Saturday, November 29, 2014

Part Two: The Feast (and the Unwelcome Trash-Can Dwellers)

A successful Thanksgiving is in the books!

I (along with my ever-helpful husband) pulled off a delicious Thanksgiving meal which we celebrated with our friends Erica and John. What a fun day! And I gotta tell you, not all that difficult.

I can tend to be a little dramatic (I prefer the word theatrical) and so, yes, I felt that this was a daunting task. What if I ruined everything and there was nothing to eat? What if I timed it all wrong and we were all just staring at each other and waiting? What if there really was a neck in the turkey and it made the rest of the bird taste terrible? Oh, the potential disasters that were brewing in my imagination. (Dramaaaaaa)
      But, as it turns out: It wasn't that hard!

Truly! Although we did the prep work that you may have read about  2 days in advance, on the day of I didn't start cooking until the afternoon. We had a relaxing morning and then a very casual: "Ok, time to get the thing in the oven then sit back on the couch." How great is that? And not to mention that Barefoot Contessa did it again: her recipe turned out utterly sensational. It could have been the 1/2 stick of melted butter that topped it all off, that sure didn't hurt.
      We had sides of (super easy) mashed potatoes and (super fast) stovetop stuffing from Trader Joes. I could honestly write an entire blog devoted to my appreciation for and allegiance to Trader Joes. How did we live without one for so long?!

I think some of the highlights of the evening, aside from the excellent and entertaining company, were the almost-but-not-quite raccoon attack and the sawing of the apple pie. (That's right... I also made fresh apple pie)

But let's talk about these raccoons. Around this area, you are considered a societal menace if you harm animals. Obvious adorable creatures like dogs, cats, etc should be included in this level of care but I'm talking about every animal, including but not limited to the demonic raccoons that live all around campus. I hate them.

I understand this is a strong word (as I mentioned, I'm theatrical) but it is the truth. These mangy creatures live inside and around the trash cans and they are pure evil. One of the first things we were told upon arriving on campus in July was to not take out your trash at night.... because the raccoons will fight you. They know you can't harm them- so they stare at your with their beady eyes and wait for you to drop your trash and run. And run, you will.
    A few weeks ago, I was trying to explain the hellish nature of these mongrels to Erica and suffice it to say, she didn't believe me. When she generously offered to take (our first round of) trash out after dinner, we pleaded with her that it was not a good idea. She is so kind and really wanted to help... so she heads out the door up to the garbage cans when she hears a rustling that she mistakes as another neighbor taking their trash out.
"Hello?..."
.......
.......
(appearance of evil creature, surely with demonic background music playing)
"OH S%^T!!!"
and she ran into back to the apartment.

Hate them.


The apple pie story isn't nearly as good as that one. Basically, I just cut through the $2 foil pie pan and got pie insides all over the table cloth. It was fine and we finished the pie anyway.

See, I told you the raccoon story was better.



I forgot to take a picture of the tasty bird after it was pulled from the oven, oops.
This is mid-carving.... which we also googled.






Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Thanksgiving 2014, Part 1: The Preparations

This is the year.
I'm making, from start to finish, my first full Thanksgiving meal. Oh, the joy!
Oh, the hilarity.

Since we are across the country and have only 36-ish hours off from work, we knew there was no way to make it back east for the big schmorgazborg. Which is a real shame, because both of our families really do up Thanksgiving. What can I say, we like to eat.
Ryan and I thought this year would be a great opportunity to make our holiday ours. It's a special day no matter where we are or who we are with. So, we invited one of my coworkers and her fiancĂ© over and then I realized- Oh shoot. I gotta feed them.

When it comes to celebrity chefs, my heart belongs to Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa. This lady is the jolliest and classiest lady on the Food Network (and beyond) and not one of her recipes has ever steered me wrong. So naturally, if I'm taking on a turkey, I'm consulting Ina.
I found a tasty sounding recipe for the turkey in her Foolproof cook book and I thought: I can do that!
Buy the bird.
Defrost the bird.
Put some seasonings on the bird and throw it in the oven.
Not so scary!

But tonight, I began "The Preparations". Below is an inner monologue account of what went down:


  • Get thawed turkey out of fridge: At least I did one thing right so far, it's not frozen.
  • Read recipe twice (I've been studying it all week)
  • Oh no... Kosher salt? I was planning to use sea salt! How did I miss that?! Can I substitute? Will I ruin it? Oh no, I'm gonna ruin it. "Hunny, can you google something for me?"
  • 15 minutes later, I'm sticking with sea salt and adjusting quantities. Moving on. 
  • Realize the sink is full of dishes: That's fine, right? I can wash the turkey over here in this little corner where nothing is touching... that's fine.
  • Oh my word, this little guy feels heavier than 11 lbs
  • Re-read recipe
  • Dang this thing is gross. And my hands are freezing. Also covered in turkey juice.
  • Last week, this turkey thought he was having the time of his life. Poor guy. 
  • Ok, it says here to take out the bag o' junk and the neck from the body cavity. Got the bag, that's pretty obvious. But the neck... hmm, the neck. Where's the neck? What's the neck look like? "Hey hunny, can you google something for me?" 
  • "I'm really not understanding this, can you Youtube something so I can see exactly what it looks like?" Wait, what is this... a woman on a farm with her baby on her back gutting a turkey with her bare hands? What is this?! Gross. 
  • I see no neck. No neck anywhere. Should we just conclude that maybe this was the one from the factory where they all ready pulled out the neck, or should I keep staring at it for the next 30 minutes?
  • Re-read recipe.
  • Wash gross, cold, neckless turkey with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
  • You've used an entire roll of paper towels in this bout so far. Sorry, California. 
  • This home-made brine smells pretty tasty! There's another positive. Stay with the positive. Don't tell anyone how oddly this is going or that you spent 20 more minutes on Youtube than necessary. 
  • This looks like it will fit the turkey so it can sit overnight. Now for the plastic wrap. Oh, how I loathe you, plastic wrap.
  • After three layers, I quit. That's tight enough and you're going back in the fridge, you little jerk. 
  • Spray every surface in kitchen with disinfectant. Spray body with disinfectant. 
  • "My hands will never be clean again."

Here's our little guy, hanging out in the fridge. And yes, that's a clothespin keeping the plastic wrap together. 
Don't get me started.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Sweater Weather

I definitely did not bring enough warm clothing with me.

People warned me about the weather in the Bay Area, and you have my sincerest apologies for not fully believing you.

Now people back on the east coast (at least the northern part) are probably scoffing. You don't know what cold is! And actually, I do know. Having lived through the past 9 winters in the Appalachian mountains, I'm familiar. I'm not saying this weather is anywhere near the polar vortex of last year where the inside of our closed kitchen window was freezing over (Day After Tomorrow, anyone?). That is cold. I'm not trying to compare the two. I'm simply saying I probably shouldn't have purged my wardrobe like an eskimo preparing for island life.

In my mind, I thought heck yes I'm moving to California. Good-bye thick sweaters and overcoats! Hello year round open-toed shoes and 3/4 cardis.

That was a mistaken mindset. That is southern California. This is definitely not southern California.

Where those items work about nine times out of ten, you pretty much need to prepare for all weather types in this area. It's a confusing place, meteorologically speaking. It's actually a confusing place lots-of-ologically speaking. But apparently, there are tons of micro-climates that can change within mere miles. So if you're coming from a few miles north of the bridge, where we live, and are planning to head just across it, you need to bring warmer clothes and definitely a coat. But if you're planning to go even 2 miles further in to the city, you need a less heavy coat (and walking shoes- these hills are killer). If you're going to the airport and further south, tank top weather.
We've been told by multiple people that they have a second mini-waredrobe they keep in their car to be prepared for all weather at all times. I'm beginning to the think that's not such a crazy idea.

I have to be honest, I don't know whose genius idea it was to build a major metropolitan city on this land. The weather is unpredictable, the elevation changes will make you dizzy, the land itself is mostly reclaimed (meaning, it's not actual earth... the financial district was built on sunken ships in the late 1800s!), and OH YEA, it's also on a major fault line. Seems like a plan to me...


But, as I've said before, it sure is pretty.


Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge for the very first time to get to our new home!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Two Words: Full Time (or is that one hyphenated word?)

Turns out that having a full time job takes up, well, the majority of your time. How about that.


You may have been wondering why I haven't posted in about three weeks. More than likely, you didn't even notice. Nonetheless, I'm back to give you a brief explanation:
   My job is full time!
   REJOICE!


When I was offered the position, I was told it would begin part-time and once I was producing quality work they would be happy to move to full-time. In my mind that meant a few months. Instead, it was like a few days. I had a handful of 4-hr shifts in the office and then "The Summit" happened.

Of course, I knew this Summit was planned as I was being interviewed but I didn't assume that I would be involved. It's an event they put on twice a year, one in April (nyc) and one in October (sf). You can imagine my surprise when I got an email after just a few days of working there saying, "Please be at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco by 1pm tomorrow."

Uhhhhhhh.... what was that, now?


So I spent three days at the Ritz, all dressed up and fancy, and even got to stay one night (FO FREE) in a suite bigger than our apartment. I couldn't help but think: "Two weeks ago, I was unemployed and a total anxious mess. This morning I woke up in the Ritz- Carlton."       Neat.

Gratitude has been the main word in the Goude vocabulary (or the Lexi-Goude, if you will) in the past few weeks. Gratitude over being in such a beautiful place, gratitude over being in such a loving and fun marriage, gratitude over receiving a paycheck. A real, professional, grown up, sizable, earned paycheck. Hallelujah, people. God Provides.


I know it kinda looks like the Capitol Building, but this is the outside of the Ritz in San Francisco. 


Sunday, October 5, 2014

California Love

I'm out of Wedding Season shape.

There was a (extremely long period of) time in my life where going to other people's weddings was my life. I mostly* enjoyed it. What's not to love about weddings? Free food, beautiful venues, happy couples, reunions with friends, and sweet dance moves.

Last night, I went to only my second wedding of the year.  I honestly can not remember the last time I went to only two weddings in a year. Five is average, but I've survived double digit wedding seasons on multiple occasions. I'm a pro. And yet, no matter how part of your routine it is, you always feel like death the following morning. I didn't have a sip of alcohol at last night's fantastic festivities and I still had to open my eyelids with a crow-bar this morning.

What a beautiful wedding! I can confidently say that it's ranked in my top three, excluding my own of course, and any family weddings because that's just not fair.  It was so quintessentially "California wedding": set in an absolutely exquisite mountainside private residence with an outdoor ceremony and reception on the patio. Perfect weather, perfect sunset, and excellent food (key to a great wedding). But always most important, our dear friends looked so in love and so joyful. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

I should come up with a rubric for my wedding rankings.









*when I wasn't bitter and whining over the fact that I wasn't dating anyone. That never helps, I assure you

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

And The Angels Sang...

HALLELUJAAAAHHHH!!!

Dearest friends,

I am ecstatic to report that yesterday was the first day (more like afternoon) of my new job! Through a kind and very random reference by my new friend Brianna, I applied, interviewed for, and am fortunate enough to have been chosen as the new
Operations Analyst at Tiburon Strategic Advisors.
It sounds so fancy, doesn't it?

Tiburon is a little town right down the road. I don't have to get on the 101 (major north-south highway), I don't have to wait in city traffic, and I barely have stoplights on the way in to this beautiful little town. It's incredible. The views are incredible. Just like pretty much everywhere else around here!
The office itself is situated in a professional park just across the street from the bay. You can see the city and watch the fog descend then lift. There's plenty of people watching to do as well, as the ferry that arrives in Tiburon takes bicycling tourists back to the mainland.

Speaking of that, never in my life have I seen so many people on bikes. They are everywhere! There are huge companies that rent out bikes to tourists (my favorite of them being named "Blazing Saddles"), give them a semi-readable map, and send them on their way. We see these folks on this side of the bridge looking utterly lost just trying to find their way back to the ferry. Maybe this is your cup of tea, but not once while I was on vacation have I thought: "You know what would make this the best? A 12 mile bike ride with thousands of strangers through a crowded city I've never been to."
Not once have I thought that.


The period of finding a job was less than desirable, I must admit. As I previously posted, I was sure I would have a job before Ryan started classes. That was 4 weeks ago. But is there any reason to dwell in the suck of that situation? No! As cliché as it may sound, I learned a lot during that time of waiting. Perseverance, trust, faith, budgeting (definitely budgeting), and ways to encourage others who are in the same boat. I'm grateful to everyone who encouraged me through this process and I'm sure it won't be the last time I will need encouragement. This new position is sure to be challenging, with a lot to learn and a lot to do. I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to be challenged in such a professional environment.

Thanks for the excitement, everyone! Thanks for reading :)

Sincerely,
   kg

A view from Tiburon

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Why I Don't Like HIMYM

Some of you are probably all ready livid with me just after reading the post title, but hold on! I'm about to share an amazing revelation I had the other day.

(Ok, "amazing revelation" is probably too strong a phrase for this. It's more like a personality vs pop culture theory that I think is pretty interesting.)

I haven't advertised the fact that I strongly dislike How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) because I respect the right to opinion, and frankly, I didn't want to argue about something as silly as sitcom preferences. People (myself included) have some very strong opinions when it comes to what they find funny. For example: I grew up watching Seinfeld with my family, and I think it's hilarious. But I 100% understand how people could find it stupid or pointless. I really do! George Costanza can be utterly annoying and the situations they put themselves in are completely avoidable. However, I enjoy it and it makes me laugh.

When it comes to HIMYM, people are appalled that I don't think it's funny. I've seen several episodes and I'm always stuck waiting for it to be funnier. There's usually the "You have to watch it from the very beginning" argument but that won't change it for me, I promise. Want to know why?! It has to do with my personality and particularly, my StrengthsFinder results. (If you haven't taken this test, I'm not going to say you have to but I will say that it's one of the most helpful and accurate assessments I've ever seen) I realized this as I was talking with Ry, who loves HIMYM, knowing his StrengthsFinder results are different from mine. His top result is Connectedness, meaning he easily finds and deeply enjoys the nuances and connections (hence the title) in life. No where on my "Top 5" list does Connectedness appear, however Activator does. Activator is all about action and potentially, impatience. (I was bummed when I read that because I knew they were so right... I am often impatient because I want things to happen RIGHT NOW. Hesitation is not part of my nature. If we've made a decision to go out for a walk, we're walking right now. The description in the link above could not be more applicable to my personality).

So back to TV show preferences. Ryan loves HIMYM because everything in the show is connected to something else in the show. I can't stand it because all they ever do is talk about something that has all ready happened. The entire episode could be spent on the same topic or in the same bar, never having moved or taken action. This is why I enjoy shows like Grey's Anatomy  because although they do have plot lines that extend through seasons, every episode they are doing something (ya know, like saving lives and stuff). It's high action. HIMYM is high connection. And this theory can be true of so many of the shows we like or dislike. Think about it!

After that realization, I felt one of those "mind blown" moments. A mystery of the universe solved. Personalities. TV Shows. It all makes sense. So I won't make fun of you for not liking a show that I like, it's all about your unique personality! Go you!

But if you hate on Brooklyn 99's first season, I won't know what to say to you. I don't care who you are... that show is funny.

(and of course "Friends", that's my favorite)



What show can you absolutely not get enough of? Which preferences showcase your personality?

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Holiday Chatter


Is it ok that I've all ready started a Christmas list?

I'm typically not one to begin the season before December 1st (unlike places such as Starbucks... ugh) but when you live in such an affluent place but can't afford any of it, you easily dream.  Thus, I've put all of my "I'd like to rush out and buy this immediately, but can't" items on my Christmas list.
That I've all ready started.

This year, I'm really excited to add some less traditional items to the list. Ryan and I have recently started getting involved with an organization called Hands Producing Hope. Not only is their vision inspiring and their work benefitting real people, the product is adorable. I encourage you to check it out for yourself and grab some swag for you and your friends this season. (Like this one- it's beautiful!)


It's been a few days (ok a lot of days) since I've gotten to write. I've been attempting to focus on the job search, and if you're interested in an update, here it is: I'll know more by the end of the week.

Riveted? I know you are.
It's like a suspense movie: Will she or won't she get the job? What will happen? *enter suspenseful music here, similar to any network TV crime show but not quite as intense*
   

In other holiday news, September 19th is National Talk Like a Pirate Day and Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts. I don't see the correlation, but I doubt anyone in America cares. If you go to a participating location and simply talk like a pirate ("Aaarrrrr!" seems easy enough), you receive just one measly donut. You and I both know that will be gone in 3 seconds.
 IF you instead choose to go all out and dress head-to-toe in pirate costume (it specifies "No Weapons", however), then you get an entire dozen of deliciously glazed warmed sugary goodness.

Make the right decision, everyone.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Lessons From a Blueberry

Things That Are Dumb

1. Traffic with absolutely no cause
2. Everything Kanye West says
3. Expectations

We played this game in the car the other day, asking each other ,”What are some things that you think are undeniably dumb?” Not surprisingly, being an opinionated individual, my list went fairly long. But these were the top three I settled on.

When there is no rhyme or reason as to why people hit their brakes, it is dumb. You know what I’m talking about. You’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, inching along for a few feet only for it to magically evaporate two minutes later. WHY?! Why did that happen? Can anyone explain? No. It’s just dumb.

Does the second point really need any explaining? Ok, moving on.

Expectations. We all have them. Whether they be about relationships, situations, movies, sophomore albums, job opportunities, or politics… we have expectations. And typically, when something happens to alter them, it hurts.
I’m not going to pretend to know how to fix that hurt in my life or yours, but I do think it’s helpful to be aware of your own expectations.

I had pretty high expectations heading in to this week. I had a second phone interview with an impressive and fun tech company in the city and I felt like I really rocked it. I expected to get an on-site interview.
I didn’t.
And I was (am?) incredibly disappointed.

One of the professor’s at Golden Gate gave a short devotional message before our new student orientation last week. As he was sharing scripture from the book of Isaiah, he profoundly said, “Disappointment is inevitable. Discouragement is a choice.”
If you’ve read the book of Isaiah, you can agree that he found out a few things about disappointment. (If you haven’t read it, I would suggest you not to start there. It takes some more heavy duty studying, trust me)


I’ve been holding on to the words of that professor. If I become discouraged every time an expectation is altered, then I am in for some serious heartache in whatever is left of this life I’ve been given. What is a sure way to keep your heart from being discouraged? Always being thankful. There is never, ever a moment where we don’t have many things to be thankful for.

I'm going to come clean about something right now. I hear that the blogosphere is the place to do that so here we go: I really, really, really like VeggieTales. I have for years. It's adorable, clever, hilarious, and shares great messages. So whenever I think of being thankful, one of the episodes of VeggieTales always comes to mind: Madame Blueberry has a ton of stuff but is consistently unhappy. It's not until she comes upon a little girl saying grace over a piece of pie that she starts to understand that stuff won't make you happy. "A thankful heart is a happy heart," the little girl sings. And even as I type those words, I get a little misty (I told you I like VeggieTales) wondering if my heart is as content as that little girl thanking God for what she has. 

What are you thankful for today? 


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Shower Resonance... and other things that are different in California

Written: August 11, 2014

As I got ready for my first Skype interview this afternoon, I was belting in the shower in order to calm the nerves and I realized I needed to readjust… because even the resonance in my shower is different on the west coast. I had gotten used to the feeling and sound of my Blacksburg shower. I would sing full musical numbers while washing my hair and know the feeling of how every note rang. But here, like most things, it’s just… different.

I’ll be honest: I’m not loving it all just yet. You probably think I’m lying because you may have seen the amount of pictures I’ve all ready posted. But let’s all just be honest and agree that things that are posted on social media aren’t always the things that are “real.” So yea, the golden gate bridge is lovely, and yea, the weather is fantastic, and yea, we’re doing all this cool new stuff in the big city… 
but my shower sounds different. And the weather is different. And the people are different. 
 I miss my people.

There’s a bunch of unspoken rules here, and if you follow the rules, then everything will be OK. For example: Dogs should be treated better than humans. Buy organic (unless you’re poor, like us). And never, under any circumstances, forget to recycle. They will hunt you down if you toss that aluminum can in the wrong receptacle. I've warned you.

Don’t get me wrong: This is a beautiful place and I’m glad to be here. I am truly glad! There’s so much to see, and we have barely scratched the surface. I’m sure this is just the beginning stage of any life change where you’re a little uncertain about it all.  You’ve been there. It’s all a little weird at first.

“Weird” has been our Word of the Month.

The stress of getting a job hasn’t helped things, that’s for sure. For about the first 10 days we were worry-free.
And then we had to pay our credit card bill.
Without income
… since May.  

It was an unpleasant feeling, much like the one you get in your stomach when you smell something you know you don’t want to eat. But we paid it, and we continue to survive. We continue to enjoy and explore and yes, eat. We are wise (and possibly stingy) with our spending until a job does begin, but is that really the worst thing? We have had great role models to follow when it comes to “living simply,” and I believe that we sure could be doing a lot worse. I am grateful and I will continue to be grateful.


But back to singing in my shower… it’s just a little off.

The One Where I Started a Blog

So here we are.... the Blog-o-Sphere. The Big Domain. The World Wide Web. You get the point.

Kudos to Sir Aaron Peck for this blog title. I was mostly impressed with the amount of comment likes he received. I also am pretty sure no one knows how to pronounce my married name. 

It's GOW-DUH
Like proud or cloud or loud. 
That last one should be easy to remember if you've spent any amount of time with me.

I met Aaron sometime last year in Blacksburg and we bonded over the woes of mat-rolling at 6:30am and our mutual love of superheroes. One time, Ryan (that's my husband) and I went to the movies to catch a New Years Day showing of Anchorman 2 (don't waste your time, folks) and Mr. Peck was sitting in the back row. We were lucky enough to join him for the showing, so we all ended up wasting our time on the film... but it was certainly more enjoyable with our friend Aaron. 

Let me tell you something: Aaron Peck is a catch, ladies. That's right. A catch. So if you're sitting in your apartment somewhere near (or not near) Southwest VA right now reading these ramblings of mine, do yourself a favor and read his blog. And then get his digits because he's super cool. And kind. And funny. Like really, really funny. 

(You probably weren't expecting me to say all that about you, Aaron, but you can thank me later... when you're married to someone who was reading my blog then started reading yours. And then got your digits)

Let me just lay out some ground rules before we go any further in this relationship:
a.) This isn't necessarily a focused idea/ cause blog, it's more a of a stream of consciousness -type thing. I'm always open to suggestions or topic ideas
2.) Although it does in real life, lose grammar and writing etiquette isn't going to bother me here. Don't let it bother you
d.) More than anything, I hope it makes you laugh. And sometimes I hope it makes you think too
9.) I'm all about interaction so even though this is an online thing, please comment. Take those italics as me begging. I really mean it... write something.


That's where we're starting from. 
Let's do this thing.