Acute sinusitis is as fun as it sounds.

I have the mother of all sinus infections.

It may be a while.

(France was cool, except for the whole, you know, being deathly ill in a foreign country thing.)

Gift

Above is a set of three pouches/make-up bags that my neighbors gave me in honor of my graduation. I don't really know why I put it on here, I just really love the way they look. So yes, on Sunday, I will be graduating from college, which is so absolutely surreal and accompanied by such a bizarre barrel of emotions that getting into them would only bore you.
Bottom line, I'm moving on to bigger things. I'll be staying in D.C., although I'm not entirely sure yet what I'll be doing (I've gotten a job offer, and I have to decide whether or not I want to take a year off and defer my law school acceptance.) So within the next week, I will have to make some Big Girl Decisions. I'm also, uh...going to Paris on Monday, which I hesitate to say because it makes me sound like a spoiled brat. I mean, Paris, twice in a month? What the haystacks, as the five-year-old I babysit says.
I'm going with my mom, and we are pretty much going to drink wine and eat pastries until we pass out, so it should be good fun. We're also going to St. Malo, which is a small town on the Brittany coast that I can't wait to show her.
So, I won't be around for a bit. Take care, and I'll see you in a week and a half.

How about just spit in my eye and call it a day?

I frequently get J. Crew e-mails that are titled, "Spring Dresses!" "Fun, Uber-Preppy Summer Clothes That Are Right Up Your Alley!" but should really be entitled, "Too Bad You Are Poor And Cannot Afford Anything In This E-mail!" "Maybe When You Graduate You Won't Have to Shop At Target and Dollar Tree!"

And I usually browse them and send links to my mom in the hopes that she will really be missing me that day and may pop over to the mall on a whim and see the adorable dress/skirt/blouse I just so happened to send her in said e-mail and say to herself, "Bah, it's only money. Let's refinance the house so Kate can have the wardrobe she wants."

It's true, I love everything J. Crew and/or sickeningly preppy, and it's partially her fault - I come from a family that takes portraits in matching khakis and white polo shirts, whose men all have the same "Republican Swoop" hairdo, and whose women wear Lilly Pulitzer on a daily basis to the country club in the summer. Without irony.

Note the swoop. Oddly enough, John Edwards is a Democrat. How did that happen?

It's pretty sick.

And all this was well and good, until I moved out into what most people call "real life," and realized that things cost money. I subsequently concluded that J.Crew is actually pretty fucking ridiculous in terms of what they charge for say, a t-shirt, but I always held a soft spot for it and even occasionally blew a paycheck or two or three on shopping sprees there.

Until today.

They unveiled their yoga collection, and sent me an e-mail announcing it. And I was all, oh sweet, I'm gonna save up and get me some yoga gear. And then I looked at the price, and get this, friends - a CAMISOLE is $40. Now, unless this camisole is not only going to help me do a Downward Dog for 20 minutes without my arms and legs even feeling it, but make me look like I have washboard abs, and curb my appetite between meals, J. Crew can go suck it.

I'm taking my $40 elsewhere...like Dollar Tree...where I can by 40 pieces of crap I don't need, but where I at least know they won't overcharge me for a polka dot scrunchie.

Just about the only thing my house has going for it...

...is our azalea bushes. Our house just went up on the market (and by our house I mean the house my roommates and I rent in Bethesda.) It has been a great house for our purposes, despite the ceiling caving in at one point, but there are so many things wrong with it that I can't imagine anyone actually buying it from the owners. In any case, this means we have people coming in and out of our house every day. The shutters may be falling off, our white picket fence may be peeling, but at least we have beautiful flowers!

It's nice to be nice to the nice

My friend T. is participating in the Avon walk for breast cancer today and tomorrow. Over the course of two days, participants walk 39 miles. To participate, they also have to raise at least $1,800, which means that the event generates huge amounts of money for breast cancer research and prevention. Circumstances being what they were, I wasn't able to participate this year, but in my book doing something like this where you not only raise money, but connect with people in a show of overwhelming support for those that you are helping is generosity of spirit at its finest.

T. has been working really hard for the past few months to train for the walk (39 miles is far, people) and raise money, and I couldn't be more proud of her. Tonight all the participants in the walk will be camping out in a park in Bethesda. To show my support, I put together a little care package that I'm going to drop off to her tonight. I included these muffins, which are made with quinoa, a grain that is full of protein and lends a really interesting, nubbly texture to the crumb of these muffins. I think these will be perfect for a morning energy boost before another day of walking, and they travel really well, too.

Quinoa Muffins

Slightly adapted from "Everyday Food" Magazine

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/4 vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup raisins

3/4 cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed.

2. While the quinoa cooks, spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and raisins together. When the quinoa is done cooking, spread it out on a large plate or cookie sheet to cool. When quinoa has cooled, add 2 cups of the cooked quinoa to the dry mixture and stir until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add it to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide batter among muffin cups.

5. Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool.

Note: The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.