brrrr

Ok, so its really not THAT cold outside.

But in comparision to the "winter" we've been having....we might as well be in Alaska. While I HATE the cold for the most part, I'm excited for two reasons (as my office has been hearing me discuss pretty much all month):
1) I would like to go snowboarding sometime this winter. And since I'm a poor graduate student, it needs to be on the east coast. Hence, we need the cold to allow for snow (or snow making).

(Now for the more exciting point)
2) I shut my window last night for the first time since that bizarrely cold day in December, before it hit 65 around Christmas. While I do like having fresh air and all, I don't like being forced to have it because the heat in my building is set at approximately 90. Seriously, with the window closed I can sit around in my skivvies when its 40 degrees out. Such a waste. I'd complain, but technically the place is a condo, so even if the heating costs drop, only my landlord might reap the benefits.

Also:
Stinks to live in the ice-covered parts...especially when you're in the south and a freeze is news, much less actual ice...
Really though, the most disturbing part about this article for me is that the strawberry crop may be damaged...sigh...

friday amusement.

Despite a fairly disappointing premier, this is pretty amusing. I can't get it to link into here, so scroll down to Lizzy.

Also, in response to Bush's new military announcement:

tact

The federal government never ceases to amaze me, in both its effectiveness and ability to control the news media. For instance, I doubt this would ever make the news on any American held station, even the more "liberal" ones.

"The letters were sent to more than 5,100 Army officers listed as recently having left the military. But this figure included about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action."

How appalling. How horrifying that must be for the families. It angers me that more money is spent on "defense" than education annually, and yet the military cannot even keep track of their personnel well enough to not try to reenlist the dead.

Update: Amusing video, good point. Thanks Val.

I made another pie

Its also pretty. Lattice work. Though not as pretty as the one I made for Clifton Christmas a couple of weeks ago. I cheated this time and made the lattice strips fat...mostly because I was starving and needed to get it into the oven (what a lame excuse). But its for work people tonight anyway, so I guess as long as it tastes good, noone will mind. Here's my best-pie-to-date (from the CC event):

Amazing and captivating, I know.

Maybe despite my recent success in graduate school I should consider opening a bakery.

Or not. I can't see myself getting up at 4 am for work, at least not on a regular basis.