Day Two

Today I feel empowered because I went out and mingled. I really like the people in my class, but I don't always feel as close with them as they seem with each other so sometimes I feel awkward about going out. It was a lot of fun, though, so I'm glad I did it.

Day One

I like to start with definitions.

FIRST RESULT FOUND WHEN GOOGLING "DEFINE EMPOWERMENT"

Now woah, woah, woah Google. Pump the breaks. This is an awful way to define something. Using a quote (which by the way, who came down to THIS very quote to be Google's "go to" response to "define empowerment") that refers to a "we," who is definitely not you (the Google people) and is probably not even the Wiki people you refer to. I digress. Point being, wtf Google? I'm asking Webster.

"EMPOWERMENT" AS DEFINED BY THE MERIUM-WEBSTER ONLINE DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS: 

So both the third numbered definition and the first example are about women. Not sure I want to open that can of worms tonight. 

I'm going to focus on that third definition.

Anyway, Katie, what the hell are you going on about? Point is I am going to do 100 days of self-empowerment. I know that there are layers to empowerment since power is given from many places outside of ourselves, and that distribution is unbalanced in a lot of ways. But this is about me. So short and long of it is:

Today I feel empowered because I awkwardly raised my hand in class for a long time even though I wasn't getting called on. I had something good to say so I kept my hand up even though I was feeling awkward and didn't get called on. (This wasn't in the middle of a lecture, it was during a discussion-- so I wasn't being TOO crazy, though more zealous than normal.)Anyway I guess the awkwardness comes from trying to get attention and being publicly overlooked. Kinda the same as if you are rejected infront of a crowd of people. But for me, I am not feeling awkward about it because I had something good to say, damn it, and I had my hand raised. 

So there is day 1. 

#100DaysOfSelfEmpowerment

#ILoveLongHashtags

On Dates and Existential Crises

The other night I went on a date. It was a nice date, the guy was great. We were getting drinks at a local bar and just doing the standard somewhat awkward tell-me-about-yourself conversations. "Awkward first dates" can be another topic on its own, but to get to the point- I was flirting. We're there, he was acting a little silly and I just giggle and say "You're weird. I like it." Weird, to me, is good. Its comfortable. Its an indication that someone may be cut from the same cloth as so many crazy, awesome, weird people that I know. Granted, we all have our limits, but he was cute. All of a sudden, however, he responded. "You're normal, I don't know how I feel about that."

...

...........

*BEGIN MID-DATE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS PANIC ATTACK*

Did he really just call me normal? Why do I take that as a bad thing? I know I am a girl with sparkles bleeding from my pores and oddities spilling out of my mouth. Normal? How am I acting that he can't see who I am?

I let it go, and the rest of the date happened. It went medium, I think. I acted relatively neurotic at times (I've been letting my life problems manifest themselves in some not so productive ways recently).  He is a nice guy so in the end I think it was ok. 

Point of the story is, he called me normal. That grey, medium, it is what it is word. And, I think that he is right. Lately I feel grey. I typically consider myself carefree, creative and fun, but lately I am just normal. 

There are a lot of reasons for this, I am sure. Things have been spiraling pretty out of control lately. I allow myself to act crazy (in some bad ways) and not like myself, as if my being were as out of control as the life I exist in is. I then look for advice, but it restrains me and makes me feel stifled. 

Well, I am stifled. Not by them, but by myself. I should not be asking anyone for advice on how to be myself or on how to handle myself. I should be holding on to the reigns. I want to let myself be weird and happy again. I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact, also, that I really haven't built myself a support group of like minded people. The friends I have here are lovely, and so kind and smart. But I am still looking for a place where I can just be myself. 

I am going to work on this tomorrow. Or this week. Or all of the time, I guess.

Or maybe I am just normal? I hope not. 

Resolution

This is the year I act as strong as I am. Happy New Year, Blog World!

Working hard or hardly working?

The semester is officially over, and it has been a crazy one. Even though my schoolwork and my homelife have been pretty intense, I've really been trying to get the most out of the time I spend living in the city. Below is a haphazard list of some of my favorite adventures from the past five months-I wonder what next semester will bring!

-Moulin Rouge Singalong with Kelly and Erik
-Pool at Oceans 8 Billiards
-Tea & Sympathy and the Skyline with Aunt Mary
-Dinners with Brad
-Brooklyn Boulders climbing with Nathan, Sarah, and Maribeth
-Start of the year hotel dance party
-Bar with Bocce-Ball
-The Promenade
-Charades with Sam, Kelly, Maribeth, Sarah, Josh and Nathan
-Beer Garden
-Yankee Game
-Polish Food with mom and dad
-Gallery Tours
-10J Party
-Bootie Party at Le Poisson Rouge
-CivPro class taught by a lawyer who won a case in the Supreme Court (Goodyear!)
-Brunch with Busi- seeing Zack and/or Cody
-Alumni art gallery mixer
-Surprise visit from Carina (with very expensive and odd vegan food)
-Lunch with Aunt Ceil, Luke, Farley and Gentree at The Farm
-Weekend in MA, (Aunt B's Ceremony, meeting Martha Coakley, making pumpkin bread pudding)
-Creepy Thai Restaurant with Mikaela, Olivia and Caitlin
-Mountain Stage Music Contest with Sarah, Nate, and Mike to see Hannah and Maggie
-LALSA beer and pretzels
-Family Dinners in 10J
-Learning how to make Espresso and cooking a lot
-Home- seeing live blues music at The Viking
-Visiting The Rabbit Hole piano bar with Mikaela and Olivia
-Exploring the Met
-Promenade Puppy Halloween parade
-Legal Aid Society mixer at Debevoise and Plimpton
-Smith event at the Yale Club to welcome President McCartney
-Lunch with Emily at 30 Rock overlooking the tree at Rockefeller Center
-Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Performance
-Promenade Christmas Tree Lighting
-Messiah at Lincoln Center with Rachel

My Favorite Scenes from When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally is one of my all time favorite movies. I've seen it dozens of times, and in each viewing new things jump out at me that make me love the movie more. It's honest and raw depiction of love and relationships is embodied by witty banter, subtle gestures, and what is viewed as a cinematic love letter to New York City itself. Below are some of my favorite scenes. 

How beautiful is the Met in this scene? This iconic spot overlooking Central Park is one of my favorite places, and I'm sure that watching this scene explains why. With a view like that, you just gotta feel a little love for the City. Also, Pecaaahhhhn Pieeeeee. 

I need to add this video because I always reference it and noone (other than my Smithies) ever knows what I am talking about. Now you, my reader, know why I keep yelling "Baby Fish Mouth!"

This is real to the letter. (Even though the audio doesn't line up.)

So is this.

And finally, every single one of these. What more could love be? What more could you want?

So, yeah. Love. NYC. When Harry Met Sally. That about sums it up.

Quiche!

 Hello blog!! Recently I have found myself in a pretty stressed out state of mind so I've deliberately tried to make time for calming things. In between finals, family and getting ready for the holidays, this has been a little easier said than done. Today, however, on the day I completed my final class of my first semester at law school, I will take some time to write a post to you.

This past Sunday I spent the morning making a quiche. I used my Aunt Jo's recipe, as handed over to my mom, with some added flair. It ended up being a feta and swiss spinach quiche with caramelized onion. It was very, very delicious, if I do say so myself... Which I do.

(As you can tell from my cooking posts, I am not a five star chef- ordering pizza as a back up is always a real possibility for me. If the recipes I post are so easy that even I can make them, have faith that you can too- even if you're a proud member of the can't cook club!)

Ingredients

Premade Pie Crust
Breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp Flour
4 Eggs
3/4 Cup Half & Half or Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup Milk
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Nutmeg

1 Package Frozen Chopped Spinach

1 Onion
Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar
Butter

So, the first step is making the custard. All you do is mix the flour, half & half, milk, salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and eggs together.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for us all, this recipe has been passed down to us by a bunch of Italian women, so we will never know for sure what the exact measurements of salt, cayenne pepper or nutmeg are. I just eyeball it.

Next up is the Caramelized Onion. I had similarly vague instruction on this one from my brother William, who spent some time at culinary school before going back to get his PhD in Chemistry. He directed me to cut up an onion and saute it with balsamic vinegar and sugar. I did this with butter, and guessed about the amount of balsamic vinegar and sugar. I did a tablespoon of sugar, and then added some more because I thought it needed it... turns out it didn't. It still tasted fine, but that was a little too sweet for my taste. I ended up draining a little of the balsamic vinegar too. In the end, these problems weren't fatal.

Defrost the spinach and drain the water out of it. You have to squeeze it out over the sink until it has no extra liquid. Then layer it into the pie crust (I get pre-made, but I will do fresh one day when I have time), and put the onions on top.

Once the veggies are down, put on your cheese of choice. I did swiss and feta, and I am telling you- the feta makes it. (Learned that trick from my momma!) 

Once you have the cheese and veggies in, pour the custard on top. I keep the pie on a cookie sheet so its easy to move around. Then you sprinkle bread crumbs onto the top. 

Here are pictures of the recipe. It looks like it was written in invisible ink! Will and I had to spend about an hour trying to figure out what the hell it said. Notice the stain marks-- my Aunt Jo (or was it Aunt Lois?) was over one summer, and I was looking for a recipe in a cookbook. She came over and opened right up to the page. When I ask her how she found it so easily, she told me just to open up to the pages with the most stains on it because you know those are the recipes most used. She was right- all of our most used recipes are like that. 

Let the quiche bake for about 35-45 minutes at 350 Degrees. Be careful putting it in the oven or the egg mixture may spill out!! (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...)

                                              

You can tell the quiche is done when its toasted brown nicely around the edge, like in the picture below.

For the record, Snickers doesn't care for quiche.

Once the quiche was made I packed it up and took it to Brad and Jill's for breakfast and tea!

It was delicious.

                                             

Similarly to Snickers, Brad and Jill's sassy little girl cat Waffles does not like quiche either. What do cats know anyway?