Pie experiments

Occasionally Whole Foods has really good deals on fresh berries, so tonight I picked up some blackberries with nothing in mind to do with them. When I got home I began to crave pie. I didn’t have enough blackberries to make an entire pie, but I did have a few apples laying around, so I figured I’d be experimental.

Internet, blackberry apple pie is quite possibly one of my most delicious baking experiments yet! It has such an unusual combination of flavor and texture, it’s just so. Just so I tell you!

Oh how I love pie!

Cleaning

The problem with cleaning, or rather my problem with cleaning, is that I’ll be going along fine and then get caught up in some intense, delicate task…such as untangling and building a new climb structure for my 12 year old philodendron. As such, the cleaning never really gets done, because I spend the rest of the day on said delicate task.

Chicago

First of all, thank you guys so much for your congratulations, it really means a lot to me! I feel all warm and squishy inside knowing I have so much support.

In other news, Scott and I went to Chicago this weekend to visit D Flo, and it was tons of fun. We got to meet Ezzie, who is D Flo’s little Maltese puppy. She is a fluff ball of playfulness and love, and has reshaped my previously bad experience with Maltese. D Flo needs to video her and post for all to see.

On Friday, Scott and I went to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was tons of fun, though Scott had his hopes raised because Body Worlds 2 was on our map. However, it doesn’t open until next week. Hopes crushed! We still had lots of fun at the museum, and we saw a cool Omnimax about Deep Sea Volcanoes.

That night we went to see D Flo in a sketch Comedy show at Donny’s Skybox at Second City. The show was written by the Second City Conservatory writing students, and was quite entertaining. D Flo remains the funniest man I know.

On Saturday we went to the Shedd Aquarium. We saw the sharks and the rays and the dolphin show, the belugas, the sea dragons, and so on. I love aquariums, but it tempted me to run out and buy another betta, which I can’t do right now. Sadness! That night we ate out to celebrate my grad schoolness, and I got to see Squirt, who I haven’t gotten to hang out with in aaaaaaaaaaaaages. Yay Squirt!

The rest of the trip was all Guitar Hero and Mario Party, but I am very happy I was able to see D Flo. Yay Chicago!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

“Dear Lisa,

Congratulations! It is my great pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted into the Master of Entertainment Technology (MET) degree program of Carnegie Mellon University…”

I AM GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL YAY YAY YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!

I did have a brief weekend of panic when I first got the acceptance letter, which was for the upcoming semester on their Australia campus starting in February. But it turns out that is just there for people who want to expedite entry and such, and I can start in the fall at Pittsburgh as planned.

SO MUCH AWESOME!

2006 Review

Oh man, 2006 seems to have happened all at once, so this will be short.

I guess the most dominant events of 2006 have been, unfortunately, sickness and death. The most prevelant, of course, was Nancy’s brain cancer and death in March. Looking back, I am surprised to see that the time between when she went in the hospital and when she died was little less than a month. It’s strange, because that time felt like forever.

Immediately after her death I went to visit Will in Savannah, and wrestled between having a fun time with my friend (who took me on my first ever trip to Disney World!) and my overwheling grief. Among all this was my own weird health problems, in full swing. It was a tryingly timed trip, and I still feel like I made a bad impression on Savannah in general because of it, and still feel bad because of it.

Shortly after said trip, my Nana died of lung cancer. Following that, Bonmom died (Mary Beth’s grandmother). Eric and Mary Beth’s cat, Check, also died last year. No one is allowed to die this year, okay guys?

Moving on, the spring and summer progressed in a slightly upward direction. My parents decided to sell their house, and so massive cleaning and repair began. I got to visit D Flo in Chicago and have many fun times. I got to visit Will in California and see such exciting things as Cartoon Network and the La Brea tar pits. Brendan and Maria adopted Brenna, the first canine member of the Tuesday Night Ballers. Camping, glorious camping occured! And of course, through the power of peer pressure, I came to begin playing World of Warcraft.

Moving into the fall, I got the cue that 2006 was a year for initiating change, so I applied to grad school, and we’ll just hold our breath about that, I s’pose. More changes with the winter, as I am now beginning to successfully address my weird health problems. A new cat wandered into our lives, and Eric and Mary Beth took him in. I think it all culminated in my parents successfully selling their house, and our combined Christmas dinner to toast Nancy and say goodbye to our home.

New Year’s came and went without much fuss. Fun times were had playing video games and spending time with loved ones. I think I’m ready to get started on 2007, I feel good about it.

I can seeeeee!

I got new glasses today!

I’d been long overdue for a prescription update, so I was looking forward to it. The world is like a crystal!

Getting new glasses is always a little weird for me at first. My perception of reality has been suddenly improved! It’s as if the world is less real.

Things are so startlingly clear that I feel like I am going to trip and fall into the world, as one fears they may trip and fall into the world on the TV screen, only in three dimensions so it’s trippier.

Does anyone know what I’m talking about?