Some Cool Things

1. WMMT has a show called "What's Cookin' Now!" which is, as far as we know it, the only on-air radio cooking show. The first Wednesday of every month at 6 pm EST, three wonderful people who are excellent cooks (who all have different and interesting day jobs) come in to Appalshop's kitchen and cook up a storm, describing what they are doing on air, and having an absolute blast doing it. Most of the radio staff hangs around for the show for delicious food and great company. Last week's episode was Soups and Stews. There was a tomato soup with blue cheese, a corn chowder, a cauliflower curry soup, and a ham and bean soup (the only one I didn't eat... my hypocritical vegetarianism allows me to eat chicken stock, but not chunks of ham). All of them were delicious and scarfed up quickly along with homemade oatmeal bread. Yum.

2. There is a cemetery behind the house I am living in. It is a small, relatively new cemetery, and has become part of my running route (One of the un-cool things is that the town's two gyms are only opened from 9-5 on weekdays). Yesterday I was snowed in, so I spent about an hour walking around the snowy cemetery, really taking time to look at the headstones and think about the people I had been (respectfully, I hope) running over.

3. Summit City Lounge. I got introduced to the town's only bar on my first day there (don't worry mom, I went with the radio staff for lunch). It is like the Dirtbean in Marlinton plus alcohol and live music, and minus the gym. Good coffee, good eats, and apparently good open mics (I missed the one this week because I was wiped out, but I will be at the next one for sure!).

4. I am being treated like an adult. Not that this is the first time that this has happened, but it's the first time I actually feel like I deserve to be treated like an adult. It's different than being treated like an adult at my summer job, when I didn't need the money to pay my electric bills or feed my kid. And it's way different than being treated like an adult as a college student. When I am at college, I feel further away from being an adult than ever. I did the work to find this internship with the help of others, but it was definitely self-powered. I drove here all by myself, I get myself up in the mornings, I cook (and sometimes burn) my own food, clean my own space, and decide how I am going to spend my own time. While I do everything I am told to do at WMMT, I feel that the only person I really have to answer to is myself. And it's definitely different than kind of independence I have at college.

5. Okay, so there are way more cool things, but I am tired and am reading a good book. The final cool thing, is because this is happening in January during wintery weather, and not July, I feel no pressure to go out and try to be social. The wonderful people I live and work with are enough company for me at least right now. I appreciate the time I'm spending alone knitting, reading, playing instruments, and thinking my own thoughts. Although I live with two other people, I spend the majority of my free time essentially alone, but I don't feel lonely. After spending the end of last semester feeling strangely isolated, it feels good to remember how nice it can be to spend some quality time with yourself. Plus I'm making major progress on a sweater, make some kick-butt chili with very few ingredients, reading about mountain top removal, and re-gaining my former Pocahontas county track mountain running strength.