Geoducks!

Can you eat them? I guess you can, there's recipes. But check out this picture. Hmm.

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Liveblogging a Roasting Chicken

This time, I am determined not to undercook it like last time. So far, it looks good. Don't know how much longer it should sit in there, but if it gets too dry, oh well. Smokes the kitchen up pretty bad, but whatever. Pictures someday, I swear.

As I was looking for suggested cooking times on the internet, I happened across this delightful gem:

"There's a BIG BLOODY SPOT ON MY CHICKEN!! IT'S NOT DONE! WHY ISN'T IT DONE??? THE THERMOMETER SAID IT WAS DONE BUT IT'S GOT A BIG BLOODY SPOT. A BIG. BLOODY. SPOT. RIGHT THERE. EEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!"

Here's hoping mine turns out pristine. (30 minutes of resting left)

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Beginning of Week Three

At home, my current food obsessions include chickpeas flavored with parmesan cheese, lemon, olive oil and salt. I just started my third can. It's my after work snack. G doesn't understand how sour cheese with beans could be appealing.

My other obsession is peas or corn with mint. G got me into it. So when he has a bowl of ice cream after dinner, I decide I need more vegetables. With mint.

There's a chicken in the fridge, covered in salt, waiting to be roasted tomorrow. I'm getting better about actually trying recipes, especially once I realized I needed a simple recipe with easy ingredients.

It's getting darker, but I only notice when I get home and feel the urge to get ready for bed. Like right now, it's 8pm, but it feels more like 10 or 11. Makes me go to bed earlier at least. I've been googling, and I think on the shortest day of the year, the sun will rise at 7:55 and set at 4:20. Damn. I think I'll be in SJ for that though, so it won't really matter for me.

Work's going well. Still not doing much of substance, but at least I did something different today. Data entry and some email-based training. I have my own cube now. It's weird having so much private space after working in a Japanese school staffroom.

I'm looking forward to my second Thanksgiving in America, and actually being awake for it. Last year, I think I came back from Japan the day before.

(I miss you nutcases in Japan though, for sure.)

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Internet, you disappoint me.

Did you know that googling "make a sandwich with my ass" returns no results at all? At all! I'm amazed.

[This phrase emerged from a conversation we just had, and I assure you (oh ho!) that you don't want details.]

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Minor thought.

My cubemate is from the East Coast and has never experienced an earthquake. Aww. It's like being on JET all over again! I can't wait until one hits. Well, kind of.

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Day 6

Free breakfast! And that's all that's worth mentioning.

Man, I'm just so tired all the time. I know my body is desperately trying to stay healthy, but going back to an eight hour work day is killing me. It's getting easier, sure, but I pretty much go home and just veg after work. Poor G. He's been putting up with me, and washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom, and I can barely talk.

I'm so going to bed now. At 10pm.

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I am...

1. More disturbed that my sister will turn 25 next year than I am by the fact that I will turn 27. Well, okay, seeing it in print, 27 is a little unsettling.

2. Hoping I can compost my pumpkin, if only because I feel a little sad taking a knife to it and unceremoniously dumping it in the trash.

3. Looking for a big, brassy, obnoxious version of Aquarela do Brasil, because it got stuck in my head after watching Wall-E trailers.

4. In love with Wall-E. I haven't even seen Ratatouille yet, but Wall-E is adorable. I suggest you go watch the trailer.

5. Secretly fiddling with the control panel options on my work computer instead of reading mission statements and blah blah blah, pardon me, my brain is seeping out of my ear.

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Day Five

Whoops, missed a day. Yesterday I felt like ass, so I lounged about. G's brother had tickets to see the Pipettes, so we were out late, and I passed out as soon as we got home. Good times though.

More work impressions: I've noticed I'm not as nervous as I was the last time I was sent on assignment. I think it's because I'm being thoroughly trained, and not just told to answer the phone. Also, I don't have to answer the phone! It's great. We all have our own phones, and we don't get general information calls. Training is going well, i just have to keep track of terminology and where to save things.

One small downer, it's harder to slip away and veg out. My last supervisor didn't seem to mind if I took a lonnng lunch, but paid attention to what time I showed up. This supervisor doesn't care at all about when I come in, but there's always someone around to notice if we're in or not. Eh, mostly I miss having interesting things to see on strolls. Like shops.

Ooh, and I had a small moment of pride this morning. It was stupid cold, with frost on my windshield that I had to scrape off, but I didn't find it unbearably cold. Kind of normal, actually. And how cold was it? 1 degree Celcius! (34F? 33F?) Thank you, Japan, for making me less of a weather weenie.

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