NaBloPoMo, Day 27!

We're almost there!

• Events that happen once a year are funny. You either look forward to them or shrink back a little bit, not really wanting to deal with them (winter juries). The thing is, this past Thanksgiving is my second of four while I'm in college. Half of my Thanksgivings are gone. This is the only sophomore year fall semester I'll get. It's important, then, to make the most of it.
• I just remembered a frozen banana I put in my freezer before I left for Thanksgiving break. I'm thinking midnight snack. Don't you feel informed?
• Also, I have a little conducting evaluation tomorrow. I'm feeling a little bit like this, except we're doing asymmetrical meters, not sforzandi.
• Also, I just remembered some theory homework I haven't done. We're all set here, aren't we? 

NaBloPoMo, Day 26

• Something a friend of mine said popped into my head tonight: "If you are lovely and kind, people will bend over backwards to help you." This was in the context of allergies and servers at restaurants, but still. It applies. Yes, to life in general. No, this wasn't spurred by someone's unusually eager helpfulness. I just thunk it.
• I had a real go-getter of a day. I got stuff done. I practiced far beyond what is required of me. I showed up and did what I was supposed to do. Way to go, me. It's been a good one.
• I don't care what you say. Small classes will always trump big ones. Regardless of how dynamic your lecturer is, my itsy bitsy discussion-heavy classes will always win. Yay music majors.
• Maybe I'll sleep before midnight? And be a go-getter again tomorrow? Maybe? 
• Shoot, guys, that was two Annie songs in one bullet.

NaBloPoMo, Day 25

Welcome back to me!

• I'm back at Wheaton, and it's lovely to be out of the car. I've had tea and popcorn and watched a couple episodes of Fawlty Towers. It feels like I've been here a whole lot longer than just four hours.
• If you, like me, have a serious aversion to Guy Fieri, read this. It's highly entertaining.
• Alias is an amazing show. Go watch it now!
• If you ever find yourself in St. Louis, pop into Companion. They sell bread, and their cornbread in particular is particularly delicious.
• Thank goodness November is almost over, because you guys can't take much more of this, I'm sure.

NaBloPoMo, Day 24

Well howdy. This is a story about me. Sometimes, parts of my family go on road trips. In today's case, that trip is from Houston to Wheaton. Today's drive took us to Missouri, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is this: when my mother goes to sleep early, which she always does, my sister and I are left to our own devices, and this is a dangerous thing. We have to be quiet, but we are witty Winchell folk and like telling stories. The solution is what you see above. We've had full conversations of typing, misspelling, intentionally misspelling, silent giggling, and jokes about cheetah pants. Thus, tonight is just a little screenshot of our tiny lives in Springfield, MO.

This has been...POETRY ALIVE.

NaBloPoMo, Day 23

I'm thankful for many things, but I will tell you about nine of them, because nine is a nice number.

• my major being what it is. A conducting class where you practice clapping and moving your arms in different directions and focusing without looking like you're focusing. A theory class with six people where you look at the structure of music. Aural skills, where you sing badly and nobody minds. A daily date with my brain and a piano in a practice room. If these are the things that fill my days, I'm pretty sure everyone else is jealous.
• food, and how I get to be picky about what kind of figs I want for Project: Homemade Fig Newtons.
• health. I haven't been in the hospital since I was three, folks. That's some kind of crazy.
• that I'm having a hard time coming up with a Christmas list. 
• people who bake with you in the middle of the night and tell you their shenanigans and think you're funny and listen to you rant and make your life so entertaining and worthwhile.
• a puppy who lies stretched out on the couch and does nothing but sigh contentedly while you pat her (very large) tummy.
• anything soft.
• contrast between things that are infinite and finite, rational and irrational, sweet and salty, crunchy and pillowy. You just appreciate things more when you see its opposite. You just do.
• mornings when you can wake up and just stay there, snuggled. No need to get up. You have all the time in the world.

NaBloPoMo, Day 22

Well, for all the planning-stages thoughts on what to make for Thanksgiving -- ruminations on pop-up turkey thermometers, brines, sides, desserts, and predicting what other people will eat -- came to a head today with what actually happened.

A breakdown of the menu, when all was said and done:

• duckies! cured in some combination of salt, orange zest, thyme, sage, and other lovelies
• mashed 'taters: not my favorite, but we aim to please here
• a carrot and sweet potato puree, featuring apple cider and other flavors of fall
• broccolini with some cheese and walnuts
• fennel gratin with lots of crispy-crunchy panko bread crumbs
• and for dessert, a pie featuring grapefruit curd, caramel cream, caramel sauce, and a mile-high meringue, torched with everyone's favorite Bernzomatic propane buddy. All atop a graham cracker crust. Different, but ooooooh. Delicious.

The truth of it all: everything was tastytastic. Except for maybe the mashies. I underseasoned them, and the one dish I wasn't responsible for (the duckies) took longer than expected, making the consistency of the mashed potatoes a little gluier than if they had been served immediately after ricing/mixing.

And all this is more information than you ever needed or wanted! Yay blogs!

NaBloPoMo, Day 21

The thirty things nearest me:

1. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (Platinum!)
2. My computer
3. My sister's computer
4. Various Apple cords
5. My phone
6. the game plan for Thanksgiving
7. My sister's phone
8. Pillows
9. Blankie
10. Water
11. Burt's Bees
12. My sister
13. My sister's pillows
14. (Wouldn't it be great if My Sister's Keeper were the next thing?)
15. Pens
16. Stamps for when I like to pretend I'm a teacher
17. Mock trial affidavits
18. Scissors that look like a pig
19. A little pot that holds quarters
20. A curious craft called "scoubidou." What.
21. Coca-Cola paraphernalia
22. An Indian headdress sported by me for the paper* staff photo two Thanksgivings ago
23. A pirate pinata
24. Daisies, painted
25. A funny rug
26. Cookbooks aplenty
27. A large bottle
28. A safety pin
29. Stitch, the stuffed animal
30. A penny...Lincoln!

Have I mentioned how sorry I am not to actually be writing anything of value to you?