Hello, blog

Sorry I haven't been showing you love lately. Leaving job + moving from Madison + not wanting to go to the library have resulted in me not writing.

However, now I am in Grayling and I'm BACK! Some FAQs (and answers):

• Crystal, what the heck happened to you? You used to be so reliable. I used to read your blog every day and suddenly you're gone.


Like I said, I left my job wednesday of last week, and those last couple of days were pretty crazy so I didn't get a chance to blog. And, between you and me, I depended on using my work computer/internet connection to get my blogging done.


• Okay, so what's new?


Now I'm in Grayling, my hometown, living with my parents until I leave for Africa in January.


• So does that mean you'll be bored to death these next few weeks?


No, I plan to stay busy. I'm helping out around the house, wrapping Christmas gifts, cooking and baking, and hanging out with Chico (aka Tom, my youngest brother). We're going to build an igloo in the front yard.


• Sounds exciting. So what's your impression of Grayling after coming from a big, progressive town like Madison?


Yeeeaaahhh.. there's a lot of dollar stores here for a town of its size. And a lot of business turnover. Nothing too exciting so far. This sunday we're going to the local bakery owner's model train showing. And we're putting up Christmas decorations.


• So, did anything exciting happen during the move from Mad-Town?


Why yes, how did you guess? Today I made the 10-hour trip to G-town, and a lot of adventures occurred:

• Djam was over last night and we woke up at 5:40 to the sound of a loud air-pop sound (like an air rifle) and a voice speaking in a megaphone from outside the window. The voice was saying something like, "there is a fire in your apartment. You need to leave the building." We thought the air-pop sound was like something exploding in the basement. So we scrambled to get our stuff together and ran into the hallway, only to find there was no smoke and no other neighbors in the hallway. Then we looked out the window and saw a Dane County Sheriff's paddywagon with a huge dog standing next to a cop. I ventured outside to ask what was going on, and a man dressed in full SWAT regalia (body armor, helmet, AK-47) told me there was a search warrant for one of the apartments in the building. So Djam and I went back upstairs and spied from my balcony. I'm guessing they were searching for weapons, because there were like 15 cops out there and 3 vehicles and they were all heavily armored. Exciting stuff! After I post this I'm going to scour the local pages to see if anyone reported it.
  
• The next thing to happen was my car wouldn't start. I'm guessing it was the cold weather. So Djam gave me a jump, then we went down the block to get coffee while it heated up.
• Coming back from the coffee shop, there was a bus parked on the curb. Djam was stopped next to it, waiting to turn, and the bus driver didn't see him and hit us. Yes, we got hit by a bus. Fortunately everything/one was okay, but we had to sit around for an hour while the cops came and did their thing. Uber annoying.
• During my trip to G-town I stopped for gas near Grand Rapids. It was 15 degrees out and windy. I pumped my gas, then thought of my mom's famous advice - "go to the bathroom while you can." So I grabbed my purse, locked the door, went inside and did my thing, came back, and was surprised to find that my keys were in my locked car. Dang it! I was really reluctant to call a tow truck because I knew there were two spare keys in one of the Rubbermaid bins in the back of the truck. It was soooo cold. After freezing my hands off untying the tarp, I wrenched open the lid to the correct bin (thankfully it was on top) and dug around for the spare key. My hands were red and cracked and cold, but I'm glad I didn't have to call a tow truck.


• Any upcoming baking adventures?


Why yes! The Boy Scouts are having a huge bake sale and they expect everyone to contribute 10 items, so I'm already getting excited thinking about what to make. My parents are hosting their book club's holiday party and I plan to be their kitchen slave. I'm also going to make them lots of exciting new food for dinner (details to be posted later).


• How about that Peace Corps stuff?


Yeeeaah.. I had to put it on the back burner while I wrapped things up in Madison. Tomorrow I'm mailing my latest passport application, starting my essay/resume, and hopefully downloading my first language lesson.

Any more questions? Feel free to ask! Thanks for your time.

Note: Due to the lack of exciting mid-day food (since I'm no longer working), Today's Lunch will be replaced with Today's Dinner starting Friday, November 30. Thank you for your patience and stay tuned.

Sha-WING

I had a $57 AT&T bill (for my "$12/month local line," those crooks) and I just called and complained about a few things (how my number was the number for Charter Communications, how my phone didn't work the first week, and how I had a hum the next two weeks, grr), so now my bill is $11.10. Yay! As my coworker Ron once said, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

Otherwise things are going well in Crystal-land. Things were kind of rough but I'm getting over them.

Yesterday was - you got it - party day! I baked lots of yummy things (pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, pecan pie bars, and Jamaican Christmas cake leftover from my freezer) and my boss, Carol, and colleagues Petra and Pam set up a nice spread to go along with it. A bunch of people showed up to wish me well on my new endeavor, and I even got some gifts!

My boss Carol seated me in the middle of the room facing everyone. She proceeded to pull out a box titled "Crystal's Survival Kit," complete with a Red Cross emblem in the corner. Here's what was in the box:

• Niger is a hot, desert-y place, so besides the torrential rains that come along during the wet season there are sand storms. So.. she gave me a dust mask. Very attractive.
  
• There are a lot of mosquitoes in Niger, too, and you have to be cautious about getting malaria. So she gave me... bug spray, 30% DEET.
• Next she showed us a Forest Service-issue whistle. She said if I encountered danger I could try to use it, but she doubted anyone would hear it.
• Then there was a package of Crystal Light peach-flavored tea mix. She said the water in Niger isn't always safe for drinking, and I may accidentally drink some bad water and I may have to eventually replenish my bodily fluids. So the Crystal Light would help with that. And it contains electrolytes!
• Next was a bandanna, which had many uses. It could be folded into a triangle and used as a sling, in case I had a medical emergency while out in the middle of the bush. Or I could roll it up and use it as a headband to keep the sweat out of my eyes. After not washing my hair for six months, I may need to use it to look presentable. Since Niger is a Muslim country, I may eventually enter a Mosque and would have to keep my head covered, so I could use the bandanna for that, too. Last but not least, there are bandits in Niger, and to avoid danger I could tie the bandanna around my face to look like a bandit, too. No one would notice my blond hair.

My coworker Rick jumped up to present the last two items.

• First was a National Geographic magazine. He said he was at the Half Price Bookstore, looking for a National Geographic about Niger. He spent all this time going through the magazines, looking at the titles, and finally he found this issue from 1956. It was about Nigeria, which he figured was close enough.
• Then he held up a box of yellow cake mix. He said that we all know how much I like to bake, and wasn't it a coincidence that Niger's main export is yellowcake uranium? So he thought it would be the perfect thing to bring with me. I thought that was hilarious.

I also received a lot of really nice cards and notes from people, which I'm totally bringing with me, and my coworker Rachel gave me a traveling gnome and a travel journal. I gave a short speech about how scary it was for me to come to Madison, not knowing the town or a single person, and how my friends at FPL were like a substitute family for me (I started tearing up. I'm such a girl).

Overall it was a great party. Despite the stress of moving, leaving my job, and other issues, this week has been going pretty well for me.

Today's Lunch:
Coworker Rachel took me to Lulu's - I had Middle Eastern split pea soup with wheat pita bread

It begins

Tonight I start packing. I'm not looking forward to it. After the events of last summer (moving 3 times in one week), I'm a little traumatized.

Not much happening tomorrow or sunday. I'm so exhausted.

On another note, the auction last night was a blast. Djam displayed a couple pieces of his work, which were amazing, and we snacked on hors d'oeuvres and then ate a huge meal. I used my gift of gab (aka flirting) to try to get people to buy his wares, but to no avail. He was impressed, though, and thought I should be his salesperson. I've always despised salespeople, but I wouldn't mind chatting with people and flirting with them if that means they'll buy something.

I've been thinking lately it would be cool to just visit lonely elderly people and keep them company. If I could brighten somebody's life for just a few minutes I'd be happy.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover stirfry of chicken, turkey brats, green beans, carrots, scallions, and garlic with whole wheat orzo
Twix bar

So happy

I can't believe how nice people are. A couple of coworkers I am close to took me to lunch and gave me a really sweet card, along with a toiletry bag filled with things I'll need in Africa. Monday is my big party, and there's a card at the front desk for people to sign.

Tonight I'm going to an auction with Djam. He's fun to hang out with and a real sweetheart. I want to enjoy my last days in Madison. Being away from Kevin has lifted a load from my shoulders. Not that we didn't have a nice time together, it's just that we weren't right for each other. I am so lucky to have friends that are supportive.

Today's Lunch:
Falafel with hummus at Lulu's (mmmmm)

Letter to parents about Kevin and the knife

Hi mom and dad,

I thought I'd fill you in on the latest crazy thing to happen in my life. It's about Kevin. I know you're going to say "I told you so," dad, but please, at least give me credit for seeing what a lunatic he is before all this happened and dumping him last week.

I was hanging out with my friend Djam last night, who is also an acquaintance of Kevin's. We walked from my apartment to Blockbuster to return some movies, and as we were coming back I noticed someone walking from the parking lot of my apartment building to the door of the apartment. It was Kevin. He approached Djam and me, and said "Djam, what are you doing with Crystal? She is my girl." Djam said something like "what are you talking about?" and then Kevin started attacking him. He punched him, Djam hit him back, I was standing off to the side not really knowing what to do. Eventually Kevin let him go, then went back to his car to leave. Djam and I went back inside my apartment to kind of talk about what happened and drink some water. We were shaken and surprised.

Djam figured he'd better go out and move his truck so Kevin wouldn't see it and come back for us again. He left my apartment, then a few seconds later I heard yelling and scuffling sounds from inside the apartment building. I opened the door to see what was going on, and Kevin had Djam pinned down on the steps and was yanking on his shirt. I came over and grabbed Kevin and tried to peel him off. Once Djam was free he ran out the door, then Kevin ran into my apartment. I figured he wanted to talk or something, so I approached the doorway, but then he came out almost as soon as he'd come in. He was putting something in his pocket but I didn't see what it was. Kevin bolted down the stairs and out the door, and I heard more yelling and shouting as he and Djam fought some more. At this point the neighbors came out of their apartment and asked if I wanted them to call the police, and I said sure. I went outside and tackled Kevin as he was running after Djam. Djam hopped in his truck and drove off.

I went back to my apartment and tried to calm down. Kevin came to the door and said he just wanted to talk. I let him in. He was in the bathroom cleaning up his bloody lip and I noticed he was holding my paring knife (my nice, $25 paring knife). I told him to give it back to me, which he did, and I put it away in the kitchen. Then the police showed up. I later learned that while I was talking to the neighbors, Kevin was outside flashing the knife around at Djam and threatening to kill him. Djam was saying, "Kevin, what are you doing? Do you want to go to jail?" and was using his foot to keep Kevin away from him. Fortunately no one got hurt.

Five police officers showed up at my apartment complex. I had to tell my story about a zillion times. Djam came back and told his story. Kevin finally admitted to taking the knife and putting it in his coat pocket. The cops were super nice about everything and the officer who spoke to me and Djam could see how upset we were. Kevin is being charged with disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon. He was arrested and taken to jail and won't be able to leave until bail is posted (which will be something like $700) or until he sees a judge. The cops confiscated my knife (grr). I have no idea what's happened since, if Kevin found bail money or what.

The police told Kevin never to come back to my apartment, and he agreed that he wouldn't. They told me that if he shows up at the door to just call 911. They also said I could get a restraining order, but since I'm only here for 10 more days it may not be worth it because it takes time to go up in front of a judge and actually get it approved. So I don't think I will. In the meantime, I have blocked Kevin's number from my cell phone so he can't call me.

This all took place pretty late last night, around 10:00 my time. I called Rico and Rica and told them briefly what happened. I thought you should know, too.

I am lucky that I can be close to my family and let you know about the crazy stuff that happens in my life. This is something I keep thinking about, and I'm trying not to air my dirty laundry in public so I'm only telling the people I am close to - you guys and my homie Marshall.

I love you!
Crystal

Woo, #400!

This is my 400th post. Yay!

Things are going well here. Last night I hung out with my friend Djam (pronounced "jam," he's from Ghana). We took a little walk to return movies to Blockbuster, then later on made some kickass food. It was cut-up turkey brats, chicken, carrots, scallions, garlic, and grape tomatoes with nutmeg and basil. I told him to spice it since I'm not very good at making my food strong enough, and the nutmeg/basil combination was delicious.

Today I went to Mel's favorite place, the Devil's Asshole (aka DMV) to get a new driver's license. I had asked Kevin to hold onto mine one night and now he won't give it back. Not that I care, it only cost $4 to get it replaced.

I saw a speaker this morning at the VA Hospital across the street. He was a Native American man who spoke to us about American Indians in the military throughout time. He also answered questions about Native Americans today. He ended his presentation with a really amazing dance, wearing some traditional Native American clothes. His clothes were awesome, his dance was amazing, and I had a great time. The presentation ended with some Native American food - squash soup, chicken and wild rice rice stew, Indian frybread, and pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting (okay, I'm guessing that last item wasn't very authentic but it sure was good).

Tonight I think I will see the distinguished lecture on the UW campus. The speaker is Ken Mehlman, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. Prior to that, Mehlman was the campaign manager for the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004 as well as the field director for their 2000 campaign. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say.

Today's Lunch:
Chicken and wild rice stew
2 small pieces Indian frybread
3 small pieces pumpkin cake

Doing better

After I posted friday I took a long walk to State Street to pick up a photo at Walgreens. It's amazing how physical movement and fresh air can make me feel so much better! When I came back to work I felt like a huge load was lifted from my shoulders. My heart wasn't aching so badly and my throat didn't feel so tight.

Kevin and I spoke yesterday to get some closure. I'm feeling better about the whole situation now. We are still going to be friends, and I'm happy knowing that.

My weekend was decent. I spent saturday making some Jamaican beef patties (I had bought the ingredients before Kevin and I broke up). I wanted to work on perfecting the recipe. Overall they turned out looking good, but I thought they could have used some more spices. So I will have to try it again and throw in more scotch bonnet peppers and thyme and Jamaican curry.

Sunday night I went to see a reggae show. Ronnie Davis was playing, and even though I hadn't heard of him I figured if he played good music I'd have a great time. It's a good thing I didn't have to work yesterday (Veterans' Day holiday) because the show went until 1am. Ronnie Davis was awesome. He played old-school reggae that was kind of slow and chill and had some nice, catchy lyrics. Now I should look for one of his CDs. After the show I caught him coming off the stage and gave him a big hug and thanked him for coming (I was a little under the influence, ha ha).

Last night I baked two pumpkin pies and made a Cobb salad for our workplace bake sale today (they started including salads a few years ago to entice those who don't like sweets). I worked at the sale and it just wasn't as popular as it had been in the past. We used to have people lining up outside the door waiting to come in at 8:30 and buy pies and cookies. This year we barely had a trickle. But I guess that's what happens when we lose numbers in our workforce.

Speaking of workforce, being part of the federal government, we have a lot of veterans at our workplace. In honor of Veterans' Day they set up a display of photos and articles from their time in the military, mostly the Vietnam War. It was amazing to see pictures of these 60-year-old guys when they were 20 and really thin. I was also surprised to see that one of my colleagues received a Bronze Star for showing bravery during a battle in the Vietnam War. The display really made me appreciate how much my coworkers risked their lives and also showed me another part of their life.

Next monday is my going-away party. I insisted on making baked goods for it, so tonight I'm going to make a genoise and stick it in the freezer. I've already made pecan pie bars, and I just have to whip up some cookies. The night before I will be making a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust. I really like baking and it will be so fun to make these items. It will also give my coworkers something to remember me by!

Did I mention that my Toastmasters club is having a party for me, too? My last day of work (the 21st) is a meeting day, and we're going to have pizza and they're going to Roast me. I can't wait to hear what they say!

Today's Lunch:
BBQ beef sanwich on wheat bun
Chicken and dumpling soup
Brownie with chocolate frosting

P.S. If you want me to send you mail from Africa, email me your address. My email address is lastname.firstname at gmail dot com

Photo

Hurting

Kevin and I broke up last night. I realized the complete lack of trust in our relationship was making me become someone I didn't like - suspicious, paranoid, neurotic. I love hanging out with Kevin, but our relationship was just so messed up that it seemed it couldn't get better.

They say that mom is always right, and if I had any doubts they've been put to rest by now. When we first got back together last July, my mom said, "a person can't change overnight. If he lies now, he's going to lie later." And that was true. Not that I was an angel, myself, but still - the deceit in our relationship really screwed things up. And it affected my self esteem in a bad way.

There has to be someone out there for me... I'm just trying to take this one day at a time.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover roast chicken
Leftover nut-crusted squash

Breakup

The complete lack of trust in my relationship with Kevin has led to its demise.

Last night we were at Jolly Bob's and in walked Edi, the guy I cheated on Kevin with. As soon as I saw him, a million feelings came rushing through me, and I had to dash to the bathroom to collect myself before going back out.

Later on Kevin and I left, and later on he told me Edi had been saying nasty little things to him the whole night. He made me wait for him outside while he "had a word" with Edi, but I was mad because he wasn't telling me why and I thought he was going to start something and then the cops would come.

Anyhow, Kevin accused me of knowing that Edi would be there, and then he accused me of hanging out with Edi when we weren't together. He told me he thought I had had sex with Edi the other day because I felt different (that was probably from getting hot when we played strip poker together, which is wetter than I am when we usually have sex because we are usually drunk).

He wanted to see my text messages, and I resisted because I didn't think I needed to show them to him (I was just being a brat, too). We arrived at my apartment. He followed me inside, we talked for ever (he wouldn't leave). He wouldn't show me his text messages, even after I showed him mine. And I knew it was because of whatever Kristin had written to him. Later he told me she was writing nasty things and calling me a bitch, not that that bothered me, and that he was trying to protect my feelings.

He also admitted to writing the nasty, mysterious text messages I received last week. At first I didn't believe him. He said he did it because he was upset and hurt by things I had told him the night before (like the truth of how my family feels about him, etc.). To me that is stupid and immature, and I'm sure I told him so. I'm very hurt that he wrote those messages and lied about it.

We broke up. I dumped him. I told him I didn't like the person I've become by being with him - suspicious, neurotic, paranoid. As Becky said to me earlier today, a relationship is dependent on trust and honesty, and I feel that we had neither. And there was so much deception on both sides that it was really affecting my self esteem.

I know breaking up was the right thing to do, but my heart still hurts. Kevin and I really had fun together, but, as my mom said, a liar doesn't change overnight.

Growing things out

I'm growing out my hair, eyebrows, and toenails.

• I want my hair to be long and luxurious, so I stopped getting it trimmed. It has grown more in the last two months than it did the last two years, I swear. I guess my hair chick was cutting too much off.
• I want my eyebrows to be a little fuller and bushier. Nothing Brooke Shields-y, but not pencil thin, either. Plus there's a scar going through one of them and it makes it look too thin, so I want to see how they look when grown out.
  
• I got my first pedicure at Joseph and Mary's wedding, and that inspired me to grow my toenails out so they'll reach the end of my toes and look extra pretty with polish on.
  

I once tried growing out my fingernails, but I use my hands a lot when baking and cooking and then my fingernails get all gunky. So I like to keep them short.

You can see the nut-crusted squash recipe mentioned in yesterday's post at the AGD Recipe Site.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover roasted chicken with lemon and thyme
Leftover nut-crusted butternut squash

Africa, unite

Whenever I think about my upcoming trip to Africa, this song enters my head.

Africa, unite
cause we're moving right out of babylon
And we're going to our fathers land

How good and how pleasant it would be
Before God and man, yeah
To see the unification of the rastaman, yeah
As its been said already let it be done, yeah
We are the children of the rastaman
We are the children of the higher man

(I understand it has nothing to do with traveling to Africa but that it's more about rastafarian beliefs/brotherhood, but it still makes me think of Africa.)

Paperwork

I've got paperwork coming out of my ears.

First, Peace Corps stuff. It's never-ending. Passport applications followed by submitting paperwork to get my USDA-issued passport that is held in Washington D.C. that requires special forms just to obtain. Then I have to surrender the g'vt passport so the Peace Corps can issue me a new one. Ugh!

I also have to write an essay for the Peace Corps people in Niger, start learning my new languages (Hausa and Djerma), and update my resume.

Then work stuff. I'm resigning, so I have to fill out forms for that. I have to finish up old projects and go through files. Then I have to clean out my office (scary!). Anyone want some dying plants?

Next is health insurance stuff. The Peace Corps requires people to have a 3-month supply of prescription medication when they join. In order to get a 3-month supply, I have to use my insurance provider's mail-order prescription service, which means my current prescriptions have to be transferred to this new service. More forms, more phone calls. Ugh.

So yeah, I'm just plugging away, here. The good news is I have a new project at work that's keeping me busy and interested, so that's a major bonus. Or maybe since I know I only have two weeks left I'm seeing the project with new eyes.

I've been craving this really tasty nut-crusted squash that I make, but I need to eat it with other foods. So tonight I'm roasting a chicken, making the squash, and having some veggie to go with it. Kevin's coming over. I told him we're having Crystal Food this week.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover chicken tamale from La Hacienda

Lutefisk adventure

My coworker Mike Wie is one of the most adventurous people I know. He's always doing random things just for the sake of doing them. For example, last week he was in Iowa and stumbled across a prison and decided he wanted to see what it looked like on the inside. So he took a tour with a group of criminal justice students and saw the inside of the prison. Mike's just that kind of guy.

Anyhow. I wanted to go to this lutefisk dinner so I could experience the enigma that is lutefisk. I had heard about it - living in Norweigan-American country has its advantages - but had never taken the opportunity to try it. I didn't want to hog the experience to myself, so I invited Mike Wie to come with me.

An evangelical Lutheran church was holding a lutefisk dinner, so Mike and I headed there friday evening. We got our tickets (Mike footed the bill - thanks, Mike! Did I mention he let me live in his basement and keep my stuff in his garage for a few days? thanks again!) We were told to wait in the chapel until our numbers were called and then we could go down to the dining room to eat. Mike related this to an experience at a southern Baptist soup kitchen where people had to sit through a service before they were given a meal.


So yeah, we sat there and listened to a men's choir sing in Norweigan. When our numbers were finally called, we trudged downstairs to the dining room.

We were seated at a table of strangers and the food was brought out in platters, served family style. There was lutefisk, lefse, Norweigan meatballs, mashed potatoes with gravy, mashed rutabega, coleslaw, and cranberry sauce. The lutefisk was pale yellow and looked like jelly.

(notice how none of the food on my plate touches)


An older couple at my table gave us instructions on how to eat it. You take a piece of lefse (Norweigan flatbread), smear it with butter, throw some lutefisk on top, roll it up like a burrito, and eat it with your fork. Mike and I sprinkled brown sugar on ours to make it more palatable.


The verdict:
It tasted like fish.. but it felt like jelly. It was really weird. I'm sure if it came down to eat I could eat more, but since I didn't have to the little bit I took was plenty. The couple sitting next to me were seriously going to town on the stuff. Three large platters of lutefisk were delivered to our table, and they probably had 2-1/2 by themselves. They couldn't get enough of it.

Totally weird. Totally adventurous. Totally Mike Wie.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover fried rice with tilapia
Apple
Sourdough pretzel

Pics

Here are some pics for you..

Kevin and I carved some Halloween pumpkins. Mine's the one on the left.



I made this sweet potato pudding (that's Jamaican for sweet potato cake) and yeah, I guess I should've kept it in the fridge:


Stay tuned to read about my lutefisk-eating adventure!

Today's Lunch:
Club sub from Cousin's (ham, turkey, provolone, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, oregano on garlic-herb bread)
Salt 'n vinegar chips
Diet Coke