Goodbye and Hello

Tomorrow, I say goodbye to one who has been a constant companion to me for the past nine years. My Jeep.


Jeepy, as I affectionately call him, has been with me since I was 19 years old. He has taken me from Dallas to Amarillo, from Abilene to Austin, and from Texas all the way to North Carolina. I always knew that the end of my academic career would mean the end of my relationship with Jeepy (my longest relationship to date!) but it's still a sad day. I am comforted in knowing that Jeepy will be the first car of a 16 year old girl, whose dad is buying it for her tomorrow.

So long, good friend! Best wishes with your new gal!

And a big welcome to my new vehicle!


I really needed something with better fuel efficiency (18 mpg on a good day just isn't feasible anymore) and I wanted a sportier look. So today I got the car I had decided on. A new Mazda 3 hatchback. I love it. Love it love it love it. This is the first new car I've ever had. Only 39 miles on the odometer! Crazy.


If you look, you can see Jeepy looking all forlorn in the background of the pictures. So sad!


Anyone have a good suggestion on a name for my new ride? My first car was Lucy the Lumina, followed by Bruce the white Jeep, then Jeepy who sometimes went by Big Red. This car is definitely a girl, and needs a good name.

And Mom, you're going to enjoy driving this back to Texas with me in June. Because I'm graduating June 25th!

At long last...

I'm finally going to be done with school. After 21 years of school, starting this June you'll all have to refer to me as Dr. Gena. Well, okay, not really.

The meeting with my advisory committee went well. They agreed that I should finish up my final round of experiments and start writing up my thesis. Now I've just got to set a date for my dissertation defense and get crackin'!

Nothing like chocolate.....

for stress eating! Let me tell you, I eat my emotions and right now, with the help of GP's birthday cake, those emotions are really tasty! But no, they are not healthy.


Why am I so stressed out? Well, Wednesday (Tax day! Did you get yours filed?) I have a meeting with my advisory committee to see if they agree to let me finish my work and graduate this summer. It's really nerve wracking, because I have no idea whether they'll agree, or just laugh at me and tell me to go back to work and try again in the fall. So, I've been working 7 days a week for the past month or so, trying to get as much accomplished as I can. Which is why the blog has suffered so much lately.

Anyway, we have this cute little cake plate that my friend Zee gave us for our wedding. It's extra special because Zee and I share the same birthday, and we use it for all the birthdays around here.


For his, GP wanted Fabulous Chocolate cake, and this recipe delivered big time. Here is the recipe as written by GP's brother, who is the baker in the family. I'm not sure where this recipe originated from, but it's one that GP and his siblings grew up on.


Fabulous Chocolate Cake

1 box (duncan hines is my fav) devils food cake mix (w/o pudding in the mix)

1 large box instant choco pudding
1 12oz. bag chocolate chips (or chunks, or peanut butter...mmm)
8oz sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil

preheat oven to 350º. Mix all that stuff in a big bowl for 3 minutes...it'll go from a dark brown chocolate to a lighter shade of brown. Once it's well mixed, pour it into a bunt cake pan. Bake at 350º for 50 minutes...check it every couple minutes from there until your knife comes out cleanly. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar when cool.

Ours went into an angel food cake pan, which GP swears is what you're supposed to use, but right there the recipe says bunt. Whatever. Pour it into muffin tins and I bet it'll still taste great.

Happy Birthday, GP!

GP turns 27 today!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, GP,
Happy Birthday to you!

Black Bean Soup

The past few weeks the weather around here kept rocking back and forth between beautiful high 60's with clear clue skies, and dreary grey 40's with continually falling rain. Something about such dismal weather puts me in the mood for a big bowl of soup (and also lowers my will to do anything but nap). Maybe it's the wet chill in the air, maybe it's the laziness that comes with the rain. Whatever the cause, I found myself one rainy day searching the pantry for ingredients for a soup.


Easy Peasy Black Bean Soup
cook time: 45 minutes
serves: 6

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package dry Ranch seasoning (in the salad dressing aisle)
1/2 C uncooked rice
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
grated cheese (we had colby, which is softer and not as sharp as cheddar)


Saute the green pepper, onions, and garlic in about a teaspoon or so of olive oil until the onions turn translucent. Add everything except the rice, corn, and cheese, and let simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Add the rice and continue cooking until rice is tender. Throw in the corn and cook a few more minutes until it is heated through. Ladle into bowls and top with the cheese.