We got a slight covering of snow today, maybe an inch or a little more. And the temperatures plummeted a good bit from the mid-50s we had the other day. Right now it is about 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature tonight will probably drop down to around 9 or 10 degrees.
So while I was doing laundry and crafting cover letters, I popped in a movie that is just about as far away from winter, cold, and reality* as I could get…
Sharknado.
Well, after taking some time to process it, I guess I can go ahead and say (officially) that I am not going to the police academy this year. I just wasn’t high enough on the list, I guess. But the people involved in the process have been highly encouraging and supportive towards me, and so I will make another effort whenever they put together another class, either later this year or early next year.
In the meantime, it has been a humbling experience to get back into the job hunt full-time. And to be honest, a little depressing. But since I am Mr. Silver Lining, I am trying to find the bright side of the experience and move on.
So there’s a few things I am doing to keep myself entertained while I continue the (seemingly eternal) job hunt.
And as long as there are people willing to believe that we should just be thankful for work of any kind, this will continue. As long as there are people in positions of power who fight to keep the disenfranchised that way, this will continue. As long as those who claim the power, the money, and the moral high ground continue to do this, this will continue. I can refuse to apply for all the high skill/low wage jobs I want, but it doesn’t get my family any farther away from the edge when I stand on principle, it just means that somebody else more desperate is going to end up taking that job.
Wake up, America.
~Kelly
Image by Bettmann/CORBIS
In a society that lacks solidarity, misfortune, except that of the most random kind, is viewed as the fault of those who suffer from it. If we believe that poorly compensated workers somehow deserve lousy wages, then we absolve ourselves of the impoverishment we have inflicted upon them. Edward McClelland notes (boldface mine):
If you try hard enough, you can usually come up with a reason a low-wage worker doesn’t deserve to earn a living. If Kim Brown had been willing to move to Cleveland, she would still have her Web support job; if she had chosen a more marketable major than creative writing, she might have found full-time work in Chicago. But no matter Brown’s life choices, her $8.50 an hour job would still exist, not providing a living for someone else.
This is why the belief that education is the primary way to reduce…
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This is happening at our church. If you’re available to come and sing or to come and listen please stop by. It sounds like great fun.
For Immediate Release- Tuesday, March 11, 2014, starting at 7:00 pm, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, the weekly “Tuesday Nights” concert series presents Open Mic Opera. Local opera singers, younger and older, amateur and professional, are invited to sing their hearts out. Collaborative pianist Juliet Cunningham, who has accompanied opera, oratorio and musical theater singers (and produced operas with her Janus Opera Company) will play whatever you bring. Suggested donation of $10 at the door. For more information about the weekly “Tuesday Nights” concert series please visit www.saintpeterscambridge.org/news-events/announcements/tuesdaynightconcertseries
Open mic opera? In Boston – the home of the Red Sox, the Bruins, the Celtics? Yes, and it isn’t new either. Many lovers of Italian food will remember a restaurant near Quincy Market that used to feature singing waiters. In other parts of the country, such as California, there have been restaurants with nights given over to singers performing opera arias and scenes for the past two to three decades, according to Duff Murphy, host of The Opera Show on Los Angeles’s radio station KUSC. In case you thought opera was just for the old folks, Murphy also has observed that it has become popular with many 20- and 30- somethings. Robert Hansen, executive director of the National Opera Association has been quoted to the effect that open mic opera is growing in popularity because “there is a huge population out there now of singers who want some sort of opportunity to sing, whether they make a living doing it, for pocket money or just for the love of singing.” Boston is brimming over with opera singers. This is an opportunity for them to strut their stuff in public, with encouragement and at no risk. All singers are welcome to participate, and you can bring your accompanist and audience with you.
Me, I’d probably bring some Musical Theatre just to shake things up a bit.
~Kelly
A few weeks ago my friend Teri sent me a link to something she thought would interest me – A Cozinha Mediaeval, or in English – the Medieval Kitchen. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered it sooner – a web site that combines two of my favorite things: Portuguese cuisine and medieval history. Yet another reason for me to keep working on my Portuguese language skills, which are quite poor, sadly.
I have not yet had the chance to try any of the recipes that are on the site, but there are so many that look absolutely delicious: carne estufada (called stewed beef but actually a beef rib dish); and arroz frutado (a rice dish with fruit and almonds) are two of my favorites so far. And the site doesn’t stop with just recipes. There is a wealth of other information as well, such as senhor Djalma’s excellent essay on the myths of medieval cuisine and his review of a 15th century Portuguese cookbook that was reprinted in 1963 by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture.
Enjoy!
-Geoff
Rerun is home from Angell Animal Medical Center and we are glad to have him back. You should have seen Thumbelina react when Rerun came home. She danced a little circle around him and “kissed” him a lot. She’s so happy he is home. As are we all. I missed my furry little buddy. He has not fully recovered, and he has several medications that he has to take for a little while. But he is not vomiting anymore, and he has his appetite back.
-Geoff
A lot of people hate winter, especially after so many days and nights of snow and cold temperatures. People complain bitterly about it and pray for spring to get here faster.
I am not one of them. I like winter, and I believe in addition to the bad it has much good. Just like any other season. But here in New England it is a very distinct season, and not watered down at all. You get beautiful winter scenes like no other.
That’s one of the things I love most about New England: it has seasons. Four very different, very distinct seasons.
You may have heard that we’ve gotten some snow this winter. You may have heard that it’s been a little, um, chilly this winter. You’d be right on both counts.
Yesterday Rerun had his second bout in a little over a week of vomiting and listlessness. Last night was the worse of the two episodes and it was clear by bedtime that he wasn’t a happy dog. He didn’t want to eat anything and he was clearly uncomfortable. He woke us about every hour through the night heaving, vomiting, or whining. We were encouraging him to vomit because there was clearly something bothering him that he needed OUT.
Continue reading “Being a Stubborn Dachshund has Consequences”
I used the mutton stew recipe I mentioned yesterday to make this, but I did make one change: I added yellow carrots, which would certainly have been known in Europe by the late middle ages. Orange would not become the typical carrot color for a few more centuries. Red would also have been common, but those are a little more difficult to come by these days, at least outside of a farmer’s market full of heirloom gardeners. It just felt like the stew needed something besides meat, an egg, and seasoning.
Note to self: get a better background for medieval cooking photos.
-Geoff
