Another Chapter Closed

Tomorrow will be my last day at work. I put in my resignation two weeks ago. I am sad that it didn't work out and sad to leave the friends and connections I had made during my time there. I finally had my own desk in my own private space, but it wasn't enough. Work at an accounting firm is very hectic during the busy tax season. It was stressful, but the stress was exacerbated by a boss who was emotional, domineering and unclear with her directions. I have had bad managers in the past and experience told me that I would be happier if I should leave. It got to a point where I had to weigh whether it was worse to stay or to leave. Hopefully I made the right choice. It was a difficult decision which I tossed about in my head for months. I finally got so tired of thinking about it that I decided to take action.

In a way, maybe it is a good move. My skills as a word processor were not being fully utilized there. What they really need is a typist and not a word processor. A word processor types, that is obvious, but the two are not synonymous. Word processors, in general, possess more advanced skills than typists. They know how to properly format a document so that it works efficiently and looks consistent. Not everyone knows how to do this, although most people think they do, just because they use Word. Before I was a word processor, I thought that I knew how to use Word too... until I got a job as a professional word processor.

I want to try to become a professional freelance word processor/presentation specialist. If I could do that, pay off my debts, have a family and one day return to school for a more advanced degree, that would be great. For now, I have a lot of work ahead of me before I can even think of going back. On the bright side, I can get a head start by reading as much as I can about medieval art and history so that by the time I go back, I will be well prepared.

I would like to keep writing, but it's getting late and time for bed. Wouldn't want to be late on my last day of work!

Thai Kitchen - Thai Basil & Chili

It's lunchtime at work and I am having Thai Kitchen's Thai Basil & Chili rice noodles and sauce which is gluten-free. It comes in a paper box shaped like a Chinese take-out container. There are four packets inside: basil sauce, rice noodles, vegetables and peanuts. Should you forget your eating utensils, no need to fret, a plastic fork has thoughtfully been included in the box.

The Process
The noodles, sauce and vegetables go in first, followed by a cup of water (there is an incised line inside the box to measure the water). I used the hot water tap on the water cooler to get a head start. Everything is then mixed together. This can be a bit tricky since the water does not cover the rice noodles and it takes a bit of stirring to moisten the rice sticks. Using hot water, helps to soften the noodles better. Then the box goes into the microwave oven for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes remove stir and fold the lid down and let it stand for 3-4 additional minutes. Add peanuts, stir and enjoy.

Appearance
Everything looks a bit soupy before heating it up in the microwave, but after heating it up, the noodles absorb the water and softens. There may be a few crunchy noodle bits here and there, depending on how well the noodles were stirred. I was hoping to get something akin to the Thai dish Pad Kee Mao or Drunken Noodles, but it definitely did not look anything like that dish. I was disappointed with how it looked. The noodles clumped together after heating and were a bland greenish color from the basil sauce. It definitely gets a C in appearance.

Taste
Fortunately, the noodles did not taste as bland as it looked. It is spicy with lots of flavor. Before heating, the sauce reminded me of pesto in scent and color. The vegetable packet consists of carrot pieces which are definitely discernible and some green onions which is stated in the ingredients, but I didn't really detect it. Overall, it seemed a bit too salty for my taste.

The Verdict
The Chinese take-out concept is really cute and ecologically friendly. It is also health friendly; with its outer paper packaging, there is no Styrofoam or plastic leaching into the food to worry about when the food is heated, plus it is gluten-free. With its grab-and-go convenience, this meal can be eaten anywhere where there is a microwave oven (and you don't even have to remember to bring your fork). The entire meal was okay, but I'm not sure if I would buy it again since it was a bit too salty for my tastes. I would definitely try one of their other products though, to see if I like the taste better.

Slacker at Work

I haven't been writing as much as I would like on my nifty little netbook. I think the best thing to do would be to schedule a block of time instead of waiting for a time when I feel that I have time. So much to do and so little time!

Another problem is that I don't know what to write about. Some of my ideas include topics which need more research and will need to be revised and polished a few times before I can publish them online (although, up until now, most of my blogs have been written on the fly and published soon afterwards). One good idea came to me while I was listening to Slacker Radio at work.

Although Pandora seems to have a larger fan base, for some reason, it never seemed to appeal to me. C raved about Slacker and how much better it is than Pandora, so when Slacker offered a free trial premium subscription just for liking it on FaceBook, I figured, what the hey, I should give it a try.

Some of the features I like is the ability to create a station based on your favorite artists or genre. I found a lot of new country music that way, as well as goth and some Latin pop and rock. Heh, heh... what a combination, huh? Well, anyhoo... my favorite feature is being able to play specific albums and the ability to cache my favorite songs into playlists and also being able to cache entire albums. For $10/month, I can listen to any number of albums, which leads me to why I even mentioned Slacker in the first place. I am thinking of writing reviews for the albums I listen to. It would give me a good way to exercise my literary muscles as well as an endless supply of something to write about. Woo HOO!