I am very, very happy. A couple of days ago I finished the second trimester of my lab tech course, and my grades are all very good! I have not studied for more than 15 years, and although it has been rough, I am satisfied with the results. Not only for the grades, but also for all the things that I am learning.
This past Halloween I went to class with my vampire fangs on, and I could not help but laugh at the thought that a lover of vampires is learning all there is to learn about blood: its composition, the way to storage it and preserve it, the intricacies of its formation... I joked with my teacher about the usefulness of all this info to write vampire stories. Did you know that blood can only be preserved a maximum of 40 days? And only after using a lot of anticoagulants and preservatives for it. So sorry, authors, a cellar of vintage blood is simply not possible. And if your vampires survive in blood from banks, they need to raid them at least once a month. I have always thought that living sources are easier if one does not finish them off...
If anyone is interested, please let me know and I will post a crash course on blood for the curious.
I have been lucky to have found three friends among my classmates. They are delightful and I love spending time with them, even after school.
More news. I have acquired two more corsets, and I love them. I am still breaking in one of them. One of my classes happens in a lab with tall chairs (like those in bars) and corsets are very helpful on those days to keep my back straight and without pain. My classmates envy them a little, but very few have expressed any interest in knowing about them, which I find quite strange.
Also, my lovely mom has gifted me a carafe. It is very similar to this one, although mine has a flower engraved in the carafe and the glass. I intend to use it for the ritual of my absinthe preparations - not the glass, maybe hubby can use it for his bourbon. I had been looking online for carafes with a vintage feeling for long, but although they were not very expensive, the shipping costs to Spain were killers (when they would ship internationally). Watching the English series "Sherlock Holmes" with Jeremy Brett, I saw Watson pouring water for a guest in one of the episodes, and he was using a carafe just like the one I wanted. I decided to tell my mom to keep an eye open for it, because she is always able to find any sort of thing in shops. And she did! Now I only have to go to buy me some more absinthe. My bottle of Obsello is near its end.
Also, on a less happy side, a recommendation for all of you that live in or near Madrid. Hubby and I have a favorite restaurant since we were teenagers. It is called "Rasputin", like the Russian monk. The people that work there own the restaurant themselves, and times are being hard on them. If you are curious about Russian food, it is very worthy a visit. Even if you are a picky eater, you are sure to find something that you would like. And who can say dinner (or lunch) for 22 euros plus drinks is expensive? And if 22 is too much for you, they have a menu for 17 euros plus drinks. Menus include a first course, a second course and dessert. If they like you they may even invite you to some vodka at the end of the meal. The service is very nice and attentive, and the decoration is overly dramatic, in red and gold (follow the link to see some pics on their website), with Russian accents everywhere - even a bust of Rasputin himself will greet you at your arrival. You are sure to impress your date if you bring him/her there.
We celebrated our wedding there, and we would hate to see the place forced to close. They are great people, and they deserve success.
I hope to be able to write more in the following days, since I am enjoying Spring break.
See you all around!
This past Halloween I went to class with my vampire fangs on, and I could not help but laugh at the thought that a lover of vampires is learning all there is to learn about blood: its composition, the way to storage it and preserve it, the intricacies of its formation... I joked with my teacher about the usefulness of all this info to write vampire stories. Did you know that blood can only be preserved a maximum of 40 days? And only after using a lot of anticoagulants and preservatives for it. So sorry, authors, a cellar of vintage blood is simply not possible. And if your vampires survive in blood from banks, they need to raid them at least once a month. I have always thought that living sources are easier if one does not finish them off...
If anyone is interested, please let me know and I will post a crash course on blood for the curious.
I have been lucky to have found three friends among my classmates. They are delightful and I love spending time with them, even after school.
More news. I have acquired two more corsets, and I love them. I am still breaking in one of them. One of my classes happens in a lab with tall chairs (like those in bars) and corsets are very helpful on those days to keep my back straight and without pain. My classmates envy them a little, but very few have expressed any interest in knowing about them, which I find quite strange.
Also, my lovely mom has gifted me a carafe. It is very similar to this one, although mine has a flower engraved in the carafe and the glass. I intend to use it for the ritual of my absinthe preparations - not the glass, maybe hubby can use it for his bourbon. I had been looking online for carafes with a vintage feeling for long, but although they were not very expensive, the shipping costs to Spain were killers (when they would ship internationally). Watching the English series "Sherlock Holmes" with Jeremy Brett, I saw Watson pouring water for a guest in one of the episodes, and he was using a carafe just like the one I wanted. I decided to tell my mom to keep an eye open for it, because she is always able to find any sort of thing in shops. And she did! Now I only have to go to buy me some more absinthe. My bottle of Obsello is near its end.
Also, on a less happy side, a recommendation for all of you that live in or near Madrid. Hubby and I have a favorite restaurant since we were teenagers. It is called "Rasputin", like the Russian monk. The people that work there own the restaurant themselves, and times are being hard on them. If you are curious about Russian food, it is very worthy a visit. Even if you are a picky eater, you are sure to find something that you would like. And who can say dinner (or lunch) for 22 euros plus drinks is expensive? And if 22 is too much for you, they have a menu for 17 euros plus drinks. Menus include a first course, a second course and dessert. If they like you they may even invite you to some vodka at the end of the meal. The service is very nice and attentive, and the decoration is overly dramatic, in red and gold (follow the link to see some pics on their website), with Russian accents everywhere - even a bust of Rasputin himself will greet you at your arrival. You are sure to impress your date if you bring him/her there.
We celebrated our wedding there, and we would hate to see the place forced to close. They are great people, and they deserve success.
I hope to be able to write more in the following days, since I am enjoying Spring break.
See you all around!
