a screenshot a day

File this under "things I did not see coming." I thought it was just a couple inches of snow?

my sleep cycle

when i was in atlanta in january willis told me about a new iphone app that he'd purchased that monitors your sleep.  you tell the app that you're going to sleep, then put the phone on your bed for the night.  when you turn over or move, the app registers that and thinks you are either (a) in a less deep sleep than before, or (b) awake, based on the amount of movement.  after he used it the first night and we pored over the results, i obviously had to buy it.  99 cents!  fun information about yourself!

the app rates your sleep from 0% to 100% based on...i don't know what, because sometimes it is wrong.  i'll wake up thinking i had been tossing and turning, but the app doesn't care and rates my sleep as very good.  who knows.  i love it anyway.  i think it must have something to do with how long you are in "deep sleep" and how often you wake up...

this is my best night of sleep, according to the app:

it clearly took me like 45 minutes to fall asleep, but somehow that didn't matter...

and this is my worst night of sleep so far:

i didn't get into the deep sleep very much at all, so apparently it was not pleased.

also, let's note that i am kind of the luckiest person ever, because i consistently get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.  the reason for this: i never have class before 9am.  i'm going to enjoy this life while i can.

you can also tell the app if you worked out or drank caffeine or whatever (you add the options) and then it will tell you if you sleep better or worse after doing these things. the app says i sleep 5% better when i work out and negligibly better if i drink caffeine with dinner, but both are based on just a couple data points, so could presumably change over time.

and that, friends, is probably more than you ever wanted to know about my sleep.

beautiful and eerie - photos of abandoned places and modern ruins

oh this made me smile.

disney's animated and oscar-nominated short "paperman"

a photo a day

when i was in baltimore on friday the whole town was decked out in purple to support the home team.  the administrative assistant of the head of school we interviewed gave dominique and i each a bag of pro-ravens m&ms.  this was before she drove us the bus station (did i mention that she is awesome?).

done.  i will be cheering for the ravens tonight!

the end of 30 rock

goodbye, liz lemon.  what an incredible show, and thankfully one that is just as good in reruns - maybe better, because the jokes are so smart that sometimes i can't fully appreciate them in the moment.

i love this list of the 30 best liz lemon quotes, and i'm especially pleased that their number 1 is also my number 1.  i have such good taste.

a photo a day

on my way back from baltimore on friday afternoon, dominique and i waited 33 minutes (yes, we counted) for a bus alongside lots of other cold bus passenger.  ugh.  this is definitely something to put in the "con" column for bus travel.

i was wearing impractical shoes, and by "impractical shoes," i really mean "i wasn't wearing socks."  i hadn't even BROUGHT socks.  i know, i know.

after about 20 minutes of waiting in 27 degree temperatures, i put my gloves on my feet.  i still have all my toes, so i guess we can say that it worked.

january: 1, 2 & 3

a new year, and three confusing new books!

cat's cradle, by kurt vonnegut (while i loved the first vonnegut book i read (slaughterhouse five), this book confused me A LOT.  maybe that was the point?  and if not - what WAS the point?  apocalypse is imminent?  something about colonialism in the caribbean?  people smarter than me can probably offer some actual analysis.  i will defer to them.  put this on your "do not read" list.)

everything is illuminated, by jonathan safran foer (again, i thought his other book (extremely loud & incredibly close) was quite good, but this one was...confusing.  haha - that seems to be the theme this month.  am i dumber than i thought?!?   i wasn't really drawn in by the characters or the plot, and just found it an okay read.)

breakfast of champions, by kurt vonnegut (i know you're saying to yourself, "miss claire, why are you reading another vonnegut book so soon after disliking that last one you read?"  well, readers, book club waits for no (wo)man.  when i moved to new york an acquaintance invited me to join his book club and i was so honored i said yes...and then only read one book in like four months.  oops.  i did enjoy the one meeting i went to, so i wanted to get back into it, and this was the january book.  i liked this one better than cat's cradle, but was still ready for it to end.  there's a weird author-becomes-character part at the end that seemed bizarre.  i can't wait to see what the other book club members think of this one - maybe that will help me appreciate it more.  it's safe to say i'm off vonnegut books for a while now, though.)

please oh please let next month bring better books...

interesting article: "that daily shower can be a killer"

easy meals i created

i want to tell you about some easy meals i have concocted in my shared kitchen that are quick to make and very delicious.

easy meal #1: duh.
bean, corn, cheese, and salsa burrito (i add guacamole if i am awesome enough to have an avocado on hand) + side of rice (leftover from another meal) + baked (ahem: microwaved) sweet potato with parmesan cheese and a little butter.

i am calling this meal "duh," because a burrito is not rocket science, but adding the baked sweet potato on the side makes it so much more filling and more interesting and very satisfying.

easy meal #2: what i had in my refrigerator that one night.
combine: ravioli (i like the trader joe's butternut squash ravioli) + defrosted frozen peas + steamed broccolini + parmesan cheese + feta + a little bit of olive oil = a warm pasta salad that is chock full of vegetables and SO tasty.  also very filling: i can't do too much damage here.

i recommend you give these a try.

love,
miss claire

what i'm listening to right now

"vegetable car," by joshua radin:


nora introduced me to this song several years ago, and it still makes me happy every time i listen to it.  seriously: hard not to dance a little in your chair while you listen.

I'm on the bus back to New York after a really fun weekend in DC, and not only is is at least 85 degrees on my bus, but we are driving below the speed limit. Belowwww. Ugh! Not the way I wanted to end a great weekend.

50 miles to go...

a photo a day

It's snowing at Baltimore's Penn Station as I head to DC for the weekend after an amazing day shadowing a Head of School here in Baltimore. The generosity she showed me with her time and knowledge was incredible. Now on to a weekend with friends. Hooray!

okay, well THIS was a fun way to waste some time.

celebrities tell us about their celebrity crushes

(thanks to veronica for sending this to me!)

a screenshot a day

yeah, that's right: this group of friends lives in 4 different cities now, so veronica started an online book club.  our first "meeting" was last night to discuss the fault in our stars, and after we figured out the technological issues, it was awesome.  baby vivianne even contributed (by being cute)!  i can't wait until i get to hangout (online) with these girls again next month!

a screenshot a day

i'm going to write a book about new york city in january.  i'm going to title it

it's cold and you have to walk everywhere: new york isn't for sissies

or maybe:

it's cold and you have to walk everywhere: scarves aren't just a fashion accessory any more

or better yet:

it's cold and you have to walk everywhere: wear two pairs of pants

“Sometimes there is nothing you can do, and in those times, you must do something anyway.”
--Garrison Keillor

the history nerd in me came out today, and i've watched most of the inauguration and festivities.  the MLK day symbolism is so strong and so powerful.  i'm proud to be a part of a country that has overcome racism enough to elect a black president to a second term - and a president whose policies, as a whole, i support.

we are lucky to live in a country with free and fair elections, with bloodless transitions of power, a country where i have been given so many opportunities.  being an american is pretty awesome.

what i'm listening to right now

"girl from the north country," by bob dylan with johnny cash:

 

this song plays during silver linings playbook and i obviously fell immediately in love.  nora, do you know this song?  it sounds right up your alley, too!

(internet research shows that everyone and their mother has covered this song.  even my girl joni!  how did i not know this song until today?)

annual post wherein i talk about the academy awards

movies i have seen that were nominated for stuff:
lincoln - great movie - daniel day-lewis was amazing - should have ended 30 minutes before it actually did.
beasts of the southern wild - i have a really hard time watching movies where kids are sad/scared/in danger, so this one was hard to watch but beautifully done.
les miserables - the best-worst movie i saw this year.  loved the stage musical and it was fun to see it on the movie screen, but seriously: it needed HUGE help with the editing.
brave - all pixar movies are well made, but this wasn't my favorite - the plot was pretty ridiculous...not that other animated movies aren't, but this was less entertaining for me.

movies i want to see that were nominated for stuff:
argo - wins best drama at the golden globes AND best director?  i obviously need to see this movie, which i was only moderately interested in beforehand.  love ben affleck and think he's a GREAT director - the town was brilliant.
silver linings playbook - seeing this tomorrow with andrea!

the end.

i'm back in new york!

if i can offer one piece of advice to people flying into la guardia from the south, it is this: sit on the left side of the airplane.  i had another GORGEOUS view of the new york skyline as we landed.  amazing.  how is it that i'm lucky enough to live here?!

today i'm planning to go grocery shopping, do reading for my first class (homework already?  ugh), and spend the evening with friends.  hooray!

it's 25 degrees outside.  i need to get used to this again...

cooking extravaganza

i know i have lamented to many of you how little real cooking i've done in new york, since my kitchen is small and shared with five other girls and i don't have all my cooking supplies up there with me.  i make pasta or tacos or big salads or heat up frozen trader joe's indian food, but rarely go further than that.  so when i was in north carolina this week i knew i wanted to do lots of cooking before i went back to new york, including trying four new recipes from my "recipes to try" file.  here's what i made!

saturday: ben's mushroom soup

(ben is a friend in my grad school program and he made this soup for a group of us once - and we fell in love with it.  he has been forced to make it for us several times since.)

how to make it:
saute 4 cups mushrooms (the fancier the mushrooms, the better) with one onion until the mushrooms are pretty well cooked.
add 2 Tbs flour and make a rue
stir in 14 ounces vegetable broth and cook 5 minutes until thickened
stir in one cup half and half.  heat but do not boil.

my family is kind of crazy for mushrooms, so this soup was a huge hit.

sunday: blueberry cornmeal butter cake from the smitten kitchen cookbook.  i love this woman.  we had a cup of blackberries mom picked over the summer in the freezer, so i modified it to be half blueberries and half blackberries, and we took it over to some family friends' house for dinner.  we are trying to eat healthily, but dinner with friends is the perfect excuse to make dessert, so i jumped on it.  it was delish!  moist cake with a sweet crunchy top.

monday: it poured down rain all day - the perfect day to make lasagna soup!  (we didn't put in the sausage, obviously.)  willis made this for us a couple months ago and it's delish; it's exactly what it sounds like - all the ingredients you would use to make lasagna, but in a thick tomato-vegetable broth.  it's better than lasagna, i tell you.  quote from dad: "i could eat 5 gallons of this!"  i call that a success!

tuesday: leek, chard, and corn flatbread, another smitten kitchen recipe.  if you like cooking and aren't reading her blog, you are missing out!  great, easy, interesting recipes with beautiful photographs and encouraging commentary about how you, too, can make yummy food.  making pizza dough is one of my newest tricks, and this one turned out well - good crust, great toppings, and an easy way to eat lots of vegetables even in the winter.  (we substituted fresh spinach for the chard.)  mom and i decided there were enough vegetables on top of this pizza that we didn't have to have a salad on the side.  victory!

wednesday: more mushrooms! tacos with mushrooms and cabbage, which was fine...but i don't think i'll be rushing to make this again - black bean and corn burritos are better, in my book.  maybe a nice change of pace, if you're in the mood for that.

and now, back to NYC!  i fly up tonight and should be back in my dorm room in time for the duke basketball game.  let's go duke!

christmas presents!

i meant to post this a while ago, but obviously never got my act together.  i wanted to show you my two favorite christmas presents this year!

1. my dad made me and becky each a cutting board.  MY DAD MADE THIS!  it's so beautiful and i love it - the wood is all from our farm which, of course, makes it even more special.  i'm sad i won't have a real kitchen until this summer because it means this cutting board has to stay in storage at my parents' house.  frowny face.  i could stare at this all day long.

2. my sister and her boyfriend got me a kitchenaid stand mixer!!  it has been my dream to own one of these since...well, since i discovered they existed.  i'm SO excited to move into a real apartment and make delicious stuff constantly.  becky really knew what the perfect present was for me, and i feel like such a grown up lady by owning this.  again, it will stay at home until i move into an apartment.  frowny face again.

commonality?  am i really this transparent?  answer: yes.

storming the court = unclassy, but you have to hate nc state a little less when you hear about something like this.

“What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change.”
--James Orbinski, Former President of Doctors Without Borders

my treasure

around christmas, mom and dad and the dogs and i went for a walk on a new route along the creek near our house.  dad had seen an old house in this area on a 1960s map he saw recently, so we went in search of it.  no house, but we found walls built around two old springs that still have water - see the wet leaves - so that was pretty cool.

we also found stones built into a hill - might have been where a house was, might have just been to keep the hill from sliding down.  but i spotted a treasure leaning up against the stones!  it is an old saw blade leaning up against the wall - like the guy who owned it left it there when he moved away.  i tried to get it out, to no avail.  then dad tried - still couldn't get it to move.  about a foot and a half was visible above the ground.  we would have to come back with a shovel to dig it out.

fast forward to saturday: it was 60 degrees and dad and i brought a shovel to the spot and tried to get the blade out.  but it went REALLY far underground.  after 20 minutes of digging and not being successful, we went back for an axe to chop the roots that were in our way.  15 minutes after that, we got the blade free.  um, it is at least 4 feet long.

dad helped show me how to clean it off with a wire brush.  it is a two man crosscut saw, and the curve that you see is on purpose - to give it a better edge for cutting through a log, apparently.

i love it because the blades are irregular - i think they're really pretty.  the part that was below ground for...oh...who knows how long (50 years?) is pretty rusted and degraded, but the part that was above ground it in okay shape.  internet research by dad has informed us that this is a lance tooth felling saw ("lance tooth" refers to the pattern of the teeth; felling saws are for cutting down trees, as opposed to heavier and stiffer bucking saws which are for cutting trees when they are already on the ground).  thanks to dad + the internet.

note: i have no idea what i will do with my treasure now, but it is pretty cool.

well this was definitely worth an hour of my life - portrait of a president - hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

(thanks to jenny for sending it to me!)

today: 4 more jobs applied for, bringing the total up to 17.  ugh.  wake me up when this is over and you (the universe) have the perfect job for me.

2012 in review: books

a recap:
2010: i read 15 books
2011: i challenged myself to read 25 books and read 38.  i am out of control!
2012: i read 34 books plus survived a semester of grad school.  i feel pretty good about myself.

2012 broken down:
26 fiction books
8 nonfiction

12 books written by women
22 by men
(pretty skewed - i wouldn't have guessed this.)

reading is fun, so the 2013 book challenge continues!  and by "book challenge," i mean "i read books at whatever pace i feel like and then i tell you about them."

the first book i've read in 2013 was a DOOZY.  ugh.  it can only go up from here...

a photo a day

Landing in Atlanta! One day here, then back home to NC for the last week of my epic winter break.

to remember as we make new year's resolution:

“Well done is better than well said.”
--Benjamin Franklin

i also love this list of famous new year's resolutions.

texas school book depository

i'm in dallas visiting becky!

on sunday we went to the sixth floor museum at the texas book depository, where lee harvey oswald shot kennedy.

omg.  it was one of the best museum experiences of my life.  seriously: top 10.  (then i tried to name 10 museums i LOVED, and this is as far as i got: newseum in DC, the british museum, the national gallery in london, the getty in LA, all the national monuments in DC (but are those museums?).  these are the museums that stand out to me as powerful to me personally since, you know, it's my top 10 list.)

the museum is devoted to kennedy's presidency and to his assassination, with exhibits leading up to the assassination and then dealing with the aftermath.  being an american history teacher maybe made this museum extra powerful.  and having seen the zapruder film made it eerie - being in the exact spots where the film was shot and knowing that real life happened here.  the museum is on the sixth floor, where oswald was, and the corner where he supposedly holed up is glassed off, original floors, original walls and beams in the ceiling.  you can very easily imagine what it was like.  the audio guide was awesome.  i teared up.  i made becky look out the windows a lot so we could picture the motorcade route.  then we went outside.

the texas book depository is the light red brick one on the left in this photo, and the window oswald was supposedly in is below the corner one you can see clearly.  the trees would have been 50 years shorter, of course.  in the center of the road there is an "x" where kennedy's car was when he was hit.  creepy.  the road is still in use, and after our visit we drove on it (becky drove in the middle lane so we could have the full experience) to get back on the highway and go to brunch.  it was so REAL.  maybe that's why i was so affected by it.

this is across the street from where i took the previous picture: book depository on the right, grassy knoll in the center.

closer to the building: the window on the 6th floor is permanently cracked open for maximum creepiness factor.

EXCELLENT dallas-visiting experience.  overwhelming.  nerdy.  awesome.

a photo a day

I'm visiting the school where my sister works today - and they have a pig, cow, 2 goats, and lots of chickens. So fun!

Now I am sitting in the corner while my sister explains the Revolutionary War to 3rd graders. ADORABLE.

december: 31, 32, 33, & 34

christmas break gave me an opportunity to do a lot of reading - hooray!  so much sweeter since i haven't been able to just devote an afternoon to reading since...august.  NERD ALERT.

this is the longest since i started this project that i've delayed in posting the previous month's books, but early january has been full of visits with friends and not much time for blogging.  oops.

whistling vivaldi, by claude steele (this is a book that was recommended by one of my professors, and is about stereotype threat, the idea that students who are at risk of being negatively stereotyped perform worse because they know about the stereotype, not necessarily because the stereotype is true.  for example: if you tell girls before they take a math test that girls typically do worse on math tests of this kind, they will do worse than the boys.  if you don't acknowledge the stereotype - or say that the test doesn't measure math knowledge but something else - they will perform just as well as boys.  fascinating stuff, and a quick read for any teacher-types out there who are interested!)

gone girl, by gillian flynn (a quick read that's not too intellectual - and is definitely one of those books that's aimed at a female audience: the story of a woman's disappearance told from her point of view and from her husband's.  this sounds scary and bad, but is definitely not.  not the best book i've ever read, but entertaining enough.)

the fault in our stars, by john green (oh how i cried.  i've teared up when reading books before, but this was all out tears-rolling-down-my-face crying.  TIME magazine called this the best book of 2012 and they are right, as far as i'm concerned, which is even more incredible because this is a young adult book, probably aimed at a 10th or 11th grade audience.  it's the story of two teenagers with cancer, hence you can probably figure out why i cried.  i love it.  best john green book i've read.  can't wait for my book club to discuss it!  people out there: if you have any interest at all: read. this. book.)

the art of fielding, by chad harbach (a book about a college baseball team, but it's not all about baseball.    i bought it this summer when everyone was talking about it, but never got around to reading it this fall when i was so busy with school.  it was really good - i got very invested in the characters and read the book constantly in the few days right around christmas.  i'd definitely recommend it!)

um...haven't been the best blogger over the past few days.  apologies.  i'm in austin with jenny!  our drive wasn't bad at all - we stopped for the night in baton rouge.  I-10 is the most flat and boring road ever, though.  good thing there were crazy southern billboards to laugh at.

today we went to a pilates class, so now we don't have to feel badly about lying around all afternoon.  (i was not very good at pilates, but it was fun anyway.)  it's gross and rainy here, which apparently is very unusual for texas...it's perfect weather for curling up on a couch.  tonight we're going out for indian food (yum) and perhaps some live music.  then tomorrow it's off to dallas to spend some time with becky!

a photo a day

Happy New Year!

Very fun night out with Erin and other Claire...very fun day after (secret santa with friends and meeting Wendy's new baby!). Still have a headache. Oops.

Tomorrow it's on to Austin via a night in Baton Rouge!

I'm in Atlanta!

Today:
Yummy lunch with Mike and Kelly
Manicure (which I haven't smudged yet...but it's only been half an hour)
Now Barnes and Noble to write my last Christmas cards and read my book

An excellent start to the end of 2012!

baking adventure

i baked!  for the first time in months!  it was glorious.  i made roasted apple spice sheet cake, and halved the recipe, baked it in a 13x9 pan, it it was still too much, leading to a little bit in the center of the cake that wasn't all the way cooked.  horrors!  other than that, the cake was DELISH, and the kind of thing you can eat in the morning and pretend it's breakfast.  (there are apples involved!)  note: this fantasy that cake is breakfast is only acceptable while on vacation.

speaking of vacation: i have enjoyed 8 days of my 32 day winter break.  32 day winter break!  it's absurd.  it is perhaps my only 32 day winter break ever, so i plan to enjoy it.

sunday: to atlanta!
january 2nd: to texas!
sometime around january 11th: back to north carolina!

stay tuned for more adventures.

another belated photo

let's go duke!

our boys did not win the football game, but it was realllllly close and we had fun anyway, even though it was collllllld.

photos (from two days ago)

we went for a walk...stella the dog kept up, even with her arthritis.

there were horses to be seen.

and i found a treasure!  (and by "treasure," i mean "cool old saw leaning up against the wall of an old house.")  but we couldn't get it out of the ground, so stay tuned for photos when we go back with a shovel.

things i have done since i got home:
1. slept.  a lot.
2. eaten.  a lot.
3. finished gone girl and started the fault in our stars.  reading is SO FUN when it is the kind of reading you want to do.
4. done last minute shopping with mom and dad
5. wrapped christmas presents
6. played many rounds of ticket to ride, which somehow costs twice as much on amazon.com now as when i bought it
7. did a puzzle with mama
8. helped dad cut down a tree, which was not as bad as it could have been.
9. made my first imovie!!!  i am incredibly proud of myself for learning how to use imovie.  stay tuned for the result.

merry early christmas!

a photo a day

My flight out of La Guardia is delayed. Ugh. Based on the number of people sitting on the floor of the terminal because all the seats are taken, there are others in my boat.

new york fun / a photo a day

today was a touristy day in new york - hooray!

when i've visited new york around christmas time in the past, one of my favorite things i've done is walk along 5th avenue and look at the fancy window displays.  this afternoon i rounded up three friends and we set off to see three stores that my new york city guidebook recommended.

first stop: barney's.  at first i was confused...why are there tv screens (um, excuse me - i have just learned that they are called "microtiles") in the window?  where are the elaborate displays involving mannequins?  are we at the right place?  and then a 5 minute long animated video began, complete with sound coming from outdoor speakers, that was incredible.  minnie mouse is walking down 5th avenue and sees a pretty dress in a window.  begin dream sequence where she buys the dress and has a runway show with the black disney princess (tiara), daisy duck, and cruella de villa (don't ask questions about why it is these people in the show - logic is not important).  when it was over, we leave the dream sequence and mickey has bought the dress for minnie in real life.  aww, mickey.

actually, you can watch the video here!  (of course it's on the internet...)  it's got nothing on the surprise and excitement of seeing it on the sidewalk this afternoon, though!


(not pictured: obligatory stop at fao schwartz.)

next stop, bergdorf goodman, which was pretty incredible and exactly what i was imagining.  (we got the traditional and the 21st century version of a window display in the span of 20 minutes - pretty cool.)  this was my favorite window - poodles in a circus!

cartier, looking all pretty:

then past rockefeller center!

and then to saks 5th avenue, which was lame compared to the other two and not worthy of being photographed.

it was so festive to walk down 5th avenue with hot drinks from starbucks and gawk at the beautiful windows.  you may have gathered from reading this blog that the little things in life make me SO happy sometimes, and one of my friends here, dominique, is the same way.  we were pretty ridiculously giddy the whole afternoon.  it was crowded, but not claustrophobically so, and felt so christmas-y.  good day.

i thought this would be my last day in new york before heading home to NC on a 12noon flight on friday, but i got 5 (literally) automated voicemails from delta while i was at a party tonight informing me that my flight was canceled and i was now on a flight on saturday that was not direct, but had layovers in both DC and atlanta.  um, NO.  i called and they very quickly and easily switched me to a flight on friday night...and the only seat available was first class.  i have never flown first class before!  this is very exciting and i am pretty sure my new silver status on delta may have assisted in the ease with which this change was made.  woo hoo!

so, bottom line: i have an additional 7 hours in new york tomorrow, so i will be plotting more fun touristy things to do!  stay tuned!

a photo a day

after my class today, i went to the met!  columbia students get in for free (most other students have to pay a reduced price, but somehow columbia is special), so this was an extra incentive to go.

i learned that tourists like the met.  it was packed with accents from many languages.

the indoor space is set up beautifully - lots of natural light in various atriums (atria?):

two of my favorite pieces of art: this is a crocodile from egypt around the year 0.  i liked him.  i also liked that he got to sit above some water in the egyptian hall.  i bet he likes being near the water.

there was an andy warhol exhibit and this was my favorite piece from it.

i also really liked the matisse and picasso stuff they had, but i forgot to take pictures.  oops.

hooray for a new york adventure on my first day of freedom from school!

all my papers are DONE!  after my ethics class tomorrow morning i'm done with classes, too. first semester, you're almost complete!

this is bittersweet - it has been a busy and at some times hectic semester, but i love my cohort and my friends here and my classes, and it's crazy to think that in another 5 months i'll probably be moving away from new york.  part of me really doesn't want this year to end.  another part of me has started to miss teaching and working in a school.

in the 3 hours since i finished my paper, i have gotten bored.  bored!  i am ridiculous.  apparently i don't know what to do with myself when i don't have papers and reading assignments hovering over me.  i've made plans, though: tomorrow afternoon i'm going to the met, and thursday i'm going to see the tree at rockefeller center, look at the window displays on 5th avenue, and maybe take a walk on the highline.  a new york day!  i can't wait.

friday i fly home, which i'm also very much looking forward to.  baking* + eating + time with family will just be the start of my awesome winter break.  hooray!


*family, get ready.  i plan to bake up a storm - i miss it so much and i have lots of recipes saved up for us!

this green ginger tea is badass, and is totally helping me write my ethics paper.

the website's imagery is that we should enjoy this tea "alongside a fruit muffin, a good book and time to read it."  CHEESY.  i laugh at this imagery.

i enjoy this tea "alongside a bag of baked lays, an ethics paper, and a healthy sense of panic about the paper's due date."

a photo a day

This is what it looks like when, at 11pm, the fire alarm goes off in my dorm and they evacuate the building. We are now in the dining hall. Classic.

Let it be noted that no one in my suite left until the security dude got on the intercom system and told us it was not a drill. Now that I know they will do that, I am clearly never leaving for just the alarm again.

Update! 6 minutes in the dining hall and we're back in our rooms. Good times in student housing.

busy girl makes time for homeland

with just under a week until i head home for christmas break, i'm a BUSY girl.  i've completed three final papers and have two more to go...one of which i'm in the middle of.  i'm spending lots of time in the very crowded library (turns out everyone is as busy as i am!) trying to crank out some quality writing.

i made the mistake - actually, let's not call it a mistake - to start watching homeland on netflix.  it's a tv show that won a bunch of awards last year so i decided to see if i liked it.  answer: ENORMOUS YES.  the premise: a prisoner of war returns home to the us after 8 years in captivity.  a cia agent thinks he's been "turned" and is actually a spy for middle eastern terrorists.  we as the audience don't know either way and there are little clues along the way to keep us questioning.  i got the first disc last weekend and after mike and kelly and other claire left i watched three episodes back to back on sunday night.  i got the second disc wednesday and watched all three of those episodes that night.  this weekend: the three episodes of the third disc.  because i only get three episodes at a time i can't TOTALLY ruin my life by being sucked into it and watching tv instead of studying.  i can say with certainty i would be watching far more than three episodes a day if i had the whole season in my dorm room right now.  thank you, netflix, for moderating my supply of this show i'm addicted to.

now, back to writing this ethics paper so i can finish this disc of homeland tonight.  tom walker!!

in other news...

i always look forward to the atlantic's year in photos - here's part 1.  beautiful and poignant.

30 seconds on a soap box: GUNS KILL PEOPLE MORE OFTEN THAN THEY SAVE PEOPLE.  the news from connecticut is horrific and what i have nightmares about.  how many school shootings have to happen before politicians do something about it?

what i'm listening to right now

"do you love me," by guster

this is perfect music for getting ready in the morning, assuming you have passed the grumpy threshold (for me, the grumpy threshold is the first 10 minutes of being awake and it is INCREDIBLY grumpy).

Overheard in the library this afternoon - an exact transcription:

Girl 1: I'm going to get a tattoo over winter break.

Girl 2: Cool! What will it look like?

Girl 1: It's going to be my favorite Bob Dylan quote written in Cambodian Sanskrit.


Oh. Dear. Lord. Have you ever heard such a blatant attempt to be original while sounding totally cliche at the same time? Cambodian Sanskrit? Whaaaaat? What alternate universe am I in??

some things to help you procrastinate today (can you tell the end of the semester is here and i don't want to do work any more?):

visualizing us birth and death rates  (shout out to nora for telling me about this!)

50 best animal photos of 2012

a photo a day

It's shocking how different Times Square is from "my" New York, the neighborhood around Columbia. Lights! Tourists! More tourists! It is very Christmas-y and festive, though...I will give it that.

i love christmas movies, and last year i rented white christmas and watched it for the first time and really enjoyed it.  this year i rented holiday inn, another old christmas movie i'd never seen but that people speak highly of.

they are basically the same movie.  they use the same set for the country inn where most of the action takes place.  they have the same actor (bing crosby) playing the main character.  they both highlight the song "white christmas."  how is this allowed?

however, they are not the same movie.  holiday inn has a black character (the cook, obvi) who sings a song about "darkies."  bing crosby and the female lead WEAR BLACK FACE IN ONE SCENE.  black.  face.  i almost couldn't finish watching the movie.

in summary:
holiday inn - 1942 - WTF, do not watch.
white christmas - 1954 - great movie, no black face, recommended by miss claire.

the end.

videos to cheer you up

i just accidentally saw the photo of the man who was hit and killed by a subway train this week.  did you hear about this, or is it only news in new york?  (it's hard to tell...perhaps that's what living in new york is all about - you think you are the center of the country and your news is everyone's news.)  a couple days ago a man pushed another man onto the subway tracks as a train was approaching.  the man was struck by the train and killed.  a photographer was there and took photos of the event - he says he was using his flash to alert the driver of the train that something was wrong.  the new york post published (on its cover) a photo of the man on the tracks before the train killed him.  this photo is now, obviously, all over the internet and i had been trying hard to avoid seeing it, but i saw it today accidentally.

could someone have saved him?

what would i have done?

ugh.

now i need something to cheer me up.  these videos kind of worked.

jay-z rides the subway and a lady doesn't know who he is: http://gawker.com/5965706/jay+z-rides-the-subway-adorably-explains-who-he-is-to-an-adorable-old-lady

mariah carey and jimmy fallon sing "all i want for christmas is you": http://gawker.com/5965801/mariah-carey-jimmy-fallon-and-the-roots-perform-maybe-the-best+ever-rendition-of-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you

jason segel and neil patrick harris sing les mis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL--3y7V7Ks

follow up on the vonnegut quote

anna sent me this link - have you seen anything more lovely?  sigh.  it makes me want to start reading a new vonnegut book.  or teach a class.  or do this assignment (is this a sign that i've been in grad school too long?).

http://mobile.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2012/11/kurt_vonnegut_term_paper_assignment_from_the_iowa_writers_workshop.html

a photo a day

My room is decorated for Christmas, thanks to some festive lights Becky and other Claire got me. Hooray!!

“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
--Kurt Vonnegut

a photo a day

the 116th street entrance to columbia university...

in october:

on december 1st:

so festive!  hooray!

november: 29 & 30

the weight of water, by anita shreve (my friend laurie told me about this book - she lives in new hampshire near the isle of shoals, where the book is set.  it's fiction, but based on the brutal real life murder of two norwegian women on a semi-deserted island off the coast of new hampshire in the 1870s.  i saw the movie when i visited her in october, and honestly...just see the movie.  the book is fine, but this is the rare instance where i thought the movie was better - it stars sean penn and is directed by kathryn bigelow.)

i read a bunch of kindle singles this month - this was my thanksgiving break reading - and i'm counting them as a book: the trunk key, my wife's story, cornbread, the first light of evening, the rescuer, and my seinfeld year.  (of these, most weren't any great works of literature, but were entertaining little readings.  i would really only suggest reading my seinfeld year, which is written by a guy who was a writer on seinfeld for a year.  it's a really interesting look into the world of an awesome tv show.  if you haven't explored the world of kindle singles, you should - search for them on amazon.com.)

a photo a day

Boozy brunch with Talia! Hooray!

what i'm listening to right now

i love christmas music that isn't TOO christmas-y.  this one is perfect - "little wood guitar," by sugarland:

a photo a day

Aaaaand I have a new favorite Mexican restaurant in New York! Amazing fresh corn tortillas, black beans, Mexican cheese, avocado, and all the usual tomato/lettuce toppings. Heaven!

job search update

that subject line makes it look like i have actual news, right?  NEGATIVE.  ha!  i fooled you.

my update is that i am applying for jobs.  the kinds of administrative-level positions that i want have an earlier hiring season than regular teaching jobs, and thus far i've found 6 or 8 jobs that i'm interested in  and i have sent my resume and cover letter and references out into the world, hoping the people doing the hiring for those positions like what they see.  i am applying for some jobs that i am technically qualified for (master's degree plus eight years teaching experience...), but probably won't get, like upper school principal positions.  there are a lot of very experienced and qualified people out there, but my hope is that i might be considered for one of those jobs at a small school (those are the ones i've applied for) that are seen as entry level principal position.  i'm also applying for dean of students positions or the school's equivalent.  i believe i'll be considered for those and hopefully someone will like me enough to call me up.  CALL ME UP, PLEASE.

i think we can all agree that i'm a planner.  so as soon as i apply for a job - before i even hear a single thing from a school - i have already begun to imagine my life there.  (i know i'm not alone in this, as my friend jenny does the same thing when she's done job searches in the past.  oh jenny, how alike we are.)  i have already imagined what my life would be like in the 6-8 cities where i've applied for jobs.  what would i do on the weekends?  where would i go grocery shopping?  what would the weather be like?  what airport would i fly into?  can i picture myself in my little blue toyota corolla driving around this town?  i am also planning on getting two kittens when i move into a real grown up apartment again...so i picture getting the kittens and them snuggling with me on the couch.

i am ridiculous.

this is why you love me.

my cousin's boyfriend josh introduced me to this website when we were hanging out over thanksgiving - i love it!  where has it been all my life?

http://punchfork.com

go there.  admire the pretty food.  maybe make something.

a photo a day

Have I mentioned that I love my friends here? Pizza and board games tonight for Ben's birthday - hooray!

sadness is: when there is a paul simon category on jeopardy, but the contestants are lame and pick that category last, thus only revealing two of the five clues before time runs out.  curses!!

snow #2

this time it's a disgusting rainy-snow mix.  it did not deter me from making a trader joe's run, though!  go me!

this morning we took a field trip for one of my classes to the google headquarters in NYC.  um, can i please work there?  free food and drinks EVERYWHERE, awesome lounge spaces, games everywhere.  i don't appear to have any of the credentials necessary, but i do enjoy gmail.  is that enough?  no?  in this class we have been talking about the culture of a school, and we visited google to observe and analyze their culture.  my analysis is: i want in.

“The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
--Laura Ingalls Wilder

a photo a day, Thanksgiving edition

Yum! I conned my family into buying my favorite Thanksgiving item: canned cranberry sauce!

So thankful for all the family and friends in my life - I am a truly lucky girl!

a photo a day

9:30am, preparing to land in an INCREDIBLY foggy Chicago.

Half way to Iowa - can't wait to get there and let Thanksgiving begin!

a photo a day

sore throat...headache...HARUMPH-A-SAURUS!  i have no time for this!  i have thanksgiving to celebrate!

willis swears by airborne...so i'm giving it a go...

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”
--Lao Tzu

very good feeling: looking back at the first draft of a paper and realizing it's not as bad as you thought it was.  woo hoo!

perhaps i WILL finish this paper before thanksgiving after all!

really interesting article with great graphics about the red-blue divide in america and how it's not as clear cut as the media makes it out to be:

red versus blue in a new light

a photo a day

hundreds of tiny containers of prepared foods at my grocery store.  hummus, pesto, other spreads so numerous and interesting you couldn't make them up on your own.

part of me wants to try every single one of them.  another part of me realizes this is a bad idea.

nerd alert

some grad school friends and i made a decision tonight that we are READING A BOOK FOR PLEASURE over thanksgiving break.  the idea is thrilling.  i pretty much can't wait.  no one to tell me which pages to read, by when, and what guiding questions to consider while reading?  i might be in heaven.

a photo a day

ice skating rink at bryant park!

i did not skate - i was there for the holiday market!  didn't find anything great to buy, unfortunately, but it was fun to explore.

a weird thing about new york (an occasional series by miss claire)

on thursdays i walk half an hour into harlem for my field project, where a classmate and i are helping design a lower school social studies curriculum at an independent school.  (is this an awesome project?  yes.  is it the subject of this blog post?  not really.)  the school is small and doesn't have a cafeteria, so for lunch my classmate and i walk to a nearby...okay, this is the point of the story.

facts, according to me:
1. harlem does not have many real restaurants.  do you want a panera bread or something like it?  doesn't exist.
2. harlem has a lot of...7-11s.  but without the gas station part.  little stores that sell all the foods you would find at a gas station (chips, candy, sodas, beer, cigarettes) PLUS they are apparently required to have a sandwich counter.

it is at this sandwich counter where we get our lunch.  well dressed white people?  ah yes, we stick out like a sore thumb.  no one cares, though, which is awesome.  so we go up to the counter and order a sandwich and of course there is nothing vegetarian, so i get (POINT OF THE STORY!) an egg and cheese on a roll.

that is what you say.  "i want an egg and cheese on a roll, please."  a roll is hamburger bun sized, but smaller than a hero.  that is important to know so you don't get an absurd amount of food. but egg and cheese on a roll is available everywhere, even for lunch...no one bats an eye.  the cheese is american (duh), and the sandwich is delish.  today's egg and cheese on a roll cost $1.75.  one dollar!  and seventy-five cents!  it is the only food item in this city that costs less than you think it will.

this post is inspired, and my lunch choice validated, by my new smitten kitchen cookbook:

gmail is genius

i just sent an email with the words "i have attached..." in the body of an email, but did not attach a file.  GMAIL WARNED ME OF THIS BEFORE IT SENT THE EMAIL.  gmail, you are genius and i totally appreciate everything about you.

love,
miss claire

a photo a day

corn chowder for dinner!

when i was in vermont a couple weeks ago we stopped in a little store that sold, among other things, soup mixes!  i bought the corn chowder one, and today followed the directions to make some DELISH soup.  i doctored it up (as suggested on the back of the package) with half and half, creamed corn, and onions.  hoo-ray.

and there's plenty left over for a couple lunches this weekend!

what i'm listening to right now

the lumineers, "stubborn love":

 

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
--Marcel Proust