i don't even bother combing my hair anymore in the mornings, it's just this shaggy mess, and depending on the weather, it's either puffy or flat. i'll get a haircut when i get the chance, but right now, with all this cold weather we've been having, i kind of like this extra layer of insulation on my head. i slept in the guest bedroom again, i kind of like the small bed, economical, modest, efficient. who wants to sleep single in a double bed anyway? i had cereal for breakfast because i knew i'd be running today and wanted something in my stomach. i left the house without making the bed, saving it for the maid, which meant me when i get back home from work.

monday morning is trash day for some parts of cambridge. it just happens to coincide with the same week that college kids are moving back out, so a lot of weird stuff gets tossed onto the sidewalks. box springs for beds, futon frames, broken lamps, damaged bookshelves, smashed up television. i had a prescription to pick up from cvs, and saw two mormon boys trying to convert a uniquely dressed woman. i was hoping they'd come and talk to me too but they know a lost cause when they see one.

i went running during lunch, it's almost been a week since my last run. it was cold, i had to wear my black turtleneck, but a third of the way into the run i took it off because i started to warm up from the running. not many people were out, mostly older men running by themselves. when i came back, i stopped off at the new quizno's to get a sandwich. i ordered the spicy monterey club sandwich but got the wrong order, mustard and ham. it was delicious regardless. quizno's shtick is they toast the freshly made sandwiches. i'd definitely go back.

in the office there were some chocolate covered strawberries, delivered today. they were supposed to be here for adam's wedding party on friday, but something went wrong with the shipment and they got delivered today instead. they're pretty good, i had two, i didn't care for the chocolate very much, but the strawberry inside was very sweet and juicy. close to the end of the day i took some timer released company photos, with all the employees (all seven of us) posing around a table, as if we were in a meeting.

walking home from the train station, i walked by a cute neighbor (whom i've never seen before) standing outside her house lighting a cigarette. judging from her sweater, she must've been cold. we stared at each other for a second longer than necessary. "hello," i said. "hi," she said. smiles were exchanged. summer project!

julie arrived soon after i got home. tonight it was my turn to cook, and i'd be making mee krob, or crispy thai fried noodles. the interesting thing about this recipe would be the use of rice sticks (rice vermicelli) and frying them in a pan. i've heard about it before never experienced it first hand, but as soon as the rice sticks hit the hot oil, it instantly expands to 2-3x its original size, like a magic trick. i started off by chopping up all the ingredients, then i threw some noodles into the pan. it'd sizzle for a second, then as promised, it'd suddenly increase in size. there was some splattering, and now i realize why chefs wear aprons. for kicks, we tossed in some rice grains to see what would happen, and they sort of expanded like popcorn, but still very tiny. after the noodles were done (taken out and drained), i used the leftover peanut oil to cook the rest of the ingredients. all was going well until the final step, which required some eggs. i ended up mixing the eggs with the rest of the ingredients, instead of letting it cook first, for which julie scolded me for not following the directions (i should've never let her see the recipe first), despite the fact that it was my first time making mee krob. for me, cooking isn't so much about following directions as it is about experimentation, presentation, having fun, and the creation of something delicious.

in the end, everything turned out okay. despite having a battered look, the mee krob was surprisingly delicious (i don't say that lightly, usually i'm very critical of my cooking), sweet and spicy, with interesting texture, the cruchiness of the noodles like eating cereal, the soft shitake mushrooms (soaked overnight) absorbing a lot of the flavor (kind of like what eggplants do in my red thai curry recipe). there was also chicken and a handful of bean sprouts, sprinkled with fresh cilantro from my potted garden in the backyard. julie, who didn't eat all day, finished up what was left of the mee krob in the pan, and copied two mee krob recipe from my thai/asian cookbooks.