The Tallest Lasagna and the Things I Left Behind

I got busy, and I'm sorry. For the first two weeks of April, most of my time was spent thinking about how to eat the lasagna left over from Easter. I used the Fine Cooking recipe, but I'm pretty sure you need a membership of some kind to access it so I'm not going to provide a link even though that's probably the polite thing to do. Oh fine you can find the recipe here. It's supposed to make three small lasagnas, but I only had one deep dish on hand, so I halved the recipe and made half a lasagna on top of the lasagna. The recipe assures that the pre-cooked lasagna can rise above the edge of the pan, because it settles quite a bit while cooking. I was apprehensive, but they have a picture with two whole noodle layers towering over the edge. 

But no. It still bubbled over, and it was still the tallest, deepest, heaviest lasagna. 

Other ways I altered the recipe: well... I used hot Italian sausage instead of mild. I also didn't have much spice on hand, but the seasoning from the sausages permeated through the lasagna very nicely. I just love the word lasagna, don't you? Lasagna, lasagna, lasagna. 

And: there was some packing up and moving back to Ontario to do. Some things to leave behind. Like my lovely little coffee plant, and a pennant from the magazine project (I was going to bring it with me until the E fell off, and then I figured by the time I got home it would probably just be a brown triangle. i.e. clutter).

And books! Most had to be left behind for weight considerations. I feel like there's a pro-Ebook argument to made here, but I wouldn't have been sentimental about these books in the first place if they'd been electronic. Aww, remember that one on the right? That's the book with nothing in it that I was so excited about. I feel guilty about every one of these books. Except maybe for the Editing Canadian English, which I have only used a) to ventilate my old laptop and keep it from overheating and b) as part of my Mennonite halloween costume because it looks the most like a bible out of all my books.

Fortunately, I sent a couple of things on ahead, like this Super Mutant Magic Academy poster that I just had to have.

In other news, I'm enjoying my mom's house (and company!) so much that I've decided to commute to Toronto for my internship. Or at least give it a try. If it drives me insane I'll find a place to live, but with the way I feel right now I really wouldn't mind having a few hours every day to sit and read or write or think or sleep or whatever. I was brought up on road trips, and 401 traffic has an oddly calming effect on me, as long as I'm not driving (but even then). Without homework to stay behind or rush home for, it feels like there are six more hours in the day.

The only problem now is GETTING the internship. What happened and why don't I have one yet? Oh I don't feel like getting into that. Just wish me luck.

Easter Weekend

Hey look, I brought my camera to school on a NICE day. I don't know if I'm just spoiled, or if the mountains just don't look as impressive in pictures. 

The magazine project is coming together nicely. Well, stressfully.

My saturday is being spent researching the next bit. Stressfully. And yes, I'm multitasking and looking up recipes at the same time. I just noticed how few of my magazines actually HAVE inserts! 

In other news, I made scones for the first time in many months. They're pretty crumbly.

For Easter Monday brunch: Katie's bacon lasagna! It looks like a lot of bacon.

I did Lent again this year, or at least my version of it. I had a much more thought-out explanation last year, and fewer people to explain it to, so I feel like I was sheepish and lame about it. Something to do with making and honouring a commitment to myself, in practice for life or something. To know that, in a non-serious way, if the zombie apocalypse happens I can do without my favourite luxuries, and that, in a serious way, if things do fall apart I can hold fast to something that I'll always have. I can stand by statements that might make things unpleasant, and might not make sense. I know that I can keep the promises I make. I'm just strengthening my bond to myself rather than to a deity, and I choose to do this during Lent for the same reason that I give people gifts at Christmas (I dunno, 'tis the season?). Also, Easter is boring, and Lent makes me look forward to it much more.

So, I gave up pasta. And to be honest it's one of the few things that have held the last six weeks together. I know I can rely on myself, and that makes it all the more difficult to try and... well, if I may be vaguely specific, to give someone the opportunity to share the load, even when that may be the only way they can redeem themselves.

In short, the Easter pie is going to be late this year. If it happens. A promise I made to myself (that I know I can keep) is never to make it again, if I have to make it alone.

Solidarity: It's Always There.

Two things for now, more things for later.

First, I noticed while reading Downton Abbey Cooks that yes, locking your food in the oven happens to the best of us.

Second, the results are in for the "contest" I ran a few weeks ago. Bronwyn wins! But it won't be ready as early as I'd promised, because I realized that I still have a bunch of brown fabric left over from the Hot Beartatos at home, with which I've yet to do anything. But the good news is, I'm going back there in 42 days!

Oh, and I have an internship! Working at Livres Canada Books, helping Canadian publishers with international marketing endeavours. Sounds pretty schmancy, but I'm sure I'll just spend the whole summer writing catalogue copy. On the other hand, this is probably the best way to find out what's needed for going beyond the domestic market as a little start-up publisher. So it's pretty fantastic.

Things are... better than two weeks ago. That is for sure. I guess I just know some wonderful people :)

That was fast.

I'm so sick of 2013.

I know, I know, it's barely March.

But after losing my dog, going through regular old-fashioned heartbreak, and now having my apartment broken into, it's hard to feel safe and warm and happy.

And even my cheer-up shopping trip ended in this:

It was only the second time I'd worn it and no, I didn't snag it on anything. It just happened.

There are bright sides, of course. There's fun, there are new people, there are a ton of "at leasts." At least I had my brand new laptop with me at school when they broke in. At least I hadn't popped home for that shower like I was debating. At least the chain of my favourite necklace (most value both in fact and in sentiment) broke last winter and so was safely in Ontario, waiting for repair. At least I've moved away from home before. At least I've lost friends and people before. At least I know I have myself through all of it. 

But still. There are reasons I miss the people I miss, and reasons I love the people I love. The best of new friends and lofty aspirations can't replace them, or help me forget that it's the old best friends, the family, the dog and the boyfriend, the instruments, the boardgames, the house I grew up in, laughter and hugs and above all the security and love of home that I need right now. 

Time is passing. I'm getting things done. Good things still loom on the horizon. And I'm coping. But I'm only coping. 

Rough Week

I found out this week that the old man has snuggled his last. I wish I could find the one poem I wrote about him, but let me just say it was about one of those many moments that were too perfect to share with anyone else. We were a team, him and I. I'll miss him terribly.

In other news, I've finally set it up so I can watch The 4400 while doing homework. She's a small one, but she does the trick. I'm so proud of this laptop. It's such a sport. I almost named it Tugboat, but knew it would be Tug for short, and thought maybe that wasn't an appropriate name for a laptop... Maybe I'll stop anthropomorphizing things and just get a new dog.

To cheer me up though, in a karma sort of way, Katie's package arrived this week! More on that later, but I was most amused by this addition. Sure the little figurine is Dutch. It says 'Holland' right there! I even have one in my house. But this one? Straight from Iran.

As a last point, my wine is on its last legs, but that just removes all guilt for drinking it on a Tuesday night. It IS Tuesday today, right?

New Sleeve for a New Laptop

I've been knitting for years now, and I did teach myself how. But until recently, knitting patterns of any kind had me stumped. I think, generally, it's because I don't have the patience to figure out the gauge of the yarn and needles, but once I've got some projects done, maybe I should do some gauge-knitting. Then I could make sweaters and things! But I had to get the terminology down. I figured I'd start with some lacy patterns, so I could learn some tricks, and still work on projects where I could judge the size of the finished product just by looking at it. So I made myself a laptop sleeve!

It's problematic. I love the colour, and the cathedral-like lace turned out perfectly, but... It's too big. And not only that, it's also stretchy. And the laptop slips around in the case so much that I can't hold it without feeling like the whole computer is just going to slip out and break when I haven't even had it for a month. I feel like this even when the closed part is on the bottom. So now, I've got the sleeve lining my otherwise unlined laptop pocket in my knapsack. A complete waste, if you ask me.

Perhaps if I block it, it'll shrink and lose some of its give? I don't know. I'm on to bigger things now anyway.

And another thing: All day I've been wondering what's so special about January 23rd. Just realized: isn't today the statistically worst day of the year? Sigh. Sounds about right. At least my dragonfly earrings make me cool friends on the Skytrain, and there's nothing wrong with having an unwatched episode of Downton Abbey kicking around one's computer either. If only I wasn't so... tired...

Hanukkah Dinner

 Treats for everyone this year. A potluck Hanukkah dinner, for which I made an Irish coffee cake. Because um... well if you know Ulysses... um... you'll get it.

That and I this cake graced the cover of the latest issue of Fine Cooking and I just wanted it. Assign dessert to me, and your potluck gets serious.

Only the chocolate curls didn't work out at all. I even tried their tip of taking a vegetable peeler to the chocolate bar. But flakes are better than nothing, and CERTAINLY better than Christmas-coloured vanilla chips, so all in all a success.

I just love this apartment. At this point a discussion was had about the waiting list of potential tenants, with the result of a few disappointed guests (mainly me).

Table is set, manischewitz poured.

The menorah is lit and a prayer is said.

And then the light doesn't even last through dinner! What is this?!

A good night. All very traditional and warm, at least until we migrated to the Jane Bond and I tried to buy that Nat King Cole record with Hanukkah gelt as a joke, and the DJ didn't know what it was. And then I couldn't find any real money, so that was embarrassing.

In other news, I hear Vancouver got REAL SNOW today, while my mother just picked fresh herbs from the garden here in Waterloo.  What is THIS?!

Next up, decorating Christmas cookies!

So What Have YOU Been Doing Lately?!

Probably something big and important. But so have I!

 Ooo, hey, this is KIND OF a big deal! Look how big that projection is!

One of the most stressful nights of my career spent on this and the printing is backwards. On the other hand, the specially commissioned photography is a smash hit! At least with me.

ArtShare! Not originally my idea, but I voted for it over my own contributions at the beginning. Then Got tired of it and passed it off (nothing against the title, but I was working on two at the time, and looking up art galleries gets tedious). Jelena did some amazing things with it, and it looks real swanky.

I want to read this book. At least I know how it ends, kind of. The best part? When a panelist said they were dissatisfied with the cover design because it looked like a D&M cover. Our reaction: "It looks like a D&M cover!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Of all four titles, this was my baby. I'd like to say I designed this, but it was a real D&M person. I found the black splat, and I chose the font. Oh, and the back cover, which you can't see here, was all me. Again, copyright issues.

The final design for Twitterverse. Deemed the most "do-able" title, this might become a real thing one day, and well isn't that something? The little book that could. If we could actually get the CBC community blog in on this, oh momma (I've been watching a LOT of Frasier, I do warn you)

Our lovely presentation materials. Particularly lovely is Lee's catalogue design which, although 'spooky,' is an Emily Carroll original. And it's the fall season anyway! But really, I've worked on catalogues before, and the panel was right to say it looked as professional as can be.

An example of the postcards for Twitterverse. I wish I had taken all of the extras and used them as Christmas cards.

My point is: I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything, other than school. But that's been quite a bit of work, and a lot of stress, and I'm sure I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around. But for three glorious weeks, I don't have anything to do but finish Willie's quilt and hear about your lives. Making the usual trips across southern Ontario in snowstorms, hoping not to get into any accidents. And if I DO, let's let it be like the one many years ago, where I calmly swerved away from oncoming traffic into a soft snowbank that couldn't have damaged the car if it tried. We were stuck, sure, but within ten minutes a kind gentleman in a pickup truck stopped and offered to tow us out if only we had some rope. With low hopes, I opened the trunk to find nothing but coils and coils of rope.

A story I tell every Christmas, but still... the thankfulness never dies. So go get your Christmas tree, and leave the rope in the trunk. You never know when you'll need it. 

Some Sun, Finally

 

 You know, sometimes I forget my apartment can look like this. Everything's been so dark and damp lately.

It doesn't help that, despite the mild climate, this is the farthest north I've ever lived. These photos have a time stamp of 5:00 for example, but that can't be because it's usually long dark by then.

 The sun came out yesterday and I took a picture of the mountains on my way to get a bottle of wine. You couldn't see them all, but it's more than has been visible in a while. Turns out this has nothing on today. These clouds dropped a bunch of snow and left.

I actually wrote some new stuff today, but only because I've been thinking something over that I can't make a big deal about until I have a bit more information. You know, one of those decisions I want to make on my own. TEASER!

Good Week for Gifts

 Last week was great for generous industry guests and relatives. First, Robert McCullough came by to talk about Appetite, and brought along enough free copies for everyone. Wanted Smitten Kitchen, but so did the three people who got to the from of the room before I did. Epicurious is just fine too.

 Lara Smith from D&M came by to talk about production editing, and brought enough dummies that I took home the fanciest one. Maybe I should have left it in case the dimensions matched someone else's project, but I have never been so excited to have a book with nothing in it.

 I'm trying to decide whether I should get everyone to write in it or I should keep it pristine forever. Tough call.

More importantly, a lovely card from one of my two favourite brothers, with something special inside that allows me to do just what the card says!

 And last but not least, a wonderfully meta Canadian magazine.

So of course this calls for a present to myself: on personal recommendation from the gents at the Harbour Centre BCLiquor, where maybe I'm becoming too much of a regular customer.

The Forgotten

I brought my camera to school. I have been meaning to do this because the lounge has a fantastic view of the mountains, BUT:

 It was raining.

I also brought it to photograph the knit-up we had, but forgot. Because it's me, and I forget everything. Like that time when I had work in Cambridge until 11pm and interning in Hamilton (an hour's drive away) the next morning at 9:30 am, and drove up after work only to realize as I got out of the car that I'd forgotten everything. Willie drove me back to work because he's nice. And how many times have I reached my destination only to notice that I've left my purse at home? Many. Oh, and a few times I drove away and only noticed while waiting for a red light that I wasn't wearing shoes.

And another thing I never noticed before, maybe there's another inspiration for these quilt colours...

And finally, the best thing to come out of the MPub program so far: a free Death Star Moleskine. The Death Star is on the inside. And has "SAMPLE" written all over it.

It's supposed to keep raining for the the next two weeks. So I guess everything people say about Vancouver is true.