Day Twelve

Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

Days Ten & Eleven

Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat.

I was upset that I ate my Filet-O-Fish without taking a picture of it for my Day Ten post. Then I got over it, because everyone know what McDonald look like!

My other favorite places to eat are my house and my parents' house.

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

The other day, my mom's friend in Japan sent me a bunch of things from the 300 yen store. One was a pencil cup holder-type thing, and another was a makeup bag. This was exciting to me for some reason even though we have such things here in the States. So I cleaned up my makeup area (stuff piled on a TV dinner table from Target). 

This is not a representation of what I actually use in one day, even a fancy day; the bag is just huge and fits anything that I currently use. There are eyeshadows: Visée neutrals, Laura Mercier's Black Karat (more like khaki greenish bronze), MAC's "My Dark Magic" featuring Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty (a shimmery, gothy purple). There's blush by a Japanese company (I accidentally bought the refill without ever having a case for it) and the Chanel case is Orchid Rose. There are four tubes of mascara: Maybelline's standard Great Lash but BIG mascara (whatever), Maybelline's the Falsies Volum' Express (horrible, flimsy wand), a sample of Laura Mercier mascara, and Kiehl's Marvelous Mineral Mascara. I love the last two and am done with drugstore mascara. There are two lipsticks: Shiseido's Perfect Rouge in RD305 (bright berry red as seen here) and MAC's Siss (pale beige), recommended to me by my cousin. I see some nail stuff--cuticle cream and nail strengthening cream. I try to keep my nails nice but it's a tough battle. I also see four eyeliners--two liquid eyeliners (Japanese drugstore--the skinny pink tube is a winner!), Bobbi Brown's creamy liner in a pot, and a smudging eyeliner (also from Japanese drugstores). There are also three lip medications: Blistex (I think that's Mordo's), Kiehl's Lip Balm #1, and skinny Carmex in a tube. I also spy my handy eyebrow pencil with the brush at the end from Sephora. And there's the French lotion in a stick thing (looks like a mini-deodorant) that I should use more often.

I love makeup, but it's so expensive and I don't carve out as much time as I would like for it. I'm sure I'll come back from Japan feeling naked and ignorant though, and will be revitalized in my efforts this summer.

Day Nine

Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased.

I have no photo of the small coffee (cream + sugar) that I bought form Dunkin' Donuts this morning.  When I got my little cup, I wondered why I didn't get a medium. 

 

This evening I went to a Rockies vs. Cubs game, brought to MordeKei by Big John and Little Debby's (Mordo won these tickets). Finally, I made use of this hat (last picture). I was decked out in various non-matching shades of purple. Everything went pretty well--my grandma hooked it up with parking nearby; the Rockies won; I saw CarGo; I may have been on TV briefly in the background of a child boasting his eighth birthday with a giant home-made poster; I ate a slice of pizza and nachos, and I got to smell red rope nearby (I probably would have gotten/felt sick if the guy came around one more time because I would've bought some); Mitsu was fine at home alone while we were gone and seems to be doing well. So, the last thing "I" bought, by which I mean "we," but which I mean Mordecai, was nachos. I have no photo of this purchase either, so instead, I present to you two pictures from the game.

Tomorrow I 'defend' my topical. Can't catch up on the latest 90-minute episode of Glee until that is over.

Day Eight

Day 8 – A song to match your mood.

I don't know that either of these songs 'match my mood' but they have been in my head for the past week. Dan gave me Adele's '21' album, and I've been listening to it in the car nonstop. I keep forgetting to bring it in and copy it onto my iTunes so that I can pass the good shit on to Emily. I like to listen to the songs and arrange the lyrics to Mitsu's circumstances or personality. "Rumor has it...rumor has it...rumor has it Mitsu has some tummy troubles~" "There's a fire, burning in my dog!" And so on. 

Bonus factoid: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was actually written for the only real "little monster" who belongs to no one but herself--Mitsu. I imagine she sings the song with amended lyrics when, say, the vet says to me and Mordecai that we're raising her well. "It doesn't matter who my real parents are...or who my human parents are...I'm putting my paws up...Ms. Vet, I was born this way! I was born this way, I was born this way...My name is Mitsu Scheckter, I was born this way!"

Days Five, Six, Seven

What a blogging-delinquent weekend. It was a cooking-heavy weekend, as well as puppy health issues-heavy weekend. Mitsu has been having some tummy troubles, and she also had a random allergic reaction to something on Saturday night. I'll be calling the vet soon; I hope the desk attendants are like, "Oh poor Mitsu! Bring her in right away." She hung out with them when she got spayed. Anyway, here are Days 5 through 7 in one post.

Day 5 – A photo of yourself two years ago.

Two years ago, I wore bright colors and frequented Golden Nugget more than I do now. I still get the Guadelajara Skillet.

Day 6 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet.

I think Mitsu would have a ball with another creature in the house, but I think capybaras are really mellow and would want nothing to do with Mitsu-like creatures. I think her ideal companion would be an equally enthusiastic-for-life!!!!!!!111 male Shiba or a Jack Russell Terrer. But I also think I'd die if I had to take care of another dog. 

Day 7 – Your dream wedding.

 

Been done did it!

Day Four

Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend.

A typical answer: the person who has been condemned to live with you for the rest of their life. Here, Mordo is in a batting cage. I think he has a good batting stance; at least, it looks better than certain professionals (namely, Kevin Youkilis). So in work clothes, his batting stance appears particularly handsome to me.

Day Three

Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date.

Perhaps these '30 Day Challenges' are meant for young, free spirits, i.e. unmarried. In any case, I guess my idea of a perfect first date (or a place to receive your engagement ring) would be the Art Institute of Chicago. If I get tired, you (Mordo) can take me across the street to Bennigan's. Or we can walk the rest of the block and you (Mordo) can take me to McDonald's for an even cheaper, more satisfying  meal.

Ideally, the museum would not be crowded, and would be soothing, like Ando Tadao's Museum of Modern Art in Forth Worth. You wouldn't have to wait in a line that wraps around a giant cement upside cone thingie and then snakes its way up the escalators, like I had to last summer at the National Art Center in Tokyo for an exhibition of stuff from the Orsay.

If you are not Mordo, and you want to take me out on a date, a perfect one would be to a White Sox game. But I think the only other 'dude' who is permitted to take me out, by MordeKei standards, would be Southpaw.

Day Two

Day 2 – A photo of something you ate today.

For 'breakfast,' I had tea, honey roasted peanuts, and some Peppridgefarm goldfish. All donated kindly by Mordo. 

For lunch, I had a Dunkin' Donuts eggwhite flatbread sandwich and a chocolate frosted donut. I like egg white more than egg with yolk a lot, so this product appealed to me. I'd say that they're fine for something to eat on the go, but in general, they're pretty salty, and it is depressing to see all the items heated up. Or 'nuked,' as Shaun said the other day of all DD items.

The weather here is dreary today, as it was yesterday. I've been out in my North Face jacket, which I knew not to put away. I try not to let it get me down--once you make that decision in your head, and when you're armed with Ann Sather's cinnamon rolls or have a Shiba puppy by your side, it's slightly easier to follow through.

Day One

I got this idea from a blogger I randomly came across long ago. She is an absolute stranger to me but she's pretty and she has pretty jewelry, bags, and shoes, so I check her blog a lot. She once commented on this here blog. Let's see how far I get with these daily tasks.

Day 1 – A photo of yourself and a description of how your day was.

Here are 2 photos of me today. Mitsu has amazing teeth. She also smelled my eye for a while.

This morning I got some work done at Argo. I stepped into Rugby across the street for a few minutes and found some nice khaki pants, which I touched. I also saw some nice shirts on sale, but decided that theoretically, if I were to buy anything, it'd be the more practical or needy item, which would be the pants, as opposed to the wanty items. My current pants all fit weird because I've recently gained a significant enough amount of weight to notice such things. I also need nice pants, pants I can teach in during the summer. But I don't live in a theoretical world, so when another customer came in and occupied the employee, I slipped out. I'll probably be back though; let's just face the truth.

I went to yoga later in the afternoon, where I was the only person in my class. It was a lot harder than last week, which was good. But in order to fit into certain pants again, I figure I'll need to go again this week, or add another aspect to my exercise regimen that is not walking Mitsu around the neighborhood for fifteen to twenty minutes once or twice a day. I dread running, and we no longer have a VCR so I can't do "Buns of Steel" from the early 90's and even if Naomi returned Wii Fit (I think I kind of instructed her not to), that'd be of no use to me. To be continued.

Recent photos

Playing now

It's taken weeks, maybe a couple of months, but I'm finally playing this up to speed. Obviously not with wisdom, knowledge of much beyond what keys to hit when, or with the kind of emotion that lifts me from my piano bench. I remember when this song came out in Japan back in the day, when it dominated the mainstream charts despite having no vocals or lyrics. I think part of the appeal was its promotion in a commercial for an energy drink or something, but also that it soothed many overburdened, stressed out Japanese souls. There is indeed something soothing about the melody, like menthol, but there's also something catchy, popular, dare I say "easy," too, like candy.  Basically, what I'm saying is, this song is a good cough drop. As with all other non-Beethoven pieces I play, Mitsu is not interested, so there are no videos of us jamming together on this one.

Foodies

Some go-to edibles as of late

Chicken & ginger-miso dish

 Blueberry-cream cookies

Cookie watch (dog not edible, but they say the red ones taste good)

Roast chicken

Good stuff

When I think about what Paula Deen would have done if she were given this opportunity, at least at my age and place in life, I feel ashamed that I walked away with only four boxes (pounds) of unsalted butter. I think I bake enough to merit four more boxes at this price point. Anyway, I wasn't even expecting butter to be on sale (I checked the circulars), so when I saw this price tag, I just leaned over the refrigerator container and admired it. Then I took this photo with my phone, and then I just couldn't stop marveling that I had to tweet and blog about it. I might have to call my mom in case she doesn't know, though she probably does (but then why didn't I get a call?!).

In other news, I think last night's episode of Glee was one of the best of this season so far. I haven't been obsessively watching like I did for season one, mostly because I didn't get the iTunes season pass for it, but also because I feel like the writers of the show are aware of its massive success and popularity. Maybe the episodes evolve around the musical themes more, and less around the characters? I don't know. But damn, those Warblers are just killing it every episode! I can't believe they did a Robin Thicke song, long-haried, vintage Thicke, no less! I was hoping to see the original version of "When I Get You Alone" in the Top 50 singles on iTunes, but I have a feeling that looking up the single under "Robin Thicke" and getting nothing, while the single actually hides under the artist name "Thicke," has something to do with it. And the fact that Glee Cast songs do better than originals. Anyway. And finally, I saw the old Rachel of season one last night when she and Finn were talking towards the end, and when she sang "Firework" to herself in her mirror at home with her brush as the mic. It was like when she sang "On My Own," at home and in her Glee audition, except she wasn't depressed and sad and solitarily slushied all the time. And her dresses! The green one with the bows, the pink one with the black prints of who knows what! If/when I get that episode in HD, I will obsessively try to find the most flattering frame of her in them and the maybe scour the internet in hopes of finding them or something similar. And then I will post myself trying to look like as hopeful as Rachel Berry, maybe as the snow melts and spring approaches.

Mitsu x Beethoven Collaboration

Last week, I was playing the piano, and Mitsu starting vocalizing when I played the theme to Beethoven's 7th. I've been playing this piece, a Nodame Cantabile version, for about half a year now so it's become the one-trick-pony piece I play when I feel like playing something but not really practicing. At first, I thought Mitsu was telling me to shut up, and then I thought she had to go outside. But then she sat and lied down by my bench, so I continued playing. When I started a section that involved a crescendo, Mitsu joined in by howling. Her face, looking straight on, is super cute when she stretches her howls out. I started to give her treats when she would sing along to my crescendos, and she performed for Mordecai a couple of times. I was finally able to capture all of this on camera tonight with minimal mistakes on my part. She doesn't seem to care for any other pieces I play, so I like to think that she and Beethoven are basically best friends.

You kind of have to wait for her to hear the howls clearly. She warms up a little throughout the song, misses my conducting cues in the middle, but then comes through at the end (~1:00 mark)!

This is our one hit wonder, guys! We won't be coming on tour near you! You might hear about a comeback 10 years from now! Good night!

Aftermath

So I guess we had only two days off of school back in 1999. Maybe it felt like a week off because it was close to a weekend? Anyway, let's see how many students show up to my sections on Friday.

For some reason, I found last night's epic blizzard to be pretty exciting. Occasionally, I'd hear some voices or tires spinning or snow being shoveled, so I'd peek outside. One group of kids got stuck in the alley next to our house, and seeing it'd be unhelpful for me to go out there, I sent Mordo out with a shovel. Eventually, some other kids across the street joined, and the car was successfully dug out and pushed to Fullerton. It turned out to be a neighbor who had to get his girlfriend home. 

This morning, the snow was still falling, but it eventually stopped and the sun came out. Before noon, people were trying to dig their cars out, clearing sidewalks, and trying to clear the side streets and alleys using shovels and cars. I thought it was kind of interesting how major events like these move many people to do something about their situations instead of wallowing in self-pity, blaming Daley & Co., or napping. Not that napping didn't occur. I thought I'd be cabin fevering it today, but since the snow and wind stopped, walking Mitsu seemed appealing and shoveling necessary. All the physical work culminated into a rather epic nap, which then energized me to make dinner and dessert (separate post). 

Mitsu was less annoyed by the less harsh winds, and she enjoyed a nice long walk along Fullerton and some other side streets that were almost impassable.

I don't have the energy or creative power to make a better looking collage, but I love all these pictures. Mitsu is showing off her good walking skills with me, she's being protected by MoDiddy, she looks deranged because the snow looks like it's taking over her pupils, then she's recovered, then she's looking dainty with me, but with MoDiddy she looks more noble and proud to be a big Shiba baby. I'll end with this one, where she's forging ahead, leading the way, almost getting lost in all the snow.

Mitsupocalypse!

Chicago and its inhabitants are being severely punished right now by a massive snowstorm. The last time we were assaulted like this was in 1999, and I remember having about a week off from school. But I don't remember phrases like "potentially life-threatening," or "thundersnow" being thrown around back then. I am not looking forward to the aftermath, but my parents report that Oji is shedding a little early this year, which hopefully means spring is coming sooner rather than later. I'll put up with a thundersnowstorm and a day (or two? or three? please?) off of school if spring arrives sooner than usual.

Mordecai and I took Mitsu out for a quick potty break. She was very displeased. Mordecai had to carry her out to the front, where there is less snow because it gets blown away. She quickly realized it wasn't going to get any better anywhere else, so she got to business and then immediately started whining to go back inside. I'm glad we have a dog with human-ish sensibilities. Also noteworthy about Mitsu and the elements: she seems to be able to sense patches of ice and water on the ground far sooner than I can. I wonder if she has good eyes, at least for a dog. This has actually helped me out a couple of times when I hadn't even noticed the ice. We don't need a repeat of 2008 of ankle breakage. Thanks, Mitsu!

Platonic forms

I've been searching for the ideal dessert. I like to believe that I'll know it when I eat it, so I figure I'll just make lots of desserts and see what pleases me the most. So far, the front runners include my standard strawberry tart, grapefruit cassis, and macarons. (I find La Boulangerie's to be the best in Chicago that I've tasted so far.)

Last week I saw Giada making angel food cake. It seemed like a nice, light dessert, so I tried it out. I like angel food cake because it involves lots of egg whites and sugar, like marcarons, but the yogurt honey sauce didn't seem to go all that well with the cake. I added fruits for garnish (blackberries one day, cara cara oranges the next at my parents'), but this didn't add or take away from the cake. Basically, while it wasn't bad, I will never make this again.

Next up: Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes. I really want cream cheese frosting...now! I wonder how it will fare in comparison to Emily's frosting.

Unrelated to my desserts, but I guess it's a kind of dessert, or snack, is cotton candy, now apparently available on campus. Seriously? In January? It sells? Is class at UIC now like attending a sporting event?

***

Sleeping princess; sleeping fools

Certain corners of the Internet are in great debates about raising children. (Don't forget this take on the story.) What I find interesting about all of this is how in many ways, the discussion parallels dog training. Do you praise your children and let them be picky eaters; do you train dogs exclusively through positive reinforcement like Victoria Stilwell? Or do you call your kids garbage and make them practice piano without bathroom breaks; do you make your dog submit to you or expend their energy on treadmills like Cesar Millan? My mom let me be a picky eater and showered me with praises, but at the same time, a lot of Amy Chua's explanations in her WSJ excerpt made sense to me (and why it might not make as much sense to "Western" parents). And likewise, positive training works well with Mitsu, but with nipping/mouthing/biting, merely walking away and ignoring her briefly does not seem to cut it. I try to teach her "kisses" by rewarding her for licking my hand, but this process is usually preceded by unpleasant biting. How do I know she's not learning to bite, then wait for "kisses" command to receive treats? Puppy, please.

Roast puppy de cassis

Today Wendy DeCarlo came to our house for some puppy consultation. We have books and cable TV, which all let us know that we aren't horrible dog-parents or that Mitsu is a she-devil. But all of that provides only general information--even the Shiba Inu book--so we wanted a trainer to meet her and assess our particular situation. I don't want to be one of those parents who brag about their dogs and children, but I think she did pretty good today. It helps that she came to us crate-trained by the breeders, and that she naturally has an outgoing and confident personality. The more I think about it, the more it seems like Poo Monster Dud exhibited more skittish behavior--"I see you but I don't really feel like acknowledging you"--whereas Mitsu was much more willingly interactive with us when we hung out with the two pups in the breeder's living room.

This evening, Mordecai and I made roast chicken. It wasn't difficult! It helped that the Food Network posted Ina Garten's roast chicken episode on YouTube. This was our first time, so our chicken-carving skills are pretty non-existent, and the bed of vegetables was more like jail-cell-bed than Ritz-Carlton bed so most of them overcooked. I wish there was a way to practice cutting chicken without actually using meat. (...Is there?) Dessert came from a recipe in Maida Heatter's book, which was the super easy grapefruit and crème de cassis with a little bit of honey (above). I don't know what it is about it--it's like raspberry and grape combined?--but cassis is one of my all time favorite flavors ever. It makes me feel nostalgic, but I don't know for what. Like I grew up with it. Or maybe I was a little black currant in my past life.

Best of 2010

I don't know if I have any resolutions for this year except to continue ones from last year--wake up early (now mandatory with the puppy, but then naps-with-puppy become a problem); maintain healthy hair, nails, skin. And then there's some usual stuff, but it's probably more "grow the eff up" than resolutions, like be productive, clean the house, cook more often, spend wisely, and so on. One thing I do know is that I didn't go berserk for baseball in 2010, so I'd like to return to 2009-style passion for 2011 baseball. Anyway, like I did last year, here are my reflections on 2010.

Personal Best of 2010

Book: Axel Honneth, "Struggle for Recognition" & Thomas Harris, "Silence of the Lambs"

Album: Kylie Minogue, "Aphrodite"

Place visited: Yokohama, Japan & Vandalia, Ohio

Meal cooked: Pork-ginger-miso dish from Orange Page, the Japanese equivalent of "Real Simple"

Movie: Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score, parts 1 & 2

Article read: Stanley Cavell, "Knowing and Acknowledging" & "Avoidance of Love"

Information learned: Various things about owning a home and a dog, including how common it is to improperly care for both of these things

Quote discovered: I don't really have a favorite quote from this year. Basically, I find inspiration in any philosopher (i.e., Stanley Cavell) who criticizes parts of mainstream analytic philosophy (i.e. an overemphasis on rationality and science at the expense of the self) that I find strange (i.e., the quote from last year will do).

Item Bought: Honda Fit, house, Mitsu

Honorable Mentions: Reduced access to Facebook by about 99% from previous years; reduced spending on clothes and shoes significantly (only to spend them on Japan, the house, and Mitsu); increased interest in some classical music; MET LORD MIGGY

Shiba World

2011 Mameshiba Calendar 

Mitsu is bed-less because she destroys them, and towel-less because she pees on them. So she is left with the hardwood floor or our laps. Here, she is nestled between my calves, on her back, teeth exposed. Also photographed are my fleece socks, which I've realized, after living in the Midwest for 26 years, are absolutely necessary in the winter. Do they come in non-hippie, non-40 year old mom prints? (I'm sure they do, but I don't actually care. Warmth is my priority!)

Today, we went to the vet so she could get some more puppy vaccination shots and to check on her heart murmur. The vet reports that she no longer hears the murmur! Unfortunately though, Mitsu was not treated to Gerber baby food like she was during her first visit. She got rid of her murmur, allowed the vet tech and vet to probe and prick her, and all she got were some cookies! Life is so hard for a sweet faced puppy. So I gave her the beloved chicken and chicken gravy baby food when we got back. After playing with her millions of toys, and after I did my nails and after Mordecai played Metal Gear Solid 4, she got sleepy and sweet, like nectar, like her name.