My lunch smells like dog butt.

Yesterday, I made a "total meal" salad which comprised tuna, chick peas, broccoli, and egg whites (all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette):


When I opened the container at lunchtime, the boyfriend thought that Bodger had farted in the kitchen. Awesome. The scent of my lunch recalls the sulfurous compounds expelled from my dog's bum.

I took this as a sign from the Powers Above that I should bake something delicious and not butt-scented.

Enter Evil Pound cake.


Evil pound cake contains six eggs, three cups of sugar, one package of (full-fat) cream cheese, and three sticks of butter. (Oh, and some flour and vanilla.) According to the nutrition facts, 1/12th of the cake has 614 calories.

The recipe describes this cake:

"It's the kind of cake that you want to stick your face in the pan and never come up for air."

And what's the best thing to do with Evil Pound cake? Obviously, top it with homemade raspberry sauce and freshly whipped cream:


Empirical studies (=my scale reading this morning) suggests that this is not, in fact, evil pound cake, but rather, evil 2.6-pound cake.

Fortunately, I pounded out a decent six-miler in a wayward attempt at contrition:

• Mile 1 - 9:55
• Mile 2 - 9:34
• Mile 3 - 9:25
• Mile 4 - 9:20
• Mile 5 - 8:55
• Mile 6 - 8:38

Yay, negative splits!

In closing, here is Mr. Stinky-Bum himself:

I spy a wiener!

My life is an assortment.

Every morning, I wake up and take Bodger out to pee and poop. Then he usually goes back in his crate to eat while I go for a run. While I'm getting ready and eating breakfast, I let him wander around the apartment. Most of the time, he makes a bee-line for the couch and conks out:

Though sometimes he wakes up for the camera:


Today, I ran three miles after classes. It was pretty cold (windchill of 6ºF), so I wore two pairs of gloves. Consequently, I felt like I had sausage fingers the entire time.

• Mile 1 - 9:53
• Mile 2 - 9:16
• Mile 3 - 9:08

Later in the evening, the boyfriend and I tried to do an "Asian Squat." After several unsuccessful attempts, I think I finally mastered it: heels on the ground and able to withstand a French bulldog's interference.

I know, my homebody life is riveting.

And to answer any questions from the last post:

Jessica: The cookies were not filled with organic, high-brow, vegan-friendly ingredients...which is to say, they were delicious.

Alisa: Usually, when I bake, I try to pawn off all of the results on other people (either coworkers or fellow grad students). Fortunately, the boyfriend has a ridiculous metabolism and can eat a lot of baked goods.

Caitlin: I did get a new camera; my parents gave me a Nikon D3000 for Christmas. I'm still learning all the bells and whistles, but I do think the photos look a lot better than with my old Canon Powershot.

Natalie: Yes, the cake was from scratch. It was my first time attempting such a feat by myself, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I used this recipe for the cake, and the frosting came from Baking for Dummies.

Eating away my stress.

First, I'm sorry for the last "downer" post. It was just one of those days/It is just one of those months. I can't wait for this exam to be over. It stresses me out. In any event, thank you for all the words of encouragement.

Second, to answer Sam's question: the adoptee in the knee pads (Kean) was also in a wheelchair. He apparently broke both of his ankles somehow but said that the story must be saved for a time when he knows us all better.

Third, Kim alerted me that some blogs on blogspot are sending out viruses when people click on the commenting links. I'm very sorry if my blog has done this. Would you please let me know if this is the case?

On Friday, Bodger got really upset about "Dogs 101" on Animal Planet:




Fortunately, he did not knock over the expensive TV.

I felt bad on Thursday. Consequently, I ate all of my feelings on Saturday.

Yesterday, I made hoddeok, which are little pan-fried pancakes filled with cinnamon and brown sugar. They are apparently a very popular street food in Korea. Mine were small and somewhat misshapen, but they tasted good, nonetheless.


I also made a chocolate layer cake all by myself:


I brought said cake to the French department party. Professor Bad-Ass made some really delicious homemade bread. (The bottom even had those tiny little bumps from baking the dough on traditional mats.)


There was also delicious spicy chicken. And, trust me, spicy-anything is always a pleasant surprise when the French are involved:


The boyfriend is a de-facto member of the department:

(In fact, one of the literature professors recognized him and had no idea who I was. Nice!)

Dan stuck a fork up his nose then complained that this would go on the blog:


And though I was quite proud of my cake, it couldn't stand up to the delicious chocolate-chip-coffee cookies:

A minor existential crisis

The weather was terrible today. 33ºF and cold rain all day.

It set the perfect scene for me to question my decision to be in grad school anymore. I am stressed and unhappy right now.

For now, all I can really do is try to pass my MA exam. That way, I will have a master's degree by the end of the year, which is something. (However, if I fail, I will take it as a sign from God that I am not meant to be an academic. And in some ways, that could be a relief.)

To take my mind off of this existential funk, I met up with Elana and four other adoptees at the university. It was really bizarre to meet other Korean adoptees, particularly because I kept assuming that they were all well-assimilated Asians from ethnic families.


Note to self: Take more flattering pictures, e.g. ones where I don't look like I weigh 4000 pounds.

Bodger & I learn Korean

Since tickets to Seoul are officially booked for May 2010, I have decided to make a concerted effort to learn Korean.

This morning, Bodger helped me go over flash cards for household objects and clothing:

(Apparently, I look super-Asian in the morning.)

Then he got bored and decided to step on the cards instead:

On an unrelated note, I fried an egg this evening that looked like a ghost:


...Oh, and classes started. Meh.

To clarify: I have not yet found my biological mother. One reason for this trip is to put pressure on my Korean adoption agency to make more of a search effort. (Otherwise, they just put you on the back burner forever. Awesome, right?)

Sunday correspondences

Dear Mother Nature:

I hate this "freezing fog" crap. I slipped on an icy sidewalk today while running and not only scraped my (other) knee, but ripped ANOTHER hole in my tights. I need new tights now.

Signed, Angry Runner lady

Dear Bodger:

Stop testing your limits. Pulling on your leash and eating poop are not two terribly endearing qualities.

Signed, Your Pack Leader

Dear Birth mom:

It's official. I'm coming to Korea. I just booked tickets tonight. Please want to see me.

Signed, Your biological daughter

Tomorrow's plans:

• Run
• Read
• Buy new tights
  
• Savor the last day of break. :(
  

Frenchie playdate

Yesterday, we took Bodger over to my friend Ingrid's house for a Frenchie playdate. He got to meet Missy, Mimi, and Jojo. Because he was the youngest and only boy, those three ladies showed him who was boss.


We also got to see Jojo's two-month-old puppies, who look like little kangaroos:


Even though Bodger is neutered, he was really excited to see the ladies. His tongue came way out, and he started breathing noisily. I guess old habits die hard. Missy and Mimi were unamused.


To teach him a lesson, we put him in a pink Snuggie:


He didn't like it...at all:


Finally, for any readers who fly frequently, do you have any tips (websites?) for flying to Asia? It's really, really expensive, and I'm sure there is "insider knowledge" that I'm missing!

More photos

First, before I ramble on selfishly, I want to encourage you to visit the Pioneer Woman's blog for a chance to contribute $500 to the charity of your choice involved in the Haitian recovery efforts.

I don't tune into the news very often, but while scanning headlines this evening, I found out that a girl from my undergraduate dorm, the Maison Française, died from fatal head trauma after the earthquake. While it is obviously very sad to hear about the death of thousands of people, it feels strange and different to realize that someone I knew, lived with, and remember was part of this crisis.

Food for thought, which makes the rest of this post seem inconsequential.

My running is fairly unremarkable right now. I've cut way back on mileage (around 20 miles per week), but I'll use the next month to build up a strong base. Eventually, I'd like to follow the Ryan Hall Half-Marathon training program for the Illinois [Half] Marathon on May 1st.

My IT-band felt pretty tight this morning, most likely from slipping and sliding around on uneven ice and snow piles. Fortunately, tomorrow will be a day off to stretch and recover.

And for anyone who doubted my degree of literacy in reading a cookie recipe:


Before I received this book, I had never heard of "jammie bodgers" or "jammie dodgers," but I am sure both are delicious.

Here is how Bodger spent most of the day:


Though, I did give him a fiber pill in some peanut butter:

Finally, a name.

Frenchie's name is officially "Bodger." (Like "Badger", but with an "o") By "officially," I mean that I wrote it on the "Pet Addendum" to our lease. I have yet to tell his breeder that I changed his name, but I hope she doesn't mind.

(He doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he answers to almost anything, including "Buppy" and "Butthead.")

He spends most of his time snoring and drooling on the couch.


If you were wondering, a "Jammie Bodger" is a kind of jam-frosting sandwich cookie that I found in my "300 cookie recipes" cookbook. Though I originally wanted to name him something French, most French names are (1) boring and (2) have a difficult pronunciation (like a nasal vowel or an /R/). It makes me uncomfortable to hear butchered French names, so for everyone's sake, I named him something with American English phonemes. Yes!

Here are things that Bodger does:

• Looks inquisitively at me while raising one front paw in the air
• Sticks his tongue out
• Licks the dirty snow off of our boots
• Tries to eat stale chunks of bread in the parking lot next to the apartment
• Snores and farts
• Falls asleep in uncomfortable positions
• Finds and eats all the dead lady-beetle carcasses in the apartment

I attempted a three-mile tempo run today, though the roads and sidewalks are still covered in slippery snow, ice, and sand. Here are my splits:

• 10:43
• 9:01
• 8:52

So really, I just ran like I always do.

Alright, I'm off to go sit on the futon with Bodger and hope that he adjusts to his name.

Frenchie photos.

Getting adjusted to Frenchie friend has been pretty time-consuming, so my apologies if I am not posting very often. (In addition, I am still trying to cram in some knowledge for the master's exam and trying to cook a lot.)

I got a run in yesterday. Unfortunately, all the snow, ice, and salty sand on the roads slowed me down:

• Mile 1 - 10:38
• Mile 2 - 10:12
• Mile 3 - 9:49
• Mile 4 - 9:37
• Mile 5 - 9:45

But who cares about splits when there are all these ridiculous photos to share?

(Sitting on the heat vent in my office)


(Watching college sports)

(Playing with a paper towel tube)


(Taking off with aforementioned tube)

(Modeling on the kitchen mat)

(This is how he sits. On his butt. He later peed on the mat.)

(Legs splayed, tongue out.)

Frenchie friend is here!

Where we ate dinner last night, no joke:


This morning, we drove to the breeder's house, just north of Detroit and were greeted by this face:


We also met eight more of her twenty (!!!) Frenchies, including his dad:


And his three "kids":







Meanwhile, Frenchie friend got some farewell kisses from his breeder:


Then sat on the heat vent for warmth:


Before we packed him in his crate on the backseat:


He is a very mellow fellow and spent most of the drive either sleeping or staring at us, his tongue slightly out. Now, we're subjecting him to "Saturday Night Live" and bouts of walking in the -2ºF cold.

Welcome home, Frenchie friend! Tomorrow, I will come up with a name for you!