March 19th, 2011

Still swollen feet

After getting home, you can still see the swelling in the top of my left foot. Where the tendons are apparent in my right, there is nothing but inflammation in my left. It shines with ibuprofin topically applied. While it exists in this form in Europe, I'm still rather uncertain how effective it is. Or rather, it feels effective, but it could be a placebo effect, or some combination of the fact I've stopped walking by the time I apply it. Either way, this problem doesn't seem to be going away.

March 18th, 2011

Free weights at the gym

I've returned to the gym with a vengeance. My favorite move being the curl-to-press with dumb bells.

March 14th, 2011

Classic Fruit Tart

My tart came together beautifully for Pi Day, in spite of some initial troubles with the pastry cream. In the end it was both delicious and enjoyed by all. I love tarts.

March 13th, 2011

Waking up with the sun

Not much to say here. I loved the way the sunlight reflected off my legs when I woke up in the morning. There is no such thing as sleeping it at my house when the sun shines so bright directly in my window each morning.

Three yolks

In honor of Pi Day, I spent Sunday slaving away to whisk up some pastry cream. These are the separated yolks.

March 12th, 2011

Dryers at nameless laundromat
East Boston, MA

Another morning at the laundromat. It's become a comfortable routine. I get to talk with my mom on the phone outside, or sit catching up on The Economist or a book. In this case I was reading The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry. It's a book about a women who loses her job, takes her savings and moves to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu, and her experience there.

Hub Glass Services
Somerville, MA

Waiting for the bus. I went to Somerville in order to pick up my bib for the upcoming Ras na hEirrean 5k on Sunday. Getting out there is quite a task these days. I'd almost forgotten how unreliable the buses could be, given my near subway-only existence. The trip to Winter Hill takes three trains and a bus, or two trains and a bus. All of this to get a bib for a race that I wasn't going to be able to run due to my foot problems. But I paid the expensive registration fee, so I was definitely going to at least get the t-shirt that I was probably never going to wear anyway!

This whole thing involved a lot of walking, but after picking up the bib, I went to Cambridge. I was finally able to get the sponge holder that was supposed to have been in stock since last June. Then I returned to Boston to catch the final closing sale at the downtown Borders Books. Overall great day, outside of the fact my foot swelled up like crazy from all the walking and traveling.

March 11th, 2011

Daniel's Mocha Cheesecake

Some time last summer, Daniel asked me to help him out with a study that he was setting up. It involved getting into the hospital at 7am and laying dead still in an MRI for an hour. I'm a really good friend, so I agree. Well, I agreed if he brought me Chobani greek yogurt, a banana and some coffee when I arrived. I removed my piercings, which was the most annoying part, since I couldn't get the earring in my cartilage back in without profuse bleeding.

In any case, he also promised to bake me something really delicious. It took him six months, but finally, two weeks after I went on a diet, he decides to come through. And I only think it happened because he talked all of my other coworkers into participating in his study once it was running and they got paid $100 each for a much shorter period of time in the MRI. I kindly pointed out how I got that shaft AND didn't even get the promised cake. So he finally did it. I asked for coffee. I ended up with essentially rich chocolate under the guise of "mocha". I hate chocolate. But for chocolate cheese cake, it was pretty delicious. The consistency was well done.

March 10th, 2011

Bodice Rippers

My secret vice. I'm always a bit worried that reality will never live up to the ideas that have been engrained in my head since my teen years. I don't ask for anything so fantastical as these stories, but I do believe in fiery passion, enduring love and happily ever after.