Mondays aren’t all that awful. Sometimes. I mean, yesterday’s Monday didn’t suck. Between officially starting my job search with application #1, researching and comparing UC’s medical insurance options for us, doing our weekly dinner menu planning so I could create a shopping list (here’s another one of those activities I was convinced I would never do because I am not old, boring, or housewife of the year…yet I find myself doing it and actually finding it helpful), and doing a pretty decent job with a low grocery bill – I would say it was a successful day. I made beef and veggie stir-fry over a bed of rice (I’m trying my hand at home cooked meals. No major failures so far Ted is happy to report) and then Ted & I went to Graeter’s on Beechmont to try their ice cream. It was delicious. They’re are a Cincinnati based ice cream, candy and bakery shop. They’ve been in business for 140 years and they have the most delectable pastries and rich, creamy ice cream. Mmm! Their chocolate mint chip is paralyzing. I think it’s one of those “must visit” places when we have company. We need company more often. Our guest room is lonely. Um, with the exception of the wasp Ted found inhabiting it, that is. But now it’s empty.
Somewhere in the mess of all that we are trying to accomplish together, I have been doing some thinking about what I would like to accomplish (eventually of course). Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
– I want to go back to school for my master’s degree. I’ve always liked school. Even as a kid I enjoyed reading, writing and doing homework, which pretty much branded me as a freak in elementary and middle school. There’s still a lot out there I want to learn. Plus, there is no shortage of interesting courses at college campuses these days: Religions of the World, Anthropology, Beginner’s Canoeing, Creative Writing…and of course all those fantastic artsy classes and Shakespeare courses I’m desperate to dig my brain into. Perfect world, I’d love a Shakespeare MFA – a combination of Shakespearean acting, literature, research and history. But that option is a) hideously expensive, b) extremely hard to find. I know of two universities in the state’s with a program like that, and c) takes about 3-4 years to complete. I’d settle for an arts administration or dramaturgy masters.
– I want to travel the world. My “must see” list is enormous. It’s completely unaffordable, unabashedly selfish, highly fantastical, ridiculously entertaining, seeping in culture shock, and would require at least a year of free time. I checked my bank account and my calendar and it appears that I don’t have quite enough of either saved up. Nonetheless, I continue to drool over travel magazines oozing with adventurous expeditions, breathtaking sights, and mouthwatering foods praying for the day a winning Ohio Lottery ticket purchases itself, leaps into our mailbox and releases tiny luggage-shaped confetti as I scratch off the metallic coating to reveal some very lucky travel-enabling numbers. Ha.
– I want to dance again and I want to perform again. It’s been almost two years since I’ve been in a show. In college I was in a dance company at Texas State called Orchesis Modern Dance Co. We danced mostly modern, but also some jazz. I adored it. I never really expected to get in when I auditioned since I didn’t begin dancing in my crib like most little girls and I certainly don’t have the body of a dancer. But I guess I worked hard enough because I got in. And I loved it. I loved the rehearsals, the choreography and I loved performing dance. I’m not super great at dance, but being an actress I can either actually pick it up for real, or I can fake it really darn well. I was best at tap and jazz and musical theatre type dances, but I made it through intermediate ballet without causing myself (or anyone else) bodily harm. And I loved that too. I know I’ll never be a professional dancer, but I really do miss dancing for fun. Dream job? Chorus/Ensemble girl in professional productions – you get the good intensive dance numbers, lots of singing, and no-pressure acting bits. I’m all in.
– I want to spend more time volunteering. You know, between housework, job hunting, and all that other crap. I’d love to join a ministry or two at the church (our church’s ministry list is huge. I’m impressed), help out at an animal shelter (and hug kitties all day long), be a big sister to a “big brother/big sister” kids organization, and work with seasonal Christmas and Thanksgiving charities. I’d love to do hands-on mission work overseas or even start up my own non-profit organization. I think the best way to start is to start small. Choose one or two things that I can make a time commitment to and go from there. There’s so many worthy causes, so many people, places and things that need time and attention and the world would be a much better place for everyone. And I want to be a part of that.
– Sometimes, just sometimes I want a social life, like a real one – with friends and happy hours and shopping trips and road trips and stuff like that. Soooo college round 2 for a weekend? Yes. Mostly I just miss my friends and the occasional night out with the girls and guys. I’d take spending time with Ted any day, but living in a new place sure makes you miss your friends.
So after that excessive rant in which I’ve exhausted my wish list, I think I can safely declare myself the Veruca Salt of Cincy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRTkCHE1sS4]
Today I’m hoping to get a lot of detailed “moving in” cleaning done around here – like umm, vacuuming the dead bugs off the windowsills, scraping the Batman and Disney Princess stickers off the upstairs windows, cleaning the vents and boring stuff like that. Planning to keep up the daily job application process for as long as I can. Hopefully something good will come along. When Ted comes home from work at night we have a list of things we’d like to get done together – like unpacking and organizing the office, cleaning out the garage and finishing setting up the living room. But now that he’s into the swing of his job he has more work to do once he gets home to stay caught up. Last night he was up late reading light board manuals for a unit he’ll be teaching the UC students how to work with. And eventually when I get a job, I’m sure I’ll have some stuff to do at home as well, along with the combined housework and upkeep we’ll be doing – I can see our nightly free evenings of movies and ice cream and shopping and bonfires dwindling to maybe once or twice a week. Oh well, you gotta make the time for things you enjoy as well, right?
