Capstone

I started off Spring Break this year with good intentions.  I was going to get a whole bunch of stuff done.  I was going to blog my cooking adventures, my gardening forays, my spackling pursuits (not really on that last one).

It didn't end well.  

In short, I planned too many things, procrastinated on about half as many, and took no account whatsoever of the weather forecast.  My last huzzah was my mid-break progress report.  It's been a week now since.  My break fizzled out with a nasty head/body achey cold thing that dragged into this week.  Sniffle, I think I'll live.  Nah, my real pursuit here is to capstone my break and bid my second to last spring break of my undergraduate career adieu properly.

I did make that list, and I stuck to it; as much as possible.  

1.  Cooking marathon!

Last episode, in the realm of cooking, I had created a splendiferously (I am amazed that the spell check didn't flag that) Irish meal of pot roast and potato cakes, topped off with a chocolate cheesecake.  I am proud to say that I made good on my list of foods to create over the week.  In addition to the meal I just described, there were enchiladas (c/o Pioneer Woman, who else?) and an Irish version of chicken pot pie.  Naturally I waited until later in the week for any more cooking creations as I was full for a solid three days after the pot roast meal.  I'm still eating leftovers, too.  Don't judge me, it's what's freezers are for.  And microwaves.  I'm a college student, what can I say?  

2.  Vegetable garden! & 3.  Compost box!

Sadly my out of doors plans were foiled by the weather.  That pesky thing, especially here in St. Louis, it's never dependable.  It rained most of the week, which caused my already mud pit of a backyard to turn into a wasteland of quicksand.  I seriously can't find my boots I wore out there the previous week.  That bad.  The gardening/composting activities are on hiatus, hopefully in a more suitable region for now, until my yard becomes walkable again.  And I find those boots.  

4.  Amiga time!

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold," is a cute little ditty I learned in Daisy Girl Scouts (it was a dark time in my life).  In any event, I enjoy spending time with old and new friends.  I had a wonderful movie date with my new friend, Amanda - cheers Amanda! - and spent plenty of time with my gal Lakota (we go way back, her and me).  California Pizza kitchen, the recent "Red Riding Hood" film, and shopping was involved.  I would say it was a splendid way to relax, indeed.  

5.  Writing time!

Lastly, yes I did get (some) writing time.  Not as much as I'd like, but then again that's one of my own fallacies anyway.  I probably couldn't do all the writing I'd want to even if I gave it my 110% because, well, I doubt I'll ever stop writing.  Did you see what I did there?  

Do you get my joke?  Because your head, it's... it's in a tuba.

Yeah yeah, I won't quit my day job.  Wait, I don't have a day job.  Well I'm hosed.  

Thus endeth the spectacular week of the spring break and now it's back to the grind.  Naturally it's pushing 3 A.M. and I'm still up.  Glad to see old habits die hard.  Speaking of old habits, I feel another list is in order.  

1. I am currently 1 (one!) DVD away from owning every movie Michelle Rodriguez has appeared in.  I'm cool (or crazy) like that.   
2. 3 A.M. is, coincidentally, one of those films I own.  
3. My dad, either through his appreciation of action flicks, or because he knows how much I love a certain aforementioned actress, (or both) took me to see Battle: Los Angeles the last day of break.  Great film. I may post more on it at a later date.  Suffice it for now to say, I will most likely go back and see it again.  
4. I recently learned that the plural of colloquium is colloquia.  I love words whose plural form is irregular and funky looking.  It adds intrigue.   
5. I recently also learned (finally) how to pronounce colloquium (kuh-low-qwee-uhm).  
6. I know of about five of my friends who are engaged and will be getting married within the next year.  I feel old.  ish.  
7. I have a milestone birthday coming up in less than a month (very excited).  
8. There is a Princess and the Frog theme in this post.  
9. I watched Princess and the Frog last week.  
10. I tried making beignets (it took me forever to find out how to spell that word) once.  On a whim.  At 11 at night.  With Lakota.  Without the proper ingredients.  It didn't end well.  My brother, on the other hand, recently made beignets and they were amazing.  What gives?

Cheers,

RF

Spring Break 2011

With each passing semester, my graduation draws closer.  I've come to appreciate how few spring breaks I have left.  That would be two, to be specific.  Now I don't have the money to take a fabulous vacation to some exotic beach, but that's not the only way to spend a spring break. 

Au contraire, not every college student is programmed to seek sex and alcohol at every chance he or she gets.  No, I plan to make the most of my spring break doing the things I want to do.  

I'm not a compulsive list maker or anything, but this is what's coming up in the world of Running Fish.  
1.  Cooking Marathon!

I've got my eye on a couple of recipes from my Pioneer Woman cookbook I got for Christmas.  I also added an Irish Pub cookbook to my repertoire recently care of a Barnes and Noble St. Patrick's Day themed display.  I couldn't resist the delicious looking recipes it contained. 

This week I plan to make a couple of recipes from these books and, of course, chronicle them in the Closet Cook section.  

2.  Vegetable Garden!

Last season I tried my hand at gardening, container gardening that is, and loved it.  This year I have come into a forlorn corner garden that has seen better days, and I have many plans.  As much as I wish I could start my seedlings, alas I cannot.  I can, however, get the garden prepared.  

This week I plan to work through my sad little garden and, as it's on a slight hill, tier it into segments for optimal vegetable planting.   
 
3.  Compost box!

This is just one more nail in my geek coffin, I suppose.  I've had lumber waiting to become a compost box since last fall.  It will become one this next week.
 
4.  Amiga Time!

This is the best part of my week!  There will be much amiga time!  

5.  Writing!

I haven't done a whole lot of personal writing in a while.  I have quite a few stories and their characters who've been relegated to the extended history space on my hard drive, probably wondering if they'll ever see daylight again.  I plan on bringing them out for a bit this week. 

Happy Spring!

RF

Listography Day 10: List Topics

The whole reason for this post series is because I live in lists.  I happened upon listography.com some moons ago and found ample creative list topics.  Here goes my final day, day ten from Ten Days of Listography.  I thought I'd wrap things up with a list of more topics generated from said website.  Happy writing!

List of recurring dreams.

People who have fascinated me recently. 

10 embarrassing moments. 

My fictitious band ideas. 

Favorite things I can cook.

Listography Day 9: Memorable Places

One day left of Ten Days of Listography and I'm talking (er, blogging?) about the most memorable places I've visited to date.

Vatican City

Rome, Italy

Monaco

Paris, France

New York City, NY

Listography Day 8: Music videos

Ten Days of Listography is starting to wrap up with day eight and the music videos I love (in no particular order).

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
(Disclaimer: it's catchy, I like to run to it, it's about human trafficking, don't judge me)



King of Anything by Sara Bereilles



Shut Me Out by Kutless



Land of Confusion (cover) by Disturbed



Invincible by Pat Benatar

Listography Day 7: Favorite dog breeds

Ten Days of Listography day seven, my top 5 breeds of dogs.  The order is just my personal preference.  I thought I'd do another picture list today!  Cheers!

#5 The German Shepherd

#4 The Siberian Husky

#3 The Newfoundland

#2 The Irish Wolfhound

#1 The Great Dane

Listography Day 6: Things I've lost

Ten Days of Listography day six, things I've lost...

A Jasmine barbie when I was a kid.

My first cell phone

The Fast and the Furious DVD

An Alice in Wonderland paperback (I left it on an airplane)

My Blockbuster card

Listography Day 5: Film quotes

Halfway mark, day five of Ten Days of Listography. After yesterday's film list, I was in the mood for movie quotes. These are some favorites.

They're sayin' goodbye in their own way, playin' outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes.

-Braveheart

You tell them that our lives can change with every breath we take... and tell 'em to hold on like hell to what they've got...you tell them we've all got meanness in us, but we've got goodness too. And the only thing worth living for is the good. And that's why we've got to make sure we pass it on.

-Where The Heart Is

Trucks came to pick up the children at the mental hospital. The other children asked where they were going. "They're going to heaven," said the nurses. So the children got on the truck singing. You think I wasn't raised right, because I felt pity for them? 

-Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions.

-Robinhood (2010)

You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs. I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.

-The Last of the Mohicans

Listography Day 4: Films I've seen recently

Day 4 of 10.  A picture list today!  These are some of the films I've seen recently.  Most for the umpteenth time.

SyFy's Alice

The Mummy

Baby Mama

The Fast and the Furious

Braveheart

Listography Day 3: Aspirations

Day 3 of Ten Days of Listography and the things I wanted to be when I was growing up.

Veteranarian.

Police officer.

President of the U.S.

Journalist

Diplomat

Listography Day 2: Favorite poems

Ten Days of Listography day numero dos.  My favorite poems and selected excerpts.  Links to full versions.  

The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe

... `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'...

The Valley of Unrest, by Edgar Allan Poe (notice a theme?)

... Ah, by no wind those clouds are driven

That rustle through the unquiet Heaven

Uneasily, from morn till even,

Over the violets there that lie

In myriad types of the human eye—

Over the lilies there that wave

And weep above a nameless grave!

They wave:—from out their fragrant tops

External dews come down in drops.

They weep:—from off their delicate stems

Perennial tears descend in gems.

There Will Come Soft Rains by Sara Teasdale

... And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone. 

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

...One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy...

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, 

Whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, 

and her name Mother of Exiles...

Listography Day 1: Things that keep me up at night

Announcing Ten Days of Listography from yours truly, because I live in lists.  This is what is on my mind today.

I have become obsessed with Listography.com.  I have written 22 lists in the past hour.

I have run every day this week.  I intend to run every day next week.  And so on.  My legs are tired.

Is attempted suicide a capital offense?

Why does it matter how important you have to be in order to be considered assassinated versus murdered?  Either way, you're dead.  Unless you're in a movie, then you might not be.

Genie said Aladdin couldn't wish for more wishes, so why didn't Aladdin just wish for more genies?