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Show AggieLife Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 I dream of Q-U-A-D-S L ast night I had the best of dreams. You know the ones, the ones where you have giant quadriceps and, for some reason, you have the uncanny ability to bound across the ground in leaps of 30 feet or more. Yes, it was one of those dreams, and oh my-lanta was it great. This one started with me lying down on my bed. I sat up and drooped my legs off the edge. Looking down, I was surprised to find that I was wearing tight, taut and tiny red shorts and my thighs were rippling and tan. The rest of my body was just as decrepit and thin as ever. But these thighs ... my oh my. I bursted outside and ran across my yard into the street. Dawn was approaching and everything was bathed in light, shimmering with vivacity and life. I glanced down at my enlarged thighs with satisfaction and vaulted forward with Herculean power, then planted my next foot down and pushed off – leaping farther forward, increasing speed with each bound. Before long I was making strides of several yards at a time. Forthwith I leapt fences, garages, small buildings and, eventually, I merged onto the highway and began my intrepid journey as a super-humanoid automobile. Smiling as the high velocity caused my blonde hair to billow and surge in the wind, I passed car after car as astonished drivers gave reproving, but impressed, glares. The wind whipped at my face and the air was sweet as I wound through the canyon roads – the only man to ever achieve freeway speeds using merely his natural elements of biology. And then, unexpectedly, I woke up, ripped from my dream like earphones from your head when the chord gets caught on something. I stared in disbelief, refusing to believe what was before me. I was wearing white soccer shorts. My quads were no longer Olympic. And, as with all dreams of that magnitude, I was only left with a sense of disappointment and a tinge of melancholy. I’ve tried to extrapolate what this dream means in the macrocosm of my life. Dreams can be quite the puzzling animal. The only thing I can think of is that at some point in time, I’m going to have massive thighs. Yep, it’s gonna be sweet. Questions or comments can be sent to James at jamesrasmus@googlemail.com Insurance: Students avoid help -continued from page 6 cal no-man’s land, often waiting until they’re on death’s door before seeking medical attention. Young adults are more likely than any other group to be uninsured, but even those with health plans sometimes forgo doctor visits because they don’t have a primary care physician or they assume their young bodies can beat any ailment. Seventeen percent of 18- to 29-year-olds reported needing but not receiving medical attention in the past year because they couldn’t afford it, and that age group is the least likely to have seen a dentist, according to a special report published this year as part of the National Center for Health Statistics’ annual “Health, United States” survey. While young adulthood is generally a healthy period, the study said, it also sets the foundation for future health behaviors and may be the time when health education and preventive care have the biggest effect. “Everyone assumes (young adults) are all healthy, and that’s just not true,” said study author Amy Bernstein. About 15 percent of young adults, defined by the study as 18- to 29-year-olds, suffer from chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and cancer, according to the report. Twentyfour percent of them are obese. Young adults account for the most injury-related emergency room visits. Certain sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia, peak during young adulthood, as do rates of smoking, alcohol and drug use. “People aren’t thinking about the things they’re doing now that can hurt them in the long run,” Bernstein said. While mortality rates double between adolescence and young adulthood (70 percent of deaths among young adults are from suicide, homicide or accidents), young adults are more likely to be uninsured than any other group. Among 19- to 29-year-olds, 29 percent – or 13.2 million people – were uninsured in 2007, representing 30 percent of uninsured Americans, according to an August report from the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that advocates for a high performing health care system. But even some young people with health insurance are strangers to the medical system. Zoli Laczko, 35, said he hadn’t been to the doctor in almost 20 years until three months ago, when he scheduled a visit because he was experiencing disconcerting heart palpitations. Though he’s been paying for insurance through his employer for years, Laczko said he never felt sick enough that there was a point in going to the doctor, and he didn’t know how to find a primary physician anyway. “I didn’t know how the system worked,” Laczko said. “What do you do? Do you look in the phone book or online or something?” The heart palpitations ended up being stress-induced, Laczko said, and they subsided when he reduced his workload. But now that he’s found a doctor – through a referral by a family member – Laczko said he hopes to get an annual physical. “It’s probably a good idea, especially now that I’m getting older,” Laczko said. “I’ll make it a habit to go more.” Street Speak What is a recurring dream or nightmare you have? “ I always dream of multiple tornadoes moving across the Salt Lake Valley. It’s scary.” – Abbie Long, junior, environmental studies “I get to go home and I see that my house is a beauty salon. There is a note that says my wife has moved somewhere and I don’t know where it is.” – Jacob Burrows, senior, audiology “(I dream) that I get caught committing crimes. Then I wake up right before I’m about to be punished for my crime.” Page 7 EatThat Taking back the kitchen and all about it. Out with the old, eating the new T he other day in one of my classes I overheard a girl talking about a craving she was having. Being interested in food, I strained my ears to hear what it could be. My heart sank when I heard the words grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It seems like everyone craves tomato soup when they bite into a grilled cheese sandwich. Everyone except me. When I was a kid, my mom got frustrated with all of the picky eaters in our family so she came up with a new rule. Each kid was allowed to pick three foods that he or she could absolutely not stand, and if they opted to they never had to eat those foods again. (All other food then became fair game. Good thinking, Mom.) Of all things, I picked pineapple, ham and tomato soup. Although my tastebuds have changed drastically since then, I still cannot stomach tomato soup. Or I guess I should say I can’t stomach tomato soup out of a can, just-add-milk style. It’s just too reminiscent of ketchup. So, needless to say, growing up I always felt a little left out by the renowned dipping of grilled cheese in a steaming bowl of tomato soup. But then one day everything changed. It was the day I made my own cream of tomato soup. This recipe is easy and it’s so much better than the canned stuff. So next time you get a craving for that comforting dinner combo, ditch the can and try this recipe instead: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth dash or two of dried basil, oregano and thyme salt and pepper 3/4 cup cream or half and half – In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil until it’s warm. – Add the onions and sauté, stirring often, until they’re soft and clear, about five minutes. – Add the garlic and sauté, continuing to stir, another two minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. to sauce and broth. Bring the mixture to a mild simmer. – Add the spices and salt and pepper to taste. – Cover and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. (The longer you let it simmer the more the flavor from the spices will sink in.) – Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Note: If you prefer to use fresh spices you’ll need to add more than you would if you were using dry. I usually substitute one teaspoon dried spice for one tablespoon freshly minced. One great thing about this soup is that you can make it ahead of time (or make more than you need) and freeze it. Just put it in a Tupperware container with a lid and when you’re ready to use it either defrost it in the microwave or just dump the tomato soup ice cube straight into a pot and reheat it on the stove. This high-quality tomato soup deserves more than some lame grilled cheese sandwich. Here are a few tips to making a sandwich that is worthy of the soup: Tips for a Classier Grilled Cheese Sandwich: – Change things up by using different kinds of breads and cheeses. Sourdough, multigrain and focaccia are all fun options for the bread and sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, provolone and swiss are good cheese options. – Use the lid of a pot to cover your sandwich while it’s on the pan and cook it at a lower temperature. This helps prevent the all-too-common scenario of the bread turning black before the cheese has even started to melt. – Add meat, grilled onions and or peppers, tomatoes, avocado or anything else you like, either before or after you grill it. – Be sure to dunk it into your tomato soup and enjoy the winning combination that everybody (including me) has come to love and even crave. Jennelle Clark is a junior majoring in psychology who isn’t quite ready for the cold weather but likes the sweaters and soups it brings. Questions or comments can be sent to her at jenn.nelle@ gmail.com. – Add the crushed tomatoes, toma- Refill your cartridges & save up to 50%! WHY? You save up to 50% vs. buying a new cartridge. 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