my tomatoes are really starting to go south, i didn’t get as many cucumbers as i’d hoped, and my green beans seem to have just stopped doing much of anything.
on the other hand, i have a mighty fine looking pumpkin.
here’s hoping my green tomatoes ripen up, i can get at least one more batch of pickles, and i get at least a couple more squash out of the equation here.
the minnesota state fair starts tomorrow! i is excite.
the first time nate and i both went to the state fair together was also our first time at the state fair ever. i think this was in 2009. either way, we both wondered how on earth we went our entire lives without viewing the awesomeness that is the state fair, so we’ve been back every year since. (don’t ask me how agorophobic nate decided the state fair was awesome.)
in the four years i’ve been to the fair (and five visits), i’ve tried a lot of food. there have been some yummies and some duds.
the yummies
deep fried lobster
tom thumb minidonuts (always awesome)
cheese curds
deep fried milky way
funnel cakes
french fries
martha’s cookies
crab fritters
duds
deep fried pickles
the corn on the cob was ok, but not like WOOO CORN
scotch egg
i was disappointed with a shake i got. i expected a shake and got a frosty
the surly nate had was mediocre – not sure which one he got
what we want to try this year?
deep fried smelt
frozen cider pop
deep fried buckeyes mmmm
i’m getting a minneapple pie this year!
periogies
shrimp dog
if you are really into the fair, i would recommend following andrew zimmern on twitter (@andrewzimmern) or at least checking out his blog.
the next week is going to be busy busy. i’m not looking forward to it! i’m actually planning on staying late tomorrow for sure and maybe thursday just so i can make sure i get everything done that needs to be done for the beginning of the school year.
we’ll see if i get around to writing anything of substance in the next few days!
devils-syrup free marshmallows? check
special k bars made? check
sunscreen and swimsuit and towel packed? check
relaxation station ready to go? check
beer purchased? check
3 books packed, just in case? check
homemade pickles and bloody mary mix? check
running shoes? check
travel scrabble? check
cards against humanity? check
steaks and bacon in fridge? check
one S? check
other S? 🙁
i’ll be on vacay friday through tuesday! excited for lake time!
not sure if i’ll be blogging during that time or not. who knows!
i was just beat after work today. i had a meeting a 9 a.m. followed by pictures with some very energetic athletes from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., after which i promptly went to a meeting for another hour and a little bit. i got home and was just exhausted.
no doubt; i am an introvert through and through.
over the years, i’ve become more acutely aware of how difficult it is to be an introvert, especially in the workplace, but one thing that’s been a huge positive boon for the average introvert: the internet. finally, there is a public method of communication just tailored for the common introvert.
like fellow introverts*, i much prefer the written word to the spoken word when it comes to communicating with others i’m not 100% comfortable with. when i ‘m writing an email or forum post or facebook post, it’s much easier for me to put into words what’s in my head than it is for those words to make their way out of my mouth. this is not to say i can’t form a coherent sentence; i am more than capable. but in any sort of confrontational situation, i am more likely to spout out facts and figures rather than my opinion on a matter.
i have STRONG opinions, but if i’m talking with someone in some sort of position of power of me, i’m not going to rock the boat; i’m not going to risk stumbling over my words and thoughts and having an incoherent mess come out of my mouth (my family, friends, and close coworkers have heard their fair share of mouthmess at this point!). i don’t like confrontation to begin with, and to have to stand in front of someone with opposing views and try to get my brain to organize my flying, rapidfire thoughts into words? terrifying.
but, you put me in front of a keyboard or piece of paper? i have time to gather, formulate, and articulate exactly what my brain wants me to say. i can handle confrontation in this way. i prefer communication this way. so you can see why the surge of written-word communication methods that are available on the internet is such a huge leap for the common introvert. unlike before, now we have an EASY way of bringing thoughts, concerns, issues, and complaints to others in a medium with which we are comfortable. FINALLY, sighed every introvert ever.
what’s distressing, however, is that often the way we prefer to communicate is seen as the coward’s way out. we are told we’re hiding behind the internet – behind our avatars. if we really want to effect any sort of change, why are we communicating this way? just go to the source in person and talk to them. face to face.
i have confronted extroverted bosses before in my life, and it’s terrifying and beyond exhausting. i would rather have written them an email, but they prefer face to face. extroverts may have no problem with this, and it’s really a shame that extroverts don’t understand how difficult it is for an introvert to just show up for an unplanned debate where anything might be said without forethought. it’s scary. and we are probably not going to do it unless it’s going to save our cats from being kidnapped and held for ransom.
we finally found an easy way to express ourselves, and we’re dismissed. we’re trying to be heard, yet our preferred way to opine is seen as trivial. a section of our society finally feels like it has a voice, yet it’s told it’s not important because it’s on the internet.
this has to change. i’m ready to write my strongly worded letter.
*i realize some introverts may prefer face to face. disclaimer here for that.
hrmmmmm. maybe i’ll see you tomorrow…
i tried one of the large ones because the lid didn’t seal (so now it lives in the fridge). even wtih the grape leaf, it was still floppy. but it was good! a little bread and butter-ish, but i’m hoping that goes away with some time. i’m really looking forward to trying the little whole ones you can see in the first picture. we’ll see if leaving them whole helps with the crispness.
my brine included peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds (which i just pulled off my cilantro plants in my garden!), along with a clove of garlic and the dill.
tomorrow is PICKLE DAY!
and
pumpkin season is coming!!!!!
i just finished reading the last book in deborah harkness’ trilogy, “the book of life.” i just finished rereading the first two books in the trilogy so i was prepared for this one (they books are long and full of stuff).
i think i picked up the first book, “a discovery of wtiches”, after either reading about it in an mpr review or on a booklist i used to belong to. i read it, thought it was wonderfully pretentious, and immediately told liz that she had to read it (witches and vampires and smut – oh my!).
at the time, i didn’t realize it was a part of a trilogy (although it was set up for it), so when the second book was announced, yay!
as for the last book, i think it’s my favorite. the previous two books seemed to have a lot of extra stuff that didn’t really need to be written in the book. this book, however, had everything in it that needed to be written about (well, maybe too much about baptism preparations, etc).
it was also more light-hearted than the other two. she introduced a looser character (chris), and all the characters in the story were pivotal (unlike the second book). i know there are reviews out there that are criticizing the plot and the point of view (big whoop). but i just found these books engrossing. it was quite the shock moving from reading a stark stephen king book to harkness’ florid prose, but it was a welcome change (especially since i have a king book to read in the near future).
some beefs: i think the confrontation with satu was a letdown; there should have been more of an internal sturggle to the spellbinding; i feel like spellbinding is such an affront to witches that it would’ve been better for diana and satu to have a showdown. i wanted a bigger deal when diana finally got ashmole back. i wanted to know more about rebecca bishop’s spellbook. hmmm….i’m sure i’ll think of more.
ps – love gallowglass 🙂