Cenam bonam coquere est placeri.

Success on the first two dishes!

Here is the sesame seared tuna with the rice and julienned carrots, squash, and zucchini.

Unfortunately the tuna wasn't QUITE at "sushi-grade" (though they claimed it was) so it didn't slice as nicely as I would have liked, but I was pleased with the outcome.

Even if my parents did cook theirs longer.....non-lovers of sushi, them folk.....and Matt doesn't even like tuna, so I had to bake salmon for him. But that came out pretty nicely also.

And this is the pork chop with an apple cranberry green onion glaze with mashed potatoes (with chives, garlic and pepper corn).

Served with salad on the side, of course.

Everyone loved it! Yay! Definitely a recipe I'll make several times in the future =)

So far: success. Not sure when I'll get to the other three since Dad is going out of town this week, and as a matter of fact, so am I (Gainesville, here I come!). But I'm excited because it's very satisfying to put time and love into food and see it enjoyed and appreciated!

Also, went to the movies twice this week (gotta love Mom being bored and wanting to pass time). Wee!

It's Complicated I couldn't wait to see this because of the glorious Meryl Streep and the impeccable Alec Baldwin, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The theme was rather sad, and I can't say I totally loved the ending but it really couldn't have ended any other way. A

Up In The Air There was a lot of hype about how good this movie was. I enjoyed it, and the concept seemed really unique, but I can't say I was blown away. Plus it was really just very depressing, and I left the theatre feeling pretty bummed out. But, good movie, and Mr. Clooney never really fails to disappoint. B+

I start working at Starbucks again tomorrow, so at least I'll have something to do. I'm also going in for an interview right after for a position open at my old high school to help put together bulletins/postcards/posters...it's kind of a graphic/computer design job, so I'm not sure how qualified I am, but my old principal (now the superintendent) is the one who called ME and asked if I was interested and he knows what I'm capable of, so I hope I have a chance. It pays really well. Plus a family at church asked if I was interested in tutoring their home-schooled sons in Latin, which of course I am, so maybe that will happen also.

So, other than that, I'm looking into various possibilities for my future....and they're not exactly what I was considering before.

1. Still hoping to get approved for applying to George Mason in Fairfax, VA. Waiting on one of the professors to get back to me regarding my transcript/resume.

2. USF has several Foreign Language Education Masters that I might apply for. They also have a Certificate program that could easily be done in under a year that I'm interested in. Tampa though. Yeesh.

3. The Geneva School (a Christian Classical school) in Winter Park, FL is hiring a Latin teacher next year. I already sent them my resume and got a response saying they'd be in touch within the month.

So...I wasn't planning on staying in FL. I still don't want to, ultimately. But getting a Masters in-state would be WAY cheaper than going elsewhere (and I can always move once I've done that). And if I don't go to school I would love to teach again SOON (I'm done with this whole "job I don't want to build a career around") and I've heard great things about the Geneva School from friends at UF who went there, and Winter Park is a particularly nice city. Needless to say, I have lots of praying and thinking to do, but it's nice to know I might have a couple options.

Miss you all who aren't here with me. (I think that means all of you.)

P.S. "Cenam conam coquere est placeri"= "To cook a good meal is to be pleased"

Niceville, Smiceville.

Soooooo I'm back in Niceville. I'll start working part-time at the lowest pay possible at my original Starbucks next week, and I've been applying to other jobs as well (JCrew, Kenneth Cole, Michaels Kors [all outlets] and various office/clerical jobs). We'll see what happens, because currently my daily routine has consisted of eating about 9 meals, walking around, checking Facebook/Twitter nonstop, and watching a ridiculous amount of 30 Rock (that part I don't regret).

Books I've read recently (I guess there's only one....sad)

Pirate Latitudes (Michael Crichton, found after his death)- definitely not as good as his other stuff, but entertaining all the same. B

Movies I've watched recently:

High Fidelity it's true, I'd never seen it all the way through. A-

Amelie charming. A

Pineapple Express pretty dang funny, but I don't find Seth Rogen to be a very good actor, to be perfectly honest. B+

Best in Show witty, and featuring Susan Boyle... A

Sunshine Cleaning not that great. not that bad, either. B-

Doubt Meryl Streep + Philip Seymour Hoffman? Pure genius. A-

Vanity Fair (re-watch, to spot Tom Sturridge) B

Rachel Getting Married actually haven't finished it yet...I got bored.

The Hangover so, so funny. just DON'T watch the credits. seriously. bad. A

New in Town predictable, yet relatable. B

I need to start work very, very soon. And visit Gainesville.

But for the time being, I get to make dinner for my family. Yes, "get to".... I've been awaiting a well-stocked and roomy kitchen for YEARS. And also a grocery bill I don't personally have to pay. Here are the 5 recipes I've picked out for the week:

1. Corn & crab chowder with home-fried hush puppies (made this combo last winter-delicious!)

2. Pot roast (mmm. crock potted with carrots, potatoes, and onions.)

3. White chicken chili (never made it myself, wee!)

4. Pork chops with apple-cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes

5. Sesame-seared tuna with rice & julienned carrots/squash/zucchini

I'm pretty excited about that.

Good grief.

I don't even feel like explaining the past week right now or on this silly blog. If you'd really like to know the gory details, call me. This picture ought to suffice.

So here's to an impromptu "Sarah got unjustly fired and now has to move home immediately" party. Thank you friends for your encouragement and prayers.

No Latin, Christopher.

Saw some movies recently. Here are their grades.

Last Chance Harvey (B)

Confessions of a Shopaholic (D+)

Smart People (I actually only got halfway through this because I hated it)

Gigantic (B)

Sherlock Holmes (A)

Mamma Mia! (B+)

Book-wise:

Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (22 Short Stories) (A+)

A Study in Scarlet (A-)

The Sign of the Four (A)

The Great Gatsby (a re-read, naturally. A+)

Julie & Julia (A-)

Christmas with the fam was nice. I'll try and write about it another time. I don't have much motivation for that right now.

New Year's was uneventful. Do I have a resolution? Probably a thousand.

Andrew & Rebecca are visiting.

Chris is finally here, which I am pleased by. It definitely didn't feel like there were several months between our times together.

I'm so.....gosh. I don't know. Uneasy? Unsettled? Something doesn't feel right. Somethings, perhaps. I need to pray more often.

Ninguat, ninguat, ninguat....

I've got a few movies to give my spiel about, but I'm far too tired/sick to say as much as I might otherwise. They are:

-A Very Long Engagement (or, "Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles") Practically perfect in every way. I loved this movie. It had all the right elements- action, drama, a little comedy, romance, a bittersweet ending...Really well done. Definite recommendation.

-Priceless (or, "Hors de Prix") The only reason I watched this is because I decided I have a girl crush on Audrey Tautou, and this movie showed up on my Instant Views on Netflix. Another French film, obviously- not nearly as good. But that can only be expected when you read the summary... it's a silly "romantic comedy" (not exactly the same as what we're used to) and I enjoyed it a bit, but it really wasn't that great unless you want some eye candy and enjoy hearing French. Which I do.

-Annie Hall Oh this movie was great. I never really thought I'd be a Woody Allen fan, and I still don't know if I am...Matchpoint was a VERY different type of movie, so I feel like I can't even compare the two. Allen and Diane Keaton were great in this movie, and I loved the random appearances by all too familiar faces, including, but not limited to: Christopher Walken (with such a baby face, he was already in his 30s but he looks soooo young! I couldn't believe it!), the mom from the Shining (I didn't even know she was in anything else, but I'm undereducated), and my personal favorite, Jeff Goldblum! He's literally in the movie for 3 seconds, but what a glorious 3 seconds. I always knew there was this underlying sex appeal lying deep in his Ian Malcolm/Alistair Hennessey-ness, but those 3 seconds will blow the doubt out of ANYBODY'S head. I was startled. Besides that, though, I just enjoyed the movie altogether-Woody Allen is very funny. And I loved seeing Brooklyn in the 70's. Also, the way LA is characterized is amusing, and I'm curious as to how similar/dissimilar the two cities are today versus 30 years ago (when they were characterized as polar opposites).

Anyway, I know those are pretty pathetic and I sound like an 8 year old trying to pen a one page essay on a movie I've watched recently, but honestly my brain feels like an 8 year old's right now. So forgive me.

In other news, it snowed here in NYC this past weekend and was quite lovely. Here are some moments which I wish to share.

Napoleon's first romp in the snow

My apartment the night it started snowing

These guys

New advertisement for "Express for Dogs"

P.S. "Ninguat" (x3), also the title of my newest Facebook album- "Let It Snow" (x3, obviously)

Infans Venit!

The past several nights I've wanted to watch a Christmas movie. But alas, I did not have enough foresight in my Netflix choices to arrange such a thing. Granted, I could go in and switch up my queue, but I have this silly thing about not wanting to remember what I put on there so it's a "surprise" when they come (something I think I mentioned before). So with the queue I will not mess. I did watch Blood Diamond (which I actually bought a couple months ago) the other night and it was excellent- just as eye-opening as everyone claims. See it.

Anyway, tonight's movie was Children of Men. I remember when I first heard about it I was interested, but never enough to actually see it. But my friend Chris had recommended it (along with almost all the movies on my queue). So as I was watching, I wasn't loving it. It was really depressing, and too many people were dying. But....okay, if you haven't seen it, the basic premise is that sometime in 2009 all women became infertile, and by the year 2027 all of earth has gone haywire. Everyone is killing everyone. You know. There are secret groups, that kind of thing. Anyway, suddenly this girl shows up and she's pregnant. So a few people are trying to get her to "safety" without exposing to the world that she has a baby (and I didn't really understand what that safety was...). So there's all this shooting, all this dying, and at one point the baby's crying and there's a ceasefire. The girl walks downstairs with her crying baby, and all the people freeze and are staring and crying and kneeling. I started crying. I couldn't understand what it must be like to not see or hear a baby for 18 years, and suddenly one appears. One that causes everyone to be silent and stop fighting and fall on their knees in awe and confusion. And then, 30 seconds later, the firing begins again, and the miraculous child is forgotten.

Anyway, I kind of got my Christmas movie. In a bizarre way.

P.S. "Infans Venit" - "The Child has come"

Conspicere est Illustrari

I'm not one to claim any talent in reviewing things. I.E., books, bands, movies, etc. That being said, I've already shared books I've been reading or movies I've seen recently, without any comment concerning my enjoyment of them. Not even a good old-fashioned thumbs up or down (very old-fashioned, those Romans). So rather than attempting to sound all knowledgeable about what makes a good movie or book, I'll just tell you flat our in very simple sentences what I think.

So I recently joined Netflix, and these were my first 3 movies:

Matchpoint. My first Woody Allen movie. Very Hitchcockian. Erotic, but not in an uncomfortable way. Intriguing. I hadn't really seen Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in any other movie other than this very obscure TV movie called "Gormenghast" that appeared on TV when I was in 8th grade (our family took a particular fancy to it), and I thought he was excellent. You don't even realize you're watching a Suspense until the end. Recommended.

Thank You For Smoking. Oh, Aaron Eckhart. He's pretty great in this movie. Unfortunately, and I'm sorry to admit this, I was distracted almost the entire movie, and therefore am positive I missed about half of the snarkiness (probably not a word). It was very entertaining and smart. Katie Holmes was dumb (but is anyone shocked?). Not what I was expecting, and pleasantly surprising.

Everything is Illuminated. I knew nothing about this movie going into it except that every time I passed it in the movie store it caught my eye. Probably because of the sunflowers. And who knew Ukraine was so beautiful? Anyway, at first this movie charmed me because of its Little Miss Sunshine-esque road trip. Elijah Wood was almost uncomfortably awkward the entire movie. But as it progressed, the tone became sadder, more unsettling. By the end I was a little choked up, but not as much as during, say, Homeward Bound. No comparison? You're right. Is this worth seeing? I think so.

Aaaaaaanyway. I'd tell you what's up next, but I purposely don't check my queue so it's a surprise every time. Boy do I live a life of adventure....

P.S. "Conspicere est Illustrari" - "To watch/view is to be enlightened/illuminated"