Things

1. There is, somewhere in my neighborhood, someone with a horn that plays La Cucaracha. Or rather, something that sounds an awful lot like a horn that plays La Cucaracha. I hear it every morning -- yawny childish brass honking cheerily.

2. My PI for my first rotation lives in a redwood forest. She invited the lab to her home for a Christmas party, and we went on a hike to get to her house. Better yet, she has a slackwire in her backyard. For her five year old daughter. A slackwire! Which is, in my opinion, possibly the most awesome thing ever. I climbed on it, but did not feel comfortable letting go of the balance ropes.

3. My cheesecake was a success! It was tasty, but next time I will 1) put more sugar and more lime in (the filling was a bit bland for my tastes), 2) use unsalted butter + salt on the crust for better control, and 3) possibly try the method where you put the spring-form pan in a dish of water to bake, thus making it cook slower.

4. After close contact with a Saint Bernard and the rain, I smelled like a wet dog. The dog was pretty much the sweetest animal ever. I really like Newfoundlands and Saint Bernards, I've decided, even more than I like big Labradors. Their mellowness is nice. I might like them better if I wasn't allergic, however.

5. Watching the fog come in over the redwood-covered mountains is amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Tomorrow is the latke party; I'm about as prepared as I want to be at this point (cookie dough in the fridge, etc). I just have to hope I don't burn the potatoes. *fingers crossed*