Natsuki

I saw a lot of lovely things today, and a few not-so-lovely ones, but overall it was a good day.

Nice things:

Sunlight on a freshly-washed and waxed wood floor and table. It's lovely the way it gleams.
An osprey riding the thermals around the golf course and creeling occasionally.
The same osprey making a dive for prey over the pond. I missed the actual strike, but the dive was amazing.
A kestrel or similar small hawk hovering over the tall grass on the state land. They're amazingly maneuverable little birds.
Cloud-shadows on the mountains. Today they were absolutely beautiful with the contrast between the dark pines and the sunlit ones on the slopes. It's tempting to hike up one of them some Monday.
An owl hooting in the twilight. I've seen it on late-evening walks before, but I'm still not sure what kind it is, save that it's a fairly large one and has a really deep 'voice'.

Not-so-lovely:
A pair of very drunk twenty-somethings trying to hit golf balls and winding up staying an hour past closing time. I don't mind being flirted with, but when the 'flirting' is basically repeated queries of 'You're single, right? What's your number?', it's a bit much.
Far, far too many golf balls out on the driving range. Added to the above, I wound up staying out there an extra hour and a half over my usual time because there was so much to be done. I didn't get to refill the bin before it got dark, either.

One of the Brandywine tomato plants has died, unfortunately, just after it blossomed. I'm not sure why just yet; I know it got enough water down to the roots, and nothing ate it, nor did I see any insects that could've eaten it. That said, I have two others who have tomatoes on them that ought to be ripe before I leave in the first week of August.

The beans aren't doing too well, but the zucchini plant seems to be taking over that box where the tomatoes aren't growing, and the marigolds are doing well too.

The other box is doing much better, but I think that I just made that one better. Instead of trying to mix the soil all the way through, I added the compost and peat moss on the surface and planted the seeds on top of mounds, so all that richness doesn't have to filter up through clay. I hope the strawberry plants survive to produce next year. I don't expect anything from that box this year save for the occasional herb, but next year it should do really well.

The basil's still staying low instead of growing very far, the thyme (both the seeded one and the transplant) are spreading fairly well, and the mint is, of course, trying to take over the entire box instead of staying in its corner. I'm tempted to try to grow rosemary as well, since I use it for cooking so often, but I think it'll wait. I don't know if I'll be back next year or no -- depends on if I get a job in Ontario or not.

Today it's raining (with the occasional thunderstorm. I love thunderstorms, though the dog hates them), so I've spent a fairly lazy day beyond getting the res stuff sorted and paying off my car (no more nasty stuff hanging over my head! So delighted).

I have chicken that I should do something with, as well as leftover lasagna and lamb roast. There's broccoli in the crisper and pod peas that I should shell, though all I have for a starch are potatoes (hm, scalloped? Given the weather, I could almost do a fall supper). Decisions, decisions.

I'm still really proud of myself for getting the stuff in the prior entry done.

Going back to UWO in August has been giving me a good bit of worry -- given how late my file was reviewed, it was uncertain as to whether I'd get into residence. I think I've solved that now.

You see, UWO has several affiliate colleges, one being Brescia. Brescia is a women's college and maintains their own set of dorms. I called them today to see if they had any space available, and apparently they do, and since I'm a UWO student, I can freely apply there.

The downside of it seems to be that the meal plan doesn't cross over to the main UWO campus, but given that I'll probably be eating breakfast and dinner at the dorm, and they offer packed lunches for students on the main campus, it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, there're always flex dollars to put on the account, since I'll be saving about $2600 from the UWO residences, I think it's justified.

Also, other benefits:

1.) Not talking to a centralized flunky when trying to get answers about residence. The lady who answers the phone /is/ the residence director and handles all applications. I had a lovely talk with her today and she never seemed impatient or rushed, unlike the UWO people.

2.) It seems that the dorms there are a little older, but pretty gorgeous and not overly-impersonal. Admittedly, that means that the facilities might not be as good, but oh well. I survived King's, I can definitely survive this.

3.) All-female. It'll cut down on the eyecandy, but at least it'll be quieter, and I might actually learn something about being girly in the process. (Ha.)

4.) Distance. Surprisingly, Brescia is closer to the main campus than a lot of the actual UWO dorms, particularly the two I was trying to get into. Also, while those are right on the roads, Brescia is set back a ways from Western Road, meaning less noise. I'm sure it'll take me a while to get used to it after the quiet of Montana.

( Map under here. )

I think my cat has discovered how to open the front door on her own. This results in three or four mice being deposited on the welcome mat as presents in the morning.

Making meringue remains as painful as I remember it. My wrists and arms are very sore, since we don't have an electric beater here, so I got to use a whisk to beat the egg whites into fluffy submission.

The reason I'm doing this? I had to test out a key lime pie recipe before suggesting it to someone else. >_>

At least I didn't try to make the graham cracker crust. I've never had luck with those.

Made kale pesto today. I'm not sure if I like it very much, but I still made enough to freeze for later use. I think for future kale, I'll just use the saute method, as that was really good.

Perhaps the pine nuts over walnuts (there were a few recipes using walnuts, others using pine nuts) would make more of a zip to it? Eh.

Maybe I'll try making the vegetarian lasagna that we used to do in Seattle.

I went to the Farmer's Market here today. They were just packing up as I left, so the people I bought stuff from threw extras in. I got:

2 two-foot tall Brandywine tomato plants
1 semi-hot pepper plant
2 bunches of kale
1 bunch of new onions
And a caramel nut bread from the Amish group that I saw my Dad eyeing hopefully while he went off on his run. I won't eat it personally, but Dad loves sweet things.

The kale was something I'd never tried cooking before, but I think it's become a new favorite. I sauteed some onion and garlic, added a bit of mustard and chicken broth, then cooked the kale in it until it was limp, then added sundried tomatoes to sop up the remaining juices (though the tomatoes wound up a bit strong). It was so very good, and the people who gave it to me mentioned making a kale pesto as well. I think I'll try that next.

Looking up stuff on kale makes it clear why it's popular around here, beyond the hardiness: cultivated in Sweden and Denmark. The concentration of Swedes here is very high and thus the influence on the culture is felt.

I'm still uncertain if part of the reason I loved the kale so much was because of the high iron concentration. I tend to gravitate towards spinach and other dark, leafy vegetables when I'm not feeling that great. In the meantime, so tasty!

I also finished my box for the garden, and that made me glad that I didn't try to dig down and use the existing soil. It can barely be called soil; rocks are, quite literally, every two inches, and I had fun digging the holes for the posts to brace the box.

I'll have to beg some of the topsoil that's been shifted around the golf course and mix it with some peat moss, and then I can plant. It'll be a small garden, but I think even just that will be more than enough. Dad will have to pick a lot of it since I'll be gone in August, but I don't think he'll mind, given his usual reaction to entirely fresh veggies.

Cross-country will be starting up soon, so I'll still have the kids to bake for, though with working more (hooray) I'll have less free time (boo). That said, I don't think any knowledge is really wasted, so knowing how to run a golf course might someday be handy. And hey, picking up the golf balls on the driving range is fun. Chasing coyotes across the golf course? Also fun.

I've made it past the sunburn stage (mostly) and into the freckled/tanned stage. I don't think I've had this many freckles since age six. I'll have to get some checked out when I'm back at university, just in case, but I'm kind of enjoying not being overly pale for once. Working at the golf course will certainly get me back into some semblance of good shape, given how much I have to walk and haul stuff around. I'm really looking forward to it, and ensuring that I have money for university and car repairs is a definite plus, though the majority is covered. Just not spending money/clothes/Christmas in Florida with the family.

I still need to find a home for a year for Molly, though. I don't really want to drive from here to Ontario with her in the car, but that's still better than abandoning her at the shelter. I'll have to ask Nandy if she'd be willing to take her -- while she might be more of a dog person normally, I think a cat's more her speed nowadays. And she is a good kitty. I just wish I could get her to tolerate SoftPaws (she eats them off of her claws), but we actually need her hunting out here, so I can't acclimate her to them while out here.

In closing...

... I really hope that the tomatoes bear some fruit before I go to uni. I want home-grown tomatoes, darnit. So gooooooood. I miss them!

Laptop video card dying. >< And since it's integrated, I Don't think I can replace it? Gah. Need laptop for school.

Anyone have suggestions for something under $500 (the less expensive the better, of course) that:

* has decent battery life
* has an integrated wireless card
* lets me play DVDs, since I use my laptop as my TV most of the time
* has decent storage space (>40gig HD)
* is from a fairly reputable company and/or has a good support/customer care system.

Dell seems to have a few decent laptops for under $500, but so does Lenovo? And the ThinkPad I had years ago never ever died. I'm just wondering if people on the flist have ideas, or heck, even laptops that they've upgraded out of and no longer need or something.

So, apparently UWO reviewed my application on Monday. I've been refreshing the admissions screen every fifteen minutes or so in hopes of seeing a decision one way or another. In the meantime, I am jittery and nervous and excited all at the same time. Going back to school will be awesome.

... I just have to work out a backup plan in case it doesn't work out.

That said, looking at residences again. I don't think it's a good idea for me to live on my own for the first year back, not again. Bad things happen when I live alone, and even if I'm in a single room, a dorm has a lot more social contact.

London's also not too far from Ann Arbor, so I could possibly drop in on people there on weekends and stuff. There's so much more opportunity for *doing* stuff.

Hey, neechan:

( Tsubasa spoilers under here. )

I posted the first part of this a while ago as a way of working out what was going through Cissie's head, and to put forward my pet theory about her parentage. I'd planned on doing more in the same style, but found that present tense was really awkward to work with.

( Cissie King-Jones/Arrowette drabbles )

( And, bonus drabble written in a really short timeframe as a distraction from the above. )

No, not the season. Former character.

( Partly influenced by Jacques' Castaways series. )

While digging through a never-unpacked box from my previous moves, I found my old writing notepad. It has a bunch of KKJ drabbles on it, plus a few random other bits (like story fragments for MU* characters).

Do I...

a.) Post them to FF.net for lulz?
b.) Post them here for lulz?
c.) Destroy them and pray they never get put together again.

To save money, I've moved back up to Eureka and am housesitting/being the cook/maid/whatever for my parents' house up here. It gives Mom a break from having to cook every night while she's here, and I get to cook and bake to my heart's content without having to worry about breaking my own budget (I was getting heartily sick of ramen noodles).

It'd be great if it weren't for one thing: last Sunday, while driving back from coaching cross-country practice, my car broke down. The timing belt snapped after several bearings froze up, and sent shrapnel through the entire engine. Result: $2600 repair bill. Positives: I will have a completely-rebuilt top-end, which is a plus for re-selling the car when I can.

In the meantime, sharing one car between three people is sort of painful, particularly around here where a car is necessary to do 90% of the things that need to be done (as an example, the grocery store is about 7-9 miles away along a two-lane highway with cars that do ~80mph as a rule). It ought to be fixed by the end of next week, I hope.

My family's sort of awesome when it comes right down to it, as much as I might argue with them.

Mashed potatoes made with lots of butter.

I missed the last day of the happy meme, but there's been a lot going on lately. My brother's girlfriend (let's call her A) has been amazing at helping me figure out a Plan (it deserves a capital letter) for going back to university. There're still a number of questions remaining, but most can't be answered until after the 5th, when university admissions offices re-open.

It's going to be an interesting situation, I think. A lot of tears over money issues, living quarters and more, but honestly, I'm glad to be going back.

I'm trying to get back unto the University of Western Ontario, and am applying to Ryerson University in Toronto, but my status there is less certain than at UWO. If they allow me to submit supplementary materials from my time in the workforce, it'll be much easier.

Anyone have any amazing suggestions?

Happiness meme:

Making snowmen and going sledding is win. Except now I am exhausted. Or still, as it's nearly 11pm now.

Hard ciiiider~ ♥

Happiness Meme, Day #5

I made two crumbles today, with Alice's help -- it's her favorite dessert, but she never learned how to make it. The entire house smells like cinnamon, apples and berries. ♥