big news! big news!

but first, just to clear up a few things... after some inquiries about the last post that, i must admit, were not entirely ludicrous, i would just like to clarify that the only thing i was announcing was that we have been major tubalards lately. if i ever have more exciting tidings, i promise to make them at least a little less subtle than an offhand reference to unfavorable alterations in my appearance. aight?

but that brings us to the first order of business on the "big news! big news!" list, which you are not to mock, because these items do indeed bring a rush of adrenaline to this little homestead:

1) nick and i went running on saturday! yay! seriously, this is the first time we have legitimately exercised in probably 7 1/2 months. ouch. and then we successfully resisted the siren sounds of hershey's two days in a row.

2) due to พ่อ's random turning into a second-hand shop on our way to buy more wood, nick and i now very unexpectedly own an oven. for those of you who are currently nonplussed, lemme tell ya, this really is a big deal. remember that ovens are practically nonexistent in all of asia, and we were quite resigned to our fate of never eating real bread again. lies. nick was already making plans to build a brick oven in the front yard, which would've been cool, but i'm not sad that we found this ancient-but-never-used beauty for the price of a two-burner stove. notice that this sucka has three. score, nick, score. i'll admit i didn't think he had the bargaining gene until saturday. even พ่อ did a little jig of amazement when he heard what nick got it for.


now to learn how to adjust recipes for the environment... that and/or buy some baking powder:


ugh. but we still ate it and actually managed to enjoy it. and yes, the oven is currently housed in our bedroom. and yes, i did throw the eggshells out the window. i promise it's not weird.

3) much to our surprise and delight, we have discovered that you can make poprice. nick's favorite thing to do--and this has been ever since our sojourn in costa rica, when we spent like zero monies on food and thus discovered this new boon--is to pour popcorn kernels into a pan and fry himself up some quick'n'delicious "nutrition." after finding kernels last week, we've seen a lot of popcorn. พ่อ decided he didn't want to be outdone and, after nick's latest batch last night, he ran out to the storehouse and grabbed a handful of rice that still had its shell. popped it in the pan, and out came baby popcorn! and it tastes kind of like smacks. mm.


try it, dudes. it's amazing.

4) most importantly, i have decided the time has come: i simply demand that i get a haircut every 8 months when it's this short. i realize some might consider me high-maintenance, but i'm sorry; i have my standards.

anyway, here's blurry nighttime nick workin' on the electricity:


he's cute, huh. tchau, folks. time to go set up our thai bank account, at long, long last!