Things are looking up... and interesting.

Contrary to my recent (and not-so-recent) posts, there are actually things happening in my life lately. Of course we had Thanksgiving, and everything that goes along with it, but I've experienced a few intermittent adventures along the way. Come along as I regale you with my slightly more interesting life.

About a week ago, I got an internship! Not quite a job, and no, it doesn't pay, but it's one step up from Beer Bitch, so I'm happy as a pig in slop. I've only worked one day, but so far I think it might be my key to happiness. I'll keep you updated as I get deeper into it.

Last week was full of unusual sightings. First occurred as my mom and I were pulling out of the Trader Joe's shopping center. We are at the stop sign when we notice an older gentleman standing on the corner. When he moves away, we see one of those signs advertising yard work (professionally printed on waterproof stock, mind you), and our first inkling is that he has put this sign into the ground. Then, we inch closer, and I notice that the last four digits of the phone number are covered by a white rectangular sticker. We get closer still, and my 20/20 vision does not fail me as I see the word "DOUCHEBAG!" obscuring the latter part of the number.

After laughing (and taking a picture, obviously), we came tothe conclusion that this poor old man had used this lawn care service in the past, and had been slightly more than disappointed. Talk about brilliant. I want to shake that man's wrinkly old hand.

Second out of the ordinary sighting of the week occured in my neighborhood. I had noticed a dead squirrel in the street directly in front of our yard earlier that day, but really thought nothing of it, since I usually try not to think about roadkill. Later, my mom is taking the dog out, and I am upstairs getting the house ready for a showing (turning on lights, opening doors, etc.) when I look out the window and see my mom, with the dog, talking to a car at the end of our driveway. Perplexed, I try and figure out what they are talking about. I see them pointing in the general direction of the roadkill I mentioned earlier, and I shift my gaze to the squirrel, only to find something moderately larger standing over it. There, in the middle of my neighborhood in East Cobb, is a gigantic vulture. I mean, this thing was probably three feet tall, and ugly as hell. I was so shocked by it, that I actually took pictures.

Luckily, he also carried the dead squirrel away.

So, yeah. Things have been a little weird, a little kooky even, around here. I could tell you more, but then what would I have to write about later?

Last night I made (from scratch) roasted tomato soup. It is without a doubt the most delicious delicacy in my cooking repertoire, the top tier of my metaphorical wedding cake of recipes (I honestly don't know what that means). No joke, you should come over to my house right now and try it. You will never go back to La Madeleine for tomato basil soup ever again.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a gourmet chef. I do very little cooking without a recipe in front of me, but I truly enjoy cooking, and I think that is the first, and most important, step. I'd like to thank my lovely college roommate for instilling this new-found love of cooking in me. She's an awesome chef and introduced me to a plethora of new things (i.e. fried catfish), a gift for which to her I am forever indebted. Thanks dude.

So now, I cook. Mostly with my dad (yes, I live with my parents). It's amazing what being unemployed does for your creativity. He has an entire binder full of recipes, most of which we still haven't tried, and foodnetwork.com is our new favorite website (2nd only to Facebook and Blogger, of course). I'm trying to find a new recipe that inspires me as much as the tomato soup (seriously, it's fucking awesome), so if you have any suggestions, I'm open to them. Let me know.