There's an alien playing drums in my skull

It must be related to the weather or something, but for the last two weeks or so, I have been in a state of nearly-constant migraine. I think I'm slowly losing my mind. I can handle the pain, usually, until it gets to the point when I can't do work anymore, and then I just get frustrated. I don't really have any reason to blog this, other than the fact that I want to gripe. Auuuughhhhhh.

Sadness

One of the low points of ALA that I didn't mention in the post below happened Sunday evening. My father called me to tell me my grandmother, his mother, had passed away. It wasn't a surprise, since she had been very sick for over a year and had been in hospice for a few weeks, but it was still upsetting. She was a wonderful, brilliant woman, and I didn't realize how much I appreciated and admired her until she was gone. I often hope I will be like her when I'm older.

As my mom pointed out, not only have we lost an amazing woman, it's also the end of an era. She was definitely the catalyst and focus of the family on my dad's side. Christmas will be especially hard - I'm sure we'll all get together like we always do, but it will still be because of her. Just this time, it will be because she's gone, not because she's there.

I've found myself trying to not think about her, and maybe not about death in general. I'm not sure what's making me so uncomfortable, but it's been more difficult than I thought it would be, considering that we all expected it. I suppose I might just be mourning.

ALA

I know, I know, I'm a terrible blogger. I've been meaning to write about a few things, I just haven't gotten around to it.

First: ALA. For my non-librarian readers, that's the American Library Association. I went to their annual conference in Chicago this year, for my first ALA conference. I was paid for by my employer at the university, so I had to work at our booth in the exhibition hall and attend a meeting for work. I still had the chance to attend sessions and see the other exhibits. So, here are some thoughts, highlights, and lowlights of the weekend:

• NEIL GAIMAN. Clearly, a highlight. Mr. Gaiman was at the conference, signing books and speaking at a session. I missed the first signing and was in a meeting for the second signing, but I managed to get to his panel session about censorship and comics. He was everything you would expect, rougish and British and disheveled and very smart. Then, I discovered that a very good friend had waited in line for THREE HOURS and got me a signed copy of The Graveyard Book. Mr. Gaiman doodled a little gravestone with my name on it, and I continue to be thrilled.
  
• But, that brings up something I would definitely tell other new attendees: plan everything. I missed things because I didn't know they were happening. Sure, I looked at the schedules and picked out things I wanted to go to, but I definitely didn't do all my homework on the conference, and I think I could have enjoyed things more if I were better prepared. ALA can be very overwhelming, and it's easy to miss things.
  
• The exhibit hall can be interesting, but is definitely less useful for students. We can't buy things, and the vendors aren't usually too interested in trying to give us their pitches. There was also a definite tension between vendors and librarians, and it was usually very obvious if a person was one or the other.
  
• Chicago - I really like Chicago, and I wish I had the chance to see more of it. I was usually incredibly exhausted and busy by the time I was done, and I know I enjoyed the restaurants and the sights less than I would have otherwise. But, I did eat some interesting places, so here's the rundown: Lou Manati's: Deep dish pizza, definitely disappointing, despite being recommended to us. Chicago Diner: vegetarian, and thus I'm not really qualified to judge. I'm sure it's good if you like that type of thing. Bin 36: We just had appetizers here, but they have some seriously tasty cheeses. La Madia: Stone-fired pizza, absolutely delicious. I was in bliss. Giordano's: Chicago stuffed pizza: also very, very tasty, though really filling!
  
• Other high points: hanging with my lovely friend G on our last night in Chicago, eating pizza, shopping at Lush, drinking champagne in the Hancock Building, mint-hot-fudge sundae at the Ghiradelli shop.
• Low points: being exhausted, being overwhelmed by people and social events, missing my awesome boyfriend an unexpectedly huge amount.
  

OMG MMF FTW

In normal people talk, that means marshmallow fondant might have changed my life. I've been looking at lovely pictures of cakes and cupcakes covered in fondant, wishing I could do the same things without spending a ton and covering cakes in kinda nasty tasting sugary fondant. Then I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant, which is very easy to make and color at home, works in more or less the same was as regular fondant (though it doesn't mold as well) and tastes...like marshmallows. Joy! So I tried it out, to great success. I personally find it a little odd if it's really think on the cake, but that's probably because I'm ambivalent about marshmallows. Otherwise, I'm thrilled - this has opened up a whole new realm of cake decorating!

So, to try it out, of course I made cupcakes. I went to a family reunion with the bf's family yesterday, and I had noticed that the invitation said to bring a dish to share. I asked my bf's mom if I should bring something, and she said not to worry. But then his dad overheard and said yeah, that he had signed me up to bring a dessert, and that I should probably bring two - one for his family and one for me and the bf separately. Ok. So, I made:















My pride and joy, the cupcakes with the marshmallow fondant:

BBQ! (and cupcakes)

Last weekend I had some (awesome) friends over for a barbecue, because I really love hosting things, and it's nice to actually see people other than my coworkers and my boyfriend (though there was a coworker and my boyfriend there and I was very happy about that as well.) But of course, I made cupcakes for the event, and all I have pictures of are the cupcakes. So behold, beach cupcakes!