Humble Abode full of the Food

Holy Shiitake mushrooms and snakes alive!
It's be 45 years since I've written a blog post. I've also had it on my to do list (which is ever evolving and always very long) for that amount of time. It's even written on antique paper.

Let me catch you up in the short version. ie, incomplete sentences fashioned as bullet points.

• Forensics season 2012-2013 ended with a bang. GAC=8th in the country AFA style, 15 quarter finalists, 4 semi finalists, and Shelby as our first persuasion finalist. Boom shakalaka.
• Junior year is over. I said what?
• I have been home for 2 days, came back took a final, and moved into the new apartment a la College View for summer at GAC
• Class of 2013 graduated. I was at baccalaureate and cried more than most of the doting mothers there. It's embarrassing to be me.
• Coached 1 speech camp. Gonna have 3 more.
• Had a s'more. Wanted s'more. 
• Working at Summer Academic Programs again, this reprise with Karin. 
• Living with Karin.

Ok great! You now have the chapter titles to my auto biography.

Now for the interesting things... sort of....

We are going to be supreme chefs this summer. How? you ask? Easy. I'm a boss. 

Let me chronicle these cooking adventures thus far. 

Prior to Perham camp/graduation, I made bruschetta and pasta for those friends sick of the caf.  We're talking the kind with garlic and olives and the other kind with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Was it good? It was so good I might make it again. 

Pasta? Red sauce, red wine, other things I found, and mushrooms. You want more details? I am a cook that mixes and matches, somethings can't be taught my son. 

Two nights ago: Grilled cheese with gouda, avocados, spinach, and feta. Karin thought it was so good she almost fell over.  Damn it feels good to be a chef-ster. Sort of. Ok, I'm not that cool. I tried?

Last night: Pasta with white sauce, asparagus, spinach, and pepper. Quite good, but took a 2 in the round compared to the grilled cheese extraordinare vibe I have. I also made some exquisite coffee cake muffins. So that's ideal. 

Karin may be a little paranoid about the air-germs, but over all I think it's a good set up. We're making it work for the best I believe. 

Tonight's menu is far more elaborate than ever before. Why? Because we never have Saturdays to ourselves and don't understand what else to do... so we're going to cook. Updates to follow.

First step: Buy a blender. 

Modernist

Things likely to be heard after camp:

Douchebaggery is an unforgivable sin.
I need to go grocery shopping.
Why is everything I own covered in cat hair?
Do I have to pick these people up from the airport? I no longer care if they walk.
Internalize that!
Got to get that POI done.
And you will faintly hear the scratching of letter writing.

And the winner for most random and unplanned nonsensical post goes to.....

Yeah, I'll just take my award and leave through the back door.

The Last of Speech Camp

Ah, the last night I have of speech camp. We still have tomorrow, but this is their last night on the Gustie campus, and I'm sure they are exhausted enough for their parents to take them back- let's face it, even my parents would take me back at this point. After camp all I do is sleep- or maybe all I want to do.

Be that as it may, speech camp is always worth it. For the laughs, the cries, the accomplishments, and the stories. SSI: like a champion.

http://vimeo.com/46599422

Check out the sweet Vid!  Carl and the Freshman worked hard (even with all the chaos and bumps in the road) and I think the product turned out pretty well.

Pushing Them Out of the Nest

Woah, slow down crazy, slow down.

Tournament day. Boom. Now that it's over (and we're talking not the tournament that I'm competing at, but the little baby heart and souls that I've coached and worked with all week are throwing their newly found skills around in a room at the mercy of an unfamiliar audience and a scary person with the almighty pen. Terrified yet? It's like being crushed, without being told that you're being crushed.) Good news: My little GOAT pride didn't flinch. They did what they came to do, they laughed in the face of danger, and they want to come back next year. To this? I say I raise you a moderately less successful competitive day for this reaction. They laughed, they cried, and I think they learned something. (And the incredible people they met and the friends they made don't hurt either). So here we go, G! O! A! T! GOAT! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

As for my now somewhat mushy mental state: I think I've been staring at a computer screen with my mouth gaping open and my eyes crossed for 10 minutes before I realized I should type, or blog, or maybe just go to bed.

Remind me that I should tell you all about that time that I went to a judging certification for MN... Still pondering that one a little bit.

Proud Parents

Remember that time I watched 15 fantastic HIs tonight and was so proud of my little baby GOAT!

I do. It was great.

Get Free Poet (Just Kidding, Stay There)

Oh yes, it's a Gustie Poem.
Even though it's Thursday. I give my heart to you anon.
I wish with all my being to wake up
A new born
Speech critiquing super coach
And to let the people see how good they can be.
Sweat out the negatives at the Dive,
And choose instead, sweet dreams
On which ride the gusts of opportunity.
G.O.A.T.

Uh... you get the point... Sort of.

Better Believe I Dig Poetry!

Another.... And another...
Haikus never get old.

Blog views are down, mom
But practice takes lots of work
One on Ones begin.

Monday? Never Would Have Guessed That

Another poem for another day:

Short blog posts reflect
Pieces to be cut or found
Streets ahead, Pride 1.

When You Buy Lemons....

Validation at last!  Just kidding. I've been in a bake-y mood for about a week and finally caved (with the help of Mariecus telling me what to bake, sort of). I made lemon bars!  Delicious? Yes. Duh. But according to our other roommate, Lauren, they are the best thing I've made to date! How do you like that? After zesting a lemon and hand squeezing the necessary juice, I suppose the effort makes a bit of a difference. Or it's just that in this god-forsaken heat wave lemon was the only way to go. I mean, I love chocolate as much as the next person and their chocolate loving friend combined, but lemon bars just sound so cool and refreshing. It has nothing to do with the cup of sugar, or the effort, or the air conditioning. So lemon bars it was (not to say I didn't stock up on chocolate... just in case this baking crave continues).

Between the lemon bars and the super duper pasta I made (with lime juice, rosemary, and spinach) (hey dad, it only needed pine nuts, seriously!), I've been a busy chef.

And other than that, Kris, Justin, and I have been prepping for SSI on SATURDAY. Holy cheezewhiz. This is going to be a whirl. I think I'm either going to blink and it'll be over, or it'll feel like I'm watching the entire week pass from under water. The really slow motion scene in movies where everything is nostalgic and the sun is shining from up above, but nothing feels quite right? I'll let you know if that actually happens, but it's going to be amazing regardless. Holla!

So in anticipation for such a week, I'm going to attempt to get more sleep than usual. Wish me luck.