Like The Tomato
just me, my books, and my journals
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Roma
Just slightly. My self loathing go overboard at times to be honest. And those days make me bound to bed, very emotional. Today my self loathing was at functional level. I may have moved slower than usual but I was still able to do things around the apartment. Well some things that needed to be done that did not involve me having to get out of the apartment.
On top of that, I’m very irritable. Why? Because I will be riding the crimson tide in the next couple days if not tomorrow. So my mood is very stretched thin. My allergies being in an all time high today is also a contributing factor.
My hun was very gracious and letting me take a rain check again today. I personally do not want to subject him to my foul mood. Yes, I would like to keep shielding him on days that I might be very difficult to handle. I can get really snappy when I’m like this. So he is better off hanging out with his friends today. I was lurking on his stream today, and he did seem to be having fun playing some DBD with his friends. So that’s a good thing.
I finished Forrest Gump. And that book was really heartwarming. That is the best adjective I can describe that book. He definitely lived his life, full of experiences that most of us would not ever get to experience in one lifetime. And I admired his resilience in everything. Next plan now is to watch the movie soon.
Scouring my bookshelf for my next read now. I’m debating if I want some romance next. I’m not sure. I’m debating if I want to give The Love Hypothesis another chance. I had to stop reading it because I cannot stand the incessant need to emphasize how tall the male love interest is. But I also feel like I want to read some more nonfiction to be honest. I have a few in my bookshelf right now. But I am also wanting some fantasy as well. I hate being a mood reader to be honest. I wish I can just stick to a to be read list like other readers out there. But I cannot.
I am currently watching You’ve Got Mail…again. I did say it’s one of my favorite movies.
I am not looking for another job or anything like that. But if an opportunity comes knocking on my door, I take a peek and see if it could be a right fit.
I interviewed recently for a biotech company for a supervisory position for their clinical trial group. I knew the company was looking to hire for that position, but I never applied. Because when it all comes down to it, I want to move away from lab work. Then their recruiter called. I got more information about the position from him, talked to the hiring manager, and got more information about it. It was not exactly what I was looking for, but it’s a remote position. It’s technically a step away from lab work. So I say why not? I didn’t get that job. And that’s okay. I was told that they would keep my info so if something opens up closer to my experience, they’ll give me a call. It’s okay though. I’m surprisingly fine about it. I wish I could say I’m disappointed, I’m not. I’m neutral about it at best, to be honest. I guess if I actually actively applied for that job, maybe I’ll have a different reaction.
So here I am minding my own business when I received another message from another recruiter…from a pathology lab this time. Again, looking for a supervisor. I talked to her this morning, and the opportunity seems promising. The compensation is decent. Downside – it’s about an hour from where I live. With the commute in this city makes the little increase from what I’m getting now makes the opportunity not worth it. Another one is the fact that this is another lab position. You know, the one that I’m trying to get away from. And third, what kind of challenge this lab can really give me when I’ve been doing the same line of job for more than 10 years?
I don’t know. The recruiter just sent me a message through LinkedIn. She wants me to meet the lab manager. And I’m honestly still trying to form the words in my head on how to say thanks but sorry.
It has been raining the whole weekend. And I love it. Like I said on a previous post, this is one of the reasons why I moved here. So every single time it’s raining, I’m happy! But when the lab your working at has leak in the ceiling, all rain weekend has it’s disadvantages. Yes, I walked into a mess.
First thing that came to mind was, “Shit! The fridges!!” But thank God, not the fridges but good ol’ regular ceiling leak! The thing that really frustrates me is the fact the we have been dealing with this bullshit for three years now. And regardless of how many times this has been brought up with management and then to the building manager, it’s still not been resolved.
A couple of weeks ago, they changed the ceiling tiles, that was a Wednesday. Thursday, it rained. Friday, new tiles have water damage. I mean, it’s very logical to say that having new ceiling tiles to replace the old ones due to water damage is useless when the leak itself has not been fixed!
I was pretty busy at work today, which was nice for a change. And not a lot of meetings either! Also the office seems crowded. Site leader was there, and the new lab supervisor started today. So yeah, crowded. Tomorrow though I have an early morning meeting and same on Wednesday. Both days my meeting starts at 7 AM, so I have to be onsite before that. Gross. Again, whoever schedules these meetings suck.
My love is having boy’s night right now. Which is okay. I’ll be reading after I post this. And also, playing You on the background again. Season 2, episode 2 currently playing right now. I still do prefer Season 1 hands down.
Okay, I think that’s it for today. Reading time.
Damn, it’s good to say that. For the past year and a half, I have been juggling school and work. Difficult was an understatement.
My routine was consisted of going to work in the morning on weekdays and doing school work when I get home seven days a week. There had been a lot of sleepless nights. Barely had time to do anything fun. And my social life went from barely existing to nada.
Last week was the last week of the program. But I am still currently waiting for an approval signature from my thesis sponsor, so I still have my brain in school mode. My body is currently adjusting to not having to do school work anymore. At least for now – I am deciding if I want to continue on with a PhD. But that is for another time.
My routine is definitely out of whack currently. Since I have been on a tight schedule for a while, I do not quite know what to do on the time that freed up. So I am rebuilding my routine now. Slowly. Like I said, my brain is still in school mode, and my body is catching up on all the sleep that I missed.
One thing that I need to get back on is reading. I had to sacrifice the main form of my escapism. This year, I only read four books and each book took months to finish. But my brain is currently on school mode still so I haven’t been able to pick up a book yet.
I want to get back into cooking as well. My diet took a huge hit. I ate every allergen. I ate a lot of instant ramen noodles. I relied on food deliveries.
I also want to go back to exercising. My health in general took a hit, I gained a lot of weight because I was eating unhealthy, I wasn’t moving around, and practically not sleeping. So I’d like to go back to cardio and lifting weights like I used to.
For now, these are the things that I want to go back to and incorporate back to my routine. Hoping that everything should balance out.
I have always enjoyed homecooked meals. Growing up, family dinner has been a staple in our household. Gathering around an oval table, my mom sitting at the head of it, with my brother and I on each side. We sit at that table at a specific time of the night – I would like to say 7 pm, and my mom would check in – what happened during the day, etc. Menudo is often on that table to share.
What exactly is menudo? The one the I grew up with is the Filipino version, I only realized that there is a Mexican version when I moved here in the US. The Filipino version of menudo is a tomato based pork stew, with liver, potatoes, carrots and raisins – at least this is how my mother makes it. And I still make it that way – sometimes. I have learned to change it to cater to someone who doesn’t like having the actual liver in the dish, or just omitting the liver entirely. Sometimes I add raisins, sometimes I do not. It really just depends. But regardless of how I cook it, it makes me feel at home – though for the most part, I eat alone.
What I love about this dish? It’s easy to make. It’s quick and it cooks in one pot. The ingredients are definitely accessible and inexpensive. One pot can last up to a week and the dish is even more delicious once it’s been sitting for a day or two – the flavors really come out. And it’s a perfect with steamed white rice – I love my steamed white rice.
What I used? Pork shoulder, Filipino red hotdogs, potatoes, carrots, onion, raisins, soy sauce, peppercorns, laurel leaves, and tomato sauce.
How I did it? In a large pot, I sautéed the onions in a little bit olive oil. I just sweat the onions, at least until it releases its aroma. Then I put the pork in. I add a little bit of soy sauce and cook it until it evaporates a little bit. This is when I add the tomato sauce, and the rest of ingredients. I let it boil in medium heat, then let it simmer in low heat for about an hour or so. I like my pork super tender and the veggies on the softer side (almost mushy), so until I get the right texture I want, I will just let this dish simmer in low heat. I occasionally stir and do a taste test. This is when I add a little bit of salt and pepper. Once it’s done, I serve this on top of freshly steamed white rice.
I would definitely like to make this without soy sauce one day – I am allergic to soy. But for now, I like the flavor soy sauce gives to it. Also, the goal is to make this with fresh tomatoes. I would like to not use tomato sauce in a can anymore. In time…you know, when I’m not so lazy.
By: Kate Moore
Format: Audiobook / Hardbound
Pages: 496
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Listening Length: 15 hours and 52 minutes
What do I do in my desperate attempt to battle a reading slump? Pick up a nonfiction about radium and how it affected the lives of the girls who worked in the watch making industry back in the day. Dark AF.
Nonfiction is something that I don’t pick up naturally. So when I decided to browse the genre in my library, it came as a surprise to me. What drew me initially was the cover. I mean, look at at it! Gorgeous! It was an instant borrow. I didn’t even read what it was about. I just went for it. And oh boy – it was a difficult read.
The book is about the radium girls – female workers of the watch industry basically applying this glowing material to watch dials. These basically chronicles the journey of the girls from the beginning of working in the factory through the trials that came years later.
I was lost in the pages in an instant. It was definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I was excited for them getting their first jobs, getting their own money. I was raging for them when they were placed in harms way by these corporations wanting to sell these watches. When they were not protected enough while working with radium. Then what little protection they had was taken away. I cried when each one of them experienced the fatal effects of radium to the human body. I cheered with them as they surge on to fight against the companies they worked for to get what they deserved for working in such greedy companies.
When I said I was hooked the first second I started listening to it, I was hooked. I wanted to see how the journey ended for these women. It was a rough journey, definitely one of the most difficult reads I’ve ever experienced. And I loved every single minute of it. The fact that my anxiety was definitely triggered while reading this book is a positive thing.
So if you are feeling up to reading some history and what kind off pushed OSHA that we have today, I recommend you pick up this book.