...insert faint computer drone.
Ever been told to count to three once your light turns green before advancing into the intersection? You never know who'll be running that yellow light and possibly running into you, after all. I also had a police officer tell me the same three second rule applies to crosswalks. Hmmmm...hadn't thought of that one, but it does make sense.
How many seconds do you think is reasonable to wait for a "hello" response from who (or what) ever just called you on the phone? Come on...think about it. The phone rings, you pick it up and say, "hello", and... one, two, three..."hello?"...four, five....."is anybody there?"....six, seven...."goodbye!"
Is it just me, or is this just the day and age in which we live? Am I "old school" because I expect a response from the other end of the phone when I pick it up and say hello? Like almost immediately? When YOU call ME and I pick up the phone and say "Hello" (or "hola" or "aloha" or whatever language I happen to be thinking in at that moment), shouldn't YOU naswer ME back?
Caller ID anyone? Yeah...I have it. And most of the time, the calls I choose NOT to answer, just hang up. No message. Why not? Because the damn computer isn't programmed to leave one. It's programmed to click over to assigned live human afer a set amount of time with an open line! Some numbers on the caller ID are immediately recognizeable as telemarketers or other sales calls. Some are not. PRIVATE CALLER could be my sister calling from work, or the doctor's office reminding me of an anppointment. But when I pick it up and NO-ONE says "hello" right back to me? WHY???
Naturally, the once time I decide to answer the phone and say, "What up, b!tch?," it's bound to be someone important whose number doesn't register in my caller ID as anything but 'out of area'! What's a girl to do?..one, two, three, four, five......
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Saying goodbye....
No, not me. I'm still hanging around here. This is the story of a funeral. No ordinary funeral, and as sad as a funeral sounds, a funeral service built around decades of tradition and pomp. This is the story of a policeman's funeral. I was both honored and saddened by the whole process, from riding as part of the procession (which I was later scolded for, and perhaps, rightly so), to the horseless rider to the twenty-one gun salute, to the missing man fly-over.
Standing in the presence of so many law enforcement officials and firemen and first respsonders and military men and women was, for lack of a more reverent word, awesome. Awesome and humbling. It is while being in their collective presence that I felt the Brotherhood of the Badge at it's finest. In the midst of saying final goodbyes to a fallen officer, they stood strong and proud...and together.
Even though a friend and commrade was being mourned, protocols must still be followed. Rituals must be observed. Salutes shall be given. It is not cold-hearted nor indifferent. It is a way of greiving. A way to honor tradition and to honor a man.
As I sat in the church and listened to one after another speak eloquently on the life and death of a fellow officer, a son, a brother, a cousin, a co-worker, a friend...tears streamed down my face, punctuated by occasional smiles and even laughter. There was a lot of tissue dabbing among the very large crowd. There was no shame in crying, as we were all doing it...even the speakers.
It was at the graveside service that the finality of this event played out, as you stood there listening to his partner (he was a K9 officer) saying goodbye. As the Riderless Horse paraded by (made even more touching as I was standing by the mounted officers on their mounts). As military honors were given. As the flag was folded and presented to his parents. As the 21 gun salute happened...funny how you flinch just ever so slightly even though you know it's coming. As the bugler plays Taps. And then the low rumble of helicopters is heard, as they approach you head-on, and the Police helicopter flies off in a missing man formation. Tears. Tears. Tears.
Rest in Peace, Officer, and thank you for your presence in the lives of your family, friends and community. And thank you, to the men and women of law enforcement that let me and so many others in the community, be a part of, even for a day, of YOUR family. Thank you.
Standing in the presence of so many law enforcement officials and firemen and first respsonders and military men and women was, for lack of a more reverent word, awesome. Awesome and humbling. It is while being in their collective presence that I felt the Brotherhood of the Badge at it's finest. In the midst of saying final goodbyes to a fallen officer, they stood strong and proud...and together.
Even though a friend and commrade was being mourned, protocols must still be followed. Rituals must be observed. Salutes shall be given. It is not cold-hearted nor indifferent. It is a way of greiving. A way to honor tradition and to honor a man.
As I sat in the church and listened to one after another speak eloquently on the life and death of a fellow officer, a son, a brother, a cousin, a co-worker, a friend...tears streamed down my face, punctuated by occasional smiles and even laughter. There was a lot of tissue dabbing among the very large crowd. There was no shame in crying, as we were all doing it...even the speakers.
It was at the graveside service that the finality of this event played out, as you stood there listening to his partner (he was a K9 officer) saying goodbye. As the Riderless Horse paraded by (made even more touching as I was standing by the mounted officers on their mounts). As military honors were given. As the flag was folded and presented to his parents. As the 21 gun salute happened...funny how you flinch just ever so slightly even though you know it's coming. As the bugler plays Taps. And then the low rumble of helicopters is heard, as they approach you head-on, and the Police helicopter flies off in a missing man formation. Tears. Tears. Tears.
Rest in Peace, Officer, and thank you for your presence in the lives of your family, friends and community. And thank you, to the men and women of law enforcement that let me and so many others in the community, be a part of, even for a day, of YOUR family. Thank you.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Back to the roadtrip tale
So...where were we on the summer travels roadtrip saga? Ah, yes...on the road to the UP. For those of you in the states not surrounding Michigan, the UP is the common name for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Funny how I've never heard the rest of MI referred to as the LP!
Well, every good road trip starts with road food, right? What better place than Denny's 5th Aveunue Bakery. The rest of the gang got an assortment of cookies. I got a bacon maple bar. Oh yeah...bacon really does make everything better - I don't even like maple bars! But with bacon on it.... not crumbled bacon. Not bacon bits. A full length, perfectly cooked strip of bacon! Okay! With this in hand, I can handle the backseat for a while! And we're off!
We're driving. And driving. And driving. B has the first shift (and most of them, actually), with sis by his side. I am stuck in the backseat, which is now STUCK, since the bacon maple bar has been rightfully and selfishly consumed!, with mom (who is the ultimate perfect passenger!). Now, don't get this wrong. I am not stuck in the backseat with mom. I am stuck, in the backseat, with mom.
Get it? I HATE THE BACKSEAT! Nothing to do, nothing to see, no room to stretch.
Finally! We cross the stateline into Wisconsin...Menomonie has a rest stop in it. (Okay. Is anyone else hearing the music to "Texas Has A Whorehouse In It" looping through their heads, or is it just me?). Feels good to stop and stretch...and, ya know...pee. And we're back...pile back into the car and here we go....more asphalt to cover, more farms to drive by, yet another church, more farmland and fields and road...I do love a good road trip!
Is anyone else hungry? Time to stop. Don't know where we are really, but there are places to eat, and it's my job to pick one out! I choose Hudsons Classic Grill! Fish Fry is their middle name! 'cept I had a burger. A most delicious and tasty burger. Now that we've eaten, who wants to drive? Not me! We all just want a nap! But at least this time I get the front seat! Sanp! Sanp! Snap! How many pictures of the open road do I need? A LOT! And what a lot of it there was!
Whoa! Go back! We are in the township of Watersmeet, MI. I can only guess that it got it's name because that's maybe where the waters meet? Makes sense. Anyone care to guess why the Watersmeet Township School is the "home of the Nimrods?" Anyone? Bueller? It was enough for us all to do a doubletake! Thank goodness for the internet and smartphones, so we could look it up and see that "Nimrod" has origins beyond the way we use it today! FYI: Nimrod: a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar. Whew! I feel a little bit better about that now! But still....
Let me just take a moment here to say thank you to GyPSy...the portable GPS device B had the foresight to bring along! I named her Gypsy. She has cute little Australian accent, and had us turn onto roads I never would have, but she always got us to point B.
Ponit B! We are in Mass City! Something tells me I don't have an internet connection here! Until next time...
Well, every good road trip starts with road food, right? What better place than Denny's 5th Aveunue Bakery. The rest of the gang got an assortment of cookies. I got a bacon maple bar. Oh yeah...bacon really does make everything better - I don't even like maple bars! But with bacon on it.... not crumbled bacon. Not bacon bits. A full length, perfectly cooked strip of bacon! Okay! With this in hand, I can handle the backseat for a while! And we're off!
We're driving. And driving. And driving. B has the first shift (and most of them, actually), with sis by his side. I am stuck in the backseat, which is now STUCK, since the bacon maple bar has been rightfully and selfishly consumed!, with mom (who is the ultimate perfect passenger!). Now, don't get this wrong. I am not stuck in the backseat with mom. I am stuck, in the backseat, with mom.
Get it? I HATE THE BACKSEAT! Nothing to do, nothing to see, no room to stretch.
Finally! We cross the stateline into Wisconsin...Menomonie has a rest stop in it. (Okay. Is anyone else hearing the music to "Texas Has A Whorehouse In It" looping through their heads, or is it just me?). Feels good to stop and stretch...and, ya know...pee. And we're back...pile back into the car and here we go....more asphalt to cover, more farms to drive by, yet another church, more farmland and fields and road...I do love a good road trip!
Is anyone else hungry? Time to stop. Don't know where we are really, but there are places to eat, and it's my job to pick one out! I choose Hudsons Classic Grill! Fish Fry is their middle name! 'cept I had a burger. A most delicious and tasty burger. Now that we've eaten, who wants to drive? Not me! We all just want a nap! But at least this time I get the front seat! Sanp! Sanp! Snap! How many pictures of the open road do I need? A LOT! And what a lot of it there was!
Whoa! Go back! We are in the township of Watersmeet, MI. I can only guess that it got it's name because that's maybe where the waters meet? Makes sense. Anyone care to guess why the Watersmeet Township School is the "home of the Nimrods?" Anyone? Bueller? It was enough for us all to do a doubletake! Thank goodness for the internet and smartphones, so we could look it up and see that "Nimrod" has origins beyond the way we use it today! FYI: Nimrod: a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar. Whew! I feel a little bit better about that now! But still....
Let me just take a moment here to say thank you to GyPSy...the portable GPS device B had the foresight to bring along! I named her Gypsy. She has cute little Australian accent, and had us turn onto roads I never would have, but she always got us to point B.
Ponit B! We are in Mass City! Something tells me I don't have an internet connection here! Until next time...
Friday, January 4, 2013
Random thoughts about gravy
I love gravy! Why does it have such a bad reputation? Is it really bad for you, or merely void of any real nutritional value?
These are the crazy things I think of as I drive down back roads in the fog, windows open just a crack, radio off, mind going void-of-course. What about gravy makes most nutritionists and other so-called diet gurus cringe? How bad is it for me, really?
Let's break it down. I'm talking about a basic gravy here. Not fancy-schmancy sauces (although I really like them, too!). In it's most basic form it's nothing more than fat, starch, and liquid, mixed together to form a sikly, tasty accompiament to mashed potatoes, french fries, sandwiches, meat, biscuits, etc..... I will grant them this: some gravies may be more not-so-good-for-you than others, but for the amount consumed is it really going to be the death of me?
I used to think I needed a special packet from the store to make gravy...just add water and stir. Ha! Once I learned how easy it was to make from scratch, I now whip up a little batch of gravy whenever I want it! You only need three main ingredients - fat (usually butter in my case), starch (I use simple AP flour), and liquid (beef or chicken stock, or milk for a cream gravy). Whatever else you want to add is up to you - onions, seasonings, mushrooms, whatever!
This is how I do it:
Melt some butter. If I add mushrooms or onions, this where it goes into the pot. Let them cook together for a few minutes, careful not to let the butter burn. Add in flour in an amount equal to the amount of butter (one tablespoon of each, three teaspoons of each, whatvever is in equal proportions to the other, depending on the amount your are making). Stir or whisk together until you have a smooth mixture. Cook for anywhere from a minute to five minutes, stirring constantly and over a medium heat. The idea here is to cook out the starchiness of the flour. Once you have the desired browness, slowly add the liquid in small amounts, stirring after each addition until it's smooth. If you add all the liquid at once, it's harder to control your gravy's thickness. I keep adding liquid in small pours and stirring until I have the gravy at the thickness I want it. Tatse your gravy - add salt, pepper, paprika, dill, whatever seasonings work for you.
That's it. Pretty easy, huh? Try it for yourself. Once you've become comfortable with the basic roux and liquid gravy, then you can experiment. Use bacon fat instead of butter, or olive oil. Add coffee and stock for a richer gravy. After adding milk, add cheese.
So the question remains: is it bad for you, or just not that great for you? I like to think it's all okay in moderation. Not to mention that if I add onions and/or mushrooms, I've put in a vegetable! And, even in the small amount of butter I may use, it's still got calcium! See what I did there? I just gave gravy some nutrtional value! Yay me!
These are the crazy things I think of as I drive down back roads in the fog, windows open just a crack, radio off, mind going void-of-course. What about gravy makes most nutritionists and other so-called diet gurus cringe? How bad is it for me, really?
Let's break it down. I'm talking about a basic gravy here. Not fancy-schmancy sauces (although I really like them, too!). In it's most basic form it's nothing more than fat, starch, and liquid, mixed together to form a sikly, tasty accompiament to mashed potatoes, french fries, sandwiches, meat, biscuits, etc..... I will grant them this: some gravies may be more not-so-good-for-you than others, but for the amount consumed is it really going to be the death of me?
I used to think I needed a special packet from the store to make gravy...just add water and stir. Ha! Once I learned how easy it was to make from scratch, I now whip up a little batch of gravy whenever I want it! You only need three main ingredients - fat (usually butter in my case), starch (I use simple AP flour), and liquid (beef or chicken stock, or milk for a cream gravy). Whatever else you want to add is up to you - onions, seasonings, mushrooms, whatever!
This is how I do it:
Melt some butter. If I add mushrooms or onions, this where it goes into the pot. Let them cook together for a few minutes, careful not to let the butter burn. Add in flour in an amount equal to the amount of butter (one tablespoon of each, three teaspoons of each, whatvever is in equal proportions to the other, depending on the amount your are making). Stir or whisk together until you have a smooth mixture. Cook for anywhere from a minute to five minutes, stirring constantly and over a medium heat. The idea here is to cook out the starchiness of the flour. Once you have the desired browness, slowly add the liquid in small amounts, stirring after each addition until it's smooth. If you add all the liquid at once, it's harder to control your gravy's thickness. I keep adding liquid in small pours and stirring until I have the gravy at the thickness I want it. Tatse your gravy - add salt, pepper, paprika, dill, whatever seasonings work for you.
That's it. Pretty easy, huh? Try it for yourself. Once you've become comfortable with the basic roux and liquid gravy, then you can experiment. Use bacon fat instead of butter, or olive oil. Add coffee and stock for a richer gravy. After adding milk, add cheese.
So the question remains: is it bad for you, or just not that great for you? I like to think it's all okay in moderation. Not to mention that if I add onions and/or mushrooms, I've put in a vegetable! And, even in the small amount of butter I may use, it's still got calcium! See what I did there? I just gave gravy some nutrtional value! Yay me!
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