A short holiday excursion

We were all supposed to venture downtown to see the Christmas tree in Pioneer Square, but everyone bailed on me! At first I said I wasn't going either, but then I thought Eff this, it's almost Christmas and I may not get another chance to do this, so I slapped some makeup on my face, pulled on my coat and gloves, zipped up my boots, and headed out! Who cares if I go out alone? I'm a seasoned veteran patron of public transportation, damn it!

This was my second trip ever.

My bus came at 5:25 pm, and we arrived at 6th & Yamhill at 5:38 pm. The driver hauled ass! He didn't give any of us a chance to get to a seat, he just floored it as soon as the doors closed. One guy didn't even get a chance to pay his fare before the momentum of the bus threw him back into a seat. He had to drag himself back up to the farebox. I did my best not to laugh. So we got there, thanked the driver (we do that here) and I had my Starbucks coffee in my hand by 5:45 pm. Hells yeah! I sat on a bench and snapped a few photos, then got restless and started walking.

Eventually I found myself in Pioneer Place. It was so festive in there, I had to take some pics.






Can you see the snow in that last picture? There's a machine on the 3rd level that shoots out foam snow at 6:00 pm. I just happened to be there at the right moment.

Then I went back outside and wandered some more. I got a shot of Pioneer Courthouse from 5th Ave.


I made my way back to Pioneer Square, had a seat, and got a great shot of the tree. Behold!


So pretty! This is the first year they've used multi-colored LED lights, and it looks fantastic. Great atmosphere, too. People were just hanging out. It was nice.

Even the little fountain bears were dressed up.


When I'd had enough, I walked to the closest bus stop and waited with a group of people. When the bus came for us it was already packed, but we managed to squeeze in. I ended up sitting next to a really cute guy, but I didn't think it would be appropriate to take his picture. Oh well. This bus driver was really nice, and a believer in speed limits, so it was an enjoyable ride home.

It would've been nice if everyone else could've come along, but I'm glad I went anyway. Good times!

Burritos for days!

I love burritos. Who doesn't love burritos? No one, that's who. It slightly pains me, though, when I see/hear/read someone say something along the lines of I decided to make a burrito at home to save money, so I opened a can of beans, microwaved them, added some salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream, and it was cheap, but it didn't taste like the ones I get from a restaurant. Of course it didn't, you didn't do anything to it. Seasonings, people, seasonings!

Last night, in the throes of starvation, I decided that I would make a big batch of burrito filling today. Once done, I just have to portion out the amount I want, heat it, then eat it!

First I soaked some pinto beans.

Then I cooked them. Tough stuff, I know.


Once they were done, I drained them, reserving a little of the cooking liquid. I smashed the beans with a large spoon, too. Heated some oil in the saucepan, added the beans back in, along with the bean water (yum, lol), cumin, and salsa. Simmer a bit, and ta da! Refried beans.

Then I chopped half of a green bell pepper and half of a white onion.

This went into the saucepan to cook with brown rice.

There really is rice in there, I swear to you. See?

Then I made a batch of "queso."

Mmmmmm. Then I boiled some lentils.

While those were cooking, I sauteed the other halves of the bell pepper and onion.

The lentils serve as the "meat" in all this. Soy crumbles would work, too, but lentils are cheap and healthy. I'd like to tell you I make my own taco seasoning mix, but I don't.

Casa Fiesta! When the lentils were done, I added them to the veggies, added the taco mix and water, and about a tablespoon of salsa.

I mixed everything together in a huge bowl, then stood back to admire the beautiful... err...

Well, it tastes good anyway. Finally, it was time to assemble a burrito.

After all the work I'd done I couldn't be bothered to shred some lettuce. A whole leaf worked just fine. And I topped it with some taco sauce. Vegan sour cream would've been a nice addition, but it's kind of expensive. Maybe next time.

I was so hungry, I decided to make two.

Yeah, my burrito rolling skills leave something to be desired. Whatever, I devoured those two in record time. Five minutes later, I realized that eating two burritos was a horrible idea. Delicious, but my god, I thought I was going to explode.

So with all that filling, I'll be making burritos (one at a time) and living off of them for days. Burritos for days!

Bliss.

And Worse goes back to work

Well, I guess you can disregard that last whiny, emo post I wrote. This morning I received a call from the place I'd interviewed for and was offered the job, which I quickly and gratefully accepted. It'll take a few days to get me in the system and get an employee number, so I'll probably start on Tuesday. That's good because I need to do laundry and get a book of all-zone Trimet passes. So... yay!

Now I can stop being depressed and wash my hair.

On a sad note, to cut costs we're dropping our home phone line (we never use it anyway) and our awesome cable package and DVR. No TCM, no Ovation, etc. I see a lot of PBS in my future. I made a point to get through all of the Charles Boyer movies I'd saved, but didn't get to Errol Flynn or Cary Grant. Sigh. Around 2:00 am I just couldn't stay up any longer, so I lovingly stroked the DVR, told it I loved it dearly, and dragged myself to bed. It's now a goal of mine to restore self-indulgent cable service, including getting HBO again. I'll have the means soon, since, ya know, I HAVE A JOB. Ha!

Not only is this good for me, it's good for you, too! Now I'll have actual things to write about. You won't be forced to suffer through what I had for dinner or a detailed account of something cute my dogs did. Okay, okay, I'll still post that stuff, but I very much look forward to griping about idiot customers and relaying my various adventures on my public transit commute. It's a win-win, really.


Woo!

Maybe, maybe not

I was hoping to have some news for everyone today. I had a job interview this past Friday with a store in Clackamas Town Center mall. I had a follow-up interview two days ago, which was Monday. I know these things can take time, but from what I've read of other people's experiences with this company, job offers usually come on the day of the second interview or on the next day. I haven't gotten a call yet, and I'm feeling an odd combination of emotions about it. Actually, I've had mixed feelings about this entire process.

When I applied online for this position, it was for either a location in Tigard or one in downtown Portland. When the call came in from Clackamas, I hesitated. This is going to sound stupid, but for me, Portland doesn't exist beyond SE 60th Ave. It just doesn't. Clackamas mall is actually in Happy Valley, OR. I was all, "OMG, that's sooo far!" but my mom said, "Call them anyway!" She was right, of course. I was amazed that, despite my homemaker status, I was granted an interview. The first interview I've been given in years.

I had convoluted directions when I went for my first interview. I hate it when the internet fails me. I had allowed myself an hour to get there, and what should have been a 30-minute trip ended up taking 55 minutes to complete. But I made it! I don't know if many know about this, but Glassdoor is a great resource. I knew everything that was going to happen in the interview ahead of time, there were no surprises. Other than being slightly nervous, I felt that I'd done pretty well, and within 2 hours I got the call for the second interview. Score!

For round 2, I had much better directions, and ended up being about 40 minutes early. I just stayed in the car and went over what I was going to be asked. Went in, had what I felt was a great conversation, and was told they'd let me know.

And that's it.

From the moment of the first call, and especially after the first interview, I've felt relief, excitement, dread, and guilt. Relief because my chances are good, excitement because this is my field of expertise and I'm perfectly qualified for this position. Dread because I actually hate retail sales. Guilt because I hadn't even applied for 10 jobs and there are people out there who apply at hundreds of places without getting any calls at all.

Then there's the commute. I'd be using public transportation to get to and from work, and my commute would (will?) be about an hour and a half. Not only that, I would (will?) be going through the worst (highest crime) transit stations to get there. People get stabbed, beaten, robbed, etc. I understand that this happens when there is a high number of people, and public transit just carries risks with it, but... damn! I'd be going way past SE 60th Ave., into the area that just doesn't exist to me, where most of the problems are. Plus it's a 3 zone trip, which costs more. Am I whining? Maybe. Do I have money for a hospital bill, or savings in case I'm robbed, or an alternative mode of transportation if necessary? No, I don't.

I need work, though, so if that call does come in, I will gladly and gratefully take it. I like this store as a customer, and I think I would like it as an employee, too.

While I wait, I need to think of other places to apply. It also occurred to me that I might be able to use this opportunity to get into another line of work. I have no idea what that might be, but it's a thought. I doubt anyone would be willing to hand me a welding torch (seriously, would I not be the coolest metal worker ever?!), but maybe I could get on with a bakery or something.

Also toying with the idea of making something to sell, but of course there are no guarantees with that either.

So, I don't actually have any news to share. At least I know now that there are places willing to give me an interview. I'll just keep at it. I'm feeling depressed and hopeful at the same time, if that makes any sense. If you're in the same boat as I am, hang in there.

We'll get through this.