Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Cooking Entry
Photo: My current reading.Completely contradictory to everything that I stand for, I just made those potatoes described in the NYTimes today. Unsurprisingly, I overcooked them in the first stage, making them a bit too soft to cut properly, but I will learn in good time. They overall tasted was quite good, though I did have to resist the urge to dunk each wedge in ketchup. This recipe will only add to my list of food items that I will have in my house for a single purpose (in this case, Dijon mustard). I guess I will just have to learn a few more.
Monday, January 28, 2008
They Called Him Gamzu
This post has been a long time in the making, so bear with me as it will be a lengthy one.
My last post was before I had truly finished applying to law schools. Thankfully, that process is now complete, and currently I am enduring the long dark before they are forced to give me a response on May 1. In the meantime, I have found a few things to keep me busy. I have acquired jobs, and yet I still find myself with some free time to fill. Mondays and Wednesdays I work at Pixelweave, a 3D visualization company. I learn a variety of things at Pixelweave, from how a business runs to wrestling with open-source software to international relations. My other job is twice weekly at the Fed, where I learn things of a different sort. I also tutor twice weekly, a nice little side business.
My schedule leaves me Fridays open, which allows me to escape, I mean travel, on weekends.
I once again abused the bottomless hospitality of the ladies of UNC who showed me around. Good planning allowed me to drive to UNC on a Thursday night in order to attend the CD release concert of The Tell, a camp-forged band, which was actually quite pleasant. I suggest listening to "Old City Sunset."
The next day I awoke early for Carolina's Prospective law student day. While the faculty of the law school disseminated a great deal of information about their school and law in general, I found that I had already learned most of what they had to say through my own research. What I found most useful was the opening segment, (not breakfast) a Q & A panel with a variety of law students. Their anecdotes and details about how to deal with law school were more telling than any prepared presentation. I declined the tour, as I have visited previously. I took the extra time to arrange a lunch date at Panera, which was delicious.
While all this was going, loyal minions were doing my evil bidding, watching the dough rise, then grappling with it and finally sticking that sucker in the oven so it would be aromatic and mouth-watering when it came out right before shabbat. It was great, don't worry.
Hillel proceeded in the usual manner, with an unfortunately uncaptivating speaker after dinner who forced me and my cohorts to leave the warmth of Hillel for the cold streets of Chapel Hill. We then arrived at Chabad (my first time there) which was not so different from the Brandeis Chabad (which I have also visited only once), with the notable exception that it was not under construction. I understand its appeal and how (and why) it works, but despite the infinite warmth of the hosts and the bounty of both food and drink, Chabad does not fit me.
On Saturday, after a traditional lunch of bread and cold cuts, we magically acquired some tickets to the game and were simultaneously privileged and crestfallen not only to get kicked out of our seats, but also to witness Carolina's first (and thus far, only) loss of the season. By the time the game was over, so was Shabbat, so we headed back home for a movie double feature of The Order of the Phoenix and Crybaby and then some socialization.
Sunday morning was a blur of sleeping and more sleeping, while Sunday afternoon and evening provided some Conference Championship Football, though I admit I paid much more attention to the AFC. Monday morning I had a lovely brunch at Elmo's before heading back to put in a half day's work.
Thursday I went to Chicago for a family reunion of sorts, returning home Sunday. Perhaps more on that next time.
My last post was before I had truly finished applying to law schools. Thankfully, that process is now complete, and currently I am enduring the long dark before they are forced to give me a response on May 1. In the meantime, I have found a few things to keep me busy. I have acquired jobs, and yet I still find myself with some free time to fill. Mondays and Wednesdays I work at Pixelweave, a 3D visualization company. I learn a variety of things at Pixelweave, from how a business runs to wrestling with open-source software to international relations. My other job is twice weekly at the Fed, where I learn things of a different sort. I also tutor twice weekly, a nice little side business.
My schedule leaves me Fridays open, which allows me to escape, I mean travel, on weekends.
I once again abused the bottomless hospitality of the ladies of UNC who showed me around. Good planning allowed me to drive to UNC on a Thursday night in order to attend the CD release concert of The Tell, a camp-forged band, which was actually quite pleasant. I suggest listening to "Old City Sunset."
The next day I awoke early for Carolina's Prospective law student day. While the faculty of the law school disseminated a great deal of information about their school and law in general, I found that I had already learned most of what they had to say through my own research. What I found most useful was the opening segment, (not breakfast) a Q & A panel with a variety of law students. Their anecdotes and details about how to deal with law school were more telling than any prepared presentation. I declined the tour, as I have visited previously. I took the extra time to arrange a lunch date at Panera, which was delicious.
While all this was going, loyal minions were doing my evil bidding, watching the dough rise, then grappling with it and finally sticking that sucker in the oven so it would be aromatic and mouth-watering when it came out right before shabbat. It was great, don't worry.
Hillel proceeded in the usual manner, with an unfortunately uncaptivating speaker after dinner who forced me and my cohorts to leave the warmth of Hillel for the cold streets of Chapel Hill. We then arrived at Chabad (my first time there) which was not so different from the Brandeis Chabad (which I have also visited only once), with the notable exception that it was not under construction. I understand its appeal and how (and why) it works, but despite the infinite warmth of the hosts and the bounty of both food and drink, Chabad does not fit me.
On Saturday, after a traditional lunch of bread and cold cuts, we magically acquired some tickets to the game and were simultaneously privileged and crestfallen not only to get kicked out of our seats, but also to witness Carolina's first (and thus far, only) loss of the season. By the time the game was over, so was Shabbat, so we headed back home for a movie double feature of The Order of the Phoenix and Crybaby and then some socialization.
Sunday morning was a blur of sleeping and more sleeping, while Sunday afternoon and evening provided some Conference Championship Football, though I admit I paid much more attention to the AFC. Monday morning I had a lovely brunch at Elmo's before heading back to put in a half day's work.
Thursday I went to Chicago for a family reunion of sorts, returning home Sunday. Perhaps more on that next time.
