This is another review round-up, since I have so many opinions that need sharing. I've been meaning to start twittering Micro Reviews when I try something I really like, but the name has been holding me back. I want to call them MicReviews (the schwa in the second syllable nicely bridges 'micro' and 'review', I thought), but I'm a bit ambivalent. If you say you like it, though, I'll go with it.

Anyway, onwards, towards the various foodstuffs I've tried lately and my very, very important opinions. Click through to the full post to read my reviews.

Luna Bars -- Specifically, Blueberry Bliss, Lemon Zest, and Chai Tea, as I tried these flavors for the first time recently. I accidentally picked up the Chai flavor (which my fingers insist on calling 'chair') because it was in the wrong box (I was aiming for Toasted Nuts 'n' Cranberry, which is one of my favorites); I didn't realize until I was home, but I figured Alex had praised it in the past, so perhaps it was a lucky mistake. It was not. I should have known better; I don't like chai flavor except in actual cups of actual chai ordered at actual Indian restaurants. Oh well. Lemon Zest fared better -- it really does taste of zest, and there are little candied bits of it in the bar. Blueberry Bliss was my favorite, though, despite its shocking sweetness. A tasty treat.

Zone Perfect Cookies 'n' Creme -- I picked this up at the supermarket as something new to try; it has decent protein and appears to be vegetarian (a lot of the mainstream bars sneak in gelatin or fish bits). The main downside was its dryness, but if I'd had a cup of coffee alongside, I wouldn't have noticed as much. The flavor was good, though. Sweetly chocolate-y and with that odd (but good) Oreo flavor that made it convincingly cookies-'n'-creme-y.

Smart Strips Chick'n -- First of all, I like pretty much everything that Light Life puts out. I've often seen these fake chicken bits, but it wasn't until today that I decided to try them. The pieces aren't as small as the photo on the box makes them look, unless my sense of perspective is way off. I sauteed half the package with my usual mix o' greens as of late. Flavor-wise, I think they could back off the liquid smoke -- that was what came through most strongly. They're quite chewy, too. Maybe real meat is that chewy and I've just forgotten, but I actually had a few trying-to-swallow-before-I'd-chewed enough moments. And I'm not THAT greedy of an eater! I think they'd be very good chopped up a bit more and mixed with BBQ sauce for a sandwich. Or possibly with a sweet and sour stir-fry (although the smokey flavor might dominate). But I know me, and I'm going to prepare the other half of the package exactly like I did tonight. Because I like me some green veggies!

Barney Butter -- Okay, fine, I reviewed this in my last round-up. But I finished off my first jar, so when I made my instant oats this afternoon, I decided to top them with some peanut butter that was already open. It made me realize all over again just how much I love Barney Butter, and the superiority of almonds over peanuts.

Hello, friends! What a beautiful day it was -- an amazing week, really. I think we're supposed to get a couple days of inclement weather soon, but it's been warm (around 40F) and is supposed to stay that way, so I can't complain. I was outside with the cats this afternoon, and I realized I've probably never taken a picture of the (slightly crooked) weather vane on my garage. So now I have! I'm going to ramble on about running now...

I took a walk yesterday; I'm not really sure how far I went -- it took fifty minutes, but there was a fair amount of carefully navigating icy patches. With that and my outside run on Wednesday, my quads were still the tiniest bit sore this morning. Funny, that -- I never get tired legs from running on a treadmill, but tromping around outside obviously works them differently.

So I was a little bit nervous about my first long run in my 10k training schedule (technically, I started it last week, but the first 'long' run was three miles, which wasn't new to me). Especially since my 2.5 miles on Monday (on the treadmill) had felt sort of off. As if I were running with my upper body instead of my legs, if that makes any sense. But, despite my quads, I could tell as soon as I started running this morning that everything felt great. I finished my 3.5 miles feeling like there was still fuel in the tank, which is fantastic.

Having a definite training goal is nice -- I love having something to work towards. But it's also the tiniest bit stressful. I generally go pretty easy on myself, psychologically, when I get on the treadmill. I'll have a distance I'm aiming for, but I tend to say, 'But if I only do two miles [or whatever], that's okay, too.' I'll almost always still run the originally planned distance, but it's nice to have that out if I'm just not feeling that particular run. But now, with my long runs once a week, I feel like I have to make each one count. Never mind that I can always just try again the next day!

I'm really looking forward to running longer distances in the future. Quitting every summer has meant that I never really build up endurance, which also means that I've not really been able to improve my time -- and I'm pretty slow. So I want to run year-round from now on and try to make real progress. It's the only exercise I really enjoy, but I only enjoy it when I run regularly.

After today's successful run, I'm starting to see the sense in incorporating weight training for my legs. I'm going to brunch tomorrow morning, but I think I might hit the ladies-only gym afterward, bust out a quick mile on the treadmill, and then use the weight machines (it's less scary doing that with only ladies around, see). It's true -- I like this so much that I want to indulge in a semi-spontaneous trip to the gym.

One last note: I read something on the Runner's World website about the age-old question, 'Am I a runner or a jogger?' -- if you worry about the distinction, you're a runner.

Things I Love Thursday! Here's what I'm loving:

-- Remembering to keep brainless dinners in the cupboards. I couldn't decide what to have for dinner last night (because I'd already had my pile o' greens for lunch!), but my problem was solved when I realized there was a package of Tasty Bite's Bombay Potatoes hidden away. I cooked in some kale (because what isn't made better through the addition of kale?) and called it dinner. Easy peasy.

-- Running outside. Okay, it may be too early to say that I love it, but I took my two-mile (and a bit) run outside yesterday, and it went better than expected. I always feel like I'm moving so slowly when I'm running for real versus on the treadmill, but I actually shaved 40 seconds off my usual two-mile time. When I first started running, I did so exclusively on a treadmill until a couple of weeks before my 5k, and trying to run outside was killer. So I think I have a lingering fear of running 'for real' which maybe shouldn't apply as much anymore. I read something last night about running outdoors taking more muscle control, due to uneven surfaces, and that would definitely explain why my legs felt tired for the rest of the day, which almost never happens after a treadmill run. The best part, though? I was able to walk through my sunny neighborhood to cool down instead of a sweaty gym.

-- My wireless mouse. I realized earlier this week that the wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse that I used with my old PC (before the Torborg residence became all-Apple) were still in the basement and would work with my MacBook. Sweet relief. Using the laptop's trackpad for extended periods of time while proofreading gets to be painful, but having the mouse off to the side is much more comfortable. It only took me three years to figure this out.

-- VitaTop + cream cheese. I had an Apple Berry VitaTop with my salad for lunch, but instead of eating it plain, I sliced it into two layers, spread cream cheese on one, and then put it back together. Incredible!

-- A tidy home. When I started my whole 'overhaul' project, I stopped doing the fake tidying I usually engage in, where I stuff things in closets and cupboards to get them temporarily out of the way. But I've been busy lately and haven't had much time to dedicate towards properly organizing things, and I realized I just had to straighten the house out for the time being. The piano room and my bedroom have already been overhauled, so there's no stashing going on there, but the kitchen and guest room really benefited from some surface tidying. Whew.

So, a few weeks ago I received a package from Vitalicious for review -- and incredible assortment of their many VitaTop flavors and a box of the VitaBrownies. Vitalicious specializes in making baked treats (muffins, muffin-tops, brownies, etc) that all weigh in at 100 calories per serving and are pretty darn good for you, to boot.

I'd had a chance in the past to try the Deep Chocolate flavor of VitaTops, but the selection at a lot of my local stores is hit and miss, and I never seemed to be able to find the varieties I'm hoping for. Cue the arrival of the assortment from Vitalicious -- I was in heaven! I realized that I had the VitaBrownie in the picture above -- one of the first items I sampled from the box -- on February 23rd (because I date my images, not because my memory is that good!), and I almost couldn't believe it had only been just over a week! I feel like my secret stash of VitaTops has been with me forever, but maybe that's just because I keep going back to it. Vitalicious products are made to be stored in the freezer, which is awesome, because you can stock up (via their website!) and not worry about opening the package and having them go stale before you get a chance to finish them.

I don't eat muffins or muffin-tops or that sort of thing very often. Sometimes I get into a routine -- after baking a loaf of zucchini bread, say -- but baked goods don't actually play a huge role in my daily diet. But whether it's the VitaTops' size or just the fact that I like going through the (rapidly dwindling) collection in my freezer to pick a flavor, I've been 'sneaking' them into a lot of my meals recently. You know what goes really well with a pile of green veg (= most of my dinners, recently)? A bran VitaTop. Or I'll eat a smaller lunch and heat up one of the chocolate-y flavors afterward for a treat. Nom.

I haven't tried everything yet, of course, but I think the Banana Nut flavor might be my favorite -- it does NOT have that horrible, artificial flavor that many store-bought 'banana' foods do. I've also tried several of the bran varieties: CranBran, Raisin Bran, Blue(berry)Bran, and Apple Berry -- oh, maybe that's all the bran varieties! I told you I've been getting through them! They're very substantial-feeling as a side to a meal. I keep meaning to try spreading cream cheese or almond butter on one of these, because I am 98% sure that would be amazing. My only complaint in all this sampling I've been doing is that there was only one identifiable cranberry in the particular CranBran muffin-top I ate. Completely excusable, of course, because when you're mixing up muffin batter, there's bound to be a slightly unequal distribution of ingredients. But, you know, I mention it in an effort to be fair and balanced.

The chocolate flavors I've tried: Double Chocolate Dream, Fudgy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, and Deep Chocolate. The particular Fudgy Peanut Butter muffin-top that I ate had an impressive cluster of peanut butter chips! I really liked all the flavors, though, especially the Chocolate Mint; the texture is dense and cake-y and satisfying. In fact, despite the fact that I pictured the VitaBrownie in this post, I think the chocolate VitaTops are actually more decadent-feeling (well, as decadent as 100 calories can be).

Whew, I didn't realize I had so much to say in this review! You can read all the details about the products and company here, but I think it's worth saying that I like the Vitalicious products because they taste good and are fun to eat, not because of a list of healthy attributes. That said, I would not be eating a muffin with my meal if it were 500 calories and had a day's worth of fat, etc.

I'm going to be very sad when my current supply runs out, mainly because the huge variety of flavors was so exciting -- luckily, the same sampler is available here! But if I had to choose three flavors to restock, I would go with Banana Nut, BlueBran, and Chocolate Mint. Maybe Double Chocolate Dream (because then I could put almond butter on it!). Have you tried VitaTops before? Do you like them?

-- Look at Beany, bravely trekking through the snow. The weather was SO nice today that I had to let her out. She didn't seem to take notice of the snow, but I suppose that was because she could pretty much just walk along on top of it. She also went up and down the back path a few times, until she realized she'd stepped in a puddle. This seems to be a cat thing: she was walking along the damp path, looked up ahead and noticed there was puddling, and then looked down to realize that she was already standing in water. Much distasteful lifting of paws and awkward rerouting ensued.

-- Speaking of thaws and the resulting puddles, late winter is just a bad time to get your car washed. I treated mine to a gas-station car wash that left it very shiny indeed, which meant that I had to drive on tip-toe all the way back home. That was yesterday, and when I went out to the supermarket today, an oncoming van splashed into a pothole and threw dirty water right across the hood of my car. Heart breaking! So even though I knew it was completely ridiculous, I grabbed a sponge, a bucket of soapy water, and a towel when I got home and wiped it off. Completely normal.

-- Also completely normal? That guy who was wearing short sleeves while chipping away ice from a parking lot today. That's how we do it in Minnesota!

-- I was setting up my automatic estimated tax payments today (I already filed my 2009 return ages ago and got my refund), and as I was filling in the amounts for my MN state income tax, I actually had a pang of, 'But that's not enough!' As in, how can that measly amount possibly cover my share of what it takes to keep the state running? Not that I have extra money to be paying them, but I did feel a bit bad. I should sponsor a loon* or something.

* That's the Minnesota state bird, in case you haven't brushed up on your MN trivia lately.

-- Recently, all my at-home dinner planning has gone like this: 'Okay, a huge pile of broccoli, asparagus, and kale. What goes with that?' Last night, I sauteed everything with onion, shiitake mushrooms, and a couple slices of fake bacon (and had a cranbran VitaTop on the side). Tonight I sauteed the green veg with onion, chickpeas, and black olives (with Ezekiel sesame toast on the side). I season everything with soy sauce, nutritional yeast, cumin, and chili powder. If I were allowed to use only two spices in cooking (not baking), I think they'd have to be chili powder and cumin. Until somebody else suggests something, in which case I'll change my mind.

-- Katie asked about the races I've entered. I've only ever run one 5k, which was the Race for Life in London. That was in 2006, and it was the reason I started running in the first place. I think I saw an ad for the race on the Tube and decided that it would be a good goal to aim for. I continued to run on a treadmill after that, although I stopped when I moved into my house. I joined the gym in December 2007, I think, and started running again, but then got plantar fasciitis and switched to yoga and elliptical for a long time. Last winter, I was determined to get back to running for real and enter races, but... I didn't. So right now is the first time that I'm back to routinely running 5k (3.1 miles) on the treadmill since 2006. Entering the races has definitely given my motivation a boost, especially since I'm now training for a 10k!

-- Yesterday, Alex hosted the be all and end all of Sunday brunches. Rainbow pancakes. With -- wait for it -- edible glitter. It's definitely bizarre (and awesome!) to eat something so vibrantly hued, but it really didn't take very much gel dye to color the pancake batter. Everybody's Sunday was enriched. And Alex, you should let me come over some time and take photos of your house. We can have a special house-tour entry.

-- You know what? I feel great. It's been sunny (well, not right now, because it's 11:30pm, but generally... during the day), I've been running, I'm on track with work, I have amusing friends, I get to wake up tomorrow and eat oatmeal and do a runner's yoga download. Things aren't too bad.

-- It's that time of year again: primroses are only $2 at the supermarket. How could I possibly resist that? I couldn't. We're still a long way off from seeing primroses growing outdoors in this part of the world, but I'm taking their potted presence as a guarantee that spring will eventually arrive.

-- I went into the supermarket for a box of Honey Smacks. I left with Honey Smacks, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, juice, and kombucha. I'm like some sort of weird, reverse impulse shopper who can't stop herself getting the healthy food as she passes by.

-- I had a dream the other night that I went outside, and the herbs in my garden were starting to grow (also, the snow had melted, I guess). I also recently had a dream where I was in Japan and another during which I lost a friend's identical-twin infant (who doesn't exist). The garden dream, though, was almost certainly inspired by the fact that last year's potted amaryllis has started growing again (I hid it away in the basement for a couple months to force it). When I told Julie about the dream, she said, 'Aw, you had a spring dream!' That's what happens when you live in Minnesota.

-- I picked up a copy of Daniel J. Levitin's The World in Six Songs today. I loved his first book (This Is Your Brain on Music), so even though this one seems to have mixed reviews, I'm looking forward to reading it. In fact, I think a successful Saturday tomorrow would include much reading, Glenn Miller records, and perhaps a bit of kitchen organization. It doesn't take much.

I'm going with a loose breakfast theme today.

-- I've gone through several different oatmeal variations over the past few years, but this is how I've been making them lately: I cook about 1/3 cup oatbran in 1/2 cup almond milk + 1/3 cup water (roughly). I add a packet of stevia, a few shakes of cinnamon, several drops of concentrated coconut flavoring (I got this last weekend, and I want EVERYthing to taste of coconut now). After about four minutes, I turn the heat down and add a quarter cup of beaten egg whites, while stirring. I let it cook for another minute or so and then dump it in a bowl, add a tablespoon of almond butter, artfully arrange the banana slices, and top with a couple spoonfuls of pumpkin flax granola. Complicated much? But I love it.

-- To answer Jessie's questions on my last post, there's a layer of cream cheese on my toast/English muffins before I put the jam on top. I'm not a HUGE fan of plain cream cheese by itself on toast, etc, but it's magic when paired with jam. The sausages are Morningstar brand breakfast links. I prefer their products over Boca, although they don't score as well in the protein department (for the burgers, that is). If you can get your hands on Quorn's 'chicken' tenders or turk'y burgers, stock up.

-- I was a loyal PG Tips drinker in London. It costs the same to get a box of Yorkshire Gold or PG Tips here, though, which seems like an injustice, as I reckon PG Tips should be cheaper. So, to stick it to the man, I feel like I should spend my $4.99 on Yorkshire Gold. Given the choice, though, say, if somebody from the UK were visiting in March, I would like an enormous box of PG Tips.

-- Right now, I switch between having oatbran and English muffins for breakfast. And I recently stopped going to the gym Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday and started going Monday-Wednesday-Friday instead. This has been a blessing, because now I can alternate between my two breakfasts every day of the week. I can't eat oatmeal on days that I run (too sloshy + not enough staying power), but I don't like having to wait two whole days to have it again. Problem solved. Crisis averted.

-- Two of my top moments in any given (average) day: 1. Sitting down with my breakfast and coffee in the morning while I listen to the radio. 2. Crawling into bed at the end of a long day, with my flannel sheets all warm from the heated mattress pad. That I'm conscious for very little of the time between those two events (er, in the right order, that is) is like a bonus.

I'm all out of questions to answer, but it's Wednesday, so that means it's time for What's Hot and What's Not. I've missed a week or two, so I'm sure you're all desperate to find out what's been hot in my life lately and what has not.

What's Hot

-- Ezekiel products. I've been eating the English muffins (I like the seven-grain kind) for a few months now, and today I tried their sesame bread for the first time. It's got the same knobbly texture as the muffins, and I really like it.

-- Entering races. I had a fantastic run on Monday, so I signed myself up for three races in the next three months. The 100% Irish for a Day 5k in March (like, in two and a half weeks!), the Get in Gear 10k in April, and the Northside 5k in May (Northside!). The 5k races should be no big deal, but I've set up a training schedule for the 10k. I've done the math, and that's, like, twice as much running as a 5k.

-- Green veggies. Well, that's sort of a tautology for me. I'm not sure if I consider any non-green 'vegetables' to be real vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, kale, chard, spinach, other 'greens', Brussels sprouts, green beans... maybe peas. Those are vegetables. Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, other root vegetables... those are vegetable-like. Potatoes might as well be bread. In case you were wondering how I categorize these things. Anyway, my point is that I've been eating heaped piles of green veggies lately, and I like it.

-- E-mailing friends throughout the day. I don't think there's anything simpler and more pleasing than taking a break from work to read a witty e-missive from a pal. If I've just had a good run, a cup of coffee, and a funny e-mail exchange, I'm pretty much as happy as an extremely happy clam.

What's Not

-- I feel like I've been a little bit hoodwinked by my last jar of . I love all their flavors, but the 'Oh! Berries' Pacific Blackberry was always my number one, and today I opened a jar of 'Oh! Berries' Marionberry -- they changed the blackberry on me! And I did not like it as much. It's the saddest thing to happen to me ever (in the jam category of my life).

I've had a nice day -- my run this morning went really well, so I took the plunge and registered for three races this spring, including a 10k, which is going to take some training (I generally run 5k or less when I go to the gym). It definitely feels great to have something to shoot for, though! Sometimes, between waking up later in the day and going to the gym, I wind up not having a real lunch (just a Luna bar or something after I run), and that means a meal gone missing that would usually contain a lot of veggies. So I bulked up on my green at dinner tonight -- broccoli, asparagus, AND kale. So good.

Anyway, time for part one of the questions and answers! The second part will be the questions pertaining to the house and my living situation and other such things, so tonight's Q&A is sort of a grab bag! I'll put everything in the extended entry, so click to read my answers!

Sometimes I think my life is a workout rut. On any given morning, if I stop and think about it too long, I can talk myself out of going to the gym. The only time I'm gung-ho about it is when I'm actually running and right after I've done so. That said, I think running keeps things more interesting than many forms of exercise. Every run is a chance to do better or to meet whatever goal I've set for myself that day. It also 'helps' that I quit in the summers (although I'd like to stop that tradition this year), so every November, I have to start down the path of rebuilding my endurance.

When did you start running, and what shoes do you wear?

I started running in the spring of 2006, after I signed up for the Race for Life in London. I had not run at ALL before that point, and I used a schedule that I found on the Runner's World (UK) website to train. I started with 60-second running intervals (and barely made it through those) all the way until I could run a 5k.

I have Saucony running shoes with very high arch support inserts. It's not worth recommending shoes, in my opinion, because you really have to go to a specialty store and have an expert help select the ones that will work for you, if you're going to be doing any significant amount of running. I got plantar fasciitis one spring from running in shoes with inadequate arch support, and that's not a mistake I'll make twice!

What's your favorite recipe that involves quinoa?

I don't actually cook with quinoa as often as I'd like. (For a really dumb reason, too -- I always am tempted to buy it when I see it in boxes, but then I think, 'No, I'll wait until I'm at the co-op and can buy it in bulk.' And then I forget about it.) But I think this soup was one of my favorite uses of quinoa. Otherwise, I tend to use it like I would use rice, especially with something like fried 'rice'.

Do you keep in contact with Rob?

I do, although we've both been busy lately. He's visiting in March, and he usually makes it over here once or twice a year. We chat over Skype and e-mail. I can only speak for myself, but I feel like our dating history is just a dot in the bigger picture. He's one of those friends-for-life friends.

Pauline (in London) asks, 'Do you miss us?' Will you be here for the London Book Fair?

I do, Pauline, I do! In general, I don't miss living in London, but I definitely wish I could see the friends I left behind more often. I feel so incredibly lucky that I managed to make good friends when I lived in the UK. As far as I know, I won't be going to the London Book Fair this year, so I'm not sure when I'll be back in London. If it weren't so far away (and expensive to fly to), I'd visit London all the time, just to see all my pals.

Why no TV?

I had a sort of TV set up when I first bought my house, and I had digital cable with a DVR box. But I eventually stopped watching much TV, and there came a point where Hulu had almost all the shows I wanted to watch, and paying for cable was too expensive. I have a big iMac, so, to me, watching a show on that from Hulu is no different from having a 'real' TV.

What I really like about the non-traditional set-up is that I can't just flick the TV on and have it going in the background. I never just surf the channels for something to watch and then sit there for hours. My brain isn't really conditioned to zone out on TV anymore; I get bored towards the ends of even the shows I love to watch.

And the most important question, from Alex: According to Noni of Butter London, the 2010 nail is all about "unusual medium tones" and "textured layering." Matte black is right out, because "the vamp is dead". What are your predictions for nail polish in 2010 ... and beyond?

I can't speak to matte colors, but I still like dark -- dark blue and gunmetal grey. But with a bit of shimmer. Textured layering sounds horrible. Keep the layers for the taco dip.

Thanks for the questions, guys! I wanted to tackle the work-related topics in one post, because my answer was starting to get pretty long. I'll start answering the others later, so if there's something you're wondering, feel free to keep asking!

How did you get into publishing? How did you get started working as a proofreader? Where do you work, and what did you major in in college?

I'm lumping several of these questions into one here, because I think I can just do one long explanation and cover everything. I majored in English in college, with a self-chosen emphasis on composition and linguistics (there was just one umbrella 'English' degree, but there was a lot of freedom to choose classes within categories, so you could have a more literary education or more technical).

By my last year of university, Rob and I were dating, and I popped into the Snowbooks office to do a few random bits of work while I was in London that August. Em and I got along well, and it turned out I wasn't a terrible worker, so we made arrangements to get a work visa, etc, etc. So, basically, the only words of advice I can give as far as how to get into publishing are these: know the right people. I don't doubt that I'm skilled at what I do, but I do know that I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't fallen into a very coincidental situation.

Because I've only ever worked for an indie publisher in the UK, I don't know in detail how the American publishing machine works, as far as starting a career. And my knowledge of the big publishing houses is anecdotal. There are benefits to working for a small publisher -- you'll get more responsibility and the opportunity to learn an array of skills -- but if you're looking for a traditional ladder to climb, with the pay raises that entails, you're going to have to try to break into one of the big guys.

These days I'm freelance, although most of my work is for Snowbooks -- technically as a contractor. Em and Rob own the company, and at heart I'm still part of Snowbooks, but on paper I work for myself. It's the dream situation, really: the relative stability of having a core income, but the flexibility of being freelance.

I probably talk about proof reading more than anything else, because it's the most time-consuming of all my tasks, but I wouldn't call myself a 'proofreader'. I also design covers, typeset books, and function as an acquisitions editor. I call myself a 'publishing project manager', but even that's a bit of a lie, as the only person I manage is myself -- I actually do everything it takes to turn an submitted manuscript into the files that make a book.

In the near future, I'm going to start a big push to acquire more freelance projects in my areas of skill -- proofreading, cover design, typesetting, and also web and other print design. Even though I think that the quality of my work is at least a little above average, it's scary trying to sell my services under my own name (as opposed to being behind the Snowbooks name). Like a lot of creative people, I tend to more time focusing on the outstanding work that others produce than valuing my own. But we shall see how it goes.

-- I was going to go to REI before dinner and then stop at Trader Joe's to pick up some food; I'd been thinking about their tomato bisque. But then I decided to wait until tomorrow for REI, which meant I could just stay at home and proofread (zombies!), but I still wanted that soup. So I thawed out some tinned crushed tomatoes I'd frozen (not IN the tin, of course; I'd used half of a 28oz can in another recipe) and made a simple soup, and the secret to making it good was the tablespoon of cream cheese I stirred in. And because I'd made tomato soup, I had to make a grilled cheese to go with it. I'm kind of in love with this photo. So much that I'm not too modest to say so.

-- One drag about being awake later in the night is that I just had the urge to go out and remove all the rubbish from my car (gum wrappers, receipts, etc). But it's dark out and winter, and I should just wait until tomorrow. (I will.)

-- Oh, actually, before my REI-before-dinner plan, I was counting on making a quick trip there after I went to the gym. But I forgot my wallet, which meant that not only couldn't I go to the store, but I also couldn't get a coffee. So I just headed home. Which turned out to be rather fortuitous, as I pulled into my alley right as a UPS truck turned onto my street. I got to my front door (via the house, from the garage, which is out back) right as the UPS guy was ringing the doorbell. Good timing! (The parcel was a package for review, in case you were wondering.)

-- I have not seen a single minute of Olympics coverage, because -- yes, I'm going to say it -- I don't care. And because I don't have a TV. I love that there are athletes who do amazing things and achieve their dreams and that the world tunes in once every four years to acknowledge their skill (or mock their costumes?)... but I really couldn't care less about watching it. I know -- I'm cold and heartless. Oh well.

-- Thanks to the Olympics being so important, though, all the shows I usually watch on Hulu are airing repeats. That means that I went in search of something new to watch, and I found Being Erica. After watching an episode, I realized my mom and I once happened upon it on TV, but I called 'boring' and asked her to change the channel. But that was before I knew it was Canadian and had the actor who played Eric in Wonderfalls. Excellent.

-- Only one person has commented with questions so far. Are you all really so incurious? Have I just been so thorough in what I write as to leave nothing answered? I will be forced to make up questions and pretend that other people asked them. Don't make me do that! Here are possible categories: vegetarianism, living abroad, owning a house, gardening, zombies, running, running from zombies (not really), cats, oatmeal.