3-day Extravaganza

Had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I had to skip work on Friday, which made for a long weekend.. and Q and I were so tired from a hectic, crazy week, that we decided not to do laundry, or clean, or do anything productive... instead, we cooked, ate, went to downtown L, ate, came back, and ate some more (and did some other unmentionable stuff as well.. heehee). We just had such a great time! It was relaxing and lazy and cozy. And it was crazy and exciting and mindblowing! We had so much fun I had no time to blog. We ended up with a mess! But we don't care. It was perfect. A little vacation right at home.

Among our many (big and little) excitements of the weekend was our cooking adventure: potstickers (or gyoza). We have them all the time, but always at a restaurant or with our take-out. I'd been meaning to make them for a while, so there was great fear and anticipation. LoL. We made the wrappers from scratch, stuffed them, and fried them... and they were absolutely perfect! We even got the right blend for the sauce from an Asian cooking blog (email me for the link). We had them with ramen -I always get a watery mouth from watching Miyasaki's characters eating from their bowls. I felt like I was the 7 year old in Ponyo. YUM. Now we just need to get the special bowls with the lids and we'll be set!! Well, here's a pic of our little culinary accomplishment. Que rico!!


Today we saw Qs parents and had a great meal at Esquina. Q and I tried out the restaurant for the first time this weekend (part of our 3-day extravaganza) and loved it. Second time was not a disappointment. Can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner with the Ms! I still have work tomorrow, but after that I will only have a week left at BB, then I will be free! Yaaaay!!! Very excited to go back to my calligraphy business :)
Happy holidays everyone!

Life in the Midwest

Has been everything but what I thought it'd be. Good and bad -it's all been different. Entering a new stage (or an encore?!)... well, feeling refreshed and ready to refuel with positive energy! Feeling the good vibes already. You may have guessed it: I am handing over my resignation letter tomorrow.
It is not, logistically speaking, the safest bet. I have been playing on the safe side for a year, and I wonder if Q is going to be able to endure the "safe" me for much longer. I am so tired and upset and quite simply not myself. My work environment is truly affecting every other area of my life. It just is not worth the 7.25 (no benefits) hourly wage.
In any case, I am very much excited about the prospect of a different low-wage job (lol) and (quite incredibly) feeling warm inside. Must be relief. Very invigorating. Makes the waiting so much easier. Maybe when Q finishes his dissertation we can move to a bigger city! Will continue to apply for more serious jobs in the area... maybe if I keep throwing stuff at the wall something will end up sticking to it ;)

Maybe I shouldn't make such a huge fuzz about my professional frustrations as a preschool teacher. In all honestly, calligraphy jobs have been pretty fulfilling. There is something so satisfying about a completed hand-lettered envelope. However small it might be, it is a work of art, filled with personality, and color, and style... and even utility! Here's a pic, to finish off in a good note.

I can't believe I'm saying this...

...but I'm hooked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, it's incredibly cheesy and unrealistic to the point of ...but anyway, it's entertaining. Besides, most of the main characters in the show are incredibly smart. And it keeps me from thinking about the demonization of illegal immigrants in Arizona. *sigh* Now THAT is unrealistic stupidity.