xp_logs | Sunday Night

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Lorna teases Ali; Ali teases Lorna. Shocked? Didn't think so.

Lorna: *eeps hides then giggles and asks if Ali can sing Kung Fu fighting in high C*
Alison: I could, but it'd cost you a fortune in windows and glass. *pauses* Besides, Jono will be dealing with something of the sort soon enough. *looks very smug*
Lorna: *peeks out from her hiding place* Really? What?
Alison: First music assignment is to analyze the work methods of a particular artist or band. Guess which one Jono gets?
Lorna: *brightly* Abba?
Alison: That would be kind of me. Try again.
Lorna: *thinks about it* The Village People? N'Sync? *in a horrified whisper* Barry Manilow?
Alison: Now now. We're talking True Evil here. Something to... fit the crime. *cackles and rubs hands*
Lorna: *hides again from the very horror of the thought and so her voice is slightly muffled* Celine Dion?
Alison: *smiles beatifically, and pulls out a CD from a stack of four or five now on her desk, and shows it to Lorna* The Chipmunks.
Lorna: *falls over* Alvin? Simon? Theodore?
Alison: Aren't they the cutest? *bright smile*
Alison: I"ll just have to blast proof the music room windows so he can't run for it. *chortles*
Lorna: *can't stop laughing enough to speak and only nods frantically*
Alison: I see you approve. *giggles*
Lorna: *is attempting to breathe while laughing and isn't having much success*
Alison: *pats on back and looks horribly smug*
Alison: Of course, I have to make sure that won't send him running away from the mansion for real so... *waves a rectangular slip of paper* This goes in the last CD case... *grins*
Lorna: *has subsided to general giggles at this point and manages to ooh and ah in appreciation* Well at least his suffering won't be completely in vain.
Alison: *in a high squeaky voice* He'll thank me for it! *brings hands under chin to mime teeth and makes hamster noises*
Lorna: *falls over laughing again* Come on, now. Sing All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!
Alison: *puts hands on lap and looks dignified* No. *points to leg* I waxed yesterday, hence am not chipmunky enough. Alas. *snickers*
Lorna: *pouts* Meanie.
Alison: Damn right. *waves The Chipmunks CDs and squeaks*
Lorna: *shakes her head* What did I ever do to deserve such an evil roomie? *off Ali's Look* Okay, apart from all that stuff.
Alison: *grins cheerfully* The cooking abilities lured me in... *eyes glaze over* Speaking of food...
Lorna: How did I become your personal chef? Honestly, you make a girl one lousy plate of fettuccini and suddenly you're here Wolfgang Puck.
Alison: *grins* I'll make you breakfast tomorrow morning in return? I make a mean omelette. *pauses* If there's only a few things I can could well, I might as well cook them REALLY well. *makes puppy dog eyes at Lorna*
Lorna: Breakfast is over-rated. *gets up anyway and pulls a recipe book off the shelf and flips through it.* How do you feel about Chicken Marsala?
Alison: Oooh! *eyes glow briefly, literally* I'm easy! *bounces up with a bright grin*
Lorna: *laughs involuntarily* You said it, not me.
Alison: *grins wickedly and waggles her eyebrows* Your surfer boy ask you to wax his board yet? *runs out the door*
Lorna: ...! *runs after* That's it, you're getting Kraft Mac and Cheese for dinner!
Alison: *racing for the stairs* They don't keep any here!! I hear board wax comes in different flaaaaavors! *races down stairs and heads for kitchen*
Lorna: *bright red* Then I'll kill whatever is in the freezer and bake up that!
Alison: I hear banana's very popular! *laughs gleefully while bouncing over the banister for the last few steps and then pausing to make funny faces at Lorna while she tears down the stairs after her*
Lorna: I wouldn't know as I'm not quite a shameless exhibitionist like you and your farmboy are. *reaches the bottom and makes a grab to tickle Ali*
Alison: *dodges, eeks and peels off again* AM NOT! You're a voyeur, ha! *dives into kitchen and hides behind the door*
Lorna: All I did was look out a window! I didn't know it was time for the free show! *runs after*
Alison: *jumps from behind door and pokes in ribs, then ducks around table* No one said you had to keep looking! Did that all your own, you did. *pauses* Maybe he'd rather you use something peach flavored... *cackles*
Lorna: *squeaks and grabs a wooden spoon and brandishes it in Ali's general direction* There shouldn't have been anything to see! *ignores the continued Alex taunts except for blushing a bit more*
Alison: *eyes widen at the spoon* Oh no! Not the... spoon! *mock look of horror!* I surrender! I surrender! *picks up white napkin from table and waves it in th air*
Lorna: *does a little victory dance and waves her spoon triumphantly* Now, behave, wench. I have a culinary masterpiece to prepare.
Alison: *claps hands, then plops down in a chair, bringing up her legs to sit cross-legged* Yes ma'am! *Snaps off a salute*
Lorna: *nods sharply and starts pulling out ingredients from memory and measures with the ease of long practice* So, tell me. As a student, how am I as a teacher?
Alison: *leans elbows on table and places chin on hands* Well... you've got stage fright right now, but that's normal I'd say. It'll pass soon I expect. As for the rest, you know you subject matter, and that shows. I'm liking the class myself - it's always more fun when you know the teacher will be able to either answer your questions, or find the answers for you quickly. *grins*
Lorna: *nods and mixes flour, pepper and salt to coat the chicken* It's very odd. Teaching isn't anything like student teaching or TAing. How are you liking it?
Alison: *grins* Loving it. Realizing I actually remember a hell of a lot more of my classical training than I thought - then again, I did spend the last three years doing my best to forget about Julliard. *shudders* It's - nothing like being on the road again. But the fun of it, it's there. And I'm doing my best to make sure it's fun for the kids, which is the most important thing. *smiles*
Lorna: *turns on the stove to heat the oil in the skillet* I hope Phil is fun for everyone. I'm trying to remember that just because I like it, not everyone will. *coats chicken while she waits for the oil to heat up* I've got a project in mind for the class now that I've seen the level everyone's at.
Alison: Actually, I'm of the opinion that liking what you teach is about nintey percent of the work done for you, right there. It communicates to the student. *grins* What's the project you had in mind?
Lorna: Partner projects. We've got a lot to cover and I'm worried stuff will fall by the way side. *tests the skillet's heat with one hand then puts in pieces of chicken to brown*
Lorna: So I was going to assign one topic to each group and have them make themselves an expert on it and teach it back to the class.
Alison: *nods pensively* Teamwork would allow for larger projects since there'd be two people to cover the material, for sure... *tries to ignore cooking smells* And then each team teaching it to the others.. *nods* I like that. And it gives people one thing to concentrate on and really pin down...
Lorna: That's what I was thinking. I could meet with each group just to make sure they're on track. *shrugs and flips a couple of pieces of chicken to brown the other side* The question is, do I assign partners or let you choose your own?
Alison: *shrugs* Your call that. Depends if you think there are people who would work better together in terms of strengths and weaknesses, or if everyone seems pretty much even...
Lorna: Its a mixed bag really. Some people have no idea what a logical fallacy is or relative morality and others have a pretty decent background. *continues poking and turning the chicken* I'm just concerned that two know -nothings will link up and have a hard time.
Alison: Then why don't you make up two groups? And people can only select a partner from the other group, that way it balances out no matter who they pick.
Lorna: *blinks and grins* That's fantastic! *takes out the chicken and sets it aside then adds wine to the oil slowly so it heats evenly*
Lorna: *mixes in mushrooms, chicken stock and lemon juice to the oil/wine mixture and reduces the heat* That's going to have to cook for about 10 minutes. *wanders over to the table and sits down opposite Ali*
Alison: *stares at the stove with a hungry expression* My, that smells good...
Lorna: Thanks, it's the wine. I would normally serve it with a rice pilaf but judging from your expression that's about thirty minutes more than you're willing to wait. *stretches and cracks her back*
Alison: Fooood... *stares longingly at stove a bit more than turns to look at Lorna in mid-stretch* Say, d'you know if Alex is taking the massage therapy class? *grins*
Lorna: *shrugs* I couldn't say; we hadn't talked about it. I was going to. *twists neck to crack that as well, grimaces* I certainly wouldn't mind if he did.
Alison: *chuckles, noting that for once Lorna isn't blushing while talking about Alex, but not pointing it out* It's worth taking even for yourself anyway. *opens her hands, stretching out her fingers* I need to practice more, really... my hands will be aching soon enough, otherwise.
Lorna: *absently takes one of Ali's hands and starts massaging it* Shouldn't you have built up a tolerance by now?
Alison: I'm losing it, actually... *lets her hand go limp, leaning her chin on the other absently* I used to play a hell of a lot more than I've been doing since I got here. I'll try and build up more playing time slowly, I guess. At least the calluses aren't gone yet. *looks relieved at that*
Lorna: More time? How are you going to fit more time into that insanity you call a schedule? *sets Ali's hand down and goes to check the mushrooms then returns and continues* Seriously, hon, you're working too hard.
Alison: *blinks* It's not so bad! Okay, the beginning of the week is heavy maybe, but really, Thursday and Friday are pretty light and the weekend only has my training with Scott and Betsy... Most of the younger kids have heavy days the entire week, really.*grins impishly* Wow. I should dig out one of my old touring schedules. You'd faint at the sight of one of those.
Lorna: I don't need proof that you're any crazier than we think you are.

And because Lorna made me hungry:

CHICKEN MARSALA
Wine, lemons, and mushrooms flavor this chicken recipe the lower salt and lower fat way.
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C flour
4 chicken breasts, boned, skinless (5 ounces)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C Marsala wine
1/2 C chicken stock, skim fat from top
1/2 lemon fresh lemon juice
1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Mix together pepper, salt, and flour. Coat chicken with seasoned flour.
In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil. Place chicken breasts in skillet and brown on both sides. Then remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
To the skillet, add wine and stir until the wine is heated. Add juice, stock, and mushrooms. Stir to toss, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced.
Return browned chicken breasts to skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.
Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yield: 4 servings--Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with 1/3 cup sauce
Each serving provides:

Calories: 277
Total fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 77 mg
Sodium: 304 mg

Mmm tasty