I'm not a complete failure after all....

soooooooooooo.............. I PASSED! If you haven't read any of my recent Twitter or Facebook updates, let me give you a refresher. I FREAKING PASSED! Thank you Jesus, Joseph, and The Virgin Mary! You have no idea how much of a relief it is to know that I was able to get passed this enormous hurdle. As you're reading this, I'm doing my interpretation of the best end zone dance EVER!

I don't know if they intentionally put all the pressure on you at the beginning of culinary school, or if it's like the culinary equivalent of Darwin's theory by weeding out the ones who can't cut it, but I am so glad that it's over and done with. It feels like a release valve was just turned on, and all the pressure that was building up over the past three levels is being expelled into the outer atmosphere.

It's been a while...

I know, I know... first question: where the hell have I been? There's no real excuse for my absence, other than being shoulder deep in life. Plain and simple life. It's exhausting!

I wake up each morning tired but ready to push forward. There are days when I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel running at the speed of sound, but still going no where. Strange that it still feel like that. Am I the only one who constantly thinks my life has yet to amount to anything? I mean I don't sit at home on my couch all day, but there are moments when I just don't recognize the progress or accomplishments. I don't want to die and someone at my eulogy talk about how I started a bunch of crap but never managed to finish.

on the brain

ughhhh.... seriously disgusted with my site. A fifth grader could have done a better job designing it. Could I be any more lame?

At least Chef X thought my roast chicken was good... just have to get the au jus a little thinner.

Norm!

I used to sit and stare at these images each time I'd visit my pediatrician's office as a kid. Growing up I was never really exposed to art by my parents, but I knew there was something special about Norman Rockwell. His images really ingrained in my mind the concept of the American Dream.

I wanted to be everything American…. a Girl Scout, a good student, civic minded, hard working. I think as the world has grown smaller, we as a country have lost some of our American identity. No longer do we aspire to be Americans, but we aspire to be global, international, and universal.

Before you can help improve the world, you sometimes have to stop and better YOURSELF first. Our nation has become divided by ideals, but at the end of the day we are all struggling to attain the same thing. Happiness.

Happy Birthday Mr. Rockwell! Thank you for inspiring me to be a better person.