I met The Bloggess, in person... and barely said a word, damn social awkwardness. I wrote this the next day, but am just now gathering the strength to post it. Jenny, if you somehow stumble upon this, Thank you for being you in public, that is an admirable trait.
8/16/2012
I was so very excited to meet Jenny last night. I was nervous for a week thinking in short bursts about ramble after ramble to spout at her. Then I promptly lost more an more of those words as I stood in line waiting to meet her.
It wasn't as though I was scared of her, really, but the prospect of this moment being the only impression I could ever make on her. That if I didn't make an impact I would have failed at properly meeting someone I find inspiring, because this would probably be my only chance. (Below is what I wanted to portray, so it addresses Jenny Lawson directly.)
The book store was crowded, and I was alone, spineless. I felt rushed to express something about why your book and your blog meant so much to me. What I got out was the gist of the most important point I had. That you, Jenny Lawson, are an inspiration to all us weird girls out here. It wasn't the most poignant delivery. And by weird I meant every shy, anxiety ridden, different and honest woman trying to be herself and be successful at the same time. For each one of us that doesn't fit society's mold you are a testament to the possibilities.
You inspire me through the pain of not fitting in. Your journey makes me think, maybe I can contribute and live the honest life I've dreamed of for years. Maybe I do have something interesting enough to share. Maybe my honesty will encourage others. This is what you have given me, not only in your blog and book but also your strength to do appearances despite your anxiety. Here in Oregon you were so funny and still so genuine towering over the fear of being surrounded by so many strangers. Possibly because you knew a lot of us were facing the fear of the crowd just to meet you, to thank you, for being you in public and encouraging us all to do the same.
And now for everyone, the lists:
Things that are awesome about meeting The Bloggess:
1. She understands.
2. She said thank you and my squeaking compliments brought tears to her eyes, meaning even if she's heard it from every other fan we are all important to her.
3. She is Hi-Larious
4. You get to be in a room full of people who are "fucked-up in the best possible way."
Not So?:
1. The manager who promised she knew how to use my camera failed to get a picture of me with Jenny, and I didn't know until I got home.
2. I forgot all the words! Then I cried, happy for remembering the most important thing, that it touched her, but also because I was so mad that I let myself feel scared and rushed.
What I wanted to say to The Bloggess:
1. I DID buy your book! Just the audio version, and that is why I only had a picture, not a book, for signing. I am going to frame it and make people jealous, all the people will be jealous!
2. You should totally be able to pick up BITCH Magazine at Book People in Austin, but you have to ask for it.
3. You are awesome. Your insights about writing, through pain, anxiety, and depression give me a weapon to beat my current career depressions and insecurities with.
One day maybe I will be on tour and Jenny will come to see me. We will laugh at the circular nature of life, the tragedies that made us who we are, and how great it all ends up.
Showing posts with label Shout-out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shout-out. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Olive Garden
Hi, I have spent 5 hours cooking today! I am taking a break now then probably cleaning for another two. Anyhow I wanted to share this.
Did you guys know that Olive Garden's website has some of there long standing recipes listed?
Well this is their recipe for the Chicken Milanese sauce. It is very popular with my guy even though theres spinach in it!
I love this sauce, a couple tweeks I do though: all roasted garlic, no tomatoes (he wouldn't go for that), and twice the spinach. Try it it's delicious.
Sauce:
½ cup butter, unsalted
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 Tbsp)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
½ tsp salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup spinach, chopped
8 roasted garlic cloves, minced (or 4 Tbsp)
MELT butter in sauce pan over medium heat.
ADD minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until well-blended.
ADD white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream and cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture starts to thicken.
ADD roasted garlic, pepper and salt. Stir until well blended.
ADD tomatoes and spinach to sauce and allow to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Did you guys know that Olive Garden's website has some of there long standing recipes listed?
Well this is their recipe for the Chicken Milanese sauce. It is very popular with my guy even though theres spinach in it!
I love this sauce, a couple tweeks I do though: all roasted garlic, no tomatoes (he wouldn't go for that), and twice the spinach. Try it it's delicious.
Sauce:
½ cup butter, unsalted
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 Tbsp)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
½ tsp salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup spinach, chopped
8 roasted garlic cloves, minced (or 4 Tbsp)
MELT butter in sauce pan over medium heat.
ADD minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until well-blended.
ADD white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream and cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture starts to thicken.
ADD roasted garlic, pepper and salt. Stir until well blended.
ADD tomatoes and spinach to sauce and allow to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Cal Newport
Has anyone heard of Cal Newport? of the Study Hacks blog?
No? Well, he's kind of my hero. Cal has a blog about enjoying life and being successful all at once. He has philosophies about Zen Success, Hard Focus, and Romantic Scholars. I found him when looking for study tips, (he, and all his writing endeavours, can be found through calnewport.com) and became obsessed with applying more and more of his techniques as each one continued to make my life happier and easier.Cal was even a reason I wanted to start blogging on a regular basis.
So why am I writing about him now? I have just had another break through. Often on the site Cal mentions how it is better to do few things extraordinarily than many things well; that it is more impressive and will lead to a happier more successful life, now and in the future. He than gives an example of a triple-major, with a hodge-podge of extra curriculars, and many group affiliations. Now I agree that that sounds like a horrible way to live, but I ignored these posts because my course schedule is not hard and I only belong to one group. I just concentrated on the ideas he proposed of Hard Focus and Avoiding Pseudo Work.
Then it clicked. I have been working on my subjects 2 hours each 6 days a week in order to do the best work possible without draining myself or burning out. I was still tired, I was terribly frustrated when I couldn't finish whatever I had planed into my two hour slot, and I still felt I had too much to do. This was because of everything I forced myself to do outside of schoolwork, everyday. Things I thought, as an adult, I had to worry about and plan on, and drive myself crazy with, everyday. But, Cal says the secret to his happiness is doing less. I realized do less doesn't only apply to what I do at school, it applies to my everyday life. I don't have to stress about all the horrible things in the world or even the emergencies that may occur tomorrow. I can spend a few hours one day a week on money concerns/bills and not let it distract me all the time. I don't have to research everything about politics, current events, the new superfood, how to be a good step-mom, how to be as pretty as a celebrity, how you can read a man's body language to find out what he ISN'T TELLING YOU, BE YOUNG FOREVER, MULTITASK BETTER, READ FASTER, KNOW EVERYTHING!!!, etc., etc, the list goes on forever.
But I don't have to do everything. I can do less. I can be extraordinary in a few areas that I am excited about. So I thought of the four things that were at the top of my list: My learning; Being well read; Writing more; and, of course, my immediate family (which consist of my wonderful boyfriend, Shane, and his son, Connor).
Other than that, I can let go a bit. There are other things needed in life but they don't have to be a constant stress. There are also other things I chose to have in my life, other people I love, but that love is constant I don't have to worry about these things everyday; either. I'm already happier. So, do less! Also, don't forget to check out calnewport.com!
TTFN
No? Well, he's kind of my hero. Cal has a blog about enjoying life and being successful all at once. He has philosophies about Zen Success, Hard Focus, and Romantic Scholars. I found him when looking for study tips, (he, and all his writing endeavours, can be found through calnewport.com) and became obsessed with applying more and more of his techniques as each one continued to make my life happier and easier.Cal was even a reason I wanted to start blogging on a regular basis.
So why am I writing about him now? I have just had another break through. Often on the site Cal mentions how it is better to do few things extraordinarily than many things well; that it is more impressive and will lead to a happier more successful life, now and in the future. He than gives an example of a triple-major, with a hodge-podge of extra curriculars, and many group affiliations. Now I agree that that sounds like a horrible way to live, but I ignored these posts because my course schedule is not hard and I only belong to one group. I just concentrated on the ideas he proposed of Hard Focus and Avoiding Pseudo Work.
Then it clicked. I have been working on my subjects 2 hours each 6 days a week in order to do the best work possible without draining myself or burning out. I was still tired, I was terribly frustrated when I couldn't finish whatever I had planed into my two hour slot, and I still felt I had too much to do. This was because of everything I forced myself to do outside of schoolwork, everyday. Things I thought, as an adult, I had to worry about and plan on, and drive myself crazy with, everyday. But, Cal says the secret to his happiness is doing less. I realized do less doesn't only apply to what I do at school, it applies to my everyday life. I don't have to stress about all the horrible things in the world or even the emergencies that may occur tomorrow. I can spend a few hours one day a week on money concerns/bills and not let it distract me all the time. I don't have to research everything about politics, current events, the new superfood, how to be a good step-mom, how to be as pretty as a celebrity, how you can read a man's body language to find out what he ISN'T TELLING YOU, BE YOUNG FOREVER, MULTITASK BETTER, READ FASTER, KNOW EVERYTHING!!!, etc., etc, the list goes on forever.
But I don't have to do everything. I can do less. I can be extraordinary in a few areas that I am excited about. So I thought of the four things that were at the top of my list: My learning; Being well read; Writing more; and, of course, my immediate family (which consist of my wonderful boyfriend, Shane, and his son, Connor).
Other than that, I can let go a bit. There are other things needed in life but they don't have to be a constant stress. There are also other things I chose to have in my life, other people I love, but that love is constant I don't have to worry about these things everyday; either. I'm already happier. So, do less! Also, don't forget to check out calnewport.com!
TTFN
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