Growing Up

(An email I just sent out)

Dear All,

Thank you, thank you for all of your support. The response was staggering, and I am so grateful for you all.

The bad news? I did get fired. The good news? I’m at peace with it, and it was the best “worst case” scenario that could have happened. My work was affirmed, and I don’t feel bitter or resentful at my bosses. (I’m trying to take my boss’s words at face value and not question them.) My direct boss is transitioning to a new job position, one that doesn’t need an assistant now. She may need one in the future, but my workplace is focused on hiring more caseworkers now. So, contrary to my assumptions, I didn’t have to defend myself a lot.

I’m going to keep working until Friday in order to wrap things up. My boss said that I could give her my resume, and she would pass it along to her friend at another law firm. Also, I said that I’d like to be considered if my direct boss needs an assistant in the future.

Thanks again for your prayers. You can pray for more discernment – I’m not sure if I should stay in the legal field (I have a few leads), or if I should take the time to hunt for a job that involves more of my passions. My anxiety about unemployment makes me want to jump into the next opportunity, but there is a small voice telling me to search for a job that allows me to invest more in my neighborhood.

Thankful,
Janelle

I haven’t blogged as frequently as I’ve wanted to (is that grammatically correct?). The reason is twofold: 1) I’m more focused at work now, and 2) Tabor and I got hooked on “Glee.” We only have a few more episodes left, so hopefully my blogging will pick back up soon.

You can pray for my conversation with my big boss tomorrow on Monday. In the beginning of January, my probation was extended for a month because I changed job positions. The month is over, so now she’s going to evaluate how well I performed. :/ Pray that both of my bosses have favor on me. Pray that I am able to keep my job. Thanks.

Not to sound like a broken record, but another food truck event is coming up! LA Street Food Fest is happening. It’s on Saturday, February 13th, from 11AM – 5PM. $5 admission, which includes a free drink ticket. It’s a chance to sample a lot of different food trucks at affordable prices ($1-5). Let me know if you’re interested!

My hit list:

Cool Haus
Fishlips Sushi
Flying Pig
Fry Smith
Get Shaved (again!)
Grilled Cheese Truck

Crumbs:

- Doing the dishes is my favorite chore. There’s something therapeutic about the hot water, soap, and making dirty dishes clean. Plus, I get to blast my favorite music. :]

- I realized that if I wear tights to work, I don’t have to shave. Tee hee.

- On the topic of clothing, I’m slightly ashamed that I enjoy wearing professional clothes to work. First, not everyone has the chance to wear professional clothing. Second, professional clothing costs a lot. Third, admiring myself in my button up shirt makes me feel like a nerd.

- Last week I made teriyaki sauce from scratch for the first time EVER! Before that I was using bottled sauces. The sauce wasn’t amazing, and I’d still say the bottled sauces tasted better, but hopefully I can perfect my recipe.

- Speaking of cooking, I made THE healthiest dinner ever last night. Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce (from fresh tomatoes and spices). No artificial nothin’.

- I got my diploma in the mail today!!! It’s so beautiful. UCLA emailed all the slacker seniors with a reminder to order or pick up our diplomas.

- My groin muscles feel sore because I played Ultimate on Sunday. Awkward.

I’ve quickly fallen in love with LAist, a blog that covers the hottest LA news.

For your stalking pleasure, here is a long list of the food trucks that Twitter their locations. I’ve got my eye on the Grilled Cheese Truck and The Flying Pig.

For many years I’ve read the Bible the way my former youth pastor taught me to – one chapter from the Old Testament, one Psalm, and one chapter from the New Testament every day. Using this method, I’ve plodded through the Bible. Read through the Bible in a year? Psh – more like reading through the Bible in three years. I really appreciated this method because it forced me to read everything. And by everything, I mean the books that people usually skip over and don’t read. But really, you’re missing out if you don’t go through the whole thing. I love having a general overview of the Bible and especially having a grasp of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is so rich.

This is all to say that I’m changing things up! It’s going to be a big change. I think I’m going to read through Genesis and go through a commentary on Genesis (appropriately titled Genesis) by Gerhard Von Rad (some German guy). I wish I could do a manuscript study by myself… I mean, I could, but it wouldn’t be as fun or fruitful. I miss UCLA manuscript studies! I’m excited for our Servant Partners manuscript studies that will start in the Fall.

If anyone has any commentaries (for any book) that they’d recommend, let me know. Also, I’m really interested in books that provide historical context.

The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association is assembling food trucks for a fundraising event on Saturday to benefit the rescue and recovery operations in Haiti.

Already expressing interest in participating are the Grilled Cheese Truck, Don Chow Tacos, India Jones, The NomNom Truck, the Slice Truck, Asian Soul Kitchen, Dosa Truck, Fishlips Sushi, Barbie’s Q, South Philly Experience, Vesuvio, LA FuXion, Calbi BBQ, King Kone, and Get Shaved, with more trucks joining the list daily. Partial Proceeds of Saturday’s event will benefit The American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief.

Food Truck Fundraiser for Haiti Set for Saturday in West L.A. – LAist

Saturday, January 23, 2010 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
TLofts: 11500 Tennessee Avenue (Olympic and Butler)

Who wants to join me?! Soooo excited about the Grilled Cheese Truck, Fishlips Sushi, and Get Shaved. I know that Fishlips Sushi and Get Shaved have excellent reviews on Yelp.

I still have no vacation time, but I am using my Rapid Rewards! D.C., holla!

There’s a theory that you could deep-fry pretty much anything and it would probably taste good.

A guide to fried food in LA. This person may very well be my kindred spirit.

She lists a bunch of places to hit up… I’ve only been to Xooro. Who wants to join me?!

Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, Los Feliz
Bouzy, Redondo Beach
Brits, Pasadena
Chateau Marmont, West Hollywood
Ford’s Filling Station, Culver City
Johnny Rebs’ Southern Roadhouse, Long Beach
Kokomo, Los Angeles
Kyochon, Koreatown
Larchmont Grill, Los Angeles
Laurel Tavern, Studio City
Musha, Santa Monica
RH, West Hollywood
Reservoir, Silver Lake
Riva, Santa Monica
The Edison, Downtown Los Angeles
Whale & Ale, San Pedro
Xooro, Santa Monica
Yxta, Downtown

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary John Morton today halted all removals to Haiti for the time being in response to the devastation caused by yesterday’s earthquake. ICE continues to closely monitor the situation.

Office of the Press Secretary

The Obama Administration announced Friday that it is giving temporary protected status to Haitians in the U.S. illegally so long as they were here before Jan. 12, 2010. In an attempt to prevent a mass migration from Haiti, however, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stressed repeatedly in a conference call with journalists that the U.S. would return Haitians who try to enter the U.S. after the Jan. 12 cutoff to take advantage of the new status.

NPR, Jan. 15, 2010

The Obama administration announced Friday evening that it will allow an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Haitians living in the United States illegally to stay and work in the country for 18 months as part of its response to Tuesday’s earthquake. But officials warned Haitians that leaving their country now “will only bring more hardship to the Haitian people and nation.” Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said the decision to grant Temporary Protected Status — to illegal immigrants from Haiti who were living in the United States as of Jan. 12 — was a gesture of compassion and an attempt to ensure that the immigrants can continue to send money to their devastated homeland.

WaPo, Jan. 15, 2010

From Bender’s Immigration Bulletin, a daily email bulletin that my boss asked us to subscribe to.