I grilled dinner tonight!
I don't grill often, but I wasn't sure what to do with all the veggies that I picked from our roof deck garden. The fact that I have veggies to pick is in itself a success, but doubly so since I could actually consume them in a way that did not require ketchup to hide the taste.
With the exception of the onion which I got in my biweekly box and the can of green chili that I can't live without, I doused the squash, zucchini, and green pepper (along with the onion and green chili) in olive oil and garlic (oops, forgot about that, but it's from my grandfather's garden) and wrapped it all in foil and stuck the pouch on the grill.
I then took some corn that I'd bought locally, buttered and garliced it, wrapped it in foil and grill the corn as well. I cooked up some Quinoa (probably not as local, but hopefully more so than some other options) and served it with the veggies.
Yum. Seriously I don't think there's anything better than grilled corn on the cob.
We had leftover pork from our farewell party for a friend of ours this weekend, but I think I had two bites. This was a very local friendly meal and I really didn't even need the meat at all. Actually I didn't even have room for fruit salad (also made from the produce in our biweekly box) or the homemade chocolate cake (also left over from the party...I have to say it came out really really well).
Okay, so my meal may not sound as interesting to anyone else as it is for me...but hey, I'm pretty proud of this meal. A few years ago my concept of dinner was thawing out pre-cooked chicken patties, opening a bag of frozen broccoli, and serving it all along with a helping of instant mashed potatoes (seriously I lived on this meal from about the age of 24-26). Now I can't wait for my garbanzo beans to sprout!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Logging Hours
Well, the community garden is a mess. Actually I can't really say that since I haven't seen it in a few months, but guessing by the vast greenness around me, it's safe to say that weeds have taken over.
Working is good for me, even if those are some pretty long hours I've been keeping. I logged 52 hours last week, but that means I spent an additional 10 hours driving to and from work. This week will most likely be even worse. But overall I feel productive and, although the job itself can be stressful, I'm enjoying not having huge responsibility. One of the reason's I took the job was to save up enough to go back to school, but I've found out I have two more years of tuition and housing allowance from the VA. SWEET!
I am definitely going to work on my ESL certification. Northeastern has an online program that I'm interested in. If I did it just right it would take a year to complete, although right now it might take longer. I'm not enrolled for September with little time to get all my paperwork together. I may be starting in January.
I wasn't sure about an online degree and how it would be recognized, but Northeastern is literally around the corner and I could take most classes on campus if I wanted to. I've taken an online class before and thought it went pretty well, online classes just work better when you've got a job. With any luck I'll be able to find a job while taking classes, and if not, I'm hoping to find an internship or practicum that will give me some hands on experience.
I have to say that I debated quitting when I found out about my VA benefits, but staying busy seems to be working for me right now. Time enough when this contract ends and I go back to my life of luxury. In fact, it might not be the worst thing if I waited until January to start. I could earn as much as possible for the next month, take a couple of months off, and then dive into another degree program.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
Working is good for me, even if those are some pretty long hours I've been keeping. I logged 52 hours last week, but that means I spent an additional 10 hours driving to and from work. This week will most likely be even worse. But overall I feel productive and, although the job itself can be stressful, I'm enjoying not having huge responsibility. One of the reason's I took the job was to save up enough to go back to school, but I've found out I have two more years of tuition and housing allowance from the VA. SWEET!
I am definitely going to work on my ESL certification. Northeastern has an online program that I'm interested in. If I did it just right it would take a year to complete, although right now it might take longer. I'm not enrolled for September with little time to get all my paperwork together. I may be starting in January.
I wasn't sure about an online degree and how it would be recognized, but Northeastern is literally around the corner and I could take most classes on campus if I wanted to. I've taken an online class before and thought it went pretty well, online classes just work better when you've got a job. With any luck I'll be able to find a job while taking classes, and if not, I'm hoping to find an internship or practicum that will give me some hands on experience.
I have to say that I debated quitting when I found out about my VA benefits, but staying busy seems to be working for me right now. Time enough when this contract ends and I go back to my life of luxury. In fact, it might not be the worst thing if I waited until January to start. I could earn as much as possible for the next month, take a couple of months off, and then dive into another degree program.
Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Ah hour drive
It's funny what you think about on a hour long drive. True, sometimes it's boring stuff, like I wonder if it'll be raining in Boston too (one hour away in Boston practically means a different temporal zone) of if I'll find parking nearby (non-existent when the Redsox play), but I have my moments of deep thought.
Unfortunately, or probably fortunately, I can't really remember any of those things after an hour of driving. Sometimes I think I need a voice recorder. I swear on the road to work and back I've solved ALL of our problems, if only I could remember what it is that I was thinking.
Unfortunately, or probably fortunately, I can't really remember any of those things after an hour of driving. Sometimes I think I need a voice recorder. I swear on the road to work and back I've solved ALL of our problems, if only I could remember what it is that I was thinking.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Never Enough
When I took this job I did so only because I would NOT BE IN CHARGE. I'm a great second in command, not a manager. I'm the person you want working behind the scenes. I think about things and usually have great suggestions. Implementing them? That's your job boss.
Problem is, my boss is new and I'm old. Well, not old really, but I have a year's experience and he hasn't done the job since...well, he's never been a lead in this position. AND his experience is mostly with a different branch, so not everything carries over exactly. Don't get me wrong, he's a great teacher, but as a manager of staff, well, he lets just say he makes me feel better about my own past mistakes.
So when he decided to tell us he was taking off for the weekend (at 2pm on Friday) when the whole thing kicks off on Saturday, I COULD have stepped up. Thing is, he put someone else in charge. No problem, I figured I was off the hook. Except I've been somewhat of a leader the past couple of days and a phone call from a co-worker made it sound like people left behind were unhappy that I wasn't there. They didn't really know what to do (not a surprise since our boss didn't explain or leave instructions before heading off).
But I wasn't really scheduled to be there. Okay, I was, but only for a one hour class. I asked someone to cover it since I didn't want to drive one hour there and back for ONE class. The person who took over was the one who complained...but he agreed to take the class. Sure my boss SHOULD have said I should be there, but he didn't. And I don't see any reason to report to work on a Saturday without explicit instructions to show up.
I'm not in charge
I wasn't told to be there
Someone else was put in charge of the day
That person didn't ask me to be there
Things got rough (because I'm the only one who seems to know what's going on around here)
And I feel guilty.
Problem is, my boss is new and I'm old. Well, not old really, but I have a year's experience and he hasn't done the job since...well, he's never been a lead in this position. AND his experience is mostly with a different branch, so not everything carries over exactly. Don't get me wrong, he's a great teacher, but as a manager of staff, well, he lets just say he makes me feel better about my own past mistakes.
So when he decided to tell us he was taking off for the weekend (at 2pm on Friday) when the whole thing kicks off on Saturday, I COULD have stepped up. Thing is, he put someone else in charge. No problem, I figured I was off the hook. Except I've been somewhat of a leader the past couple of days and a phone call from a co-worker made it sound like people left behind were unhappy that I wasn't there. They didn't really know what to do (not a surprise since our boss didn't explain or leave instructions before heading off).
But I wasn't really scheduled to be there. Okay, I was, but only for a one hour class. I asked someone to cover it since I didn't want to drive one hour there and back for ONE class. The person who took over was the one who complained...but he agreed to take the class. Sure my boss SHOULD have said I should be there, but he didn't. And I don't see any reason to report to work on a Saturday without explicit instructions to show up.
I'm not in charge
I wasn't told to be there
Someone else was put in charge of the day
That person didn't ask me to be there
Things got rough (because I'm the only one who seems to know what's going on around here)
And I feel guilty.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Oh THATs what it feels like
Since I moved I've met friends. Mostly acquaintances really. Known people well enough not to feel completely isolated. I've gone out for drinks and movies and dinner. I've thrown parties, some of them even fairly big hits.
But there's been something lonely about Boston for me. It's harder to meet truly deep friends when you're in your 30s. I don't have a kid connection with anyone and I can't seem to regularly attend anything that would resemble a community. I really should make more of an effort there.
German Stammtisch is something I wouldn't have expected to be my normal venue, but it has been the community I haven't found elsewhere. It's the one thing I try my hardest to make every week and miss most when I can't go, and tonight explains why.
Alexis who recently returned from living in Germany decided that we should go shopping for a bed. She convinced me and another friend of hers to meet up at the Boston Bed Company and we went around testing all the mattresses. Somehow you know you've made a friend when you can have a blast buying a bed.
Very very slowly the loneliness here drips away, kind of like an ice cube in winter. But somehow I know it's getting better. In fact, I'd say I'm pretty happy.
But there's been something lonely about Boston for me. It's harder to meet truly deep friends when you're in your 30s. I don't have a kid connection with anyone and I can't seem to regularly attend anything that would resemble a community. I really should make more of an effort there.
German Stammtisch is something I wouldn't have expected to be my normal venue, but it has been the community I haven't found elsewhere. It's the one thing I try my hardest to make every week and miss most when I can't go, and tonight explains why.
Alexis who recently returned from living in Germany decided that we should go shopping for a bed. She convinced me and another friend of hers to meet up at the Boston Bed Company and we went around testing all the mattresses. Somehow you know you've made a friend when you can have a blast buying a bed.
Very very slowly the loneliness here drips away, kind of like an ice cube in winter. But somehow I know it's getting better. In fact, I'd say I'm pretty happy.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
No Hotel Room
I thought it was all arranged. My cousin is getting married in August and we're going out to see the wedding. The plan WAS to stay at a bed and breakfast that's located a block from the reception.
It's not that I think the reception will be anything wild enough to warrant a nearby bed, my cousin is a known teetotaler. He's having one sip of champagne to toast, because that's the thing you do at weddings. It's just that it would be close by and DONE. There are so many outstanding things I have to do (like find the title for my car and cash last month's last check) that I'd love to have at least one thing accomplished.
As I said, I THOUGHT it was arranged, but a phone call today announced otherwise. Two night minimum stay. They want us to either stay two nights, book two nights even though we'll only be there one, or wait until the week before to find out if it's still available. So now I'm left wondering if I should just book a hotel room after all or wait it out.
G says we should wait. If a room isn't available in the B & B we can always book a room in the hotel. I say that's one more thing to check up on. I know the place just want's to earn a decent living, but they should really put their minimum stay requirements on their website.
It's not that I think the reception will be anything wild enough to warrant a nearby bed, my cousin is a known teetotaler. He's having one sip of champagne to toast, because that's the thing you do at weddings. It's just that it would be close by and DONE. There are so many outstanding things I have to do (like find the title for my car and cash last month's last check) that I'd love to have at least one thing accomplished.
As I said, I THOUGHT it was arranged, but a phone call today announced otherwise. Two night minimum stay. They want us to either stay two nights, book two nights even though we'll only be there one, or wait until the week before to find out if it's still available. So now I'm left wondering if I should just book a hotel room after all or wait it out.
G says we should wait. If a room isn't available in the B & B we can always book a room in the hotel. I say that's one more thing to check up on. I know the place just want's to earn a decent living, but they should really put their minimum stay requirements on their website.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Peace
I love having people come visit, I really do. It's just that lately we've had a lot of trips to visit others, and a lot of people staying with us too. So, while I was thrilled to have my cousin and his fiance come visit, I was a bit exhausted before they even arrived. Already I can't believe I'll have to go to work again tomorrow.
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