Chocolate Is Kryptonite

Does making cake-mix cupcakes count as being productive?

2010-02-04T23:00:00.002-04:00

I'm inclined to think it doesn't. But hey, they were tasty just the same.

I'm on my last session of marking for this semester. I let things pile up a bit too much, even though I promised myself I wouldn't this time, and now I'm paying for it. Paying in hours of missed sleep, that is...

On top of that, I'm still pretty sick with this nasty cold, and it's made my back seize up as well. This is really not a week of fun, but I'm looking forward to it being over tomorrow! One more week of pregnancy down, as well--we're twenty-nine weeks in, as of tomorrow!

OK, I have to get back to marking. But I promise that as soon as that is over with, I'll focus on some more creative projects that have currently been put on hold. Maybe I'll even manage to write something interesting here instead of just whining...as soon as this cold clears up. ; )

YAWN

2010-02-03T21:38:00.002-04:00

Well, here I am at the end of my second sick-day, and while I still feel pretty crappy I am determined to get into work tomorrow and get started on the second semester. I can't really waste any time, really; I only have forty-five possible teaching days before my maternity leave starts, and I'm almost certain to lose some to snow days or appointments. I can't believe how soon this semester will be over for me, really!

I spent most of today taking it easy and getting some marking done. I really feel pretty miserable, and my back is very stiff and seized up. I'm hoping a good sleep tonight will work some kind of miracle on it all. This is the first time I've been sick since getting pregnant, and I'm pretty much ready to be finished with the whole experience. I want to be able to get moving agin; I find that even a day or two of inactivity totally kills my energy levels.

As this has been a busy and low-energy week (terrible combination!), I haven't really had any time for creative activities (aside from growing a baby, of course, but that's pretty hands-off at this stage of the game). I'm looking forward to the weekend, when I might be able to get some sewing or something done. I really want to finish my maternity pj's...preferably while I'm still pregnant!

I have been meaning to sneak in a bit of reading. I'm reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and so far it's been pretty entertaining. I don't think it really holds up to the original, which is one of my favourite indulgences, but it is funny, and I'm finding it interesting to see how the author has worked the undead into Jane Austen's landscape. I am finding it a little hard to envision Lady Catherine hosting a dojo full of ninjas, although the image of her violently destroying the walking dead is actually not much of an imaginative stretch.

Now I'm off to get ready for bed...where I will, I hope, sleep a long and peaceful sleep and awaken pain- and sniffle-free!

Yikes!

2010-02-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

Blame it on the terrible cold I'm fighting, or the fact that my head is stuffed with new-semester planning. Blame it on baby brain...although I seem to have gotten past that stage of things. Blame it on whatever you want...but it looks like I have failed at NaBloPoMo this month only two days in! I had every intention of posting last night, but I completely forgot. Maybe I can do two today to make up for it?

I called in sick yesterday, as I have a terrible cold and sore throat that also seems to be causing a lot of stiffness in my back. It was just as well that I didn't go in, in the end, as the weather was terrible and school ended up being cancelled almost immediately after everyone arrived. So, on the upside, this cold has saved me a nasty drive to and from work. On the downside, I feel miserable and can barely get around because my back is so sore.

I finally installed Windows 7 on my Dell Studio15 yesterday, and I have to say I'm impressed so far. I had been meaning to do it for a while, but kept putting it off; what finally pushed me to do it was the fact that my keyboard was having some issues and missing a lot of keystrokes. Happily, the new installation seems to have fixed the problem--for now, at least. I also like how Windows 7 handles windows, and it has some smart little features that are actually simplifying somethings--not just trying to simplify things and actually making them harder, as Microsoft products usually do.

Today I am home sick again. I'm hoping to get a bit better by tomorrow--it's a terrible time to be missing school, as the new semester is starting and I really don't have that many teaching days left before my leave anyway. I'd like to get in and get started on some things. This isn't shaping up to be a particularly exciting day, as I'm planning to rest as much as possible, but I suppose I'll post again later to sort of get myself back on track with the posting every day thing.

Decisions, decisions...

2010-02-01T21:40:00.003-04:00

Lately I feel as if I'm standing in the giant cereal aisle of life, being completely overwhelmed by the options that present themselves. I mean, it's nice to have choices, and it's fantastic to be doing big life things that we want to be doing, but between the baby and the house, I feel as if my decision-making capacity has been exceeded. Add to that the fact that it's semester turn-around time and I'm trying to decide what to try to accomplish in my courses before I hand over the reins and go on maternity leave, and my brain is just about on overload.

On the upside, we have lately made some key decisions regarding the house--largely because the time is simply getting too short to shilly-shally any longer. We have most of our painting done, which is a huge relief as it took a long time for us to decide on colours. We also picked out trim and countertop, and have almost decided on vanities for the bathrooms. I will be relieved when this is all over, though--I'm ready to move in! In preparation for the big move, I've been trying to get some sorting done in the house, and I've been purging a lot of junk. It feels great to get rid of some stuff! I think part of this cleaning drive may also be my nesting instinct kicking in. I just want to sort, clean, and get everything in order for the move and the arrival of the baby!

The downside of all of this--and of the crazy upheaval of the end of the semester--is that I haven't had much time for the kinds of projects I want to be working on. I have a pair of pajamas mostly cut out...but not put together. I have the beginnings of an appliquéed bag done...but still all the stitching and the putting together to do. I just want some time to work on these and other projects! Maybe next weekend....

We've also made the decision to cloth-diaper the baby. We did a lot of research and had a chat with a very nice lady at Nurtured (an awesome store on Robie St. in Halifax--check it out!), and we've really decided that it's the right option for us. Considering the economic and ecologic savings, as well as the health benefits for the baby, it was pretty much impossible to make any other decision. And really, cloth diaper are pretty cool now! There are a lot of options, which of course get increasingly expensive as they get increasingly convenient. However, they're still much, much cheaper than disposables. We've ordered a kit of prefolds and plan to get some all-in-ones (the convenient, pricier model) for times when we're out or when other people have the baby. I know it'll be more work, but I'll be home for a year with the baby, and I refuse to believe that we're too wimpy to deal with the challenges. One more step towards parenthood...now if only we could decide on some names!

Let's try this again...

2010-01-10T19:26:00.004-04:00

It's a new year, one with big changes ahead, and I'm determined to give this blogging thing another try. Maybe that's a little insane, seeing as I'll be moving into a new house within the next three months and having a baby within the next four...but hey, that's kind of how I like to do things.

This time around, I'm hoping that some focus will help me actually stay on track and get things posted. I'm also hoping that the blog and some other projects I want to undertake will feed each other. I want this year to be a more productive one in terms of creative/otherwise-productive projects like reading, writing, art, sewing, organizing recipes and cooking more...and so on. (I realize this may be a very ill-considered hope since the baby will take up most of my time, but still...I can dream.) So, while I'm sure this blog will sometimes deviate into the realm of daily happenings--especially around house- and baby-time--I'm also going to use it as a spot to reflect on things I'm reading, watching, listening to, creating, and doing. And next month, to keep myself extra motivated, I'm going to try NaBloPoMo. (Is it cheating to do that in February? Hee hee hee...)

Return of the Meme

2007-09-24T19:39:00.000-03:00

I wish I could say that I spent the last several months backpacking in Europe, taming wild horses in the desert, or trying to escape from the alien ship that abducted me--but sadly, my excuses for not blogging are much more mundane. I'm back, though, with this Cool Name Meme that I took from Sherry's blog. Enjoy!

1. My rock star name (first pet and current car)

Sparky Civic

2. My gangsta name (favourite ice cream flavour plus cookie, or biscuit)

Chocolate Chip Mint Shortbread (I think I'd be hard-pressed to find a gang...)

3. My fly girl name (first letter of first name, first three letters of last name)

K-Mil (before I was married, I would have been the much-cooler K-Mac)

4. My detective name (favourite colour, favourite animal)

Blue Horse

5. My soap opera name (middle name, city of birth)

Colleen North Sydney (yikes!) (At least, I think that's technically where I was born...)

6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name)

Mil-Kr (That's right, I work at the galactic dairy farm)

7. My superhero name (second favourite colour, favourite drink, add “the”)

The Pink Rye'n'Ginger (almost sounds like a disease)

8. My Nascar name (the first names of your grandfathers)

George Russell

9. My stripper name (favourite perfume, favourite sweet)

White Musk Chocolate (whoa...classy or what? :)

10. My witness protection name (mother’s and father’s middle names)

Lillian Francis

11. My weather anchor name (fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city beginning with the same letter)

Bailey Baltimore (this is a great name!)

12. My spy name (favourite season/flower)

Summer Lily

13. Cartoon name (favourite fruit plus garment you’re wearing, with an “ie” or “y” added)

Peach Sockie (sounds like I'd be spunky!)

14. Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast plus favourite tree)

Toast Oak (this is hilarious)

15. Your rockstar tour name (favourite hobby plus favourite weather element, with “the” and “tour”)

The Reading Sunshine Tour (Hee hee hee--Sherry, I just looked at your answer to this--guess we're pretty similar!)

Krista likes to...

2007-04-25T19:50:00.000-03:00

This was a meme I found and did on Facebook, but I thought it was funny so I'm reposting it here.

Go to Google and type in quotation marks your name and then "likes to" (ex. "Tom likes to"). Type in the first ten things that come up and repost in your own note.

1. When not working, Krista likes to go camping and hiking. (true enough)

2. Krista likes to match wits with others. (true at times...though this often results in losing...)

3. Having grown up in many different countries, Krista likes to think of herself as a citizen of the world. (uh...no)

4. Krista likes to work with a variety of fabrics, such as coated linen, ultra suede, and denim, then add special trimming to complete each bag. (sounds like fun)

5. In her spare time Krista likes to listen to music, read, play the drums, and sleep. (everything but the bit about the drums)

6. Krista likes to swim and play soccer. (swimming good...soccer bad)

7. When not rooting on the Tigers, Krista likes to watch The Price is Right and cheer for the Yankees. ( ha ha ha ha ha...)

8. Krista likes to climb the jungle gym at the park. (um...maybe?)

9. Her friend, Krista likes to take milk bathes and so she and the Frankenstein girl go off to the old, deserted caves to take a gratuitous dip in the hot springs that's inside one of the caves. (riiiight...)

10. In her free time, Krista likes to write, hike, ski and be outside. (haven't skiied in years, but sure)

Tag! You're it!

Little Green Babies

2007-04-15T21:22:00.000-03:00

So, an update on the status of my lately-planted seeds...

The mesembryanthemum were the first to appear, and I think they are bent on world-domination. I checked at breakfast one morning--nothing doing. By the end of the day, there were a multitude of sprouts and they had somehow reached the impressive height of about a centimetre. They are now about double that height, and I've lowered the light to try to keep them from reaching too much--part of their diabolical plan, I'm sure.

Next were the foxglove--many, many teeny-tiny leaves of the most incredible green. The echinacea and pansies are covered in black plastic because they like to germinate in the dark (more modest than the others, perhaps?); I peeked under today and spied a few yellowish, alien-looking shoots. Also, although I'm sure nothing was up in my tray of painted daisies this morning, by the end of the afternoon there was at least one surprisingly-big leaf.

I have now become absurdly anxious about all the infant foliage. I have been checking lighting, soil moisture, and temperature constantly. How am I going to last through eight weeks of this? The next thing you know, I'll be rocking them and singing lullabies...

But one day, she returned...

2007-04-10T21:30:00.000-03:00

I didn't mean to be away from this for so long! I even started a post one night, but had to abandon it to the draft folder when I realized it was far too late at night. The last week has been a busy one!

Last Thursday night, my husband and I went to visit my family and attended the annual Seder supper held by the United Church there. I had attended once before, and both times found it quite interesting. I think it is so important for people to be aware of the traditions of other cultures, and I like the way Passover can be tied to the Christian communion. My favourite part of the ritual, I think, is when the door is opened and everyone stands to greet Elijah. What would happen if he actually came in sometime? : )

On Saturday, I began working on a Renaissance gown I am making. It is quite a bit of work, but it should be beautiful when it is done. I got a lot of the cutting-out done on Saturday, but had to stop eventually as it is exhausting and hard on the back! Also, I was fighting a headache all day, which carried on...

...into Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, still at home with my family, we had the traditional egg-hunt--which, at my mother's house, is rather...competitive. My siblings and I are all adults now, and those of us who still go home for the egg-hunt (along with some of my nieces) tend to get a bit physical when Mom hints that someone is near a hidden egg. My brother is the strongest, so he has a bit of an advantage, but the rest of us rely on speed, subterfuge, and occasionally tickling!

After the egg-hunt, we had a delicious dinner, and then my husband and I had to drive back up here for...another delicious dinner, this time with his family. I shudder to think of the number of calories we consumed that day.

On Monday, the headache that had started Saturday reached a horrible peak. I had a terrific pain behind my eye that at one point brought me to tears, and nothing I took seemed to do anything for it. I used to get headaches like this at one point when I was in the fourth year of my Bachelor's degree, but that was almost five years ago and I haven't had one this bad since then. It completely exhausted me, and then kept waking me up all night! This morning I could feel it starting to come on again, so I called in sick and went back to bed; I knew if it got as bad as it had yesterday, I would have been stranded because it was making me so light-sensitive I could barely uncover my eyes, let alone drive. I slept for three hours, after which the headache had receded enough to allow me to get up and get some things done.

I used my brief pain-free spell to get some seeds planted. We are about nine weeks from last frost here, which means it is time to start planting some flowers. Today I planted echinacea, mesembryanthemums, two varieties of pansies, snapdragons, lavender, painted daisies, and foxglove. It has been years since I have started seeds, and I am very excited! I know it will be months before I have flowers, but I can hardly wait. I love summer and flowers!

Anyway, this time at the computer has made my head a little uncomfortable again, so I'm off--with noble aims of more regular posting, and less rambling about my day-to-day life.

One of those weeks...

2007-03-27T22:02:00.000-03:00

Aargh! Apparently, it's not enough that I'm extra-tired this week due to lack of sleep. No, there have to be a few more things thrown into the mix.

Yesterday we had a practice scheduled for the play I am co-directing at my school, and we encountered some unexpected casting problems. This would have been frustrating enough a few weeks ago, but at this point--when we are really wondering how we can pull this thing together in the time frame we have--it was kind of unbelievable. We're kind of scrambling to fill in the gaps now, but so far our rapidly-concocted contingency plan seems to be working out.

This morning, I was getting ready for work when my husband informed me that our hot-water tank--which is housed in our pantry, since our ancient house has only an earthen hole for a basement--was leaking. It turned out to be only a minor inconvenience, as the new one arrived and was installed by 5:30 this evening, but at a time when we are trying to save for a mortgage so we can get OUT of this house, it is frustrating to have to pour more money into it.

However, this evening was a bit more relaxing. My husband's parents had a nutrient-management plan done for the family farm, and we all had supper this evening with the woman who prepared the plan. After supper, she went through the plan and explained the science of it all, which was really quite interesting! I think I was a little surprised that the chemistry of it (the basics, anyway) were so easy to understand. It is neat to know not just what should be done but also WHY it should be done.

Anyway, now I am off to bed, with hopes that tomorrow will be problem-free (or at least that any problems that are yet to arrive can be dealt with as easily as the others).

Four Things

2007-03-26T21:17:00.000-03:00

A meme? Why not? From the blog of Thomas Vander Wal.

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Highschool teacher
2. University English tutor
3. Assistant program coordinator at an exhibition/fair
4. Paper girl

Four Movies I Can Watch Over And Over:
1. Amélie
2. Bollywood/Hollywood
3. Russian Ark
4. The Importance of Being Earnest

Four Places I've Lived:
1. Sydney Mines, NS
2. Halifax, NS
3. Ottawa, ON
4. St. John's, NL

Four TV Shows I Love:
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Firefly
3. Wonderfalls
4. Battlestar Galactica (The only one that hasn't been cancelled...let's hope this isn't a sign!)

Four Places I've Vacationed:
1. Greece
2. Boston, MA
3. The Cabot Trail, NS (so many times...still beautiful!)
4. Moncton, NB

Four Of My Favourite Dishes:
1. Thai Cashew Chicken
2. Vegetable Dansak
3. Sweet and Sour Chicken (I'm getting hungry...)
4. Does pie count?

Four Sites I Visit Daily:
1. www.foundmagazine.com
2. www.postsecret.com
3. www.irregularwebcomic.net/
4. www.youtube.com

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. Athens, Greece
2. Café Shafali, an Indian restaurant in Ottawa, ON (told you I was getting hungry!)
3. Anywhere on horseback
4. Bed (soon to be there...)

Four Bloggers I'm Tagging:
If four people read this I'll be surprised...it's pretty new--but if you're one of them, consider yourself tagged!

Inaugural Blogural

2007-03-26T20:55:00.000-03:00

I realized about half an hour ago that Monday was NOT a good day to attempt this whole blog-setup project. I am tired, tired, tired, and my brain is, well, even less functional than it usually is on a Monday evening. I'm beginning to think March Break was not a great thing for me; the week off was wonderful, but since then I seem to be off my teaching game.

It probably isn't helping my state of mind that the weather has been rather unpredictable lately (yes, I'm a Canadian, it is obligatory for me to talk about the weather at least once). The sun has reappeared like a long-lost explorer who was believed to have frozen to death and been eaten by his dogs, and though it was still quite brisk outside, most of the snow melted away. Last week I enjoyed several straight days of a clear windshield and dry roads. This morning, however, the car was covered with a thick layer of frost, and it was only by using the clawed side of the scraper that I was able to clear the windows at all. Of course, this occurred on a day when I had to pick up three other people for the half-hour drive to town. Winter was a long time coming this year, but I am now thoroughly sick of it and positively longing for summer. I feel like the sun is teasing me; it looks so nice outside that I'm itching to go for a run, but one sniff outside the door tells me the air hasn't warmed up enough to be comfortable for breathing.

In an ideal world, with infinite resources, I could jet off tomorrow for Greece (and somehow timewarp ahead to the time of the golden summer heat). My husband and I honeymooned there last summer, and it is hard to believe that the weather we enjoyed there and the weather we were pummeled by here (and it was an easy winter, by most standards) can exist on the same planet. I would like to spend a few weeks, I think, like this:

Not only were these kitties obviously enjoying the sun when we happened upon them, but they were also sprawled on the stones next to an enormous and beautiful ancient theatre!