Hair Today; Gone Tomorrow

So Christy and I were trying to think of something that we could do rather than just sit around. Christy's standard answer is well you need a haircut. That's true, but I want to do something fun!!! So we talked and discussed options. Finally we decided that I could get my haircut, but that Christy had to let me do something with her hair if I went and got mine cut. We were getting ready to leave the house when one of suggested, we should take before and after pictures, and then we could blog about our experience. This was exciting, because we always feel like we don't have anything fun to blog about so, the before pictures...

This is my long hair..

You can tell that I have quite a bit of it.

A view of Christy's hair

From the Back. Christy hates the natural curl to her hair. In this picture it is wet, but when it dries she feels that it is too frizzy.

Then we have the after pictures

yes, a lot of my hair disappeared

In this picture it looks like I have a weird Mohawk, I don't.

Quite the difference from before.

This is what Christy let me do to her hair.

I didn't braid far enough to the end apparently

This hair is fun to swing around!!

So there we have a very fun day, it looks like we both lost some hair, although I definitely lost a lot. I think that dreads are a fun summer look, it jut looks like her head would be a lot cooler like this, and when it's over 100 degrees, cooler is always better.

I love the rain!!!

I know that I probably live in the wrong place, but I absolutely love the rain. I was so excited, when we went out to feed the cats, and the wind was blowing and the rain was gently flowing from the heavens. The crashing of thunder also sent waves of excitement through my body!! I love the rain.

I also love the customary siren accompanying Arizona rain. We as a state are not the most rain worthy drivers...

Accountability, Responsibility, etc

So, as I am coming to the end of yet another semester of college, my mind is recalled to some of those wonderful things that I have learned in the past. Things like accountability and responsibility... I remember in it seems like kindergarten learning I need to take responsibility for my actions. I can remember the teacher telling us that those were big words, but that she was going to help us understand them. She told us that when we make choices, we sometimes make mistakes, but that it is ok to make mistakes. She told us it is important when you make mistakes to learn not to do whatever you did again. Now this was kindergarten, and the whole spiel ultimately led to share things with others, be nice to others, you know the drill. As I look back on that day, I think that some people must have missed that day of kindergarten.
          This semester, I am taking two science classes. Anatomy and chemistry. Both of these classes require accompanying lab courses. Lab courses are great fun, they give the opportunity to explore the things that you are lectured about in class. They give you the chance to learn by trial and error. Sometimes, yes, things blow up in your face (ok so it was more like a slow overflow), but you get the point. In these classes, you get the wonderful opportunity to work in a group setting. I have never had a problem working in a group setting, I have always received that plays well with others notation on my report cards, but this semester I caught a glimpse of why so  many people have issues with group activities.
          In my chemistry lab, the first day of class, the instructor informed us that each group was responsible to turn in a single lab report. It was up to the individual lab groups how it got accomplished, but it did need to get done.  I was in a group with three young ladies, we discussed several methods to accomplish this lab report task. We could divide the lab report into sections, and each person is responsible for a section. "No that would be too confusing." one girl says. We could take turns writing lab reports, there are eight reports due over the course of the semester, and four of us. We can each write two lab reports and that way it would be fair. "I have only lived in America for 15 years and my english isn't very good, so I cannot write lab reports." says the Korean girl. You spoke pretty well there... However, who are we to determine the extent of a person's lingual skills? Ok so we will divide writing eight labs between three people, somehow that will be fair. "Well I'm not going to be the person that has to write an extra lab report." says the last girl. Ok, so my group is off to a fantastic start. Good thing none of us are whiners. So I volunteer to write the first lab report. "No, I see what you're doing you're trying to ensure you don't have to write extra at the end of the year. I'll write the first report" says the last girl. Well it's settled then. Fast forward to the middle of the semester, the third lab report is due, the girl who is supposed to be writing it sends us all an email "I had to drop the class, attached is the portion of the lab report I have finished." Well at least she's not leaving us scrambling to finish the report. I open the attachment and find
                     Using Hess's Law to Indirect Equations


           Wow brilliant start, it's the title, and it doesn't even make sense... I finish the lab report and turn it in.
           So we are down to two people to write the remaining six labs. Well at least now the math is fair...
The teacher tells us "I am no longer worried about due dates for labs. You can turn them in whenever you want as long as they are completed by the Friday before the last lab class." Well, that takes some pressure off. Fast forward two weeks before the last lab  class. The other lab partner, who actually speaks english, is not in class. I text her that evening. Missed you in class today. Are you alright? She replies forty five minutes later. I was really sick today will be there next week.  I reply Feel better soon. Just a reminder the lab reports are due by Friday next week. She replies Thank you. I am almost done with the ones I'm writing.  Sounds good, everything is going to get done...
            The following lab period the girl doesn't show up again. I text her Are you ok? 
She replies Still sick
That's too bad. The lab reports are due on Friday do you need any help finishing them?
Nope I got it.
Thanks! Feel better.
            Next day at school I see the girl on campus. "You're looking better."
"I feel a lot better!"
"I'm glad. So you are ok with getting the lab reports turned in on Friday?"
"Yup, I'm just finishing them up."
"Great see you next week."
             Friday rolls around and I figure I should make sure she got the reports turned in. At about ten I text her everything get turned in alright?
              No answer...
              6:00 P.M. I try again just wondering if you got my text earlier?
I just saw it, I'm at work.
Oh ok, sorry to bother you at work. Did the reports get turned in alright?
You didn't bother me. Gotta get back to work.


Hmmm, so that didn't really answer my question. So on Saturday around 5:30 pm I text again Did the reports get turned in?
No answer.
Sunday 2:15 pm I try again Hey, I'm not trying to annoy you, but I really need to know what's going on with those lab reports. Please.
NO ANSWER!!

Monday at noon, I am sitting in my chemistry lecture class. My phone vibrates.
Sorry I didn't reply to those last texts, I just saw them. I started feeling sick again on Sunday and now I am in the hospital.
After class I respond Can you email the lab reports to turn in?
They're not done.
Email me what you have and I can finish them up.
No response.
Needless to say I am a bit peeved about some people not taking responsibility for their actions right now. However, to end this blog on a lighter note. My experience in my anatomy lab was very pleasant. I had a great group. Our last project before the end of the semester was to create a video describing how muscles contract. We had a good time putting our project together, and although it's a little hokey, we accomplished what we needed to.

        
               
   

Choices, Choices

I signed up last year for the rewards program at a local theater. The reward benefits include free upgrades on certain concessions, and $10.00 in rewards for every $100 you spend. So I let my dad use my rewards card also, and between the two of us and our significant others, we finally earned the $10.00 reward. Well, I then received an e-mail notifying me that my reward was going to expire on April 13. So Christy and I decided that we needed to go to the movies so that we could use our reward money. Unfortunately, we didn't know what movie we wanted to go see. Nothing that was showing jumped out to us as something that we had to see. I would like to eventually see the Hunger Games, however, I feel like Christy should read the book before we see the movie. We finally decided that we would just go see Mirror, Mirror. This as a movie based on the story of Snow White. I wasn't sure what I expected of it, but decided that it would be worth seeing.

I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was entertaining. I really enjoyed the dwarves, I thought they were quite funny. I also enjoyed watching Julia Roberts play the evil queen. For a quick afternoon out at the movies, I thought that it was a good choice. Christy also enjoyed the movie. I was however, quite worried when one of the characters was turned into a cockroach, I thought I might find my wife hiding in terror under her chair. Apparently one cockroach is not as frightening on the big screen as it is in your own bathroom.

The Easter Bunny

This morning, I got a text at about 7:00. The number was not one I recognized and I figured it probably wasn't important. I looked at the message and it said, "I think the Easter bunny came. Check you patio!!!" I told Christy it was a wrong number and we didn't need to worry about it.

Once I was up and about I figured I would glance at the patio so I could laugh at how there was nothing there. I looked out the window and there were easter eggs and ziploc bags full of candy. So Christy and I went out and collected all the candy. After that I became a little obsessed with trying to figure out who easter bunnied our patio. I never found out, but this experience made Christy and I so happy. We were thrilled to feel like little kids collecting eggs, and to know that somebody cared so much about us.

So wherever you are Easter bunny, thank you!!

CUL 104

So last semester as i was registering for classes, I realized that I only had 11 credit hours planned. In order to receive my scholarship from the tribe, I have to be a full time student. That means I need 12 credit hours. Eleven credit hours may not seem like a lot, but I was planning to take two science classes, with labs, and trigonometry. That to me seemed like a lot. I decided that what I needed to do was to take an elective class, something that would be fun, and most importantly easy!! I didn't want another class that would add to the stress of this semester. As i perused my options, I couldn't find anything that seemed really fun. Finally I found a listing in the online course catalog. CUL 104- an introduction to baking, pastries, pies and doughs. I thought, "hey, I can bake!"

Then my mind said, "That can't be too hard!"

Another voice, "My oven doesn't work very well."

"I can always use my in-laws kitchen."

"I have a class!"

So I looked closer. 4 credit hours. My mind says, " 4 credit hours!!! and all I have to do is bake??"

I was practically doing backflips:)

This was so exciting, a fun easy class that would not only be less stressful than the rest of my classes, it would allow me some delicious stress relief type goodies.

I read on in the description. This is an online course. "An online baking class?? That's a little odd."

"Well, who cares, it's 4 credit hours!"

So it was decided, I would be enrolling in CUL 104, an online baking class that would kick me over the 12 credit hour hurdle.

My semester started, but my baking class lagged behind a little, it didn't start until two weeks after the rest of my classes. Finally that wonderful day arrived, my first baking class. I read through the course syllabus and began to feel my heart pounding. This class wasn't going to be easy. I had been lied to!! By myself!!!! Alas, I would be baking multiple items every week over the course of eight weeks. Plus I would be earning 4 credits. This course was going to be intense!!

Okay, I can handle this...

Week one, you will be preparing irish soda bread, muffins, and scones.

So I set about my task first item. Irish soda bread. "What the heck is that??" Well, I had the recipe and I was determined to make the best Irish soda bread possible as part of the class, they have videos of someone preparing what you will make. I must say that my soda bread looked.. absolutely nothing like the video. I was assured by my mother-in-law, "Those people are professionals, they have spent years making these products."

Here is my irish soda bread. It actually tasted quite good. However I made a large loaf, pictured, and a much smaller loaf. The small loaf disappeared almost instantly. When we cut into the large loaf, it was still quite doughy. One of the advantages of the online baking class, no one can see the inside...

I also got to make muffins, I was given recipes for a handful of different types of muffins, and finally decided on the old standby, blueberry.

Here is a picture of my blueberry muffins. These were actually quite delicious when eaten the next day. Not so good straight out of the oven.

The last thing I got to make during week one was scones. I have always found scones to taste a little bland, so I decided to spruce mine up a little bit with chocolate chips. Who doesn't love a little addition of chocolate?

They still tasted a little bland, according to Christy. However they looked nice.

Week 2- you will be preparing lavosh, and hard rolls.

Lavosh is kinda like a giant cracker, and it kinda tastes like a very old giant cracker. However, this was very fun to make because the dough is very elastic-y and it stretches and stretches and stretches.

Christy and I quickly decided that lavosh is not so tasty. We decided to experiment, and added cinnamon-sugar on top of the next sheet of lavosh. Much, much better. unfortunately I don't have a picture of that one.

The hard rolls were quite fun to make, but still didn't really taste as good as I had hoped. Although, they were served with dinner at the in-law's and they were pronounced, "amazing".

Week 3- you will be preparing zucchini bread and 2 different pizzas using boboli dough.

Ah zucchini bread. At the time I made this, it was my favorite item I had made. I used mini chocolate chips and this stuff was fantastic.

I made two different pizzas, pepperoni and cheese. Boring I know, but thats what people wanted. These pizzas were quite possibly my second least favorite thing I made all semester, right behind those old crackers...

Week 4- You will be preparing cheesecake and a layered fudge icing chocolate cake.

"Cheesecake and chocolate cake?? There is no way I can screw this up!!"

I figured I would be loved by the masses, people would be pounding down my in-law's door to get to my amazing cake and cheesecake. Then something horrible, no tragic occurred. My cake was a flop or is that a plop??

That's right, it is "The Cow Patty Cake". My cake didn't rise when I cooked it, and I insisted on making three layers just like in the video of the professionals. Alas my layers as thin as they were could not support the entire cake and it died.

The cheesecake was bound to be better than the lovely cake had turned out, and for all intents and purposes, it probably was. I, however, now know why many online recipes say to refrigerate a cheesecake overnight. It tastes better. After about four hours of refrigeration, the cheesecake tasted like eggs.

Luckily the next day the cheesecake tasted a lot better.

Week 5- you will be preparing one half batch of blueberry muffins, drop cookies, coconut macaroons, and spritz cookies.

Well, apparently I choose the wrong kind of muffins to make the first week, because now there was no option. I got to make blueberry muffins again. I wonder, do they look better the second time around?

They actually tasted better, the first time through, but I like the way they look a lot more this time.

Drop cookies, are cookies that you drop onto the pan prior to baking such as chocolate chip cookies. I made reduced sugar chocolate chip cookies with splenda substitute sugar and brown sugar. This was done at the request of my father-in-law who is diabetic and wanted to taste the chocolate chip cookies.

According to people with experience, the puffiness of the cookies is the result of using the splenda.

Apparently, I should have used the splenda for my coconut macaroons. Macaroons are supposed to puff up however, mine were a bit more humble.

They actually tasted quite good, but as my mom put it, "not like any macaroon I've ever had before." It was decided that these were actually more like coconut cookies rather than macaroons.

Spritz cookies were a lot of fun to make. In order to make them, you use a piping bag to create the little decorative flourishes. I could not figure out why my star tip in my piping bag was creating straight cookies, however on my last batch, the yellow ones, I realized that my piping bag extended around the tip and was covering the actual shape of the tip.

My father-in-law commented, "Looks like something that came out of my dog."

Week 6- you will be preparing apple phyllo crisp with vanilla sauce, one half batch of blueberry sauce and fruit tarts.

Apple phyllo crisp, my recommendation, don't eat it. Make a real apple crisp and enjoy that.

Not much else to say about that.

Blueberry sauce...

Not much to look at, but it can be exciting given the proper motivation...

This was one plate presentation I made, and then below is the official presentation with one of the tarts on it.

This just makes my mouth water.

Fruit tarts, by far the best tasting thing I made all semester. I had so much fun decorating them.

It was a lot of fun trying to be creative with the fruit and still make these look appealing.

Week 7- You will be preparing creme caramel and a napoleon.

I didn't know what a napoleon was before this class. So just a little detail. It is a layered dessert made with puff pastry dough, pastry cream, and icing. We also added strawberry jam for flavor between the layers. For this dessert, our puff pastry was not supposed to puff, so we but beans on top of it while it was cooking, to weigh it down and prevent it from puffing up. Unfortunately, it also prevented the pastry from cooking as well. It took about an hour and forty five minutes before I finally gave up and said "I'm working with slightly undercooked dough, try it at your own risk."

It looks good, but it tasted gross thanks to the undercooked dough. Apparently the edges, where it was actually cooked, tasted really good.

Creme caramel, a custard dessert served with caramel.

Unfortunately the guy who made this caramel, me, used a little too much lemon juice in the caramel, so it is more like a custard dessert with a nasty lemon topping. Also, I found out that this too is a dessert that should be refrigerated overnight to enhance the taste, warm it just tastes bland and eggy. (and lemony).

Week 8- you will be preparing cream puffs, chocolate mousse and fruit mousse.

Ah, delight of my soul, cream puffs or as a certain friend calls them, "Ecstasy puffs". I have never met a cream puff I didn't like and that still holds true. This right behind the fruit tarts was my second favorite thing to make.

Who wouldn't want to pop one of these in their mouth??

Fruit mousse, this mousse was good, but it had little chunks of gelatin floating about in it, making it slightly chewy. Not really the mousse like texture we desire.

Last but not least, a chocolate lover's heaven in a glass, chocolate mousse.

It made me so happy that this tasted as good as it did! My mom however noted, that she almost went into a sugar coma after eating some.

So, that was it. Eight weeks of pure relaxation. Straight from my kitchen (or my in-law's), to your computer screen. Leave a message, which were you most tempted by?