Unemployed Life

 So I have technically been unemployed for over 2.5 months now.  Although the first month included packing, our road trip to Indiana, and unpacking, this is the first time since before I graduated high school that I have had completely no responsibility, with no job or school work.  13 years, since the summer of my Junior year of high school, I have not had the freedom to do what I wanted to do everyday. It’s interesting because when you work full time you think about how nice it would be to not work.  You could do what you really want to do.  Sleep in, clean the house, rest, cook elaborate meals, work on crafts, exercise, etc.  Once you really have the time off and you don’t have to get anything done on any given day, that sense of “how great it is to be home and have nothing to do” kind of fades fast. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed my break from getting up Monday through Friday at the butt crack of dawn and not having to get dressed and go to a place to work to earn money. But, it turns out there are 24 hours in a day, 14 hours if you get a proper night’s sleep. Honestly, 14 hours was more than enough time to get things done. In the past month and a half, I managed to get us completely settled in our new home in under 3 days (with Nick’s help), make breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my working husband most days, clean the house weekly, do the laundry, keep our home tidy, scrapbook, and workout more than 3 times a week.  I have even managed to interview for numerous jobs. But, all those things together don’t really take 14 hours a day. So what have I really done with my time? I’ve slept a lot, I’ve annoyed my studious husband, I’ve read some books and I’ve figured out the best and most comfortable position to be in for 10 hours a day on the couch.  I swear I have never watched so much TV in all my life. I have truly caught up with all the non-basic cable shows that I have missed out on during the past 3 years. The truth is, I have bored myself crazy. I have come to the realization that I need a job.  I mean I NEED a job! I miss the routine, the human interaction, knowing what day of the week it is, the feeling of accomplishment, doing things, and getting out and interacting with people on a daily basis. I have gotten to that place where I wish I had a reason to wake up at the butt crack of dawn. Luckily for me after declining 4 previous offers, I was offered a fantastic job in the nick of time. I am ecstatic about starting work again after my 2.5 months of complete relaxation. Thank God!

My new office and the view from our building

West Coast vs. Mid West

We have been living in West Lafayette, Indiana for just about a month now and so there have been a few things that I have noticed that are quite different from living in Southern California. 

So here's my list of the differences I’ve noticed in West Lafayette during our first month here:

Steakburgers not hamburgers

Pop not soda

When it rains there is usually a thunder storm too

No Costco, Sam’s Club instead

No In-n-out

Frozen custard is more popular than ice cream (it's basically the same thing)

Deep dish pizza is a regular not a novelty

Hardee’s not Carls Jr

No Trader Joes

It is illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays

Average speed limit around town is 35 MPH

It is illegal to text while driving but not to talk

No ocean

Corn fields are everywhere

No sourdough bread

Bears’ games are played on local tv channels
We are more likely to have a tornado than an earthquake nearby

There are squirrels everywhere
Each city has it's own marked water tower
There are lots of crickets, cicadas, fireflies, and mosquitos
Eastern time zone (so 3 hours later than our family and friends back at home)

Boot Tracks

 

I found this recipe online when I searched for low calorie chocolate desserts. It's a really easy recipe with a cute looking result. I think these would be great for kids since it is easy to bake and they look neat afterwards. I topped mine with some Nutella and powdered sugar and it was delicious.

Beef Stroganoff

For some reason I was really craving Beef Stroganoff, which is weird because I do not have a history with this meal at all since I did not like mushrooms growing up. Maybe it is my newer love of mushrooms and my continuous love for egg noodles that made me want it so bad. Of course I wanted to find a great recipe and who better than Paula Deen's recipe to follow. In the end, this was a very easy meal to prepare and it was quite tasty, perfect for my craving.