local food and what not

I discovered a wonderful website this morning. http://dakotalocalfoodnetwork.com/ It has fantastic listings for local farms, the farmer's market (which starts the first Sat. in June), local beekeepers, etc... I'm so excited! Through it I found out that there is a non-profit group here called, The Rapid City Urban Orchard Project, they're working with the park district to plant fruit trees in public spaces. Awesome!

I've also spent a good portion of my morning looking at homes for sale in the area. The big lovely farm house that I wanted isn't really in the country. Pictures can be so deceiving! Turns out its sandwiched between two other houses and is across the street from a huge industrial building. Sad. Today I found a couple of places with lots of land that still fall into the budget. I might drive out and look at them before work this afternoon.

Speaking of work, its been pretty good this week. Even with our DM in the store. I think she finally gets me as a person. We've had some very positive interaction the last two days and I'm feeling far less prickly towards her.

I'm really hoping for lovely weather this weekend. I want to get some plants started. It seems like the first of May is the right time to do that around these parts, although we can still have a freeze before summer arrives.

Sunday was lovely. Carl and I drove all around the hills for nearly 3 hours, just enjoying the scenery. I forgot my camera, but did manage to snap a couple of pics with my phone. We stopped at the Mangy Moose in Hill City for snacky bits. They have wonderful fried mushrooms there. Then we went to a benefit show for our friend Amanda. She had emergency surgery a few months back and now has 20K in medical bills. Some of the local music folks got together to try and help, as she's been very active in the scene for several years. It was nice to go out and meet a few more people, 3 or 4 of which are very interested in coming to the monthly Vegan Potluck.

Monday was spent in a cooking and baking frenzy. It felt good to spend the day making tasty things. The frenzy yielded Lemon Drop Cookies, Asian Sauteed Cabbage, Creamy Chreezy Pasta, Baked Potatoes, and Vanilla Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting and Strawberries. I also baked a butternut squash that I intend to use for either pasta sauce or soup tonight. Due to the urging of my friend Debbie and Carl's need for me to stop complaining (I've been homesick lately) I had a shopping adventure at Main St. Market on Monday. Its an awesome natural foods store that carries all the bits that I've been having trouble locating. They ordered me large containers of Soy Yogurt, my order will be in on Thursday. So happy! I did spend more than intended while there, but that's because I found Gimme Lean Soy Sausage, Field and Grain Smoked Apple Seitan Sausages, Facon Bacon, and good quality Nutritional Yeast. The last two times I've bought Nutritional Yeast, its either been old or from a poor supplier. This time, I found the good stuff!

I'm going to be writing the Vegan Recipes Section for The Hills Thrills. Its a local online newspapery thing like Smile Politely back in CU. I'm also auditioning for a local dance and movement group at the end of May. The audition is for a piece called Vita, its about growth and change. I'm very intrigued by the concept. I'm hoping to also find the time to get involved with Staging Grounds, the new art collective downtown, in the near future. At some point I need to start my volunteer hours at The Dahl as well. If only they'd get someone hired to take all the extra stuff I've been doing at the bridal shop.

Speaking of David's, the DM is finally doing interviews this week for Bre's position. I really hope they make a decision by Friday so we can get the person trained over the next 2 weeks. I'm at my wits end as far as balancing the two jobs. The wee bit extra I make for doing so, just isn't worth the effort. They're paying me $1.05 more an hour to do what they'd pay another person $11.50 an hour to do. Which means I'm doing $23.00 worth of job and only getting paid for half of it. Explain to me how this is fair?

That's enough bitching about work. This was supposed to be a happy post. The end is in sight, I just have to have some patience. Something we all know I have very little of. Soon enough I'll be able to focus a bit more on the life I moved here to live and get some balance back into my day to day life. I think May might be the month that brings that routine into focus.

The birthday weekend turned out to be fantastic. We had a wonderful meal at Delmonico's and then went out with some friends. I did slip and fall late in the evening and bruise my forearms and butt. I'm okay though, just a little sore. Sunday night we wrapped up the celebration by hosting the monthly vegan potluck. It was fantastic and included chocolate cake with mocha and walnut frosting. In other news, I have had a nasty cold the last 3 days. Its almost gone though and I should be feeling top notch again very soon. I'm in love with an old farm house in Hermosa, SD. It qualifies for the Rural Development Loan program, which I need to find out more about. I'm fairly sure that our income qualifies us for the program as well. I want to live in this beautiful house with its lovely wrap around porch and hear my bees buzzing the apple and plum trees that are on the land. That would be perfect! Here is the craigslist ad for my dream house http://rapidcity.craigslist.org/reb/1701238893.html Well, its time to do some dishes and finish getting ready for work. Love!

So far turning 30 has been wonderous! Yesterday I got up early and became a citizen of South Dakota. I have a new drivers license with a really great photo and registered to vote here. I feel more rooted here now. This morning I went for a walk with Lisa. I wish I could convince her to walk outside instead of in the mall. I enjoy the exercise but I crave fresh air! Maybe she'll bend a little once summer rolls around :D I then stopped at Bully Blends to grab an Americano and Scone...sooooo tasty! After that I went and had a pedicure and manicure at one of the cosmetology schools downtown. The girl who worked me over was wonderful and I have beautiful bright pink fingers and toes! I then ran out to Target to spend the giftcard my folks sent me. I found a sexy little black dress that will be perfect for our dinner out tonight! I also found the bras I love on sale for $5, so yeah I bought pretty undergarments for my gift to myself! When I got back to our hovel on the hill there were two little packages from my sister waiting for me. She sent me Lungs by Florence + the Machine. Its a wonderful CD. I love it! She also sent me the book Birdology. It looks very interesting. Right now Leo and I are hanging out until Carl gets home. Then Carl and I will drop him off at his grampa's house so we can have a night on the town. It should be grand!

back and forth

I just finished going through my giant inventory shipment from Mary Kay that arrived today. It was like Christmas! Sometimes I feel at odds with myself about working retail. I'm not a hard sale sort of person and I've quit jobs where I was expected to be. I like to let the products prove themselves which is something that appeals to me about Mary Kay. The stuff makes your skin feel good and look good. That's what matters to me as a buyer and its the reason I feel comfy selling it. I do think we place too much importance on the "culture of looking young" in our society though, and this sometimes makes me feel like a bit of a hypocrite since I work for the beauty industry. I'm just in it to pamper other women and make them smile though. I think that's whats important in the end.

I've been putting in extra hours at David's this week. The woman I was covering for isn't coming back from maternity leave. I can't really blame her. If her and her husband have the means for her to stay at home with their cute little guy, then by all means she should! I decided not to take the position full time because I want to focus more time and energy on being a part of the art community. I'm really excited about us finding someone who can take the extra responsibility off my shoulders, so I can relax. I'm looking forward to being able to just go to work, do my job, and go home. Its been a very long time since I had a job where that was the case.

I have grand dreams of owning land out here in the hills where we will build a cute little self-sustaining farm. I just wish we didn't have to work so hard and save so much to get there. I keep telling myself its an ends to a means, but I'm naturally impatient so its hard to hunker down. We have goals set as far as paying down debt and saving, I just need to keep in mind why we're working so hard. Its all for a cozy home surrounded by tasty gardens and happy cats and dogs.

Bills, Beers, and Beards

There is something both irritating and calming about getting bills paid and balancing ones checkbook. Now to just stamp and mail them out.

I'm going to finally go and get my South Dakota driver's license tomorrow morning. I think I'll get there right when they open at 7am, so I can get it over with. I'm unsure why I've kept putting it off. I have to get it by Friday when my Illinois license expires. I'll be 30!

Last night was Beards and Beers with the Haycamp Beard and Moustache Society. The weather was wonderful so we were able to sit outside Patty's for the meeting. I got to meet some new people and got to know some others better. Its nice to finally be getting out of the house.

We'll be having our 2nd Vegan Potluck this Sunday. I'm excited, we had such fun last time. I do think it a tad funny that only two of us who come are actual vegans. Its mostly just friends of ours who are vegan friendly and want to hang out. Regardless its a great time! I'll try to post some recipes after the event.

business loans, monsterous rose bushes, and galleries

Its official I have my first small business loan! Now I shall purchase inventory for Mary Kay. Huzzah!

Life is pretty good up on the Hill. We're budgeting to get all debt payed off, save to open Sassafras, and save to buy a wee house or a bit of land on which to build a yurt. Spring is beginning to creep into the hills. I can't wait to plant our big beautiful container garden! We have just enough "yard" behind the garage to have a really good size garden. Currently there are tulips peeking out of the ground back there and a monsterous rose bush, that I've named Evelyn, growing in the space. We have to wait until May to plant though, which is oh so late in my opinion. We also plan to have lots of window boxes for herbs and flowers. We've been trying to figure out ways to live more sustainably in our apartment. I need to look into books on Sustainable Urban Living.

I decided earlier this week that it was time to focus on living the life I moved here to live. Thus far my life in RC has been much happier since this active choice was made! Its amazing how well positive thinking works to change the landscape of our lives.

I met a wonderful lady yesterday, who is on the gallery board for Spearfish. I gave her my contact info. I'd really love to be involved with that. I'm also going to go talk to the folks working on the new community art space this Sunday and see what I can do to help. Even if its just bringing them tasty bits every now and again.