new roomie bliss!

So after the craziness of interviewing complete strangers from craigslists it turns out that it was all for nothing since we became aware that Brett's bro Ryan was looking for a place. After spending Friday night entertaining a variety of people who were checkin the house out, Ryan came over with a box o beer and eliminated my need to make a tough decision. I was already totally smashed by that point, after hanging out and smoking hookah with three potential roomies at once. This was after I had gone to the beer-tasting at Gravity and polished off a bottle of vino. Don't judge! You'd be drinking too if the first person who came to see your house was the skeleton of a Ukranian woman with a blood crusted nostril and a cracky disposition to match. The second person I saw was nervous and squirrelly, having just been told by his wife that he needs to be out by the 5th. His depression was contagious. The next guy was an 18-year-old named Sebastion and it was pretty obvious he thought very highly of himself. I complimented him on a bracelet he was wearing and asked him where it was from. He shrugged and replied, "my fans." But he was friendly so we hung out for a couple hours. The next two were lovely people, a guy and a girl and it would really have been hard to decide between them so thank god I didn't even have to. Now we have Ryan (#2), yaayyy! Gig Habor represent!

Today my mom came and whisked me away to the ocean. We have a hotel room right on the water with a spectacular view from our room. We are lounging by the fire, doing homework and getting some much needed relaxation before finals. I wish I could spend a whole week here.

Here are some clips of me and Randall, skatin away on Valentine's day:

i'm pretty much inlove with julia child

So yesterday my class had the most spectacular food preservation lab. We learned how to make apple chips, smoke salmon, make and can applesauce and pickle beets, make kimchee, and churn and make butter. Now there are all these new toys I want to buy. I wish I was freaking rich and didn't have to work so I could just cook and make delicious delights all day long! So basically there are amazing Amish catalogs with super incredible non-electric sturdy old-style machines that do wonderful things like peel, core and slice an apple all at the same time, or pit a cherry leaving it perfectly intact, or remove all the skins and seeds of tomatoes so sauce making is a cinch. New additions to my ever-growing must-have list includes a newer style butterchurn, a food mill, an apple peeler, a little chief electric smoker, a food dehydrator and a pressure cooker.



P.S. Julia Child is so incredibly entertaining! I adore this woman and her kooky voice and french techniques. No one can wield a cleaver like you, Julia!

oh summer gardens

Here is me with my beloved worm composting bin:



And the precious fruits of last year's labor..I built an herb spiral which I plan to fill completely this year. And I got the green beans to grow up the corn stalks which was supercool. I was able to can my own tomato sauce, blackberry jam and pickled beets. This year I can't help but worry that I am going to have to start over building new beds since I will be moving out of my Olympia house and also my parents moved houses. I still have my herb spiral, the hops and one 10 by 5 bed.

To Randy

Dear Randall,

I don't really know how to tell you this, but I’m joining the Convent. I think I realized it when I finally changed my underwear at the Elton John concert and I saw you knock out my illegitimate child in Ghana. I'm sure you're high enough to understand that I'm allergic to your earlobes. I'm returning your nose hair clippers to you, but I'll keep your collection of butterflies as a memory. You should also know that I get sick when I think of your feet and thanks for the cocaine.

Best of luck on the sex change,
Suzye

Extending my weekend

So this weekend was as lovely as it gets. Saturday I baked cheesecakes and gave one to Adam for giving Randall and I the best free massages this world has ever seen. Then Ashley and Jeff came over and we sampled yummy chesses while cooking up some salmon and egg rolls. Sydney came over on Sunday and we exploded bottles of kombucha. We celebrated her 21st with some presents and cheesecake, then Nick came over and we all went bowling. So many gutterballs! We passed out watching freaks and geeks and then couldn't make it to school or work the next day. I am trying to fight this laziness and lack of concentration but it so hard! I just can't wait until this quarter is over and I can go off to Australia.

no place to run, no place to hide!

I finally hold in my hands a Valentine issue of the Stranger. What page is it on Syd? I don't have my phone so I can't read the text you wrote me.

At lunch I went to a garden planning workshop that focused on seed-saving and it got me so pumped up for spring! It kinda sucks that my Australia trip will conflict with me planting all my babies before the last frost date, but I will try and make up for it when I get back. I am going to plant a huge patch of wild native and coastal strawberries! I wish I had someone to plant some seeds indoors for me and nurture them until I get back. Anyone interested in babysitting little plants? I'll make it worth your while! On a sad note, I just found out that my wonderful neighbor who taught me how to garden has a fast moving cancer in her lymph nodes, and is undergoing surgeries. She is just the most beautiful, talented, energetic woman who is such an incredible organic gardener, teacher, and mother. She was going to write a book about the robin chick that I raised which started hanging out in her garden the next year and would let her feed it worms.

I baked two chocolate cheesecakes with a rasberry sauce on Sunday. One to trade with my dad for him fixing the hole I kicked in the wall and the other for Adam for giving Randall and I the most incredible free massages. I think I will make another for potluck on Friday.

Alright, Spanish homework time.

Nessa's birfday party