Under Pressure

Tonight's dinner was an experiment....one that I feared might result in "bodily or property damage."  Steve spontaneously ordered me a pressure cooker a few weeks ago (amazon.com sale--what else?) and tonight was its maiden run.  I thought we'd start simple so we made some lentil curry.  Not to hate on the good people at Presto, but I'm scared a little of my new pot/pan.  As a chemical engineer, I'm fairly familiar with high pressure vessels and the resulting consequences of a mishap.  Steve was not so convinced we were crafting an explosive situation on the stove and did all the gadget handling.  All in all, the experience was positive: it only took us two tries to get it working, the dinner cooked in 3 minutes as promised, and we and our kitchen are still intact.   

A Cure for Shadows

The first time Steve sent me flowers was February 13th, 2007.  The place I was living at the time didn't get much light inside, so the card read something like "This will help brighten up your dark and shadowy house."  Since then I've gotten a beautiful bouquet each year on Valentine's Eve, despite the fact that I no longer live in a "dark, shadowy" house. 

Sally Ride

Today I attended an employee forum to hear Dr. Sally Ride, first woman in space, speak.  There were only about 100 of us that got to attend, so I felt pretty lucky!  I first heard about her from my older sister who I think had done a poster or report about her for school.  

Dr. Ride showed us fascinating pictures from her 2 space flights, including shots of hurricanes, night lights, fault lines, and the visible layers of the atmosphere.  It was amazing to hear her experiences about something that so few people have ever done.  

Now she spends her time working to encourage young people to pursue careers in math & science through Sally Ride Science. 

Shredding the Slopes

So the real reason we were in NM last week?  To get to Colorado!  We spent 3 days on the mountain with friends at the Wolf Creek resort shredding it up. They had a 110" base and had gotten dumped on right before we got there.  Conditions were perfect: not too cold, sunny, great snow, and no waiting in line.  Those black diamonds were no match for the "Board"bents.

This could've been the point when Steve said we'd taken enough pictures.

KSB, formerly known as Kalina "Ski"bel.

Winter Enchantment

Where else would you expect to find such enchanting scenery than in The Land of Enchantment (aka New Mexico)?  Steve and I were there this weekend, making that 5 trips there for us in the past 4 years--you would think we owned land there, but I assure you we don't.  The sparkling white winter we saw in NM doesn't seem like the dreary winter I'm hoping will end soon.