Lazy Day and Empty Houses

First day off in 35...slept in late. Ate a deliciously unhealthy breakfast with Mom and went antiquing. It's been months - possibly a year since I've wandered through the trinkets of ages past. With my renewed passion for cooking my eye was mostly drawn to kitchen ware of all kinds. We also saw many other things repeated in nearly every booth: small planters of varying hues, salt and pepper shakers (of course), flower frogs and tons of enamel cookware (some of which I took for my own). We mused that we should buy a house simply to furnish with all of the amazing things we saw. What an idea to start all over in a bare and ready house. What things would one choose to make it a home? Maybe someday I can try? Until then I'll dream in my coke-bottle glasses...

Dreaming

I am dreaming of travel today. I have had a migraine for the past 12 hours or so, waking me up in the middle of the night feeling as if I had a nail-studded golf ball lodged behind my left ear and eye socket. Tenderly massaging my scalp and neck to try and fall back asleep all I kept thinking about was being on a plane. Arriving, departing, checking in and checking out. New places and old beloved places. I wanted to visit Europe and Ashville this year. Those were two things on my bucket list. I'm not quite sure either will happen just yet but I'm not going to rule anything out.

Off to the gym after work to hopefully eradicate this migraine once and for all. Then an appointment at 5 and then home. Hopefully to read and rest. Maybe cook...

Here comes the sun...

The sun has gone into hiding all week. Too much rain, too many stressful events has left me anxious for Sunday afternoon once I've finished with the restaurant to enjoy a beautiful, sun-filled Monday off. God bless you holiday!

I was going to bake some vegan goods for those vegans at work but a spontaneous lunch with a dear friend and necessary letter the the soon-to-be former boss derailed my baking plans. But we both needed to vent about work and the lobster ravioli was perfect. That was my happy moment today.

I dropped off the deposit on my new apartment today! Another happy moment! Spent a great deal of time this week cleaning and throwing things away. It's so funny to discover what kind of a packrat you become over a few years in one place.



Too many shoes, papers, buttons, letters, ex-boxes and broken things needing repair to count. Here is a little bit of my "dirty laundry" of my hoardish-ness. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and happy holiday!

My Moment of Happiness Today

Squeezed in between two different jobs I took a moment to be happy. I met my Mom at Barnes and Noble and leafed through magazines and new books, content to have a few moments all to myself. Enjoying a forbidden piece of cheesecake adding to my daily growing waistline, I indulged in the selfish pursuit of pleasure. That was my happy for today. I hope you have one too!

Plans

It is a curious thing how we go about making plans. Where are we going to eat tonight? What should I wear today? Skim or 2%? I do or I do not. I had dinner with a friend last night and it took us nearly 20 minutes to decide what we were going to go splitsy's on. Nearing the end of our meal we had decided to take a trip to Seattle together in just a few weeks. Our decision to order the edamame hummus and tall beers would have no consequences or affect anyone or anything but our own satiety. This trip to Seattle might have a greater effect...but it's my birthday. And I will fly if I want to.
What big and little decisions are you making today?

Johnny Cash in the morning

I got to bed early (a new trend these days) and awoke with the sun. Felt silly about the silly fight and that it was probably over-exhaustion and freaking out about things that are so way out in the future that really shouldn't be worried over. I have to remember to live today. Everyday. So as I sit enjoying my coffee and breakfast, Johnny Cash and his gravel voice is preparing me for this day.

I'm getting the camera today...look for many fabulous things to come!

Beautiful day.

Thankfully, the sweet girl at work offered to work my morning at the spa. This means I allowed myself to have a little more wine than usual last night, slept a little bit later (only 30 minutes of sleeping in) and after a few loose ends to tie up at work (even though I wasn't actually there) I had the rest of morning/afternoon before heading to the restaurant at 5. So I went for a bike ride. I put my sunglasses on and earphones in and rode around for an hour. I went to the farmer's market - something I never have a chance to do, and I rode by the river and ended up at my favorite cafe to sit outside on a sunny day.


I am loving this day. Summer is finally showing her face. I wish I lived somewhere that it was possible for me to bike everywhere I needed to go. If I wanted to go to the store or work from my apartment - total death route. Someday...

And so it begins...

My afternoon/evening started off with a bang (with pots and pans that is). I went to Macy's to buy a new set because after all, if I'm going to be serious about these new cooking adventures I must have the proper tools...
...an hour and a half later the salespeople were still trying to figure out how to process my transaction so that I was not charged for my "bonus gift" of 3 stainless steel bowls with the purchase of my cooking set. Once all of the necessary (and unnecessary) information was given the three of them (yes, it took three salespeople to handle little ol' me) attempted to persuade me to either utilize their purchase delivery-to-car amenity or at the very least make me use a cart to take my purchases downstairs via elevator. When I said that I was sure I could hook the bag on my wrist and carry the box myself, they all looked at me in surprise and almost horror. Not only was I surely shocking their sensibilities purchasing these things for myself, alone, without a newly wedded husband or choosing it as part of a wedding registry but that I dared carry a box over 10lbs down to my car myself! Only for the briefest moments did I agree with them as I approached the downward escalator without a free hand to grab the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmoving railing. My balance has never been the greatest and my fear of falling from great heights has always gotten the best of me. But, then I remembered that this box was not permanently attached to me, just like the salespeople's judgements about my solitary purchase. I realized that I could set the box down on the moving stair and jump on behind it, losing no balance or sense of independence.




And so beings the cooking...

Cold

I think I'm sick. I blame the weather and not having a day off. I should have known too - I always start off with allergies and it just turns right into a cold. Runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headache, the whole nine yards. It definitely does not help that I will be here ALL day, 9-9. So lame.

I'm trying to figure out what I would like to cook next week. I should most likely be able to get a day or night off somewhere... There are so many things I need to be doing right now for work. Don't want to do any of them though.

Se here's to using the excuse of being sick for unproductivity! Yay!

Impatient

I'm finding it hard to wait to post until I have a camera. I feel as if there are things I want to couple with these posts but can't because I hate asking others to use their photos and copyright, blah blah so that my posts are more "interesting". Hopefully I will have it before weeks end..

The sun was brutally and blessedly bright coming through my east facing window at 6:30am this morning. I had every intention of going to the gym but my allergies and congested head had other plans. It was brutal because I always love to continue sleeping but blessed because I felt wide awake when J came in to make the announcement he was able to keep his food down eaten from the night before - a true landmark over the past week.

Car is being repaired (cheaply, thank goodness), old friends are coming in town and I packed clothes for the gym to go right after work. I'm hoping to utilize what very little time I have to myself this week to the best of my ability.

Goals for this evening still include a touch of cleaning, and well, sanity restored.

Here come the graduates...

This weekend was tiring - and I even had three nights off last week! The only nights off I have to look forward to are Monday and Wednesday - then it will begin the weekend of ND graduation...oh goody. Lots of money, yes, tired and achy feet/body - definitely. J is still so sick. I hate that I can't make him feel better. I feel so useless.

Hopefully investing in a camera this week meaning I'll have my own pictures to add to this little blog.

Goals for the week:
Cook something fun.
Exercise (didn't last week at all!)
Clean the apt...MAYBE start packing/painting...

Yes's and No's

The line between quitting and staying is getting fuzzier by the day. There is a terrible sneaking feeling in the back of my mind that we may never find someone to replace me and all my wild fantasies about free time and life without the spa seem further and further away. I'm planning all of these things, ruminating on all of these ideas about what my life will be like, but these cloudy skies and quiet, dragging day is making it all unreal. Don't be unreal. I want to be done. I don't want to still work here after July.

What she's asking - the Boss with a capital "B" - as far as I know...is the following:
Making the schedule (once a month)
Making deposits and getting change (potentially a daily thing...)
Training new-hires (would depend on how often people quit...at this rate, always)
Filling in when people need time off or are sick (God only knows how often that would be)
Cooking her weekly meals (just kidding, but not really... I think she really does want me to be her personal chef now to).
With all of this and who knows how much more - the question remains: Would I have any more free time than I do now sitting behind this desk?

I treat everyone with respect. Why can't they treat me with the same??

Rain rain, don't go away.

The weather is such a fickle beast. For the past week it's been pushing the thermostat higher and higher, going even above 90 degrees at some points during the day. Last night, however, the rain brought with it cooler temperatures, now barely reaching 55 degrees. I'm hoping it stays like this because I'm scheduled to work outside at the restaurant tonight and if it is this cold and this rainy...I won't have to work!



If I do, in fact, get called off this evening, I would like to cook - I'm thinking French Toast or Salmon...I'm sure this slow and quiet day at the spa will let me browse some yummy recipes...any requests?

So here's the deal.

I am wildly excited to announce I will soon have the freedom to explore the passions and interests that I have flirted with but never had the time to indulge. I have decided to take a very large step down from a beautiful place that I have called "the job" for some time now. (Funny, I always feel like I write when I'm making these life-changing and job-altering decisions). I suppose that is the reason I am writing and more importantly, the reason I am quitting. I don't want "WORK" to be the only thing I have to talk about. I don't want my 9-5 job to be a 24-hour a day duty. I want and am excited to soon have the freedom to cook. The freedom to write. The freedom to travel. Leaving the t-shirt shop I knew that I was entering another role of responsibility and a few weeks in I quickly realized that my time was no longer truly my own. Over a year later, I have the guts to say enough is enough.

So what can you expect to see few and loving readers? You can expect a new world of tastes. A new outlook on life. A voice that sounds rested and happy and not drained and distracted. I hope to share recipes, photos, adventures, and musings. It will not begin for a while - but it's coming. I assure you. It's coming.