she's in DC for business.

Signed up for editorial board elections today. Yipes. I hate thinking about next year when this semester feels as though it's barely started.

Abstaining from meat for Lent. Accidentally ate turkey for lunch.

And now, for a bath.

Thank goodness!!!

2010-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

The paper... is .... DONE.

Now, it's on to other things, like, running for an editorial board position on law review, preparing my OSCAR application for judicial clerkships, finding housing in DC for the summer, and catching up on all sorts of SATJ stuff I have to do - a t-shirt order, ordering food for the public service career fair we're hosting next week, planning the information session about CCRAA/IBR ....

And, in my spare time, I will hopefully read for and attend class =)

B and I are also on quite the exercising kick. I'm pretty proud of myself - I've attended a pilates class 3 times, which is big news for me. I'm not a fan of exercising techniques that require me to emulate patterns of motion to a beat (case in point, my ridiculousness at Jazzercise.... I nearly died tripping over myself).

Valentine's Day was lovely - B got me a beautiful arrangement with orchids, hydrangeas, pink gerber daisies, lilies, and a few roses. I also got a coat, because I'm tired of freezing to death in my sub par old navy pea coat when it snows every other day. That wasn't really part of my valentine's present, but I did buy it yesterday.

We made a lovely dinner together - chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes with gruyere, green beans, and berries soaked in amaretto over angel food cake. Yum.

Local boy makes it big

2010-02-13T14:52:00.001-08:00

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/02/winter-in-america-driggs-id/1

Oklahoma City is fabulous enough to be on Design*Sponge

2010-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/oklahoma-city-guide.html/comment-page-1#comment-131581

Cannot believe this SNOW.

2010-01-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

So, about 3 o'clock yesterday it started sleeting/freezing rain (I'm not sure what the meteorological difference between those is), then about 11 or so it started snowing. And it hasn't. stopped. since. You cannot tell that there is a street on our street anymore, because it looks like one big snow pasture. Cortana is really enjoying it, even though she looks like she's swimming every time she goes outside.

We're enjoying it too, because no school yesterday or today means we're getting lots done. And of course, lots cooked. Last night I made chicken tikka masala and it was pretty delicious. Delicious enough that B trekked to the grocery store on foot in the snow today to get more ingredients so I would make it again tonight.

Also working on law review stuff, and trying to get little projects done, in keeping with the Just do it new year's resolution.

On that note, I need to just go switch the laundry. Right now. =)

Stay warm everyone!

In the oven...

2010-01-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

Stuffed cabbage. The picture is from Martha, because mine is still cooking. Still full from lunch, but Sunday is cooking day so we have leftovers tomorrow when I'm tired from school. Also used up the leftover brown rice that's been languishing in the fridge. A friend whose blog I follow on livejournal is oh so crafty at using up leftovers like that; I admire her skill.

Edit: Verdict - YUM. More salt and some peppa in the meat mixture next time, probably more garlic, because we do love some garlic. But definitely a keeper!

fabulous.

2010-01-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

Balsamic Glazed Lamb Meat Loaf.

Yum.

I didn't make the veggies. Served with leftover brown rice and avocado&tomato salad.

Mission accomplished.

2010-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Remember that post over three months ago when I said I wanted to paint the kitchen? Well, it's finally done!!!

Before:

After:

The third "after" picture shows the built in cutting board I just discovered exists below our countertop. It's been painted over several times, so I'm using it as a recipe holder while I cook.

Successes and Failures

2010-01-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

Monday afternoon, I decided to make a quiche. Unfortunately, when I was adding salt, the grinder lid broke, and about half the bottle of salt fell in to the quiche "batter." Determined to continue onward, I took a spoon and scooped as much as I thought I could get back out of the batter, then stirred it all up, and figured I'd give it a try. 40 minutes at 400 degrees later, I took a bite. COMPLETELY inedible. Major bummer. Threw it out.

Last night, I tried Barefoot Contessa's Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic. It was okay, but there was just something a little funky about the sauce that Brian and I didn't care for, so I don't think I'll be making it again.

Fundamental Paradigm Shift

2010-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

I think I may officially be an adult. Or maybe just relatively poor...

I woke up this morning to see that my FAFSA money had been deposited in the bank account, and my first thought was not "oh good! I needed new shoes!!!" but rather, "Yes! Grocery store time!"

Whichever explanation it is... I hope I am always this excited about household errands...

One of my new year's resolutions (in addition to the obligatory weight watching) is to "just do it." I've noticed I've become quite a procrastinatory person, even when I don't mean to be or really want to be. So, if a thought goes in my head, if feasible, I take care of it then, if not, it goes immediately on the to-do list. We're talking things like... "oh the dog dropped leaves all over the floor. I should clean those up." So, I will get off my lazy bottom, and pick them up, instead of just staring at them and then going back to the intarwebs/tv/scrabble playing/whatever it is I'm doing.

Hopefully this will also burn more calories, helping with the obligatory weight watching as well!

Project Ruffly Felt Wreath

2010-01-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

So, while Brian and friends had a "LAN Party" this weekend, I decided to make this wreath that I saw on design*sponge: Kristen's Ruffly Felt Wreath. I thought the white that she used would probably get too dirty, so Brian and I chose purple felt instead. I think it turned out beautifully! It's a little difficult to see the texture in these pictures, because I couldn't figure out the lighting for the picture, but it has a real plushness and richness in real life. I started working on it about 5:00 yesterday afternoon, worked until 2am, and then worked on it again from about 11am today until 2pm. It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it! Just have to figure out where to put it now!

Chronicles of Christmas

2010-01-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

I've been attempting a vacation from the computer, but, alas, all good things must come to an end.

So, I will start out the return to the computer with a fun report of my two most exciting Christmas presents received this year.

A new set of (really nice!) knifes from B's parents! So far, I have sliced my finger open 3 times, not recalling that I am using sharp knifes instead of my classic dull ones. This is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

A fabulous Le Creuset casserole/dutch oven from Gramma! It is so heavy!

For their inaugural run, we chose the Barefoot Contessa's Company Pot Roast, although we didn't really have company. Well, our friend Adam was here, but he's always here.

I forgot to take a picture after it was finished - I can safely say this is the most complicated thing I've ever made (don't judge.), and by the time it was finally finished at 7:45 we were just ready to eat - but I did take a picture before it went in the oven.

Pretty, no? Brian deemed it the best pot roast he's ever eaten, so I decided that was a good sign. It was fabulous. A bit of a pain in the butt, but fabulous. I served it all over mashed potatoes, and we had a few days of leftover roast, and several days of leftover sauce, which was actually really yummy as a sort of stew.

There's always next time.

2009-12-16T12:15:00.001-08:00

Well folks, I ALMOST made it through an entire semester's worth of exams without vomiting.

I think it was bad falafel this time though, not nerves...

Touche.

2009-12-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

After being prompted, I realized I should perhaps blog. I really should perhaps keep working on my international law outline, which is still not finished despite the fact that the exam is on Thursday.

I am so. ready. to be done. Three finals down, one to go for me. Brian has finished one paper, taken one exam, and has one paper remaining. Then the real fun begins for him. The grading for two different classes.

The real fun begins for me when I work a bajillion hours in 3 days at Talbots. But then, then my friends, it will be vacation! And by vacation, I mean time to work on the law review paper. No rest for the weary.

I bought a poinsettia from birdie for the house to cheer us up. Still the cutest store ever, now has cut flowers to enjoy as well as other plants for the home (in addition to all the adorable things for self.)

New high score.

2009-12-02T05:53:00.000-08:00

The little Honda has reached (and, since this picture, surpassed) the 150,000 mile mark. It has been a good little car, as most of its problems have been both aesthetic only and directly related to parking in apartment and college parking lots (it has a LOT of dents...)

Dear Honda, You have been a great car so far. Please continue this behavior for at least two more years. Love, Kayna and Brian

study study study

2009-11-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

chamomile rosehips tea = happiness.

.two teas please.

2009-11-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

The husband and I are hard at work at Gray Owl. That is to say, the husband is hard at work, and I am blogging. Just taking a short break. Tomorrow I have to work at Talbots because another girl had a death in her family. So, that is several hours of potential productivity scheduled away. Wednesday morning I'm also scheduled to work at Talbots, in another waste of productivity. We have a cite checking assignment due tomorrow for Law Review and I am done with that except making my quotation packets (any time the paper uses 4 or more words together from a source, we have to photocopy the first page of the reporter, the first page of the case, and the page that the quote is on and highlight the quoted words. Why you ask? I don't pretend to know). Got feedback today on the second draft. I haven't really read it yet, but it looks bright red from afar, so I'm assuming that's not a good sign. I will worry about that over break.

In the meantime. I will drink my chai, and work on my outline. And watch my cute husband do some coding.

Amazing.

2009-11-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Brian ate tofu stir fry for dinner.

TOFU stir fry.

This. is a major accomplishment.

Studying.

2009-11-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

It's gotten kind of cold, but the study buddy and I got the week off to a good start this morning by studying bright and early. Okay, so, we started at 9am, but still.

There's a new coffee shop in town: Gray Owl Coffee. It has a chill, vintage vibe, and lots of table space. Perfect for studying. There are lots of good couches too, so good for casual chats as well as caffeine-induced productivity.

I enjoyed a cafe au lait while working on my outline for federal courts. (That's two points...still counting. Weekend was a trial period, but starting today, it's on.)

Counting points.

2009-11-14T14:55:00.001-08:00

I decided to start counting points (a la weight watchers) because none of my clothes seem to fit right, even though my weight is staying the same. So, I thought I might need to lose a few pounds to work that out. I think I'm allowed 20 points a day, plus 35 flex points per week. So far today, I have 17 points.

All. I. can. think. about. is. food.

Project: Living Room

2009-11-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

I think we've finally settled on something to go over the couch. I really like this montage arrangement with 4 over 3. This artist, Ed Roth, featured on a Design*Sponge sneak peek, used Salvador Dali sketches from the series Seven Days of Creation. I think Dali is a BIT out of my price range, but I really like the idea of a clean simple line drawing featured in this organized montage.

I also really like this bedding, featured on a House Tour on Apartment Therapy. But, we don't need new bedding, so that doesn't matter. Cute though!

Why, yes, I am a little overzealous.

2009-11-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks for asking :-) Actually, this was just one more form of procrastination, in action...

I. am. determined.

2009-11-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

I WILL have 15 pages on this paper by Friday afternoon and be finished with it until Christmas "break." Jim is coming to visit this weekend, then Miranda next, so I have to get into high gear on studying and get some stuff done. Not to mention clean my cluttered house.

I'm also trying to get in the habit of typing two spaces after each period. I didn't realize this was the convention, and I'm tired of having to go back and fix it in my paper, so I'm working hard to make sure everything I type is done in that manner.

Campus is SUPER pretty right now for fall. I love this time of year on campus and then for Mom's weekend in the spring (when all the tulips and daffodils are out). Sooo beautiful. Just quickly captured this on the iPhone while walking to the Union for lunch.

Also loving, at a more affordable price...

2009-11-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

Available via etsy seller Shirae.

Cute for master bedroom

2009-11-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

I saw this over on Design*Sponge and thought it was lovely! I think this would be so fun to have featured over a night stand, or just next to the door leading out of the bedroom as a cute reminder that you DO love the person you're sharing that room with... :-) Unfortunately, it's £149.00. But, if you have lots of money, and it fits your sense of aesthetics, how fun!!!

Mmmm. Brie.

2009-11-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to the weekend so I can make this!!!

Sugar and nut glazed brie, by Paula Deen, from the Food Network. Recipe here.

Also looking forward to the weekend because, well, it's the weekend. The weekend means cooking and cleaning and hours of uninterrupted time to write this damn law review paper. Second draft is due Monday, with 15 pages and 75 cites. I would have enough pages already, but I'm far enough along in the writing process now that I'm editing and producing new material, so it's going slowly...one step forward, two steps back. Or rather, one new page, delete at least a paragraph elsewhere.

Operation: Productivity

2009-11-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

So, today is off to a good start. B and I woke up unnecessarily early (hooray for fall back! I was SO tired of having to drag myself out of bed in the DARK). Did some dishes, then we took the doggie for a walk to the grocery store down the street. B ran inside, and grabbed some eggs (and some cinnamon rolls...). I've prepared a quiche with leftover grilled chicken from yesterday's weekly football extravaganza, which is currently in the oven. Then I started mopping in the living room, and got tired and took a break. B ran up to school to get some papers to grade, and I'm planning to run up to school later to do some studying.

So! Sunday is off to a good, productive start. Hooray!

Adorable new shop!

2009-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not sure how many people who read this actually live in Norman, but, should you be so lucky -- there is a great new shop on Campus Corner: Birdie. I got a great new plant and container, a cute little swaggy cardigan, and a present for the law school bestie.

Operation: Survive.

2009-10-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, school/life has been a little crazy. All you're going to get here is a numbered list, and once I get to "10." I have to get back to work.

1. DC trip was fun, but not as good as last year. It rained, my interviews were unproductive, and we got stuck at DFW on the plane for 3 hours on the way back and didn't get home until after 2am Monday morning when we were scheduled to arrive at OKC at 10pm Sunday.
2. Looks like I'll be at the DOJ all summer (see above: interviews were unproductive this weekend.)
3. I LOVE Open City. Delicious. Ate there 3 times.
4. SATJ is CRAZY. That's all I can disclose.
5. Husband was lovely and did lots of laundry and cleaning while I was gone. Coming home to clean sheets is nice. He also stayed up until 4:30 in the morning playing video games. Sorry I missed that...
6. Still want to paint.
7. Not going to reupholster the chairs right now.
8. Law review is scary. I don't like sucking at things.
9. Got externship with Judge Cauthron for next semester!!!
10. Hanging on for dear life.

a fresh re-start.

2009-10-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take a new approach to studying since my approach the past few days has been essentially.... not studying. Instead of taking it assignment at a time, e.g., "now I will sit down and do the whole reading for Fed Courts for tomorrow," I've decided to set time goals instead, e.g., "now I will sit down and work until 6:30, and then I can take a break to (fill in the blank)." If, at the end of the set time period, I feel like continuing, I will do so until I'm ready for the break, or if after the break, I feel like continuing, I will do so. If however, I come to my break and I'm done, I'm done.

We'll see how this goes. Tonight it was relatively successful, in that I finished today's reading that I hadn't actually completed since I wasn't on call in class, and finished tomorrow's reading as well. Thought about reading Wednesday's assignment for awhile, but my eyes were burning. I need a better study lamp! Or perhaps a cute little office space, like so....

That actually doesn't really look like a very good studying set up. But I do like the fancy filing cabinet and french doors!

Leaving for DC Friday morning after Fed Cts. for the Equal Justice Works conference, and looking forward to my interviews! Low pressure since I already have the DOJ internship, but still great opportunities!

Husband starts the OCU Adjunct position Thursday. He now has an ID that says "faculty," and finds this quite exciting, though he pretends to be nonchalant about the whole business.

Need a new bag.

2009-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

I think this one is quite lovely. Perhaps the husband will get me gift cards to jcrew for Christmas.

Boomer!

2009-10-17T07:45:00.001-07:00

Today is a day of epic rivalries for our teams.

I'm likely to be VERY depressed this afternoon. Good thing I have an upholstery project to distract me.

Cutie munchkins!

2009-10-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Also wanted to post a picture of our niece and nephew, Avery and Ian. They are adorable!

Substitute Project

2009-10-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

So, husband says no time to paint this weekend, so my project instead will be recovering the dining room chairs we got. We picked them up at the local used furniture store, and the shape is GREAT, but the fabric is BAD.

So, I read up on how to do the seats, and today I'm going to go to hobby lobby to look for some upholstery fabric (30% off this week!).

I'll post before and after pics soon!

Paint.

2009-10-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to con the husband into painting this weekend. (I mean, into letting me (us) paint this weekend, not making him do it....)

A cheery, but soft yellow for the kitchen, I believe, like below. We have those white cabinets in abundance, and a similar, but more cliche black and white checkerboard vinyl flooring.

And for the office + getting ready room (our bathroom is impossibly tiny), I think I'm going to go with this sort of color scheme: a blue with just a TINGE of teal for the walls, with various ranges of pink accents.

Instead of writing my paper...

2009-10-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

I come up with so many ways to procrastinate. Right now, I'm evaluating all the AWESOME things within walking distance of the location of my summer internship. AMAZING. I feel like a small town girl plotting all the museums I will visit and yummy foods I will eat!

Back when we were young, and in love.

2009-10-10T17:53:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess actually, we're still young and in love. But we were WAY SKINNIER five years ago when this was taken...

Just kidding. Yesterday was awesome.

2009-10-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, after all that whining I was doing, yesterday turned out to be a great day.

1. Sold our OU/TX tickets for $650, which is not nearly as much as in the past, but still covers most of November rent.

2. GOT A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE!!!! Yay!!!! Way exciting, and a great opportunity for national exposure that Hall Estill would not have afforded me. Public service is more up my alley anyway.

Today has not been the best of days

2009-10-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

1. Got our OU/TX tickets to sell. They are in a horrible section, and the broker only offered $150 each, which is about half what we've sold them for before.
2. Car ran out of gas. The light never came on, so I guess it's not working anymore.
3. I thought I was all clever and competent and smart, and used the gallon of gas in our garage to fill up the car to take it to the gas station since I only ran out just around the corner from our house. Turns out, it was already mixed with oil for the trimmer, so I might have to go have the tank drained/engine flushed.
4. Forgot my consolation coffee on the table, and had to go to class with no caffeine.
5. Didn't get the job with Hall Estill.
6. Still only have 2 pages out of 20 done for Law Review paper.

UGGGGHHHH.

In the spirit of helping the economy...

2009-10-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Tokyo Milk candles are AMAZING. I picked one up a few weeks ago at Antique Garden in Norman, and am totally loving it. Mine is No. 12, Gin & Rosewater. It's lovely and floral and citrusy.

Also loving the Vikings beating the Packers!

Productivity as a procrastination technique.

2009-10-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

I've spent most of today trying to update the blog! I could not get the damn thing to let me add a banner image instead of a title, from the template, so eventually I cheated and viewed the source code on someone else's blog. Should have thought of that hours ago.

We've been super productive today, luckily. The house is looking much better, and we had a nice dinner of salmon, broccoli, and leftover pumpkin bread from yesterday. Organic brown rice was also on the menu, but I didn't realize how long it would take to cook it in the rice cooker, so it didn't finish until about 30 minutes after we ate. So, note to self: start brown rice BEFORE other dishes, not after. We'll have it for leftovers at least I guess.

First draft of my law review paper is due next Monday. I'm writing on Scalia's concurring opinion in Ricci v. Destefano. We're supposed to have 20 pages for the first draft, and so far I have zero, but my outline was 6 pages on its own, and the house is so nice and clean writing will be much easier now, so no worries.

Hope you enjoy the new layout! The banner is one of the first pictures we took on our honeymoon in Puerto Rico. The view was off the road walking from our hotel to Old San Juan.

Today's good news:

2009-09-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have been "selected for consideration" with the Department of Justice for a summer internship. This is GREAT news, because it means I made it past one level of scrutiny. Some components hire directly from this list, others do phone interviews, and some just ignore you... so, mostly exciting possibilities! I don't know which component selected me yet. (I applied to five...)

Also went to the gym, to ease the malaise.

I have an interview in Tulsa tomorrow that is scheduled from 10:30-6:30. After today's good news, and my upcoming EEOC interview, I'm finding it difficult to focus tomorrow's interview. But, I shall try nonetheless.

Ooh, another one....

2009-09-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

Bocconcino and Sausage Pasta (from Kitty at thekitchn.com)
Serves 2, easily doubles, triples, and beyond

This recipe can ebb and flow with the contents of your fridge. Once you’ve made this recipe, feel free to add, subtract, or substitute ingredients to accommodate your personal taste, or use up leftovers. Part of a quick, stress free weeknight meal is either using what is already at home or easily grabbed from the store on your way home.

2 fresh Hot Italian Pork Sausages, casings removed, just as good with Lamb Merguez
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste, (buy the tube stuff, it’s a great item to always have on hand)
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoon chopped black and green olives
1/2 cup boccaccino mozzarella, cut in half
1/4 cup chopped basil, in strips
1/2 pound dried Spaghetti

Prepare noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Make sure to salt your water until it tastes like the ocean for optimal noodle flavor.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Make sure that your skillet will be large enough to accommodate adding all the ingredients, including the pasta. Add the sausage, and use the tip of a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage while browning. Once brown, remove sausage and transfer to a plate.

If needed, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and toss in the onions. Continuously stir the onion to avoid it from burning, sauté until it is translucent and has a light caramel tinge.

Add the tomatoes, and break them up with the tip of your wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and continue to stir. Toss in chili flakes and cinnamon, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper according to taste. Fight the urge to add more cinnamon; it’s a background flavor.

Now, add the sausage, olives, and noodles. Just before serving, stir in the bocconccino and basil. The mozzarella will melt in the warmth of the sauce, make sure everyone gets a few for maximum enjoyment.

Perhaps cooking will help.

2009-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided there's no reason I can't be in law school and cook. Even if it means staying up too late. We'll probably be eating leftovers a lot this week (Brian has a tendency to go a BIT overboard when grilling - as such we have about 25 hot dogs, 10 hamburgers and POUNDS of homemade chili left to consume from the weekend's football festivities), but I intend to make the following soon.

Penne with Shrimp and Goat Cheese (from Amy on thekitchn.com) *** I intend to doctor this one, courtesy of our pickiness and his allergies... we'll do fresh/frozen green beans instead of the peas (I may do the peas on the side for me, or maybe asparagus....) and maybe ricotta instead of the goat cheese, because goat cheese is such a strong flavor!!!
Makes 5 2-cup servings.

1 pound raw shrimp (medium or small; frozen is fine)
1 box (14.5-16 ounces) multi-grain penne (such as Barilla Plus)
2 cups sugar snap peas (fresh or frozen)
1 red pepper, julienned
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces goat cheese

1. Peel and devein thawed shrimp if desired.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is nearly al dente, add shrimp and cook until pink (generally less than 3 minutes for medium or small shrimp). Drain pasta and shrimp; return to pot.
3. While pasta is cooking, steam the sugar snap peas until crisp-tender and julienne the red pepper. If the pepper is large, cut the strips in half or thirds. Also prepare the fresh basil.
4. Add olive oil and basil to the pasta and shrimp mixture. Stir to coat. Add peas, red pepper and salt and pepper; stir until mixed.
5. Divide goat cheese into 5 portions and serve atop pasta. Enjoy with a crusty baguette.

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups - (from Nicole on thekitchn.com) ***I think I'll use frozen regular spinach, and maybe ricotta instead of cottage cheese.
Yields: 4 2-roll servings.

Ingredients:
8 lasagna noodles, prepared al dente
1c. fat free cottage cheese
2/3c. Veggie Shreds Parmesan, Mozzarella and Romano blend
2c. fresh baby spinach, chopped
1c. spaghetti sauce (your favorite brand, or homemade)
Spices to taste (I use salt, pepper and basil)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cottage cheese, 1/3c. Veggie Shreds, baby spinach, and spices.

Lay your noodles on the counter or cutting board and spread cheese mixture.

Roll noodles from bottom to top, and place in pan, side by side, touching. Pour tomato sauce over the rolls, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3c. Veggie Shreds over top.

Place pan in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

Plus, Wednesday is the husband's birthday, so I'll be making spaghetti. I use a "recipe" I learned from Jim and his parents, and it's delicious. It was Brian's b-day request.

Here's to solving the blues.

Malaise.

2009-09-27T15:21:00.001-07:00

So I'm having another one of my "moments" -- I feel desperately uninterested in law school, and wholly drawn to eating, cooking, decorating, photographing, in short CREATING things (not babies. NOOO babies.) I think it relates to the fact that I've been in school SO long, and I feel as though I have nothing to show for it... save three pieces of paper...two bachelor's degrees and admission letter to OU Law.

I KNOW this is finite, and I chose it for myself, and in the end it will be worth it. I'm just finding delaying gratification INCREASINGLY difficult.

So long friends...

2009-08-23T19:29:00.001-07:00

Well, we're about to embark upon another semester and it's unlikely that I'm going to have too much time to keep up with blogging for a few months. I thought I'd give a quick update, and remind everyone that you can always email if you want to know what's up :-)

Brian is teaching 3 sections of macroecon again this semester, and has 2 classes to take this semester - Industrial/Organizational Econ and Development, plus a readings course with his dissertation advisor. Hopefully he'll tutor some too. He also has put himself in charge of dinners this semester by virtue of requesting to buy a grill. Fine by me! :-)

I've got 13 hours + Law Review. I'm taking Federal Courts, International Law Foundations, Evidence, and Education Law. Also keeping up as one of the student coordinators for our Students for Access to Justice program, TA-ing for Constitutional Law, serving as a mentor to the 1L class, and serving as secretary for OU Law ACLU, and when I'm not busy doing all those things, studying, or completing law review responsibilities (checking cites for academic authors and writing a 40 page "comment" to try to get published), I'll be working part-time at Talbots. Wish me luck.

See you in December :-)

Better finish up projects before school starts...

2009-08-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Good weekend :-) Finished up with my internship at Legal Aid on Friday, and headed to Dallas Saturday morning for Stephanie's shower. Then swimming and 'ritas at Nikki's, then out to the lake for Miranda's birthday. Finished out the weekend with sushi + gelato with Dad and Gramma. Scavenged for maps at Dad's. Also recharged my camera battery since my cord is still AWOL. So, here's a mini house tour. I'll take nicer pics in the day when things are finished up, but I like a work in progress documentary too :-)

Please ignore the messy living room, bedroom, and dining room. WORK IN PROGRESS :-)

3...2....

2009-08-02T09:54:00.001-07:00

I'll post again as soon as I can find the cable to charge the power for my camera.... blogging is less fun w/o pictures, and the LIVING ROOM IS ALMOST DONE! wOOt!

Yum.

2009-07-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Tabbouleh is in the fridge, chilling for dinner! (See recipe: here)

Also on the menu: hamburgers and sauteed squash and zucchini.

Painting continues....

2009-07-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

We did 3 walls.... then ran out of paint and had to wait for payday :-) We started in again yesterday, we're doing the big wall today. 2 more walls after this. Whew.

The grey is the new color -- it's kind of hard to see the difference in the photographs, but it is SOO much better than the mint-celery hybrid that was there before... it looked like vintage mental institution.

I'm going to make tabbouleh later. If it's beautiful and delicious, I'll post a pic and recipe :-)

Artist's Studio

2009-07-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

We are painting the dining room and living room! Pictures to come...

Mmm, cake, part dos.

2009-06-22T17:09:00.001-07:00

The cake was a relative success. Husband feigned interest, and doggie needed some too. Tasted good, didn't look so pretty. We'll work on presentation next time.

Mmm, cake.

2009-06-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've decided to bake a cake tonight, because I saw this one on Apartment Therapy and thought it looked delicious and simple. I've never made a cake from scratch before, so it could be interesting. Hopefully it will turn out nicely!

Brian and I both have our grades back now - he turned out with an impressive all A's semester! Mine were less impressive (one bad grade was completely expected, the other was a complete shock), but still did well enough for Dean's List, and also got the high score in Criminal Law. No witty comments about that please: maybe I'm just meant to be a prosecutor. :-)

Also, I think I found an ideal art piece for above the couch, if the artist agrees. Credit: Lyle Stavast

I am a slacker updater.

2009-06-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Finally have internet at home, and now I'm back from Sarah (& Ben's) beautiful wedding in Michigan. Gramma and I drove up together, and got to see Aunt Lois and Uncle Steve, and Aunt Birdie and Uncle Butch too.
We're settling into our little house very nicely. My favorite things are all our plants! (And my purple mixing bowls/house warming gift a la Erin)
Nothing else too interesting to note right now, so, here are some pictures, including one of the lovely bride getting her makeup done :-)

Not much to report here...

2009-05-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Just trying to hang in there for the rest of finals! I had two last week (one terrible I think, one pretty good I think) and two more this week. Brian's got to finish up a paper and take one final, and survive a week of tutoring and grading!

Then! Saturday I start working at Talbot's again and begin the summer of rotating from Talbot's to Legal Aid to SATJ to RA-ing. Luckily, I got a fellowship through Equal Justice Works, so when I complete 300 hours at Legal Aid I will get $1000! Woot. Hopefully this will defray some costs in the fall so B won't have to tutor so much, or something. Or something unexpected will come up and we'll be able to cover it! That would be nice :-)

Spending hiatus is going well, because we have no money to spend, and no time to spend it! Our big splurge was a very nice meal on Friday night after my Torts exam, and that blew about two hours' worth of tutoring income. But it was delicious. My other extravagant spending has included green beans at the farmer's market.... and some shampoo and a binder at Target yesterday. Doing pretty well :-)

Sleepy!

2009-04-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

No internet at the new house yet, so I've been slow to post.

Move in went pretty well for the most part. We are mostly unpacked, and functioning pretty well.
Brian's mom and dad are buying us a washer and dryer! YAY! SOOOO EXCITED!
Cortana loves the yard! She keeps getting little burrs in her fur though, so we are trying to pick those out daily.
My friend Erin bought me purple mixing bowls at the flea market on Saturday for a housewarming gift! They are LOVELY!
The tomato plant has one eensy tomato, the hydrangeas out front are looking beautiful, the rosemary is out of control, the basil is hanging on, and the lilies that died last year and returned with zero effort on our part continue to increase in size, despite our neglect.
Brian is busy writing papers, I am busy studying. We are REALLY looking forward to the end of this semester!

Moving day is upon us!

2009-04-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is moving day. Hooray! I'm wishing 1. I had everything actually packed and 2. I could skip school to move :-)

The plan is to finish all my schoolwork tonight after dinner at Jim's house (Dandan noodles. YUM.). That way I can get up an eensy bit early in the morning, take a few loads before class in my car, go to class, and then take a few more loads before I go volunteer.

Tomorrow is the last day of VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program) since it's April 15th. I'm not sure if it will be really crowded or really dead. We'll see. Thursday night is our fun celebratory dinner at Louie's West, which is one of my favorite places to go in Norman. Luckily, Professor Forman is treating us, so no spending hiatus violations :-)

In other exciting news, I got the job for the SATJ Student Coordinator at the law school. (Students for Access to Justice). It pays a little, and I'll get to help out with all the pro bono related stuff at the law school, which is totally up my alley. Very excited.

The poor hubby is bogged down with papers, tutoring, office hours, and research proposals and is quite stressed out this week. I don't think he's even looking forward to moving. (This is probably because he has to carry all the heavy stuff.... didn't think of that...)

Anyway, a pretty good day! Looking forward to tomorrow!

Dad visited for Easter...

2009-04-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

...and took lots of pictures of the new house! We were especially excited to find that the owners had a landscaping crew come by and clean things up a little bit... (or a lot...) Moving day is Wednesday! Yay!

Adorable!

2009-04-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

No babies on the immediate horizon for us, but what an adorable birthday cake idea! Found it linked from thekitchn.com. We got our niece and nephew the very hungry caterpillar book for christmas; we found one that came with its own cute fuzzy caterpillar and thought it was a very fun gift. We also gave them Corduroy which came with its own little bear too. Very fun! We hope they are enjoying (or will someday enjoy) reading the books!

I also really want to try to make these:

Eggplant fries! Yummy...I keep coming up with all these lovely recipes to try, but all my cooking things are packed! Can't wait for the end of school so I can start trying them.

Update - Spending Hiatus is On!

2009-04-05T17:50:00.001-07:00

We have agreed to begin the spending hiatus. Our goal will be no spending on non-essentials through the end of finals (May 15), including no eating out at sit-down restaurants (this allows for the occasionally necessary subway run during studying marathons).

Our friend Tiffany is participating too :-)

Ready.....begin!

Spending Hiatus

2009-04-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

While mindlessly perusing the blogs this morning, I came across the idea of a spending hiatus. The idea is to forgo spending on "non-essentials" for three months. I like this idea, and intend to discuss with the hubby upon his return.

I can see a few major obstacles (or perhaps, really good reasons) to instituting this policy:
1. We're about to move, which will inevitably necessitate some new purchases.
2. Birthdays coming up, and our anniversary
3. Summer means warmer weather, which means transitioning to the other half of the wardrobe, and I'm not sure I have enough warm-weather professional clothes for work this summer

I suppose all three of these issues could be addressed by agreeing to certain categories of things being deemed "essential," and imposing price limits or "must be bought used" limits.

Another issue would be food. On a student budget, our main problem is really that we eat out too much, but when we commit to staying home to eat, I want to cook tastier things, so the grocery bill goes up (albeit, I'm sure, not nearly as high as the grocery bill + going out to eat). It's also pretty ridiculously scary to face the prospect of not going out to eat at all (read: Subway, and other fast alternatives) with finals coming up.

Anyway, we'll talk about it. I'll keep you updated. Perhaps we can impose a shorter time limit at first: that seems less overwhelming.

Lamp Lust

2009-04-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

I am completely, irrationally taken with this lamp. This may be due to the fact that Brian is out of town, so I'm spending inordinate amounts of time ignoring my studies and looking at decorating blogs, but I really really want this lamp. New from Anthropologie. And absolutely, completely, TOTALLY out of my price range. (Which is about negative right now. I should be selling things, not buying them.)

So, I will just admire it from afar. Le sigh.

Awards, Offers, and Summer Plans

2009-03-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

Brian is super-smart, and will be receiving an award for the best student paper submission at the conference he is attending next weekend in San Antonio for the SRSA. The paper is on local option sales tax. I am very proud of him! He is being a very diligent graduate student, and seems to enjoy it for the most part.

I was lucky enough receive an offer from the Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin for a summer position, but unfortunately, the internship is 10 weeks long and unpaid. I've decided instead to work as a research assistant for one of my professors, volunteer at Legal Aid in the city, and keep on at Talbots a few days a week. The research I will be working on is about the establishment clause, i.e., separation of church and state issues. Should be very interesting! I am disappointed not to be able to take the Austin position, but I think the opportunities I have here will be great growing experiences also, and it will be good to spend the summer getting situated in the new house.

We are looking forward to moving soon, and to making it through the semester!

Update: One basil plant died, the other two are thriving.

Uhoh.

2009-03-16T15:08:00.001-07:00

I think I may have pruned the basil incorrectly. The posts I read said to prune all but the last two leaves, which I interpreted to mean leave two at the top, but I think it might have meant prune back to the bottom... which would make more sense I think... now that I think about it... Any basil growers out there?

Hopefully I didn't kill it.

The paper is turned in, and I am enjoying a glass of wine and perusing the internet. The windows are open and there is a lovely breeze. What a very fine day.

Looking forward to yummy summer foods...

2009-03-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Brian and I really enjoyed making homemade pesto last summer with basil we bought at Native Roots in Norman, so we decided to give growing our own basil a try this year. Hopefully we will transfer it outside when we move to the house, but for now it's residing in a window sill.

Brian is going home to Austin for the weekend to visit with family. I am stuck in Norman finishing my appellate brief, and working. Boo.

Renting a new house!

2009-03-07T10:32:00.001-08:00

We are going to rent a house today, as the loft-style apartment we've been living in since we got married last May is not really fitting our needs. The new house is closer to campus, less expensive, bigger, and has a big yard for Cortana (our little schnauzer-mix). We're very excited. I'll post better pictures when we get the keys, but here's a preview for now.