Friday, July 31, 2009
Me as a kid
My other cousin, Ellen, just posted this picture of me as a kid on Facebook...Too funny! I had chubby little legs then too!
Happy Friday, ya'll!
Well, it's been one week since I started this little blog...Hope it's not too terribly boring to read, though as long as I get a kick out of writing it I guess it doesn't matter!
So, I started twittering again this week after my cousin said I MUST TWEET or else no one will ever know my blog exists. Twitter is a strange and exciting experience for me. Normally I like to go on and on about a subject, but twitter forces me to be more concise. Good practice for blog writing, eh? You can follow me on twitter at @kristen.biance. Look for me to tweet more random, though hopefully interesting, musings!
As for the weekend, my hubby has to work, so I plan to read my new book, American Lion, clean the house and go shopping. I'm thinking about getting a new button down shirt for my second interview next week with UNC...so excited!
I
Banana Republic:
Have a fantastic, random and joyous weekend!
So, I started twittering again this week after my cousin said I MUST TWEET or else no one will ever know my blog exists. Twitter is a strange and exciting experience for me. Normally I like to go on and on about a subject, but twitter forces me to be more concise. Good practice for blog writing, eh? You can follow me on twitter at @kristen.biance. Look for me to tweet more random, though hopefully interesting, musings!
As for the weekend, my hubby has to work, so I plan to read my new book, American Lion, clean the house and go shopping. I'm thinking about getting a new button down shirt for my second interview next week with UNC...so excited!
I
Banana Republic:
Probably not appropriate for an interview, but meee likkkey:
I worked for Banana for a year, so you'd think I'd be burnt out on their clothes, right? Not so, says I! I love their clothes, plus they fit my rear the right way, without awkward bunching and such...
I worked for Banana for a year, so you'd think I'd be burnt out on their clothes, right? Not so, says I! I love their clothes, plus they fit my rear the right way, without awkward bunching and such...
Two more pics... My cousin's girls, so cute it should be illegal...
Have a fantastic, random and joyous weekend!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
My doughy mess
I tried experimenting with making dough for calzones this morning and ended up making a big, sticky, floury, yeasty mess...Here are some pics that prove my total ineptitude when it comes to all things kitchen-related.
I tried making the dough two times before running completely out of flour. The second time, I think I didn't make the flour "bowl" deep enough and the yeast exploded all over my countertop. Ick... (Looked worse than the picture indicates, but you get the idea).
Actually, I'm not a terrible baker. I love following recipes and have gotten particularly good at baking banana bread. FoodFit.com is a great site that will take your everyday calorie-loaded recipe and show you healthier alternatives using ingredients like honey or other natural sweeteners. I made these delicious cupcakes the other day using buttermilk instead of butter and they tasted just as rich and buttery...Yum!
Well, I'm off to go buy more flour (or perhaps some pre-made pizza dough?).
Monday, July 27, 2009
What I'm reading now...
I picked up this book on Friday and I can't put it down! It's called "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" and is a marriage of two of my favorite things to read about - mystery and history, especially early American history.
Here's the basic plot as stated in the book jacket cover:
"Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest - to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge."
Well, you get the idea. This book is by no means breaking new literary ground, but hey, I got up early this morning to read it, so that must be worth something.
I'm always fascinated by books that deal with the early formation of this country. I've been reading a ton of them lately with subjects varying from John Adams, early native American culture to the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth.
Still trying to get through a comprehensive history of North Carolina...dense, but fascinating read. For instance, I didn't realize that North Carolina has one of the oldest rivers in the world, second only to the Nile. (Incidentally, it's called the "New" River). Also, I never knew that North Carolina was founded as a proprietary colony, by eight Englishmen. It didn't become a royal colony until the 1700's. Umm, people do probably learn this in grade school, but it is fun re-discovering banal historical facts anway.
Okay, so I'm a nerd. But, I think what fascinates me the most is the fact that we will never have the opportunity to do what these folks did ever again. Baring a major catastrophe that wipes out civilization, we will never be able to colonize a new land or build a civilization from scratch.
Any other good history books I should be reading?
Here's the basic plot as stated in the book jacket cover:
"Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest - to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge."
Well, you get the idea. This book is by no means breaking new literary ground, but hey, I got up early this morning to read it, so that must be worth something.
I'm always fascinated by books that deal with the early formation of this country. I've been reading a ton of them lately with subjects varying from John Adams, early native American culture to the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth.
Still trying to get through a comprehensive history of North Carolina...dense, but fascinating read. For instance, I didn't realize that North Carolina has one of the oldest rivers in the world, second only to the Nile. (Incidentally, it's called the "New" River). Also, I never knew that North Carolina was founded as a proprietary colony, by eight Englishmen. It didn't become a royal colony until the 1700's. Umm, people do probably learn this in grade school, but it is fun re-discovering banal historical facts anway.
Okay, so I'm a nerd. But, I think what fascinates me the most is the fact that we will never have the opportunity to do what these folks did ever again. Baring a major catastrophe that wipes out civilization, we will never be able to colonize a new land or build a civilization from scratch.
Any other good history books I should be reading?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Oh Publix, how I miss thee...
Let me count the ways...
Delectable, yet cheap sushi and the sushi roller guy who always seems desperately happy for my business
Blueberry non-fat yogurt - the only kind my husband and I both enjoy
Frozen mini-shrimp perfect for pizza toppings
Honey butter for subs (nuff said)
Your friendly check out people and bag boys/girls*
The frozen aisle section so bone shatteringly cold I wished to god for a parka
Lemon rotisserie chicken and other assorted deli goodies
THE SPINACH DIP, dear lord the spinach dip
The close proximity of your stores, no matter where I was you where close by...
The bakery that smells so good, you wish you could curl up in a sugar-induced comaball on the floor
*Especially the checkout girl that told me she was pregnant when I didn't ask, and the checkout man who told me his life story in the span of 5 minutes, including how he lives with his mother and how his sister died a tragic death years ago...
Delectable, yet cheap sushi and the sushi roller guy who always seems desperately happy for my business
Blueberry non-fat yogurt - the only kind my husband and I both enjoy
Frozen mini-shrimp perfect for pizza toppings
Honey butter for subs (nuff said)
Your friendly check out people and bag boys/girls*
The frozen aisle section so bone shatteringly cold I wished to god for a parka
Lemon rotisserie chicken and other assorted deli goodies
THE SPINACH DIP, dear lord the spinach dip
The close proximity of your stores, no matter where I was you where close by...
The bakery that smells so good, you wish you could curl up in a sugar-induced comaball on the floor
*Especially the checkout girl that told me she was pregnant when I didn't ask, and the checkout man who told me his life story in the span of 5 minutes, including how he lives with his mother and how his sister died a tragic death years ago...
PLEASE COME TO NORTH CAROLINA!!
Wasted energy
So, I like to work out. Keeps me sane, fit and is a good way to get me out of the house now that I've been working from home. My work in public relations deals a lot with recycling and environmental issues so I find myself reading, from time to time, recycling trade magazines (what fun!). So, imagine my utter delight to read an article about Ohio University's plans to convert work out energy into alternative energy.
From Waste & Recycling News, 7/24/2009:
University installs energy-producing workout equipment
July 24 -- Students working out at an Ohio University recreation center will be able to produce a little bit of alternative energy while working up a sweat.
The Athens, Ohio, university has installed 20 elliptical machines that will produce electricity from the students´ use of the equipment.
A 30-minute workout will provide enough electricity to run a standard light bulb for 45 minutes, the school said.
"Installing the ReCardio system allows us to demonstrate how energy is created and used," said Assistant Dean for Recreation and Wellness Douglas Franklin. "I think it´s important to create an environment that actively models best practices regarding sustainability rather than just talking about it."
Ohio University said it is one of nine universities in the country using the ReCardio system.
Technology that can turn our human energy into alternative energy is a pretty cool thing. Just goes to show that the solution to our energy crisis is out there and it doesn't necessarily involve drilling for more oil or building more coal plants, etc.
I'm curious if people will start putting these elliptical machines in their homes to generate some, if not all, of their energy needs. The benefits to the environment, not to mention their health, would be interesting to watch.
From Waste & Recycling News, 7/24/2009:
University installs energy-producing workout equipment
July 24 -- Students working out at an Ohio University recreation center will be able to produce a little bit of alternative energy while working up a sweat.
The Athens, Ohio, university has installed 20 elliptical machines that will produce electricity from the students´ use of the equipment.
A 30-minute workout will provide enough electricity to run a standard light bulb for 45 minutes, the school said.
"Installing the ReCardio system allows us to demonstrate how energy is created and used," said Assistant Dean for Recreation and Wellness Douglas Franklin. "I think it´s important to create an environment that actively models best practices regarding sustainability rather than just talking about it."
Ohio University said it is one of nine universities in the country using the ReCardio system.
Technology that can turn our human energy into alternative energy is a pretty cool thing. Just goes to show that the solution to our energy crisis is out there and it doesn't necessarily involve drilling for more oil or building more coal plants, etc.
I'm curious if people will start putting these elliptical machines in their homes to generate some, if not all, of their energy needs. The benefits to the environment, not to mention their health, would be interesting to watch.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
For my first post I thought I'd list the top ten things I'd like to do with my life. Blogging was one of them, so I can scratch that bad boy off the list!
1) Not feel so awkward in my own skin
2) Get to be somewhat good at what I do for a living (which is public relations, btw)
3) Have a couple of babies
4) Take good photographs
5) Start playing a sport and stick with it
6) Own a home
7) Pay off my credit cards, student loans, car, etc!
8) Save enough money to retire comfortably with my husband
9) Finish my knitting project
10) Travel to Europe
So, about the blog. I'd like to post interesting news stories I come across, discuss interesting ideas and rant about stuff that pisses me off. Cool?
1) Not feel so awkward in my own skin
2) Get to be somewhat good at what I do for a living (which is public relations, btw)
3) Have a couple of babies
4) Take good photographs
5) Start playing a sport and stick with it
6) Own a home
7) Pay off my credit cards, student loans, car, etc!
8) Save enough money to retire comfortably with my husband
9) Finish my knitting project
10) Travel to Europe
So, about the blog. I'd like to post interesting news stories I come across, discuss interesting ideas and rant about stuff that pisses me off. Cool?
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