Mood:
This was yesterday, but I like it enough to talk about it the next day.
I love it, actually. But, a little goes a long way. Canada's the largest producer of it, and produces over 5 million gallons a year. Vermont is the largest producer in the US, and apparently generates about 5.5% of the global supply. Very interesting. The Native Americans where the first ones to make maple syrup. It was adopted by early European settlers in the late 1600s.
Went to the Hanukkah party at one of the synagogues last Saturday. It was a lot better planned than last year. They actually had the tables and food upstairs, this time. Last time, they had one table upstairs for lighting the menorahs. Then, everyone had to make their way downstairs, and be crowded elbow to elbow when they sat down at the tables. There was barely room for the food, as well. But, this setup was really nice this year. There was space to sit and eat comfortably.
Plus, room at each table for their menorahs. I didn't bring ours this time, because I wanted it to be cleaned up. Couldn't really get it clean enough, even though I got huge chunks of the wax off. Thought it still looked kind of tacky that way.
Luckily, they have several menorahs they can use from their collection that's normally on display. The one we used was meant for huge candles, but all they had were the normal small ones. Dangerous, but I was able to make them stay in.
There were several dreidels, gelt, and M&Ms scattered around each table. Just for if people wanted to play some dreidel. There was also a raffle, which I sadly didn't win anything from.
But, still fun. There were a lot of different latkes, and their new thing this year was trying to get as many different types of toppings as possible. Personally, I like my applesauce just fine, thank you very much.
But, they had different chutneys, a peanut sauce, sour cream, chocolate syrup, etc. (The chocolate syrup one really made me wonder...
) There, sadly, wasn't any kosher Chinese food this time. But, there was plenty to eat.
For dessert, someone made a really cool cake. When they made the first cut into it, it exploded outwards on one side. Gelt (chocolate coins) came spewing out from the center. It was a chocolate cake with a little coffee in a chocolate frosting. This guy was awesome!
I don't know how he made it! The gelt wasn't melted either. He wasn't sure if it would actually work. There was also rugelach (a rolled pastry that can have many different fillings), powdered jelly donuts (sufganiyot), and something else I can't remember. (The cake really made an impression. So, hard to remember what else was there.)
Met a couple of their new members. One was very quiet throughout most of the night. But, towards the end, he suddenly joined in and became very talkative. Maybe he was just nervous the whole time.
I barely got to see the other new member. She didn't sit next to us, and there was a throng of people around her.
Just before we left, I grabbed a bunch of the gelt. And, we forgot to have the gelt that we bought before the holiday. So, now we have a pretty nice stash of them.
It was fun being able to catch up with some of the people we knew too.
On Sunday, I drove a little. Went to Wal-Mart and our local market. Couldn't drive more than that because it was starting to become very hard to see. It was getting dark out, and there was a mix of rain and snow. Made things a bit slick, too. Apparently, we have a possibility for snow today, and Sunday. There was a very light dusting when I looked out the window this morning. They also predict that the rest of the time, it'll be a mix of rain and snow. I don't think they really know what will happen.
Got 3 new lipsticks at the store on Sunday. I'm not used to wearing lipstick, but I want to wear it more often.
Most of my other lipsticks are at least a few years old. They say you shouldn't be using ones that are that old. I want to get more into my makeup. It feels good, boosts my self-esteem a little, and can be fun. I tried the Fuchsia with Blue Pearl color yesterday. It was a very interesting one, and bold. Tried the Pink Ice one today. It's a lot more subdued, but fun still. I like colors that aren't the norm. That might be frosted, metallic, changes colors, 2-toned, etc. I do that a lot with nail polish, so why not with lipstick? Having colors that are just red, for example, are boring.
I also put a 'lip dew' thing under my lipstick today. It's supposed to keep your lips from getting too dry or something. Essentially, just a lip gloss. Looks even better with it. I think tomorrow I'll try one called Breeze.
Perfect Blue is getting intense. They're finally about to find out what Kayoko's father's last words meant. (His last words were Perfect Blue.) Itoko (Kayoko's sister) was kidnapped by the people behind everything, including killing her father. Her mother and Kayoko came in to rescue her, but fell into a trap where the people that kidnapped Itoko were just lying in wait for them. They plan to kill them all in an explosion, while they're trapped inside a warehouse. Masa tried to save them, but took a bullet to his side (somewhere in between his hips and his belly). He looked like he played dead for a bit, and while they weren't looking he ran off on 3 legs trying to find help. All the while leaving a trail of blood. This dog's tough! Next episode is the finale.
In Hitman Reborn, Tsuna's father visits. Tsuna also learns a bit more about the Vongola's 7 half-rings. I got the hint that his father is a part of the mafia as well. But, Tsuna is clueless about it. Kind of sad. He thinks so lowly of his father, and yet his father just wants to kid with him sometimes, or make him stronger in his own way. The 7 half-rings are being delivered to other members of the 'family'. So far, we know for sure about Gokudera and Yamamoto. Tsuna has one, but it looks slightly different. Still don't know much about the rings, but it's interesting. There's a rebellious group of assassins that were once loyal to the 'family'. Now they're after the rings. And, plan to destroy the Vongola family.
Played my clarinet. Started getting more serious about it on Monday. Going over each piece numerous times until I get it right. Thought I had a CD that went with my Klezmer book, but I can't seem to find it.
So, I'm listening to some recordings from Youtube. Just to see what others do to the base melody. I've noticed, for some songs, they play it faster than what it is on paper. And, for some, slower. I guess it just matters on who's playing it. But, they all have that same base melody. So, it's not just their own thing. I'm already getting a lot better with some of the pieces I've gone over. Although, these are the easiest ones in the book. But, I don't want to be sloppy with them, like I was before. Even if they're semi-easy, you still want it to be clean and played correctly. Eventually, I'll 'embellish' it a bit. But, I need to perfect these pieces a bit more.
Edited a good portion of chapter 19 of Alliance. Reads a lot smoother now. Posted a chapter to the forum that's giving me some interesting feedback. One person commented saying they liked the chapter, but kind of scary to post around now. In the chapter before, there is a shooting. And, oddly about a week or 2 after I posted it, the Sandy Hook shootings happened. So, she felt it was a bit eerie. I kind of agree, but you can't predict things like that. I'm glad that people are liking my story, though.
Posted a pic of our menorah for the 7th night on FB and dA. 4 people faved it, and I gained a new watcher through it. Someone asked me if I spoke Hebrew, and that was her main language. She also wanted to talk a bit about Hanukkah, and how it went. Very nice sounding person. Some people liked it on FB, too.
Went over some kanji and compounds. Rosie, one of our cats, has been 'giving' me a lot of things today. (She's also a bit of a klepto.) Maybe something is bothering her. The last thing she gave me was our really old little pamphlet full of Hanukkah blessings and songs. She started to try and rip it up. Luckily, I grabbed it from her just in time. I think she got it, because I'm sure Mom's scent is still on it. Maybe she's having another mourning wave, like I think we all have been having. They come and go.
Mood:
I love pierogi!
(Might be my eastern European background coming out...) The plural form is pierogi (although, I really feel tempted to type pierogis), and singular is pierog. They're dumplings that are usually filled with potatoes and onions, or cheese, or ground meat, or fruit. But, there are many more variations. We just got some frozen ones yesterday. I didn't even know about it having its own day the next day. So, I had some. We got the potato and onion ones. Tasted awesome like always!
A friend was supposed to drive me to services on Saturday. She told me she had to be there early, to help set up. So, I got up earlier than I would have, and waited for her. She never showed.It's ok. Felt a little disappointed, especially after talking about it for a while the week before. Oh well, maybe something distracted her. Also, was hoping to go, because it was my last chance to eat under the sukkah. Well, here's to doing that next year!
Drove for a while yesterday. I think it totaled to around 45 minutes. Not bad. I was nervous, and there was only a couple of mistakes. I think I was too tense, and so it wore me out a bit towards the end.
Dad will be at a conference from Wednesday through Saturday. Hope that'll be fun for her. I'll have some fun too!
We went to an Albertson's yesterday to restock. I'm so happy they have the big box of Shabbos candles!
We ran out of those. (Our local market only carries them in a pack of 2 candles. That's good for only 1 Shabbat. Not good enough!
) Also, got a frozen dough challah for Friday. The only thing I need to do for it, is to let it sit out for a long time, and then pop it in the oven for a while. It's already put together, just not cooked. They said it gets twice as big after it cooks. Looks like it might be a big one!Also, got a 2-serving frozen chocolate silk pie for a Shabbat dessert. I can save the other serving for the next night. Might have some orange chicken for that dinner too. Sounds awesome!
Got some other awesome frozen dinners for the rest of the week. Plus, some really tasty smoked salmon, and sesame bagels. Great for breakfast!
Was going to watch the Ghost Mama finale, but it wasn't up yet. So, I watched the finale of Mirai Nikki. It was a crazy ending! I wasn't sure whether he really woke up from his coma, or he was still stuck in Olympia, or his mind thought he was still there, etc. Felt like Rui might actually be real, too. He appeared in the 'real' world. Almost a Matrix-y feel. Which was the real world, and what was imagined or apart of the program? The system's 'creator' killed herself, but designated Arata as the 'final piece', just before. So, it left a lot of questions. Very interesting series. The beginning was a bit slow, but the rest moved pretty quickly.
Yesterday, I watched the finale of Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou. It was a pretty good show. Not the best though. The guys acted much better than the girls. I know they were supposed to be overly polite and use proper etiquette, but they seemed too stiff. Almost robotic. The guy's stories seemed more in-depth as well. There's going to be a movie to it, out this month in Japan. Supposedly, they'll have even more characters. I'm only semi-interested in seeing it.
Started watching Kamisama Hajimemashita, or Nice to Meet You, G-d. The manga also goes by Kamisama Kiss or G-d Kiss, literally. It's interesting so far. Thought it'd be a little funnier, and not have as many 'sparkly' moments. (It is a shoujo after all.) But, still has potential. What first piqued my interest was that it has the same director as Fruits Basket. Honestly, it does have a similar feel after watching the first episode. I loved Fruits Basket (one of the few shoujo anime that I love), so why not give this a try too? Momozono Nanami's dad disappeared after accumulating a massive amount of debt due to gambling. Then, she was chased out of her house by the debt collectors. She met a man in the park who was being chased by a dog. (Apparently, terrified of them.) She helped him, and he told her that he'd give her his house. She believed him, and when she arrived at his place, it was really a shrine. A man with fox ears suddenly appeared, named Tomoe, while she was standing there confused and attacked her. She finds out that she's been made a land deity by the man at the park. The man, named Mikage, in the park was Tomoe's previous 'master', who left the shrine 20 years ago. Tomoe doesn't accept Nanami as the new land deity, and leaves the shrine. Eventually, Nanami makes a contract with Tomoe, and he's forced to return. The contract is through a kiss. After the contract, he must obey whatever Nanami says.
Gintama is back!
Can't believe it! It took a 6 month hiatus, but it was an even longer break before that. About a year. I wish they'd stop doing that, and keep that great series going weekly. It's probably hard to make every episode 'epic'. Making you die of laughter one minute, crying the next, amazing action the next minute, etc. They started it this time with Gintoki finding out that most of the world of Gintama has forgotten about him, and the new 'name' of the series changed to Kintama. (Obviously it won't stay that way, just a gag.) But, it went from silver soul to golden soul. So, they tried to make him look like a 'better' more perfect character. But, the awesome thing about Gintoki, is his imperfections/weaknesses can easily become his strength. It's part of the theme of the show, as well. He's not a polished character. The only ones who didn't forget about him were Sadaharu and Tama. An alien dog, and a robot. So, they're sticking up for him. They found out that Kintoki is actually a robot, and that's why he's so perfect. Interesting to see how this plays out.
Got some more writing done. It's getting exciting! Started that other writing meme I was thinking about filling out. I was thinking that I might try to do a steampunk outfit for Halloween. But, not sure if I'll really have time. I don't think I have anything 'Victorian' looking to start with.
Went over more kanji during the weekend and today. Plus some more compounds. Also, went over some Japanese lessons. It's really sinking in! Translated more of a You Maga article. Read kind of a disturbing article in Japanese on Asahi's website. It was about a murder at a mansion. Someone stabbed a woman in her dining room 10 times in the back. She was only in a night gown, and there was a lot of blood everywhere. I hope they catch whoever did it. That's just evil.
Mood:
I love root beer floats!What's better than having one of my fave drinks, paired with ice cream? I don't have it too often, because it feels similar to a decadent dessert to me. Same with milkshakes. I think the best root beer I've had is Thomas Kemper's. It's freaking amazing!Even my grandpa approved of it when we tried it at one of their breweries. (That same local one doesn't exist anymore.) Maybe sometime soon I'll have a root beer float.
This is my wallpaper for the month. It's Spain, Prussia, and France from Hetalia. They're considered friends, and have the nickname 'Bad Friends Trio'. Kind of a fun one. Found a few more fun Hetalia, Gintama, and Fairy Tail wallpapers. So look forward to those!
My herbs calendar has a lot of spices this time. More than I'd like to name off.Quite different than last month. Makes it colorful. My Jewish calendar has an interesting painting, called 'Flowers in a Vase'. It's from the Netherlands in 1900-1925. A Torah shield is at the bottom, made out of silver, copper, and glass. From Germany in 1675. (Wow! That's old!) Kind of cool.
Here's the month-long holidays: Celery, Fennel, and Cactus Month, Golf Month, National Catfish Month, National Panini Month, Orange and Papaya Month, National Peach Month. Some are important causes, some are to make you appreciate things you may take for granted, and some are just for fun. Wow. Not many this month.
I had a haircut last Tuesday for the first time in about 6 years!My mom had this weird thing where she kept telling me I didn't need to see a stylist, and she could trim it occasionally. I wanted to grow my hair out, but wanted to have it manageable. So, instead of styling, she'd occasionally help me with 'relaxing' my hair.Anyways, the stylist I had on Tuesday was amazing!
She cut 2 and a half inches off, and it was like nothing. My hair is still somewhat long, which is what I wanted. She gave me a new style, as well. She said that I have to embrace my curls, and so defined them a bit more. I told her I liked what it was doing on the bottom layer, having kind of a cool wavy tendril thing going on. She said she loved it too, and decided to make that happen for the rest of my hair. She gave me tons of advice for styling/taking care of it. Kept telling me that had to put a ton of product in. If you think it's enough, add a bit more.
Plus, she doesn't want me to put it up so often. (I tend to put it up in a bun, or side ponytail.)
Everybody seems to like it, too. I posted a pic of it to FB, and it got tons of likes. Plus, Dad posted her pic of me on her FB, and got even more likes. Someone we both know said she wished her hair could do that. Even asked what I had done. I'm not used to people liking my hairstyle so much.
I actually feel not as camera shy.
When I tried to style it myself the next day, it didn't turn out as good.But, that's understandable, because I wasn't used to it yet. The last couple of days I had it up, because of how warm it was. I finally figured out how to style it right today.
I wasn't really working in all the 'product' through my hair before. I was just getting bits of it. And, since it's not as warm today, I'll probably leave it down.
Speaking of the weather, it got up to around 90 yesterday.
The day before was about 85. Hot for this area. So, to beat the heat, Dad and I went to the movie theater and saw the Dark Knight Rises. It was air conditioned, so why not? Hadn't gone to an actual movie theater in a long time. We usually just use Netflix. It was pretty good. The only part that irked me a little, was they dragged around and bumped into things with the bomb.I would've thought that if it's so unstable, wouldn't you want to be as careful with it as possible? I mean, any bump could set it off. Maybe they thought it was protected enough? Still weird. But, the rest was very well done. The actress who played Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), was pretty good. I've always thought Catwoman as a character was cool. She's complex, not really hero or villain, usually kicks ass, and can handle most situations on her own. The 'first' Catwoman on screen was able to do an awesome purr with it. Kind of a fun character. Bane was kind of an interesting villain. Not sure if I liked him or not.I really liked that they sort of introduced Robin at the end. The actor who portrayed him is really good too. It seemed to me that there was a huge possibility of continuing the story in another movie. Probably would still make a lot of money. I used to read Batman comics at the grocery store when I was little. I loved it. They had them with the magazines, and occasionally I felt really bored while I was there, so I read some. I didn't usually think about buying them, even though I loved them so much.
Finally went out driving a couple of days ago. It went pretty well. I followed the speed limit, and still had someone honk, zoom passed me, and give me the finger when they got back into the lane. I was more focused on the road, and didn't notice that they stuck their hand out until Dad said something. They tell you that you're supposed to distance yourself from people like them. So, I guess it's good that they decided to pass me. Shook me up a bit, but I think anyone obeying the speed limit would have still set them 'off'.
Went to services on Saturday. A lot of people vehemently disagreed with the rabbi's sermon. It was somewhat entertaining that way.
I kept wondering what he'd come up with every time someone said why they disagreed. There was a luncheon at the end for a long-time member's farewell. She's 93, and still kickin'. She's moving to Canada, so she could be closer to family. A very interesting lady, and I remember talking to her a lot. Especially, the first few years after she joined. She had her Bat Mitzvah in 2002. Hope things go well for her. The luncheon was basically bagels and lox, and salads. Lots of desserts too.
Joined a few more dating sites. Not sure if I like them as much as OkCupid yet. Had a guy message me for the first time on OkCupid. Looked at his answers to questions, and found out he was homophobic, racist, didn't care much for animals, and relied more on faith than science. Big no-nos for me.
First, because I'm very liberal. Second, I have friends/family from all of the GLBT (+ the rest of the alphabet) communities. You hate my friends, you aren't for me!I'm very into animal rights and such. And, frankly, I believe in both faith and science equally. But as Einstein said, religion without science is blind. I base people more on their personality/character, never on their skin color/ethnic background. (Although, I love learning about cultures and such, that's a different thing.) So, that turned me away as well. Hopefully, someone better suited for me will message me soon...
After the movie, we went to Red Robin. It's hard to cook at home, when it's already so warm out. I had the Whiskey River BBQ burger with fries. For an appetizer I shared an order of onion rings. (Yay! Fry with fry. I'm so bad...
) It was very good.
I'll finally have my therapist appointment tomorrow!I've felt I needed to talk to my therapist, especially, since mom passed away. So, that will be good. On Wednesday, my friend from high school who I met only once since then, is meeting me at Poulsbohemian. Sounds like it'd be really cool.She also suggested that I meet her 'dear' friend after we talk there. She'll be there of course, but really wants me to meet him. I can smell a set up.
But, it also means she cares about me. I haven't even told her yet about the dating sites. So, it's like she's telepathic or something. Hopefully, this guy really is nice. Even if it's just for having another friend.
The next day, I finally see my orthopedist about my shoulder again.I've really needed to do this for a while. The Avon stuff arrives that day too. Then, on this coming Saturday, there's a Bar Mitzvah. So, things are crazy this week. Today's the calm before the storm.
Plus, I'm determined to drive more this week.
Youtube:
2 awesome Fairy Tail vids:
