So there I was, my hands all gritty with cornmeal, making biscuits, when all of a sudden a lady from Von Maur, one of the stores I applied to, called. OMG! She sounded really interested in me...until I said that I was only looking to work during the summer. Apparently they don't hire temp workers. I was pretty crushed, so my dinner ended up missing that certain zing that comes from being fully engaged in the cooking of it. I was pretty sad, and so I was a bit sloppy. Overall, it wasn't bad but it could have been better. This is going to bug me for a while, I can tell.

Anyway, my menu evolved partially as a private joke - it's very loosely based on the concept of an English dinner, as shepherd's pie is the main attraction, but it's heavily Ameicanized. I got a little smirk out of literally making pudding to end things, because it's another word for "dessert" in England, but I didn't want to be too over-the-top themey.





( Images, Ahoy!  )

Mood sad Tags: cooking diaries, food, pictures, work?

Today has been spent trolling around Dayton and dropping off applications. I'm starting to get really frustrated with myself. Before going into a store to hand off an app, I always coach myself to sound confident and not intimidated. And then as soon as I get to someone who can take it, my voice drops and I get all mumbly, almost apologetic. It's like I want to assure them I'm not clueless, I know the job situation is tough right now, I'm not expecting a miracle. But I'm just undermining myself. Ugh! 

Despite failing so far on the job front, I did get some good stuff today: Nigella Lawson's How To Eat, 2 pairs of capris, a gauzy blouse, a knit tee, a loose white cardigan, and a pair of earrings shaped like lightning bolts. There's something about being home that makes me a huge clothes horse. I think it's because I have a lot of extra time to piss away on planning outfits and getting ready. And I watch too much Sex and the City. Now I just need to find a place to go so I can wear this stuff.

Mood tired Music Money - Alan Cumming Tags: clothes, life at home, shopping, work?

Well, after another year of academic toil, here I am, sitting in my favorite armchair, reflecting on my first day at home. To cut to the chase, I'm really frickin' stuffed. Yesterday, to celebrate having moved me out of my room successfully, my parents and I stopped at Easton to eat at Mitchell's Ocean Club, which is one of my favorite restaurants. It's a steakhouse with all the traditional trimmings (wedge salads, separate sides, bearnaise sauce, etc.) and an old-school vibe that I think is really cool. The decor has your typical wood paneling and white table cloths, but there are some retro-futuristic (think Jetsons) touches all over the place that give it an extra zing. I love everything about the place, from the bar-mixed lemonade they serve with fresh OJ to the corn dotted with jalapeno. Of course I had to indulge - it was the end of the semester! Except...

...I forgot we were going to Fleming's, an upscale steakhouse chain tonight to celebrate Mother's Day with my mother and grandmother. Uh oh! My motto in life is that you only live once, so I repeated last night's orgy of meat and blue cheese, only this time chocolate lava cake joined the party. I don't think I've ever been this full before. My center of gravity shifted because I ate so much, so I kept teetering back and forth while walking to the car.

I know this extreme face-stuffing isn't exactly something to be proud of, so I'm happy to say I did start making overtures on the job front today. I stopped in at Sephora and got an application, while sending my dad to Books & Co. to scout out the job situation. I also went to Ulta this morning to talk to someone about the application I filled out a few days ago, but from the looks of the store, they're circling the drain, so I decided to move on. Last year, I was dragging my feet about finding work, but this year, I really am going to try my best to get a job. Quite simply, I want money. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping something will crop up.

Mood full Tags: food, life at home, restaurants, work?

Tomorrow is my last day at school, so I've spend most of my day reflecting on this year and what I'm going to do over the summer. Most of my high school friends aren't going to be in town, so I will be almost on my own. I'm really bummed about this, but it's also inspiring me to actually be productive and get stuff done for once. Last summer, all I did was work at Staples and water my mom's flowers. Thus, I have come up with four main goals to accomplish from May to August:

1) Get a job / get an internship / go to summer school: I really really really would like to do something cosmetics related to make monies, but since the economy is in the toilet now, I'll take anything I can get. If I can't get a job, I might try for an internship at the Dayton Art Institute. And if that doesn't happen, I need to learn Italian if I want to study abroad in the spring, so I could always do it over the summer.

2) Learn to cook: I feel like such a poseur; I love to read about food, look at cookbooks, watch cooking shows, go out to eat, and stuff my face. But I can't actually cook anything outside of fruit salad and instant rice. This summer, so help me, I will learn to how make a basic chicken dish if it kills me.

3) Be active / lose weight: I'm aiming for about 10 pounds off what I am now. I'm not really overweight, but I'm rounder than I would like to be. I also am pretty frickin' lazy, so I need to actually get up off the couch and do stuff. Aiming for hitting the Y at least twice a week. I would also like to eat better - less fast food and candy, more veggies and grains.

4) Reading at least 20 books: I have a huge library of stuff that I haven't read because I'm always busy with books for my English classes. Reading for fun is a huge luxury and one that I intend to take full advantage of this summer.

I know it seems like a lot, but I think the key here is momentum. If I can start with some of these things and keep them up, I think I actually have a chance of achieving what I want to. I always seem to make grandiose plans for my summers, but I really think I have a shot at doing some of this stuff this time.

Mood excited Music Werewolves and Lollipops - Patton Oswalt Tags: life at home, work?