HI!
It's been forever, I know. Who knows how many of you are still checking this but I figured even though we're not traveling anymore, I still want to update this. And so, before your very eyes, this blog will transform from a travel journal to a series of notes and thoughts on everything that is going on in California. From my ever evolving cooking skills, to the rapidly changing "future" plans, to just plain ol' every day life in BoringVille, CA (that's what I've taken to calling Santa Clara... seeing as it is literally just a town of suburbs and nothing else).
At the moment, Jimmy and I are spending our lazy Sunday in a local coffeeshop so he can study without the distractions of our apartment and I can still spend time with him. Since returning to California after a much needed few weeks back home and in Vermont....
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| With a little bit of Christmas at home |
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| and boys talking about football |
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| and Chef Jeff's delicious cooking |
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| and many table-setting decisions |
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| and cookies to eat |
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| And G'pas that wear matching ties even at dinner |
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| And of course, at least two large feasts |
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| and my beloved 2-lane 89 to Vermont |
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| And New Years Eve over the Burlington Bay |
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| and the famous holiday-lit-cement-mixer of Vermont |
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| and one last coffee at the Chubby Muffin |
... I returned to a job-less and rest-less state in California. Since the 2011 wine harvest season ended early December and, as agreed with the ICA, my internship came to an end at the end of December I had to return to the status of "unemployed". I had hoped that between finishing grad school applications, financial aid applications, job and internship applications and spending time with Jimmy I would keep relatively busy until I found another job and internship to fill in my schedule but this time around has been more difficult than past job searches. Since no museums in the area are hiring, I had to resort to finding a part-time job that would provide a steady income and THEN find another internship. While unpaid internships are always in abundance, the job market right now is even worse than when I last saw it this summer. After applying to about 15 different job postings, dropping my resume off at various galleries, book stores and other various establishments I thought I would enjoy I finally got called back to all of two places - a boutique store in Los Gatos (about 15 minutes away from Santa Clara by highway) and Banana Republic. Both interviews went relatively well (I think/hope) and I'll know by this coming week if I get a second interview. And only after the second interview at both of these places (who are, quite honestly, looking for a PART-TIME SALES ASSOCIATE... so keep in mind we're really not talking about very "advanced" jobs that should really merit at least two rounds of interviews...) will I finally be in the final round of consideration before being offered the job. Needless to say, for how boring my days are, I find myself oddly on edge. But hopefully this will all be transformed into good news by the end of this week.
My grad school applications are all done (AT LAST). I ended up narrowing down my prospective schools last week from 9 to 7 so the final list is now: Georgetown, University of Washington, George Washington, Boston University, University of Colorado at Boulder, Teachers College at Columbia University and Seton Hall University. Which means you should all cross your fingers at least 7 times a day until March (that's when I'll start hearing back from schools). And yes, that list is accurate in order of importance, at least for the first 3 schools. I think. I mostly just really want to go to Georgetown. That's all I know right now.
Which means life has turned into a challenge of how to amuse myself... every single day. Jimmy spent the last week working day and night to get into a mock-trial competition that SCU offers its first (and some second) year law students and if he gets in (we find out today) his first case will be on Friday. This should explain my motives for why I convinced him we should go to the coffee shop today so I can at least be in presence while he reads nonstop. Seeing as otherwise he normally wakes up at 7am and is out of the house by 9 to work at the library and then doesn't come home until 7ish, eats dinner, works til 11 and then falls asleep. To amuse myself I have started cooking even more now than before. Which is a lot of fun, so far. Recent favorites and experiments include:
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| Spinach, carmelized onions, butternut squash AND goat cheese pizza |
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| a close-up shot... just because it's such a good pizza |
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| Woven Pizza! with 3 cheeses, fingerling potatoes, orange pepper, and some other veggie I can't remember |
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| chocolate cake batter from scratch that would eventually become a mint chocolate chip cake |
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| more woven pizza! this time with asparagus |
I also made my own chickpea stew, mushroom tart and dad's eggplant and ricotta pasta this past week. so even if we're not having as much fun as we might be having in Vermont, at least we're eating well! Not to mislead you or anything - we ARE having fun when we can. Last weekend, Jimmy and I went bowling with his two studybuddies (John and Louis) and John's wife Melissa, and went out for Korean bbq with them the next night. Yesterday, after a week of finals-worthy amount of work, Jimmy and I went out thrift store shopping which has yielded some excellent interview clothes for me and some very nice button-down shirts for him. Tonight, who knows. Maybe he'll actually have time to cook with me.
People are starting to complain about winter here, because it's been raining for the past two days. I just started wearing socks around the house and that basically solved that problem. Also there are still oranges on trees out here. I'm pretty sure that means you can't complain about how cold it is if your orange tree still has bright orange fruits hanging from it.
That's all I can think of for now for this Overload of Information Post. Which leads me to my promise: I promise to post more! As you can see, I've changed the title of the blog to "New England Living in California" which basically means I can talk about whatever I want to (usually my perceptions on how wimpy Californians are and how sick I am of the urban sprawl out here) and update whenever! If you're interested, keep checking in for new recipes I've discovered, updates on my unemployed/employed status and how I've been amusing myself in BoringVille, CA. (hint: it involves driving OUT of BoringVille, CA). Oh and how anxious I get as March draws closer. eeek. I just want to get into all of the schools, please.
Much love to everyone,
Meg
