Plop

Rain! I love the rain. I love the smell. The pitter patter. The freshness. The free car wash.

Rain always reminds me of elementary school, where we would be barricaded in our classrooms and forced to play Thumbs Up, Seven Up, or if we were good enough, Four Corners. It reminds me of the last few minutes before the downpour, where we could already smell the aroma of clean dirt under our sneakers as we trudged across the field, lingering in the brisk air before returning to class.

Crowed cafeteria lunches and squeaky footsteps on linoleum tiles. Screams, laughter, fights, and the heaviness of a windbreaker jacket, the one mom gifted for Christmas and the same one that gets grown out of by next Christmas.

It's just all too familiar. And I love it so.

Yes, seriously.

October is already over. I hardly remember it, although I do remember...

Googling a lot of puppies, daydreaming at work, interviewing for new work, appreciating that I have a job, researching graduate programs, screaming while kayaking, turning into the Pink Power Ranger, doubting my life plan, eating lots of good food, reorganizing my life plan, feeling grateful that I have room for error, baking cookies, eating lots of sweets, singing ancient mantras with strangers and friends, sleeping in late, raging through Orange County traffic, crying unnecessarily and appreciating again that I have a wonderful family and boyfriend, sleeping in even later, devouring dragon fruit, dressing up as Jasmine from Aladdin, making a Thomas the Train costume, enjoying time with family, getting a drug test and being paranoid I wouldn't pass, eating lots of good home-cooked food, making an Angry Birds costume, making a piggy from Angry Birds costume, passing a drug test, planning a week trip to Prague and Vienna, planning future living arrangements, planning for the best!, eating more good food, carving Iron Man, making out in the back seat of someone else's car, running through a park, doing a sacred dance around a tree, creating evil chocolate cherry mice, doubting my life plan again, saying fuck it and just do it, and then doing it.

Next month I shall write a novel.

Back to Basics

It's been a nice couple days of almost rain here in San Diego. Every time I walk out of my office I look eagerly to the window, hoping that it would still be dreary and jumping at the opportunity to make endless cups of hot tea. So when it finally rained this afternoon I drove feverishly to the market to buy some ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. Mmm...nothing is better than enjoying the warmth of comfort food during rainy weather.

This is only my second time making chocolate chip cookies. When I bake or cook, I like to go big, so I glossed pass the chocochip check point. I definitely overestimated my baking expertise because my first batch of chocolate chip cookies looked pretty disastrous. It was disappointing how fat and doughy they turned out, kinda half cookie half scones. Therefore, snookies.

But not this time! I learned my lesson and measured each ingredient to a T. Everyone likes chocolate chip cookies. No one likes a snookie.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (not quite the best)

from AllRecipes.com - set to 12 servings

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp backing soda

1 tsp hot water

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocochips

optional chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg, vanilla extract and dissolved baking soda. Sift in flour and salt. Mix in chocochips. Drop spoonfuls onto greased baking pans (I stick to foil; they're recyclable!).

3. Bake for 10-14 minutes and enjoy with Food Network reruns and the lovely drip drop of rain.

Pancakes

Inspiration: Pancake - They Draw & Cook

I heart making pancakes. There's just something about getting up early and sifting and mixing ingredients that brightens any weekend. Yum...

Disney Half-Marathon!

What a blast! This past weekend was the highly anticipated Disneyland Half-Marathon, and I can't believe it's all over. Here are some shots I managed to get on my cell phone while running through Disneyland, Anaheim, the Honda Center, and Angels Stadium (yes, I was a tourist in my own backyard!).

Fireworks during the National Anthem

What a beauty

Corral F! Getting ready to run at 6:30am!

The Disney portion of the race!

Rising with the sun

Mariachi dancers and band!

Approaching the Honda Center around 8:15am

Guess who <3's me?!

Soo hungry, but the Clif shots were soo gross

Mile 10, Angels Stadium!

Whoot! Last leg of the race, back to Disneyland!

Check :)

Considering how unprepared I was for this, I think I did pretty well with a finish time of 2:36:15. It was a much needed confidence booster and so much fun. I loved the tremendous support and rallies along the course. And obviously, I couldn't have done it without the well wishes and support of my friends and family. This is definitely one half-marathon of many. I can't wait until my next one!