Thanks for all the helpful comments and discussion about cameras yesterday. I think I will get the Canon PowerShot S5 after my next paycheck. I am not quite ready to spend another chunk of money after Christmas, traveling, a new computer and my car's lack of registration issues. I have the money, I just don't want to part with it yet. Maybe after my birthday. I will most likely get some more money as gifts to put towards it anyway.

Speaking of my birthday, I am going to make a cake. Shocking, I know. But this one is a special cake because I am also going to really decorate it, not just frost it and dump some sprinkles on. I am taking inspiration from this cake. The next UFC is on my birthday and it is also the 20th UFC my friends and I have gotten together to watch. Mine will probably not look as nice. I think I am going to play with some fondant and try my hand at piping the UFC logo, though I may just make it out of fondant and stick it on there.

In other completely unrelated non-news, I just found these instructions for making a self-watering planter. I think I may make myself one for a little herb garden. Unless the farmer's market is going on, it is impossible to find herbs that are fresh and not overpriced. I like this little box because it could sit on my kitchen table, and I wouldn't forget to water it.

I really want a new camera. I have taken a lot more pictures lately, and I get very frustrated with my camera at times. The zoom is useless because it just makes things blurry and the camera can't focus it. I can't get colors to turn out right unless I have just the right amount of light. Low-light pics are not happening because it is nearly impossible to keep the camera still while the camera takes the picture so they are always a blurry mess. Since I am opposed to using the flash for the most part, this makes taking pictures frustrating.

Since I received my first digital camera as a gift almost 3 years ago, I am not opposed to spending a bit more than I would normally. I think I will use the money I received for my birthday and Christmas for a new camera. I thought about getting a DSLR, but they are more than I am willing to spend right now, especially with lenses figured in. I am thinking about a bridge camera because they are significantly cheaper and probably all I really need at this time. I am leaning towards the Canon PowerShot S5 because I have read good things about it and the price isn't bad.

I figure if I wanted a camera similar to mine, but newer and better, I would pay almost $200, and this one, at Amazon and a few other places, is around $320. Now, with my Christmas/birthday money added in I am paying about $100 of my own hard earned money. I can deal with that.

Josh thinks I am nuts for wanting a new camera, but I don't think I care. He's the one that took a photography class!

Any thoughts/suggestions?

I made a stupid mistake. I somehow forgot to renew my car's registration and last night we got pulled over for it. The worst part is, Josh was driving so he got the ticket. I am of course paying it, but I feel so bad because it was my stupid mistake. I took care of it this morning; i.e. walking about 45 minutes in a cold drizzle to get from the bus stop to the county administration building and back to work, because driving my car wasn't an option.

At least all the walking kind of made up for not going to the gym this morning. I wasn't going to risk another ticket by driving to the gym. At least I have my lentil soup to comfort me in this nasty weather. I also have the His Dark Materials series loaned to me by a former co-worker so I have some reading to look forward too. I bet a I could sneak in a little reading at my desk today while I am incubating, digesting, and PCR-ing DNA.

I still can't get used to the idea that I have to work for a whole 5 days this week. I know some are now moving to longer work weeks, but after my last three partial weeks I don't know what to think! I also have to teach tkd tonight.

I didn't get a lot getting-rid-of-stuff done (one box to Goodwill), but we did reorganize the computer room and it's closet. The storage room off the kitchen also saw some changes for the better. I cleaned out our little pantry and put everything in it's place. The new magnetic knife bar from Ikea didn't get put up, but that's a quick and easy project that will hopefully be done this week. I feel much better. My closet will be tackled sometime. I already have a basket of clothes that I don't wear a lot, but I need to do a deep cleaning of the closet. The bookshelf is still a mess and I need another magazine thingy.

I did finish a few things from the knitting basket which makes me happy. Wicked and the Zeebee hats are done and drying on a towel in the living room. I just need to weave in the ends of the Stripey Socks and send them to their recipient along with some goodies. Pictures of all to come when the sun comes back. I think I have a good lead on some eyes for Norberta.

I started a little scarflet for to include in some belated Christmas gifts due to a possibly too small hat. Since I want to do some colorwork this year as part of the Fearless Knitting KAL I decided to teach my self to knit carrying the yarn in my left hand to I can have one color of yarn in each hand. so far it is going well except I tend to twist the stitches in a decidedly combined knitting way. Not bad, but could get confusing when I knit with yanr in both hands since I don't twist them when I knit with the yarn in the right hand.

Josh received another call from his sister yesterday while we were out shopping. He had left his phone at home charging so was not able to answer it. His sister left a message ending with a remark about how he probably didn't answer his phone because she called. That didn't make Josh happy and he almost decided to not visit her next weekend. I talked him into going, but he really doesn't want to. I don't either, but I really think we should. It will most definitely be awkward.

It's 50 degrees right now...in Iowa...in January. There may be thunderstorms.

I love being organized. I am not saying I am always organized, but there are certain things I maintain a strict order to. One of them is my work notebooks. I recently re organized them so they made more sense to me and what I am now working on. I just did the same with all my tubes of DNA and oligos. It feels so nice. My notebooks for classes were always organized too when I was in college.

My apartment on the other hand is a complete disaster right now. I have been either busy or sick the last few months and things are completely out of control. I can barely stand it sometimes. Our computer room is a mess. We keep trying to reorganize but either get distracted or don't have the time to finish what we started. My old computer's guts are hanging out of it right now and it's cover is in three pieces in three different places. My bookshelf is overflowing and my magazines are in a pile on the floor. Mystery boxes and tubs are stacked all over the place.

Our bedroom is not much better. We both have an excess of clothes. I have been carrying some of my clothes around with me since high school. They aren't in bad condition and they do fit for the most part, but they are old. We just have a lot of stuff in general and there aren't a lot of places to put it. I am not sure how two people can have so much stuff, but we certainly do. I hate stuff. Why do I have so much?

I don't know if it's because of the start of a new year or the fact that I can't stand it anymore, but I want to clean. I want to get rid of stuff and simplify my life. I want things neat and easy to find. I want only the clothes and shoes I wear in my closet and dresser. I want everything in a place that makes sense. Of course, the desire to clean usually leaves me as soon as I look at the mess(es).

I was usually messy when I lived with my parents. As soon as I moved out I was all about keeping things neat and tidy. I think part of it was due to avoiding studying by cleaning. I want to be that way again; not the avoiding, the cleaning. I used to put my shoes away as soon as I took them off unless they were wet or dirty. My clothes were always put away after being washed and dried, not sitting around in laundry baskets a week later. I have yet to own a desk with drawers, so my desks have always been a little messy, but I want to change that. I want the stacks of towels and bed linens to not fall out when I open the closet door. I want the pantry organized so I can find things easily.

Honestly, if I wasn't at work, I would probably go home and start on this right now. I have the cleaning bug after going through my DNA. My goals this month, along with working out more regularly and eating healthier, are to get organized, stay organized, reduce the amount of stuff I have and beat Zelda.

Food Networks Top 100 Recipes of 2007

My fave chef, AB, has 2nd and 3rd! His baked mac and cheese is very tasty. I will be checking out some of the others. I need some new dinner ideas.

Hello 2008

Happy New Year! I hope you did something exciting last night. I was in bed by 9:00 and asleep by 10:30, but I am not complaining.

I got back from Chicago late Sunday night. It was almost Monday actually. We had a great time. We went to the Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and a performance of Wicked. You can see pics from the museums here.

I didn't finish Wicked for Wicked due to some sleeve issues. They were huge, well they were when I followed the pattern. Just a few inches on one sleeve and it should be done.

I think I may bake some bread today. Maybe that will help me decide what I want for dinner. I took some more pics of the ring in natural light.

Josh's sister invited us to stay for a weekend at her and her boyfriend's place. I don't think I have talked to his sister in over a year and he hasn't talked to her much more than that. We had a little bit of a falling out about 2 years ago when she decided that we were getting in her way which ended with Josh practically moving in with me almost two months before we moved to our current place and pretty much ended all personal contact with her. She has barely looked at me when we have spent time together usually in the company of their parents. We are thinking about spending one night there, but not the whole weekend. I still feel so angry towards her sometimes and Josh hasn't been happy with her lately either mostly due to how she has spent the holidays away from their parents. I don't usually feel this much resentment towards a person for so long, but I can't seem to get past it this time.