Housewarming

As you can see, the kitties have settled into their new home. Then enjoy watching the morning rush hour from the bedroom window and watching Brooklyn wildlife (i.e. squirrels or the landlord's dog) from the back windows. It only took Morty a few hours to adjust to the new apartment, while Eli needed a couple days before he came out from behind the couch. As I am typing this post, the kitties are galloping along the length of the apartment so noisily that I wonder if my downstairs neighbor can hear them.



On Saturday, I had a mini housewarming breakfast. Of course, this breakfast consisted of nothing but cinnamon buns. I made the dough and rolled them out on Friday night. You can see the buns pre-rise in the picture above. Amber, Jennie, Julie, and Jeff enjoyed the buns to the fullest, even though Jennie freakishly didn't want much frosting on hers. This was the third time I've made these buns and I have to say, I've come a long way since my first batch. Compare the post-rise pictures of the latest batch and my first batch:



What a difference a little practice makes!

In addition the the cinnamon buns, I made a couple other things this weekend. Today, I made chicken stew topped with parsley biscuits and a batch of my famous chocolate chip cookies. The cookies are going with me to work tomorrow. After all, I have to live up to my reputation.

Hurrah!

Last week, my bosses promoted me to a production coordinator (I was an assistant). My duties haven't really changed, and I think a coordinator is more of a super assistant. I have a feeling that the promotion announcement was written up by just one of my bosses, but he wrote a really nice one. He mentioned, "Dora's cheery demeanor (let alone gourmet baked goods) makes her a pleasure to work with." My department head e-mailed me soon after the announcement went out to assure me that my baked goods were not the reason I was promoted.

Also, I was finally offered my first proofreading job this week. True, it's only $12/hr, but it is a beginner's assignment. I giggle because it's an erotica title. I'm being paid to read smut!

Be nice

This morning, I was walking to the subway station and passed the sanitation worker collecting our recycling. I said good morning as I walked by and I saw him again when I was at the corner waiting to cross the street. He smiled at me and said, "Hi, do you need help crossing the street?"

I told him I was fine. The jury is still out on whether it was creepy.

Frailty, thy name is internet!

Okay, the my apartment finally has internet. However, my wireless router is being finicky. I can connect to the wireless network, but can't access any webpages. Argh! It infuriates me so. Apparently, once you go wireless, you can't go back.

Hello again

It's been a while, as I have moved to my new digs in Brooklyn. I am also internet-less until this coming Saturday. I feel so disconnected from the world. At least I have internet access at work, although the red hand of doom keeps me from my personal e-mail.

So I'm still unpacking. The kitties are back to normal after their moving ordeal (seeing the old apartment sans furniture and clutter unnerved Morty badly), and have been causing trouble with their naughtiness in their new habitat.

Yay for competent movers and yay for my new neighbor, Amber, who's nice enough to sit in my air conditioning on Saturday to supervise my cable installation!

Pot luck pizza

I went out to Brooklyn today to visit Jennie and her sister Julie. Since they were making the pizza for dinner, I made dessert - blueberry almond cookies. They turn out more like little muffin tops than a conventional cookie. Julie made mini pizzas for each of us and we topped them as we liked, which was better since Jennie is so picky. I bet she was picking the basil out of my pizza when I made it last year.

I love Jennie and Julie's apartment. It's so nice and homey. Yet again, I did not settle into my current apartment of two years because shortly after the first year, I knew I'd be moving the next year, so I didn't bother settling in more. Hopefully, my next apartment will be homier. I think bookcases will definitely help.

While chatting after dinner, a thunderstorm moved over the area and we could see lightning bolts in the distance. Suddenly, lightning cracked right above us and scared the crap out of everyone. Woo! Later, I was on the F train and when it was above ground, I was able to see several lightning strikes on the horizon. It's not really something I get to see very much, having lived in Manhattan for a couple years.

Super weekend!

Hurray for four-day weekends!

Yesterday, Josh and I saw Superman Returns. I've never been a fan of the original Superman movies. I attribute my dislike mostly to Lois Lane, both the character and Margot Kidder. The acting in those movies was a little dorky too. All of the characters seemed fake, like they knew they weren't real and just being played by a bunch of actors.

However, this time around, the acting was good, and Superman didn't seem like some actor walking around in a tight blue and red costume. I don't know if it was Bryan Singer's magical touch or Brandon Routh and James Marsden playing the Superman/Lois Lane/Richard White love triangle so well, but it really worked (Richard White is too good for Lois Lane, that hussy)! And Routh and Marsen are both very nummy guys. Plus, I liked James Marsden playing a strong male character who didn't cry all the time, like he did in the X-Men movies.

Kevin Spacey played a better Lex Luthor. I thought Gene Hackman was a big goofball as Luthor, like he was trying to be comic relief. Spacey made Luthor a real dark villain. Parker Posey picked up the role of Kitty, and I don't think she changed the character very much from the original movies. I'm glad she wasn't a completely "bad" character.

While I still don't like Lois Lane, the dumbest reporter EVER, Kate Bosworth was a softer version, and I appreciated the non-manly aggressive version of Lois Lane. I still don't understand how the Clark Kent disguise fools anybody, especially Lois Lane (yet again, dumbest reporter ever... never mind, just dumb in general). It's just a pair of glasses! He doesn't even try disguising his voice (like Bruce Wayne and Batman). Maybe all of this is why Superman still isn't my favorite comic book hero. The X-Men are still my favorite (just don't count X3 into that).