What I'm Reading - August

Had a job interview today.  Hope it goes really well, because for previously mentioned reasons (and more to come), I can't stay where I am much longer.  However, I'm really broke so it's not like I have much of an option as far as not working.  Not sure where all this money is going, but I think it has something to do with all these miscellaneous wedding expenses, shopping around for horse trainers, and life in general.  Sigh, the things we do to stay up these days.  Maybe I'll go off the grid.

What I am doing that is quite cheap entertainment though, is getting back into reading.  I was always a big reader, and hell I'm partially a literature major so it's not like I'm shy from the great american (or european or world) novel.  Somewhere during all that reading though, it often became a chore.  I love young adult novels, but in my last few years of college that was the only literature class I really enjoyed.  There got to be a point where I'd rather write a novel than read one, and that's just bad juju.

However, it's been years since I've been out of college and there's no excuse for me not to read regularly.  I'm starting a "Less Toddlers & Tiaras, More Books" mind bootcamp (Teen Mom doesn't count though, that's quality television about the modern american family).  It's nearly the end of August, and I've failed short of my completing two books a month goal... that's just pitiful.

Initially, I picked out one "trashy" book to read and one "literary" book to read.  The "literary book", The Art of Racing in the Rain spontaneously combusted in the 105+ degree Texas heat in my car.  I didn't realize books melted... but after finding a pile of papers in random order I think it's safe to say that I will not be completing that book anytime soon.  My other "trashy" pick, Kitchen Confidential brought on by my mild infatuation with Anthony Bourdain, is about 75% completed.

Instead of replacing the fallen "Racing" with another book of equal literary value, I found this gem at CVS and begged the fiance to get it for me.

It's about prehistoric giant man-eating sharks... in an aquarium.  The brain reels in delight.

The truth is, if you whine you get what you want.

Okay, so I don't necessarily believe that  but my last post was mainly me whining about not being able to find a job.  Low and behold, I got an interview last Friday and a job offer came with it.  So, here's the big obligatory WOOHOO.  Now that I have secured employment, I'm actually a little sad that my slack lifestyle will be ending shortly.  Since this is the case, we decided to drive to New Orleans on Saturday for an impromptu trip to hang out with hubby's sister for her birthday celebration.

I love New Orleans, so do my dogs and so does everyone pretty much.  We're lucky that they're such good travelers (the dogs that is, I don't know if hubby and myself are good travelers at this point).  My spaniel freaks out a bit when he sees us packing suitcases,  but as soon as he's in the car he's just happy to be able to go somewhere. 

So yeah, not a whole lot to report besides the fact that I have to start going to an office again after the 4th of July holiday weekend, and I'm sitting in a really pretty double shotgun right now with my dogs.  Tomorrow I need to go check on our florist for the wedding, because they're not particularly good at email and seemed to have cashed our deposit check without any kind of written or verbal confirmation.  Fun fun.

Naner Bread & Bugs

I wish I had something more interesting to say, but hubby is in Chicago working and I've been left at home to my own devices.  Right now, that doesn't mean a whole lot unfortunately.  I have about three more weeks that I'm working for my job remotely, so my days are spent with a laptop on my lap watching re-runs of America's Next Top Model, applying for jobs, and doing some web design.

And at the moment, the job hunt isn't going very well.

That's pretty discouraging, because I've never had a problem finding any job in my life.  Everything from tutoring to career web design jobs, it just short of happened to me.  I suppose this is a good experience, letting me know that I'm not god or anything... but dammit I'd like a little bit of validation please.

Instead, I spent tonight alone with my dogs trying to validate myself through cooking and getting the bugs out of my house.  I don't know if it's this old house we're renting, or Texas and that whole southern heat thing, or the huge gaping hole in my porch door (well, I'm certain that has something to do with it) - but my house is infested with bugs.  We have beetles, flies, fruit flies, and the occasional spider - joy!  I googled fruit fly traps, and have had a cup with really nice organic balsamic vinagarette out for days... but the flies just laughed at my fancy vinegar and refused to die in it like they were supposed to.  I'm now resorting to moving all of hubby's fruit into the refrigerator, where it may never ripen but HOPEFULLY will not attract anymore fruit flies. 

On the cooking front, I rounded off the evening with home-made healthy banana nut bread.  I don't like bananas, but in bread form they're okay.  Plus the damn things were probably attracting more flies.  I would have taken a picture, but alas I already zipped the bread up in a bag and hid it in the refrigerator so it wouldn't get swarmed by insects.  Here's the recipe, sort of a mix of my own and something off of all recipes. 

Healthy Banana Nut Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Agave Nectar
2 eggs (can be left out or substituted for apple sauce for vegan bread)
1/3 cup butter / buttery spread
3 smushed bananas
1/2 cup pecans

Cook at 350 (like you cook everything in the world) until it's risen some and is just starting to brown on top.