He didn't quit

A scientist's hands at work

He did it. He's officially a doctoral candidate. You thought he has been working on his PhD all this time, I know. I wonder myself what he's been doing for the past 2 years if it hasn't been doctoral work. He's been proving himself worthy of PhD candidacy by jumping through some departmental hoops...preliminary and qualifying exams. He's also been researching and that's the stuff he loves, and what will show up in his dissertation.

Yesterday Charlie passed his "qualifying exam." It seems like that thing has been lingering for months. Really just the talk of it has. He put it off and put it off and put it off until finally, it was Mardi Gras and crunch time. Perfect time to get it done. I am beginning to think my husband procrastinates because he works better under stress. And stressed he's been!

The written portion was distributed to his committee for review the day after Mardi Gras, but he still had to get through a presentation and defend. He knows "talks" are not one of his strengths, but I have never really seen him this bothered by school. He let me know, if his committee gave him a hard time, wasn't satisfied with what he did or if he had to redo this, he was just going to quit. I doubt the actual quitting would ever come to pass, but he was having some anxiety about the whole thing not going over very well.

He did fine. He wouldn't say it went "well" but "it's over and I passed." He even thought he got good feedback and suggestions.

Today was a talk on his work in progress. This is something he knows in and out, because it is his work, not a mock proposal like the qualifying exam. Funny thing is that he thinks he does better talking about the mock topic. I'm thinking, knowing Charlie, that if it's something he likes, he gives lots of information. Lots and lots of information. And the ideas are a swirling in his head as he is trying to tell you ALL about it.

So no more talks for a while. Whew. His writing will now focus on his dissertation and hopefully a paper submitted for publication (and then published) in a reputable journal.

Tonight we celebrate. We have a few restaurant gift cards burning a hole in our pocket and Vizard's has moved into our neighborhood, so we had lots of options. But it's Tuesday and we have a standing date... on the couch.

Steaks on the grill, fuzzy navels,

and the usual cutting up.

10 days later

Today was my post IVF follow up. I was hoping to pick up a copy of my records but they weren't ready. At my last appointment as the nurse walked down the corridor to call the next patient, the girl sitting across from me commented that she knew it wasn't going to be her because her file "wasn't nearly that big." The nurse called my name. So no telling how long it'll be before I get a copy of the entire file. Doesn't really matter because I am not sure what I'm doing with it as of yet anyway.

The past week and a half I have separated myself from the rest of the world. No phone calls or emails or openings for anyone to ask any questions other than "Are you ok?", which I am very appreciative of the concern but in no state to really answer anything further. Charlie has been busy with his presentations and I was quite content to split my time between the garden and eating. I find comfort in both.

It wasn't until this weekend, as my appointment approached did things start to fall apart and the feelings become unavoidable. I don't know where those tears all come from. Poor Charlie had to have thought they'd run out eventually.

But lucky Dr. C got to see his share at the follow up and even joined me. He cried as I cried, unable to offer any scientific or medical statistics to calm me. They don't exist. His first words were, "I don't know what to say."

He went over my E2 and LH levels for both cycles and how they were not really where they should have been. He tried to adjust the levels by changing my dosages but still no success. He didn't offer any solutions or future protocols nor did he recommend further testing or cycles. The best he could do was tell me he planned to present my case to a group of colleagues from the south with whom he meets with every so often, with the hopes that someone has seen a similar case or has a theory on how or why and how to proceed.

He would contact me, but his immediate concern was my emotional state. What, like he had never seen a distraught woman gagging from crying so hardly? Poor man. I am ok...this is just what I do.

I am ok.

Renew

I have spent as much time in the garden this week as the weather would allow. I hadn't tidied up much since we had a light freeze in December, and so I was thankful for the warm temperatures and the time outside.

Although quite a few things appeared to be a total loss...


I was pleasantly surprised to find new growth.


Everything got trimmed back, and almost everything has new growth.



I even found some things beginning to bloom.


I've put in the caladium bulbs and the seeds for cut flowers, but am having trouble finding some of my spring bedding plants this early in the season. Hoping these mild southern winter temperatures hold out and spring is right around the corner.

Lovin'

• Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, and the Beastie Boys in my itunes library
• Baking, baking, baking
• Sunshine and 70
  
• Early mornings in the garden
• Hot Earl Grey
• Watching the tube with Charlie
  
• 150 caladiums waiting to sprout (planted a bit early, but I couldn't wait!)
• String cheese 3 times a day
• Planning summer adventures
• PhD candidates, ok, there's only one candidate, really
• Hand holding
• Calls for "Bunzie" and "my Weegie"
• Watering seedlings
• Magazine subscriptions
  

Be Mine

Self portrait on the porch after dinner.

Dinner at MiLa was outstanding. We look forward to another visit.

Happy Valentine's Day, Charlie. I'm thankful you're mine.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I got this one from one of my students' mama who's always baking. It is yummy! You can expect to see this one at our pre-Jazzfest crawfish boil (April 30th this year, y'all).

Ingredients:

• 1 box Duncan Hines butter yellow cake mix
• 1 large box instant chocolate pudding
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 8oz container sour cream
• 1 6 oz bag of chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar for cake dusting

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer for 2 minutes
2. Pour into a greased bundt pan (spray with Pam, sprinkle with sugar or flour to dust coat pan)
3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
4. After cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar

I also made a cake to share at my seminar on Wednesday night


as well as some cupcakes. Sick Charlie got some in bed for breakfast along with his glass of juice.



Lesson learned: No matter how early, you never ever have enough time to bake before leaving for work.

Picnic on Bordeaux

Charlie's sick...101+ fever and congestion in the chest. Think it has a little something to do with not treating his body very well over the last few weeks, hydrating with Abita Ambers and no exercise, but I'll spare you the details. Anyway, he's sick. Very sick.

So tonight we did what we always do when there's illness...Chinese food in bed. No matter how sick you are, some hot and sour or wonton soup always tastes yummy. Tonight we had the added bonus of the Westminster Dog Show and American Gladiator on the tube.

Tomorrow he'll be home again, and we'll have leftovers in bed...watching American Idol and The Biggest Loser. I could get used to this routine.

Golden Pound Cake

From the Times Picayune, just in time for Valentine's Day...

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Bring ingredients to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
3. Grease and flour a 10-inch single layer heart ring mold
4. In a large bowl, cream butter, adding sugar gradually until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.
6. Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
7. Add flour alternatively with milk to egg and sugar mixture, beating between each addition.
8. Mix in vanilla and almond flavorings.
9. Pour into prepared pan and bake on center rack for 55 to 60 minutes.
10. Cool for ten minutes before inverting onto plate to cool completely.
11. Sprinkle cake with confectioners sugar, chocolate glaze, or frosting and sprinkles.
    

I opted for sprinkles only...it's pretty rich.

Honey Baked Lentils with Barley

I've been trying to get Charlie to eat beans, but now the full court press is on to eat lentils...a healthier legume! And this recipe was perfect because I have been dying to try recipes that incorporate barley.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup lentils
• 1/3 cup barley
• 2 cups water
  
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I use more than this!)
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Toss in a dish
2. Cover with foil
   
3. Bake at 350 degrees until tender (about an hour and a half)

How's that for easy? It's a pretty tasty side dish and best of all, it's fiber-licious.

Now I want more of a soupy lentil recipe...

Negative, again

The nurse called to make those negative results official. I can peel off the estrogen patches, and turn my phone off for a while.

I'm feeling the usual disappointment and sadness and even a little angry.

We have a follow up appointment in 10 days.

10dp3dt

Home pregnancy test is still negative. All five of them.

Symptoms still don't exist.

Blood test tomorrow at 8 am.

Updates Friday afternoon.

Ash Wednesday

Shop hours near our home

Back to it today. We, like the rest of the city, are getting around rather slowly today. I am off today, and have managed to get the house back in order. Mardi Gras is packed away until next year, but please let me know if you want some throws for your costume boxes, decorations, or party favors.

The Second Line Crawfish flag has been replaced by a mug of beer.


Yes, I know it's lent, but it's too early to fly the Jazzfest flag, and we've got St. Patrick's Day right around the corner...that's a beer drinking holiday, right?

Charlie spent the morning polishing his exam, making final corrections, and handed it out to his committee this afternoon. From now until his presentation on the 18th he'll be busy with school.

Good thing Lent is pushing us back to a life of exercise and high fiber bran.

It's Carnival Time!

We hit the streets early this morning.

First on the agenda was seeing Zulu along Jackson Ave.


We were able to add three new coconuts to our collection.


The notoriously late parade started on time, 8am, but somehow managed to drag on for several hours.

We were able to hear the LSU Tiger band lead Rex down St. Charles Ave. and give a wave to the King of Carnival.


We walked downtown to the French Quarter to take in some sights and eat beignets!


And as we sat along the river we seized the opportunity for a self portrait!


We finished off Mardi Gras with the perfect meal...


Popeye's! It's our last taste of fat and yum of the Mardi Gras season.

So now we are faced with repacking the costume box, cleaning out the cooler, getting the glitter off the furniture, and finding a new home for all of our throws!

Lundi Gras

Monday night was the final ride of the party wagon to Napoleon for the season. Proteus and Orpheus provided the sights and sounds of the evening. The real sights for me are the people along the beginning of the route. I especially love watching the preparations, including the flabeauxs getting lit!


They provided light for the parade before street lights.


Carrying a torch above your head for the entire 5+ miles of the parade looks like hard work, but thankfully the tradition continues.

The fireman standing by with the extinguisher is ready to take care of any mishaps.


I also like watching the bands and drill teams line up and warm up. Warren Easton's band paid tribute to alum, police officer Nicola Cotton, who was killed in the line of duty last week.

The parades got rolling as the sun set.


There were lots of beads to be caught.


And I did my best to catch each and every one that came my way...and ended up with a major headache later that night from taking a hit in the forehead from some extra large pearls! It's hard to see those beads in the dark.

Throw me something mister!

7dp3dt

Home Pregnancy Test = Negative

Symptoms = None

I had a short cry this morning, but the blood test isn't until Friday, so unfortunately I can't get this crying over and done with until then. I know, there's a reason why the doctor doesn't test until Friday, so I shouldn't give up. But I know I am not pregnant. I know. But that won't make hearing it from the nurse on Friday any easier.

Friday through Sunday: On the parade route

The party wagon made its 2008 debut on Friday...down Magazine...

and then weaving through the streets to Napoleon


until reaching just the right spot on the neutral ground.

This year the news reporter caught sight of Charlie getting us all set up, and had to get an interview. The 4 parades rolled late that night, with us not getting home until nearly midnight, so I am not sure if he made it to the news, but they got some time talking to Charlie and some footage of his cold Abitas making their way from the cooler to the koozie!

Who would have thought this Mardi Gras die hard, wearing his green top hat and purple "vest" wasn't a native New Orleanian.


Essentials from last year were still in his pocket...

$1, bathroom tickets, and Alka Seltzer!

Great night of parades, especially Muses.


The all female, shoe loving krewe really does it right...beautiful floats and lots of creative throws.

Charlie especially loved the disco ball!


Elizabeth looked like she was having fun (bottom row, on the left).

and hooked us up with some treasured Muses' throws.

Saturday morning, after a king cake breakfast, we went out to watch the king of Tucks roll by on his throne...

And we headed out to Midcity to watch the return of Endymion to their traditional route. It was packed, as was to be expected. It amazes me how much more crowded Endymion is in Midcity than any parade rolling Uptown.

The woman in front of us brought Steve Martin with her.


She says he's made it to every parade with her for the past 12 years and ensures her lots of throws. No one even questioned why Steve Martin...it's just another one of those things you walk by and smile at, and think, "I love the people in this city."

You definitely needed something to get the riders attention at this parade if you had any hopes of catching anything.

Charlie didn't like having to compete for beads, but took great pleasure in my "tattoo" that he convinced the woman next to us to apply to my face..."Yeah, she really wants one...go ahead...put it on her cheek."


I was a bit panicked later that night when I couldn't get it off! That tickled Charlie even more.

We took a self portrait...
and then headed home early, in time to get into Casemento's for a yummy dinner before climbing into bed.

And Sunday...well, it was more of the same... Charlie headed out early (7 am) to ensure a good spot for Bacchus later that night.


So we ate, and drank, and waited, and ate, and drank, with a little work while waiting. That exam just won't go away!


The four parades during the afternoon provided music and sights for chatting with Elizabeth as we sipped bloody marys (mine sans vodka).


Chantelle and her family joined us for the evening, and her boys provided lots of entertainment! How fun to be a kid at Mardi Gras.

Bacchus had Hulk Hogan as their grand marshal ...


And even had his likeness on a float remembering the 80s...


Look at the garbage clean up post parade...


Amazing how much is scooped off the streets. Mardi Gras' success is based on how many tons of garbage is collected!

Tonight we have two parades, and we need to make our plan for Fat Tuesday...

Jambalaya

So this is one of those cooking like "your mama an dem" recipes where it is all just guess work. And I suppose that's how a jambalaya should be anyway. I didn't really use precise measurements, which is just as well because the measurements fluctuate each time I make it.


Ingredients:

• 4 cups brown rice
• 3 large onions
• 2 green peppers
• 4 stalks celery
• some parsley
• 6 bay leaves
  
• 10 cloves garlic (or more!)
• 6 chicken leg quarters
• 1-2 pounds sausage
• Cajun seasoning, several tablespoons, or lots of shakes from the Tony's can
  
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 5 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Boil chicken until easily removed from bone.
2. Save meat and reserve 5 cups of broth.
   
3. Chop all veggies and brown in heavy pan.
4. Add sausage and brown with veggies.
5. Add tomatoes and sauce and let mixture cook down for 5 to 10 minutes.
   
6. Add chicken, broth, seasoning, bay leaves, and rice.
7. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Less time is needed if using white rice.
9. It makes a big batch, enough for 10 or so people for an entree I suppose.
   

Corn Soup

This is one of the after parades, Mardi Gras eats I made on Friday.

I got this one from Real Simple Magazine. They call is "Smokey Corn Chowder" but I usually think of chowder as having potatoes, and this does not. Charlie loves it. Of, course he does, it has bacon in it! It'd be extra yummy with some crab or shrimp too.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen corn
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Spoon off and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings and return the pot to medium heat.
   
3. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
   
4. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
   
5. Stir in the corn, broth, and half-and-half and bring to a boil.
   
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.
   
8. Return to the pot, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine.
9. Divide the soup among individual bowls and top with the scallions and reserved bacon.
10. Makes 4 to 6 servings
    

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 359(58% from fat); FAT 23g (sat 9g); SUGAR 20g; PROTEIN 10g; CHOLESTEROL 41mg; SODIUM 597mg; FIBER 6g; CARBOHYDRATE 32g