Food For Thought

Today I went to the very last session of my last graduate course at Syracuse University. This same day, I had my telephone interview with some Irishman at the International House of pancakes (well, I added that last bit). After talking a bit, he decided that my grammar and general fluency of the English language was at a high enough level to be able to impart classes. He'll be sending my acceptance letter in the mail, thank you very much. He was very nice, but it was a silly conversation, since he had a checklist of things he wanted to go through and didn't much care about my comments or attempts to be funny. He would ask a question, and I would be halfway through some babbling response before I realized that his "hmmm-mmms" and "aahhhhs" were really "oh, just shut up, you've been accepted." I stopped that foolishness and began imitating his "hmmm-mms." He seemed pleased. So it is a rather odd feeling, having finished one chapter in my life and beginning the next with barely a moment's notice.

In what seems to be a general tradition at the end of the semester, my course had a "congratulations you're done with this class" party. Being the pretend Spaniard that I am, I made a perfectly comestible tortilla de patatas (roughly translated as Spanish omelette). Anyways, in addition to being a pretend Spaniard, I'm quite the pretend chef, so I've got the recipe here. Enjoy, although it's helpful if you have the special tortilla pans. But good luck anyway.

Tortilla de Patatas
2 medium potatoes
8 eggs
1/2 medium onion
Oil (preferably olive)

Peel the potatoes, wash them thoroughly and cut them into thin slices. Chop the onion. Heat oil in a frying pan and then add the potatoes. Sauté them, adding the onion once they have cooked a bit. Cook until onions are transparent. Stir the contents, add seasoning to taste (garlic, Goya adobo). While cooking, beat the eggs. Add the cooked potatoes and onions and mix well. Turn the heat up under the frying pan and add the egg and potato mixture. Brown on one side and then turn the omelet over (this is the tricky part, good luck) to brown it on the other side.

Insert Witty Title Here

I just finished uploading the final page to this new website. It's a good thing I only have one more paper left to write for school, because this weekend I have utterly shirked all duties in order to build this little webhome away from home. I'm rather proud of it, if I do say so myself. I realize that I really do enjoy this kind of webdesign stuff, although at the same time I recognize that I am obviously still a novice, and I really don't think I would like to do this for money. The only reason I've been so excited about it because it's something related to me. My ego purrs delicately in my lap.

No other real news, at least not for me. Travis bought himself an iPod and, since his computer functions by a delicate reworking of string and prayer, the task has fallen to me to download all of his CDs to my computer so that he can have his music library. Seeing as how he brought over three boxes of CDs yesterday, that little job might take me up until my departure from Syracuse. He wanted to name it, so from now on his trusty iPod shall be called Darla May iPodier. Don't ask. He's happy, which is all that counts.

A Blog Is Born

Today I've been busy researching web hosts and providers. The most that I could get from two hours of online research is a sort of X-files "Trust no one" mentality. All web providers are the devil and they lie, if the average consumer is to be believed. So I went with Yahoo in the end, since it seemed the less likely to be the work of Satan.

Cathy (my future roommate from Northern Ireland) emailed today and told me that she won't be arriving in Madrid until the 8th of June or thereabouts, giving me a full 2 weeks to laze about with no purpose in the city. I'm sort of regretting having scheduled my flight so early, although I had no way of knowing when she was arriving. I've asked Travis to come with me to Spain for a week, if he has time and money (two things ever in short supply with him); if not, I'm toying with the idea of visiting Cathy in N. Ireland before she flies down. That way I won't wear out the ever-generous welcome of my Spanish friends. As it is, a week is about the longest I can stay with them before feeling like I owe rent.

In other news, a Ms. Penélope López emailed today about my application (note that there is an application!) for taking a CELTA course at International House Madrid. I have a phone interview on Monday, four English grammar tasks to be completed, and no idea what I'm doing. Hey, I just want a job. And a visa (although that's debatable). Cathy has also said I might be able to work with her in a summer English camp for baby Spaniards, which I'm alternately excited and hesitant about. Since my knowledge of summer camp is limited to Meatballs and all the Friday the 13th movies, I'm awaiting either topless girls and breaking up random sexual encounters or 15 dead campers at the end of the month. And knowing budding Spaniards, they'll all be striking some diffident rebellious poses as they take precocious puffs of their cigarettes. Ah, Europe. How I have missed thee.

Puh-leez, Knocka: Don't You Know Weblogs Are For Fools?

Meanwhile I've been scraping all my grey matter together in order to produce my first-ever attempt at blogging. Consider this a creative post-thesis outlet that scifi/fantasy novels and boyfriends cannot tackle alone. As I type this, my life in Syracuse NY is slowly coming to a dreary close. Today is overcast and 48 degrees, isn't that unholy at this point in "spring"? Southern blood and bones cry within me for a sunny, humid region; my attempts to pacify my skin via tanning booths have been unsuccessful. General body coup d'etat.

I'm eating cookies for breakfast, which breaks so many rules of the South Beach Diet that, if found out, I could be threatened with excommunication from the club. As it is, I receive periodic emails from some omniscient South Beach robot telling me to take more multivitamins and warning me of the dangers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ick. I figure the cookies might counteract any irritableness my bowels may have. I know they make me happy.

As far as this site goes, I'm hoping to be updating it rather regularly to provide all my loved ones with info on me as I cavort through Spain and her capital city, Madrid. Until I am somewhat better situated (possibly not until August), the status of this site may fluctuate a little bit, but have no fear: this starts as a description of my travels, and shall not be forgotten. The layout to the site is rather simple and obvious, so I won't comment on it too much. The other pages deal with my personality, my scholarly work, and fun things of interest. Search around, read up on me if you're interested.

Thank you all for journeying with me in this adventure. Here's to many incredible sights.