Fired up

chicken and steak fajitas

Taking advantage of the outdoor gas grill at my new apartment building. I'm still learning about indirect vs. direct heat and trying to get a grasp on that whole (wo)man vs. fire thing. The Cooks Illustrated Summer Grilling and Entertaining, 2007 has been has been my go-to for recipes and tips. Once you've had steak cooked on a hot grill you realize that the tried and true pan sear + oven + smoke-filled kitchen technique just doesn't cut it anymore. 

chicken wings with hoisin-sesame dipping sauce

The Cloisters

Kicking off Summer with a bike ride up the West side. Eight miles later we are greeted with some purple perennials and a lush view of the Hudson.

Winter Rave

I love sleeping under two comforters, it's comforting. The whole city feels muted after a snowfall. The chaos ceases to exist. This year's snow was exceptionally powdery which made kicking and stomping through Manhattan downright glorious.Winter might be my favorite season but it's marred by Christmas (not a fan), New Year's Eve (always a disappointment) and a limited array of fruits and vegetables. A gal can only eat so many brassica, gourd and citrus products. Bring on the wintry mix and arctic chill!

Summer Rant

I made a summer resolution this year to not complain about the heat in New York City. I was doing quite well until June hit and every weather report was "90 degrees, 60% humidity, feels like 100 degrees." SO, let the rant begin...

I am in a constant state of discomfort. When I'm outside I want to be inside where there is AC. When I'm inside with AC, I'm borderline too cold and wish to be outside. Do you see how this could drive a person mad? MAD.

Let it be known that I am sweaty person. Under intense heat I sweat in places I didn't know possible. I've been limiting the amount of time I wear shorts because at this point it just feels like a damp diaper. The best part of my day is when I can take off my bra and the all the steam from my chest releases into the air.

Iced beverages quickly become watered down beverages. This is actually not a bad thing when Starbucks messes up your order and gives you a million pumps of their sugar syrup even though you asked for unsweetened.

You make desserts like this:

...but fail to share with others because the thought of picnicking when the sun is at its highest point brings a hot shiver down your spine.

Then there are these random bursts of downpour and all your sweat gets mixed with the rain. I don't know why I bother moisturizing, I should just accept being sticky.

Ok, that's all for now.

So Fly

Ending the year with a bit o'travel. International flights still have the decency to serve meals to passengers, a welcome change from the overpriced snack packs they sell for domestic trips. As the stewardess' makes their way down the aisle, I imagine what traveling during the Mad Men days must have been like (sans the smoking). It's also one of the few times in my life where I have absolutely zero control over what I eat. You get what you get, if you don't like it you starve. No wonder picky 4-year olds are always having meltdowns.

My connecting flight was early in the morning so I got breakfast on both airplanes. What a great way to start the day (twice).

Seafood congee with mixed vegetables and a packet of fish flakes to sprinkle on top. Served with a side of steamed bread, a bean curd salad and assortment of grapefruit and orange segments.

Egg and cheese omelette topped with mixed vegetables and a side of hash browns. Served with a croissant and strawberry jam, strawberry yogurt and apple, melon and watermelon wedge on the side.

The congee breakfast was the clear winner. I wonder what they eat in first class, maybe congee with gold flecks. 

"Good luck to your finals"

That’s what Mom always says to me right before the end of a semester. I don’t have the heart to correct her because she probably means well.

In an attempt to be studious, every night at around 1 am I decide to pull an all-nighter. I stay up till 4 or 5 am and then pass out as the sun comes up. This is followed by 8 hours of sleep and I wake up around noon feeling refreshed. People who pull all-nighters sleep 2 hours and go to class in a haze. I am just putting myself on a weird sleep schedule.

When I get sick of listening to holiday music I get my fill of Top 40 from Z100. Spoiler alert, at around 3 am they just replay previous broadcasts. I get to relive last Wednesday all over again. I wish I could actually travel back in time but bring my 30-page paper with me. Back to the future Al could then give herself a pat on the back for being so on top of her work and congratulate herself for overcoming procrastination.

Unfortunately an M.A. doesn't give you that kind of superpower. They should put that on the admissions brochure, would have saved myself (er, my parents) thousands of dollars in tuition. 

A Match made in eHarmony

Whenever I see an oddly paired couple on the street I always assume they met online. Usually I’m right (speculation, I’ve never actually confirmed this).

Folks who are in happy relationships love to tell us single folks to try online dating. They think it’s a fun way to meet people. IT IS NOT. Attempting to find a mate online is probably one of the worst forms of torture, especially for someone whose egg count is well below 50% of what they were born with.

Online dating is like trying to buy a sweater on Gap.com but every size you order is ill-fitting. And while the return policy is quick and easy you still have to leave your apartment to mail the package. After a few trips to the closest shipping retailer, you realize maybe you just weren't meant to wear sweaters.

The only time I've successfully obtained something via online transaction is on Zappos. Probably because I tried the shoe at a store beforehand. I feel doing the equivalent of this in the online dating world would be a bit whore-ish. Also, "delivering happiness" sounds vaguely like prostitution when taken out of context. 

Usually I love a good bargain, but this may not be apropos when trying to find a mate. Greg, 32, financially stable, well-educated and loves hiking sounds like a good match until you scroll down and find out he's a vegan. You can throw a scarf around a cheap, ill-fitting sweater to salvage the outfit, but does throwing a scarf over Greg make him at least eat dairy (a life without cheese is not a life worth living)?

So to conclude, I have no sweaters and cheese is delicious.