Balancing brooms.

Okay, I don't know about you, but lately my newsfeed has been taken over by pictures of people balancing their brooms. Most of the captions read a little like this: "OMG! This is so creepy! My broom is standing up all by itself!" And there's always at least one helpful comment to explain it: "On leap years/when the planets align/during the vernal equinox the tilt of the earth is different or something in the gravitational pull changes that makes it possible for your broom to stand up."

Riiiiiight.

I don't buy it. I'll bet it's something far less exciting. But since I took elementary school science, I know the importance of conducting experiments to test hypotheses. So let's do it, shall we?

This broom stands up on it's own. Gasp! 

Amazing, right?

The Internet is telling me that this is possible because of with the earth's gravitational pull being weird and some other sciency stuff. But wait! Gravity affects things other than brooms, right?? So if that gravity thing is true, other objects (say, a pencil) would do the same. Or maybe they'd even float or something. So let's see if this pencil can stand on end too! I'm so excited!

Take one.

Not this time.

Still nothing.

Well dang it.

I guess it's got nothing to do with some cool astrological phenomenon, and more to do with the fact that the bristles spread out and create a nice base on which the broom can stand.

But if you don't believe me, (which is fair -- I do communications, not science), maybe ask this guy. He might know something about it.

Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not some crazy awesome vernal equinox thing that's making those brooms stand upright. But the fact that I'm still standing upright after six hours of presentations yesterday? That's nothing short of miraculous.

Sunny days ahead.

No, that title isn't a metaphor. This post is legitimately about weather. Sorry.

If you stop reading now, I'll still love you. 

I'm one of those people who checks the forecast. Like, all the time. I don't really know why. Maybe I just hate being unprepared (I do). Maybe I plan my days around whether or not there will be sunshine (I do). Maybe my mood is notably improved by blue skies (it totally is). The point is, I simply have to hit "w" on my address bar, and my laptop knows I want to go hang out on weather.com.

I know, I know. Ten cool points for me.

The last few days have been seriously lacking in sunshine, and last I checked, this weekend was supposed to be just as gloomy. So I could not have been more excited to click onto the 10 day forecast and see this instead:

(That's in Celsius, by the way.)

No gloom in sight. Glory, hallelujah.

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Also, apparently, this happened today. So maybe that's what happened to the clouds. Or something.
 

Wednesday randoms.

Today and tomorrow, we're basically doing a presentation marathon in my intercultural communication class. We did two hours today, and are scheduled to go from 9-1 tomorrow. Plus, our questions of censorship presentations are scheduled for tomorrow as well, from 1-3...so that's a grand total of eight hours of sitting through PowerPoints in two days. Six of which will be straight through. Kill me.

But at least I got one of mine out of the way today. And since I couldn't bring myself to do anything remotely academic when I got home, I baked. Normally, I've got an open-kitchen policy when I bake. I just leave stuff on the table, and people from our building are welcome to take what they'd like. But I've decided to bring these to class tomorrow (you know, to lesson the blow of hours upon hours of presentations), so for once they're not up for grabs.

My sweet grandpa sent me a check for Valentine's Day. The problem is, if I want to cash it here, I've got to pay a fee, and it could take up to 2 months for it to process. Lame.

The weather was gorgeous over the weekend, so a few of us went down to a nearby park and played football (soccer). I haven't played in ages (and it showed), and I'm also pretty out of shape (and it showed), but it was still a lot of fun. Hopefully that'll happen more often, once its a little warmer.

I recently busted out an old jump drive that I got from Baylor about 4 years ago. On one side, it says Baylor, and has our mascot. I always knew that. But what I just noticed was that it says Kingston on the other side! Foreshadowing? Crazy.

Well, that's all I can manage for now. The exhaustion is setting in and I don't have the energy to type anymore. Okay, so I'm being a little dramatic. (But seriously...)

Happy Wednesday!
 

What's in a name?

Of all the little restaurants on the way to uni, this is my favorite. I've never eaten there. And I don't think I ever definitely never will. But I just love the name...

Appetizing, no?

Because, honestly, who doesn't like the idea of wing fat?

 

Chocolate-Solves-Everything Muffins.

It's rainy and cold. My flatmate has been coughing for days. I don't want to work on my presentation.

There's a pile of dishes in the sink.

Now, I can't change the weather. I can't make Hannah feel better. I can't summon up enough enthusiasm to make me excited about this presentation. I suppose I could do the dishes. Still 1 of 4 isn't exactly winning.

But do you know what I can do? I can get myself into the kitchen and whip up something warm and comforting. Something tasty. Something chocolate. Because even though it won't make the sun shine or get rid of a cold or finish my presentation or do the dishes, chocolate still manages to make everything better.

Chocolate-Solves-Everything Muffins

(slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
a couple of pinches of instant coffee (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
splash of lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, melted

I'm not a "neat" baker. This is real life.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).  Line muffin pan with paper cups. I typically spray the cups with some nonstick spray, so I don't lose any of the muffin when I peel it off. Because that'd just be tragic.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, instant coffee, and salt. Set aside.

 

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Stir until combined. Batter will be lumpy and thick, but that's perfectly okay. These are muffins, not cupcakes, after all.

Shamelessly eat a handful of chocolate chips. You know, to check for quality. Repeat this step until you're satisfied that they are indeed tasty enough to be included in these muffins. Then measure out a cup, and fold them into the batter.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. The cups should be pretty full -- heaping, even. Then bake for about 15-20 minutes, or till they pass the toothpick test.

 

Remove from the oven and cool before eating. But please don't let them get completely cool. These are best served warm.

Texas Independence Day.

I lived in Texas for four years. It changed me. For one thing, I started saying, "y'all."

Texas was its own country before it was part of the US. And Texas has never forgotten this. Actually, sometimes it seems that Texas still thinks it's its own country. So, today, when my Facebook newsfeed was overwhelmed with things like "Proud to be a Texan," and "God bless Texas," it got me thinking about my home away from home.

The Republic of Texas

Most people -- even outside the States -- have some general ideas about Texas. Cowboy hats, boots, horses, guns...and everything's bigger in Texas, right?

But Texas is hard to define. Because Texas isn't just a place, it's an mindset -- a worldview. And Texans? Well, let's just say they really love their state.

So in honor of Texas Independence Day, here are a few quotes that might help you understand a bit more about the largest of our Lower 48.

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You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas. -Davy Crockett 

There is a growing feeling that perhaps Texas is really another country, a place where the skies, the disasters, the diamonds, the politicians, the women, the fortunes, the football players and the murders are all bigger than anywhere else. -Pete Hamill 

 Sectional football games have the glory and the despair of war, and when a Texas team takes the field against a foreign state, it is an army with banners. -John Steinbeck

Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas. -Senator William Blakley

Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word...A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner. -John Steinbeck

If a man’s from Texas, he’ll tell you. If he’s not, why embarrass him by asking? -journalist John Gunther

Don't mess with Texas.

I'm not from Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.

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Bluebonnets - The state flower.

There are a lot of things I miss about Texas. The explosion of wildflowers in the spring (especially those bluebonnets), Baylor, pick up trucks, sweet tea, big backyards, Pine Cove, long open roads, stars, biscuits and gravy, cliff jumping, porch swings, sunsets, yes sirs and yes ma'ams, barbeque, and BlueBell ice cream...just to name a few.

Mostly, I miss the people. I met my absolute best friends in Texas. And there's just a general friendliness about the state. Sure, there's plenty of arrogance and way too much camouflage, but for the most part, the people are lovely. I miss the polite hellos from passersby (people here tend to avoid eye contact altogether), hats tipped in greeting, and smiles all around. And I'm so glad that when I got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, it was the middle of nowhere, Texas. Three different people pulled over to make sure I was okay and help me get back on the road again.

So even though I'm from New Mexico (where Texas isn't exactly a favorite), I don't own a pair of boots, and I'll never ever cheer for the Dallas Cowboys as long as I live, I can proudly say that I love the Lone Star State.

Happy Independence Day, Texas. You were good to me.

 

Baba Marta (Grandma March).

It's March! How crazy is that?? Crazy, I tell you.

To celebrate, my sweet friend Silviya brought everyone in our Intercultural Comm class a little something.

Cute little red and white bracelets to celebrate the beginning of spring! Silviya is from Bulgaria, and, apparently, it's traditional to don these on March 1. They symbolize health and happiness.

I did a little research (oh hey Wikipedia...), and this is what I found: 

Grandma March Day (or simply Baba Marta, Bulgarian: Баба Марта) is a holiday celebrated in Bulgaria, on the first of March. Martenitsa - usually in the form of a wrist band, woven by combining red and white colored threads - are worn on that day and through March, until a stork or a bloomed tree is seen, symbolizing warmer weather and well being.

So fun, right?

Now, I did see a tree in bloom right across the street when I got home from uni today. But Silviya didn't mention that part, and I don't want to take it off yet. So I'm just gonna leave it on.

On a completely unrelated note (and don't judge me for this), during my multiple attempts at taking a decent picture of my sweet new bracelet, it really struck me how weird hands are. Seriously. Look at your hands for a second. Aren't they weird?? I mean, they're also wonderful, and I'm so thankful for them. But still...

Anyway...

Happy March, friends! Hoping it brings you health and happiness.