Sliding Thoughts

memememe

I look at the calendar and realize that it has been 10 days since I posted.

Work, a 102 degree fever, preparing for a friend’s wedding, spending time with those I have missed, and trying to organize my new lifestyle (being a responsible adult) have left me unable to write coherently. This whole “8 am – 5 pm” type thing is nice in that my schedule is pretty set, and I don’t have homework anymore…but I am not a morning person.

New hobbies: reading things about the history of Chicago. Reorganizing my room (too much clutter aaagh!). Thinking about goals in my life.

————
I’ve been tagged to do a survey, so I’ll do it…but only to make certain people happy.

Four jobs I’ve had:

1. Inside Sales Associate
2. Barista
3. Marketing Assistant
4. Resident Assistant

Four movies I can watch over and over:

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Dark Crystal
3. The Fifth Element
4. Empire Records

Four places I’ve lived:

1. Northfield, Minnesota
2. Aiken, South Carolina
3. Naperville, IL
4. Chicago, IL

Four TV shows I love:

1. Scrubs
2. The Daily Show
3. Gilmore Girls
4. ER

Four places I’ve vacationed:

1. China
2. Israel
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Toronto, Canada

Four of my favorite dishes:

1. Gormeh Sabzi (persian stew of greens w/beef cubes over rice)
2. Most Thai food
3. Snow crab dipped in butter
4. Flan

Four sites I visit daily:

1. bbc.co.uk
2. the andropolis/lay-c families of blogs
3. calmstorm.net (my site, mostly to get rid of spam!)
4. a large variety of online comics, such as MacHall and Scary Go Round.

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Charleston, South Carolina (preferably in a mansion overlooking the water)
2. Florida
3. a castle in France
4. In Italy hanging out with my girl Carmen (waah I miss her!)

Again

Things are right with the world. Little things unbalance and make themselves apparent, and then you pray and talk about it and you know it is ok. I may not be able to heal everything, but I will always do my best. And I know all of you will, too.

I see my dear ones and that is what matters. We move apart and come back, the love is always there. The comfort that comes with home, wherever that is. For most of us, it must exist with us, because home cannot be a place or time.

Shrimp & Pasta (Gluten-Free!)

Cheddar Cheese Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon potato starch flour
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:
Melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in flours and seasonings. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Cook for 5 minutes longer; add cheese. Stir until smooth and well blended.
Makes 2 cups.

Shrimp fried in butter!

INGREDIENTS:
• 4 tablespoons butter (oil if you’re trying to be healthy, but it isn’t the same!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon yellow curry
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• dash of ground ginger
• chopped garlic (2 pieces)
• chopped green onion

In a small bowl, combine the spices. Stir well. Melt butter, add garlic and onion. Fry for 30 seconds, then add shrimp (fresh or frozen). Add bowl of spices. Cook on low, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to over-cook the shrimp. A maximum of 10 minutes is really all that is necessary.

Serve cheese sauce over pasta, and you can either mix the shrimp in, or make it a completely different dish. I got rave reviews today from the family.

Reunion

There are
so many beautiful souls
that suddenly surround
my heart.
Last night I saw
that time and distance
make us all stronger
and the painful things
less large.
We will walk through these
life lessons with heads high.
I will
be there no matter what.
They will always be…

everything.

First Day of Work Report

I have a normal job. 8 am – 5 pm, Monday-Friday. Wow.

Only 3 hours of sleep on Sunday night…extreme insomnia. In the morning on Monday we did basic form-filling-out & orientation, then had lunch with a bunch of 20-somethings in my department. I’m in Sales, so there are a good number of people my age, and most of them are very nice and personable. They even invite me to eat lunch with them! *shocked look* I also have two friends already working there (one of whom was the one who suggested the job to me).

So far I really like the people around me, and I feel like I’m already getting into the whole routine. I’m struggling with getting enough sleep, but hopefully it will balance out as I get used to getting up every morning at 6:30 am.

The commute is a killer…5 minutes down one street. Yikes. hahaha. The cafeteria food isn’t bad, but has limited selection, so I will utilize the fridge in the breakroom and warm up my meals.

I like it so far. I definitely need more sleep, though. Insomnia is hitting me really hard.

EDIT:
Last night the fuse blew in the house. Luckily, I woke up at 5 am and resent my alarm clock using my phone.

Unfortunately, I set it one hour late, so I woke up at 6 am instead of 7 am. I walked out the door at 7 am, only realizing my mistake when I saw the sky and how dark it was.

Oops. Well, at least I had time to eat breakfast, but I will be tired today.

Starting work!

It appears as though I begin work tomorrow. If only the cubicles looked like this:

Too bad it is rather hard to ride a bike to work in a suit (besides the cold weather!). It would be entirely possible to do so, since it is so close!

As I contemplate the contents of my closet, I look to the internet for “inspiration”. First day of work clothes are very important, you know. Well, I found some lovely suits that I was thinking of investing in. The one I liked the most was this:

Also, I’m tired of my current style, so I think I want to change it up a little bit. I was thinking of going for something a little more…classic.

Ah, corporate America, here I come! Are you ready for me?! Mwahaha.