Hockey!

What happens when you leave.

 

So when I took my little trip a while ago to the Windy City, my co-workers were hard at work making me a welcome back surprise.

 



 

 

Sometimes you luck out and find great co-workers that miss you when you're gone.

 

This castle wall stayed up for about two weeks. It was taken down and made into an arch for the next 3 months where it finally gave way and has been put behind the computer for a reminder.

 

I still have about a dozen or so balloons left and Cup Man sits next to me most days. Now he has a stylish hat.

That’s when you’re going to say aww?

Picture by Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.net

So the other day I took Eleanor in to get her oil changed. I know how to change my oil, however, I don’t have car ramps and even if I did I’d be nervous to try and pull up on them by myself. So I had to suck up the money and go get her changed.

While sitting in the little waiting room for my turn there were two ladies across from me.

When I first entered the room they were both super into their phones. It sounded like they were trying to see who could write a novel the fastest. Both of their fingers were flying around their screens. Or maybe they were playing a game? I don’t know but they were super interested in it.

They were called out of the room to update their car information so were gone for a few minutes. 

When they returned the two ladies were now talking a little bit until, like me, they started to watch the news.

The first story we heard was about 5 teenagers dying in an SUV accident when they hit a gas truck and it kind of exploded.

The second was story about 6 teenagers in an SUV who hit a guard rail and then landed in a pond and didn’t make it.

The third story was about a 6 month old baby girl who had been shot to death in gun violence. Her dad was changing her inside their car when someone came by and shot them both up multiple times. She did not make it and the dad is in intensive care.

The fourth story was about how the endangered Manatees off of the Florida coast are dying because of red tide.

One of the ladies said AWWWWWWW.

Really? That is the point where you are going to show your sympathies? Not for an innocent baby or some teens that were having fun until something went wrong? Some fat sea cows that aren’t doing well?

Grant it, there were 174 of the Manatees that have currently died, which is more then the 12 people in the previous stories. I just want to know how desensitized we as a people are becoming that we don’t feel bad about the other people and just feel bad about the animals.

I am an animal lover just as much as anyone else. I also know that for better or worse some people in this world just suck. I was just so taken back that when talking about the Manatees is when the sympathy came out. I’m pretty sure the other stories were just as much a series of misfortune events they didn’t have control over either.

Confused and sadden by the human race.

Have you ever been in a situation like this where you thought someone’s sympathies were totally misplaced? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Fort Night!



FORT!

This has been kind of a long week. I worked a full day on Sunday at the restaurant. Monday rolled around with both jobs and then Tuesday I walk in as a co-worker walks out because she is not feeling well. That is totally understandable so I was happy to help, but follow that up with a pub run, errands, cleaning and not much sleep and by Wednesday I was tired.

Two friends wanted me and my new dude to come out for dinner or drinks or just to hang out. At first I was all for it but by 2:30pm I was beat and wanted to stay in.
 

I was still filled with the desire to do something fun and different with New Dude so while sitting at my desk I thought about having a throw back to childhood. I called him up and asked if instead of going out maybe we stayed in and could build a fort in the living room, eat some frozen pizza and watch a movie.

Yes, most defiantly yes was the answer on the other side of the phone. Plans settled!

I left work just a few minutes early to go home in time to run and pick up some contacts that I've forgotten about for the last two weeks. We stopped two more times for some quick errands before heading back home.

After we got the pizza cooking it was time to build a fort.

I don't know the last time you built a fort, but for me it has been a very, very, very long time. While becoming a fort engineer I learned a few things. First, I might have been a little bit more creative as a child. I felt like it was more natural then then it is now. Also, how I built forts as a kid with blankets, kitchen chairs, and then bringing in all the stuffed animals, pillows, blankets that were still left and our fuzzy little gerbils at the time, was not how everyone did it.

New Dude said he built his more with couches and blankets. Pushing them together and then putting the blankets over the top. It sounded good, we tried it, however we couldn't get enough space for it to not feel like were were hiding in more spacious sleeping bags.

We also learned that we are bigger, especially him, since we were little and what could have worked to cover our heads and still have plenty of room to keep the suffocating claustrophobic feeling away, does not apply to today. A little bit taller, a little bit wider, we need things to be, well bigger.

So after moving the couches around a few time, giving up on making it so we could see the TV we came up with this layout that used the love seat turned around as the back support for the blanket and the front area is held up by kitchen chairs to make it more spacey.

We use the little chrome book that sat on a stack of couch pillows to watch the movie. Brought the stuffed animal in still, along with pillows, pizza and beer. Yes, it is good to be an adult. Well... how about old enough to buy beer?

With only one accident of dropping one of the small couch pillows right into the gooey saucy part of the pizza the fort was a success.

New dude's stuck out of the fort, but I fit in just find. Plus, it was really funny because it was actually quite warm under the fort. When we emerged from the little blanket cave, I was like wow, the house seems colder now.

All in all, it was fun enjoyable, relaxing date night.  

Inside view of the fort.

Do you have any fun date night stories? If so leave a comment below!

 

Restaurant edict for both guests and wait staff

Picture from Marcus at Freedigitalphotos.net

Over the last few weeks there have been a lot of new information running around the internet about people tipping, not tipping, how to tip, what to tip and all of that at restaurants.

Some of it is just angry people wanting to spill there hate onto the internet. Others are just angry food industry staff members.

Being part of that industry for more years then I would like to admit I would like to put my 15% or is it 20% in.

I feel like a lot of the issues people describe mostly come down to how people should just act in a restaurant to begin with. I also think that people should take each experience as that an experience and not hold it over the head of every waitstaff or guest that ever comes in.

For people dining out:

First and foremost, NO ONE is making you come out to eat. No one has a gun to your head or holding your children or small animals hostage to make you wait for over an hour to eat. If you pick up the pager or put your name down and tell yourself that you're going to wait the hour or more for some food, that is on you. If you are quoted one time and it is over by more than 5 minutes then that goes into the restaurants mistake. Kindly bring it to their attention of the staff. And I say kindly because getting mad and angry will not get you seated faster. It is easier and people are more willing to help you when you are nice then when you scream and shout at them. No restaurant intentionally makes you wait and go over your quoted time on purpose.  

Second: Please let your server do their little spheel. Not everyone does it, but if the poor person starts to launch into what is new, different, or whatever, they probably aren't doing it to hear themselves talk. It is part of their training, what they are told to do, and could be useful to you as well. Just let them get through it. If during this thing they bring up something like beer or rum and you don't drink either, congratulations, then don't order it, you telling them you don't drink, well the server doesn't care. They are just doing what they are told to offer which is usually food and a drink. 

Third: Try to remember who your server is. Maybe not their name but at least a better description then a female with brown hair. This can be useful when trying to get them if something happens or needs to be changed.

Fourth: When the sever asks if you are ready to order and you are NOT ready, as in don't have sides or you are still struggling to figure out what you want, ask for another minute. Having the server stand around and staring at you adds stress both to the server and the guest and the pressure seems to build. Plus, the sever will NOT forget to come back and they probably have 8 other things that could be done while you go ummmmm.....

Fifth: When the server comes back to the table, please listen to what they are saying. They might be checking on you and have already told you that they will be back with some more bread or a drink refill.

Sixth: When the food arrives, if everything isn't right, try to tell your sever right away. If you need anything, try and tell them all at once. Sending them back and forth for ketchup, then salt, then tea, then bread, is really annoying and would be more useful for you and the server to get it all at once.

Seventh: If in these millions of little trips they forget something, hash it up to being human and wait another minute.

Eighth: If something is wrong with your food, it doesn't taste like you thought it would, or it is over or under cooked, or it is too salty and you are going to eat it ANYWAYS, please don't tell anyone. If you don't want them to cook something new, or change something, or if there is nothing they can fix, what is the point of telling the sever or manager? Either let them help you or shut your pie hole please. The cooks make hundreds of meals a day, they are also human. There are going to be some mistakes that happier with over or under cooking something it is just a fact. If nothing can be done please hold the comment to yourself.

Ninth: If your food is amazing, tell the sever to tell the cooks. Poor guys work hard and don't always feel the love.

Tenth: If you are taking left overs home please try and remember to take them. A unclaimed box will sit around for a few minutes confusing everyone wondering if it should be tossed or if it will suddenly be remembered and ran back in for. Plus it is just causing wasted time and trash.

Eleventh: When the bill comes, tip. If you are eating out someplace that requires someone coming to your table and giving you something more than one trip, please tip. Start at 15% and move up. Some people say 20% is the new standard because like everything else in  the world it is called inflation. Even when service is shitty give them 15%. If they did an amazing job just don't tell them show them with some extra cash. Going above 20% is a lot more helpful then just telling it to me. Telling me wont buy me food. I still appreciate it, but would appreciate it even more with some extra cash in the book. If they were rude, had everything wrong, were mean, and all that sure give them less but still something, but if it was just alright service, you had everything you wanted, everything came out, you might not have been wowed, 15% is what you should be leaving. Nothing less than that.

Twelfth: We have no real control over the bill. I personally find the exchange of monies the most stressful and uncomfortable part of the whole meal. Make it easy by having your payment ready if you ask for the check. Also, know that the staff does not control how much a burger costs or drinks cost. If prices or up charges are not listed ask if you are worries about an extra dollar or two. If your server does charge you and they didn't tell you, unless it is something outrages, suck it up and pay. If you modified something that comes on the menu there can be a charge for the change. It happens all the time, even in places like McDonald's. Accept it, learn from it, pay it, move on. Most if not all entrees and sides have prices, do the math and don't get pissy or cheap when it is all added together with tax.

Thirteenth: If you are in a large party know your wait might be longer, it is a lot more tables to get together and probably less space. Be patient, be on time, be prepared to wait, and know that gratuity, even if your bills are one different checks, will be added. Just accept it, pay it, thank the people for their time. Asking for it to be removed or be crossed off just causes problems, makes it weird, and makes the server hate you and probably wish bad things upon your trip home. Don't do it.

Fourteenth: If you are putting a gift card and your credit card together in the book, please assume that we know what to do. I appreciate you reminding me, but I probably have taken payment more than once and if I have any questions I shall come back and let you know.

Fifteenth: Please control your children. I don't say this to be like don't bring your kids out. No, just don't let them wander all over the place. I am walking around with lots of food, drinks both hot and cold, and sharp objects usually on a tray that could float over their head. If they run out under my feet, or grab something off of a tray, or push glasses off the table, they could get hurt and not like ouch kiss it better hurt. More like cut up, broken, bruised and possibly bleeding. Which in turn makes your life hell because it takes a lot more cooing and soothing to calm a kid that is bleeding. It isn't safe for them, it isn't safe for me. Please, to the best of your ability keep them under control. Also, if they make a huge massive mess, tip a little extra. You know and I know who gets to clean up this fun spit, crumb, and drool educed mess. You might get to do it at home all the time, but this, is not your home and will probably take a little bit longer to take care of. Please and thank you.

Better Than Sex Cake

So last weekend I had the family come up to visit for the weekend. After some late nights of cleaning or avoiding cleaning, it came down to Thursday night. Time for the last big clean and to make a cake. A new cake, a Better Than Sex Cake.

 

My brother's birthday had been a week or so before the gathering so we wanted to make sure there was cake to celebrate. So when asked what kind of cake, he said a good one. That being ever so helpful, I asked his wife. She said a Carrot Cake or a Better Than Sex  Cake.

 

I made him a Carrot Cake 2 years ago. I have never made a Better Than Sex Cake, so that is the cake I went with. 

 

I searched the internet, on my phone, and found a few recipes that sounds good and they all had the same basic things. Devil Food Cake, Carmel Sauce, Condensed Milk, Cool Whip, Health Bar topping stuff. Alright, I can and will do this! It was super exciting because I've sen the cake before but never made it OR tried it. 

 

So I go to my favorite Kroger to find the ingredients that I am missing, which is everything but the whip cream. So I head down the cake isle. I find me box of cake and wander towards where the ice cream toppings are. 

 

Okay, so the recipe I was using, which I didn't think would be a problem at the time, just said one can Sweetened Condensed Milk, one boxed Devil Foods Cake, one Bottle Caramel Sauce, and 8oz of Whip Cream.

 

As you can see by the picture, I did not get a bottle of caramel sauce, I went with a jar. Do you know why I went with the jar? I'll ask another question first. Do you know how many different size containers of caramel sauce they have a Kroger's? I could find as small as 10oz and as big as 20oz. They were all different prices, all different sizes, all way too complicated for me. I couldn't make a decisions that day and was afraid of having too much or too little of the stuff, so I compromised. I went with size in between all the sizes. This jar was 17oz I believe.

The same thing almost happened for the sweet condensed milk. They have TWO different size cans. A small one and a big one. I went with the small one.

Seriously? Why was this getting so hard. Also, why did I not think to look up the recipe on my phone again for answers to my size question?

 

Finding of the Health Bar pieces was a lot easier. I just had to look both high and low to find it, but once I did, it only came in one size so I was good to go.

 

I get home that night and start to bake the cake. I get it baked and the house clean but it has to be cool before I start to add these things too it. So I go to bed, and get up earlyish so I can finish this cake.

 

Step 1. Poke holes in the cake. I did it with a wooden spoon. If you want to feel silly, start poking a cake with a wooden spoon.

Step 2. Combined caramel and sweetened condensed milk. This step sounds easier than done only because the caramel was not moving. It was glooping out. I was kind of worried that when it tried to add it to the cake it would be destroyed. However, once the condensed milk was added it became a smooth less gloopy mix that soon settled in the holes.

 

Step 3. Add layer of whip cream.

 

Step 4. Add Heath Bar pieces.

 

Step 5. refrigerator until enjoyment.

 

This was a fantastically rich cake. Everyone loved it, it was super sweet and rich so only a small piece was needed. I would defiantly do this cake again, just this time, maybe read the directions a little better and find a recipe with cups or ounces for less stress.

 

Sleep

Ever have one of those days where all your plans for after work have changed so much by the time you get home, you're not sure if you care anymore?

I did, just the other day. I had planned on a run but it was raining. I was thinking about going to a gym class instead but work held me over and I wasn't going to make the class. I was tired, probably hungry, I had a house to clean, food to shop for and things to get organized.

The cold rain all day wore through my bones even though I was inside. So, I told myself, I'd go home, take a short nap, then do the whole snack thing, gym thing, food thing, and go back to bed.

By the time I walked into the door I was okay with just the gym thing.

Then it was just going to just do the grocery shopping.

Then it was just the cleaning thing.

Then I was just go to bed take a nap and figure it out form there.

I did sleep, I went to bed so fast I only changed out of my work pants into sweat pants.

After I hit the alarm for about 30 minutes I woke up and decided I should probably take the rest of my work clothes off including my badge.

Still super sleepy, I went through the list again. Gym or grocery shopping or cleaning or just some of one?

Nope, it all failed. I went to my car, brought in my gym clothes in case I was productive in the morning, brushed my teeth, put the rest of the pajamas on, and then went back to bed.

There was about a 20 minute answering of text message, and burrowing back deep down into the covers, blankets, pillows, and a few stuffed friends, but beyond that, I was out like a light.

One random wake up at 1:30am in the mooring, following by rolling over and going back to sleep.

I did not get anything I had hoped to do. Nope. No cleaner house, no healthier body, no fuller fridge, but for the first time in a while the next day I felt like a functioning person and the bags under my eyes are carry on size and not check bag size.

Have you ever had days like this? If so tell me about it in the comment section below!

It's a Jeep Thing

So this beautiful beast is my brother's Jeep. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure, no the privlage to drive it. I was at home visiting the family and had driven down with my sister to go run a race with my mom. Nothing but a fun race weekend, see some people, hang out and get caught up with everyone.

The last few times I had been home I had been unable to visit a friend and her family. So this time I made sure that after I was done racing and sweating I took a nice shower, and was presentable,  I would go hang out with them and have some dinner.

 

My sister needed her car and the other cars were out or blocked in. My brother had nothing to do and said I could use his car.

 

As you can tell, like me, he also has an older car. His is also a make from 1989. However, his has this torn up bad ass quality to it that you cannot find anywhere else but in a Jeep.

 

I had to climb into the Jeep because I'm short and this was tall. I went to grab the handle strap on the door but it was broken.

 

I sit in the seat, and start to laugh. My legs are clearly shorter than my brother's so I need to move the seat up so I can work the clutch. His car has something Eleanor does not have, cup holders. However, his cup holder is a wooden block thing that is wedged between the seats, which at this current junction is causing me a lot of grief. I HAVE to move the seat up and it wasn't letting me. After some giggling and cussing, I am seat belated in, I can reach the petals, and am ready to go.

 

Now, I start up the engine and it roars to life. Not a little noise but a whole lot. The break light is on. After struggling for a few minutes to pull a handle that does not seem like it is going anywhere I call my brother and ask him if it is suppose to be on. He says yes. His break light is like Eleanor' check engine light. They just tend to be on, I can deal with that.

 

His parting words before I head out were don't keep you mouth shut while going over train tracks. Also if the passenger door swings open, well it does that don't worry about it. And if you want to get out of the driver side door you have to fist open the window and open it from the outside. But the radio is fantastic and has a sub-wuffer sitting where his bench sometimes is put in.

 

With no stalling out and a lot of butterflies, I leave to head down the road to my friends.

 

With the rev of the engine and rattle of everything inside the jeep, this is an awesome ride. It is as simple and bare as a mode of transportation can get. Eleanor with her plush seats, and plastic trim, and carpeted floors, has nothing compared to this bare bones Jeep. Radio, car mostly together, engine that runs, paint all the same color.

 

Side tangent, the color was not always the same color, this was more of a resent development. My brother use to draw on it with a metal marker and you too could draw on it. I added Door on the diver side door and HI to the bumper. I am a cleaver puppy. But apparently Jeeps like that don't impress the ladies so he changed it. I told him he is trying to impress the wrong ladies. Anyone who wont get into an awesome Jeep like that should be avoided.

 

The first stop light I come to is a slight hill, and of course the car behind me gets really close. This was not a worrying factor only because I know in this Jeep I will win the fight. Slowly I move forward off the line and make it to my next turn. 

 

Every gear change is felt and heard. Every bump and pot hole make the Jeep rattle. Eleanor has a gap in her door where the wind is constantly howling just at your ear while driving. In this Jeep, the whole thing is leaking air and it is just a constant noise in you head. It is soft enough to not have the radio all the way up, but loud enough everyone needs to yell for a conversation.

 

As I go down the familiarly path to my friends, I realize their are train tacks I must cross. Now, I know they are much better from when I was a in high school, but I was nervous. I slowed down all the way to second gear, then pushed in the clutch just to make sure and rocked and rolled across the tracks. Everything shook, everything rattled, even my teeth, though not together. As the last tire crossed the tracks I slowly went back into gear.

 

By the time I got to my friends house my smile was from ear to ear. I could not help but laughing. Until I tried to get out. I tried the handel, then tried it again and the door wouldn't budge. Then the light bubl went off. I rolled down the window and opened it form the outside. Follwoing a slow slide down the car to reach the pavement I was there.

 

This was some of the most fun driving I have done in a long time. It took concentration, it took control, I made me listen to the car in more than one way. This bare bones Jeep, made me want a Jeep, not just any Jeep, but this Jeep. I have dibs on it already, my brother just doesn't know. Go have yourself some fun and go take a ride in a Jeep, you'll be glad you did.