It’s the last day of 2011 and so far I’ve been enjoying my Saturday off from brunch still in pajamas. In bed. And it feels amazing! I’ve also got the next five days off to look forward to. What a great start to the new year! Why five days? I didn’t request time off. Oh no. Actually it has a lot to do with the restaurant being closed for NYE weekend then having my usual Mon/Tues/Wed off before reporting back to work on Thursday.
I can’t believe it’s already been more than a year that we’ve been back home in L.A. Time surely has flown – and by flown I don’t mean average bird speed, or even humming bird speed. I think the SR-71 is more the speed I’m thinking about.
Being back in a professional kitchen has left me little time to experiment cooking at home but one of our projects for the new year is having something similar to an underground supperclub with a few restaurant friends every few months or so. Perhaps we’ll do it quarterly! Or maybe we’ll just wait until we move out of this apartment and into our own place where it’ll just be the dogs and us. I don’t mind living with roommates but sometimes you just need your own space and I think we’re getting to that point. Besides, who doesn’t love the freedom of walking around your house naked? I’m just saying it’s nice is all…
I’ve made some moves this past year by proving that I’m capable of many things at work. And as a result I’ve been running brunch service for practically the last half of the year. I’ve also taken over weekly ordering for dry storage and farmer’s market produce. I’ve learned so much from work this past year and I can’t stress how amazing it is to be back in a professional kitchen. It feels like home – a hot, sweaty, frantically paced, stressful yet incredibly satisfying and rewarding home. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is behind the line where I’m the most comfortable, doing what I love the most. As for future work plans, it’s still a secret for now but it will all be for the advancement of my career and the expansion of my skills set.
We celebrated our second wedding anniversary this past September and even though we’ve been technically married for two, I feel like we’ve been married for longer. I still remember that first time I noticed him — I was in the library studying and I felt a hot stare from across the room. I looked up, our eyes locked and I’m pretty sure I blushed and looked away. He had and still has this amazing smile that melts my heart. The kind of smile that you just can’t fake and it’s not just his whole face, it’s like his whole body smiles when he sees me and I love it. It’s this incredible feeling that only he uniquely can give me and I’ll forever be grateful to the powers that be for having him in my life.
Life is good. Being back home is great. Having friends and family much closer is a wonderful feeling. I’m thankful for everything I have. But life’s ups are not complete without the downs, the uncertain and the reality checks — and for those, I too am thankful for giving my life perspective.
I’ll be raising a glass later tonight for the year that’s been and the year that’s to come…
