Foreign Food

Because a lot of people at work travel extensively, we often find treats from foreign lands in our communal area.

This morning I arrived to find tapas from a company in Argentina. Everything on the label is in Spanish, so I don't know what I'm eating, but boy, is it ever tasty. I knew this would happen when our resident Spanish experto, JAW Fan, is away.

Using on-line translation I know that Relleno con Dulce de Leche means something like stuffed with sweet milk. It does have an awful lot of icing sugar on it which makes it messy to eat.

I have no idea what's in it, but I'll be grabbing a second one later. El yummo.

Oops, better late than never

I meant to wish a Buen Viaje to JAW Fan today, as he is off at last to that warm and sunny death trap we call Mexico.

He's probably in the air already. Oh well. In 2 short weeks, we will have the Mexican Chip Report for 2011. Arriba! Muy delicioso. Si, si.

Well...my Spanish is exhausted now. Ay yi yi.

Burning question of the day

Do cats fart?

I'm (once again) arguing with BGTSmoothie. He insists that cats pass wind, and I say they don't. He has never owned a cat so why does he think he is an authority of feline flatulence? I dunno. But I have owned 6 cats so far in my life and not once have I heard a loud or soft prrrrrt emitted from any kitty's bum.

Please let me know if I am alone in owning fartless cats. I think not.

Another 50th

Wayne Gretzky, The Great One, turns 50 today, just one month ahead of This Great One.

Today in Fitness News

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guy, died. He was 96.

A mere 96. Practically a kid.

What's the point of all that exercising if you are only going to make it to 96?

Why bother?

First of the Fifties

Mr. Mushrooms turns 50 today, the first of the little gang to take the plunge.

I have been told the day can be acknowledged, but not much more than that.

So, Happy Acknowledgement of Turning 50 Today to Mr. Mushrooms Senior*.

*Not senior citizen, just senior.

Still bringing a lunch

I brought my lunch for 4 days again this week. My "savings fund" is now at $49.00.

How soon can I retire? Please say very soon.

Meanwhile, at the office

I don't think I have ever blogged about our wonderfully weird text processing operator. She is highly competent, a real treasure. We will be lost without her when she retires in a few months. But she is vocal and has very politically incorrect ways of expressing herself.

My fave, which was said in relation to the incompetents that surround us: "This place needs a Hitler. When we get stupid questions, we say off to the gas chamber!"

Today was a great one. We are stuck with a task that nobody seems to be in charge of. We need info and documentation, and nobody knows where to find it. So she goes into our (stressed-out, diabetic, koo koo) boss's office and takes a piece of paper. She draws a box and writes the name RIZZUTTO in it. She's said: You see that? That's the name of a boss! You tell me, where is the boss here? Where is the person who can tell us what to do? Where's Rizzutto?

In today's Calendar news

I received an excited call from Smoothie. His technical school puts out a promotional calendar which it distributes free during the month of March.

Each month features a different program and he is Mr. June. Not to worry, this is not a shirtless fireman-type thing. He is in full welding gear, covered head to toe. Sparks are flying. It's actually not a bad photo, and if you know him, you can recognize his face inside the helmet.

He'll be ready to autograph any copies, if desired. I'm sure he's already practicing his signature.

Odd moment at the office

I am collaborating on a task with a new guy who I haven't met before. We've exchanged a few emails but this afternoon he popped in to discuss something in person.

I have hanging on my wall (in a discreet place) a calendar with shirtless, glistening firemen. As this colleague was leaving my office, he spotted the calendar and asked me where I bought it. A bit surprised, I told him.

Then he tells me his son is gay and he'll want to buy a calendar for him next year!

So it doesn't really matter what else I learn about this man, from now on my only thought will be "gay son's getting a naked firemen calendar from dad".

Oh, and he's Australian, so maybe that explains it. ;)

I strive for Greatness

This has been a pretty good week on the discipline front.

1. I didn't take a sick day or a vacation day all week.

2. I brought my lunch 4 days in a row, for a grand total cafeteria savings of: $24.50. Wow.

This being Friday, I did not bring my lunch and will likely indulge in oktoberfest sausages in the cafteria at noon.

I am already thinking of my lunches for next week. Onward I go into 2011.

New Year's Resolution Fun!

My friend at work, age 52, decided that as her NY's Resolution she would get in shape by skating twice at week on her lunch hour. Yesterday, she headed to Bell for her first day.

You can guess what is coming, right?

She fell, broke her arm, and now she is home in a cast for 2 weeks.

What a devilishly great plan to stay home for 2 weeks in January. Why didn't I think of this?

Outrageous Spendthrift Update

I asked Smoothie why he wasn't supporting my efforts at saving money.

Thus spaketh Smoothie: "It's like you're a guy who weighs 350, and loses 30 pounds, and says now I'm stopping. Dude, you're still 320."

Apparently, I'm an Outrageous Spendthrift

All these years I thought I was Miss Frugal, and now suddenly, I am waster of money. Who knew?

It's about lunches. (JAW Fan will be familiar with this debate.) I buy my lunch every day for no other reason than I am a lazy ass. This, I cannot deny. In the past week, I have been attacked not once, but Twice, for my spendthrift ways.

First, Tall Teacher was appalled, appalled I tell you, that I buy a Coke (almost) every day at work. At work a Coke costs $1.55. Yes that is a ridiculous price. "That's $45 a month!!" shrieked the Tall Teacher. "If we were married, I would NOT let you get away with that!!" he said sternly, shaking his head. (Good thing we aren't married, thought I.)

Now BGTSmoothie (Jew) is on my case. I was proud to tell him that I had not only brought my lunch twice so far this week, saving $5.45 per day on the lunch special here at work, but I had bought a Coke at IGA last night for 65 cents and had therefore saved 90 cents on the price of the Coke had it been purchased at work. I was proud. And this is the response I get: "why do you have to buy the brand name? You are still paying too much. Don't expect a pat on the back from me."

Women may be crazy; but men are crazy cheap!!

I Escape Crazy Woman Status

The fates have interceded on my behalf. The fates and a local school board offered the Tall Teacher a job. He started this morning.

But....he feels guilty about dropping the Caribbean folks at the last second. So he hasn't informed them yet. He could still decide to go. Has he not realized the fates will not be mocked? Not to mention the beauty of avoiding having to find some stranger to sub-let to for 6 months.

Meanwhile I have to re-evaluate my skepticism towards the value of prayer.

Women are Crazy

My friend, the Tall Teacher, has an opportunity to work in the Caribbean for the next 5 months. For the past few weeks, I have been Miz Supportive, encouraging him to go for it, saying that this is a great opportunity to work in a foreign culture, in his field, and he's the perfect age (30) for this, no dependents. And, for heaven's sake, it's moving to the Caribbean in January! I would've jumped at a similar opportunity at that age.

So he'll decide this week. I'm still being encouraging. But tonight, after hanging up the phone, I found I was turning into THAT woman. You know, THAT woman. The one who does a 180, and suddenly, after all that encouragement and support, suddenly cries DON'T GO!!!!! DON'T LEAVE! The crazy woman.

I don't wanna be that crazy woman. But, really, DON'T GO!!!! The Tall Teacher is nothing if not logical. If the crazy woman suddenly materialized crying DON'T GO!!!, he would look at her, Spock-like, and say: But you're the one who's been telling me what a great opportunity this is. And then I would look like an idiot. *sigh* My pride hurts.

Vacation

A little ray of sunshine in dreary January. We have booked our Florida vacation for April 10.

So the new program is: Fit for Florida....which we all know is really Fat for Florida. But who cares if I'm fat in Florida. So is everyone else.

Fat for 50, Part 1 in the series

Sometime last year, around this time, I was determined to embark on a Fit for 50 plan. As this has proven to be unachievable, I have chosen instead to substitute the letter "a" for the letter "i" and am happy to report that I am right on target to achieve my goal. Hurray for me.

In the past 24 hours alone, I have eaten pizza, gooey chocolate brownies and, for lunch just now, a smoked meat with fries.

My comment to my sis that I would soon be on a Fit for 51 plan was met with derisive mocking.

Talkin bout my Resolutions

Ok. The main thing I have to deal with is, you guessed it, work. Throughout my glorious working career I have traditionally been able to detach from my job as soon as I walk out the door. But in 2010, this was a Big Fail on my part. Too many things made me too angry too often. So my Numero Uno Resolution for this year is to re-learn to detach.

Number Two: Severely decrease chip consumption. Note I am not attempting to NEVER eat chips again, but just don’t eat so many. Frankly, this should be easy. Don’t buy ‘em = don’t eat ‘em. And yet this elusive goal is difficult to achieve.

Number Three: Eat more vegetables. I love vegetables, I just hate preparing them.

Number Three, Sub-Part a): Hire someone to prepare my vegetables.

Number Four: Stop stuff from accumulating. Note that I am not attempting a major decluttering, as this would be the stuff of fantasies. So I am aiming to keep the piles from getting bigger. Buy one thing = throw one thing out. Zero sum gain is the goal. And hopefully some occasional decluttering.

See how modest the goals are this year? I’m taking it easy on myself, But I still need to lose those effin’ 20 pounds. Grrrr.

Happy New Year!

What a mild start to 2011. I love this weather. To start the year off in a healthy way, at 10:00 a.m., I went for a 45-minute walk, in my shoes! No boots! Yay!

When I got home I had breakfast. Leftover Xmas ham, eggs and toast. So much for the healthy start. But it was very tasty. Now I'm eating chocolate.

Resolutions to come. Still pondering my deficiencies.