Culinary experiments from this past week:

Key lime dark chocolate truffles

Candied kumquats, stuffed with chocolate ganache

Tart cherry scones, topped with candied sliced starfruit



Curse you, camera USB cable, and your excellent hiding skills!

Brrr!

Winter has finally arrived, much to my relief.

I fear, however, that once my body adjusts to the 10-degree temperatures, it will get warm, again.

I really should move to Sweden, or something.

The Telltale Heart, Revisited

I pulled some mail out of my crappy, doesn't-close-properly mailbox, and found an envelope from the university's financial management services.

My heart dropped into my gut, as I thought, Oh, my god... Sallie Mae has now got the university to come after me, regarding that amount that I do not owe them!

I buried it under a pile of things on the table near my door, to avoid ruining my last evening of "the office is closed" vacation.

But it whispered to me. It mocked me. It called out to me and demanded that I pay attention to it.

So, with fear and trepidation, I crept over and pulled it from beneath the gloves and sunglasses and other outgoing bills. I closed my eyes and opened up the envelope, and pulled out the paper inside.

I opened one eye, expecting to see the horrible letter, telling me that they were expelling me and revoking my 4.0 GPA and suing me and sending the mob after me and that they were going to come and reposess my goldfish.

I blinked.

I gaped.

I released the breath I realized I'd been holding.

I stared at the paper in my hand - a check for $200 for some revision work that I had done for a textbook, earlier in the summer.