Grill master (mistress?)

So, I got a grill from the Easter bunny. Yay! I was going to buy one off of craigslist, but the Easter bunny made me cancel my order. Here is how my first grilling experience went down:

*buy meat
*start grill (success!)
*place meat on grill (hamburgers)
*place frantic phone call to mom--it's flaming and there's lots of fire!
*step-dad calls after mom knows no answer...well it's flaming from the grease dripping. why did you decide to start with hamburgers? You're mom told you they were the easiest? She knows nothing about grilling
*stop worrying about flames, they probably won't catch my neighbors balcony on fire
*cut into it--looks great
*turn off grill
*bring it inside--sure looks different (RED) in the light inside
*go back out, turn on grill, more fire, cook some more. cut into it, looks great
*bring inside--still looks red in the inside light--I need a lamp or something out there!
*fuck it--stick it in the microwave to finish cooking
*shit--forgot to put salt and pepper on it whilst cooking
*oh well, eat it anyway.

Was it the best burger I've ever had? Probably not. Will I become a better griller after each attempt? Hopefully.

think think think

I feel like I've just got a lot on my mind. Things I'm thinking about today:

*hoping that I have a job (my job--not a different one) next year (will find out more tomorrow)
*hoping my dad will be ok (will find out more on the 12th)
*feeling like I should have gone to church for Easter but really just didn't want to go
*excited because I was going to get a grill off of craigslist but my mom and Don just bought me a new one today! Gonna go get some meat soon. :)
*about all the families who are going through battles with cancer (including the Hofens) and how shitty it must be...esp. when kids are suffering
*hating the dentist I went to for filling a different tooth then the one I said was bothering me...gonna be getting a new dentist here soon
*ready for my first time home buyer check to come so I don't have to keep watching the interest on my credit card quickly eat away any leftover I might have
*dreading the fact that I probably need to go into work today

I guess I should get off my ass and stop thinking so much!

I wrote a blog post!

Wow, it's been awhile. I guess my life has felt particularly uninteresting for the last month. Here are some fun things coming up. Yay for looking forward to stuff!

Tomorrow: Book club at my house! (Shit I better get it cleaned up!)
Friday: Becky and I get to pretend were 15 and go see Taylor Swift. Ah to be young again.
Next weekend: Royals for Jenna's birthday!
The weekend after that: Caravan reunion (for which I'm totally excited...and I took a day off work too!)
June: Dixie Chicks in Chick-ago! Hopefully I can sell the less cool tickets for a profit to pay for the way cool tickets. Otherwise, I'll have to sell the way cool tickets. :-/ Oh, and bonus--this particular concert happens to fall on the same weekend as my 10 year reunion. Darn, I hate that I'm missing it--particularly the "spend the day at the zoo with our families" portion.

In other news, I think I'm going to buy a grill! Maybe I won't spend the rest of my life eating Quaker Oatmeal Squares for dinner like I have for the last 2 nights. (Although they are delicious--esp. w/ peanut butter)

Oh and for more random topics, I had to go the dentist today and get another cavity filled! I haven't had cavities in life really...but now I've had 2 in the past 12 months. I think it's because I'm old as fuck.

For Jackie...

Not quite how I remembered it...but still funny.

Will my blog title bite me in the ass?

I've always felt a little proud of my self for the decisions I made after college. I was unhappy with my career choice; very unhappy. I made it through student teaching hanging on by a thread. Many times I considered just quitting--throwing away the 3.5 years I'd put into this degree because I was that unhappy. But, somehow, I soldiered through. After college, I had great interviews, a job offer, etc. I just couldn't do it. So, I moved to Lawrence (of all places!) because my best friend had an extra room for 2 months. I worked at Dress Barn and Applebee's. I got drunk a lot. It was fun. Moving to California seriously just dropped in my lap and it didn't take me long to jump on it. It wasn't like I was so brave and thinking of ways to improve my life, it just happened. But that is where my blog title came from-Taking the Long Way. I feel like right now I'm living the life I'm supposed to be living, it just took a detour.

However, with all these fucking budget cuts, my job is now one of the ones that could possibly fall by the wayside. I know that shoulda woulda coulda's are pointless and stupid but I can't help but wonder: (I was totally channeling Carrie Bradshaw right there)
If I had just taken a job after college, where would I be right now? I can say for sure if it was a teaching job and I was still doing it, I would not be in the position I'm in now. This would be my 6th year. I would be perfectly safe. I might be miserable, but I'd have a guaranteed job. So here is the age old question: Which is more important, happiness or money? I realize that money can't buy happiness, but if I seriously lose my job, I don't know what I would do. I know the job market is tough everywhere. But here's the thing--it isn't like I could do anything else. I don't have a business degree or a random other degree that would qualify me for any other types of jobs. I have teaching--that's it. Since there are literally no school districts hiring, I don't know where else I would look. Sigh. I am hoping this will all blow over and not affect me. But who knows.

Man up, grow a pair, et al.

So I went on a date with this guy on Thursday...finally. We emailed for maybe 3 weeks, texted for probably 2 more, then I finally said...hey wanna meet? Now, to be fair, there weren't many opportunities before that due to his travel schedule. However; I am the one who said "hey, here's my number." I am the one who said "hey, you think we should meet"?

Anyway, we went out on Thursday, it was fine, nothing groundbreaking. I am not even sure chemistry exists, that it might be a figment of my imagination. It is something I haven't experienced in a number of years. But that's beside to point. So, Friday, Saturday, and today, said guy and I have been texting back and forth. But seriously, are you ever going to be a man? Freaking either ask me to go out again or leave me alone. I don't need a text buddy. Guys need to not be idiots. Oh, by the way, he is 35 years old...it isn't like he is new to the dating scene. I think I've just decided I'm over it.

Olympics

So, I have been nothing less than obsessed with the Olympics this year. In fact, it is one of my favorite Olympics ever. I am trying to pinpoint why. I usually don't like the winter ones that much. Here are a few reasons though:

1. Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso: Both beautiful, both kick ass skiers. It's too bad they have such a rocky relationship. I just really enjoy watching them though.

2. Apolo: He is just cool. I like his attitude, he's having fun, he makes it look effortless.

3. Evan Lysacek (sp?): He's really strange looking to me; sometimes he is kind of attractive, and sometimes he reminds me of Edward Scissorhands. I think it's awesome he won gold and awesome that he dates Nastia Liukin.

4. Joannie Rochette: Ok, this might actually be my number one but I don't feel like changing stuff. Her mom passed away Sunday. I can't imagine being able to get out of bed, let alone skating her best short program and being in 3rd place. I just cried while she skated, and then sobbed afterward when she started crying. It was incredible.

5. Shaun White/all snow boarders: Just...wow.

6. Bode: Way to not suck like you did in 2006. He has a cute little girl now and keeps climbing the podium.

7. Ice Dancing: Who would have thought? I only liked it because of the teams from North America. I loved Virtue/Moir from Canada, and the college kids from Michigan too.

8. That cute, awesome South Korean ice skater Kim Yu-Na.

9. Probably the reason I am so into it all...the athletes are all on Twitter! I love reading their tweets.

There are probably more, but those stand out. I have only been skiing once in my life...and I sucked at it. After watching all this fun stuff, I would maybe like to try again. (Don't worry, I realize I won't be skiing slalom or downhill anytime soon; or ever.) Well, that's my run down on the Olympics. It has even been causing me to stay up late...if you know me, that is pretty crazy considering how much I value my sleep!!