If Only These Rubies Were Real

Finally! I have internet access again, though not without a struggle. As per usual, I was given a three hour window during which a technician may or may not appear, (I used to work for a USA based ISP and became all too familiar with their practice of making people wait for a tech who never showed up) luckily though, the technician did appear. He proceeded to plug the modem into the wall and drop a box of cables on my floor, he didn’t even ask about plugging said modem into my computer. Then he asked me if I ever dated guys that were shorter than me, (he was probably about 5’6 to my 6’2) if I liked drinking and dancing and told me a story about how his ex-girlfriend used to worry that he would get girls phone numbers when he installed their internet. It’s times like those that the only appropriate response seems to be that my very jealous, ex-con, gun packing, short tempered, enormous athlete of a boyfriend will be home soon.

He then told me everything should be working. I asked him to wait while I plugged in my computer to make sure it was online. He said he’d be in his truck, testing the signal strength and that I could come get him if it didn’t work. I plugged everything in and instead of the google page popping up immediately like it should, I got the dreaded ‘unable to connect’ message. I marched outside to the technician’s truck and told him it wasn’t working. He replied that the signal strength was good and that everything was fine on his end so it should be working. He suggested I run the installation cd that was dropped somewhere on my living room floor. Like I said, I used to work for an evil internet company, (who was anything but internet-tastic) and I was well aware that this is a standard line given by a dufus who doesn’t know how to do his job. There is no installation cd, the only thing on my floor was a cd that would help me set up my new email account, or download usb drivers, provided I was already online, which I wasn’t. I told him so too and watched him squirm for a while before letting him go, because I was quite certain at this point that I knew more than he did about the issue at hand and that I could figure it out myself. Which I did, eventually. So that was an incredibly long way of saying I finally have internet again, no thanks to useless technicians.

Now onto the food. You’d think for my first real post in my new place that I should write about something more spectacular than a salad. Well, the truth is, I made this before I left and it was in my bank of unposted recipes. I haven’t done a lot of cooking yet, (although I made some 100% whole wheat bread which you’ll hear about soon) and that’s mainly because I haven’t developed a well stocked pantry yet. I lack the huge base I used to have so that I could make anything I wanted. I’m also back on a student food budget. That’s right, student. Come January I’m back in the classroom and my money will be disappearing to buy textbooks and pay for tuition. If my life sponsor is hiding out there somewhere, now would be a good time to step in…

But I digress, I think I should post pictures of pomegranates every day because it requires so little effort on my part to make them look good. Pomegranate seeds are like rubies; bright and shiny, almost too pretty too eat, I wish I could wear them. I actually used to wear them, though not on purpose, those little suckers stain, but not if you know the trick to deseeding them. Simply fill a bowl with water, slice your pomegranate in half, submerge it in water and use your fingers to pry the rest of the pomegranate apart. The pith will float to the top and can be easily skimmed off while the seeds sink to the bottom and can be strained out.

So what else is in this salad? Candied almonds, baby spinach, goat cheese and a balsamic dressing. Pretty and tasty.

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Pomegranate + Salad + Spinach