Today

Quick update. I finished a 22 page term paper yesterday. I feel it deserves an A. I had to reprint it cuz the first time I printed it I hadn't run spellchecker (and had spelled the name of one county incorrectly the entire 22 pages! = not good). So I was running around campus frantically in heels no less trying to get it fixed and reprinted. Luckily John was working so he printed it for me else I would have had to print 22 pages out for 50 cents a page! (Because I had color graphs).

I'm no longer so irritated with John. Maybe becuase the stress is gone a little bit. I am still irritated with Brian, but in my less irrational state, I feel that it doesn't matter anyway since even before she came to live with him it's not like we ever did anything. We occassionaly throw around the idea of "hanging out", but lets be honest and admit that that doesn't happen.

I feel like I need to be more learned.

I'm also going to a corn maze tonight with a bunch of Catholics (gosh I say that like they are terrorists or minorities or something.... lol). Should be fun. Hopefully it doesn't rain, but i need a nap before hand, so byae.

new post

I'm going to start writing in this thing again. Promise. John's boring the crap out of me. I can't wait to leave here and start my real life. I still sort of have a crush on Brian I think, which only came up when I realized I shouldn't be THIS jealous about him having his ex-girlfriend around. It's okay, I saw her and I'm definitely at least comparable to her, and I have a brain. I say that I have a brain not because I know for a fact she's more retarded than me, but when I go to work and (yeah she was kicked out of her house or something and is now living with Brian and needed a job so I got her one at my work because Brian tricked me into giving him the information, but I would have given it anyway, even if I had known it was for her, because it would make him happy.) Anyway, so she is at training when I came in for work and when she left, my boss comes over and is like, "yeah, we always have one person that I have to repeat everything and doesn't get it the first time.... that was her." Soooo..... yeah. Nicole 1 - Her 0.

I have a paper to write today, I also have to take the recycling out and go to the movies today. I invited Brian to go with me. I know he'll flake out. I'm going regardless to see 9. John would probably like to go, but I don't care, I want to do something without him, even if that means by myself.

The guineas are getting blessed today. I have to get that ready. Bya.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
2. Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the garlic 1 minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Pour in the reserved broth, and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated through.
3. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

I added chicken also. I heard sausage was good, but I don't like sausage. I also added basil and garlic while cooking the chicken. To make it more "saucy" I nixed the broth in place for melted cream cheese.

close cals

So I figure I must be destined to die in a car accident or something. The last three the last five days I've almost died in a car accident. Neither of which would have been my fault, both of which I narrowly escaped tragedy.

The first time, I was coming back from dinner with friends on Friday and I was coming on to the ramp that is the exit to where I live. And this semi goes past the exit and then it's as if the semi driver realizes he missed the exit and he starts going over those double lines into the exit turn off. So I had slowed down to get on the exit, and the semi had kept his speed while he sped past the exit, so when he started coming into my lane he was going slightly faster than me and was veering in front of me and clearly didn't see me. So there I was finding myself about to be going under a semi and flattened by back wheels so I had to go off into the shoulder to get out of the way.

Then today, I was driving to school, and it's a one lane road that's two lanes wide so that cars can go around buses when they are at the bus stops. So I stop behind this bus because it didn't really give me enough space to get by when it stopped, and I squeezed past and I had three people behind me and we're coming up this hill and there's this spot for U-turns in the median. So this car comes whipping around this corner, doesn't even stop even though three cars are like right there. It was all slow-motion for me cuz I saw this car, and I felt me swerving out of the way (he was towards the back end of my car, like if we had hit he would have hit the driver side back door). And I saw the look on this one kid's face that was standing at the bus stop (the next one that the bus that we had passed hadn't got to yet). And when I looked back, the car that almost hit me had almost hit the person who was directly behind me, and they had all come to a complete stop. Seriously. I was like... phew.

So far I have a 92 on the Communication Law test I took. That is before the essay grade, but I know I did the essay well. So looks like I made an A on the test :)

long awaited update

So, I know it's been a while since I've posted. Needless to say I've been very busy. Like wooo super busy. Today however, was the day the busy ended. I actually didn't know what it felt like to have nothing to do. Not exactly nothing per se, I could stand to do some laundry but it's definitely not an imminent concern.

As it was, I blew my law test out of the water. Unlike other tests that I've "felt" ready for, before, this time it was different. This time I was "that person" who everyone asks questions from right before the test. I was "that person" that you're jealous of because you know they know what they're talking about and are going to do well on the test. I was "that person" that thought the test was a breeze while everyone else talked about it like it was the worst thing to have happened to them. I nailed that sucker, and damn right that I should. I had been studying from day one -- well maybe day four -- but certainly the most studying that I heard people had been doing was three maybe four days tops before the exam. I was "that person" that just ruined the curve for everyone else. It was true/false, multiple choice, and one essay -- and people were like "it was tricky". I felt it wasn't tricky at all if you knew everything from the inside and out. We'll we'll see I guess.

My guineas are doing good. I "taught" them a new trick -- well really they just recognize me now I think. When I start yelling "who's my guineas!?" Big comes to the side of the cage that my voice is on and puts his nose up in the air. Big is also really good about knowing when I open the front small door of the cage, treats come out, so he comes over every time and gets right up and starts trying to stick his big ol' head out of the cage. Usually Boo is too scared to come to the door and get the food from me even though he knows it's there -- heck he can see it, unlike Big. So he usually just tries to steal it from Big, but Big is... big... so it usually doesn't work unless Boo gets it far enough away that Big can't see him. Today though, it was the funniest thing ever. Big as usual came to get the treat and pulled it from my hand and carried it to the back of the cage. Then he ran into Boo. I thought he just didn't see Boo at first, but then he kept nudging Boo out of the way and making him walk around the edge of the cage till Boo was forced around to the front where the door is where I give treats. And Boo got his treat. It was like Big was saying, hey man, this is how it's done, now stop stealing my food. It was so funny. I'll have to post some pictures sometime. It's cute. Boo is still skiddish. Who knew the name Boo would have fit him so well. He's getting used to me, but he's still more traumatized cuz he's the unlucky one to be a silky haired guinea -- which means he doesn't shed much -- and that means that John likes him best cuz John has this weird thing about pet hair, any pet hair at all, even like two strands, being on him or his clothes. So he won't pick up Big or play with him cuz he's like a huge shedding furball of orange hair. He'll just pick up Boo -- and hold him out in front of him at almost arms length and just hold him out there, poor Boo. Again with posting pictures.

I have two new recipes to post. One cassarole, it's a good one. I don't remember the other recipe kind off the top of my head but it's alright too.

Tomorrow night me and my friends are going out to have a celebratory dinner. Hugo passed his grad school paper things he had to write. Tyler got promoted and got into grad school. I kicked ass on my communication law test. I'm sure Katie did something, it was exam week so she might have had one, but I'm sure she can just celebrate being alive. We're eating at high dining, Johnny Carino's!! Yums.

Getting Air Force stuff on the roll slowly but surely. Of course I emailed this guy at the UGA AFROTC to ask about the AFOQT (us Air Force and our acronyms...) and this guy who will remain nameless totally didn't read my email. I asked him when they offered the test and who I needed to get in contact with. Told him I wanted to be able to have time to study and that I wasn't in that much of a hurry as I don't graduate until December. Signed my name with my contact information. --- He replied Mr. Owen. He also only told me of only one test they were offering, Feb 14 (ie, not any time to study, like a week), and told me to contact this other guy, who he didn't give me the information for. Really. I know they offer it on a quarterly basis. I was so mad about the Mr. Owen thing though that I didn't reply till today. I more thoroughly reexplained what I was looking for, thanked him for his continuing help in the matter, and signed my name Miss Nicole Owen. Looks like I'm going to have some butts to whip in shape when I get in -- honestly... what is up with the incompetence lately?

The roommates no longer want any "mediation" as there have been "no further incidents".

I think that is really all of import. Everything else is good. I'm getting better at Guitar Hero day by day. :)

Woot. Long day, so I'm off to bed.

recipe #13

So, I have to go through and edit my recipes so I can find them again.

But either way, I need to add this one since it seems like such a hit.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
premade pumkin pie mix
cinnamon


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350degrees F In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin and last egg to remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Add extra cinnamon or nutmeg for flavor. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for an hour in a water bath, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

recipe #11

Spinach and Feta Pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups spinach leaves, packed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute strips of chicken until near done; add onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes more, until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted. Reduce heat to medium, stir in pasta and feta cheese, and cook until heated through.