Mandatory Parties

Today was one of our mandatory--or rather, "strongly encouraged"--work parties. While four years of a full-time job has greatly improved my ability to partake in small talk, these still are slightly intimidating.

Once I got stuck at a table where there was a full-blown politics discussion.

But today was pretty entertaining. We talked about TV shows, how those of us in real scientific fields get frustrated at the horrible science on TV, and I found out there's no need for me to ever watch the V reboot ever again.

Also, we found out a new member of our group used to be an EMT in Oakland and she had storrrrriiieees. Apparently there's a street drug cocktail that mixes Viagra and cocaine. She stopped herself while describing something and said, "Oh, that's not a story that's appropriate for work." Which means it's a great story. Luckily she caved to very little prompting. And it lived up to all the anticipation that "a street cocktail that mixes Viagra and cocaine" conjures up. Horrible, of course, but fascinating.

This week's dinner has been pasta primavera. I had asparagus, cream, mushrooms, and a newly minted Costco block of real-stuff Parmesan, so it was a foregone conclusion. I used whole wheat pasta too and the sauce sufficiently covers the taste, which is a bonus. However, it made eight servings so I am going to get so tired of it by the end of the week. Though even after excessive amounts of servings, I can repeat pasta primavera much more quickly than other dishes. That one time I accidentally made 32 servings of lasagna junior year at Tech? Yeah, I haven't had lasagna since. That really did me in.

This week my dad called and said that if I can come out to my parents' house the day before Easter he would go into the garage alcove and bring down the pots, pans, and dishes that constitute my sister's and my hope chests. I'm 26 and these were bought before I can remember. This is the closest I've ever come to even seeing what my parents have been talking about my whole life. Even though my kitchen is filled to bursting with enough pots and pans and dishes for every purpose, I'm very excited. A whole life's anticipation might come to fruition.