Life is life!

Well, if you look over to the side you can read that I am a grad student. And while I technically still am, since I have yet to defend my dissertation, all the pomp says I am a no longer a student.

Yes, I walked... I got a velvet hood draped around my neck... I tipped my hat at some Australian guy because we weren't allowed to shake hands (damn them sick pigs!)...

So here I am. An expert in astronomical observations and data reduction; I have done photometry, stellar spectroscopy, time analysis of variables, statistical studies, extragalactic work... I have basically done the work of two PhD projects... It cost me most of my friends, my marriage, many years of my life... An in return I get a fuzzy cape.

Good thing I love capes.


And we're all glad it's over
We thought it would last
Every minute of the future
Is a memory of the past
Coz' we gave all the power
We gave all the best
And everyone lost everything
And perished with the rest.
Life is life!

You know those german things?

The chocolate sticks filled with like an orange jelly stuff? You know? Ok, maybe you didn't grow up in germany with a Dad obsessed with all things German especially food. But I did.

I recently came across a recipe that sounded delicious. So I tried it. It was my first effort at candy and it turned out pretty tasty. In fact it tasted like those german things i started with. I am thinking i will try it with limes next!

Of Peas and Sweat Potatoes

My friend here is testing for food allergies and currently can't eat things such as beef, peppers, wheat, potatoes, lettuce, etc. However, sweat potatoes are not forbidden. I love the sweet potato, it is good in so many dishes, yet most have other ingredients that were on the bad list. So I wanted to come up with something new. It turned out quite nice, and very easy, and goes great on peas too!

I softened some onions, then added a dose of Marsala. After bringing it to a boil and reducing, I added some bacon. The sweetness of the Marsala combined perfectly with the pig. On top of baked sweet potatoes it was fantastic. Afterward I had some leftover... I also had leftover peas... Now, if anything, I am lazy. Why should I use 2 Tupperware containers when one would do. Did i really want to wash another? So I combined the leftovers. Giving the whole thing a couple days to mellow really brought out some nice subtle flavors. Very tasty & easy.

Walking can be difficult...

I just got some new shoes, and boy am I excited! It was a tough choice of which ones to get. These were special shoes. They were shoes to celebrate getting a new job and to wear when walking for graduation for my PhD. Nothing simple or plain would do. I went with the Man's ankle boot, in blue crocodile, with the 2.5" heel. Did I choose right?

Life gets busy...

Hello faithful reader. I will at least pretend you exist. I haven't posted in a while since, well, I am bad at habitual writing... I think I last wrote in my journal... uh... well, I have one from 1999. I got nothing on my friend E! who writes nightly.

At any rate, I have a new job! I will be moving to Toledo Ohio. There I enter the ranks of non-studentdom! Hurrah! I will be working on the new Herschel Space Telescope. I am really excited.

Bacon Makes it Better: Pt II

What can bacon make better you ask? Well... really anything I think. Todays selection is the wondrous bacon chip cookie. While many likely saw this as an internet gimmick, I believed. So I made them. Most everyone else thought it would simply be a shock and awe type dessert, but in the end, I think most everyone liked them. They got such great reviews that my Mom whipped up a batch. Now my Dad asks for them all the time.

Historic Nov 4

I Voted.
Hopefully this works out.