Hello? Hello? Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?
Nothing like a little Pink Floyd, eh? But, seriously - is there anyone out there? Many thanks if you are.
I wish I had a magnificent reason for dropping off the face of - um - Facebook, Twitter, etc. Like being whisked away on a first-class vacation of Western Europe where I sampled the most exquisite cuisine and divine wines. Or perhaps meandered through the Orient and really expanded my horizons and embraced a completely foreign culture. Alas, I hopped the magic carpet of depression that swooped to my feet via the least favorite of my seasons being particularly awful and a tsunami of unexpected financial problems.
While misery loves company, I'm a follower of the philosophy "say nothing if you have nothing nice to say". Because who likes a downer? Nobody, that's who! So until I could find my normal state of:
I felt silence was the better option.
I was particularly dismayed that we weren't able to join my family for a reunion in which my brother and his family attended. I haven't seen them in roughly five years and it will probably be at least that long until I have the opportunity to see them again. However, the day I informed my fam we couldn't come, I interviewed for my part-time receptionist job. It went so well they cancelled their next interview. I got a phone call before pulling into my driveway saying they wanted me. And come to find out later on from my lovely co-worker they almost decided to give the position to candidate they interviewed the day before me so they could fill the position, but decided to hold off. Talk about the stars aligning just right!
I have the great fortune to work for a company that believes in treating its employees well, offering incentives (aka cash) to all employees for ideas that could make any aspect of the company function better, and understands when life gets in the way of work. It's been about a month-and-a-half and the honeymoon phase hasn't abided. I adore my immediate co-workers, and find that as I get to know everyone else, my feelings for the employees I don't have regular contact with are just as positive. In fact, one them is the inspiration for my finishing this blog post. (Oddly enough it wasn't the scientist who actually asked if was a model, or had been at one time! I bet he mentally retracted that observation as my face contorted in confusion while blurting, "Are you serious?"). Another man, also a smarty-pants who works in one of the labs, asked me if I'd gotten his creepy e-mail. I told him that I'd been away from my desk for the past fifteen minutes. And he said, "No. You have a blog, right?" Color me stunned! I hadn't mentioned the blog to anyone, except one person and here was someone who'd found it! He, too has a blog - a photography one that is on blogspot as well. Don't know how he came across Meghans's Musings, but he said he thought it was great and loved the recipes. So I went and checked my blog e-mail account and there was his not-really-creepy e-mail. So another fountain moment on how to finish up this posting, which I started a few weeks ago, was bestowed upon me!
This job has allowed me to get out of the house and broaden my people base. It's also been great for Shiloh - she's blossoming in her daycare! Her vocabulary has increased and she will drink out of other sippy cups than the one whose silicone spout she obliterated by jabbing fork spikes into it. Stay-at-home-super-mom I am not - but it's gratifying to now provide for her what she doesn't get from me. And have the gas to get to and from work covered.
Alas, this isn't enough. Since this job isn't going to blossom into full-time, I've been keeping an eye out for a second currency generator. I popped into my favorite liquor store last Friday for a bottle of vodka, Ben's favorite organic lemonade and some white wine for my risotto. Whilst scanning the shelves for a white, the extremely affable owner asked if he could help me. I said I was looking for a white to cook with. He directed my attention to a cart of wines on sale and handed me a yummy Fume Blanc for my cooking pleasure. Since my arms were full he took the vodka and lemonade bottles from me and set them atop a display near where he was standing so I could take my place at the end of the line comfortably.
I stood behind a regular and the owner mentioned to this regular that he hadn't seen him in a while, and assumed that he hadn't purchased any beer between then and now. I caught his eye and smiled... getting the joke. But, WOOSH - it flew right over the regular's head. Eventually, the owner had to say, "What, you mean there are other liquor stores around?" before he got it. Hahaha. ANYWAY... The regular moved to a register. At that moment I actually heard the universe. With nobody behind me and other patrons at the register I smiled and said, "I'm hoping you can help me with one other thing. I'm on the prowl for some extra cash, I don't suppose you're in need of some part-time help?" His eyes widened a bit and a surprised look flashed across his face before he returned my smile and replied, "I can get you an application." He joked with an older male employee he'd just hired that he was being replaced and put the application in my bag and handed me his business card.
Tuesday after work I swung home, called to be sure it was a good time to come down (it was) then I zipped on over - still dressed in my fancy work duds. He brought me to his "office" (a storage room with a desk) and we chatted for about a half an hour. He recalled my saying I wouldn't be able to show up until 5:00 during the week. Then I told him I checked with Shiloh's daycare provider over the weekend, who also provides after-school care, and she had space for Isaac. He could take the bus to her house and Ben can pick them both up when he gets out of work. He replied, "Boy this just keeps getting better." After he ever-so-delicately asked if he could ask how old I was, he was utterly relieved when I said thirty-five. He has a couple of other ladies on staff who are in their forties, and he finds adults much more reliable as employees than eighteen-year-olds. Can you imagine? I left with another business card - this time with my hours for next week on it! And the best part, unlike other retail jobs, once the schedule is made, it's set. My hours aren't going to change.
Funny little ditty.... I stopped in yesterday with Isaac. My new employer was standing with a wine rep at a tasting set-up, complete with crackers and spreadable "cheese". He waved me over and said, "One thing you're going to have to do with this job is start drinking." I assured him that wouldn't be a problem and sampled a delicious Cabernet. He introduced himself to Isaac and encouraged him to have some crackers. Of course Isaac glommed down crackers as though he hadn't eaten in days. We went over to the vodka isle. As I grabbed my preferred brand, Isaac continued walking backwards down the isle and into two nicely stacked displays. I ate my heart! My were angels looking out for me again, as only a few bottles wobbled. It would have been way too sitcom to have my son knock over a display before I even started working.
We are one week in to the best season ever; with life on the upswing right now it's even more glorious! There is one other element to this season that is not to be overlooked - FOOTBALL, of course! My beloved Pats haven't had the greatest two weeks, but its early in the season; and with the real refs back the games will no longer be complete cluster-f*&%! And food and football go hand-in-hand. What is it about this game, as opposed to others, that inspires people to cook and eat like it's Thanksgiving Day? Maybe it's because the game is once a week - the perfect amount of time to let your anticipation build for the next game and it's not just a game, but a celebration. And what celebration is complete without a delicious spread? For the rest of the season, I'm going to offer up recipes for Football Sunday.
Last week I was looking for a way to use up my mushrooms, spinach and cooked chicken that had been sitting around for a few days and came across this delicious Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas. Absolutely divine! My preferred brand of healthy tortillas are:
I dipped mine in low-fat sour cream - unfortunately I didn't have any avocados on hand to make guacamole, but that's okay. Save those calories for another day!
I wish I had a magnificent reason for dropping off the face of - um - Facebook, Twitter, etc. Like being whisked away on a first-class vacation of Western Europe where I sampled the most exquisite cuisine and divine wines. Or perhaps meandered through the Orient and really expanded my horizons and embraced a completely foreign culture. Alas, I hopped the magic carpet of depression that swooped to my feet via the least favorite of my seasons being particularly awful and a tsunami of unexpected financial problems.
While misery loves company, I'm a follower of the philosophy "say nothing if you have nothing nice to say". Because who likes a downer? Nobody, that's who! So until I could find my normal state of:
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| http://free-extras.com/images/smileys_and_peace-1605.htm |
I was particularly dismayed that we weren't able to join my family for a reunion in which my brother and his family attended. I haven't seen them in roughly five years and it will probably be at least that long until I have the opportunity to see them again. However, the day I informed my fam we couldn't come, I interviewed for my part-time receptionist job. It went so well they cancelled their next interview. I got a phone call before pulling into my driveway saying they wanted me. And come to find out later on from my lovely co-worker they almost decided to give the position to candidate they interviewed the day before me so they could fill the position, but decided to hold off. Talk about the stars aligning just right!
I have the great fortune to work for a company that believes in treating its employees well, offering incentives (aka cash) to all employees for ideas that could make any aspect of the company function better, and understands when life gets in the way of work. It's been about a month-and-a-half and the honeymoon phase hasn't abided. I adore my immediate co-workers, and find that as I get to know everyone else, my feelings for the employees I don't have regular contact with are just as positive. In fact, one them is the inspiration for my finishing this blog post. (Oddly enough it wasn't the scientist who actually asked if was a model, or had been at one time! I bet he mentally retracted that observation as my face contorted in confusion while blurting, "Are you serious?"). Another man, also a smarty-pants who works in one of the labs, asked me if I'd gotten his creepy e-mail. I told him that I'd been away from my desk for the past fifteen minutes. And he said, "No. You have a blog, right?" Color me stunned! I hadn't mentioned the blog to anyone, except one person and here was someone who'd found it! He, too has a blog - a photography one that is on blogspot as well. Don't know how he came across Meghans's Musings, but he said he thought it was great and loved the recipes. So I went and checked my blog e-mail account and there was his not-really-creepy e-mail. So another fountain moment on how to finish up this posting, which I started a few weeks ago, was bestowed upon me!
This job has allowed me to get out of the house and broaden my people base. It's also been great for Shiloh - she's blossoming in her daycare! Her vocabulary has increased and she will drink out of other sippy cups than the one whose silicone spout she obliterated by jabbing fork spikes into it. Stay-at-home-super-mom I am not - but it's gratifying to now provide for her what she doesn't get from me. And have the gas to get to and from work covered.
Alas, this isn't enough. Since this job isn't going to blossom into full-time, I've been keeping an eye out for a second currency generator. I popped into my favorite liquor store last Friday for a bottle of vodka, Ben's favorite organic lemonade and some white wine for my risotto. Whilst scanning the shelves for a white, the extremely affable owner asked if he could help me. I said I was looking for a white to cook with. He directed my attention to a cart of wines on sale and handed me a yummy Fume Blanc for my cooking pleasure. Since my arms were full he took the vodka and lemonade bottles from me and set them atop a display near where he was standing so I could take my place at the end of the line comfortably.
I stood behind a regular and the owner mentioned to this regular that he hadn't seen him in a while, and assumed that he hadn't purchased any beer between then and now. I caught his eye and smiled... getting the joke. But, WOOSH - it flew right over the regular's head. Eventually, the owner had to say, "What, you mean there are other liquor stores around?" before he got it. Hahaha. ANYWAY... The regular moved to a register. At that moment I actually heard the universe. With nobody behind me and other patrons at the register I smiled and said, "I'm hoping you can help me with one other thing. I'm on the prowl for some extra cash, I don't suppose you're in need of some part-time help?" His eyes widened a bit and a surprised look flashed across his face before he returned my smile and replied, "I can get you an application." He joked with an older male employee he'd just hired that he was being replaced and put the application in my bag and handed me his business card.
Tuesday after work I swung home, called to be sure it was a good time to come down (it was) then I zipped on over - still dressed in my fancy work duds. He brought me to his "office" (a storage room with a desk) and we chatted for about a half an hour. He recalled my saying I wouldn't be able to show up until 5:00 during the week. Then I told him I checked with Shiloh's daycare provider over the weekend, who also provides after-school care, and she had space for Isaac. He could take the bus to her house and Ben can pick them both up when he gets out of work. He replied, "Boy this just keeps getting better." After he ever-so-delicately asked if he could ask how old I was, he was utterly relieved when I said thirty-five. He has a couple of other ladies on staff who are in their forties, and he finds adults much more reliable as employees than eighteen-year-olds. Can you imagine? I left with another business card - this time with my hours for next week on it! And the best part, unlike other retail jobs, once the schedule is made, it's set. My hours aren't going to change.
Funny little ditty.... I stopped in yesterday with Isaac. My new employer was standing with a wine rep at a tasting set-up, complete with crackers and spreadable "cheese". He waved me over and said, "One thing you're going to have to do with this job is start drinking." I assured him that wouldn't be a problem and sampled a delicious Cabernet. He introduced himself to Isaac and encouraged him to have some crackers. Of course Isaac glommed down crackers as though he hadn't eaten in days. We went over to the vodka isle. As I grabbed my preferred brand, Isaac continued walking backwards down the isle and into two nicely stacked displays. I ate my heart! My were angels looking out for me again, as only a few bottles wobbled. It would have been way too sitcom to have my son knock over a display before I even started working.
We are one week in to the best season ever; with life on the upswing right now it's even more glorious! There is one other element to this season that is not to be overlooked - FOOTBALL, of course! My beloved Pats haven't had the greatest two weeks, but its early in the season; and with the real refs back the games will no longer be complete cluster-f*&%! And food and football go hand-in-hand. What is it about this game, as opposed to others, that inspires people to cook and eat like it's Thanksgiving Day? Maybe it's because the game is once a week - the perfect amount of time to let your anticipation build for the next game and it's not just a game, but a celebration. And what celebration is complete without a delicious spread? For the rest of the season, I'm going to offer up recipes for Football Sunday.
WHAT'S FOR FOOTBALL SUNDAY?
So many things go with Football Sunday, with pizza and quesadillas being traditional complements. Since I'm a calorie-counter the following recommendations are of a healthier (NOT code for undelicious) variety. The Pizza with Bell Pepper, Red Onion and Goat Cheese is just scrumptious! Of course I double the number of garlic cloves, and while I don't measure out the amount of goat cheese, it's probably more than the 5 ounces recommended. I just LOVE goat cheese. (My haughty, know-it-all twelve-year-old self would stick her nose in the air, and "Eeeeew!" would spew out of her mouth if she were offered goat cheese.) I also regularly forget the basil - so no big deal if you don't have it. I use this whole wheat pizza crust. It's a twofer!
Last week I was looking for a way to use up my mushrooms, spinach and cooked chicken that had been sitting around for a few days and came across this delicious Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas. Absolutely divine! My preferred brand of healthy tortillas are:
I dipped mine in low-fat sour cream - unfortunately I didn't have any avocados on hand to make guacamole, but that's okay. Save those calories for another day!
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