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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Blogtastic!

What the flip just happened?! How does one go from a seemingly mundane yet joyful conversation to the birds and the bees? And seriously, this convo on sex truly transitioned to bees! I mean is it never too early to talk safe sex, right? Well, I guess since the baby girl will enter middle school in the fall it really is the best time and K thought it best that we give her info instead of friends, Google or Glee.

Maybe I scared her into abstinence or at least set things back a few years. I mean, I just want her to be a fun, perky tween that is concerned with learning the latest songs, smiling and finishing her homework and cleaning up her room. I want books to be her favorite. Sigh

Her reaction to the birds and the bees talk

On an entirely different note, I am working now! Woot! And along with working comes pack lunches. And what better item to add to your desk lunch than something from the Taste Guru box! So, today I tried IPS Chips. Quite tasty but interesting texture. I have a tough time with the crispy air chippy things that aren't rice cakes. For some reason I can understand the rice cake and I accept the texture and enjoy the ranch ones but these egg white chips are a little different but definitely tasty and good with a sandwich. Win, win for Taste Guru! Excited to try the rest of the items from the March box.

The Wearin' of the Green is a Baton Rouge tradition! One of my most favorite holidays and definitely a favorite day in this city. It's like tailgating in the spring and wearing green :) Amazeballs! This year K and I went to the parade. Bash wasn't interested in parading with his mom and Bai was out of town. It was K's first time and though she was hesitant at first, she had an amazing day and was asleep before we made it home late that afternoon. We got in quite a bit of walking, met up with friends, wandered, enjoyed burger salads and some amazing fries and had an all around wonderful time. I intended to meetup with a meetup group but we never actually did. St Patty's Day was a success.

Bailey and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and stopped at the park one day on our way home. I picked her up after school so we could enjoy some Mom and Me time.


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Oh yea! Oh yea! Things are happening

First, yesterday was amazing. I had such a lovely day with Bailey. I can't remember when we had such a nice time just us! Loved it.

Started the day checking the well, taking Bai to school, watching the International Program (so amazing! so sad it is her last one! can't believe middle school is right around the corner! she was great!)

Photobombing my phone #tweenlife



The kids did so great. It was lovely. After the festival, I checked Bai out, we went to Trader Joes then met K for lunch. Then we went to Target and had some retail therapy/mommy and me time :), later when we got home she did some IXL, took a bike ride, played with chalk and then went hang at the library before dinner. It was awesome!





This morning I went for a second interview with a promising company. I am hoping the odds are in my favor.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Gosh it smells like pizza

First things first, it smells like pizza. Why oh why is the heavenly aroma of pizza lingering in the area. This is a bookshop! It is supposed to smell like coffee. Coffee is bad enough but somehow soothing. But pizza! Gosh, now I want a pie. A whole pie. And I'm not even hungry and I can't have snacks much less a whole pizza. Hmm, once I get a job, I am having a whole pizza. Lol I have this Once I get a job.,.. list in my head and it is starting to get very long. Soon, I will simply erase the list and just be ever so grateful to land something.

Okay, now that the pizza is cleared up. Let's get on with it...

Thank you Taste Guru! These little gems rocked my lunch!
So, the Taste Guru box I got in February keeps rocking my world. I am excited to receive the next one but savoring the contents of February as long as possible. Today I broke out the Eat Your Vegetables chips and I must say the heavens parted and my plate relaxed in joy practically hugging these chips. My lovely bagelwhich was no longer the star of the show. These little chips just moved in and took the limelight (window light) and rocked my lunch out.

However, in the big picture (below) you will see that perhaps the chips didn't really overpower the delicious bagelwhich after all but the chips really did make my lunch amazing. And don't forget the hot water, my current addiction.


Everyone loves ponies.



Joining the club.

Define rock bottom. I mean what are you determining factors and how do you know when you’ve sunk just shy or a little to the right? Maybe you are in Barnes and Noble on a Thursday during working hours and you are desperately trying to discover if there is an unemployment club in your area. That’s right a club for the unemployed. Like, real unemployed, educated, skilled, smart, dare I say charismatic peoples. Is there? Would you know how to find it? I certainly am trying to figure out how it’s done but since I love control so much I am thinking of starting my own. This may be the one club that once you enter you simultaneously hope to be kicked out of because that means you have landed a cushy job, right? This is how it is working in my head. So, I am here, at Barnes and Noble, scoping out the other patrons in a non-stalking way and casually typing and sipping my Fauxbucks latte.

Oh, Fauxbucks? You are curious aren’t you? Well, that’s my clever creation to look chic and sophisticated whilst truly being obscenely cheap (I am unemployed, remember?) So, to create your own Fauxbucks, you need a classic ceramic commuter cup (preferably from one of your local coffee shops or by a local artist) and some hot water. Fill it before you leave home and viola when you enter the coffee arena no one is the wiser. You are free to smirk internally at the poor schmuck that just blew $5.45 on his cup and whom is killing the universe with his paper. Of course; please know that he is likely smirking at you a bit because you maybe seem a little smug bouncing in with your coffee. Bygones.

So, back to the club, I created a profile on meetup.com in an attempt to find my unemployment club. So, if you do not have an account and you aren’t sure of what www.meetup.com is, check it out now but don’t be overwhelmed. Or at best, try not to be. I am going to warn you now; it is going to ask you all sorts of questions, questions that are easy in theory. Really easy, but today they may seem overwhelming, you know if you are having a day like me.

You will need to know what interests you but some of the categories are vague so you aren’t sure if the whole category interests you or just some aspect or facet will appeal and then you’ve made this gesture and you don’t want the label. Sigh; okay one step at a time. Just pick the interests and exhale. You are fine.  Once you enter your selections, choices, interests, possible interests, the system will tell you how many meetups in your area correspond to your interests. Algorithm people are so nifty, creating these data sites for our constant pleasure. Sheesh, I just love it. It is pretty cool too and also quite snappy because you can enter the distance you are willing to go for said meetups and it reconfigures what is in your radius.


You will quickly get distracted checking your phone calendar against the Indian/Pakistani cooking class that is scheduled for next week only to be quickly devastated that you aren’t going to be able to attend and suddenly feel stay at home mom snobbish and wish the class was midday so you can attend after yoga. Ok, before I receive a host of backlash from stay at home moms for my cooking class comment and potentially more offensive comments on this site to stay at home moms/dads/bunnies, working like mad moms/dads/bunnies, and educating and working and doing all kinds of hustling moms/dads/bunnies. I salute you. I know you are doing your best and it’s a hell of a lot. Your kids are grateful they just don’t know how to show it and it may take several years, possibly a decade of therapy before they are ready to dole out a thank you. I am still waiting for one to come round. The boy thanks me fairly often but he is practically a man now [insert sobbing here] but that was not always the case and I mean, think about it, are you truly a successful American parent if your child doesn't need therapy later in life? I think not.  Besides, there will be more on the parenting subject some other time. This is about me, about my new status, about being unemployed and how to be successfully unemployed. I will not fail at being unemployed and once I've made it, I will be sure to thank all those who helped me, right after I snag that new Marc Jacobs wallet that taunts me on Pinterest. 

Oh and, I didn't find or create a club yet. Will keep you updated...

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Oh my geez....

Today is Ash Wednesday, day after Mardi Gras (coldest on record) and the start of lent, 40 days leading to Easter; but also, it is another day I am unemployed. It is a really hard thing to say. To verbalize, let alone type because when it is in print, it is real. It is there for the duration. Only deleting it will vanish it from record but my brain already has it on record so in an attempt to free my brain, free me, I write it. We shall see how that fares.

Let's skim over this whole unemployed thing for a moment and talk about the past four days or so for a few moments.

Pyook Berard, the man behind the fiddle (and his true love, the guitar)
June 26, 1960 - February 26, 2014  
"A simple and humble man, Pyook was an award-winning world-renowned musician. He was a gift to his culture, never boasting of himself and always complimenting and encouraging other musicians, even hosting his “Fiddle Camp” to share techniques with other aspiring musicians, young and old." ~ Pellerin Obituary I will always remember Pyook's music and the kindness that he exuded.

On Saturday I attended Pyook's services with my Dad. It was a lovely mass and the turnout was incredible. Musicians from all over came out to share and celebrate his life with Mrs. Karleen and his daughters. It was a beautiful day. He was a wonderful man and seems like he was taken way too soon but the greatness of Pyook was that he lived ever day like he was dying and to the fullest and made everyone he encountered feel human and special. May he rest in peace and may his music continue to make hearts sing. 

Fordoche with dad
Prior to the weekend, I picked Bailey up in carpool and we headed to Sweet Frog for a little frozen treat before stopping at the grocery store. It was really lovely having a bit of time with her and just relaxing. 

The mango is the best

She had a little fun

Homework time
 Although my days are not rigorous and directed by work, I kind of think that unemployment is the thing I needed. Sure, I want a job, need a job, thrive on work and am applying my little heart out; but, the scaling back, the clearing and the cutting down is pretty nice right now and I am learning that life is more than a 9-5.
When the scale comes out, magic happens
One magical thing about the unemployed is that you can bake and cook and yoga during the day! How badass is that!? Super badass in my opinion. Just like this bread was the next day converted to french toast topped with Belgium dark chocolate sauce and strawberries.

Chocolate Chip Yogurt Bread
 And you can also make amazing things like these super chocolately, fudgy, delicious brownies. Look at the comment! Made me feel so proud. Okay, maybe I am a bit smug when it comes to brownies. But we are talking about brownies. Brownies need more love in this world. They are amazing squarish pieces of heaven and hold so much chocolately passion and hope in each bite.
The best damn brownies EVER
Being stuck in traffic puts random things in your view, like this billboard for an additional ounce of beer in the new cans.  
Interesting billboard placement at the tracks. 

When I got back on Saturday, K and I headed downtown and walked around viewing the aftermath of Spanishtown Parade. We hung out around the Capital and enjoyed the view. 
The next day we headed out to enjoy the weather and find some boiled crawfish. Tony's had the best price around and the drive out was worth it. Quite delicious :)
Oh yea, it's that good

Bai sent me a pic from the parade
 We opted out of Mardi Gras to stay in where it was somewhat warm and brew up a delicious gumbo, gooey cookie bars, tackle laundry and watch Season 5 of Parenthood (okay, not the whole season but I did give it a good effort)


Ooey, gooey yummy cookie bars