Category: Real LIfe

Adventures in Cooking

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And I do mean adventures because… I don’t cook.  I mean my oven is turned on on average twice a year.  I could make use of the oven as storage space with no change in lifestyle. 

And yet, I’ve recently decided to make use of Hello Fresh, one of the array of companies that will deliver a box of food to you.  Your selected number of meals, all the ingredients, spices, dressings, portioned out for you.  You add the cooking.  

Right… I add the cooking.   Why am I doing this?  I don’t have an issue buying food.  I excel at buying food.  I own the grocery store.  It’s the cooking part that I’m poor at.  I lack the willingness to slice, dice, prep and wait for food to be ready for dining enjoyment. 

But maybe I should and because I know I work best on a deadline, this seems like a worthy experiment.  Food will arrive, receipes included.  I sort of have to cook them because next week more will arrive.  Surely I will not just throw out whole meals, perfected created and shipped to me in a large box.  We’ll see…. 

Week 1

I receive a UPS notification.  The food is on it’s way!  Yipee. 

I arrive home the next day to find a giant box on my doorstep.  I inhale deeply.  Cooking… will be happening. 

I open the large box.  Three smaller boxes representing three meals are enclosed.   Ok.  This doesn’t look too bad. 

Here we go

Here we go

It’s fall, let’s go with the one with acorn squash.

Nice presentation!  Look how healthy this appears.   I feel good about myself.  

I pull out the lovely, glossy recipe cards with describe how to make the above into something.   I skim through.  I can do this!   I can!

I have to roast an acorn squash?   What does that mean?   Apparently all roasting means is cook it in the oven.   I now understand.  Just like in technology, there are cool words describing common things that people would know but can easily become intimidated due to lack of knowledge.   I’ve got this. 

I cut an acorn squash!  I did!  And it was hard.  I have knives from Ikea, just for show, not ginzu knives.  I drizzled olive oil and spices on the squash.  I don’t drizzle.  I made the little parmesan “cookies”, cut an apple and wa-la:   roasted acorn kale salad: 

I did it!  Me!  The non-cook.   And it’s not only edible, but good.   Wait…what?

Go Set a Timer on the Heros of Your Youth

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This northern gal once visited Charlotte, NC where she saw a historical landmark sign indicating ‘President Davis slept here’. I thought: we never had a President Dav….. OHHHhhhhh.

I have a theory on Harper Lee, and it probably won’t be popular, but I kind of hope it’s true. I think Go Set a Watchman was the story she wanted to tell or the story she needed to tell to work through her own issues. Because she is a person raised in a small town, who goes off the New York and sees the the world differently. How disappointing to be disillusioned with a place you once loved, a society you believed in, a father you loved so well. Her society, how she was raised, her childhood itself that tarnished now. How to go on? Certainly long, rambling rants against the injustice of it all is one way!

After pulling off the feat of writing a novel as a first time author, and one with many lovely passages, then to be told that the flashbacks to childhood are more interesting, to be asked how did Atticus become such a hero, what did young Scout see to believe so much in him, in her world ? And then this idealized version of the person who hurt her, who let her down so much becomes a hero to the world? What happens when you are acclaimed, win the Pulizer Prize and all the rest by portraying potentially your biggest heartache as idyllic? You become a recluse, lapse into Boo Radley mode. Why not. He didn’t like the world he saw, and nor do you. And now, in your advanced years, sister is gone, you think: I’m going to tell my real story, of how the south let me down, how even though my father is flawed, I can still find a way back to love him. He’s a character from his time, fighting for life as he’s always known it.

This is a flawed book, that certainly could have improved with an editor. But it’s also a thought provoking book, a book that makes one feel things, think about who Scout and Atticus are, who you are, which is what makes literature great. So those of you ranting and raving at the disappointment of this different Atticus, aren’t you feeling the same things Scout is feeling? The rants I’ve heard and read rival Scout’s in the book. Good! Feel the feels! I do, and I’ll be thinking about this book for some time. That and wondering what ever became of Boo…

Atticus Finch isn’t perfect: get over it

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You aren’t, either.
Today my copy of Go Set a Watchman arrived… finally (one whole day after release, the torture). I may never pre-order a book again. Then again, it could just be I shouldn’t have pre-ordered this book. You see, I’m on a sort of internet black out, at least a bookish internet blackout and since I adore the bookish internet, this is torture. I am not reading reviews, discussions of reviews, spoilers, other’s opinions, anything, until I’ve read it. I haven’t read one word, yet, and if it’s poorly written or horrible in some way, I will be sad, but still fascinated because we’ll get a glimpse into the difference between a first ‘finished’ draft and what it became: the creative/editorial process at work!

I was attempting this, but I do scan the front page of the New York Times every day, so I know, I read, I processed. Really dumb, NYT, really dumb. You know what you did.

Ok, one spoiler coming. If you are somehow completely off the grind (and yet reading this.. hmmm), and don’t know, the NYT has spoiled that Attitus may be a racist, in the headline of the review no less. Again: really dumb, NYT, really dumb. What do I think about the perfect father and lawyer, not being ever so perfect? A. He’s a white man, in the south, in the 1950s… he’s not unusual. B. He should also be in 70s by the time of Go Set a Watchmen. I’m sure we all know older people with views different than the current times, and we still love them. C. He’s a human being, thus by definition not perfect and what is literature, but a device to hold a mirror to ourselves? To Kill a Mockingbird was a fairly unflinching look at a town at a period of time, why should this be different. If we ignore our past because we don’t like it, we are dishonest. Frankly, it sort of makes me like him more because he still did the right thing.

So, I can’t wait… and I hope you can’t, either, and won’t let something like an imperfection deter you. Plus, Scout all grown up and living in NYC!

Where Do I Start, Where Do I Begin??

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Where do I start, where do I begin?
Here, once again, is my BEA book haul:

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How does one decide amongst these fine titles, never mind the (cough cough**) number of books already on my TBR. What to do? WHAT TO DO?

Punt! I’m going to finish the three books I have in progress, then tackle City on Fire (which for some reason I keep calling City of Ruin – why? no idea. Springsteen reference? – even to the reporter who asked me what galleys I was most looking forward to at BEA… thus proving I’m an idiot, not worthy of being in his article. Surely I redeemed myself by mentioning The Muse and The Water Knife?? Even a little?). City of Fire will take enough time for me to have pondered what to do next.

** where cough cough is defined as a number so large as to make one consider the list owner an insane asylum candidate. Hmm… if I were there, perhaps I could read all day every day.

The more things change, the more they stay the same…

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Today walking through Harvard Square, I looked at all the young faces. Students, perhaps graduating soon, so full of promise. They looked twelve. I did some math in my head: a graduating senior is most likely twenty one, which means they were born in 1994. 1994. The year Kurt Cobain died. Wow.
As I was losing myself in these thoughts, I heard the music from a loud party. Ah yes, the college party on one of the first pleasant afternoons of spring (that it isn’t until May 1, well… ). Then the blaring music changed to The Rolling Stones, music that was already older than I was when I was in college. So some things don’t change, some things perhaps remain as timeless as Mick Jagger, even if as unlikely that Keith Richards still walks among us. But somehow that made me feel ok.

I feel good, na na naan a naan a naaa…

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Because I made the choice to return to the more difficult class at the gym and then stayed after to do the free weight class. Sounds so minor, but it was a positive choice for me, something I haven’t been doing too much of recently. I’d let a life set back get me down. But all it is is a setback, not a catastrophe. Why did I let it get me down? Why did I let it lead me to make poor choices, including not going to the gym as much as I should? Why make it all worse? Until one day.. gasp.. my pants are too tight. So sorry, that’s crap. And it was all on me. I can blame others for causing the setback, but I can only blame myself for my reaction to it. For allowing myself to get to this place. It felt so good to work out a little harder than before, to feel my body working as it should. It feels good to make the right choices, the choice to do something productive with my time, something healthy something for me.
I want to change things. I want my life to be better. One decision at a time. Bring on the cliché’s: every journey starts with one step, put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walking across the floor.

There is something transcendent in doing something you enjoy, even if it’s minor, even if it only matters to you. That moment affects the other areas of your life. It makes you more of who you are. So here is to making good choices, here is to getting back on track, here is to choosing to make yourself better and then doing it. Because you can’t be there for others or help others if you can’t do it for yourself first.

And yeah, going back to the hard class at the gym is a small thing, but it’s my first step.

Put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walking out the door:
life lessons from Rankin-Bass claymation:

Perspective

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Interesting that something can seem so much better when compared to a worse alternative. Were you on your high horse earlier or just didn’t have enough information to understand it’s place on the scale?

You’re Too Attractive to Have Worked Here For So Long

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I admit it, my LinkedIn picture is pretty good. Taken at a friend’s birthday party, I was relaxed, happy and invested an unusual amount of time in getting my hair to behave. So I wasn’t overly surprised recently when out for cocktails with co-workers a male turned to me and said: you have a really good LinkedIn picture. You look look really great there. “As opposed to real life?”, I joked. He then leaned back, looked at me intently and said with a bit of surprise: you’re attractive, really attractive. Then turned back to speak to the other men at the table, leaving me to remember, yet again, exactly what it is that men value in women.
Later he will ask me if I’ve noticed I’m the only woman out with them. I’m the only woman in most meetings I attend at work, I reply. I work in a male dominated industry, something which is extremely apparent to me, but not at all to the men who are running it. Disrespect and disregard run rampant. I have been ignored, spoken over, placated and spoken to in the tone of one speaking to an idiot. Just last week, after being interrupted for what seemed the millionth time, I asked if they heard me when I was speaking. Now, this could be because I’m incompetent, but I don’t think so. And it may not be that they don’t care about what I think as much as they care much more about they think.

The cocktails would flow on and later this man, who I have never worked closely with, will exclaim that I am the best one at my role and why am I never on his projects? Now, it’s entirely possible I am the best one at my role, but how would he know? He’s never worked with me and he didn’t think that before determining I was attractive. I’m sure it won’t surprise many women to hear that the next discussion was about another woman who has had some, ahem, plastic surgery. The conversation around her? She’s totally unqualified for her job, but who cares, look at her! I found myself seeing Joan Halloway’s face and I don’t know why because she is an extremely qualified, attractive woman living in an even more misogynistic time.

We continue to speak on how crazy our office is, how management doesn’t know what it’s doing and how we’d all do it better, as people employed in offices do. Later, walking to our cars, one asks me how long I’ve been working there. When I tell him, he replies ‘you’re too attractive to have worked here for so long’. I’m too attractive to have worked here for so long. What does that mean? I think it means I could easily find a job elsewhere, that I don’t have to remain in this crazy place. But it also means I could easily find a job elsewhere because I’m attractive, not because I’m qualified. I wish I thought to respond that he was too handsome to work there, see what response it gathered. I’m sure just a perplexed look.

What is a woman to do but continue on being competent, not accepting this type of behavior, lean in, but straddle the line between being labeled a bitch and being a pushover. I’m not sure what conclusions to draw except to say you’ve come a long way, baby, but still a long way to go.

Joan and Peggy:
I’m still looking for a reason to use the phrase “whatever could be on your mind”.
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**Update**
Fast forward to 4:41. I wrote this post before seeing this. Don’t leave me, Jon Stewart, don’t leave me….

This video applies to my last two posts!
Someone as credible as you, while very attractive and articulate, at the core you are credible, you are like Walter Cronkite kind of credible.
Unbelievable. I don’t anything about this woman because I don’t watch FOX news, but she shouldn’t have her appearance mentioned in conjunction with her credibility in any way shape or form. This guy is blowing smoke up her ass on her credibility, but at least he knows to do that, unlike the guys I work with.

A Request of Brian Williams and NBC **update**

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**Update**NBC News clearly read my request and suspends Brian Williams for six months.
It’s refreshing to see, but I am sad. I sort of love you, Brian Williams, but you let us down.

Dear Brian,

Before the results of the investigation, oh sorry ‘journalist fact-gathering’, are known and decisions about your return to the air are made, I’d like you to watch the following to refresh your memory on what journalism should be: an objective, truthful reporting which allows those in a democratic society the information needed to make the decisions we are so wonderfully allowed to make. To do that successfully, we must trust the journalism profession.

Edward R. Murrow – This Reporter

Perhaps more than any reporter before or since, Murrow captured the trust and belief of a nation and returned that trust with honesty and courage. His belief in journalism as an active part of the political process and a necessary tool within democracy has forever altered the politics and everyday life of the American people.

Walter Cronkite – About Walter Cronkite

Cronkite set the standards of television news when the medium was new and malleable. He was loyal to those standards, and his large audience was correspondingly loyal to him. “He seemed to me incorruptible,” said director Sidney Lumet, “in a profession that was easily corruptible.” It was all that Cronkite wanted — and he achieved it.

By the way, Cronkite was referred to as ‘The Most Trusted Man in America’.

And through in Good Night, and Good Luck for good measure.

Mentally Fit or Fat

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So in the realm of first world problems…Tonight is one of my best friend’s birthdays and we’re all off to a nice dinner. I know I haven’t been eating that well recently, the holidays you know? Then there is extra work stress, which has caused me to have perhaps an extra glass of wine at night. Not too bad, though right? I know things aren’t great in terms of being in shape, so I decide to wear the pants which have historically be loose on me. I pull them on slowly and (the horror), I can barely zip them up. I ponder this. I want to cry. I feel fat and ugly and tired. But mostly I think: how did I get here? How have I let this silly life bullshit impact me to this point? Why haven’t I worked out more? Why is Girl Scout cookies only come once a year an excuse to eat more than I should? I just want to stay home and put on pajamas.

But it is my friend’s birthday. I will not miss it because I feel bad about myself and my choices. I could put on a stretchy skirt and go, but I decide to go in the uncomfortable, formerly loose pants. Let them remind me that I should eat something healty, that I should drink less. My new choices start now. NOW.