Lemme be first!
Awesome. My life now has new meaning.
Waah! Haze beat me to it! Or more likely I lallygagged too much, watching the news here. 
Thanks for the good thoughts; I’ve gotten quite a few suggestions on aids too - like twizzlers (if I can find sugar free ones, that is!), a straw (cut to the length of a cig LOL), altoids (which I find quite soothing). I’ll keep an eye out for the Sather’s sugar-free, Swampy, thanks for that tip! I’m gonna do it!!!
Okay, now to the really important: four down, one to go! 
that’s right- clean != good!!!
Well, we received the invites for my son’s Bar Mitzvah- with a huge typo!!!
The printers are actually taking responsibility for it and rush ordering a new batch. I was so very not pleased when I opened up the box and saw that they made a mistake on the name of the reception locale.
I sent them a very polite email asking them to track down the cause of the error and was so pleased that they immediately said it was their error. They are rushing to fix it, so yeah them!
::groggy::
Well, I got one call for lunch while I was sleeping (lunch for next Tuesday). Also TVMan called but I wasn’t awake enough to answer. Guess I’ll have to call him back shortly when I stumble my way to the store to pick up my prescription.
Gah. Normally I like Paula Deen, but today she’s bugging me.
Yes, McUne that’s the gag. 
Baking taxi’s pecan chews. They are yummy but that recipe makes enough to feed a small nation!
What to do for dinner, hm.
Hullo. Still alive, but barely. We did most of the packing today, and my poor van is groaning. After we do the food tomorrow, we’ll put the table on the trailer, and load the computer into the van. So I’ll be offline till we get home.
**FCD ** and the groom got their tuxes today. I’ve got to press the bride’s dress and her graduation gown. I’m tired. I really wish she wasn’t getting married. I want to sleep in my own bed in my own house. Not till Monday…
I hope this funk passes. I’ll probably make one last post in the morning, then the cable box and modem go back to Bright House and my frantic weekend will begin. Yep, hope the funk passes. <sigh>
Aargh! After waiting all afternoon for the moving guy to phone so I could go show him where to drop off the cube and let him in the storage place gate, he just went up there, showed them his paperwork, and they let him and showed him where to put it without ever bothering to let me know! So I still haven’t had a chance to take that long hot shower that I really, really wanted to take this afternoon. Aargh! (Although, mind you, it was nice of the nice people who run the storage place to handle it; they’re very sweet, although the lady about talks your leg off if you stop in the office!)
Why isn’t this work just magically getting itself done? Why do I have to actually DO it? And why did they send me both days of the hearing when I specified only one? :mad: Plus I’ve had a headache all day. And my eyes hurt. And I just want to go to sleep.
Is that enough whining for one evening? 
Hi everyone! Hope things start looking up quickly FCM!
Funny gag, McUne and Bobbio.
Good luck with the smoking, tarra. I’ve never smoked, but my grandparents used to. Not sure when Grandad quit, but I clearly remember Grandma quitting cold turkey. She figured out how much money she could put toward future cruises and never smoked again. (I’m sure I’ve told that one here before; it’s one of my clearest memories of her, oddly.)
::Waves at SO::
Another long, non-fun day. I decided this week that I need to start looking for a different job (just posted in the job-seekers support thread because of that). It’s exhausting to feel like you’re fighting your way through every day and watching everyone become more and more discouraged along with you. So I’m starting to do finances so that I know the minimum I could earn and survive and also trying to figure out an approach. Would really really like to stay in public service, since I’m only 5 years away from being eligible to retire. But I may have no choice but to step out for a bit. 
Off to ponder the future…
Hugs.
GT
Evenin’ peoples…
Is it Friday yet? Ye gods, I’m tired.
So, I didn’t go to the presentation for my daughter because when I called the school they said it was just a student body thing. As it turns out, they took her and another student to the Ram restaurant, had a meeting presented them with certificates and then listened to the school district superintendent speak. My daughter said I would have been bored out of my mind, because she sure was.
Oh, the recipes I started to post yesterday is as follows:
Tater’s Pasta Salad
Sweet onion such as Walla Walla or Vidalia-diced
Bell peppers (red, orange, yellow)-chopped
Rainbow rotinini pasta
Cukes sliced thinly
Pea pods
Little brocoli florets
Peas
Pepperoni slices cuts in half
Cubed (not too large of cubes) cheddar cheese (or whatever you like)
Grape tomatoes
*Basically, throw whatever you like in the pasta salad, this is just the stuff I tend to like. It’s colorful too.
Cook the pasta, and when the pasta is done cooking pour the hot water over the peas and brocoli florets.
Mix the pasta with the all the ingredients.
In the meantime, take a packet of Uncle Dan’s Original dressing and mix it up like you’re making the dip, which uses the mayo/sour cream combination.
When the dressing has set for a bit, mix it with the pasta and veggies. Add a little salt and pepper and mix again.
Sometimes I add just a little more sour cream to cut back on the strength of the dressing. I basically just mix and season to taste. YMMV…
Garnish to make pretty. Voila, that’s it.
I just threw it together one night a few years ago because that’s all the ingredients I had on hand and all my friends and family just love it. It’s one of the things I am “required” to bring when we BBQ or camp with friends.
You can cut down on the fat content by using low fat sour cream and low fat mayo, but it doesn’t taste the same.
ETA: Hugs to **gt ** and FCM.
Well,** GT**, if I’m staggering like a drunk on Saturday it might just be because I probably won’t end up taking the medicine I just got. After reading it I remembered why I didn’t take it all before: may (does) cause drowsiness. So I think I’d rather be dizzy than drowsy for the long trip.
Seems I had more to say, but I don’t remember what it was. :rolleyes:
Cripes, I am puffed up like some kind of freakazoid blow fish. My legs and ankles look ridiculous. I am so sick of this crap. Obvioulsy, the water pills my doctor prescribed for me aren’t doing SHIT.
On the more positive side, my guided needle biopsy for my thyroid is next Tuesday. After that, I get to wait for the results. I’d just like to know that it’s fine is all.
We’re waiting on our friend to get here so we can work out. It looks like it’s going to be a late night at the Y.
Well, first off Happy Beltane to any of you who celebrate it. I do, and am and will be continuing to do so this evening and will have all of you in my thoughts–you’ll probably thank me for it… 
Hugzez and get betterses to all of you infirm peoples–taters, I am sorry you are doing such an uncanny blowfish impersonation–that has gotta suck hard.
I had a bummer this morning–as I was driving a little dog ran right into the front of my car, I couldn’t swerve and hit him. It was over really quick and we were moving him into a box donated by a kind passerby who stopped his truck to help when a cop pulled up. So we did the whole name/rank/serial number thing and then the owner of the dog showed up. The dog didn’t have a collar or anything, had gotten out of her back yard and was running back from across the busy street when he got hit. I felt really bad and we were both crying but I’m just glad her kids didn’t have to see the dog when they came home from school 'cuz that would totally suck. I’ve been pretty upset about it off and on so I keep going out to scruffle my animals.
On the plus side the weather today is beautiful and pretty warm. I started a big batch of carnitas in the crock pot before we left this morning and it smelled crazy good walking in the door. Heck, might as well post the recipe since I’m here…
Crock Pot Carnitas
Take some nice sized chunks of pork (my Winco has carnitas meat for like a buck a pound–boneless and hardly any fat) and layer with salsa in a crock pot. Today I used some regular hot salsa cruda along with most of a jar of Trader Joe’s peach salsa that was hanging around. Add seven or eight cloves of garlic, roughly chopped, and a metric shitload of chipotles in adobo sauce–at least 3 or 4. Cook on low for six hours or so.
Remove the pork from the salsa and turn up to high. Parboil some rice in not quite enough water to cook it completely until it’s almost done. Add to the crock pot, along with some canned, frozen or fresh corn and maybe a can of black beans, drained. Let this cook until the rice absorbs most of the liquid. While this is cooking, take the pork and wipe it down with some oil–olive, or maybe some garlic or chili oil depending on how spicy you like stuff. Sprinkle with garlic salt, and bake in a low oven 275-300 degrees for forty five minutes to an hour. You’re trying to get a nice crusty finish on the meat.
When the meat is done, shred it up with two forks in the baking pan, stirring around to soak up all the oil and spices. Serve burrito style with flour tortillas, grated cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and refried beans–whatever you like in your Mexican food.
Makes great leftovers, mixed all together and scooped up with tortilla chips, yum.
Okay, dinner time, bye!
Stoopit thing froze on me.
Never mind.
I made your mustard chicken for dinner, Aleq! It was lovely. Happy Beltane! I’m so sorry about the dog; that must have been terrible for you. :: hugs ::
Olive is sprawled over my legs and is purring with supreme contentment. And I want to get up and brush my teeth. I guess I’ll just have another cigarette. This is YOUR FAULT, cat.
I’m surprised she’ll stay near you while you smoke.
I am tired. I have nothing contructive (or destructive) to add to the proceedings.
Off to sleep with me.
I’m careful not to blow it in her face, but she actually likes watching the patterns made by the smoke as it wafts from the cigarette. She is easily amused, as is her owner.
Smartie my poor dear,
I hit a dalmation 2 years ago the day before Christmas. He ran right out in front of me…nothing I could do…
That just sucks balls.
I feel for you. Don’t beat yourself up.
Thanks for the warm welcome all . I have some Godiva chocolates for Mooooom
and an ice cold Shiner Bock for swampy
when life hands you squid…make calamari
Cheers
Mmmm, calamari.
What the hell am I doing up at this hour? I got carried away with my jigsaw puzzle. Off to bed for me.
Well, whaddyaknow… 10 full minutes of free time on my weekend! :rolleyes:
Of course this means it’s not quite 10 AM and I’ve already been to the dry-cleaners to pick up some stuff I handed in two weeks ago, and to the supermarket for a few completions on grocery shopping…
**Haze **-- thanks for the kind words. I think… :dubious: 
**Ivory **-- bummer about the typo and the ensuing rush; at least the printers took responsibility!
{{{Cutie, Taters, GT, Aleq… }}} and, well, anybody else who needs or wants them.
Good luck quitting, Herbs. Never have smoked myself, but I know how difficult it can be to kick the habit from watching my mom quit… multiple times… :smack:
Nothing here happening in particular, it being the weekend after all. Maybe I’ll even be able to come out and play again later!