Looking in the Weatherglass

Like a little girl, occasionally I am seized by the urge to play dress-up or experiment with makeup. Playing dress-up is always totally fine, because even if you put on the most ridiculous outfit ever, you can always change before leaving the house.

Makeup is a little bit less forgiving. When I play with makeup, I usually end up looking either deeply, tragically gothic (not the goal), or like I have two black eyes (on bad days). Neither is a look I really want to wear out into the world, but when you've caked that much product onto your face, it's not going to come off immediately, however much soap you get in your eyes in the attempt.

I bring all this up because, with lots of work before me this evening, I am naturally distracted by the thought of producing an exciting, rock-star-esque, smoky eye (my enthusiasm in the face of many past failures is inspiring, really). This is a terrible plan -- about a quarter of the time heavy eye makeup makes my eyes water, so applying it when I know I have to stare at a screen would be a poor life choice -- but it's not like I can do it tomorrow, because we have plans with friends and I'd prefer not to show up looking like the World's Saddest Clown.

Decisions, decisions.

The list of things I Really Must Do Very Soon is growing daily, especially what with tartary_lamb coming to visit soon (so exciting!).

Despite this, I only managed the following today, due in part to the 7 hours I spent in class:

(1) Knit a bit less than 1/3 of a scarf I'm hoping to give my brother for Christmas. (7 hours in class are good for something.)

(2) Find out that a postdoc I was hoping to apply for, I can't apply for after all.

(3) Make soup.

I was hoping to do some writing after I got home, but it's increasingly clear to me that this is not going to happen. So instead I am going to give you all a recipe for soup, which I sort of made up as I went along but which turned out pretty well.

It's that time of the year where I find it necessary to focus on my concrete accomplishments.

( Recipe: Chicken Quinoa Soup (with some curry) )

I have only recently realized that soup is actually very easy to make. Since I really like soup, especially this kind of vegetable-based soup, this realization has improved my life considerably.

It turns out that 'contemplating my inevitable unemployment' is too long to fit in dreamwidth's mood box.