A pensive day.

Not much going on here. I was supposed to move yesterday but, of course, it was raining. It’s kind of hard to move a nice couch when you don’t want to get it wet! HA! It’s nice hanging out with my niece and nephew (he’s only two months old…so it’s not really hanging out). I really wish I was back home. I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s homesickness or missing my friends (even though I really miss everyone), but I think the unknown is just overwhelming. I think the unknowns scare us more than anything. We’re not afraid when everything is laid out before us, although it seldom is. Sitting here in the company of my brother, sister-in-law, and mother make me realize that family can really make everything seem okay. I am so glad I’m going to be living with my brother, even though I don’t really know him.  It’s just the idea of having someone to turn to when I’m having a problem and knowing that he will love me no matter what happens.

I have my “meet and greet” tomorrow. I don’t know if I’m excited or scared out of my mind. I guess it’s the idea that everything is changing that scares me. I wish I could go back to Tucson and work my dead end job at Blockbuster, but I know once I come home I will realize that I have made a horrible mistake. I’m freaked out about finding a job. All the Blockbusters down here are closing. Well, not all but a lot. I’m going to apply at some banks and some small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants. It would also to work at a hoity-toity hotel in DT-Atlanta. Who knows. Yeah. I’m kind of just rambling now.

Wow. Reading back over this post, it seems very haphazard. I’m sorry :)

Don’t forget that cooking is a good way to break the ice! Everyone loves someone that can cook their ass off! Today’s recipe is a good one. I’ve actually mastered this one!

Sautéed Chicken Breasts in a Tarragon Cream Sauce

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Nick B.

Packing Is Hell

Today is T-minus 1 day until the big move. I don't know if I should be excited, freaked-out, or depressed.

I have lived in Tucson all of my life. Nowhere else. Tucson, at its biggest, holds 1 million people. That's nothing compared to the big cities of America. NYC holds 18 million people, Los Angeles 12 million, and Atlanta with 5 million. That's like 5 Tucsons in one big city. I mean, the freakin' highway is 6 lanes across. How can you drive in that?! Not to mention the humidity. It might be cooler than Tucson, but if it's 95 degrees out with 9532% humidity...that's hell on earth.

I'm going to be living with my brother in his Decatur apartment. It's a nice, little two bedroom apartment just off the main street; there is green all around it. That's something I'm not used to! Also, it is just around the corner from Emory University. At least I know that if I have some sort of emergency, the hospital is just around the corner. The neighborhood is like restaurant central, so it should be easy to find a job (HA! yeah right. It might be easier to find a scorpion in my suitcase.). It's going to be nice to be away from the parental units. Most kids live in dorms to get away from them, but apparently I move across the country. :)

Culinary is truly the art of the kitchen. So many endorphins release when you taste a brilliant bite of food. It triggers memories, thoughts of when you were little and your mother made you chicken-noodle soup on a cold rainy day. There is a science to food cravings that most people don't know. Let's paint a picture: You're studying for exams and you're really stressed about making the grade for you to pass the class, and all of a sudden you start craving some chips or even toast with jam. The endorphins released when you are stressed turn on that junk food part of the brain and make you crave carbs. Chocolate is the best "endorphin releaser". Chocolate has a special chemical called "anandamide". This chemical has a soothing effect on the brain, making you relax and clearing your mind. Just a little bit of culinary trivia for you. More to come ;)

I hope you all (and by "you all" I mean...no one :D) enjoyed my random rants and culinary facts. Twenty-four hours until I'm no longer a Tucsonan. Have a good night, and try to cook some amazing food tomorrow! :-)

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Nick B.