Changes

I got dumped on Valentines day...at work...on my lunch break.

How's that a line to start off with. As much as it sucks, its for the better. Its a force that's pushing my ideas a little further, my work a little more detailed, and oh the passion. Its a lovely thing to have that feeling back in me once again just as strong as I can remember it.

Normally when I get dumped, which is the case most of the time, I go one of two ways. There's sad emo M. The withdrawn, frown faced, guy who lets his appearance go with his heart. Lots of Taking Back Sunday, Cute Is What We Aim For, Atmosphere, and Sage Francis. The other is outgoing M. Wants to party with friends, go out and do different things, or just pretty much be social. All the confidence in the world and with the outward appearance of being ok. Both are fractured creatures lost in this world that has suddenly crashed down around them. I've ran from problems, changed lives, jobs, careers. I've ignored them watching them pile up around me. I've stood up to them and conquered my challenges.

Their connection is the nagging self doubt that comes from a hard breakup. The questioning of every little thing you can possibly think in where you could have been nicer. Where you could have said something different, been more open, more anything. It infects your thoughts and makes you question everything you do. It's intense in the kitchen sometimes. Spattering oil from a hot saute pan, stuff flying in and out of ovens, sharp objects everywhere. I start to question is this what I wanna be around for the rest of my life?

Self doubt leads to lagging and zoning in the whirlwind that is the rush. I can feel the walls start to crumble down as I hear the familiar sound of hierarchy in the kitchen. "Get over it. You really gonna let her get to you enough to send that out?" Ry says with a knowing smirk. Pride flares up again and it pushes me out of the rubble. With that same questioning smirk, he goes over to the ipod and changes albums. Makedamnsure by Taking Back Sunday is played as he walks away. Next is F*ck You Lucy by Atmosphere, Risque by Cute Is What We Aim For, Rewrite by Sage Francis, Boys Night Out, and a whole slew of bands that lyrics know how to pluck my heartstrings. Ry looks back again at the end of the rush and says, "Get over it man."
The smirk is gone and those words come from the heart. Shawnie looks over from hotside and says, "Bobo no like sad Mari." After work we share a few drinks and I can honestly say its not that bad. The bond that has grown warring together in the back has brought us closer then any other group of people I've had the joy of working with. None of my chain kitchen work, bakery, deli, management, retail, or any other jobs have made this connection of family to me. It pains me to see them feeling my pain. For that I know Ill get over this soon.

And that's how I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

Twits

So the new hoopla in the hype world is twitter. move over myspace and facebook. a few year old "new" thing is taking over. its everywhere and almost everyone twits. from sportstars like Shaq, Chad Johnson ( im not calling him a number like an idiot), and Lance Armstrong to Miley Cyrus, Vicky T, Courtney Cummz, Neil Gainman, Jaime Oliver, Grant Achetz, Bree Olson, Lexi Belle, and LostZombie, people just like posting what they are thinking or doing right now. is it all that important? no. im sure that no one really cares about some of the nonsense people do post but there are some good stuff to say.

The problem is that if you follow too many people, the twits can get lost in a flood of multitwits and useless information. I think eventually I'm gonna have to do what @linecook has done and cap the follower limit at 50, although he just bumped it up to 55. So who do you follow? for a chef, do you just follow fellow chefs and foodies? follow celebs who you just like to watch and will never interact with? maybe just stalk porn stars and beat off till your prostate burst? whatever. Just follow the ones that you can pull something from, being a witty remark always being posted, drop information that will help you, or that just keep you entertained.

So heres a few people I follow that fall into the above reasons I mentioned.

@linecook- great sous chef at Nopa. besides being the sous for one of my best droogs Danny (@ponderfish), he has a great blog.
@GuyArnone- another great chef talking bout everyday chef stuff.
@alphaprep- great foodie blogger and great pictures to go along with.
@violetblue- shes just awesome. read her books.
@nerdist- Chris Hardwick. Host of Web Soup. Part of the G4 crew. Hes plenty of lols.

I could go on and on with more people, but you dont want my whole list. so go out, find your own people to stalk, and get your own cult going.

So here it begins...

So this is the spot where I tell you that ive always loved cooking and food and being in the kitchen is like my second home, yada yada yada. Well there you go. I enjoy, no love, my job at the moment but that doesnt mean it will and should last forever.

As of right now im cooking for two kitchens at the opposite end of the road. One side is catering. The other is at a restaurant that in all honesty one of the top 5 places to eat in a town of over 300k people. Ive also spent time as a baker for a deli and working at a bakery where I learned to hate wedding cakes (and will never do them ever again). The downside of all this is my town lacks culture. well not really but we are and forever will be a meat and potato kinda town. Too bad only 1/4 of them use thier big trucks for workin on or around a farm.

Other then foodie talk i like to blab about comics, usually odd ones by Grant Morrison. I tend to like older comic series like The Invisibles, Preacher, Doom Patrol, or the older versions of Green Lantern, The whole X fam dam, and Batman. Music is something else i enjoy and dont question me about dance offs in cars to Miley Cyrus.