Armageddon USED to be my favorite movie

Lately, New Hampshire and most of New England has been subject to some pretty wild weather. We're talking brutal winds. Torrential rain. Rapidly changing temperatures. Huge, powerful waves. Flooding so bad, thoughts of building an Arc aren't such a bad idea anymore (anyone have access to a pair of hyenas? Cheetahs? Giraffes?) Every morning I wake up and peek out my window, expecting brimstone and hail at any moment. Armageddon, perhaps?

Okay, maybe not that extreme. But still, pretty alarming. The crazy weather we've been experiencing is beginning to make an appearance in my thoughts and dreams at night. Just this past night (or morning, should I say, since I had this dream at about 5:00 this morning), I dreamed of tornadoes and falling trees, and rain that came down in sheets like the water from a shower-head. I was with several people, my mom being one, but I don't quite remember who else. We were in the backyard of my sister's God-parents' house in Greenland, NH, but her God-parents weren't there. It was windy and raining, but we were still running around in the backyard, until a small funnel tornado appeared at the edge of the tree line. We ran for shelter, but I remember watching a giant tree snap in half like a twig and fall. And then roll, crushing other trees in its path. I know that isn't possible but hey, it was a dream. This sequence repeated several times, a tornado appearing and us running for shelter, then going back outside and it happening all over again. I think I got annoyed with the repetition, which is what woke me from the dream.

Pretty strange.

What else is going on, besides inclement weather? My birthday is quickly approaching, Easter Sunday. Happy Birthday to me: I get to work a double shift because Easter is pretty busy at the Wentworth. I went to dinner last night at Brazo with Deb and some friends, for Restaurant Week. I'd never been to Brazo before, even though it is one of Phelps's restaurants. I was very impressed! Restaurant Week is a week-long event, it happens about twice a year, in which 30 or so area restaurants participate. They create a special menu, or select certain items from their regular menu, and offer a 3-course meal for a set price. Lunch is $16.95 set price, and dinner is $29.95. It has proven very successful in the past couple of years, and is something that we all look forward to each year. So last night at Brazo, I ordered the following:

• Ahi tuna tartar with capers, lemon, soy, red onion, cilantro aioli and sweet potato chips (absolutely DELICIOUS!)
  
• Roasted acorn squash filled with a savory mixture of quinoa, sautéed zucchini, red pepper, and goat cheese. Served with black bean puree and watercress salad
• Pistachio studded chocolate terrine with candied pistachios, raspberry coulis, and burnt orange mascarpone cream

To drink I had a Red Sangria, made with Brazilian natural cane rum, Los Cardos Malbec wine and fresh fruit juices. TO DIE FOR. I absolutely loved every part of my meal. I can't wait to go back to Brazo again soon!

....Which won't be for some time, I'm afraid. You see.... I am MOVING! To New York! Ah! I have been asked to travel within my company and head to The Sagamore Hotel and Resort in Bolton Landing, NY, which is on Lake George. I am going to be the Assistant Pastry Chef there, in training for the Executive Pastry Chef position, should the current EPC decide to leave. I leave for NY on Monday the 5th with a stop in Burlington for a day or so. I will be in Bolton Landing on April 7th and ready to start work on the 8th. The hotel is seasonal, so it is only open until after Thanksgiving, and then closes for the winter. So I will be returning to the NH Seacoast in about 8 months. This is a really good opportunity for me to learn about the workings of a much larger bakeshop and its production (the Sagamore is about twice the size of the Wentworth and does a little more than double the production that we do). It is also a good opportunity to network with other chefs, and also a good resume booster. Plus, I have an opportunity to advance my career... though I'm not particularly certain this is the direction I want my career to take. However, it will be a good experience nonetheless.

I think one of the best parts of being in NY is how close I will be to Burlington! I think it's about an hour away, so I will be able to see my sweet, wonderful Bear more often! And my Goddess-sister, when she returns to New England from her adventures and travels. Which, by the way, I simply cannot wait to hear about! I believe she will be returning on the day I leave, so hopefully I will get to see her soon enough! So, I'd better sign off and return to packing. I never realized how much junk I've managed to accumulate throughout my life, and sifting through it to pack and organize (take to NY vs. leave behind) has not been an easy task. However, I was pleased to discover some pictures from my high school senior prom back in 2002 and reflect on how handsome my Bear was in his CG dress uniform! I mean, of course he is still so handsome and VT rugged now :-) Ok, back to packing...

Nature's Little Hiccups

...So, been dealing with some pretty wild weather on the Seacoast of NH these past couple of weeks... I'm learning that life on the beach isn't always so "beachy"... it can actually get quite scary. The day you stand on your front porch and stare out at the waves pounding on the shore, feeling the vibrations of their power in your feet, and watching the sea foam-spray coming up over the sea wall, it can be breathtakingly beautiful and breathtakingly terrifying all at the same time. Tonight when I got home from some much-desired and deserved girl time with a friend, I decided to cross over that sea wall and sit on the rocks of the beach for a few minutes. It was dark, but the clouds had parted and there were stars shining brightly in the night sky. The wind had died down significantly from it's previous force during the day, but it was still blowing the tidal foam around on the rocks. All I could see as I looked out into the ocean, searching for the lights of the Isles of Shoals, was massive waves, all capped with white, and thundering as they approached my position on a rock just mere feet from the path in the sea wall. At first, my breath caught in my throat as I watched this humongous wave approaching, hearing the threatening, thundering crash that announced its arrival. Should I move? Did I even have time to move before the water would rush up over me, ultimately knocking me down upon the dark, wet rocks?

Calm down, anxious Butterfly.

In the 20-30 yards between the crest of the wave and my trembling self, both in alarm and in shivering cold, the wave crashed, splashed, and spread itself out to gracefully creep up the rocks that were still a car's length away from me. I forget how quickly that captivating power can climax and begin to relax, even before the cold, blackness of water can even reach one's feet. I moved only once in the 20 minutes I sat there, when a particularly close wave managed to splash me lightly enough to remind me that yes, Mother Nature was aware of my presence and was willing to play games. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of standing there in the cold wind, which was actually a bit warmer tonight than it has been in several nights, and look out as one after another after another wave crested, crashed, and sprayed up into the dark night sky. Like gentle white fireworks exploding with a thundering boom against the large rock that I once climbed during a bonfire my roommate, our friends, and I had at low-tide. It was thrilling and exciting at the same time, to realize that these waves are actually taller than I am, and hundreds of times more powerful, and I was standing just. that. close.

The last, fleeting thought I had, as I shivered one last time and turned to clamber back up the sea wall and head towards the warm confines of my cabin, was how I wished I had had someone there to share it with. Someone who would understand my awe at the power and beauty and terror that the ocean holds. Someone who is hours away in body, moments away in spirit, and always right beside me in heart.

Dream a little dream of me...

I had a dream last night! Believe it or not! :-) Lately I have been so utterly exhausted in my waking hours that I never remember what I dream, or even if I do. But last night was exciting and thrilling, and I awoke hours before my scheduled alarm with a gasp, delightfully realizing that my dream was so good that it affected me physically as well as emotionally. I was out of breath, energized, and ready to go!

What was the dream? you may ask. Picture this: a chilly, sunny day, miles and miles of fluffy white snow, comfortable ski boots, a quick ride up the side of a mountain on a ski lift, and then at the top - ah! An endless view of blue sky, white cotton clouds, and snow-peaked mountains glistening in the sunlight. Wintry nature, as far as the eye can see.

I dreamed I was skiing in Vermont. :-)

I swear I could still feel the rush of wind on my face as I slid down the mountain, graceful and cat-like on my skis (which proves that it was, in fact, a dream, as I am anything but graceful and cat-like while on skis...). The biting cold that kissed my red cheeks, the winter sun warming my shoulders and back, and the feel of the frozen ground cutting beneath my skis. It felt so real! It was a bit of a disappointment to awake, tangled among the bedsheets and fleece blankets, to realize that I wasn't on a mountaintop in Vermont, but alone in my bed beside the ocean. *Sigh* Oh well, maybe someday soon....

In the meantime, I am kept busy at the Wentworth. A week ago, I spent three wonderful days with my Burlington Bear, relaxing, reading, exploring... Poor Bear was having a bit of a rough week, so I baked him some cookies to try and cheer his spirits. I had a job interview with Laura at The Essex, which is a beautiful little resort in Essex, right outside of Burlington. The interview went well, despite my being over-qualified for the bakeshop position I was seeking. I should be hearing back from Laura with her decision quite soon. It's strange, but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. If I don't get the job, I don't think I will be terribly upset. My plans and dreams of moving to Vermont are, sadly, on hold at the moment due to my incredible lack of funding. Maybe another summer on the beaches of NH isn't such a bad idea...