Autumnal Equinox

Happy Mabon to all Pagans! To any non-Pagans, happy first day of Autumn! I wish I had remembered sooner, I guess I've just been busy. I'm enjoying the colorful leaves, I even risked looking like a leaf peeper by taking some pictures this morning.





Often around Mabon we remember the myth of Persephone and Demeter. While eating grapes this morning, though, I recalled the story of the god Dionysus (aka Bacchus). As a god of the harvest he, like Demeter, symbolizes the death and rebirth cycle of nature. He has appealed to me since I first began researching him last year.

Unfortunately I don't live near a place where I can pick my own grapes, but we can pick our own apples! That has been a tradition in my family since I was little. We always go apple picking every year. They went last weekend, so there will be plenty of apples for me to make yummy stuff with when I go home this weekend. If anyone has any awesome apple recipes they think I should try, please post them or a link to them.

More Updates & Things That Make Me Laugh

So, today is 'faculty day' which means no classes! I only wish I had known that before I drove all the way there... Ah well a free afternoon is a free afternoon! My morning was spent at an internship seminar. Here at NECI there is a mandatory 6 month (paid!) internship. I have no clue where I want to go for my internship, but I'll figure it out. I know the type of restaurant I want to work in, the same kind I want to eventually own, so I guess that's a good place to start.

My cousin and I went to dinner last night at one of the NECI owned restaurants. It is much fancier than we are used to! I got venison, which really didn't taste like venison. The reason? It was farm raised. How weird is that?! It tasted more like beef, not gamey at all. It was actually disappointing. It's been forever since I had venison, and when I do get it it doesn't taste like I remember. I wasn't surprised that the meal wasn't like I expected, I haven't eaten much here at college that I have liked. Yeah it's a culinary school, but we eat in a cafeteria with crappy cafeteria food. And whenever I go to one of the NECI restaurants I leave slightly disappointed with the meal. I can't wait until I go home next weekend! I'm going to make food I like and eat at a restaurant or two that I know I like. Plus I'll get to see my family and pets.

With my free afternoon I plan on checking out the NECI website a bit to look more into the pre-authorized internship sights. Later we are going to go to dinner and to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I hear it's a good movie.

Edit- Back from the movie theatre. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is amazing!

Now, just because I feel like sharing some random things-

I am re-reading the Oh My Gods! comics right now. I know I posted about this comic strip a while ago, but I think it's amazing. The creator hasn't posted a new comic since March, but he's been busy. He plans on starting it up again as soon as he can. Until then, if you've never read them there are 2100 to read! The strip started back in 2002.

My cousin has Stephen Lynch songs stuck in my head. She listens to his songs all the time. They are not appropriate, but they are wicked funny!

And lastly, have you heard of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac? I haven't had the chance to read the comics, but I am dying to! Someone animated the first comic and put it on YouTube. I'm looking forward to December when my birthday and Christmas roll around, because the books will definitely be on my list.

Avast Me Hearties!

Avast! It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! (And I be without even an eye patch here at school.) We be lucky enough that it falls on a Saturday this fine year. I know this pirate has plans for sailing around the city hoping to find some other pirates participatin' in this glorious holiday! It is the state's capitol for FSM sake! And there be many a crazy person about most of the time anyway.

I thought I'd just quickly post about this! It's fun, it's about pirates, and I want to let all you awesome people know that I'm okay. That last post was just the result of two consecutively horrible days. Wish me luck with finding some other crazy people to have fun with today! Don't forget to talk like a pirate. (C'mon, at least throw a 'me hearty' in there somewhere!)

Edit: I just realized that Tuesday is the Autumnal Equinox! Now I need to think of a way to celebrate it, because I totally and completely forgot. Suggestions?

Fail

I'm ranting, venting, whatever. I'm stressed and I need to get it out. Read, don't read. Comment, don't comment. Doesn't matter. This is for me.

College is testing me... I'm still adjusting. The past two day have sucked, unbelievably sucked. Monday and Tuesday were great. I hope tomorrow is better. How am I dealing with stress? Horribly! It's not even all school. It's the million other things on top of school. Plus emotions I simply don't have the time to sort through. It's no wonder I'm not sleeping well, grinding my teeth, clenching my jaw, and having headaches.

I just keep telling myself I'm still adjusting. I'll get used to things in a little while. Then I'll be more comfortable here. Until then I guess I fail at life.

I did find something that made me happy today, though. There's a girl here who's from Keene. Someone besides me and my cousin who knows where and what my town is! It makes me want to go be her best friend. Too bad I'm too shy and dysfunctional at the moment. Damn, I really just don't know how to make friends.

The College Schedule

Here at NECI they do things differently. Our classes change every 6 weeks. For this 6 week period I have 4 classes. My week looks like this-

Cooking Theory and Food Science from 1-7 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
College Math from 9-11:30 on Thursday and Friday.
Information Technology from 1-3:30 on Thursday and Friday.
Inventory Management from 3:30-5 on Thursday and Friday.

Right now we get Saturdays and Sundays off! This makes me happy.

So far I've only been to Cooking Theory and Food Science. This is the class that takes place in the kitchen. And not just any kitchen but in the big ol' kitchen of a giant insurance company. Which we have to drive to. This means I'm kind of the cool one for having a car. ;) Yay me!

So far we have learned to make consomme, a clear stock or broth. It was kind of interesting. I've missed cooking. So even if I'm not cooking what I'd like to be cooking at least I get to cook. Being in a kitchen is fun and exciting. Always moving, always on task. That's what I like best. I'll like it better once I'm comfortable in the giant kitchen. I hate not knowing where things are or what I'm supposed to do. I'm a little worried that I won't pick up on enough of it and be that person in the class who's no good at anything. I'm not used to that... in high school I was one of the smart ones. Those classes were easy for me. This school is actually going to challenge me. I'm just waiting to see how I handle that.

Since my class Monday thru Wednesday doesn't start until 1 and on Thursday and Friday they don't start until 9 I could technically sleep in later than I'm used to, right? You'd think so, but no. My body doesn't work that way. No matter what time I go to bed I wake up around 6:30. I'm glad for this, I'll never be late to a class. At least not any of these ones. We will have a baking and pastry class at some point that starts wicked early in the morning. That's where the alarm clock comes in!

TV & Movies

Books rock. I love reading, I think more people should read. But, honestly, TV and movies are fun. That's one reason why Hulu is turning out to be my best friend! Seriously- have you checked out Hulu? You can watch new episodes of shows the next day. I don't know how I would have kept up with The Simpsons or House. Both shows have new seasons starting this month. Who needs a TV when you have the internet, right?

Movies are a bit harder. I definitely do not keep up with most of the popular movies. People can sit and have hour long conversations about movies I've never heard of, let alone seen. It makes me feel stupid and left out. Maybe I just hang out with too many people who have different interests than I have? Plus, all the good movies come out around the same time. Have you ever noticed that? We'll go months without a decent movie in the theatres, then boom! One month at least 5 good ones are released. How can I see all of them? I can't. You'd think they would think about these kinds of things.

My cousin and I saw 9 tonight. It was disappointing. Tim Burton kind of let us down this time in my opinion. I will give it this: the animation was terrific, the idea was neat, and the overall message of the movie was good. I can't really pinpoint where it went wrong, but for some reason it didn't have that spark of genius most of his movies have. It didn't leave me inspired and wanting more.

I am looking forward to Tim's Alice in Wonderland. I really am. Especially since my favorite actor, Johnny Depp, is in it. He plays the Mad Hatter. Have you seen the posters? He looks freaky! March seems so far away...

What seems ever farther away is 2011 when Pirates of the Caribbean 4 comes out!Hooray for more Captain Jack Sparrow! So far I've heard Keira Knightley is out of the picture. I'm not sure about Orlando Bloom, so we may be seeing a bit of Will out on the sea. Geoffrey Rush is in, Barbossa makes it interesting! I also heard the director of the first three movies will not be directing the fourth. Apparently he wanted it to end at number 3, which would have been fine with me. Disney is being greedy, though. POTC made them some major cash, so it's understandable. All we can hope for is that they don't ruin it for the fans!

Okay, I'm done babbling about TV shows and movies. It was a good topic, though, you have to admit. I am trying to find more things to write about. I don't want my blog to be all about me whining about college. xD

More on College

My first four days of actual class time at NECI ends tomorrow. Then we get a weekend off, which I will be spending here in Montpelier. I'm hoping to find the gym and eat at one of the NECI owned restaurants. Also I should probably tidy up the dorm room, since it's still a mess.

This week we haven't had any 'real' classes. It's success week, which means they're just trying to teach us a few basic things. How to get here, how to use the NECI online things, where the library is and what's in it, and the most interesting thing- knife skills. It's easily the most interesting, but it is also my most dreaded success week class. I was just worried about accidentally cutting myself. Instead, within the first 20 minutes I faint. I was dehydrated. That was probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to me, and I won't be letting it happen again. That was on Tuesday. Yesterday (Wednesday) I was nervous to go back. I was behind everyone else since I had no clue how to chop an onion, at least not the 'NECI way'. I still feel behind, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. We also learned how to cut celery, carrots, and garlic yesterday. By Friday apparently we're going to learn how to julienne.

It's cool to be learning new things. I'm looking forward to the time when I actually get to start learning the management side (in 3 months I think?). Until then I'll probably feel a little lost. I'm not very interested in how to cook 'the NECI way', it all seems a little fancy and pointless to me. I mean- crushing garlic is a lot faster than mincing it by hand, and squaring off a carrot just makes a lot of waste and doesn't make any difference in the flavor. I feel that cooking should be practical.

I'm just going to keep thinking about my plans for the future, which will make all this worth while. I know I should be living in the present, but I'm not a fan of college life so far. I'm hoping it gets better, maybe I'll learn to be more social! I still haven't broken out of my shell.

What I Miss Most

This place is not a 'home away from home' yet. I don't know if it ever will be, mostly because of the things listed below. They are what I miss most about home.

Living in a house, not a room.
Being able to open the fridge or cupboard and decide what I want to eat.
Not getting lost when I drive somewhere.
My family.
My pets.
A real bathroom.
Visiting Aunt Jen on weekends and spending hours there.
Cooking for my family.
Having a sense of privacy.
Not paying for stuff.
My favorite radio station.
Watching TV or a movie with Tia.
Winchester jokes.
Hearing crickets at night.
The crazies in Brattleboro.
Comfort food.
Laying in bed talking to Tia for hours after we should be asleep.
"Night, love you, see you in the morning."

Full Moon Poem & College So Far

Friday is the full moon. They included this poem in my datebook, and I thought it fit really well. For me at least.

Like the fruits of the vine, our lives too can change and ferment. As you gather the late fruit harvest of your labor, give thanks for the sweetness of life. From such sweetness comes pleasure and treats, but also fermentation and "spirits." Celebrate the ever-changing nature of life, dreams, and goals as you toast the scared ingredients- friends, family, and familiars- the loving relationships that mellow and ferment you. Honor Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy. Invoke the balance of the light and dark, and evaluate the balance within your life. As you prepare for the growing darkness, readying yourself to move within, clean and declutter yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Balance will bring you steady footing throughout the challenging journey ahead.

-Dallas Jennifer Cobb

So far I am loving Montpelier. I've walked around, eaten at a little diner, and found the grocery store. My cousin has been here 6 weeks already, so she knows where everything is. I am lucky for this because I'd have gotten lost without her! Today was the first day of orientation. It was mostly paperwork. There is a dorm meeting at 8:00 tonight, and after we have dinner reservations at a restaurant for 8:45. I really hope the meeting is short, because I'd hate to have to cancel. I'm going with my cousin and some new friends. I'm excited that I am actually making friends! That sounds lame, but I mean it.

Dorm room pictures! It's a small room, but since I'm sharing with my cousin it makes it easier.


All the stuff on the window, and it's a nice sunny day today.


Mini-fridge!

My desk, covered in stuff. It will get cleaned off once I actually need to use it.


Decorations! Yeah that pirate flag is hung up with duck tape, and the sun is hanging on a shoe lace. xD Resourcefulness!


My bed, where I'm sitting now.

I'm Leaving Tonight!

A change of plans has occurred and I am now leaving tonight for school! My cousin's car broke and she needs a ride. It was either me going early or her taking the train, and to be honest I'd like the company for the drive up there. I don't know if I ever mentioned the fact that my cousin and I are going to the same school. We'll even be sharing a dorm. She started in July, though, so she's been there a little longer.

My car is (mostly) packed. I have yet to put my blankets, pillows, electronics, food, or the new spider plant my Aunt Taunya gave me in the car. It's so full that I have to wonder 1- if it will be different to drive due to extra weight, and 2- if all that stuff will even fit in the dorm!


The back seat of my car...


Spider plant! I hope I don't kill it... Next to it is the sage which, surprisingly, hasn't died yet.

Everyone in my family is so nervous for me that I am trying not to be nervous myself. The excitement is more what I'm feeling now. I'm almost wondering what the big deal is, since I'll be home on Saturday. There are no classes until Tuesday since it will be Labor Day weekend. We have yet another fair to show at on Monday, another small town one where I can kick some butt and get ribbons and cash.

I think our littlest cat has figured out that I'm leaving, since she hasn't left my lap for more than 20 minutes at a time all morning. She's the one who comes in my room every morning and gets in my face as a way to say "Hey, wake up!" She's such a sweetheart. I'm going to miss our two cats and dog a lot. My friends say I'll go nuts without any pets, maybe I can find a Humane Society to volunteer at while I'm there?


Our little cat, Anastasia, curled up in my lap.

Since I am going up a whole day earlier I'll have time to explore the town/ city/ whatever you want to call it. I won't want to wander the whole time, though, so it's a good thing I have plenty to keep me busy. I can organize my stuff in my new room, read one of the books I brought, or I can read articles from the cool e-zine Mrs. B. just told everyone about. Check out Copper Moon! It's an online magazine for Pagans age 13-26. I read a few of the articles this morning and they really hold a lot of good information.

I'm off to take care of last minute things. Once my dorm is decorated I'll have pictures.