Snow Day

Today, Kentucky is having one of it's uncharacteristic snow days. A snow day here consists of Kentuckians spinning wildly out of control on every highway, because there are three, yes 3, whole snowflakes in the road. I worked this morning, shuffled through an inch of slush to my car, and then proceeded to drive home extremely defensively. My concern was not for my 4 wheel drive Jeep (good Jeep!), but for an entire populace that has about as much snow driving experience as a 15 year old with a learner's permit.

I went to Google images to try to locate a cute picture of a Boston terrier playing in the snow, and instead unearthed this:
It's a Boston terrier skull! Go Internet! Bringing you porn and disturbing pictures since the late eighties! One half of me can't fathom exactly why this image is floating out there in cyberspace, but the other half can admit that I've secretly always wondered what the heck Homer's skull looks like. Personally, I think it looks like a baby skull with fangs.


Rory came home anxious but also excited about his nursing school orientation yesterday. One awesome thing about an anxious Rory is it usually transforms into a compulsively cleaning Rory upon arrival, and that's exactly what happened. After the cleaning cyclone came to an end, we settled in and watched "M", the German movie from 1931 (and yes, it's on the 1001 movies to see before you die list). If you've never seen it, this movie is great. It's in black and white, and in German (with subtitles), which in today's CGI world are already two strikes against it. On the other hand, all the characters smoke so prodigiously, that in some of the office scenes there is a literal cloud hanging in the room.


The movie is about a German child murderer, and the community's lawful AND unlawful attempts to apprehend him. I know it doesn't sound like fun material, but it was a great movie. There's a child abduction scene within the first five minutes, which of course they don't show. Instead they just show the child's balloon floating away, but there is something incredibly bleak and disturbing about the image. Definitely one for your Netflix queue. You can watch the trailer here:

No More Pencils, No More Books...

Until January when next quarter starts. I took my last final yesterday morning, and although grades have not been posted, I feel pretty confident that it was another straight A semester. I went and bought half of my next quarter textbooks, which actually came out to a fairly reasonable $75. However, I still have to buy the other half of the books.

Actually, the start of break doesn't feel much different from being at culinary school. Today, I made my own bread and chicken stock. Rory made himself a big plate of rice krispie treats, and proudly informed me that he had "baked something too". Other than that, I started reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver, and tonight I think I am going to watch "Cool Hand Luke" which just came from Netflix. We watched "Shrek 3" and "The Last Kiss" a few nights ago, and although both were disappointing, Rory had a much more vitriolic reaction than I did, which you can read about on his blog.

Other than that, I intend to do a lot of this on my break:

Sleeping that is. Not laying around in our flea-infested yard.

Happy Holidays (Or What I Did Instead Of Studying For Finals)

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Life List Item No. 122 Completed: Try Authentic Thai Cuisine

Since I have no desire to ever actually visit Thailand, I'm going to count my International Lab's Thai food-making towards this item.

Now before you protest that it's not authentic Thai food unless a Thai makes it, I would argue that A) in lab we are always using imported authentic ingredients (at a great expense to the students), and B) we are almost always using traditional cooking methods (sometimes to the great frustration of the students).

For instance, our Pad Thai resembled the picture on the left (traditional), not the oily red stuff you see in a lot of American Thai restaurants. We had all the different colors of curries, big Thai salads, wontons, black rice pudding, and even made a couple varieties of typical street food.

All in all, I'm a fan. The food was hot, spicy, and exotic. I didn't try anything on the buffet that I didn't like. The other thing that was awesome is that during this cuisine, I think I finally got the hang of testing meat for doneness by touch only. I got to make one of the big Thai salads, and in order to make it I had to grill off a bunch of flank steak. Testing it by touch makes you look more like a pro, instead of running for your thermometer or steak knife. Any how, they all came out perfect medium (still a little squishiness, but mostly resistant).

Life List Item No. 69 Completed: Do Something For A Cause

That's right. I just finished doing something for a cause. The cause being Kosair Children's Hospital, and the baby wing that Rory works on to be exact.

So here's a little history: every year Kosair holds a charity bake sale event at a major Louisville holiday festival, and the earnings go to support a different floor. This year's floor happened to be the NICU where Rory works. And if there's only one thing I'm good at, it's knowing where to get primo baked goods to put in people's pie holes!!!

So, using my contacts at Sullivan, Kosair will be receiving a nice donation of assorted baked goods from the culinary school, AND also due to my whining, the hospital will be getting a nice donation from the Costco bakery.

Now I know some might read this and say, "But Nicki, cause-doing should be a life long enterprise. You can't just do it once and cross if off your frivolous list!" To those individuals I say fear not. If this experience has taught me anything, it's that people love to receive vast quantities of fattening foods, especially if it's to help babies! Wherever there is a charity that revolves around food based incentives, ladies and gentlemen, I will be there!

Now fly on, super babies!!!

Something Scary In Honor Of Halloween

I was a child of the 80's, and for some reason my brain has retained a memory of nearly every commercial I viewed during that decade. Some of the best commercials of the 80's were classic anti-drug public service announcements. Everybody remembers "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" Ohhh, sizzle, sizzle!

But fewer people seem to recall a spot that I have a vivid recollection of. I remember being about 9 or 10 when the ad was run, but more than that, I remember being frightened by it. It's not like I was a chronically scared kid either, as my Dad's patented form of "babysitting" consisted of sitting my brother and I down to watch C.H.U.D. and other horror movies of the same ilk. This particular PSA is actually scary, probably because the costume is really good. The spot consists of a drug dealer metamorphing into a scary humanoid snakeman thingy. See for yourself:

The flicking tongue is a great over-the-top touch. Yesssssssssss!

...Because Updating Your Blog Is A Good Reason To Take Homework Break

That's right, I should be studying for my Hospitality Management test right now, but the material is remarkably boring. So here's your daily dose of Gary!!!:

Gary is holding his favorite mammal, Wheezy, the cat.

My mom now has a blog (so far it is Gary-free, you'll have to stay here for you fix). The link has been added to the link list.

The Dig It List*: Korean food (yummy AND healthy), "Hold On Tight" by Electric Light Orchestra (yes, I realize it's old and in a commercial now, but I like the message: hold on tight to your dreams, ya'll!), reruns of "American Gladiators" (because people getting clobbered with giant Nerf boulders is still as poignant as it was twenty years ago). *Because I dig it!

Life List Item No. 90 Completed: Have A Paranormal Experience

Rory and I just got home from a night tour of the abandoned Waverly Hills Sanitarium, reputedly one of the most haunted locations in the U.S.

I'll admit I had high expectations for this life list item. The results were a little disappointing though, as I did not get to see a Sasquatch, aliens, or the Loch Ness monster.


Waverly Hills Sanitarium (for those who don't know) is a former tuberculosis hospital in Louisville, that was abandoned for 40 years. The new owners now run historical and paranormal tours through the place, and as they repeatedly pointed out: 63,000 tuberculosis patients died at Waverly Hills. Hence some people believe there are ghosts there.


Yes I did see some funny shadows in the building, but it seemed a lot more likely that they were natural events and not tuberculosis patient spirits. Another thing that marred my experience is the fact that GHOSTS ARE NOT REAL!!! I guess you engineer once, and approach everything like a scientist for life. So this will probably be the closest I ever get to the paranormal, thus off the list it goes.


Also, the tour was not scary, despite however many incidental stories the tour guide laid on us. Our chances of ghost sightings were also hampered by a gaggle of 14 year old girls who kept repeating "Like, oh my God, I'm like, SOOO scared!". Ghosts, like myself, hate it when people keep repeating information that is obvious to everyone, especially if it is stated in a shrill pre-pubescent octave.



The body chute was pretty neat. It's a roughly 5oo foot tunnel that goes downhill from the building. Corpses were discretely wheeled out of the building using the chute. The chute goes down on about a 45 degree angle, so the walk back up is tough. Back in the day, there was even a cable system in place, for more efficient shunting of bodies down the chute.


There used to be a hospital out building at the end of the chute; today there is only a grassy knoll. This of course led the gaggle to (loudly) repeat, "So, like, they just piled the bodies up out here?!?"


All in all, an interesting experience, but it didn't change my life. So, like, here are some more pictures, like, you know?

P.S. Shout out to Grandma G and Mom who are spending the week in Texas together.

The Proper Care And Feeding of a Gary

Apparently my last post ignited a firestorm of debate amongst my native Louisville contingent of regular blog readers (yes, all 4 of them). Many hours were wasted asking the fundamental questions: "Who is this hairy-armed enigma called Gary?", "Does Gary mean us harm?", and "Should we start a preemptive war with Gary, if it means we'll get cheaper prices at the pumps?".

I intend to answer this question.

Louisville, brace yourself:

I'm like the Dian Fossey of Gary's. I have a dad Gary, a father-in-law Gary, a best friend with a dad named Gary, a former roommate with a dad Gary, a co-worker named Gary, AND I have driven through Gary, Indiana. From my studies, all I can tell you is the following: Gary's are gentle by nature, but they can become agitated and aggressive when startled (for further evidence, see Gary Busey). If a Gary begins to charge at you, grab some large branches and begin waving them and making loud noises. This will make you look larger, and Gary's are not inclined to attack animals that they perceive to be larger than themselves.

DON'T DRINK AND BLOG!!!

This fake headline comes to you courtesy of the Onion, and I can't stop laughing at it:

Zombie Nutritionist Recommends All-Brain Diet

Me and Rory's anniversary recap: We had dinner at Red Star Tavern (part of 4th Street Live! for any of you natives that view this blog): The food was great (I would describe it as upscale comfort food), the weather finally comfortable, and the people watching was superb from our patio seats. Unfortunately we had to come home early, so that I could do homework, as we both have a pretty rigorous school schedule this semester.

P.S. Mom - the stationary came via UPS when we got home from dinner. It is very cute, but we keep laughing about how Dad's lap is in the background behind the dog's head's (I initially accused Rory of having the lap in question). Of course somebody has to hold their collars to get them to 'smile' for the camera, but I keep envisioning this senario....

Dear Barbara,

Thanks for inviting us to the lovely dinner party. Please except this card with my two little dogs on it... as well as my Dad's lap.

Leave it to a GARY to ruin a picture!!!

The Mission Statement of This Blog

I have a fixation with lists. I have grocery lists, lists of books I want to read, lists of movies to watch, lists of financial goals, lists of things to do, lists of things to do to the house, lists ad infinitum. If it can be quantified, chances are, there is a list.

Then there is THE LIST.

THE LIST is a running tally of things I wish to accomplish prior to taking my eternal dirt nap. Some of the items are profound; others are totally stupid. This blog has the primary function of informing our friends and family members of what we are doing in Kentucky (besides playing banjos on our front porch while main-lining bourbon), but secondarily it will chronicle items from THE LIST being accomplished. So without further ado, here is THE LIST (red items have been accomplished, greens are in progress):

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE Percentage of list completed = 25%

1) Create a web page
2) Get married (again) at the drive-thru in Vegas
3) Bet $100 on black at the roulette table in Vegas
4) Find my soul mate
5) Climb Kilimanjaro
6) Go on an African safari
7) Shuck oysters
8) Visit London
9) Live in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean
10) Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
11) Visit Machu Pichu
12) Try caviar
13) Try grasshoppers in Mexico
14) Visit San Francisco
15) Drive down the pacific highway in a convertible
16) Surf in the Pacific Ocean
17) Interview a dietician and a college instructor, figure out what the hell to do for the rest of my life
18) Drink less Diet Coke!!! (I’m down to one glass a day)
19) Visit Portugal
20) Learn to sail a boat
21) Pay off the mortgage
22) Visit Sedlec Ossuary (Church of All Saints) in the Czech Republic
23) Bungee jump
24) Visit Rome
25) Run a small business
26) Eat less salt
27) Practice a religion
28) Attend Edinburgh Festival
29) Dance on top of the bar (Chicago, circa my Michigan State days)
30) Attend St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin Ireland
31) Try truffles
32) Visit Aquitaine, France
33) Attend Octoberfest in Munich, Germany
34) Tour historic Greece
35) Visit Budapest, Hungary
36) Run a marathon
37) Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia
38) See the pyramids in Egypt
39) Dive in the Red Sea, Sinai, Egypt
40) Eat ostrich (it tastes like steak)
41) See the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing, China
42) Climb Mt. Fuji, then sit in a Japanese thermal spring
43) Visit Istanbul Turkey and the Roman ruins of Ephesus
44) Try foie gras
45) Lay on the beach with a tropical drink in Fiji
46) Visit Bora Bora and French Polynesia
47) Take an Alaskan cruise
48) Eat at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California
49) Drink wine in Napa
50) Attend a live taping of the Jerry Springer Show
51) Eat at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, IL
52) AND at the Superdawg in Chicago, IL
53) Visit NYC
54) Visit Roswell and the Anasazi ruins in New Mexico
55) Visit all the tourist traps on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls
56) See the Mayan ruins in Yucatan, Mexico
57) Attend Carnaval in Rio De Janerio
58) Visit Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile
59) Get my PE license
60) Dive with dolphins and see the shark rodeo in the Bahamas
61) Eat real jerk in Jamaica
62) Attend Sundance film festival
63) Attend one major sporting event (i.e. Superbowl, Olympics, KY Derby)
64) Send a message in a bottle
65) Write a book, even if it isn’t the Great American Novel
66) Have a personal mission statement, and revise it occasionally
67) See an eclipse
68) Spend New Year’s Eve in some place exotic
69) Do something for a cause
70) Learn to scuba dive
71) Find a job you love
72) Donate money and put your name on something, i.e. a scholarship, a bench in the park
73) Learn how to change a tire
74) Kiss the Blarney stone
75) Learn how to work the grill
76) Be able to handle: tax forms, Jehovah’s Witnesses, criticism
77) Keep regular medical appointments
78) Restore a classic car OR build a boat
79) Own an autograph of a certified celebrity (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, on the same photo)
80) Learn to ride a motorcycle, or hell, even a moped
81) Go to bartender’s school
82) Learn 3 great card tricks
83) Learn 3 great jokes
84) Learn how to hand toss pizza dough
85) Have enough money to do everything on the list
86) Drink more water
87) Expand my social circle
88) Have a Plan B
89) Establish a daily creative ritual
90) Have a paranormal experience
91) Have a conspiracy theory
92) By a round for everyone in the bar
93) Bet on a winning horse
94) Eat fried green tomatos
95) Own something by Coach
96) Own something from Tiffany’s
97) Learn enough of the language of whatever country you’re visiting to not make a total fool of yourself
98) Own a pug or a bull dog
99) Own a boston terrier (the two terrible terriers!!!)
100) Learn how to apply makeup
101) Do something with my hair
102) Pray
103) Know how to make (at least) a three-tiered wedding cake (in progress)
104) Learn a martial art
105) Learn a dance
106) Ride a mechanical bull
107) Write a fan letter to a favorite celebrity
108) Go to a lobster bake in Maine
109) Go to a drive-in
110) Attend one really huge rock festival
111) Attend 5 big concerts in one week (it was U2, Oasis, Dave Matthews Band, the Black Crowes, and Wilco and yes, it was a hell of a week)!!!
112) Learn to play a musical instrument
113) Get hypnotized
114) Learn to fire a gun
115) Make my own bread (without using a bread machine)
116) Go lobster hunting (it’s a scuba diving thing for those who are wondering)
117) Experience weightlessness (technically you experience moments of weightlessness on the Magnum XL at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio – It counts!!!)
118) Give up television and the internet for one week
119) Yell “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” in a crowd
120) Get my master’s (in progress)
121) Eat alligator (it tastes like chicken)
122) Try authentic Thai cuisine
123) Read all the books from “The 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die” (in progress)
124) See all the movies from “The 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” (in progress)

Our story thus far...

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.... somebody's already used this opening.

Last year, in Michigan, I was working as a frustrated civil engineer for a large corporate entity, and my husband was a civil technician for the same afore mentioned entity. We knew we were unhappy; we knew we had to move some where new, some where that we could develop our intellectual passions into new careers.

We moved to where scholars have been migrating to for centuries: Louisville, KY.

So now, my husband is a nursing student at U of L and a nurse's aide at Kosair's Children's Hospital. I am a culinary student at Sullivan University and working toward's my master's in Nutrition (Dietetics, technically) through U of K. I want to know as much about food as possible, and aspire to teach others about good food, where to get the food, what to do with the food once you have it, how to eat the food sensibly, and what foods you might not be eating enough of. It's very profound, I know, but I never tire of hearing about FOOD!!!

I am sad to report, that the big move from Michigan did not provoke any new intellectual interests in either of the two terrible terriers.

The Cast of Characters

Our Heroine: It's me, Nicki, the author of this blog (duh). I thought a blog would be a fun way for our family members and friends back in Michigan to see what we're up to down in the Commonwealth.









The Trusty Sidekick: This is my compassionate other-half, listed only as the enigmatic "r.f.baker" on his blog which you can also read on blogger.com. He's my best friend, a great nurse, and damn good looking if I do say so myself.

The Two Terrible Terriers: This intrepid crime fighting duo consists of Lucy aka the Brains, and Homer aka the Brawn. This photo also demonstrates what Boston Terriers do with approximately 75% of their day. Barking at the neighbors through the fence must take a tremendous amount of energy.