Friends' Friday Night of Food & Fun

Another week has passed and those of us that were out of town are home and an old friend is in town visiting. What better way to spend the evening than to get together for a fabulous Friday night of food and fun? This is group that likes to cook and more importantly, likes to eat. To keep thing simple we opted for a fun favorite - pizza night! We started off with an appetizer of the always awesome hummus [which I forgot to get a picture of] and then followed it up with a scrumptious salad and homemade pizzas. First, we had a pear and goat cheese pizza. Second was a tomato, mushroom, gorgonzola, and mozzarella cheese pizza. The third and last pizza had balsamic onions and goat cheese. Pizza night would not be complete without cookies; therefore, we had homemade oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. It was a wonderful evening with good food and great people!

East Coast : West Coast

After finishing up my contract and with one day to pack and plan, I headed west for a job interview, to visit a friend, and check out the area. The flight out was early; however, watching the sunrise out the airplane window was gorgeous! The clouds looked like ocean waves and the sun glimmered off them.

It was a long day of travel, but my luggage and I touched down in SD and were quickly reunited. We were promptly picked up and whisked away to my friends little cottage where I attempted, without success, to take a nap. Perhaps it was the excitement or perhaps it was the slowing down of a hectic nonstop work week, but I was exhausted and sadly remained so during my time in SD. A few hours later, I retrieved my friend, her husband, and their luggage from the airport. They had been on holiday in Denver and were scheduled to return that evening. After a quick reunion, we headed out to get dinner and had wonderful Vietnamese food! Having not had Vietnamese, I quickly fell in love with my grilled shrimp vermicelle and even woke the next morning thinking about it.

Over the next few days I had the second interview, checked out Stone's brewery, hiked to the top of Laguna Mountain on what must have been the windiest day in California, hiked in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, ate scrumptious apple and boysenberry pie at Julian Pie Company, wondered through Balboa Park, and enjoyed a brisk sunset.

Within Balboa Park there was so much to do and see. First, we strolled through the cactus garden where I took a few too many pictures. It was hard not to as so many of the cacti were in bloom. Additionally, there was the Botanical Building, filled with gorgeous orchids, ferns, and many more beautiful plants.

The Museum of Photographic Art was a must see and had a few fabulous exhibits, including Streetwise: Masters of 60;s Photography and Imagine That!. As part of the Imagine That! exhibit, there was a place where one could take a picture with the man in the moon. I just couldn't resist!

Unfortunately, the weather turned cold and rainy during my last few days in SD. Not being a fan of the cold and especially being wet and cold, I stayed in and worked a bit. Truthfully, it was really nice to have the down time. The trip back had a few hiccups, but I made it back and was greeted by a fluffy K with hugs and sneezes. It's a long day of traveling, but I was thankful to meet some interesting people during both trips and was greatly humbled to see the sunrise on the east coast and set on the west coast in the same day!

Last day: take two

Today was officially my last day of work... and oh what a hectic day it was. It's a good thing I worked all weekend, because I was not able to get any work completed today, besides writing a few emails. Between working all weekend and the hecticness of today, I am exhausted.

Thankfully, I have all day tomorrow to pack, plan, and accomplish various tasks before heading to the west coast early Wednesday morning. Aside from the long airport time [I'm not a fan of airports... I think it's something about being the recycled air, but I find air travel really draining] I am super excited to get to visit with old an old friend and talk about potential new beginnings. I am a buzz with excitement and possibility.

In the meantime... it's time to celebrate and what better way than martini's? Although the temperatures and wind outside are brisk, I'm going to warm up with a tasty martini and celebrate the end of one chapter and the start of a new one. Although the new chapter in unknown, I do know it's going to be awesome and I'm enjoying the journey!

Friday night fun

What better way to end a week than cooking dinner with friends? It's one of my favorite things to do and I try to do it as often as possible. This collaborative effort included white bean hummus, black bean oat burgers, brussels sprouts [with your choice of bacon or parmesan cheese], pasta salad, french fries, and avocado fries. Hm... makes my mouth water just typing it.

Needless to say dinner was a hit. The white bean hummus was so good and was gone within 30 minutes. The black bean oat burgers [a new recipe I had read about and wanted to try] turned out really well, were tasty, easy to make, and freeze well. The avocado fries were a bit more challenging, but were great. The pasta salad was super yummy and the brussels sprouts were mouth watering as well! With good conversation, great food, and wonderful company the evening couldn't have been better. That is until the next time we do it!

What kind of glasses are you wearing?

It is my last day of work, I have a zillion things to do, and yet all I seem to want to do is blog. Why? I am not quite sure. Especially since I do not feel I have anything significant to say at the moment. Yet, here I am... blogging. Perhaps it is the procastinator in me, I'm not sure, but I finally decided it was better to give in than to try to resist.

So, yes it is my last official day of employment at the lab I've been working at the past 2.5+ years... and I'm ecstatic! I know unemployment has a negative connotation, but when I think about not having to come into an office, sit at a computer all day I am filled w/ excitement and see all the possibility. I know that not many people see things similarly, but I if they could only shift their perspective they would enjoy their days much more. As for myself, I cannot wait to have a few days to myself.... to paint, be active, and explore!

As much as I do want a more stable job [as opposed to soft money/contract work] where I can advance, learn, and grow w/in a company, the thought of floating for awhile is salivatingly tempting. The comfort I feel may be b/c there are some opportunities taking shape and I am not completely optionless and for this, I am extremely grateful. However, we always have opportunities... we may not like them, but they are there, and sometimes we just don't have the correct glasses on to see them.

At the moment I am enjoying this tumultuous time... something I would not have said a few months ago. I may not know where I am going to be in a month, but I know it's going to be great and I can't wait to see what happens on the journey there. In the meantime, I intend to enjoy the view through my glasses of endless possibilities and suggest you try on a few different pairs of glasses until you find one that sits just right for you!

Life is a train of moods like a string of beads, and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

5 day whirlwind and back again

After a whirlwind trip from the North Carolina coast to Southeast Florida and back, I arrived to the treehouse apartment a little past midnight last night. Over the course of five days, I drove through old stomping grounds, checked out possible new ones, met some really awesome people, visited w/ old friends, enjoyed some family time, and sadly watched my home town fade in the rear view as I headed north.

Saturday morning, I left to check out a potential new job. Not being familiar with the area, I wanted to check it out, look into housing, as well as visit the facility and meet the potential new boss. The visit went great and everyone was very kind. The climate was wonderful... it felt SO great to run around barefoot, sweat, and feel the sun on my skin. The area, however, I am not so sure about...

On the return trip, I popped in on some friends. There is something priceless about relationships with history.... and the ability to pick up no matter the time that has passed. Along the way, I made a few stops at old familiar places. It was amazing to see how things have changed. As usual, there were some wonderful new additions and smiling faces.

It was great to get out, meet new people, and especially be in a warmer climate. However, it was really nice to come home as well. As I moved about the little treehouse apartment this morning, unpacking and cleaning, I could feel the excitement from experiencing new things and places fading and the comfort of the familiar settling in. It won't be long until the itch to go returns and old blue, K, and me hit the road again...