Wednesday, January 30, 2013

2012 wordsoup

All 2012 101 in 1001 words!

Primipara- a woman who is giving birth for the first time.
Numinous- having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of a divinity
Eschatologically- The branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind.
Pappy- soft and bland
Cicatrix- A scar resulting from the formation and concentration of fibrous tissue in a wound.
Plenipotentiary- That which confers full powers OR a person invested with "full powers."
Macrocephalic- Abnormal largeness of the head.
Hircine- of, or pertaining to, a goat.
Prevarication- a false or deliberate misstatement
Agglutination- the state of being thus united; adhesion of parts
Chilblains- the painful inflammation of small blood vessels in your skin that occur in response to sudden warming from cold temperatures
Expiate- make amends for
Puissant- having great power or influence
Zaftig- (of a woman) having a full, rounded figure; plump
Fanfaronade- arrogant or boastful talk
Apiary- a place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives
Casuist- a person who uses clever but unsound reasoning, esp. in relation to moral questions; a sophist.
Anthropophagy- the eating of human flesh by human beings
Ingluvies- The crop, or craw, of birds  
Foulard- A lightweight twill or plain-woven fabric of silk or silk and cotton, usually having a small printed design  
Soubrette- A saucy, coquettish, intriguing maidservant in comedies or comic opera  
Ursprache- any hypothetical extinct and unrecorded language reconstructed from groups of related recorded languages. For example, Germanic is an Ursprache reconstructed by comparison of English, Dutch, German, the Scandinavian languages, and Gothic; Indo-European is an Ursprache reconstructed by comparison of the Germanic group, Latin, Sanskrit, etc. 
Pettifog- to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters.
Pfui- an exclamation indicating disagreement or rejection of an argument; contempt
Fichu- a woman's kerchief or shawl, generally triangular in shape, worn draped over the shoulders or around the neck with the ends drawn together on the breast.
Bain-marie- (in cooking) a receptacle containing hot or boiling water into which other containers are placed to warm or cook the food in them.
Orison- A prayer
Bloviated- To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner
Charnier- A mass grave
Ossuaries- a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains
Mephitic- (esp. of a gas or vapor) Foul-smelling; noxious
Mendicant- a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property
Sinsemilla- highly potent marijuana from female plants that are specially tended and kept seedless by preventing pollination in order to induce a high resin content
Badinage- Humorous conversation
Demimonde- a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers
Descry- Catch sight of
Deliquesce- Become liquid, typically during decomposition
Reconnoitering- Make a military observation of (a region)
Debility- being weak or feeble
Patera- a shallow ceramic or metal libation bowl
Paresthesia- a sensation of tickling, tingling, burning, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect
Sansculotte- an extreme radical republican in France at the time of the French Revolution
Jocunditie- the quality or condition of being merry or cheerful
Vicregal- Of or relating to a viceroy
Purlieus- A person's usual haunts
Fulness- In Christianity, the dispensation (or administration) of the fulness of times is thought to be a world order or administration in which the heavens and the earth are under the political and/or spiritual government of Jesus. The phrase is derived from a passage in Ephesians 1:10 (KJV), which reads: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
Irreticence- Not reticent, wanting in reticence. (Coined by V. Woolf)
Equerry- A personal attendant to the British royal household
Pother- A state of nervous activity; a fuss
Shallop- A large heavy boat, usually having two masts and carrying fore-and-aft or lugsails

2011 words here.
2010 words here.

101 in 1001- October/November/December/January update

8) Grow my hair below my shoulder blades. (December 2012)
I said from the beginning that I would be willing to fudge and count length when my hair is straight. I'm still doing that, but it's almost that long even when it's curly! I'm not sure how this happened...even friends have noted that I all of a sudden had long hair. I don't have a great photo of it, but here's te best recent photo that shows some of the length (oh yeah, I'm on Instagram now. After much persuading.):













16) Donate $100 a year to charity.
STAIR- $20 (January 2013)
Doctors Without Borders- $30 (January 2013)

19) Read 1 unassigned book per month.
October '12- Philippe Aries Western Attitudes Toward Death from the Middle Ages to the Present
November '12- TBA
December '12- TBA
January '13- TBA
(working on this!)

23) See 26 movies I've never seen, starting with each letter of the alphabet.
N- Nine to Five (1980)- (December 2012)
O- On the Waterfront (1954)- (November 2012)
T- There Will Be Blood (2007)- (October 2012)
U- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)- (October 2012)
X- X: Night of Vengeance (2011)- (December 2012)

X: Night of Vengeance sounds like it would be AWFUL, right? Richie and I basically only watched it so I could cross it off this list. But it ended up being not bad! No tour de force, but definitely watchable-without-cringing. It was actually a pretty decent movie...reminded me of a French thriller.

24) Learn 1 new word a week.
Okay, this list is going to be SUPER LONG, because it goes back to July. So, bear with me. Apologies!
Orison- A prayer
Bloviated- To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner
Charnier- A mass grave
Ossuaries- a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains
Mephitic- (esp. of a gas or vapor) Foul-smelling; noxious
Mendicant- a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property
Sinsemilla- highly potent marijuana from female plants that are specially tended and kept seedless by preventing pollination in order to induce a high resin content
Badinage- Humorous conversation
Demimonde- a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers
Descry- Catch sight of
Deliquesce- Become liquid, typically during decomposition
Reconnoitering- Make a military observation of (a region)
Debility- being weak or feeble
Patera- a shallow ceramic or metal libation bowl
Paresthesia- a sensation of tickling, tingling, burning, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect
Sansculotte- an extreme radical republican in France at the time of the French Revolution
Jocunditie- the quality or condition of being merry or cheerful
Vicregal- Of or relating to a viceroy
Purlieus- A person's usual haunts
Fulness- In Christianity, the dispensation (or administration) of the fulness of times is thought to be a world order or administration in which the heavens and the earth are under the political and/or spiritual government of Jesus. The phrase is derived from a passage in Ephesians 1:10 (KJV), which reads: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
Irreticence- Not reticent, wanting in reticence. (Coined by V. Woolf)
Equerry- A personal attendant to the British royal household
Pother- A state of nervous activity; a fuss
Shallop- A large heavy boat, usually having two masts and carrying fore-and-aft or lugsails
Accouchement- A confinement during childbirth; a lying-in
Vagulous- Wayward, vague, wavering (also coined by V. Woolf)
Zenick- A South African burrowing mammal (Suricata tetradactyla), allied to the civets. It is grayish brown, with yellowish transverse stripes on the back. Called also suricat
Aliquot- a method of measuring ingredients below the sensitivity of a scale by proportional dilution with inactive ingredients

27) Regularly volunteer somewhere.  (October 2012)
I started volunteering as a tutor with STAIR in September 2012. Almost every Saturday, I tutor a seven-year old girl in reading. It is exhilarating, trying, frustrating, and wonderful. Once a week, I get a rambunctious little girl screaming, "Miss MANDI!!! I'm so GLAD YOU'RE HERE!" Then she shows me her newest purse and all the contents therein. Then she tells me about her week. THEN, we read. :)

42) Take some photos of my brother and me for our parents. (December 2012)
When I first made this list, I envisioned Alex and I having a photographer take some photos of us for our parents. What happened instead is that I took a photo from each of our graduations (his high school one and my grad school one), blew them up and had them framed for our parents as a Christmas present. I think it still fits the spirit of the original idea, which was to give my parents updated pictures of us.

48) Host a dinner for my parents. (December 2012)
On Christmas Eve eve (that is to say, December 23), Richie and I had my parents and his mom over for a pre-Christmas dinner of chicken and sausage gumbo, potato salad, and a cranberry coffee cake. And a bunch of alcohol. Success!

55) Cook 10 challenging dishes from celebrated chefs. (January 2013)
3) Susan Spicer's Savory Vegetable Polenta Gratin with Garlic Confit

62) Visit 10 historical sites in New Orleans.
3) Antoine's Restaurant (December 2011)
I went back to Antoine's over the Christmas holiday (because they had a $20 lunch special and I'm cheap) and decided that New Orleans' oldest restaurant warranted the designation of a historical site. I'm marking this December 2011 though, because that was the first time I went there.


85) Attend at least 1 music festival a year. - updated!
I originally said I didn't attend any music festivals in 2012, but I did! I went to French Quarter Fest in April on two separate days and totally forgot about it! So, this one continues!

96) Attend 10 cultural events. (December 2012)
10) The Nutcracker

98) Pay off my 1st student loan and 1/4 of the 2nd one.
Halfway there! I paid off Sallie Mae. I'm not sure I'll be able to pay off 1/4 of the second one, but at least I half completed this!

Full list here.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

"Eventually the future shows up everywhere"

"We continue to speak, if only in whispers,
to something inside us that longs to be named.
We name it the past and drag it behind us,
bag like a lung filled with shadow and song,
dreams of running, the keys to lost names."
 -from "Dark Charms" by Dorianne Laux

Friday, January 4, 2013

Day 3

Breakfast: Green Juice
Snack: Trail Mix

Lunch: Kale and Veggie Salad
3 leaves kale, chopped
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup peas
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp dijon mustard

As I wrote in Day 2's entry, I was thinking of quitting the cleanse last night, or doing a modified version. I also slept really badly last night. I kept waking up, and when my alarm went off at 6:30, I was totally awake. When I got up, I noticed my hips were hurting, as were my shoulders. But, I wasn't hungry. In fact, I felt almost repulsed by food. I made my snack and salad and I'd normally snack while doing that, eating bits of bell pepper or walnuts. This time, I didn't feel any urge to do that. In fact, at one point, I picked up some bell pepper as a test, and I didn't want to put it in my mouth. I still made myself drink the green juice, because I can't afford to lose those calories. (This will be the last day I do the green juice. It's not...awful, but it's just not great. The celery gives it a really weird smell and the whole thing tastes vaguely and inexplicably of bananas.) I also had some Tulsi tea and some lemon water.

Right now, I'm at work and I feel tired still, but that persistent headache isn't there. I also feel slightly more energetic than I have in the past two days.

I didn't feel hungry for the first half of the day, so that's an improvement. However, my already low blood pressure has dropped significantly. This is worrisome. I also am still worried about a lack of protein.

I notice that is generally toward the end of the day that I start feeling really doubtful. This usually coincides with how shitty I feel by the end of the day. These past few days, I've almost felt like I have the flu...that really worn down, kind of achy feeling. So, I don't know. I really really REALLY hate the idea of giving up on something, especially something I stand to gain from (or lose, hardy har har). But I do need to consider overall health. And, I suppose, happiness. Richie is miserable with this cleanse because he notices how tired I am and he doesn't like that we can't eat meals together (because he's not going to do a cleanse). I need to think about it some more.

Day 2

Breakfast: Green Juice
1/2 head broccoli (or 6 leaves kale), chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 apple, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley sprigs
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Snack: Trail Mix
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

 Lunch: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

 Dinner:Stuffed Eggplant
1 Chinese eggplant, halved and hollowed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
6 sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp. tahini
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper

Woke up this morning feeling hungry, but decently well-rested. Had some caffeine-free Tulsi tea, on Christie's recommendation. I felt better than I did yesterday, less sluggish and fuzzy, but that could be sleeping more.

I've had that persistent mild headache all day, but its not awful. Something new today: I ate my lunch and felt full! As I was getting to the last 5 or so bites of soup, I noticed it. I finished and I didn't want anymore. Yay!

Also, yesterday's craving was pizza and breadsticks. Today, it's sweet and sour chicken. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

***

I didn't post this yesterday, because by the time I got home, I was so tired that I could barely move. Richie told me he thought I needed to quit the cleanse, or at least just skip to the second week, where I'd be eating more protein. I found myself feeling really despondent and deprived, and I was on the cusp of agreeing with him. Then he offered me a bite of pizza.And I realized I didn't want any. I mean, I DID, my brain did...but I couldn't get myself to take a bite of it. After I ate my dinner, I felt a little better, but still very lethargic.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Day 1

Today is the first day of the cleanse! I am not yet hiding under my desk, scarfing candy bars and drinking pots of coffee! SUCCESS.

I started the day out with a mug of hot water and lemon juice. Richie brewed coffee for himself and I had a pang of craving for it when I caught the scent, but it wasn't terrible.

I made my juice this morning, which was kind of a pain in the ass, because I had to bring the juicer in my bedroom, so as to not wake Matt. I could have made this ahead of time, but I heard that the effectiveness/health benefits of carrot juice wear off as the juice becomes less fresh. The juice itself was very good, though a little spicy, even for my ginger-loving palate. If I do this juice again, and I probably will, I'll want to use a little less ginger (maybe a half inch piece), and prep the grapefruit the night before (or do a bunch at once and refrigerate it).

When I got to work, I was feeling a little slow. I didn't get enough sleep last night, because I stayed up late reading an article on Virginia Woolf and lexicography. Between that and no coffee, getting back into the swing of work is a little difficult today. I'm drinking a lot of water, but not really noticing any increased energy.

***

I had my juice at 8am, and when I wasn't hungry by 10am, I was feeling pretty proud of myself. Then I got up to walk around some and expending just that small amount of energy (and probably thinking about not being hungry) made me a bit hungry. I held off until 10:45, then had some mint pea hummus with some carrots. That helped a little. Right now, at 11:45, I'm starting to get some hunger growls. I want to hold off until 12:30 to eat lunch, which I think is doable.

One of the biggest red flags I'm noticing right now is how much I want to snack. I started getting those cravings right around the time I ate the hummus. I thought that would help, but this really drives home for me how bad my snacking problem at work is. I don't want anything in particular, I just want to eat something. Definitely something to be aware of.

***

I had lunch at 12:30, and it was surprisingly filling. In fact, I almost didn't finish it, because my jaw got tired of chewing all those julienned radish pieces. It was good, though next time I think I'll add more cranberries. It's 3:10 right now, and I actually did have a little spurt of energy! Not sure if that's to be attributed to the veggies or sheer adrenaline. I am still feeling really exhausted, as though I need a nap, and I'm starting to get a headache. Nothing awful, just that mild sort of ache behind the eyes that comes from a lack of sleep (and probably a lack of caffeine as well). Feeling mildly hungry, but it's hardly a blip on the radar.

***

Afternoon brought declines in mood and energy. My pea hummus had turned a bit bitter (note to self: less lemon juice next time). By 5, I felt really worn out, but I forced myself to go to the grocery store to get some kale and butternut squash. Whole Foods didn't have butternut squash, so I went to Rouses (who had ONE. WHERE IS THE WINTER SQUASH?). By the time I left, I was feeling disoriented, annoyed, and sleepy. I came home and got on the scale to see I've lost 3 pounds since yesterday. I know all of this is water weight and I'll probably have some of it back by tomorrow morning, but it was still nice to see some de-bloating. Cooking the butternut squash/sweet potato/apple soup right now. I noticed myself getting a little down earlier, feeling grumpy about my diet food dinner. I actually started fantasizing about pizza and breadstick and had to turn off a Little Caesar's commercial on the radio (despite not ever desiring their pizza otherwise). I reminded myself that this soup is something I'd make any night of the week and totally enjoy it.  I think it's getting to me that I haven't felt FULL all day, but I need to teach myself/re-learn that full doesn't need to be "stuffed." I also need to change the amount of food I need to make myself feel full.

***

Soup notes: Next time, roast all vegetables before adding to soup. Needs a fair amount of pepper, no cinnamon (too sweet). Fuji apples are too sweet. Do not attempt to finish the soup with sherry vinegar. Needs less water or a longer cooking time. Overall, not awful, but could have been better. Would be good with tahini added in.

I feel better than I did even an hour ago (when I did the above bit). I'm still tired and I'll probably go to bed earlier than I normally would, but I'm in a better mood. I notice I don't feel like doing anything else tonight, including prepping tomorrow's food (which I may just do in the morning). I think I'm going to go shower and treat myself to a little mini-spa (i.e., I'm going to give myself a mani/pedi and slap on my Queen Helene Mint Julep face mask.)

I probably won't go into this great of detail every single day (I'm boring myself at this point!), but I wanted to track how I felt today, so I can mark any progress or decline. (I just had to google "word meaning a loss of progress." How do people function on so few calories regularly? I feel vapid!)

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

pre

I just had my last piece of king cake for a month. The past couple of days have been whiskey, vodka, gumbo, king cake, coffee spiked with praline liquor. It was all delicious, but I feel pretty bloated now and I'm pretty ready to start my cleanse.

 Tomorrow's meals: Breakfast: Grapefruit, carrot, and ginger juice
2 grapefruits
5 carrots
1 in. ginger

 Snack (morning and afternoon): Minty pea hummus (with raw carrots)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/8 cup mint leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Lunch: Fall Salad
3/4 cup escarole
1 tbsp. parsley leaves
1 baby carrot, julienned
1 radish, julienned
5 cranberries
2 tsp. hemp seeds
2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tsp. pepitas
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. apple cider
Salt and pepper
Dried thyme

Snack: Minty pea hummus

Dinner: Butternut and Apple Soup (1 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 in. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Dash ground cloves
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tart apple, peeled, quartered, and chopped
4 cups chopped butternut squash
Salt and pepper