So what have we been up to these past few months? I'll fill ya in.
We made the faraway move to Alabama! It has been fun noting all the differences in culture that we aren't used to. I used to think to myself that Missouri was pretty 'southern' in practices with all the iced tea, a few heavy accents, cut off t-shirts and giant trucks. I guess it was, compared to the west. I've decided that Alabama is the South. I find myself slipping into an accent as well, like the other day when I was buying a jigsaw puzzle and the man in line behind me commented that he was impressed, he thought puzzles were beyond my generation and I said I love them which came out "Ah luvum." Anytime I hear Mark's new southern accent I'm thrown into a fit of giggles.
Mark is enjoying the ups and downs of work. He isn't doing engineering work right now which is frustrating to me, but Mark is happy for the "underground experience." So that is what matters. He was recently promoted from managing a crew to managing four guys with crews, and a crew. He has been working outby since he started, which means maintenance. He works wherever they need him which most recently means the slope. It hasn't really sunk in what this means yet, except extended hours, an extra filthy husband, despite extra long showers at work, and that its exhausting. The coal... I'm having to learn new ways to clean it. I suppose I'll just have to deal with the permanent black ring around the tub. I've come to find Mark's coal eyeliner is kinda cute. When he comes up on the surface everyday, he says he is perfectly camouflaged with the coal pile. I think I'd give up if it were me. I don't like feeling dirty. Mark is such a boy. He loves it.
For the first time since I can remember, I'm not returning to school this fall. I hadn't thought of it, to be honest. I feel like I'm done, for the time being. So what am I doing, then? Mark's schedule is 5am to around 6pm and going to sleep around 8pm for the past couple weeks. Apparently in a week he'll be switching from outby to regular continuous miner section, which will mean four days a week 13 hour shifts which would be a vast improvement. But this could be a lie fed to Mark to placate his wife with. Still, I hope it is the truth!
Anyways, with seemingly infinite time on my hands why, you ask, have you not blogged even a little bit? I have no excuses, but I will tell you the things I look forward to doing everyday. I sleep in until I feel like waking up. I am working on a landscape painting right now, something to make my house pretty. Its looking okay so far, but I'm trying to imitate 17th century artists. I've forgotten how to do details in oil... but its been really fun reteaching myself. I'm learning how to be a better cook, expanding my recipe collection and compiling recipes I love into my very own cookbook. Speaking of which, last night I made the most fabulous meal. Mark loves chicken fried steak and I thought it sounded disgusting but it was amazing! Corn on the cob, green salad, mashed potatoes and country gravy...scrumptious. Eh, I'll give you the recipe:
1 lb top loin boneless beef (I just bought some steak from the store, I didn't want a whole pound)
2 cups shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup flour
1/4 cup flour
1 quart milk
salt and pepper
Cut top loin crosswise into cutlets. Pound each cutlet thinly with a moistened mallet or side of a cleaver. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/2 inch shortening to 365. I used vegetable oil because I have more of that. In a small bowl, beat together egg, buttermilk, salt and pepper. I just used milk with a Tablespoon of white vinegar because no way am I buying buttermilk for $4 a quart. In another bowl combine garlic powder and 1 cup of flour. Coat steaks in flour, then buttermilk, then flour again. Place steaks in heated shortening, cook until golden brown, turning once. Internal temperature should be at least 165, but I cooked until 190 and they were perfect for us non-pinkie meat people. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain grease, reserving 1/2 cup. Using the drippings in the pan, prepare gravy over medium heat. Blend in 1/4 cup flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk to desired consistency, stirring constantly. For a thicker gravy add less milk. Heat through, and season with lots of salt and pepper. Serve over chicken fried steak.
It. Was. Awesome. I was so proud of myself. Maybe I just didn't know the wonderful thing that is chicken fried steak, but I haven't stopped thinking about it. Not just because its dishes are still piled in the sink.
Anyways, back to things I do to entertain myself. I look up crochet patterns and then make things. I'm getting more proficient and not having to look up as many stitches. In this day of youTube, its so easy to learn anything. I go swimming/ lay by the pool and read a lot. I love it! Its soooo hot here. So hot. I got a new calling! Well, two really. I teach 9, 10, and 11 year olds in primary and on Tuesday nights I work at the family history center! I'm really excited to learn more about family history. I have 3 hours each week, which is kind of a lot. My primary class is three boys. Can you believe it? Three ages, and three kids. Our whole primary is usually around 10 kinds, from sunbeams on up. Its pretty wild. Oh. and I play video games! Right now I'm playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Knights of the Old Republic. The first is on the Wii and the second on my laptop, but my laptop went wonky and Windows had to be reloaded so I haven't played it in a little bit. The new Zelda comes out November 20, and you can bet we already preordered it for my birthday. Mark doesn't really like video games, but he likes Zelda, so we'll see. Also, we really love that you can play old games on the Wii. Mark plays Final Fantasy III sometimes! Its so cool. Our favorite game is Super Mario Brothers.
This summer we made friends with a couple that was interning from the U and it was so fun. Us wives hung out everyday and it was awesome! Now there is a void in my days without her! Its quite sad.
I'm pretty excited to do lots of fun things and explore! We've got some fun things planned!
Also, I really love our apartment here. Its still a little bare, and we need more furniture but I just really love it. Its bigger than any shoebox that we've lived in so far. There is plenty of room for all our shtuff. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room that has a dining area and kitchen open to each other. And a laundry room! I have found that I'm a bit of a kitchen girl. I love to buy things for my kitchen and there is never enough space for that. I think people must feel that apartment dwellers eat out everynight because they never build enough storage in that area. On a sad note, I can't keep food in the laundry room despite copious space because it gets hot and HUMID in there. I'm afraid of mold. Also I've seen some funky bugs and heard some foreign bird calls here. There is a grey bird that likes to perch on our balcony and wake me up every morning. Its call sounds like the whistle you can make by blowing through your thumbs into your hands. You know what I'm sayin'? I can immitate it pretty good. I just need to find out what the bird is called.
In closing, I just wanted to talk about Mark's new car. Its like a favorite pet, to a person to loves pets more than people. That's how Mark feels about cars, and his particular favorite dream car. He wants to cherrish what he has chosen to call "Rider" at the suggestion of Jeff, for his whole life. "And in ten years I'll park it in the garage and rebuild it again. I'm keeping this till I die." We have a carwash money jar. It gets emptied a lot. When it came to naming the car, I really was rooting for Snape "too greasy" or Bruce "What?" "like batman, or the Nemo shark because of that weird little fin on the top of the car." but Becca always comes up with brilliant car names so we deferred to her and Jeff. Yesterday we took Rider to the carwash as a family activity. Sometimes I only do things because Mark likes to. :)
