I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED! Except it's the last season, which makes me a sad panda.

A weekly(ish) series where I talk briefly about somebody who I think is cool for one reason for another.

One of the first music videos I ever remember seeing was "Take On Me". (And some crazy Pink Floyd video my mother turned off because "Pink Floyd sucks"!) It was one of my favorite 80s songs, but I never looked into the band more. Even when my now-ex tried to get me to listen to their other albums, I had no interest. I don't really know why that suddenly changed, but a few years ago I developed a little obsession, as anybody who's read more a few entries here should know.

While most people know of a-ha, or at the least know "Take On Me", fewer know who the individual members are. And while most people who know me would expect this to be a drool-fest over Morten Harket, I actually have positive things to say about the other two band members! Specifically, right now, Magne Furuholmen.

Who he is: Keyboardist for a-ha; singer; song-writer; artist. And hottie, but that's secondary.

What he's done: Written a lot of awesome songs, for one, both for a-ha and his own albums. He's put out two albums of his own, Past Perfect Future Tense and A Dot Of Black In The Blue Of Your Bliss; his voice is really unique and sort of scratchy, and both albums have a lot of beautiful acoustic guitar. He's also done music for soundtracks. He also does some cool, quirky art, some of which can be seen here--one of his projects was to design an official postage stamp for Norway.

Why I love him: All of that! He's written some of my favorite a-ha songs, like "A Fine Blue Line" (which somebody has randomly put to dolphins, there); and I love all his solo songs, especially "Kryptonite" (video below). He also seems genuinely funny and charming, from the two concerts I've been to and from watching him talk to crazy fans (who got to the crowd barrier before me in New York, dammit!).

Got out of the shower about half an hour ago, and I'm currently sitting here with my hair wrapped up in a towel and nothing but shorts on. There are two fans going, so I keep getting nice cool drafts against my bare back, my skin is nice and cool, and I just feel utterly comfortable. Delaying getting dressed for work till the absolute last possible moment, because then I'll just be uncomfortably hot for the next eight hours.

Champagne is my secret ingredient the last couple of weeks, apparently. After my less-than-thrilling pear cakes last week, I still had quite a bit of champagne left to use. So I used another recipe from Couture Cupcakes, this one for strawberry champagne cupcakes. The recipe from the site is as follows:

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup champagne
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g / 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 180 (35). PG's note: this is supposed to be 356.
   
2. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add egg and beat for 30 seconds.
5. Add flour, salt, baking powder, strawberry puree and champagne and beat until combined, about a minute.
6. In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
7. Gently fold a third of the stiff egg white into the batter until there are light streaks of egg white in the batter.
8. Fold in the remaining egg white into the batter until the egg white is well incorporated into the batter.
9. Evenly divide the batter into the cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 20 -24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I once again substituted self-rising flour for the flour, salt, and baking powder. I also rediscovered what a giant pain in the ass it is to separate egg whites. My first attempt was disastrous--the yolk popped and I dropped some shell shards in. So I started over. I never did really get "stiff peaks" no matter how long I whipped the egg whites, though; I had to settle for soft peaks.

Now the problem with this is that I randomly decided to bake at two in the morning. But I had to do dishes first, and by the time I actually started it was closer to three. I wasn't at my best. My brain saw that "180 (35)" and assumed the smaller number was the Celsius conversion. So I set the oven to 180 degrees. I thought that was a really low temperature, but I thought maybe they needed to bake extra slowly so the egg white-induced leavening wouldn't collapse.

But after twenty minutes, the batter was just barely starting to solidify. I gave it another ten; still no significant change. Another twenty .... and it suddenly dawned on me that, uh, 35 Celsius is not 180 Fahrenheit! 180 Celsius is, however, 356 Fahrenheit. So I cranked the oven up, and within minutes they were done.

I didn't have any white chocolate, which the original recipe calls for in the frosting, so I modified the cream cheese frosting I used for the mango cake--I just used champagne instead of wine, and added 1/4 strawberry puree.

• 1/2c softened butter
• 4oz softened cream cheese
• 2c powdered sugar
• 2 T champagne
• 1/4 c strawberry puree

• Cream butter until fluffy.
• Add cream cheese and blend well.
• Add in powdered sugar slowly--I did about 1/4c at a time.
• Pour in wine and blend thoroughly.

The frosting tasted good, but it looked a little funny--not homogeneous, and sort of gloppy instead of creamy. They weren't very pretty cupcakes, but they tasted alright. They were even better after being frosted and refrigerated overnight. The cakes seemed a little dense and dry, which is why I made them again tonight with the correct temperature setting so they wouldn't dry out.

I used about 1/2 c of strawberry puree this time, as the first batch didn't seem to have much flavor. The batter was a lovely pink when I put it in the oven, and after 25 minutes of baking they were perfect. I'd filled the cups about half-full, and none overflowed. I got 18 regular cupcakes, plus six "square" ones--I'd put six paper liners in a small pan and filled them halfway, allowing them to spread out into roughly spare shapes.

For the frosting this time around, I left out the champagne; I thought maybe that was what had given the frosting its odd texture last time. I think it's the strawberry juice, though; I'd diced up five really big, juicy strawberries to blend in with the frosting.

I took most of the cupcakes in to work for my coworkers, who descended upon them and scarfed them down literally within two minutes. One woman ate one, and then announced, "I'm having another and I don't care who knows!" and dug into a second one. Everybody freaking loved them--I've gotten texts and Facebook messages about it hours later. I'm going to have to make a double batch next time!

There are two women who have recently started coming in to my restaurant, who are on a low-carb diet. One looks like she stuck her finger in an electric socket, from her wide eyes to her crazy red hair. The other is very round, with dyed blonde hair and little round old-lady glasses. The first one is super quiet and hardly talks at all; the second is rather bossy, loud, and comes off sort of bitchy.

I've waited on them two out of the three times I've seen them, and both times it's been the same thing. The ginger orders something nearly zero carb (like a steak and broccoli and a salad without croutons), and the blonde orders something with carbs (say a burger with the bun, but with salad instead of fries) and comments about how she's "bad" compared to the ginger. I just don't acknowledge it--beyond demonstrating that I remember them (hey, I work for tips!) by saying "No croutons, right?" when they order their salads.

The first time, I said something like, "would you like some fresh fruit for dessert?" and the blonde promptly told me how the ginger was doing "so good" and had "lost eight pounds!" The second time, same thing, only now it was 19 pounds. I sort of stumbled over my words, because I didn't know what to say. I ended up just saying, "Okay, no dessert then. I'll take your ticket whenever you're ready!"

I know that the expected, societally acceptable response--especially from a woman, and double especially from a fat woman--is congratulations, encouragement, jealousy, etc. But I just don't want to play that game anymore, with anyone.

When I registered for my required classes this fall, I was one credit short of full time. All the history classes I wanted to take I hadn't fulfilled the prerequisites for. I didn't want to take something that would eat up a bunch of time and be pointless, but I wasn't willing to give up full time status either. Then I remembered that I'd once taken a one-credit aerobics class, just because, and it was actually pretty fun.

So I scrolled through the list of exercise classes, and ended up registering for Pilates. I've always thought it sounded cool. But then I realized that the medieval England class I wanted to take was at the same time, and thought I'd try to get an override in to the class. So on Monday I went to that class to talk to the professor; today, because I'm still waiting for one person to drop the class so I can get in, I went to the Pilates class. And I'll be dropping that.

I had a bad feeling as soon as I saw the instructor -- anybody who wears full makeup, including heavy mascara, to teach an exercise class is probably not somebody I'm going to get along with. She gave me a weird look as I approached her; and when I explained I was trying to get into the other class, her response was to sneer "So you don't think you're staying in this class?" as if it's an unusual situation. She was also very dismissive of me in general when I was trying to ask questions.


There are a couple of other procedural things that bug me--like we're not allowed to wear our own shirts, we have to "rent" a green shirt from the department for the semester. Why? I have no idea. But I remember those green shirts; they're too thick for exercising, and they're so high at the neck they choke me.

Once she actually started the class, I couldn't hear half of what she was saying--we were in an echoing room the size of a basketball court, with forty people in it, an industrial fan on, and she turned on music.

But the biggest thing was that she didn't offer any modifications of poses for people who couldn't do them--and I don't think I was the only one. For example, the second exercise we did was basically a slow situp from flat on the floor and our arms above our heads. I can't do that. Nor was I the only one in class who could--but she gave me a dirty look when she saw me modifying it.

So I've spent the last hour or so since I got home trying to find another class to replace it with--almost anything with do. I'm not spending three days a week in that room, struggling to hear what someone who apparently dislikes me says and hurting myself because I'm getting no guidance on proper form. I'd rather take underwater armpit hair weaving.

I have a terrible procrastination problem. I have for as long as I can remember, although it's definitely gotten worse as I've gotten older. I think (hope) I may have found a cure for it though.

For one of my classes, we have to read three historical books. Our first quiz, on Day of the Barbarians, is in a couple of weeks. Normally, I'd put off even starting the book until the day before the quiz--usually anything I'm required to read pisses me off and I spend as little time as possible on it.

I started Day of the Barbarians tonight while eating dinner at work. I actually wanted to read it. I've only had two days of classes, so it's too early to know if I'll fall back in to my usual lackadaisical habits. But the fact that I sat at work for an extra hour reading is encouraging.

My schedule is rather exhausting, between school and work. And the transportation to/from school, too. Yesterday I rode my bike to the bus stop a few blocks away, which was fine; sort of fun, even. My first class is in the building right by the bus terminal, so I locked up my bike there and went to class. After my classes I rode over to the bus terminal again, and hopped a different bus that dropped me off 1.25 miles from my house--the number 8 bus I took to school only leaves campus every 45 minutes, so I wouldn't have gotten home in time to get to work.

On my way home, I quickly realized that the entire way from the bus stop to my house is a slight incline. And the wind had picked up. Pedaling on a long gradual incline into the wind is not fun for someone not used to riding a bike. Aerobically, I was fine; I wasn't gasping for breath or anything. But I did have to stop once and give my legs about a thirty second rest, and a couple minutes later I got off my bike and walked it a couple hundred yards--my thigh muscles were just tired.

I thought about repeating that today; but after four days in a row of work, two closing shifts, and a bike ride I'm not used to, I opted for the lazier option since I had to be to work at four. I drove to campus, and parked a block away on the street I used to live on. Then I walked halfway down the block and caught a bus into the center of campus, and then a second one to the other side of campus for my first class. My second class got out at 10 till, I caught the bus back to my car, and was home my quarter after and was at work a few minutes early.

Still, I'm not planning on doing that often. I don't want to spend the gas, for one thing; I'd rather not leave my car on a public street regularly; and I did buy my bike for a reason. But I was pretty sure that if I tried to do the bike thing today I'd end up walking most of way and be late for work, since I don't have mighty quads and hamstrings anymore. I used to--years of bareback horseback riding will do that--but no longer. Hopefully before long my ride home will be a breeze.

I got a desk Friday, and it's absolutely perfect! Big wide surface, storage compartments, etc. It would be a perfect computer desk, actually, but I don't want to move my computer to the spare room--it's in the living room now, so it's centralized.

Now, I have to go troll the city for a cheap bike of the type I'm after. My dad doesn't understand what I'm looking for--to him a bike is a bike is a bike. I tried to tell him I want a commuter bike, and he doesn't think that's an accurate description (that's what they're called, dammit!). He doesn't understand I don't need a shock-absorbing fork or a 24 speed drive train, and so it's not worth putting up with it not really being the right height for me and the non-replaceable seat being much too small. That's really the primary problem, but I'm trying to avoid saying that--because if I tell him that my ass is simply too big for the five inch seat, he'll probably say "Then why don't you do something about that?"

And then I'll have to get all sarcastic on him, because yeah, let me lose half of my body size before classes start tomorrow.

ETA: Well that was easy! There were three bike/yard sales listed on Craigslist, so I headed out. The first one I stopped at had about fifteen bikes in the front yard, and was run by an older guy who buys and fixes bikes. He had a blue one I immediately wanted, but it was already sold, so I tried a similar one, a green Huffy. It took a little bit of hopping around like an idiot to get on it--I haven't ridden a bike regularly for 14 years--but once I did, I knew it was my bike. It's just a simple, average bike--front brake, no gears, wide pedal stance, and a big seat. Light enough I'll be able to lift it on to the bike rack on the front of the city bus. New tires, new chain, new seat. It was the perfect fit for my leg reach, and my arm reach--and it didn't hurt my knees!

I still went to check out the other two sales, because $80 was a little more than I wanted to pay. The next one only had a few bikes, interspersed with a bunch of greasy tools and weird camping equipment. The only bike that would've worked for me was a little sportier. The seat was a little higher than I like, and it was an eight-speed, but it was still fairly comfortable stance-wise. It was only $40; but it hurt my knees. Also, the guy was sort of a creeper--after riding it down the block I was coasting into his driveway and he says "You look five years younger!" I wasn't impressed.

I went to find the third sale, but it wasn't where it said it was, dammit. So I went back to the first place, took another spin, and plunked down $80. I'm now the happy owner of a Huffy Northwest. It's even my school's colors!

A quote from one of my class syllabus:

If at any point in the semester you find yourself bewildered, it is fully incumbent upon you to seek clarification as we are unable to address your perplexity if we are unaware that you are, in fact, perplexed.

This is a 100 level history class; think she's trying to intimidate the freshmen?

I slept late today, and then went out on a big looping run of errands.

First I dropped off a month's worth of glass/plastic recycling, then I took a giant box of stuff to Goodwill that has been accumulating in my living room since I moved. I also looked there for a desk; they had one for $15, but it was like a midget desk. It looked like a regular desk, but the opening to sit at was very low and very small. But I did get two nice wooden collapsible TV trays for $2 each.

Next I went to the library to mail a textbook I sold on half.com, then I went to my doctor's appointment for a prescription refill and to get a referral for physical therapy. I dropped off my prescription and while it was being filled I went to ask the allergy/immunization office to call my allergist and see if I can start my shots again (I haven't been since May for a lot of reasons). Then I picked up my prescription and went downstairs to make a PT appointment because I hyperpronate like a mofo when I walk, and after 27 years I'm sorta sick of it!

My next stop was the student center to get a bus pass (turns out all I need is my ID now, used to have to get a little card), and to check that the textbook I have listed on Craig's List is indeed the same text being sold for this semester for that class.

I tried two more places for a desk; then I got my hair cut for the first time since January, which feels great. Next I went to Wal-Mart to return the bike seat and lock I bought--the seat on this stupid bike can't be changed, and my dad gave me a lock with it. I bought a gel seat cover for this bike, but I'm thinking of seeing if I can trade it in--it's really just not a good fit for me.

I also stopped at Best Buy to exchange the House season 4 DVDs I got for Christmas. Yeah, Christmas. I didn't really realize how long it had been sitting around until I wrote that! Anyway, I traded it for season 2, so now I have all the House seasons that have been released. I then went by one more place looking for a desk before giving up.

I then came home and promptly fell asleep on the couch watching "Seabiscuit". So now it's three in the morning again, and I'm still awake, and I have another doctor's appointment in seven hours. Of a type that I'm really really dreading. Sigh.

Hmm. I should probably do some laundry, seeing as I have no clothes for the work week that starts tomorrow.