Escape from the Monotony

i am getting a bit burned out of school. it is becoming monotonous & i am finding myself struggling in places that i have not in the past. i think it is simply because even though i expressed fear in my last post about the future, change is good & sometimes doing something for too long (school) can just not be as much fun as it used to be. it's a wonder how my sister manages to be a perpetual student...

Sadly, i have no cats around to distract me from such things.

all that considered, these are my ways to escape from the monotony that is life. it's an array of internetting, to outdoorsy stuff, to cooking, to tv, but these are the things i use to defrag my system when i just can't take it anymore.

Cooking
as most people around these parts know, i enjoy cooking. but more specifically, i enjoy the experimentation that is cooking. i find it really fun to be able to mix different flavors & textures together to try and get something new and exciting. for example, this evening for dinner i made fried rice, but in order to change the 1-note texture of this otherwise tasty dish, i put small pieces of fried wontons into it. it gave the dish a crispiness that was unachievable before.

successful experiments like that are what make cooking so fun for me. also, taking an interesting mix of flavors into new and unexpected ways. my latest train of thought in that regard involves adding savory flavors to corn-meal pancakes (which once i get it done, this part will be a link to the recipe; i just haven't written/done it yet) i want to take these already more savory than normal pancakes and infuse individual ones with different flavors, like cardamom, or rosemary.

i don't have any good graphics for cooking

these are just a few of the examples of culinary ideas. i always have a few rumbling around in my head; it really is a great way to truly focus on one thing, and not let the outside world distract, because you are so enthralled in your cooking! BTW go here

Golf
i want this to be more prominent, but it is not. i do not practice like i used to, but that still didn't stop me from shooting a pretty damn good score the last time i played with matt. at this point, i understand my golf swing mechanics well enough that i can make changes and compensate on the course, and that's what i really need.

i do very actively follow the professional golfing tours, both PGA and European. it is the only sporting thing i can lay claim to understanding and following.

12th hole. Augusta National. 'nuff said.

Comics and/or Tumblr

so, ever since january, i've had this tumblr thing. it is essentially made for fandoms of just about anything. me? it has really gotten me into comics more (and Doctor Who, but that is really more Kelly's doing with tumblr just an extra outlet). i have always been a batman fan, and i fully credit the 2005 movie batman begins for really sparking my interest more, because the villain was Ra's al Ghul, and i had never heard of him before. so i would say that my interest began with batman, but has really expanded into the whole of the DC universe at this point, and really for as long as i can remember my favorite character was always Dick Grayson. it is incredibly easy nowadays for someone to learn about 70+ years of comics history due to the magical internet!

technically this is Jason Todd. but none of you would have known that if i hadn't pointed it out. he was given Dick's old robin costume, so the only way to tell them apart are subtle hair differences. tumblr has taught me all of this.

now, i am able to actively read comics (although not buy yet; simply no budget for them, yet) via computer comic readers and downloads. thanks to tumblr and all the awesome comic based blogs (not all of which are PG rated, just FYI) i follow, i really get a sense for what the DC universe is about, and it is really a lot of fun, and i get a great deal of enjoyment out of it. it is what has led me to be Kyle Rayner for halloween this year, and to really get back into watching the old Justice League, and Teen Titans show more, just this time with a greater amount of background knowledge that lets me understand it all better, and catch even the smallest reference :)

Tiny Titans might be the best book printed by DC

tumblr also gives me really nice graphics that other people make. i steal them and use them as desktop backgrounds. :)

other?
i do watch a small number of TV shows regularly (HIMYM, modern family, happy endings, daily show, & just about anything on foodnetwork) but i don't consider these to be that crucial to my escapism. they are small bits that allow for momentary humor in my life.

i play a rather select few video games, so i can't really count that too much...

this, however, is Nightwing from Arkham City. this one photo gives me so much joy, you just have no idea...

My only other best forms of escapism is the obvious, and not mentioned one, of my friends :). i hang out with and rather enjoy myself with my roommates Ed & Dino. there is also the perpetual goal of hanging with Kelly when the two of us aren't too busy with other things, and i always enjoy my time hanging at her place with Katie & Meagan around as well. since this is really the most obvious one, i feel it needs no more elaboration. :)