The Maiden Metallurgist

How We Found Our New Home

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Maybe you've noticed that things look a little different around here? Josh has been offering to do a little site redesign for a while, but until recently I haven't felt like I could take advantage of his offer. I mean, this is what he does for a living; I wasn't quite ready to take advantage of his generosity, and I certainly can't afford him. The day after we found (and applied for) the perfect apartment, we woke up, and Josh turned to me and said, "now that we're getting serious, I want to talk to you about something... I'd like to get you your own domain." Aww shucks. So he's in the process of doing some kind of internet voodoo, and I'll keep you posted. The day we went apartment hunting (Saturday) was proving a bit of a challenge. I'd found my (almost) dream apartment, and I was comparing everything we looked at to the apartment that got away. Couple that with the Most Unpleasant Rental Agent on earth and Saturday morning wasn't exactly a cake walk. Fortunately Josh didn't like anything we looked at any more than I did. Lunchtime rolled around and we decided what we really needed was a beer (Josh) and a mimosa (me). We shook off the morning's defeat, cleared our minds and took a nice long walk down to meet our (third!) agent. As cliche as this might sound, as soon as we met this new gal we were both immediately calm and knew she'd find us a great place. I was smitten with the first place she showed us, but when Josh's mouth twisted sideways I could tell he was less so... The next place we saw was amazing. One of those luxury high rises, state of the art everything. Our only complaint was it was... too nice? Wait, that's not a real complaint is it? I am here to tell you it takes all kinds. It was an amazing apartment, but we wouldn't have been comfortable there, we wouldn't have been us. The third place she showed us had hardwood floors, a dishwasher, a gas stove, garage included, in unit washer/dryer and central air. Both our jaws dropped and we asked what was wrong with it? With some trepidation, she mentioned that it was a "unique" space. That was definitely true, but we were just the unique people for it. We walked in, exchanged one of those conspiratorial glances and knew it was the place for us.

The Top Chef Tour

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:39:00 +0000

One of my favorite things is to park myself in front of my television, dinner made cocktail at the ready, watching Top Chef. I love it. My mom loves it too, it’s one thing we share and we sit, phones at our sides to call during commercial breaks to dish and theorize and recap, but mostly to lament that we don't get to taste all that wonderful food. The folks over at BTC asked for volunteers in several US cities to go to the Top Chef tour when it rolled through town and I jumped at the chance to spend a half a Saturday getting some more Top Chef in my life. Saturday was a scorcher in Denver. The thermometer reached 99 degrees and I was plenty grateful to be in shorts and ball cap and not in long pants and a chef coat like Antonia and Ryan. They were both extremely nice and friendly and spent the fifteen minutes leading up to the demonstration signing autographs, posing for photos and talking to fans. You could tell they were both really enjoying their particular slice of fame. Having spent ten years working in the restaurant industry I can understand that. Rarely is this a glamorous business. Usually it is hot, sweaty work for long grueling hours. Antonia had prepared duck lettuce wraps for an earlier demo, and quipped about the difficulty of finding the ingredients she wanted, likening it to a quick fire challenge. Though it might be an inconvenience to pick up in the middle of their lives head out to Denver for the weekend, you'd never know it. Both chefs were extremely gracious and friendly. There were three shows scheduled for Saturday, I was fortunate to attend the third demo, hosted by Chef Ryan Scott. Throughout the demo he gave tips, sharing every trick he could think of to make us better cooks. For instance, make sure proteins are at room temperature before cooking. He was also sure to mention that when cooking meat in a hot pan, be sure to lay it in away from you as scars are stupid, not a badge of honor. To test doneness push the meat from the sides instead of the top, and slice against the grain Another tip, in response to a question from a lactose intolerant member of the audience, for a great corn chowder; after cutting the kernels off the cobs milk the cobs with the back of a knife, use the "milk" from the corn instead of cream. For great mashed potatoes add the potatoes to cold water, bring up to boil and then add salt. Instead of adding milk (cold milk can make potatoes gummy) add some of the reserved potato water and butter when mashing. Ryan, grinning ear to ear and talking a mile a minute made crostini topped with pickled cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and flank steak. Ryan's Crostini: 1 c. vinegar (any kind you like) Boil w/ 1 c. sugar and set aside Bring 1 c. oil up to temperature and throw in some slivered garlic and ginger (not paper thin!) Bring the oil off the heat and add the vinegar mixture Chiffonade some basil, add to the tomatoes, and pour the hot mixture over the top Crostini is toasted baguette with olive oil, salt and pepper Whip one pound of goat cheese with one cup of cream, some parmesan cheese and salt Spread on toasts, top with a thin slice of steak and some pickled tomatoes It was a great Saturday, and it was amazing to taste the food, I can't wait to try out this recipe at my next party.

Photo Essay Tuesday (The Byron Show Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:15:00 +0000

Josh's best pal Byron is a wonderful guy, and a lot of fun. I think this week's pictures speak for themselves.

The Ultimate In Lazy Dating

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Friday morning things were moving right along according to plan. Josh went to the apartment rental service with me to keep me company and to offer his expert opinion on apartments. The agent that helped me out was a really enthusiastic and friendly guy, who took one look at my apartment wish list, laughed, and asked what I could live without. I was prepared to compromise, having been told that a Chicago apartment with all of the following (in my price range) was an urban legend:

Dogs allowed Parking Patio South facing windows Hardwood Floors In unit (or at least in building) laundry Close to train Gas Stove Dishwasher

The nice young rental agent spent about 40 minutes pouring though the listings and found five places to show me. We started with the one, he said, that he thought would be (almost!) perfect. It was. As soon as we walked in I was struck by how much it reminded me of the apartment where Jill and I used to live in Wash Park. Charming, vintage, and full of sunlight. The rental agent could tell I was sold and the corners of his mouth turned up into a self-satisfied grin. We went to see the next apartment because, well, it didn't seem prudent to settle for the first place I looked at. After the second apartment however, I was ready to forgo the remainder of the showings and sign on the dotted line. First months rent paid, lease signed I happily strolled out of the office ready to go explore my new neighborhood. A few hours later I got a call that the apartment had already been rented, and the listing just hadn't been updated. I'm a little embarrassed to tell you how hard I took this news. I was a bit heartbroken, I mean, I'd already decided where to put my furniture! Defeated and slightly deflated Josh and I headed downtown to see a movie. Eschewing the bus we decided to walk the long walk back to his place, keeping an eye open for "For Rent" signs. I was pouting about the apartment and hadn't noticed that Josh had been uncharacteristically quiet most of the day. As we waited on a corner for a light to change he started hemming and hawing the way he does when he is about to say something he considers of particular gravitas. Usually I'm pretty intuitive, and when he does this I know exactly what he's about to say. (The day he told me he was in love with me I knew exactly what was coming but it was too much fun watching him torture himself to find the right words to even think about helping him out.) This time, however I was so stuck in my own mind I didn't really see this coming. We'd briefly discussed moving in together before, but dismissed the idea as rash and foolhardy. Something over the course of the day must have changed his mind about that because that is exactly what he suggested while waiting for the light. Seven blocks later I was sold too.

Greetings From Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:16:00 +0000

I've been in Chicago for a few days already, and so far I've been slacking on the photo snapping. Due largely to the fact that thus far I've been taking care of business. On Thursday I had work stuff to do all day and yesterday was devoted to finding an apartment. The story of how I found the perfect apartment and how it slipped right through my fingers is post unto itself. Any plans we may have had today (we didn't have any) are officially put on hold as the apartment search continues. It hasn't been all work and no play. On Thursday night we went to see Byron's show and I was amazed. It was really fantastic and very engaging.

Photo Essay Tuesday (Rockies! Rockies! Rockies! Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Staying the course (squeezing out as much Colorado as possible in the next month) Part of my crazy weekend included quite a few Rockies games. With Katie! And Kassie! And Daver oh my! Speaking of Daver, my friends have a long standing joke about Katie and her little brothers. Once upon a time, many moons age I may or may not have made out with both Kate and her (older) younger brother. At the time Daver was probably 13 or 14 and the joke became if I could only make out with Daver one day, I could pick up the hat trick. Sadly, five years later Daver is 19 years old and the joke hasn't died. Daver got this matching "tattoo" to show me his love. I still wouldn't make out with him. Next, my mom and I spent all of Saturday together before meeting my Dad for another Rockies game. Cute family picture! Mmm, foot long! "Liberty" dots. Oh, America.

The Casualties Of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:46:00 +0000

I had a wild weekend, and I've got lots to share. Right now, however, I can only think on one thing. My remarkable sunburn. Thank goodness for Aloe Vera. I've been slathering it on all day. Last week Sarah and I met at GCB for a beer and she invited me to join her at the pool on Sunday. Tonight I'm joining her again to watch a little baseball, my third game this week. Hopefully we'll have seats in the shade.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Or Not Really With Photoshop)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:59:00 +0000

Poor Ambre from Rock of Love 2, first she and Bret Michaels have broken up. And now, thanks to Josh's awesome photoshop skills, we've broken up with her too.

Bikini-Bod

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:43:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about self image, about what's healthy, and what's maybe sort of expected of women. A lot of people seem surprised that I'd put pictures of myself on the internet in a bikini, considering I don't have a Gisele-like physique (actually, to hell with Gisele, I dream of having Stacy's body). Are we expected to be ashamed of our bodies if we have more than 2% body fat? And, hey, I use an anti-cellulite cream just like everyone else (not that it works). Certainly I (sometimes) have moments of dissatisfaction with my body, usually on a Friday night when I'm standing in front of my closet in my underwear bitching on the phone to Jill about having nothing to wear. But otherwise (and especially) when camping or running around in a two-piece (and anytime I'm naked) I feel great about my body. I don't know why, but when I'm drinking a cold beer and swimming in the freezing water and soaking up the warm sun my skin feels so good I just don't feel fat in it. So maybe that's what it's about, being happy with an imperfect body because it feels good and it's healthy and it can do amazing things, even without a six-pack.

Photo Essay Tuesday (Belated 4th Of July Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:00 +0000

The 4th of July camping trip is an annual thing, and thank goodness. This year the festivities started at a free concert in Snowmass. After clumsily setting up our tent at midnight, Jill and I got a good nights sleep, but woke up pretty early... such is life when camping. There was cliff jumping, though Katie and I elected not to jump this year due to too fast water... Mak and Brandon were brave enough (read: drunk and foolish enough) to risk it. We did some hiking- Chester and I were friends. I was channeling the coppertone baby- with a road-y . Don't look too closely at this one folks! Cellulite city! Cassie, J.Paul and Pat, that little dog is a trouper. Hold the phone! Somebody call Sports Illustrated, I think I've got their next cover photo! Laying out on this rock is a bit more pleasant when the sun is shining. Ugh, melt your heart these girls are so cute. Brrr. It got a little cold. I guess that's what happens when you refuse to wear pants. We all got it together for a great big group picture. And finally, after three days of camping, we finally got on the river and went tubing!

Zipping Right Along

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:04:00 +0000

I'm like one of those devices that runs on rechargeable batteries. I can go-go-go until I run out of juice, and then I need to recharge. That's just what happened this weekend, I didn't have anything left, I needed to relax. I've been trying to cram in as much Colorado-friends-family as possible before September 1, but it's really taken a lot out of me. I had plans Saturday night, but Saturday morning I knew I wouldn't make it. Instead I fired up the grill, watched Law and Order (shocking!) and went to sleep at a very reasonable hour. Mornings like this one, waking up early and not hungover make me wonder why I ever drink at all. I'm sitting at a coffee shop, I'm on hour three of solid thesising, and I'm zipping right along. I'll probably stay right here until my parents come for a visit this afternoon.

Dibs

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:36:00 +0000

I've been plagued with insomnia on and off for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl and I couldn't sleep at night, I'd rearrange the furniture in my bedroom. Now I just stare at the ceiling and try counting sheep. Last night I called Josh in the middle of the night. You know he must dig me because instead of being pissed that I'd woken him up at midnight, he was jazzed to hear from me. We started talking about my impending move to Chicago. I'm not going to lie, we talk about that a lot these days. What can I say, we're both excited. I think normal couples might be worried about logistical things like how such a big transition will affect our relationship, will we get sick of each other when we get to see each other all the time? Josh's big concern? Once we actually get to hang out on a regular basis and our stories start to overlap; who gets to blog about what?

Making It Work For You

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Last week I was feeling particularly frazzled and I've been having plenty of anxiety ever since. I've been laying awake, unable to sleep, for thoughts of work, money problems, etc., etc., etc. When I woke up at 4:30 in the morning yesterday I decided to something about it. I got dressed and came right to work. I worked hard all day, tying up loose ends and trying to pull things together. I was super focused all day, despite running on so little sleep, and as the day wore on I started to notice a few things. I was kicking ass, I was getting tons done, and the more I worked, the better I felt. After a very long twenty hour work day I slept a peaceful 8 hours last night, woke up nice and early this morning and came back to work again. Though at a more reasonable hour. Also, Katie found my camera and the money thing has seemed to work itself out. Go figure. I'll probably still have some anxiety for the next two months, but instead of worrying so much I'm going to channel that energy into more productive pursuits. I love when things work themselves out. They always do, you'd think I'd have that figured out by now.

Photo Essay Tuesday (No Photos Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Oh, holy cow this weekend was fun. Three days of camping in the most beautiful setting in Colorado. Three days of eating and drinking and laughing with amazing friends. Three days of sunning (gorgeous) and swimming (cold!) all followed up with a shenanigan-filled beer-fueled tube trip down the Colorado River. Unfortunately I can't find my camera, so I can't share any pictures! Even if I could find it, I only took a few pictures, and all the things I wish I'd taken pictures of I didn't so... This Photo Essay Tuesday is of the imaginary kind. Here's what I wish I had pictures of: Jill and I trying to set up our tent at midnight (and drunk to boot), hey it only took us three tries. The longest ever game of UNO, played on an island in the middle of a very chilly stream. Drinking too much scotch and then catching on fire (thank god Jared was there to put me out!). Don't worry! I only caught on fire a little, and said fire was dispatched with extreme haste, but I sure wish I had a picture of myself covered in the feathers from my down blanket. A bunch of grown-ups (says who?) playing slap tag in a park after two rounds of tubing. Katie has a hand print shaped bruise and I have an ass covered in busted blood vessels. Slap tag hurts.

Walking On The Sunny Side Of The Street

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:38:00 +0000

Sorry I was such a Negative Nellie yesterday! I try not to get too down about work, I mean, it's just science after all. And not cure-for-cancer or renewable-energy type science, but just regular boring science that nobody cares about. So! In the spirit of lifting my spirits, a few things I'm particularly excited about: I got my ticket to Chicago on July 23! I think a Cubs game is on the agenda, as is finding an apartment and spending some much needed time with Josh (Cue porn-type music. Sorry mom if you're reading this. Sorry Josh's mom too.) Meryl Streep in Mama Mia! I love me some ABBA. Camping this weekend in Aspen. Last year's trip was good times, but this year Jill is coming up with me and we're going to do some serious relaxing. July 19th the Bravo Top Chef Tour is rolling through Denver and the folks over at BTC are hooking me up with a press pass. Suzie's wedding dress has arrived as have our bridesmaid dresses, I can't wait to see how they all turned out, I'm sure they are just beautiful. I have a huge presentation at work next week, which sounds like it doesn't belong on my list of all things awesome, but I'm looking forward to getting some good feedback and practicing for my defense. Thanks to everyone for such kind words of encouragement. I'll try not to let the man get me down in the future. Have a great weekend!

Dire Straits

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:20:00 +0000

I am trying to be calm and not freak out about the overwhelmingly long list of things I need to get done before I move on September 1. Last night I was nearing an anxiety attack so I called my mom who always knows just how to calm me down. She reminded me that even though I have the next two months mapped out to maximize friend and family time things may not work out the way I'd planned. Turns out she was right, and I absolutely hate deviating from the plan. I'd planned on two short trips, one in July and one in August to find an apartment and get all my paperwork and drug testing etc. done so I'd be prepared to move; not to mention visit Josh. I've had to rework the schedule and plan for one longer trip instead. Which means that I only have one chance to find an apartment. Ach. ACH!!!!! But OK, I can make it work. Then I started listing all the research and thesis related things I need to finish before Friday and I started to feel that anxiety creeping in again. In order to spare my poor mom from talking me off another ledge I am taking a 15 minute break from working, listening to some music and venting a bit here. I'm just trying to keep in mind that even if I'm exhausted and completely burnt out come Sept 1, that still means I'm completely done with grad school (and being poor, don't even ask me about my financial situation right now; we're talking dire straits people). So OK. I'm going to take a deep breath and get back to work. UPDATED: I lied. I called my mom anyway. She told me to relax and stop trying to do so many things at once.

Photo Essay Tuesday (Good Old Friends Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Last week I was fortunate to catch up with some old , The Shrenks, who were passing through town, visiting from Texas. I finally was able to meet their two little girls. My friend Brandon, who is clearly angling for father of the year, letting his kid play with all the knives. His wife, my friend Amy who looked great, recently had their second child. I also got to catch up with Lisa, who was my little sister in our sorority in college. It has, sadly, been a while since Lisa and I got together, but I think we have plans for a couple nice cold beers at GCB before I move and I can't wait.

My Mom Kicks Ass

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:37:00 +0000

I spent this weekend at my parent's house, and bright and early this morning(4 am!) we all got up to go cheer my mom on at one of her triathlons. She swam. She biked. She ran. She kicked some serious ass.

Dear Abby Explains It All

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:22:00 +0000

I got an email from my gorgeous friend Kate yesterday:

David read this in the newspaper this morning and wanted me to send it to you:

DEAR ABBY: I am 38 years young and still single. I enjoy my friends, my freedom and rock concerts. My issue is that at the last two concerts I went to, I heard men -- or boys -- say, "Watch out. Here come the cougars!" I think this is insulting. Or is it?

Can you define a "cougar"? I don't know whether I should be insulted or take it as a compliment. -- STILL ROCKIN' IN IRVINE
DEAR STILL ROCKIN': A "cougar" is a woman who likes to date -- and aggressively pursue -- much younger men. Whether it's an insult, an accurate description or a compliment depends upon how you wish to be perceived. But from my perspective, the comments you heard were stereotypical and "catty," to say the least.

David is Kate's little brother who likes to remind us- at every opportunity- that he thinks we're old farts. Nonetheless, thanks Dear Abby, for clearing this up once and for all. And for the record, while Josh may be a younger man, he is certainly not a much younger man.

Essays and Eggplants

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:47:00 +0000

Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk, Doubleday) was slightly underwhelming. I'll read it again to be sure, but I wasn't in love with it. If you're a fan, obviously you're going to go out, pick it up and read it, but if you've never read Palahniuk I'd suggest you start with Invisible Monsters or Survivor or Choke. I've started Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant, and so far I'm enjoying it immensely. It is everything I was expecting. I like collections of short stories, but I love collections of essays. I couldn't even begin to explain why, especially because I don't particularly care to read non-fiction. Perhaps I just like it in smaller doses. Last night I was talking to Josh, and I mentioned how much I used to love writing. Ten years of engineering school and nothing but technical writing has beat that particular talent out of me, but I certainly miss it. I enjoyed essay writing in particular. What I liked about it was mixing the pragmatic and factual with the creative and subjective. Planning and structuring and building a deliberate collection of words in the most effective manner, designed to convey a particular thought or feeling or opinion. I never could write fiction, even then; my brain is not inventive, but simply narrative. My English teacher in high school, the way his face fell when I told him I'd be attending engineering school instead of endeavoring in more creative pursuits, was maybe one of the best compliments I've ever gotten. Since hearing this, Josh has been really encouraging me to give writing a second chance. Frankly, he's pretty encouraging about everything, all the time, but this topic has really seemed to spark his interest. I'm thinking about it, but I certainly draw the line at sharing anything I write here on the blog (his suggestion), I don't think I could ever do that. I'm an engineer, not a writer after all.

Katie's Birthday Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:07:00 +0000

Friday night Kate, Jill, Mak and I met four other friends at the Rockies game to celebrate Kate's birthday. Unfortunately, Katie wasn't feeling well, so while she enjoyed the game and a cautious beer, we all got rip-roaring drunk. We actually had great seats and it was a beautiful night for a game. Not to mention we were playing the Mets who generally draw a pretty big crowd. I was sporting the biggest hair ever. I mean we're talking Texas-Big-Bar hair here. I do believe Mak is mocking me with that wink... Seriously, look at these great seats! For some reason Jill and I decided to throw down with several spirited rounds of knocker boxing. She started it. Kate, the birthday girl, drives us all home at the end of the night, and we, well, apparently we're just about as cliche as they come. OK, one last thing. Now everyone drinks a little and gets a little bit out out of control sometimes, but during the Friday night postmortem with Katie on Monday, she informed me that as far as shenanigans go, Jill and I had nothing on our girlfriend J. J and her boyfriend were riding the bus back to Boulder after we called it a night. Our girlfriend J started feeling sick on the bus and she threw up. BUT, she didn't want to get sick on the bus, so she just puffed out her cheeks and held it in her mouth as long as she could. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and it was leaking out the sides of her mouth so she...swallowed it. I know, it's about the grossest thing I've ever heard. It actually made me a little sick just now to write it out. She's a totally normal gal too, not a dirt bag or anything. Or so I thought...

Photo Essay Tuesday (Arjewtino Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Just before I left town for Aspen a couple of weeks ago I received this tiny parcel in the mail. I was pretty excited, I knew it wasn't a bill; nor was it a jury summons. It was, at long last, Arjewtino's Baseball card! I thought and thought about what to do with such a significant piece of Americana... I tried framing it, but that seemed creepy... Then I thought about putting it in my spokes, but I couldn't find any clothespins... So then I thought I'd take advice from the man himself

you should buy one of those hard plastic frames to keep it in mint condition. or put it on your wallet so you can look at it anytime you want. i do.

Friday night it made its first appearance at a Colorado Rockies baseball game... And then, well, sorry... Turns out this Photo Essay Tuesday coincides with Arjewtino's birthday, so without further ado... Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Hap--- What's wrong? Oh, don't like chocolate huh? No problem, I'll take care of it for you!

28 is not 21! (And Books!)

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Friday night kind of ruined me for the rest of the weekend. Though I had big plans Saturday, I bailed in favor of curling up in a tight ball in front of my air conditioner and watching TV all day with Jill. We complained loudly and often about our merciless hangovers, and about how we seem to be less and less able to bounce back quickly. I finally peeled my ass off the couch around 5:30 to go get some miso soup to assuage the hangover beast. I've included this picture because every time I look at it I swear I can hear Josh say "Of course you took a picture of yourself eating soup. Why wouldn't you?" And I crack up a little. Fortunately I'll have one more chance to see The Shrenks on Monday before they head back to Texas. Sunday was also a bit of a lazy day. I cleaned the apartment and around lunch time found fridge and cupboards devoid of anything resembling food, so I popped out to the grocery store. On the way I had a hankering for a cup of joe and decided to stop in the local Boarders to pick one up. Stupid. I'm a bit impulsive, especially when it comes to books. I can't go into a bookstore and leave with less than a half a dozen new books. Today I can hold my head up high and proudly say that I left with only four books. Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant Snuff Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen The Wonder Spot So here's the thing. I've been waiting forever for Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant to come out in paperback. I adore reading about food. Sometimes when I get depressed I dig out my cookbooks and read them the same way I read novels. I know for a fact I am not the only person who does this. Julie and Julia falls under the same reasoning, coupled with the fact that I picked it up for $4.99. I was going to pass on The Wonder Spot. Even though I loved The Girl's Guide To Hunting And Fishing, I'd heard from Josh that Bank didn't really come up with a new story and subsequently The Wonder Spot was sort of a second rate rehash of her first publication. But... at $3.99 I couldn't resist picking it up. I've wasted a Sunday afternoon on worse books I'm sure. And finally, Snuff. As a bit of a Chuck Palahniuk devotee, I am pretty impressed with my restraint, I waited almost a month to pick this one up. I know some people who can't stand his writing, but I know more people who absolutely adore him. I have never read anything of his I didn't like, and I loved everything except Lullaby. Haunted was so sick I actually had to put it down and walk away several times (particularly during Guts).

Cougars?

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:22:00 +0000

Friday night was Katie's 28th birthday, Happy Birthday! We went to a ball game (The Rockies lost...), then some bars. Somewhere near the end of the evening Jill and I went for a little walk to "mingle" and do some dancing. The dancing was kind of a bust, I think we are just too old for the bars in the one particular area we were exploring. We got picked on by some local youths (what's a yout?) and they teased us and followed us on their bicycles! What the shit! Jill tried to get in a fight with one of them when they wouldn't stop taunting her about almost falling (though she hadn't). I love when Jill gets all aggro when she's been drinking. Then we met some very young boys who were out at a bachelor party. They were trying (unsuccessfully) to lure us back to their hotel room for an after party (another thing I'm thinking we're too old for), but they must have watched The Pick Up Artist, because they kept insulting us thinking it would weaken our resolve. We're not those kinds of girls, we actually have some self esteem thankyouverymuch. They said we were, and I quote, "totally hot cougars." Dude! We are too young to be considered Cougars. Look it up yo!

Tuesday Night, Ladies Night

noreply@blogger.com (The Maiden Metallurgist) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:53:00 +0000

Tuesday night Jill, Ivory, Suzie, Sarah, Laura, Tanya and I all met at Steuben's for our sort of quarterly meet up and catch up. I'd had a very late lunch so I only had the butterscotch pudding for dinner, but man was it good. The conversation included, but was in no way limited to, Tanya's honeymoon, Suzie's wedding, Laura's daughter and (6 year!) anniversary, Ivory's new house and baby, Sarah's new home and subsequent renovation, Jill's job search, and my impending relocation. It's so amazing, spending a great night with great friends who are all in such different places in life. It certainly illustrates what a rich and colorful tapestry life can be.