52 Days Until

New Moon!


New Moon Movie and Twilight Movie

(Okay 51 and 22 hours now that I'm back on the East Coast)

And 11 days until Jifo visits me for the first time since I moved back!

(What? If there was a fan-made countdown clock for my relationship I'd put it up too...)

IM Iron Chef: Turkey & Rice Stuffed Yellow Zucchini

Monday night and I've got a fridge full of FreshDirect and limited cooking know-how.

To my great fortune, I have an iron chef for a 'mo.

I gchat LS - who, it turns out, is in the middle of class - and say

"Ok, Iron Chef, I've got..."

and proceed to name all the ingredients in my refrigerator.

I swear he doesn't even pause. I haven't even finished listing what I've got and he's already typing out the recipe in real time, in order.

The result is a dish I would never have concocted on my own.

See another photo and the full instant messaged recipe here.

(And yes, grad students check gmail during class. We're busted.)

How to Survive A Cross-Country Move

I was sleep-deprived, hungry, and had too much homework. And that was just the end of orientation week.

The adjustment to NY and to journalism school was rough. The first three weeks I was so hypoglycemic my mother and I thought I had diabetes. I've been so busy I haven't had time to find a doctor to check it out.

I cried every night, Jifo was no help and fought with me, and I was convinced at the end of every week that I had to drop out of school. To this day I still ask:

What am I doing here?

It's finally getting better as I approach the end of the first month.

Here are some tips for anyone making a cross-country move to start grad school:

1) Arrive with more than just a day or two to settle in.

I'm still pulling clothes out of my suitcase and the box that Jifo mailed. This is not a joke.

2) If you're in NYC - use FreshDirect. It saves so much time and there's no other way to carry that many groceries unless you have an old lady cart.

3) Get an old lady cart.

There was already one here in the apartment, which I use for laundry and bringing down FreshDirect boxes to recycle.

4) Lie and tell your local friends that you're only here for two weeks. Then you'll actually see them.

When I used to visit NYC on vacation, all my friends would clamor over slots to have dinner with me. Now that I've moved back, 80% of them have turned into Angeleno's, giving me the old "Let's meet up" with no solid plans.

5) Learn to cook.

I've spent just about everything I've ever earned in my whole life on food in NYC. I hate you, NYC restaurants.

6) Buy plane tickets in advance. Or better yet, dump your boyfriend.

Your wallet will thank you later.

Batting for Both Teams...Again

I had to get a Mac for school and I don't hate it.

I'm sorry!

It wasn't always this way - I hated it as much as any proper old school Windows user, declaring "PC for life!" and throwing gang signs in support of our constantly crashing platform.

But I'm coming out now. I wouldn't call myself any staunch supporter of Macs; I just...don't...hate them. Anymore.

(They are kinda faster than windows...)

To make up for the chilling news, here's yet another dog video of a pibble and mini schnau spooning. SPOONING. The way a Mac and PC might one day...

I'm Back...for Labor Day

Yeah, Jifo and I spent too much money to get me back to L.A. for the long weekend, but it was worth it: this week was our one-year anniversary!

Plus I was so lonely and tired in NYC, which, for so long, I had thought of as home.

The first week of classes was grueling. I got very little sleep and was hypo most of the time, compounded by my period finally arriving (late from the stress), which made my sugar levels drop. I didn't know if I could make it through my Thursday evening Radio Workshop, but the professors and especially my fellow classmates were so supportive - two even gave me food.

I also got great news about my financial aid. I was having major money concerns, causing me to consider taking a deferral on my admissions! But after speaking with the assistant dean and head of admissions, everything is worked out. Huge burden off my back.

We're now off to Target to find a black bathing suit so I can go to the beach despite being on the rag. TMI?

Happy Labor Day, everyone.