times they are a'changing...

First off, I bought a size smaller jeans today because my others were like, falling off me.  Best shopping trip ever.  (if you think I'm being vain, catch up with my triathlon training blog stuff)

Second, we're putting an offer on a house tomorrow!  Pictures to come soon!

note to self: do not throw textbooks at your powerbook.

Last night in the throes of scholastic fervor I leaned back in my chair to grab a book - when I righted myself, the book flew out of my hand and onto my keyboard.

I was so depressed and freaked out that I spent the morning backing up my files in case the Apple folks wanted to keep it overnight. I mean, really?  In the middle of revising my IRB application, THIS!?

So, I took poor Apple (that's her name) to the shops at Willow Bend.  After explaining that not only did I have a trick ghetto-lock mechanism that requires me to use an earring/safety pin/bobby pin/straight pin to open my laptop, I had gone and destroyed my keyboard.  By the way, apple care covers NEITHER of these, because damage would be not the responsibility of Apple.  The genius behind the bar assured me that he had odd keys laying around in the back and carted my computer away.  As the minutes ticked by, I realized that the minutes were ticking by, which means he had been a long time, which is never good.  Lo and behold about 15 minutes later he came back, pushed the button on the front of my Mac and IT OPENED!  I could've kissed the guy, and told him so.  

swimmer's ear

dude seriously - I've got ears with extra twisty canals or something because every time I go swimming I get a headache.  Today I worked on making my flip turns more efficient because I've been really struggling with them lately.  Pretty much everything was great - I love swimming so much - it's really nothing like running where I hate life for 15 minutes.  Every single minute is peaceful and lovely :)

Consolidation

You know, I've had two separate blogs for awhile - one for triathlon training and one for everything else.  I'm just going to start blogging about the tri in here.  You can catch up with my previous posts by clicking here.

Maroon 5

Today was probably one of the crazier days I've had since moving to Dallas.  I've been craving live music the way I experienced it back in Austin, so when I heard that Maroon 5 would be playing a free concert sponsored by 106.1 Kiss Fm (yes even though it plays crap pop music 24/7 and the morning dj's are only slightly tolerable) at 7am, I was determined to get in. I set my alarm for 3:30am which in hindsight I didn't really need to set because I woke up every hour in anticipation (i'm a huge nerd).  I got super lost in Las Colinas, which is really unnerving at 4:15am.  Luckily a girl waiting and having a smoke in her car while waiting for 5am to open her Starbucks pointed me in the direction of the canal.  After I parked I ran into Rose Marie, who had just gotten off her shift at Wal-Mart. 

When we walked up to the radio station fishbowl, there were already about 30 people there, all giving us the stink-eye for showing up and lessening their chances of getting tickets.  We started talking to these two other folks...I can't remember the girl's name but the guy's name was John and they had driven in

from South Ft. Worth for this.  

A station worker came out and announced they would be passing out a raffle ticket to each person, and that raffle ticket would be good for two passes, which you could give to your best friend, so Rose Marie decided that we would give our passes to each other if the other won.  Then, we waited. 

Shannon was there first, then Kidd Kraddick, Big Al, Kelly, J-Si showed up. We had prime real-estate in front of the morning show windows, but then they announced that they would be passing out raffle tickets, which engaged the PUSH AND SHOVE! PUSH AND SHOVE! mechanism in everyone's brain so that when we finally got the tickets and circled back around to where we were standing, there 

was a crowd of high schoolers and two thirty-year-olds directly in front of us who were slowly starting to piss me off.  If anyone has ever been to a concert, you know the type, the girls who pretend they can't hear you when you say "Excuse me no way are you going to stand in front of me - first off you're taller than me and second of all we've been here a good 8 hours before you have." The other thing that was baffling to me were the single moms who bundled up their kids and brought them down to the radio station.  I'm pretty sure 4-year-old Sally has neither any idea who Maroon 5 is nor wanted to be sleeping on the cold hard ground (did I mention it was like, 50 degrees?) while mom got a glimpse of hotness.

So...they FINALLY got around to announcing numbers and they called John and his sister's name, which totally bummed us out, then the people right next to us got called, and someone else, which is when Rose Marie said, "Think positive!  We're going to get thi..." which is right about the time they called her number and we FREAKED out.  The show, in short, was amazing.  They only played two songs acoustically - "Won't Go Home Without You" and "This Love."  Instead of rushing through a 3rd song, they took questions from the audience.  I asked Adam for a hug but Kidd Kraddick *boo hisssss* shot me down.  It was totally fine, though - a 12 year old got a hug at the end of the QA session, which made it worth it.  I know, I know - I'm NEVER that girl who does stuff like that but I figured it was worth a shot :)

The rest of the day I was in a warm, fuzzy, sleep-deprived haze, which was okay with me, because that was the perfect start to my day. 

Artichoke Enchiladas

A note about my recipes - if it's cooking, I don't really measure stuff accurately, I do it all by taste. I'll come up with a standardized system for words such as "dash" and "touch" but for now, just bear with me. Also, I really like to use fresh herbs, and when it comes to ground spices, the best thing you can do is buy it in bulk and get a spice grinder - that way the spices keep their flavor and they are way more potent and therefore delicious.

After my first trip to Mother's in Austin a couple weeks ago, I was inspired to try my own version of artichoke enchiladas. They turned out totally yummy! Here's the recipe:

you'll need
a small bit of butter (for flavor)

1/2 clove of garlic

1/2 white or yellow onion
1 can chopped artichokes
1 can tomatoes & green chiles
8 oz sour cream
1 bundle of spinach
8 flour tortillas (i would've preferred corn, but those fall apart...I'm still working on how to remedy that.
any kind of enchilada sauce you want - I used green
shredded mexican cheese

caldo de pollo
comino (cumin) - the hubs bought cumin seeds and i shook out about a tsp. and ground it up and split it between this and the beans (recipe following)
salt & pepper

Lightly oil a glass baking dish and set aside, pre-heat oven at 350.

Melt butter in a pan and add a little bit of olive oil.
Sauté onion until it turns clear-ish and add garlic.
Add artichokes and cook until they soften up a bit.
Add spinach and tomatoes/green chiles, along with a bit of the green enchilada sauce.
Add salt & pepper to taste, along with the comino and just a teeny bit of caldo.
Cook this for about 7-10 minutes, really let the flavors mingle - it gets a little soupy, so make sure and cook the liquid out of it.
While the mixture is cooking, take a spoonful of sour cream and spread it in a tortilla.
Scoop out some of the mixture and add some cheese, roll it up and place it in the baking dish.
When you're done maneuvering the enchiladas into your dish, take the remaining enchilada sauce and mix it with any remaining sour cream you have and pour this over the enchiladas.
Top with a bit of cheese, then pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until the sauce/cheese get bubbly.

Be sure to let 'em cool before you eat 'em.  I think these could be really good with a little chicken or even some shrimp, which I would just have chopped up and cooked in olive oil, salt and pepper and then thrown all the veggies in.

We had them with black beans, which I spiced up:
you'll need
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 white onion, chopped
2 cans of black beans - 1 can drained, one not

caldo de pollo

comino (from enchilada recipe)

salt & pepper

TINY shake of ancho chili powder (I really like the smoky depth this spice added to the beans!)

*note if you want to make these borracho beans, just add half a can of beer...and drink the rest ;)

Sauté the garlic and onion in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add a touch of caldo, the comino, salt and pepper, and the chili powder.  Add *beer at this point, beans, and bring to a boil, then let them simmer.  I would probably get these started first and then start working on your enchiladas to let them simmer until the enchiladas are ready.

I wish I had had a jalepeño, in which case I would have finely chopped a whole fresh one and sauteed it with the onions - beware, it makes your eyes burn doubly bad if you do this.  If I'm not wearing my contacts I have to go get my swim goggles.  No joke.  Also, the enchiladas would have been fabulous with some avocado.  My husband said everything had just the right amount of spice which was a HUGE accomplishment for me because I usually way freaking overspice everything!

If anyone out there tries this, let me know how it goes!

take THAT, peaceful sleep!

things to do:

revise prospectus
revise IRB application
turn in IRB application again
get Cowart to read my prospectus
revise prospectus again
turn prospectus in to the graduate school
send out consent forms to parents
schedule meeting for parents to meet with me and a translator to explain my thesis
plan out my therapy sessions for my thesis (just got new Spanish song books from Amazon -ROCK!)
...which is by the way 2 sessions a week in two classes for 8 weeks. You do the math.

ALL WHILE:
finding another practicum setting for my 5911
preparing for and rocking a presentation at the SWAMTA conference
apply for internships
have interviews for internships
prepare music for internship interviews
studying for music history
practicing piano
practicing guitar
keeping up with not one but TWO online graduate bilingual education courses
trying to find a house
training for a triathlon
planning a baby shower
cooking
laundry
cleaning
staying sane
loving life
having friends


prayers, please.

House Hunting!

We've had this date scheduled with our realtor for about a month, and we must've forgotten to call in a special order great weather day because we couldn't have had crappier weather! Seriously! We looked at eight houses and came up with our top 3, top 2, really, if you get rid of the one that's outside of our price range and doesn't have a third bedroom. The bathroom situations in these houses though is CRAZY! They need a little bit of work, but that's a really cool part, because we get to make the place our own! Maybe we'll put a bid on one in the next couple of days...if we can decide between the two. Both have insane bathroom situations but are in good neighborhoods and are a reasonable price, and have open-ish floor plans...both have sunrooms...I mean, it's pretty much a win-win, we don't really have a deal breaker at either one.

Sigh! I'll be so glad when we've got this thing closed!

In other news, my TWU IRB form came back, which means I need to make corrections to my application and then send it back in and I can start my thesis research! AHHH! Way exciting! I have a possible opportunity to graduate this December, which makes me all kinds of giddy. I'll know specifics in a couple weeks, and I'll let cha know.

artist's way

i've (re)started going through this book called The Artist's Way, which is this totally zen approach to unleashing your inner creativity and saying, "to hell with you, inner and outer critics!" It's a long process, so I'm hoping I can actually stick with it. Step number 1 was getting a notebook and making it pretty. Step 2 involves doing this thing called Morning Pages where you sit and write 3 pages every morning, stream of consciousness, whatever, just get it out on the page. This little practice has become a way for me to maintain my sanity and get all my thoughts OUT of my head so I can focus on more important things. That's of course the point of the Pages. I encourage anyone anywhere to do that if you can. I have to wake up a little bit earlier to do them because of school but it is SO very worth it!

We've been studying the Enlightenment in music history lately which was defined by Immanuel Kant as "man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity isself-imposed when its cause lies not in a lack of understanding, but in a lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another." I think that pretty much describes my whole state of being lately - especially since turning 25. I like to think that this time in my life is my own Enlightenment - rethinking my values, traditions, which will hopefully lead to a new outlook on the relationship I have with myself, between me and other people, and between me and God.

Oh, and happy Made Up Commercial Holiday!

:o)

YAY!

BEER AND WINE IN THE GROCERY STORES! YES!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/110707dnmetelexalcohol.1e51ed718.html

breathing

I hate not being able to breathe properly - I wake up all stuffy and not at all well-rested. I try to use the nasal strips but I end up tearing them off in the middle of the night...sigh.

Austin fabulousness

My trip to Austin can be summed up in one word: educational. Not only because I went to check out a prospective internship site and learned way more about myself professionally and even music therapy than I had anticipated, but because in general I learned things about myself, the people around me, and even the city of Austin. I felt more at home this time around. I'm not sure "at home" is the right term, it can only be described like how I feel when it's cold outside and I take a drink of warm tea. I met up with some friends for a happy hour and it was like reuniting with family. When we went dancing later that night I recognized dancers from my freshman year of college who would be there every Wednesday at Antone's. Hopefully one day I'll have that same sense of community here in Dallas.

I somehow managed to see nearly everyone I wanted to see without kicking my own ass, which is generally what happens with all the running around I usually do. I found it easier to say no in order to maintain my sanity and to stay true to myself. It felt awesome to do something nice for myself on my own time, including wandering around South Congress and dipping into the local artisan shops. I could live down there. I think the vitality of that little stretch of road really reflects the soul of the city. Even the waiters and waitresses were friendlier than anywhere else I've lived. Except maybe New Braunfels. Jeez.

Saturday was probably the perfect day - I woke up at my friends' apartment in the hills overlooking the Austin hill country, drove to my cousin's house to relax, and then took a walk with my best friend Haley at Town Lake. After the walk, we drove to South Congress to enjoy some pizza at Home Slice, an establishment I HIGHLY recommend, along with the pizza margherita. I then attended a beautiful SAI baby shower for two dear sisters who are both soon having boys!

Now I am back home, catching up on schoolwork and looking forward to the weeks and months ahead, which will be chock-full of thesis stuff, internship, and a new house! Hooray for growing up!

babies

So I officially know FOUR couples who are having babies this year, one of them is my ex boyfriend and his wife - totally crazy.

I am leaving for Austin tomorrow to check out a prospective internship site and go to an SAI baby shower for two of my sisterly friends :o) I am packing up tonight and getting out of town at 9:30 tomorrow morning after my first class. The last week has been sort of rough, and even though Kyle's not going with me to Austin, this weekend is much much MUCH needed. I feel like I should make a short list:

Why I Love Austin (in no particular order)
1. Zilker Park
2. Good radio stations
3. Trudy's
4. Z Tejas
5. Shopping on South Congress
6. Trees and grass and sometimes wildflowers on the highways
7. 15 minutes to get anywhere
8. Proximity of friends and family
9. Live music
10. Waterloo
11. Absence of pretension

Not that I hate Dallas - here's a (shorter) list of why I tolerate Dallas:
1. DMA Latenight
2. Proximity of family and friends
3. Dallas Farmer's Market

That's all I've got for now - the guy next to me totally stinks so I've gotta get out of this coffee house.

Dear Lady Who Honked at Me...

...instead of honking at me when I'm 4th in line at the light, maybe you should've left home 5 minutes earlier. >:|

i love the Dallas Farmer's Market

we bought so much produce today! For dinner tonight we're having grilled lime-cilantro tuna steaks with honey glaze with garlich-chive pasta...not sure what else we're going to make...we have cherries, peppers, squash, limes, mushrooms, japanese eggplants and onions. I think I'm going to sauté some onions and mushrooms and throw them in with the pasta. ¡YUM!