Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Mise en Place for 2011

My last post was in October, and the subject matter was totally indicative of how my life has gone since. Unbelievable excess and full-till-bursting, and then a huge THUD when I reached the bottom of my stress, moving into survival mode with time for nothing other than the essentials. But! Never fear, readers. I'm back. This food blog has been my "exercise writing" since 2006, and I don't intend to abandon it. No, sir-ee.

Therefore, ONWARD!

It's almost New Year's Eve, which means it's time to get stinkin' drunk and depressed about all the things I didn't accomplish in 2010, like being promoted at work, getting a raise, saving thousands of dollars, losing 30 pounds, getting my book ready for publication (not even getting it published - just ready!)—it's a lot to think about in the last week of December.

Fortunately, I accomplished some really wonderful things, too. I published a cover story in Orlando Weekly, registered for the Key West Literary Seminar in January (more to come on this), and re-entered the theatre world as the star of Tupperware Jubilee 2010 as the time-travelling Consultant, Marty McParty. I also survived my first semester as an English Comp I teacher, teaching 75 18-45 year olds was way harder than I anticipated, and managed to move into a pretty great place with my pretty great Cliff of three years now.

So, I guess 2010 wasn't so bad after all.

That being said, I can't imagine what 2011 holds. I have a few goals. The first one is to travel abroad again. My Cliff and I have plans to go to Vancouver to welcome the new MLS team, but I'd like to see Spain, too. I can't believe I never went, even after living in the vicinity for a year. I should have made time (perpetual regret). I want to eat things unavailable in the US again. I miss fumbling through language and being constantly surrounded by people fascinated with blonde haired girls. This year, Cliff and I will travel abroad.

By the middle of 2010, I also plan to have my manuscript READY to start sending to agents. If you're an agent reading this: please pester me to finish it. It will rock the food world. It will actually MEAN something to the food world.

I say that because I just downloaded a sample of Alan Richman's book "Fork it Over" and it was so boring, so "I'm a food critic, which is not as wonderful as it sounds...<insert gratuitous self-deprecation here>" that I couldn't finish the sample, let alone download the whole book.

I hope, when I am ready to publish, that my book speaks words that mean something.

I should shut up.

Other goals include: eating at Per Se in NYC, blogging at least once a week, cutting down on my sugar consumption. I'm just a sugar-holic. Those peppermint marshmallows I made for Christmas were INSANE.

Hello, 2011. I hope you're the Year of the Chef Hollywog.