Dedicated To My Friends

Why do we blog? Is it a way to find mental clarity? To get our feelings out, even though we may not know who is listening, but just having our thoughts out there? Are we looking for validation? I mean, its kind of like free therapy. We are saying things that are on our minds, without paying $100/hour. But, we can say what we want, and if we don't like it, hit the backspace bar. Perhaps this makes blogging an intelligent way to express ourselves since we can type something out, consider how it sounds, and fix it, before it disperses into the interweb's crazy world. I have hit the backspace bar on this paragraph so much already that its funny. Is this how we think when we are in person having human interactions? A mental backspace bar? I think all to often our metaphoric fingers type too fast and our brain cannot process it, so we say what we may mean, but probably should have kept it to ourselves. 

My point? My friends are my therapy. Not blogging. Sure, I blog every now and then, but over the past couple of months, I have not even had the thought cross my mind just once "Should I blog about this? It's been a while since I blogged. I wonder if my followers miss me." Come on Audrey, you don't have any followers! You are not a blogger. My blog simply serves as a mass communication log. If I have a long story to tell or a lot of stuff I want to get off my mind without having to repeat it many times to individuals, I will blog about it, post the link on my Facebook, and let people decide if they want to read into my life. But what I have found, is that its really just a one-way situation. I spend many minutes typing up a story, but I don't get to see any reactions on peoples' faces or hear their feedback. 

Back to my original point: This blog post goes out to my friends. Because you are the ones that sit next to me on the couch while listening to my problems, my successes, offers up advice, all while your adorable dog keeps trying to lick my face (not conducive to story telling). You are able to share with me how you may have been through a similar situation and that it is something to learn from. We laugh, we cry, we hug it out, and then take sips of our wine, because that is what girlfriends do. You are also the friend who randomly messages me on a Wednesday night inviting me out for $5 martini night because who doesn't want to spend hours just talking, catching up, laughing, gossiping, checking other dudes out at the bar, people watching, all while drinking inexpensive cocktails. And to all my other friends who know I talk too much, but you are my therapy. Because I can confide in you. Everyone needs friends, and it is now that I recognize who my friends are because I am in a happier place. I enjoy my work, I play, I work more, and maybe a little more, but then I have you all to decompress with.

I probably won't be blogging much anymore, so I'll see ya around Blogspot. Catch you in another cyber universe....or the next time I feel like sharing a story to completely random strangers.

Marathon Madness! (Pre-Story And The Aftermath)

As most of you know, I recently ran the Chicago Marathon. The backstory of why I did it is kind of funny because up until January of this year, I had made up my mind that I'd never run a marathon. The idea of running for over 4 hours and 26.2 miles just wasn't appealing to me. I was perfectly comfortable with running half marathons (13.1 miles). But one of my friends encouraged me to go to a running seminar and something happened during that session where I decided I was going to do it. I was going to run in the Chicago Marathon! So sure enough I signed up (despite all of the madness with the website shutting down and stuff, but I got through and paid my dues and then at that point there was no backing out!).

I used the Hal Higdon training plan, which is free online, and printed out blank month calendars to write the mileage for each day. It was a good feeling being able to cross off each day seeing that i'd successfully completed another run and that I was getting closer to race day. At the three-month-to-race-day point, I gave up drinking beer. Why? Beer has carbs! And carbs are good for runners! Yes, that is true, but beer also weighed me down and when I drank too much of it, running was hard the next day. Can you say, hangover? Even after just 2 weeks of no beer I felt better inside. Training was going well, I was sticking to my long runs each week, and eating healthy. As the runs got longer though, it became more difficult to find time to do them. I usually had to allow atleast 3-4 hours for long runs because I had to factor in water stops, bathroom breaks, and then showering afterward. I definitely found myself waking up earlier to slip one in before work, or delaying hanging out with a friend until I could complete my run. It started to take over my life, but it was necessary. I wanted to train properly and dedicate myself to the sport.

One month before the marathon I gave up alcohol entirely. I had planned on giving it up only 2 weeks prior but a friend of mine had such success going sober with her weight, and mood, and health, that I was motivated to do the same. Within one week of no alcohol, I was already sleeping better, losing weight, and had more energy. After 2 weeks, I had the energy of a high schooler! I was no longer lethargic from late nights of drinking AND I was saving money! Sure, I wasn't going out with friends as often on the weekends and such, but I knew it was only temporary and they were all very supportive. I went to a friend's housewarming party and drank water cocktails that evening (sparkling water with lime). I drank them out of a wine glass so that I could still kind of participate in the festivities though.

Two weeks before the race I had my last long run, then the taper began. This is a period where you complete a couple of short runs, maybe a long run of 8 miles, but mostly rest and recovery. For the last 16 weeks, you had been putting your body through a lot of miles and especially if it was your first marathon, your body was beat. Mine definitely needed the rest! I drank lots of water for those two weeks and ate a few more carbs than I normally would. But mostly I stayed busy to not get nervous about the race. My training had gone well up to this point. I had completed the 20 mile run, which is where the training ceases since during the race that last 6 miles is adrenaline. I mean, after 20, what's 6 more? HA!

Two days before I carbo loaded with some pasta salad full of vegetables and the night before I had some acorn squash and quinoa. High protein and carbs. I uploaded my ipod with my favorite running songs, made sure it was fully charged, and packed my bag with a change of clothes.  But for the life of me could not sleep out of excitement! Race day was coming!

5 am: RACE DAY! Managed to eat a little bit of breakfast, but couldn't eat too much since I was not hungry but was also nervous.
6 am: arrived at Grant Park (extra early, like going to the airport, to get through the heightened security, bag check, etc)
6:30: met up with my friend also running the marathon, it was nice to have someone to kill the time with
7:30 am: last bathroom break, found my start corral, the race would start in 30 minutes!
8 am: HERE WE GO!!!!!

I felt great for the first 13 miles. Knew I was running a little faster than I should but had confidence I could pull through. But at mile 15, my feet began to throb. I thought my shoes were too tight, but even after adjusting them, it just got worse. turns out that it was because my feet were not adjusted to the pavement since all of my training runs had been mostly dirt paths on the lakefront trail. So I ran 11 more miles in pain. There were so many spectators with very amusing signs and cheerleaders, and crazy people dancing. So much energy. At the 20 mile mark, I saw my mom, I started crying because my feet were in so much pain, but she assured me it was only 6 miles and that that's like a walk in the park! I could do it! Sure enough, I did my best to forget about the pain and one by one knocked off the miles, 5, 4, 3, 2, only one mile left! Then I was done! They even called out my name when I was coming down the homestretch! Then it was over!

I RAN A MARATHON! Finished in 4 hr, 30 min, which was my goal time. It's funny though, because as soon as I stopped running, I could not move. Could not walk. I was moving slower than a grandma. Four aid station workers even approached me asking if I was okay. I just ran a marathon, I'm in pain, no I'm not okay. But I managed to smile and say yes and slowly make my way to the gear check tent where I could pick up my belonging and get out of my shoes. I did start crying at one point after I finished, mostly out of shock that I'd just ran a marathon (something that still hasn't set in even as I write this post).

The next few days were incredibly painful. My feet were broken (not literally, but in that much pain) and my legs were stiff as boards. One friend asked me if I had known how much paid I'd be in after the race if I still would have run the race, and of course I would have. I do not regret running the marathon at all, it was totally worth the pain to be able to proudly say you've accomplished that goal in life. I wore my medal for the first two days and after crawling onto a bus, the driver announced to the passengers that a marathoner had just boarded and everyone began cheering and clapping. It was so embarrassing to have that kind of attention, but I guess it is true that not everyone can run a marathon, certainly an accomplishment. But four days later, I was walking normally. The adrenaline has subsided, and I am resuming my normal life.

It feels weird though, to not have a reason to run right now. For the past couple of years, I was always training for a half marathon, and then another, and then another, and then the marathon! But for right now, I have no commitments. For me, this is a good time to explore different areas of fitness. I am going to immerse myself in Bikram yoga (105 degree room) and then use Groupon and Livingsocial for fitness deals around the city like personal training sessions or bootcamps. I hope to see more of my friends (since I was so antisocial for the past couple months, had to run ladies!), explore the city, try more restaurants, and just take a break from running.


....probably won't last a month without running though and catching the bug again. Once a runner, always a runner.

Mission: Possible

As discussed in the previous post I wanted to do more of the following:

*Read books
*Cook at home for my roommate
*Eat better
*Run and train for the marathon

I have accomplished all of those things just in the first month post-michelin kitchen. Yay!

I finished 2 books :)

I have not had a drink in over 20 days and don't plan on having another drink until after the marathon-- October 13. I have to admit, giving up drinking was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. Not only am I saving money by not going out, but I feel healthier. I've lost weight. I sleep better. And I don't have to worry about that dreaded uggghhhh hangover feeling anymore! I literally feel 4 years younger with all of this new energy.

Speaking of which, less than 2 weeks until the marathon!!! Training went very well I'll say. I successfully ran 20 miles (the most any training plans have you run before the actual race). It was difficult, but I did it. Only 6 more....ha, after 20, what's 6 more??

My family and friends have been so supportive of me even though they are not runners themselves. So to all of you who are planning on coming out to watch and support and cheer me on for the race, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

And to all of you who have not yet said you'll be coming out to watch, here are the details in case you want to be an awesome person:

October 13, Sunday, Chicago. I'll be creating a Facebook event soon, so keep them eyes peeled like a banana (runners love bananas).

What does this post have to do about being "Culinary Chic in Chicago" you ask? Well, I am trying to show you that life isn't all about cooking and food; that one needs to have other hobbies in life and other interests. The oddest thing about it all is that growing up, whenever people asked what my hobbies were, it was simply cooking. But now that I've made it a career, I had to find other things to do, so I took up running, and reading, and having a social life. I'll be writing a post that goes more in depth regarding cooking for a job vs cooking for fun vs cooking as a way to define oneself.

In the mean time, I'm going to go carbo-load now and drink lots of water. Wish me luck on the marathon!

My Life Post-Michelin Kitchen (Day 4 Report)

Ok, so it's only been four days since I left Sepia, but already it's a completely different lifestyle; one that is going to take some getting used to. For one, I see way more daylight, which I am certainly not complaining about. My days feel longer so I am able to feel more productive throughout the day. This can be attributed to working morning shifts at the catering company and assisting with night classes at SLT. Just the other day, I went to work at the catering place at 9 am (daylight) and out by 5 (daylight). So strange, compared to my life at Sepia where I went in at 1 pm (daylight) and out by 11:30 (definitely not daylight). I have also been going to sleep at normal hours (not sure what counts as normal in this world anymore though). By that I mean I am no longer going to sleep at 1:30-2:00 am simply because the adrenaline from the kitchen kept me awake, rather more like 10:30-11:00 pm. I also wake up at earlier times, say 7:45-9:00 am, which in turn gives me a longer and more productive day.
Is this schedule change such a bad thing, I ask myself? I'd say no. Change is good. It stimulates me to do more, see more, accomplish more of what I've been wanting to since moving here.

Here is what I will try to accomplish with my new-found daylight freedom:
*Finish all of those books I have started reading but never finished due to complete exhaustion and lack of motivation to do anything. And let me clarify by saying they are actually real books, with real pages, none of that kindle or nook business.
*Train for my marathon without also killing my body by working 12 hour shifts and running up and down stairs from the kitchen basement to the line.
*Blog more, example, NOW
*Eat healthier and not rely on "staff meal" (kitchen lingo) for my daily sustenance
*Cook at home more for my roommate and I (I doubt she will complain about that)
*See my roommate more, now that our schedules are a bit more synced
*Stage at other restaurants to learn. Never. Stop. Learning.
*Journal about said stages to keep brain active
*See my family in the burbs. A MUST-DO! Sorry ya'll for my absence.
*Participate in more city happenings, preferably the free stuff

That's all I can think of now.

Chicago-Versary: A Reflection on My First Year In The Windy City.

      Oh My, how time flies! This week/month marks a big milestone for myself. I find that anniversaries and milestones are important marks in time to acknowledge because it allows us to properly reflect on our experiences. So for this entry I shall reflect on my past year and throw out some hints of what I'll be getting myself into for the next one.
      I recently celebrated my 24th birthday with 6 of my closest friends. It was a night full of wonderful food, cocktails that were just so artistically crafted, and really amazing friends. It wasn't until our third stop on the night o' birthday drinkin' that I might have had a mini teary moment. It was pure happiness, I promise. We were at The Aviary, and the GM of Next (who was my RA at school...can you say small world?) surprised us and sent out a bottle of sparkling wine to toast for my birthday. It was such a generous gesture that after we had all clinked our glasses I just started crying. And that was followed by laughter of course by everyone at the table, including me. I was at that time simply overwhelmed by the thoughts about how happy I truly was and how lucky I was to have made the connections I've made and the friends I had. So with that I say CHEERS to friends and CHEERS to the best birthday ever!
      Another big milestone we shall celebrate is my first year living on my own, well, not technically alone cuz I have a roommate, but you know what I mean. It's my first time not living on campus in student housing or with my parents, so yay for leaving the nest! I gotta tell you though, paying rent sucks. Just sayin. It sucks. Mind you, I certainly found a great apartment well within my low budget being a cook and all, but it's just kind of a sucky feeling to know you aren't really going to get that money back...bye bye $$$. Either way, it's been fun to live in the neighborhood I'm in because it is relatively safe at night and it is very accessible to other neighborhoods via public transit. It is also a very up and coming neighborhood from what I have noticed over the past couple of months, which makes it a very desirable place to live! I'd like to give a shout out to my Aunt and Uncle up in the burbs though because without them, I don't know how I would have had such a smooth transition into the city. They graciously let me stay with them until I found a job and an apartment and then even helped me move into my new place! It's times like these that having family close-by is such a blessing.
        Preface to the next big thing going on: I got back into running a couple of years ago when I decided to train for my first half-marathon (that's 13 miles), thanks to my mom for planting the idea in my head, and since then I have run three half-marathons, each faster than the previous one, and was even a Winter Warrior! (those are the people who run through the winter time). I made the decision then to sign up for my first marathon, a feat I just rolled my eyes at. I always thought to myself, 26 miles, psh, that's silly, why would someone want to run that far? I'm good with 13. But something came over me after my third half-marathon. I just needed a new challenge. So here I am, a little over half-way through my training for the Chicago Marathon in October! Hint: It's October 13, and I'd love any of you to come cheer me on throughout the race! So that's that.
         Hmmm. What else? Oh, yea, this is my last week at Sepia. It's been a year full of learning (again with the reflecting stuff) and I have just realized it is not the right fit for me. But isn't that what life is about? Finding your strengths and playing to them? Finding the career path that makes you happy and fulfills you with a sense of accomplishment and success? This is just part of the path, but now I must take a different turn.
        So here we go, year of the dragon, year 24, my year, a new year. Tie those running shoes and Get Ready, Get Set, GO!

     

Spring/Summer Awakening

Hello all,

   I am writing today, of all days, because a foodie friend of mine inspired me to write again.  

   But aren't I just the worst blogger out there? (face palm) First, I re-named my blog to Culinary Chic in Chicago because I wanted to share my stories of being a cook in one of America's best food cities, but now all I have really written about is my car, which I sold (miss you) and bikes? Come on, Audrey, get with it!

   Spring/Summer (Spumming?) has sprung in Chicago (I really don't know which season it is because some days it's summer weather, some days it's spring weather, and some days it's sweater weather. What are you doing Chicago?) Either way, there's no longer snow on the ground, and I feel like the city in general has come out of hibernation. Put away the snow boots, winter jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, and the hot chocolate mugs because it's PATIO SEASON!
   Chicago is all over this al fresco dining thing, like seriously, articles upon articles are being published about the "Rooftop Bars" and "Best Patios 2013!" There's something about sitting outside with a tasty cold beverage, good friends, good food, and a slight breeze that just makes me smile. Sometimes the non-conversation is the best, too, because you can just listen to the city sounds and observe what is going on around you. It's a wonderful feeling.

   Just remember to wear your sunscreen....


 
   

Two Wheels are Better Than Four (A follow-up to the previous post)

Here is a quick follow-up from the previous post (many apologies for neglecting this blog)

*Sold my car!!

*The German folding bike sucked. Sold it on Craigslist.

*Bought a REAL bike. A nice road bike, for $120. Its incredibly lightweight so I just put it on my shoulder and up/down the stairs I go. Much easier to ride (I go fast!).

Now that it is winter, I haven't ridden the bike much, but during the fall I was riding almost every day. Takes me 12 minutes to get to work, not too shabby. I have started a bike tally so that I will know when I have essentially "paid off" the cost of my bike by riding instead of taking public transit. If I did the math right, I have to ride the bike 75ish times, but then we have to factor in all the money lost from making poor purchasing decisions with other bikes, so we are looking at 150 times or so. I think I have ridden it....30 times? Give me a break though, its cold, there's been snow on the ground, wind, etc. Come spring I won't have ANY excuses for not riding to/from work. 

And yes, I named my bike. Rooney. It's maroon. Quite fitting, eh?

Cars, Bikes, Buses, and other things with wheels

The point of this post: transportation in the city and what's the most financially smart choice. I currently own a car; the car that I have had since high school that got me around while at college and got me here to Chicago. Only now, all it does is sit on the streets since I have no use for it. If I want to visit my family in the burbs, i take the train. If I need to get to Point B, I take the bus or the L, or walk. The other day, I got a ticket because I didn't move my car for street cleaning (I didn't see the signs posted since I hadnt used my car in a couple days). At this point, I am thinking its a liability. I do not have secure parking, I already got a ticket, and its just losing money by sitting there. Cars in the city are useless (in my situation). Yes, there are plenty of people who have them, but for me, I have no use. I have decided to sell my car!!!

Bikes on the other hand, are awesome. I just bought a bike off craigslist for only $140. It is a vintage German folding bike. Yes, it folds. Which means I can take it on the buses, L, and the Metra trains whenever I want. And since it folds, I don't have to carry it cumbersomely up three flights of stairs to my apartment and I can keep it in my apartment as opposed to outside where it could get stolen. Also, since it was so inexpensive, if anything happens to it...I didn't lose out on a new $500 dollar bike! I can get places faster than relying on public transportation and its free to ride and good for the body :)

The verdict: sell car, bought bike, but I can walk to work when I want because I live only 1.7 miles away. Yay for city living!!

Job, CHECK! Apartment, CHECK! (As of today)

Just moved into my new Chicago apartment!!!! I live above a sushi restaurant with a wine bar and wine shop across the street. Call me crazy, but I think that it was meant to be. This is so exciting because it is my first real apartment! It's an adorable two-bedroom with pastel colored walls, very CHIC, if you ask me. CHIC in Chicago for sure! I am excited to officially be part of the Chicago scene and all it has to offer. As nice as it was being able to stay with family for my first two months before moving downtown, it is nice to not have to rely on the trains every night to take me back to the suburbs. The public transportation in Chicago is awesome, so I can go anywhere! And I have an iPhone to help me get around, so that's a plus.

Check back frequently for more stories as I acclimate myself with this exciting city!

The Creation of My Chicago Blog: First Post

And again I have changed the focus of this blog. It started off as a blog about what I did in culinary school and then once I graduated I focused on post-graduation stories. Well, I have made the big move onto the big city, CHICAGO!! I am going to have this blog focus on my time here in Chicago as a culinary school graduate; talking about experiences as a restaurant worker, what it is like to live downtown, fun city adventures, and general stories about living in the windy city. It's going to be EPIC!! Subscribe to become a follower so you can see when I write new posts!

The Chicago Chapter

So I have neglected my blog for quite some time. Here is the long story short:

I left my job in Manchester, NH mid-May, packed up my life (minus some memoirs that my mom let me keep in the attic), and then my friend Julia and I drove cross country to Chicago! Why Chicago, you ask? It's Cold!!!!! is what everyone says. Psh, I grew up in NH, I'm tough. I moved to Chicago because the food scene is amazing, and as I told many people, its a cleaner, friendlier, smaller version of NYC, and I have family and friends in the area so its not like I'm moving to a foreign city where I know no one.

I moved in temporarily with my aunt and uncle outside of the city until I found a job and an apartment. After a couple of interviews at various restaurants, I got offered a job at my favorite one! I was using the idea of Goldilocks when talking about how much I loved the restaurant by saying that the other places had either beds too small, porridge too hot, or chairs too big. But this place is JUUUUUSSSTTT Right!

Long story short: I HAVE A JOB!!!!! I'm no longer unemployed!!!

Now I gotta find an apartment...

The Days of Unemployment are OVER!!!

Upon graduating I told myself that I was going to take the rest of the year off from everything (work, obligations, etc). I just needed a break. Well China was certainly a great way to start of life as a graduate. The whole time I was there is was just nice to know that when I returned to NH I was returning to more relaxation, compared to the other times I have gone on micro-vacations and had to return to school afterwards. No returning to reality this time!

So anyway, I got back and continued to relax for the whole month of December. Joined a gym, cooked delicious food, and did a whole bunch of nothing. Certainly a month of recharging the battery.

Well, I met this trainer at my gym who knew a chef at a restaurant in Manchester and she said she would set me up with an interview. I said yes right away to the interview, but in my mind I was thinking, "dude, what happened to a month of relaxation and not thinking about jobs till the new year?" This was clearly a blessing in disguise though because once January did come around I was going to have to start looking for jobs. Rather than start that process of throwing my resume around Manchester, the interview came to me! Thank you Rachel!!!

Interview went swimmingly, went in a couple days later to "stage" (pronounced staaaaj), its a form of shadowing in the kitchen so both you and the chef can see if its the right fit. Well, it was. Got hired immediately, yay!! Guess my culinary education did something for me after all!

They say you can't plan life. I disagree. I did plan on getting a job once 2012 rolled around, I just didn't plan on searching until January until this interview fell into place. So here I am, following my plan. I have a job, its January, I am cooking, and getting paid to do it. Can't complain!

Oh yea, and I would like to thank my mother for letting me live at home for free while I make money that I don't have to spend on rent.

Adventure #1: China!

I'm taking vacation. I need a vacation, especially after 3 1/2 years of non-stop culinary school. So I'm GOING TO CHINA!!!!!!!!

It is a 2 week trip designed by one of the chefs at school for CIA graduates, so there are 7 of us going on a full blown culinary tour of China. This is more than just seeing the major attractions (pandas, great wall, temples). We get to go to a cooking school for a couple days, eat at amazing restaurants, visit a tea farm, and more! It is going to be so much fun, especially since it isn't like the trip to Italy in which it was a class (we had to write response papers and take quizzes). There is much more freedom in this trip, so I'm quite excited.

See you in 2 weeks!!

Welcome!

Welcome to my "new" blog....it's really the same blog as before with all the stories from culinary school, but this time I am sharing my "Post Culinary School" stories. I hope to include more adventures, more recipes, and more ways to expose you to the culinary world.

Graduation: time for the real world

I graduated from CIA on Thursday with my Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts Management.....I AM DONE SCHOOL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!! It really feels amazing to know that I am finished with that chapter of life. I guess i can cross that off my bucket list now. A part of me wants to discontinue this blog since it is all about me being in culinary school....but I do find it is a great way to communicate with all of you about my culinary adventures...I may just change the vision of this blog to more of a life of the "culinary graduate"....thoughts??

Oh when I said that I was done school forever, that certainly does not mean I am done learning. Life is always about learning. While I am no longer enrolled in an institution, my brain keeps absorbing new information and I am always on the constant look out for new opportunities.

Wish me luck in the real world. It's been one heck of a ride....

The Garden Project: Chapter 4--Getting our Hands Dirty

A couple days later (we were exhausted and needed a few days rest before continuing) a couple of us gathered again in the garden with one mission: GET THE SEEDLINGS INTO THE GROUND! They were sitting so lonely in their little seedlings trays and were crying to become part of mother earth! We started with the herbs because we already had an existing herb garden with sage, lavendar, parsley, and chives (returned from last year in full bloom) so we added herbs in between those plants. The basil though we planted with the tomatoes because it is classic to find the two harmoniously growing together. We planted all of the brassica together (kale, chard, broccoli, and collards) and the tomotoes were given their own beds (they like to compete for nutrients, so we spaced them out and allowed plenty of room for growth).

And then we did all that we could do: we watered them daily and waited...and waited...and waited for everything to grow.

The Garden Project: Chapter 3--The Renovations!

While I am a bit late in submitting chapter 3 to this epic tale of the Slow Food Garden, I still feel it is important to enlighten you on all of the progress that has been made since I last wrote.

After researching where to buy all of the materials needed for these garden renovations, we were able to submit that funding request to the SGA and it was approved! Full speed ahead! We had a specific quantity of wood to pick up from Home Depot...and the grounds crew on campus was nice enough to pick it up for us rather than having it delivered for some outrageous fee. It was dropped off one day and we realized that it was the WRONG SIZE!!! Rather than panicking though, I made a few phone calls, and the carpenters at school agreed to come to the garden and cut the wood to our specifications. They did a fabulous job and after that was out of the way, we decided to create an event on facebook to bring in a bunch of people for the renovations. (PS: If you ever want a group of people to find out about an event, post it on Facebook. It works. It really does!)

After ripping out the old rotted boards from the garden, a large crew of us gathered to build new boxes. We had about 20 people show up throughout the day, which was much more than we anticipated! Many hands really do make light work. I got to play with the powerdrill!! After 7 hours of hard work and sweat (it was the first hot and sunny day we had after 5 days of rain), the boxes were built and put into place. The garden already looked brighter and happier! What we had done earlier was take the existing dirt out of the boxes so that we could build trenches for the boxes to sit it (more stable that way) so our next task was to re-fill these boxes. But like I said before about many hands....as one box was complete, we would move it into the garden and a crew would start filling the boxes. It was a very smooth running operation that allowed me to stand back for a second and observe the music and harmony occurring that one fine day.

Alexis arrived with the seedlings of all sorts--herbs such as mint, basil, oregano, lavender, lemon verbena and vegetables such as tomatoes (galore!), zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, swiss chard, broccoli, kale, collards, and some beautiful sunflower seedlings. We could not wait to put these into the ground and watch them grow!!

And that concludes the first part of renovations!!

The Garden Project: Chapter 2--$$$$

Of course with any sort of project like gardening, there is money involved. Where do we get the money to renovate this garden you ask? Well, being at a college where there is a student government association (SGA), student clubs are funded for their projects. Isn't that convenient?

But the process is a bit complicated to acquire this money. We have to first fill out a form explaining what the money will be used for. The SGA meets as a group to discuss this funding request and then there is an open meeting for all club officers to attend, such as myself. It is here that they ask us to describe the event and what we plan to do with the money. They then decide "yay" or "nay" on the funding request and we always hope for a "yay." Sounds easy right? Nope. We have to fill out this form three weeks before we plan on using the money; we cannot just ask and receive. So it requires a bit of anticipation for the funds.

Good news: As the fiscal year of our school comes to an end, the SGA realizes that there is a lot of money that has not been spent (since they are allocated a large sum at the beginning of each fiscal year which does not rollover to the next year). With knowledge of this large sum of money not used up completely, clubs JUMP at the chance to use this money for their clubs.

SFOC was particularly excited because we needed a lot of money for all of our anticipated garden renovations! We asked for money for new wood, tools, hardware and seedlings just to start and it all got approved! So the renovations were on their way.

The Garden Project: Chapter 1--The Planning

April 15th: I returned from Italy three weeks later wondering what had been done with the garden. A couple SFOC students had gathered to clear out leaves and plant some peas, since those have to go in the ground early on. But once I returned, we were all able to get together and form a plan of action as to what to do with our garden. It is a 1800 sq. foot area with 600 sq. feet of garden space. We inspected the construction of the raised beds with wooden boards. The boards were completely rotted away; so rotted away that all I had to do with kick one and it would fall away from the soil.

We knew we had to replace them. We then decided that maybe what we wanted to do with the garden was not so much focus on planting a ton of vegetables and turning into a vegetable producing machine. We wanted to make the garden look nice first (it is in shambles at this point in time). The ground had small pebbles on it with lots and lots of weeds growing in between the beds and it just looks neglected. Poor garden! We then found out there was a seedling rack where there should have been seedlings being prepared over the winter, but there weren't. We simply did not have enough time to invest in starting from seed (too much risk of improper germination), especially with our busy schedules and lack of people to take care of the seedlings.

We divided up tasks to beautify the garden. I was quite excited about making it look nice again, so I chose to look into stones for the ground and the landscaping aspect of it. Alexis would look into where we could get seedlings donated to us or where we could buy them, and Edward would look into wood to replace the beds (untreated of course). I also decided to learn about composting since we were told by Dick and Jane that there were composting bins...this becomes a chapter in itself.

The Garden Project: Introduction

I am not really sure how to begin this story, so I will just start from the beginning, as do all novels.

There is a garden on campus that was created for The Garden Society, a club on campus where students had the chance to learn about gardening. It has been around for a couple of years, but since my time here, I have not heard much about it. It was just this club that no one really knew about and no one really knew when they got together to garden. Skip ahead to a couple months ago when I am in my weekly meeting with Slow Food on Campus (check out www.slowfoodusa.org) to understand exactly what this club is about. We are talking about projects and events come Spring since the weather is shaping up and the snow is just about gone. One of us mentions that we should team up with Garden Society to show our true values and bring knowledge to the student body. Good news and Bad news....first the bad: the couple who ran Garden Society in the past were overwhelmed with the amount of work it took to run the garden with just the two of them, so they had no plans of continuing it this season. Good news: those two people were in my history class, so I decided to jump at the opportunity to acquire the garden.

Here is the conversation:

Me: "Hey, Dick and Jane** (Names have been changed)

D/J: "Hey Audrey, how's it going?"

Me: "Good, I was wondering what you were planning on doing with the garden this year?"

D/J: "Oh, well, we are actually looking for someone to take it over; its just too much work for us!

Me: "I'll take it!"

D/J: "Seriously?? OK! Great!" (with smiles on their faces and sighs of relief)

Me: "Yea, totally. Slow Food has a bunch of people who are interested in gardening!"

So there you have it--the acquisition of the garden.

This was late March. The problem with the timing is that myself, Dick, and Jane were leaving on our wine trips in 3 days and would be gone for 3 weeks...meaning there would be no one around to help with the transition of the garden and prepping of the beds while we were away. Before leaving, the three of us met where I was given the Garden Society binder with information about past lay outs of the garden, seed information, when to plant, what to plant, where to plant, how to plant, and all the other paper work. They gave me a quick run down of what they had done for us (NOTHING!!). So basically, we acquired a garden that had not been maintained throughout the winter and had no seedlings started to be put into the ground. Myself and the members of Slow Food (SFOC) knew this would be a project for us. (Especially difficult for myself since I know very little about gardening).