Well, since Easter this year was on March 23rd, I decided that I would postpone my "party" until the 30th. We did have my meal of chicken pot pie, and a small cake on Sunday night, since Rachel had to work on the actual date (24th). Jim and Jess called and emailed me birthday wishes (THANK YOU GUYS, I LOVED IT!), one text message from K.S. (you know who you are) and I received two calls from my family. We talked to Kim Wright during the week at some point about her making it to the party, and she offered her house to host the event. What a great friend the Wrights are turning out to be! It's sure nice to find people that you click with, even though the only common thread in the beginning is that you attend the same church, or work at the same company, or had abusive fathers, or smoke a ton of weed ... you know, the classics.
I also decided a few weeks back to make Carolina BBQ for this party. Now, I've never worked up the guts before to attempt this recipe alone. Usually, I get the stuff to make it and end up waiting until Mom comes up, and she cooks everything. What a great way to learn, huh? This time, I didn't have the option, so I called her up and asked for the recipe. Now, my mother learned this recipe from my Grandmother(father's mother), who learned it from her family on a hog farm in rural North Carolina, who probably learned it from the Confederates. She also learned grandma's recipes for southern style cole slaw, chicken pot pie, buttermilk biscuits (add cheddar for cheese biscuits), and southern banana cream pie all passed down and taught. The rub? Grandma never used a written recipe, she just knew how to make all that stuff. So, Mom never wrote them down, either. You should see what I wrote down when I asked Mom for her help. It's actually funny, often you'll see the words "Oh, add some *insert ingredient called for here* - and don't be shy. But don't add too much, either." I started the roasts on Saturday night about 9:30, and then spent a good 3 or 4 hours obsessing about it on the couch. I finally stopped worrying, and fell asleep around 3 AM. When I woke up, I was jazzed. It smelled like it usually does when BBQ has been cooking all night. I pulled off the foil, and it turned out great. I was very, very happy with my first try. I toned down the spice, due to the fact that I didn't want to burn faces off when the meal was served.
The Otts, the Gallions, and the Wrights all joined with us in observing the birthday celebration. The Otts brought my favorite Salt and Vinegar chips, Kim made wings and a cheesy potato casserole, and the Gallions made chocolate Heath bar fondue with a ton of dippers. We sat around, eating dinner and watching Empire Strikes Back (Kim knew it was my fav and popped it in) and talking. The BBQ turned out so much better than I could have hoped, and now I'm keen to try it again, using the written down dimensions I used for the spices to find the exact measurements so I can make it the same each time. I'm hoping it will become my "signature" dish to bring to people's houses, or to make for dinners. I'm also wondering if I could use our big ole roaster pan, instead of the oven. Maybe I'll try that next. Thank you all for your birthday wishes, and for your love to me and my family.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Whoopsie
I forgot to add a few pics of the Easter outfits that Rachel picked out for the girls. I've never seen a woman so determined to get a certain white sweater in my life. Here I thought that a white sweater was a white sweater - but I realize that I am a guy, and things like that just don't matter to me as much. Our big joke is that if I was left to dress the girls, they would be wearing flip-flops and jeans all the time.
After taking the pictures of the girls outside, I decided to walk into a low hanging tree branch and had a nice Easter egg of my own on top of my noggin. I'm not surprised at this, because I'm very clumsy and whack my head all the time at the Gallion's house on their hanging kitchen light fixture. You can see the little blood mark in the middle of the pic, Rachel just had to snap it for posterity. Now, I share with you ... because that's who I am.
Easter
In the land of the groundhog, Easter is still ruled with an iron fist by a bunny rabbit. I can't help but refer everyone to the scene in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" where the Knights are being held up from going into the cave by "a fearsome creature" which turns out to be a bunny rabbit. The knights decide to charge it, and this little bunny jumps up and bites their heads off one by one until being finally dispatched by the Holy Hand Grenade. "Thou shalt pull the pin, and count to three. Three being the number thou should countest to, and stopping on three. Thou shalt not skip two, or count to four ..." etc etc. I need to watch that movie again, it's been years. Anyhow, I digress.
Easter started by the girls attending the weekly "Mommies" group on Wednesday. There was an egg hunt, and a visit by the Easter bunny. After first being freaked out, Allison and Ryleigh both warmed up to him for a few pictures. After that, on Saturday, Allison and Ryleigh got the chance to dye eggs with Daddy before going to bed. They loved it, especially the part where the tablet was dropped into the vinegar and it started to bubble and fizz. We were able to dye about 15 eggs, and only lost two when the girls were holding them up for pictures.
We decided to cut down on the candy this year for everyone, and instead got the girls each a new outfit (besides their Easter dresses), a small pink baseball glove for each, some pink peeps, and once chocolate bunny each. They loved it, and Allison can't wait to play catch with Daddy. Sunday we had Daddy's birthday dinner, since Rachel was working on Monday night (the actual day), and Chicken Pot Pie was on the menu. Allison helped Mommy make a simple cake for Daddy and sang "Happy Birthday". Simple, but nice. So, it was a good day.
Love to all.
Easter started by the girls attending the weekly "Mommies" group on Wednesday. There was an egg hunt, and a visit by the Easter bunny. After first being freaked out, Allison and Ryleigh both warmed up to him for a few pictures. After that, on Saturday, Allison and Ryleigh got the chance to dye eggs with Daddy before going to bed. They loved it, especially the part where the tablet was dropped into the vinegar and it started to bubble and fizz. We were able to dye about 15 eggs, and only lost two when the girls were holding them up for pictures.
We decided to cut down on the candy this year for everyone, and instead got the girls each a new outfit (besides their Easter dresses), a small pink baseball glove for each, some pink peeps, and once chocolate bunny each. They loved it, and Allison can't wait to play catch with Daddy. Sunday we had Daddy's birthday dinner, since Rachel was working on Monday night (the actual day), and Chicken Pot Pie was on the menu. Allison helped Mommy make a simple cake for Daddy and sang "Happy Birthday". Simple, but nice. So, it was a good day.
Love to all.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
I Love People
I've been working in the grocery business since I was 16 years old, in fact, I've been working for the same grocery store chain since I was that age. I don't have the same job that I did when I was 16 (whew!), and it's taken me to where I am today. I started in December 1989, yup - the tail end of the decade of Big Hair, speed metal, leg warmers, and the "brick" cell phone. I can't believe it's been that long, but it has. I checked the calendar. Twice. Then cried. All better now.
So, in these past 18+ years, I can't have helped but have a few good stories about co-workers and customers. I thought I'd share a few with you.
1. I was working the cookie aisle when another cashier was called up front to check. He thought that since he was more senior than me (union seniority ... blech) that it meant they should have called me first. He's complaining the whole way from the back of the store to the front, walking past me muttering the whole way. I say, "Steve, drop dead" and the guy goes down like a ton of bricks in front of a customer who begins to freak out. She freezes, turns to me all wide-eyed and starts to flustery shout, "Call a manager, call an ambulance, please, I need help." Steve picks himself up, dusts off his pants, and walks right past this dumbfounded woman and opens his register like nothing happened.
2. I was working on a register printer today, and I have the thing in pieces so I could replace the thermal printhead. I have parts spread out over the entire belt, and I'm covered in dust and old pieces of receipt from cleaning out the bottom of this thing. Some lady comes behind me and starts to unload her cart, while I am in the midst of working. I look at her and say, "Ma'am, this lane isn't open" To which she looks at me, and growls "Well, aren't you buying that?" "Yes ma'am, our store now carries IBM parts for printers. They're over on the chip aisle, but not the chips you can eat. May I show you to the day spa, and make you an appointment with Serge for your massage? We also have lion tamers and real penguins on sale with your club card on display in the lobby" is what I should have said. I fought to only respond with a "Ma'am, there is no line in register #5 and I'm working on the printer for this lane." (This happens all the time to me, I'll have a scanner/scale, printer or various other items taken down or in pieces, and customers invariably will pop into my line assuming I'm open, even with the obviously non-working register in plain view.)
3. There were recently self-checkout lanes installed into one of our stores that is under remodel. You know the kind, where you have a kiosk to ring your own groceries. They're popping up in grocery, hardware, and other big box retailers across the country. Well, since they are new, the employees are trying to encourage people to use them so that customers know they are there and to lose fear of using them. One customer got all up in arms when told that the self-checkout lane was open and no line. "I think it's an atrocity that you installed those machines. How dare you expect your customers to do a job that you are supposed to be doing." Yep, endless war in Iraq, genocide in Africa and self-checkouts - - - same, same.
4. Back in the early 90's, my employer was running a "Tapes for Education" program, where you could turn in your grocery store receipts to your school, they were tallied, and the school could send in the accumulated totals plus the paper receipts to cash in for books, athletic equipment, etc. My high school decided to run a contest to see what student could turn in the most receipts, and win a fifty dollar prize. It was a landslide - I won. I think you know how. Second place was another student working for a competing grocery store who had a similiar program. Apparently it wasn't even close. Hurrah for me and my Sega Genesis game.
5. My favorite story of all - I was late for work, and forgot my apron at home. I grabbed one of the spares from our broom closet and started my shift. At the time, we had this huge salad bar which did a TON of business during lunch since we were the cheapest, fastest, and healthiest option for the City Government office that was less than a mile from our store. Our company had also changed to a smaller plastic-handled bag, making it harder for the cashiers to bag someone's salad container, and being able to keep it flat. Especially the BIG salad containers, those things wouldn't fit in the bottom of the bag until you rocked it to one side and kinda wedged it in there. Most people didn't care, since their salad was a tossed one anyway. I found a way to be able to get the over-sized container in the bag without turning it into a gloppy mess. A customer comes through with one of these big salad containers, and I start to bag it. He says, "Be careful. I worked hard to separate two salads into this one container, and I don't want them mixed." I have no idea why he didn't choose to use two different containers. "No problem, I'm an expert at bagging these" as I squoze too hard and dropped the thing into a bag completely by accident messing up this guys work. I turned bright red, and he's pissed. He pays, rips the bag out of my hand and storms to customer service. He rips the poor lady a new one, and storms out of the store. It's at this point that I look down and realize that my name tag says "Rick". Bwah hahahahahahhaha ......
So, in these past 18+ years, I can't have helped but have a few good stories about co-workers and customers. I thought I'd share a few with you.
1. I was working the cookie aisle when another cashier was called up front to check. He thought that since he was more senior than me (union seniority ... blech) that it meant they should have called me first. He's complaining the whole way from the back of the store to the front, walking past me muttering the whole way. I say, "Steve, drop dead" and the guy goes down like a ton of bricks in front of a customer who begins to freak out. She freezes, turns to me all wide-eyed and starts to flustery shout, "Call a manager, call an ambulance, please, I need help." Steve picks himself up, dusts off his pants, and walks right past this dumbfounded woman and opens his register like nothing happened.
2. I was working on a register printer today, and I have the thing in pieces so I could replace the thermal printhead. I have parts spread out over the entire belt, and I'm covered in dust and old pieces of receipt from cleaning out the bottom of this thing. Some lady comes behind me and starts to unload her cart, while I am in the midst of working. I look at her and say, "Ma'am, this lane isn't open" To which she looks at me, and growls "Well, aren't you buying that?" "Yes ma'am, our store now carries IBM parts for printers. They're over on the chip aisle, but not the chips you can eat. May I show you to the day spa, and make you an appointment with Serge for your massage? We also have lion tamers and real penguins on sale with your club card on display in the lobby" is what I should have said. I fought to only respond with a "Ma'am, there is no line in register #5 and I'm working on the printer for this lane." (This happens all the time to me, I'll have a scanner/scale, printer or various other items taken down or in pieces, and customers invariably will pop into my line assuming I'm open, even with the obviously non-working register in plain view.)
3. There were recently self-checkout lanes installed into one of our stores that is under remodel. You know the kind, where you have a kiosk to ring your own groceries. They're popping up in grocery, hardware, and other big box retailers across the country. Well, since they are new, the employees are trying to encourage people to use them so that customers know they are there and to lose fear of using them. One customer got all up in arms when told that the self-checkout lane was open and no line. "I think it's an atrocity that you installed those machines. How dare you expect your customers to do a job that you are supposed to be doing." Yep, endless war in Iraq, genocide in Africa and self-checkouts - - - same, same.
4. Back in the early 90's, my employer was running a "Tapes for Education" program, where you could turn in your grocery store receipts to your school, they were tallied, and the school could send in the accumulated totals plus the paper receipts to cash in for books, athletic equipment, etc. My high school decided to run a contest to see what student could turn in the most receipts, and win a fifty dollar prize. It was a landslide - I won. I think you know how. Second place was another student working for a competing grocery store who had a similiar program. Apparently it wasn't even close. Hurrah for me and my Sega Genesis game.
5. My favorite story of all - I was late for work, and forgot my apron at home. I grabbed one of the spares from our broom closet and started my shift. At the time, we had this huge salad bar which did a TON of business during lunch since we were the cheapest, fastest, and healthiest option for the City Government office that was less than a mile from our store. Our company had also changed to a smaller plastic-handled bag, making it harder for the cashiers to bag someone's salad container, and being able to keep it flat. Especially the BIG salad containers, those things wouldn't fit in the bottom of the bag until you rocked it to one side and kinda wedged it in there. Most people didn't care, since their salad was a tossed one anyway. I found a way to be able to get the over-sized container in the bag without turning it into a gloppy mess. A customer comes through with one of these big salad containers, and I start to bag it. He says, "Be careful. I worked hard to separate two salads into this one container, and I don't want them mixed." I have no idea why he didn't choose to use two different containers. "No problem, I'm an expert at bagging these" as I squoze too hard and dropped the thing into a bag completely by accident messing up this guys work. I turned bright red, and he's pissed. He pays, rips the bag out of my hand and storms to customer service. He rips the poor lady a new one, and storms out of the store. It's at this point that I look down and realize that my name tag says "Rick". Bwah hahahahahahhaha ......
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Proud As Punch
So every week we have playgroup. Each week another mother is in charge of planning an activity for the kids. It is just a bunch of moms from church and their kids. We do things like go to the zoo, play at the park, have a Valentines Day Party etc. Last time I was in charge I planned at trip to the local Brusters Ice Creamery. The kids loved it and it was different. Free Ice Cream didn't hurt either. This week it was my turn and Aaron actually took charge of it for me. At Genuardis, they used to do preschool tours of the store. They would take the kids around and show them things about the store, have them point out colors and some of the other cool stuff in the store. Well, Aaron thought this might be fun for playgroup, so he worked it out with the Asst Manager to bring our group. So on March 12th, we all headed to the Royersford Genuardi's for a tour. It was great! Allie was so proud to be at her Daddy's work. She told everyone. She was at the front of the group. She loved every minute of it. Ryleigh kind of just hung out with Daddy the whole time. The hit of the day was the baler (it is where the boxes get crushed, before being tied together). It turned out to be a great tour. The kids had a blast and it included free pizza and cookies for all.
All of the sudden it was a little too quiet.......
It was a tuesday night about two weeks ago.....Aaron was at an Elders Quorum meeting, Allie was in bed for being naughty, Lindsay was asleep. So it was just me and Ryleigh hanging out. She had been running back and forth between me at the computer and the front room, watching something on tv.....and then it was just too quiet! I found Ryleigh on the floor in the living room with Allie's fingernail polish all over her legs!!!! It was kind of funny I must admit. I proceeded to give her a bath, and the purple came off, however, the blue dye they use in the nail polish, did NOT! Ryleigh did not understand why we kept calling her Smurfette! She kept saying "I am not Smurfette, I am Ryleigh". So just a little insight into our lives!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
