Halle-freakin-lujah

Graham finally got a permanent job!

Almost a year since his last permanent job, he got a job in the mall, working in a kiosk.. He starts tomorrow.

He'll be working part-time, evenings and weekends.. With a base pay and commission, it's the perfect part-time job with school.

Seriously, thank the Lord!!!

New Ingredients

I may not get into cooking ruts, but I do tend to use the same ingredients over and over, like cilantro, parsley, chicken, lemon, etc..

So, I decided to be adventurous and try something new in my cooking. This month I tried tarragon and short ribs.

The Verdict

Tarragon: Beautiful herb, but not to my taste. It has that "black licorice" flavor, kind of like fennel. YUCK. I just don't like that flavor profile AT ALL. I used it in a creamy sauce for chicken.

Short Ribs: I freaking worked my butt off all day to get these puppies tender. The day before Valentine's Day, I roasted the ribs, braised them with aromatics in a red wine sauce, strained the cooking liquid, and refrigerated them overnight to be able to skim the congealed fat off the top of the liquid. On Valentine's Day, I sauteed some bacon, parsnips, and pearl onions and added the cooking liquid and the short ribs to re-heat. Was the cooking marathon worth it? Absolutely. When placed over a potato puree, it was heaven on a Waterford china plate. I can't say exactly what Graham said, but I'll have you know, these ribs were damn good. Simply said.

My next mission: Collard greens.

My Life is a Mormonad

Graham and I have been practicing singing for the past couple of weeks.. I mean, he is the primary CHORISTER and all..

Anyways, I've been trying to learn how to sing alto parts, because my voice is a bit lower and it's easier for me. Graham told me I'd probably do better as an alto, but that he likes the way our voices harmonize together when I sing soprano and when he sings tenor in the LDS hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour".

We started singing "I Need Thee Every Hour" while getting into bed, pulling out our Book of Mormon while we harmonized together. Graham then said, "ok we need to stop singing or I'm going to get sick from our cheesiness."

Not a joiner

I've had many titles in my life, including:
1) Cheerleader
2) Slut (see #1)
3) Nerd
4) Man stealer
5) Jokester
6) Best backspot (see #1)

Among many others...

But never the title of "joiner". What do I mean by this?

My mom always complained when my sister and I were older that we were not "joiners". We didn't try to hang out with other people all the time. We didn't go to parties. We didn't join in any reindeer games..

I am perfectly content being by myself, mostly.. In Portland, I became perfectly comfortable with seeing movies by myself. I would go to bars with grad school friends and be the only non-drinker there and feel ok about it. I don't feel the need to constantly talk to people and be the center of attention in groups. I am ok with listening to other people talk and say something when I have something important to say.

Even when I was young I was like that. It's not that I was shy. I just didn't enjoy other people's company all the time. Sometimes in elementary school when I'd get invited to sleep over at a semi-friend's house, I'd pretend to ask my mom and tell the semi-friend my mom said no. I never had a large circle of friends.. just a few close ones.

If I had been a "joiner", my life definitely would have been different. First of all, I would've been a drinker and your stereotypical ho-bag cheerleader. I would not have attended BYU, and who knows if I would have graduated college. Marriage? Maybe later, after I popped out a kid or two.

So, mom... I think my life turned out alright huh?

And no, I'll never be a joiner.