Inclusion in this blog does not give the stuff a reprieve from being donated or ending up in the trash in the future.

Here are the categories… see… where would I fit? I don’t even fit in Psychotic Ranting… and I don’t think I want to know what Anonymous Foaming is!
NaBloPoMo Blogroll categories
Books
Cooking / Food
Crafts
Disability
Education
Entertainment
Family
Health
Hobbies
Humor
Niche
Photography
Politics
Religion / Faith
Sex
Shopping
Tech
Travel
Psychotic Ranting / Anonymous Foaming
General

PS… I also see that the theme this month is SAVED. I could post every day about some ridiculous item we have saved, since we are terrible hoarders with a tiny house. That might actually be interesting…

It’s really just a continuation of my private LiveJournal, but without some of the private ranting. The trend in blogs these days is to have a theme. Like cooking blogs, craft blogs, blogs about being librarians, blogs where you attempt to do something within a certain time (like Julie and Julia)… my blog is just me rambling. I usually try to keep my posts on this blog dedicated to a subject, but since I’m still rambling about whatever topic I’m thinking about at the moment, I’m not drawing in any sort of readership. Do I want a readership? I don’t know. I’m not even really sure why I have this blog… I don’t get much feedback here… is that because I’m not consistent in my posting? Is it because it’s easier to comment in facebook? Or maybe I don’t write anything that interesting? If I just wanted to write for myself, I could just keep writing in my Live Journal and not put it out there for the world to see. Why do I write here? Why did I write about my miscarriage here? I know when I wrote about my first miscarriage in 2005 in my Live Journal, it helped me through– I joined a miscarriage community and didn’t feel so alone. Since this laurushka.org blog exists sort of in a vacuum, I don’t feel like *I’m* getting help by writing here… but I do hope that maybe someone going through a miscarriage would stumble on my posts and find comfort. But is is just altruistic reasons? I don’t know. I guess it’s also sort of a writing exercise… writing here, I’m less “stream of consciousness” than I am in my Live Journal. I’m also less whiny. So it’s also a psychological exercise… not that this blog is all shiny and positive… it’s just a different because I know that the public could be reading it.

Well, since I just saw an email from NaBloPoMo in my junkmail folder, I am reminded that today is the first of the month. July is a tough month– we are going on two vacations, and this weekend is July 4th… so I don’t know if I’ll be posting every day. But I saw the email, and thought, it’s 10 PM on July 1st… and realized that my last post was in MAY– I skipped the entire month of June! So here is a halfhearted pledge that I will try to post more often. Maybe even every day this month. But probably not. Maybe I need to figure to figure out my purpose in having this blog to get inspiration to post more often. Or maybe I just need to look at the suggested NaBloPoMo writing prompts for ideas.

Visit NaBloPoMo

Anyway, I think all my faithful readers* already know about this stuff from Facebook, right?

I do have a Friday Recipe to post today (I’ll do that separately), and I will post a link to my January Facebook photos too.

Oh, I’ll also mention that Philadelphia has had record snow this winter. We just had two blizzards in one week, and Joe had two snow days in a row. He’s back to work today, as long as the train can get him there!

I apologize for dropping the blogging ball again.

*And by faithful readers I mean.. basically, just two of you? Are there any more out there? I was lurking on a blog, and saw that there is an official National Delurking Day. I didn’t delurk, because the day had already passed. Hehe. But, if anyone is reading this that never comments, go ahead and comment! Say hello. Let me know if you have a blog, and I will link to it here, if you’d like. I have it set to not allow comments to post immediately, so don’t fret if you don’t see your comment right away. Please comment! I’m getting cabin fever from the snow!

Well, I did it. Here I am, making my final November 2009 post. I did 30 posts, but not in 30 days– since I started November 2nd, I didn’t actually do the whole month.

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with my blog in the future. I don’t think I will force you to read a post every day anymore. But I don’t want it to languish. I’ll try to keep up the Friday Recipe… but that means I need to learn more recipes!

This was my first post of the month. I guess I kept you hanging on about my zyrtec habit and the swine flu, huh? I decided there really wasn’t that much of a story with the swine flue. We had it, we survived. We hope we don’t get it again. The end. Here is info about what can happen when you get hooked on Zyrtec. It happened to me, and it took me about 3 weeks to get it out of my system and stop itching. I never did pick up my ukulele this month. Maybe if I wasn’t posting so much in my blog, I would have. Haha. And the funk I’ve been in since graduating last December is lifting, so I guess my goal with participating in NaBloPoMo November 2009 has been accomplished.

I will try not to stay away so long next time. But I will be a bit relieved that I don’t HAVE to post every day anymore.

Ciao for now!

Since November 2nd, I actually did post every day this month, didn’t I? I haven’t necessarily had a lot of substance, but something short everyday- links to pictures, recipes, etc. I don’t really know what else I want this blog to be. I have another blog for sporadic complaining, and I have facebook for keeping in touch with people. I think not posting between May and November was a mistake, but I don’t think I need to keep posting every day. Maybe just once a week? Should I be more personal here? I don’t really want to go into things like job hunting, etc. I stopped using laurushka on my resume, but I’m sure resourceful folks could find this by googling my name, if they wanted. I’ve been meaning to update my website (which this blog is part of) to include some papers I wrote for school. If I did that, it would make it even easier for a resourceful folk to see this blog. Is this site a plus or a minus to a potential employer? I’m just typing as a I think here… I still have one more day to the NaBloPoMo Challenge. Any requests for a final blog posting topic?

Apparently this happens every month, but in November there are prizes… which I am ineligible for since I’m starting Nov. 2nd, but that won’t dissuade me! Thanks to Laura for the idea.

*If I could really turn back the clock, I would also like to change the results of Game 4 of the World Series. How do I get that power?

I decided that I wouldn’t “stalk” anyone on Facebook. You know, “stalk” as in like when you find out that someone you know has a MySpace page or a blog, and you read it or and never comment and they have no idea you know they have a MySpace page? I decided that I would come out of the woodwork and “friend” people– but only those I actually know in Real Life (or have known online for a while, so it feels like “real life”!). So, I’m NOT friending Scott Simon. Or asking him to play Scrabulous with me. But if he decides he would like to play Scrabulous, or wants to send me some flair, I’m totally open to that.

But now, let me talk about food again.  It’s funny how someone who loves food so much is still afraid of the kitchen. But I am working on overcoming my fear! If I could learn how to drive a stick-shift after five years of being a passenger, I can learn how to cook, right?

And I will make mistakes in both cases… for example… I double-parked to unload the car the other week, and turned off the engine and left the gear in neutral. I kept a remarkably level-head when the car started rolling down the hill towards me while I was pulling things out of the trunk, and was able to quickly hop in the driver’s seat and put it in first-gear.

Recent debacles in the kitchen include: burning my arm on the inside of the oven while heating up frozen burritos; slicing my index finger while trying to halve a bagel; and then there was the chicken broth incident. I figured I had broth-making down-pat after making two batches, but oops, I must have had the temperature too high, because the whole pot turned to a congealed fatty mess. Blech. I haven’t made a chicken since!

But let’s talk about kitchen success!  Last week, I was inspired to go through my  two-year’s worth of Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazines. I picked out two recipes: Ginger Carrot Soup and Roast Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes, and we tackled them this weekend. I handled the Roast Beef myself, but made Joe slice the carrots and puree the soup.  I liked both meals very much. We hardly ever cook red meat, so it was a bit nerve-racking to take the temperature and wait for it to hit the magic safety number. And then the next day, we ate the rest of the roast beef with a mango and black bean sauce, loosely following this recipe for Beef and Mango Wraps (we didn’t have any wraps). I think it was the first time I ever sliced a mango– what an interesting pit!  And today, I am enjoying Ginger Carrot Soup for lunch.  Unfortunately, Lilia doesn’t believe me that this is soup. I think her definition of soup requires NOODLES. Ah, well, she can enjoy a hard-boiled egg instead.

Well, I may disappear back into the ether now, as I have class this weekend, and quite a lot of schoolwork to do in the next few weeks (and into MAY!). But I will leave you with the wise words of Mr. Roger Miller:

Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can’t go a-swimmin’ in a baseball pool
Ya can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
Ya can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to

Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to!

1) You are going to be stranded, Survivor style, on a tropical island. You will have only the clothes on your back. Basic food & water will be provided. Name 3 things you would bring (and they cannot be PEOPLE).

ohhhhhh, I hate questions like this!! Does this mean I don’t need to worry about starting a fire too? So, this would be like my Desert Island Disc list?? I don’t watch Survivor, so I have no idea what I would need to actually survive! Wait, what did Tom Hanks have in Castaway? Ice Skates to crack coconuts. A Soccer Ball to talk to. And a pretty present to look at and dream about. Okay, okay, if this were a Desert Island Disc (or book or movie) list… I would bring…
Sloop John B by the Beach Boys
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Rushmore
(This is of course assuming there is also some kind of electricity, or at least a hand cranked projector where I could watch a movie.)

2) Name one person (famous or not) you have a *secret crush* on and WHY.

Hmm, I already confessed my crush for NPR’s Scott Simon a few posts ago, so it’s not secret anymore… let’s see… well, actually I’ll have to go with that, because there hasn’t been anyone else floating my boat recently… And WHY? Well, I like his weekly essays. Is that too nerdy? Okay, I confess, I think Scott Simon is HOT!

3) What was the last thing you did before getting on the computer?

Watched Jeopardy!

4) Name one thing you are ashamed of about yourself.

Just one thing? I’m a procrastinator and never send out thank-you notes.

5) How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning? Outline your routine on a typical day. Feel free to mention name brand items you use – shampoos, soap, toothpaste, etc. for interest and character development.

Oh, I have not had a routine lately… but let’s see… I take an almost 20 minute shower every day. That could actually be an answer for the last question! What a water hog! But I have a hard time waking up– achy and allergies– so a long hot shower really helps! Currently, I’m using Nature’s Gate shampoo and conditioner, Jason Body Wash, Dove sensitive skin soap, St. Ives Apricot Scrub (but they changed its scent, blech). I have to use a comb that I got from Crabtree and Evelyn to get the knots out of my hair, and I use MOP Pear Detangler. If anyone has any suggestions for hair products that make your hair thicker, I’m game! At some point I brush my teeth. Then I throw on some clothes. Boring!

6) Since you all know I am food-obsessed, humor me by describing your last meal – if you could plan it.

Hmm, well, as it is normally made on New Year’s Day, this would be an ironic choice, but I guess I would like Pennsylvania Dutch Pork and Sauerkraut. With Real Mashed Potatoes, please.

7) What is your middle name? Does it have any significance?

Jane. I was named after a cat, who was named after Jane Fonda. I don’t think my mom expected to have any more kids.

8) Name one thing you have always wanted but HAVE NEVER HAD.

Ooo, a REAL vacation. You know, where you fly somewhere, and you go to a resort (or not), and you hang out on the beach for a few days or even a whole week!

9) How did you meet your spouse or s/o?
The short answer: at work.
Maybe the long answer could be another post…
;-)

10) Tell me a joke. Pictures are acceptable.x
I don’t tell jokes! But here’s a cat joke I found on the Internets for ya:
Q: What do cats read in the morning?
A: Mewspapers!

Also, since you mentioned pictures… this isn’t quite a joke, but because my internet “handle” is Laurushka, I get emails in Lithuanian for someone else named Laurushka. One time, I had this picture in my email box… along with some Lithuanian I didn’t understand. I saved the picture, but trashed the email. What do you think the joke is that goes with this picture? (Click to see the gory details!)