Monday, March 27, 2006

tasty tofu treat

This weekend, I made some ice cream-like stuff that has tofu in it and is dairy-free for all you vegans. Bill & Joy had made something like it in their VitaMix, and I found a recipe online and adapted it. It is gooo-oood. So you should make it. Here's a general idea of how to do it:

1 - 14oz bottle (individual serving) orange juice (almost 2 cups)
1/2 - family size thing of tofu (I don't know the ounces...sorry)
1 - 14 oz bag frozen cherries (or fresh) or other fruit
2/3 c. - sugar

Blend it all together until the tofu is pretty much gone and the cherries are all cut up. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Mix in ice cream maker until done.

I had it before with cranberries, which was also good. I think I'd maybe use 1 C. sugar if you do it that way. And if you have a VitaMix, it takes only like 10 minutes to make instead of an hour. :)

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Sunday Work Fun

I just got back from dinner at PF Chang's with my coworkers. The RMs have been asking if we could go to dinner, so I arranged for us to go out with the manager, asst manager, and my work husband (aka office buddy). All on CHNW's check, which is so choice (remember that lame 80s phrase? ha!). It was nice to just have some fun together. I like them. And I haven't been to Chang's before, except for a little lettuce wrap snack with Nicole once when we were shopping. I would recommend the coconut curry vegetables for you if you like spice and are a vegetarian, which I almost am.

This week starts the joy of having to hire a new RM. My RM who is going to Western Culinary Institure got a chef job at a local restaurant and it means he can't work our weekend shifts. So he had to resign. He's staying on until the end of April (and we may get to lure him back this summer with an afternoon position we're creating). It should be interesting to see the type of people we get to apply for the opening since a lot of people will be motivated by the free rent they'd get paid. I'm hopeful that we'll have some good service-oriented folks in the mix.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in my life. I may finish another book or cook a new recipe someday soon. Folks, my life is just a wild and crazy ride every day.

Friday, March 10, 2006

"snow day"

It has been snowing here since Wednesday night. Which for me and where I work and my commute means it's just wet. But it's a big deal here...the hills are high enough that it's accumulating and slick for some. I got to slide slush from my car yesterday--it had accumulated a bit overnight. So it was a fun day yesterday...you know when it's just snowing all day and you aren't worried about it being icy so you just enjoy and want to be all cozy with a hot beverage and a book? That was yesterday.

And today I am getting a sort of snow day. Not because of the weather, though. I was pretty emotionally wiped this week because work was very crazy and I worked a lot of extra hours last week. So at lunch Wednesday, I decided I needed to take a day off to recouperate. I love that my bosses are so accommodating and let me take today off at such short notice. So this is a day devoted to me, whatever I want. I already slept in until 7:45 and then made coffee and breakfast. And I just got online to check movie times in case I want to go see a matinee. Who knows what else this day devoted to me will hold! :)

Well, I'm off to enjoy my day!

Sunday, March 05, 2006

my Oscar re-cap

OK, if you missed the Oscars, you didn't miss a ton, except a few hilarious moments. Jon Stewart, so funny. His The Daily Show and Lisa Loeb's #1 Single are almost enought reason for me to get cable. I can't quite afford it yet, but I may someday soon just to hear his hilarity. He made the awards way more fun that usual. And Ben Stiller in the green screen unitard was the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I'd pay money to have that on DVD to watch over and over.

As for the actual awards, I hadn't seen many of the movies (only 10 to be exact, and only 1 of those was up for best picture). There were a couple of shocks. Best original song went to some rappers I've never heard of, and I don't think anyone expected it. And I thought Brokeback Mountain was a shoe-in for best pic, if anything as a political statement. But it lost to Crash. That's the one movie I saw, and it's a great story of racial issues. You should see it. You probably should also see Brokeback, but I haven't seen it so that's just a second-hand recommendation. I'm gonna go ASAP.

K, that's the only thing I have to say about this year's Oscar night. Now I must see if I can find a clip of Ben Stiller's skit. Bu-bye.

Friday, March 03, 2006

long week, the Oscars are near!

This has been a long week. Counting the 2 hours I was at work Saturday helping to set up for art exhibit, I think I worked 50 hours. 20 of them were in the last 2 days, with no lunch break. I'm tired. And Tim better not have a funeral or anger management training to go to during next month's rent week like he has the last two months. Good thing I no longer fully hate my job. Now I give it a B (unless it's rent week or the internet is down...then it's a C-. I spent about 5 hours this week just talking to tenants about their internet being down, why it was down, when it would be up, how to help them, etc. etc. Ugh!!).

Enough complaining. So yesterday we had a mandatory all-company meeting. I thought it was because it's employee appreciation month. Which by the way I totally dropped the ball on. I was supposed to make a sign about an event, but I haven't had any time to do it. Anyway, I thought it was a surprise mandatory party or something until our head cleaner said she was told "if someone has the day off or is sick, they have to come in for the meeting." And then when my manager who is "in" on everything didn't know what was up, I got scared. So, the big reason for us to meet was for the CEO to tell us some big news ASAP before it became gossip. Here it is: For about 30 years, we have been providing all of the housing for Portland State. A few years back, PSU decided they want to start doing their own housing, so we were getting "the boot". So we were on a 5-year plan to be phased out. In that plan, there was a stipulation that we or they could cancel the plan with 12-months notice (meaning the deal is off and we're outta there). Well, PSU cancelled on 2/28. Which means in a year, we will not be doing any PSU housing. Which means we have to find other income and work for about half of our company. The CEO told us a year can be long and short, and she's working to find new business for us.

So who knows what my future holds. It's easy to feel removed and not be concerned because I don't work in one of the on-campus housing buildings, but really, we're all in this thing, whether we work on the PSU campus or not. Who knows. I'm hopeful that all will be fine for everyone. But it sure is tiring to think about, especially when you have worked 50 hours! :)

Good thing 2 of the 3 friends I have in Portland are coming to my apartment Sunday to watch the Oscars. All will be right in the world if we are dishing and critiquing the fashion and if Joy, as always, beats the rest of us by guessing the most winners. And that is all I need to be happy right now