End of the semester

I think I have survived. The semester that is. I am quite proud of myself for my accomplishment. I really want to pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate with someone but I am just too tired or maybe too alone. 

It has been quite the semester:

• Starting with a topsy start to the school year at work, with difficulties with co-workers and space issues. 
  
• Then I was sick again and again, every week it was something, more doctor's visits and antibiotics in the last 12 weeks then the last 12 years of my life. 
  
• Let's not forget every weekend a blessed event of marriage to attend. 
  
• Or all the babies that needed to come into the world. 
  
• We probably shouldn't even begin to discuss that at the start of the semester I had a roommate and now I don't. Thankfully I know a little bit more about what divorce might feel like and why I never want to go through it. But I must admit that the whole experience did re-ignite some trust issues.
• We can't even discuss my love life. 

But somehow despite all of the craziness I think I may have pulled a 4.0 and actually learned something. I worked hard. I am proud of me. 

She's left on a jet plane.

... and she won't be back again for 2 whole months. my sister that is. She has gone to the United Arab Emirates to visit a boy. A boy who may possibly be taking her away from the United States for 2 years. I just don't know what I would do if that happens. So right now I am just hoping it's 2 months and not 2 years. This is not some mail order bride scheme, or my parents attempt to rid themselves of my sometimes worrisome middle sister. No this is my sister falling for a boy a few months before he was scheduled to leave on a government contract for 3 years. They have been apart for 6 months and now she is flying on a plane to be with him for the holidays. Him not us. 

If there is one lesson I have really learned in the last few years it is that my family will always be there for me. Lovers and friends come and go but my family is always there. I just really wish that "there" wasn't halfway across the world. I like to be able to pick up the phone and talk to my sister whenever I want. But I will have to get over it and be happy for the opportunity she has been given. It does make me wonder how much longer I will live in the steel city when my family is just too far away.

you say mice i say mouse

"Why are you limping?" I asked my student as we walked down the hall. 

"A mice bit me," he responded. 

"A what?" I asked. 

"A mice" he replied.

"Wait, did one mouse bite you or more than one?" I ask again. Now let's pause because even as I am having this conversation I am kind of like... huh, a mouse! But for some reason I first focused on a grammar lesson- I know call me crazy. 

"One but it was a baby so the small ones are called a mice." 

"No they aren't, if it's one it is a mouse."

"Nuh uh." 

"Ok let's not keep doing this... you got bit by a mouse? How?" 

"I don't know, it bit my foot. We have mice in my house."

"Did you tell your mom?"

"She said 'why did you let it bite you?'" 

"What did you say to her?"

"I said, I don't know mom the mice just bit me." 

"Are you gonna be able to walk on the field trip today?"

"Oh yeah, it's just a mice bite." 

Purpose

I wonder if others wonder about purpose...

It is my constant life perplexing question. 

It keeps me awake at night. 

It causes me to question every decision I make. 

It makes me want to leave school, my job and move to France, or Italy, or Buffalo, or somewhere, anywhere. 

It makes me want to stay in this town and never leave. 

It is circular, shades of gray and frustrating. 

Sometimes I wonder if the questions will haunt me my whole life. Or if some day I will find the answers. 

Sometimes I feel like I am in limbo waiting for my life to happen but somedays it feels like life is happening so fast that I am missing it. Or that it should be something more than what it is. 

On rainy days like today I can't help but be driven by these questions, in the solitude of my mind I am sent stumbling around searching for answers, longing for a more naive day when I believed life would just happen in the American Dream sort of way, now I know better. With my knowledge comes no answers just a continued pursuit of purpose. 

Sunday Blues

Perhaps it's because I have had bronchitis for 5 weeks and am heavily medicated, or perhaps it is just because this was my first weekend without a wedding in over a month or perhaps it's just cause I love my house so much but I barely left it. I cooked, I slept, I watched movies, I messed around on the internet, and I tried not to cough but most of all I stayed in, with the exception of a few hours I was a happy prisoner of my house all weekend long. And for once my former roommate didn't show up. It was bliss. Although I feel slightly guilty because I accomplished nothing, not guilty enough to get off the couch. And the best news- because I have now been sick for so long I have lost 5 pounds. And my mother called today to read me some research that states apparently dark chocolate cures coughing better than codeine. Which is why I just can't believe I am still sick since I have been sucking down cough medicine with codeine and dark chocolate for 2 days now. Anyways I am sad that the weekend is over. I am thankful that I have Tuesday off- thanks Veterans- at least I can get everything done on Tuesday that I should have gotten done this weekend. 

I did get out and take a few pictures, and got text messages from 2 men of my past. Hmm weird. Not even sure what that means. But MD text me yesterday asking if we can hang out next time I am home and my 'ex' and I actually had a brief text conversation after not communicating for a year and a half. So random. 

wedding soup

I am a big fan of wedding soup... it is something I actually never tasted until I dated an Italian a few years ago. A love of wedding soup is one good thing that came out of that relationship. But I had never tried to make it myself, until last night. I am now poor, since my roommate went psychotic and has flown the coop and I have been sick now for a month and therefore all my money goes to prescriptions and doctor visits. I went to the doctor again yesterday and as I picked up 4 prescriptions from the pharmacy counter the girl said, "have a nice evening." I wanted to say, "well i plan on sipping on this cough syrup with codeine all night so it should be a GREAT evening." But I just said "you too" and proceeded to the check-out. Now if you can explain this to me that would be fabulous - how does a single girl spend $106 at the food store. What did I buy? Stuff to make cheese cakes, chicken fingers, wedding soup and chili... and a colossal size box of soft pretzels. They are my new favorite late night snack. They are low fat and they quench my after class hunger pains. Back to wedding soup. I have been buying it by the pint from my local italian restaurant for a few weeks now but decided it's easy enough to make myself. 

Here is my recipe. 

12 cups chicken stock/ broth (I ended up with 2 containers of stock and 1 broth) 

1 pound of chopped escarole

2 cups mini meatballs (I was exhausted and since I use them more for flavoring than actually eating them I bought pre-made frozen meatballs, gasp!)

1 cup diced carrots

2 tbsp parsley 

3 large eggs 

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

1 cup acini di pepe (little ball pasta)

salt and pepper

Bring stock to a boil in a large pot. 

Bring water for pasta in a boil in a separate pot. When boiling add pasta and cook for 10 minutes. 

When stock is boiling add carrots and let simmer for 1 minute then add meatballs, and escarole. Let simmer until tender, about 9 minutes. 

Whisk egg and parmesan in a small bowl. Stir soup in a circular motion, add egg mixture slowly stirring soup with a fork to create strands of egg. Add pasta and parsley. Serve, top servings with parmesan cheese.

So good I had some this morning for breakfast. 

Where did September go?

So this month I went back to work and started grad school. Let me clarify that I started back to work full-time teaching and started grad school full-time. So basically Monday through Thursday I leave the house at 7am and return at 9pm. So that would be my excuse for not blogging. But even though I haven't been blogging I have still been eating and drinking, well sort of. So the brief rundown of the month. 

Bettis' Grille 36 - Went with the teaching staff for a work lunch, had a great chicken sandwich. Thanks Favorite Boss! They pay for lunch the whole week of inservice which is just really nice of them. 

I should stop and interject here that with my new schedule I have little time for cooking or baking and most of the time I have gone out this month is for happy hour. Not that my drinking has increased but my stress level has so the need to relax is definitely evident. 

McFadden's- for happy hour on Fashion G's 25th birthday. I spent my 25th birthday at McFadden's a year and a half ago and ended up in the ER. Met this cute attorney from the South Hills he bought me a few drinks (3 total)... was a good girl and went to the bar with him. But I looked away for a second and something must have been slipped into the shot cause I was done for. That's the only time I almost got arrested. I was so drugged I needed my friends to come into the restroom pick me up off the floor and carry me outside into a cab. Cops were everywhere and the bouncers were like get her out of here quick. The cab took me and my friends to AGH where I proceeded to fall out of the cab and out of the wheelchair in the waiting room. I have no recollection of any of it. Now I am by no means a lightweight and 2 and a half drinks has never put me over the edge so there was no way it was just alcohol. The guy called the next day and when I accused him he didn't even have a defense. Thank God for good friends who knows what he might have done to me otherwise. Thankfully Fashion G had a much safer night. 

Also went to Fox & Hound on McKnight Road in Ross Twp. which I had never been to before on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. We all got fun cocktails and scoped out the cute bartenders. It was a fun night and I was impressed by the size of the place. The waitress was a flake but the crowd was interesting. I would definitely go back again. 

Carson City and S Bar on Friday night. 1.50 shots of SoCo with B and Fashion G makes us all happy girls. The problem is by 11:00 on a Friday night I am exhausted because of my crazy schedule during the week. So I think I was out of the southside and on my way home by 11:30. Carson City is such a strange place, the girls working there have the strangest sense of style and the crowd isn't particularly friendly but they have decent drink specials so. I ended up there twice in the last month. 

Bar Louie - They have this hummus and tabbouleh and tzatziki dip with cucumbers and flatbread. It is so delicious AND their chicken fingers, hand breaded and just perfect. Fashion, Double D and I were all in need of a drink but because of our schedules we started early 4:00 we went from Bar Louie to the southside. 

Hit 1311 and then Carson City but was an early night once again and I was home by ten. 

Crepes Parisiennes- P&K with their new bundle of joy met me for crepes at their Oakland location. I love crepes! My parents have decided they should open a crepery and I am in full support. But P&K and I haven't seen each other in awhile. We planned on meeting in Shadyside but P found out my ex was on his way to the same location at the exact same time. Weird. Strangely we are still connected by some cosmic force. Too bad he is a cheater and a jerk. We spent the day strolling through Oakland then ran over to Whole Foods for some groceries. 

Went kayaking last Sunday once again. RADical Days is going on in Pittsburgh and they offer all sorts of free events. FH and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather on the last day of summer and hit the water. We kayaked for an hour it was his first time and we had great fun. Then we were hungry so we ate at Atria's in PNC Park. I know I said a couple of posts ago that I wouldn't go back because there service was so bad. But this time it was excellent. FH got the chicken parm and I had the steak salad. I was so happy to be outside and eating with such good company. FH is a new friend and I am kind of hoping he sticks around. 

Hit up Bistro-To-Go on East Ohio Street once again. Had their balsamic chicken, red potatoes and ho-ho cake. I was definitely having a GIVE ME CHOCOLATE AND NO ONE GETS HURT kind of day. Ho-ho cake definitely does the trick. 

Ok so that is the rundown of where I've been in a nutshell at least what I can remember. I'll try to update on what I have been cooking and baking cause I made these delicious veggie cookies. i know sounds weird but they are soft chewy and tasty.