danke schoen, to you and my college cooking cookbook

Thanks to anyone who read my little ode to insane amounts of paperwork the other night!

It was a marathon-sprint trying to get that stuff done.  My post that night helped me re-focus.

That's what writing did for me back in the day,

 especially when it came to other writing I didn't want to do.

I'm a naturally easily distractible person.

I've had a phone conversation, g-chat conversation,

king.com game time, and google reader catch-up time -

all since starting this post.

:::[hold on - gotta play this game.  no, i'm serious.]:::

ok,

so tonight I'm made a roast chicken.

Roast chicken doesn't really equal summer, but

it's not scorching outside,

I had a bird in my fridge waiting to be cooked,

and it was on sale at Hy-Vee.

So like anyone who is a fairly new wife with an aversion to cooking until she actually starts would know,

it's good to have some help in the how-to and inspiration department.

So one day back in '07, John and I were perusing Borders in Ames and I found this little number:

It's fantastic.  Lots of great ideas and really simple, affordable recipes that make for great food.

I made a roasted chicken from it tonight.  Well, that, and a lemon basil roast chicken i found online, and the instructions for a sage-rubbed chicken on the wrapper.  Sort of a combination.

I'll let you know how that baby turned out soon! :)

guess what i'm doing on a monday night?

 - work's

paperwork

paper

work

work

work

paperwork

lots

and

lots

and

lots

and

lots

and

lost 

in

paper

        work. 

forget bills

forget junk mail

forget unsolicited ISU alumni association harassment

                                                                   ...not that i'd file suit... [go state.]

work's 

    paperwork 

               piles up 

                      while i

                            wearily 

                                  pick apart and 

                                        process plethoras of 

work's

paper 

work

:::[sigh]:::

:::click-click-click:::

That's the sound I make with my tongue when I'm trying to figure out what to do next.

Which is what's going on right now.

My little rhyme i wrote the other night is in reference to my current occupational situation.

I won't go into my current job, which I'm ok with at the moment. 

It's just not a great match for me personally,

which makes it hard to go to work some days. 

Some of my kids can easily make up for that, though, so I survive. :)

It's been 3 years now since my interview at Chaska, which went really well. 

I haven't had an interview like that since - well, with the results like they were.

I was hoping for a teaching job for the fall. 

I got some interviews

(one for a summertime position at Simpson College, two around the area),

and nothing came through. 

 

From the feedback I got, it seems like I was the 2nd or 3rd option in each of these jobs.

Tough thing to think about some times, but I'm getting by.

I just wonder what's next.  I wish God and I could talk on the phone. 

He's the one who bestows wealth to us, but because working at a school

is a little less about money for me and more about being able to teach,

I think God is trying to show me something I can't quite grasp at this time.

Maybe not...I don't know.  Just going day-by-day now thinking about what

God has in store.  We'll see.

On a lighter note, this dress is amazing, and I'm considering

saving up for a sewing machine so I can do something like it some day.

Maybe I'll win it and won't have to get that machine.

I'll probably get one at some point anyway. 

Time to embrace domesticity!  :)

hmm...

sometimes

i wonder

what God really has in store

when things don't

go my way

like they had once

before. 

to my far, faraway friends:

Just a little something for my far, faraway friends.  

I'm thinking about you guys!

I miss you, Kristen and Heath, who I've told at least once or twice to move to Des Moines while you contemplate the next step for your family.  

C'mon you guys.  

You know you wanna... 

plus Ainsley needs her Laura fix.  She doesn't realize this, but it's true.

I miss you, Kate and Brian.  We didn't do enough couple-dates before you guys left...

                                                                                                                                  dang!

If we're on the same continent again, 

we'll make up for lost time and missed grilling/boulevard-with-lemon opportunities.

You know it's gonna happen!

I miss you, Dan and Lynn.  You two (and soon-to-be three) are also half-way across the world, 

and it's quite clear that's where God wants you. 

That being said, 

I also think that God may want you back in the state that is 

known for the bacon and other pork-products. 

It's ok; we'll save some for you when you come back in 

t-minus-the-amount-of-time-before-furlough.  

Whenever that is. 

 --- I miss seeing my sister.  I'll be sending her something soon, hoping that entices her to come down to Iowa.  Really, it's not that far. I suppose she doesn't really qualify as a "faraway friend," since it costs less and probably takes just a little more time to come here than it would to go to a nice restaurant in the cities. ---

 

I miss you, my host family!  I hope to catch up with you you again as soon as we're able!

Karen (host mom), Markus (host dad), Ella, Karla, and baby-now-3-year-old Paula who was in her Mommy's belly when I last saw her:  Veilleicht ihr konnt in diesem Sommer nach Iowa fahren, wenn ihr den USA besucht!  :) 

Translated: 

Maybe you can come visit Iowa this summer when you visit the USA.  

You'll read this some day, I hope!

I miss my pledge kid, Laurel.  She's in Morocco working for the Peace Corps.  

It's right up her alley, 

and I hope that alley returns safely back to Iowa really soon!  

I miss ya, kiddo!  

I miss my good friend, Jen!  

Soon you won't be so faraway, and that makes me excited!!! 

You know, everytime I read your blog, I say "me, too!" or "I was thinking the same thing!"  

Sometimes I say those things out loud.  

Then I realize that you are in California and I'm in Iowa. 

That makes me think I should call you soon.  Maybe?  Yes. 

I also miss my other good friend, Jen!  You'll randomly call or e-mail me out-of-the-blue, and it's always awesome to catch up.  It's dawning on me that you'll be in Hong Kong  in no time.  

Gotta chat before you leave! 

I miss you, Brenda!  It was awesome last summer 

how Jeremy and John totally geeked-out over video games.  You know that's true!  

Someday we'll meet up and have an all-out Wii-athon!  You in?  We are! 


And I miss you, Jill!  You know, I saw on the news the other day that this film industry person native to Iowa was coming back here to get inspiration and create awesome stories.  Once you're done with that ABC job, you come back home.  I mean it.  

I love you guys!  

Be safe and come home/to the Midwest (namely IA or MN) soon, ya hear??  :)