Onward and Forward

Thank you so much for all your support in my last post! I’ve been wanting to leave my job for a while, but felt like there was just no end in sight. So my mommy told me to pick an end date, instead of just spiralling downward for this undetermined amount of time. Even though I have six weeks left, I feel much better knowing there is an end in sight. I already have little bounce back to my step today :)

I do however want to address that my decision to leave my job is not as courageous as it may seem. When I accepted the job, I knew the salary was extremely low, but it wasn’t until I started getting the bi-weekly pay checks that I realized just how low it really was. I think I may have miscalculated just how expensive it is to live on my own. Technically, I’m only paying $60 more in rent a month, but my TV, internet, heat and lights are twice than they were before. Add that to unexpected expenses like snow tires and new glasses, and suddenly, that job no longer provided me the means I needed to live. Additionally, I was given close to no vacation or sick days. Not even enough to go home for Christmas.

So, in the end it was get a part-time job on top of this low-paying job I don’t like to begin with (and with difficult hours to work around). Or, just give it up altogether and start from scratch. Trust me, staying in the old job would have been a lot scarier than embarking on a new one.

Leaving a swanky, high-paying job to pursue your passions is brave. Leaving a low-paying job where you’re overworked and can’t survive is just common sense.

Perhaps if I had big aspirations to be a hard-hitting journalist, it would be worth it to stick it through. But I made up my mind long before I even accepted this position that I did not want to be a reporter. I love to write, tell stories, and meet interesting people. But I do not like the daily grind of a newsroom. The running through hallways, chasing after people, and doing whatever it takes just to get that 10-second clip. Tis not me.

In retrospect, I should have told my boss I would think about it before accepting the job immediately. Even an hour of extra thought would have been all I needed to realize it was wrong for me. At the very least, I will be able to take what I’ve learned over these past six months and apply it in my future work. I didn’t meet a co-worker I didn’t like. I appreciate the opportunities I was given. And I leave there knowing I at least put some good work in, and wrote a few decent stories ;)

Onward and Forward!!

 

I woke up feeling emotionally exhausted. Thankfully, it’s Waffle Wednesday which means I filled my tummy with some comfort food :)

I was slightly indecisive though. One side has laughing cow cheese, raspberry jam and deli chicken. I had this combo for this first time yesterday and it’s awesome!! Jam + poultry = veryvery good. Other side is egg n’ cheddar.

I had just enough time for this to digest before heading up to the gym to try out a new class! BodyAttack. According to the Les Mills website:

BODYATTACK™ is the sports-inspired cardio workout for building strength and stamina. This high-energy interval training class combines athletic aerobic movements with strength and stabilization exercises. Dynamic instructors and powerful music motivate everyone towards their fitness goals – from the weekend athlete to the hard-core competitor!

My description? Jumping up and down for 55 minutes :P It was almost like step, but without the steps. A lot of hopping and running around. With a few squats, lunges, push-ups and abs thrown in for good measure. It was actually quite hard. We were running in place the whole time. There were no recovery songs. Funny, I can run on a trail for an hour no problem, but make me do it in one spot and it gets so hard! I think I may need to practice doing more jumping jacks in my living room before I go back to that class, I almost didn’t make it through…

 

Now, please don’t judge, but lunch was more waffles!

I used my protein pancake recipe, so in my mind they’re really more like an oatmeal and cottage cheese dish just shaped like waffles ;)

With some homemade applesauce and fake syrup.

Me and homemade applesauce are still madly in love. 

I’d actually planned on making Chris and I a special dinner tonight, but it turned out to be a celebratory one of sorts :)

I decided it was time to finally man up and roast a whole chicken. I’ve been eating poultry again for a year now (after a decade without). So far, I’ve mastered chicken breasts on the George Foreman, aaaand that’s about it :P

I used Jenna’s directions and stuffed the bird with, garlic, lemon slices, thyme and some Earth Balance. I also threw some new potatoes and carrots in there. Roasted at 425 F for 90 minutes and voila!

I was floored by how easy this was! And how delicious it turned out!!

The meat was sooooo tender and juicy. Cooked to absolute perfection. George Foreman has got some serious competition!!!

My only complaint is the veggies were greasy from the fat that came off the chicken. I forgot that would happen. My mom even told me to cut the fat off the chicken, and it escaped my mind as soon as I started handling the dead bird. Lesson learned!

But what’s a celebratory meal without an indulgent dessert? Chris and I have been saving a chocolate caramel pecan cheesecake from M&M Meat Shop (Canadian chain that specializes in freezer goods).

Omgsoooogooooood. I haven’t had real cheesecake in a very long time. Worth every bite. We’ll just forget the craaazy calorie content (like, I’m talkin’ crazy) and sketchy ingredient list, mmkay? Good.

Chris chased his cheescake down with some Kronenbourg.  

I’m sure he’ll want you to know this is THE French beer to drink during the Tour de France. It’s what all the hardcore cyclists do ;)

Happy bellies!

Don’t worry, Chris is taking the rest of the cheesecake home. But the chicken is all mine!

Lots of food today to fuel what I hope will be a 10 mile run tomorrow. The weather conditions so far look good, and it’s one of my October goals to hit the double digits by the end of the month. Wish me luck – I may need it!!

 

Question of the day: What’s one dish you really want to try making but haven’t yet? You can cross a whole chicken off my list! Next, I want to try making a pie :)