FOOD, MY FAVORITE MEAL! AND THANKS, TERRI!
July 8, 2011
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There are only a limited number of things one can do when one’s foot is broken. With me being the “one” it precludes doing anything outside requiring more than a trip to the mailbox. So, for some reason, I thought going grocery shopping was a good idea. Called my friend Terri, bribed her with a promise of lunch and we were on our way.
I had never been to Valentini’s before and so that was where we headed. On London Road with a nice view of the lake and air conditioned for the one day it hits 80º in our naturally air conditioned city. I had been craving Peppers and Sausage for a while and had, in fact, pulled up a recipe for it online. And there it was, lunch menu, half order, take me away! It was absolutely wonderful. I tried not to sound like Sally in When Harry Met Sally as I fed myself bite after bite of pure heaven. Simply made with sweet Italian sausage, red, green, and yellow peppers, olive oil, garlic, pesto and fresh basil it was the best Italian food I have had since I last ate in the North End of Boston.
I managed to save some for dinner tonight since Terri had tipped me off to the deserts. A beautiful lemon cake topped the meal off perfectly. I had planned on saving some of that, also. While waiting for the check, however, I ended up finishing it off. As I raved to the server how good it all was, she recognized me for what I am, a complete food junkie, and pointed out that Cold Stone Creamery had Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream available now.
That was the end of grocery shopping. Recognizing that I was too stuffed to go anywhere that had aisles and that there was sufficient food in the house to make it through until Monday, we hit Cold Stone and headed home. After all I had to clean the refrigerator and figure out food to make it to Monday and plop down and moan about how I ate too much. Really, I can’t recommend this place enough!
Categories: entertainment, food, friend
I LIED
July 4, 2011
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Okay, I lied. When I said I just wished I could be home all the time I was wrong. I really meant I wished I could stay home all the time and not be limited to bed rest. The highlight of my days now include hobbling to the bathroom, hobbling to the kitchen and best of all, taking a shower. Never have I wanted to clean house so badly. Or go to the grocery store. Or, or, or.
Be careful what you ask for or just be a bit more specific!
Categories: Uncategorized
I BROKE MY FOOT–CRAP!
July 2, 2011
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What a exciting week for My Right Foot I (hereafter referred to as MRF.) I started Monday off with the first day of my two in a row off. That meant get as much done on Monday as I possible could so that I could spend Tuesday being a slob, also known as lying around, reading, surfing the web, generally doing nothing, in other words. What’s that line? “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” Robert Burns jumped up and bit me in the ass.
First part of the day was spent shopping. Oh, joy. Best Buy, SuperOne, Target and finally, Office Max. For all of you that know me, I was ready to explode. At Office Max smiled and asked, “Are you having a nice day?” Now I work retail, I say all the things I’m supposed to say and at that moment I turned into the worst customer I could ever have. “It’s going to be great once I get home, I am suffering from retail overload and am ready to explode from exposure to flourescent lights.” Charming, I’m sure. He stumbled through the rest of the transaction and I heard a visible sigh of relief as the doors closed behind me.
Home again, home again jiggity jig. That always runs through my mind as I pull into the driveway, pop the van open, unload the groceries and start on the in home chores. In the middle of putting the groceries away, I decided to do a load of laundry so that I would be doing two things at once. Oh, and as long as I was in the basement I could clean the catbox. Joy, oh, joy. Karma for rudeness I realized. I grabbed the trash bags and headed down the stairs. Okay, I started down the stairs at a full rush. Eager to clean that cat box? No, not really, just fast is the only speed I know.
Wait, I also know STOP. And I came to a full one when my left foot went out from under me and my right foot bent a full 180° in the WRONG direction. I tried to “cow-person up” and hobbled over to the cat box and immediately knew that changing it wasn’t an option. So, I threw in a load of laundry, limped upstairs, then looked at my foot and went, oops, maybe I should get this x-rayed. Yep, it’s broke and it sure has slowed me down. As in “immobilized” me. So, here I am, sharing the news and letting you know that I have heard that lemon bars help heal bones, oh, and white chocolate raspberry cheese cake, and I don’t want to forget the ever healing properties of chocolate.
ADDENDUM: FOR THOSE CONCERNED WITH MY SHOPPING AT TARGET: I ONLY SHOP THERE WHEN THEY HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A “LOSS LEADER.” THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY SELL FOR LESS THAN WHAT THEY PAID FOR IT AND USE IT TO LURE PEOPLE INTO THE STORE TO SPEND EXTRA $$$ ON IMPULSE. I ONLY PURCHASE THE LOSS LEADER, THEREBY COSTING THEM MONEY AND USE MY DEBIT CARD TO PAY SO THEY HAVE TO ALSO PAY THE FEES. I FEEL BETTER NOW!
Categories: family, pissing and moaning, Uncategorized, what about it
WHERE DOES ALL THE TIME GO?
June 14, 2011
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“It is better to pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than to fade and wither dismally with age.” – James Joyce
Where the hell did the old 24 hours a day go. Approaching 65 (quickly) hours have been compressed into half hours or extended into four hours. Examples: At work 8 hours=32 hours. At home 16 hours=8 hours. Oh, and the need for sleep has increased which cuts further into that eight hours I thought I had to cook, read, do laundry, sleep, watch meaningless tv and carry on a meaningful conversation with the man who adores me.
This aging thing is really is beginning to suck big time. We are all told about the obvious things that happen. Dropping body parts, drying skin, aching joints and on and on and on. But there are the things they forgot to mention. Shrinking bladder means not a full night’s sleep and if I make it another ten years I may have to invent a toilet bed, oh, wait, that’s a “home” isn’t it.
And what’s with this “liver spot” thing? You can play connect the dots on the back of my hands and I’m sure they are in the places on my body where I can no longer see. (These places increase hyper-proportionately with the years.) Now, the big news about these little spots is: They also accumulate in your brain! So, that name you were trying to remember in that movie (the name escapes me) is now occupied by a “liver spot.” Oh, joy.
Did I mention that the fat proportion in your body weight increases? So, who knew? My ass, that’s who. Our nerves start to deteriorate, oh, that doesn’t matter, you can’t see that so it doesn’t count. And if you hide 99% of the rest of your body none of it matters. That is until you realize you are now a lizard and your skin sheds nightly and you spend more on moisturizer than the country is spending on wars. (Oops, got a little political there.)
The ability to concentrate diminishes. Tie that with ADD and the next thing you know, well, you don’t know, that’s the problem. Ability to read more than half an hour at a time. Gone… Ability to remember becomes replaced with, “Huh? what was I saying?” Ability to multi-task drops to ability to walk from one room to the other and know why. Sometimes.
Where I am going with all of this? I forgot. Oh, yeah, I really want to do something…I just can’t decide. Read, yeah, that was it. Now where did I put my Nook?
Categories: books, meaning of life, my life, pissing and moaning
HOW THE WORLD REALLY WORKS
June 11, 2011
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I suppose that none of us should be surprised by this. Reality takes up a very small portion in the world as we see it. I am constantly having my jaw drop to the floor as I scream “WTF” only in expanded form. I use the internet as a diversion. Not necessarily as a diversion from the world, but as a way to learn more about the world.
I am constantly running across views that we never see if we read the local newspaper, watch the national news or even spend a reasonable amount of time listening to public radio. Does this make me feel any better? Hell, no. Instead I am find myself using facebook as a forum for my views on the world. I post articles, cartoons and opinions that fall into my field of thinking.
What does that mean? It means I get to read something, approve it and share it. But, where are my opinions about this. Oh, someone else is going to show them to you. Sometimes I may have an opinion worth sharing.Or, have I become so lazy that I just let others think for me? Is that my new reality? Hopefully, I will start to change that as I have made a commitment to myself to participate instead of just watch the world go by.
While the days of overt activism may be over, I can share these opinions on the WWW and get some of this internal ranting out there for you to enjoy. Bon appetit!
Here’s the link that the above graphic comes from.
Categories: meaning of life, my life, pissing and moaning, Uncategorized, what about it
HOW I CAME TO LOVE ANNA NICOLE SMITH
June 9, 2011
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I will admit it. I have become totally attached to Anna Nicole Smith. It is as if she personifies the ultimate in women’s abuse, misuse and dismissal. I don’t know why I feel so protective of her. And, I don’t know if I want anyone to analyze the situation, either!This brought her back to the forefront of my mind.
It’s an article in the New York Magazine that points out most of the tragedies in her life and yet we seem to be very unforgiving of her. At some point along the line I also saw part of a documentary about her and considering where she came from, she was successful in breaking from a dirt, hard beginning.
Drugs have been the seductive part of Hollywood for a long time. And those that use drugs (parasites) to control or manipulate people have existed just as long. She was a victim of both with more tragedy than many of us could have handled. While she has been described as illiterate, I believe she was just under-educated. And that goes along with under-loved, under-protected, under-appreciated and under-helped which ultimately led to her death and the tragedy that surrounded it.
Categories: entertainment, family, tragedy
My, My, Why Aren’t We Still Doing This?
December 5, 2010
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There are definitely some things that escape my imagination. And, now I believe you will be as gobsmacked as I was!
The Migration of Pictures After Death will put you in the perfect mood for a beverage or two. Please don’t hate me for posting this, if you know me well, you know I couldn’t help myself.
Categories: Uncategorized, what about it
unexplainable
Is It Spring Yet?
December 4, 2010
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It has started. It, of course, meaning winter. With my Native intelligence I predicted that this would be a “snow” winter and to this point in time it seems as if I am right on. The greatest thing about a snowy winter is the early announcement of an upcoming blizzard. Ready set prepare:
- Food–check
- Diet Coke–check
- Food–check again
- Movies–check
- Books–check (cover quite well by the acquisition of a nookcolor)
- Food–recheck
- Pet food-check
- Blankets–check
Wait a minute. This is beginning to look like too much work. I guess the most important item is “Will the Mall be closed?” This rates up there because I work retail and going to work in a blizzard sucks on, oh, so many levels! Luckily most people are smart enough to stay inside on these days enjoying the aforementioned list, many diehard shoppers feel it necessary to get their Mall Fix come hell or high snow! After at work, the only thing keeping me alive is the fact that there is a caffeine fix right there in the store and with it I can deal with anything.
Of course, we are now in the throes of “Holiday Madness.” No, not yet, that really comes just a couple of days before the “Holiday.” That is the point where anything not nailed down will be purchased with a gift receipt so that the day after the “Holiday” I can hear crabby people say, “I don’t know why my (son, daughter, husband) got me a (Mario Chess Set, The Joy of Sex, Cooking for Dummies) but, I don’t want it. What? I have to get store credit? I am (illiterate, only interested in Victoria’s Secret, don’t care–just give me the money.)”
The days of spring will be here soon, in about six months, until then I have a great excuse to pack on the pounds, complain about work and read until my eyes are crossed. Life doesn’t get much better than this, does it?
Categories: Uncategorized
books, holidays, winter
Spoons, Perez Prado and Things That Make Me Go WooHoo
October 29, 2010
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I am absolutely certain that for many of you spoons will not take up an inordinate amount of thinking time. Well, let me tell you something.
There are many attributes to spoons and being a true connoisseur I am here to share the knowledge that you have perhaps missed in your education about eating utensils.
Winter is soup time. Soup means spoons. And soup spoons mean a lot of different things to different people. The array of spoons above are displayed in a fan based upon size. There are:
- teaspoons
- dessert spoons
- soup spoons
- tablespoons
- serving spoons
Though soup spoons and dessert spoons have the same capacities they are for the most part quite different. However, it is interesting that people often use them interchangeably. A soup spoon’s shape is round having a concave bowl. A dessert spoon on the other hand will be egg-like in shape. So, in terms of capacity a tablespoon is the equivalent of three teaspoons while two soup or dessert spoons are equivalent to one tablespoon.
And, now the point of the spoon presentation. I detest any spoon smaller than a ‘tablespoon.’ Eating soup from a teaspoon causes one’s lips to curl up due to the high sides of the spoon. Dessert spoons are useless. If I’m having dessert give me a big damned spoon. Soup spoons are round and shallow, so that while they don’t cause one’s lips to curl, they do cause one to get a very small mouthful of soup.
It is at this point I will point out that as a child I was taught to eat soup with a soup spoon and to say the following:
As the ships go out to sea, I dip my spoon away from me.
Yeah, right. If I’m ever sitting next to anyone who knows me and expects me to eat soup with a soup spoon in that fashion, well, good luck with that.
But, I digress. I have eaten soup with a ‘tablespoon’ for years. Not dipping away from me, but with a shoveling motion getting as much into my mouth as is possible in one swoop. Well, tonight I ‘accidentally’ grabbed a ‘serving’ spoon as I carried my tray of soup, crackers and butter to bed to watch La grande finale of Project Runway. While having the bitch Gretchen win was almost enough to make me have indigestion, I discovered just how much soup I could force into my mouth with a ‘serving’ spoon and that totally pushed me past the disgust at the outcome of the show.
The only thing that I can think of that comes close to this ‘foodie’ discovery is when I found that a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup is always Bite Size.
Now to Perez Prado. I started watching Iris this afternoon. I haven’t seen it for years and truly love everything about the movie. When the song “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” started playing in one of the scenes, the name of Perez Prado popped right out of my mouth. Great! This means that while I am watching a movie about the onset of Alzheimer’s just made me as smug as one could be. That is, until I also remembered that with that particular disease, the memories of long ago stay very well while the question of why I am standing in front of the refrigerator door for 10 minutes while I try to remember exactly what it is that I am looking for escapes me. I am still feeling pretty cocky about remembering Perez Prado, screw the concept of the aging mind, I can’t really remember why it matters anyway.
And, the things that make me go woohoo today are:
- Tina brought me presents from Philadelphia that included a garlic press, silicone ice cube trays shaped like fish, hearts and bon bons, candy, a basket and a beautiful silk scarf to tie it all together.
- If I lose another pound I will be below 200 lbs for the first time in oh so many years. The highlight is that I increased the lie on my driver’s license from 150 to 175 and am now so much closer to a truthful driver. (Did you know that if you are more than 25 lbs off on your stated weight it is a crime in MN? I am just waiting for the cop to tell me, “Sarah, you look much fatter than 175 lbs.” )
- I am making a blog entry after oh so many months and it feels good again. Maybe something I should keep up on, whataya think?
I suppose that’s it for this episode. Please stay tuned for further updates.
Categories: meaning of life, what about it
For My Friend
May 11, 2010
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I have been thinking of this friend a lot lately. A life that is on the “Where do I fit and what does it all mean and who am I?” trek and it is definitely a tough one. Trust me, I know.
I have been wanting to say something of great importance to him, the problem being, “How do I sum up my philosophy of life and pass that on?” (Be prepared, this is momentous.) It began with the concept of how does one explain happiness? How does one know when one is happy? Does happy even count? On and on and on. This was certainly one of the most important things I was going to say in my life and it had to be just perfect. (I hate it when imperfect maxims come back and bite me in the ass.)
So, here is how it became resolved for me. I was making a cheese sandwich. I reached in the refrigerator and grabbed the Miracle Whip. Now, I remember the days (the “single-it’s all about me” days) when having a jar of Miracle Whip in my refrigerator would have caused me to go into a rant about the supremacy of Hellman’s Mayonnaise and “How could anybody ever eat this shit?”
The lightning bolt hit! I had it. The secret to my knowing about my place in life was simply not worrying about which was better. It didn’t matter. All I wanted was a damned cheese sandwich and no damned argument with myself was going to ruin the pleasure of making and eating it.
So, the meaning of life can be summed up in this statement…
MAYONNAISE OR MIRACLE WHIP — IT DOESN’T MATTER!
Now, if that isn’t profound, I don’t know what is!
(Except for the second meaning of life, which is comfortable shoes.)
Categories: family, meaning of life
WHATEVER WAS I THINKING? 