Movie: Neverending Story

Not even bothering with a picture for this movie. I'm sure that it would have been good if I watched it as a 10 year old boy. However, I watched it as a 27 year old girl. The original message of the movie, that the kid should not have his head completely in the clouds was very justified. Running around thinking his imagination is going to save him from bullies cannot really help him in the real world.

Reading: Prep

I'm nearly done with the book. As my 9th grade teacher said, we read to learn about ourselves. And man, am I ashamed to admit that this 14 year old protagonist is pretty much the same person as me!! She doesn't trust anyone, yet is constantly trying to impress everyone. She won't go to things, unless everyone makes it clear how much she is wanted there. She worries constantly about everything. She even had her first kiss with the most popular guy in school.

It is crazy how similar we are. The problem is she feels like an outsider, which is the main theme, because she is a scholarship student at a prep school. What is my excuse? Why do I in new situations feel like an outsider? Why do I still react to new situations the way a 14 year old does? Why don't I trust people? Why do I allow the unspoken social ladder bother me. Even in her story, she randomly speaks as her adult self and remarks how silly alot of her behavior is. From a rational perspective I totally get how silly my behavior is. That doesn't mean it changes it....

Physical: Dance Aerobics take 2

I tried it again. I was the only person who returned. The class started out with four people and ballooned up to 6. I enjoyed it alot more this time but still didn't get it. My body simply doesn't move that way. At least I didn't cry this time!!

Cooking: Chili and Cornbread

Knowing I stressed myself out a bit by waiting until the last minute, I decided to try to get at least one category done a day, knowing I'm planning to do two on Sunday. So I went to my friend Peter and asked him what he would make. He said cornbread, so cornbread I made. I also found that Chili went well with Cornbread, so I figured I'd do a 2-fer.

I wound up getting a chili packet of spices instead which made it take about half as long. I also didn't use any beans, but otherwise it was pretty much the same recipie. And now I have enough for days....

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
40 Min

Ready In:
55 Min

Servings (Help)

USMetricCalculate

Original Recipe Yield 9 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
45 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr

Servings (Help)

USMetricCalculate

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 (28 ounce) can canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 ounce) can canned kidney beans - drained, rinsed, and mashed
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Stir in onion, and cook until tender.
2. Pour water into the pot. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. Season chili powder, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 198 | Total Fat: 7.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg

Reflection: Week 4

I didn't do it. I didn't accomplish all of my categories this week. I had two different ideas about creativity, but when all was said and done, I really didn't do anything creative!

I am a little sad about that. Moreso, because I just see more and more things being left out of this. However, the spirit of this was to copy Benjamin Franklin, who didn't use this as a checklist, but as a monitor. If I think of it, like that I may be able to be ok if I am unable to meat one of my criteria!!

I really do like that I am doing this! It seems like most of my free time since I have begun this chart has been purposeful. When I have some free time, I first think of my chart and how I can make it work! I have been watching TV less(not having cable helps!), and have been mindlessly using the computer less! I have been enriching myself more, building more community and really calming myself down!! I am a little concerned, as school starts building momentum, I'll be able to do these types of activities less and less, especially the nature one, as the weather gets worse, but I really want to keep this up! I am the happiest I have been in a long time and I want to continue!

Reading: Prep

The book Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld centers around a freshman in highschool from Indiana heading to a prep school an hour away from Boston.

As my 9th grade teacher once said "You read to learn about yourself," and I find myself feeling very similar, even now, to the issues that she is going through in this book. She doesn't know who to befriend, feels like she can't disrupt the social ladder, always over annalyzing etc. I am about 100 pages in, and am intrigued to see how she develops as a characte

Nature: Lake Temescal

I did intend to go into nature for about two hours this week up to Lake Temescal to also get some reading done. Yet when the timing worked out, I was barely up there an hour. I am counting it for this week and already have a hike planned for next week to get more out of it next week!

Movie: Labyrinth

Um, ohmygosh, how have I NEVER seen this movie? This movie was made with me in mind. It was!! It's a story about a girl who's miserable about her upper middle class existence, adolescence and a blended family. She is supposed to watch her little brother and asks the "Goblin King" to take her brother away. She unfortunately was not careful what she wished for, and it comes true, sending her into the labyrinth, so she can eventually beat the Goblin King and get her brother back!

First of all, there is glitter everywhere, how can I not love that? Second, there are non scary monsters in it, my favorite kind! Third, the girl is headstrong, just like me. I can go on and on. Perhaps next week I'll watch the Goonies as I feel that it is the male version of this movie and I don't know how I have never seen that movie either?

There were some great morals in this tale, such as be careful what you wish for, the need for imagination, and don't be a brat! While obviously this was not an amazing movie for who I am at this moment, it was an awesome movie that I am miserable that I never watched as a child!!

Creativity: Watching someone else do it

I don't think this really counts, but I had an idea to make something and Miquila put it all together. I bought or had the supplies? That's gotta count right? I think unfortunately, that is the one thing that I will not be able to do this week. However, I do have a plan. We will see...

Cultural: Yom Kippur and Break the Fast

In my quest to keep myself cultural, and semi religious, I have been getting together my mostly non-Jewish friends and making them be Jewish!

At 530 on Friday evening I had my last meal of a whopper with cheese value meal, thinking that the food would be so bad for me that I wouldn't want to eat all day! Obviously that didn't happen. Went out Friday night and didn't touch a drink or food. Woke up around 1030 and headed to the Berkeley Hillel for Yom Kippur services. I find that I see going to services as getting credit. While I sing along with lots of the songs and I read the English version when I don't know the Hebrew, I am not sure how important going to services is, if I don't really understand it? I'm really struggling with this. I mean I love being Jewish and all, but I like the tradition and the culture, but there are some core beliefs about Judiasm and an all fearing G-d that I simply cannot fathom? I am really struggling with this as I try to really decide where I want to put my beliefs!

Anyways, I then spent the rest of the day making food and preparing for my Break the Fast/My brother's birthday Par-Tay! Miquila and Aimee came over early to help and it wound up going well! I even got Miquila to fast with me!(which in retrospect could have been an ultimate failure as we both get SUPER grumpy when we don't eat. Luckily that didn't happen). I had a bunch of both Jewish and non Jewish friends come. Miquila and I started with bananas as that's what we were told to do so it wouldn't shock our system. We had bagels, lox, cream cheese, tomatos, cheese, other veges and fruits, and egg/tuna/abrosia salad!! I believe a great time was had by all! I was even called a convener, as I brought together my friend Aimee and this guy that she went to elementary school with!! Crazy?!?! It was a Yom Kippur miracle!!

I'm really liking how I am able to combine my friends and my traditions. I have an excellent group of friends, who constantly indulge me in all that I want to do! I am very thankful for them and love the community that I have been building because of it!!