mulligatawny soup.

So I looked at a new apartment today--if I didn't mention it before, I've got to be out of this temporary arrangement here by August. Anyway, the place is great. A two-room studio, lots of built-in shelving, really cute architecture. Gas stove (fuck yeah). It's in Shadyside, rather than South Oakland, which makes it very close to my job. Very nice area, overall.

It's expensive. The rent is going to be 500 a month with utilities included, with the exception of cooking gas and electric (pretty negligable). I could potentially get a place with a roommate for much cheaper, and probably stick around in Oakland. But you know, I really don't want to be in a crummy building in a shady area, living with or around a bunch of drunken college kids. I want to have my own place where I can have people over if I want, do my cooking, have my little herb garden in the window, etc. I think what I'm getting at is I don't want to be a student in student housing with dorm furniture and immature roommates--I want to be a young professional with a home! So I did my budget, and I figure I can do it, so long as I can delay paying first month's rent to hold the apartment until I get paid this week. Things are going to be tighter once I live there, with juggling loan payments, rent, and staying alive, but I think I can make it.

The restaurant will owe me at least a small raise in the coming months too. I'm really getting good on the line, and I actually feel like I'm well-appreciated at this job--I've been volunteering for latenight shifts, trying to help out with cleaning as much as I can, I never call off, etc. The chefs get me to create amuse-bouche for VIPs now, which is a sign that they trust me to not suck at making food. And I actually show up to work. I didn't realize until recently that finding employees who are simply willing to be at work on time every day is the toughest thing about being a chef.