Post title borrowed from a Ben Folds song of nearly the same name.

Last song I purchased from iTunes: When Will I Be Loved by John Fogerty & Bruce Springsteen.

Made for dinner tonight: Chicken, cheddar and onion quesadillas. The chicken was marinated with chipotles in adobo sauce & grilled with the onions before being turned into quesadilla filling.

Currently drinking: Nothing. But a glass of milk sounds good.

Playing on iTunes right this very second: Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen.

Currently reading: Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson and Amarcord by Marcella Hazan.

Laughing about: The episode of Mad Men we just watched. We’re at the beginning of Season 2 and Joan is my favorite character. Tonight she discussed why crying in the break room is bad: “This is why I don’t allow crying in the break room. It erodes morale. There’s a place to do that, like your apartment.”

New to me, easy and delicious dessert I recently made: Tarta de Santiago (as pictured here). It’s a Spanish almond cake with a hint of lemon. Yum. Recipe here. I followed it almost exactly.

Song I can’t stop playing over and over and over again: 21 Guns by Green Day.

Currently knitting: Still nothing. But it’s almost cold enough for me to want to knit again. And I’m hankering for a project that will use some of the Noro Iro in my stash.

In need of: A new immersion blender. We had a generic one that mysteriously died/broke when I tried to puree black bean soup. I need to decide what brand to go with for the new one.

Playing on the iPod now: Something to Say by Toad the Wet Sprocket. I still love this song from the early 90s.

Will soon attempt to learn: Adobe Lightroom. It’s installed on my computer at work and I haven’t had a free minute or hour to learn how to use it yet.

Not getting enough: Sleep. I think the changing season has made me want more of it. And I still don’t know how to go to bed early.

Hyped up about: Autumn weather. I like the sorta warm, sorta cold days and I can’t wait for the leaves to change color.

Something I need to do tonight if it kills me: Decide what kind of cookies to bake tomorrow. Yes, it’s important that I decide this tonight.

Craving: A grilled hamburger. We walked around W&M yesterday and there was some sort of barbecue somewhere and the hamburgers called to me.

Trying to learn how to: Stop buying clothes that all look the same. It takes real effort on my part to buy shirts in different styles and to refrain from purchasing something I like in every color made in it.

Something I thoroughly enjoy: Random cussing in songs that don’t seem like they’d have them. Ben Folds and Glen Phillips are both good at dropping random f-bombs in the middle of a song and I love it!

Hell hath frozen over because: I gave up whipped cream on my Starbucks iced toffee nut lattes. And I’m drinking less of the lattes as they’re not as good without the whipped cream.

Best thing I’ve bought this month: New corduroy pants. I love corduroy pants and these Old Navy ones are pretty spectacular.

What I might be for Halloween: Lucille Ball. Or a devil. Or something else that can involve my red hair.

Still bragging about: The wedding cakes I made this summer. I’m proud of me for having the skills to do that.

Looking forward to: Next weekend and the possibility of our first (and last) camping trip to the Outer Banks this year.

Not looking forward to: More painting in our house. It looks nice when it’s done but the process is so long and tiresome…plus I’m only a moderately decent painter.

Playing on the iPod now: Fidelity by Regina Spektor.

Next up on the reading list: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

Can’t believe: That the new season of 30 Rock hasn’t started yet. I need an Alec Baldwin fix.

Absolutely, positively obsessed with: Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar. Best new food I’ve tried in a long time. They’re good like dark chocolate covered pretzels are good…only better.

Next in the Netflix queue: More Mad Men Season 2, American Beauty and Away We Go when it’s released.

Must make time to: Get everything ready to get our kitchen inspected by the state so that I can legally bake things for money. After that’s done, there’s a business license to be purchased.

Trying to decide: How to spend less money in October. Less eating out? Less clothing purchases? Too bad it’s fall and I want new cold weather clothes.

Last dessert I baked: Caramel Apple Upside Down Cornmeal Cake from Better Homes & Gardens.

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Here’s another list of things on my mind/agenda this Spring. Believe it or not, I do have things to do other than takes pictures of Spring flowers.

Song I can’t stop playing over and over and over again: Grapevine Fires by Death Cab for Cutie. I’ve had the album it’s on since it came out last year and I didn’t notice this song until recently.

Made for dinner tonight: Blueberry walnut whole wheat waffles – adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

Currently drinking: Horizon 2% organic lactose-free milk. I’m not lactose intolerant but this milk is tasty. It’s sweeter than the regular organic milk.

Playing on the iPod right now: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) by The Talking Heads – it’s the Stop Making Sense version. And it’s pretty much my favorite song in the world. And it’s the source of my subject line.

Currently reading: The Tenth Muse by Judith Jones, The United States of Arugula by David Kamp, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, and the latest issues of Saveur, Martha Stewart Living, and Everyday Food.

Laughing about: The woman a coworker talked to this afternoon. The woman kept telling my coworker about a nudist colony in our area.

Currently knitting: Nothing. I’ve got a lot of works in progress but it’s bordering on too hot to knit here at the moment.

Anxiously awaiting: A vacation. Too bad that’s not until August. At least there are a few 3 day weekends in the next couple of months.

In need of: A mouse for my MacBook. Sometimes I get tired of using the touchpad. But not tired enough to buy one just yet…

Playing on the iPod now: Who Will Stop the Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Will soon attempt to learn: Photoshop CS4. It’ll soon be on my computer and I’m going to a seminar on it for work next week. With luck I will no longer have to ask the boyfriend for assistance with hard to edit photos.

Currently checked out from the library: The United States of Arugula by David Kamp, Frank Stitt’s Southern Table, What to Eat by Marion Nestle – Yes, I like to read about food.

What’s keeping me busy: Life in a house. The yard needs work, I need to paint more rooms, and I should probably clean something. It never ends. But it’s much better than living in a tiny, crummy apartment.

Hyped up about: The Where the Wild Things Are movie. The trailer grabbed me. The Arcade Fire music in the trailer probably helped. Too bad they’re not doing any music for the movie itself.

Waiting for: The opportunity to see my sister’s new old house. She and her husband are nearly moved in and I want to see the house!!

Something I need to do tonight if it kills me: Order some shoes. I ruined my nice pair of flip flops with paint. I still need sneakers and black sandals for work. I think I’m going to bite the bullet and order them all at once. Just to be done with it.

Craving: Five Guys french fries. I’m not even hungry right now….they’re just that delicious.

Hell hath frozen over because: I might actually make a Paula Deen recipe. I need to experiment with red velvet cake and this recipe looks good. Shockingly it contains no butter. How very un-Paula Deen of her.

Playing on the iPod now: Rock & Roll by Eric Hutchinson. So catchy. It makes me dance despite the fact that I don’t dance.

If I had magical powers: I wouldn’t have allergies. I’m tired of my sniffly nose. Without allergies, I think it would be a lot easier for me to get up in the morning.

Can’t believe: I’m actually on day 114 of 365 with the Flickr photo project of taking one picture every day for a year. I thought I’d give up by now.

Looking forward to: A brief trip to New York in late June for work. I get to go to the Summer Fancy Food Show. I’m pretty pleased that I get to go.

Also looking forward to: A trip to DC the weekend of my birthday. I should start looking for fun things to do. With luck the temperature won’t be 8,000 degrees that weekend. Does anyone have any good (but not grossly expensive) dinner recommendations?

Trying to decide: If I would use the Beater Blade if I got it. Yes, the stuff that doesn’t get mixed in the bottom of my Kitchenaid does bother me. But is it worth another the price of another attachment? Probably not.

Must figure out: How much money to charge for a wedding cake for 250 people? I’m new to baking cakes for money, I want to charge a fair price and I worked with both the bride and groom. So what’s a good price?

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For a little change of pace, I’m going to write a different kind of post than usual. When I started my first blog in 2006, I copied my friend Alison (and others) and had a sidebar list of things that I was reading, watching, knitting and listening to. I liked that list a lot but when I moved to my own domain, I got rid of it.

I’m thinking I’ll try to do a post every now and again based on that list. Here’s the first installment.

Just out of the oven and cooling on the counter: Chocolate Valentino – I did add a little espresso powder and hazelnut liqueur to my version.

Will be cooking for dinner in the next day or so: Gai Pad Krapow (Thai Basil Chicken)
– for years this was the only entree I would order in a Thai restaurant. I’ve since expanded my dinner selections.

Currently drinking: Chocolate a la Taza from La Tienda (where I work) – it’s cold and I had some milk getting dangerously close to expiration.

Playing on the iPod right now: Everything But You by Glen Phillips

Checked out from the library today: Weeds Season 1 DVD, Chocolate & Zucchini and The Naked Chef Takes Off – I can honestly say this is the first Jamie Oliver book I’ve ever looked at.

Currently reading: Atonement (started months ago & need to pick up again), The Reach of a Chef: Beyond the Kitchen and Notes from a Small Island – I’m working my way through all of Bill Bryson’s books.

Would like to buy: These silly t-shirts: Just Beat It and This is How I Roll

Thinking about knitting: Saartje booties for a friend having a little girl next month.

Anxiously awaiting: Our new Blanco granite composite sink – the sink that came with the house sucks and washing pans and big bowls in it is a pain. The new double sink is 9 1/2″ deep on each side. I can’t wait until it’s here and installed. Yes, I get excited about things like new sinks.

Should be baking: Sample cakes for my sister’s wedding in July. I seriously need to perfect some recipes.

Needs: New shoes. Tennis shoes, sandals and shoes for work. I haven’t bought any in ages and am now in desperate need. I really want some green Simple sneakers but I should probably buy real walking/running shoes instead.

Playing on the iPod now: “The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie

Attempting to Learn: Using a flash with the camera and how to take nicer photographs in general. Improving my photography skills is one of my big goals for the year.

Must Resist: Pepsi with real sugar in it. It will only be available for a couple of months and I want some. But I haven’t had a soda since December 31, 2007 and shouldn’t start again. Not even just once.

What’s Keeping Me Busy: Taking a picture every day for one year. It’s a popular trend on Flickr and I’m posting mine there as well. Some days are hard and I really just don’t feel like taking a picture. Despite this, I’m 56 days into the project. Only 309 to go.

Where I’ll probably be going on vacation in August: Seattle (and probably Oregon). The vacation days are approved. We just need to buy our plane tickets. I’ve never been to the West Coast (yet I have been to Alaska and Hawaii).

Trying to find: Bridesmaid’s outfits for my sister’s wedding. Red and white are the colors and she wants casual skirts or dresses for us. The wedding is here in Virginia in July so heavy clothing is a bad idea. At the moment, stores don’t appear to be selling red clothing. Suggestions?

Waiting For: Spring. The cold weather needs to cease. My daffodils need to bloom. The world outside needs to turn green. That’s all I ask.

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