Author Archives: Allie

Meaning must be imposed by learning by experience

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The past few weeks have been fun, busy, exciting, stressful… Let me count the ways:

Earlier in the month, I worked my first shift at the co-op. I opted to do a receiving shift, wherein I arrive at the store before it opens to receive shipments, arrange and display produce, label produce, and check prices. Other than the basic duties outlined in the job description, I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out, it was really fun! Because the store was closed, it was easy to get work done but also to get to know the other members working with me. It was a good group of people and I look forward to my recurring Saturday morning shift. I’ve also been shopping at the co-op more frequently and eating a lot of delicious fruit and veggies. (Part of the reason I like my shift is that I get to shop after I’m finished, right as the store is opening and the produce shelves are still stocked!)

The following day, June 3, I participated in the Tour de Brooklyn. It was a 20-mile bike tour through my home borough with over 2,000 other cyclists. Needless to say, it was crowded and there was a lot of stopping and waiting. I managed to be caught on camera before the start, though! Crews from the local newschannel NY1 were there, covering the tour, and I can be seen in the background, fixing my hair, at about the 0:45 mark. It’s a low-quality video and you can barely even make me out but I’m there! I can now say I was on TV. Hehe.

On June 8, I gave a presentation at SUNYLA 2012: Fashioning the Library of the Future. I talked about my project creating library video tutorials while I was employed at Lehman College. I had a good turnout and thought my session went really well, with a lot of input & discussion from the audience. For those who are interested, my slides are available on the conference website or by following this link directly: From backstage to center stage: Librarians as actors in video tutorials (PPT).

While all this was happening, though, I was also nervously preparing for a job interview. I was selected to be interviewed for a new position, Instruction Librarian, at my current place of employment. This is a huge deal as this is an exciting opportunity for me to work at a college I like with colleagues I admire doing work I find incredibly interesting, challenging, and rewarding. I was interviewed by a committee of my library coworkers yesterday and hope to move on to Phase II of the interview (wherein I give a short presentation, on a topic yet to be determined, to my colleagues in the department) in the coming weeks.

Since interviewing is stressful, I took the day off and, because it was absurdly hot (95°F!), spent it eating ice cream, napping with my cat, and then going to see the New York premier of Sleepwalk With Me at the BAMcinemaFest with Alex. It turned out that our seats were kind of amazing–if all we wanted to see were Ira Glass and Mike Birbiglia talking about the movie. (In the photo on the left, Alex and I are in the second row right in front of the podium. I’m behind the girl in the pink-ish top at Ira’s feet.) However, they were very unfortunate for watching a movie because we were so close and so far off to one side. I spent the evening craning my neck and seeing distorted images projected on the screen. But! It was a fun movie and a great experience nevertheless. I’ve been a fan of Mike Birbiglia the comedian for a while now… and now I consider myself a fan of Mike Birbiglia the film writer, director, and actor, too. (Oh! And while waiting to get into the theater, I spotted a familiar face but couldn’t quite place him. Later figured out that it was John Mulaney. Makes me wonder how many other comedians, actors, and celebrities were at the premier that I just didn’t notice. I’m bad at spotting famous folks.)

I’ll be back in the BAM opera house next week for Radiolab Live: In the Dark. I hope our seats are better, although it’s all so relative, it’s hard to know what to expect ahead of time.

Recipe: Mexican Bean Salad

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My sister recently moved and, on Friday, I visited her new domicile for a quiet housewarming party. This caused me to freak out slightly:

@alevtina: 'Dinner at my sister's house means I have to frantically text her to remind her not to unnecessarily include cheese/milk in her dishes.'

The fact that my veganism causes others to have to change their dinner plans is kinda sucky. So I immediately texted her back and said I’d be bringing vegan desserts for everyone to enjoy. In the end, not only did I bring sweets from the amazing Clementine Bakery in the Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn but I also brought a nutrient-packed salad that I threw together in about 30 minutes. I’ve been on a Mexican kick lately (I love Mexican food!) so I created this bean and avocado salad:

Ingredients

  • 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 15-oz can sweet corn kernels, drained
  • 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, deseeded & chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the drained & rinsed beans and corn.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, red onion, scallions, and jalapeño to the bowl.
  3. Now it’s time to add the chopped avocado.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, using as much or as little as you like. (I like a lot of black pepper!)
  5. Add the lime zest and juice.
  6. Add olive oil and vinegar.
  7. Toss everything to coat evenly.
  8. Add the finely chopped cilantro and mix well.
  9. Enjoy!

This makes one large bowl of salad, enough to accommodate 8 people as a side. (Perhaps six people can partake if serving the salad as a main dish.) It’s hearty enough to be used as filling for tacos (you’ll just need some warm tortillas) or served simply with a side of tortilla chips. Or on its own! It’s delicious and so good for you.

In fact, it’s so yummy that I recreated it for lunch on Saturday. Now I have enough salad to feed me for days!

It’s a veritable cornuco-opia!

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GHFC Feb2012_KChauvin__071When I stayed home earlier this week with a stomach ache, I had a knitting marathon* while watching the 12th season of King of the Hill. This season included one of my favorite episodes: Raise the Steaks, where Hank joins a food co-op to enjoy its delicious produce and fresh steaks. (My favorite part of the episode is when Hank says, “You’re not making any sense. Tomatoes don’t taste like anything!” and Peggy exclaims, “If this is what food tastes like, what have we been eating!?”) It was the final push I needed to go and join a local food co-op.

*If you’re curious, I’m working on the Bethany Wrap from the Summer 2012 issue of Interweave Knits.

Brooklyn is home to one of the most famous co-ops out there: Park Slope Food Coop. In fact, it’s one of the oldest and largest food co-ops in the United States, having been established in 1973 and being home to more than 16,000 members. However, it’s not as convenient to my home as I’d like and it keeps making the news for unfavorable things, like its militaristic work requirements and the ensuing emotional unrest. So I began looking for other options and that’s when I came across the Greene Hill Food Co-op.

I hadn’t heard of this co-op before and that surprised me: it’s less than a mile (a 20-minute walk or an 8-minute bike ride!) from my house, how could I have missed it? Turns out, it’s a little over a year old and only recently reached 1,000 members. They’re also only open two days a week at this point, which is a bummer but understandable considering they’re 100% member-owned and -operated. (The more contributing members, the more operating hours!) So I decided to make the commitment and filled out the online form to join! The next step was visiting the store to get my member card and shop! So I went yesterday with Alex, got my key fob, and shopped. It was glorious! Well, not “glorious” but “as advertised.” It’s a small space (they’re only using one of the three storefronts–totaling 2,700 square feet–they’re leasing) but it wasn’t crowded… and there is a limited selection of products but it’s all things I shop for on a regular basis. I could see it growing, expanding, and evolving, and I foresee many happy shopping experiences at this co-op!

All that’s left is for me to schedule my work shifts and start working. (The co-op uses an external website to manage the shifts and I haven’t received my login credentials yet.) That’s going to be interesting, especially in the fall when I begin classes at the Grad Center while working full-time. What have I signed myself up for!?