On occupational hazards....

I'm moving to the East Cost in 75 days. Holy crap. I kind of can't believe how quickly it's sneaking up on me. Today, I handed my resignation letter over to my boss. There aren't really words to describe how much I'm going to miss my job and my co-workers. This job has done a lot for me, especially where stability is concerned. My life went into some pretty big upheaval right around the time I started working here and it was something I was able to count on every single day to get me up and keep me going. 

But my life is taking a much different route than I ever thought it would. So it's time to put my thinking cap on and find new and interesting ways to occupy my time while I'm unemployed during my first few months on the East Coast. So far, I've come up with the following activities: 

1. Train for my first marathon. 

2. Find a yoga studio and keep my practice going. 

3. Learn to cook and bake new things. 

4. Start writing again, in earnest.

It's #3 where I sort of fall apart. I want to learn to make sushi and I want to perfect my prime rib. I also need to re-learn how to bake since I'll be doing it at sea level for the first time in my life. I'm both excited and terrified. So I'm asking for help in figuring out recipes I should learn for meals and desserts. Here's what's on my list right now: 

•  some kind of cupcake with an avocado frosting
•  caramelizing onions (probably for French onion soup, so I can continue to make Leah's amazing recipe...I'll probably work my way through her recipe catalog)
•  cook an amazing boeuf bourguignon (I'm starting to wonder if I should do a Julie & Julia thing...)
•  figure out how to do a souffle dessert
•  perfect my green chili
•  learn how to make Surf n' Turf
•  try to make legit chicken korma
•  complicate my baklava a bit in preparation for Christmas

So there you have it, my darling readers...give me your ideas and recipes and help me stay occupied this Fall!