Wait...It's Halloween?

As my 2nd Halloween in California is about to come and go, I've realized that I pretty much just don't celebrate the fun holidays (4th of July, Halloween, New Years Eve, etc.) anymore. Case in point, this will be the 2nd year in a row that I am not dressing up at all. Part of this goes back to the fact that you actually have to be sober enough to drive after whatever it is you might choose to do. Now tell me, how fun are these holidays if you have to stay sober? Hello - "Boston holiday drinking"? Another part is that, while we have made a few friends out here, we don't really have any close ones, at least not any that are having parties we can go to. The other problem (this is the biggie) is that all the people I used to enjoy sharing these holidays with are...not here. Or rather, the problem is that I am not where these people are. Without these people, I just don't get excited about these holidays as I used to. Before you try to tell me this is my own fault, just stop. Trust me, I know this. I'm having trouble forgiving myself for this. I just hope that by the time I do get to be in the same place as these people, we're not too old to celebrate in fun ways.

One Week Down

It's officially been a week since I started this temp role as an admin assistant. It definitely got off to a rocky start. I'm starting to settle in and I'm more comfortable with my new responsibilities. Hopefully things will continue to go well. I really this to go well because the thought of having to go back to Reception after breaking free is too horrifying to entertain.

Good News, Bad News: Volume 1

Good News: Local radio station is hosting a small, private BTE show
Bad News: Show is by invitation only (a.k.a. you have to win the tickets through the station)

Good News: I usually can't really listen to music/radio/etc. at work, but since I'm not at Reception and since my cubicle neighbor is out today, I can.
Bad News: I don't have a radio so I have to listen to the station's streaming audio which has a delay meaning I'll hear the contest announcement, but will be too late to call in.

Good News (recap): I could potentially win tickets to see my beloved BTE
Bad News (recap): I can't actually win the tickets

My Hero

Confession time. I have this, well, problem. I get mad (I mean really mad) when other people do shitty or rude things and get away with it. You know the types: the person who turns into your lane, cutting you off, and then they don't speed up so you have to slam on your breaks. Or the person who races you to get in an express line at the store, and then has, oh, 30 or 40 items instead of 10. This is why I use my horn WAY too much when I'm driving. This has also apparently caused me some personal embarassment, not to mention John as well. I do realize that, realisticially, there isn't much I can do about these things. I can't control other people. Unfortunately, in the moment, I tend to talk about whatever it is that is pissing me off in a purposefully loud voice. I guess I figure that these people probably don't know that their being ass holes and if they overhear me saying that they are and why, they will learn their lesson. So not true, but it hasn't stopped me thus far. Afterwards, when I'm calming down, John always asks me what I think I can do to stop them from doing what they are doing. My answer has always been "nothing."

But Tina Fey, or rather her character on 30 Rock, is my new hero. For those who didn't happen to watch the premiere this week (and other than this gem of a moment, I can't say you missed much), let me explain. Basically while Tina Fey's character is in line at a hot dog cart, she confronts a cutter. To avenge the slight, she buys ALL the hot dogs and proceeds to hand them out to “the good people” who stayed in line behind her [borrowed from Give Me My Remote]. Brilliant. This woman is my hero. Now when John asks me what I can do, I will say, "Buy all the hot dogs." Well, you get the idea.

How Did It Take Me 24 Years....

To discover the wonder that is sushi? Yes, I realize I'm incredibly behind and should have made this discovery long ago, especially considering that I'm already borderline-obsessed with other styles of Asian cuisine. But, alas, since my introduction to sushi (some California rolls at a work event last week), I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Ok, that's not really true, but it has been something I think about whenever hunger strikes.

Not convinced that it wasn't a fluke, I had some more over the weekend. Yes, I can officially say that I love sushi. Or at least I love the two types I've tried thus far. I'm far from understanding the whole art of eating sushi, but I'm well on my way. I also love wasabi. I'm not sure how I've never had that either. In any case, I'm addicted and now I'm craving sushi at least once a day. It's like now that I know what I have been missing, I have to make up for lost time. Maybe I should just eat it constantly for a while and either get tired of it or at least get to the point where I don't feel the need to eat it daily.

I Can Kiss Reception Goodbye!

Well, for now at least...

As of next week, I am temporarily being promoted to an admin assistant while one assistant goes out on medical leave for 6 to 8 weeks! The even better news is that, provided I don't screw up, there's a good chance I'll be able to (quoting my boss) "transition into a permanent admin assistant role!" Yeah, ok, I'm super excited. Granted this is not a huge leap in terms of a career move, but to me, anything that gets me out of the reception rut is a good thing. Please cross your fingers that I don't screw up. I need this to go well. The VP I'll be supporting is a high-level, intense, German guy. He's generally in a good mood and tends to be humorous, but I'll get to see the bad moods too. My boss cautioned me to "keep a thick skin" when it happens. WHEN it happens, not IF. Great. I suppose in order to KEEP a think skin, I'll need one to begin with. Can I buy this somewhere?

In equally exciting, somewhat related news, John's boss may be sending him to a conference in Nor Cal in his place later this month. My understanding is that it is five days of hands-on instruction on how to install/configure solar systems. This would be such an amazing opportunity for him. Cross those fingers one more time that he really does get to go.

All in all, this week has been phenomenal for both John and me!

OH, and I get to see BTE in 2 weeks! You know that never hurts.

Baking attempt #1: Zucchini Bread

I'm going to push the almond pear tart back a few days because I have been craving zucchini bread. I found a great, easy recipe, but I was a bit worried when i couldn't find any zucchini at the grocery store but we went downtown to this indoor farmers market type place, Grand Central Market, and I found some there. In hindsight, I should have shredded the zucchini into smaller pieces, maybe using a cheese grater or the food processor. Also, I needed to adjust the temperature of the oven since the bread ended up almost burning on the edges, but still gooey and uncooked in the middle. The muffins are decent though since they are easier to regulate. Not bad for a first attempt. I still have another zucchini so maybe I'll give it another go this week.

Paramount Studios

My company hosted an alumni event for former employees at the Paramount Theater at Paramount Studios Thursday night. They arranged to have private studio tours going on throughout the night. I took some pretty lame pictures towards the beginning of the tour and then my camera battery started to die. Then we pull up to a storefront on the "New York Street" on the backlot and the guide tells us that it was where they filmed the shoplifting from the five-and-dime scene from Breakfast at Tiffanys. Of course I was freaking out and the guide even let me get out to take a picture in front of it. I was trying to see if I had enough battery power for one last picture and accidentally took that one last picture...of the ground.



And that was the end of the battery life. Bum-mer. Luckily one of my coworkers who went on a later tour made sure to get some shots of the building for me. Other than the camera catastrophe, the event and the tour were awesome.

Aw, Honey, You Baked!

I can't cook. I will never be good at cooking. I'm okay with this. It is, as much as I hate to admit it, something I get from my mom. C'mon - I grew up in a house where, for many years, our main sustenance came from one of our two freezers (yes, two freezers), was popped in the microwave and was ready in less than five minutes. Occasionally she'd branch out and concoct some sort of "casserole," which is just a more pleasant way of saying "whatever I feel like throwing in this pretty glass dish and baking at 350 for 30 mins." It's really no wonder I am how I am. Unfortunately, my dad, who is a phenomenal cook, did not really start to show off his talents until I was much older. Thus, whenever I am left to fend for myself, my preferred choices are pasta or takeout. I guess it's a good thing I like pasta and takeout.

I did, however, grow up baking. My grandmother is an amazing baker and began teaching me how at a very young age. Granted, because I was so young, I did not retain most of what she tried to instill, but I do remember that I enjoyed myself. And even now, I still enjoy baking. And so, I am going to attempt to bake more. I'm not sure my kitchen or it's current contents are going to make this easy on me, but I'm not easily deterred.

For my first trick, I mean baking attempt, I will be making an almond pear cream cheese torte.

Wish me luck!

Family Tree

Inspiration vs. Fear

John recently did something he has wanted to do for awhile and that I think was amazingly brave. He didn't see it that way, but I certainly did. At the risk of sounding cryptic in order to protect my fear, I need to vent my feelings about a similar situation I find myself to be in. In some sense, what he did and the outcome of that have inspired me to approach my situation head-on. Then my fear kicks in and, as trite as it sounds, it paralyzes me. So much so that I'll stop thinking about what I seek to do entirely because it's almost too much to bear.

The problem is not so much whether I am able to do this particular thing. The problem is that, at least the way I see it, I have to be ready to accept and deal with the outcome, not matter what it may be. I just have to feel the need so strongly that I have no other choice than to just do it and hope for the best, but be okay with the worst. And I'm not. I'm not ready for the worst, should it happen. As it is now, there's still hope and what I dread most is losing that hope. For the time being, it seems that I'd rather not know, although I'm sure this can't last forever. If I know myself well, and I like to think that I do, I'll not be able to stand the unknown any longer.

Only minutes after John was finished, I was ready to try my hand, give it a whirl. But, instead, I wait. Waiting is a difficult decision for me. I am impatient. I crave instant gratification. I prefer to take control rather than sit back and see what happens. Waiting is not something I am especially good at. But the truth of the matter is, I'm just not strong enough yet to deal with all possible outcomes. That has not stopped me from planning my attack for if and when I'm ever ready.

For now, I'm rather content with my cowardly combination of fear and hope.