Monday, May 31, 2010 Going to College, Again.

Today is Memorial Day. Tomorrow I sign up for college. Again.

Exactly 20 years after the first time I went to Norwalk Community College I will officially be a culinary student.

The road to this point is just as twisted as the road was 20 years ago.

I never wanted to go to college when I was in high school. I was going to be a rock star. My boyfriend at the time was going to be a forest ranger. I’m really not sure how we were going to work that out…anyway.

By the time I realized the real world was all that was waiting for me (my adoring fans being nowhere to be found) it was too late to apply to any “real” colleges – real meaning out-of-state. I applied to UCONN but it turned out I really should have taken all those college prep classes in high school, and since I hadn’t my only bet was NCC. So I went.

467 bucks. That’s how much my first semester cost. And I got a tuition waiver for that - plus money for books. Sometimes it pays to be poor.

This time it’ll set me back about $1,700 a semester. Actually it’ll set my husband back $1,700 a semester.

Now, my public school math skills ain’t what they used to be. But I’d say that dollar amount more than tripled.

It’s a good thing the minimum wage also tripled. As well as the cost of a movie, a home, a car and a gallon of gasoline.

Well, you know…everything being equal.

Actually I think the only thing that hasn’t kept up is the minimum wage.

Of course.

Anyway.

Here I am, 37, going back to school for a year to get a certificate in Culinary Arts.

Always with the arts. My BA in Theatre Arts has proven to be one of the least important documents in American History. Let’s hope this one is a little more useful.

Kitchen Cred. That’s what I want. I want to be a little more than a chick who cooks for her friends. I wanna know my shit, know what I’m doing, what I’m talking about.

I want to graduate – from Headbanging Hostess to Metal Chef.

You know it.

Do I want to work in a professional kitchen? I don’t think so. Would I have a lunch truck and work for myself and cook whatever the hell I wanted for hot construction workers? Fuck, yeah! Who knows? Right now I’ve gotta focus on the learning. Later on I’ll drop the “L.”

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH