Pages and pages and pages and pages....

I am feeling like crap today. I am in week whatever the fuck it is of comps reading and this bitch is tired. I love reading (I mean would I be doing this if I didn't?), but I am just fucking tired of reading.

I waged war with Northrop Frye this week, finally conquered him today and have moved onto the Stone Diaries - which I love - but every time I finish a book I am all too aware of the next batch I have to do. For next week, I have a couple Early Modern Plays lined up, a whack of Whitman poems to read AND a Rushdie novel. Not to mention the fact that I finally want to finish Wuthering Heights and start on Moll Flanders.

The apartment is an explosion of books and papers... there has to be a better way to do this.

I am not sleeping enough, because I read in the evenings and end up staying up late either reading or working or actually finding time for myself to just relax, but then I get up early to start the day over again. Its an unending cycle...

I think reading Frye really put me over the edge with this whole comps thing, I saw no value in that exercise at all... it was not a helpful text, all it did was irritate me to no end. Also, I got a paper back today - the big HISTORY OF AFFECT one - and I was not happy. The comments were supportive, but they did not reflect the grade. Something that is very strange to me... if you liked it, then why not have the actual grade say so. Also, I am now having second thoughts about presenting it at a conference in Texas in September...

I'd like to stop now and relax... I think that I am taking Saturday off, yes I have declared it. Saturday = off... no if ands or buts... if I read it will be a novel on a Starbucks patio in the sun. Wanna join me?

Also, can someone please make sure I start going to bed early? Please?

My life is consumed by paper...

Secret of the FAIL!

I rarely will post stuff from other blogs here, but this one I HAD TO! I mean come on.

Taken from failblog.

Taking Fandom to a whole new level....

You too can be a wolf of the sea

This is just for Linsdey... who is totally obsessed with this song.

Hi hi hey!

"This is the room our children would play in."

Tonight I finally got around to watching the season finale of Grey's Anatomy... and I have to say that I was impressed. For the first time since the end of season 3, I finally can say that I am enjoying the show again. I was not very happy with the way they treated certain characters throughout this shortened season, I was happy to see that they are actually letting the group evolve and grow in particular ways.

I am happy that Christina is finally opening up to her interns. I am happy that Meredith and Derek are finally going to move ahead as a real couple and actually be a couple, without the scary damaged shit that she keeps playing on. And I am glad that they are going to let Izzie have a bigger story line than the whole "I am running around the hospital acting like an idiot" routine.

I'm not really sure what this post is about other than to say that I watched it and I enjoyed it...

oh... and of course the lesbian kiss at the end... FINALLY a real gay character that won't die or be sidelined.

good stuff Grey's... good stuff.

Buy Night Child

Jes's book Night Child comes out today. I urge, ask, beg, push, will hold at gun point all of you to go buy a copy or 5.

Get it from Amazon here

From Chapters here

From Barnes & Noble here


For my Torontoian friends - head over to Bakka Pheonix books on Queen and get a copy

Just get a copy, ok? I've read it... trust me when I say it is worth it. And we all know how little fantasy I actually read...

Vegan Food Porn I

Last night in a fit of "oh my god, comps people are coming for wine tomorrow" and a panicked "I just don't wanna read Chaucer" I decided to make cookies. I made vegan cookies. Here is the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies (that's a mouthful, and so are the cookies... hahahaha! I kill me!) ... thanks to Vanessa and the Post Punk Kitchen for providing me with this amazing recipe. Perhaps the most chocolate-y cookie I've ever had.

My one alteration was to add a bit more soy milk - as I think it gives the cookies a bit more of a moist texture and really makes the flax seeds work their best in the baking.

Also, if you are a chocolate maniac like I am then add a full cup of chocolate chips along with the half a cup of dried cherries... makes them so chocolate-rific.

Served with a scoop of Soy Delicious Cherry Ice Cream... perfect dessert.

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 10 minutes per batch | makes 3 dozen
These are brownie-like and chewy. Be careful not to overbake them, they may seem like they aren't done after 10 minutes but they are! See the variations for Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies and Chocolate Hazelnut (or almond or walnut or whatever) Cookies at the bottom of the directions.

Equipment:
Baking Sheet, Blender, 2 large bowls, mixing spatula, cookie sheets

Ingredients
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups all purp flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soymilk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a seperate large bowl cream together oil and sugar. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
For chocolate chocolate chip cherry cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract, and replace 1/2 the chocolate chips with dried cherries.

For chocolate nut cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with a nut extract (almond, walnut, what have you) and replace the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts all are good).

"I want to believe."

Mulder: "Scully, I need you on this one."

Scully: "And that's what scares me."

Ok, so who else is as excited about this as I am. Finally, I get to see Mulder and Scully again, and not just in re-runs. I feel like weeping.

I might start watching the series again from the start. One episode a night till it opens... Oh Scully, I've missed you my one true analytic love.