i seem to be in a phase of re-newal. as in, i'm replacing old things with new and it seems to be happening all at the same time. a couple of weeks ago i damaged my mac notebook beyond repair with a bit of red wine. i let the notebook dry for 72 hours as recommended by most mac forums i read, and it turned on and worked briefly but then shut down and off for good. i took it to the mac people and they sighed and shook their head and told me the repairs would cost more than my little notebook is worth, so then i took it to my electronics savvy uncle who took the whole thing apart and discovered evidence of wine spillage in all the crooks and crannies of its innards, revealing why it will never work for me again. thankfully, the hard drive was left undamaged and so was the battery. so i ended buying a new version of the same notebook with tons more memory and a flashy new OS that is rocking my world right now. new thing #1.

my new thing #2 is coming in the mail in a couple of days. i'm getting a brand new cell phone and this time i'm spending more than 1$ for it. for the last two days people have been telling me that it's been impossible to hear me over the phone, and i finally remembered that three days ago, my cell phone was covered in delicious chicken and broccoli sauce from the free food i got at the restaurant after work. the container wasn't closed tightly and spilled a bit in my bag and the spill happened to cover my cell phone. my first thought was of course of David C and his washing of his cell phone in the bowling place in Nago after several people put his phone in their mouth. he washed his phone with water and soap and was surprised to discover that it had stopped working. so while driving home, my hand and cell phone covered in sweet smelling sauce, i laughed out loud thinking of Ben with David's phone in his mouth. so i learned from that story and did not wash my phone with soap and water but wiped it gently when i got home and it still worked so i completely forgot about it until enough people have told me that they couldn't hear me. hence, the new phone purchase.

my third new thing will be a car. it won't be a new car, but it'll be a "new to me" car and i'm very excited about this, 'cause it'll have radio and won't make noise when i drive and won't shake and will have all its handles intact. the car i'm driving right now is my sister's old Toyota and though it's amazing that it's still driving and i'm very thankful that it is, it's definitely time to get something of my own. i'm thinking a Honda Civic. will put up pics when i get it.

smaller new things are two pairs of shoes i bought yesterday and am very happy about. ones are a pair of Keens that i walked around for nearly two hours today, enjoying beautiful sunny fall weather and the others are Dansko which i got specifically to wear to work at the restaurant. am hoping that the initial discomfort i felt last night after wearing them is due to me not being used to them. they are supposed to be quite comfy once worn in--fingers crossed, 'cause they're not cheap.
i also got two hats on the same shopping trip.

I'm reading:Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I'm listening to:Regina Spektor's new album Far
I'm going to watch on DVD tonight: Ночной Дозор (Night Watch)
I'm looking forward to:Thanksgiving
I miss:Kijoka flowers


cooking goya in my brand new wok! :)

the first attempt proved a bit too bitter but not bad.

second attempt with goya soaked for half hour, added mirin and tuna--much better!