I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

The end of an era has come, and it's so bittersweet.

I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last night, and it was awesome. Not only was the movie awesome, but the people were too. It was sort of like Halloween for dorks like me, minus the candy, plus the popcorn. I was lucky enough to get invited by Michael's college friends with access to reserved seating. They are the sweetest bunch of Harry Potter dorks that I could nerdrage with. :)


We started the night off with butterbeer jello shots which were awesome, might I add. Making our way through the crowd and making the journey to Starbucks let me get to know some of these people. Reika was older than she looked (older in age + cosplay = hella cool! I hope i'm still nerdy like this when I hit that age too), Amanda is the awesomest for making her Auror jacket herself, and Tash can apparate (lolololol). Also, I met Sam tonight and recognized her from elementary school! It's a small island.


We made our way back, took some pictures, and got everyone situated to go inside. There was a ginormous line, snaking up the stairs and lined up all the way around the block. I've never been so happy to have reserved seating. Michael and I stood in line for our obligatory enslavement to theater popcorn (and mochi crunch!), and found ourselves behind a guy that had "I DID NOT READ THE BOOKS" on his hat. Ah, that guy was sure missing out on life.

The movie itself was awesome, as all Harry Potter movies go. I won't spoil anything, but I did get a little misty-eyed during Snape's part. Oh, poor Snape. The underdog. Anyway, I thought the movie was great, but the ending was a little of a let down. They did change a few things, but they were understandable. My butt was numb from sitting there for just 2.5 hours. After the movie, we stuck around a little bit and said our goodbyes.

A decade has gone by, and I can't believe the journey is over. Harry Potter was my age when I started reading the books, and I sort of feel like I grew with him. Granted, i'm not a witch, but it's a true testament to how books can really take you anywhere. It's sad that we'll never see another Harry Potter film again, or read another book, but I hope that the future generations have something to become enthralled with beyond Twilight (i'm such a hater, lol). Something beyond romantic love stories - something substantial about good and evil, right and wrong, friends and enemies.


And in tribute -

... Mischief managed.

Skinny, Crispy, Nori-less Spam Musubi

It's been too long since i've written something meaningful, and trust me i've tried to rectify that. But this is not that post. Instead, I am going to let you peek into my kitchen and give you a quick, cheap, authentic local delicacy.

SPAM.

I'm sure if you live in Hawaii, you know what this is and have had a million different kinds of musubi. It would be weird if you didn't know what it was. But I bet you've probably never had it without nori.

Now, a lot of people will argue with me, saying it's not a "real" musubi without the nori. They think it's basically spam and rice, just molded into a little ball thing. Well, yeah, sure. But it's still a "real" musubi. What about musubi with ume in the center? I've seen many "plain" ones without a shred of seaweed. And technically, this musubi is nori-less, but NOT seaweed-less.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of SPAM (I like to use the less sodium version, since there will be lots of flavor added)
- Teriyaki Sauce (You can buy it bought, or make your own with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (optional))
- 3 cups of white rice (You can substitute brown rice if you'd like, but the original recipe calls for white)(This yields 12 musubi)
-Furikake (I use the Mishima brand Nori Komi Furikake, which has sesame seeds in it)
- Saran Wrap
- Musubi maker (optional)

Prepare:
- Tear and lay 15 slices of saran wrap (5 inch x 5 inch pieces... though that may be too big, I just kind of wing it).
- Cut the spam into thin slices (about 12-15). This is where the "skinny" part comes in. These musubi will be flatter than the average spam musubi.
- Cook 3 cups of rice.
- Make the teriyaki sauce, and pour it into a bowl.
- Dip each slice into the sauce, and let it marinate for a few seconds, to a minute.

Directions:
- Fry the spam until crispy and browned (I do like mine slightly burned).
- While frying, empty the rice into a large bowl to cool off.


- Rinse your musubi maker (this helps the rice not to get stuck to it).
- Set up your musubi maker in the spot on the saran wrap where you'll want to place the musubi. I chose the right side, in the middle, but now that I think about it, the left side would have probably been better.


- Remove the spam from the pan/griddle after they are cooked and put them on a plate.


- Take a handful (or scoopful) of rice, and load it into the molder. I use less rice than most, contributing to the skinny factor. Since I have skinny slices, the rice should be proportionate. Mess around with it and make it how you like it.


- PRESS HARD. You do not want your musubi falling apart, especially because you have no nori holding it together.


- Take a spoonful of the leftover teriyaki sauce in your bowl, and dabble some on the rice for extra flavor.



- Sprinkle some furikake on the rice over the sauce.


- Put a piece of spam on top and wrap (or enjoy!).


I don't make this too often because the nutritional value isn't great, but it's nice to get back to childhood sometimes. Having a spam musubi just the way I like it transports me through time and space, back to fun summers, friends, and family. Live aloha. :)

I'm... Engaged?

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged, to find the ways in which you, yourself, have altered." - Nelson Mandela

This weekend was AMAZING. Unexpected, yet anticipated, my boyfriend of eight years proposed to me on Friday evening.

I don't want to go into the details of the proposal. I didn't take any pictures of the things that were done. I want that moment to be sealed forever in his and my thoughts, alone. It was something special, and intimate, and even though key people will know how it happened, I didn't want any pictures from these few special days (other than the obligatory ring and hand pictures).

Of course, I wanted this to happen. I knew many years ago that I wanted this to happen. Many people aren't surprised, but i'm more surprised in myself than I thought I would be. I expected to feel overjoyed and happy, then go back to our lives, plain and simple. Technically, what would change? We're sporting rings on our finger (yes, him too) but that's the only difference. We'll go back to work, we'll go back to school, we'll go back to our apartment and live life how we've always been living it. But, it's different.

I can't tell you the ways in which it's different. I look at Michael differently. I look at our lives differently. Sure, it's only been a few days, but this feeling isn't even slightly tapering yet. Maybe it will in a week, a month, a year, but really, are we the same people? I don't think we are. We've entered into a transitional time, of sealing our bond with each other. Sure, i've known for a long time that he's "the one" but these rings make it so different, beyond any words I can describe.

We were at Barnes and Nobles yesterday in the Manga section, and there was a kid there (can't have been older than 18) that said "Wow, adults in the Manga section! That's cool." and I couldn't help but laugh and feel slightly appalled. Wait now, who's the adult here? I swear to god i'm still fourteen. Or sixteen. Or even nineteen! Suddenly I feel toooo old, WAY too old. Did he notice the rings on our fingers or was it just us? I'm pretty sure he didn't notice, and that means we LOOK like adults? What?

Here's to the next couple years. Here's to the beginnings of a great time, a stressful time, an important time in our lives.

Ganbarimasu.

Woe is me and all that jazz.

So, (I swear to god I always start my posts off with "so") I've neglected this blog worse than a Christmas fruitcake around mid February. My poor SEOTS blog was SEOTSed by the SEOTSer. I am indeed a terrible person.

I'd like to say that I was working on some grand project, taking all of my time, earning me loads of cash. I'd also like to say that I was some kind of FBI agent, working undercover, booking the bad guys and saving the world. I'd love to share that I was actually sent back through time, chatting it up with the brontosauruses (they're actually assholes) and living it up with the cavemen (not as scruffy as you think, in fact, they could be the first metrosexuals). And as much as i'd like to tell you about all these things, I can't. They sadly didn't happen (I never stop wishing though!).

Since the last post, a whole lot of nothing happened. School, work, life. Life happened. Stuff happened. Shit happened. To tell you the truth, if I narrated the last few months in my blog here, it will bore you to death. On a personal level, i've learned a lot. I'm in a different mindset. I'm eventually gonna change my mindset. So i'm not gonna tell you about that.

Things you probably don't need to know about me, but i'm gonna tell you anyway:

- Still in school, and drowning miserably.
- Still nuts.
- Still working full time (and earning petty cash =/).
- Still a smarmosaur.
- Still loving nail polish (moving onto decals soon, omg).
- Still fighting acne, but it's getting better! :)
- Still trying to gain blog readers (please feed me your souls? pretty please?)
- Still making lists (like this one!).

And to conclude this unnecessary blog post, I just want to sincerely apologize to all my friends. I've been avoiding pretty much everyone (for good reason), and i'll explain why later (I'm a zombie, I don't want to infect you). Please bear with me for the next few months, and i'm sure things will get better (they seem to have found the antidote).

Still living the SEOTSed life,

PinkStar26

Tips for my Consciousness-Deficient Fellow Desk Job-ers

I'm not a particularly frequent napper. I usually sleep well at night, anywhere from 7-9 hours, so I generally don't need a nap during the day.

However, it's been rainy lately, so my sweater tops and hoodies make their yearly debut out of my closet 'round this time. These items are soft, and warm... and feel particularly comforting when it's cold out.

Also, my schedule consists of school in the morning, then work from noonish to around 9pm. It's quite a boring job - but i'm not complaining. During downtime I have moments to "surf the web" (gawd, does anyone still use that term anymore?), pick at my nails, and study. After I become satisfied with the state of my cuticles, I usually get quite bored, and start to get rather sleepy. Sometimes I can feign off slumber, but sometimes it just becomes a necessary evil.

On this particular Thursday, I have a headache, and the overcast sky outside my window is extremely bright, causing me to squint more often than not. This makes for a deadly combo. I usually don't get headaches, because I think i'm teething today. I usually just sleep off the headache, but it's much more difficult here at work.

Some tips for the awake-challenged people at work:

1. Try running in circles like a maniac to get your heart pumping. If that doesn't work (or freaks people out), proceed immediately to step #2.

2. Two words: Starbucks Doubleshot. But only once in a while, or it's potency will be ineffective. Use the force wisely!

3. NEVER put your head on your desk, unless you're at a workplace that's cool about sleeping. If you are at a workplace that's cool like that, please message me the company info, and alert me if they're hiring.

4. Do not lean back in your chair for a snooze. You're kind of just asking for it. Especially if you lose control of your jaw function, a sneaky co-worker ninja could come by and slip a warhead into your mouth or something. Maybe a bug. That would be mean. Also, it's the wrong trajectory for your eyelids. You need to be looking DOWN to pretend you're awake.

5. If you MUST sleep, you have to remember to hide your snoring. Play some music (rock or maybe hip hop) to hide your palatal noises.

6. Put down an important-looking document, or a book in front of you on the desk. Put your elbow on the desk, and put your chin/jaw area on your palm. Position your head as if you are reading the paper. If available, use your bangs (fringe) over your eyes and snooze away. You may become so relaxed that your head starts to loll around on your neck, causing that gradual sinkage, and the jerk-y snap back up. As long as no one sees this you're fine. If you're in a shared office, make this motion very small and undetectable.

7. While in the aforementioned position, I constantly like to switch it up and put my four fingers on my forehead, and my thumb on my temple, and hold my head up that way because it looks like i'm focusing really hard, and that my work is stressing me out. Brownie points! My side bang also helps.

8. If the desk situation isn't working out for you, you can always take a snooze on the toilet. It's kinda like multitasking. Personally I don't wanna sleep where I shit.

9. If you have a break coming up, or maybe a lunch, you can always opt for sleeping in your car. If you don't have a car, you can sleep in someone else's car. Someone is bound to have one. Or perhaps a bench somewhere, but then you risk looking like a bum. Also, benches are getting all anti-bum nowdays. They have those separators now. Poor bums.

10. Have a mirror close to your desk. If someone comes in and needs you to be conscious, you should always be aware of any red, tired looking eyes, or red marks from your hand anywhere on your face. You can cover those up with makeup if you're a girl, or make up some hilarious god-awful story like "ohhh ummm an alien seagull uhhh smacked me in the face while I was uhhh doing this spreadsheet! yeah, totally rude, man!".

That last line always works, I tell you.

PinkStar26

Geekend Adventures: The Weekend of a Geek - December 24, 25 & 27, 2010

I haven't blogged in a long, long time. It kills me somewhere inside. I promise i'll be better!

Things that happened to me/I realized over the weekend:

1. I should not let my house get to the point where there is an overwhelming mess in every room.
2. Messes eat my soul. I don't know how to properly ward off their black magic.
3. I should de-fur my fan more often.
4. Vaccums shall now be called "Pushie Suckie"s.
5. I love my new pushie suckie!
6. I didn't expect christmas flowers! :D
7. Making corn chowder has proven to be pretty easy, though moderately expensive.
8. If you make enough corn chowder, it can last several days, or possibly even a week! Corn! Chowder! Woo!
9. If you eat corn chowder for several days in a row, you poop corn several days in a row. Just sayin'. ;o)
10. Corn chowder will put you into a food coma that prevent you from going to see the christmas lights.
11. What the hell, vog? Hate you for ruining christmas! I don't care if you're making new land, could you spew your hot smokiness ELSEWHERE? like, EAST?!
12. Vog makes everyone and everything miserable.
13. Wrapping presents, baking cookies, and stealing bells on christmas morning is not exactly the best idea when you have parties to go to.
14. Oh my god, I missed you Animal Crossing.
15. So, I had a dream that I was browsing the web, when I came across something I wanted. I woke up thinking I could totally buy it, and thinking of other things to blow my money on... when I realized I was thinking of my bell balance in Animal Crossing. SIIIIIIIIGH.
16. Wrapping and rushing in vog is pretty miserable.
17. Christmas is full of yummy food, especially arrozcaldo.
18. Slowing down and driving by the city christmas lights is no where near as fun as actually walking through them. :'(
19. Every gamer should have a gamer day with gamer friends. Multiple times a year. Multiple.
20. Gamer friends will give you their potions and antidotes to help make you feel better if your HP gets drained by outside forces. <3
21. I love my friends. I love all of my friends, near and far. I don't remember the last time I laughed so much in one sitting.
22. Surrounding yourself with loved ones is really the beauty of the holidays I think. I feel so lucky.
23. WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER SESH ON THURSDAY NIGHT PEOPLE. THURSDAY NIGHT!!! ANOTHER ZELDA RAPE SESH! ahahaha.
24. Boston's Pizza + Crab Wontons + Weird Asian drink Shots + Shrimp Tempura + Blueberry Cheesecake = EPIC WIN. TEH MOST EPIC, EPIC WIN. Also, the fact that I get to keep the leftovers is also an EPIC WIN. Kinako mochi FAIL! lol
25. Mario Party for the Wii + Wii Resort + Beatmania + Monopoly DEAL + Zelda + Katamari = BOWSERRAPE/IKEEPSLICINGWRONG/AGHITSTOOFASTWAIT5KEYS?/WTFDEALBREAKER?!?!/OMFGSOMEONEGOTRAPEDOMFGIGOTRAPED/IWANNAROLLYOUUPINTOMYLIFE~
26. Dehydration leads to headaches that last through sleep. Self medicating with a lot of caffiene is definitely the WAY TO GO. WOO.
 
PinkStar26

It's a love/hate relationship. - Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

Love/hate never felt so good/bad.

 

1. Sugar. Ooooh, do I love you. But you're bad for me. So bad in so many ways. My teeth! You poke holes in my teeth. I need those teeth. And you raise my blood sugar content too much. And you make my throat hurt sometimes. Why? WHYYYYYYY

 

2. Velcro. You are like god's gift to the world. You make things stick to other things by using your ingenious hairy and hook-like textures. But sometimes you are not so cool. Like on grandpa's shoes. Or when you leave that SUPER STICKY FILM on whatever surface you're sticking to. Or when you need the jaws of life to pry you apart from your velcro-soulmate. NOT COOL.

 

3. Contact lenses. You give me great joy and awe when I can see clearly without my glasses on! It's like I am a perfect human being again, made with eyes that are perfectly functional. So why do you torment me so? I understand that you are in love with my eyeballs, but do you have to stick SO WELL to them when I need to sleep? And then you completely change your mind, like a bi-polar lover, when I want to put you back into my eye! Where did that suction of love go? Can't you see that I need your help? No, you can't see. You're just lenses. And that means I can't see either.

 

4. My blanket. I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU. Why do you run away from me, in the middle of the night when I need you the most? It's chilly now, don't make me cheat on you with one of your friends - soft guest blanket. Show me your love and wrap me up in your warm goodness! Don't you love me? Why do you sneak out silently when it's the coldest part of the night and have secret rendezvous with the floor?

 

5. Bean sprouts. You are a very salty and tasty veggie. I like the way you crunch in my various asian soups. But - why must you make me so gaseous? Not even cabbage does this to me like you do. You make my insides swell and force me remain in uncomfortable silence until I get home. Do you know what it's like to feel like a human balloon? No, no you don't. You're just happily crunchy and slim as always.

 

6. Korean songs. You're so upbeat and fun. Sometimes you're sad and sweet. Most times you have a GREAT melody, that I can sing along to. But NOOOO. I can't speak Korean. I can't pronounce the words. You taunt me with your catchy and fun songs but when I try to follow along I sound like a retarded wookie.

 

7. Reality TV. What's not to love? Drunken fights, girl drama, hilarious catch phrases - could you ask for a better reality show? But you give me a bad rep, everytime I mention you. I waste an hour per show per week of my life watching you. You are my guilty pleasure.

 

PinkStar26