New Years Resolutions Update

Just a random update on my New Years Resolutions.

Well, most importantly, I've gotten my Project finished, which is not only a major accomplishment for the year but for my life as well. Ironically enough, I may have very well finished it precisely one year since its conception. Poetic, but I still didn't want it to go on for that long. Regardless, it's done. I'm thinking less and less of the Circumstance day by day, and Michigan is becoming an uninteresting memory. I love Texas. All I need now is a job and blasted library card: My brain is starving.

Without your knowing, I've tried a new salt. It may not be fancy, but I decided to go with the McCormick sea salt grinder to start my exploration, which is salt derived from a different sea than it my usual Morton's sea salt. I've definitely noticed it's more intense than Morton, but I hate the setup of the grinder, as it seems to be difficult to try and set to a finer grind. As of right now I hold off on using this salt regularly due to its intensity, as I'd like to save it for more special dishes, such as dry aged beef. Now that I'm in Texas it'll be easier to try out new salts, as there are plenty of nearby stores with new things to try. Himalayan pink salt both looks and sounds intriguing.

Unfortunately, I'm back to square one in regards to saving up for that camera for food photography. Combining the facts of my first trip to Texas for my stage, my move up here, and my unemployment, I have depleted my savings for that endeavor. All for a good cause anyhow, and if I work hard enough I'm sure I can get myself back to where I was in the first place. I still consider myself having the $100 set aside for my chocolate restock, but I'm more than sufficient in my review supply for right now, so I'm going to let that ride until I actually need the chocolate, but I'll also use the savings if I need to too. It might be best to hold off until I get a job. Such would be financially wise. I think it's probable that I'll get a job fairly quickly, but probability is not equivalent to certainty.

As to my other goals, I'm not worrying too much about them right now. I've been recontemplating my role as an intellectual activist, so I'm considering modifying my original goal of writing a LTE every week into submitting a set number of comments per week on online articles, and the whole thing about trying sous vide cooking is on hold until I get extended access to a better kitchen (since I'm renting a room). Trying a grass fed steak, however, seems like it may have gotten easier, as my nearby Whole Foods does carry completely pasture-raised meat. For a while I thought I'd be forced to order online, and that's be a pain since it's both more expensive and has extravagant minimum order standards.

The thing I'd like to get to work on as soon as possible is back to reading my way through twenty books. I'm behind, and I feel intellectually frustrated since I currently can't rent books from the library. That birth certificate is going to take forever to ship, which is what I need to change my registration and license and become a Texan resident, and thereby qualify for a library card. Bah.

It strikes me a funny that some places are still calling 2011 the New Year. As far as I'm concerned, the year has lost its peak freshness and began its mid-momentum right after January 31st. Anyhow, even as the year feels to me like its lost its hierarchy, I've still got in mind the aims I've set.