If something is shelf stable, it can stay in the cupboard forever. There’s a ‘Best By’ date, but it doesn’t really matter, right?
That’s what I thought too.
I had a box of scalloped potatoes that were perfect for dinner. They cooked wonderfully.
Little did I consider their ‘bes by’ date.
It turns out that it does matter on done things. I’m sure it seeing make you sick, but it tastes absolutely horrible (“rancid ” is the appropriate word, I amam told).
Turns out they were a little over their date and not like a five wine. And so the Shelf Stable Theory, by which I used to by everything in college so nothing went bad, proved to be untrue.
And yes, it is MLTN that those potatoes were from the apartment I lived in until I bought my house (2012), so check the dates on your food supply you’re saving for the end of the world.
While most of you may think I’m talking about a phone app, I honestly do not and have no interest in “coding”.
I’m, of course, talking about appetizers. For the first time in too long, I made an appetizer for a party.
I brought brushetta. Not too complex: tomatoes and bread, right? Well like my incredibly simple recipe for truffles, it’s all about the extra things you do that makes it exceptional and complex.
My brushetta includes:
Deseeded roma tomatoes, diced, partially softened
Fresh basil leaves, shredded and finely minced
Four garlic cloves, crushed, generally mixed in tomatoes
Once on serving tray, balsamic glaze lightly drizzled over tomato mix
Oven fresh baguette, sliced diagonally to about 0.50″ – 0.75″ thick.
It was a hit! People even scraped the plate clean!
The air in my house always has the sweet scent of cookies
The Cookie run
Everything just seems to be made for me!
I love cookies, and cookies love me too. (Running Justin tells me that they don’t love me, but I don’t trust him because he doesn’t eat cookies and isn’t even around much during Cookie Season).
I wish you a happy Cookie Capstone Festival on the 25th!
I’ll write this post as I wait for dinner in the FIKA Cafe.
Some of you may notice that I’ve taken s liking to the American Swedish Institute.
Those who know too much may think it’s related to the Gustavus Alumni, but it is not at all. It’s true, I discovered ASI from a Cocktails at the Castle event. It was cool. That put it on there map. Like a lot of things, I just went to check it out because I was curious. But as I went here a couple more times, I was just captivated.
It’s incredible. I mean, yes, it’s kind cool that a lot of things remind me of my grandma’s house. And I am Swedish, but that’s not why I come here.
This place has an incredible positive energy. I can’t explain it, and I’ve never felt that with a place before.
It’s a good place. That’s why I’m a member and spend time here.
As 2015 closes, I’m doing what I’m good at: Working a bunch.
But it’s different this time. The difference?
This time I’m actually focusing! It’s weird….
I’ll tell you to where I am and where I’m planning on going, give or take, at this point, subject to change….
First I’ll talk about my non-business stuff:
I feel like I’ve never had more energy or looked better! For those who know me, that is a well controlled energy.
I’ve been very happy lately, especially with myself. I don’t think it’s directly related to a lady-type, but it maybe an indirect result. But yeah, the independent piece is kind of important.
There are a lot of people out there who are really independent, or so they claim. And they are, mostly.
But then there’s my level of independence. Unlike everyone who talks about their independence, I actually am independent. Being financially independent is the crux of independence because that means my time is independent. I love it.
Now that I’ve left the Strib, I’ve been getting back to some things. I’m making events occasionally. It’s nearly impossible to make a huge one bc of the proximity of the holidays.
Some people may think that my events are very impulsive. In reality, I have 7,000 members, so making them suddenly is how I control size, yet I let the market rule. Someday I’ll actually post about my event beliefs.
My health is very good. My diet is a very strict “reasonable” and I exercise sometimes.
Second, I’ll talk about business stuff:
In reality, I’ve been short on time lately. I’m trying to do business events soon because it’ll allow me to make all my value-added tax work available to more people because they’ll do their own accounting, instead of me doing it for them and billing them for it.
That’s one of three event-types I’ll be doing for business.
So I’m designing a website for that. Thinking about hiring someone to do that.
I’m also still doing some 2014 returns bc they delayed getting me info. I have bookkeeping too.
All whilst working blog posts, updating my website, and building for my 2016 tax season.
I love who I am, and I love what I do. If course I work with numbers, but I must read for work. I’m also in sales. I can talk, so I can talk about the one thing I sell…. Me.
My goal for 2016 is huge growth. If course I have a number, but I won’t share it here.
All I know is that I’m building to and looking forward to an awesome 2016!
You can tell this isn’t me because I would never wear orange.
When talking to someone for the first time in A long time, you should remember a few things.
For one, they will probably talk about when you last saw them. That’s pretty typical.
Further, they might make some mention of some prior shenanigans.
If this person wants to talk to you, they want to talk to you. That’s not always the case.
They’re not stuck in the past, but they don’t know anything about you and don’t have any more material with you (like a stand up comedian). But they’re bothering to try.
They’re probably talking about the past because that is the only thing they have with you. Give them some more material. Let them make you laugh.
What would happen if you both gave each other the present?
You can tell certain things just by my coffee trends on Sundays. Back in the day, I used to make Sunday my caffeine-free day.
I still considered Sundays a day off. That ended about a year ago, as Sundays magically turned into a Mad-Dash-to-Finish-Everything-You-Need-By-Monday day. It’s also the day when I finish doing things around the house.
One look at my house (okay, the kitchen table, which I am cleaning today. I’m going to start to use y office as an office!) will quickly tell you where my priorities are.
You can tell when I am busier than usual because I drink at least two cups of coffee. That’s where I’ve been since August.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I have a perpetual sweet tooth and have large quantities of Dark Chocolate Truffle Coffee at home.
This stuff is amazing. It’s not like flavored coffee, where they add flavors, which have an artificial taste to them that makes your nose crinkle up like bad beer.
No, this stuff is like they just shoved some dark chocolate in with the coffee.
Sometimes I make it to go, and I forget it. I can then just take the cold cup of coffee and just drink it, because it is wonderful, delicious, caffeinated chocolate milk.
Tomorrow is the first day when I won’t get up to and go to work, and I’m super excited because I will finally get to work!
The reason why I’m wrapped up at my work is because there is so much interest. On excited because I can follow up with people I met networking, people who have found me on Google Maps, or small business owners I randomly meet going through life.
The timing is perfect. I have time to get some things ready for tax season. 2016 is going to be incredible. I’m just excited to not have to go to work so I can actually get some things done.
Since only 40 people clicked my email blast of 1,200 about my news about the Strib, and my social share may have been corrupted – without all the self-promoting language and getting right to it:
Yesterday was my last day at the Strib. My firm has gotten so busy that I can’t maintain both. So I left the Strib to pursue my own venture with all of my focus for the first time ever.
I think I’ll be able to do very well.
Some of you (okay, probably most of you) have noticed that I am a late riser. I’m just sleeping in every day, right? Often I don’t get to work until 10:00 or even 11:00.
After talking to me for a minute or two and hearing about my hobbies, some people may conclude that I’m out late every night, painting the town red, so to speak.But that’s not the case. Nowadays, I’m not the party closer. I could be, but I get bored. Moreover, my focus has been to be another kind of closer.
Well perhaps I’m just kind of old, washed up, and lazy.
That could be the case. I’m certainly too lazy to crop that image, but it would’ve gotten rid of the nice white border and taken time. But I honestly don’t think anyone thinks that.
I probably just struggle to focus, or when I work, I’m halfway working and halfway sleeping, Facebooking, or doing other overly-social or distracted tasks. Well, working from home, this is how I can do client calls. It’s pretty neat.
Not really.
My dad thinks I need more of a routine and to be more disciplined. Maybe he’s right. I’ll go ahead and go through my routine.
First of all, I don’t usually skip out on sleep too often. My job has way too much thinking and reading to do off of only a little sleep. I usually sleep 6 to 7 hours every night.
Since I’m often up until 1:00, this means I don’t wake up until 8:00. In the morning, I wake up, iron a shirt, cook an egg, and have coffee. When I have time, I often check my email. Usually I’ll get back to clients and tell them that I’ll get back to them in the night.
Sometimes I get up much earlier and go to networking events that go anywhere from 7:30 to 10:00.
Then I go to work. I usually work until 5:00 or 6:00, or lately I’ve had a couple of 8:00 pm nights. After work, I frequently go to networking events or similar events. I’ve been building a lot of varied and high-value connections recently.
After that, I go home and run. Sometimes I lift weights. Usually wound 9:00, I have dinner, which is very often just a protein shake. It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t really have much junk in it. Or I have Chinese. Or Noodles.
Then I work. My nights are divided, pretty equally, between doing client work and administrative work. Sometimes I break routine and hang out with people, at which point I work once they end their night.
I usually work until 1:00 am or 2:00 am.
There it is, Dad. That’s my ‘laxed routine that needs some discipline.
Reasoning
Sounds weird to some, I’m sure. I simply believe in doing things naturally. In the mornings, I don’t have the focus to work on taxes. I am extroverted, so I get energy from talking to other people. Writing emails is okay, but actually going to networking events is great.
Working at work is, well, time consuming. It’s challenging, too, but I really do enjoy it! The people are great, even if half of them have mustaches like they’re from the 80’s.
I pretty much make fun of them all the time, and it’s likely they’ll read this.
After work, I either exercise or go to a networking event. Both things give me a ton of energy… energy that lets me keep going until 1:00 doing client work!
In short, the reasoning for working super late at nights is that I always have energy and focus. This is when I should work, according to my crazy energy cycles. On the weekends, I go out with this kind of crazy energy.
I do work a bit, it’s true, and while my routine sounds kind of boring, I have fun! I’m guessing the people at my work know what I mean – can’t bring me down.
But that’s not the case. Nowadays, I’m not the party closer. I could be, but I get bored. Moreover, my focus has been to be another kind of 
