What's The Vegetarian Equivalent Of "Gobble, Gobble"?

I'm sitting here watching "Die Hard" and basking in the post-Thanksgiving glow that only copious amounts of food can provide. Food, mind you, that myself and my roommate prepared all on our own. The day began with some aaaaaaamazing French Toast with vanilla extract, cinnamon and powered sugar:

We then took a break to watch the Rifftrax version of "Jurassic Park" before camping out in the kitchen for about 2 hours to make a broccoli and cheese casserole, veggie friendly stuffing, asparagus, nibblets and sweet rolls:

And finally, pumpkin pie and a mocha latte with cinnamon and nutmeg:

All in all, despite that I did miss being with my family, it was a very successful Thanksgiving.

Can't wait to enjoy leftovers tomorrow.

Life as an Adult

So, I'm alive.

I just realized the other day that it had been awhile since I last updated this blog. Things have been busy up here; I've been working a lot (nearly 40 hours a week, thankfully) and generally just keeping up with day to day things when I'm not.

I have also come to realize that moving up here was the best thing I've ever done.

I love living in my own apartment and working to pay my own rent and bills.

I love learning how to cook.

I love having seasons; fall was AMAZING.

I love the people I work with and I'm incredibly thankful to have the job I have while I continue my search for a vocation.

Yeah, things are good here.

My roommate and I are planning a pretty rad Thanksgiving day breakfast/dinner for our first respective Thanksgivings away from our families. It's going to be difficult being away from everyone in Florida but it's still going to be great.

In less than a month I'll be headed to NYC to see Rammstein. Yeah, I'm still pretty excited about that.

I got nothing else right now.

Life is good.

You Had Me At "Du Hast"

Once upon a time, there was a German metal band that made beautiful music.

Over the span of 16 years they produced the most glorious, engaging, and heart pounding rock ever to assault the eardrums of humankind.

Somewhere inside those 16 years however, they seemed to forget about their fans in North America. They appeared to think that our love affair with them went out with “Du Hast”. They seemed unaffected by the fact that with absolutely no promotion of any kind their latest album, “Liebe ist fur alle da” debuted at 13 on our charts. They seemed to think that one show after 10 years on American soil would be enough.

Then they sold out Madison Square Garden in 13 minutes.

Thankfully, this loyal fan and her friend were able to get tickets - although not together. But, yours truly is officially going to see the world’s greatest rock band on December 11^th of this year.

I am beyond happy but I also kind of want to punch Till Lindemann, Richard Kruspe, Paul Landers, Christoph Schneider, Oliver Riedel and Flake Lorenz in their faces.

RIGHT IN THEIR FACES.

YOU’VE HAD FANS HERE FOR YEARS.

YOU’RE MORONS FOR IGNORING US FOR SO LONG.

I still love you though and look forward to giving you my voice in a few months.

Wir Sind Für Die Musik Geboren

I got the greatest news of my life today.

Rammstein - the band I have been unabashedly in love with for 6 years - is performing a show at Madison Square Garden on December 11th of this year. This is a band that I have dreamed about more times than I can remember. A band who's music has moved me to fits of laughter, tears, and unbridled euphoria since the first time my sister's friend played one of their songs for me as I drove them around. A band that still reduces this 25-year-old woman to fits of fangirlism. A band who encouraged me to study German so I could better understand their lyrics. A band that has come to mean so much to me that I've had their lyrics inked into my shoulder.

And a band who has not performed in North America in 10 years.

A decade.

Which, of course, means I've never been given the opportunity to see them live. Let me tell you, it's one thing to never get to see your favorite band live but when said band is known for shows that look like this:

it hurts just a little bit more.

I know it hasn't really hit me and it probably won't until the curtain drops on the night of the show. Tickets go on sale October 9th and I will be a bundle of nerves until I get confirmation that my seat is safe.

For now though, I think I'll write out my dream playlist:

Weißes Fleisch

Du riechst so gut

Asche zu Asche

Sehnsucht

Du Hast

Links 2 3 4

Sonne

Ich Will

Feuer frei!

Mein Teil

Keine Lust

Rosenrot

Mann gegen Mann

Te quiero puta!

Rammlied

Ich tu dir weh

Waidmanns Heil

Liebe ist für alle da

Donaukinder

Or they could just play their entire catalog. That'd be cool.

Please Don't Use Those Stairs

So I fell down the stairs today.

That was fun.

I was woken up at 7:30 this morning by the sound of someone ringing our doorbell insistently. In my sleep, I was worried that one of my roommates had maybe locked themselves out or there was some other emergency or Rammstein was ready to perform a private show for me so I got out of bed and opened the front door only to make it about 2 steps before I slipped and tumbled.

And tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled.

I honestly have no idea how far I fell - I just remember thinking in the middle of it that I had died and was in limbo where I would proceed to fall for all eternity. Thankfully, all I ended up with was a scraped hand, a bruised elbow and some very sore thighs - I'm really lucky I fell the way I did.

Did I mention that when I got to the door no one was there?

Urgh.

Other than that little mishap, things are really starting to fall into place. I absolutely adore the people I work with and I'm totally in love with my apartment. Speaking of which, this is where I'm calling it because my beautiful roommate is making me dinner.

Peace.

Dwight! You Forgot Your Bumper

So guess what?

It was one week ago yesterday that I drove into Somerville to start my new life and today I had my first shift at my new job. I’m working at with the Bostonian Historical Society selling tickets, ringing up purchases – things like that. It’s certainly no career but it’s a job that is giving me something to do, money, and time to adjust to my new surroundings.

I’m incredibly thankful and I’m pretty damned excited - even if I did end up getting into the city two hours before I had to because I was so damned paranoid about using pubic transportation. It’s probably safe to say I’ve got that covered now though; I’ve made several trips into the city by myself and got home tonight for the first time alone.

I guess that sounds strange to people out there who are used to buses and trains but I’m from the suburbs and drove my car everywhere. The only time I ever used public transportation was when I was on vacation. In time I’m sure I’ll learn it like the back of my hand and then come to love it . . . and probably hate it.

Until then, life goes on.

Tomorrow, I’m working until 5 and then going to try and get my laundry done and maybe hit the gym.

Either way, I’ll be (thankfully) busy.

Please, Pay Your Fare

I’m sitting here in my new room, belly still full from my first home-cooked meal in my first apartment (tilapia, pasta with feta and black olives, followed by coffee ice cream and espresso), and I am pretty damned content if I do say so myself. It took about two days for me to get everything unpacked but now that it is I have to say it feels just like home.

You know, it’s funny but moving away from home to live 100 miles away in for college was harder than moving over 1,000 miles away. I suppose it’s because I know what it’s like now to live without my family close-by and I am living with a very good friend from college anyway. In a way, this kind of feels like college part 2 – only without any classes.

And no job.

That is driving me a little nuts. Today was the first day since I got here that both my roommates were up early for work and since I had no where to be I felt . . . a little sad. I went on a long walk, did some grocery shopping and ventured out on the buses and trains by myself for the first time.

Everything was successful.

The buses are slowly starting to intimidate me less. I was never uncomfortable with the trains but the buses are so confusing! Still, I know the buses that will get me home and that’s really all that matters. That and having my iPhone; that delicious little piece of technology is making it much easier to get used to my new surroundings.

Tomorrow, I’m heading off to a Planet Fitness that is about an 8 minute bus ride from my apartment (so excited there is one here!) to sign-up and enjoy a good workout and then it’s time for some hardcore job searching.

Wish me luck!