I feel like I'm finally getting a grip on life here. I went through a couple weeks in October of homesickness, where I just wanted to get in my car and drive home. One of the downsides to working data entry for up to five hours in a day is that I have plenty of time to just think, and when that thinking is about all the things I miss from home, those five hours seem very long. It's a good thing my office is in the back where nobody can see me unless they make the specific effort of actually coming back there, (that is, if they even know there is an office back there) because I can be sad and maybe cry if I need to. One Friday a couple weeks ago, I was so close to driving home as soon as work was finished. After looking up air fare, and deciding that I didn't want to spend $200+ to fly home that night, I texted Mom, asking "how crazy would it be if I drove home tonight." To my dismay, she responded that with my car, that would be pretty crazy. That was probably wise, seeing as I've never driven that far by myself, and my car really isn't as reliable as I like to pretend. A Saturday at home, mopping with Mom would have been pretty Shamazing, however.
Part of my homesickness came because at home, with my family, I am my truest form of Emily. Being here, I miss doing some of the things that make me that way. I don't have time or resources to acommadate the baking I did at home, cleaning, and piano practicing. I miss our King Soopers grocery store, the high school choir community, my ward, and most of all, my family (Duh). Last week, therefore, I decided that I needed to do those things that make me feel like me. Monday night, I put on my favorite cleaning shirt, and attacked the hair, dirt, and grime that filled our bathroom. I used a considerable amount of Clorox Cleanup, and I'm pretty sure I was getting high on the fumes by the end, but the cleaning was wonderfully therapeutic and satisfying. Tuesday night, I took my ever-increasing stack of ironing down to the basement, and pressed all my t-shirts and jeans as only a daughter of Denise would. The rest of the week went well, and I was able to get on top of my school work.
The week culminated with Halloween, which I spent with my friends at the condo. Our plan was to make homemade pizzas with homemade pizza crust, which failed when the dough I mixed up was severely floury. It didn't even hold together. Leaving behind the failed dough, I drove over to the dorms to pick up the two carloads of party guests. (One of my friends really needs to get a car.) On the way back, we picked up some pizza crust mixes, but by the time we got back, one girl had found a way to repair the dough. Thus, we had four pizzas, and enough dough leftover to make a pan of cheesy bread and cinnamon sticks. The pizzas turned out deliciously, and we topped them so that when they were cut into pieces, each piece would look like a piece of candy corn. (See pic below for visual)
The Halloween pizza! It was actually pretty delicious.
Patriotic cheesy bread. Even things without minds had their minds on the upcoming election!
Making Halloween houses
Monster dough.
There was more that I had to report, but I'm too behind, so I'm going to move forward.
3 comments:
Homesickness is its very own brand of sadness. Your car might not make it back to Denver, but it could surely make it over to my house! Feel free to drop by anytime you need a little home away from home. You can mop with me! (that cracked me up that that was one of the things you were missing)
I think you're definitely on to something with making time to do the things that make you feel like you.
I agree, you should head over to Michelle's and be totally entertained by Blue Bug!! Then you could have additional blog topics! (Although it doesn't look like you need any additional ones!) I like your thought--I'm moving on. I have so many back-logged ideas that indeed, they're past season!
I think you owe it to us to tell the secret to saving the dough! Hello! For all us bread makers (Petersen girls....) that was a tease! At 1:30ish am, that pizza looked pretty dang good!
I'll keep you in my prayers for homesickness recovery. Only a few more weeks till Thanksgiving and chocolate turkeys.....hang in there. And, drop by Michelle's!!
One last thing, nice going on the cleaning tangent!! I'm sure you were one popular roommate! If you're not careful, you could be targeted as a "let's see if Emily if feeling super homesick tonight...."! Hard work is theraputic and almost always rewarding. Pres. Irying said once that going past the point of exhaustion prepares us for enduring to the end!! (or pretty similar, anyway!) I hold on to that thought! I like it. I like you too. Goodnight!
Sorry to have to be the Kill Joy. I guess Moms need to be the voice of reason at times. Believe me, I wish with ALL MY HEART that you had been able to come home and mop! I'm feeling rather overwhelmed in that department lately.
Mostly, I love it that you love to be home so much. And I love it that cleaning soothes your soul, as it does mine (it's making the time for it that is so distressing!).
I love "the truest form of Emily," indeed, I love all forms of Emily (except for possibly the one who falls asleep on the couch at midnight, before getting ready for bed. . .)!
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