yeast. do you think that even though the expiration date hasn't passed, but has been opened (but refrigerated like recommended) past the six-month recommendation, it's still got the pep to rise rise rise? we'll see. making an executive decision, i recently purchased a bread machine for the house. the breadman pro, nonetheless. i then told my housemates they owed me 20 bucks each should they wish to enjoy the product. because i'm primary on-call (no going into the office), i have the leisure of making my first loaf of "homemade" bread in solitude listening to the spektor and various other mellow musik folk. the best part of this breadman pro: throw in the stuff. three hours later--delicious bread (i hope).

i am also venturing out in my korean-ness. i traveled to the local oriental shopping market, which happens to be a pretty sizable korean market. who would have thought? of course, it's all in korean, and i had to ask for help. but. i have the stuff to make kim bahp (korean sushi). so excited. hopefully it tastes "korean." still don't know about the "fish sausage." i'll make some vegetarian, just in case. i don't know if white-bred koreans have the ethnic ability to produce authentic kim bahp, but what the hey. the gringos eating it won't know the diff.

in other news. check out this local olympics blog that i'm partaking in (midwintermayhem.blogspot.com). my friend troy and some other acquaintances have really gone overboard and produced this fabulous week-long extravaganza. torch and everything. it's quite the event. i have to get my shirt in and sign up for the events i want to compete in, but i'm on team alaska (because there were not enough international folk to comprise a team); however, we have a very athletic team, which bodes well for things like ice dancing and broomball. hopefully, i'll help out in the spelling bee/limbo events. it really is quite the marvel.

update on post-lemonade diet/master cleanse: i feel fabulous. i have returned to semi-normal foods. i had ice cream, which was very palatable (i knew i couldn't stay away from dairy). i also went to the gym for the first time in, oh, eight weeks. i thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest after running. i have been eating healthier overall though. still haven't consumed any alcohol (my liver hearts me, i think). i made some potato soup in bread bowls last night...lots of carbs, but oh so tasty. :) i ended up losing about eight pounds in all (which i attribute to my scary high metabolism), so i'm putting that weight back on (hopefully, in the form on lean muscle mass and not the pudge that was developing around my mid-section).

it's pretty wonderful to have the house to myself while on-call. nothing too crazy this week in the way of sexual assaults. always a plus.

happy early valentine's day to everyone. happy singles awareness day to clare, caitlin, april, et al. (oh, the humanity of those shirts.) i think my celebratory plans include grub amongst my alaska homies and bowling of all things. :) just call me kingpin. maybe i'll best my 161 score.