Monday evening, I think it was, I was watching television, after unpacking and getting settled back into my house. I happened to catch the famous Jimmy V ESPY awards speech from 1993 (look it up, it’s actually pretty cool). I’d heard a lot about this one, and wanted to hear it for once. Usually, inspirational speeches only remind me of how pathetic and useless I really am, how pointless my very existence has become, and other equally cheery thoughts.
This time, though, something clicked. Not sure if it was the euphoria left over from a stressful drive after a stressful day after a relaxing week, or if it’s the beginning of a mid-life crisis, but this one hit me differently. I had a voice mail message from a recruiter at Colorado Technical University. I’ve been toying with the idea of going back to school for some time, now, but I couldn’t decide for what. No point going back if you don’t know why you want to go. Waste of time and money if you do that. Well, I finally figured out a direction I’d like to go…don’t laugh…accounting. I called back and left a message telling her I was still very interested in meeting with her, to find out what CTU could do for me. Thursday, I met with her.
She and I clicked almost immediately. Dunno if she’s just an amazing sales person, or if we really did click that well, but it was an informative afternoon. What I’d planned on taking at most an hour, took over three. I didn’t even notice until I got out to my car and saw the clock on the dashboard. For me, the campus was a nice fit, but more importantly, the program was.
Interesting thing, the tangential conversations started with a comment on her artwork and music in the background. Happened to be two of my favorite artists, Beethoven and Van Gogh. She had a Klimt work over the door, too. Then we started talking about arts and entertainment. She’d moved here from a larger city, like myself, and was dying for a cultural scene. As much as I love Colorado Springs, culturally, it’s sorely lacking. I pointed out that it would require a drive to Denver, and for many of these things, it would be worth it. We lost another five minutes talking about the Artisans and Kings exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, and more time about the Denver Nature and Science museum Titanic exhibit. She hadn’t been, I recommended she go. That one started off with a comment that I was about sick to death of the Titanic, so I only went because I wanted to spend time with some friends. So worth the drive. And I wound up hanging out with my friends until midnight.
But I digress. Connected quite well, got a tour of the campus. Very small campus, very small classes, regionally accredited college. The last is the most important, since that affects transferability of credits and financial aid. Next thing I know, I’m registering as a student. Yup. A student. Like I said, I’d been considering going back to school for some time, just didn’t know why I would go. Now, if the financial aid works out, I’ll be starting classes in January, an MBA-Accounting candidate. Usually, when I make a decision I shouldn’t have, I regret it, experience buyer’s remorse. While I did wake up in the middle of the night experiencing a bit of anxiety, it was more about having to wait a quarter to start classes instead of starting right away.
I’m still looking for a job, I can take classes while working. I do, of course, have limitations as far as that goes, there are jobs I flat-out can’t do. But there has to be something out there, right?
Friday, November 30, 2007
It Really IS Blue and Orange
Monday morning, I still hadn’t decided whether or not I was going to drive home. After the accident just the night before, I was still a little shaky. Honestly, I think I was even a little “shocky.” I wound up going to bed much earlier than usual, and was absolutely freezing the whole time. It wasn’t that cold. Not really. But I couldn’t get warm for anything. Kinda like a fever without the achiness. I did, though, manage to get to sleep and get over the feverish conditions. Woke up some time before dawn burning up. Not like a fever burning up, but like being covered by too many blankets burning up. Felt better about that, then. I heard my aunt getting herself ready for work at that ungodly hour and tried to decide whether or not I would get up or try to get back to sleep. One tragic thing about me, once I’m up, I’m up. Doesn’t matter if it’s 9:30 or 3:30 in the morning, if I’ve gotten 9 hours or only 2 and a half hours of sleep, I’m up. Once she was out the door, I decided to quit fighting it and get up. The previous evening, my aunt was making sure I had everything ready to go and saying goodbye, in case I decided to leave. Now whether or not she was giving me a hint, I don’t know. Some people would do that, others would just try to be prepared. I really wanted to get home, I had to get my mail and try and figure out what I’d do for a living, and staying down there, in Denialville, wasn’t helping any more.
Just to see how I’d feel about driving a car without a side-view mirror on the driver’s side, I decided to go out for breakfast. Nothing special, just something fast food. I had to go into the restaurant, because I did not want to roll down my window only to find I couldn’t roll it back up. It was raining and cold, after all, and I had 700 miles or so to go. Not fun if I couldn’t roll up my window. Driving around a bit, I also filled my car tank. Maybe all told about 5 miles driving around on city streets, with other cars. Okay. Not optimal, but I could do it. So, back I went to my aunt’s house, finished packing, and hit the road.
I lost about half an hour trying to get out of Tulsa. I wasn’t able to reverse my directions for some reason. Lucky for me, my aunt had gotten me a few maps of a few states and cities, so I was able to look it up, after realizing that I was getting farther away from Colorado instead of closer. Wish I’d looked it up sooner, I could have been on my way all the sooner, and used less gas. At last, though, I was on the way.
At the outset, the drive didn’t seem all that bad. There were some confusing moments, times when the routes shown didn’t quite make sense, but I got over it. To keep myself from getting bored, I set little goals, something I also did on the way down. My first goal was the Oklahoma-Kansas border, then Wichita, and so forth. Drives that were within the realm of realistic for the mileage my car gets. As the drive wore on, the game became more and more important. Going east through western Kansas, still interesting. Going west through western Kansas, still incredibly boring. And since I hadn’t slept well, I was also tired. Arrgh! I lost a bit of time having to take frequent breaks just to keep from driving off the road. The brown fields on either side of me didn’t look particularly inviting.
The last goal I made was to reach Kanorado (Kanarado?) by sunset. I’d actually hoped to be in Limon, Colorado by sunset, but after my extensive tour of Tulsa and then the frequent rest breaks on the way, that just wasn’t going to happen. I did, however, get to laugh at a few people who were speeding (speed limit through Kansas is 70, through Colorado 75), who blew by me like I was standing still, later passing them because they were standing still, waiting for their speeding ticket. Didn’t save them any time at all. Hah ha!
Right, so anyway, I wanted to make the Kansas-Colorado border by sunset. Fortunately for me, I managed to reach that goal. Y’know what? I saw the sunset.
Now, I’ve seen many sunsets in many cities and states, and at many elevations, from below sea level in New Orleans to over 10,000 feet in western Colorado, and many times of the year. And they’re almost always spectacular - rather than merely “pretty.” This one, well, this one surprised me. There’s a bumper sticker I’ve seen around here, a Broncos sticker that says “If God isn’t a Broncos fan, why are sunsets Blue and Orange?” I’d never seen this mythical sunset, not anywhere in Colorado. Not in the cities, not in the areas around the cities, not in the areas nowhere near cities. Based on the sunsets I’d seen, if anything, God was a Steelers fan, with the black sky and yellow just above the horizon. Just hadn’t seen it. Until now.
Finally reaching my goal of the Kansas-Colorado border, I relaxed. I was in the home stretch. Then I looked. Really looked. The straight ribbon of highway disappeared into the eastern plains of Colorado. Off to the right, I was greeted by a weather-beaten sign, welcoming me to Colorful Colorado, a claim I sincerely doubted when I first moved here, and now heartily support. To the left, small hills, with bits of raw granite showing through the tiny cliffs, covered by the sere grasses of the winter. And right in front of me, the sunset. The sky directly above was a deep indigo, gradually becoming a pale blue, and suddenly, orange. Broncos orange. There was no intervening band of a blue-orange, it just went from pale blue to orange. What an incredible sight.
Perhaps I was a bit more enchanted because I was so happy to finally be close to Colorado Springs, relatively speaking. Perhaps I was tired enough that anything would have been incredible to my eyes. What I know, though, is that it was a beautiful sight, one I hope I won’t forget for some time to come.
Just to see how I’d feel about driving a car without a side-view mirror on the driver’s side, I decided to go out for breakfast. Nothing special, just something fast food. I had to go into the restaurant, because I did not want to roll down my window only to find I couldn’t roll it back up. It was raining and cold, after all, and I had 700 miles or so to go. Not fun if I couldn’t roll up my window. Driving around a bit, I also filled my car tank. Maybe all told about 5 miles driving around on city streets, with other cars. Okay. Not optimal, but I could do it. So, back I went to my aunt’s house, finished packing, and hit the road.
I lost about half an hour trying to get out of Tulsa. I wasn’t able to reverse my directions for some reason. Lucky for me, my aunt had gotten me a few maps of a few states and cities, so I was able to look it up, after realizing that I was getting farther away from Colorado instead of closer. Wish I’d looked it up sooner, I could have been on my way all the sooner, and used less gas. At last, though, I was on the way.
At the outset, the drive didn’t seem all that bad. There were some confusing moments, times when the routes shown didn’t quite make sense, but I got over it. To keep myself from getting bored, I set little goals, something I also did on the way down. My first goal was the Oklahoma-Kansas border, then Wichita, and so forth. Drives that were within the realm of realistic for the mileage my car gets. As the drive wore on, the game became more and more important. Going east through western Kansas, still interesting. Going west through western Kansas, still incredibly boring. And since I hadn’t slept well, I was also tired. Arrgh! I lost a bit of time having to take frequent breaks just to keep from driving off the road. The brown fields on either side of me didn’t look particularly inviting.
The last goal I made was to reach Kanorado (Kanarado?) by sunset. I’d actually hoped to be in Limon, Colorado by sunset, but after my extensive tour of Tulsa and then the frequent rest breaks on the way, that just wasn’t going to happen. I did, however, get to laugh at a few people who were speeding (speed limit through Kansas is 70, through Colorado 75), who blew by me like I was standing still, later passing them because they were standing still, waiting for their speeding ticket. Didn’t save them any time at all. Hah ha!
Right, so anyway, I wanted to make the Kansas-Colorado border by sunset. Fortunately for me, I managed to reach that goal. Y’know what? I saw the sunset.
Now, I’ve seen many sunsets in many cities and states, and at many elevations, from below sea level in New Orleans to over 10,000 feet in western Colorado, and many times of the year. And they’re almost always spectacular - rather than merely “pretty.” This one, well, this one surprised me. There’s a bumper sticker I’ve seen around here, a Broncos sticker that says “If God isn’t a Broncos fan, why are sunsets Blue and Orange?” I’d never seen this mythical sunset, not anywhere in Colorado. Not in the cities, not in the areas around the cities, not in the areas nowhere near cities. Based on the sunsets I’d seen, if anything, God was a Steelers fan, with the black sky and yellow just above the horizon. Just hadn’t seen it. Until now.
Finally reaching my goal of the Kansas-Colorado border, I relaxed. I was in the home stretch. Then I looked. Really looked. The straight ribbon of highway disappeared into the eastern plains of Colorado. Off to the right, I was greeted by a weather-beaten sign, welcoming me to Colorful Colorado, a claim I sincerely doubted when I first moved here, and now heartily support. To the left, small hills, with bits of raw granite showing through the tiny cliffs, covered by the sere grasses of the winter. And right in front of me, the sunset. The sky directly above was a deep indigo, gradually becoming a pale blue, and suddenly, orange. Broncos orange. There was no intervening band of a blue-orange, it just went from pale blue to orange. What an incredible sight.
Perhaps I was a bit more enchanted because I was so happy to finally be close to Colorado Springs, relatively speaking. Perhaps I was tired enough that anything would have been incredible to my eyes. What I know, though, is that it was a beautiful sight, one I hope I won’t forget for some time to come.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Home Team Wins
Posted November 25, 2007 from Tulsa, OK
Y'know, this whole having access to high-speed internet has made me a bloggin' fool. Maybe I should consider rejoining the 21st century.
This afternoon was a great thing. A beautiful thing. After I got used to the idea that my Titans/Bengals game (and if you've read my site, you would know I bleed Black and Orange) would be on an hour later, at noon instead of eleven, I got settled in. Since I'm in Oklahoma, the game that was broadcast was the KC/Oak game. That was a bit of a shocker, the outcome there, but that's not where I'm going.
Since I couldn't watch on TV, like I never can, I went to NFL.com to watch the play-by-play on Game Center, and opened another window for the Bengals message board (Colorado 'Nati Girl). Since I'm at my aunt's house, I have access to high-speed internet. I found a Cincinnati station that streamed their broadcast online. Yay! So while I couldn't see the game, I could see and hear the play-by-play. Sure, I know it could be another 10 years before we have another winning season, I've been a fan since 1981, I know that. But win or lose, I was excited to be there. I mean, let's face it, anyone who follows football knows that the Bengals just aren't doing it this year. The talent is there, they just weren't behaving as a team, and I'm not sure why.
That is, they weren't until today.
Right from the beginning, it was looking good. But I've been burnt by that before. So while I was excited, I was not quite convinced this game would go the way it seemed it would. Before I knew it, though, I'd be in shock. Yes, shock. I almost felt like it was 2005 again.
Sorry, I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. I'm so happy. Seriously. I love my Bengals, for better or for worse. If I could have applied that same devotion to relationships, I'd probably still be married, but that's neither here nor there.
First, in their first drive, they went three and out. And not for lack of trying. But we held them. Yeah, the Bengals defense. Then we moved the ball along for about five minutes, ending up with a TOUCHDOWN by Rudi Johnson. He hasn't been doing too well, lately, a little beat up. He's good for short yardage, though, much like Jerome Bettis was. Three minutes later, Vince throws a pick, something that in the past meant a score for the Bengals. In the distant past. Sadly, this time it was the same story. The drive went through the second quarter resulting in a missed 26-yard field goal. Now, I personally couldn't possibly manage a field goal of any distance, but Shane Graham, the man who scored all 21 of our points against Baltimore a couple weeks ago, is up there with Vinateri as far as reliability is concerned. S'okay, though, nobody's perfect. Still love ya, Shane.
Sadly, later in the 2nd, Tennesee also got a turnover, and converted it to 3 points. We were still ahead, but how long would it last? There's a lot of heart with the Bengals, obvious by the fact that they get so disappointed when they do poorly that it's nearly impossible for them to recover. Oh well. We answered in our next possession, with OCHO CINCO getting his first TD since game TWO! Yeah, baby! Okay, so he got 15 yards for his celebration, but y'know, like Marvin, I was just thrilled to know Chad was happy. I knew that generally, he wouldn't cost the team yards, money or points.
Tennesse then answered with another FG, 'cuz they couldn't get past the Cincinnati defensive line. You read that right, our D showed UP!
Another rushing TD in the 3rd, and another OCHO CINCO TD in the third. No, he didn't celebrate. Like I said, he's not like that.
The fourth quarter got even more exciting. there was a THIRD CHAD JOHNSON TOUCHDOWN! He's BACK, baby! I knew he had it in him.
To make it even better, though, there was a Titan's TD that was reversed. Marvin tossed the challenge flag, and the review showed the carrier was down before the score. The Bengals Defense held the Titans at the 1 for two more downs. At this point, I was delirious. We weren't just going to win, we were going to win BIG!
I'm so proud of my Bengals. I really am. Even if we'd lost, I wasn't about to get rid of my gear. I still have my 1981 AFC Central Championship T-shirt. I still have my 1988 Who-Dey Hanky. And my newer acquisitions, my sweatshirts (including the 2005 AFC North Championship sweat), 85 jersey, car flags (three of them), and car decal, well, those aren't going anywhere. Win or lose, like I said.
But today, it was easy to be a Bengals fan.
And now, next week, a division game. Steelers/Bengals. And I just found out, it's a SUNDAY NIGHT GAME!
WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY THINK GON' BEAT DEM BENGALS?!?
Yes, I know, I've seen the record. Don't care. Still gonna scream it at the top of my lungs.
Y'know, this whole having access to high-speed internet has made me a bloggin' fool. Maybe I should consider rejoining the 21st century.
This afternoon was a great thing. A beautiful thing. After I got used to the idea that my Titans/Bengals game (and if you've read my site, you would know I bleed Black and Orange) would be on an hour later, at noon instead of eleven, I got settled in. Since I'm in Oklahoma, the game that was broadcast was the KC/Oak game. That was a bit of a shocker, the outcome there, but that's not where I'm going.
Since I couldn't watch on TV, like I never can, I went to NFL.com to watch the play-by-play on Game Center, and opened another window for the Bengals message board (Colorado 'Nati Girl). Since I'm at my aunt's house, I have access to high-speed internet. I found a Cincinnati station that streamed their broadcast online. Yay! So while I couldn't see the game, I could see and hear the play-by-play. Sure, I know it could be another 10 years before we have another winning season, I've been a fan since 1981, I know that. But win or lose, I was excited to be there. I mean, let's face it, anyone who follows football knows that the Bengals just aren't doing it this year. The talent is there, they just weren't behaving as a team, and I'm not sure why.
That is, they weren't until today.
Right from the beginning, it was looking good. But I've been burnt by that before. So while I was excited, I was not quite convinced this game would go the way it seemed it would. Before I knew it, though, I'd be in shock. Yes, shock. I almost felt like it was 2005 again.
Sorry, I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. I'm so happy. Seriously. I love my Bengals, for better or for worse. If I could have applied that same devotion to relationships, I'd probably still be married, but that's neither here nor there.
First, in their first drive, they went three and out. And not for lack of trying. But we held them. Yeah, the Bengals defense. Then we moved the ball along for about five minutes, ending up with a TOUCHDOWN by Rudi Johnson. He hasn't been doing too well, lately, a little beat up. He's good for short yardage, though, much like Jerome Bettis was. Three minutes later, Vince throws a pick, something that in the past meant a score for the Bengals. In the distant past. Sadly, this time it was the same story. The drive went through the second quarter resulting in a missed 26-yard field goal. Now, I personally couldn't possibly manage a field goal of any distance, but Shane Graham, the man who scored all 21 of our points against Baltimore a couple weeks ago, is up there with Vinateri as far as reliability is concerned. S'okay, though, nobody's perfect. Still love ya, Shane.
Sadly, later in the 2nd, Tennesee also got a turnover, and converted it to 3 points. We were still ahead, but how long would it last? There's a lot of heart with the Bengals, obvious by the fact that they get so disappointed when they do poorly that it's nearly impossible for them to recover. Oh well. We answered in our next possession, with OCHO CINCO getting his first TD since game TWO! Yeah, baby! Okay, so he got 15 yards for his celebration, but y'know, like Marvin, I was just thrilled to know Chad was happy. I knew that generally, he wouldn't cost the team yards, money or points.
Tennesse then answered with another FG, 'cuz they couldn't get past the Cincinnati defensive line. You read that right, our D showed UP!
Another rushing TD in the 3rd, and another OCHO CINCO TD in the third. No, he didn't celebrate. Like I said, he's not like that.
The fourth quarter got even more exciting. there was a THIRD CHAD JOHNSON TOUCHDOWN! He's BACK, baby! I knew he had it in him.
To make it even better, though, there was a Titan's TD that was reversed. Marvin tossed the challenge flag, and the review showed the carrier was down before the score. The Bengals Defense held the Titans at the 1 for two more downs. At this point, I was delirious. We weren't just going to win, we were going to win BIG!
I'm so proud of my Bengals. I really am. Even if we'd lost, I wasn't about to get rid of my gear. I still have my 1981 AFC Central Championship T-shirt. I still have my 1988 Who-Dey Hanky. And my newer acquisitions, my sweatshirts (including the 2005 AFC North Championship sweat), 85 jersey, car flags (three of them), and car decal, well, those aren't going anywhere. Win or lose, like I said.
But today, it was easy to be a Bengals fan.
And now, next week, a division game. Steelers/Bengals. And I just found out, it's a SUNDAY NIGHT GAME!
WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY THINK GON' BEAT DEM BENGALS?!?
Yes, I know, I've seen the record. Don't care. Still gonna scream it at the top of my lungs.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving Memories
Posted November 23, 2007 from Tulsa, OK
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Lovely day here in Tulsa. A little cold, sure, but it is November, after all. Up early, I began to prepare our feast. 'Cuz I wanted to. Tired of cooking for one person, I got to prepare food for four. Yay! By "early," by the way, I mean, like, 9. Early enough.
Sweet potato pies in the oven, I prepared the cornmuffin mix for the stuffing, which would be dressing since we only had turkey breast and no cavity for stuffing stuff. Oh well. We must adapt. Just toss that into a casserole dish and bake it. While the pies were baking, I set to chopping the celery and onions for the stuffing cum dressing. Something I've done for years. I used to work in a cafeteria kitchen for crying out loud. The actual cooking wasn't something I did, although I did have the occasional turn at the stainless steel oar in a soup or two. I did, however, get to chop and clean and rinse and plate up. The grunt work. I watch Food Network because it's interesting to me. My mother taught me how to handle a knife when I was young, probably because I was interested, not because she wanted to impart some special knowledge.
So yesterday, midway through a lovely yellow onion, the mini santoku knife I used slipped. Well, no, that's not accurate. The knife went exactly where it was supposed to go. Unfortunately, so did my left thumb. Lucky for me it was a mini santoku. If it was my knife, I'd have wound up in the ER with a severed digit at best. Calling out from the kitchen, I asked where my aunt kept her bandages. My aunt the RN. Yeah. Having known my mother, since it was her sister, she decided to see for herself just how severe this cut really was. I dunno, she seemed to think dripping blood into her trash can was severe. I missed the fingernail, most of my thumb was still intact. I'd be fine.
Of course, in my household, the only injury that would get mom anxious was a completely severed limb. Anything less was walked off. Oh, there were hospital trips of course, but none of them were ever treated as much of a big deal. Not really worrying too much about the piece of thumb just barely hanging on, I just wanted a bandage so I could finish chopping the onions.
Sadly, my aunt, the aforementioned RN, had other ideas. I had to sit with my arm elevated for 15 minutes before she would even look at it in more detail. Something about stopping the bleeding so it can be treated effectively. At least I could still see the Macy's parade while I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, time to rinse off the damaged digit and wrap 'er up. Of course, this meant my cooking days were over. No more chopping of onions, and the celery was still left to be diced. My aunt finished those up. I couldn't mash the potatoes, my cousin had to help with that. And as for taking things out of the oven, forget it. Already burned one of her favorite oven mitts, so I was banned form there, too. There are days I wonder why I haven't burned my house down. I know my father's wondered that himself. But then I remind myself that even the most competent, talented or telegenic chef has probably had moments when he or she felt like a complete naïf in the kitchen.
Even though I was supposed to sit and relax, the severity of my sever fresh enough to bleed anew with the slightest provocation, I continued to cook. My aunt, again familiar with my mother, decided it would be easier to humor me. She did, of course, put her foot down in a few instances. Like, I'm no longer allowed to handle a knife. I'm on probation. If I can get through Christmas without removing any other body part, my probation will be lifted. The meal I wanted to cook for my family was left to the person who was planning on enjoying the day off. We had other help, though, and I could still do a few things. While I couldn't mash the potatoes, I could add the seasonings and milk. I couldn't put the dressing in the oven, but I could at least mix everything up. Standing around in the kitchen was adversely affecting my injury, so I couldn't really watch everything as I'd preferred. Having to abandon my duties, my pies were overdone, the crust a little burnt. The dressing was also overdone, forgot about it in the oven. Fortunately, most of it, I could salvage. The turkey, I'd say, was on par with most people who have some idea what they're doing. The mashed potatoes were great, though, and gobbled down with enthusiasm. As was the dressing, the turkey, and the pie.
Later, there would be karaoke and closing bars, and fruitless searches for a snack before bed, but not before passing Toys 'R' Us and seeing a line around the building at 4:15 AM. Kohls was already open, of course, to what end, I don't know, but that's another story entirely.
This one is about food that wasn't done the way everyone wanted, and people who didn't actually care, 'cuz they were with people they loved.
Totally one of the best Thanksgivings ever!
Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. Lovely day here in Tulsa. A little cold, sure, but it is November, after all. Up early, I began to prepare our feast. 'Cuz I wanted to. Tired of cooking for one person, I got to prepare food for four. Yay! By "early," by the way, I mean, like, 9. Early enough.
Sweet potato pies in the oven, I prepared the cornmuffin mix for the stuffing, which would be dressing since we only had turkey breast and no cavity for stuffing stuff. Oh well. We must adapt. Just toss that into a casserole dish and bake it. While the pies were baking, I set to chopping the celery and onions for the stuffing cum dressing. Something I've done for years. I used to work in a cafeteria kitchen for crying out loud. The actual cooking wasn't something I did, although I did have the occasional turn at the stainless steel oar in a soup or two. I did, however, get to chop and clean and rinse and plate up. The grunt work. I watch Food Network because it's interesting to me. My mother taught me how to handle a knife when I was young, probably because I was interested, not because she wanted to impart some special knowledge.
So yesterday, midway through a lovely yellow onion, the mini santoku knife I used slipped. Well, no, that's not accurate. The knife went exactly where it was supposed to go. Unfortunately, so did my left thumb. Lucky for me it was a mini santoku. If it was my knife, I'd have wound up in the ER with a severed digit at best. Calling out from the kitchen, I asked where my aunt kept her bandages. My aunt the RN. Yeah. Having known my mother, since it was her sister, she decided to see for herself just how severe this cut really was. I dunno, she seemed to think dripping blood into her trash can was severe. I missed the fingernail, most of my thumb was still intact. I'd be fine.
Of course, in my household, the only injury that would get mom anxious was a completely severed limb. Anything less was walked off. Oh, there were hospital trips of course, but none of them were ever treated as much of a big deal. Not really worrying too much about the piece of thumb just barely hanging on, I just wanted a bandage so I could finish chopping the onions.
Sadly, my aunt, the aforementioned RN, had other ideas. I had to sit with my arm elevated for 15 minutes before she would even look at it in more detail. Something about stopping the bleeding so it can be treated effectively. At least I could still see the Macy's parade while I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, time to rinse off the damaged digit and wrap 'er up. Of course, this meant my cooking days were over. No more chopping of onions, and the celery was still left to be diced. My aunt finished those up. I couldn't mash the potatoes, my cousin had to help with that. And as for taking things out of the oven, forget it. Already burned one of her favorite oven mitts, so I was banned form there, too. There are days I wonder why I haven't burned my house down. I know my father's wondered that himself. But then I remind myself that even the most competent, talented or telegenic chef has probably had moments when he or she felt like a complete naïf in the kitchen.
Even though I was supposed to sit and relax, the severity of my sever fresh enough to bleed anew with the slightest provocation, I continued to cook. My aunt, again familiar with my mother, decided it would be easier to humor me. She did, of course, put her foot down in a few instances. Like, I'm no longer allowed to handle a knife. I'm on probation. If I can get through Christmas without removing any other body part, my probation will be lifted. The meal I wanted to cook for my family was left to the person who was planning on enjoying the day off. We had other help, though, and I could still do a few things. While I couldn't mash the potatoes, I could add the seasonings and milk. I couldn't put the dressing in the oven, but I could at least mix everything up. Standing around in the kitchen was adversely affecting my injury, so I couldn't really watch everything as I'd preferred. Having to abandon my duties, my pies were overdone, the crust a little burnt. The dressing was also overdone, forgot about it in the oven. Fortunately, most of it, I could salvage. The turkey, I'd say, was on par with most people who have some idea what they're doing. The mashed potatoes were great, though, and gobbled down with enthusiasm. As was the dressing, the turkey, and the pie.
Later, there would be karaoke and closing bars, and fruitless searches for a snack before bed, but not before passing Toys 'R' Us and seeing a line around the building at 4:15 AM. Kohls was already open, of course, to what end, I don't know, but that's another story entirely.
This one is about food that wasn't done the way everyone wanted, and people who didn't actually care, 'cuz they were with people they loved.
Totally one of the best Thanksgivings ever!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tulsa Travels
Posted November 20, 2007 from Tulsa, OK
So, since I don't have a job, and I don't really have family nearby, I decided, what the heck, I'm going to Tulsa. I have family down there. So, I hopped in my car - high-topped roller skate, aerodynamic as a brick - and filled 'er up, and away I went.
Can I afford to take the trip? No, of course not. I won't be paying any more bills this month. At least it'll be a few months before they foreclose on me. And right now, my credit card is current. Thank goodness for that, or I wouldn't have gotten very far at all.
But I digress. Driving through eastern Colorado, about five hours after I originally planned to be on the road, I realized that the bleak landscape had changed for me. Once, I'd considered it desolate and barren. Now, I recognized the special beauty of the eastern plains. Whereas back in Ohio, the beauty would be flora and the occasional fauna, in Colorado, the beauty is mineral. And the occasional fauna. Although I didn't see any this trip, I still can't get over seeing herds of antelope. I know, I know, the song "Home on the Range" specifically mentions antelope, but it's one thing to hear about them, and another entirely to see them running around. Weird.
As I crossed the border into Kansas, I realized something else. Coming from Ohio, it, too, is a bleak, desolate landscape. Coming from Colorado, in November, it has its own beauty. Again, mineral, rather than plant or animal. The way the land jutted up in various places, displaying how, while man may think he's superior, the land will still take its own back. It was magnificent. Then, about 100 miles in, I decided I was wrong, Kansas is still a boring drive. Another 20 miles and I changed back. I'm fickle that way.
By the time I reached the Oklahoma border, it was dark. I'd forgotten about the fact that there's much less daylight this close to the Winter Solstice. How I could forget, I don't know. This time of year is always miserable for me, I so prefer to have sunlight than darkness. I tend to be ruled by the seasons. In summer, I sleep less and do more. In winter, I basically hibernate. Perhaps it was the added bonus of being without a job that distracted me from this particular fact.
I drove through Oklahoma, following my directions, and praying I wouldn't get lost. I was at one point impressed with myself. I'm a city kid. I am perfectly comfortable on the streets of Chicago at 2 in the morning. Take me out to a road with no houses nearby, no city lights, no cars, and basically, no people, and I will panic. Last night, though, as I drove through the vast emptiness that is rural Oklahoma, I realized that there was Orion, big as day, so close I could touch him, and I wasn't nervous. I even got to see a shooting star. That all might have changed if I'd had to get out of the car for whatever reason, but for the longest time, I couldn't even have driven that route. Big improvement.
So now I sit waiting for my cousin to wake up, so I can go back to my aunt's house, where I have my books and clothes and other things to do. I want to go to the grocery store - yes, I know it's insane - and pick up a few things, since we're suddenly eating at her house. Just a couple things to round out the menu. Meanwhile, I can ponder the vagaries of heredity. Before leaving for bars and such, I marveled at the similarities between my aunt and her sister, my mother. I mentioned it to her, and in typical family revenge, she threw back that I reminded her of my mother, too. Inescapable. There were weird moments when I watched her facial expressions and behaviors, and saw my mother looking back at me. It was a good thing.
It's nice to be with family for the holidays. I hope to come back for Christmas. Now, if only my cousin would hurry up and get out of bed. I'm bored.
So, since I don't have a job, and I don't really have family nearby, I decided, what the heck, I'm going to Tulsa. I have family down there. So, I hopped in my car - high-topped roller skate, aerodynamic as a brick - and filled 'er up, and away I went.
Can I afford to take the trip? No, of course not. I won't be paying any more bills this month. At least it'll be a few months before they foreclose on me. And right now, my credit card is current. Thank goodness for that, or I wouldn't have gotten very far at all.
But I digress. Driving through eastern Colorado, about five hours after I originally planned to be on the road, I realized that the bleak landscape had changed for me. Once, I'd considered it desolate and barren. Now, I recognized the special beauty of the eastern plains. Whereas back in Ohio, the beauty would be flora and the occasional fauna, in Colorado, the beauty is mineral. And the occasional fauna. Although I didn't see any this trip, I still can't get over seeing herds of antelope. I know, I know, the song "Home on the Range" specifically mentions antelope, but it's one thing to hear about them, and another entirely to see them running around. Weird.
As I crossed the border into Kansas, I realized something else. Coming from Ohio, it, too, is a bleak, desolate landscape. Coming from Colorado, in November, it has its own beauty. Again, mineral, rather than plant or animal. The way the land jutted up in various places, displaying how, while man may think he's superior, the land will still take its own back. It was magnificent. Then, about 100 miles in, I decided I was wrong, Kansas is still a boring drive. Another 20 miles and I changed back. I'm fickle that way.
By the time I reached the Oklahoma border, it was dark. I'd forgotten about the fact that there's much less daylight this close to the Winter Solstice. How I could forget, I don't know. This time of year is always miserable for me, I so prefer to have sunlight than darkness. I tend to be ruled by the seasons. In summer, I sleep less and do more. In winter, I basically hibernate. Perhaps it was the added bonus of being without a job that distracted me from this particular fact.
I drove through Oklahoma, following my directions, and praying I wouldn't get lost. I was at one point impressed with myself. I'm a city kid. I am perfectly comfortable on the streets of Chicago at 2 in the morning. Take me out to a road with no houses nearby, no city lights, no cars, and basically, no people, and I will panic. Last night, though, as I drove through the vast emptiness that is rural Oklahoma, I realized that there was Orion, big as day, so close I could touch him, and I wasn't nervous. I even got to see a shooting star. That all might have changed if I'd had to get out of the car for whatever reason, but for the longest time, I couldn't even have driven that route. Big improvement.
So now I sit waiting for my cousin to wake up, so I can go back to my aunt's house, where I have my books and clothes and other things to do. I want to go to the grocery store - yes, I know it's insane - and pick up a few things, since we're suddenly eating at her house. Just a couple things to round out the menu. Meanwhile, I can ponder the vagaries of heredity. Before leaving for bars and such, I marveled at the similarities between my aunt and her sister, my mother. I mentioned it to her, and in typical family revenge, she threw back that I reminded her of my mother, too. Inescapable. There were weird moments when I watched her facial expressions and behaviors, and saw my mother looking back at me. It was a good thing.
It's nice to be with family for the holidays. I hope to come back for Christmas. Now, if only my cousin would hurry up and get out of bed. I'm bored.
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