Snow Days

On Sunday, it rained a lot and then the temperature dropped so we currently have a sheet of ice covered by powdery snow. Classes were canceled Monday and campus was supposed to be reopen today at noon but there was too much ice and snow to clear. I was going to teach this afternoon but that has been put on hold.

This week before spring break was unusually heavy with meetings, events, and appointments. It is now looking like I'll be on campus only tomorrow and Thursday, working from home on Friday as I normally do (and am so fortunate to be able to do). Tea and list making are in order with this unexpected block of time.

In addition to working, I am currently adding books to my Kindle and songs to my iGadgets; any recommendations?

Autumn + Art

When I was asked which department from which I'd prefer a new faculty mentor, I immediately said art. Yep, when settling into a new community, it's great to get to know the artists and the perfect opportunity arose with a studio tour last weekend. I didn't feel particularly keen to spend the day out and about but in the end, we made it to only three studios because it was all about quality over quantity. Below are some photos I snapped at my mentor, Kristina's studio. Her husband, Charles, is a metalworker and you can see the wonderful red door of his studio.

Austin loved seeing all the tools for Kristina's glassblowing and we were amazed the delicate and complex neurons that she had made. I was afraid to even breathe near them. We also had a blast meeting another couple who lived very close to us and had university connections. We ended up sipping wine and their home-brewed beer and I bought a painting of a cricket that will live in my office. What a perfect day.

Breaking Bad Methcakes

We hosted a little Breakin Bad watching party on Friday night and I wanted to make cupcakes for dessert. Inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe for Broken Glass Cupcakes, I set to work.

I should have read the comments from the recipe first. My attempt at "meth" resulted in a blue substance the texture of a fruit roll=up. Austin tried again and got the granulated substance seen above. At our next viewing party, I'm definitely following the advice of Dr. B and doing some kind of granita beverage!

I chose not to use Martha's recipe but instead, adapted this one for a knock-off of Starbuck's vanilla bean cupcakes. The cupcakes themselves here delicious but the buttercream frosting was just too cloying for my taste. Instead of topping them with the fake meth, we sprinkled on Mrs. Kelly's lavendar rose sugar with excellent results. Next time, I'd go with my gut and do a cream cheese frosting but the cupcake recipe is a keeper.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 cup granulated white sugar 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Set pan aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately sift in the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Prepare frosting.

Vanilla-Bean Buttercream Frosting (make more than needed)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup milk 3 cups confectioners' sugar

Cream the butter in a medium-size bowl until very smooth. Stir in the vanilla-bean seeds until they're evenly distributed. Add the salt, vanilla and milk, and stir until combined. Sift the sugar over the butter mixture and stir the mixture until it's perfectly smooth. If the frosting is too loose, add a few more tablespoons of confectioners' sugar, and stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to use; mix well just before using. Decorate cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Chef Mommy

Socializing on Friday

One of the things that made my time in IL (and TX and EC...) so wonderful was the group of people Austin and I hung out with. A few folks were great about organizing social events and getting to know new faculty from many different departments and programs. I loved being invited to join a book group and wouldn't necessarily have thought to start one on my own. In my new gig, however, I decided to make an effort to find new friends and the best time to do so is at the beginning of the year when lots of people are new and don't know many others in the area. We newbies spent all day on Friday at a new faculty orientation session and I wondered who among the group might also be interested in some social events. We had more time to get to know each other at the new faculty picnic at the President's house and Austin was a trusty sidekick at the event. I know I made at least one friend in Big Red.

Later, I recruited for a book group. I'm pleased that a number of people said they were interested and I'm hoping we'll be able to actually pull it off. The plan is to meet next week at the bookstore to select our first title and then give people time to read. I'm excited to see what we choose since it seems the group is fairly diverse, demographically speaking, and I love the potential for fascinating discussion with everyone.

February Blur Part II

The second half of February was also very busy for us so here's a quick recap.
We made an AMAZING salad for Valentine's Day. We tweaked this recipe; our version included panko-breaded, baked goat cheese rounds, homemade vinaigrette, dried sour cherries, and butter roasted pecans. It is so delicious that I highly recommend it as a main course.

The salad was so good, it almost stole the show from the king crab legs that we steamed though Stinky had no time for salads and was very interested in the briny sea smell in the air.

We went to a friend's housewarming party where Austin made our favorite crostinis--toasted baguette slices topped with Boursin and roasted red peppers drizzled in balsamic and topped with parsley chiffonade. It was an event where we were going to stay for a bit but ended up staying all night. The event included a dance party of professors and a spontaneous dart game. The next morning, we all went out for breakfast and discovered a fantastic new dive breakfast joint.

Finally, we ended the month celebrating brother Sean's 30th birthday. It was one of those parties that was so crazy, well, gentle readers of this blog,all I can say is that it was "one of those parties" and leave it at that.

Christmas Up North

After four years, we were able to drive home for Xmas again. Our first stop was at my family's, with sweet little Maddy greeting us sleepily.

I found Maddy in a shed as a tiny kitten, all alone and with a bad cold and then my dog-loving family adopted our first cat ever. This was back when I was in high school and she's been with us for about 19 years. She looks a lot like Stinky but she's much daintier and smaller than he. Maddy stayed in front of the fireplace even when we had a rousing gift opening session.

It was such funny to see our niece enjoying the gift opening and to see her helping her little brother. The next day, there were more festivities with the extended side of my family coming to brunch. My grandma looked great for being days shy of 96 years old and, with several little ones in attendance, there were four generations represented. After dinner on Xmas Eve, we were off to Minneapolis to visit with Austin's family.

The stocking my grandma knit for me way back when now lives at my inlaws' and came out on Xmas morning. We opened stockings and gifts, went to a family event, and relaxed at home that evening. Austin and I were off late the next morning, bringing lunch to my aunt and uncle and then running a few errands which involved getting to see a friend. Then we hit the road and went back to IL, happy and sated.

End of the Semester Dinner Party

My very first semester as a "real" professor is over. Clearly it kept me from blogging more regularly but some of my busy-ness was spent teaching one of my best classes ever--teaching methods for grad students. I had them over at the end of the semester to cook dinner with me. As if we'd be wanting for food, Austin and I set out some appetizers including boursin-roasted pepper crostinis, smoked salmon with cream cheese and bagel chips, and artichoke spread and baguettes.

Then the cooking began.

We enjoyed fried spring rolls, Malaysian noodles, Italian flatbread pizza, a halal chicken dish, and more.

For dessert, there were crêpes and nutella and 18 year aged balsamic on vanilla ice cream. What a fantastic class and group of students.

We Made It

And this is basically how we all feel:

Six Years

My friend and my beloved--with the deepest love and respect, I choose you to be my partner in life, in body and soul. I promise: to laugh with you in joy, to grieve with you in sorrow, to trust and be trustworthy, to be faithful to you in marriage and life, and to honor our differences for as long as we both shall live.

I choose you to be my partner. To learn and to grow with, to come to in both happiness and sorrow, to confide in and trust above all others and to respect in everything as an equal partner. I promise to love you and honor you as long as we both shall live. With these words and the words of my heart, I marry you.

Good Things

I thought I'd have a lot more time to blog and do different projects post-dissertation, but selling the house and keeping up on staging has gotten in the way. At risk of sounding cryptic, I'll say that things on the house front are progressing well and we're happy. It's been a good day here and Austin and Stinky got do a little afternoon reading and dozing.

I've also been doing some pleasure reading, relaxing, and lazing around this weekend. We'll be eating some (truly) yummy leftovers tonight and watching a movie. Tomorrow is our six year anniversary and we don't have any big plans but we will be cooking dinner together and enjoying a quiet evening. We will be traveling to Puerto Rico in early July for a conference I'll be presenting at and Austin decided to join me. We have deemed that trip our anniversary experience (we almost never do gifts--always experiences of some sort shared together).

So yes, things are good. Crazy, moving forward, and busy, but very, very good.

Graduation & Beyond

I walked in the doctoral graduation ceremony last Saturday, happy to have parents (sadly, minus Liz) and Austin in the audience. There are very few ways to show personality when you're all wearing identical puffy, hot regalia and trying to look dignified and scholarly (or something approaching that). I painted my toenails the exact color of the velvet trim on my gear and got sparkly gold shoes to match.

When one of the marshals handed me a fake diploma, he leaned in and said "You win the prize for the best shoes here." I rarely get praised on my shoes since I have high arches and it's difficult for me to wear anything fancy, pretty, or remotely cute. I go for comfort but these shoes were flat and my ankle was firmly strapped in so it seemed the safest thing for walking across a stage with a bit of flair.

Following the ceremony, the fam and I ran various errands to put together a feast of BBQ, fruits, veggies, salads, crackers, cheeses, and much more that I'm forgetting. A few of my friends stopped by. Wine was drunk. Good conversation was had. It was a success, I'd say, and I'm grateful for all the help I got from the 'rents and Austin.

The parents left on Sunday and on Monday, we officially listed our house for sale. On Tuesday, we had three showings and madly whipped the house into presentable shape. It wasn't that we were blindsided by the showings but there is something about cleaning for an imaginary showing versus knowing there are several Real Showings on the books. It's interesting, now, keeping up the house. We wonder "If I started baking this casserole, will someone call and want to be here in a half hour?" We've decided all fish will be cooked on the grill for the time being. Other random things that we didn't think about before keep cropping up, like omg, how did the baseboards get so dirty? And when was the last time I even thought about them? So yes, some first world problems are on our radars now.

In some exciting news, I have accepted a professorship in IL at a university about an hour outside of Chicago. I'm really excited about the position, what I'll be teaching, and the other projects it will entail. I've already set up my email and contacted a few (future) colleagues. I'm dreaming about syllabus design and thinking about research. We'll be within realistic driving distance of our family and friends; Austin's mom and my sister will be a mere two hours away as will a close friend of mine. For every wonderful thing I will miss about Aus-town (Alamo Drafthouse! Migas at restaurants! Gardening in February!), I'm thinking of the new wonderful things to come (Actual fall weather! New restaurants to try! A "tea emporium" in the university town!). These are the kinds of things that are good to think about when you're also worrying about selling a home, moving a cat with mental health issues across the country, finding time to house hunt, etc.

The bottom line is that this will be a summer of transitions and new adventures but we did it four years ago so we know it can be done. Go, Team Lunderoy!

Life After Diss

We've had some storms and rain lately and it makes me so, so happy. Stinky tends to be oblivious to rain and doesn't mind being wet. Usually thunder doesn't faze him but we've had a few really loud claps that have made even Austin and I jump that have seemed to agitate the furry one (to be clear I mean the cat, not that man). The other night, we had grilled cheese and tomato soup and lounged on the couch after dinner with Stinky snoozing between us and a cool breeze coming through the house. That is one of my favorite ways to spend an evening.

There are plenty of projects to keep me busy during the day, though, but good-busy, not dissertation-writing-busy. We met with our real estate agent and will be staging and listing the house next week. It feels like we just moved in and I love this house but sadly, it didn't come with a job attached. Fortunately, we don't need to do anything major like painting all the walls white or replacing the carpet. We mostly just need to pack all the STUFF away. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get an offer and if we can get a reasonable price for it. Whatever the case, we are much better off than so many other homeowners so it should turn out all right.

I am also working on a presentation for a conference in Puerto Rico in July. Austin will be joining me so we can make it a sort of vacation and another couple we are friends with will be there. Austin loved his trip to the Virgin Islands so Puerto Rico really appealed to him. In addition to that conference, I'll be presenting at another in Philly in November. One of my presentations is collaborative so my team will be trying to get our work done over the summer. That will be another great conference that I'll be attending with close friends. It's wonderful to have friend-colleagues.

Austin and I are also trying to plan when we'll head to IL to look at the community where my new job is based. We have lots of details to sort out on that but when we've got our new digs lined up, my dad has enthusiastically requested to drive our moving truck north. Unlike our move to TX, this will be interesting since poor Stinky will be along for the ride.

So all in all, there is still a lot going on but my schedule is much more flexible and the projects are more enjoyable than, say, editing Chapter Two for the umpteenth time. Best of all, we will see our parents next week for graduation!

Done? Really?

I successfully defended my dissertation last week and they pronounced me "Doctor Lunderoy" but I still had revisions to tackle and paperwork to process. Today, I submitted everything and I am completely done (minus walking across the stage). Today was a fantastically crazy day that I have to document.

Fortunately, Austin took the day off to help me through everything which turned out to be a good idea. After uploading ("depositing") my dissertation into the ether, we headed to campus to finalize things. The campus parking garages seemed to be full so we parked in a private ramp which had the most narrow spaces I've ever seen. When we finally found a tiny spot for my tiny car, Austin had to get out to guide my car in. My mirrors were just inches from a concrete wall on one side and another car on the other. I had to use the hatch as the exit/entry point. That bad.

We headed to "The Tower" armed with a hard copy of my dissertation, my laptop, a jump drive, water, Kindles, our (dusty) checkbook, and the final paperwork. It was an uphill hike to The Tower in 90 degree heat with major humidity. Lovely. Given that it was the last day of the semester, we had no idea if we would be in line with hundreds, dozens, or a handful of other grad students. Fortunately, things were relatively quiet. We were shown into a "degree evaluator's" office that was plastered in pictures of horses, cats, and the occasional human. There was even a complete antique-y farm diorama on display. The evaluator--who was inexplicably wearing scrubs--checked off cryptic items on a form and declared that I had submitted a dissertation that had appropriately followed the formatting guidelines. Success!

We then went into Bob's office (Bob is a legend on campus) because I was allowed to draw a prize from the Mysterious Bag. Yes, seriously. I reached into a bag printed with a question mark and pulled out the above pictured graduation ducky. Bob also had a nice bust of Napoléon and a large portrait of him which Bob had draped in black crepe paper to commemorate Napoléon's May 5th death. Austin was delighted to see that Bob also had an R2D2 wastepaper basket. I got to look at his phrenology head model and finally discovered that the knob on the back of my skull that so many hair stylists have remarked on indicates a love of animals. I then went to the Cashier's Office to pay my final fees (with a check, no credit cards allowed) and that was that.

We were ready to leave campus and Austin helped me un-wedge my car from the parking space but we were held up leaving the cramped garage because a van had become wedged in the exit lane, floor to ceiling. People were furiously trying to release air from the tires and weigh it down to get it out. We finally left through a wrong-way lane.

It is now completely over and we will soon go out to one of my favorite Mexican dives in the area. I have a graduation duck, a Ph.D., and I am beyond grateful for my husband, family*, and friends who have made this all come together for me. Now where is that margarita?!

*Family includes my cat. Yes, Stinky actually got a mention in my acknowledgments. I'm that crazy. Austin has agreed to read it to Stinky because he is that crazy.

Birthday Brews

Life keeps getting in the way of my plans so this post is a week late but last weekend, we celebrated Austin's birthday at a local brewery that was having its one year anniversary party. There were lots of people, healthy pours, and abundant sunshine. It was a perfect birthday.

Christmas à deux

This year, we celebrated our first Christmas in our home and miles away from the family. Well, we did have one furry little friend who got a special tuna dinner but that mostly resulted in him begging for more fish non-stop...

We were able to Skype for three separate events which was really nice. The first time we Skyped to my parents' house, I heard my dad's power tools going and my brother made the most of his camera time with some funny, um, gestures. I also got to say hi to my niece and see my new nephew; so sweet. Later I watched the traditional Christmas Eve party unfold and got to see lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was great. On Christmas Day, we were able to do a gift opening with Austin's family and watch nephew Conner's excitement with all his presents. It wasn't perfect but it was much, much better than just getting passed around on a phone call.
Later we made tons of snow crab for our dinner and it was fantastic. I also made a lemon risotto. A soup and salad were planned but turned into lunch the next day since the two courses were more than enough for dinner. It was quiet and low key and really nice, in its only little way, Christmas à deux.

Thanksgiving 2011

I canceled our Thanksgiving dinner party on Tuesday, knowing I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to have friends over while our house should be quarantined. Still, the turkey breast was already defrosting and there was no turning back. Austin bravely forged on, ready to eat the entire thing himself, if needed. He roasted a beautiful bird and learned the art of carving.

We had our usual meal with over-the-top cheddar ranch mashed potatoes, lemon-hazelnut green beans, and stuffing. I always include the canned cranberry blob for nostalgic reasons but it really is a good blast of sweet/tart at the end of the meal. Our other addition this year was yeast rolls. I've heard several people mention them down here and it wasn't anything Austin or I had ever had. We just bought some frozen ones to see what the fuss was about before considering making our own. Well. Those little golden-brown nuggets make delightful dinner guests and will be invited to future meals for sure. I've never been one to get excited by a dinner roll but these were wonderful. I look forward to making them from scratch next time.

Austin laughed while I spent way too much time making the little garland that was over our table, saying I didn't need to decorate for two. Nonsense! I like it so much I may consider it part of our Christmas decorating. Who knew that a little tissue paper and ribbon could make me so happy?

And ever the lover of flowers, I had to have a bouquet for the table. I love the combination of traditional oranges and russets with hot pink and chartreuse. Again, a simple pleasure.

All in all, Thanksgiving à deux was a success. The Packers won, Austin conquered the turkey from beginning to end (making stock today), the meal was fantastic, the leftovers plentiful, and today we'll laze around and maybe put up the Christmas tree--if we feel like it.

Arizona

The real reason we went to Arizona, of course, was to attend a wedding. When the bride wears red shoes, you know it's going to be a good time.

The wedding invitation had a "game of love" theme and the wedding didn't disappoint. The tables were named after board games and my sister, cousin, and our husbands just happened to be seated at the "Trouble" table. I particularly enjoyed the wedding because the bride's family was German so there was a lot of bilingualism going on. I spoke Spanish at our table with a fellow teacher and also with a bartender. Celebrating the marriage of a very cool couple with a side of language made the wedding extra enjoyable to me and hopefully others. What a blast!

Spring Up North

I haven't updated the blog lately since I've been traveling and what a great time to be doing so. Spring comes earlier in Texas so it's been nice to have another taste of it up here in "Minnesconsin." I've loved seeing every green-gold young leaf, the flowering trees, and the tulips. This flowering tree is from my inlaws' yard but they seem to exploding all over.

My initial reason for coming home was a conference at which I presented with some wonderful colleagues. I ended up doing lots of work on this trip. First, I had to (desperately) finish a final paper and email it away. Then I submitted final grades for the sections I was teaching. After that was out of the way, I had to do some prep work for the current conference and a fall one while I was able to meet with local colleagues.

Fortunately, I was also able to see family and friends. I spent some time with my parents, saw my brother and his family, then got together with two wonderful girlfriends. We did lots of cooking (Indian fry bread tacos and mujadara) and had wonderful conversations while soaking in some spring sunshine. After the conference, I was also able to attend my niece's second birthday part which was fantastic.

I'm now enjoying my last full day in the great, green north spending a little more time with my parents. It's been a great visit but I'm also ready to head back to Austin and Stinky.

Back to Normal (Almost)

Everything was normal back on campus, other than the "where were you when" conversations. The library was open (minus the floor in question) and students were sitting out on the lawn, enjoying the nice weather.

I went to class this afternoon in one of the buildings near the library (where I would have been Tuesday) and the only eerie sign that anything had happened was the SWAT team's scrawlings on all the doors. Some said "locked" others said "clear" and some I couldn't decipher.

So, in the spirit of the motto of my good ol' home state, "Forward."

Lock Down

What a day at UT. I left for class this morning and got a text from the campus alert system that there was an armed gunman near the library. My morning and afternoon classes happen to be on either side of the library. I kept going, though, because I had classes all day and figured at some point things would be cleared up. I also wasn't too worried since lately, a man has been trying to grope women exiting the library so I thought it might be something related as there have been a couple of false alarms. I called Austin and asked him to turn on the news. Just as I was getting to campus, I learned the SWAT was on the scene and the area was closed off.

My office and parking garage are on the edge of campus and were not close to the impacted area nor were they closed off. I was considering going to a coffee shop but decided to head to my office for some reason. The building was on lock down and the guard let me in. I streamed the media coverage on my computer and texted various people to update them. Squad cars and SWAT vehicles kept flying by my office window, sirens were sounding and PA systems warned of lock down, and emails from the University kept coming in. I could hear helicopters overhead. The cacophony of sounds outside was intense plus I could hear the guard's phone ringing and his emergency radio chattering away.

I stayed in my office as I heard reports that the gunman had shot and killed himself but then word of a second suspect at large came in. I eventually made the choice to leave and made it home safely. The all clear just came in but the University remains closed; still no word on the possible second shooter.

The University did a fantastic job of warning everyone via text, email, and the PA system. When the dust clears, I'll be curious to hear what hindsight tells us. My only concern was that there had been false alarms before so I wasn't as concerned about still going to campus, thinking the alert would soon be lifted. I'm relieved that no one was hurt, at least not physically, and am keeping the University community close in my thoughts.