Now, I will be the first to admit that I am not much of a cook. I manage daily needs in the kitchen, but I anything beyond chicken with sweet peas and tomatoes falls in the category “too hard” or “too time consuming.” I simply don’t like spending time by the stove, so tonight I exceeded my own expectations by making pasta sauce from scratch. It turned out well and I had it with with fresh basil, Bulgarian feta and angel hair pasta.
This blog is pathetic. I am reduced to writing about angel hair and diced tomatoes. I need a new inspiration.

The new college rankings are out at Princeton Review. Colgate ranks 13 on the list “Lots of Beer.” Good. One more reason to miss it.

Last night, I found a 10 dollar bill on my way back home. I accepted it as compensation from above for the long and miserable day I had, although I felt bad for the person who lost it. I hope the lucky spell will last for a while. I have never been one of these people who just “finds” stuff. My friend Maria is always “finding” the best things: “Oh, look, I found this nice boots just like the ones you bought 2 days ago but much cheaper”, “Oh, can you believe I found this great deal on my ticket and you had to pay 100 times more” ,”Hey, I found this great-looking guy who gave me a $10,000 engagement ring and then we found this great place in the Caribbean for our wedding.” Great, do they have any more of these things at the place you found them?

I need some more sleep. Instead I will buy some coffee and drag myself to class.

I was happy all day, in a really good mood and all. Now I am very sad. I guess helping Serena pack got me thinking about all the times in my life when I have had to say “good bye” without wanting it. I understand that change is usually for the better, but I hate the ‘’till-we-meet-again'’ state of mind. You’d think six years away from home would desentize me, but I think it works the opposite way. I am terrified at the thought of spending yet another holiday season alone and I have grown to hate Christmas. Ok, enough whining. I need a glass of Riesling, a cigarette, Fight Club and bed. This always works.
P.S. I wish I was there.

I was cleaning up my hard drive today and found these photos that my mom scanned for me a couple of years ago for my first birthday away from home. Me in Sofia’s Central Park, summer of 1982.

I was reminded today of a painful memory from New Mexico. I was there on a Penn State-sponosred trip during my first year in grad school. The trip was awesome - New Mexico was fantastically beautiful and I hope to get a chance to visit again some time. But I did have an utterly embarassing experience while trying to capture the beauty of Albuquerque on film. I was trying to climb on this statue to get my picture taken when I hit my head right into the metal boot spur on the bottom of the guy’s foot (the red arrow is pointing at the spot of the accident). Luckily, I did not manage to crack my skull open but, needless to say, it was a bloody scene and I thought I’d get tetanus. Now, contrary to my behavior on that day, I am really not a hypochondriac. But, come on, would not you be a bit worried if you pierce your head with a rusty boot spur? Thanks to my dear friend Brooke, this story will never be forgotten.

So, if I act like I have a hole in my head, now you know why.

Слонът и мишката отишли в гражданското да се разписват:
- Хубаво,че сте решили да се жените, ама размислихте ли? - попитал ги регистраторът.
Мишката излязла няколко крачки напред:
- Няма време за мислене. Налага се!

I have been thinking recently about the party central that Parker was for the last two years in college and wondering how to revive my party mood. Dawn’s Halloween party is coming up and that’s always great, but I am thinking about a get-together at my place sometime in mid-November. I hope it will be fun.

I have never been a fan of TV, and of all shows I have hated reality TV most (with the exception of anything that features Eric Stromer). Of course, as it often happens in life, I now developed an additiction to one of the cheesiest reality shows, The Beauty and the Geek. More horribly, I watch its Bulgarian version online. I am shocked by myself, but nonetheless, addicted. I like the idea of “a social experiment,” which forces people to think beyond stereotypes and explore things that they would not normally venture into. Ultimately, it also gives hope to all the geeks out there that maybe attractive individuals from the oppsote gender would talk to them. I like this hope.

I spent this past weekend at a great place with great people. It was windy, but I am certainly well-rested and recharged with enough energy to last me through some more of this semester. I also tremendeously improved my knowledge of American football and toddler songs.
The first night at the cottage I let the dogs out, quite literally. I left the door open and Gaby (Heather’s dog) ran out, making sure we all got proper exercise at midnight. This was just the start of a weekend well spent.
Now, back in State College, I need to read some soc of religion and write some papers, but I strangely don’t really mind working late. I hope this feeling will last.

As I am trying to do problem sets from sampling theory for comps, this question comes to mind. Yeah, send care packages my way. But please, no little boxes of raisins, I ate 10 tonight and they are really annyoing because all the raisins get stuck in the corners and it takes some real concentration to fish them out.

This site features Bulgaria through the camera lens of current Peace Corps volunteers there. Beautiful and not-so-beatiful, young and old, ancient and modern, purely awesome! Visit my contry virtually, you’ll like it.

My favorite comic strip now also features a blog under the motto “We’re Not Working, Why Should You?”
Now, that’s an affirmation that blogging when you are in grad school is just another way to pretend we’re being productive. After all, it does create an impressive publication record. That way, you can always walk into a job talk and say “Sure, I published a lot in grad school…” and you can skip the “…on my blog” part.
By the way, shouldn’t you be doing some work right now:)?