Mmm mmm good!

I just got this meme from Amanda A. The deal is, you are given a letter and then you post 10 things you like that begin with that letter. I got “M”. Here we go!

Men. And this is not going where you think it is (although I love that too). I've always had a ton of male friends and now seems no exception. Guy friends are great because they're fun, there's usually very little drama, and not only can you flirt with them recreationally without weirdness, they can decode male behavior when it just doesn't make a bit of sense.

Melted cheese. No explanation needed here. Melted cheese makes everything better.

Mexican food. Given, it's closely related to the item listed above, but I'm having more trouble than anticipated thinking of 10 things I really like that start with "M." Last night my mom and I went to the newish Mexican food place here in town. It's a little hole in the wall, but it's really good, and they have the BEST shrimp quesadillas I've ever had. Last night I decided to be adventurous and ordered the "Victor" special. It was two cheese enchiladas covered with queso and piled high with grilled chicken and fresh pico de gallo. Oh my GOD. It was amazing. Very fresh, very stringy with cheese, and I love chicken any way you cook it. And the best part? It was free! My mom works for the city and she knowns the owners, so they comped our meal. A big tip was in order. And I have plenty of leftovers for lunch or dinner today.

My Mom. I don't talk about my mom nearly enough here, but I have to tell you, she is the most fantastic mom anywhere ever. And pretty much everyone I know would agree and sing her praises far and wide. What's so great about my Mom? Too many things to list really. She's fun and outgoing and sweet and kinda warped (like me). Everyone who meets her adores her.

Modernists. I took a class over Modernist lit. last year, and while it was a hell of a lot to read (and I didn't make it through all the books), I do love the time period and the majority of the authors who came out of that particular movement. I'm talking about some of my all-time favorites: T.S. Eliot ("The Waste Land" is genius), F. Scott Fitzgerald (so screwed up, so yummy), Hemingway (annoyed me as a teen, thrills me now) Zora Neale Hurston (can't get enough of her). Not to mention the new-to-me faves like Willa Cather (must read more of her stuff soon), Henry Roth (ditto here).

Mediterranean food. Because if you're running low on items, list types of food. I can't say that I'm terribly well-versed in Mediterranean food, but what I have had, I loooooooved. Fadi's is a fantastic little cafeteria-style restaurant in Dallas (maybe I'll blog about it next) that Elise and I went to once (must go again soon). It's great for newbies to Mediterranean because everything is laid out in front of you for easy pointing and gawking, and they have a sampler plate that's relatively inexpensive ($11-$14 if I remember correctly) and really is a bit of EVERYTHING. As I recall there were several dippers (hummus, baba ghanouj, and something else tasty), somewhere between 8 and 12 veggies and salads, and a choice of meat. Never before have I contemplated being a vegetarian, but Fadi's convinced me that veggies can be satisfying and wonderful all on their own.

Meme's! I love doing them myself, but I love reading others' just as much. We generally get to know each others' ideologies and inner voices through the blogs, but knowing what someone had for breakfast can be just as interesting, surprising, and delightful sometimes.

Markers. I could color with markers all day. I know, it's a very 6-year-old thing to do, but I still love it.

Making stuff. I make all kinds of stuff when I have time. I do paper crafts (cards, bookmarks, etc.), paint, draw, make other household items like magnets and whatnot. Now I just need more time!

Maniacal laughter! I love laughing uncontrollably. There's nothing better than laughing so hard that you almost cry and end up wheezing in a pile on the floor. In a good way, of course.

If you'd like a letter of your very own, ask me in the comments section!

Indian, anyone?

Check out my newest post at the Dallas blog. This evening's spotlight: the Roti Grill. The Barrister took me there on date #1 after we realized our mutual attraction to Indian food. I really need to get back there. It's cheap and yummy. Too bad I won't be kissed Gone with the Wind style by a 6'8" Englishman this time. Ahh well. Such is life.

Click HERE to read the post.

Consider the Steam Blown

While I did have an unbelievably long list of things to do this weekend, I did none of them. My consolation is that I spent a ton of time blowing off steam, and while I blew my weekend budget and carb count, I am feeling slightly more human than I was last week. That doesn't mean I'm any happier about the thought of doing my PhD or writing my thesis, but I will trudge ahead diligently until this mess is over on May 12th.

Edit: OK, OK. I might as well come clean. I got so drunk last night that I don't remember much between the time I did my last lemon drop shot and woke up in my bra and panties in my friend's guest bedroom this morning. I started drinking at 7:00 last night, stopped at 1am was still drunk at noon today, the hangover kicked in around 2:00 this afternoon, and I didn't feel well enough to eat until dinnertime. It will be a VERY VERY long time before I drink again.

The next week or two will be spent writing A LOT. I have some recommendations to compose, a piece to revise for publication, and a couple of thesis chapters to dig into.

With that said, I do hope to sneak off to the mall tomorrow to buy some new undies, jeans, and a couple more pairs of shoes. And I need to stop by the tailor's to have some things looked at. When did I start giving a shit how I dress? I dunno, but I kinda like it. I'll have to post pics of my new threads I found last week. I got a great pair of brown trousers for work with a tiny pink pin stripe running through, a luscious black sweater, a red sweater suitable for layering, a denim jacket, a black going-out shirt with a funky neckline, and a pair of brown heels and a pair of brown boots (also heels). Everything was on sale and I only spent $142.

Now that I've bored you, I'm off to bed to try to sleep (probably not gonna happen for a bit, but it's worth a try).

Listening: "Make This Go On Forever"...Snow Patrol

Hermits Anonymous

Hi, I'm Andi, and I'm a hermit.

I've reached new levels of hermitude, kids. I should start growing my long white beard and coif immediately. My robes are on backorder, and my walking stick got delayed in customs.

I dunno what's wrong with me.

Oh, wait, yes I do. I want desperately to get a place of my own and a job that isn't this one. Right!

Anywho, I find that I'm praying for snow to avoid committments like baby showers and anything else that involves human contact (incidentally, we got some snow but it didn't mess up the roads). I'd really just kinda like to stay in bed and watch Take Home Chef and What Not to Wear 23 hours a day. No offense to all the friends I've been neglecting. It's not you, it's most definitely me.