Tis The Night Before Work

Finally, it has come. Folding and putting away the jeans and bringing out the newly ironed black work pants. I feel old. Making sure I'm pressed and debating whether to wear panty hose. The waiting seemed almost interminable. Everyone else had started and gotten into their work groove, had their busy nights, and paychecks. I was left behind in the dust with my late start date and studying, spending away my savings, and not making any money. It's bittersweet to leave the freedom and free time and gain a new lifestyle. Am I ready to start as a grundoon and think only of manager's wishes? We'll see.

In the mean time, I'm prepping. I got my work stilettos, the clothing, even the the map/directions for the first day of work. I'm getting in the mindset, made some extra leftovers to bring for lunch, and got a gym membership nearby the office. I'm excited to go to happy hours with an actual work outfit and having just left the office like a real working person rather than leaving my house after just changing from PJ's. And I know my bank account is excited for deposits and hopefully less withdrawals.

My aunt even got me a new professional black work bag, so I don't look like I'm too much of a newb. Adults and friends alike have given me advice on the working world and even told me to update my LinkedIn account. I've made sure to keep everyone's comments and suggestions at the forefront of my mind. Yes, I've gotten the list of happy hours. Yes, I have my coffee mug for those days when one cup every hour seems to be the standard. Yes, I know which days I plan to take off because I've already bought a plane ticket.

My dad reminded me that the tradition in his family is the first paycheck you get from your first job is spent taking out the family to a nice dinner. I would say Chipotle should be included in this category. Then I reminded my dad that I am just starting to pay back my student loans. Thank you. We have come to an agreement that I will visit my house once a week after work. I'll stay over at home and hang out with the empty nesters in return for a free meal and some old-school "allowance." Old habits die hard.

I'm excited to start working and have that lifestyle where TGIF really means something. Friday is really payday and rush hour is something I have to drive through and not avoid. I won't completely retire the old days. I'll live up the weekends, eat some Ramen like I'm a first-year, and call my parents asking them to put more money into my account for rent.  Tis the night before the first day of work, and I'm hoping my three alarms don't fail me. Here's to joining the world of the Man in the Gray Flannel Suit.

Dear Cheese, I Like You

It's probably a love-hate relationship, like coconut. You either really love cheese or you don't. No room for ambivalence. If so, you've probably never experienced real cheese, just Kraft or some other fake processed stuff. This is an homage to the true delicious gourmet cheese that everyone should try.

Living in the U.S., you probably don't have a gourmet cheese shop right next door like, say France, for example. However, there is a precious gem in East Falls Church aptly named Red, White, and Bleu. We discovered this place after searching randomly and brusquely on our friends for something nearby. Little did we realize that we walked into one of our favorite shops! The outside of the store doesn't do it any justice. Don't judge the shop by it's storefront, just walk in. It's a small place but it's full of wine, gourmet cheeses, charcuterie (sliced meat for those antipasti appetizers), and knick-knacks like water crackers and jam. We were lucky enough to get a free wine tasting and lots of samples of cheese. Of course I couldn't help myself and bought about 2 lbs. worth when I left the store, but well worth it.

From my first expensive purchase I was able to really start appreciating cheese. I mostly had those fake gourmet slices of cheese for sandwiches, but never really knew the wide range of flavors cheese could offer. The most commonly tasted, brie, is creamy and salty, good with apples and honey (thank you roommate for that addictive combination). Another, cheddar has a more variable flavor and texture. It can be aged for a long time and be very flaky and sharp. On the other hand sometimes I crave that more mild sharp and creamy, less aged cheddar that is still that classic orange-y color. I don't think I've had a bad experience with cheddar. It tastes good with everything, especially wine. Red wine, stronger whites and any type of cracker. Then there's Beemster, the gouda masters. Beemster has a few types just like cheddar where there's the super aged, smelly, flaky and the less hard more soft cheese. I definitely prefer the hard, aged, flaky kind, mostly because the taste is so much stronger. Beemster XO is the best for that. However, just cutting it produces about forty flakes, so it can get a little messy.

So those are just three cheeses. There's so much more! What a world cheese can open you into. With crackers, apples, figs, fruity spread, jam, and crackers/bread. Did I mention that I try to add cheese to almost anything I cook? The grater is my best friend, after the cheese slicer. They are precious utensils in my kitchen. I feel like every cook has that easy wow you factor like add a pinch of paprika or pepper. Mine is a few ounces of grated cheese. I like to think that when I add cheese to something, it add its own cheesey flavor but also enhances and brings out the tastes of what it accompanies. Think about creamy jarlsberg wrapped around sauteed asparagus. Yes, I'm drooling too. Sometimes I secretly favor the recipes on allrecipes.com that feature some amount of cheese. I know it's bias, but we all have it when it comes to food. Mine just happens to be odd and about cheese.

Isn't it exciting to try new cheeses and pair them with wines and fruit? It's a great present to bring to a potluck or friendly dinner date. It's the go-to. I don't understand how anyone could not like wine. I hope this blog helps you, encourage you to try more wine. Go to your nearest shop and grab the weirdest cheese and wine. It'll be a great time.

Do other people feel the same as I do for cheese? If not, is it for something else? Meat, olives, prunes? I guess there are lots of types of meat but you have to prepare it and cook it with things. It's too complicated to be that easy wow factor to add with almost anything. I will say, meat is pretty great too. Actually, all food come to think of it, but I'm trying to heighten my relationship with my tastebuds. They tell me they like cheese and I give it to them. It's a great system. Now, let me get back to my wine and new cheese with chives and onions. So exotic!

Pet Peeves

I've spent a little while talking about things I enjoy, notably donuts, coffee, and reading, but in the honor of Kingsley, I'll broaden the spectrum of what I share. So pet peeves are those silly little details that really shouldn't bother us but they do. Some more than others affect us and they affect each of us in different ways. I don't know why but so many of these pet peeves occur while I'm at Starbucks. I'll limit myself to a few in my top 10. They are in no special order.

Pet Peeve #1: this might be more female-specific, but one of my biggest pet peeves is the absence of a hanger on the back of the bathroom door. No hanger in any part of the bathroom is a big deal. Where do I put my purse/jacket/whatever else that I'm carrying because more likely than not, I'm carrying something? Even if it's freezing outside, both guys and girls are probably wearing big heavy coats and would like a place to set them on a hanger. It's pretty silly to not have a hanger, but even more so, it's my pet peeve. Luckily, I don't own a $2,000 Louis Vuitton because if there was no hanger and I had to put that on the floor, I would be mad enough to punch the manager.

Pet Peeve #2: blasting the A/C when completely unneeded. First, it's a waste. Secondly, and more importantly, it makes me tremble which is incredibly distracting for myself and others. This happens at Starbucks so often. Maybe it helps the hot latte sales. I don't even know how because all that coffee and lattes they churn out should give the place a soothing warmth. Unfortunately, not. A little while ago I was at dinner with a friend at Sandia, and it was so cold inside, mind you it was about 80 degrees outside, that my teeth were chattering. For eating a nice dinner at a restaurant, that is not comfortable at all, and I probably won't go back there, ever, unless I'm wearing a parka. I couldn't even concentrate on conversation or eat my delicious handmade guacamole, I only thought about getting outside of that freezing igloo. I guess my body is comfortable with a very specific narrow temperature range because I also tend to break out if I sweat too much in high heat and humidity, thinking back to spring break in the Caribbean.

Pet Peeve #3: bad drivers. Yes, I've grown up in NOVA, so I really should be used to bad driving right? Since my New Yorker dad taught me to drive, I feel like I have a leg up over the majority of DMV people. I'm okay with people going slow too, except if you're in the left lane and going at or below the speed limit. Do those people not see those signs that say: slow people should not be in the left lane? No, because they don't pay attention to signs. I don't speed too much, but you should have the courtesy to not hold back the rest of traffic behind you since SO many in the DC area have a penchant for tailgating. Another thing I also hate. Although a friend has told me that I tailgate, that is mostly for a few seconds to let the person know that they are going too slow and need to move and I really don't get too close to the bumper - too dangerous. Should I perhaps turn on my left blinker (that they wouldn't notice) or my brights (wouldn't notice in daylight too well) and patiently wait? No. I don't ride people's bumpers. It's too dangerous and reckless for my Type A self to handle. I don't even get too close because I'm afraid the bad driver in front of me will stop short for some silly reason. The best bad drivers are those who feel like they are important enough to go through a red light at any time. I have a special angst against them because they are the kind of people who total good drivers' cars like myself. There's no warning and no time to react.

Pet Peeve #4: people who don't respond to e-mails. Really? Do you live under a rock? How do you function if you don't check your e-mail and respond? Most likely you've read it and are too lazy or too busy to write back. Please go to AT&T and pick up an iPhone so you can respond back in a timely fashion. I'm not saying you need to write back immediately after a Facebook comment - that's silly. Rather, I would like you to respond, so I know you're alive. If not, I'll have to go back to snail mail.

Pet Peeve #5: Dell computers. Yes, Michael Dell I'm talking to you. Your computers are so unreliable that I now associate Dell with the blue screen of death, the black screen of death, and all the other acronyms like P.O.S. That was my college computer's endearing name: P.O.S. My Dell was a pretty nice computer for about the first 8 months that I had it. Then, the battery refused to charge, ever. I had to buy a new charger. After having this pain in the neck machine for 15 months, it crashed, without any notice. I took it to the school computer people, who are as unuseful and unhelpful as Dells themselves, and they blamed me saying that I downloaded viruses. No, I had about 4 applications to block, prevent, and fix those problems. It was not my fault - they refused to acknowledge that my computer had faulty hardware. I actually considered all the ways I wanted to truly destroy it such as: driving it over, throwing it against the wall, and dropping it out the window.  About 5 months later after I had recuperated from the shock and stress of a computer crash, it crashed again! Dell refused to accept responsibility, so I gave up and just relied on a back-up hard drive. Oh, and I now own a HP.

I'm sure I've probably listed several of you in these pet peeve categories. By all means that doesn't mean I dislike you, just some of your actions peeve me. Most importantly, please don't blast your A/C. I have a mental list of all the places I despise because of over-A/C-ing: grocery stores, badly managed Starbucks, people who like to overspend on electricity bills, and pretentiously cold restaurants.

Being an Alumna

I remembered all the comments and facts people told me about their lives once they became an alumnus, a corporate robot, a person of the real world as we were driving down to UVA for homecoming, and then again for Rotunda Dinner III. I guess it didn't really feel that different, except things have already changed. Dunkin Donuts has opened (still upset that it had to come AFTER I graduated), Nuddhist has opened, and the coffee shops names/owners have rotated, again. Oh wait, they finally added a Starbucks. I suppose it's delayed opening has probably saved my bank account a couple thousand dollars a year.

Some people I still know are there, thank god, or else I don't know who I would visit. The 3rd years last year are not 4th years and partying their brains out now that they have job offers. The once new 1st years are more enlightened 2nd years working hard and praying to get into the Comm School/declare their major. People have moved around from dorms to apartments with all the trimmings of a wet bar and outside bbq. The Lawn is the same, except for the fact that there's a new South Lawn that nobody really uses. My old apartment is still there, however, new people occupy it. My favorite restaurants are still intact: Mas, Orzo, El Dente, Shebeen, Al Hamraa, The Nook, and of course the late night pizza places.

Somehow when I looked around I wasn't running into people from class or former hallmates. This is the sad part and this is how you know you're an alumna. It actually happens when the alumni all pile back in for their semester events: homecoming football game (but it's really not about the football) and then Foxfields. But of course coming back and seeing old friends, new friends who could have been old friends if you knew them better in college, and just people in general is a lot of fun. How great is it to come back and do all your favorite activities at school without the actual worries of studying, class, and group meetings?

I could go to Pancakes for Parkinson's without having to bring a backpack and then staking out a spot in the library for the next few hours. I went to the football game didn't worry about the homework I neglected to do that day. I made as many plans with friends that could possibly fit in a 24 hour day without giving a second thought to the midterm I had the next week. These are the trade-offs of college and the working world. The brief respite when visiting your alma mater for homecoming weekend then bracing for reality when you head back on the road waving goodbye to old friends.

Getting Tuned In

For those of you coffeeholics you probably already know that Starbucks has just introduced its digital network (SDN - see CNN story). It sounds amazing. For those of you not in the loop, Starbucks is not only offering free WiFi to its patrons but also a whole integrated network of news, entertainment, music, and local tidbits provided through the WiFi service. All those newspapers that Starbucks sells are now available online for free through the SDN: USA Today, WSJ minus a few pieces, and the NY Times.

Starbucks is aiming to amp up its "local atmosphere" experience. I don't know how much of a local atmosphere that Starbucks currently provides because it's such a nationalized chain, but this SDN seems like it's a step toward that experience. I mostly use the Washington Post, Washingtonian, and the coupon websites for local information, but a more streamlined, online grouping of neighborhood news will be much more convenient. Look out Washington Post! A free WSJ and NY Times I don't know if it would be worth getting it delivered anymore.

I can't wait to try the SDN. I'm a pretty big fan of Starbucks. I love coffee, therefore I love Starbucks. The local cafes are great too, and I prefer them because there is so much more effort and heart that goes into them. However, if you're seen the Arlington Rap video, you will understand that finding a unique, local cafe  is a little difficult compared to the Starbucks on every corner. Getting the free WiFi is pretty handy. Starbucks is perfect to hang out with friends, but even better, a good location to study, if you can find a seat. Music, business, news, etc would help with procrastination too! If people don't hang out at Starbucks  now, then they definitely will after the SDN introduction. Unfortunately, I don't know how many people know about this network. I was scrolling through headlines and caught this, so it was pretty random.

For some reason Starbucks is using Yahoo as the provider - I guess Google is too busy with their Androids? We'll see how it works. I'll write more on the SDN once I test it out. I'm looking forward to the music that Starbucks plans to share on its network. A good idea for Starbucks would be the more you use the SDN, the more free lattes you get. Do you hear that Starbucks?

Can't Visit Charlottesville Without Wine Tasting

The visit for UVA's alumni homecoming weekend was pretty busy but incredibly fun. Even though I've been an alumna for about 6 months, it still felt weird to return to grounds and getting accustomed to the changes. Dunkin' Donuts on the Corner, the South Lawn Project is done, finally, and there's a Starbucks so close to the Comm School that I could cry out of jealousy.

The Young Alumni event was awesome seeing so many drunk people dancing on stage and they rewarded us with a vat of Arch's. Halfway through losing, not unusual, the football game we left for a Charlottesville dinner at a restaurant that few other cities can compare to. Zinc uses herbs from its garden that is about two yards outside from where you dine, gets local meat, and orders the best quality seafood from around the globe. Needless to say, the roasted quail, butternut squash soup, and the Monastrell wine were like introducing a future musician to the songs of Mozart. My stomach was producing symphonies. On the last day and on our way out, there was no way we could renege on our most recent favorite pastime: wine tasting.

It was quite a burden to find out that UVA is in the heart of the Monticello Wine Trail. With only less than two years of being legal to wine taste, how could I possibly visit all those vineyards before I graduated? Being content with defeat I vowed to complete the trail at some future point in time. Nearing the end of our trip we decided to visit a vineyard on our way home. So many options! Within several miles of each other off Rte. 20 there's Barboursville (always a fantastic visit), Burnley, and Horton. Having no cell phone reception and only a vague idea of where Horton was on the map, we tracked over to the vineyard. It was gorgeous! It was like driving up to an estate with a massive building in the distance and beautifully manicured grapevines lined in rows.

The wine inside was just as promising as the view driving in. It had the usual wine tasting ambiance with a large tasting room, wines lining the walls, and the sounds of people tasting wine. Horton had a great variety of whites and reds. The whites included viognier, vidal blanc, and this unusual Russian grape called rkatsiteli. Definitely recommend the rkatsiteli. The reds included the Virginia native Norton and some non-native grapes like malbec, nebbiolo, tannat, and Touriga Nacional. My favorite white was a French-style blend called Stonecastle White that tasted like vanilla and nutmeg according to the wine description. The Touriga and nebbiolo were fantastic. 

Surprisingly, all the grapes are grown on the vineyard which is pretty unique among vineyards who import the grapes and outsource some of the wine making process. The whites and reds were great to try, and even better, they had a large selection of port wines as well. There were two types that tasted like chocolate: one white and one red. What could taste better than chocolate and wine? A wine that tasted like chocolate! I couldn't help myself and I ended up buying a bottle of the chocolatey wine port for only $16. Compared to ordering a glass at a restaurant, what a steal. At a rock bottom price of $0 for tasting and about thirty to forty wines to try, we definitely plan to visit again!

Fall Munchkins

I don't know how you do your errands, but I always make sure I find time for a treat while I do mine. A treat can be one of the new pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks or a cookie from a small cafe. Yesterday while doing the usual errand run, I treated myself to my favorite: donuts. I'm pretty sure every person has a love affair with a specific dessert/snack that started way back in the day. Here's my story.

When I just started playing soccer when I was a wee one, my dad encouraged me by offering me donuts for every goal I scored. There is no motivation better than sugar and fried dough. I remember after I scored a goal I would look at my dad in the stands with that face that said, "we're going to Dunkin' Donuts right after this game." Of course getting a little girl hooked on donuts is not the healthiest decision, but this was before the Atkins-no carbs-0 calorie Splenda-vegan diet days. Later as my dad knew that I didn't need donuts to motivate me in my soccer games, he turned it into a weekend tradition. The night before my dad would ask me which donuts to pick up, I always picked two: one classic chocolate covered donut and the other I rotated the specialties. Of course this obsession with donuts translated to other desserts like pies, cakes, pastries, etc, but donuts were my first love. And my dad did a good job of reconciling the two of us everytime I came back home from school breaks. Sadly, the nearest Dunkin' was about 25 miles away near Ruckersville (!), so coming home to a half-dozen of my favorite chocolate tire wheels, chocolate covered, marble frosted, and the specialty sprinkles (red and blue for 4th of July, red and green for Christmas, etc.) was the best "surprise" I could get. I knew that when I came home there would be a bunch of untouched, fresh donuts on the kitchen table for me, but each time I was still surprised to see them and the fact that my dad remembered to get them.

Keep this story in the back of your mind. Now, imagine my excitement when I realized that right next to the Fed Ex office store that there was a Dunkin' right next to it. I felt like some of heaven fell on earth and beckoned me using the splendid smell of sugary donuts. Heck, it was destiny. In my purse I had a free latte coupon for Dunkin' Donuts from my mom. I walked inside and was greeted by the same, unchanging, comforting display of jellies, kruellers, creme filled, and munchkin donuts. My mind raced as I forced myself to choose from the numerous options and, finally, decided on the seasonal fall munchkins. You really can't say no to sprinkles, especially when they match the season (or should be). I don't see any orange leaves yet, but I'm sure that buying those fall munchkins encouraged all those leaves out there to follow suit.

Just thinking of my delicious snack is making me want to drive to a Dunkin' right now. I know there are a lot of haters and naysayers out there who think donuts are not worth the hype. If it's Homer Simpson's favorite dessert snack and Dunkin' has created an empire off such a simple item, it's definitely worth it. Peeps, on the other hand, not so much. 

Taking a bite out of those munchkins threw me back to my childhood where almost anything can be forgotten or made better just by tasting this delicious donut. I can't believe this dessert has so much influence over me. Then I looked around at the other people in the store and realized that everyone munching on their donuts was making the same face of true satisfaction as I was. It was nice to be in such good company for those few moments. Like all yummy, small desserts, these two munchkins were gone way too fast. After my flavorful snack, I was all geared up to finish my errands and get back to studying. Donuts can be a great pick-me-up.

There are few foods that are so scrumptious that the taste stays with you. So few meals or snacks that when you think about them, make you want to re-experience the taste so bad that your stomach already starts to make room so it could eat more. Chocolate lava cake and paella are some examples, but these are definitely not things you can eat all the time. Donuts, though, are a more frequent dose of tastebud heaven, especially when they have seasonal sprinkles!