Listening: The second that I feel your safe hands reaching out for mine, I slip away and out of sight. You've overstayed your time.
What's my problem? I miss my bed already.
Perhaps one of the most wonderful thing about these past few days was being in my own bed. I knew that the mattresses down here on the island sucked in the worst possible ways, but for the past four days, I realized just how wonderful my bed was. I slept more these past few days more than I ever should have. My time went something like this:
Open eyes. See that the time is nine o'clock. Close eyes. Decide my tasks can wait. Sleep. Open eyes. See that the time is half past ten. Close eyes. Pull blankets over head. Think about tasks. Decide tasks can wait. Sleep. Open eyes. See that the duvet is still over my head. Poke head out of duvet. See that the time is a little past noon. Sigh. Pull covers down past chest. Close eyes. Sigh. Get up and start the day. It was wonderful being nice and toasty warm. It was probably the simplest of pleasures.
There was room to sprawl out a bit (a double futon in Cambridge, as opposed to a single on the island), the warmth of the basement apartment, the warmth of my duvet, the six pillows... It all contributed to a wonderful few nights of sleep, sick or not.
Throughout the last few days, I turned the living room into what the Nantucket would equate with the "Take It Or Leave It." I pulled out boxes upon boxes. However, by the time I left this afternoon, it was almost as if I hadn't. There's a pile of crap under a table in the hallway, but other than that, there's no sign of the mess that had taken over.
I'm sure I could have gotten more done these past few days, but I was content just seeing my friends, shit shooting with my roomie, and hanging out in my bed. I had my fix of good ethnic food. I bought the new Dido CD (deluxe edition of course), put away a bunch of my clothes, and sorted out a bunch of old crap. I think that should all count for something. I come back to work fully rested, and almost over my ailment.
Also while I was off island, I got to see Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a renter. I'm glad I saw it at the Somerville Theater, though. Only $7. It was a cute little movie, but it could have been so much better. The part played by Michael Cera could have been played by anyone. I was annoyed by the girl I should have been annoyed by. I was endeared to the girl I should have been endeared to, so I guess the movie was adequate in that matter. I just kind of wish that the love story had been escalated a bit more. I wish that the tension and that the stakes were higher. I knew it would be a little teen movie, but I was hoping that it would be a more adult teen movie. I felt like the "adult-ness" was pushed too hard.
On my way back to the island, I ran into three friends (aren't you proud of me? I now have more than two friends on the island. I have at least five.). It turned out that they had cruised up to Boston for the day and I didn't even know. They were also taking the last fast ferry back to the island.
These three girls are all very different. When I say different, I mean DIFFERENT. We have the Thai girl next door, the funny and bold Lithuanian, and the deadpan dry (and somehow still really funny) Korean. To be honest, I don't even really know if the Korean really likes me. It's hard for me to sort through her sense of humor. The other two seem to be quite friendly. There's a lot of networking going on between me and the Thai girl next door. She knows I'm going to southeast Asia and has a bunch of information to give me. She also has a cousin who wants to get into cooking who I may try to hook up with Chef for next season as a prep cook.
Anyhow, it's funny seeing them all together, even though in an ideal world, that's how it should be. Different people getting together and enjoying each other. It's nice. So, I chatted with them for the ride. They may be coming in to the restaurant sometime in the next few days. I look forward to it.
Speaking of the restaurant.... The reason I'm back on the island on Thursday night versus Friday early afternoon is because I'm going to have to be in the kitchen EARLY tomorrow morning. I have a ton of shit to do, as far as I can remember. Here's what my prep list for tomorrow looks like, just off the top of my head.
Brine/Marinate Pork Chops
Prep collard greens
Orzo
Cheese Sauce
Butcher buffalo
Potato galette
Trim Scallions
Trip & Braise beef cheeks
Champ Potatoes
Onion Ring dredge
Soak onion rings in buttermilk
Blanche spinach
Make cream reduction
Dice & blanche butternut squash
Season ricotta cheese
I feel like I'm buried. I guess I should get to sleep early, huh? I guess I should do that now, right? Okay. Off I go.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Day 184: Mementos... AKA I'm a Packrat.
Listening: And if you find, one day, find some freedom and relief, with this freedom maybe, maybe you will find some peace.
What's my problem? I keep too much crap.
Over the past few days I have been going through the boxes that I have in storage in an attempt to pare down my life. In the process, I have decided to let go of a number of things that include, but aren't limited to: two computer printers, one vintage 1996 Powermac, my soccer cleats, shin guards, & keeper gloves, a number of random stuffed toys, a circa 1985 VCR, a Zip drive (not to be confused with Zipcar, which is probably a zillion times more useful), a HUGE box of school supplies, a 900mHz cordless phone, cassettes of the Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" album and Moby's "Everything is Wrong" album, and a koosh ball. That's right. I said a koosh ball.
Among some of the more amusing finds (and things I kept) were a yearbook of the kids I counseled for their sixth grade camp, a letter from one of my best friends throughout high school telling me about the guy who she was dating, who she eventually married, and who now has a kid with, a letter from a girl dumping me on my birthday during my senior year of college, letters from the first girl I ever kissed, a million 2.5" floppy disks (some of which contain some of the stories I wrote in high school and college), copies of mix tapes I made for people (I was the king of the mix tape), photos of me when I was 4, 6, 12, 16, & 18, my senior year high school yearbook, a couple of my radio show playlists, and a citation from campus police for having an illegal party on campus.
It's been a tough few days mulling through all of this crap. I mean crap in the best possible way. I am a bit of a sentimentalist. I wish I wasn't. It would mean that I could throw away so much more crap. But I keep things that remind me of different things. I found glowsticks from one of the many times I saw DJ Icey, and some from when I went to the Area 2 tour and saw a crapload of DJs. All of those glowsticks, by the way, went into the trash. It's tough to prioritize your memories. I guess every so often, you have to do it. Dredge it all up and then re-prioritize them.
It was fun though, sending my friend from high school an e-mail about the letter I found about her and her would be husband, and a picture I e-mailed to the guy who was my best friend when I was 11 and just got back in touch with this summer. Fun little surprises. I wonder if someday, someone else is going to be digging through a box, will find a little piece of me and will call or e-mail me and will say, "Do you remember this? This was great."
What's my problem? I keep too much crap.
Over the past few days I have been going through the boxes that I have in storage in an attempt to pare down my life. In the process, I have decided to let go of a number of things that include, but aren't limited to: two computer printers, one vintage 1996 Powermac, my soccer cleats, shin guards, & keeper gloves, a number of random stuffed toys, a circa 1985 VCR, a Zip drive (not to be confused with Zipcar, which is probably a zillion times more useful), a HUGE box of school supplies, a 900mHz cordless phone, cassettes of the Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" album and Moby's "Everything is Wrong" album, and a koosh ball. That's right. I said a koosh ball.
Among some of the more amusing finds (and things I kept) were a yearbook of the kids I counseled for their sixth grade camp, a letter from one of my best friends throughout high school telling me about the guy who she was dating, who she eventually married, and who now has a kid with, a letter from a girl dumping me on my birthday during my senior year of college, letters from the first girl I ever kissed, a million 2.5" floppy disks (some of which contain some of the stories I wrote in high school and college), copies of mix tapes I made for people (I was the king of the mix tape), photos of me when I was 4, 6, 12, 16, & 18, my senior year high school yearbook, a couple of my radio show playlists, and a citation from campus police for having an illegal party on campus.
It's been a tough few days mulling through all of this crap. I mean crap in the best possible way. I am a bit of a sentimentalist. I wish I wasn't. It would mean that I could throw away so much more crap. But I keep things that remind me of different things. I found glowsticks from one of the many times I saw DJ Icey, and some from when I went to the Area 2 tour and saw a crapload of DJs. All of those glowsticks, by the way, went into the trash. It's tough to prioritize your memories. I guess every so often, you have to do it. Dredge it all up and then re-prioritize them.
It was fun though, sending my friend from high school an e-mail about the letter I found about her and her would be husband, and a picture I e-mailed to the guy who was my best friend when I was 11 and just got back in touch with this summer. Fun little surprises. I wonder if someday, someone else is going to be digging through a box, will find a little piece of me and will call or e-mail me and will say, "Do you remember this? This was great."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Day 182: Home Sweet Home
Listening: Talking 'bout a sweet memory. It goes 'round and 'round in my head. Pretty soon I’ll want the real thing instead, but for now I got this sweet memory.
What's my problem? I own too much crap.
It's nice. Being on my own futon, in my own sheets, under my own comforter, in my own room, with my own stuff, in my own city. It's a beautiful thing to be warm and comfortable in my own corner of the apartment listening to Melody Gardot late at night warm and content. I'm a lucky man here for four days off with all of my island worries far behind me.
I was welcomed home with hugs by my beloved roomie, Linh, and promptly lost three and a half hours of my life shooting the shit with her. That's how life should be. It's a beautiful thing to be able to connect with people like that upon impact. Beautiful. It's not to say that I'm not connecting with people on the island. The thing is, it's only happened recently. Coffee dates with Gabi and random happenings upon Katherine have me optimistic that I may end up leaving the island with a couple of things that resemble actual friendships or more than ephemeral relationships. Connections. People I can say, "Hey, I think I would like to be around them in my time outside of work" about. Dare I say, people whose thoughts aren't limited to, "Food, cook, clean, drink, drink, nothingness, me, me, me." Or maybe I should say people who only show me that.
I have a few projects that I want to accomplish while I'm here in Boston. The list goes as follows, in no particular order:
1) Sort through clutter and throw away/donate/ebay as much as possible.
2) Put my room back in order. Hang up and put away all clothes that were stowed for the summer.
3) Schedule appointment with a travel immunologist.
4) Talk to a travel agent about the logistics and advantages/disadvantages to Asia passes.
5) Cook for roomies/friends.
6) Look at kitchen scales for mother.
7) Take care of random paperwork.
8) Buy ma cha powder for friend.
9) Hustle for part time work in January
10) I think the first 9 are enough.
So I think that's how the next four days are shaping up. The first day was great. Got home, caught up with the roomies, had dinner at the Chez, caught up with everyone there, came home and rested. Wonderful. Tomorrow, knock some stuff off that list and make a big pot of beef stew for my palz. Life is good when you have four days off in a row.
What's my problem? I own too much crap.
It's nice. Being on my own futon, in my own sheets, under my own comforter, in my own room, with my own stuff, in my own city. It's a beautiful thing to be warm and comfortable in my own corner of the apartment listening to Melody Gardot late at night warm and content. I'm a lucky man here for four days off with all of my island worries far behind me.
I was welcomed home with hugs by my beloved roomie, Linh, and promptly lost three and a half hours of my life shooting the shit with her. That's how life should be. It's a beautiful thing to be able to connect with people like that upon impact. Beautiful. It's not to say that I'm not connecting with people on the island. The thing is, it's only happened recently. Coffee dates with Gabi and random happenings upon Katherine have me optimistic that I may end up leaving the island with a couple of things that resemble actual friendships or more than ephemeral relationships. Connections. People I can say, "Hey, I think I would like to be around them in my time outside of work" about. Dare I say, people whose thoughts aren't limited to, "Food, cook, clean, drink, drink, nothingness, me, me, me." Or maybe I should say people who only show me that.
I have a few projects that I want to accomplish while I'm here in Boston. The list goes as follows, in no particular order:
1) Sort through clutter and throw away/donate/ebay as much as possible.
2) Put my room back in order. Hang up and put away all clothes that were stowed for the summer.
3) Schedule appointment with a travel immunologist.
4) Talk to a travel agent about the logistics and advantages/disadvantages to Asia passes.
5) Cook for roomies/friends.
6) Look at kitchen scales for mother.
7) Take care of random paperwork.
8) Buy ma cha powder for friend.
9) Hustle for part time work in January
10) I think the first 9 are enough.
So I think that's how the next four days are shaping up. The first day was great. Got home, caught up with the roomies, had dinner at the Chez, caught up with everyone there, came home and rested. Wonderful. Tomorrow, knock some stuff off that list and make a big pot of beef stew for my palz. Life is good when you have four days off in a row.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Day 180: Paranoia!
Listening: I'm sittin' at a coffee table unable to see straight, watchin' parallel lines unwind and undulate behind the rain-soaked window pane the scene's bleak. Another train leaving home, conceding defeat with a low moan.
What's my problem? I wonder if I suck sometimes.
So, I've been noticing something for a couple of weeks now. Pies, the sous, has become a bit distant from me. He doesn't say anything to me in the kitchen other than to criticize me, my mise, or something I'm doing. Sometimes he'll just start sticking his fingers in my mise looking for something wrong. Today he just started "fixing" something I cooked today that I had cooling in the walk in. It was kind of fucked up. He didn't say anything to me beforehand. He just went to town on it. I would have understood if he had brought it over to me and said, "I think there's too much vinegar in this." But he didn't.
So that's what's eating at me right now. I'm wondering if the slower pace of the nights and the fact that we're not going through our product as quick has made me sloppy. I'm wondering if he's right and I'm wrong. It's completely possible.
It's funny though. We were buddy-buddy for a while, but all of that seems to have dropped off. I'm wondering if I'm the bad guy of the kitchen now. I'm wondering if he's a bit threatened by some of the stuff I have been doing in the kitchen these days with the charcuterie and pates. I really don't know what it is.
If Pies does, in fact, have it out for me, it'll make it a bit harder for me to come back. I don't really want to work with/for someone who doesn't have my back. But, yeah, I get the feeling that Pies has a problem with me as of late.
It's a big question. Am I being paranoid or am I not? If I am, then I suck and I have to clean up my game and Pies is just being Pies. If I am not being paranoid, then Pies has it out for me and it's going to be an unpleasant three more weeks of working on Nantucket, and if I work on Nantucket next season, it'll be at another restaurant. Which is the better option? I don't know.
What's my problem? I wonder if I suck sometimes.
So, I've been noticing something for a couple of weeks now. Pies, the sous, has become a bit distant from me. He doesn't say anything to me in the kitchen other than to criticize me, my mise, or something I'm doing. Sometimes he'll just start sticking his fingers in my mise looking for something wrong. Today he just started "fixing" something I cooked today that I had cooling in the walk in. It was kind of fucked up. He didn't say anything to me beforehand. He just went to town on it. I would have understood if he had brought it over to me and said, "I think there's too much vinegar in this." But he didn't.
So that's what's eating at me right now. I'm wondering if the slower pace of the nights and the fact that we're not going through our product as quick has made me sloppy. I'm wondering if he's right and I'm wrong. It's completely possible.
It's funny though. We were buddy-buddy for a while, but all of that seems to have dropped off. I'm wondering if I'm the bad guy of the kitchen now. I'm wondering if he's a bit threatened by some of the stuff I have been doing in the kitchen these days with the charcuterie and pates. I really don't know what it is.
If Pies does, in fact, have it out for me, it'll make it a bit harder for me to come back. I don't really want to work with/for someone who doesn't have my back. But, yeah, I get the feeling that Pies has a problem with me as of late.
It's a big question. Am I being paranoid or am I not? If I am, then I suck and I have to clean up my game and Pies is just being Pies. If I am not being paranoid, then Pies has it out for me and it's going to be an unpleasant three more weeks of working on Nantucket, and if I work on Nantucket next season, it'll be at another restaurant. Which is the better option? I don't know.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Day 177: What To Do? What To Do?
Listening: I'm gonna have to run away. I'm sure that I belong some other place. I've seen another side of all I've seen.
What's my problem? I need to formulate a way to not spend money.
So I was thinking about the time before I head down to Atlanta and before I head out to southeast Asia. I thought to myself that I need to find a way not to spend any money. I need to have my net income/expenditures be $0. In accounting terms, I need my debits and credits to cancel each other out.
So, here's what I was thinking. If I can't get some freelance work from the Chez or the Dizzle, or any of my various friends in the industry, I'll pimp out my services to my friends and my friends of friends. Here's how it'll be. I'll go out and buy the groceries. If it's a long cooking braised dish, I'll prep and cook everything at home. Either they will come and pick me up or I'll cab over to their place and I'll finish the meal for them. In return, they will pay for the groceries and pay for my travel to and from their house (if they pick me up, they don't have to worry about it). If they choose to tip me, that's their business (though, as you would guess it would be heartily welcomed).
Think about it. It'll be deep winter time. It'll be cold. People will want hearty warm food, which means braised meat, stews, soups. A lot of that kind of food takes time. It takes time to make a good stock. It takes time to braise a piece of meat. They'll be taking advantage of the fact that I have nothing better to do other than sit at home and wait for a braise to be finished.
So, if you're interested, or know someone who might be interested, let me know. We'll see what I can work out for you.
What's my problem? I need to formulate a way to not spend money.
So I was thinking about the time before I head down to Atlanta and before I head out to southeast Asia. I thought to myself that I need to find a way not to spend any money. I need to have my net income/expenditures be $0. In accounting terms, I need my debits and credits to cancel each other out.
So, here's what I was thinking. If I can't get some freelance work from the Chez or the Dizzle, or any of my various friends in the industry, I'll pimp out my services to my friends and my friends of friends. Here's how it'll be. I'll go out and buy the groceries. If it's a long cooking braised dish, I'll prep and cook everything at home. Either they will come and pick me up or I'll cab over to their place and I'll finish the meal for them. In return, they will pay for the groceries and pay for my travel to and from their house (if they pick me up, they don't have to worry about it). If they choose to tip me, that's their business (though, as you would guess it would be heartily welcomed).
Think about it. It'll be deep winter time. It'll be cold. People will want hearty warm food, which means braised meat, stews, soups. A lot of that kind of food takes time. It takes time to make a good stock. It takes time to braise a piece of meat. They'll be taking advantage of the fact that I have nothing better to do other than sit at home and wait for a braise to be finished.
So, if you're interested, or know someone who might be interested, let me know. We'll see what I can work out for you.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Day 176: Where's Charlotte?
Listening: I need a drink. Don't want to think. I drink too much, but who's to say what's right or wrong?
What's my problem? It's too cold, too slow, too low on time, and a little lower than I want on cash.
Well, it's the first "weekend" in the past three weeks that I haven't left the island to go back to Boston. It just didn't make sense this "weekend." See, I'm off for five days starting on Sunday. So I just worked five days, I have today and tomorrow off, and then I work for three more days before I have five days off. What I'm going to do for those five days off, I have no idea. Hopefully, I'll be able to get an appointment with a travel immunologist for one of those days.
Speaking of that, I have no clue what kind of immunizations I'm going to need to go to southeast Asia. I'm hoping they're just gonna be like, "Well, you should take these pills with you in case you get the shits, but other than that, you're fine." I think I should also book an appointment with my doctor for when I get back from my adventure. I figure that if I'm eating everything under the sun while I'm in southeast Asia, I should make sure I don't have a little friend living in my stomach when I get back. My friend Jill had a little friend for a while after she got back from a trip. I want to do my best not to have to starve myself and then inhale the fumes of rotting meat in order to coax a tapeworm out of my belly. Actually, if it does come to that I hope I can keep it in a jar.
On the whole travel front, I have been gotten a new influx of information and resources. I have reconnected with an old friend of mine who just took a trip to southeast Asia, and my parents met a chef who has traveled and has taken cooking courses all over southeast Asia. I have to say that it's really nice to have these new potential sources of information. I have gotten a bit overwhelmed with the information on the internet and with reading my Lonely Planet books. The amount of information is just so... not easy to digest. I've been having a hard time trying to figure out my routes and how long to spend in each place. I have a feeling, though, that I'll just pick an insertion point, book a secure hotel for my first three or four nights, and then just wing it. I'll have a rough itinerary, like I did for my Europe trip, but I think I'll try to keep it much more flexible.
Plans have also been finalized for the holidays. I have mixed feelings about the whole deal though. Originally, I was supposed to meet up with my family at Disney from December 29th until Jan 4th. That would leave me 11 potential days in December to make money or to try to get freelance work, and 27 days in January. But now, I'm going down to Atlanta from December 24th and will be coming back on January 7th. That means that I'm losing five days in December and three days in January. With that little of time, I think that it will be even harder to secure freelance work.
The bonus to going to see the fam for that extended period of time is that I won't be spending as much money as if I were at home in Boston going out all of the time. I instead, I'll be bored to tears at their place in the cultural wasteland of materialistic consumerism that is the suburbs. I wanted to bring my knives down, but that means $15 each way for checked baggage. BASTARDS! Instead, I'll have to deal with their crappy Western knives. I really think that the only thing that I'll be able to do at their house is hang out on the internet (what else is new) and cook. We'll see what happens though. I have a feeling I'll end up driving up their grocery bills.
In other news, I'm missing a friend of mine. I first met her about two months ago or so. She was a HUUUUUUUGE spider on the railing on the way up to my apartment. She was beautiful. Brown and tan. I kind of wish I had a picture of her. She spun this really big web. On the days where it would be foggy or misty, droplets of water would form on the web, and there she was, just chillin' in the middle. During windy times (not to be confused with Wendy Time for you Cure fanatics), the web would be destroyed and I wouldn't see her for a few days. But, all of a sudden, the web would be back and she would be chillin' there in the middle again. After a while, I saw another spider just like her near the door to my apartment. I was psyched. Maybe I would have two websters hanging around. That spider I only saw that one day. A few days later, my spider was gone. The web had blown out and my spider was nowhere to be found. It's been over a week now and I haven't seen the spider. I hope she comes back. I fear it may be too cold and windy for her now, but I miss seeing her just chillin' in the middle of the web.
Tonight, I think I'm going to see Nick & Norah's Inifinite Playlist over at the one theater in town. That should take up a big chunk of the evening, and then I'll continue working on my travel plans.
I'm currently trying to decide on what digital camera to buy. My current one is kind of outdated. It's only 3.2 megapixel with 3X Optical zoom. I kind of want something that will have more optical zoom capabilities. I also don't feel like my current camera is very dependable. I have had two digital cameras in my life. Both were hand-me-downs from friends who had upgraded. I think it's high time that I buy my own and get caught up with the times. So right now, here are the ones I'm thinking about:
Nikon S560 Coolpix
Canon SD890 Powershot Digital Elph
Olympus Stylus 1030 SW
Any opinions?
What's my problem? It's too cold, too slow, too low on time, and a little lower than I want on cash.
Well, it's the first "weekend" in the past three weeks that I haven't left the island to go back to Boston. It just didn't make sense this "weekend." See, I'm off for five days starting on Sunday. So I just worked five days, I have today and tomorrow off, and then I work for three more days before I have five days off. What I'm going to do for those five days off, I have no idea. Hopefully, I'll be able to get an appointment with a travel immunologist for one of those days.
Speaking of that, I have no clue what kind of immunizations I'm going to need to go to southeast Asia. I'm hoping they're just gonna be like, "Well, you should take these pills with you in case you get the shits, but other than that, you're fine." I think I should also book an appointment with my doctor for when I get back from my adventure. I figure that if I'm eating everything under the sun while I'm in southeast Asia, I should make sure I don't have a little friend living in my stomach when I get back. My friend Jill had a little friend for a while after she got back from a trip. I want to do my best not to have to starve myself and then inhale the fumes of rotting meat in order to coax a tapeworm out of my belly. Actually, if it does come to that I hope I can keep it in a jar.
On the whole travel front, I have been gotten a new influx of information and resources. I have reconnected with an old friend of mine who just took a trip to southeast Asia, and my parents met a chef who has traveled and has taken cooking courses all over southeast Asia. I have to say that it's really nice to have these new potential sources of information. I have gotten a bit overwhelmed with the information on the internet and with reading my Lonely Planet books. The amount of information is just so... not easy to digest. I've been having a hard time trying to figure out my routes and how long to spend in each place. I have a feeling, though, that I'll just pick an insertion point, book a secure hotel for my first three or four nights, and then just wing it. I'll have a rough itinerary, like I did for my Europe trip, but I think I'll try to keep it much more flexible.
Plans have also been finalized for the holidays. I have mixed feelings about the whole deal though. Originally, I was supposed to meet up with my family at Disney from December 29th until Jan 4th. That would leave me 11 potential days in December to make money or to try to get freelance work, and 27 days in January. But now, I'm going down to Atlanta from December 24th and will be coming back on January 7th. That means that I'm losing five days in December and three days in January. With that little of time, I think that it will be even harder to secure freelance work.
The bonus to going to see the fam for that extended period of time is that I won't be spending as much money as if I were at home in Boston going out all of the time. I instead, I'll be bored to tears at their place in the cultural wasteland of materialistic consumerism that is the suburbs. I wanted to bring my knives down, but that means $15 each way for checked baggage. BASTARDS! Instead, I'll have to deal with their crappy Western knives. I really think that the only thing that I'll be able to do at their house is hang out on the internet (what else is new) and cook. We'll see what happens though. I have a feeling I'll end up driving up their grocery bills.
In other news, I'm missing a friend of mine. I first met her about two months ago or so. She was a HUUUUUUUGE spider on the railing on the way up to my apartment. She was beautiful. Brown and tan. I kind of wish I had a picture of her. She spun this really big web. On the days where it would be foggy or misty, droplets of water would form on the web, and there she was, just chillin' in the middle. During windy times (not to be confused with Wendy Time for you Cure fanatics), the web would be destroyed and I wouldn't see her for a few days. But, all of a sudden, the web would be back and she would be chillin' there in the middle again. After a while, I saw another spider just like her near the door to my apartment. I was psyched. Maybe I would have two websters hanging around. That spider I only saw that one day. A few days later, my spider was gone. The web had blown out and my spider was nowhere to be found. It's been over a week now and I haven't seen the spider. I hope she comes back. I fear it may be too cold and windy for her now, but I miss seeing her just chillin' in the middle of the web.
Tonight, I think I'm going to see Nick & Norah's Inifinite Playlist over at the one theater in town. That should take up a big chunk of the evening, and then I'll continue working on my travel plans.
I'm currently trying to decide on what digital camera to buy. My current one is kind of outdated. It's only 3.2 megapixel with 3X Optical zoom. I kind of want something that will have more optical zoom capabilities. I also don't feel like my current camera is very dependable. I have had two digital cameras in my life. Both were hand-me-downs from friends who had upgraded. I think it's high time that I buy my own and get caught up with the times. So right now, here are the ones I'm thinking about:
Nikon S560 Coolpix
Canon SD890 Powershot Digital Elph
Olympus Stylus 1030 SW
Any opinions?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Day 156: Well-Rounded, Well-Rested, & Well...
Listening: I'm pulling through and it's because of you. I'd do the same for you if your turn came. Hope it never will. For I've been through the mill. I won't get this debt. I'm pulling through.
What's my problem? There's no one. There's nothing. There's me.
Well, it's been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. I've been rather self-absorbed lately. A lot of stuff has happened.
Chef took the kitchen on a fishing trip as a thank you for not quitting. Everyone except for the pastry chef and I caught at least one fish. I may not have caught anything, but I had a hell of a cast. It was a lot of fun. Maybe if I go out again sometime, I'll catch something. It was kind of fuct that I was the only line guy who didn't catch anything. Such is life, right?
I also had a mild melt down. I was sick of the people that I see every day and spend at least eight or ten hours a day with. People were annoying the hell out of me. I was about to punch a couple people, but instead, I withdrew into myself. I was sick of working with them, day in and day out. I was sick of hearing their voices day in and day out, and I was sick of drinking with them day in and day out. I was a lot sick of the sport drinking that was going on. There was a period of a couple of days where I didn't really talk to anyone. I only spoke when spoken to. I answered questions in very short answers. I also think that a lot of it had to do with the repetitiveness of everything that was happening around me.
When Jo-jo skinned out, I ended up taking over the hot apps station full time. This meant that I worked hot apps six days a week, whereas before, I worked two days each on hot apps, saute, and the middle/expediting stations. I got sick of just scallops and octopi. I craved change. I craved differences in my days, because my nights were all the same. After work, drinking out behind the kitchen, drinking at a bar (someone inevitably bought shots or Irish car bombs), or I would go to my room and watch TV on my computer. It was a boring existence.
Even when I was out I didn't meet anyone new. I never socialized with the front of the house people. There wasn't anywhere loungey to just calmly have a drink. There wasn't really any variation in conversation. I wasn't learning anything new about the kitchen crew. It didn't help that some of them went completely overboard. Some of the guys I work with become complete asses when they drink (sometimes they're even asses when they're sober). I was just so over it.
So I withdrew. I didn't go out. I didn't talk to anyone. And because of that, I didn't really blog either. I just, literally, went in, did my job, came back upstairs, sat on my bed and vegged out while watching TV on my laptop. There were two people who still knew how to get me to talk. One was a runner, Gabi, and the other was a server, Brooke. Both of them saw the look of despair in my eyes, the sheer desperation to get off of the island. They knew it. Gabi just kind of tried to entertain me during service. Brooke was insistent that I get off the island ASAP. Both of them were tuned in, and I appreciated that.
After a while, it all wore off and I was back to normal. I figured that since I was a bit of a douche to my co-workers, I should make up for it. So, I decided to switch it up on them. Usually after work, we have one shift drink, any beer, wine by the glass, or well drink, and then we have a case of Rolling Rock beer that we, as the kitchen, split. There are usually six of us in the kitchen, and a couple of us don't really drink, so you can do the math on how much beer is consumed by those that do. Back in Boston, I started "40s Sundays." On Sunday, we would rotate buying 40s for the entire kitchen. It was a lot of fun. So I, as a "I'm sorry" bought 40s for the kitchen. It seemed to go over pretty nicely. It was something different and I liked it.
Since then, we've lost two people. Brit had to go back to school just before Columbus Day, and Lindsay had to get back to Canada less than a week later. Now, Christian/Pablo works garde manager, and I have completed my round of the hot line by taking over the grill station. Chef is now working the hot apps station and there is no man expediting to servers in front of the line.
In addition to learning the grill station, I have been playing with food again. I have successfully made Shanghai style soup dumplings (xiu long bao), which we offered as a hot app special. They sold like hotcakes. I have made another dumpling which we will be running any day now. And I have brought some stuff from my last trip to Boston like tofu skin and some preserved vegetables that I plan on using in the near future. I actually have some tofu skin rehydrating right now that I plan to wrap around ground duck. Hopefully it'll all work out and I'll be putting more specials on the menu.
So, since we have lost two more people in the kitchen, we now are closed two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It gives me a little more opportunity to get back to Boston. I was there last "weekend" and I plan on going back the next two "weekends," once to help a friend go back to Bratislava, and the other time to vote for Barack Obama.
In other news, Pies has skinned out of going to southeast Asia. He went over to Hyannis and got sick from some food, so his rationale is "If I can't even go to Hyannis without food messing up my stomach, how could I possibly cope with southeast Asian food?" Personally, I think that it was just a cop out. Whatever, though. It frees me up to really do whatever I want. If I'm not meeting up with people, then I can set my own itinerary. I can either pick Bangkok or Singapore as my insertion point. If I want to go to the full moon rave on February 10th or March 10th, it's up to me, or I don't have to go at all.
Today I read this article and think I might want to try it. I have always been interested in martial arts and combat sports. I even checked out the website for Fairtex. In the States, I could go to San Francisco to do the training, but it would cost so much more. I could train for a week, get a week's accommodations at the training center, get one on one training, and two meals a day for as low as 7,700 Baht ($222.03) to share a room with no air conditioning, or get a private room with no air conditioning for 13,300 Baht ($383.51). To pay for a personal trainer for 5 hours a day for 7 days in a regular gym, let alone a fighting gym, would cost probably at least that, and it wouldn't even include room and board. To be honest, it sounds like a lot of torture and hard work, but it sounds like fun too. I really think I'm going to do it.
I've also been obsessed with the ukulele, ever since a friend of mine posted this Youtube video on her Livejournal.
I think that the song is so clever, and in addition to that, there are other ukulele players posting all sorts of covers of songs on youtube. It really makes me want to go out and get a ukulele. It only has four strings. I can't be too much harder than the violin that I played as a kid. So, yeah, now I want a ukulele.
Anyhow, I'm tired. I think it's time for me to turn in for the night. I'll leave you with some pictures though.
Brit and her fish.
Lindsay and one of her fish.
Papi and one of his fish.
Me and Pies on scooters when Anh Dao came to visit.
40s Night. Forget Colt 45. O.E. works every time.
Me, Sandy, Rob, Pablo, Byron and Croomie before the staff party last night.
Papi, Katarina and I at the staff party.
Sandy and Rob at the staff party.
What's my problem? There's no one. There's nothing. There's me.
Well, it's been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. I've been rather self-absorbed lately. A lot of stuff has happened.
Chef took the kitchen on a fishing trip as a thank you for not quitting. Everyone except for the pastry chef and I caught at least one fish. I may not have caught anything, but I had a hell of a cast. It was a lot of fun. Maybe if I go out again sometime, I'll catch something. It was kind of fuct that I was the only line guy who didn't catch anything. Such is life, right?
I also had a mild melt down. I was sick of the people that I see every day and spend at least eight or ten hours a day with. People were annoying the hell out of me. I was about to punch a couple people, but instead, I withdrew into myself. I was sick of working with them, day in and day out. I was sick of hearing their voices day in and day out, and I was sick of drinking with them day in and day out. I was a lot sick of the sport drinking that was going on. There was a period of a couple of days where I didn't really talk to anyone. I only spoke when spoken to. I answered questions in very short answers. I also think that a lot of it had to do with the repetitiveness of everything that was happening around me.
When Jo-jo skinned out, I ended up taking over the hot apps station full time. This meant that I worked hot apps six days a week, whereas before, I worked two days each on hot apps, saute, and the middle/expediting stations. I got sick of just scallops and octopi. I craved change. I craved differences in my days, because my nights were all the same. After work, drinking out behind the kitchen, drinking at a bar (someone inevitably bought shots or Irish car bombs), or I would go to my room and watch TV on my computer. It was a boring existence.
Even when I was out I didn't meet anyone new. I never socialized with the front of the house people. There wasn't anywhere loungey to just calmly have a drink. There wasn't really any variation in conversation. I wasn't learning anything new about the kitchen crew. It didn't help that some of them went completely overboard. Some of the guys I work with become complete asses when they drink (sometimes they're even asses when they're sober). I was just so over it.
So I withdrew. I didn't go out. I didn't talk to anyone. And because of that, I didn't really blog either. I just, literally, went in, did my job, came back upstairs, sat on my bed and vegged out while watching TV on my laptop. There were two people who still knew how to get me to talk. One was a runner, Gabi, and the other was a server, Brooke. Both of them saw the look of despair in my eyes, the sheer desperation to get off of the island. They knew it. Gabi just kind of tried to entertain me during service. Brooke was insistent that I get off the island ASAP. Both of them were tuned in, and I appreciated that.
After a while, it all wore off and I was back to normal. I figured that since I was a bit of a douche to my co-workers, I should make up for it. So, I decided to switch it up on them. Usually after work, we have one shift drink, any beer, wine by the glass, or well drink, and then we have a case of Rolling Rock beer that we, as the kitchen, split. There are usually six of us in the kitchen, and a couple of us don't really drink, so you can do the math on how much beer is consumed by those that do. Back in Boston, I started "40s Sundays." On Sunday, we would rotate buying 40s for the entire kitchen. It was a lot of fun. So I, as a "I'm sorry" bought 40s for the kitchen. It seemed to go over pretty nicely. It was something different and I liked it.
Since then, we've lost two people. Brit had to go back to school just before Columbus Day, and Lindsay had to get back to Canada less than a week later. Now, Christian/Pablo works garde manager, and I have completed my round of the hot line by taking over the grill station. Chef is now working the hot apps station and there is no man expediting to servers in front of the line.
In addition to learning the grill station, I have been playing with food again. I have successfully made Shanghai style soup dumplings (xiu long bao), which we offered as a hot app special. They sold like hotcakes. I have made another dumpling which we will be running any day now. And I have brought some stuff from my last trip to Boston like tofu skin and some preserved vegetables that I plan on using in the near future. I actually have some tofu skin rehydrating right now that I plan to wrap around ground duck. Hopefully it'll all work out and I'll be putting more specials on the menu.
So, since we have lost two more people in the kitchen, we now are closed two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It gives me a little more opportunity to get back to Boston. I was there last "weekend" and I plan on going back the next two "weekends," once to help a friend go back to Bratislava, and the other time to vote for Barack Obama.
In other news, Pies has skinned out of going to southeast Asia. He went over to Hyannis and got sick from some food, so his rationale is "If I can't even go to Hyannis without food messing up my stomach, how could I possibly cope with southeast Asian food?" Personally, I think that it was just a cop out. Whatever, though. It frees me up to really do whatever I want. If I'm not meeting up with people, then I can set my own itinerary. I can either pick Bangkok or Singapore as my insertion point. If I want to go to the full moon rave on February 10th or March 10th, it's up to me, or I don't have to go at all.
Today I read this article and think I might want to try it. I have always been interested in martial arts and combat sports. I even checked out the website for Fairtex. In the States, I could go to San Francisco to do the training, but it would cost so much more. I could train for a week, get a week's accommodations at the training center, get one on one training, and two meals a day for as low as 7,700 Baht ($222.03) to share a room with no air conditioning, or get a private room with no air conditioning for 13,300 Baht ($383.51). To pay for a personal trainer for 5 hours a day for 7 days in a regular gym, let alone a fighting gym, would cost probably at least that, and it wouldn't even include room and board. To be honest, it sounds like a lot of torture and hard work, but it sounds like fun too. I really think I'm going to do it.
I've also been obsessed with the ukulele, ever since a friend of mine posted this Youtube video on her Livejournal.
I think that the song is so clever, and in addition to that, there are other ukulele players posting all sorts of covers of songs on youtube. It really makes me want to go out and get a ukulele. It only has four strings. I can't be too much harder than the violin that I played as a kid. So, yeah, now I want a ukulele.
Anyhow, I'm tired. I think it's time for me to turn in for the night. I'll leave you with some pictures though.
Brit and her fish.
Lindsay and one of her fish.
Papi and one of his fish.
Me and Pies on scooters when Anh Dao came to visit.
40s Night. Forget Colt 45. O.E. works every time.
Me, Sandy, Rob, Pablo, Byron and Croomie before the staff party last night.
Papi, Katarina and I at the staff party.
Sandy and Rob at the staff party.
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