Pinch Me

It's Friday! TGIF. Ahh, we worked it out with our blood, sweat, and tears and finally arrived at this blissful day. The weekend is here and St. Patrick's Day is near. Will the sun come out in this rainy weather, make a rainbow, and let me find a pot a gold? Optometry school isn't cheap.

cousins finding a pot of gold in 2002

You know it's gonna be a good weekend. Make sure to wear green. Or do you want to get pinch? :)

Until Next Time,

powerkat

Pi Day!

Happy Pi (3.14159265...) Day! 

find out more!

Can you have your pie and eat it too?

I sure am going to try.... mmm, apple pie. pecan pie. chocolate pie. pumpkin pie. any pie will do. 

WHY you should go to Optometry School

I realized I posted why not to go to Optometry school recently, so I thought I would share some positive reasons as well to give balance.

What made me decide to go into the profession of Optometry?

1. I enjoy working with people, especially one-on-one situations where I can make a stronger connection. You don't get much closer to someone when you're looking into their eyes and they can smell what you ate for lunch. Invest in mints people!
2. The human body has always fascinated me. I still can't get over how intricate the human eye is when it comes to nerves, muscles, and tissue repair!
3. Being able to work regular hours in a health care profession to allow me to have options later in life (ie balancing work and family)
4. Specifically for Optometry: you can have a direct impact on someone during their evaluation.
5. It isn't as long as medical school (seriously, I like learning, but not for that long).
6. You don't have many emergency situations involving blood and guts though I have witnessed a kid throw up (it was flu season).
7. Glasses are sexy.

#7 for the win! Ok, maybe I just think that, but they are pretty amazing when you think about the physics (totally just lost a reader...).

What you should realize is that regardless of what you are pursuing, if it is Optometry, Medicine, Philosophy, or English Lit., you must really ask why. Why do you want to do a job for the next +40 years? Is it for money? The ability to help others? The prestige? Whatever the reason, whatever the goal, find the reason why and you'll be able to succeed.

Enough corny, inspirational pep talk for now. But seriously, think about the why.

Until Next Time,

powerkat

Weekend Update

Apologies for my lack of frequent/daily postings. Sometimes you just have to live life and stop being plugged into the system.

When I unplug myself I am instantly transported back to being a kid. Anyone from Generation Y can probably relate. Growing up we actually played outside and only the lucky kids had Nintendo Game Boys or Mario Brothers. We drank in the sun and made mudpies, built forts, rolled in the grass until we itched like crazy (or maybe that was just me - hay fever allergies anyone?). We actually had to call our friends' house phones to see if they were available to play and wrote letters we mailed to Grandma. 

So, to follow the post subject, Weekend Update, what did I do? I unplugged from the technology, sat inside, watched the rain pour, read a book, worked out, finished the taxes, found recipes for homemade granola (keep an eye out for a future post on that adventure), and... bought a car!!

Subaru Impreza

I am moving to Car City (southern California) in only a few months and as I currently survive by biking, walking, or the generosity of my parent's lending the car, this was a must-buy. After careful 3 months of research and frustrating searches, I finally found the car I wanted at a great price. 

No name yet, but this bundle of joy will make me very happy. Especially since it gets 37 mpg on the highway. So, in a weird twist, thank you technology!

Until Next Time, 

powerkat

Rose Tinted Glasses

Have you ever experienced a regular day but viewed it as magical almost surreal? Like you've traveled into a different dimension and looking at the world from a new perspective.

This is what happens to me whenever I have a day off from work that isn't due to sickness, federal holiday, or vacation. Granted, the types of days off I just listed (minus the sickness option) are more fun that having to run weekday errands I can't do during the weekend. Bore.

So, that brings me to my Monday adventures! You would think going through the application, interview, and acceptance process would be enough to attend Optometry school. Nope, you also must provide current, notarized optical, immunization, and total health history records to the school you will be attending in the fall. Totally not a big deal, but with my identity theft paranoia and the fact these forms needed to be notarized I  wanted to get these official forms in person. Which therefore meant I had to take a day off work. Score!

Slept in, ate some yummy oatmeal with a pumpkin spice cook (hello, pumpkin is good for you. stop judging), worked out, got soaked in the rain as I ran around town getting these forms completed, and had just enough time to grab a Chai tea.

However, it was probably around the time between being completely drenched and wrapping my hands around the warm mug that I was hit with a realization. There is a whole other culture that exists outside of the work day. Yeah, I know there are people who are out of work, don't work, or can't work, but as a working person I often forget about the daily opportunities I don't have access to because I am at work. Therefore, when I do have access to taking the time to simply sit down and enjoy a cup of tea I become a giddy kid again. These tiny moments seem insignificant to a person who has the day off, but make a random day magical to me. When I notice these happy moments I wonder, is anyone else thinking the exact same thing as me right now? Do they know how lucky they are to be in a magical moment?

And then I think, 'magical moment, really?' I swear, it was only Chai.

However, those people who aren't working would probably be giddy to spend a day with a job. I guess we all want to put on rose tinted glasses and view our worlds in a brighter way than they really are.

In the mean time, I at least am one step closer to Optometry school!

Until Next Time,

powerkat

Weekend Update

How was your weekend? Not long enough? I agree.

The days were filled with adult responsible activities that made my days off from work seem lack luster. Definitely did not put a hop in my step. The upside? I made yummy bruschetta pizza to lighten my dreary mood.

no after shot because I was too hungry...

Paired with a glass of wine, warm fire, and my latest leisure book, Fast Food Nation, my Sunday night was the weekend cap I was desperately searching for. 

I love how cooking delicious food and enjoying a nice read can instantly improve my mood. Now, if only the sunshine could come back so I could take this on a hike! Soon, aka 4 months from now, the rain will stop and I'll get my wish. 

Until Next Time, 

powerkat

Bruschetta Pizza (courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients 

1/2 pound reduced-fat Italian sausage

1 prebaked 12-inch pizza crust 

1 package (6 ounces) sliced turkey pepperoni 

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 

1-1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes 

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme 

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Additional fresh basil leaves, optional

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Place crust on an ungreased baking sheet. Top with pepperoni, sausage and cheese. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, sliced basil, oil, garlic, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon over pizza. Garnish with additional basil if desired.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Some people designate certain foods for specific seasons of the year. For example, soup season typically begins in mid-fall and lasts until the end of winter. Who really wants hot soup on a +100 humid summer afternoon?

I am all for consuming foods during their peak season (um, tomatoes really aren't suppose to be red and available ALL year people... think about that). However, I am a sucker for cookies and a sucker for the fall. Hence, I proceeded to make some of the best Pumpkin Spice Cookies.

via My Spice Sage Blog

You've got nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, vanilla, sugar, pumpkin, and... um do I really need to go on?

Pumpkin Spice Cookies (from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients - Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients - Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency. I actually cut this in 1/2 and only glazed a few because these are great even without the extra sugar.

This recipe is great if you have left over pumpkin puree. Why do you have this sitting around your house? Probably because you just made pumpkin banana bread AND pumpkin cinnamon chip muffins, and you still have some of that yummy fall spice puree in your fridge.

It is begging you to eat it and think wonderful fall thoughts even in March.

Until Next Time,

powerkat

Attempting Change

Blog has moved! If you are looking for the Adventures of a Blue-Eyed Powerkat head to this address: www.powerkat.blogspot.com!

Hopefully the kinks in the system will be worked out soon and you can go back to reading my rambling thoughts

Until next time,

powerkat

Sometimes it hurts to breathe...

"Breath"
Inhale
It begins at birth
Ends at death
I love my life
In and out
I hate my life
Up and down
To live and let live
Sunrise
Sunset
It is all the same
Until one day
It is no more
Exhale

Most days I can get through the day and not think of you. I don't rehash the moments and wonder what could have been. Your genuine smile, ability to make me frustrated and elated at once, quiet confidence, and knack for knowing how to push me towards my best even when I couldn't see it.

Most days I don't think about any of these things until the lights go out, the world goes silent, and I am only left with my rambling mind. The mind that always brings me back to you. And then I have to remember to keep breathing.

To no one except to you I say, Until Next Time,

powerkat

If there is someone who you can't stop thinking about and they make your day brighter, let them know now. Not tomorrow, not when the timing is better, and not when you're drunk. Let them know how you feel now. They will thank you and you will breathe easier afterwards.