Making Chicken Stock & The Karmic Slingshot

 A lot of people don't make their own chicken stock; it can be hard, and to be sure, it's time consuming. I am not like most home chefs, though, and I do like to make my own chicken stock whenever I can. Once you get the hang of it, it can actually be easy, and it makes me feel a sense of pride to say I made my own.
I even freeze it for later use, which really comes in handy!

As I was thawing my stock this week, I was also taking stock of a few things. I kept it pretty "mum" but I was in interviews with a local news station for an awesome position, co-hosting a new show. On Tuesday, I had the interview and screen test. (I had already passed the phone round of things.) I had an amazing outfit, a healthy dose of self confidence, and I really knocked 'em dead.

I was told that they would have me back for another on-site screen test and I was so excited. I was thinking of all the ways in which my life would change and how wonderful it would be to have job security. And then it happened. My past came up to bite me on the ass so violently I still can hardly believe it.

The Vice President (not of the country, just the TV network) called to tell me that I was "un-hirable" due to content on YouTube. The content was a spoof on a political candidate that was.... unsavory, racy, and VERY controversial.The details are really unimportant because the bottom line was, it lost me the job. I apologized profusely for offending him so deeply, and said that I would take it down. Alas, I was foiled.

There were a thousand things that I had taken stock of before this interview: my outfit, amount of sleep, my make up and accessories, my talking points which I had highlighted AND underlined. I had taken special care to put my portfolio together and bring in all my clips. I had thought of it all except for this one issue.... it hadn't even crossed my mind.

In hindsight, I feel so ridiculous that I didn't catch this sooner. I never anticipated that this would prevent me from gaining employment. I believed that I could just take it down at their request and that would be that. THAT was shortsighted, I suppose.

As I thought about it more and more, it dawned on me that I had been a player in my own version of a karmic slingshot. I had made this movie, spoofing a politician's past that was hindering her from moving forward in life as a serious politician. In doing so, I thus [unknowingly] created my own situation in which I was preventing myself from moving to the next level. The irony is rich.

Now, taking stock, I am so grateful to have been able to gain the experience of being in a real, live TV station and having an audition at all. I am sorry I slipped on this detail, though. Luckily, I have a job that I love in writing and working with Beach Paper and special sections of the Cape Gazette. And I know that there are always new opportunities around the bend. It's just a sucky way to learn this lesson of YouTubing and political opinions and possible missed opportunities.

Lucky also, that when I am done taking stock, there is always making stock. I always have cooking, and I always have a great husband to eat my meals with and one who will always be my biggest fan. Sure, I may not be on daytime television, but there is definitely a show going on 24/7 in my household!!! And what do you know? The next day I got an email and found out that I just got the position as a guest columnist on Dear Wendy, one of my FAVORITE websites!
Stock is basically carrots, bay leaf, onion, celery, a
chicken frame, some spices, and water. 
Boil them in a  pot for several hours, skimming off the fat  
Pour it through a strainer to get out big pieces and veggies
and then use! Freeze some for later, too! 

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