Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Axis of Awesome

Check out this awesomeness!



When Matthew was listening to this, I asked him to send me a link so I could put it on my blog and thought ....wow I'm cool. Enjoy:)

*Love*


Jessi! She exists! I'm truly grateful that I have such a wonderful friend to share girly things with and who understands our grad student significant others.


The first shot either of us have taken in Pittsburgh! Tequila, complete with salt and lime.

Peanut Butter and Apple Crumble

Matthew's birthday was on Saturday and I made him a delicious crumble/crisp as a birthday cake.

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced, peeled apples
10oz pkg REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 c all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter/margarine
1 cup quick-cooking regular rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Whipped cream

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 inch square baking pan
2. Stir together apples, peanut butter chips, 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour in large bowl. Spread in prepared pan, dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Stir together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, remaining 1/2 cup flour, oats and cinnamon in medium bowl, cut in remaining 4 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle oat mixture over apples
3. Bake 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender and edges are bubbly.
4. Serve warm with whipped cream.


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Movies!

Since I came to Pittsburgh I've seen more movies in the 6 weeks I've been here than in the last year in Minneapolis. It's nice to have Jessi as a movie buddy, especially one who enjoys going to see movies for cheap (matinees and weekday nights). We saw Julie & Julia and Love Happens. Both of them were great! Love Happens was a little sadder than I expected it to be but was overall very heart warming. Julie & Julia made me want to cook (or at least make me strive to be a better cook overall) and appreciate food. I realized that there are so many things that I don't know how to cook. Matthew wants a steak for his birthday; he picked out the meat and I have to figure out how to cook it on Saturday. Hopefully it doesn't taste weird and he likes it!

The G-20 is here in Pittsburgh which makes the city extra paranoid. They closed the Giant Eagle (grocery store) near our apartment at 5pm (it's usually open until 11pm/midnight) because of a potential protest. Matthew said that the security and stuff at CMU was extra tight though there seemed to be less students on campus. Today was a perfect Pittsburgh day: rainy and then sunny, super humid, and sunny enough that you need to squint but with shades on it's almost too dark. What a weird city:)

I can't believe we're going home in two weeks!!! I can't wait to be back in Minnesota during the fall (since it's my favorite season)!!

Work 10-5 tomorrow and then home to make Matthew's birthday cake and clean the apartment!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Work-ski

Last night I had my orientation at Kohl's. I'm excited to work and to be busy. My teaching license still isn't processed but when I visited the Shaler Area School District on Monday they checked on my license status and the PA Dept of Ed is about three weeks behind on processing licenses. Hopefully I'll get my license in time for the October hiring of teachers. That gives me about a month to get used to/like working for Kohl's. So far all the employees that I've met have been really nice and the girls who were in my group yesterday were nice as well. It's just retail but it's going to help pay the rent and keep me busy, which is more than I can ask for, especially after my month of unemployment.

I just walked to the mechanic to pick up the car and it felt really good. It's a big change not to walk or ride my bike to class/work or to be outside for 10 hours a day running rides. Granted, I really like not having homework and not working at Comotown but I do miss having academic types of things to do. I'm really excited to be a substitute teacher and hopefully get my foot in the door for next year so I can get a full time (or at least .6) teaching job with benefits and all of that.

I can't wait for Homecoming and the Penn State trip. I really really hope that I can get the days off. The request off sheet was really really full for the weekend of Oct 9-11 but I honestly have no choice. We bought the plane tickets so we have to go. I guess at the least, I could work that Friday until 2pm or so; we need to be to the airport on time so we don't miss our flight. I'm sure it'll work out, it always does. Robin and Larson (with a little help from yours truly) came up with a sweet shirt idea and I hope that everyone who goes on the trip will get one, or at least wear a maroon shirt so we can ruin their white out!

Jessi and I hung out on Monday and it was lovely. I really like hanging out with her; it's so wonderful to have a girl to talk to who is here! Not to mention having someone to give input on clothes/shopping and other such girly things.

We also went to the Pittsburgh Irish Festival and it was amazing! I loved Gaelic Storm (drool on their Irish accents) and POGEY (they're from Canada and had sweet accents) and their music! There were little kids dancing to the music and it made me think of myself, Emma and Jake dancing at outdoor music when we were little. Oh those carefree days. There were wonderful crafts, music and dancing. The only downside was the lack of beer variety; you'd think for a large city's Irish Festival that there would be more options (especially since Irish people enjoy their drink).

Go Gophers!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Pittsburgh

I've moved to Pittsburgh and I'm really liking it so far. I'm still unemployed, which is alright, but I'm getting anxious to be starting something new and doing things outside of the house. I have orientation at Kohl's on Tuesday and will hopefully be working as much as possible until my PA teaching certificate is processed. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has my application and it is currently "On Hand" which, according to their website, means that someone is evaluating my credentials and qualifications. Hopefully once all my clearances go through and my teaching license is processed, I'll be able to start having interviews for subbing positions, which is what I'm looking for right now. Subbing is what I want to do right now since I'm not entirely familiar with the school districts around here. Pittsburgh Public Schools would be lovely since it's so nearby but again, I'm waiting on my license.

Living with Matthew is interesting and I really do like being able to see him every day. I miss living with girls who watch trashy TV like ANTM, Project Runway and Gossip Girl, but it's okay:) Matthew's friends are fantastic (and nerdy which I love) and I've met some fabulous girls. I'm closest to Jessi and I feel like I can talk to her about anything; she understands that these boys are always doing work, research and homework and are just busy.

I bought a desk yesterday and am going to set it up. Our office looks much better now that we both have desks and things in there. Matthew's nerd stuff is all over the room so I might need to move some of those things but at least it'll keep me busy today!

I'm missing Minneapolis, but Matthew and I will be back on Friday October 9th for the Homecoming game/festivities. I can't wait to see the new stadium and all my girls. I really hope that the EC ladies can make it over on that Sunday! Off to organized my new desk!