It’s been too long since I posted an entry here, and I’m feeling a terrible sense of guilt. Especially since I have so much to write about I don’t even know where to begin!

When in doubt, make a list. A list is particularly helpful given that I’m a bit of a space cadet – this way, if I meander off on some topic or other, I’ll be sure to attend to all the necessary business, if not in this post then in a future one. Because, I mean, heaven forfend I neglect something, as it’s bound to be deeply fascinating. Once I catch up, maybe I can go back to one topic per entry, like all those other, more grown-up blogs. These are the things to which I aspire.

Meanwhile, the list:

1. Rigatoni with swiss chard
2. A trip to Berkeley to visit my parents, where I ate at César and, of course, Gioia
3. The World Cup
4. Homemade caramel, two kinds, as well as David Lebovitz’s dulce de leche brownies
5. My band, which sounds very different these days and will be recording in August
6. I took a cooking class at Sur La Table, and it was fun, but it led me to buy a Shun knife, which is both good and bad
7. Luisa! Nicolette lent me Heat and I’m tearing through it…
8. So You Think You Can Dance
9. Debbie’s The Best Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies in the Entire World, which I prefer to call Holy Fucking Shit These Are Good Chocolate Chip Cookies, as per her recipe
10. Plus, of course, more chocolate featherweight cookies, because who can get enough of those?

I feel there is much else, but I think it’s all wrapped up. In fact, all of these things sort of intertwine and are involved with one another so who knows how or when I’ll get to them. Ooh, the suspense. And now, without further ado…

1. I had a wonderful, wonderful birthday. Thank you to all to helped make it lovely, memorable, and fabulous. And thank you to all those who have made plans to continue the festivities in the coming days and weeks! What an amazing bunch of people I have the honor to know and love.

2. Speaking of birthdays…

And another…

Oh, and what the heck. With the dough hook in action:

I realize in that last one it looks as if I’m mixing oatmeal (or something rather questionable), but I’m using the dough hook (I have a dough hook!) to make that multi-grain bread I mentioned a few posts down. Said bread is now cooling, which is why I’m posting a blog at nearly 1:00 am, rather than sleeping, which is what I should be doing!

But oh, look at that pearly white gorgeous piece of machinery! I love it so.

3. I no longer hate cilantro.

4. On Wednesday I will be making a quick jaunt up to LA and will be picking up some Le Marin butter (I hope).

5. I took my field exam last Thursday, and overall I think it went well. We shall see, but what’s best is that it’s done.

6. Did I mention I have some wonderful people in my life?

7. Holy gorgeous handmade tango shoes from Buenos Aires, Batgirl… now that’s a birthday gift!

8. My band, with the new guitarist and drummer, sounds better than ever! I can’t wait to play again.

9. And speaking of music, an old friend rang me up to see if I wanted to sit in with his jazz combo this summer.

10. A friend and professor is in full remission! She hasn’t been able to say this for five years, and she just found out. I saw her today and she told me the news – she looked so different, but it was so clearly a difference that came from the inside. It still makes my heart tighten a bit think about it, and I get such a good, happy feeling.

11. Dark gray salt caramels from Fran’s Chocolates. Buy them. Now.

Not so brief after all… and there’s more! For later…

You know what’s a lovely feeling? When you’ve been sitting for days, staring at your computer and piles upon piles of books and articles, trying to work on the answers to questions for your field exams (known elsewhere as comps or quals – essentially the last hurdle before the dissertation proposal), with no inspiration, nothing good or interesting or (oh dear) seemingly right coming out… and then suddenly, bloop! A surge, a breakthrough, a whole bunch of ideas spilling out quickly enough that you’re afraid if you don’t type fast enough you’ll lose some of them, and finally a feeling that, hey, this is pretty interesting after all! I like these questions, and I think I might like my answers even better! And maybe I am a little more knowledgeable in this area than I thought! Which would be good, since they’re testing me on my proficiency in this area and all. (This area, by the way, being cultural sociology, with specific emphasis on organizational culture, since I’m more of a social networks and organizations girl. The culture part comes in because I do love the study of cultural sociology and I want to work with it some more, only I want to do it my way, which means bringing in a little SNA and so forth. But that’s a story for another time.)

The point is: Phew. Because I was starting to really worry over here. When was that moment going to come? What if it didn’t? Now, of course, I don’t know how long it will last, but I’ll savor it while it’s here.

This moment brought to you in part by: Chet Baker, Stumptown coffee, and one of the chocolate cookies I made yesterday.