project 365: day 64

day 64, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Starting in January, I found myself growing increasingly concerned about the milestone adult skills I haven’t had the occasion to learn. So I said to hell with that, learned to drive,got my license, bought a car, and moved to a new state (okay, it didnt exactly work exactly like that, you you get what I mean).

Yet, after some evaluation I’ve decided I’m totally screwed in the following life skills categories:

• Cooking of the non-Mexican, pasta, or stir-fry-based variety.

If it can be cooked on the stove-top I’ve got it covered. If it requires more than two steps and familiarity with the inside of the oven, that’s trouble.
I know people who don’t technically have an oven so they have to cook everything on hot plates and Forman grills. I envy them because they have an excuse.

I am considering making a bid to plan and cook all of Easter 2012 dinner as a band-aid style approach to serving-a-full-meal skills, but I’m not sure the rising of Christ is a holiday I should ruin considering my already challenged relationship with the gates of heaven.

All of this said, I have consistently creative ideas about many food dishes i.e. mac n' cheese inside a wrap....think about it...

• Driving, co-piloting, pumping gas, knowing when a car is about to blow up.

I can see how the idea of driving a convertible up the coast of some scenic route, Pat Benatar-blaring, hair blowing manageably under some great looking kerchief could be appealing to many people. I admire fearlessly confidant drivers with an innate sense of direction and ability to pump gas without reading the instructions. I myself fall into the agreeable passenger with expert driving soundtrack compilation skills and an impressively calm demeener when lost despite not actual ability to get un-lost. I got lost coming from the airport after picking Amy up and it's a one street straight shot.

• Caring for plants and or animals
  

Yes, I have both. Fleao has dominated my life for 5 years (ish) and I've recently acquired several indoor/outdoor plants. I don't doubt that there's a significant difference between these two tasks, but at this point in my life they can safely remain grouped together.
Last Friday afternoon I bought tulips from the bstore on my corner because it was sunny and I had ten dollars in my pocket. Had I saved that ten dollars I would simply have spent it on Yogurtland so wasting it on flowers was actually saving me trouble.

I took the flowers home and prepared them for the various-sized empty juice bottles I have saved for when someone surprises me with flowers (still waiting...). Apparently there is a very wrong way to cut the stems of flowers because when I woke up on Saturday morning every single one of my tulips was slumped over in its jar as if it was perhaps just still sleeping. I tried to wake one up but found it was actually just dead.

Imagine this same scenario applied to a pet that needs more attention that Fleao.

Conclusions:
Once on a Habitat for Humanity site in South Seattle I learned how to hang a door (this mean put it on the frame and make it open and close) in 15 minutes, so I'm sure none of these real-world skills are that far beyond me. Plus when my time comes I'll have quite a few unique offerings to contribute to the people of my eventual culdesac:

• Ability to spend $100 at Whole Foods, yet still not have the makings of a complete meal
• Ease with the carrying of many, many bags of groceries up several, several flights of stairs
• Strong Internet stalking skills
• A working knowledge of the economy
• A music collection that would rival a low-budget radio station

So on this Easter Sunday, I give thanks for the skills I have and the ladyfriend that loves me (and has a few good ones of her own). And Peeps.