Good Eats

Today was my last day training at the Mutter, so, awesome!

I've been really into salads again, ever since I decided to buy an avocado from Trader Joe's as soon as I've eaten the last one. I love avocados because they really give you time to gauge when they'll be used, and therefore, what for! And if nothing else, throw half of it, cubed, into a salad! (What to do with the other half? Easy: save it! A potentially absurd device, I have learned to love it, because it really does save almost perfectly the other half of the avocado! And its always silly to buckle it into place) Also, sliced hardboiled egg? Fantastic.What else? Oh, Trader Joes sells pizza dough for 99¢, which was fantastic when I went to Celia's to make dinner for us before she got home... just in time to eat and head off to King of Prussia Mall, in search for affordable yet fashionable clothing (as usual, mostly a dud of an excursion).
But the pizza was awesome! One mushrooms and pesto and cheese on plain dough, and the other tomato, onion and cheese on (I think) garlic herb dough.I'm not the biggest fan of gingerbread, but I think this purchase from the Mutter Museum is a sure call for sugar cookies!

I also bought the Bread and Bread Machine Bible, and I can't wait to use it (oh wait, yes I can... I'll wait until I think I can eat that much bread in a matter of days... now?)

23.1

I've been working a lot: full time for two weeks until my training is done. But starting next week I'll have off Monday-Thursday, and will be spending every Monday all day Monday at the darkroom, for my volunteer shift and also to get work done! At least two of the other days will be for getting work done, and I will also be reading the entire Art of the Avant-Gardes by Steve Edwards and Paul Wood, with the incentive that the the new Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris will be at the PMA in February.

This my new coffee table! I have a few new projects in mind, including painting this table a rosy-cream color, and the dresser will be a cobalt blueish lavender. Also, I'll be building an over-the-door pot rack, which will give me more cupboard space for things like more produce.

Working across the street from Trader Joes is awesome, especially when I get tips on the weekends, and can pop into Trader Joes for some fresh produce before going home.

Celia came over last night, and brought dinner (ratatouille), so we could go see The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus without having to make dinner beforehand. I liked the movie, although parts of it weren't thoroughly explained, and it is easy for me to dismiss those things because Heath Ledger died half way through filming, and its amazing that they were able to finish the film, so a few loose ends here and there are excusable, but.... not really. It was beautiful and entertaining, although nothing so incredible plotwise. But of course, Heath is/was a beautiful man and this film was no exception.

I hadn't mentioned to Celia that it was my birthday when I went to New York, and so she brought me a cake last night (which happened to be my grandmother's birthday), and so if you read this correctly, I am approximately 23.1 years old.(tiny christmas trees picked meticulously out of christmas themed funfetti)And to our delight, we realized I was dressed up as my apartment. What might be more apparent is how messy my apartment was! I cleaned today of course, and if you can spot where Hans is hiding, you win!

23

This year, I decided to spend my birthday in upstate New York. I had been putting off setting a date to visit to Erin with Claire for some time, because I had too many jobs, and then was unemployed. We decided to book the week before I had found a job because sitting around obviously wasn't helping anyway. Of course, I found the Mutter Museum a week before I was set to leave, and they weren't exactly thrilled that I was going away for 5 days. But I worked both weekends surrounding my vacation, and everything worked out just fine.
Claire spent Monday with me, and we left first thing Tuesday morning. The 4 hour drive wasn't even that bad!
We got to Round Lake NY with only the stories Erin has told of her "village without street signs" and we really didn't know what to expect. I know I was expecting less colorful houses at least:





This place really is magical.
On account of my birthday, Erin's dad cooked every night. Her family is probably the closest, happiest, best family I know.
Claire and I had been discussing awesome bridges, and then had seen this BEAUTY, but only were able to photograph it later, on the way to Erin's residency in a church in Troy NY.


This place is awesome, and so is Erin. We only stopped by for a minute to pick up some boots and her camera, since we were on our way to The Abandoned Village.
Claire took all these photos of the Abandoned Village, since I was taking photos with my twin lens camera.






Fun in the snow with the help of self timer:

After two hours of driving and two hours of walking around, it was surprisingly warm, and we made hot chocolate!


The last day Erin took us to the Round Lake at Round Lake:
We said goodbye to our dog of choice:And we stopped at the Grease Trucks at Rutgers on our way home. We got a little lost but made it back ok, and even had time for The Random Tea Room before I took Claire to the train. I drove a little more to Celia's to visit her friends who were in town, and to claim my cat and got home for a shower and sleep before working at the Mutter all weekend. Today I have off, but will be working all week except Friday when I will visit Sarah and say goodbye before she leaves for another semester of higher education.

Not bad for an old lady.

Mutter Museum

I am happy to inform you, the public, that I am now the official Part Time Coat Check Girl at the Mutter Museum on the weekends, as well as the Occasional Store Clerk and Front Desk Attendee.

I started today, and will be working weekends for a few weeks and then falling into full swing. I'll even get my own email address at the College of Physicians as well as have my name listed on their website!

So far everyone is nice and interesting! I am thinking this might be the best thing ever.

I even get vacation days and sick days, and get paid holidays and if working those holidays get time and a half! Seriously, what more could you ask for? (Benefits? I'll have to look into it, its not impossible!)

Catching Up

I went to New Jersey for Christmas and the days following it. I saw lots of good people, and several of them I haven't seen in years! I slept on couches, shared beds, and even took a shower or two. It was really nice to immerse myself in social life for a week. Celia watched Hans, and I missed him, but knew he was in good hands.

I had been determined to document my journey with my twin lens camera, and did a fairly good job of carrying it around with me at all times, and I took photographs of many of the people I got to see. Unfortunately I ruined the film while processing it myself on Monday... I guess two years is long enough to forget how the hell to process film. In any case, I didn't take any digital photographs and now only have fond memories.

I love Hans' sleepy eyes!
And Hans' "You caught me!" eyes.

Again!
I also finally bought a fantastic new dresser. I decided that although unemployed, I had better make use of my hanukkah money, or suffer the wrath of doting grandparents.

I had two great interviews last week, and I really think I'll be offered one or both jobs. Of course I'm rooting to be the new coat check girl at the Mutter Museum, rather than a bank teller, but one can't be too picky. Still waiting for the phone call...

Since I got back from Jerseying, I have been remarkably busy: I did almost nothing all December, and now everyone wants to see me! Ekaterina came to see the Gorky show at the PMA with me, and I have to say I liked it. The audio was lacking, but the progression of works was educational and enjoyable! I even did a few sketches. That night, after sharing great art online back and forth, I took Ekaterina to the train, and started a new painting in my kitchen.

Other great things include my mom having given me her old bread maker, and of course my actual hanukkah gift, a food processor which doubles as a blender: