Hey there everyone, how are you doing?
I have had — whew, I have had a week. Why does it feel like I’ve been in this city so much longer than I actually have? I’ve been here two weeks and yet it feels so long. Maybe it because of the nature of my work. Everyday I’m running around, putting video together, meeting and talking to new people. I don’t get much time to take a breath except for when I’m home in the evenings and on my days off. Note this isn’t a comment on my attitude towards my job, simply an observation.
But a lot has happened since I last spoke to you all. First off I did in fact go drive around last Sunday; I stopped by Cody Park and looked around, bought a peanut butter milkshake, admired the animals there. I went over to check out the rec center but it will be closed — I think for a few more days for renovations or something like that. So I’ll see more of that later. But then I just drove around and listened to the radio — it was a beautiful day, all sunny and warm — just drove with my windows down with nowhere in particular to go. It felt nice.
Today? Well today I slept in. Today I woke up with, and am sticking to, the concept of not having anything to do. I have things to do everyday and places to be. But today? Today I am just messing around in my apartment: I slept in; slowly — purposefully, with no rush — make myself almond extract, chocolate chip pancakes with pan-fried bacon; made coffee with foamy milk, so it looked like a proper latte; loved every moment of eating; decided to stick with the cooking concept and make another batch of blueberry Jiffy scones. I’ve been blasting Spotify and YouTube and just dancing around my kitchen/living room. It feels so good to just relax and do what I want for a bit of time. I think I’ll melt some chocolate chips and put them into one of the baking molds I have; that way I’ll have little chocolates to eat every once in awhile.
Now, onto what has happened this past week, in no particular order. Well, I’ve been watching an awful lot of ABC’s Once Upon A Time. I made it to the Season 3 mid-season finale and thought I’d take a quick break, as time is supposed to have passed between the finale and the next episode (a year, in fact). But it’s nice — just something to listen to in the evenings and while I putz around at home, while I get ready in the mornings. It’s a cool concept, cool show.
One of my college friends who took a road trip to Colorado (to start up classes again) stopped by to see my apartment and chat. It was late in the evening, but it was great to see and talk to her in person — hadn’t done that since May. But she seems well, and she was the first of my friends to actually physically see my apartment.
For dinner one evening I bought a package of gnocchi. I looked up how to make a simple butter garlic sauce and make it myself — butter, minced garlic, flower, milk. Sprinkled a little Italian seasoning on and it was truly amazing to eat.
I made my TV debut this week; on-camera to present a package I made about the crickets around town. Long story short these crickets are basically overrunning the outside of our buildings, but it’s only temporary. Anyway though, my coworkers helped me with my makeup and microphones and such — it reminded me a lot of when I was a dancer: piling on makeup to be seen through the bright lights. But I looked beautiful and it went about as well it could have went. I got a little adrenaline rush afterwards.
I paid my first electric bill, put money aside for rent and Internet. Got a formal and informal tour of the Golden Spike Tower in town, overlooking Bailey Yard (the largest rail yard in the world) as part of work; it was very cool and a very good way for me to see more of the town.
A lovely, dear friend of mine sent me a letter in the mail — just him messing around with me, but it was very cute and I loved it. I sent him one back of the same nature and it should be arriving this week sometime. I also sent him an adorable little package with a handmade gift: a glass potion bottle, filled with food-coloring-blue water, labeled — in fancy letters with a black paint pen — “Communication Juice.” Don’t worry if that doesn’t make sense, it’s an inside joke. Thankfully he seemed to like it well enough. I also sent some of my other college friends little greeting cards with messages and doodles for each of them specifically, which should also be arriving sometime next week.
You wanna know a secret? When I was taking a pause in my kitchen, I actually thought about this past week and wrote down a list of things to put in this post. I know I’ve done fun things and fun things have happened, but I dunno it all just seems to disappear on Friday nights. I’ve taken up a tradition on Friday nights of buying dinner somewhere (yesterday was Wendy’s), eating it while messing around on my laptop, lighting a candle, running a hot bath with a bath bomb, and just relaxing. It’s truly a feeling unlike any other and I love it and appreciate it so deeply. I know I/ll be working some weekends coming up and my now-Fridays will turn into Wednesdays or Thursdays, but you get the idea.
I realized I have no money — surprising, right? From my paycheck, after paying for living expenses, I do have little to spend on food. I suppose it’s good given how little I actually eat but still. I think once I run out of my stock-pile for food I’ll make large batches of a cookbook recipe and then just keep it in the fridge/freezer for awhile. Hopefully that’ll pan out. But hey, this is my second, third week living on my own, I’m not supposed to have it all figured out yet.
But you know what? I’m having a wonderful time right now in this moment. Last night after my bath that friend from above and I exchanged songs/artists we liked and we both seemed to like the other’s picks; he showed me Who You Are Is Not Enough by Athletics, I showed him Ever After by Marianas Trench. After a late night I woke up this morning and honestly have just been loving life. It feels good to actually take the time to cook and have a meal as opposed to scarfing something down in between getting ready for work and leaving, or coming home and going to bed.
Well, if I think of anything else, I will let y’all know. Merci.