it_grrl

(Stealing this idea from immortalis)

Books I Read in 2009
(* denotes trade paperback comic/graphic novel(yes, comics count, we're counting comics.))
(+ denotes a re-read)
(~ denotes an audiobook)
1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
2. 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham*
3. The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel*
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams+
note: I bought the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide with my B&N gift cards, so expect more of the series in this list.
5. Fables: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham*
6. Fales: Arabian Nights(and Days) by Bill Willingham*
7. Y: The Last Man: Motherland by Brian K Vaughan*
8. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
9. The Mile High Club by Kinky Friedman
10. Y: The Last Man: Whys and Wherefores by Brian K Vaughn*
11. Fables: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham*
12. Superman: True Brit *
13. Ex Machina: Smoke Smoke by Brian K Vaughn*
14. Harley Quinn: Preludes and Knock-Knock Jokes by Karl Kesel*
15. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
16. The Truth(A Discworld Novel) by Terry Pratchett
17. Catwoman: When in Rome by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale*
18. The Exterminators(all 5 books) by Simon Oliver*
19. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz(Holy Hell I loved this book.)
20. Transmetropolitan Volumes 1-5 by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson*
21. Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err is Human by Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan
22. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain(Two non-fiction books in a row! Crazy!)
23. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
24. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams+
25. Going Postal(a Discworld Novel) by Terry Pratchett
26. Soon I Will be Invincible by Austin Grossman
27. Shadow Magic by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennet(sequel to Havemercy)
28. Storm Front (The Dresden Files Book ) by Jim Butcher
29. Transmetropolitan Volumes 6-10 by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson*
30. Fool Moon (The Dresden Files Book 2) by Jim Butcher
31. Grave Peril (The Dresden Files Book 3) by Jim Butcher
32. Summer Knight (The Dresden Files Book 4) by Jim Butcher
33. American Gods by Neil Gaiman+
34. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman+*
35. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer~
36. Living Dead in Dallas(Southern Vampires Mysteries, Book 2) by Charlaine Harris
37. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling+
38. Frequent Flyer by Kinky Friedman
39. Death Masks (The Dresden Files Book 5) by Jim Butcher

• 21:05 I was already bad about showing up to Dan's shows early, this sleep schedule makes me even worse. #
• 22:25 Ryan Thomas Becker is, in equal parts, completely brilliant and completely unhinged. #

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• 13:12 @beatonna There was a 10 yr old in the theater when we saw No Country for Old Men. Kept asking questions about the bolt gun. #
• 19:05 So. I'm going to see KISS tomorrow night. Weird. #

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More Interview Meme! This time, dirigibletrance does the askin'.

1)Whats your favorite article of clothing to wear, either for comfort or aesthetic or both? This can be as general or as specific as you like.

In the summer, I have come to love skirts with stretchy waists. My mom made me one with a crinkly poppy flower fabric that I love to death.
In the fall or winter, I love cardigans. They're just the bee's knees.

2)What would you write a graphic novel about, if you could?

Something that would tear down the gender constructs comics adhere to?
That, or Nikola Tesla. He would have electricity-related superpowers and an anachronistic mech-suit.

3)Favorite way to move about: Walking, biking, driving, riding city bus?

I used to love driving, but the commute to Dallas for the last 7 months has kind of broken that. Walking is the best, if I've got the time and the place is close.

4)What was one memorable experience at college you had that you cherish?

Hm. First weekend after I moved into the dorms. I knew almost no one and had no idea how to get around Denton. I got really lost driving around and eventually gave up and went into The Tomato. I ordered and sat down with my book. Two guys at what I later learned was usually the "employee table" asked what I was reading, and eventually convinced me to come sit with them. Turns out they new a friend from my hometown. From there I went to Rubber Gloves and saw a show, and it just turned into my formal introduction to Denton.

5)What's your favorite bookstore? Recycled? Half-Price? Hastings? Barnes and Noble?

Recycled, all the way. It's three stories tall, the books are cheap and plentiful, and the whole place smells like old books. It's my comfort zone.

• 14:49 Surprisingly tasty: The blue cheese and pear tart we made in #culinaryschool yesterday. #
• 14:51 I love this show: bit.ly/6UcIPa #
• 17:08 Looking up recipes for a #culinaryschool project, this would be awesome with strawberries:bit.ly/8njGr0 #
• 18:27 Looking up Fancy Recipes is a bit depressing when yr having leftovers for dinner. #

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• 16:44 One day, when I am not focusing my money on CHRISTMASES, I will buy myself this shirt: bit.ly/2QgdL8 #
• 16:51 Much like Liz Lemon, I believe I could turn my whole life around with enough boxes from The Container Store. #

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Other than the usual Thanksgiving leftovers, I've been feeding myself off of this huuge super-easy baked pasta that Severo taught me, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. It's also very change-able, like all my favorite recipes.

Software
-1 box pasta (I prefer penne, but any short pasta that holds sauce well.)
-1 red bell pepper
-1/2 onion
-1 pack of sausages(4) (Kroger carries a turkey/chicken sausage with artichoke and mozzarella that I usually get, and I think the Target brand does something similar.)
-Pepperoni slices (The Severo likes these, I'm fine without them, really.)
-1 big jar of pre-made pasta sauce, or 2 small jars(Sometimes we mix a marinara and an alfredo or pesto, but this time I just bought a whole jar of vodka sauce and it was bitchin')
-Shredded Mozerella & Parmesan (I used Kraft's all-natural Italian cheese blend.)

Hardware
-Large pot
-Wooden spoon
-3 quart casserole dish
-Knife & Cutting Board

Procedure
-Preheat oven to 325F
-Start to boil some water for your pasta. Add plenty of salt to get it boiling quickly. Cook till slightly firm, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse in cold water.
-While the pasta is cooking, cut the sausage into whatever sized pieces you'd like. I usually cut them in half horizontally and then into 1/4" slices.
-Cut your pepperoni slices into quarters.
-Cut up your bell pepper and onion into about 1" square pieces, or smaller if you like.
--Here is an easy way to cut up bell peppers.
--Here is an easy way to cut up onions. For this recipe, you can skip the cuts parallel to the board. Cut up your onion very last and cover it ASAP for minimal tears.
-Once the pasta is cooked, combine the pasta, meat, veggies, sauce, and a few handfuls of cheese in the casserole dish. Top with MORE CHEESE.
-Bake for about 30 minutes, until all melty and good. If the top doesn't brown to your liking, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes and WATCH IT LIKE A HAWK. The difference between "Golden Brown and Delicious" and "Burned" is usually the 30 seconds you look away.
-Enjoy with a salad and some garlic bread. Good with a full-bodied white(!) wine or a red wine low in tannins.

• 08:37 Our new chef instructor is named "Uwe." Not a good sign. #
• 22:46 I'm so excited about this new pillow I can barely sleep! #

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• 18:46 To promote the HBP dvd, the clerks at my local Blockbuster were all decked out in Gryffindor gear. Made me smile. #
• 20:23 Listen Supernatural, we need to talk. You're gonna kill off 2 of my favorite characters, and then go on Winter Break? Not cool. #
• 21:43 Watching "Some Like it Hot," my favorite B&W comedy. Forgot that Marilyn's character plays ukulele. Makes me want to practice more. #

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More from the Interview Meme. This set of questions is frommymyndmine.

1. What moment in your life would you describe as the most breathtaking, beautiful and such?

Wow. This is a hard one. I think, probably, the time I've spent underwater. I'm a PADI certified Scuba diver, but I don't get to dive very often because it just costs so much. When I can, though, it's amazing.

2. Where and what do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

I can't see that far ahead, really. I'm trying to just focus on finishing school and getting an externship/job for now. Hopefully, though, I'd like to be working at a job I love where my skills are appreciated and living with someone I love, hopefully the someone I love right now.

3. Where would you like to travel to most in the world?

I could spend a month in London and it wouldn't be enough. I'd love to see more of the United States and Canada, as most of my traveling has been to Central America and Europe. Everywhere, really. I want it all.

4. Do you use catnip on a regular basis?

To get my whiny cat to chill the hell out, yes.

5. Why are you "Fond of Shy Gentleman"?

They tend to be amazing, intelligent men with interests along the same line as mine. And as someone who is socially half-retarded, I tend to get along better with people who also don't socialize well.

• 19:57 Happy Thanksgiving to my American buddies! #
• 23:04 Save me from movies described as "inspiring." #

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• 22:20 Hopefully the very fancy font on this project's title page will distract from the horror within. #
• 22:38 OMG I AM DONE. Have you ever spent 4 hours typing up recipes? IT IS NOT FUN, INTERNET. #

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We got 97% on our practical final! YAAY! Now I just ahve to do awesome on the multiple choice.

Caught up with dirigibletrance over Mister Chopsticks yesterday. We discussed TV shows, JRR Tolkien, and the sciencey bits of cooking.

I gave Dean Venture the Goldfish to the local petstore today. They have a pond-sized goldfish tank out front for him to live in. He was just too big for his tank, and goldfish produce so much waste, I would have to change his water DAILY to keep him healthy. He ended up living with me longer than Leonard Cohen the Goldfish, though. So be good, Dean, and play nice with the other goldfish.
I'm going to try and find a fishy that A: can eat the fish food I already have, and B: can live comfortably in 10 gallons of water.

And lastly, HOW AWESOME IS THIS?

This old gig, featuring questions from notwolf
1 -- Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 -- I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 -- You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 -- You'll include this explanation.
5 -- You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

1) would you rather dress as Master Chief ( with the appropriate armor adjustments, natch...) or Batgirl?
Rite now? Batgirl(though I'd prefer Batwoman, as black and red are a great color scheme). More into comics than videogames at the mo'.
2) Star Trek or Star Wars
DON'T MAKE ME CHOOOOOOOOSE. They are different things. Yes, both are in space, but they are different. I am one of those weirdo nerds capable of enjoying both.
3) do you like cabbage?
Sometimes. I like sauerkraut on a reuben, and sometimes I like coleslaw. Might even say yes to mince and cabbage as an adult.
4) what boy kissed you first, that you wanted to kiss?
I do not recall this ever happening. I am what you'd call an Initiative Taker, and Impatient, and Fond of Shy Gentlemen.
5) what would you name your band?
I had a band called the Sepia Tones. It was a good band. I still like that name. Uhhh, probably something really nerdy, like Spider and the Filthy Assistants.

• 11:48 Two weeks in a row I've forgotten what day it is, and been dismayed to discover it's only Monday. #

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• 11:40 Can't believe I offered to go to Wal-Mart the week of Thanksgiving. ~Shudder~ #
• 15:16 My mom named our Thanksgiving turkey Sara Palin. There is no question we are related. #
• 15:16 She did this "because of her memorable interview carried out whilst turkeys were being dispatched in the background." #
• 19:17 My head hurts. It is making it difficult to brain good. #

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• 17:09 I am so awkward on the phone! ~flails~ #
• 17:11 "Why didn't you call me about this sooner?" BECAUSE I AM PHONE-TARDED. #
• 17:14 Don't blame my parents, they tried. They used to make me call in our pizza orders when I was a kid. #
• 18:42 New housemate? Is me with a peen and less furniture. #
• 20:29 The amazing @schmuffin needs volunteers for NX35 2010. Interested? Email her at shannon@nx35.com #

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• 16:27 So tired I forgot there was unwatched Dr Who on my computer! Blasphemy! #
• 20:06 I need one of these to hang in my TARDIS. RT @deporitaz: Time Traveller's Survival Guide: twitgoo.com/55wma #

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