Monday, August 31, 2009

Im Off to See the Hubby...


There are a few things that I really struggle with, the first being folding laundry and the second being packing... I will find almost any excuse to procrastinate when it comes to these two chores. I leave for Kansas City in the morning, but I have somehow gravitated away from the suitcase and over to the computer. Right now I would rather Blog about it than actually do it. I know it isn't hard, you count the days you will be away, select sufficient clothing and toiletries, toss in the shoes, electronics, books, accessories and voila! Somehow that process always takes me at least a few hours, and seems to always include some baking of some sort, a pedicure, web surfing, random organizing projects, mopping the floors... I suppose it's good interval training? Okay, now I feel pumped up for travel prep, or maybe it's just that procrastination has shifted into full gear and it is pretty much now or never. Okay okay, I can practically envision my suitcase rolling its eyes at me, off I go!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Riverwalk Walk

Wow, today I had so much fun! One great thing lead to another... little planning involved. Sometimes those are the best days. The days when I just let it all come together, without too much planning or expectations. I woke up this morning, grabbed my Yoga mat and headed downtown to Synergy Yoga Studio. The Studio was built under the historical Pearl Brewery of San Antonio, so it has very interesting architecture including the ceiling which is encompassed by an enormous beer keg that once served as a reservoir for the brewery back in 1883. The class was very refreshing and energizing, but I was ready for some sustenance. To my surprise, right across the street was a great new restaurant called Farm to Table. Their menu consists of an array of locally derived foods, and they were happy to tell me that the turkey on my 1/2 a turkey sandwich came from the meat smokehouse just down the road, who uses only locally raised fowls. It was a very tasty brunch and a ate every last bite. I walked out of the cafe and started following the Saturday crowds down the walkway, not sure where they were headed. This brought me to the Farmers Market, which are on of my greatest passions; I often dream of having a booth of my own someday, selling crooked cucumbers or Brady's handmade tortillas. There were so many great vendors, and I just wanted to buy something from every single one of them! My recent readings from "Animal Vegetable Miracle" made me evermore appreciate the great efforts and ethics behind every single product. I bought some local home smoked bison jerky to take to Brady (a good baseball game snack) and a crisp curly cucumber from a jubilant farm lady. At the end of the market was an access path to the famous Riverwalk. Although we have lived here for several months, I have yet to walk more than 10 minutes of it. With my camera in hand I walked three miles along side the peacefully winding river, admiring the plants, birds, and interesting art pieces. I eventually came into the heart of the city were I once worked,and visited Waxy O'Connors for a late lunch. Waxy's is an Irish Pub, so my Irish Flank Steak Sandwich on Rye was accompanied by live Irish music and dancing. In honor of my Irish roots I volunteered to join the group for the "Diners Dance", and although It was fun, I am now certain that Riverdancing is out of the question. The long walk back to my car was just as beautiful although seemingly twice as hot. My camera strap stuck to my neck and sweat dripped from the creases of my elbows, but today I didn't seem to mind, I was too busy trying to soak up every last drop of San Antonio before we move to Dallas. I couldn't have planned the day better myself, my legs are dead, my belly is full, and I have a smile on my face!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

My Husband the Superstar

I think my husband is really cool. This had been his first year without playing baseball since he can remember, until he got a phone call from his coach several weeks ago asking him to come and join the team for the seasons end and playoffs. Last year he pitched for the Kansas City T-Bones minor league baseball team and came home with a national championship title, not to mention a huge ring! He then decided it was time to start looking for a "real job"... whatever that means anyway. Now, just when he had began to settle into the idea that he might never play at such a level again, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. So he followed his heart and jumped on a plane to Kansas City where I will join him in a few days. He pitched today and did great. I absolutely love watching him play, many of our happiest moments have been in some way associated with baseball. Oh man this is going to be GREAT!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Waiting Tables




Another experience to check of my Life List. Tomorrow will be my last day waiting tables at J.Alexanders. I had always been curious as to the behind the scenes operations of a restaurant, so when we moved to Texas I applied at several upscale restaurants, with the intention that if I was going to wait tables, I wanted to work at a top notch establishment. In each interview, the same two questions arose. The first being, "So you haven't waited tables before?", as if they were stricken by my ambition to apply at the best of the best as a "first-timer", and secondly " You have a college degree and you want to do this why?". My response to that was simply that I wanted to experience the other end of the dining experience. Brady and I enjoy dining out, but I now wanted to see how it all comes together. When I began at J.Alexanders, I must admit I was very overwhelmed by all there was to learn. I had two weeks of diligent studying, written tests, and training before I was allotted my own tables. It's no surprise that I had to re-take the alcohol test a few times before passing. My eyes were definitely opened to the strategerie behind quality food and service, and the complexity of the process itself. My college studies never included table side wine service or table specking efficiency, but my Mass Communication degree gets full credit for my guest personability and my rewarding tip percentages... for the most part. I did have a few very unpleasant, under appreciative guests, who made me wonder how they live with themselves, but I served many more delightful diners that made it difficult for me to resist joining them at the table. I fell particularly fond of a few of our regular diners, and developed some great friendships with many of my co-workers. I am very glad that I had this experience, and I highly recommend doing things you have a inkling to try, even if you feel under or over qualified for that matter, there is always something to be learned from any experience.

Friday, August 21, 2009

The Last Latte


Today was most likely my last day as a Starbucks Barista. Soon after we married, Mine and Brady's first jobs were working at a small town Starbucks (We applied after reading that it was one of the top 10 companies to work for). We both thought it would be fun, and a great way to get acquainted with the towns people and local events. It certainly has been a great experience and I have since worked at several Starbucks cafes across a few different states. When we moved from the small town of Sandpoint, ID I decided to continue my Barista days, most of all to maintain our full heath and dental insurance, and secondly to have an entertaining second job. Although it has been a fulfilling nine months with the company, we will soon be venturing to the next stop of our "Tour de Newlyweds", and I feel that my Barista experience has been achieved to its full capacity. I hang up my green apron grateful to have had the opportunity to not only learn how to make a perfect Iced, Venti, Quad, 2 pump vanilla, Soy, light ice, extra Carmel, with whip, Carmel Macchiato, but most of all to have interacted with thousands of interesting people. I've dealt with everything from unruly homeless thieves to the downtown"Black Card" business men regulars. I have taken a written drink order from a deaf woman, helped a child who was badly burned by his fathers spilled coffee, and shoveled through two feet of snow at 4:00 am to clear a path to the Cafe front door. Working at Starbucks has not only provided me with a two year supply of tea, it has also taught me a few important lessons:

1. Caffeine is the Devil
2. Money goes where priorities flow
3. You can learn a lot about someone in 2 minutes
4. Tip Jars make people more nervous than a blind date
5. A little enthusiasm makes everything more fun
6. Don't cry over spilt milk, or you'll surely be depressed
7. Nice people get better service
8. Wearing a drive-through microphone makes you an instant Diva
9. Non-slip shoes prevent brain damage
10. Never under-estimate the blessing of employment

Today I made my last Latte, and enjoyed my final free "Partner Beverage" at the end of my closing shift. I chose to drink "My Drink", a Venti, Soy, Unsweetened, Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte. To me it is "Creamy Herbal Bliss" in a cup. It is described by Starbucks as a "Full leaf African Rooibos tea (naturally caffeine free), also known as red tea, paired with Tahitian vanilla and cinnamon. Sweetened with classic syrup and topped with steamed milk and velvety foam". I savored every soothing sip as I reminisced over my Starbucks experiences and the many smiling faces I have met.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Foodies


It doesn't take long to figure out that Brady and I love great food. We talk about, dream about, read about, pray about, and of course eat food. In fact, the first thing we ever did together was visit over a great authentic Mexican meal, and I remember thinking how nice it was to dine with someone who sought after quality food the way I do. We now spend lots of our time together in the kitchen, cooking up all types of delicious meals. These are usually very nutritious and flavorful dishes made from fresh ingredients and a little bit of dirty work... things can get pretty messy sometimes, but the outcome is always something worth savoring. We love experimenting with different spices and finding ways to make typical American grub into delightfully enriching fare. One of our favorite desserts is avocado pudding... yep, you heard me AVOCADO! I just whipped up a batch and it is so good that I felt compelled to share the recipe, so that others may experience this creamy chocolate euphoria. I first got the recipe from a raw food class several years ago, and have since had fun experimenting with different variations. The basic recipe is as follows:

Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:
1. 2 large (or 3 sm/md) creamy avocados (It is very important that the avocados be not firm or squishy, but slightly soft to the touch, a spoon should slide through it with ease. Too firm and it will turn out gritty, and too soft it will have leave a pungent taste. I usually buy one extra just in case I cut it open and it is bruised or too firm.)
2. about a 1/2 C of Agave Nectar ( This is similar to honey, but has a milder flavor and smoother consistency. Adjust sweetness to preference.)
3.1/2C to 2/3C of unsweetened cocoa or carob powder.
4. 1 scant Tbs of vanilla extract (not artificial)
5. 1/4 C of milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut.... doesn't matter)
6. a dash of ground cinnamon
7. dried coconut flakes or slices almonds for garnish

Directions:
Put all ingredients (1-6) in blender, but only half of the milk and blend on med-low for 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides and add a remaining milk and additional sweetener if necessary. Once pudding has a thick, smooth and creamy consistency, spoon pudding back into empty avocado shells and sprinkle with coconut or almonds. cover and refrigerate for a few hours. will keep refrigerated for 2 days. Bask in the pleasure of indulging in your healthy creation, laden with antioxidants, immune support, healthy fats, and satisfying flavor.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Old School Education


As of late I have been unable to siphon a single ounce of Internet signal from my apartment neighbors, so I have resorted to the old-school method of utilizing the public library. Brady and I have been on tour for the first several months of our marriage and the public libraries have been of great use to us. Sometimes with all the modern electronic comforts of home it is easy to forget about the humble offerings of a public library. There aren't many things that you can get for free anymore, and in an era where education costs often result in years of heavy debt, it is liberating to have public access to so much great information. Today I am checking out a few random titles that I feel interested in at the moment, including :"Investing for Dummies", "Food Politics", and "Marathon Runners Handbook". These should keep me busy for a few days, then I will be back for more educational treats. With the swipe of my library card I am on my way to the nearby deli for a big salad and a great read. Ta Ta!