Yesterday BFN and I went to brunch at a local deli. Our favorite meal there is the Farmer's Market Hash which consists of 2 eggs served on a bed of vegetable hash. The hash is made with home fries, cheese, broccoli, onions, broccoli and peppers;I pass on the peppers. The meal comes with toast or a bagel; I take a toasted bagel. It is a lot and we usually only eat about 1/2 of the food on our plates and then request a take home box. Yesterday, the server dropped one of the boxes she was bringing to our table and so she gave us the one box and went back for another. They are the big square Styrofoam boxes and so BFN and I were commenting what a waste that is. When the server came back I asked if they'd mind if next time I just brought my own Tupperware. She looked at me a little weird but said, "Sure, why not?".
I think from now on, I'll take Tupperware every time I go out to eat. Just like taking bags with me to the store. Or taking my thermal coffee cup with me to Starbucks. I may get some funny looks but I'll be saving the world.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Love At Last Bite
Whenever I have a meal, I like to save my favorite food for the last bite. This doesn't apply when I mix all the food together for an impromptu casserole. Tonight when I had broccoli, salmon and potatoes and didn't mix them together, I had to decide which item would be the last bite. I chose the potatoes. Mashed. Yum. The other day on the way to work, I picked up a breakfast protein pack at Starbucks. It had some grapes, apple slices, cheese, a hard boiled egg and a mini bagel and peanut butter. That made for a hard choice. It came down to choosing between the grapes and the bagel w/ peanut butter. I finally decided on the bagel.
When I was about 5, I had a disastrous experience which may have contributed to my need to save the best for last. We were having lunch at our daycare center and they served some horrible green mush. I think it may have been creamed spinach which I love now but was appalled by as a 5 year old. None of the kids liked it and they were avoiding it. I was a rule follower and knew I had to eat it so I made a point of eating it all first so I could move past it and enjoy the rest of my lunch. As I finished the last bite, the lunch lady said, "See, Susan likes it, and she's eaten her's all up so I'm going to let her have some more." As she spoke, she dumped another huge helping on my plate. I still remember how devastated I felt. I don't remember finishing the lunch but I'm pretty sure I ate the extra glop but saved it for last to avoid getting more. And now I do my best to make my last bite the most tasty bite of the meal.
When I was about 5, I had a disastrous experience which may have contributed to my need to save the best for last. We were having lunch at our daycare center and they served some horrible green mush. I think it may have been creamed spinach which I love now but was appalled by as a 5 year old. None of the kids liked it and they were avoiding it. I was a rule follower and knew I had to eat it so I made a point of eating it all first so I could move past it and enjoy the rest of my lunch. As I finished the last bite, the lunch lady said, "See, Susan likes it, and she's eaten her's all up so I'm going to let her have some more." As she spoke, she dumped another huge helping on my plate. I still remember how devastated I felt. I don't remember finishing the lunch but I'm pretty sure I ate the extra glop but saved it for last to avoid getting more. And now I do my best to make my last bite the most tasty bite of the meal.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
Last month a group of co-workers in Ohio won a $207 million lottery. Apparently, every week for the past 5 years, 19 people have pooled their money to buy lottery tickets. Sometimes money won from one week was used to buy the next week's tickets. On the day of the big win, 4 people were not at work and so didn't contribute to the pool. However, they claim their winnings from the previous week had been used for the pool. The group of people who were at work that day want to exclude the 4 who weren't. The 4 want their share.
So guess where this disagreement will end up? Yep. In court. And guess who'll end up the big winners? Yep. The lawyers. How dumb can people be? Forget the basic idea that these are friends you've been pooling money with for 5 years and the money isn't worth the friendship. Just do the math. Give the four others 4/19ths of the pot or give the lawyers a third. Silly people. These people are so short sighted. My bet is they'll lose whatever they are left with after all the lawsuits are over.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
So guess where this disagreement will end up? Yep. In court. And guess who'll end up the big winners? Yep. The lawyers. How dumb can people be? Forget the basic idea that these are friends you've been pooling money with for 5 years and the money isn't worth the friendship. Just do the math. Give the four others 4/19ths of the pot or give the lawyers a third. Silly people. These people are so short sighted. My bet is they'll lose whatever they are left with after all the lawsuits are over.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
Friday, January 2, 2009
The Big Sleep
I recently posted about my sleepless nights. This morning on MSNBC, I noticed an article with tips on how to cure sleeplessness. Coincidence? We'll never know. I plan to implement a few of the suggestions:
I'll give these things a try for the next month and see if it helps. I'll report back.
- Turn off the computer and TV an hour before bedtime. I am typically on the computer and simultaneously half watching the TV, or vise versa, until right before bed.
- Exercise. I have a treadmill at home but use it irregularly. If I turn off the TV and computer around 9, I can then exercise for at least 30-45 minutes and still be in bed by 10.
- Shower at night. I'm not sure about this one since I like to wash my hair in the morning but I'm willing to give it a try. If I exercise first, the shower will probably come in handy.
- Eat a light dinner. This could possibly be helpful for my weight as well.
I'll give these things a try for the next month and see if it helps. I'll report back.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sleepless In Las Vegas
It happens about once a week. I go to bed between 10 and 11 at night and fall right to sleep only to wake between 2 and 3 and then toss and turn until 5 or 6 in the morning. It isn't too bad if the next day isn't a workday but it is still annoying. When the next day is a workday, I'm exhausted. At least, in that case, I'm so exhausted I can be pretty sure of a good night's sleep that day.
My bed is a comfy, pillowtop Queen that I bought about five years ago. My pillow is a new acquisition from Bed, Bath and Beyond that has the perfect amount of squishiness for me. I don't drink caffeine after noon and, though I do like to have a glass or two of wine with my dinner, I don't drink to excess. I really have no idea what keeps me from a good night's sleep other than, perhaps, an over active mind. Here's a sample of my thought processes while trying to get to sleep (bracketed words are said out loud):
"Oh no, not again. I need some sleep tonight. Try to think about nothing. Or something boring. Mom used to tell me to think pretty thoughts. She would suggest thinking about soft, purring kittens, maybe that will work. Which is kind of funny because Mom never really liked cats much, she was more of a dog person. But maybe she thought kittens would make me sleep. I wonder where Diva is, she probably jumped out of the bed when I woke up, she hates it when I move around. [Hey, Diva, come on back, I'll lie still.] I'm not going to look at the clock. I bet it's after 4 by now. I need to get some sleep. There's so much to do tomorrow. I have to finish my self evaluation and also follow up with Daddy's case manager. I sure hope he gets out of the hospital tomorrow. And I better make sure to go to Costco before they close. I hope we get let out of work early. Before all the NYE traffic starts. I wonder if I'll be able to see the fireworks from the house since they aren't shooting them off from the rooftop this year. I can't believe this year is gone already. It's 2009. Mom died over 10 years ago. And Zodiac has been gone a year now. I hope Diva lives to be an old cat. When she's gone I wonder if I should just not have an animal. I could travel more easily. But the house sure would be lonely. Maybe by then I'll live in a retirement community. That would be nice. No house maintenance responsibility. Like getting the house painted. It sure needs it. And getting the leaves cleaned up out of the yard. I need to find a new lawn maintenance guy soon. I suck at being a home owner. Maybe this weekend I'll hit it big on the slots and invest in the megabucks. I think it is almost 16 million. Wouldn't that be nice? Especially since my 403B is tanking. Things better turn around or I'll never get to retire. If I was retired I wouldn't care if I could sleep right now. I'd read a book until I fell asleep and then take a nap in the middle of the day if I got tired. I need to go to the library and get some books. And take back the Reichs book. I think it's overdue. I should have renewed it online. I wish they hadn't closed the GV library. I wonder where my new branch is. I'll google it before we leave work. Now I'm hungry. Geez, it's 5. I might as well just get up. Okay, close your eyes Susan and count to 100. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [No, Diva I'm not getting up yet, lie back down]. Where was I? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, might as well turn up the heat and then lie here till the house is warm and then take a shower........... hmmm must have fallen asleep finally. Ok, time to get moving. [Ok Diva, breakfast for kitties]
My bed is a comfy, pillowtop Queen that I bought about five years ago. My pillow is a new acquisition from Bed, Bath and Beyond that has the perfect amount of squishiness for me. I don't drink caffeine after noon and, though I do like to have a glass or two of wine with my dinner, I don't drink to excess. I really have no idea what keeps me from a good night's sleep other than, perhaps, an over active mind. Here's a sample of my thought processes while trying to get to sleep (bracketed words are said out loud):
"Oh no, not again. I need some sleep tonight. Try to think about nothing. Or something boring. Mom used to tell me to think pretty thoughts. She would suggest thinking about soft, purring kittens, maybe that will work. Which is kind of funny because Mom never really liked cats much, she was more of a dog person. But maybe she thought kittens would make me sleep. I wonder where Diva is, she probably jumped out of the bed when I woke up, she hates it when I move around. [Hey, Diva, come on back, I'll lie still.] I'm not going to look at the clock. I bet it's after 4 by now. I need to get some sleep. There's so much to do tomorrow. I have to finish my self evaluation and also follow up with Daddy's case manager. I sure hope he gets out of the hospital tomorrow. And I better make sure to go to Costco before they close. I hope we get let out of work early. Before all the NYE traffic starts. I wonder if I'll be able to see the fireworks from the house since they aren't shooting them off from the rooftop this year. I can't believe this year is gone already. It's 2009. Mom died over 10 years ago. And Zodiac has been gone a year now. I hope Diva lives to be an old cat. When she's gone I wonder if I should just not have an animal. I could travel more easily. But the house sure would be lonely. Maybe by then I'll live in a retirement community. That would be nice. No house maintenance responsibility. Like getting the house painted. It sure needs it. And getting the leaves cleaned up out of the yard. I need to find a new lawn maintenance guy soon. I suck at being a home owner. Maybe this weekend I'll hit it big on the slots and invest in the megabucks. I think it is almost 16 million. Wouldn't that be nice? Especially since my 403B is tanking. Things better turn around or I'll never get to retire. If I was retired I wouldn't care if I could sleep right now. I'd read a book until I fell asleep and then take a nap in the middle of the day if I got tired. I need to go to the library and get some books. And take back the Reichs book. I think it's overdue. I should have renewed it online. I wish they hadn't closed the GV library. I wonder where my new branch is. I'll google it before we leave work. Now I'm hungry. Geez, it's 5. I might as well just get up. Okay, close your eyes Susan and count to 100. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [No, Diva I'm not getting up yet, lie back down]. Where was I? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, might as well turn up the heat and then lie here till the house is warm and then take a shower........... hmmm must have fallen asleep finally. Ok, time to get moving. [Ok Diva, breakfast for kitties]
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Vacation with Deb
Deb arrived the day after Christmas to spend the weekend. We don't exchange gifts but, rather, typically we go out for a nice dinner and then go to a Las Vegas show or spend a day at the spa. This time we ate more and didn't do the show/spa thing. Instead we spent our entertainment money on penny slots. Our first excursion was a dismal failure and we ran out of our money pretty fast. Sunday we tried again and we recouped most of our money. Plus we got to play the penny slot bonus games a lot.
Our dining included dinner at Diego, brunch at Terra Verde and dinner at Osaka. It was all good.
At Diego, we had a Diablo Shrimp Enchilada that was excellent and just spicy enough. We also had fresh guacamole made at our table. It was good but not spicy enough - which was easily fixed with any of the three salsas served with our chips. The guacamole (don't look John) had cilantro onions and sun dried tomatoes. I wasn't sure I was going to like sun dried tomatoes in the guac but it was surprisingly good. The dessert flan was also delicious especially since the restaurant comped it. After reading the reviews on this restaurant, I've concluded the service and the food is inconsistent but the night we were there both were great.
Our brunch at Terra Verde included lobster omelets with a Mimosa for Deb and a Bloody Mary for me. All was paid for with my Green Valley points. It was quite good but both Deb and I agree this won't become a regular place for us and I'm not exactly sure why because the food is well prepared and the service is good. It must be the ambiance. Or maybe that I think the food is a little over priced even though it is good.
At Osaka, we had teppanyaki and so the meal included entertainment. Our chef was very nice and funny and managed to toss knives and light fires without injuring us. The shrimp and scallops, fried rice and veggies were excellent. We had some green tea ice cream for dessert (included in the meal price) and were stuffed. We even got 10% off because Deb printed a coupon from their website.
During the weekend we also watched The Women and Mamma Mia. I wouldn't recommend either one though I liked the cast in both. You might get Mamma Mia just to watch poor Pierce Bronson trying to sing. It was sad and dismal but amusing. Meryl Streep did a decent job singing and I do like her but think she was the wrong choice for this movie.
Deb left yesterday and now my house is quiet and sad. Diva and I miss her.
Our dining included dinner at Diego, brunch at Terra Verde and dinner at Osaka. It was all good.
At Diego, we had a Diablo Shrimp Enchilada that was excellent and just spicy enough. We also had fresh guacamole made at our table. It was good but not spicy enough - which was easily fixed with any of the three salsas served with our chips. The guacamole (don't look John) had cilantro onions and sun dried tomatoes. I wasn't sure I was going to like sun dried tomatoes in the guac but it was surprisingly good. The dessert flan was also delicious especially since the restaurant comped it. After reading the reviews on this restaurant, I've concluded the service and the food is inconsistent but the night we were there both were great.
Our brunch at Terra Verde included lobster omelets with a Mimosa for Deb and a Bloody Mary for me. All was paid for with my Green Valley points. It was quite good but both Deb and I agree this won't become a regular place for us and I'm not exactly sure why because the food is well prepared and the service is good. It must be the ambiance. Or maybe that I think the food is a little over priced even though it is good.
At Osaka, we had teppanyaki and so the meal included entertainment. Our chef was very nice and funny and managed to toss knives and light fires without injuring us. The shrimp and scallops, fried rice and veggies were excellent. We had some green tea ice cream for dessert (included in the meal price) and were stuffed. We even got 10% off because Deb printed a coupon from their website.
During the weekend we also watched The Women and Mamma Mia. I wouldn't recommend either one though I liked the cast in both. You might get Mamma Mia just to watch poor Pierce Bronson trying to sing. It was sad and dismal but amusing. Meryl Streep did a decent job singing and I do like her but think she was the wrong choice for this movie.
Deb left yesterday and now my house is quiet and sad. Diva and I miss her.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Happy Day After Christmas
Now my holidays can really begin. Deb will come home to visit today. We're planning to eat, gamble our pennies and see some movies. Plus she'll get time to visit with friends. I'm always happy to spend time with my girl.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Not Your Dad's Wagon
Seat belts, cup holders, digital tracking system and MP3 player. The radio flyer has come a long way.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Harried Weekend
My weekend started with a call from my stepmother that my father fell and broke his hip. He was transported to a the hospital and then moved to another hospital farther away where the doctor authorized by his HMO has hospital privileges. During the transfer, they neglected to bring his x-rays with him and so he had to be x-rayed again. Which meant he had to be moved around again - with a broken hip! I often think that our health plans are designed with the convenience of the medical personnel and insurance companies rather than the needs of the patient. But I digress.
The rest of my weekend has involved figuring out what is going on with my dad and how we're going to handle getting my stepmother some transportation. She does not drive. I'm hopeful that tomorrow when hospital offices open again, I'll be able to find some help for her. The office the hospital operator transferred me to, when I explained my dilemma, is not open on weekends. It would seem to me that hospital services should be available 24/7 because people can't arrange to need the services only between 8-5 on weekdays. I also discovered that,when Dad wants to phone his wife from his hospital room, he incurs toll charges. It would also seem to me that phone calls are so cheap these days, hospitals would have low per minute charges. But what do I know? In the meantime, I've made sure he has a phone card, that the hospital knows I have authority to receive information about his condition and that my daughter will make a trek to L.A. to check on him.
Because I knew I wasn't going to have a lot of free time and also because I'm a procrastinator, I had to quickly mail a few gifts out. I'm not a good gift giver in the first place and so this year I'm even more pathetic. And forget about cards! I'm happy Debra and I have altered our Christmas traditions so that we go out and have a nice meal and then go to a show or spend some time together at the spa. Easy, breezy. And fun too.
Now that I have the dad situation as much under control as possible from 300 miles away, I think I'll try and get some other chores out of the way and then I'll curl up with a good book. And then I'll feel less harried.
The rest of my weekend has involved figuring out what is going on with my dad and how we're going to handle getting my stepmother some transportation. She does not drive. I'm hopeful that tomorrow when hospital offices open again, I'll be able to find some help for her. The office the hospital operator transferred me to, when I explained my dilemma, is not open on weekends. It would seem to me that hospital services should be available 24/7 because people can't arrange to need the services only between 8-5 on weekdays. I also discovered that,when Dad wants to phone his wife from his hospital room, he incurs toll charges. It would also seem to me that phone calls are so cheap these days, hospitals would have low per minute charges. But what do I know? In the meantime, I've made sure he has a phone card, that the hospital knows I have authority to receive information about his condition and that my daughter will make a trek to L.A. to check on him.
Because I knew I wasn't going to have a lot of free time and also because I'm a procrastinator, I had to quickly mail a few gifts out. I'm not a good gift giver in the first place and so this year I'm even more pathetic. And forget about cards! I'm happy Debra and I have altered our Christmas traditions so that we go out and have a nice meal and then go to a show or spend some time together at the spa. Easy, breezy. And fun too.
Now that I have the dad situation as much under control as possible from 300 miles away, I think I'll try and get some other chores out of the way and then I'll curl up with a good book. And then I'll feel less harried.
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