incompetence

so when i moved to houston three weeks ago and tried to get internet set up in my apartment there was snafu after snafu.

phone call to at&t #1: i am told i can't get internet turned on because the person who lived here before me hadn't turned their internet off and i was supposed to contact that person and tell them to turn it off.  WHAAAT?

phone call to at&t #2: i am told okay, we can fix that problem, but someone can't come out to push some magic button or something inside your apartment that turns on the internet for a week.  i wait the week.

phone call to at&t #3: that person didn't show up.  at&t tells me it would be a whole nother week before another person could come out to push this button, and no they don't need to get into your apartment silly.  who told you that?  um, YOU DID.  i ask to speak to a manager because it is THEIR fault that no one showed up, and i'm not waiting a week.  i'm told a manager will call me.  they never do.

phone call to at&t #4: the last person told me it would be a week but YOUR person didn't show up and i'm not waiting a week.  they say okay, okay, someone will come out tomorrow.  victory!

THIS PERSON NEVER SHOWED UP EITHER.

so i just tried to install the internet myself and it worked!  i have internet!  life is amazing again!

except i don't think at&t knows this.  they have called no fewer than 5 times since then to try to reschedule the appointment where someone comes out to push the magic button.  i've missed all these calls, and then just deleted the messages.  my internet works!  i'm not calling them back and sitting on hold.  but i also haven't received a bill...so...who knows what is going on.

moral of the story: at&t's customer service: B.A.D.

what i've been eating

i LOVE having my own kitchen again...which you've probably noticed from the number of food-related posts over the past three weeks.  i love everything about it: shopping, planning, the cooking itself.  being able to cook again + not having many friends (yet) in my new city = i haven't visited many houston restaurants yet, so i'm relying on a lot of recommendations as i plan where i'll go with my visitors this weekend.

yesterday i made this potato salad and it was wonderful.  no mayo, just a mustardy-vinegarette over it, which made it light and summery.  and lots of veggies (snap peas and asparagus) were mixed in so it felt more like a salad salad than a potato salad.  yummmm.  i ate up the leftovers as quickly as possible.

today i made pizza dough using the recipe from the cooking class i took in new york this spring.  i topped it with crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, parmesan cheese, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms.  it was OUT OF THIS WORLD.  if i could only eat one food for the rest of my life, this would be it.

let me also say there is no more perfect dessert than blackberries and peaches sprinkled with a tiny bit of sugar and allowed to get juicy.  YUM.

um, people.  there is a great farmer's market a couple blocks from my apartment!!!

(it would probably be a 15 minute walk from my apartment, but at the moment it is a 3 minute drive because it's far too warm to walk...)

this market is open year round on weekends in a big parking lot, and there were hundreds of people there yesterday morning.  in addition to all the normal fruits and veggies there were a few stalls selling paninis or crepes or indian street food, and there was live music and plastic chairs to sit around and listen to this music.  it's not just ANY farmer's market that's around the corner, it's a fantastic one!  i am so excited to make this a regular part of my weekends.

today i bought corn, the best tomatoes i've eaten in a LONG time, peaches, amazing blackberries, and mushrooms.

i was momentarily very confused about seeing corn in a farmer's market in mid-june.  my mom JUST planted the corn in her garden at home, and i'm used to corn being in season in august.  then i remembered that i live in texas now.  a google search led me to this on almanac.com

in houston you plan your corn in mid-march.

where i grew up you plant your corn in early june.

woah.  this is a whole new kind of south.  but i win, since it means i get many additional months of corn on the cob!

mini apartment tour!

my apartment is coming together!

i have some cute french doors that open into my bedroom...note the great (aka hard-to-sleep-in) morning light through the windows.

this is the dining room, with bookcase and table and chairs from ikea...

bookshelf/tv stand in the living room (also ikea)...with the kitchen behind it (you can see our friend the old microwave in the background)...

spiral staircase that goes up to the office/guest room...excuse the boxes - this picture is a couple weeks old.

living room with new chair and couch!  the couch was just delivered yesterday, so this room is finally put together.  i think the living room will be my favorite part of the apartment.

nothing on the walls yet...that's the next step!

so excited to welcome my first guests next weekend - mom, becky, aunt monica, and cousin sara are coming to visit!

i'm off to austin for two days with the rest of my office to tour UT-austin, meet the admissions staff, schmooze, etc.  my first college visit of what i'm sure will be many as my dean/college counselor role takes shape...i've already got a visit to rice on my calendar for next week.  my grandpa worked in private schools and was a college counselor for some of his career, and my dad says he knew something about every imaginable college.  i may become that person, too...

sweat

so...seriously, people.  it's not just exercising outside that has me sweating more than i ever have before.  my yoga studio keeps their rooms warmer than i'm used to, and i am now that person who has to bring a towel to yoga and wipe the sweat off her body before it drips all over the place.  dripping sweat has never been a part of my personal vocabulary, but it is now.  i see some potential reasons:

option 1: i am not acclimated to southern heat after a year in new york and my body is like HELP WHAT IS HAPPENING.

option 2: everyone in houston sweats all the time and this is completely normal and i better get used to it.

option 3: i have turned into an NBA player.

i'm going with option 2.

summer officially starts on friday.  woah buddy.  i recognize that this is just the beginning...

muffins!

i made muffins - cheddar and jalapeño muffins, which is the very best kind of muffin, i have decided.

i smartly halved the recipe, and after eating two muffins when they were hot out of the oven (i mean, it's impossible not to do that, right?  melty cheese!), i just have four more.  four is a reasonable number of muffins to live in a single person's apartment.  ten muffins would be absurd, and that's the kind of thing that discourages me from baking.  what is a person to do with a dozen muffins?  hooray for halving the recipe.

you're also getting a look at my dishes - plates, tiny plates (shown here), and two sizes of bowls that my grandma jane gave me when i first graduated from college.  they were the ones from her and my grandpa's house, but it's an incomplete set (there's only four cereal bowls, for example), so she got rid of them and bought a new set when they moved to florida.  she also gave me her old set of silverware, which i LOVE.  it's the perfect weight and shape for silverware to be.  when i lived in atlanta i always used my roommate's dishes and silverware, but i'm so happy to have this now that i'm on my own!

happy father's day to a dad who has always supported my dreams and helped me make them a reality.  i love you!

a photo a day

another walk at rice university this morning - it's a quick 5 minute drive from my apartment, and i was in the car at 8am to avoid the worst of the heat.  WHO AM I.

this is pretty cool - the moon gets used in a corona billboard.  (watch the video!)

6:30am

This has been my first week of work at my new job, and so far it has been great. It's disarming to know nothing after feeling like I knew all the ins and outs at my old job, but I recognize that this is normal and I'm just trying I learn as much as I can this month. My new coworkers have made me feel so welcomed, from having my computer and keys and business cards (!!) ready for me when I arrived on Monday to their interest in teaching me aspects of my new job.  All is going well!

I have been setting my alarm for 7:45 and leaving my house at 8:30 (we work 9-3 in the summer, which is fantastic), but the past two days I've woken up at 6:30 and been unable to go back to sleep, so I've read a fair amount of my book as I slowly wake up...and today I made crepes from scratch for breakfast. On a weekday. At 7am. It was pretty awesome and VERY unlike me to be productive before work. My bedroom windows face east and my room gets light in the mornings, so this is part of the reason for the early wake ups. Okay for now...potentially annoying in the long term. 

a photo a day

i bought a couch, but it can't be delivered until next week.  until then, this is my couch.  yes, that's a comforter folded in half.  it is not comfortable.  i am sure you are not surprised.  but i can lie down and watch movies, so i'll take it for now!

what i'm listening to right now

"man on fire," by edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros:



a friend from grad school introduced me to this song (and the video is pretty awesome, too).  i recommend that you dance around your house while listening to it.  that's what i'm doing...

a photo from sunday

on sunday morning i went for a walk on a trail that makes a three mile loop around rice university.  it was humid as...i don't even have anything to compare it to.  let me just say that sweat was literally dripping off my arms.  arms.  i have never had that experience before.  it was 88 degrees when i got home, with a heat index that apparently made it feel like it was 100.  crikey.  these morning walks might have to end soon because it's 85 degrees at 9am right now, and will only get worse.

i took this picture on sunday, and i fell a little bit in love with houston on the walk, even through the heat.  i just didn't imagine texas to look like this.

“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”
--Rosa Parks

every morning i do the following, in this order, on my iphone while lying in bed.  it helps me wake up gradually while not having to move at all.  usually i have only one eye open, because it's easier to read with one eye than to ask your morning-eyes to focus.

step 1: check email
step 2: check facebook
step 3: open new york times app and see if there are any articles i want to read.  this morning i read this article: "bob fletcher dies at 101; helped japanese-americans."  tears were shed.  amazing story.  but damn it, crying 5 minutes after you wake up isn't ideal.  this is the danger of my morning routine.

miss claire's microwave

this is what happens when you don't have tv or internet yet: you make a weird video for your blog.

you should know: my apartment is fantastic, but the kitchen appliances are outdated.  they work just fine, but it's a little bit like living in a time warp.  see below.  i crack myself up.


(the first microwave i remember my parents getting?  it was newer than this one...)

observations about starbucks

i don't have internet set up at my apartment yet (though that process is in motion...but taking longer than i want it to.  sigh.), but starbucks has free wireless and i've been spending an hour or two at a starbucks every day since i arrived, doing all those things one does online.  there is also a great deal of people-watching and people-listening to be done at a starbucks.  here are some things i have observed:

an entire class of 8th graders and their teacher who came in for a coffee-shop poetry-reading experience.  which was probably cool for the kids but was horrible for all the other people there (myself included).  i don't want to hear awkward 8th grade poetry and then forced clapping.  ugh.

two job interviews, each more awkward than the first.  the person doing the interview is calm and practiced and looks like he knows what he's doing.  the person being interviewed is awkwardly wearing a suit in a starbucks.  after doing many, many interviews myself this year, i feel for the interviewee.

one "how to be an american" conversation led by some professional-looking woman who'd made a whole binder with pages like "how to get a cell phone" and "how to get car insurance." she who spent at least an hour going through everything in the binder with an australian man.  this is a service that some company provides?  i mean, it's genius, but i had no idea.

one first date thing?  she was like 35 and he was like 65 and she talked the WHOLE time and he just looked at her with googley eyes.  there was a prolonged hug at the end.  this was at 10am on a friday.  what?!  so uncomfortable.

one bus driver who, while i was sitting on the starbucks patio, parked her bus at the curb and ran in for a coffee.  THERE WAS A PASSENGER ON THE BUS.

two strangers agreeing that "this is the best starbucks, in terms of character, in the city."  what does this even mean?  and forgive me, but aren't all starbucks THE SAME?  isn't that kind of the point?

oh starbucks.  thank you for your free internet and your entertaining patrons.

observations about houston

the mornings and evenings are lovely - 70s, breezy.  let's not talk about the middle of the day.

strangers are friendly - hooray!  welcome back to the south, miss claire!

i've been waking up BEFORE EIGHT AM because my bedroom window faces east and my blinds aren't the best.  shockingly, so far this hasn't made me too grumpy and i've gotten out of bed - this morning i was on a run/walk on a 3 mile trail in a nearby park at 8:45am.  pick your jaw up off the floor: it's true.  when it's 85 degrees by 11am you have to get yourself in gear early.

i have emptied every box from my move!  i use the word "emptied" instead of "unpacked" because there is a huge pile of things on my dining room table that need to be organized and/or put away.  but progress is being made.

i made some yummy lentil stew from a recipe my friend nigel gave me; he made it when i was visiting him and nora in DC a couple weeks ago and i kind of went nuts for it.  seriously: delicious.  when i made it this week i ate it with some crusty bread and brie.

French Lentil Stew 
2 T butter
2 med onions, thinly sliced (2c)
1 sm celery stalk, cut into ¾ in pieces (½ c)
1 carrot, chopped
3 or 4 lg garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 t curry powder
1 c canned crushed tomatoes, or chopped, canned plum tomatoes
1 c lentils
3 c vegetable broth
3 c water
1 bay leaf
½ c coarse bulgur wheat
salt & freshly ground pepper
1.5 – 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lime juice)
½ c sour cream, crème fraiche, or plain yogurt (opt) for garnish
1/3 c thinly sliced green onions (opt) for garnish

Melt the butter in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots & garlic; cover the pot and cook the vegetables without browning for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes more. Stir the lentils into the pot.

Add the broth and 3 cups of the water, and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the bulgur wheat and continue to simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender and the bulgur is tender-firm, about 10 minutes more. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Stir up to 2 T lemon juice into the stew and serve it in a warm terrine or bowl. Stir the sour cream to liquefy it slightly and drizzle about 1 T over the top of each serving. Give each a good grind of pepper, sprinkle with scallions, and serve very hot.

Makes 6 – 8 servings.

From “Come For Dinner” by Leslie Revsin

Note from Nigel: We like to add a wad of spinach at the end (either fresh or frozen) (~1/2 lb).

may: 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17

may: the month of finishing school and moving home to north carolina and then out to houston.
(june has so far been busy busy busy, so i'm a little late in posting this...)

this month i read:

wolf hall, by hilary mantel (the much-talked about historical novel about thomas cromwell and his relationship with king henry the eighth. so…i liked this book and all, but i’ve read a few other historical novels about the era (philippa gregory, mostly) and i didn’t think this was SO much better than those. yet people rave about this book. i don't know - i enjoyed it and it's very well written, but i wouldn't send you rushing out to the bookstore to buy it.)

mandela's way, by richard stengel (i read this for a grad school class and it's one i'll definitely be keeping on my shelf. the author is the man who helped nelson mandela write his autobiography (long walk to freedom), and he has formed a close relationship with mandela. this book takes pieces of advice from mandela and explains how mandela lived out that advice.  a quick read, but very rich - you can read a chapter in 15 minutes, but it really makes you think.)

let the great world spin, by colum mccann (i really, really liked this book.  it's fiction, but a real life even occurs in the middle of it.  the story is told through several inter-connected narrators in new york city in 1974 when philippe petit walked across the world trade towers on a tightrope.  i'd seen the documentary man on wire, which is a must-watch for anyone who likes documentaries.  (eww, i can't believe i just said "must-watch."  but it is.)  this book is an A+.  this article about high school kids in newtown, CT reading the book is very cool.  put this book on your summer reading list!)

word freak, by stefan fatsis (this book follows the author, a sports writer, as he spends a year trying out competitive scrabble. this was a re-read for me, and while i enjoyed it (it was perfect subway reading - short chapters, not a complicated plot line), i remembered it as being better than i thought it was this time around.)

let's explore diabetes with owls, by david sedaris (as always, david sedaris is hilarious. this was my book club's pick for the month and i was glad for an excuse to buy the book. if you don't know any of david sedaris's writing you are missing out. correct that soon.)

what i'm listening to right now

a dad recommendation!

"gulf coast highway," by nanci griffith (here in a duet with darius rucker when he was just the dude from hootie and the blowfish):



while we're at it, this needs to be a darius rucker double feature.  i just heard this on the radio and love this version of a GREAT song:

darius rucker covering old crow medicine show's "wagon wheel":

“It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see, and pursuing that vision no matter who tells you not to.”
--Howard Schultz

moving recap!

we left north carolina.  we realized the uhaul could go up to 65 or 70!  we passed trucks!  it was all very exciting.

dad did probably two-thirds of the driving, but i helped out.  the uhaul was actually pretty easy to drive (compared to my fear of how hard it would be to drive) and we listened to podcasts, music, and the audiobook of bill bryson's a walk in the woods.  we were well entertained.

we got to houston on friday night and becky (from dallas) and my college/atlanta friend jenny (from austin) came to town to help me move in!  it was amazing to have their help and company.

dad and becky assembling furniture (i bought two bookshelves, a dining room table and chairs, and an end table for the living room at ikea...and didn't put a single one together.  luxurious!):

jenny was able to stay until monday (becky and dad left on sunday - frowny face), so we went for a walk and lunch with her dog piper on monday morning before she drove back to austin.

and dad bought me a vacuum and becky and brandon bought me a sodastream as a housewarming present!!

there are lotssss of skinks (or lizards or whatever they are) that hang out outside my apartment.  they say, "welcome to texas, claire!"

it is pleasant outside before 10am and after 9pm, which is more than i expected.

photos of the apartment to come once i've finished unpacking!

gold star to dad for all his help moving out here and moving in, and also for not complaining about the 2 hour trip through ikea.  i couldn't have done it without him!  silver star to becky for the help moving in, decorating tips, and furniture assembling.  bronze star to jenny for help moving in and for introducing me to her friend kate who i hope will become my friend kate!

final location update

houston, texas!

states driven through since i left new york:
11. mississippi
12. louisiana
13. texas

dad and becky were a huge help in unpacking and cleaning and building ikea furniture and being good company.  they left yesterday, and now i'm alone in my new city.  eek.

i have a week until i start work and lots of errands to run and projects to do.  photos from the trip will appear on the blog soon, and once i unpack the remaining boxes i'll have some photos of my apartment, too!  stay tuned, patient readers...

what i'm listening to right now

"june hymn," by the decemberists:


this band writes some beautiful lyrics - they make ordinary words seem special.  happy june, everyone!