Update

I did not cook last night if you are looking for a picture of day #4 of cook week. I decided to eat leftovers since there was a variety to choose from. I was going to cook my last dish tonight (Friday) but I don’t think I will have the time. I am going to cook it on Saturday instead. Stay tuned for the picture this weekend.

Updating you on my job. I am in my second week and I continue to like it. While I am only part-time I have been working every day this week (not 8 hours…but 7). Today I am working in the office alone. I wasn’t suppose to work but my boss Ann-Marie asked me if I could come in (she won’t be in today) just to answer the phone if it should ring, etc. She gave me the key and sort of told me to just hang out, surf the net a little, and read up on some of the material about “healthy hearts”. I kinda feel funny just sitting here not doing anything and getting paid for it. I’ll probably memorize the material so throughly that I will become a talking book but at least I will be able to tell you all about Healthy Hearts,Healthy Heart lifestyles, Heart Disease & conditions, Risk Factors for Heart Disease, Diagnosis & Diagnostic Tests, and Treatments. This is all stuff I need to learn so I may answer people’s questions while registering them for the course and screening.

On another note, I am considering going to grad school at Wayne State university in the near future. There is a program I am interested in that is having an informational meeting next week. I want to look into it a little more, ask some questions and see how much more debt I might accrue should I choose to go that route. Of course I would still be working part-time to help pay for it. Who knows…I don’t even know if it’s going to happen yet or not. I’ll update you on the decision later.

Anyone have any research for me to do? I have all day. Give me some topics and I will see what I can find for you. Seriously. Maybe you are interested in visiting a new place and haven’t had time to do the research. Or how about a new piece of electronics. You need me to compare the specs and prices? I’ll work for you today. Don’t worry about the pay, my boss has that covered. Just give me something to research dammit! Don’t leave me here surfing the net with nothing specific to look for. I’ll get lost in cyberspace! I’ll post my findings for you here. SOmeone? ANyone?
*I suppose I could dance to the music on the radio* that would keep me busy and give me a workout. Hmmmm.

Cooking Week Day #3

Pasta Carbonara
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

Tonight I decided to make Pasta Carbonara (NOT Chicken Carbonara as I said in the comment section of the previous blog entry) for dinner. I was inspired to make this dish after tasting my former employer’s version a couple years ago. She made the best Pasta Carbonara and I always wanted to try to make it myself. Mine tasted slightly different of course, but it was pretty damn good I must say. Jeff had helping after helping.
After browning the bacon with some garlic and cooking it to a crisp I added some red wine vinegar which really added to the flavor of the dish. So awesome.

Next week I think I will have to work off all of the food I have made and ate. I haven’t been to the gym for a consecutive number of days in weeks. Very bad of me. Bad.

Birthday

A Happy Birthday to my sister Andrea!!!! Yay,yer 24! Love you Sweets.

Cooking Week Day #2 (easy cooking day)

Chipotle
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

MMmmmm. I made these for dinner tonight. I’ve made them once before and we just love how spicy they are. You can find them at Trader Joe’s. Chipotle Pepper Sausage.

Cooking Week Day #2 (easy cooking day)

corn
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

Corn.

Cooking Spree Week Day #1

Pork Roast
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

I thought I would start cooking more because Jeff and I eat out way too much (gets awfully expensive). I have a dish planned for every day this week. Except Friday. We’ll see how I feel.
I made my first pork roast yesterday (Monday night). I marinated it Sunday night in some chicken broth, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper. I had the option of using a white wine (according to the recipe) but decided against it. While it was quite excellent, I wish I had used the white wine instead to give it that extra kick. Next time perhaps.

The Shower is done!

Introducing the shower!
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

Here it is. All done except for a couple details (handle on door,etc). We’re just happy to be showering again.

A big thanks goes out to Jeff’s parents, my mom, Adam & Nicola, and Mitch and Gina for being so generous with their showers. You are all welcome to come over and experience ours anytime.

P.S. Thanks also should go out to Wayne State’s Recreation & Fitness Center where I took MANY showers after working out and hopefully won’t ever have to again (shower there I mean).

Dangerous Intersection AKA “Caniff & Fleming”

Fleming & Caniff
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

Again and again Jeff and I have had to deal with THIS corner (as others do as well of course). It is on my bad intersection list. The picture just does not do it the justice it deserves. Usually the street is jam packed with cars and turning right is like playing Russian Roulette with your car (and potentially your life the way some people drive). This morning (like usual) the whole street was filled with cars and I had to edge my way out hoping noone would hit me just so I could see if anyone was coming from my left on Caniff. I REALLY feel people should not be allowed to park this close to the corner because their cars continually obstruct the view for traffic turning off of Fleming onto Caniff. We shouldn’t have to edge out into oncoming traffic just to see if cars are coming. One of these days the inevitable will happen and don’t say I didn’t tell you all so. Caniff and Fleming=trouble. Totally ridiculous corner! Stay away from it if you can.

College friends

The Girls
Originally uploaded by Hindowashi.

This past Saturday I went and met up with some old college friends at my friend jessica’s house. It was so nice seeing these gals and catching up. I can’t wait to do it again in August. You hear me girls?!!!
Because we used to go to a lot of parties together freshman year of college the B-52’s “Deadbeat Club” song sort of became our theme song. Jessica just happened to play it Saturday night for us. She is one of the most sentimental chicks this side of Texas I tell ya. She and I can reminisce for hours on end. *Flicking fake tears for that extra sentimental touch is our thing*

*I’m singing out loud* “Let’s gooooo craaaaaash that parteeee downnnn in normalllll toooown tonite……then we’ll goooo skinnyyyyy dippiiiing in the moonnliiiiiiggghht……we were wiiiiillld grrrrls…walking dooooooown… the street…..wiiiiild grrrrrrrrls……and boyyyyys(Mike Faith, sometimes others)….going out for a big time.”
B-52’s Deadbeat Club

We never went skinny dipping though. Had to cut it off somewhere right?

Excuses, who me?

Okay, so I have not been writing as often as I would like. Its honestly half laziness, a quarter feeling like I have nothing interesting to say, and another quarter of being too busy. There’s a dozen other excuses I could throw in there as well. But those three sound good for now.

Today I am NOT feeling two out of three I mentioned above( lazy and busy) which is why I am writing. I’m not sure I will ever NOT feel the third (having nothing interesting to say) Maybe I shouldn’t have it as an excuse for NOT wanting to write then. I mean I’m writing now despite feeling like I have nothing interesting to say. Hmmm.

A couple weeks ago I went with Jeff to watch him skateboard. When we got there I noticed a lady sitting in the bleachers where I was going to be sitting. The short/reddish-haired woman was watching her 8 year old son skateboard in the bowl. Every once in a while she would yell a “good job!” or a “are you okay honey?”. After a few moments of watching her so lovingly mother her son ( but not in an overbearing or embarassing way) I initiated conversation with her about when her son began skateboarding etc. I found out it was only his third time and he was very much a beginner. She soon introduced me to him and and even showed him who my boyfriend was (pointing to him as he skated “the guy in the orange shirt is her boyfriend and his name is Jeff.”) I took the opportunity to let her son Connor know that if he wanted Jeff to show him any tricks then to just ask him as he is very friendly and would love to help him. He later took my advice and Jeff taught him how to get aquainted with the bowl as a beginner. Meanwhile in the bleachers the reddish haired woman (Anne-Marie) and I were busy getting to know one another. We talked about skateboarding, her son, my past nanny work, amongst other things. She was impressed that there was a program for backup childcare and we began talking about its uniqueness and how every company should offer such a program to their employees. Soon we got on the topic of what she did (in charge of a healthy hearts program for U.A.W. workers) which later lead me to telling her about how I once worked in a factory which later (much later, as we talked for a while) lead her to saying “I know this sounds weird…. but I just happen to be looking for someone to do some part-time work for me. Its nothing full time and I don’t know if this sounds like something you might be interested in but I guess I am sort of offering it to you since you have such a variety of job experience under your belt.”
To make a long story short (my stories can be very longwinded as you all are probably aware) we exchanged e-mails and I met up with her after a couple days to hear more about the job. I liked what I heard and I started working for her yesterday. So far, all I can say about my new job is I like it a lot. My boss is so awesome and kind. So thoughtful. So generous. Very good at COMMUNICATING (something my last boss lacked in a big way) She is also paying me more than I asked for which is a plus. Today she found out I did not have a cell phone and quickly made some phone calls in order to get me one (for work of course). Tomorrow I am going to learn how to do registrations for heart screenings/classes at the Warren Truck plant. Since I worked at a factory for three years of my life I know what to expect, therefore I am not too worried about the protocol for parking, etc. Which reminds me, thank goodness my dad always taught me buy american cars (I have a Saturn). I would have had to borrow Jeff’s car if I didn’t already have one. Its considered a slap in the face if you dare drive a foreign car onto any U.A.W. member parking lot. They will tow your car in a heartbeat. Anne-Marie told me that they occasioanlly look under the hood to see what engine people have in their american car as some are made outside the U.S.A. But thats on the more extreme side and rarely happens. My only question is how would a consumer know if the U.S. car they are buying has a foreign made engine. We’re suppose to do engine research? Aren’t car parts from a variety of plants and locations anyway? I mean even Apple computers have foreign parts in them. How can we not buy something that doesn’t have SOME parts made outside the U.S.A these days? China is hard to compete with these days. Look at the evil empire Walmart. Ohh man…this is for another blog entry altogether.
Moving on.
So I have a part-time job doing clerical type stuff and some occasional registrations. Thats the news.

One last thing before I end this post. While at work today I got two e-mails regarding a job (Web Coordinator) I applied for at Crain’s Detroit before heading out to Boston a couple weeks ago. While the e-mails said I did not get the job I applied for(well they changed what they were looking for) I was very happy that the man personalized them the way he did. If only other company’s rejected me the way he did I would welcome rejections with open arms. Here is what the emails said:

The first one:

Hi, Sarah.
This actually is a solid resume for a Web coordinator job. Unfortunately, we have retooled the job to be more of a reporter/editor, which means we’ll be looking for a journalist with experience.

Thanks for your patience and for taking the time to apply. Good luck.

Bob (I’ve erased his last name out of respect)

Bob
Web general manager
Crain’s Detroit Business

Now for the second one:

Sarah, I must tell you, I took a long look at you.
What we have decided to do is make the job a reporter/editor, which means we’ll be looking for a journalist with experience.

You didn’t fall short, OK? And although it feels like a rejection, you gave us nothing to reject. We just changed our minds. Journalists do that. We call it thinking because indecisiveness sounds so … unprofessional.

Anyway, I appreciate your patience and for taking the time to apply. Good luck.

Bob

Bob
Web general manager
Crain’s Detroit Business

What a nice way to let someone know they didn’t get the job but almost did…or something. For any of you Human Resource type people out there. Take this as a hint. Then people like me will write you back to thank you for being so honest and courteous with the rejection. I mean…. not the rejection….but the changing of the mind…..or the indecisiveness…… or whatever it was. Basically I just wanted to show there IS a nice way to reject candidates and this man used it. The all too common bad way is to send the rejection in the form of a small postcard which coveniently allows the mailman to read how your qualifications do not match any current job openings and how your resume will be on file for a year and to please not call them about any informational interviews as they are very busy people and do not want to be bothered (I know they get tons of job applicants but can’t they at least send the rejection in a sealed envelope? I mean come on!) So yeah. Bob made me feel good, so good I shared him with all of you. Shouldn’t all rejections be as good as Bob’s? Let’s help keep the rejection process postive people!

Till next time. Toodle Loo!