allion's Xanga

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:25:42 GMT

Yesterday we went to the top of a mountain, Rigi, and my dad met an elderly Swiss couple who hikes all the way up the mountain with their dog five days a week. If my future looks like that, I'll be happy.

We also saw an old lady wearing a tube top, and it only needed to pulled up about halfway between her belly button and her armpits in order for it to cover up her boobs. If my future looks like that, I'll be very sad.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Fri, 16 May 2008 01:13:30 GMT

I am living through a baking tragedy.

I was recently given a cookbook of 500 cupcake recipes, which is honestly one of the best gifts anyone could ever give me. Today I decided to finally bake some its delicious cupcakes. So I picked out two recipes, zucchini and feta muffins and chocolate mud cupcakes, made an inventory of what ingredients Amberly and Nate already had in our kitchen, and then walked the mile to the grocery store to pick up the remaining ingredients. I almost bought my own box of butter, even though Amberly and Nate already had a box, just to be on the safe side but I decided using their butter would be fine.

First I made the zucchini and feta cupcakes, and they turned out fine. Then I made the chocolate mud cupcakes. The cookbook had a picture of them showcasing their molten chocolate filling! Yum! I was so excited. So I made the batter, everything went smoothly, and the kitchen smelled deliciously of warm chocolate. As I filled the first cupcake tin some of the batter fell on the counter so I naturally swiped it up with my finger and licked it. "Hm, this tastes too buttery," I thought. A half-second later I realized that wasn't butter I tasted but salt! How could they be salty? There was no salt in the recipe. I rushed to the fridge, pulled out the box of butter, and saw that Amberly and Nate had bought SALTED butter! Why on earth would anyone buy salted butter??? I didn't bother to read whether or not their box said it was salted before I used it because I only buy unsalted butter and I've never lived with anyone who buys salted butter. Well, leave it to Amberly to buy salted butter! I was so disappointed. The tin hadn't even entered the oven yet the pessimist in me already knew the cupcakes were ruined.

20 minutes later, I pulled the tin out and the cupcakes looked a little funny, but the recipe said that they were supposed to look warm and gooey so I took them out and set them on a wire rack to cool anyway. Then I put the next batch in the oven. While those were baking, I took a bite of that first batch. The cupcake was in my mouth for a second before I had to spit it out. Absolutely disgusting! 20 cupcakes wasted. They look delicious, they smell delicious, they have a gooey chocolate center, but they are the most dreadful cupcakes anyone could ever eat. So salty and so buttery. They're so salty that they burn the tongue.

I never thought it was possible to bake something chocolatey that would taste awful. Sometimes chocolate and salt can be a good combination, right? Not this time. I mean, I've baked chocolate things that didn't turn out quite how they were supposed to (remember chocolate brownie sludge?), but they were still good. These are unbarable.

SALTED butter, honestly??? Why???

I would give Amberly and earful about buying salted butter when she gets home from work, but she's working late and probably really tired. Instead, I'll probably just have a cosmo and watch a movie with her.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:05:59 GMT

Change in plans.

My gallery will now be on April 25. 5-7 pm, Carlson Tower. Be there.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:10:25 GMT

My senior gallery goes up May 1 and the reception is May 9! This should be enough advance notice so everyone I know and love in the entire world can make it (xanga obviously is not my primary means of communicating with everyone I know and love in the entire world). Yikes... I need to make some work...

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:01:26 GMT

Meredith and I partied with the Sounds on Tuesday night.

Thank you Funky Buddah Lounge, thank you.

Our lives are almost complete now.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:24:24 GMT

Tonight I met Rosie Thomas and she squeezed my arm. I'm still giddy.

I'm so happy that I'm an art major. I've decided that I want to be an English [language] teacher and an artist, but I don't want to be an art teacher. We'll see how that pans out in the grand scheme of things.

This will be my first Thanksgiving in Anchorage, Alaska in 11 years. I can't wait to spend the holiday with the Benjamin side of the family. Here's to hoping I don't miss my flight on Saturday!

This semester is ending quite nicely. It would be lovely if nothing changed in January and things could keep going as they already are, but alas I suppose I must finish the school year and graduate with an art degree (only to return in the fall to student teach, but it's more fun to ignore that aspect of my future).

And now I will listen to some Rosie Thomas and remember how wonderful she was tonight.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:19:40 GMT

Reading Anais Nin is a trip.

In unrelated news, I am making an intaglio print of a goat dressed as a British gentleman. Now I am deciding between making a series of prints about goats dressed in J Crew's new collection or thoughtful skeletons in desolate landscapes.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:48:40 GMT

Today in our art senior seminar class, during a 5-minute break, we had a dance party. Thank you Sarichka for the French Dance Electronic Beauty. If only I knew the name of the band.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:45:11 GMT

I have a new love.

Karaoke.

You know in "My Best Friend's Wedding" when Cameron Diaz does karaoke and she's horrible but everybody cheers her on and encourages her anyway? Yeah, that's me. I'm awful. But it's so much fun that now I'm addicted and I can't stop.

This Friday will be the third time I've gone in a week. It's too bad I found this new love so late in the summer. We must find a karaoke bar near North Park.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:07:57 GMT

One of my really good friends from high school is getting married on Saturday, and I have to work. If I'm lucky I'll be able to catch the very end of the reception.

Oh, and I could see Nickle Creek this Friday, but I have to work.

Amberly and I made plans to go to Ikea this Sunday, but I have to work.

I haven't worked much this summer, but of course I'm scheduled to work on days when there's something I really want to go to but no one can cover for me.

Wah wah wah. I guess this stifling heat that keeps me from sleeping brings out the complainer in me.

At least I can watch episode after episode of Nip Tuck when I can't sleep. Those boys are crazy.