Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeee! I turned two decades old on December 1st. To celebrate, I made myself decadent cream cheese brownies. Making them creates approximately a dozen different dishes if I plan it right. (It was Peter's dish night. :-) )

The day before my birthday, mom took me out to the local Indian restaurant for Sunday brunch. Mmm mmm mmmmm! I would love to cook like that some day. Everything is so spicy, pungent, the textures are sublime...Every time I eat something like that, I get the urge to move to the country of origin and study culinary arts.

Yesterday I actually went shopping. It felt sacrilegious! I've only bought new clothes a few times in my life - excluding underwear. I'm never here in the winter, so the only bottom pieces that aren't work pants are shorts or skirts. Every pair of pants I own are for work, and they have numerous paint splatters and the occasional rip. While I was splurging on three pairs of pants, I bought myself a sweater and a much needed pair of winter boots. Everything came to about $80.

I was forced to shop out of necessity. I'm going to school up in Limestone, Maine. I'm going for Outdoor Recreation, Diesel mechanics, and carpentry or culinary. They prohibit extreme hairstyles, facial piercing or tattoos, and you must wear neat, clean clothes. They give you an iron and expect you to use it. :-)

To find out what I'll be learning, check out this short list:
http://www.jobcorpsworks.org/ShowJob.cfm?JobID=60

They also offer certifications that're administered by third parties...
Recreation Certifications & Trainings Offered :
- ADVANCED FIRST AID
- CPR FOR THE PROFESSIONAL RESCUER
- HEARTSAVER CPR
- ANAPHYLAXIS WORKSHOP
- WILDERNESS ADVANCED FIRST AID
- EMT-B
- COMMUNITY WATER SAFETY
- LIFEGUARDING
- LIFEGUARDING INSTRUCTOR
- WSI
- S-130/S-190 WILDLAND FIRE
- REGISTERED MAINE RECREATION GUIDE
- REGISTERED MAINE WHITEWATER GUIDE
- SKIING INSTRUCTOR
- NATIONAL SKI PATROL
- ROPES COURSE FACILITATING

My goal is to get every single one of them. :-)