Perfect Bread

This week's sourdough came out in a nice "football" loaf with four scores across the top. The thin, crackly crust with its subtly sweet sugar glaze yields to a soft, moist, white whole wheat sourness infused with cinnamon.
I'd purposely given it extra rising time, hoping (as the cookbooks said) that it would impart more complex flavor. It did.

Hints of Spring

The air was sweet and warm today, the sky bright and cheery with puff-clouds and whisp-clouds.
Birds darting, chirping. Aaah.

It may snow again, but now at least I have a reminder of the contentment to come.

Italia ho!

Fantastic news! The Italian will be marrying the Iowan in Italy, and we are invited! Che fortuna!

A Note about Process

In a comment to my last post, Narya very kindly advised me not to stress about finding the Perfect Job. I started a lengthy comment in reply, but it got long enough that I decided to post.

I make decisions by gathering loads of info, looking for patterns, and "trying on" ideas for a while. The trying on is an imagining of What My Life Would Be Like, and it goes on until I can "feel" it and understand. I'm curious about almost everything, and have a knack for several things, so I gather up everything, analyze it intellectually and emotionally, turn it over, examine the other side, and then embark upon a process of elimination. I'm fascinated by people who "know what they want and go get it". How do they just know? If you are one of those lucky determined ones, tell me, what's it like? How does it happen?

There's a certain luxury in being able to undergo this process--which I actually enjoy--in my leisurely way. When I was first job-hunting, I needed a job to pay for student loans, rent, food.... Now I have a steady job in hand, and I can pick and choose the next one.

Flavor of the Month

I met with the town planner Friday, and now am scared off that position. I could get into the details, but it makes me ache with deep sorrow for humanity. All I will share is the most winning detail: During the hour I spent in the planning office, the paperwork for two lawsuits against the planning dept. was delivered. Two.

New plan: Teaching ESL! We'll see how long this idea lasts. For what it's worth, my dad thinks it's a good one.

Oh and PS: Got a promotion at Day Job. Ironic? Or merely "Alanis ironic"?

The Romanticization of Work

Lately it seems I've been hearing a lot of feminists talk about how women who don't continue to work full-time after having children are leeches on society and pawns of the patriarchy. I've heard it on NPR and read it in a few places. This disturbs me for two big reasons:

1. Women at work can be just as stuck as women at home. Dear Important Lawyer Woman who argued on NPR that "There's a lot of great work going on in the world": You are perhaps lucky that you've never been stuck in a dysfunctional workplace where your intellect is under-employed. Perhaps you come from wealth and have never needed to keep a job for the pay. I would argue that at least 75% of jobs suck, and suck the life out of the employee. Maybe the woman working 3 shifts at Wal-Mart would disagree with you. We can be just as exploited in the workforce as at home.

2. Why are we devaluing the important work of child-rearing (which someone still has to do, it just gets hired out), cooking, and making a home?

Yes, it's a Big Problem if staying home barefoot and pregnant is the only option, or the Expected Option, or if women expect a "free ride". But for some women there is choice, and freedom to choose a mix, or even staying home altogether. I know at least one working mom who hates having her tiny child in the care of others more often than in her own care. It's not an easy decision for anyone, in either direction.

Plus and Minus

Today, I am irritated. Here are some of the irritations:

1. I am so tired that I overslept two buzzing, dinging alarm clocks and a screaming, hungry cat for 45 minutes.
2. I proceeded to make myself a cup of oolong. This was foolhardy, for it seems to contain less caffeine than my other teas, and did nothing to wake me.
3. At work, I then drank three cups of black tea.
   
4. At lunch, I made a special drive to a favorite cafe, to which I had a gift certificate. I ordered a turkey wrap and more tea. I drove the 12 minutes back to work. Ensconced at my desk, I opened my wrap, which contained no fucking turkey. My wrap actually contained lettuce on both ends. I had a whole fucking head of romaine in there. I became convinced it was a Weight Watchers conspiracy.
5. The cool independent record store next to the cafe is going out of business.
6. Still exhausted, I drank my strong darjeeling tea while endlessly chewing my lettuce sandwich. At 3 PM, feeling like crap, I realized that I had not drunk any water whatsoever all day. I began hydrating.
7. On a post about being irritated, Blogger is turning all my dignified, indignant numbered lists into flowers. Which actually, is pretty funny and Zen of Blogger, come to think of it.
   

Here are the things that did not go so badly:

1. I got a double Bowie CD at the closing music store for 20% off. Space Oddity is an amazing song, now and forever.
2. When I called to complain, the cafe promised me a free sandwich and took down my name. I'm going to order a goddamn corned beef with bacon and turkey. Don't mess with me when I want meat. I don't eat that much of it, so it better be in the wrap when I order it.
   (Excuse me...ranting.)
   
3. It was sunny.
4. I didn't have all that much work.