i have officially lost my mind

[keroro gunsou]

reward given for it's safe return...

that said, i've got a problem.

i've been unemployed since last november. the first two weeks were cool. slacked off, caught up on my tv, played lots of WoW. but after that, it got old. i'm still getting my benefits and food share, but the one thing i am not getting is a freakin' job. the field of graphic design is over-saturated in the midwest. the only jobs i see advertised are contract work or part time. i've applied for damn near all of them, and i've gotten squat.

so i've decided to go back to school. i'm going back to school to hopefully become a chef. i am planning on getting a 2-year degree from my local tech school, along with a cert in baking and pastry making. after that, i will hopefully land SOME type of work that will allow me to move and finish up a 4-year bachelors in culinary arts.

now for the problem: my parents. granted i am an adult, but they were cool enough to let me move back in after my job went boom and are helping with my bills. i am expecting one HELL of a fight from them, since i'm overweight, they'll give me the "you're too fat" or "it's a bad idea, all that temptation," types of arguements... plus, before i switched to graphic design, i took a class in basic cooking and failed it.... ok i was young and stupid, now i'm old, and hopefully less stupid.

i'm discussing the issue with two of my friends, who both know my parents and how they'll react, i'm hoping to get some ideas on how to soften the blow.

advice, vibes, or alcohol is appreciated at this point....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear keroro gunsou...

I don't think you've lost your mind at all. It sounds to me as though you've taken a hard, long look at your prospects, and come up with a plan.

I think that your parents might well acknowledge your passion and not get in your way. People do learn and grow, and I think you have. Just tell them what you want to do, and why. Do you need them to help finance your education? Even if you do, they should respect your dreams.

Good luck!

:hi:

[keroro gunsou]

6. not so much finance

but help me fill out all the financial aid paperwork. plus letting me live at home til i'm done and have a job and can move out. my dad will be an easier sell than my mom, she's already disappointed at what a fucking mess my life is.

[Suich]

2. I have no idea how to soften the blow,

but I can send lots of vibes!

Best of luck to you, keroro gunsou!

:)

[Capn Sunshine]

3. As a pro , I have some advice

I'm a longtime restauranteur who has done lots of line work in my capacity as a owner and menu designer, and cook trainer. I cannot empahsize how important it is to be in good physical shape. If you are overweight, after about five years of being on your feet and running around (often literally) in confined spaces, it will wear on your knees, your feet, and other parts , particularly if you smoke.

So while you're in school, that would be a good time to start a good workout program.
Also, try and find a line position in a local restaurant. Lots of guys will train. You'll start out in pantry or salad, suate, stuff like that. Good practical experience.

[keroro gunsou]

7. am doing it now

it's coming off slowly, not as fast as some other people (my mom) would like mind you. even overweight, i've got a decent tolerance for being on my feet, and my knees are fine, all things considered...

[keroro gunsou]

21. as much as i like baking

i like grilling/meat more...

anyhoo, in spite of my weight i'm in reasonably ok shape. round is a shape. :D

on the plus side, my knees are fine and i don't smoke.

[tango-tee]

4. Sounds like a plan!

Good for you! Thinking about your future and how to make a success of it. I just read Capn Sunshine's post and that sounds like good advice from a pro.

Wishing you much success... keep us posted on how things are going!

:thumbsup:

[AsahinaKimi]

5. ne keroro gunsou san!

がんばって ください ごきげん よ!

ganbatte kudasai! Gokigen yo!

[keroro gunsou]

8. ano.....

asahina-san, i can read hiragana you know.... ^_^;

anyhoo, thank you ^_^

[AsahinaKimi]

10. etto...

どいたしまして!

[keroro gunsou]

11. how do you do that?

i had to use a graphic to do my japanese.... you are my new hero... :D

ok, i'm going to watch some keroro gunsou, i need a silly fix..

[AsahinaKimi]

13. simple

Click on HTML lookup table. Look for Heading 1.
secondly..
1. use this link:
http://www.whiteagle.net/jap/

2. or.. simply use the regional and languge program located in your windows control panal
to install Japanese script.

いいえ あまり むずかしくない です !

[keroro gunsou]

14. d!oh.

if you made it to anime central this year, awesome. i work for con in hospitality. got to meet nabeshin, nazuka kaori, and yoshiki from X japan. all in all, the abuse i suffered was worth it....

now, if i can just talk 'em into getting mashima hiro (fairy tail), oda-sensei (one piece), or mine yoshizaki-sensei (keroro gunsou) to come, i'll be able to die happy.

[AsahinaKimi]

16. I wonder if you know about this..

http://www.anime-expo.org/

or this
http://www.fanime.com/
featuring
LM.C

[keroro gunsou]

18. fanime

is this weekend. i've got friends there, and i staffed anime expo in 2k when they took over the anaheim disney... man do i have some stories for about that... ^_^;;;;;;

i like anime central, it's close by.

[seabeyond]

9. my brother is almost 50 and still calls dad as if he is an atm machine.

dad on fixed income, has been about sucked dry. who will take care of dad when needed? not brother. his three kids, now older, and gonna show all of us how adult they are, are calling my dad for money. why? cause grandpa has money, so it is theirs, too.

i am not going to go that road with my boys.

i hope you can find a way of doing this independently as you can, and succeed at it. accomplishment is, in itself, a wonderful reward.

a different perspective that i am sure will piss off a few. sorry.

[DebJ]

12. Leave healthy menus/recipes in the living room?

Does being a chef necessarily mean high-fat high sugar, unhealthy food?

I see a big opportunity, with us aging baby boomers, to develop an appealing, healthy menu that older stomachs can handle.
I hate to eat out because its friggin impossible to get healthy vegetables. "Cottage cheese" is not a vegetable. Getting vegetables not loaded with fat, salt, and meat drippings is almost impossible.

There is a market coming up fast........older people love to eat out....but you just CAN'T eat the crap served at most restaurants nowadays.

[keroro gunsou]

15. small problem....

i like only the following vegetables: onions, peppers, peas, corn, potato.

[KittyWampus]

24. how do you plan on cooking vegetables when you don't like them? Good Luck.

[unpossibles]

30. it can be done

but it's not easy. The best step I can offer is to research options and to avoid most of the chains, which often have tons of hidden sugars and salts. I do agree that too many restaurants serve garbage vegetables, but as a vegetarian of 20 years who likes to travel, it can be done. Make it a point to also make suggestions to your favorite restaurants to provide a healthier alternative or two, and the ones who already offer it, make it a point to support them and to let them know you appreciate what they have.

[Haole Girl]

17. Good luck & good vibes!

:hi:

[haele]

19. Actually, going to school as a cook may help you lose weight -

1. You'll be too busy to do more than taste what you're cooking. By tasting, and being active, you'll not want to eat much.
2. You won't be eating cheap calories if they let you take home what you cook. Hopefully, you'll be able to take home what you cook. (If they do that, it will also help cut down on the food bill).
3.I'm a terrifc baker/sweets maker, and in my experiance and that of most pastery chefs I know, cooking with sweets causes one to develop a problem eating too much sweet, even if one likes sweets.
When I'm doing a lot of baking or cooking of sweets, I can't handle more than a few bites, and then the fork goes down or I get sick. It's like I o.d.'ed on sugar, fat, cream, or some other carbs. A couple decades ago, I made 20 dozen "gourmet" chocloate chip cookies, and got sick on the dozen leftovers (and the bowl scrapings, excess ingredients, etc) and couldn't get near any form of CCC - or "light" brownies - for about 15 years without feeling sick.

It's only a temptation if you're not doing anything else. So going to cooking school is going to give you something to do. And a good culinary school is going to ensure you know how to cook and eat in a healthy manner, even if you are using sinfully unhealthy ingredients.
You're going to learn how to respect your food, if nothing else.

Haele

[keroro gunsou]

20. thats my basic arguement

every restaurant i've worked in from the fast-food to actual cooking from scratch i've gotten sick of the food in fairly short order. only one place i used to work i'll still eat at, cousin's subs. they are just that damn good.

that said, living at home has sort of put me on an unwilling starvation diet, no thanks to my mom and her psychotic desire for me to be one of the skinny, beautiful people, rather than just accepting me as is. my doctor has flat out said i'm not at risk for diabetes, my blood pressure is nowhere near any danger zones, nor is my cholestorol out of wake despite how overweight i am. doc says under my fat is some decent muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat....

oh well, i figure my mom will StFU when i start bringing home all manner of pastries... right after she takes them away from me. long story...

[Flaxbee]

22. perhaps place the discussion with them in context: that there are VERY FEW

to no jobs in your field of graphic design. You want to do something that will probably always be in demand and not be out-sourced -- cooking fits the bill on both counts.

Make it look to them like you really have thought this decision through.

But if you're going to be a good cook, you're going to have to like more than those handful of veggies you mentioned earlier. And you are going to need to be open to other people's ideas and suggestions - like, lose weight, and maybe you could develop a successful niche menu for older boomers who want good food that isn't saturated in fat and salt. Come up with a good menu that isn't 50% sodium (I exaggerate, but you get the gist). This is probably a rude and no doubt politically incorrect thing of me to say, but I don't care how delicious Mario Batali's food is, he looks very unhealthy: he's very heavy, he sweats a lot, and he wears shorts and disgusting crocs shoes. I honestly want whomever is preparing my food to look like they're not going to keel over of a heart attack at any minute or sweat into my soup.

[RandomThoughts]

23. This song has much light in it.

You Light Up My Life - Debbie Boone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikvtVLvoZpw


For those that comment on staring, the eyes are the windows of the soul is what I think that is about.

I think much of life is like this song.

[keroro gunsou]

25. not much of a problem there

i don't use salt in my own food, and if the recipe calls for it, i use it sparingly, or find some salt-free substitute.

[Skittles]

26. keroro

you're doing good - to heck with what your parents think - but if you are overly concerned, tell them you are learning all about good nutrition and how to apply it to your meals - then start doing that :D

[keroro gunsou]

27. ok, what have you done

with the real skittles? i expected an asskicking. :D

anyhoo thank you. ^_^

oddly enough there is a class in food/nutrition my first semester...

[Skittles]

28. I could still kick some keroro parent ass

I'm a pro at parental ass-kickings; yes INDEED :D

[keroro gunsou]

29. it's all good

i've got a local asskicker. but thanks :D

[HillGal]

31. How soon is it before you would start culinary school? just asking because if it's

going to be a difficult sell for your Mom then maybe take some steps to show her you're trying to be responsible, like maybe try dieting for a couple of months to show her you can lose some weight before taking on this new challenge in life, and maybe get a part time job somewhere to show her that you're not slacking off.

Good luck to you.

[Arugula Latte]

32. I was going to suggest you could try to specialize in spa cuisine

and aim at landing a job in a healthy environment, but I see you don't like many vegetables, so that's a big problem. Could you perhaps give vegetables another chance? I started out as a kid who wasn't crazy about them and now they are my favorite foods, hands down. Fresh vegetables prepared and seasoned to perfection -- good lord, nothing is better. :9

[crazyjoe]

33. Here's some advice......loose weight, get a job, and for christ sakes,

move out of your parents house!!!!

[realisticphish]

34. I totally understand, from a fellow practitioner of non-employment

I've been out since last October, and didn't qualify for unemployment (yay for ohio labor laws!). I've been living on loans, as I'm still in grad school, and hopefully can get a not-totally-shitty job after I graduate in December.

The first few months were GREAT. Lots of video games, sleeping when I wanted, all that. But I got goddamned bored, eventually. Now I volunteer at a library, and try to go out and do stuff every day, if I can. Anything to keep me sane...