Christmas

So Christmas this year was great and fun. We went to my uncle's house on Christmas Eve, where we could have meatballs, pulled pork, or a chicken dish for dinner. They only served meat? And for the appetizers, I think there was about 10 different dips and only tortilla chips. Needless to say, I pretty much just ate my aunt's ricotta cookies that she brought. We stopped by a family-friend's house on the way home and enjoyed an hour of fun with them. It has been 15 years of friendship with them. I'll tell the story. In kindergarten, my mom asked me to select some of my friends to come over for a Christmas party and then she'd invite the kids' families. Well, I picked my friend Robert and now our families have been friends since then! Amazing! Anyway, Christmas Day was nice getting to see the entire family. It is a little different going from my dad's side where I'm one of the oldest to my mom's side where I'm one of the youngest. Absolutely crazy. I still feel like a kid in both situations! Overall, I enjoyed seeing everyone and celebrating the holiday together.

Running Again

Finally feeling good when I go for my runs. 85+ days of not feeling great has finally passed. Now I'm resembling my prime--back in 2002...when I was actually fast.

Eating Animals

So my first "fun" book of the break I read was Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I have read two of his other books and the library sent me this one first off my request list so that is what I started with. I don't really think much about where food comes from but recently I have been paying more attention to it because I have to buy it for myself. Foer reference The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I read last year or the year before and made me conscious (at the time) of eating food. There's many accounts and arguments for becoming a more informed eater in this book. Naturally, I have been thinking of becoming a vegetarian/vegan/meat eater only at Chipotle. Anyway, so here are some excerpts from the book that I found interesting. And also, you should just read the book anyway.

Foer talked with his grandmother about her experience fleeing the persecution of Jewish people by the Germans:
"He saved your life."
"I didn't eat it."
"You didn't eat it?"
"It was pork. I wouldn't eat pork."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"What, because it wasn't kosher?"
"Of course."
"But not even to save your life?"
"If nothing matters, there's nothing to save."

"It's always possible to wake someone from sleep, but no amount of noise will wake someone who is pretending to be asleep."

"The very genetics of chickens, along with their feed and environment, were now intensively manipulated to produce either excessive amounts of eggs (layers) or flesh, especially breasts (broilers). From 1935 to 1995, the average weight of "broilers" increased by 65 percent, while their time-to-market dropped 60 percent and their feed requirements dropped 57 percent. To gain a sense of the radicalness of this change, imagine human children growing to be three hundred pounds in ten years, while eating only granola bars and Flintstones vitamins."

Christmastime

Just a quick trip to center city today with the family to do all things Christmas-y. It was pretty much a Christmas zoo everywhere--so packed and crazy and so many people!!

Christmas Is Coming!

Christmas is coming soon! Only five days! The break from classes has been nice, with much time to sleep, relax, and do nothing. The one problem is that with all this free time, I procrastinate with the stuff I actually have to do and then I become more stressed out. Goodness! But it is a good time to just spend with friends, family, and yourself. I haven't really done much except watch three movies and consider becoming a vegetarian (more on that later). But I hope everyone is for the overall happiness that comes with December 25th, no matter how much the animals in the manger smell.

Fat baby Santa, aka me.

Santa--I Know Him!!

So I met Santa tonight. He always makes an appearance at the Boys Club every year. And plus, there was ice cream. Yum. I asked Santa for a pony for Christmas (I've been asking for 10+ years now) and he said I could get two!!! Yay! Two ponies. You'll be seeing me on my ponies heading to class in January. Look out. If you're nice to me, maybe you could try it too.

PS--That's one of my ugly sweaters!

PPS--Read this embarrassing article about me...or not. Please don't.

Pyro

So I like fire. Naturally, tonight was a great night to burn stuff. Cleaning my room is so refreshing and burning stuff is fun so I decided to combine the two. I took the demons of my past, stuffed them inside a paper bag and a box, and hustled out into the freezing snow rain. I felt a little homeless as I sat on my stool around the fire. I was worried that someone was going to call the cops on me! Or that I wouldn't be able to put out the fire. But it all worked out, except my basement smells like fire. Oh well. So I highly recommend burning stuff--it is a great relief to rid yourself of past baggage. Just don't burn your house down.

Hectic

Papers and tests and finals, oh my!! This past weekend was packed with meetings and events so naturally I've been feeling stressed. But there's nothing like just hanging out in the Union with Cody and Kristen today, enjoying each other's company. But here's to working hard the last week of the semester and hopefully I am more prepared next time!!

my snow-covered street!!

Thanks for Thanksgiving

So Happy Thanksgiving--a time for food, family, and football. Obviously, it is a time for giving thanks for everything and everyone. So to not bore you with the typical things I'm thankful for, let me give you an interesting list of thanks, especially this year. Here we go...

I'm thankful for:

• the quirky things people say to me about me. One friend said I had the handwriting of a serial killer. Another said that my brother and I were the cheapest people he knew. And a third said that she thought I was the kind of person who would juice. All compliments and I love it.
• running. Yes, yes, I know this is a typical thing but the past 2 months really made me appreciate it. Out from running with a stress fracture, I spent countless hours in the pool, doing mind numbing laps. But it will all be worth it in the end. When I ran pain-free for the first time yesterday, I was so giddy. I love running!
• aqua jogging. I know I may complain about it but I am glad I had a decent substitute for running. I'm thankful for Kirk Pool, the equipment room personnel, and the diving team for all indirectly helping my time in the pool.
• Rome and how it has changed me.
• libraries and bookstores--they just make me so happy.
• Ambler Theater. It is my favorite place to be on Wednesday afternoons.

I could go on and on but I think it is really important to be thankful for the little things in life. Family, friends, and a home are all obviously important but how often do we have the chance to be thankful for traffic allowing us to think or just the chance to say what we really feel or think. The day enables us to appreciate what we have and what we can achieve if we only change our views on the bad things. That then is the best way to celebrate life: being thankful for everything that comes your way, every day of the year.

Tree Planting

Last Saturday was my first time doing Neighbor to Neighbor, which an organization on campus that does local community service on Saturday mornings. So I decided Saturday was a good a day as any. There I was at 9 am, with 6 hours of sleep under my belt, completely underdressed. To say the least, I was very cold. But I had a great time, even if we complained a lot. So we got bagels for breakfast and then headed about 5 minutes away. Our task was to plant trees alongside the organization Tree Tenders. We planted 9 trees (but were supposed to do 10). I used the shovel a lot and let me tell you that solid rock is hard to shovel. It was fun. It was nice to see the recipients of these trees get so excited. I didn't know one small thing like a tree could do such a thing. We got back a lot later than expected, but I still enjoyed it. I joked that I was never going back to Neighbor to Neighbor because of this day but it actually made me want to do more now!

One of the trees we planted!

Happy Honors Formal!

Happy Honors Formal, folks!

Codes looking great...and me too, I guess.

La Salle Homecoming

Yesterday was Homecoming, also known as a very crazy day for students and a very nostalgic day for the alumni. I got a ticket to the homecoming tent which meant FOOD. And my dad paid for me so it was even nicer. The weather was perfect for just spending the day in the tent enjoying all the company. I saw some cross country alums who I haven't seen since January. There was also a photo booth so that was a plus. I guess one of the main points of the day was the actual homecoming game. Because we don't have a football team, we had to scramble to find another high attendance sporting event that alumni would want to attend--cross country. Nah, just kidding, we don't even get featured in the Collegian. It's the basketball team. Anyway, the game was too close for comfort and they played not good for a while but then Duren took over. So they won and all the students were happy and went to bed early without any late night parties. The end.

Medieval Times

Last Saturday, we went to Medieval Times, in New Jersey. Let me tell you--it was weird. Well, I thought it was weird. I was able to go for only $5 when tickets normally run close to $60 so that was nice. The whole thing just seem liked Disney on super steroids--super commercialized. But I still got into it. One girl who I went with said I was very violent and often yelled stuff out. Well, I guess that was true. I didn't like seeing my knight lose! And the best part was probably the crowns we got. I wore my crown all night!

I also ate half a chicken...with my hands.

Bingo: 2013 Version

Bingo this time around was different. First, you could not win twice in a round!! What the heck! And second, I went with the track. We all won so many prizes. My luck wasn't not perfect--I only won four out of the five rounds. But it was so much fun, as usual. My winnings include: Wheat Thins, chocolate pudding mix (with a $10 Applebees giftcard), pumpkin mix, and Honey Nut Cheerios lil pack. So pretty much I won everything that I picked out when we went shopping for Bingo.

The team and our winnings!

Giving Cooking A Try

So yesterday, Cody and I went to Acme because we were going to make Fall Stir Fry. The recipe is from my track grad assistant who is a big foodie and a big blogger. She's very inspirational. Anyway, Cody picked Fall Stir Fry to try. Well, first, cooking is very stressful. I was just peeling and chopping the gourds but I felt so overwhelmed. Second, there was so much squash in it. So much. Too much, but I think we might have put too much in. Third, it was still very good, even with all the squash.

The Squash Mush

Master Chef Cody

All work and no play makes Katie and Kristen dull girls.

Not Another Halloween Costume!

So I definitely am bombarding everyone with my former Halloween costumes, but some of them are just too good/cute/awesome. Actually, they all are great. Who am I kidding?

Sheep Costume

Guys, I found another great costume of mine. For senior costume day, all the seniors dress up in costumes the day of Halloween (or the closest school day before Halloween). Anyway, I was a sheep! My fluff kept falling off and I saw it all around school. But putting the costume on was the hard part. My brother had to help me when we were in the parking at 7 am! It makes me laugh when I see it.

Happy Birthday Chris!!

So a big birthday shout out to CTHANNO. 21, you are getting old, man. I'm so very excited to get to go on Habitat with you this year and also very thankful you are my friend. Sorry that I didn't get you a gift but I'm poor and my friendship is a great enough anyway. You're a weirdo but I'm glad you're my friend. PS--WITCHES! Witches colonized America!

PS again--I hope Chris actually sees this. Cody, if you are out there, show this to him.
PS again again--Do you think I did this so it seems like I have friends? The answer is yes.

Last Game of the Year

Last Union game of the year. It was disappointing, then exciting, then disappointing again. They lost. But luckily, I didn't freeze to death and they gave out free ice cream. Perfect combination. We stayed around after to try to snag a few autographs and pictures. My little cousin was getting very into it and it looked like he was about to cry when he lost (but later found) his signed team picture. Until next year, I guess. Oh yeah! Next season I'll be able to get my free soda because I'll be 21 and can say I'm a designated driver!!! Yes! Free things!

Halloween Links

It doesn't fell like Halloween around because 1. I'm spending all of my time swimming in a pool and 2. my house is -1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Other than that, the holiday is sneaking up on me. Here's a few links to make you chuckle about the day (or at least they made me laugh).

1. Need some ideas for a costume. Look here if you don't really want to give into the commercialization of the holiday.

2. LOL at this cartoon from the New Yorker. Keep it PG please!

3. If you are actually going to go out, here are some costumes I'd like you to wear. They are so punny!

4. If I ever find someone to do this with, he or she will always be my friend.

5. Well, I couldn't find something for this last one, but at this point, you are probably tired of clicking on links anyhow.

Trick or Treat

So Halloween is in a week, as you might have known. I always think that I'm going to have a great costume but then the day sneaks up on me and I end up throwing something together. I never have good costumes. This year, I decided to take that theme in stride as I will either be a karate kid, Spock, or none of the above. I'm leaning toward the latter. I'm just not really that into Halloween this year, you know? I'm actually thinking about going to the orchestra on actual Halloween night.That'll be fun. Anyway, here's one of my best costumes ever. For Halloween my sophomore year of high school, we went to Hershey because it was the night before cross country states. I dressed up as my coach. I planned it so well--I even stole his shoes! But we almost burnt the hotel room down when my teammate Courtney dropped the match used to lit the cork used to make my 5 o'clock shadow. I still laugh when I see this picture. Enjoy.

Mouse Trap

Let me tell you a story. So Wednesday I came back from pool running after class. I was extremely hungry and as I went into the kitchen, I heard a noise in the sink. I SEE A MOUSE! Yes, a live mouse...in our sink...in our kitchen...where all our food is. Gross. So instinctively I grabbed a plastic cup and trapped the mouse under it. Now what, I thought. It kept jumping up, trying to knock the cup over. I couldn't call anyone or else the mouse would escape. I said to the mouse, "Stop moving while I get my phone." So it stopped nicely when I got my phone. In actuality, I got a heavier cup and placed it overtop the other one--double the trouble. Then, I called my mom and more importantly tweeted about it. My one roommate and I decided to wait for our other roommates to decide how to proceed. We decided to drown it--don't yell at me, okay? We cornered the cup and placed two empty cups on the sides. When we lifted the cup, we captured the mouse in another cup and dumped it in the bucket full of liquid. It just kept swimming. So I made like Pontius Pilate and took a shower to rinse off my guilt. When I went back downstairs, the poor thing was dead. RIP mousey, we won't miss you.

Here's the interaction I had with my dad after the event:

Dad: How's Mr. Jingles?
Me: What?
Dad: Your pet mouse.
Dad: From the Green Mile.
Me: He's drowned.
Dad: Did you video it?
Me: Nope.
Dad: Coolio.
Dad: Big game hunter.
Dad: Did you blog about it, with pictures?

So I guess moral of the story is to stay connected with social media during times of crisis.

Outing on the Parkway

Today was perfect weather for college day. Jimmy and I headed to the Parkway to visit some free museums and get a lot of free stuff/peanut chews. We went to the Art Museum and the Franklin Institute. Jimmy saw loads of kids he knew but wouldn't say hi to. I saw three people I know and I did say hi to them. We also saw our cousin at the Franklin Institute, who already graduated college? The students working the entrance thought it was surprising that he had the old ID. That's cause he doesn't even go here, silly. We got lunch at Wawa (BLT minus the L, plus spinach and avocado). We finally headed back to the BSL where Jimmy got off at his stop and I continued on to mine. It was such a nice day to spend with my brother!!

XIX

Nineteen for Philadelphia Restaurant Week. 

Good food with good people. 

Warm Wild Mushroom Salad

Grilled Skuna Bay Salmon

Philadelphia Cheesecake

Wild Edibles Walk

Cody and I headed to PERT for a wild edibles walk, aka we ate wild plants. The leader was an odd guy, with a bushy beard and wild look to him. We hiked all around the preserve while discovering that most of the pretty berries were poisonous. So be it. We tried persimmon fruit, ginger, and yellow wood sorrel (tastes like lemon). It was a lot of fun, especially because when I'm usually there, I'm either volunteering or running. Anyway, if we are ever lost in the wilderness, DO NOT trust me to identify edible plants; we'd probably die.

Hey-ay Union!

Last night was the Union game. Kristen was so excited to be there because it was her first time at a "real" soccer game. My dad gave us the good seat--right at midfield. Although they lost, it was so much fun because Kristen was having such a good time. She was smiling the whole time and kept repeating that it was so fun. It made me enjoy it more than usual. It reminded me to value everything, you know? I think of the game as just another game but the excitement Kristen had made me excited too. DOOP.