It Is Finished

Nope, I haven’t quit yet. Neither have I made a final decision. “Then what is finished?” you query.

I finished telling everyone (a.k.a. the important people in my life) that I’m quitting my job and what options I’m looking into. The overwhelming responses have ranged from, “Go for it! It’s about time you got outta there!” to the more demure, “I think this is a good thing for you, you need a change.” What can I say? I have fantastic family and friends. They’re supportive. Three people have expressed concerns… one coworker, one friend, and my pops. Refocusing on Pasadena as opposed to Dallas and Pasadena and telling them I’d be picking up a full-time job in my industry has alleviated some of their concerns, though. After all, those concerns involved picking up additional debt (not working and taking on college loans), not having health insurance (something that was never an option for me for obvious reasons), and splitting locations and moving more than once… all valid concerns. There are a couple other concerns still out there, and I’m not brushing them off. They’re all worth serious consideration.

When I started taking a more focused look at Pasadena, I sent an email to a friend of mine who used to be a Bodily Injury (BI) Supervisor when I was a Non-Injury Supervisor. I asked her what the going rate is for a BI adjuster (which we both currently are since we were both laid off from our management positions) with experience. Way-ull… it’s niiice. And significantly more than the pay here in Colorado. I’d be able to put rent on top of my existing monthly obligations and still pay down the remainder of my debt–while going to school! Plus I’d still be growing my 401K and have the safety of health insurance in the event my body nose dives during the 21-month course of study. I’d have no personal life Monday through Friday for 21 months, but I’d have health insurance! Silver linings, right?

Anyway, Debbie and I tried–again–to take each other to lupper (lunch/supper) at Tucanos. <sigh> Third time’s the charm? We walked in and were told they weren’t accepting walk-ins until 9:00 p.m. Um, we walked in at 3:00 p.m. I checked their signage… nothing about not taking walk-ins. When I got home I checked their website. Nope. Nothing there either. So, I sent an email to the manager to let him/her know we didn’t appreciate having our birthday plans foiled. We ended up going for hamburgers at Five Guys and then Glacier for dessert. Gelato, to be exact. I chose a scoop of brown sugar cinnamon (think snickerdoodle ice cream with no snickerdoodle cookies in it… sooo good!) and a scoop of stracciatella (a.k.a. Italian chocolate chip ice cream). Mmmm. The only fruity flavor that interested me was lemon poppy, but I’ve had it before and didn’t think it would go with the brown sugar cinnamon gelato. Man, I love homemade ice cream and gelato.

I also got to see my friend Sarah when I went over to the clubhouse to have them test my keycard. Turns out it was wigging out due to the butt cold weather we had. 7° F to be exact. Like I said, butt cold. I’m planning to hit the gym tomorrow. And I plan to go Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before work if I can. I also plan to resume upon returning from California on Sunday. (I did mention I’m flying to California on Wednesday night, right? Adri’s commencement? That whole thing? If I didn’t–oops!) I told her what is going on… her response? “We’ve got to get together many times before you leave?” Again… supportive friends. Whether or not I go to culinary school, it’s really nice to be so loved on by the wonderful people in my life.

Top this day off with chores around the house and a pedicure and it’s been a pretty darn good day.

Brass Tacks

Speaking of which, let’s get down to them… the brass tacks, that is.

I spoke with a rep from Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, a scheduled appointment, this evening. Funny enough, three minutes after we rang off, a rep from Pasadena called. The latter call wasn’t scheduled, but between both calls, I learned a lot.

First, the way they run their schedules means I can have a full-time job. And that means I can have full benefits–401K, health insurance, the works. Woohoo! They have block schedules:

• Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Monday through Friday, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

And classes start every six weeks. Ms. Pasadena thought I should start May 20. Uh… no. They have sessions starting July 8, August 19, and September 30. Classes go back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Students get three weeks off at Christmas, three weeks off in the spring (near Easter, I think), and three weeks off in the summer. It’s a breakneck pace for twenty-one straight months. Aye-yi-yi.

Ms. Pasadena also had housing to offer… yup, the Pasadena campus has dorms. Of a sort. Apartments, really. Ms. Dallas doesn’t have that to offer. They’re sending me the financial aid packet and such. I did think it was funny that Ms. Pasadena has made it her personal quest to win me over from Ms. Dallas. Nope, not making that up. She actually said so. That’s fine, though. To the highest bidder goes the spoils, right?

Squirrel Moment:

Dr. Watson: “Let me guess, whoever hired Sutter Risk Management is our new suspect. If we identify whoever hired them, we’ll find Wallace’s killer.”

Sherlock: “I’ve already identified him. His name is… Made… Up.”

Awesome. I kid you not… I am a fan of most things Sherlock Holmes. The movies with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law; the BBC series with a man who is my current celebrity crush, Benedict Cumberbatch (and who arguably has the BEST name in all of Hollywood!); and Elementary with the first Mr. Angelina Jolie (Jonny Lee Miller) and Lucy Liu. The dialogue is always entertaining.

Okay… now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Ironically, I’ve had an incredibly productive week at work. Nope, not recanting on my decision to quit. Doesn’t mean I can’t see the humor, though. Yesterday, I told the girls  I lunch with on Wednesdays. They now know that we’re on borrowed time. And that I won’t be here in October for the Girls’ Night Out that I instigated… boo. I suggested we all attend the Straight No Chaser concert together. Unless I can figure something out (which I probably can), that is.

So the funniest thing about both calls is that both ladies tried to talk me into visiting their campus. I think they see that as the best possible sales pitch. I hate to spoil the fun, but I’m thirty-seven years old. I lived on campus at USC. The University of Spoiled Children, Stupid Coaches, South Central–I’ve heard them all. Yes, the University of Southern California. Not the University of South Carolina. I am a Trojan, not a Gamecock. Don’t make me sing the fight song. I will! But I’m not going to be swayed by shiny kitchen appliances. I expect it to be fantastic. And I don’t need to tour of the town. Firstly, I’ve been to Pasadena and South Pas many times. And between Madame GPS and family, I can make my way around Dallas just fine, thank you very much.

As I was writing this post, Julie (the sister) emailed me to get an update. She’s all up to speed because we’ve been shooting emails back and forth for the past hour or so. She asked if Pasadena has something over Dallas. I told her the housing situation is actually a plus. And so are the job opportunities. Los Angeles is a much larger pond than Dallas. The pay scale is also higher. As such, job potential is exponentially better in L.A. So Pasadena is a big plus. Her response? “And you’ll be closer to all of us. Or should I just say Henrik and Claire?” True dat. The munchkins are most certainly a big draw. What kind of aunt would I be if I didn’t want to go play with the nephew and niece on a lovely Saturday or Sunday?

So I’ve decided I need to drag my butt into the clubhouse and get my keycard rekeyed so I can start hitting the gym again. I need to be as regular as possible with this. After all, if I move out of state, I won’t exactly be next to my free gym anymore. Oh dear, I think we found a con. Hmmm.

So there you have it… we’re still in the fact finding stage. Now to check out job possibilities in SoCal.

Whew! Me Tired!

Left to Right: Dad, Mom, Jim, Marilyn, Ally (the sister-in-law), and Brian (the baby brother–I can’t say “little” brother, he’s 6’3″)

The great cooking adventure of Easter 2013 has been survived. Barely!

Saturday, I ran around doing the grocery shopping for the goods I needed to cook, bake, and cook some more. Prior to that trip, though, I made butter crust for my cheesecake and started the vodka crust for my pie dough–Houston, we have a problem. I pulled out the bottle of vodka I store in the freezer, knowing all the while it was almost empty. I also knew I had a second bottle I had purchased last time I baked because I knew it was getting tight. I have no earthly idea where I put bottle #2. That’s right, I searched high and low and couldn’t find it! Bear in mind, Beth does not imbibe. EVER! I don’t like the taste of alcohol. How exactly does one lose a bottle of Grey Goose?! Especially if they don’t drink?! Apparently, with great skill. I had to add “liquor store” to the list of errands. I had to be the only non-drinker in the joint and I walked out with a 1.75L bottle of Grey Goose Vodka. Not joking.

(Yes, this is Beth’s world famous cheesecake. Well, it’s world famous amongst the minions who have eaten it. It’s better than anything you’ll buy in the store or a restaurant. Totally serious. And behind it? The chocolate silk pie. And yes, there’s a handprint in the cheesecake… don’t ask.)

Anyway, amongst my errands, I stopped to see the brother at his restaurant… first, to get some smoked turkey for eating purposes. Second, to show off a new sparkly that arrived on Friday. And third, to cajole him into coming early yesterday to help me cook the chateaubriand because my back just didn’t feel right. Boy, am I glad I did! Before calling it a day on Saturday, I prepared a breakfast strata and a scratch green bean casserole (no cans of cream of mushroom soup or green beans were harmed in the making of this casserole–fresh green beans snapped and blanched, a homemade mushroom cream sauce from sautéed mushrooms, a roux, cream, and chicken stock). And, I finished the cheesecake. By the time I was done, it hurt to stand, sit, bend, twist, and pretty much breathe. I took drugs and went to bed, hoping against hope the spasms would recede by morning.

Sunday, I joined my parental units at church for a fantastic service… I quite possibly had the worst posture in the sanctuary. I felt like I was 86 years old, not 36 years old. Oy veh. After church, I came home to cook and bake some more.

I finished the vodka crust and then proceeded with making a chocolate silk pie. After that, I sautéed mushrooms again, this time for the smashed potatoes that accompany chateaubriand. Once the mushrooms were done, I backburnered them, literally. I pulled out another saucepan and sautéed shallots (I’ll cook with onions, but under no circumstances will I ingest them!) and thyme in some olive oil, then I deglazed with some merlot, reduced the mixture and added beef trimmings and beef stock to reduce into a sauce. For the fifth time (out of five), the sauce reduced without thickening. I have determined the next time I make this, I’m making a roux. I’ve pretty much perfected the art of using a roux, so I’m gonna!

The brother and sister-in-law arrived around 4:00 p.m., and not a moment too soon! I walked him through the chateaubriand while sitting because my back was once again fatiguing at a rapid pace. I had no desire to repeat the spasms from the night before. Brian’s been wanting to learn how to make the chateaubriand, so this provided the reason. He did a fantastic job!

The rest of our meal consisted of a ham that Mom brined for fifteen hours and then baked with a sage-herb rub. About halfway through the baking process, she began coating the ham with an apple cider and brown sugar glaze. I’m not usually a big fan of ham. I tasted that stuff and it was fantastic! I also made buttermilk mashed potatoes to accompany the ham. Mom made glazed carrots as well.

After dinner–which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone–Brian took a a couple of photos for me. See, today was a horrible day. Jim and Marilyn left Colorado Springs to drive to South Carolina. Forever. They’ve been like grandparents to me for the past four years. They are absolutely precious! They loved on me with hugs and kisses, I-love-yous, and prayers for a spouse (nope, not joking… Marilyn is diligently praying for a man to trip over me). They anxiously waited to hear about my 2.5-week trip to Europe in 2010 and then my 2.5-week up the east coast this past year. They oooed and aaahed over the photos from both vacations. They’ve had me over to Sunday dinner, I had them over to try chateaubriand the first time I made it (“I thought you’d never ask,” Jim would say whenever he received an invite). We’ve gone out to dinner many times. We’ve watched USC play whomever in college football (one of their sons graduated from USC quite awhile back). Like I said, they’re as family as family can be. I honestly can’t fathom life without them, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t standing outside in my pajamas and a sweatshirt waving at them as they took off this morning… with tears. I may or may not have sniffled during most of my drive to work this morning. They’ve recommended I wait until the boxes are unpacked before I come visit. I gave my solemn (and teary) promise to do so. I nearly lost it at dinner on Wednesday when Jim made a comment about me being one of the granddaughters. Like I said, they’re precious. And I’m all sniffly all over again. This from someone who isn’t prone to crying! Aye-yi-yi.

Alright, I need to go before I get completely maudlin over this and start bawling all over everyone. Even with this bittersweet ending, my Easter was fabulous. I know people like to tell everyone that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” around Christmas, but truthfully, I think it’s even more so at Easter. I hope your Easter was as filled with love as mine was, because there’s nothing better in life than being loved.

P.S. Today was Opening Day in baseball and my Dodgers beat the Gnats (their archenemy) 4-0 thanks to a shutout and solo homer from pitcher Clayton Kershaw. I found that out while I was still at work. But that didn’t stop me from coming home and watching the game on DVR. Go Blue! (I might be a big fan… just maybe!)

Brackets and EKGs

Because they’re related, right? Not really, but they account for quite a bit of my time today.

First, since I’m going to drop down my calories to 800 per day while working with the weight loss clinic, they wanted a baseline of my EKG (again) and blood panels. Let’s not discuss the fact that a few months ago, we tested everything under the sun whilst trying to determine why my blood pressure shot up and got all cattywampus. Never mind that I had a full blown stress test involving a cardiologist who said I was healthy as all get out. Nope, those don’t matter. I had to get another EKG today. My doctor, Dr. R, looked it over and advised me I’m still healthy as all get out. Then she asked why the weight clinic, who has an MD and a PA, couldn’t do their own EKG and read it themselves. Got me. I’ve been wondering that for two years. She’s planning to raise a ruckus because she says this is a gross waste of medical resources as well as a waste of money for the patient and insurance. I like my doctor! She also told me she talks about me to all patients who need to lose weight. I’m her example of why the clinic works if you make life changes while and after you lose the weight.

I’m going back in for a tune-up, and not because I’ve fallen off the wagon. I still eat healthy, but last year I had to stay out of the gym for five months while we figured out what was going on. Then I got sick and was traveling for many weeks. Then the holidays. And then work got stressful and busy again. They’re not good excuses, but they are reasons. My jeans got tighter than I like and without the accountability of the clinic combined with the low calorie diet, it would require more mental effort than I can spare at present to get where I need to be. Going into the clinic actually takes a lot of thought out of the process because I stop thinking long term and start thinking one week at a time. In my present state, one week at a time is doable. And I’m a fan of doable. But I have to admit to being proud as punch that I am Dr. R’s brag to her other patients. I’m totally okay with this!

After my appointment, I let them draw the blood for a metabolic panel. I irritated one of the techs when I told her I didn’t care whether or not the panel was a fasting or non-fasting panel. (Mine was non-fasting.) I already know my numbers are superb. The phlebotomist who drew my blood lowered her voice and told me she thinks a non-fasting draw is better because it shows your numbers the way they are most of the time because let’s face it, we all tend to eat a couple times a day on a daily basis! We don’t spend our lives fasting.

After being stuck, I went home for the day. I was bemoaning the fact that my employer frowns on an office bracket for the fun that is March Madness. Now, for those of you who either live in a country other than the United States or if you grew up under a rock, March brings with it the NCAA basketball tournament known as March Madness. And the fun of a bracket is predicting who wins the first 32 games all the way down to the final game. I chose Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Indiana in the Final Four with Gonzaga besting Kansas in the championship game. I have a sweet spot for Gonzaga. They’re an itty bitty little school that is the perpetual Cinderella story when it comes to March Madness. Somewhere along the way, I became a fan and I’ve rooted for them ever since. However, this year they are seeded #1 in the western division. That means they have a better than average chance of going all the way.

Anyway, I didn’t really have a group to join for a bracket, so a former coworker of mine and I started our own bracket. Geoff used to work in my office, and now he works in the field in Tennessee. His wife is an absolute blast and we didn’t meet until right as they were relocating. She and I enjoy chatting and emailing back and forth. Anyway, we created our own bracket and invited some of our coworkers to join along with select family and friends. There isn’t any money on the line, but we have folks near and far invited into our bracket… the states of California, Colorado, Tennessee, and Texas will be represented. And the winner just gets bragging rights. How fun is that? Sometimes a simple, friendly rivalry is the way to go. And I have noticed the years I compete with a bracket are the years I pay closer attention to the outcome. I’ve got a vested interest, if you will.

So that’s the story of my brackets and EKGs. See you later, alligator!

Baited Breath!

I know you’ve all been waiting with baited breath to hear how the cooking adventures turned out. So here you go:

• Breakfast Strata… still a serious winner! And it’s been elevated to the ranks of my favorite recipes.
• Chicken Pot Pie… eh… so-so. A lot of work for mediocre flavor.
• Catalan-Style Beef Stew… ohmigosh! Incredible! It has a Moroccan influence and it rocks! This recipe is a keeper and will be made again. And again. And again.

Two out of three isn’t bad… especially when the dud was good, it just wasn’t great. The biggest problem is that it was nowhere near stellar, which the other two were. That, of course, makes it’s mediocrity stand out. I haven’t given up on finding a great pot pie recipe, though. But that’s a challenge for another weekend.

And because I’m sure you’re dying to know, the fifth movie yesterday was The Avengers. I know, I know… but I really do like comic book movies! Debbie, my best friend, pointed out that I should add “likes guy movies” to the list of reasons I should be married. So to recap, the list is: cooks like a champ, loves sports, detests shopping, buys own jewelry, and likes guy movies. Again, why am I single? I’m pretty sure this is one of life’s great mysteries.

Alright folks, I’m going to bed early tonight with the hopes of awakening early and <gasp> going to the gym. If I sleep well–and I’m hoping I do–I will get up and go to the gym. I’m not delusional, this will not be one of those 500-calorie burn sessions. I’ll be happy with 250-300 considering how long it’s been since I was there.

Speaking of going to bed early… I’m going to take my vitamins now, wash my face, brush my teeth, and climb into bed.

TTFN… ta-ta for now!