Little House on the Prairie Goes Post-Modern

Since May I have been living in a cabin on my friend's property. I love this place, it is my home, my nest, my sanctuary. I have no idea how long I will be here but I am grateful for it each and every day (whether I'm here or not - in October I was gone about 23 days in total!). The property (the main house and the cabin) has a deer fencing around a great deal of it which is part of why I have nicknamed it "the compound".

Anyway. It's up the mountain a bit from the center of New Paltz and the temperature up here is always different from town. Though there are other options, I have decided to heat primarily via the wood stove - not that I know anything about maintaining one for heat in the depths of winter. It also occurred to me that I could cook via the stove, since I don't have a cook stove or oven here. About three weeks ago I attempted this just a bit by halving a butternut squash - grown by the gentleman farmer that is my friend. Putting a bit of water in a cast iron pan I put them in, covered with aluminum foil and attempted to "roast" it to use in a soup the next day. Yeah, well the fire didn't stay all that hot overnight. They were partially cooked. Oh well.

Fast forward to today. Picture this if you will:

I am tidying my nest in part because it was FILTHY and in part because I have out of town friends coming over (go me!). After dusting and vacuuming I decide to do this soup thing on the wood stove but I need a shower too. Besides my hair is already wet from dashing out in the rain to cover the hopelessly damp unstacked wood and grab some of the drier stacked, covered wood so I can make soup and keep the house toasty. Well while I'm at it, I thought I'd color my hair for fun. So there I am in black sweats, topless, my hair wet with water and dye, a towel around my neck and back with a pan on the stove heating up while I slice onions. Mind you I am facing a huge picture window that is visible should the kindly landowner wander by on the way to his car. Luckily it's a week day and it's raining so odds are good that he is hard at work in the house. I finish dicing the onions, tend to the fire to try to get the oiled pan is heating, then dash into the shower.

My hair has warm tones, the nest is tidy, the onions, carrots, and mushrooms are sauteed. I have wireless internet, lots of warm blankets for chilly nights. Laura Ingalls never had it so good.

In which our herione finds redemption in whining the other day

So a few hours after posting my blog post, my friend Jeriann sends me an ecard. I write her demanding that she fess up to reading my blog. She says, Of course, how else do I know what's happening. BUT I was going to write you anyway, so there. Cool beans.

An acquaintance from California reads my post and emails me - how lovely!

Also get an email from my pal Dru who we finally visited up in Columbus (great visit) asking if I'm free for coffee on Friday. Hey I have no life, of course I could do this, just need to put gas in the car.

A neighbor writes me asking for my blog addy. I give it to her but tell her not to judge me by "today's post" (my lonely whine from the other day). She writes back later to say, "I am very glad you and TGF are here and making this your home". Man I love that woman. She welcomed us with open arms from day one.

Today I find out that I have won two more blog contests. I told TGF about it saying, If only I could turn this ability into cash!". So a shout out to Keanalee over at Meowfish Pie Knits and Melissa over at Misfit Knit (don't you love that name?).

Tonight my buddy Emily (from Dainty Kitty) emails that she is free to cook, knit, and generally pal about next Friday.

Earlier today I finally made the sweet bread from the funky batter called Amish Friendship Bread that Dru so kindly gift me with. This stuff is like a chain letter, you get the stuff, feed it, divide it, use some to bake with and the rest you give away or keep. But you are warned that if you give it all away you will never know when you might get it again (as if this is a bad thing - I read someone gained 5 pounds because of this stuff in 6 weeks!). On a list I'm on I threatened to send it my friend Supee because she thinks she lives too far away being in California and all. Another lister is begging me to send to her in Oregon - will do!

So while a lot of things are the same my mood is much improved.

In which our heroine has spontaneous company

Via ravelry (have I mentioned how much I love that place!) I heard from Emily aka DaintyKitty that she was feeling the need to get out of the house and socialize. There were no knitting meet ups that I knew of, so I offered that we could just meet up somewhere or she could come to my animal infested, messy home. She replied that she "would love to come to Chez Dharma" and that animal filled, messy homes were the best kind. How could one not adore a response like that?

The idea of company helped to get my butt in gear and I straightened up which meant I was pretty happy with the place, despite the lack of hanging art, the dingy 10 year old paint job and our cheap living room curtains that barely dim the sum or block views from the outside at night. It also helped me to finally make my third batch of apple crisp before the fruit went bad. Gosh that stuff is so good. The other day I had an itch to make scones and I also wanted to make potato leek soup. Again before the leeks died a miserable death.

By the time Emily got here the crisp was done and had made the place smell great. I was just cutting the scones when the knock came so those went in the oven moments after she arrived. Later we had one each with the mother-in-law's refrigerator strawberry jam. Tasty stuff. The scone recipe is so simple and so good.

At about 7:45pm I realized the time and asked Emily if she would mind moving her knitting into the kitchen so I could make soup. She was most accommodating while I sort of consulted a recipe but largely winged the entire thing. TGF came home as the soup was simmering and we had a round of introductions. Emily announced that she really ought to be moseying home.

Later TGF had a scone and when she was told that they were easy breezy, she asked if that meant I would be making them once a week or so. I guess she likes them. Yeah!

Reflecting back I forgot in a way how nice it is to have company, to just hang out with someone. Chat, cook, and knit with someone. It's like I live here or something. How cool is that?

A small success

Yesterday I found a recipe that sounded good but I realized that was missing a key ingredient - corn starch. Do you see a theme here? About two weeks ago I was missing baking soda. There is something about moving that makes basic ingredients normally in one's pantry disappear.

My shopping list today including, besides corn starch, plastic for the windows, processed ham slices (don't ask), weather stripping, toothpaste, butter, glass cleaner, contact lens cleaner. It was an exciting day at Home Despot and Me(i)jers I tell you.

This vegetable pot pie was quite easy to put together but of course there was TGF's picky palate to potentially please. Visually it looked fabulous and smelled quite tasty as well.

It was one of those times when the Life commercial plays in my head, "She likes it!"
She even had seconds.

Another success, this post concludes my post a day for everyday in November.
Happy end of NaBloPoMo my compatriots!

Making up for the other day

So remember Monday, when I couldn't drag myself out for baking soda? Today, totally different. Cleaned up the kitchen, took a shower, and dealt with laundry first thing out.

Gemma had a recheck appointment at the vet today and from there I went in search of some needles I need to work on the arms for TGF's sweater. After that I popped in on my nephew Cody for a bit. He asked me to play a computer game with him. It was called Tanks, or something like that. Ah found it. Of course I totally sucked and he whooped me in like 3 moves the first time. The second we actually battled a bit. When I told TGF that I played essentially a war game her response was, "how the mighty have fallen". What can I say.

Thanks to something the Code-Man said I remembered to run to Dorothy Lane Market to pick up stuffing that TGF wants for tomorrow. This place is incredible, very much like a Whole Paycheck place but this one, which is quite close to us, is open 24 hours a day. 24! Wow.

Upon arriving home I finally ate something because I hadn't yet. Then I got cooking. Seriously cooking. First I present the much delayed banana bread.

Next began the apple crisp. Now I wasn't asked to make a dessert for tomorrow but how can I possibly attend my first thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws and not make something. TGF is making her version of 7-Layer Salad which is Midwest Heart Attack Salad with it's bacon and Miracle Wh*p. My apple crisp was one of the first things I ever made TGF and she loved it proclaiming it almost as good as sex. If you know TGF there is little that can come close to having the same ranking as sex. Yes it's that good.

Finally I tackled the roast chicken leftovers from the other night. I had some random ideas when quite by chance I clicked on a site that got posted to a list I'm on for a macaroni and cheese recipe. From there I wondered onto the rest of the blog and found this really simple homestyle chicken and biscuit recipe where I could use the chicken, some frozen veggies, a condensed soup (something that before TGF never lived in my pantry), and a package of those biscuits in a can (again never bought those before her). All things I already had, not thought needed. It was easily breezy and TGF had two helpings.

A very successful evening in the kitchen.

Dayton is the new BFE?

According to a friend it is considered BFE, a phrase I was barely familiar with not that long ago even as I pined over properties in various hilltowns in Massachusetts that would certainly bare relation to that moniker. A dear blogger friend just wrote about BFE, pondering from whence the name came and why Egypt. I share the same wonder about Egypt and I love her argument for the number of syllables needed. Totally makes sense about the flow. Was Egypt once known as a hotbed of hidden, illicit anal sex? Was Egypt hard to find, hardly seems plausible. In a quick search on the net I found this, as a half-arsed explanation: As far as I know, Bumfuk, Egypt (or BFE) is the term used by armed forces services members (especially serving in the Middle East) to mean way the hell out in the middle of nowhere where you just don't want to go. That sounds familiar but still don't know if that is the root of the phrase.

She also went on about organic food prices, a dilemma I share as we too live below the poverty line here at Casa de Cedar, which is a large motivator for this move.
I do find it amusing, or rather ironic that if all goes as planned we will soon have the money needed to buy the organic, healthier versions of the food and products I have shunned from lack of funds. That I no longer be where Thai restaurants are everywhere to dazzle my palate, that finding a yoga or pilates class won't be a matter of which one to choose but going to the only one in a 10-mile radius of home. The upside is that I will likely cook more, even if I have to shop harder because I can get all the ingredients I want (that I can find anyway) when I want them.

As I plow through various searches about my new area I learn fascinating things. Like Dayton is less safe than Oakland or NYC. Okay I can't find that site right now but trust me, I was stunned. Then there is the little tidbit about Ohio being "known" for serial killers, at least that's what TGF tells me. I'm having trouble finding anything like confirmation on the web, thank goodness for small favors.

Compliments of epodunk.com, I learned that I will be living in the least LGBT populated place I have ever called home. Now I do realize I was raised in NYC, moved to Northampton MA (land of "10,000 kissing, cuddling lesbians") and then to Oakland (the greatest number of lesbians in a major city anywhere), and finally to Berkeley, right next door. To say that I find this change daunting is a bit of an understatement. It is not like I was majorly ensconced in "the lesbian community" in any of these places, because I wasn't, but in part because of the make up of the areas there wasn't really a need to seek it out, you know?

Last night as I whined about making a decision about clothing in the morning since Monday is my day at Stars R Us I realized I have it lucky there in that I seriously can wear just about anything. It is a very casual environment, especially on Mondays. That got me to thinking about job hunting in the Dayton area. I looked very seriously at TGF and asked if she thought I would have to take out my nose ring. Probably because she wants me to be happy and not give up much, she quickly shook her head no. Almost as quickly another look came over her face. It was the type of look where one could see the cogs clicking into place as her face fell, the confidence in her first answer leaking out. "Well, um, maybe?" she said with uncertainty as to how to answer this question. I offered that I would take the silver ring out and replace it with a tiny stud for interviews. She nodded affirmatively that that might be a good solution.

BFE indeed.

Feeling a bit beaten and defeated, but there is still hope. Right?

This is a post where I mostly complain, wildly, about being unemployed. Consider yourself warned.

As you may have deduced, my fair reader, though I plug away and even get interviews there has not been an offer of a job no matter how mundane or measly. Where did we last leave off.... There was the two part interview for Casa de Vida in Oakland, a transitional program for folks with a lot of time in the mental health maze. Received my "thank you but no and by the way if you want relief work" letter while Sunny was here.

Then there was the absolutely lovely interview at Title Nine. No really, it was great. I really thought I had a solid chance there and beside they have a gym on site, she says longingly. Not even a quick email from Anne. I finally wrote her a witty one where I said it was lovely to meet her and blah, blah, blah.

Last Monday I had an interview with Family Stress. It seems like a fabulous agency and I really enjoyed the woman who interviewed me. I can't say it was a fun interview but I appreciated her quick and discerning manner. The entire time I was thinking, "She'd be a hard but fantastic supervisor." I interviewed for two positions, the one I said would kill me but pay my bills that I knew about, plus another one with few hours and thus doable but bills would still be a problem. The upside to few hours one would be the ability to plug in other work. In today's mail came a letter {sigh} however she did say that she was sending my resume onto human resources as she thinks I have a lot to offer the agency. The job on Treasure Island (no useful public transportation) with Swords to Plowshares was a job I could do in my sleep. Seriously. Not one word since last Tuesday. The silence is deafening, you know?

Monday I interviewed at This Little Piggy Wears Cotton. Adorable clothing. Lousy pay. Close enough I could walk. All doable. But the stuff there? Really, shop there even if they don't have the sense to hire me.

This morning TGF forwards me a listing from craigslist that was under Gigs/Computer, a place I never look and she for obvious reasons does. One day a week, data entry. I whip off a clever little email joking about needing some funds while racking up scads of loan debt but forget to attach a resume. For some reason I thought they didn't want one. Luckily immediately after sending the email I check the ad again. In a classic V-8 le duh moment, I shoot off another email with a resume. Within 30 minutes they call! So I am marching down for another interview at 2:00 today.

Almost everyday I send at least one application somewhere in the vast universe of employment. Hell I sent one to a job in Palo Alto (about 35 miles which means an hour of driving)- talk about inconvenient location! But at this point I figure the net has to be the size of a small nation to land a job.

Can I just say it burns my butt big time to see the House o' Sperm advertising for the position I interviewed for back in November? Seriously they have been running the ad for awhile now. They coulda had me! I have some background in the position, personal as well as professional, but nooooooo. Apparently no one wants to, or can make HoS believe they will commit to two years - for a freaking part-time job in an unstable market.

Okay, enough ranting because seriously I could go on about the places I see advertising that either never called me or didn't hire me. Alright there really are very few, but any at all make steam come out of my ears.

The positives right now are TGF and I are talking about hard stuff without fighting about it. What hard stuff you ask, you nosy bumpkin you? Money, or rather the alarming lack of it with little prospect of getting any. About that we are a bit of out of sync. Hm, could the aforementioned mind numbing job searches and bill pile have anything to that? Naw.

This week I have worked out , albeit briefly, every morning. I have a bit of a routine going. And school? I turned in one of the six overdue papers on Sunday. It's a piece of rot gut and I sort of warned the professor so I won't be surprised if he sends it back for more work but I hit the freaking send button. The last three days I have actually spent 2-3 hours each day on school work. Actually reading chapters, organizing my work, reading my online discussions, piping in here and there.

Twice in the last 5 days or so I actually cooked. I mean something other than making boxed mac & cheese, or throwing a frozen pizza in the oven. Really chopping veggies and everything. Two dishes from Moosewood Cooks at Home, one of my favorite cookbooks, ever. Cauliflower Paprikash one night, and Fragrant Noodles (with my own crispy tofu) the other. The first dish I've made before and TGF likes this one so that was easy. The other, let's just say I'm enjoying the leftovers.

Oh and I've been trying to knit, at least a little at night. One of these years I will finish the secret project. It's lovely, easy and not that huge but it's a bit endless at least for me right now. After a lot of fidgeting I have T'Mane's Swing Top started and it's looking decent so far but I only done about 2 inches of it.

So that's most of the news from Casa de Cedar where all the animals are good looking and above average.