No rest

I'm not very happy about this break up but I will say that, so far, it's not getting me down. I don't feel like an idiot for choosing to date someone obviously inappropriate, unavailable or otherwise incapacitated (I'm thinking: Owen, Kent and Kansas). Maybe Curt and I weren't "right" for each other but he wasn't an asshole, an alcoholic or overseas. I actually dated an interesting, smart, decent guy in the same continent. I'd say that's a win.

Anyway, I'd been planning to do a lot of cooking over the weekend and I dove right in yesterday by making some soup that will last for weeks (and is now mostly frozen) and a hearty kale and sausage dinner. I was going to make some navy bean stew, but the beans were still hard last night after soaking for many hours. In fact, they were still hard this morning. I suspect they were so old that they will never soften. Argh. I bought some more this morning and will see if I have better luck. If the newer dried beans don't get soft either...well, then, either they were old in the store or I have the wrong expectations for the pre-cooking/post-soaking state of the beans. The only other dried beans I've cooked with were split peas and I think they get soft no matter what. Anyone have dried bean knowledge to share with me?

Also, a while ago, I requested to join a reading group. I needed to email an introduction of myself to the group moderators but I hadn't. Yesterday, I did. More social outlets=good. Especially a low-key one like a reading group.  Happily, I was accepted to the group. Now I have to send ANOTHER intro email, this time to the whole group. I find this process a little bizarre. I started writing lists in my head of all of the things worth mentioning about myself. I don't know what is appropriate. What do you think? Here is a list:

• Entered college at 15 (skipped high school)
• English major (creative writing emphasis)
• VISTA volunteer
• PhD holder
• Collegiate (kinda) rower
• Weekend soccer player
• Former softball and kickball (ugh) player
  
• Knitter
• Government researcher
• Former "big sister", current monthly reading volunteer
• Aunt to eight
• Movie and book lover
• Took a "sabbatical" in Paris
• Pseudonymous blog writer
  

I certainly wouldn't mention all of that in an "about me," though I did mention knitting, soccer, government job, current volunteering and the sabbatical in my first email. Too much? Not enough? I'm somewhat at a loss as to how to describe myself. What kind of person am I? Is it for me to say? It's probably best to stick to a catalog of activities since someone filling an email with adjectives about herself sounds pretty off-putting. But, jeez, it also seems like a lot of pressure. Just what I need!

Now it's time to get back to the kitchen and see if I can get those beans to soften up. Maybe I'll even get around to that cleaning I keep putting off. Anything is possible.

Grateful for: lots of activities.