Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
I'm going to be an auntie!
But I've also received a piece of very bad news. More on that later.
For now, I'm trying to concentrate on the good news--I'm going to be an auntie! In mid-July. I'm terribly excited about that (I bought my sister her first baby things), and have adjusted my vacation plans for next year to include a trip to see her and the baby after he/she is born. Also, my brother-in-law is getting out of the Air Force, official as of January 1, so no fears he'll be shipped off to Afghanistan or Iraq again.
This holiday--bad news aside--has been pure joy. Two solid weeks of hanging out with John's family and now with my own. It's the usual raucous holiday merrymaking, of course, I've been embraced by John's family, he's been embraced by mine, and everything is very casual and happy and filled with lots of eating and talking and hugging and cutthroat games of Spoons. The good news, coupled with the bad news, coupled with seeing everyone, have thrown my feelings about family into sharp relief. I'm still sorting that out, but I suspect my plans and goals for the next few years may change dramatically.
For now, I'm trying to concentrate on the good news--I'm going to be an auntie! In mid-July. I'm terribly excited about that (I bought my sister her first baby things), and have adjusted my vacation plans for next year to include a trip to see her and the baby after he/she is born. Also, my brother-in-law is getting out of the Air Force, official as of January 1, so no fears he'll be shipped off to Afghanistan or Iraq again.
This holiday--bad news aside--has been pure joy. Two solid weeks of hanging out with John's family and now with my own. It's the usual raucous holiday merrymaking, of course, I've been embraced by John's family, he's been embraced by mine, and everything is very casual and happy and filled with lots of eating and talking and hugging and cutthroat games of Spoons. The good news, coupled with the bad news, coupled with seeing everyone, have thrown my feelings about family into sharp relief. I'm still sorting that out, but I suspect my plans and goals for the next few years may change dramatically.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas Eve!
Let's review the last year, shall we?
Last year at this time, I was 1. single, 2. living in New York, 3. getting a salary. In the last year, I've been laid off, collected unemployment, travelled the country, met a wonderful man, and moved to California. I've started a new blog, and found a couple of new interests (photography, road-tripping). I haven't drawn a salary since being laid off, in February. I hope never, ever to give my hard-earned money to match.com or eharmony.com ever again. Last year at this time, I'd never been cross-country, never been west of the Mississippi (except for Vegas and San Francisco), never seen any of the most famous national parks. Now I've been cross-country four separate times (to the West Coast, back again, moving to California, now traveling back East) and getting ready to complete #5 when we return to the West Coast. My personal odometer will top 32,000 miles driven this year.
I'm still adjusting to the move, but I'm completely in love with Californian weather. I'm still struggling with some of the big questions that prompted the cross-country odyssey (What do I want to do with my life? How do I get from here to there? Do I want to start a family?, etc.), but I know it will involve cooking and writing in some fashion. This has definitely been one of the more eventful years of the last decade--perhaps the most.
Last year at this time, I was 1. single, 2. living in New York, 3. getting a salary. In the last year, I've been laid off, collected unemployment, travelled the country, met a wonderful man, and moved to California. I've started a new blog, and found a couple of new interests (photography, road-tripping). I haven't drawn a salary since being laid off, in February. I hope never, ever to give my hard-earned money to match.com or eharmony.com ever again. Last year at this time, I'd never been cross-country, never been west of the Mississippi (except for Vegas and San Francisco), never seen any of the most famous national parks. Now I've been cross-country four separate times (to the West Coast, back again, moving to California, now traveling back East) and getting ready to complete #5 when we return to the West Coast. My personal odometer will top 32,000 miles driven this year.
I'm still adjusting to the move, but I'm completely in love with Californian weather. I'm still struggling with some of the big questions that prompted the cross-country odyssey (What do I want to do with my life? How do I get from here to there? Do I want to start a family?, etc.), but I know it will involve cooking and writing in some fashion. This has definitely been one of the more eventful years of the last decade--perhaps the most.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Second Big Road Trip of 2009
28 hours and 1,900 miles later, we washed up in Missouri. 28 hours is a lot of driving--but given that flying yesterday would have been impossible, given the snarls from the big storm on the East Coast (my folks got a foot of snow, btw), I feel confident that driving to Missouri was actually faster than flying. We slept and drove in shifts, ate out of the backseat, and saw seven states. I missed Arizona and New Mexico, unfortunately, as we drove through there in the middle of the night--but I can safely say that Texas and Oklahoma looked exactly the same. And, if possible, Kansas is even more boring in winter.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Bacon chocolate for all!
My homemade bacon chocolate was such a success this weekend that I'm sharing it with the world, here. I know I'm biased, but I think a couple pounds of bacon chocolate would make a great Christmas gift for someone you know!
My kitchen adventures have been particularly inspired in the last week, primarily because I'm cleaning out the refrigerator in preparation for Christmas travels. I can't wait to spend the next two weeks traveling, taking pictures, cooking for loved ones, catching up on my reading and writing (both for book and blogs), and hanging out with my nearest and dearest. I picked up a new freelance gig this week that I'm very excited about, I've got a stack of books and projects to keep me busy, and the library has graciously provided me with a free copy of The Professional Chef to peruse over the holidays.
And speaking of books--my hero and muse Anthony Bourdain has a new one coming out, the sequel to Kitchen Confidential. D-Day is June 8, 2010.
My kitchen adventures have been particularly inspired in the last week, primarily because I'm cleaning out the refrigerator in preparation for Christmas travels. I can't wait to spend the next two weeks traveling, taking pictures, cooking for loved ones, catching up on my reading and writing (both for book and blogs), and hanging out with my nearest and dearest. I picked up a new freelance gig this week that I'm very excited about, I've got a stack of books and projects to keep me busy, and the library has graciously provided me with a free copy of The Professional Chef to peruse over the holidays.
And speaking of books--my hero and muse Anthony Bourdain has a new one coming out, the sequel to Kitchen Confidential. D-Day is June 8, 2010.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Christmas
Wow, has it been almost a week since my last post? I'm such a slacker. Sorry, guys.
A friend of mine recently commented on the fact that John hasn't shown up much in this blog. Don't worry, that's not a sign of trouble in paradise. Nobody wants to hear about our schmoopiness, but nobody wants to hear about domestic mundanities, either. Plus, he reads it, so I find it best to keep the really personal stuff off of there.
I will say that the other night, I had a dream in which I had a baby. Now, I've had dreams before where I was pregnant, but I think this is the first time a dream produced a babe-in-arms. I had a baby, I was holding out, and then I gave the baby to my dad to hold. He was ecstatic to be holding a grandkid, and I was pretty happy myself. Not weirded out, or trying to stuff my fingers in my ears, or holding the kid at arm's length to avoid spit-up. Doesn't take a rocket scientist there to figure that one out. I just can't decide if this is my long-absent maternal instinct finally making an appearance, or a sign of the apocalypse.
Speaking of the apocalypse, I officially have two (unpaid) weeks off for Christmas. We'll spend the first in Missouri with his family, and the second in Virginia with mine. Punctuated by A LOT of driving. I'm going to create a game called Holiday Bingo, with squares like I Have To Pee Again, Is There More Gravy?, Have You Gained More Weight?, I Wish You'd Taken That Teaching Job, and When Are You Going To Have A Baby? First person to get Bingo gets to stand up in the middle of dinner and randomly yell BINGO!
A friend of mine recently commented on the fact that John hasn't shown up much in this blog. Don't worry, that's not a sign of trouble in paradise. Nobody wants to hear about our schmoopiness, but nobody wants to hear about domestic mundanities, either. Plus, he reads it, so I find it best to keep the really personal stuff off of there.
I will say that the other night, I had a dream in which I had a baby. Now, I've had dreams before where I was pregnant, but I think this is the first time a dream produced a babe-in-arms. I had a baby, I was holding out, and then I gave the baby to my dad to hold. He was ecstatic to be holding a grandkid, and I was pretty happy myself. Not weirded out, or trying to stuff my fingers in my ears, or holding the kid at arm's length to avoid spit-up. Doesn't take a rocket scientist there to figure that one out. I just can't decide if this is my long-absent maternal instinct finally making an appearance, or a sign of the apocalypse.
Speaking of the apocalypse, I officially have two (unpaid) weeks off for Christmas. We'll spend the first in Missouri with his family, and the second in Virginia with mine. Punctuated by A LOT of driving. I'm going to create a game called Holiday Bingo, with squares like I Have To Pee Again, Is There More Gravy?, Have You Gained More Weight?, I Wish You'd Taken That Teaching Job, and When Are You Going To Have A Baby? First person to get Bingo gets to stand up in the middle of dinner and randomly yell BINGO!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Great Culinary School Debate
Last night I stopped by the San Diego Culinary Institute while I was out running errands. I chatted with one of the admissions ladies for a few minutes. She ran through the curriculum, and I was surprised to realize I already knew a good bit of it. I was also surprised to realize that the idea of going to culinary school has really taken hold.
Now, granted, if Culinary Institute of America were to offer me a full scholarship, I'd be there tomorrow. But that's not likely to happen. And much as I would enjoy getting and utilizing a degree from CIA, I can't in good conscience rationalize another $80,000 tuition bill. Or two and a half years of full-time study (but wouldn't that be fun? Spending two and a half years banging around in one of the greatest kitchens in the world?).
The cooking school in San Diego is considerably less expensive, and I could finish up in 6-9 months (depending on whether I went full-time or part-time), but I would still be looking at spending just over $20K. For credentialing, essentially, and possibly some improvement on my knife skills. Apparently my cooking knowledge is greater than I thought; one of the exams there is to identify, by taste and smell, 50 different spices. I already own more than 50 different spices, so no problem there. I can already make a bearnaise sauce, beef stock, souffle, and carve up a whole chicken. And frankly, my knives are better than the ones included in their chef's kit. Oh, and they offered no classes in wine or wine pairings. How is that even possible in a culinary school? Another checkmark for CIA.
While I have no idea how I would pull it off, financially speaking, I love the idea of cooking for a living. And of getting the requisite training, even if I already know a lot of the basics. But how to finance it, and my living expenses while getting the degree?
Now, granted, if Culinary Institute of America were to offer me a full scholarship, I'd be there tomorrow. But that's not likely to happen. And much as I would enjoy getting and utilizing a degree from CIA, I can't in good conscience rationalize another $80,000 tuition bill. Or two and a half years of full-time study (but wouldn't that be fun? Spending two and a half years banging around in one of the greatest kitchens in the world?).
The cooking school in San Diego is considerably less expensive, and I could finish up in 6-9 months (depending on whether I went full-time or part-time), but I would still be looking at spending just over $20K. For credentialing, essentially, and possibly some improvement on my knife skills. Apparently my cooking knowledge is greater than I thought; one of the exams there is to identify, by taste and smell, 50 different spices. I already own more than 50 different spices, so no problem there. I can already make a bearnaise sauce, beef stock, souffle, and carve up a whole chicken. And frankly, my knives are better than the ones included in their chef's kit. Oh, and they offered no classes in wine or wine pairings. How is that even possible in a culinary school? Another checkmark for CIA.
While I have no idea how I would pull it off, financially speaking, I love the idea of cooking for a living. And of getting the requisite training, even if I already know a lot of the basics. But how to finance it, and my living expenses while getting the degree?
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