...to "Becoming Dr. Brightside"
(doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it?)
BIG NEWS yall...Yesterday morning I got a call from the prog. coordinator at the University of Miami offering me a spot in their Counseling Psych PhD program!!!! I had been on the waitlist for several weeks and was considering just taking the Master's offer and calling it a day. I'm so glad I waited!!
I AM SO HYPE :-D
I'll finish up at my current job at the end of May and head back to the VI shortly thereafter to spend the summer at home before moving to Miami to start school this Fall. This is going to be a huge transition for me. I've spent the majority of the last 6 years living in DC. Most of my friends are here now! I know the city well and I've really loved living here. It's going to be weird to leave....
Well, that's life for ya! Time to turn a new page and start a new chapter. I'll be in Miami for at least 4 years - 5 if I do my internship there as well. In the meantime I gotta start scrambling to do the DC things I've shamefully neglected to do over the past 6 years. First up, going to see the Cherry Blossoms this weekend. Other than that, I'm planning to do a once-over of the museums, Arlington Cemetery and the other tourist highlights. There are lots of other things I'm blanking on, but you get the point.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
Ok moving on. This past weekend Nix and I stayed up til (no lie) 3:30am baking LOL. I literally left a bar to go home and bake...weird huh? Anywho, I made an old favorite recipe that my Mom used to make all the time. It's quite appropriately called Anna's Swedish Butter Cake and it is YUM YUM YUM! (you can find it with a simple google search). I made the chocolate variation and topped it with the pecan/coconut German chocolate cake frosting. Quite delicious!!! I plan to tweak the recipe a smidge next time to up the moisture factor in the cake, but overall it was bomb. We also made hazelnut thumbprint cookies with jam filling with were delicious even though we (Nix lol) over-roasted the hazelnuts...and hazelnute chocolate (Nutella) cookies that were scrumptious...and are sitting in our freezer waiting for us to give out bodies a break and then use them to make ice cream sandwiches....mmmmmmm!
Monday night I whipped up another batch of the chili I made a few weeks ago. I basically made the same bulgur wheat and bean version but added ground beef. Honestly, I thought my last batch was better, but Nix and Roomie thoroughly enjoyed this one too. I also made (from scratch) cornbread muffins. I made muffins for built-in portion control...there's something easier about cutting another slice versus taking an entire second (or thurd!) muffin. These are also great spread with jelly for a snack!
Last night Nix and I had the second free salmon fillet (if you remember, she got them free when she filled a prescription at Giant lol). We sauteed it in the pan first with canola and sesame oil, then baked it for about 5 minutes with a soy-ginger marinade from Trader Joe's. Quite delicious but I think it could have been more tender....Nix thinks I'm to critical of my cooking...she's right lol.
K, that's it for today!
Today's *big chunes* are from Lyfe Jennings...two versions to his song "Brand New"
"original" feat TI:
remix feat lil wayne:
:-D
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
dreams, news, and food
The night before last I had a dream in which I was moving (away, presumably). I don't remember any of the details except for seeing a lot of furniture. When I was in HS I took AP Psych and my teacher would sometimes "interpret" our dreams. Really it just involves looking up meanings associated with certain symbols and themes and then applying the interpretations to your life. It sounds cooky, but I really enjoy doing this (surprise, surprise). I find that the elements of my dreams tend to make sense in terms of what's going on in my life at the time. Anywho, here are the dream dictionary entries for "moving" and "furniture" (via dream moods dictionary):
To dream that you are moving away, signifies your desire or need for change. It may also mean an end to a situation or relationship; you are moving on. Alternatively, it indicates your determination and issues regarding dependence/independence.
To see furniture in your dream, represents how you feel about yourself and your family. It refers to your relationships with others and how they fit into your life. meanings by DreamMoods.com
To dream that you are moving furniture, indicates that you are going out of your way to please others. Also, you may be changing your ways and trying to reevaluate your relationships/attitudes. Consider how easy or how difficult it is to move the furniture as they may indicate the level of burden or responsibility you are feeling.
To see old or worn furniture in your dream, symbolizes outdated attitudes, former relationships, and/or old ways of thinking.
Interesante, no? Man oh man if yall only know how applicable these themes/interpretations are! As you know, I've gotten disappointed news regarding grad school over the past few weeks. I began thinking about alternatives if I didn't get in. To say that moving/change have been on my mind is quite accurate. The really interesting thing is the meaning associated with furniture -- that it regards family and how they fit into your life. Without
Now, for the news! Yesterday (i.e., the day after I had this dream) I found out that I've been offered a spot in the Master's program at one of the schools at which I am on the waitlist for the Ph.D program!!!! YAY! This was an immense relief because up until yesterday all I had were a pending decision, 2 waitlist spots, and rejections...ouch :-/
Needless to say, this is super super exciting for me. That being said, I also found out that I am very high on the waitlist at the same school's PhD program. One key difference? How much I have to pay...the Master's will mean me coming heavy out of pocket. The Ph.D program provides great funding. Sooooo, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed that something may open up. If not, Master's it is...where there's a will, there's a way :-D
Finally, FOOOOOOD. This week, Nix and I made our own pizza, with a store-bought dough crust. It's a great way to control what goes in (on) your food, and how it is cooked. We did a yummy veggie pizza with fresh mozzarella cheese slices. Yum, yum yum! (btw, these pics don't do the food justice, because they're taken on my phone...but you get the point!)
We're going to start experimenting with different types of pizza as well. For example, a mediteranean style pizza with hummus instead of red marinara sauce, and more greek-inspired toppings. Another good one would be a mexican pizza with ground beef, beans, corn, etc. Oh man I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
The other cool thing we did this week was use some leftover cupcakes that nix took one day for class to make a heavenly indulgence called cake balls. Because I subscribe to an embarrassingly high number of food blogs, I'm always getting great ideas for recipes. This one is a super easy and different thing to do when you have cupcakes (or cake) that didn't come out great or that taste good but with which you want to do something fun. All we did was crumble up the cupcakes, mix the crumbs with a peanut butter frosting (a "stroke of genius" on my sis's part, right Nix?), form into balls, and coat in melted chocolate.
The great thing about this (aside from how on they taste) is that it's not really is "recipe" in the sense that you need to follow it exactly, so you can do whatever variations float your boat. For example, we're planning to do a take on German chocolate cake with these.
As far as upcoming cooking, we're traveling out of town this weekend so we'll be baking up some goodies for our hosts. I'll take pics and let yall know how everything turns out.
Today's *big chune* comes from Zouk artist Kenedy, originally from Guadelope. I really like zouk but I don't know too much about who the big/best artists are (Ms. O, a little insight?). And I wanted to make a Pandora station but nothing came up for zouk, Kenedy or several other artists I tried. Anyway, enjoy!
:-D
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
(how) did you fill out your census form?
Last week I filled out my first Census form ever. I admit, I was actually looking forward to receiving it and "being counted." lol. Most of my excitement was the ability to "check all that apply" under the race category. The 2000 Census was the first time respondents were allowed to do so. About 6.8 million Americans, 2.4 percent of the population, checked more than one racial box. I'm assuming my mom would have filled this out for me (and my other siblings) and marked the appropriate boxes, but it was nice to do it myself this time.
For multiple reasons, the Census is always a big strumu (that's a VI term basically meaning controversy in this instance, I have no idea the proper spelling lol) but particularly because it is a large determining factor for a lot of state and federal funding. In particular, advocates for minorities are especially concerned about their number being counted. It's actually quite a sticky subject. In fact, some black groups were against allowing multiracial individuals to choose more than one race, because of how this would affect the population counts. Kenneth Prewitt, who directed the 2000 census, said some civil-rights groups have resisted the concept of checking more than one race out of fear that it will dilute their influence. As someone whose job is all about data and statistics, I have to say that the more detail they collect the better. I did a huge project at work looking at racial/ethnic disparities in child health and believe me, these things make a difference.
Anyway, I did my duty and filled out my form the day I got it in the mail. And it made me quite happy to check two boxes :-) This made me think about times when I couldn't check more than one box. I don't remember every time, but I actually think I would sometimes choose "black", sometimes "other." I would never check white if I could only choose one. I guess I've fallen victim to the "one-drop rule" mentality lol.
The whole issue of racial (self)-identificaton is fascinating to me. The other day I read a tidbit about how bi-racial actress (and wife of Ribin Thicke) Paula Patton is actually offended by the term biracial. This was quite perplexing to me as a headline, but she explains it somewhat in an interview: “I find [the term biracial] offensive. It’s a way for people to separate themselves from African-Americans….a way of saying ‘I’m better than that...I’m black because that’s the way the world sees me. People aren’t calling Barack Obama biracial. Most people think there’s a black president….People judged me because I was light-skinned. [They'd assume] I didn’t want to be part of the black race.”
While I respect her opinion, I can't say that I agree with her. I identify as biracial not because I think I'm better than or want to separate myself from African Americans. I say that I am biracial because it is a more accurate description of who I am and how I identify. It would be even more accurate to reflect that I am West Indian or Caribbean black and white, but I suppose those specific categories are captured in other more detailed surveys by the Census Bureau and others.
In any case, I was happy to be able to choose more than one race on my form. I actually am happy whenever I fill out forms and am allowed to do so. The "check all" option actually occurs almost all the time now. I rarely am forced to choose. (By the way, there was a great study done looking at task performance of multiracial individuals allowed to identify all their racial components compared to those who were instructed to choose only one. Those who were allowed to choose more than one performed better on tasks than those who were forced to choose one!)
Of course, there are issues for other demographic groups as well. If you find this stuff interesting, check out this article.
So, did you fill out your Census form? Did you think about this stuff at all?? Any other issues come up for you filling out the form? What do you think about Paula Patton's comments?
Of course you know today's *big chune* had to come from a mixie right?? Remember the group Groove Theory, most known for their big chune Tell Me? Well, the lead singer is Amel Larrieux (black mom, white dad), who went on to release her own albums. I couldn't pick between two of my favorite songs of hers so today is a 2-for-1 ;-) She has some other great ones too though, so check her out.
"For Real"
"Weary"
:-D
For multiple reasons, the Census is always a big strumu (that's a VI term basically meaning controversy in this instance, I have no idea the proper spelling lol) but particularly because it is a large determining factor for a lot of state and federal funding. In particular, advocates for minorities are especially concerned about their number being counted. It's actually quite a sticky subject. In fact, some black groups were against allowing multiracial individuals to choose more than one race, because of how this would affect the population counts. Kenneth Prewitt, who directed the 2000 census, said some civil-rights groups have resisted the concept of checking more than one race out of fear that it will dilute their influence. As someone whose job is all about data and statistics, I have to say that the more detail they collect the better. I did a huge project at work looking at racial/ethnic disparities in child health and believe me, these things make a difference.
Anyway, I did my duty and filled out my form the day I got it in the mail. And it made me quite happy to check two boxes :-) This made me think about times when I couldn't check more than one box. I don't remember every time, but I actually think I would sometimes choose "black", sometimes "other." I would never check white if I could only choose one. I guess I've fallen victim to the "one-drop rule" mentality lol.
The whole issue of racial (self)-identificaton is fascinating to me. The other day I read a tidbit about how bi-racial actress (and wife of Ribin Thicke) Paula Patton is actually offended by the term biracial. This was quite perplexing to me as a headline, but she explains it somewhat in an interview: “I find [the term biracial] offensive. It’s a way for people to separate themselves from African-Americans….a way of saying ‘I’m better than that...I’m black because that’s the way the world sees me. People aren’t calling Barack Obama biracial. Most people think there’s a black president….People judged me because I was light-skinned. [They'd assume] I didn’t want to be part of the black race.”
While I respect her opinion, I can't say that I agree with her. I identify as biracial not because I think I'm better than or want to separate myself from African Americans. I say that I am biracial because it is a more accurate description of who I am and how I identify. It would be even more accurate to reflect that I am West Indian or Caribbean black and white, but I suppose those specific categories are captured in other more detailed surveys by the Census Bureau and others.
In any case, I was happy to be able to choose more than one race on my form. I actually am happy whenever I fill out forms and am allowed to do so. The "check all" option actually occurs almost all the time now. I rarely am forced to choose. (By the way, there was a great study done looking at task performance of multiracial individuals allowed to identify all their racial components compared to those who were instructed to choose only one. Those who were allowed to choose more than one performed better on tasks than those who were forced to choose one!)
Of course, there are issues for other demographic groups as well. If you find this stuff interesting, check out this article.
So, did you fill out your Census form? Did you think about this stuff at all?? Any other issues come up for you filling out the form? What do you think about Paula Patton's comments?
Of course you know today's *big chune* had to come from a mixie right?? Remember the group Groove Theory, most known for their big chune Tell Me? Well, the lead singer is Amel Larrieux (black mom, white dad), who went on to release her own albums. I couldn't pick between two of my favorite songs of hers so today is a 2-for-1 ;-) She has some other great ones too though, so check her out.
"For Real"
"Weary"
:-D
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
quinoa banana bread, take 2
As I mentioned in my last post, on Sunday I decided to re-make a recipe for Quinoa Banana Bread that I got off a box of quinoa flakes. The first time I made it, the bread came out ok, but definitely needed some work. It was rather dense, a bit on the dry side and seemed to lack the traditional banana-ness with which this yummy baked good is associated. But! I saw the promise lol. So I decided to make it again, with my own tweaks. First up, I added another banana. 2 just hadn't cut it. Next, I added another tablespoon of honey (the only sweetener in the recipe). Finally, I added some of my not-quite-firm homemade yogurt. (My failed attempts at making yogurt have actually been pretty useful for several other things). I also added some nutmeg and vanilla extract for some extra flavor. Finally, I lowered the baking temperature (the original recipe is for muffins, so I had to decrease the oven temp and increase the cooking time, to compensate - although last time I think I left it in the oven too long).
So, how did it come out???
IT WAS AWESOME!!! I really think all my changes were on point. Of course, as the baker it's sometimes hard to know whether you just like something b/c you made it lol...but Nix agreed that it was much improved and super yummy. The cool thing about this recipe is that is uses no flour and no sugar. The "flour" is replaced by quinoa flakes (basically flattened quinoa) and quinoa flour. You could buy quinoa flour separately, but I chose to grind the quinoa flakes in Nix's VitaMix blender to "make" my own quinoa flour. I also think adding my homemade yogurt was CLUTCH in this recipe. It was soooo moist! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
The other day I mentioned to Nix that we should start a video blog to chronicle our cooking adventures. I honestly doubt that will happen anytime soon, but it's a cool idea huh! Maybe this summer when we both have more free time on our hands.
That's all for tonight....wait until you see what we made tonight! I'll post about that tomorrow ;-) Oh, we also tried something different with our pancakes but adding some grated carrots - sort of like carrot cake pancakes...We didn't get much carrot flavor, so we'll add more next time and let yall know how they taste.
Today's *big chune* is some bachata flavor from a favorite group of mine - Aventura out of the Dominican Republic. This is the song that started my love for them...I first heard it in HS.
:-D
Sunday, March 21, 2010
how i spent my weekend
First of all, WTF is going on with the tourney this year?! And wtf were my Hoyas doing last Thursday?! ugh!
Like most people, I live for the weekend. This weekend did not disappoint. Yesterday, I went to the hair salon for my usual hookup (if any DC-based people are looking for a great one, I go to Perry at Bogart Salon in Georgetown. Note: I don't get touchups here cuz they are waaaay overpriced, but cuts are affordable). I'm trying (again) to go natural and grow out my relaxer, but I haven't gotten very far yet lol. Anyway, as a woman - and a "woman of color" - my hair is pretty to key to how I look and thus how I feel about myself. And my hair was in desperate need of a trim. Then last night, my friend T and I went to dinner and to see Our Family Wedding, which was cute - not great, but cute. Good time! (Btw, am I the only person who doesn't think Lance Gross is as fine as all the hype he gets??)
Moving right along....
Today was especially awesome. Now that I have pretty much recovered from the wisdom teeth surgery, I can eat normal food again. We started off my getting back into our weekend tradition of pancakes. They were yummmmmy! I've been trying to make my own yogurt and ending up with it too runny...not great for eating straight, but perfect for adding to batters (like my pancakes) and to smoothies. I'm going to try and get the yogurt down though! I'll post once I do.
Then, Nix and I went on a really long, awesome walk and found a new trail/path. Next, we went to Williams Sonoma for their Sunday cooking demonstrations. This week was cakes/cupcakes. OMG I LOVE this store. There is soooo much cool stuff in here. The highlight of the demonstration was the mini-upside-down pineapple cakes. ohhhhh sooooo gooooood. I also spent at least two hours this weekend browsing food blogs and adding to my Springpad.
Have you seen a common theme here yet? FOOD! As I have sort of alluded to, but not quite admitted, I am obsessed with cooking/baking. You know how most men's tv's stay on ESPN and/or this is the first channel they check to see what's on? Well, for me (and Nix) The Channel is FOOD NETWORK. I am absolutely in love with Food Network. My favorite show is probably Giada at Home. Giada is so freakin cute! And she gets sooo excited and straight-up tickled by everything she makes. I love Giada at Home because she always incorporates something about her family/friends into her show. Examples: Her husband Scott and a friend are going surfing, so they need a nice meal after; 2 friends are studying Italian and have a trip planned so she has them over to introduce their taste buds to some authentic Italian flavor; and her sister brings her son over to have a play date with Giada's daughter, who is soooo freakin cute!!! Another favorite is Iron Chef America. OMG this show is sick. If you've never watched an episode please do yourself a favor and watch it. Man oh man I love this channel.
Given all this, I've decided to start blogging more about my (and Nix's) culinary adventures. I'll talk more about what I'm eating and cooking (including pics!)
Tonight, I made honey/dijon glazed salmon. (Aside, Nix got this salmon free from Giant when she filled a prescription....random.) It was soooooo yummy and so easy! I seared it in a skillet first to get them browned, then finished them off (after glazing with the honey-dijon mixture) in the oven for 10 minutes. They came out perfect!! Nix also put together a concoction of caramelized onions, roasted cauliflower, and crumbled goat cheese. Yum!! (See pic!!!)
When I'm done writing this, I'm gonna start on my revised version of the quinoa banana bread that I made a few weeks ago. Also coming up this week: homemade chili, cornbread (from scratch), homemade veggie pizza, and probably more salmon (Nix got 2 free fillets lol).
Alrighty, that's all for now. More to come later in the week.
Today's *big chune* is old-school...I'm actually a big fan of Xscape and you don't know how late I was in realizing that TI's boo, Tiny, was in this group lol. Anyway, this song is Who Can I Run To.
:-D
Thursday, March 18, 2010
6 happiness tips from tal ben-shahar
In my post about natural versus synthetic happiness I mentioned psychologist and author Tal Ben-Sahar
who is one of the leading voices in positive psychology. I remembered today that I had bookmarked some of his advice to come back to later...so here they are!
6 Happiness Tips from Tal Ben-Shahar
- Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.
- Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning.
- Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?
- Simplify! We are, generally, too busy, trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.
- Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don't do — with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.
- Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.
It is soooo beautiful in DC this week! Yesterday and today I spent a good deal of my lunch break outside! I work a few blocks from the White House so today I sat in the park across from it :-)
In school news, I got a call yesterday from Georgia State. The professor was just trying to get a sense of my fit and interest in the Master's program in School Psychology - because I had originally applied to the Counseling Psych PhD program. The convo went well but b/c my application was transferred late in the process I'm not going to get my hopes too high. He seemed pretty confident that I'd make the wait list though. We shall see...
I'm also really looking forward to an event I'm going to tonight. I'm a member of the GTown Alumni Admissions Interview Committee and this evening I'm representing GU at a local high school's college night.
And tonight also marks the start of March Madness. Go Hoyas!!
Today's big chune is (i think) the latest from one of my favorite reggae artist's - Jah Cure. Shout outs to Bex for sending it to me. Not my fav or his, but it's cool. By the way, riddim names CRACK ME UP. The song is called "Never Say Never" and it's off the Stonehenge Riddim. LOL
:-D
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
you don't have to be irish to be lucky
I haven't given up on the blog! I just had a rough week and needed to take a little break :-)
Updates: As of now I haven't gotten into any of the grad schools to which I applied (hence my bad week *smile*). I'm still waiting to hear from two Master's programs - all the other "nos" have been from PhD programs...so no Dr. Brightside anytime soon. I'm not gonna lie, I was really really down about this last week. I put in a lot of work, time and even money into this process...and I came soooo close by making it to the interview round at 3 schools. I was sort of a hot mess for one day but now I'm feeling pretty good about everything.
Some people may think that saying "everything happens for a reason" is a way to take yourself out of the equation of life...and see yourself as being at the whim of the world. I disagree. I feel confident that I put a great amount of effort into my goal. Having fallen short of the ultimate goal (a PhD) I am now comfortable with the fact that perhaps that particular aim wasn't meant to be (right now if ever). The way I see it, maybe what life has in store for me doesn't require a PhD. Maybe it would have been something that I wasn't prepared for and ended up being stuck in. Whatever the case, I still have some options to go back to school, and I'm waiting anxiously on those. But don't worry, I already have some backup plans in mind :-)
In other news, I got all four wisdom teeth extracted last week...another big reason why I haven't felt like writing. I just felt ick all weekend...I spent the majority of the time lying around with Nix (she got her's out last week too lol) watching Food Network and movies. I saw The Hurt Locker, The Lucky Ones, The Hangover, Did You Hear About the Morgans, and Up in the Air....as you can see I did a lot of nothing this weekend!
Those are my major updates. I'll get back to writing more regularly from now on.
Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to write a little bit about luck. The interesting thing about luck is that it's sort of hard to define and people have many different views about it. It's generally thrown around in a nonchalant manner. People often speak of themselves as being lucky/unlucky but not in a very concrete way...after all, you can't really measure luck. One thing you'll often hear me say is that I have bad luck when it comes to chance (i.e., I don't win drawings or bingo or those sorts of things) but I have amazing life luck. Stuff works out for me! Another way I express this is by acknowledging and appreciating that I am blessed. But, this doesn't mean that everything in my life is perfect and goes exactly how I want it to...it just means that things happen in a way that I feel good about and that are providential even if not according to plan.
The other day I read this interesting article on luck, based on research that revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four basic principles. They:
Unlucky people tend to be creatures of routine....for example, taking the same route to and from work and talking to the same types of people at parties. Conversely, many lucky people try to introduce variety into their lives. The article gives an amusing anecdote about how someone thought of a color before arriving at a party and then introduced himself to people wearing that color. Apparently, this kind of behaviour boosts the likelihood of chance opportunities by introducing variety.
Lucky people tend to see the positive side of their ill fortune. One easy way of doing this is to imagine how things could have been (or could be) worse. For example, in one interview, a volunteer arrived with his leg in a plaster cast and described how he had fallen down a flight of stairs....he cheerfully explained that he felt luckier than he had before....because he could have broken his neck. Now that is one way to look on the bright side...although I guess it's more like looking at the darkside and being glad you're not there lol. I tend to do this a lot...
In celebration of St. Patty's Day, focus on your luck this week by taking notice of chance opportunities, listening to your intuition, expecting to be lucky, and being more resilient to bad luck!
Today's *big chune* is from Corinne Bailey Rae, who released her second album a few weeks ago. After listening through a few times, I've decided this is one of my favs.
:-D
Updates: As of now I haven't gotten into any of the grad schools to which I applied (hence my bad week *smile*). I'm still waiting to hear from two Master's programs - all the other "nos" have been from PhD programs...so no Dr. Brightside anytime soon. I'm not gonna lie, I was really really down about this last week. I put in a lot of work, time and even money into this process...and I came soooo close by making it to the interview round at 3 schools. I was sort of a hot mess for one day but now I'm feeling pretty good about everything.
Some people may think that saying "everything happens for a reason" is a way to take yourself out of the equation of life...and see yourself as being at the whim of the world. I disagree. I feel confident that I put a great amount of effort into my goal. Having fallen short of the ultimate goal (a PhD) I am now comfortable with the fact that perhaps that particular aim wasn't meant to be (right now if ever). The way I see it, maybe what life has in store for me doesn't require a PhD. Maybe it would have been something that I wasn't prepared for and ended up being stuck in. Whatever the case, I still have some options to go back to school, and I'm waiting anxiously on those. But don't worry, I already have some backup plans in mind :-)
In other news, I got all four wisdom teeth extracted last week...another big reason why I haven't felt like writing. I just felt ick all weekend...I spent the majority of the time lying around with Nix (she got her's out last week too lol) watching Food Network and movies. I saw The Hurt Locker, The Lucky Ones, The Hangover, Did You Hear About the Morgans, and Up in the Air....as you can see I did a lot of nothing this weekend!
Those are my major updates. I'll get back to writing more regularly from now on.
Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to write a little bit about luck. The interesting thing about luck is that it's sort of hard to define and people have many different views about it. It's generally thrown around in a nonchalant manner. People often speak of themselves as being lucky/unlucky but not in a very concrete way...after all, you can't really measure luck. One thing you'll often hear me say is that I have bad luck when it comes to chance (i.e., I don't win drawings or bingo or those sorts of things) but I have amazing life luck. Stuff works out for me! Another way I express this is by acknowledging and appreciating that I am blessed. But, this doesn't mean that everything in my life is perfect and goes exactly how I want it to...it just means that things happen in a way that I feel good about and that are providential even if not according to plan.
Those who think they're unlucky should change their outlook and
discover how to generate good fortune.
The other day I read this interesting article on luck, based on research that revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four basic principles. They:
- are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities
- make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition
- create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations
- adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good
Unlucky people tend to be creatures of routine....for example, taking the same route to and from work and talking to the same types of people at parties. Conversely, many lucky people try to introduce variety into their lives. The article gives an amusing anecdote about how someone thought of a color before arriving at a party and then introduced himself to people wearing that color. Apparently, this kind of behaviour boosts the likelihood of chance opportunities by introducing variety.
Lucky people tend to see the positive side of their ill fortune. One easy way of doing this is to imagine how things could have been (or could be) worse. For example, in one interview, a volunteer arrived with his leg in a plaster cast and described how he had fallen down a flight of stairs....he cheerfully explained that he felt luckier than he had before....because he could have broken his neck. Now that is one way to look on the bright side...although I guess it's more like looking at the darkside and being glad you're not there lol. I tend to do this a lot...
In celebration of St. Patty's Day, focus on your luck this week by taking notice of chance opportunities, listening to your intuition, expecting to be lucky, and being more resilient to bad luck!
Today's *big chune* is from Corinne Bailey Rae, who released her second album a few weeks ago. After listening through a few times, I've decided this is one of my favs.
:-D
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
tapping my "happiness reserves"
Gretchen Rubin explains that one of her reason's for exploring ways to boost her happiness was so that when she got that "midnight phone call" she would be better equipped to respond with resilience...or something along those lines...
It's been a pretty disappointing week for me. News is starting to come back from grad schools and it hasn't been good so far. After having not heard from several schools, I contacted them all...this resulted in 2 rejections. Btw, don't you hate the word rejection? It just sounds so mean!! Ugh...
Then, literally minutes ago I got an email from the main faculty member I was interested in working with at UT. He apologized that I've been in limbo and proceeded to inform me that he was very impressed with me, but had gone with someone else. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement...and while I'm proud of myself for having made it all the way to the interview round and actually being in limbo (as opposed to an immediate rejection)...this sucks! There's only so much you can do to make yourself feel better about failure. What's more, I honestly feel like this is the same news I'm going to get from UM in a matter of days. You were really great...but just short of what we need...
BUT I am supposed to be Ms. Brightside so of course I am trying to re-frame all of this and maintain a positive outlook. Maybe I'll get lucky with UM. I'm also still waiting to hear back from a Master's program so maybe that will work out favorably for me. And if it doesn't work out that way, I'llgo to culinary school with the ultimate goal of my own show on Food Network join this program and go teach in Spain for a year move on to another game plan.
I've always believed that everything happens for a reason...and to abandon that belief because what you want to happen doesn't happen basically defeats the purpose of believing this adage in the first place. So, for now I'll stay hopeful. Luckily I've been happy and blessed recently, so I have my "happiness reserves" well stocked. Of all the problems to have, this one isn't the end of the world....BUT I'm entitled to still feel disappointedand have an extra glass of wine at happy hour tonight.
Don't worry yall, I'm still Ms. Brightside :-) And I'll be back to my normal writing soon!
For today's *big chune* I'm really in the mood for some Anthony Hamilton...one of my absolutely fav. artists..especially when I'm in a melancholy mood lol. This one is "Dear Life" from the movie Step Up (lol).
:-D
It's been a pretty disappointing week for me. News is starting to come back from grad schools and it hasn't been good so far. After having not heard from several schools, I contacted them all...this resulted in 2 rejections. Btw, don't you hate the word rejection? It just sounds so mean!! Ugh...
Then, literally minutes ago I got an email from the main faculty member I was interested in working with at UT. He apologized that I've been in limbo and proceeded to inform me that he was very impressed with me, but had gone with someone else. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement...and while I'm proud of myself for having made it all the way to the interview round and actually being in limbo (as opposed to an immediate rejection)...this sucks! There's only so much you can do to make yourself feel better about failure. What's more, I honestly feel like this is the same news I'm going to get from UM in a matter of days. You were really great...but just short of what we need...
BUT I am supposed to be Ms. Brightside so of course I am trying to re-frame all of this and maintain a positive outlook. Maybe I'll get lucky with UM. I'm also still waiting to hear back from a Master's program so maybe that will work out favorably for me. And if it doesn't work out that way, I'll
I've always believed that everything happens for a reason...and to abandon that belief because what you want to happen doesn't happen basically defeats the purpose of believing this adage in the first place. So, for now I'll stay hopeful. Luckily I've been happy and blessed recently, so I have my "happiness reserves" well stocked. Of all the problems to have, this one isn't the end of the world....BUT I'm entitled to still feel disappointed
Don't worry yall, I'm still Ms. Brightside :-) And I'll be back to my normal writing soon!
For today's *big chune* I'm really in the mood for some Anthony Hamilton...one of my absolutely fav. artists..especially when I'm in a melancholy mood lol. This one is "Dear Life" from the movie Step Up (lol).
:-D
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
i'm back!
So I have been super slacking on the blog thing recently. Like I mentioned, I was out of town this weekend for a grad school interview. Honestly, I don't even know how to say it went. I don't feel great or terrible about it. I actually don't want to think/write about it anymore. They said I should have a decision sometime this week so it will be nice just to have the process over with.
Honestly, this whole thing is just getting very old. I want to know either way!!
Anyway, what else is new in my life? Nothing really. The weather in DC has been pretty nice so I've been able to get outside a lot more. I also attempted to make my own yogurt for the first time. It's pretty cool and came out tasting ok, but I need to work on the consistency to get it right. Nix made chocolate chip cookies this weekend that smelled and tasted exactly how they did when we would make them with our mom. Ahhh memories. We also made Chilean Sea Bass en papillote - which sounds fancy and complicated but is so easy and quite yummy! I won't be doing any exciting cooking for a while, because I'm getting all 4 wisdom teeth pulled this week :-/
My mom sent me a cute email about adversity and it included this passage (which I'd heard before, but forgot about): May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. This just about sums up what I want out of life :-)
Today's *big chune* is Ludacris "Go Low"...it's one of my guilty pleasure songs lol
:-D
Honestly, this whole thing is just getting very old. I want to know either way!!
Anyway, what else is new in my life? Nothing really. The weather in DC has been pretty nice so I've been able to get outside a lot more. I also attempted to make my own yogurt for the first time. It's pretty cool and came out tasting ok, but I need to work on the consistency to get it right. Nix made chocolate chip cookies this weekend that smelled and tasted exactly how they did when we would make them with our mom. Ahhh memories. We also made Chilean Sea Bass en papillote - which sounds fancy and complicated but is so easy and quite yummy! I won't be doing any exciting cooking for a while, because I'm getting all 4 wisdom teeth pulled this week :-/
My mom sent me a cute email about adversity and it included this passage (which I'd heard before, but forgot about): May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. This just about sums up what I want out of life :-)
Today's *big chune* is Ludacris "Go Low"...it's one of my guilty pleasure songs lol
:-D
Thursday, March 4, 2010
off to another interview
I'm off to another grad school interview today! And I'm sooooo excited for the 70-degree-weather that awaits me!! Although, to be fair, the weather here has been getting a lot better...it's gonna be in the 50s this weekend!
Tomorrow's gonna be a long day though...5 different faculty interviews throughout the day. I kinda wish they were all back to back to get them over with, but my day starts at 8ish and won't be all done until 4:30. Tonight is a welcome event so gotta get my schmooze face on hehe. Btw, still haven't heard from UT :-/
Anywho, I'll post about it all when I get back this weekend. Wish me luck :-D
Btw, have you heard of Operation Beautiful? The mission behind Operation Beautiful is to "post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find." The website has some really cute examples of notes people have left. If you don't like the idea of leaving a note somewhere for a stranger to find, try to make it a point to compliment someone you know today. We could all use a compliment...There's something really special and uplifting about being told you look nice/smell good/are funny/wear cute shoes lol...Could be a great way to make someone's day!
Today's *big chune* is some soca flava from Alison Hinds...I don't know what this song is officially called...ima go with "Iron Bazodee" lol...just listening to this song makes me feel like i'm back home at j'ouvert or in the parade....OMG I can't wait to be home for St. John Festival - one of the best times to be home period!
:-D
Tomorrow's gonna be a long day though...5 different faculty interviews throughout the day. I kinda wish they were all back to back to get them over with, but my day starts at 8ish and won't be all done until 4:30. Tonight is a welcome event so gotta get my schmooze face on hehe. Btw, still haven't heard from UT :-/
Anywho, I'll post about it all when I get back this weekend. Wish me luck :-D
Btw, have you heard of Operation Beautiful? The mission behind Operation Beautiful is to "post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find." The website has some really cute examples of notes people have left. If you don't like the idea of leaving a note somewhere for a stranger to find, try to make it a point to compliment someone you know today. We could all use a compliment...There's something really special and uplifting about being told you look nice/smell good/are funny/wear cute shoes lol...Could be a great way to make someone's day!
Today's *big chune* is some soca flava from Alison Hinds...I don't know what this song is officially called...ima go with "Iron Bazodee" lol...just listening to this song makes me feel like i'm back home at j'ouvert or in the parade....OMG I can't wait to be home for St. John Festival - one of the best times to be home period!
:-D
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
don't sleep on: springpadit.com
After my last post, Ms. O asked me where I get my recipes from...great question! And it also reminded me of a "don't sleep" post I've been meaning to do.
To answer the question of where I get my recipes...I read a lot of blogs and I subscribe to a lot of recipe newsletters. My favorite newsletters are from:
As I said, I also subscribe to a lot of blogs in my Google Reader so I won't bother to list them all. The food blog world is a really great resource for product leads, recipes and cooking tips!! My advice for finding some is to do a google blog search based on whatever your interests are. Then, once you find one or two you really like, look to see what blogs those people are following....it's like an awesome never-ending chain :-) On a related note, just today I got a really great newsletter from Cooking Light on the top 25 cooking mistakes. Another thing to do is check a used bookstore for cookbooks. My fav. used bookstore in DC has a really nice selection.
Ok, now onto Springpadit.com. (Shouts out to Nix for putting me onto this!) It's a really cool website that basically replaces the "favorites" (in IE) or "bookmark" (in Firefox) options for marking pages. We use it to electronically store recipes. You can enter recipes yourself...or what's even cooler is that you can simply enter the url for the page where a recipe is located, and it will automatically enter the recipe info. (Note: you have to double check b/c it doesn't always enter perfectly). You can also use it to "mark/save" products, shopping lists, businesses, restaurants, etc. You can make your "stuff" private, or public (so people who follow you can see). This is what it looks like:
It's sort of hard to explain, so check it out for yourself!
Today's *big chune* is from Raheem Devaughn, who just came out with a new album yesterday. He's DC-based R&B artist who I've loved ever since I heard his song "Believe"...I actually remember where I was when I heard this song for the first time...which is crazy given my usually fuzzy memory!...I was in the librarycramming studying for mid-terms and the song came on and I was like "I must hear that song again!" lol....anyway, even though I love "Believe" and it's a big chune, I'ma post another of my favs instead...this one is called "Love Drug"...enjoy!
:-D
Ok, now onto Springpadit.com. (Shouts out to Nix for putting me onto this!) It's a really cool website that basically replaces the "favorites" (in IE) or "bookmark" (in Firefox) options for marking pages. We use it to electronically store recipes. You can enter recipes yourself...or what's even cooler is that you can simply enter the url for the page where a recipe is located, and it will automatically enter the recipe info. (Note: you have to double check b/c it doesn't always enter perfectly). You can also use it to "mark/save" products, shopping lists, businesses, restaurants, etc. You can make your "stuff" private, or public (so people who follow you can see). This is what it looks like:
It's sort of hard to explain, so check it out for yourself!
Today's *big chune* is from Raheem Devaughn, who just came out with a new album yesterday. He's DC-based R&B artist who I've loved ever since I heard his song "Believe"...I actually remember where I was when I heard this song for the first time...which is crazy given my usually fuzzy memory!...I was in the library
:-D
Monday, March 1, 2010
favorite childhood memory?
You go from posting every day to taking a couple days off and people get antsy (I'm looking at you Ms. O, lol). I appreciate that someone noticed though :-)
I don't really have an excuse except that I didn't feel like it...and these days, that's about all the excuse I need. I had a wonderfully lazy weekend. Friday night we watched 4 straight episodes of The Wire. We have one disc left to go in Season 4, then on to Season 5...and then I'll FINALLY have finished the entire series after I saw my first episode 2 years ago. This show is awesome, btw.
But, my favorite part of the weekend was the cooking/baking i did. First up, I made chili - which was bomb! It was veggie chili with black beans, kidney beans, bulgur wheat, corn and some other veggies i had that needed to be used. Seriously it was so yummy...and I got a cornbread mix from TJ's (yes, i should have made it from scratch, but TJ's didn't have cornmeal...next time I'll plan ahead tho) and that made it even better! Nix and I have been buying different spices to expand our repertoire and I finally got to use cumin. You really don't realize how much spices add to a dish until you start cooking and experimenting. Cumin smells like tacos and tasted great in the chili. I didn't actually have chili powder, so I used some extra red pepper flakes and a bit of chili pepper sauce instead. The bulgur wheat was a really cool touch...it almost seemed like I was eating ground beef/turkey :-) (btw, i'm not a vegetarian, i just don't eat that much meat.)
I also made quinoa banana bread. Again, sounds funky, but actually quite good. If you haven't noticed, I like to make sort of unusual dishes sometimes. I know what regular banana bread/regular chili taste like, so i enjoy trying out new recipes - especially ones that are healthy. For those of you who've never heard of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), it was the staple food of the Inca Empire and boasts a ridiculous amount of health benefits - for example, it's a protein powerhouse! It's sort of like couscous, but way more versatile - I ate it yesterday as a side dish, and used it to bake a banana loaf!! I'm gonna make a few of my own tweaks to the recipe, and try it again soon.
As you can see, a large part of my weekend was spent cooking (and eating!). Nix and I recently re-discovered our love for cooking and baking, which was instilled in us from a young age when we would bake with our mom. I've talked about this a bit in a previous post, but i think it deserves revisiting. My mom LOVES to cook. Her cookbook and gadget collections used to be out of control...and now I know why! My childhood memories are somewhat limited (not sure why, very odd), but I do clearly remember baking with my mom. We would make cookies, cupcakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, waffles, pancakes...all from scratch! My mom even had a mini donut maker lol. We had an iced tea maker, an ice cream maker, a bread machine, a flour grinder, a yogurt maker (at the time i thought this was gross), a pizzelle (italian cookie) machine...if it involved baking, we had it. My mom was so good at getting us and involved and letting us help her.
She also was really particular about using the best quality ingredients, no matter how expensive they were. And even though she would cut down on sugar, she never used artificial products. She's actually really snobby about "fake" stuff. One time she called a restaurant just to ask if they got their desserts from the freezer section of Cost-U-Less (the Caribbean verson of CostCo)...the person hung up on her. This is her go-to question when we go out to eat. She's generally a really picky/annoying (love u mom!) restaurant guest, but you gotta love that she appreciates real food and cares about what she puts in her body. A lot of her tips and cooking habits have passed down to me and Nix. Btw, a nerdy added benefit of all this baking? I know my fractions really, really well :-)
Basically, baking with my mom is right up there as one of my favorite childhood memories...it may actually be the favorite memory. I don't remember if I've mentioned this yet, but I'm going to spend the whole summer at home (in St. Thomas). I can't wait to cook/bake with my mom again. Nix and I are also planning to do weekly lessons with my Aunt (known in the family for her off-the-chain cooking).
What is your favorite childhood memory? Is there anyway you can recreate the happiness you associate with those memories? For example, my cooking reminds me of those times and makes me even happier. Did you know that simply remembering happy times from the past is a great way to boost happiness in the present????
Ok, for today's *big chune* you know i had to do something about moms right? I'm sure everyone's go-to "mom song" is by Boyz II Men (or Sizzla for all my reggae heads), but I like to be different so instead I'm going with Jah Cure, This One's for You. I'm a BIG Jah Cure fan...you'll definitely be hearing more of his stuff here.
But I also really like Gyptian's song, Mama, so yall get a bonus chune today
:-D
I don't really have an excuse except that I didn't feel like it...and these days, that's about all the excuse I need. I had a wonderfully lazy weekend. Friday night we watched 4 straight episodes of The Wire. We have one disc left to go in Season 4, then on to Season 5...and then I'll FINALLY have finished the entire series after I saw my first episode 2 years ago. This show is awesome, btw.
But, my favorite part of the weekend was the cooking/baking i did. First up, I made chili - which was bomb! It was veggie chili with black beans, kidney beans, bulgur wheat, corn and some other veggies i had that needed to be used. Seriously it was so yummy...and I got a cornbread mix from TJ's (yes, i should have made it from scratch, but TJ's didn't have cornmeal...next time I'll plan ahead tho) and that made it even better! Nix and I have been buying different spices to expand our repertoire and I finally got to use cumin. You really don't realize how much spices add to a dish until you start cooking and experimenting. Cumin smells like tacos and tasted great in the chili. I didn't actually have chili powder, so I used some extra red pepper flakes and a bit of chili pepper sauce instead. The bulgur wheat was a really cool touch...it almost seemed like I was eating ground beef/turkey :-) (btw, i'm not a vegetarian, i just don't eat that much meat.)
I also made quinoa banana bread. Again, sounds funky, but actually quite good. If you haven't noticed, I like to make sort of unusual dishes sometimes. I know what regular banana bread/regular chili taste like, so i enjoy trying out new recipes - especially ones that are healthy. For those of you who've never heard of quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), it was the staple food of the Inca Empire and boasts a ridiculous amount of health benefits - for example, it's a protein powerhouse! It's sort of like couscous, but way more versatile - I ate it yesterday as a side dish, and used it to bake a banana loaf!! I'm gonna make a few of my own tweaks to the recipe, and try it again soon.
As you can see, a large part of my weekend was spent cooking (and eating!). Nix and I recently re-discovered our love for cooking and baking, which was instilled in us from a young age when we would bake with our mom. I've talked about this a bit in a previous post, but i think it deserves revisiting. My mom LOVES to cook. Her cookbook and gadget collections used to be out of control...and now I know why! My childhood memories are somewhat limited (not sure why, very odd), but I do clearly remember baking with my mom. We would make cookies, cupcakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, waffles, pancakes...all from scratch! My mom even had a mini donut maker lol. We had an iced tea maker, an ice cream maker, a bread machine, a flour grinder, a yogurt maker (at the time i thought this was gross), a pizzelle (italian cookie) machine...if it involved baking, we had it. My mom was so good at getting us and involved and letting us help her.
She also was really particular about using the best quality ingredients, no matter how expensive they were. And even though she would cut down on sugar, she never used artificial products. She's actually really snobby about "fake" stuff. One time she called a restaurant just to ask if they got their desserts from the freezer section of Cost-U-Less (the Caribbean verson of CostCo)...the person hung up on her. This is her go-to question when we go out to eat. She's generally a really picky/annoying (love u mom!) restaurant guest, but you gotta love that she appreciates real food and cares about what she puts in her body. A lot of her tips and cooking habits have passed down to me and Nix. Btw, a nerdy added benefit of all this baking? I know my fractions really, really well :-)
Basically, baking with my mom is right up there as one of my favorite childhood memories...it may actually be the favorite memory. I don't remember if I've mentioned this yet, but I'm going to spend the whole summer at home (in St. Thomas). I can't wait to cook/bake with my mom again. Nix and I are also planning to do weekly lessons with my Aunt (known in the family for her off-the-chain cooking).
What is your favorite childhood memory? Is there anyway you can recreate the happiness you associate with those memories? For example, my cooking reminds me of those times and makes me even happier. Did you know that simply remembering happy times from the past is a great way to boost happiness in the present????
Ok, for today's *big chune* you know i had to do something about moms right? I'm sure everyone's go-to "mom song" is by Boyz II Men (or Sizzla for all my reggae heads), but I like to be different so instead I'm going with Jah Cure, This One's for You. I'm a BIG Jah Cure fan...you'll definitely be hearing more of his stuff here.
But I also really like Gyptian's song, Mama, so yall get a bonus chune today
:-D
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