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#6: Where's the Beef?Today (thanks to my job cutting back my hours) I was able to enjoy a small pleasure I usually just see on my way to work: The Grand Lake Farmer's Market where I also scored this great eggplant at the right. I've always found farmer's markets to be a lovely experience. Although it's mostly touted as something that White people like, going to the Grand Lake market illustrated that it's anything but. I found a very diverse group of people, both sellers and buyers. And though there is a certain "crunchiness" to the farmer's market crowd, there was also different spirit that I saw there. It wasn't about pretentious, vegan eaters but people who just wanted good, fresh food.
I've always had a pretty healthy and diverse diet. I don't obsess about what goes in my mouth but I do take note of it. As the amount of money in my pocket dwindles, I've had to make some hard choices but I think I've also found a nice balance of fresh and wallet-conscious items.
1. Ramen:
I came back to this after many years of disdain because my house-sitters left behind a few packages when they left. Instead of turning up my nose, I decided to combine my fresh veggies to the mix and to go easy on the "flavor packet" that's included in the package. I used my own spices and topped it all off with fresh cilantro and a few basil leaves.
2. Beans:
I tend to get a lot of my protein from meat. I'm a carnivore to the fullest, but beans are a good way to get protein and are much easier on my budget. So instead of eggs and bacon, this month I'm going to try eggs and black beans.
3. Fresh Herbs:
A lot of people are afraid of getting fresh herbs because they don't last very long. After walking around the farmers market (I always do a full lap around before purchasing anything), I found the best deals on basil and cilantro ($1/bunch) and to help them keep in the fridge, I've placed them, stems down, in glasses of water.
4. Sweet Treats:
Each month, I treat myself to a "sweet treat". Last month, it was a box cheesecake (because it freezes, I still have some left). This month, it's mango slices. Mango slices can also be frozen and they're great with hot sauce, a trick I learned from my friend Kira.
Before, I used to spend about $100 per month on groceries, and now I'm trying to bring that amount down to $50. That means eating at work (luckily my job contracts with a company that makes healthy school lunches) and cooking more at home. Hopefully, I won't have to skimp on taste and flavor just because my wallet is skimpy.
#5: Gilmore GirlToday the movie Post Grad premiered in theaters. I haven't seen it yet but this is a subject that is close to my heart. I'm so glad Alexis Bledel is playing this role because I feel like if Gilmore Girls had continued, this would have been season 8: Rory returns home after she realizes that it's near impossible to find a job after college.
What they don't tell you is that if you don't want to work in a cubicle, finding a job that pays more than by the hour or even finding a job in your field of interest is pretty much a pipe dream. I've been out of college for 4 years and I still feel the pressure everyday to run home to my mom and live at home. And with the recession and looming college loans, it's hard not to identify with this film.
Being a college graduate is not enough in this economy. You have to bring a lot to the table and even more you have to be willing to sometimes work for nothing if it's what you're passionate about. Which brings me to my second point. The other thing that makes this movie so relatable is that it's about a white, upper middle-class female. For most first-in-their-family or loan-taking (read: of color) college graduates, the option of taking your time to find a job is nearly non-existent. You have about six months before those loan payments kick in and your parents start to kick you out. For most the question is not "what's your passion?" but "when are you going to make your own money?" And for those pursuing a passion, the grumbling doesn't stop after you leave your old bedroom. I still have to listen to my mom ask me what my plan is and where am I going and my favorite is "when are you going to get a real job?". In this economy, I have one piece of advice for this year's college grads. Stay in school.
*UPDATE: Check out this Post Grad review by TheReelAddict
Hanging out at home, and (pretending) to clean has given me a lot of time to contemplate why it is that I moved out to California. I come from NY which is kind of the be all end all for a lot of people. It's true that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere but what of the people who were born "making it there"?
I went away both to high school and college, though most of my friends were still New Yorkers. The majority of them were biding their time until they could return to the naked streets, many even going back home for college, but I was not excited to return home after graduation.
In truth, New York is simultaneously my favorite place and the place I dread most in the world. It's the place I feel most comfortable and the place that stifles me in every way. I need change, and whenever I'm home I feel this stagnant hold that scares me. The option is always there, go home if things get too hard. I believe it's my pride that won't let me. There's the challenge. Can I do it? Can I support myself? Find a niche in a new place. Create new friendships at an age where honestly most people are pretty fake. Those are all the tidbits that hold me here.
And that's why I moved across the country, because I feel like if I can't make it outside of New York, there's no way I will be able to make it there.
Here is the dilemma of the jobless, what to do while you're waiting. There's the obvious jobhunt, but for every 5 resumes you send out, you will probably only receive one response saying "I choo-choo-choose you ... for an interview". And then there's after the interview, which is worse than the after-the-first-date wait. You know you had a phenomenal interview, everything was all smiles, you wear anything visibly embarrassing (you hope), and everything ended on good terms but it's still a week later and there's been no follow-up.
To be honest, I've never prescribed to the idea that I have to work at a job I hate to get by. I feel like, between my many years of education and my varied interests, I should be able to find something I somewhat enjoy as well as something that pays me enough to get by. Times aren't desperate (yet) but still there are so many things out there. I've gone on a lot of interviews and the problem always seems to be the follow-up.
So what do I do while I'm waiting? Clean (or at least intend to clean), blog, make appointments to get my cats checked out*, cook (I made mini hamburgers yesterday and it's vegetable pad thai tonight) and attempt to control my anxiety. It comes and goes in waves. I'm not a person who likes being directionless. I actually thrive off of pressure and multiple projects. College for me was almost a time of bliss - red-eyed, tired bliss but bliss nonetheless. This for me is the antithesis of bliss. The problem with moving across the country from all of your family and friends is that you lose your safety net. Essentially, that's also the reason why I moved but occasionally the drop seems far worse than I thought it would be.
*P.S. I'm afraid my cat might be pregnant again which may cause me to tear out my hair. That is all.
hey everyone (and by everyone I mean the few friends I'm going to invite to read this and whoever else stumbles across it),
This is the inaugural post of "...Makes You Do the Wacky". For those who know me well, they won't be surprised to learn that the title of this blog comes from a quote from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. The entire quote is "love makes you do the wacky". Originally, I wanted this to be a blog about love: things I love, people I love, people I wish loved me, but there's just so much in my life that makes me do the wacky, I didn't want to restrict myself.
So here's where I'm going to begin, my 25th birthday is in 15 days. I'm semi-jobless, my cats are shedding hair all over my apartment, I'm supposed to have the "What are we?" talk with the guy I've been dating for almost a year tonight, and I'd rather eat Top Ramen every night than give up my DirecTV/internet connection. I will be evicted first. I thought it was a good time to start a blog.
This is just the teaser. The amuse bouche if you will. But stick around ... I think things will get interesting. And just to (hopefully) get some comments going: What makes you do the wacky?
#6: Where's the Beef?
