First DAY of Culinary School..or rather the 'Estranged Brother' of Culinary Schools

Today was the first day of classes for me..

FINALLY!

After all the "talk" I've done the last few years about going into culinary school, today I officially was able to start! I dont know WHY it took me SO LONG to go back..but I'm glad that I was able to pull myself out of the 'slump', and get back to finishing my degree! I decided to go to SLCC and get my Associates of Applied Science, and afterwards transfer over to Utah Valley University for my Bachelors in Hospitality, with an emphasis in Culinary Arts.

I was so nervous the night before! Worried if the other students in the class would have way more experience than me, being asked what I do for a living (aka nothing), or if I had professional experience in the kitchen. So those thoughts gave me a night of tossing and turning...(oh and the thought of learning from Utah's OWN version of Bravo TV's host and judge of TOP CHEF, Padma Lakshmi..)

Boy was I EVER WRONG!!

As I entered the classroom, lets just say it was somewhat of a 'culture shock'. I was expecting potential chefs like I've watched on Top Chef, or even the Food Network. Instead, lets just say they looked like they never graduated High School. Is this what going to a 'Community College' is all about? I dont remember ANYONE like that while I was attending the University of Utah. So I was completely beside myself with disappointment!

Don't get me wrong, I wasnt expecting fashion models, or Giada de Leurentis look-alikes...

"MOZZARELLLAHH"

I was just hoping for a more prestigious atmosphere I suppose. But clearly it wont be like that at all. So much for 'TOP CHEF', more like 'REJECT CHEF'. I can already imagine I am in for a VERY LONG semester!

I am excited though to learn how to make meringues and macaroons!! Just not in the same group as the girl who came up to me and said, "I've NEVER baked before...have you?"

OH BOY! (and not in a good way)

New Passion

Recently I have come to realize that I have an EXTREME passion for gaming! No not video gaming, although it is one of my favorite past times depending on the game (PixelJunk Monsters!!) BUT I am talking about board games!!

Ever since my younger brother Aaron, aka The Rabid Milkman, received Settlers of Cataan 4th edition for Christmas 2005, I've grown to love strategy games! Granted it took me awhile to figure out the games mechanics to actually win, I really enjoy the intense competition thats involved and the concept of earning points through trading with other players, expanding your settlements/cities, and acquiring points through each action.

I'm not here to write a review for Settlers, but just wanting to share where my passion began, and has evolved since then!

Agricola

Another farming-type strategy game, somewhat similar in dynamic to Settlers, but with a lot more components. Didn't hit off so well with my brother and his wife, but I intend to continue to play it otherwise, and enjoy every minute of it!

From there I purchased a strategy card game...

Citadels

You seek to build a collection of districts worth from one to eight points. Once someone has built eight districts, the game is over after that round ends, and the player with the highest total value wins. However, to facilitate the process (and make the game interesting), players sequentially choose a character from a rapidly dwindling pool of eight each turn. The characters give players special abilities for the turn. Very fun and exciting to play!


With this growing enjoyment for games, I became a member of BoardGameGeek and have been following a few of the games that have peeked my interest. One of those being,

Merchants and Marauders.

Its a pirate-themed game, where you live the life of an influential merchant or a dreaded pirate in the Caribbean. Seek your fortune through trade, rumor hunting, missions, and of course, plundering. The game features a unique trade system and a thematic combat system, allowing for critical decisions and intense excitement. Modify your ship, buy impressive vessels, load deadly special ammunition and hire specialist crew members. Who doesn't love a pirate game? I currently own Pirates Cove, so when I read the review for M&M on BGG, I had to add it to my growing collection! I still have yet to actually play the game-just because my "gaming group" so to speak is quite limited-but I hopefully intend to do so this weekend. This also gives me an excuse to break out my Jack Sparrow costume lol.

The most recent games I've been reviewing are

Cyclades

Ninjato



(another reason to come dressed up as a stealthy ninja!)

Quarriors

I am just in complete amazement with all the gamers out there who have collected a ton of these types of games and built a gaming empire!! I am no where near compiling a gaming blog, but would like to eventually, just to introduce the recent games I have come to grow and love playing! However, my fan base, I'm afraid, isn't one inclusive of hardcore gamers. I hope to find a group of individuals that can get together at least once a month to try out a few of these games with me!! If youre interested, PLEASE APPLY! Lol.

I am most likely screaming "GEEK" right now with this most recent post, but call it what you may, but youre missing out!

Un-COMFORT Zone

I'm starting to think I am keeping this blog just for my own sanity, and benefit. Its starting to seem more and more like a journal to me, which I've grown up with, and I've made sure to write whenever I was inspired, or when I didn't want to forget a special memory, a specific instance in my life, that I could always look back on and smile.

I hope you're not reading this to be inspired lol, because I haven't been much of an inspiration to myself lately. I've always been meaning to make a change, but right now I think I'm stuck in a 'comfort zone' of some sort, and cant seem to get out of it. I've compiled a list below of HAPPY and UNHAPPY things going on, in my life right now. Hoping that it'll make me think harder about changing the things I am able to change, and ultimately move on to a better place. I don't like others feeling sorry for me, and so before this starts to become one of those posts, I will just cut to the chase...

HAPPY

1. My neices and nephew

2. My family
We have our moments, but I really love the time we spend together and the laughs and memories we share!!

3. My dogs

4. My friends
(who continue to inspire me to become a better person!)

5. Being LDS


UNHAPPY

1. My relationship with God.

2. My job

3. My struggle to get somewhere in life

4. Dating-or lack thereof

5. Knowing that Im in a comfort zone, and cant seem to GET OUT!

You'd think if you were able to recognize those things that are making you unhappy, you'd be able to FIX THEM! Right?? Well I don't know how well that works for everyone else, because I've known for awhile now about the unhappy things above, and can't seem to figure out how to make any changes. I think my mind just likes to recognize them, and then immediately put them on the back burner and deal with them later...only later never comes around...but when it does, out of the blue-it goes RIGHT back to the back of my mind where it has been for the passed 6 months.

Clearly I'm at a loss with myself.

Nostalgia Tears

Its been awhile since I've posted...but I'm beginning to realize that the better posts are the ones that inspire you to write.

This is one of those moments..

Today I had a case of the nostalgia tears. I most likely made up that word, so dont go scrambling through Webster's looking for the definition.

It all began this afternoon, when I met a really influential, amazing friend for lunch. This lunch was different from all the other lunches we've had, because it was to be our last (for now.) She has been offered a job in Ohio, and will be moving within the coming week.

I never thought she would move. She's been here for the past 10 years. Grew up in Logan, and went to the University of Utah, where we met, 7 years ago. I've always admired her as a person, and she inspired me each and everyday! Now that she is moving on to bigger and better things, I began finding myself losing those memories we've shared, and that I've held onto for so long. As we said our goodbyes, I promised myself I wouldn't be emotional, and we parted with the best wishes for one another in our lives to come. As I approached my car, I started to cry. I was losing someone important to me, and I couldnt handle it. I will always remember the good times we've shared, and hope that she does too.

Later this evening, I was taking the trash to the street. We're repainting our entire interior of the house, and our couches, which we've had for 10 years, are sitting outside, waiting to be hauled off to the dump to make room for new ones. I lost it again, and started crying. I began to wonder what was wrong with me. I didnt want the couches to go anywhere!! So many memories surrounded these couches, such as the previous homes we lived in, more memories where these couches were apart of my life! We had them before my parents got separated, before my younger brother got married, and before my sister moved away. Now they were to be out of our home forever. Taking the precious memories with them.

I clearly dont like to say goodbye. I just dont know why moving on is an essential part of life. I just wish time could stand still, and the memories never fade. I'm losing my friends to new jobs, a marriage, and I am the only one still in the same position I was when I first met them.

If I dont figure out what it'll take to move forward...I probably never will. Hopefully I can find a way, and find the comfort and love in the end.