i am mocking you

aaron and i were talking last night and came to an interesting deduction. it all started when we were recalling the first time i met our friend, andy. andy instantly got my jokes and laughed at all appropriate times, which may not seem like much, but it is. especially since he just met me. most people don't understand my humor right away. i can be quite sarcastic at times, however, peoples first impression of me is one of sincerity and earnestness. so they misunderstand my sarcasm as sincerity and leave thinking i'm super nice. aaron however, has the exact opposite happen to him. his first impression usually leaves one thinking he is super sarcastic, so even if he says sometime sincere, people will mistake it for mockery. the truth of the matter is that both of us are much more middle ground than we appear. interesting, no?

after our discussion, we skyped andy and had a fun conversation. it was 11pm for us and we were drinking wine. it was 11am for him and he was at work. he is (i think) the only friend of ours that is exactly 12 hours apart from us, which makes for convenient skype dates.

knitting pics to come soon. promise. also check out wech and barbs go south for some pics of our new place in wellington.

curry peanut noodles

i love cooking. love it. but, the chore i hate most in the world is making lunches m-f. i'm not sure why this is, but because i dislike it so much it usually ends up being a pretty crappy sandwich. however, lately i decided to cook something on sunday that i could pack as lunches for the rest of the week. it has been fabulous not having to make sandwiches, and getting something tasty for lunch. my friend, jenni, posted a great recipe on her site for pesto polenta lasagna that i made last night. to repay the favor i thought i would post a recipe as well.

curry peanut noodles

ingredients

12 oz spaghetti

2/3 c crunchy peanut butter

1-2 t red curry paste

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/3 c cilantro

2 scallions

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 large carrot, coarsely grated

red pepper flakes, for serving

1. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti per package instructions. reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking water

2. mix the peanut butter, curry paste, vinegar, and lime juice in a small pot over medium heat. heat until the peanut butter starts to melt. stir in the 1/2 cup of pasta water to create a sauce.

3. toss the spaghetti with the peanut sauce, scallions, cucumber, carrot, and cilantro. serve with extra cilantro and red pepper flakes, if desired.

this dish is terrific hot or cold. enjoy!

as a side note, the following conversation just happened in our household:
me: why is your shirt on the floor?
aaron: i put it there.
me: oh, and i thought there wouldn't be a good reason.
aaron: rest assured, there is.

productivity thy name is barbie

i have been ultra productive today. i love days like this, where you get lots done that was floating around in the back of your mind and you didn't realize how busy your mind was until it isn't busy anymore.

besides normal stuff like making breakfast, lunch, and laundry, i've also applied for a part-time library job, rigged up the shower curtain so it doesn't billow in on the person showering (extra weight on the bottom), painted the hideous bedside table we had (white), and finished knitting the sweater from hell. (i still have to seam and sew up the sides, so it isn't completely done, but the knitting is complete).

hopefully, i'll also get a painting hung in the living room today as well.

i honestly can't believe it is already mid-november. the weather here isn't helping. it's simply gorgeous outside most days. mid-sixties, sunshine, slight breeze. and then i see the christmas things in the store, and it really jars my senses. i can't imagine having a christmas tree in the middle of summer, but in a few weeks i will. bonus, have you ever heard of christmas crackers? me either. but they are everywhere here.

b is back

sorry for the long gap in posting. moving internationally will do that to you. the thought of trying to remember everything that has happened in the last 2 months and posting about it is a bit overwhelming, so i'm going to do a really quick update:

1. we got a 1996 toyota rav 4 (maroon), named her bonnie. she is a sweet ride
2. after much house searching, we finally found a home. we moved in october 12. our landlord is a 23 year old famous rugby player who lives next door. (so cliche, i know)
3. our new house requires a lot of tlc. while aaron is at work, i am usually found sanding, painting, or cleaning something around here. but it is coming together quite nicely
4. fun fact: i can stand in our bay window. also, i can lie down and still have 2 feet of extra space
5. cooking requires conversion from cups, etc. to grams. i am learning. it's a process
6. i'm getting a sewing machine in the near future and am really excited about it.
7. i've appled for numerous jobs now, and am hoping that i at least get an interview with one or two. the one i really want to get is a library assistant position at the national library of new zealand. that sounds mighty important, right?

i think that about gets you up to date. hopefully, we can start taking pictures of our place soon. i realize that for before and after pictures to work, you need before pictures. but i didn't want to take any pictures of this place before, so you will probably just get a lot of afters. then you will all want to visit. which will be fine with me. ;)