scraps and scribbles: sultry summer evenings

--made Swiss Chard Ravioli a la Epicurious. It was not what I would call a smashing success, although it wasn't too bad (cover anything in enough butter and it's not too bad). I'm chalking it up to a learning experience, although part of that learning experience is learning how to read directions more often. And learning to ask for advice before freezing produce. The chard, she is how you say, bland.

--The night is warm, and the kitchen is roasting. But sitting outside on the porch, you can hear the voices from all around the neighborhood. Everyone must be out on the porch on a night like this. It makes me wish things could be like this more often. Reminds me of how they said New York City was a couple years ago when all the power went out with people chilling on porches, using candles and spending more time talking and playing instruments rather than being wrapped in their own little worlds. I'm not sure, but it might even have been before the major iPod wave hit the country, and therefore less people were even plugged into their earbuds.

There's even a really awesome breeze out tonight. I'm seriously toying with the idea of dragging my air mattress out onto the porch to sleep. I doubt I'll do it tonight, but if August is as muggy as it threatens to be, I think everyone should sleep on they porches. (yes, the "they porches" was intentional).

--Interesting article about Cheney in the most recent Progressive. More on that later.

--I had my first 45-minute workout session with Sara, one of the trainers at the Rec Plex today. I know some of my fellow students and workers are Beacon Hill Health Club junkies, but since I'd skip going to the gym if it were more than 5 minutes out of my way, I'll have to stick with the one that's embarassingly close. The work out itself that she set up for me is good, and I can tell that it's not actually that difficult but the fact that it's pretty tough on me for the first day makes me a bit sheepish. You wouldn't think that sitting down and standing back up, all on one leg, would be that hard, but if you were me you would be wrong. The faces I made were kind of hysterical, and hopefully all this pain in my lower extremities ("hiney" is counting as an extremity right now) will be well worth it. We'll see.