A Thought

One bad thing about vacations:
-they end

One good thing about vacations:
-they end

Weekend Wrap Up

Another end to a great weekend.

This is the last weekend before the cruise so this was the last day to really get everything set up and complete. I was going to get my mani/pedi done today but decided to wait 'til Wednesday for that, just to make sure my chubby little Fred Flintstone feet are still fresh.

Dropped over at Dillard's and bought a cute and functional wide-brimmed hat. It looks like straw but is plastic so I won't have to worry about it crumpling and being destroyed in the suitcase. It's wide enough to cover my face and chest, so along with a liberal amount of sunscreen, it should help me not be burned. The first time I took a cruise I returned with a bad case of sun poisoning. All because I thought Black people didn't get sunburn. I've learned my lesson in sun bathing. Twice.

I also picked up some Clinique and sale costume jewelry today. I love jewelry and Macy's and Dillard's always have great selections. And, when these two stores have sales, they really mean sales and I can always find bargains if I shop during a sale.

My brother in Idaho is so nervous, and I'm tickled. This is his first cruise. He's always been afraid of cruising so when he decided to come with us on this one, everyone was in shock. When his passport arrived he was soooo happy! I spoke with him this afternoon and tried to help calm him down. He's read about the cruise ship that was hit by a rogue wave and it's bothering him. I've been assuring him that before this cruise is over, he will be planning the next one. I'm believing we'll have a great time.

Aside from Dramamine and Immodium Ad tabs, I'm all set to begin packing. Tomorrow I'll list the outfits I'll be taking with me, and Tuesday the actual packing begins. As always I'm cool, organized and prepared. My only concern is whether I really needed to buy seven pairs of sandals. Oh well, I'll return the pairs I don't take with me.

RB & Me

Had dinner tonight with RB. We went to my favourite hangout Switch which was unusually busier than normal for a Friday night, but we were seated right away and didn't wait long for our ordered food to arrive.

We were celebrating RB's landing a new job after being laid off for almost a year. Last year my company laid off, or re engineered a whole lot of people. I don't know the exact amount but it was close to fifteen thousand. RB was one of those let go. We've remained in contact with each other throughout the year and it's such a blessing to see him relieved and happy about being employed full time.

After his nine month severance ended, he was blessed to land a position in a call center and he pretty much hated it. But he endured it because it paid benefits and allowed him to be flexible. He didn't complain about treatment from his bosses. He wouldn't anyway, but he just didn't like being on the phone. As a former manager, he knew that in order to move up, he would have to impress his bosses in the center and the easiest way to do that would be his attitude, attendance and performance.

The relief in his face tonight was reflected in mine because I had to deal with my friend losing his job (we held the same position) and the ensuing guilt of not being laid off with him. It was unbelievable the emotions I ran through with RB and others in my dept that had to leave the company, and I'm so glad he's back in a management position, and being paid slightly more than his prior salary.

Good things really do happen to good people.

Culinary Apprentice

I've been sharpening my creative culinary skills which, being interpreted, means I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while and I have to use whatever's left in the cupboards or shelves. Today's lunch was a great feat even if I was the only one who thought so.

Regular readers know I'm a poor cook even though I love to cook. I love trying new recipes and adding twists to old standards. I love chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients, all of that. Unfortunately though, the end results are usually so bad even I won't finish it. Our neighbour's dog Psycho loves my cooking. His indiscriminate taste is rewarded weekly with leftovers thrown over the fence. Psycho's a pit bull and I'm terrified of him so his food is tossed to him rather than handed to him. But back to my cooking.

My cupboard's as bare as Mother Hubbard's and after a weekend of fast food and other bad-for-me foods I wanted to cook something good for me. Rummaging through the freezer gained a bag of tater tots. Searching the shelves netted a can of beef. I poured the beef atop the tater tots and added cayenne and black pepper. I noticed the beef didn't have enough juice to cover the tots so I decided to add leftover gumbo rue as additional sauce. Everything was placed in the oven for an hour et voilà!

While it's not the best or healthiest because of the carbs, I like it because it's economical and easy. And my brother ate some of it and didn't throw it back at me. I might try this again!