huh, i guess life does tend to take over
So it's been a while, flist. I've been reading (and rarely commenting) on all your lives, but haven't really updated recently. In my defense, I haven't gotten hacked off at the NFL in the past couple weeks, so I haven't defaulted to here (where few care anyhow XD).
But life is still going forward. I'm going to separate things by cuts, so that a) y'all don't get confused and b) you can ignore what you don't want to see. I'm just kind like that.
My mom has cancer again.
Really, that's all anyone needs to say before big hugs ensue, but don't worry - I've gotten plenty.
Mom's got acute metastatic melanoma, which I haven't looked up and do not care to so as to remain blissfully unaware of just how fragile life can be. We (here 'my sister and I') found out via email the day after my sister graduated - the parentals didn't want to burden Ellen (sister) with any sort of tragic news at the end of the semester. As it turns out, Mom had been in the hospital about a month before Ellen graduated for a previous week of treatment and hadn't told us. I was unsure as to whether I should feel offended or disappointed or angry or sad or whatever, and eventually settled on crying for a while without telling anyone. Heh, except you lot now.
But Mom got out of the hospital after her second week of treatment about a week ago now and seems to be doing fine. Except... they gave her a chemically-induced sunburn, which has caused her to peel at an absurd amount. In fact, she tells me, in great frakking detail, about how she's going to have to vacuum the sofa because it's coated in her peeled-off skin.
Clearly she's going to be fine, if she can find humor in disgusting me. :)
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Pretty much what the cut said. Everyone has been moving recently.
The cool neighbors. Granted, they have a child and another on the way and there was just NOT ENOUGH room for them, so it makes total sense that they move. But they were awesome and nice and always fawned over my baked goods, so I liked having them nearby. :D I've loaned out the space in my car to help them bring various things around town, so we're definitely still in touch and it's not like I'll never see them again. It's just odd not having people living across the way anymore.
My Packer friends. Not all of them, thank Zeus. But the ones with whom I was closest moved to Cave Creek, AZ (just north of Scottsdale), and that's pretty sad. I helped them load boxes onto a truck for the better part of an afternoon and evening last week, and I could tell they were glad for the help. I also managed to come away with quite a haul from the "Maybe" pile - a bag of mason jars (with canning gear), a set of plates, pretty much all the leftover food from their fridge, a vase with flowers, some more food, a cooler, some booze, and a deep pan. Still, it won't make up for not having them around in the fall to sit with at whatever bar we'll be going to now for watching games. I'm hoping to get out to see them in January, when the Packers play at the Cardinals. What fun would that be!
Matt. Matt's been one of my closest friends at Duke, and has become the second-most-recent cut from the Classics department (one of the fourth-years got kicked out after Matt, so he no longer holds that record... and Celina will only hold it until August...). Because he's no longer in school in the States, he's moving back to Canada this weekend. Sad, sad, sad. I even offered to keep his XBOX, but for some reason, he declined my most generous offer. XD I'll see him tomorrow, though, when I drop off some cookies for the road. But still, it seems like the people around me are dropping like flies - and that I'm on a two-year cycle. Two years ago, I graduated from UofA. Two years before that, UW. In two years from now, I'll (provided I don't FUBAR anything) graduate from UNC. At least I don't have to move this time - it's just everyone else.
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The brownies, pre-addition. They are delicious here, even without extra stuff. And the batter? OMG, amazing. And I do not use that term lightly (OMG, that is).
The caramels and evaporated milk, pre-saucification.
The caramel wrappers. Why yes, I did unwrap them all by hand.
Caramels and evaporated milk, post-saucification.
Sauce and nuts on brownies. Starting to look fabulous? But... they're missing something. So I look around and try to find something else...
And I find white chocolate. So I melt a couple squares and drizzle it on. Lo and behold, the tastiest dessert I've made in ages is made. And people at work adored them, so YAY ME. Or something.
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I think that's it for now. I'm sure other bits and pieces will fall into place and I'll have to randomly update. Maybe I'll do it soon?
But life is still going forward. I'm going to separate things by cuts, so that a) y'all don't get confused and b) you can ignore what you don't want to see. I'm just kind like that.
My mom has cancer again.
Really, that's all anyone needs to say before big hugs ensue, but don't worry - I've gotten plenty.
Mom's got acute metastatic melanoma, which I haven't looked up and do not care to so as to remain blissfully unaware of just how fragile life can be. We (here 'my sister and I') found out via email the day after my sister graduated - the parentals didn't want to burden Ellen (sister) with any sort of tragic news at the end of the semester. As it turns out, Mom had been in the hospital about a month before Ellen graduated for a previous week of treatment and hadn't told us. I was unsure as to whether I should feel offended or disappointed or angry or sad or whatever, and eventually settled on crying for a while without telling anyone. Heh, except you lot now.
But Mom got out of the hospital after her second week of treatment about a week ago now and seems to be doing fine. Except... they gave her a chemically-induced sunburn, which has caused her to peel at an absurd amount. In fact, she tells me, in great frakking detail, about how she's going to have to vacuum the sofa because it's coated in her peeled-off skin.
Clearly she's going to be fine, if she can find humor in disgusting me. :)
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Pretty much what the cut said. Everyone has been moving recently.
The cool neighbors. Granted, they have a child and another on the way and there was just NOT ENOUGH room for them, so it makes total sense that they move. But they were awesome and nice and always fawned over my baked goods, so I liked having them nearby. :D I've loaned out the space in my car to help them bring various things around town, so we're definitely still in touch and it's not like I'll never see them again. It's just odd not having people living across the way anymore.
My Packer friends. Not all of them, thank Zeus. But the ones with whom I was closest moved to Cave Creek, AZ (just north of Scottsdale), and that's pretty sad. I helped them load boxes onto a truck for the better part of an afternoon and evening last week, and I could tell they were glad for the help. I also managed to come away with quite a haul from the "Maybe" pile - a bag of mason jars (with canning gear), a set of plates, pretty much all the leftover food from their fridge, a vase with flowers, some more food, a cooler, some booze, and a deep pan. Still, it won't make up for not having them around in the fall to sit with at whatever bar we'll be going to now for watching games. I'm hoping to get out to see them in January, when the Packers play at the Cardinals. What fun would that be!
Matt. Matt's been one of my closest friends at Duke, and has become the second-most-recent cut from the Classics department (one of the fourth-years got kicked out after Matt, so he no longer holds that record... and Celina will only hold it until August...). Because he's no longer in school in the States, he's moving back to Canada this weekend. Sad, sad, sad. I even offered to keep his XBOX, but for some reason, he declined my most generous offer. XD I'll see him tomorrow, though, when I drop off some cookies for the road. But still, it seems like the people around me are dropping like flies - and that I'm on a two-year cycle. Two years ago, I graduated from UofA. Two years before that, UW. In two years from now, I'll (provided I don't FUBAR anything) graduate from UNC. At least I don't have to move this time - it's just everyone else.
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The brownies, pre-addition. They are delicious here, even without extra stuff. And the batter? OMG, amazing. And I do not use that term lightly (OMG, that is).
The caramels and evaporated milk, pre-saucification.
The caramel wrappers. Why yes, I did unwrap them all by hand.
Caramels and evaporated milk, post-saucification.
Sauce and nuts on brownies. Starting to look fabulous? But... they're missing something. So I look around and try to find something else...
And I find white chocolate. So I melt a couple squares and drizzle it on. Lo and behold, the tastiest dessert I've made in ages is made. And people at work adored them, so YAY ME. Or something.
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I think that's it for now. I'm sure other bits and pieces will fall into place and I'll have to randomly update. Maybe I'll do it soon?