Since the Olympics have started, I have started a sweater and knit about ten inches of the sides and front (I am knitting in one piece because I never sew things together), dyed my hair, and learned why my bisquits always failed (turns out: you don't kneed bisquits like you kneed bread, and even more you don't kneed either one like you're wedging clay). I have also been fascinated by the bad-ass Newfoundland tap dancing violinists (seriously, OMG, if you haven't seen that part of the opening ceremony, find it on You Tube, cause it was awesome). I have also learned why I can't find my normal favorite valentines heart candy (Necco decided to change their formula into something that tastes like a chalky Jolly Rancher). And I have brushed dogs, and let Farmville eat my life. _

I love Apolo Ohno because he has a cool name. (Still watching yesterday's TiVoed Olympics.) _

While I watched yesterday's Luge events on my TiVo, I commented on how much fun I think the Luge looks, and my sister thinks I'm crazy. It's like my fascination with sky diving, or the way I ski fast. _

My god, I don't want to read my Book Group Book. I can't even make myself care that it's supposed to be very good, I want to curl up in a ball and finish reading Alcestis, maybe try Anna Karenina again. I want to watch 30 Rock finish my green sweater before Friday (not going to happen). I want to read just about anything except a 500+ page novel about a Greek hermaphrodite and his/her immigrant family spanning generations. _

This morning, on my way to work, a van cut off (or something; I think the other driver might have been changing lanes while turning in an intersection) my bus and caused a minor accident. Everyone slid forward a little on their seats as the driver slammed on his breaks, and my knee hit the seat in front of me (it hurt for less than 30 seconds). And then they pulled through the light, and they stood there and exchanged information. Eventually, most of the people on the bus realized that it was going to take a while, we were right by the entrance to the T, or we were only two or three stops away from where he was going to let us off anyway, so we mostly got off and walked the rest of the way. It was a fairly uneventful accident, but I've been feeling a little shaken by it. _

Sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.
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There is a bird outside my kitchen (or there was before I left for work) that looks like hawk or osprey of some kind, except it has a long thin beak. It has long variegated brown and white feathers, and it's hiding its head under its wing and keeps pulling one foot up to its body at a time. It looks very cold, and I think it missed its migration or got lost or something, because it doesn't look like it belongs in Boston in February.

I tried to take a picture of it with my phone, through the window, but that really didn't work, and didn't want to disturb it by going outside to try to get a better picture. I know that's not really enough to go on, but does anyone have any idea what this bird might be? Googling "bird that looks like a hawk with a long beak" doesn't really get you anything useful. _

Also, I made an angel food cake, using actual cake flour instead of all purpose flour, which is what I usually use. I managed to totally fail at seperating at least three eggs, and then somehow I misread how much salt I was supposed to put in and added 1 1/2 t of salt (which was the measurement for vanilla) instead of 1/4 t. Since I hadn't mixed it up yet, my mom spooned most of it out. I swore a ton at the cake, and the brand new swifter that I had to switch hands every few minutes. And it didn't rise as much as it should have, but I think that was because I failed at folding. The batter tasted fine, though, in the end, not to salty, so that is good at least. _

I want to learn how to make torrone style soft nougat with nuts. This afternoon, while running a series of errands in the North End, we went into a shop that clearly sold spices to see if they had any, and they suggested we try to buy some from one of the bakeries that claims to make the stuff fresh. We also tried Our Favorite Shop of delicious cheese and fresh pasta (and, apparently, bacon, but I don't have any opinion on bacon), and they suggested the same bakery. So, off I went to the bakery, going the longest of all possible routes around only to find out that they only take cash, and I don't carry cash. And so, my torrone adventures will wait for another day. This is probably a fairly dull blog entry, in fact, but I don't care much. _

I am giving up in despair of ever seeing my iPod again, after losing it last night while shopping with Julia. Since it was an iPod Touch, I'm now trying to figure out how to iTunes not to take it as part of my iTunes account anymore. ((sigh)) (Things I have tried for getting it back: looking all over Starbucks, asking clerk for help, retracing steps back to closed yarn store, Craigslist Lost and Found posting, entry in Google Calendar for every day until I decide to cancel it saying "RETURN IPOD TO GRATEFUL OWNER - contact me at ((insert email address here))", calling yarn store twice.)

And now I am really sad abou tthe whole thing. _

Of the list of things I wanted to do tonight and the things that I was probably going to get done tonight, I have so far managed to start marshmallows. That is all. We found a candy thermometer at a different grocery store than we usually go to (I made some phone calls), and when my mom went shopping, she got it. I am unpacked, my Christmas presents are unwrapped. I am so tired I feel like throwing up, but I need to get this done tonight so I can cut them up tomorrow and drench them in powdered sugar so I can just put them in my backpack (which isn't what I was going to take) when I go to work so I can take the bus.

I have attempted to teach my grandmother how to play sudoku, to basically no avail. (Not entirely true, she is okay at 2x2 sudoku, but normal 3x3 is beyond her.) And, that and waiting for my candy thermometer is basicaly how I have spent my evening. I have to take out trash, I need to pack a suitcase, but my jeans are in the dryer. I think I might cry. _

Things I want to do tonight:

• Paint my nails
• Make caramels or marshmallows
• Finish winding up the balls of yarn for my sweater (how this fits in with painting my nails, I'm not actually sure)
• Work on my sweater while watching bad TV

Things I will do tonight:

• Run all over the Boston area trying to find a candy thermometer not at Williams and Sonoma (I would spend $20, not $40 on a candy thermometer tonight)
• Stay up way too late making marshmallows and caramels

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If a recipe calls for equal parts heavy cream and milk, can you just use half and half? _

There is something extremely fitting about only half watching a movie while running around making cookies if the movie is Julie and Julia. And the cookies I am working on are Julia's shortbread cookies. _

I feel incredibly dense, but if calcium is supposed to build up bones, and vitamin D absorbs calcium, why are you supposed to have the two toge _

My mom is in New Hampshire, where you can buy the good kind of marshmallow fluff, the kind that isn't made in Somerville. I'm so absurdly excited about the idea of fudge. _

Wow, for the first time in ages, the New Yorker has reviewed only movies that I want to see. I still want to see Nine, even if it is getting pretty all around abysmal reviews. And I'm not at all sure where they were coming down on Dr. Parnassus. _

My house smells like Big Red chewing gum. In a good way. The Trader Joe's Cinnamon Brooms are awesome.

Also, we have a mini-rosemary tree. Maybe tomorrow I will go to Borders after work and get mini-lights and mini-ornaments. There are snowflakes in my window, that I cut up and hung on Saturday before the rain turned to snow. Because my snowflakes are magic, and make weather predictions come true. Soon we'll start making cookies. I got nesting snowflake cookie cutters (better than the ones the Odious Roommate had). I have been having crazy ideas of making linzer tort cookies with nutella and Julia's fabulous shortbread recipe.

I love winter. _

Things I am trying to learn to do now, before I have dementia and osteoporosis in my 80's:

• Sit down slowly, rather than plopping into a chair
• Chew lots and lots before swallowing. I already drink sips of liquid between pretty much every bite.

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Dear Massachussets:

I have voted in a person's basement, and it felt more legit than what I just did. Suggestion: ask for ID, not just a name and address. Also, maybe invest in some voting machines. Paper feels...wrong and fakeable. And if you are going to continue to use paper that looks like it's for a standardized test, at least invest in some Number 2 pencils. _