9/19: Sophomore Year Slump Isn't Real (So Far)

Dear Internet,

College is a rollercoaster and by god I am riding it. Okay, that might not be the best analogy, but the point is, I'm having fun and am actually enjoying living and learning in the institution I paid big bucks for.

I joined the women & trans rugby team a week ago. Last year I remember joining the men's rugby team for like, 3 days, until I said "haha actually I have other responsibilities sorry I'll join you guys next year" to get away from them. I kinda forgot why. But probably because I wasn't actually ready for club sports.

I don't blame my past self, though. I cycled through a lot of different sports when I was younger, pushed by my parents to stick onto something. Let's see... I did basketball, volleyball, circus arts (!?), soccer, fencing, gymnastics... I mean, I'm happy I got to try all these cool sports, but child/preteen me didn't appreciate being talked down to all the time. Even though it's kinda how teaching works. Well, I don't know why I really hated bouncing around sports, but that's the answer I'll go with.

Anyways, the rugby team is super nice. The coaches talk to you like adults, because it's almost like you are one, and they guide you through stuff like passing and throwing with the best balance of explaining and actual play time. The people are all super nice too, but I haven't warmed up to them just yet. They run in different circles than I do-- almost all of them are in OSCA, look cool as shit, do outdoorsy stuff... and I'm just chilling in Kade Haus, hanging out with gay D&D nerds.

Speaking of those nerds, I am so fucking excited to play my new D&D character. His name is Bones, he's an aasimar artificer, and he's dumb as hell. Well, not really, because his INT is 16 (which is good for a level 2 character). He's book smart, not street smart... Anyways, here's his backstory:

The youngest son of the famous Raine Thorfinn, 3-time sharpshooter gold medalist, and the most neglected of the family. After breaking free from his family’s clutches and spending 2 years off the grid, Bones joined a crew of interplanetary cargo haulers called The Swarm. Manning the S.S. Pisces, Bones quickly became a reliable chief engineer. After about a decade and a half of ship life, The Swarm was caught in a sting operation for hauling illegal (aka resistance) cargo, and its crew was arrested by the Institute. By sheer luck, Bones escaped the Institute’s clutches, and now he fights with the resistance to get his crew back.

So yeah, the campaign is set in a Spelljammer-esque setting. I'm super excited for it, especially for the roleplay aspect, because my friend and I coordinated backstories; she plays Bones' childhood friend, Viv. They haven't seen each other for... (checks notes) 10 years!! Can't wait for their first interaction. I can't divulge too much information since I can't monitor who sees this (hello Will When groupchat teehee), which sucks, but I'll talk about him more as I play him for longer.

Other than rugby and D&D, I've been cooking and baking a whole lot. I, historically, am shit at anything food-related (flashbacks to when I burnt ramen in the Dascomb microwave and it smelt like burnt asshole for 3 days), but the stuff I've been making recently is pretty good. For example...




CHALLAH!! I'm not Jewish so I can't really claim this as authentic (see: the fact I can't braid bread for shit, so I just made one into a sourdough-like shape), but this tastes absolutely incredible. Once I get enough money for more ingredients, I'm gonna try to experiment with the recipe I'm using. Specifically, putting honey in the egg wash, and sprinkling sesame seeds on top. Also, maybe putting some butter in the batter, since the bread is just a tad too dry. And also letting the bread rise for a little longer than usual. I'm too impatient when it comes to letting it sit!! I want my bread now!! I don't want to have to wake up early to make bread for a late breakfast/early lunch!!

I've also been making lots of dishes with tomatoes in it. Namely, orzo simmered in tomato soup, and cooked tomatoes and cheese on top of challah (I should probably make another type of bread for this though... the challah is too soft for it). I'm pissed that vegetables cost so much these days, especially at farmer's markets, but at least with that I Get It. When I'm getting stuff from Walmart though, WHAT THE HELL???

I have to glaze one of my friends for a moment here. She cooks a lot, and has served her cooking (namely her lentil soup and pasta w/ homemade sauce) to the friend group before, and oh my god it's heavenly. I can't begin to describe how delicious her food is. I'm so envious of her abilities! Like, she'll be like "oh I'm throwing something together real quick" and when I ask what she's making, it'll be, like, a meal worthy of a Michelin star. I hope that someday, I can reach her level of passive cooking knowledge and just raw skill.

I'm gonna wrap it up here. Before you go, here's a song I've been listening to a lot. It's from the Bullet Train soundtrack (amazing movie btw); the entire soundtrack has been stuck in my head for weeks at this point.


--Ajax