Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, and Happy Birthday to my dear friend, graduate school roommate, and most faithful blog reader, Lucy.

 

Through a friend connection, who knew both of us had gotten our undergraduate degrees in Biology, Lucy and I became roommates for the last year-plus of graduate school. And despite the fact we probably both wondered, "What am I getting into?" when we agreed to be roommates, we had the time of our lives despite writing those theses (that really is the plural of thesis, even though it looks so wrong).

We made five varieties of cheesecakes in seven months, and ate them entirely ourselves.

We read the entire Harry Potter series to each other out loud. 

We watched little known films from around the world, and had our creativity inspired by Project Runway, America's Top Model, and Pushing Daisies. (Why they end that show!?) 

We survived Lucy's room being flooded/moldy for five months while the two of us crammed into my tiny bedroom; without any fights! 

We discovered loads of items left behind by previous apartment owners, some strange, and some useful...and many of which still stock my current kitchen.

We discovered the netipot, and that mouse repellent sacks are good for clearing congestion (turns out they were just bags of dried mint).

We composted, even though we lived in an apartment.

We took in a stray cat...for about a day and a half. (But we had big dreams for him.)

 We went sledding, went to a sheep and wool festival, and Lucy even taught me to drive a manual on her own car (a very brave thing to do).

We collected seaweed in all kinds of weather  and all densities of mosquitoes for Lucy's research, and often went out to a big field at midnight to look at the stars and fill a generator with gasoline for my research.

We ate edible wild plants I identified (another brave thing on Lucy's part).

We made batches and batches of jam, and every other food for which we had a whim.

We became huge fans of contra dancing, and went at every opportunity.

And we survived grocery shopping together, even though I am a consider-every-possible-option person, and Lucy is a take-it-and-go person.

So Lucy, today I salute you. I never would have accomplished so many things, and had so much fun while writing my thesis if you hadn't been my roommate.

 And in case you're wondering, this Striped Button Pouch is what I made Lucy for her birthday, reminiscent of our plant biology and hydrology studies with its green and blue. If you're interested in making one, complete with a bound buttonhole, stop by later for the tutorial.

Have you been up to something out of the ordinary lately? For St. Patrick's Day or otherwise?