Brenna’s Adventures in BigGirl-Land: The Calm Before the Storm

It’s a beautiful lazy Sunday morning in Stone Mountain, GA. I’m trying to get out of the house today because I didn’t yesterday and I felt really icky about it. There’s a lot I want to do, but without income I’m hesitant to even breathe. Yes, I have assets saved up. Then I remembered June rent is due in a couple of days and it’s like a lumberjack taking a wild swing and finally clipping a nice chunk of tree away. Boom! A little more progress made.

Or to break down the analogy: BOOM! A little more of my assets are lost. And they’re not being replenished just yet. …So I guess like, those tree hugger people are the analogy for my job situation. They’ll come in and plant more trees to protect the forest the way a job will provide more money to…

Okay, end of analogy.

So I’m making a short shopping list to get me through the upcoming week of chaos at the theatre for the New South Young Playwrights Festival in which I’ll be assisting. I’m scared to buy everything even on this short list. I will probably be out all day, which means money for eating out, and I’ll be home late, which means I need a quick meal STAT! Even with healthy eating and not eating nearly as much as I used to, I still need to eat eventually because the energy will be drained. I feel like that’s especially true for the week of YPF.

I remembered that the original plan was to find an open Family Dollar (I think that’s what they call Dollar Tree down here) and find some stuff for POC. I have a costume theme to finish prepping. And if everything I need is just a dollar, I’ll feel much better about buying it. You know, as opposed to buying essential things like food that cost more than a dollar. Another snag is that I now live in the Bible Belt. EVERYTHING CLOSES ON SUNDAYS! So I’m hoping that Family Dollar is still open. The way the upcoming week sounds, I’m hoping maybe one of the liquor stores will be open too. ::headdesk::

The prospect of having a job by next week is keeping my hopes high. The Primal shake I had for breakfast is keeping my energy and nutrition high. Time to get out of my PJs and see the world. And maybe I’ll take a walk through Little Five Points now that I know exactly where the shopping district is. Not buying anything. Just looking and avoiding eye contact with strangers. 🙂 Thank goodness for the 30 day MARTA pass!

Have a good day everyone!

Primal Challenge #2!

I said I’d restart the challenge once I got settled in Georgia. And here I am, about as settled as a lazy girl who doesn’t feel like hanging up the rest of her clothing immediately can be. I realized after my two big shopping trips for necessities and food that I was eager to get cooking and try new recipes. Then I realized I was lacking in some of the easily missed ingredients for the stack of recipes I brought with me. But I figured I’d just leave or substitute some ingredients and get my kitchen in action anyway. Then I decided to just find some simpler recipes.

So Monday was the first day of my internship. Lots of typing and printing and learning my way around. It’s a nice theatre! 12pm at the theatre after arriving Sunday evening doesn’t leave much room for cooking though. I also didn’t have much to eat except frozen meat. So I decided, “What the hell! One last night of splurging cos I can’t really help it!” And I tested out Panda Express down the road.

Yeah, it wasn’t one of my prouder moments despite the situation. Especially when it’s described as the McDonald’s of Chinese food. And yet that wasn’t the morning I woke up with heartburn. Go figure.

Monday after the internship I went to Kroger and bought all my produce and fresh stuff. Yay! Now I was able to make an actual meal! Well I also had eggs and bacon for breakfast Monday morning. That was pretty satisfying too. 🙂 So my first dinner was baked chicken in marinara sauce with sauteed broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  Mmmm. That gave me a happy belly. And I Skyped the boyfriend. That gave me a happy everything else. Damn I miss that boy.

Tuesday was a longer day in the theatre than I anticipated. No biggie. I was glad to feel very productive and helpful. And because I was expecting a day off Wednesday, I planned on using Tuesday evening to COOK COOK COOK! And I did!

In all I made a delicious salad (Tuesday morning before the internship), mayonnaise, ranch dressing, mashed sweet potatoes,  sweet potato salad and hamburgers. Some for immediate eating. Others to enjoy on another day too. It may not seem like a lot — it doesn’t as I look over my list, unless I forgot something — but for just one person, it’s gonna last me a while. It has so far.

So I had dinner for Tuesday, leftover chicken and salad for Wednesday, leftover mashed sweet potatoes, left over broccoli and friends, salad and fried chicken Thursday, and tonight…well I don’t have tonight planned yet.  But this morning I made PANCAKES! What better way to pass the time in the morning than cooking healthy alternatives to the best of breakfasts? 😀 You’re also more motivated to do things in the morning when you DON’T wake up with heartburn. Like I did Wednesday…but I got to catch up on Tabletop and The Guild. Woo!

So I definitely tried some new recipes and I shall count them towards Challenge #2

Recipe 2.1 – garlic mashed sweet potatoes (modified for lack of ingredients)

Recipe 2.2 – sweet potato salad

Recipe 2.3 – banana coconut pancakes  (modified for lack of some ingredients)

This one is for the LADIES! LISTEN UP!

You’ve been warned about TSS. Try something that isn’t toxic and maybe you won’t get sick.

Watch that first video in the link above. What’s your take on it? I don’t agree that I have a right to know what goes into the creation of a tampon or pad. I certainly don’t believe in regulating businesses. The free market will take care of that.

How?

Well if you won’t tell me what’s in your product, then I certainly don’t want your product when the other company will tell me. And their product won’t poison me. I’m looking up reviews right now for a few different brands that are listed in Mercola’s article. I’ve got a little less than a month to find something better. ::gameface::

I’ve had a discussion with a few people about the legitimacy of Dr. Mercola’s research. Suffice it to say my opinion has not changed. He backs up his evidence the way big brand companies will not. He doesn’t have the incentive of those big subsidized companies to do the government’s bidding. He does research for knowledge’s and health’s sake and I commend him for it.

Video Frenzy – Let’s talk 4th amendment

The ever informative liberty lover Amanda Billyrock posted THIS horrifying video. The name alone will stop anyone with sense from mindlessly scrolling through their Facebook Newsfeed as I typically do. (Seriously. I will open Facebook, scroll the Newsfeed, go back to the top, open a new tab, open Facebook in that new tab, and then scroll again. Won’t realize it til minutes later.) You might say, “A police officer? Breaking into a home? Tasering innocents? That’s bull. Police only protect people. It’s short so I’ll take a look at this hooey.”

Not hooey. Horrifying. Please point out where justice is achieved in this video. Not so easy as finding Waldo.

In the comments of Amanda’s Facebook link, someone posted THIS gem that thrilled me. Indiana now remembered to add in a part of legislature that was previously and conveniently left out that allows people to use force against unlawful search and seizure by police. If only California wasn’t such a cesspool in terms of freedoms maybe the man and his wife from the first video would have been safer. California is gorgeous from what I hear. Nowhere on which I’d want to set my foot though.

Which then reminded me of another informative,  if blunt, video about when it’s okay to defend yourself against such harassment as seen in the first video or worse. It isn’t updated with the new law in Indiana (I think it’s different from the second video), but once upon a time in Indiana, you were significantly less safe from police. There’s a great distinction made by the creator Larken Rose to someone in the comments:

“Well, the video makes the distinction between the practical question, and the moral question. Yes, on small and large scales, forcible resistance to “legal” aggression often ends quite badly. But a people who don’t know they have the RIGHT to resist aggression (even if it’s a bad idea on a practical level), is a people who will be slaves forever. (P.S. I do have my complaints with Gandhi, but that’s another issue.)”

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, I highly recommend taking a look at these. Facts are facts whether immediately agreeable to your sensitivities or not…and I’m pretty sensitive. It made my return to Jersey for graduation a little sad, but I do enjoy learning more about why liberty is always the best policy. And it’s nice to have easy internet access without worrying about my electric bill in the apartment. Plus, I get to see my family again and that always cheers me up. 😀

Yeah, I’m walking for commencement tomorrow. Whoa. Wanted to decorate my cap, but I’m waaaaay too tired to go to the store after a 14 hour drive from Georgia. And crippling heartburn for 3 hours through the boring chunk of Virginia. More on that perhaps in another post. Anyway, please watch these videos and please give them a chance before dismissing anything that seems to contradict popular information. Thanks! Go forth and conquer with knowledge! Not violence unless in self-defense!

Gluten free AND grain free…pasta!?

Oh. My. Gosh.

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh!

OH MY GOSH!

OHMYGOSH!

OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!!

 

Itinerary – May 5 – May 10

Okay, clearly I’m not in Georgia yet. Still freezing my buns off in the northeast while watching beautiful women dance and take their gorgeous clothes off in the city. However, in just 5 days I will finally be in my new apartment, getting my supplies together and readying the place for a year long adventure. What’s the hold up? Well my apartment isn’t actually available til the 10. I think I mentioned that already. Also, I had assumed I wasn’t accepted into the internship with Horizon Theatre Company because by the May 1 date when I was told someone would be in touch, I had yet to hear anything. The website said the internship started on the 3 so with that little notice, I couldn’t possibly think I made it so I could extend my NJ hang out time. Now I know what happened with that. Certainly can’t blame a theatre company for being swamped. I hope they understand why I assumed I hadn’t been accepted.

Oh by the way, I GOT THE INTERNSHIP!! I’ll be assisting with the Young Playwrights Festival in late May/early June and working as a literary assistant after that! Woohoo! I’m so excited to start! But first I have to move, then come back, then sit through commencement, then have the official “YOU’RE LEAVING US FOREVER” goodbyes with my family and friends, then move back down.

So what’s the deal with the next few days?

The next few days will be more packing and prep. We’re picking out some furniture and appliances to rent for the year (it’s less expensive, I can return it, and May has a special deal that lets me rent two TVs for FREE!!), figuring out what additional supplies need to be bought/shipped and when (like kitchen utensils), when to buy groceries and what to buy, when I’m actually coming back up for commencement and how, and all that nifty stuff I want to strangle to death. Somewhere in there I need to wash my hair too.

May 5 – Chilling at home and working out logistical thingamajigs with dad – FREE EVENING* (*pending my hair getting washed)

May 6 – Late morning/early afternoon errands at Lens Crafters at Livingston Mall and the Wells Fargo near my house. – FREE EVENING

May 7 – 8 – Final packing details. Might take my car back to STS for those other less expensive procedures. Might not. – FREE EVENING** (**pending my car’s availability)

May 9 – I really don’t have anything else planned unless I get lazy about packing. If all goes well and May 5 is my last lazy day, then this will be my last free daytime hang out day. – FREE DAY (No evening plans. I’m leaving stupid early tomorrow!)

May 10 – Between 12am & 1am – On the road to Georgia! Be back in a week for commencement!

***May 15 – 20 – Hair appointment, early to bed, commencement, dinner, seeing the boyfriend, more hanging out before the real goodbyes, then finally settling in Georgia.

Jam packed. Yup.