My Not So New Job

Ever since I started this job, Joey's been giving me grief for not telling you all about it. I think she feels I'm somehow being dishonest for not sharing such an important aspect of my life (and the possible reason why my posts are sometimes months apart).

So what is it that I do?

I'm on the ground crew for an airline, babysitting planes and chauffeuring baggage. The pay isn't great, but my whole family (Jeff, kids, parents) and I can now fly for free. Once we can synchronize our schedules, that is. Since I got out of training 6 months ago, Jeff and I haven't had a single day off together.


(Last plane of the night, getting ready to push)

In theory, I got this job so we can fly for free. In reality, though, Jeff is the only one who's actually gone anywhere.

It does give me a chance to take pictures with my phone, most of which are of sunsets. Cause man we have some nice ones out there.


(After a particularly fierce rainstorm, when they called a ground hold for lightning.)


(Leaning out the galley door. This is the place where I most often crack my head.)


(Pulled over while running bags to photograph the sunset. Because I have my priorities.)


(While gassing up my tug. I love how the sun is shining straight through the windows on the closest plane.)


(Waiting for international bags in the bowels of the airport. Just out of frame is a family of chuds.)

Jaden and Joey

I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people.
-John Lennon

Homemade Mozzarella

I made cheese!



And served it with the first tomato of the season.

Note- Despite a couple of hailstorms, our garden's still growing. Not going crazy or anything, yet not completely dead. And as I read about Finny's first tomato(es), I began to think that maybe I ought to be making special plans to welcome mine.

So I ordered myself a cheese kit. As one does.

When I told my brother (all excitedly I might add) that I had successfully made my own mozzarella, he asked if that was before or after the barn raising.

He thinks he's funny.

But I get it. It does seem old fashioned and maybe somewhat pointless. Cause you know, Wendy, they do sell cheese at the store.

But I have to say that as the milk transformed into actual curds it felt like magic. Like I should have been waving a wand over the pan to create such a miracle. It starts as milk, then I add a couple spoonfuls of special ingredients, wait patiently (or not very patiently, in my case) and BAM, it's cheese.

The English language (well, every language really) should have a word specifically to describe the satisfaction involved in curds/whey separation. I'm just sayin.


(this is totally what it was supposed to look like as it separated.)

It's that simple.

Except when it isn't.


(This is not at all what it was supposed to look like.)

This is one of my early attempts without the kit. The stench of failure was so great that it took me almost 3 years to give it another shot, despite a very thoughtful (and moderately optimistic) present from my love.


"One of these times it's gotta work."

Anyway, back to this time. The one that did work. Once it's been cut and heated on the stove, you ladle it into a bowl, heat it in the microwave and then stretch it.







And then you form it.



It looks like cheese, smells like cheese and tastes like cheese.



I'm almost entirely convinced that it was actually cheese. It may not look as smooth as what you get in the store, but it smells and tastes much better.

Next time, I plan to make at least a double batch. One for me and one for everyone else to share.