Saturday, November 25, 2006

holy batman, it's almost december!

So, yeah, it's almost December and it's getting colder (or is it? I don't think so). Being at the bookstore, and getting ready for another holiday season has made me think (yes, yes, it's the usual thought)...new job! Well, yeah, but for real. I was thinking about staying there until grad school, but you know what? I don't know when I want to go to grad school. Thinking about it, if I were to go in fall 07, that will be less than a year, and i don't think I'm very ready. Both emotionally, financially, etc etc. I think I'd rahter work another year, really focus, and not be so distracted, and enjoy myself right now, so when the time comes, I can really concentrate. RIght now, I picked up a second job , at williams sonoma (yay for a kitchen torch, madeline pans, and good spatualas!) and I'll be working like crazy this next month. I have a feeling december is going to fly by- I have plans each weekend, and will be busy during the week, and soon enough it'll be january; another year, another start.

Other than work, I've been hanging out with boyfriend a lot. We're having a lot of fun, and I really like him. Last night we went into the city, to Chelsea, got some italian at intermezzo, and went to see a play at the Atlantic Theater Company. We saw the Voysey Inheritance, which took place turn-of the century, Victorian England and is about Old Money, Family Secrets, and etc etc. A lot of stock characters (the slightly crazy older brother major in the army, the artist, the bratty money hungry sister, etc etc). i really like the fact that we go on dates, as opposed to just hanging out all the time (which we do enough of anyway).

Christmas is coming! Yay! Depsite the fact that I get somwhat annoyed around the holidays, due to work, traffic, over spending, etc etc, I am a big softie for this time of year. I love getting the holiday issues of all the food magazines, Martha, REal Simple, etc for all their ideas. I already have all my shopping lists ready, the stuff that I'm making for people set...now I just need the time to do it all...I vow not to step foot in a mall (other than the one I work at )- online shopping works for me. I'm excited about all the baking and cooking that I have planned- various treats to bring into work, the holiday wine tasting where me and my one group of friends ar going to exchange our secret santa gifts, christmas eve, christmas, etc etc. My big ting this year is truffles. The very idea of them make me want to produce mountains of them...and then eat them all. I want to make some other than the typical chocolate almonds, etc...how about dark chocolate with orange peel and a hint of Galliano liquor? hmmmm...we'll see what I come up with.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

sigh! long day- happy halloween, etc etc. I got up early today to bake some goodies for work- snickerdoodles and pumpkin cupcakes (thx to judi for the easy recipe: just add like half a can of pumpkin pie mix/puree and 2 tbsps of cinnamon to any boxed yellow cake mix and TAH-DAH!...even though I loathe using cake mix, the convinience is nice). I enjoy baking/cooking during the fall-with the weather getting cooler, its nice to have something piping hot and yummy to eat. I made this awesome risotto with spicy Italian sausage, tomato, and spinach (good-bye e-coli scare!) for the boy who enjoyed it thouroughly.

The recipe called for wine, which I know nothing of. I don't really enjoy wine; I'd rather have gin or rum/mixed drinks, or a beer to tell you the truth. But, as I want to start cooking/baking more, and become more educated on fancy foodie shit, I feel that it is necessary to give in and learn something about it. So, if anyone is wine-savvy, please tell me stuff about it. I was in the liquor store lost, just looking for a bottle of dry white wine. Riesling? Chardonnay? doesn't mean a thing to me. I bought the cheapest thing I saw that was clear, and the risotto turned out excellent. Plus the Boy drank most of the bottle, even after grimacing after the first sip (he knows some stuff about the vino), so at least I don't have a lot left over.

Aha, the Boy. Yeah. Things are going really well. I enjoy him a lot! Some dets. on the kid: he's older (29), works with me, is cute, has a BFA from NYU, is very smart, witty,and makes me laugh at the drop of a dime. He wears j-crew button ups to work, and pops his coat collar. I'm having lots of fun with him...its nice. I really like him, because he's up for almost anything. We have the same tastes in movies tv, music (for the most part), books...we can carry a decent conversation about politics, literature, history. We are also somewhat obnoxious together, but for the most part charming. haha. He likes to go out and drink, as well as go to the whitney for the hopper exhibit. I've attributed my hanging out with him to the change in my mood...it's been better, and it's well, nice.

Last weekend the gang went out to ny for Mike's birthday. Judi and I made reservations at Lucky Chengs- the supposed drag queen capital of the world. LOTS OF FUN! We ran up a large tab on dinner and drinks, but we had a great time. The Emcee, this asian dude/lady picked on Mike lots, and since he was (supposedly) the only gay man in the joint, he had Mike judge a lap dance contest between 2 birthday girls and a soon-to-be-bride. Our waitress Ava made sure to call me a 'needy bitch' whenever I asked for water/napkins/fork, and i Loved every minute for it. As it was Halloween wknd, we dressed up: Megha ressurected her ringmistress costume ffrom several years back, Judi was a bunny, Meghan was Mary-Kate Olsen (complete with starbucks coffee cup, big sunglasses, and hobo-chicness), Carin was Hot Shit (she dressed in a brown, hottt turtleneck dress), and stephanie and I were sexy gangsters/the blues sisters/justin timberlake ala Sexyback video. We met up with Tishon afterwards which was awesome(!) even if it was only for a little bit. He owes me mail and I want it now! haha.

On the way back home, we were taking the PATH back to Hoboken, cos we were all drunk/tipsy and crashing at mikes. A train arrives, and we all get on the train.....OR DO WE???

INT: PATH TRAIN CAR. Nighttime. Car is not very full just yet- still early for the afterbar jerseyeans to head home. Christine settles into an empty seat; the others lean on posts. They are all tired, ready for bed, but still enjoying their time together. The train pulls out of the stop, ready to head back to NJ.

Stephanie: UM...Where's Judi??

Christine: (thinking: Was there another girl sitting on the bench dressed up as a bunny? OH NO....) UMMMM...(gestures out the window as the train enters the tunnel)...

Mike, Megha, Steph, Christine: WE LEFT JUDI AT THE PATH STATION!!!! (the inhabitants in the car begin to buzz...they can't believe that these dumb bitches just left their friend at the station)

Guy sitting next to Christine: You should get off at the next stop.

HA. okay, so the story probably sounds better relayed in person, with excitable dialogue and hand gestures, but the bottom line is that we left Judi at the station- she had passed the eff out, and didn't know we had gotten up. We all assumed she was behind one of us. We get off at the 9th st stop, run like Hell back up to 14th, thinking maybe if we get their soon enough, she won't even know we were gone! When we got back to the 14th st station, we went to the uptown station, and started freaking out, bc she wasn't there...I did some Nancy Drew sleuthing and concluded that we were in the wrong station because there was no America's Next Top Model poster above the bench. ha...but she did, and all worked out well, we caught another train quickly, and laugh about it for the rest of the night (we also did a head count when we got off/on to a train).

FUN TIMES...i love those guys.

Work stuff: It's going okay. I'm actually enjoying it, because instead of just doing customer service all day, I get little projects and set up stuff in the store. I like doing shit like that, visual stuff, and getting the books for displays. I mean, it is a large chain so there isn't too much room for creativity, but it also keeps me abrest (is that the word? help) on titles and what not. For today, I put on some cat ears and wore my cute black shirtdress and came to work as Miss Kitten. Easy night, but I am exhausted.

g'nite.