Your personality tendencies in a nutshell...
You are very dependable and almost always follow through with your commitments. You value different and aesthetic experiences more than the average person. You show some tendency toward anxiety and worry. You are typically respectful toward others and dislike confrontation. You show some tendency towards being reserved in most social situations.
YouJustGetMe.com's guest psychologist Dr. Peggy has a little more, uh, informal interpretation of your traits...
About that "Disciplined" bubble... To always be responsible and dependable gets too heavy at times and you just have to shirk it all sometimes of and do something that is wild and crazy, like going to sleep WITHOUT brushing your teeth. Come and do your worst, dental bacteria! No one is arguing that you are not reliable; it's just that you differ from your very high conscientious peers in that you also have some streaks of impulsivity and can make some spontaneous decisions, rather than lumbering through all of the alternative scenarios. Maybe you're disorganized (God forbid), or perhaps you like to leave your dirty socks all over the house (the horror), or you're a procrastinator (that's the worst one of all). Whatever is the case, you are not conscientious to the extent that you bore people with your stodgy ways.
About that "Alternative" bubble... Your scores indicate that while you are clearly a non-traditionalist, there are some aspects of your personality that are rooted in the comforts of the mundane. You may value artistic expression to the extent that walking through museums full of antiquities is your favorite thing to do. Perhaps you revel in the abstract and the unknown. Yet, you also shake your head in wonderment as to why some people choose to live their lives or decorate their bodies so non-traditionally. At times, you may also find yourself fixed in certain ideas, even though you pride yourself in being open to novelty and creative thinking. In the end, all this suggests is that you take a pinch of convention along with a scoopful of whimsy in your drink of choice.
About that "Neurotic" bubble... If you were 100% neurotic, it would mean that you always felt stressed, anxious, and as a consequence of the first two emotions, depressed. Lucky for you your scores indicate that you are only about 50-75% neurotic. This means that you have some time off for good behavior and that there are many times when you feel balanced and calm. You may feel emotions very intensely and maybe even experience physiological cues to stress (sweating, quickening blood pressure, and faster heart beats are a few things that come to mind). However, you are able to control your rising anxiety with relative speed. Some people interpret neuroticism as a bad trait to have, but look at it this way - neurotic people are never bored with their own thoughts and their emotionally labile temperaments allow them to experience a whole range of feelings in very short periods of time. It's like the weather. If you don't like the mood, wait 5 minutes.
About that "Cooperative" bubble... Your scores would suggest that you tend to be more agreeable than you are competitive. What does that mean? For starters, it means that you have a fairly strong tendency to believe in social harmony and cooperation. You are a nice person. You want people to get along and do the right thing - for each other, for the greater humanity. That's not to say that you are a total pushover, but that you believe in the niceties of life. This is probably why you are very popular with people and have many friends. The difference between you and someone who is very high in agreeableness is that you have a bit of an edge. Maybe you laugh when people fall down and hurt themselves, maybe you secretly occasionally think people suck. Whatever it is that's holding you back from winning Ms. or Mr. Congeniality, that's also what makes you more interesting.
About that "Introverted" bubble... For the most part, you are a fairly reserved person, who thinks before you speak and cogitates on all the facts before you act. You may be very successful and work hard for your goals and dreams, but prefer to celebrate your successes outside of the limelight as you do not like to bring attention to yourself. Is it difficult for you to meet people because you have to force yourself to greet the world on its terms? You may fall into one of two categories - you secretly wish that people would talk to you so that they can see what an absolutely wonderful, interesting, and charming creature you are OR you secretly (not so secretly wish) that people would just go away. It's not inaccurate to say that the life of an introvert is much like being underwater at a community pool, which is somewhat isolating but tranquil until you reach the surface of the pool and have to contend with the "noises" of everyday life. Because you have some extraverted tendencies, you may find the world at large a little more welcoming than your introvert "thoroughbred" sisters and brothers.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
pick your own
This summer, for the first time I picked fruit from trees (excepting apples, which I have done twice). This may seem a strange first experience to have at the age of 30, but keep in mind that I grew up in Florida, where citrus trees provide the only truly fresh fruit.
A friend of mine mentioned something about picking strawberries one day. A passing thought, of little significance to him, as he'd grown up knowing that ripening strawberries are an unambiguous signal of summer's onset. The only things that signaled summer in Florida were somewhat hotter temperatures, more humidity, thunder storms every afternoon, and the end of school. Fall and spring had nothing to do with leaves or flowers on the trees. When I moved to the northeast from Florida, the coming and going of seasons smacked me in the face, yet more than 10 years later am I finally appreciating one of the most wonderful aspects of the seasons - the tremendous series of fresh fruits available from early summer through late fall.
So, at my friend's suggestion, I found some farms nearby (30-45 minute drive) that let you pick your own fruit. We've picked strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries so far this summer - peaches and apples will come up in the next few weeks - from three different farms:
Land's Sake (Weston) - strawberries
Smolak Farm (North Andover) - strawberries and raspberries
Connors Farm (Danvers) - raspberries and blueberries
All the fruit was outstanding. I made strawberry jam, raspberry syrup, blueberry pancakes, and blueberry-lemon bars (and spent days just snacking on the fruit whenever I could). Each farm had it's pros and cons. In terms of price, Connors Farm was unbeatable. I will definitely go back there for more fresh fruit.
A friend of mine mentioned something about picking strawberries one day. A passing thought, of little significance to him, as he'd grown up knowing that ripening strawberries are an unambiguous signal of summer's onset. The only things that signaled summer in Florida were somewhat hotter temperatures, more humidity, thunder storms every afternoon, and the end of school. Fall and spring had nothing to do with leaves or flowers on the trees. When I moved to the northeast from Florida, the coming and going of seasons smacked me in the face, yet more than 10 years later am I finally appreciating one of the most wonderful aspects of the seasons - the tremendous series of fresh fruits available from early summer through late fall.
So, at my friend's suggestion, I found some farms nearby (30-45 minute drive) that let you pick your own fruit. We've picked strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries so far this summer - peaches and apples will come up in the next few weeks - from three different farms:
Land's Sake (Weston) - strawberries
Smolak Farm (North Andover) - strawberries and raspberries
Connors Farm (Danvers) - raspberries and blueberries
All the fruit was outstanding. I made strawberry jam, raspberry syrup, blueberry pancakes, and blueberry-lemon bars (and spent days just snacking on the fruit whenever I could). Each farm had it's pros and cons. In terms of price, Connors Farm was unbeatable. I will definitely go back there for more fresh fruit.
Monday, July 14, 2008
writing advice
Not sure if I've included these before or not, but here are words of wisdom on writing from well-known writers. :)
From Kurt Vonnegut:
1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers
From George Orwell:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
(Brought to my attention/reminded from a post at 43folders.)
From Kurt Vonnegut:
1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers
From George Orwell:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
(Brought to my attention/reminded from a post at 43folders.)
Eating my veggies
I am not a fruits and vegetable person. I'd like to blame my Mom, but I know that's unfair. It's really my Dad's fault :) - since he refused to eat any vegetable other than iceberg lettuce, corn, and peas while I was in my formative years. So incorporating more veggies (and fruits) into my diet is something I need to do, even though it's difficult for me. I came across this a awhile ago. It offers some useful suggestions for making sure you get those 5-7 servings a day. I found this hint particularly useful:
"Spend an hour on Sunday washing and prepping your vegetables for the upcoming week. It’s much easier to grab vegetables for lunch or to toss into your eggs or your dinner if they are already cleaned and trimmed. When you have grab-and-go veggies ready, you’re more likely to use them.
"You can buy precut carrots and other vegetables (especially from Trader Joe’s), but I find that the quality is not optimal and I’d rather do it myself. Cut a whole bunch of celery into sticks and put them in a bag or cup with a sprinkle of water. Bell peppers get the same treatment, as do peeled carrots. Trimmed radishes floating in a dish of water will last a week. Cauliflower and broccoli can be trimmed into florets and stored in a produce bag. Beets can be boiled unpeeled and refrigerated; the peel slips right off when you rub it with a paper towel. Lettuce and spinach should be rinsed thoroughly, trimmed of stems, then rolled up in a dish towel and refrigerated in a produce bag. They will last a week or more when stored this way."
"Spend an hour on Sunday washing and prepping your vegetables for the upcoming week. It’s much easier to grab vegetables for lunch or to toss into your eggs or your dinner if they are already cleaned and trimmed. When you have grab-and-go veggies ready, you’re more likely to use them.
"You can buy precut carrots and other vegetables (especially from Trader Joe’s), but I find that the quality is not optimal and I’d rather do it myself. Cut a whole bunch of celery into sticks and put them in a bag or cup with a sprinkle of water. Bell peppers get the same treatment, as do peeled carrots. Trimmed radishes floating in a dish of water will last a week. Cauliflower and broccoli can be trimmed into florets and stored in a produce bag. Beets can be boiled unpeeled and refrigerated; the peel slips right off when you rub it with a paper towel. Lettuce and spinach should be rinsed thoroughly, trimmed of stems, then rolled up in a dish towel and refrigerated in a produce bag. They will last a week or more when stored this way."
Sunday, July 13, 2008
CSAs
Meat CSA
Since we joined a monthly meat CSA with our friends Fredrica and Josh, I've been exploring more cuts of meat than I even knew existed. Here are some of the dishes I've made from the delicious meat we've been getting:
* Lamb Shank - Lamb Shank in an Oaxacan Red Mole Sauce
* Pork Shoulder - Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork Shoulder
* Lamb Shoulder - Emeril's Stick-to-your-ribs Lamb, Potato & White Bean Stew
* Ground lamb - Tender Lamb Meatballs in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce
* Beef stew meat - Spicy Thai Beef Curry
* Beef Brisket - Barbecued Texas Beef Brisket
I've also made great dishes with these meat cuts:
* Pork Spare Ribs
* Pork tenderloin
* Country style pork spare ribs
* Pork Loin
* Whole chicken
As you can see, a meat CSA provides a wide variety of meats, some of which are difficult to find in the grocery store. In addition, the animals are grass-fed, which I think contributes to the quality of the meat, both in terms of the flavor and nutritional content.
Last month's meat load: pork spare ribs, chicken legs, lamb sausage, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, and ground beef.
May's meat load: beef brisket, country-style spare ribs, pork steak (ham), pork chops, beef stew meat, ground lamb, ground beef, sweet Italian sausage.
FYI: we get our meat from Chestnut Farms.
Veggie CSA
The latest news is that we joined another CSA (Parker Farm) to get fresh veggies weekly. We joined in for a large share with our friends Mark, Melanie, and Bryan. So far, we've gotten:
* Russian red kale
* Yellow squash
* Fava beans
* Cabbage
* Yellow and orange carrots
* Parsley
* Spring onions
* Collards
* Beets
* Mizuna
* Strawberries
And it's only been two weeks! Aside from the squash and parsley, all of these are items I rarely, if ever, have cooked with before, so it's an interesting challenge. I've braised the fava beans and carrots with chicken stock and white wine (delicious), wilted/sauteed kale with shallots, garlic, and bacon (also delicious - but I feel like using bacon was a bit heavy handed), and grilled the squash. Some things unfortunately have gone to waste because I didn't use them fast enough (I'm sorry, collards), but hopefully in the weeks to come I will get better at using things quickly or storing them properly.
In the fridge this week:
* kale
* mizuna
* fava beans
* beets
* carrots
Plans for this week include:
* beet salad
* some pasta dish with the fava beans and carrots?
* braised kale with mizuna or a recipe for Calo Verde
Edit: The pasta dish ended up being fettucine with favas, escarole (store-bought), and sweet Italian sausage.
Since we joined a monthly meat CSA with our friends Fredrica and Josh, I've been exploring more cuts of meat than I even knew existed. Here are some of the dishes I've made from the delicious meat we've been getting:
* Lamb Shank - Lamb Shank in an Oaxacan Red Mole Sauce
* Pork Shoulder - Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork Shoulder
* Lamb Shoulder - Emeril's Stick-to-your-ribs Lamb, Potato & White Bean Stew
* Ground lamb - Tender Lamb Meatballs in a Fragrant Tomato Sauce
* Beef stew meat - Spicy Thai Beef Curry
* Beef Brisket - Barbecued Texas Beef Brisket
I've also made great dishes with these meat cuts:
* Pork Spare Ribs
* Pork tenderloin
* Country style pork spare ribs
* Pork Loin
* Whole chicken
As you can see, a meat CSA provides a wide variety of meats, some of which are difficult to find in the grocery store. In addition, the animals are grass-fed, which I think contributes to the quality of the meat, both in terms of the flavor and nutritional content.
Last month's meat load: pork spare ribs, chicken legs, lamb sausage, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, and ground beef.
May's meat load: beef brisket, country-style spare ribs, pork steak (ham), pork chops, beef stew meat, ground lamb, ground beef, sweet Italian sausage.
FYI: we get our meat from Chestnut Farms.
Veggie CSA
The latest news is that we joined another CSA (Parker Farm) to get fresh veggies weekly. We joined in for a large share with our friends Mark, Melanie, and Bryan. So far, we've gotten:
* Russian red kale
* Yellow squash
* Fava beans
* Cabbage
* Yellow and orange carrots
* Parsley
* Spring onions
* Collards
* Beets
* Mizuna
* Strawberries
And it's only been two weeks! Aside from the squash and parsley, all of these are items I rarely, if ever, have cooked with before, so it's an interesting challenge. I've braised the fava beans and carrots with chicken stock and white wine (delicious), wilted/sauteed kale with shallots, garlic, and bacon (also delicious - but I feel like using bacon was a bit heavy handed), and grilled the squash. Some things unfortunately have gone to waste because I didn't use them fast enough (I'm sorry, collards), but hopefully in the weeks to come I will get better at using things quickly or storing them properly.
In the fridge this week:
* kale
* mizuna
* fava beans
* beets
* carrots
Plans for this week include:
* beet salad
* some pasta dish with the fava beans and carrots?
* braised kale with mizuna or a recipe for Calo Verde
Edit: The pasta dish ended up being fettucine with favas, escarole (store-bought), and sweet Italian sausage.
wikichow
Wikichow, my recipe sharing website, will turn 1 this week. I've enjoyed putting my recipes on the site - and being able to access them from anywhere. Throughout the past year, however, the number of contributions from other users only reached 4 pages and 3 forum posts. So, I will delete the site soon. I'm going to migrate some of the information to the blog, and with everything else I will create my own recipe box somewhere online. It's disappointing that friends who witnessed my excitement over creating the site didn't even bother to try it out.
Friday, June 13, 2008
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