Instead of reading, I've mostly just been cooking.

...and watching episodes of Parks and Recreation on the internet.

And identifying very intimately with Amy Poehler.



Here's a Tuesday Night Special.

Nearly-rotten vegetable soup (vegan friendly!)

olive oil (a few tablespoons) or butter (ditto), or both
1 celery heart (by which I mean, like, the whole thing you buy at the market, not just a stock or two), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and minced to hell
1 container of stock (you may also want to water this whole baby down a bit)
1 head kale, chopped (Kale is very nutrient dense and under-appreciated! You will love it!)
1 tbsp. miso
random spice (I had fennel seeds on-hand, my favourite new go-to spice; I think it would also work well with basil)
2 or 3 avocados, chopped
tamari and/or salt and pepper, to taste
juice of one lemon (Actually I didn't have this, but I so wish I did, because it would've been even better with it)

Heat oil/butter and stir-fry veggies, random spice and garlic till tender. Add stock, miso and kale and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes or so (longer if your dad calls and you forget about the pot on the stove). Add avocados and lemon juice and let cool. Season with tamari and salt and pepper as needed. Puree to your desired consistency (I like it with a few chunks left in). Serve and feel instantly warmed on a cold, Indian Winter kind of night. Tastes embarrassingly good with some cheese string as garnish.

quasi-intellectual.

Being smart is hard. Especially when you find yourself constantly resisting your intelligence.

Case in point:

The new Alice Munro book came in for me this weekend at work. I got super excited about it and chatted like a literary fangirl with all my coworkers about how I couldn't wait to go home and read it and one time my mom saw her on a plane and isn't she frigging classy for pulling herself out of the running for the Giller? I came home all ready for some subtle, poetic fiction-reading.

...And then, I spent the rest of the evening watching episodes of Young and the Restless online, and getting depressed at how confused and disoriented that show makes me now. Gone are the days when you could tune in once every three months and find the plot had only progressed slightly past where it was when you and your grandma used to watch it together. Now it's all Silver Chipmunks and kidnapping and peanut allergies.

...And then, I googled pictures of Lady Gaga and tried yet again to figure out why I think she is so cool. Me liking her makes the least sense than anything, ever.



SERIOUSLY, WHAT GIVES?

Anyway, it's bedtime and I've got some old Sweet Valley High paperbacks to flip through before I pass out, just to round out this incredibly stimulating evening. Watch this video, if you know what's good for you. (Thanks, Harold.)