Delighting in details

Not gonna lie, it's been a rough few days. How do you honor someone's memory, when you're miles away from anyone who even knew him? I sincerely don't know. So, I'm choosing what I hope my friends and fam will do when it's my turn. Looking for joy wherever I can find it, and connecting with people however I can manage it. Thankfully, in this age of blogs/facebook/twitter/cellphone/text, that second part is easier than ever. As for the first one...

So far I've resisted the urge to gripe a lot about the new crib. I can look anywhere and see an upgrade over what I moved out of. But it's a rental, so, you know it's not going to be perfect.

This crap right here?

Notice the paint smeared on the switch plate?

Drives me batty. Sloppy, careless bullshit, afflicting every switch plate in the house. And yes I most certainly sound like my grandpa right now. But I can live with this. A minor, purely aesthetic offense after all.

What I couldn't live with was the shower situation. Now, I like a fast-running, soaking shower as much as the next girl, but not at the expense of having enough hot water to rinse my hair. If I may offer a totally gross admission, I haven't shaved my damn legs since we've been here! Definitely not trying that in cold water.

Now I think we've solved this problem. Today we went over to Lowe's and picked up this little gem:

Cue choirs of angels

Waterpik's "Ecoflow" high-efficiency shower head will drop us down from 5 gallons per minute to 1.5 --  it even has one of those neato pause buttons. With any luck, tomorrow I can have a long, hot, proper shower. And smooth legs. See? Delighting in details.

If you knew him (or hell even if you didn't, I'm sure he'd still appreciate it), drink a toast to Curt Byars this weekend. If it's a Keystone Light that's even better. Look for something simple and let it give you joy. Connect with someone you haven't seen in a while. And if you love anybody you think might not know it? Tell them.

Now it's a home!

I finally went to the neighborhood grocery yesterday. After a week of eating fast food and frozen pizza, I totally snapped. Even though the kitchen is still in chaos, and the thought of cooking in there is giving me angst, I couldn't take it another day. I needed some vegetables, y'all!

And fruit. Gas station raisins couldn't cut it anymore.

Aside: I take crappy pictures. What the hell is white balance? Did I leave enough background? To flash or not to flash?

 

Same photo, with flash. Washed out, no? I don't know...

The thing is, my photo-impairedness has never been an issue before. Doug takes fantastic pictures, so for important events we put the camera in his hand. But even I'm not so pushy and narcissistic that I'd make him do the images for my blog. So I'm muddling through. Practice makes perfect and all that, right? That said, if anyone can recommend a book, you'll have my gratitude.

Also, just in case you thought I was exaggerating about that total chaos thing, here's another area of countertop.

And this is the "tidy" section!

There's an island of garbage right out in the middle of the floor. About four boxes crammed full of crumpled newspapers. I can't bear to make it public. We're searching for a baker's rack to supplement our storage. Once that's in place, maybe I'll relax a little.

It's astonishing, really. Somehow, I made all this crap fit in my last kitchen. Maybe I was unconsciously bending space-time? And if so, how come I've suddenly lost that ability?

Oh, and that veggie photo looks totally staged, because it kind of is. Since I'm gearing up for a proper dinner, I took the time to place and organize all my spice bottles. The fruit and veggies are pretty much right where they landed out of their grocery bags, and they looked so pretty I just had to get them on film -- er, memory card.

Now, they've got to go because I'll be needing that workspace. I think Doug's recliner is unoccupied...

Crazy lady confesses...

I've been promising pictures and stories. So here goes. My confession? I have utter meltdowns over utterly stupid things. Here's an example.

I hate Walmart. It reminds me of that "Who Needs the Quick-E Mart" Simpsons, where they go to a megastore with the tag line "shopping is a baffling ordeal." I avoid it whenever possible. But when you move to a new place, and you're on a budget, you kinda have to suck it up.

We managed to fix up our bathroom for under $100, which is nice.

I love the colors in this shower curtain!

Another bit of background: Cute as our little cottage may be (and it's getting there), it has some, er, issues. Like, there's no light fixture in the living room. Unsurprisingly, Walmart totally failed us there. Unless you need dorm room lamps, just stay away.

Home Depot, however, came through with this:

Yes, that's surround sound hooked up back there. Priorities, people.

So all over the box are warnings: 40-watt light bulbs maximum. No problem. Back we go to Walmart (and this was like, our 4th trip in 2 days, it was ugly). We get the light bulbs and head home, giddy that we can finally sit in our living room at night.

What the lousy box didn't tell us was, the lamp requires 40-watt chandelier bulbs. You know, the narrow ones with the tiny bottom? Yes, a setback, but in the scheme of an interstate move, no bigs.

Nonetheless... Lost. My. Shit.

Tears, swears, the whole nine. I might have thrown some stuff but nothing was handy. Poor Doug, bless him, just kind of stood back and offered to do the 5th [cussword] Walmart trip solo. But I pulled myself together and went along. We got the stupid bulbs, my meltdown safely behind us. Horse's ass...

I'll leave you with a couple more bathroom photos, since that's the only room really fit to photograph. Everything else is still in cardboard hell.

My signature style: decorations that function

 

I know, this mirror needs serious cleaning. 

The round bit is an old sticker and I think the black shit is paint. We'll get to it (cough). It's totally on the list!

.500 rocks in any league

Yesterday I took a crack at a new job. I thought I knew what I was in for: canvassing neighborhoods, collecting donations for a here-unnamed organization. The short, short version of how it went?

THEM: You'll be working with a partner for a few hours, then we'll send you off on your own.

ME: Wait, you mean you ask people to walk the streets, after dark, carrying cash, alone? That's nuts!

THEM: Maybe this job isn't a good fit for you...

No shit.

Granted, this may serve as another example of how I need to learn to keep my big gob shut. Then again, I'm not really about getting mugged. So, unemployed I remain. Sigh...

This guy, however?

(Thanks to a long-ago girlfriend for resurrecting this on Facebook.) 

My husband had an awesome first day: small-but-growing company, relaxed corporate culture, proper hours, decent pay. He even has a work-issued laptop. Hoo-freakin-ray!!!!!

I can't even tell you how proud I am right now. I've spent the last few years watching him bust his ass, work at the mall, go to school, and take care of me. That's at least three full-time jobs if anyone's counting.

He looked so happy last night, it took me all of five minutes to forget my spectacular flame-out. We're one for two on the day, so I can't complain.

Congratulations my love. You have SO earned this!

So here we are

Welcome to Popcorn on a Skillet, Georgia-style!

Just got my internet hooked up yesterday. This morning, I got all settled in for a marathon blogging session when...

Tra-la-la, my phone (pressed into service as alarm clock for the past week) tells me it's time to shower and get ready for my interview this afternoon. Crap.

I had such good intentions for today. Got Doug off to his new job about 6:15 this morning. Thought "I have hours to unpack some more crap, go through my blogroll, and get a good post together for Popcorn." Then I laid down on the couch to ice my back and... Zzzzzz...

Good thing I had to be up at 10 a.m. yesterday too, huh?

Stay tuned! I'll have stories and photos soon, I swear!

Our last night in the Green

I post this as we get ready to crash for the last time in our apartment. The overwhelming majority of our worldly goods are here...

I'm excited, sure, but I'm kind of freaking out. I always thought of myself as a country girl. Now here I go to Atlanta. I'm in a sentimental mood.

I'll miss a few things about this place. Dinners at El Mazatlan and my friends in the Women's Studies house come immediately to mind.

I won't miss a lot of other things. My one square foot of kitchen counter space, endlessly partying (without me) college kids, and eating/sleeping/working/chilling all in one room to name a few.

It's been more than 6 years since we last pulled a U-Haul up to the back door. What was life like back then?

• No one outside Chicago and Springfield had ever heard of Barack Obama
• Facebook didn't exist
• We thought Mars had no water
• Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds were heroes
• Same-sex couples couldn't marry anywhere in America
  
• Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather had jobs
• Martha Stewart wasn't an ex-con
• We were "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq -- wait...

Add your own!

It may be a few days before I can post again. Depends how fast they are at hooking up internet in Georgia. But when I return I'll have photos of our new place. Wish us luck everyone.

Breaking News

Our approval on the cottage came through! (Not 2 hours after I made my last, whiny post.) We hit the road early next week, and Bowling Green will at last see the back of me.

I told me it would all work out.

Agita

A couple of weeks ago, when we first began to ponder our big-city adventure, we planned to load up our U-Haul today. In this moment of uncharacteristic positive attitude, I find myself glad I avoided actually reserving a truck. U-Haul insisted we provide a destination ZIP code, and since Atlanta has dozens...

For you see, we still don't have anyplace to move into. Argh.

We've found plenty of prospects, weighed pros and cons, and applied for a few. But damn these people are slow! I understand the need to run credit checks and talk to references. I do. I don't understand why these processes are taking for freaking ever.

Top picks?

1. Cute 2-bedroom cottage in Cobb County. Pros: extra bedroom, actual yard, off-street parking for two. Cons: potentially hellish and expensive commute to work, no nearby public transport.

2. 1950's condo in northern Atlanta. Pros: cool neighborhood, convenient public transport, totally new experience for us. Cons: off-street parking for only one, no extra bedroom, totally new experience for us.

At this point I feel like the decision will be made based upon which landlord approves us (first). We both have to be in town by January 25 -- Doug to start work and me for a second interview. Seriously, we need to get a move on!

I'm so on the verge of a panic attack. Then again, when we signed our lease in Bowling Green it was pretty much here or the Motel 6. I keep telling myself this will all work out.

This will all work out.

Oh Metropolis (Also, are you kidding me?)

On Tuesday I dragged out all my winter clothes (read: the clothes I usually only get out when I visit Peoria in the winter), loaded up my car, and headed home to Metropolis (Illinois) to see the family. The schedule was jam-packed. Which, when combined with my relatives' general Internet-impairedness, explains my absence from this blog for six days. I don't wish to make a habit of this... Stay tuned...

My sister got this brilliant idea that, since I would be in town, we should take advantage of my brother's employee discount and get some pictures made at Sears. Just us kids, like when we were little. Except they didn't have to squeak the ducky to get us to smile. In fact, I'm really excited to see the final product. All we did was crack each other up the whole time. So that -- when you include all the beauty-fying I had to do -- took up most of Wednesday.

The past three days I hung out with various familial factions. But most of all I burned up the Wii at my mom's house. Fat ladies and Wii fit? I'll be working that into a standup set. Not that I do standup, but I write sets all the time. Weirdo...

Best night? Thursday. Cooked chicken fajitas at mom's house, which, even my picky 4-year-old nephew didn't spit out. Success! Here's the breakdown...

Cut the following ingredients into strips:

• One big green pepper
• One big sweet yellow onion
• Two or three Roma tomatoes
• Three butterfly-cut chicken breasts
  

NOTE: This is the extra-meaty recipe. Perfect for Southern folk. :)

Also, I used about a half a bulb of garlic. You can use a garlic press, but I prefer just to mash each clove on the cutting board using the flat side of a chef's knife. I cut these into fairly large pieces and remove any green shoots. Not everybody likes this much garlic, so let your palate be your guide. Also, if you don't want to get spicy bites of garlic, you can chop it really small.

(Here's where I would have put in the picture my mom took while I was cooking. Would have, if I had remembered to get it out of her camera before I skipped town. Dumbass...)

Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive (or your favorite cooking) oil to a hot skillet. I actually used two skillets, totally necessary when cooking for a big family!

Toss in the garlic and onion, and stir. Cook until the onion starts to turn transparent. Try not to scorch them. I say try, because I almost always scorch some of them.

Add the chicken and green pepper. Also add salt and pepper according to your taste. You need to add at least some salt, as this helps the juices come out of the meat and veggies to make the sauce.

Keep stirring occasionally. Once the outside of the chicken strips aren't pink anymore, I add the tomatoes. Put them in too early and they'll totally melt. Which is fine, you just end up with fajitas in tomato sauce. Still yummy.

About now is when you'll want to put your tortillas in the microwave. Wrap them in a damp paper towel to get a steamed effect.

I usually search out the biggest chunks of chicken, and cut them in half with my stirring spoon. Once they're good and done all the way through, serve the fajitas! I like them with just a little sour cream and cheddar cheese. However, if you skip these last two ingredients, this is an extremely low-fat, high-veggie, all around healthy meal!

RE: Are you kidding me?

I got home this afternoon to find a summons for jury duty. For February 2. There's no box you can check that says, "Hey, I'll be living in another state that day!" So I guess I better go down there. Like I didn't have enough to do this week.

Eye roll...

How packing exposes your soul

 Three boxes marked "bar." Six boxes of books. Self-knowledge is a terrifying thing.

Oh yes, the packing has begun in earnest. We've cleared out the bar and the library (obviously). Winter clothes, CD's and DVD's, all our spare linens, and most of the tchotchke from the living room. All told it's probably 1% of everything that needs packing. Yuk.

It's good though, to be forced to touch everything we own, with the knowledge we have to carry it out and then touch it again to unpack. It's helping us streamline, which, after 6 years in one place, we badly needed to do!

We've carried three bags to the Salvation Army so far, with another set to go. I'm also giving some quality items to WKU's Women & Kids Learning Together summer camp. This is an amazing program that helps local women improve their lives. It concludes with a Clothes Bank, in which participants get to pick out professional, job-interview appropriate outfits. Don't know what I'm going to do when my gifts involve more than hiking up the hill. I guess I ought to start searching for similar worthy programs in Atlanta!

Next up: video games, framed photos, and kitchen decor.

No More Holding Out

If I'm honest, I'd been thinking about blogging again for the past few months. I was holding out because my life is pretty boring, which means I feared not having enough material to keep anybody interested.

Then, about a week ago, (that would be the day before I started this site), we got great news around here. Doug got a job offer in Atlanta. Hotlanta. The A-T-L (O-M-G). We have about 3 weeks to find a new place, pack up this place, and get ourselves situated before he starts his new gig.

Woohoo!! Also yikes.

I admit I was holding out on sharing the big news widely. I keep waiting for it all to be a big psyche-out. What can I tell you? I tend toward paranoia. It's starting to feel real though. We've found leads on housing and packed up a few boxes. Hey, I even have an interview of my own!

Wish us luck, as we take off on our latest adventure together.