tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61923411784167451302011-12-18T05:05:00.159-05:00The things that I am thinking about and doing when I should be doing other things.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-2755249602045308672011-12-16T12:08:00.001-05:002011-12-16T12:08:43.528-05:00

source One of the horrible things about wedding planning is all the things that people suddenly try to sell you. As soon as your facebook status switches to "engaged", the ads for weight loss, honeymoons, rings, wedding dresses, and teeth whitening appear on the sidebar. Sites full of dreamy photographs try to convince you that you need professional makeup application, crystal toasting

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-51243975066762109622011-11-10T11:50:00.001-05:002011-11-10T11:53:19.091-05:00

I found this photo on Huffington Post this morning, from behind-the-scenes at the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Of course Victoria's Secret models always look slim, but with normal people for scale this girl looks insanely tiny.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-34892924722436611052011-10-27T22:33:00.000-04:002011-11-03T00:10:31.881-04:00

"Begging the question" and "raising the question" are not synonyms. This is the most useful thing I took away from an ill-advised course in undergraduate philosophy (and yes, I recognize that it is not particularly useful). "Begging the question" is a logical fallacy where the premise implicitly or explicitly assumes the proposition to be proven - it means the reasoning will be circular. This

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-54678556418126655932011-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:002011-10-01T21:00:18.681-04:00

In the spirit of not wasting food, but sticking true to my refuses-to-eat-spotty-bananas roots I decided to make banana bread to use up those bananas. I didn't have much in the house by way of food, but the improvised results were pretty delicious. The photo is kind of ugly though.  Ingredients:  2 ripe bananas, smushed 1/2 zucchini, grated 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted 1 cup brown sugar (

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-15132346763482634472011-09-22T22:46:00.000-04:002011-09-22T22:46:23.483-04:00

In case you missed my large-scale social-media broadcast yesterday, I will reveal that my first academic paper has been published.* If you're interested in reading it, it is available to all here (no paywalls, yay!), but unless you're on my thesis examination committee I won't be disappointed if you just look at the pictures. This is my favourite figure (Figure 5). I think I should get a medal

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-10758320332857613072011-09-20T20:02:00.002-04:002011-09-20T20:03:02.531-04:00

As a recovering pasta addict, working quinoa into my diet has been an important coping strategy for me, so I have been inventing recipes based on what I have in my fridge and cupboards. I also like to hide vegetables in things, so salads are right up my alley. This isn't actually quinoa salad #1, but it's the first one that actually turned out delicious. Apparently part of being a grownup is

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-43174822819347373372011-06-29T23:28:00.000-04:002011-06-29T23:28:35.707-04:00

Signs the end is nigh: I finished the last of my coursework at the end of April, and my last comprehensive at the beginning of June. That means the next thing I submit is my thesis.  I've finished and submitted one journal article/future data chapter and the second is on its way.  I'm done collecting data for my experiments, "all" that's left is refining the model.  Looking at apartments for

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-38274887694063745622011-06-16T22:03:00.001-04:002011-06-16T22:03:32.928-04:00

This post goes out to Chantal and Andrew for calling me out on abandoning my procrastination station.  I have no idea where spring went, but now I'm sitting barefoot in my apartment in a sundress with the AC on (very low). Fortunately, my digital photos are date-stamped, so I can recover some idea of what happened. In April I went to an "I'm on a boat"-themed bachelorette party for our beloved 

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-16726599318039198422011-04-13T10:55:00.004-04:002011-04-14T08:54:25.727-04:00

Thinking about wedding planning is an awesome way to procrastinate on my schoolwork. Yesterday, instead of a gloriously well-crafted progress paper I produced a venue cost-comparison spreadsheet that is both sufficiently elaborate, and very easy to update as we get more information on the actual expenses at each venue. Behold: The yellow cells can be changed, the red cells are guesstimates and

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-24423296107247283762011-03-20T23:18:00.000-04:002011-03-20T23:18:54.106-04:00

Source This is a small thought, too big for a tweet, too small for a proper post, but here goes. I put music on the websites I designed... awesome MIDI files back in 1998. Around that time, the convention in web design became "don't include music just because you can. Your audience is forced to listen to it, and they should be allowed to peruse the website at their leisure." Given that, WHY

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-87529165377777469732011-03-17T21:54:00.000-04:002011-03-17T21:54:36.180-04:00

Because (1) Dave lives far away from where I live and (2) I can't drive, I am the train-equivalent of a frequent flyer. Normally, I am a-ok with my 5.5 hour trips. I have power for my laptop, sometimes wifi, a comfy place to sit and if I book one of the fancy new trains, I can often get a seat by myself. Today, I have a very special seat - the handicapped seat. Perhaps so called because when

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-11322563606806894982011-03-09T11:56:00.000-05:002011-03-09T11:56:05.305-05:00

Legend: Black = a point to include, red = to-do, blue = references This is the discussion for the paper that has been (intermittently) plaguing my life for the last three years in a half-decent outline form. It's the last big hurdle between me and submitting this work for publication, but it's a pretty darn big hurdle.  

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-50994081132751980532011-02-28T23:23:00.000-05:002011-02-28T23:23:29.842-05:00

Instead of writing a paper, I spent the evening researching calligraphy, pens, and inks. Somewhere along the way I found this video: It makes me miss scoring music, but mostly makes me happy.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-80190485938551634432011-02-26T17:26:00.002-05:002011-02-26T17:51:57.278-05:00

I have a wedding dress. Way WAY sooner than it really makes sense to have a dress. I can't post pictures, they're secret from Dave! Here is a photo of the garment bag instead. Mom and Dad didn't want to miss out on dress shopping with their favourite daughter, so while they were in Montreal last weekend, I thought we could drop by "that shop Catherine got her dress at, where you don't need

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-16958339866759940382011-02-15T22:02:00.002-05:002011-02-15T22:04:39.208-05:00

Peppercorn heart from findingthenow on Flickr Dave makes this maybe once every couple of years, and tonight was my lucky night. Note: there is no photo for this recipe because I did not want to pause before digging in. Cognac, cream,  pepper, and a wonderful steak are not the sort of things that invite self control. What you need: - 2 beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon) - 2 tbsp whole

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-44183206418679950882011-02-14T13:18:00.001-05:002011-02-14T13:18:35.162-05:00

Act I It doesn't feel like Valentines, because it's rainy and cold and I'm sitting in a conference room but no students have come to see me (even though colour vision is a really hard topic and I think they'll need help*). It felt like Valentines yesterday when we spent the afternoon being lazy and talking about guest lists and dresses and venues and nothing. Then we dressed up and went to my

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-59079757660654998962011-02-05T17:47:00.001-05:002011-02-07T13:30:54.467-05:00

Engaged as of February 3, at Hôtel Quintessence in Mont Tremblant, Quebec.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-60902934518529834872011-01-30T20:48:00.000-05:002011-01-30T20:48:35.650-05:00

Eat Make Read It made my winter when I found Celia's rendition of this recipe on Eat Make Read. I think the trick is the goat cheese - it makes me want to skip the baking process and just eat the sauce with a spoon. Depending on what has been available at my grocery store, I've substituted some variant of aged cheddar for the gouda and parmesan for the cheddar (proportion-wise). Yum.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-23995217265742174382011-01-26T20:35:00.000-05:002011-01-26T20:35:19.984-05:00

It's not exactly my favourite way to spend a Wednesday evening, but I like it so much better than marking. I always feel bad when I make the sort of questions that I hated answering on tests and exams. In the interest of not providing any misinformation, the answer is actually angelic-smiley. However, one can entertain oneself by pasting the questions to share over MSN. The answer is martini,

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-62855486250383478392011-01-23T19:43:00.000-05:002011-01-23T19:43:10.639-05:00

This is the TA office. I think I'm the only person who uses it, as everyone else seems to have found an alternative.  I'm going to spend a few hours a week here, and I don't want to be as sad as I was last week, hunched alone at my laptop and bathed in fluorescent light. Any ideas for how to spruce it up? Given that (in theory) I don't have exclusive use of the room, I don't want to do anything

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-86034276424957744212011-01-23T19:25:00.001-05:002011-01-23T19:43:49.537-05:00

They're just so darn classy. Tuxedo Strawberries Ingredients: Fresh strawberries (~30) White melting chocolate (~ 500g)  Dark melting chocolate (~250g) Milk melting chocolate (~250g) Wash and dry fresh strawberries, skewer with toothpicks through stem for easy dipping and eating. Prepare a baking sheet or two with parchment or waxed paper - you'll set the strawberries here to cool once they

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-43405766280901644052011-01-06T22:46:00.000-05:002011-01-06T22:46:48.164-05:00

From Colour Me Katie I think these are the cutest thing I've seen in awhile, and the faces are just painted on with food colouring. Easy beans! I need to have a party so I can serve these. 

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-67058528049204371332011-01-06T21:54:00.001-05:002011-01-06T21:58:33.202-05:00

In my true dedication to procrastination, I have delayed this post by nearly a week. It wasn't when we were preparing the appetizers that I thought "This a ridiculous number of different things to serve", it was when I had to go through and write up the recipes. Without further delay, here is the thrilling next edition to "An Appetizer Party" the tale of New Years Eve 2010 chez Arsenault, in

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-33674927112594458752011-01-02T00:09:00.001-05:002011-01-02T00:21:13.949-05:00

We closed 2010 with a party at my parents' house. We spent much of December 30th and 31st planning and preparing a suite of appetizers to serve in lieu of a sit-down dinner. Following is an account of what we decided on, how we prepared it, and most importantly: how it looked. Shrimp Cocktail Ingredients: Raw, frozen shrimp Lemon Sea Salt/Kosher Salt Ketchup Horseradish Worcestershire Sauce

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-73105878222362819972010-12-20T22:08:00.000-05:002010-12-20T22:08:31.259-05:00

When I started undergrad I'd do two loads of laundry every two weeks: lights and darks, with towels and sheets added wherever there was room. This was pretty much my whole wardrobe. Now, with a little creativity, I can get by without doing laundry for almost a month. When the time comes (as it did this evening) it means SO MUCH LAUNDRY. Considering I am only one person, who is generally not

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-35038978486170313612010-12-11T15:50:00.000-05:002010-12-11T15:50:07.670-05:00

I'm currently in the depths of revising for an exam, trying to get some grading done, and dreaming about baking cookies shaped like Christmas trees instead of doing any of this nonsense. Today's revision project is a chapter on 3D vision - like Avatar or the red-green glasses that used to come in cereal boxes and were way cheaper than going to see Avatar. My textbook came with red-green

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-59966263241754589932010-12-05T21:37:00.000-05:002010-12-05T21:37:16.992-05:00

On Saturday Tory and I went to the Atwater market and procured a beautiful five-foot fir tree because we were both in need of some Christmas spirt to see us through December. We brought it home on the bus, which was not as difficult as it sounds. This afternoon we dusted off the decorations and decked the tree out in blue, silver, gold, and not-quite-enough aubergine. A beautiful (lonely)

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-2330868383011524482010-11-30T01:05:00.000-05:002010-11-30T01:05:03.694-05:00

Tiny cupcakes are cute  Cookies shaped like onesies are cute Macarons are cute - especially in little paper cups Tutu-inspired skirts for little girls at Baby Gap made me want to be six again they're SO CUTE. And I didn't manage to take a photo of the gift I brought with me to the baby shower (a hand-knit touque, and Gap-knit mittens) as I was finishing the pom-pom for the touque on

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-26707027600028778522010-11-20T20:49:00.000-05:002010-11-20T20:49:39.751-05:00

I know I'm pretty much a grownup, because for the last few years I've been getting Christmas cards in the mail from old friends. I love getting cards, but I have yet to send cards because once I start I'm committed and people might notice when I stop. I would like to start sending cards this year, as long as I'm careful not to overextend myself and draw up a list of 50 potential recipients in a

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-71262768585786696882010-11-09T19:35:00.000-05:002010-11-09T19:35:20.111-05:00

This is mostly for you, Anna. For mom and dad: admire the "Food" setting on my new camera. Prep time: 0 minutesCook time: 11 minutesDeliciousness to time ratio: ridiculously high Official Ingredients 1/3 cup pine nuts 1 lb (450 g) spinach penne 1-1/2 lb (700 g) baby spinach, washed 2 tbsp olive oil  Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper to taste 1 cup ricotta cheese (preferably light) 1/4 cup

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-22727813003262393152010-10-31T22:56:00.001-04:002010-10-31T22:56:48.964-04:00

I bought a fabulous pair of shoes at Guess to wear for a wedding this past weekend. Shiny, pink, platform, heel - what more can a former 90s tween ask for? And classy with a modest skirt. I think I will be remembered as the girl who danced for hours in ridiculous heels - if only they knew what a whiner I am, they might have believed me when I said the shoes were actually comfy. The

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2Ottawa, ON, Canada45.411572 -75.69819444.929527 -76.632032 45.893617 -74.764356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-29002455826474223242010-10-26T16:08:00.000-04:002010-10-26T16:08:29.669-04:00

I love explaining things on white boards. The incredulous animal has become a staple of the whiteboard discussions. I like this board because it complicated and sciencey. Bonus: Type the following commands into Matlab for lots of laughs. > why and > load handel > sound(y, Fs)

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-79690584577469807792010-10-25T20:05:00.000-04:002010-10-25T20:05:23.797-04:00

Hitting refresh on facebook Looking up all the Glee cast members' twitter feeds Looking up Jodie Sweetin on Wikipedia (she just had a baby, guys!) Thinking about making dinner Discussing the characteristics of a good spatula with Tory Looking up cute cookie designs Checking out texts from last night, which resulted in me finding the most incredible 404 page ever. I took a screenshot for posterity

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-25768231445825612072010-10-24T23:25:00.000-04:002010-10-24T23:25:51.951-04:00

It's so pretty and red, and will geotag my photos so I don't have to add all the pins in iPhoto's Places after the fact. No, I am not at all neurotic about organizing my photos. I ordered it this evening, hopefully it will arrive before I head to Ottawa for a wedding on the weekend!

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-20629030821306354962010-10-21T22:02:00.000-04:002010-10-21T22:02:14.612-04:00

Part of the show involved invading the audience's personal space. This is from last February's Nuite Blanche, at a random experimental dance performance. It was free, and very unusual. Dave updated my iPhoto to the latest version last night, inspiring me to go through and tag/place more of my photos. I'd forgotten about this until I came across an "unnamed event".

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0Ville-Marie, Montreal, QC, Canada45.508377 -73.56521445.5046175 -73.5725095 45.512136500000004 -73.5579185tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-43332171836683247232010-10-17T11:16:00.003-04:002010-10-17T12:33:59.429-04:00

For the past few years, the video games I love, like the TV shows I watch, have been whittled away to a few core favourites. For video games, that meant little puzzle games on the iPhone and the Sims for long train rides (or lazy Saturday mornings).  Dave, a fan of the original Starcraft ten years ago, bought the long-awaited new version over the summer to check it out. I played the original

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-11297487763429428892010-09-25T18:36:00.000-04:002010-09-25T18:36:23.581-04:00

What can you pull together with 2 bottles of food colouring, a cup each of shortening and butter, and 8 cups of icing sugar? Last night Tory and I hosted a number of her friends for "A Very British Birthday" celebration in honour of her 25th. I volunteered to make the cake, happy for an excuse to bake something that I wouldn't have to eat all by myself. I am beyond pleased with how it turned

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-88305161418836702892010-08-28T20:45:00.000-04:002010-08-28T20:45:27.327-04:00

Often, when I'm running around accommodating fabulous lifestyle, I pick up business cards from the places I visit. I'm not sure why. I tend to remember the places that I like and look up phone numbers online if I need to make reservations, so I've never actually used one of the cards as a reference. I just can't throw them out, even though they're adding to a pretty serious clutter situation -

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-37006149927094063042010-08-23T00:05:00.000-04:002010-08-23T00:05:59.948-04:00

Hark, A Vagrant (drawn by Canadian Kate Beaton) is a wonderful comic. She draws on history, literature, and popular culture like no one else. I went back today after a long break and found this gem: For some reason the idea of a battalion of hipsters is TOTALLY hilarious. (In a previous comic, the Napoleon and Centurian hats are deemed "ironic").

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-18773232387153869702010-08-22T17:53:00.000-04:002010-08-22T17:53:04.394-04:00

Back many, many months ago I bought this dress for an early September wedding: "Bouquet Toss" in "Reception Hall" from Mod Cloth I figured I would find a good deal on a cute pair of flats in the meantime. I browsed shoes all summer finding flats that were ok, but not quite right. Now, the wedding is in two weeks and I needed to get myself some shoes, or I knew I would end up over-paying for

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-8629080041309498432010-08-21T15:51:00.001-04:002010-08-21T15:51:24.746-04:00

I'm just about to head to the train station after spending a week with Dave and chatting with his parents about their upcoming European cruise. Reminiscing about amazing food, more than anything. Then Dave sends me an email with this little gem: Yes, that is $395 for a week of the most amazing food I've had in my entire life. We might have gone on to price flights to Ft. Lauderdale and found

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-20000461081151678822010-08-07T11:41:00.001-04:002010-08-07T11:41:32.647-04:00

Ever notice how the shots in catalogs and magazines seem to reflect some sort of parallel universe where everything is like normal, but just a little too perfect, a little too contrived? The authors of Catalog Living and Unhappy Hipsters give voices and stories to the people in magazine-world, satirizing decorating and architecture magazines respectively. Lovely dark, subtle humor to be had.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-22654278697154673862010-08-04T23:55:00.000-04:002010-08-04T23:55:37.831-04:00

Here's a pretty mediocre shot from the Rockies trip Dave and I took in June: While it isn't spectacular, I found myself coming back to it for the sense of scale. We didn't take very many photos with people and landscapes together. After a bit of cropping, the sense of scale is maintained, but the composition is tidier and more powerful:

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-27674670317151550652010-08-04T10:53:00.000-04:002010-08-04T10:53:18.453-04:00

List of things I can commit to, in order of the length of time I can stay committed: My favourite article of clothing (white skirt: five years and counting) My cell phone plan (it's you and me for the next 2.66 years, Telus) The layout of my bedroom (two years ... maybe) The design of my blog (four months? did I make it that long?) Really, the old moody photograph in the background and dark

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-1226133920782034762010-08-03T17:47:00.001-04:002010-08-04T13:04:50.647-04:00

Over the Civic Holiday long weekend in Ontario, Mom and I started and completed my harebrained scheme to enter the Threadcakes cake decorating contest. The first step was to make the raw materials we would need to create and decorate a cake: At this point, because I was a lazy photographer, we are missing photos of the following: 1) The pyrex measuring cup overflowing with melted marshmallows 2

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-76931593970892735942010-07-19T23:04:00.000-04:002010-07-19T23:04:01.597-04:00

My favourite kind of photos to take are the ones of the little things. I've been putting together an iPhoto album of the pictures Dave and I took in the Rockies, and the detail shots are the ones that make the multi-photo layouts work. Detail shots from a birthday picnic in the park: Details from out west:

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-82113320016325287292010-07-11T12:22:00.000-04:002010-07-11T12:22:08.350-04:00

I'm not a baker in even the loosest interpretation of the word. I've forgotten to put milk in cake mix and wondered why my batter is the consistency of fudge. That said, I do like a challenge and an opportunity to do something that people say is hard. (This approach didn't seem to apply to my undergraduate math classes. Calculus and algebra were not fun challenges). One of my favourite blogs is

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-62520146152282011952010-07-06T18:41:00.000-04:002010-07-06T18:41:43.922-04:00

Mardi Gras - also known as Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, and Pancake Tuesday - is more than just a wicked party in New Orleans. It marks the beginning of Lent, a time of fasting before Easter, and so is always in the spring. Apparently, it is also at the beginning of July in Montreal. The Festival International du Jazz comes to a close today, and they have put together a Mardi Gras parade ....

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-78690788452449841532010-07-05T20:09:00.000-04:002010-07-05T20:09:59.825-04:00

I came across this really cool video on fstoppers.com: And then watched a bunch of the other photography shoot videos. Why are there so many cool jobs that don't make you work for five years on a doctoral degree? Why don't they tell you about them in highschool? If you go to the fstoppers site, make sure you watch the video about shooting at a 15K-a-night suite in Vegas. Incredible.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-87124476199192233502010-06-16T14:26:00.000-04:002010-06-16T14:26:53.339-04:00

I just came across the Cognitive Science Millennium Project listing of the 100 most influential works in Cognitive Science. I've heard of many of them, but there isn't a single one I've read more than excerpts from. Most, I know only by reputation or have heard referenced in lectures.  If I'm ever developing my personal science library, I think this will be a good list to remember.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-59589100326630911752010-06-07T20:09:00.001-04:002010-06-07T20:09:48.402-04:00

... or not. Whoopsie. I still love you, Apple. Especially if you keep making sexy, sexy iPhones.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-86637673842970184812010-06-02T20:08:00.001-04:002010-06-02T20:49:34.706-04:00

(alternate title: Holy monster post, Batman!; alternate alternate title: The scary big post that has made me procrastinate on my procrastination device) On April 24th (thank goodness digital photos are automatically time-stamped), Dave took me on a mystery road trip. We (read: Dave) had been doing a lot of research on the Fairmont hotel properties (because of our upcoming Rockies trip and stays

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1Vieux-Quebec-Cap-Blanc - Colline Parlementaire, Quebec, QC, Canada46.811867922684044 -71.206212043762246.797182422684045 -71.23539454376221 46.82655342268404 -71.1770295437622tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-58364311640169680172010-05-26T22:55:00.000-04:002010-05-26T22:55:04.052-04:00

Twiggy basking in the morning sunlight. Looking crazy. I found this picture while downloading some photos from the long weekend off my camera. Apparently I took it at the end of April. Her eyes are cute in dim lighting because it opens her pupils up. When they narrow into little retina-protecting slits (like this) she looks somewhat more demonic.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-49956837004558141022010-05-25T13:01:00.000-04:002010-05-25T13:01:48.798-04:00

11:40 am: IThelp website will be down 12:33 pm: IThelp website is back up. Departmental mailing lists are definitely abused more often than they are useful. Whatever happened to putting a little "this site is down for routine maintenance" page up? Putting a note on the photocopier saying it will be fixed Monday? That way the only people who know are the people who care, and the rest of us don't

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-44442512044700617212010-05-11T13:53:00.000-04:002010-05-11T13:54:26.836-04:00

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-72598379855012935832010-05-08T17:49:00.000-04:002010-05-25T20:41:10.073-04:00

This week I'm at the vision sciences society annual conference in Naples, Florida. It's basically awesome. I left my laptop in Montreal in a moment of wild bravery, and so am relying on my iPhone and public wireless at the hotels for all my computing needs. Free wifi can be tricky, and I know I haven't been keeping in touch, so here's a brief summary of my experiences. (Not quite as brief as the

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-37190407832115958362010-05-08T17:45:00.001-04:002010-05-08T17:45:37.863-04:00

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-44458861670107724052010-05-04T21:17:00.000-04:002010-05-04T21:18:53.563-04:00

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman, I found a cool collaging site a few weeks ago. Oh dear. I hated collaging in school - poring through magazines (being stuck with Canadian Living rather than Vogue didn't help this step), cutting, arranging, losing your arrangement thanks to a light breeze, arranging again, gluing... ick. This site is like that, but instead of magazines you have THE ENTIRETY OF THE

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-56444852966357434072010-04-27T19:09:00.000-04:002010-04-27T19:09:45.858-04:00

After a weekend of sangria, sunshine, and patios, the weather has decided that it is a tease. It is cold, windy, snowing, slushy, and miserable. Our plans for a Thursday soccer game have been put on hold because the pitch is currently under 5-10cm of snow. Montreal, you win this round. I'm moving to California. Maybe Africa.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-34149677289169257602010-04-27T11:34:00.000-04:002010-04-27T11:34:23.758-04:00

This is a graph showing some extremely exciting science I have been working on for the past year. I will be presenting around 10 graphs like this in a single poster at the Vision Science Society conference a week from Saturday.  The only way I could make it more confusing and horrible is if I did this:  Adobe Illustrator and I are going to be well acquainted by the time the poster goes to print

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-60291882364680292252010-04-25T15:47:00.000-04:002010-04-25T15:47:26.951-04:00

This weekend, Dave and I are at the Château Frontenac in Québec City. It is incredible, and we have lots of photos to share. In the meantime, a teaser:

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-24643904410446889032010-04-21T01:06:00.000-04:002010-04-21T01:06:30.737-04:00

When I told Sam (who hails from Paris, the land of pastries) that I had a goal of baking macarons he was deeply impressed. These little meringue-based biscuits are notoriously difficult to make, not because they're complicated (only four ingredients!) but because there are so many things you can do wrong. This evening, I made my third batch (with Sam's help), and I think they finally came out

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-35343638089928900752010-04-19T19:00:00.000-04:002010-04-19T19:00:32.479-04:00

Minus ten degrees Celsius. That's the average winter temperature in Montreal. If you've ever lived in the northern reaches of the world, you know that statistic is nonsense. Temperature means nothing without a windchill factored in. If you hate the cold as much as I do, it usually feels like minus a million. Winter in Montreal sucks. Many of my foreign co-workers moved to Canada hearing little

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-18425471811982418382010-04-19T00:12:00.000-04:002010-04-19T00:12:36.687-04:00

dave: reading your blog dave: the sink wasn't normal! liz: huh? liz: sorry I thought it was liz: what was it like? dave: *sends tripadvisor photos of a lovely glass sink* liz: oh liz: but it still basically performed sink functions dave: yes liz: no extra massage faucets dave: no. lol dave: aww. no picture of you pointing at the overhang? dave: i really like that one liz: want me to add it? dave:

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-36223701091086178762010-04-18T13:38:00.000-04:002010-04-18T15:44:41.026-04:00

Continuing my recollections of past trips to Niagara Falls ... On this trip, made over the May long weekend in 2008, we spent our first two nights at the brand-new Stirling Inn. It was incredible. The decor was modern and attractive, but not overdone. The building is a refurbished factory. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but inside is awesome. I didn't take any photos of the bathroom,

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-49514415594030825772010-04-13T21:09:00.000-04:002010-04-25T16:08:38.873-04:00

I love photos. There are almost 5500 photos in my iPhoto library from the last five years, and more than 1000 scanned from my parents' photo albums of my childhood. Five years ago, after I got my first digital camera, I bought a pack of two photo albums and started making prints. I finished the first album right before New Years 2008. I finished the second album today with my photos from 2009 and

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-44477801707873445892010-04-11T19:52:00.000-04:002010-04-11T19:52:40.878-04:00

At some point in the last few months, I decided that I wanted to make a quilt. I don't remember exactly why, but I know this Martha Stewart quilting project was my inspiration: The only problem was how much I disliked the birds. I stewed for months over a theme, and eventually decided on snowflakes. And then cityscapes. With the idea of cityscapes firmly in mind, I plotted a quilt. I designed

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-631397613537617392010-04-09T18:46:00.000-04:002010-04-09T18:46:22.956-04:00

1) Drink tea 2) Snuggle someone 3) Keep up-to-the-minute on Twitter and your RSS reader 4) Ignore work email 5) Edit old photos 6) Chat, plan the future 7) Look at photos of luxury hotels online and dream

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-86831565496778246892010-04-08T18:43:00.000-04:002010-04-18T18:03:37.750-04:00

Today, Dave and I are back in Niagara Falls for a mini vacation (or a big date). We were discussing our previous trips to Niagara Falls this morning, and it became apparent that I had forgotten last year's dinner at a fondue and grill hot spot. To ensure that I don't forget such an important part of our dating past again, I shall here record Things We Have Done In Niagara Falls so that I remember

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-53529743039526804552010-04-07T15:12:00.000-04:002010-04-07T15:13:57.438-04:00

Yesterday, Anna sent me an email asking for advice on the colours she's planning for her awesome new condo. In order to visualize what she was talking about, I used the excellent colour palette creation tool at colourlovers and got hooked all over again. Here are the colours I'm looking at today through the big windows at the farmhouse: It's a much nicer view than from the lab. The fact that

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-55612129559306016272009-02-12T13:59:00.000-05:002009-02-12T14:10:25.998-05:00

I guess it had to happen sooner or later, but my beloved macbook pro is beginning to show signs of age. I'd noticed for the last few months that she was beginning to go. Her battery would drain more quickly, her responses were less spry. Today the warning came: "You don't have enough free hard drive space to run this application". Uh oh. Here were are together, when she was brand new.Dave has

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-76757764956668705662009-02-02T22:02:00.000-05:002009-02-02T22:06:36.962-05:00

Ok, maybe I exaggerate, but check this out:The only title that doesn't follow the [CATCHY NOUN]: [ACTUAL TITLE] format is "Predictably Irrational". I feel like there's a certain sort of irony there.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-45665761090479398412008-11-22T21:08:00.000-05:002008-11-22T21:15:01.898-05:00

Since America is done with their election, there is a data void on the internet. I have no graphs or maps to investigate on a daily basis. My life has been less than complete.Fortunately, I'm filling the void with Google Trends. Check it out, in the spirit of the holidays:First interesting point: The Wii (in blue) is clearly winning the next-gen console battle.Second interesting point: These

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-80544154259870667252008-11-05T20:14:00.000-05:002008-11-05T20:23:26.055-05:00

Crazy, I know. I'm normally a slave to the tablet.Pat asked me to do a series of decorative paintings for his first grownup apartment, and I couldn't say no since I've missed painting quite a bit. I just put together some in-progress shots from last Saturday's painting party to send to him, and I thought I'd post them here so that everyone can see.Almost done! I'm going to add the finishing

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-57244181592899439392008-11-04T20:17:00.000-05:002008-11-04T20:18:34.449-05:00

... where do the Republicans threaten to move if the Democrats win?

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-50935724309769992892008-10-31T20:04:00.000-04:002008-10-31T20:18:26.630-04:00

I'm a very boring person. I spend my days keeping up with the internet, collecting data and fooling around on facebook in the lab, and playing with the electoral calculator on CNN. None of these pursuits are very conducive to blogging.It's shameful that I don't have a post for October, so I'm doing something about that while I still have the chance. Over thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-62800427060285294582008-09-02T23:27:00.000-04:002008-09-02T23:37:14.826-04:00

As some of you may know, I'm something of a burger connoisseur. I make it my mission to find excellent hamburgers, and classify establishments by the quality of their hamburgers. This weekend, Dave and I ventured to create our own burgers, and I have to say it was a wild success. Here's the recipe:Ingredients:1 lb of medium (or regular) ground beef (NOT lean or extra lean, these meats aren't

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-65602285941254640352008-08-12T23:22:00.000-04:002008-08-12T23:34:37.067-04:00

I just found a great data backup tool:http://mozy.comI've been trying it out for free, and I'm impressed thus far. I think I'm going to spring for the $5 monthly subscription and back up all my files. It will be great not to worry about losing my (now extensive) library of photos.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-34644657206274660692008-07-31T23:15:00.000-04:002008-07-31T23:33:02.040-04:00

Today I went on a field trip to the botanical gardens to take pictures of textures. I did get lots of textures, but I also took some fun photos for my own enjoyment and learned many things along the way. For instance:1) Bonsai are cool. Bonsai in a Chinese courtyard are cooler.2) I'm going to feel like a tourist when I'm taking photos in a tourist destination whether I'm a local or not.3) My

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-26109612902519718462008-07-22T16:09:00.000-04:002008-07-22T16:12:52.553-04:00

To make these yummy and healthy snacks you need the following:- sundried tomatoes- cucumber- baguette (healthy version: whole wheat)- cream cheese (healthy version: low fat)Slice the sundried tomatoes into little pieces and blend them into cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese on slices of baguette and place a slice of cucumber on top. Delicious!

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-75638267392993036702008-07-20T12:34:00.000-04:002008-07-20T13:29:07.564-04:00

Dave and I spent the last week on the road to and in Prince Edward Island. We made an effort to compile a good collection of songs, and then tested them thoroughly over the 20+ hours we spent on the highway. For your use, I present the playlist:Liz and Dave Approve of Cranking it UpGoing the Distance -- CakeShort Skirt, Long Jacket -- CakeCome On Eileen -- Dexy's Midnight RunnersWhen the World

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-12857123548335338682008-06-19T10:11:00.000-04:002008-06-19T10:14:40.255-04:00

Glitter is like a vampire...Once you invite it into your home, you're at its mercy.Exhibit A: I bought glitter for a craft party in early December. Now, six months later, my dirt piles from sweeping still sparkle.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-20861889000891094682008-05-18T15:54:00.000-04:002008-05-18T16:07:18.984-04:00

I love cooking with fresh herbs.Unfortunately, herbs at the grocery store are $1.99 for a handful of leaves that are going to be dead in a couple of days. Since Anna and I don't like paying for food we won't eat, and I don't like basil enough to eat it all week with every meal, we decided that we would try growing some herbs at home to harvest when we want to spice up our meals.Today, I went to

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-91534389807509391682008-05-06T21:58:00.000-04:002008-05-06T22:12:46.092-04:00

There's a huge stereotype surrounding the "indie rocker". You know the type:- knows loads about music- dabbles in music creation of their own- must know a band before they're cool- once a band sells out, they can't be good.I think I might be the same way about books. I'm happiest reading something when it isn't *too* cool (exception: Harry Potter). I:- know a fair amount about science fiction/

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-16267148154088949682008-04-17T09:12:00.000-04:002008-04-17T09:21:05.436-04:00

Discreet vs. DiscreteThis is a little trickier than affect/effect because both these words are adjectives.discreet: circumspect, prudent, trustworthydiscrete: separate and distinctThe difference in the definition of these words generally results in amusing sentences when they're mixed up: "She was not a very discrete person." "They claim that any discreet image can be defined by..."

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-85454729641385799992008-04-12T15:23:00.000-04:002008-04-12T15:25:52.522-04:00

Today I was visited by the gods of procrastination. There can simply be no other explanation as to why I decided to make a quiche this afternoon. That's right -with home made pastry.The pastry is in the oven right now, we'll see how it turns out.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-14925609634889965302008-04-09T21:22:00.000-04:002008-04-09T21:32:06.360-04:00

It breaks down into the following stages:1) Easy stamina: "I can't believe I've gone 5 minutes already, and I'm not even winded!" OR "I can't believe I've written 6 pages already - I've still got so much to say, and I haven't even added the figures!"2) Fear of what's to come: "I'm at 10 minutes and I'm starting to feel fatigued... it's only getting worse ... I'm going to die here!" OR "I'm only

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-50598591396439682332008-04-08T22:41:00.000-04:002008-04-08T22:48:04.056-04:00

Latest procrastination tactic:Organizing my dresser and closet. That's right.This morning I had loads of laundry on my bed that were waiting to be put away, but I couldn't bear to stuff them into a messy closet or rumpled dresser drawers. Now, my closet is organized with skirts on one side and shirts on the other and each side is an aesthetically pleasing gradient of colour. Underwear: sorted by

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-64106665240089030212008-04-06T21:42:00.000-04:002008-04-06T21:44:57.733-04:00

And I like to take adorable photos of her.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-75688238344638138432008-04-06T11:33:00.000-04:002008-04-06T11:44:28.479-04:00

In an effort to keep my readership up on my daily insights, I have started an account on twitter. There's a new module in the box to the right that displays micro updates from me. So you'll know when I'm on the bus and stuck in traffic. You'll know when I have random insights waiting for the metro. The goal is that when I'm out of ideas for a proper post, I can still make sure that everyone knows

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-91863690948228283152008-03-18T17:03:00.000-04:002008-03-18T17:22:20.957-04:00

(1) When a large fissure in your ceiling forms and starts to leak water into the hall.(2) When enough water drips from said fissure to fill your largest mixing bowl.(3) When the damage spreads to your roommate's bedroom wall, the bathroom ceiling, and the living room ceiling.(4) And when a large portion of the wall experiences separation anxiety.The maintenance people were super-prompt, and have

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-26958597337981172122008-03-16T13:44:00.000-04:002008-03-16T13:49:43.956-04:00

You know the end of the opening sequence to Sex and the City? When Carrie is walking down the street all stylish and then a BUS comes out of NOWHERE and splashes her and her tutu with water?Picture that, but with icky Montreal slush, a bigger wave of it, and no tutu.At least my coat is semi-waterproof.This occurred on my way to go skating at the old Port. It was a fun afternoon, even though I

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-84480613088457826422008-03-14T17:05:00.001-04:002008-03-14T17:11:02.745-04:00

Here are some city pictures that I took during a brief spell of good weather.I love my walk home.This is the balcony for the building where I work. It's symmetrical on the other side. There are picnic tables hidden under all the snow.The cityscape as viewed from walking down Atwater.Still Atwater, but in this shot you can see my two favourite Tudor-style buildings.

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-71789208111289540382008-03-14T12:18:00.000-04:002008-03-14T12:32:09.142-04:00

.. or maybe just drugs?I think Twiggy has gone off the deep end.She's been running up and down the hallway for the last 20 minutes. She just snuck into my room to spy on me. If I hadn't caught her disappearing black tail and heard the telltale thrumming of tiny paws on hardwood flooring, her stealth probably would have been complete.Earlier this morning, she scared the pants off me. She snuck

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-29914371007065379302008-03-10T09:50:00.001-04:002008-03-10T09:56:25.407-04:00

#1: If you miss it (as you are liable to do), you're sitting out in the cold until the next one#2: If the margin of "it could be early" is more than five minutes before it's supposed to come, you're sitting out in the cold for long enough to get cranky and frostbitten. #3: If you happen to be almost early enough, you can't run for it because the sidewalks are covered with ice so even a slow walk

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-58142141127785909862008-03-07T23:37:00.001-05:002008-03-07T23:55:13.082-05:00

Dear people of Montreal,I've noticed an embarrassing trend in the winter months. It's the winter athletics version of walking into work on Monday with bar stamps all over the backs of your hands:Stylish (or at least warm): Ski jacketTacky: Ski jacket + ancient lift pass hanging from pocketRule of Thumb: If the ticket is no longer useful, it has to go.Sincerely,Liz

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-12049025051566126232008-03-06T09:02:00.000-05:002008-03-06T09:25:05.145-05:00

Since reading "Bright lights, big ass" I've been thinking a lot about how the glamourous city life is often so so far from reality. And not just because I can't afford a single pair of designer shoes.This morning, for example. It was excellent until I left the house (early!). I'd done my makeup, flat-ironed my hair, was rocking a super-cute outfit, life was good. I was at the bus stop (early!)

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-87331713230367502532008-02-27T10:47:00.000-05:002008-02-27T10:52:52.379-05:00

Dear people of academia,Writing constitutes a large portion of your jobs, and its important that you be good at it. This consistent mistake, appearing everywhere from NSERC applications to published papers, really makes me ashamed of you.Note: AFFECT: verb "... how X affects Y ..." EFFECT: noun "... the effect of X on Y..."Thank you,Liz

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-57027751704079795592008-02-27T10:00:00.000-05:002008-02-27T10:08:00.516-05:00

Dear Twiggy,I think it's time we had a talk. You've been acting out a lot in the last few days, and I suspect it may be a cry for attention. If you want attention, you know I'm more than happy to scratch ears and belly when you jump into my lap without clawing me.Last night, for example, you though it necessary to hunt my rug at 4am. Getting sleep at this time is very important to me, and you

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6192341178416745130.post-63918133573868792582008-02-25T11:43:00.000-05:002008-02-25T11:56:00.239-05:00

1) Went back to sleep2) Emailed Dave about sore post-workout arms keeping me from being productive3) Started cleaning my room4) Finished the last chapter of "bright lights, big ass"5) Finished cleaning my room6) Fiddled with itunes7) Checked my email8) Checked facebook, started a group9) Checked my RSS feeds10) Checked my email11) Started making a bagel for breakfast12) Cut up cheese to melt on

Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15101626626214239048noreply@blogger.com1