You know what's disappointing when you are searching for a cookie recipe and you think you've found it on the Food Network website? When it turns out that the recipe you've found is Sandra Lee's. No "recipe" should start off with "1 package (18-ounce) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature (recommended: Pillsbury)." THAT'S NOT COOKING.

ETA: Emeril and Paula Deen seem to have come to my rescue. It would be helpful if I knew enough about the cookies I want to know how to search for them, but we're feeling our way. God. I just want to eat homemade cookies and listen to S Club 7 on a Saturday night, is that so wrong?!

Merry Christmas! Just a friendly hello to all of you people who did not defriend me during the 4 months I didn't live in a place with internet and only had enough money to occasionally go to internet cafes and check my e-mail. And facebook. And watch Miley Cyrus videos on youtube. The necessities.

Anyway, now I'm back in America and (like so many other Americans) jobless, so I'll be around. And stalkeresquely catching up on each and every one of your journals. Just some advanced notice for all those comments on posts from September.

I was reading this crappy Australian Women's Magazine while eating toast yesterday and I found this article about savoring the little moments. Or parenting, or something. Anyway, my big moments tend to always get dressed up in little-moment clothes, so I was all about learning to savor them. Actually, no, I just like to read while I eat and the article vaguely interested me a lot more than most of the other ones. You'd be surprised how many people are famous in Australia and yet entirely unknown to me, and the makeup tips in this particular magazine seem sort of geared to the hiding-lines-and-wrinkles crowd. I'll get there soon, why read about it now? Anyway, the author talked about watching her children grow up and I was all, "Snore" and then she talked about going to see "Mamma Mia!" in the cinema and how everyone was so happy and singing (and there was a "Dancing Queen" quote involved, naturally) but then "Slipping Through My Fingers" came on and there was just silence and sniffles. So I was busy judging pretty much everyone and then I realized I totally cry when I hear "Slipping Through My Fingers." Every goddamn time!

Ugh. Who is up on the internet at 2:43 when she needs to be at work at 7:30? And talking about ABBA songs and, tears aside, not very decent ABBA songs. I promise I will not trouble you again for anything less than "Waterloo."

TODAY IS GILLIAN ANDERSON'S BIRTHDAY (IN NEW ZEALAND) AND SCULLY IS NOT WINNING HER CURRENT HOME TEAM MATCH-UP. I LOVE KAYLEE AND ALL BUT COME FREAKING ON YOU GUYS, IT'S SCULLY. GET OVER THERE AND VOTE CORRECTLY OR THIS FRIENDSHIP IS OVER. OVER, I SAY.

I WANT to send you all over to the next round of Home Team, but Scully's vs. Kaylee right now and as much as I adore Kaylee, I can't risk you all voting for her. Scully has to win, you guys, Scully has to win.

WHAT UP, it's time for Home Team voting! Go here and vote for some kick-ass ladies! I will, of course, not try to influence your vote, except to say that I physically cannot be your friend anymore if you don't vote for Scully. I'm sorry, it's just the way things are.

Also, CJ Cregg could use a little help. I love Bones, I do, and I think she's an awesome character and she's not someone anyone should be ashamed to lose to, but CJ you guys, CJ.

Anyway. I think Scully's making it through, but I'm worried about her next-round match-up (which I suspect is going to be a certain shiney little character who has a special place in my heart), due to the....let's say passion of that character's fandom. Yo. Team Scully. Let's bring it home, shall we?

You guys, she's Scully.

Anyway, I'm sitting in bed eating ice cream at 1:30am in winter. I shall call upon you all in the future when Scully's fate is in danger. And you shall respond, because you love me, and because IT IS SCULLY, GODDAMMIT.

Clare: I have this friend who always finds reasons to quote this one song.
Me: Is this the same friend who's only read Of Mice and Men?
Clare: Yeah, him. What song is it. He quotes it all the time!
Me: "Big Yellow Taxi"? "American Pie"? "..Baby, One More Time"?
Clare: Oh! Boys II Men! "End of the Road."
Me: I can't...I don't...that's so awesome, I wish it were me.

Poll #1421836
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 1

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Also, I don't mean this to sound rude, but last night was like the best night ever to go out. Thriller, Blame It On the Boogie, Billie Jean....that guy had some awesome songs. Unfortunately, not even respect for the dead will get the DJ to play Man in the Mirror even though it KICKS ASS.

It makes me sort of sad that when a boy or a girl (but mostly a boy) says something that reveals they are an X-Files fan, I suddenly find them cuter. Or possibly, it reveals that I care more about personality than appearance!

This entry brought to you by:
1. Last night at the pub quiz when I got superexcited about an X-Files question (it was "Who replaced Agent Mulder" as if anyone ever could, but that's not the point, and, yeah, I respect the people who left it blank more than the people who wrote "Scully." Do you people even know anything? No, no you do not) and then cute Australian guy became cuter Australian guy when he said "Doggett" at the same time as me.
2. Today when I found "The Amazing Maleeni" on TV and started watching it purely for that part where Scully wears the top hat (Dear Scully: Why are you so hot? Also, thank you. Love, Kate) and then realized that Mulder and Scully are so cute during that episode that I can't even comprehend it. I want to send them little candy hearts that say Be Mine on them.

DEAR KATE, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU. FROM KATE.

My flatmate (where "flatmate" = "I am homeless and sleeping on her couch currently") wants to go skiing tomorrow and we'd learn how to ski and I am feeling lazy. But I feel like I should want to go, you know? It's my day off, I should do something fun! Only I'm gonna get, like, maybe 20 hours at work this week and I don't think I'll hit 30 next week and I have all of $1.73 NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS in my bank account and I'm homeless, so maybe I shouldn't be dropping $100+ on a ski pass, you know?

Anyway, perhaps I should go to bed. Or, you know, couch.

SOMEBODY TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING.

So I saw this meme over at cidercupcakes and I figured I owed you all a good laugh to do it.

1. Anyone who looks at this entry please post this meme and their current wallpaper at their LiveJournal.
2. Explain in five sentences why you're using that wallpaper.
3. Don't change your wallpaper before doing this! The point is to see what you had on.

My wallpaper is this photograph. I don't think I need to explain to you why that is, but I'll try anyway:
Look at Biden's face! It's somewhere between suave and the look Stephen Colbert gets when he's trying not to break character. It makes me smile so much anytime my computer comes on, and anything that makes you smile is worth it. Also, Obama's got this indulgent-parent/you-go-girl grin going as well, so that's nice. And everyone's wearing a lovely tie.

Well, I just caught a bit of Merlin on before Grey's Anatomy and I must say, Anthony Stewart Head is looking good.



Yup, that's all.

I haven't updated or even read anything on livejournal in ages, but this happened the other day and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
I was on the free shuttle around Christchurch after taking Ben to the airport and we were stopped by the bus exchange and this girl got on. And she was waving across the street as she got on and then she ran to the window and waved even more. She just kept waving and smiling and waving and smiling and then she just started weeping. She would turn out the window, grinning and waving and then she'd turn into the bus and cry and cry. And I just...always thought I'd be one of those people who sees a stranger crying and holds their hand or something, and I knew just exactly why she was crying and I knew without looking that if I looked out the window, I'd see her best friend waving enthusiastically from across the road, and I've been there so much. I know that pit in your stomach when you say goodbye and you know that you'll see them again, but who knows how long it will be and it just hurts like fucking hell and there's nothing you can do about it. I wanted to be someone who held her hand and told her that I'd been there and that it would be OK, but I just couldn't. I couldn't. And then the bus finally moved and she abandoned waving and she just started crying and as we drove away, I saw her friends (there were two), and they were still waving. She was just crying and she couldn't see them but they were still waving until we went around a corner. Anyway, I got off the bus at the next stop because I didn't want her to see me crying, too.

Today I've spent 3 hours on the internet, and much of it was actually spent wisely sending out job applications. Then I opened up my CV and it wouldn't open, and I realized that one of the CVs saved on my usb drive opens and one does not. Here's the question: How many job applications were sent out with the non-CV?

Goddammit.

So when I'm in New Zealand, the number 1 thing that I miss from the States is Buffy. I just want to watch it all the time, and without my DVDs and with Hulu not working in other countries, I'm pretty much SOL. So anyway, I've been pretty psyched about watching it. And I've spent today...doing so. I'm on my 8th episode. And it's the fourth season (which, PS, how many pairs of leather pants does Buffy OWN? I mean, seriously), so it's not even the best of Buffy (in my opinion...although the fourth season is near the top of my list), but this show is so fucking good. This show is so awesome! All I want to do is watch it forever! With every other show, I think about what episode I want to watch, but here I was just like, "Make something come on now." And we've gone from there.

Also, damn, Seth Green. You so cute. I'm so into Tara that I sometimes forget how attached to Oz I can be. Although speaking of Tara, she gets chased and mauled like 9 times in the course of one season. I mean, she doesn't need to be as worried about brain damage as a certain unemployed librarian with a tendency to get knocked on the head, but I hope she has health insurance.

Oh my god, I just had my credit card declined by the bus company online, but I can't call them because it's not business hours and I still have so much traveling to do and I'm worried about money and plans and things in all kinds of ways. But I'm back in my old home so I have consistent (free!) internet access, and I'm spending my time reading about what Michelle Obama's been wearing in Europe and I could not be happier. She hugged the Queen! She changed clothes on the plane! She wore J. Crew in London! I want to draw little hearts around her in every picture I see.

This meme is about cute boys. And not-so-cute boys. But, I mean, I had to. You'd better at least laugh through it.

AND I'M LISTENING TO ENRIQUE IGLESIAS RIGHT NOW. IT IS A GOOD DAY.

1. Bold the names of guys you'd definitely shag.
2. Italicize the names of guys you might shag after a little persuasion.
3. Leave the guys who don't do anything for you alone.
4. Put a question mark after the guys you've never heard of.
5. Strike the guys you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
6. ADD FOUR OF YOUR OWN AT THE END.


( Boys! The trouble with boys! The trouble with! Boys! They're nothing but trouble! )

Heyyyy, you guys.

H'OK. So. I've been all over the South Island of New Zealand for the past 3 1/2 weeks, which is why I've been AWOL. Seriously. And internet is expensive in New Zealand hostels, so checking the internet usually means checking my mail and, if time allows, facebook. And once you step away from Livejournal you just get so BEHIND that you can't catch up. So one by one I'm going through many journals, but if something major has happened to you, please share! I'm currently at young Lisa's home in Christchurch while she is in lab. And instead of enjoying the beautiful autumn weather, I am inside catching up on the internet. So. What's new with you? I swear I'll write interesting things one day. You'd think with the traveling that I'd be full of good stories, but I'm kind of not. Oh, and I checked my profile today (to click on people's names to read their journals" and I've noticed there is now a "Pimp your profile" option, which is...disturbing on so many levels. But there was so much glitter that I might have been hypnotized into doing it. So if my profile has a pink, bubble-lettered "PRINCESS" sign, will you still love me? No, me neither.
Oh, but I got tagged! Look at that! I never get tagged, and I secretly love it!

Firstly: People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blog and replace any question that they dislike with a new, original question.
Secondly: Tag eight people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you.


( 01. Make a list of 5 things you can see: )

I'm watching "Quagmire" (the one with Big Blue) and I just watched it recently and still when I came downstairs and it was on (I set the timer to notify me when it came on and then the cable just goes there when it comes on and I was upstairs talking to Nat), I gasped and went, "My favorite episode!" I spend the whole time going :D. And when I was flipping through the channels after Flight of the Conchords, I found Fight the Future. And even though other people were in the room, I was like, "Yeah, I'm going to quote the lines along with the movie. That's something you'll need to accept." It's good to know I have no shame.


Today we were walking along the lake after going out for coffee and I ditched my skirt and jacket and jumped in. Good. Times.

Also!
I was going to make something to bring into work on my last day (Sunday for me. Saturday for you. The International Date Line is fun!). I was thinking cupcakes, and I was going to make my baking flatmate help me. But last night we were chatting and she said I should make some cookies so that she could eat the dough, because she's English and it turns out that eating cookie dough is just an American thing. I know! When it first came out - hanging out with a bunch of Brits and Kiwis one day like 3 months ago - that not everyone eats cookie dough, they were like, "It's gross! I don't understand how you do it!" and I was like, "Um, it's delicious. I don't understand how you could not do it." So, anyway, Nat wants me to make her cookie dough, and I was like, well, I could just make cookies for work and bring them all in! Here's the thing: I don't bake. I'm not a baker. I'm not a cook, whatsoever. As in, another flatmate came into the kitchen a couple of hours ago to see me opening a package of veggie burgers with the pan on the stove and was like, "You're cooking!" and I said, "Sort of." And he was like, "I've...never seen you cook before." I replied, "I don't." When I make cookies (/eat the dough), my baking steps usually go: 1. Get in car and drive to store, 2. Pick out some sort of dough roll/bucket (did you know they make buckets now?!?! I know!), 3. Purchase and drive home, 4. Scoop/slice and bake.
So, dear friends, does anyone have a kickass (foolproof?) chocolate chop cookie recipe that I could use to buy the love of the people I'm leaving behind when I leave Taupo? Please advise.
HOLY CRAP, CHECK MY MUSIC. I DIDN'T EVEN DO THAT ON PURPOSE! THIS SONG AND THE LAST SONG ARE ON THE SAME PLAYLIST! FREAKY!!

So I was at the grocery store on my way home from work because I was starving and I really wanted a veggie burger and decided it was better for my heart/wallet to buy some and make them than to go the Burger Fuel route, and I heard "Car Wash" and it reminded me of Psych. And then I realized it wasn't "Car Wash" playing and I felt silly. So I came home and my flatmate got in at the same time and he made nachos and we watched Mythbusters and then we changed the channel and PSYCH WAS ON. HOW FREAKY IS THAT?

Also, how weird is it that they play Psych in New Zealand? I approve. I also learned that SkyTV gets Comedy Central on April 1st, and I'm supposed to move out on March 9th, but maybe I'll change my mind because I could stay and get The Daily Show. Jon Stewart vs. South Island. DECISIONS.

And then I found The Daily Show on TV here, but it's not on until 10:30 and I was like, "What can I watch in the meantime?" and flicked and found The X-Files is on! ...At 10:30. So then I was like, "OH GOD, X-FILES VS. THE DAILY SHOW, WHAT TO CHOOSE" and then I was like, "The Daily Show, obviously, because it has new episodes and The X-Files does not." And then I thought, "What if they were BOTH episodes that I'd seen? How to choose between two beloved shows!" and then I was like, "Duh, whichever episode I like the best!" So THEN (I know, typing it out it seems crazy to me, too) I was like, "OK. Ted Hitler episode vs. the second half of that 2-parter where Mulder is stuck in Michael McKean's body. Or the one after Dick Cheney shot that guy in the face vs. the one with Big Blue! OR..." and on and on I went. So I introduce to you, dear Livejournal, the most important television poll...ever:


Poll #1358749 Throwdown
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 3

They're on opposite each other. Maybe there's no way of knowing which episode it is until after you make your final choice. What do you watch?