Lindsey Meredith

I like to think that over the course of three years of university, I’ve learned a fair bit. I think I’ve mastered laundry (proof of this being I no longer shrink my clothes). I pay (most of) my bills on time, and I know how to make meals that are somewhat healthy. And I’m really good at making desserts.

But for the life of me, I can’t cook a damn potato.

Mashed, baked, boiled – I can remember every single time I’ve purchased potatoes, intending to incorporate them into some delicious recipe, and not once have they turned out right. There was the time I tried to boil them for a veggie medley – I boiled them for twice as long as the recipe called for, and they were still crisp and gross in the middle. Turns out I was using the wrong potatoes.

There was the time I tried to make garlic whipped potatoes (thinking I’d learned my lesson and making sure I bought the correct ones this time), but miscalculated and started to mash them – while they were still undercooked – leading to chunky and crunchy somewhat-mashed potatoes.

Then there was last night where I was helping a friend babysit and offered to make double-stuffed baked potatoes. Sounds delicious, no? First I boiled them for what seemed like forever. But when cooking for small children, they got hungry, and then I got anxious, so after a while I arbitrarily decided the potatoes must be finished, and if they weren’t totally done, I could finish them off in the oven.

So I dumped the water, cut them in half, and started scooping. Well, tried to scoop. Not easily accomplished when the potato is still raw. But the kids and my friend (and ME!) were all getting hungry, so I sliced up the insides and scooped them out in chunks with a fork – I could make this work, right??? Next up I mixed in some spices, some cheese, and some sour cream, and then scooped this lumpy mess back into the potato shells.

During this time, I had already SOS-texted both my mom and my good friend (who are master cooks) asking how long to bake half-boiled potatoes. Both text back: “never boil, only bake!” Regardless, I kept going. There can’t be anything worse than the moment you realize your mistake might be unfixable but its too late to stop. I was there.

So the potatoes go in the oven. Chicken and veggies are already done and are getting cold on the counter. I again, make up a cook-time, count slowly (one-one thousand… two-one thousand…) And when finally everyone in the kitchen is salivating and starving, I expertly pronounce “perfect! They are ready.”

At this point I can’t stop grinning, as I’ve admitted defeat. Friend asks what’s so funny…
“Nothing, I just might have undercooked the potatoes a bit.”

Friend: “I’m sure they’ll be fine.” (Thank god I pick good friends.)

Moment of truth – fork and knife, sitting at the table… Chicken is delicious, if slightly cold (as the BBQ was ready 10 mins ago)… Potatoes were: crunchy, with sections of mush.

To my saint of a friend: thank you for persevering and smiling while we ate crunchy mashed potatoes last night. Also, thank you for raising a beautiful child who is so honest as to declare “this supper isn’t really very good.” I haven’t laughed that hard at a failure in a long time.

PS: I owe you a homemade meal. But I swear to make something that doesn’t include potatoes.

PPS (to anyone reading this): life lesson? Cookbooks are worth their weight in gold.

One of the things that happens to me when things start to get busy is that everything starts to snowball. When classes pick up, or I have made tons of evening plans, the first thing to go is my laundry – it starts to pile up. Next, I run out of groceries (also because I HATE grocery shopping), lastly, I get behind on emails, and my room starts to get a mess. Since my first summer class is now over, and my weekend getaway to Great Falls has passed, I decided to get my life in order.

First up, laundry. Luckily it’s been so warm I hadn’t noticed the lack of socks (since I’ve been rocking flats and flip flops for the last two weeks), but it was definitely time to give the washing machine some exercise. I somehow managed to procrastinate once again and didn’t get to grocery shopping (funny how that happens sometimes?!), but I did managed to get something big sorted out: where I’m moving to in T-34 days!!!

I definitely recommend living in residence if you can during your first year, because you will meet so many people, and have so much fun. But I moved off campus in my second year because I wanted to try the full “on-your-own” experience. It’s been great – there are so many options on the west side (and I did have a brief stint on the north side!), and the prices can be directly comparable to on-campus residence.

Great places I have lived off campus include the newer subdivision called Discovery. This area is almost entirely students, the houses and apartments are new, and it’s super close to the fastest Tim Horton’s on the planet! Right now I’m living in the 4-plexes directly across the street from the University (which are all students). It’s called Westridge Estates (but sometimes referred to as the “Japanese Village”). These are older places, but they are all owned separately, so some are super nice, and others are pretty old. My place is great, but I have found a cheaper place to live now! The last area I will suggest looking is Columbia – it’s close to the school (like a 5-minute bike ride), directly on the bus route, and there are so many options for price points in rent.

I like to think I drive a hard bargain (although I know friends who do pay less – it all depends on what type of place you’re willing to live), and I have paid at all four of the off-campus places I’ve lived $500 a month for rent, utilities, internet, and sometimes cable, for shared accommodations with one other person. This isn’t a guarantee, it’s just been my experience, and the price I’m willing to pay.

If you’re looking for a place off-campus, now is a great time to look, there are some killer deals coming out! Check out the University’s off-campus housing page here: http://www.uleth.ca/offcampushousing or check out Kijiji! It’s what I used.

Good luck!

Hello all!

I have been a ridiculously negligent blogger lately, but I blame it on school! I know most high school students are balancing excitement at nearly being done with the exhaustion of 12 years of schooling – but you’re almost there! I feel like I’m in a unique area to relate to you, as I’m wrapping up Summer Session I, although I have been taking supplements that boost testosterone and vitamins to improve my energy levels.

Although a normal academic year at university runs from September-December and January-April, a third semester choice is offered. For those crazy enough to try it, the U of L offers condensed courses during the summer months. So take a usual class spread over four months, and cram it into six weeks, and you have Summer Session!

I’m in the last two days of my intro Marketing class, and its been a blast. Our projects have included a live consulting competition with a local non-profit company, a youtube commerical contest promoting the U of L (I’ll post the video here next week!), and lastly, a business plan for a product of your choice. The youtube video and business plan are both due tomorrow, which is also the date when I have my last test in the class, so for those of you cramming for your diplomas, I know how you feel!

I keep telling myself “48 hours to freedom,” and I hope you’re doing the same. You’ve worked too hard throughout the year to bomb your diploma just because the sun is finally shining. Don’t walk across the finish line, find one more sprint in you to make it across the end, and I promise you, your summer will be all the better for it!

Good luck!

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