My week has been essentially defined by the cold. I’ve always thought of myself as a cool climate kind of person, and even when I was younger I’d love winter, and snowy days, but this particular winter is beginning to test even me. When I get home, I don’t even treat myself to raising the thermostat a few more degrees. I bundle up and huddle down instead with the laptop to provide a lot of the heat and two throw blankets to insulate it. And a lot of the times, it’s pretty dark. I’m not feeling depressed, but I am pretty tired.

Tonight is Friday and I’ve done nothing all night. The major excitement of the night was a detour to the mall to buy new pillow cases. However, instead of new pillow cases, I instead bought a new double-sized pillow with the hopes that it’ll help me be more comfortable in bed, therefore be able to sleep better. I came home, shoveled the driveway and sidewalk, made a really pathetic dinner, fed the kitties and plonked myself in front of the internet.

Friday night, its me, the kitties, my cargo pants, oversized dragon print t-shirt, a hoodie and the internets. This is totally the formula for a good time.

Well, the excitement continues. My laundry is done and the 2nd load of bedsheets and towels need to go in the dryer. I’m also debating whether to do the dishes, though signs seem to be pointing to probably not tonight.

I’m not quite sure I have any phobias, but during one of my many travels through the internets, I came across this picture.

This picture, for whatever reason, just really creeped me the heck out. Look at it: it’s a humungous bee. It probably, like, just FINISHED EATING THAT GUY’S FACE.

So I inquired and apparently this isn’t a photoshop, or a model, or a toy. It is real and is known as the Asian Giant Hornet, and the idea that these exist in the world just sort of gives me the heebie-jeebies. However, I’m intrigued by all things creepy so I looked a little further and found this youtube from National Geographic.

The following is a graphic, true life documentary involving decapitated bee heads and honey bee genocide. View at your own risk.

Goth boy on the bus tried to stick air into the ticket machine, trying to score a free ride maybe. Bus driver caught him and tells him that he didn’t put a ticket in. Whatever do you mean, Goth boy inquires, of course he’s innocent. However, he fumbles through his wallet and pulls out another ticket. A proper one this time and only then is he allowed to ride. Poor goth boy. Obviously he needed to be somewhere else. He had a rose wrapped in plastic sticking out of his backpack. He sat right in front of me, so only from my point of view could you see the little plastic teddy bear clinging to it (awww), and notice that the rose was a fake.

A punkish looking girl with white blonde hair and a plaid jacket was playing with a white Macbook while she waited for the bus at the bus station. Some older guy hovered above her and would point things out on the screen. I’m not exactly sure if he was a friend or relation. When she got on my bus, she was by herself.

I usually walk home, even when it’s snowing. Tonight, I was at work slightly late, but wanted to catch the bus to go directly to the mall so I can pick up some fresh veggies to cook tonight. I thought about what to make on the ride home. Somewhere along the way, the decision to make stir-fried veggies and risotto was reached. I reached for a box of pre-seasoned risotto and read the ingredients. I figured it was probably a lot cheaper and healthier to make risotto from scratch. So I went to the bulk barn after the grocery store to pick up about a pound of arborio rice for about the same price as a dinky package of pre-seasoned risotto. When I got home, I decided to grill the veggies instead, so I pulled my Hamilton-Beach electric grill from out of storage.

I was particularly proud of myself because I’ve never made risotto from scratch before. However, I didn’t have to look up the recipe. I retained the knowledge on how to make risotto from watching cooking shows on the food network. So for dinner tonight, seasoned grilled vegetables (asparagus, yellow pepper, red onions and white mushrooms) and homemade vegan mushroom risotto.

I’m sure punk girl and goth boy are having much more exciting lives than I am, but at least I know how to cook.

Here’s the recipe:

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