well, hello

I've survived my first week of work. It was a pretty easy one, as my boss and mini-boss are trying to make sure we're well-rested, prepared, and underwhelmed by the time August (and 21 straight working days) hits. I am still enamored with the school and its leadership and my department, but I don't think I really adequately prepared myself for the transition from Tucson to small town, rural conservative Midwest (though I've lived "there" but not "here," before, if that makes sense) and from tight-knit similarly minded community to...not so much. To say I've been surprised by some of the things I've heard and seen is an understatement. My boss more than adequately labeled it culture shock and it is, of course, compounded by the other transitions in my life and possibly more so, the fact that I don't quite have "home" yet due to my apartment not being ready until the end of the month.

However, because I need to get over my culture shock at some point or another, I've decided to actively embrace some of the..benefits? quirks? of small town living and thus, I will be entering AT LEAST one recipe in the upcoming county fair competitions, providing I can figure out how to do that. Information on the Internet is woefully absent in these parts, so I am going to have to make an actual phone call (holy cow!) to the office that coordinates these things. I'm thinking that if there's a cookie competition, those ridiculously bad for you chocolate oatmeal caramel bars are definitely on the docket.

I may also repeat my Tucson culinary tour in a slightly different way--there are probably a dozen little local restaurants in this town, none of them terribly good, but I may as well make some kind of goal of getting to know them all, for the sake of something to do and for when guests come (COME VISIT. PLS. BRING CACTI. AND SPOTTED COW. AND GOOD MEXICAN FOOD.). Bring on the spreadsheet, baby!

I've also started running again because, well, it's past time for me to do something nice for my body and mental health on a regular basis, having taken the last year and change off from any type of regular training and exercise. There are some truly excellent places to run around these parts (where the sun doesn't burn your flesh, either!) and I've been enjoying those in the morning.

Um, this is starting to sound like a "What I Did With My Summer" post in a weird sort of way, so...T-Rex out!