The Start of the Holidays
November has been a strange month! It snuck up unplanned, and has busily passed without our noticing! We've noticed a difference being out of college though--we are free to relish and prepare for the holidays in a way that never happened when school was the main priority. Our Christmas tree went up on November 1st, and it may just become a tradition to set it up on my birthday (Oct 25) because it's so nice getting a few more weeks out of it!
My first choir concert was November 7 and it was a success. They had hoped to get 900 people to attend and we were busting at the seams with 1100 attendees! It was the first ever choir concert in the historic downtown cathedral and although we were nervous about the acoustics, it went well. The next day, we began Christmas music, as there would only be four more rehearsals before the concerts at the Mondavi Center on December 12! That is fast approaching but its easy to prepare such fun music--"Home for the Holidays, "Need a Little Christmas," and the "Hallelujah Chorus" are among the set list.
Erik's job is going very well. After three grueling weeks involving 52 hours per his four-day work week, his major project was finally completed and we sighed with relief. The hoped-for Mexico honeymoon didn't happen for multiple reasons, but we're aiming for next November. We felt better about it when we realized that Erik would NOT have to take two weeks off to get his promotion--only three days! So he became official at the start of the month and we'll see that reflected in the paycheck tomorrow!
I've been working at Gap sporadically since getting hired. I'm only a filler person for the holidays, so scheduling is somewhat disorganized, but no matter. My favorite shift is shipment from 5am-10am. It entails unpacking 50+ boxes of randomly assembled products, removing plastic wrap from every item, organizing them according to style, and restocking whatever is lacking on the main floor before the store opens. Things move very quickly and by the time you've finished a five hour shift, it's time for breakfast! I worked Black Friday, which was the first time I'd ever been out on that notorious day, but apart from parking a few blocks away and being shuttled in, it wasn't that exciting. The store wasn't any busier than it would be on a Saturday night. The managers were a little disappointed, but it must be the slower economy.
Erik spontaneously decided to fly down to visit his parents a few weeks ago since we won't be spending holidays with them. It was our first time apart as newlyweds! They were all very surprised to have an unknown person jump at them from behind the shower curtain and whatnot... he had fun cooking some of our favorite recipes for them, gifted his mom with a cute new hair cut and style, spent some time with friends, and generally had a nice time. We were still happy to see each other when I picked him up at the airport! Although I had anticipated a monotonous week alone, it was extremely productive. Apart from visiting Santa Rosa, working a few shifts, and spending a day with a friend from PUC--John Osio, I signed up with a high school Spanish student to tutor, which has been fruitful, and I got a call for another job opportunity...
Back in August, I found the Sacramento school district website and began applying for Bilingual Teaching Aide positions as they arose at various schools. Hollywood Park was the first to call. I interviewed on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and three days later, the district HR called to offer me the position! The job entails working with children who come from non-English speaking homes and getting them up to national proficiency levels. It's 3-4 hours a day, five days a week, and at nearly double the wage of Gap. I'm just tickled pink about it, and they've just called today to say I'm ready to start next week! I hadn't expected to begin until after the holidays, but that's all the more exciting.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Colby and Annie invited us to attend the Italian Film Festival in San Francisco with them. We saw one film, PA-RA-DA, which is Italian-produced but takes place in Romania. It's about a good-hearted clown who heads to Romania to teach street urchins his trade and get them on their feet. It sounded more lighthearted than it actually was, but it was still a good film. We wandered the city a bit, and the funniest event was when we stopped at a "Japanese Dessert" shop. If you've ever had one, you know that they contain bean paste, but somehow, that fact was generally ignored. Erik bit into our treat and said, "Not for me, you can eat it," as it wasn't very sweet. Colby bit into his and with powdered-sugar coated lips said, surprised, "There's refried beans in mine!" Annie responded dryly, "What did you expect when you saw 'bean paste'? And wipe your face--you look like a crack addict." She ended up finishing the treats herself, since she liked them best. Take this as a word to the wise, next time you're looking at artful Japanese desserts and expecting them to taste as delicately sweet as they appear.
Our first Thanksgiving was a memorable one. Since starting as a volunteer at the Food Bank, I've heard a lot about "Run to Feed the Hungry" on Thanksgiving Day. It sounded fun and at the last minute, we mustered the courage to give it a go. Neither of us had run a timed race before, and after some debate, we thought it'd be most satisfying if Erik ran 10k (6.2 mi) and I ran 5k (3.1 mi). Registration was online, we picked up the T-shirts and numbered bibs at REI, showed up on Race Day, and off we went. It was surprisingly simple to participate in the largest Turkey Day run in the nation, with over 30,000 participants! Erik finished 1008 out of 4273 runners, and I ranked 2877 out of 4747 for my race. Neither of us had aspirations of finishing near the top, so we were both very happy with our performance. That means there's only room for improvement for next year!
Participating in a rigorous run only made more room for delicious food that afternoon! My folks, brother, and paternal grandmother came over to share Thanksgiving with us. Alas, we had no turkey, but the meat eaters enjoyed a beef steak, and the veggies some Big Frank-Stripple Skewers. Among the traditional sides, we also had cranberry-brie puffs, goat cheese piquillo peppers, and squash soup, and dessert was a pumpkin pie with carmelized pecan crust. Mm-mmm! They headed home after a movie, and 24 hours later, on a whim, Erik and I were on our way to their house! My maternal grandparents came over so we had a repeat Thanksgiving, and everyone went to see Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. I think it was enjoyed by all!
So that was November! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Happy holiday preparations!
My first choir concert was November 7 and it was a success. They had hoped to get 900 people to attend and we were busting at the seams with 1100 attendees! It was the first ever choir concert in the historic downtown cathedral and although we were nervous about the acoustics, it went well. The next day, we began Christmas music, as there would only be four more rehearsals before the concerts at the Mondavi Center on December 12! That is fast approaching but its easy to prepare such fun music--"Home for the Holidays, "Need a Little Christmas," and the "Hallelujah Chorus" are among the set list.
Erik's job is going very well. After three grueling weeks involving 52 hours per his four-day work week, his major project was finally completed and we sighed with relief. The hoped-for Mexico honeymoon didn't happen for multiple reasons, but we're aiming for next November. We felt better about it when we realized that Erik would NOT have to take two weeks off to get his promotion--only three days! So he became official at the start of the month and we'll see that reflected in the paycheck tomorrow!
I've been working at Gap sporadically since getting hired. I'm only a filler person for the holidays, so scheduling is somewhat disorganized, but no matter. My favorite shift is shipment from 5am-10am. It entails unpacking 50+ boxes of randomly assembled products, removing plastic wrap from every item, organizing them according to style, and restocking whatever is lacking on the main floor before the store opens. Things move very quickly and by the time you've finished a five hour shift, it's time for breakfast! I worked Black Friday, which was the first time I'd ever been out on that notorious day, but apart from parking a few blocks away and being shuttled in, it wasn't that exciting. The store wasn't any busier than it would be on a Saturday night. The managers were a little disappointed, but it must be the slower economy.
Erik spontaneously decided to fly down to visit his parents a few weeks ago since we won't be spending holidays with them. It was our first time apart as newlyweds! They were all very surprised to have an unknown person jump at them from behind the shower curtain and whatnot... he had fun cooking some of our favorite recipes for them, gifted his mom with a cute new hair cut and style, spent some time with friends, and generally had a nice time. We were still happy to see each other when I picked him up at the airport! Although I had anticipated a monotonous week alone, it was extremely productive. Apart from visiting Santa Rosa, working a few shifts, and spending a day with a friend from PUC--John Osio, I signed up with a high school Spanish student to tutor, which has been fruitful, and I got a call for another job opportunity...
Back in August, I found the Sacramento school district website and began applying for Bilingual Teaching Aide positions as they arose at various schools. Hollywood Park was the first to call. I interviewed on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and three days later, the district HR called to offer me the position! The job entails working with children who come from non-English speaking homes and getting them up to national proficiency levels. It's 3-4 hours a day, five days a week, and at nearly double the wage of Gap. I'm just tickled pink about it, and they've just called today to say I'm ready to start next week! I hadn't expected to begin until after the holidays, but that's all the more exciting.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Colby and Annie invited us to attend the Italian Film Festival in San Francisco with them. We saw one film, PA-RA-DA, which is Italian-produced but takes place in Romania. It's about a good-hearted clown who heads to Romania to teach street urchins his trade and get them on their feet. It sounded more lighthearted than it actually was, but it was still a good film. We wandered the city a bit, and the funniest event was when we stopped at a "Japanese Dessert" shop. If you've ever had one, you know that they contain bean paste, but somehow, that fact was generally ignored. Erik bit into our treat and said, "Not for me, you can eat it," as it wasn't very sweet. Colby bit into his and with powdered-sugar coated lips said, surprised, "There's refried beans in mine!" Annie responded dryly, "What did you expect when you saw 'bean paste'? And wipe your face--you look like a crack addict." She ended up finishing the treats herself, since she liked them best. Take this as a word to the wise, next time you're looking at artful Japanese desserts and expecting them to taste as delicately sweet as they appear.
Our first Thanksgiving was a memorable one. Since starting as a volunteer at the Food Bank, I've heard a lot about "Run to Feed the Hungry" on Thanksgiving Day. It sounded fun and at the last minute, we mustered the courage to give it a go. Neither of us had run a timed race before, and after some debate, we thought it'd be most satisfying if Erik ran 10k (6.2 mi) and I ran 5k (3.1 mi). Registration was online, we picked up the T-shirts and numbered bibs at REI, showed up on Race Day, and off we went. It was surprisingly simple to participate in the largest Turkey Day run in the nation, with over 30,000 participants! Erik finished 1008 out of 4273 runners, and I ranked 2877 out of 4747 for my race. Neither of us had aspirations of finishing near the top, so we were both very happy with our performance. That means there's only room for improvement for next year!
Participating in a rigorous run only made more room for delicious food that afternoon! My folks, brother, and paternal grandmother came over to share Thanksgiving with us. Alas, we had no turkey, but the meat eaters enjoyed a beef steak, and the veggies some Big Frank-Stripple Skewers. Among the traditional sides, we also had cranberry-brie puffs, goat cheese piquillo peppers, and squash soup, and dessert was a pumpkin pie with carmelized pecan crust. Mm-mmm! They headed home after a movie, and 24 hours later, on a whim, Erik and I were on our way to their house! My maternal grandparents came over so we had a repeat Thanksgiving, and everyone went to see Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. I think it was enjoyed by all!
So that was November! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Happy holiday preparations!