LadyGypsy.net – the blog of Kimberly Dowd of New Jersey

Hey look…it’s the Friday Five! This week’s topic is Comparisons.

1. What’s something you do more quickly than most people?

I can type between 80-90 words per minute which is not as fast as some people, but a heck of a lot more impressive than most. When I as a freshman in high school, my mom made me take a full year of typing instead of a half year like most of my peers. It’s paid off in spades, since I sit at a keyboard all day.

I could probably type faster if I didn’t mentally say the name of every letter I’m typing. The only time I can turn that off is when I’m chatting online and don’t much care about accuracy.

2. What’s something you do more carelessly than most people?

Hairstyling. I can’t be bothered with it. I brush it, pin it back and am done with it. Today I have four bobby pins keeping my bangs back off of my face.

3. What’s something you do more slowly than most people?

Cook and bake. I have to be exacting with my measurements, and I often have to read the instructions two or three times before I realize that it’s 1 1/2 cups instead of 1/2 cup. Yeah, there’s probably a learning disorder in there somewhere.

4. What’s something you do more carefully than most people?

See Question 3.

5. In what contexts are you more patient than most people?

Talking people through websites over the phone. I deal with quite a few older readers at work who can’t find the C-P’s website and it’s an exercise in patience.** I hope when I’m old and I need help auto-tuning the info chip implaned in my brain some young’un is just as patient with me.

** Fictional, albeit typical, work phone call:

Me: Type in CourierPostOnline.com
Abe Vigoda: Courier dot post dot com. Got it. Oh, no, can’t find it. Not there.
Me: Nono…courierpostonline DOT com. Just one dot.
Abe: courierpost dot com. Hm. This ain’t it.
Me: Try courierPostONLINE dot com.
Abe: I am online.
Me: Sir, can you hold for a moment?
Abe: Sure.
Me: (Puts phone on hold, smashes head onto desk a la Don Music. I resume the call only to find out Abe’s looking for an obit from 1918 of some guy with the first name of Jack. Or John. Or maybe Jim.)

I have a “Cast of Characters” page that I wrote a few years back and it’s horrifically out of date. On it, I give you guys a rundown of who the heck I’m talking about on this site, since I’m huge on nicknames & all.

Here’s the entry for my brother:

My point was proven, by the way, because he never mentioned my “blogging” about that. Ha!

Anyway, I’m happy to announce that John & Kristen are (finally) engaged and will be married sometime next year.

Which means two things:

1) I have GOT to lose at LEAST 35 lbs by some undetermined date. Obamarms optional. Note to self: tapeworm.

2) I have to make pretty cupcakes for Sunday, after which I shall commence with list item 1.

Congratulations, you two!!

**
Dream:
I’m obsessed with the Jim & Pam wedding on The Office. Obsessed to the point where I’m collecting Pam dolls and am trying to create a replica Pam wedding dress on a mannequin in my living room. I think this was as close to a nightmare as I’ve been in a while.

WM and I try to celebrate Sweetest Day because it’s so quaint and obscure. The problem is that it’s so obscure that we usually don’t remember until Sweetest Day itself.

Yesterday I found a recipe online for homemade peanut butter cups, and I thought I’d give it a whirl since I had all the ingredients on hand.

Mixing the inside parts was easy enough – I didn’t even have to break out the mixer. The chocolate was more difficult. I used a bag of semi-sweet morsels and melted them using a double-boiler. Chocolate is a pain. If you melt it too quickly, it can seize up. So patience is the trick. Patience and a bit of vegetable oil to make it more liquid.

Why, yes, that is a Christmas-themed candy cup. Sweetest Day tradition. Okay, I'm lying.

Once the filling was done chilling, I rolled them into little balls and poured the chocolate over top. I THINK it was supposed to go all the way around the peanut butter, but mine seemed to glorp on top and stay there.

I don't like to call it ugly. I prefer artisan.

The only other complaint (of mine, WM loves them) is that the chocolate melts super fast on your fingers when you hold the candy.

Notes for next time:

• Make the peanut butter balls smaller to give the chocolate a fighting chance to cover them.
• See if I can find chocolate that melts better, but doesn’t melt so quickly at room temperature, if that makes any sense at all.