A friend I’ve never met died on the 5th. She lived with her husband, daughter and numerous cats out in California. She loved to crochet, as do I. We never had the chance to meet IRL and compare notes about yarns and patterns. I feel I’ve lost something. Just that chance to meet another kindred spirit.
Kindred spirits are hard to find. Mary worked hard all her life to make a good life in a small town in a small house that she loved. When the leukemia that would eventually kill her made her too sick to work, her employer of several years simply fired her. They didn’t want to have her on the books to raise their health insurance rates.
Kent, her husband, is a tenacious old guy and gave them hell over that. They sued her employer and won monies for lost wages and the right to COBRA her health insurance.
Her insurance company cancelled her policy twice, for no reason. The premiums were paid on time. Kent did without food to make sure they were. He immediately got on the phone and yelled at enough people, including getting Stanford University Hospital in his corner, to get the policy reinstated. I don’t know if they ever paid him back for the meds he had to buy whilst the reinstatement was in process. Kent figures that they do this to people who are costing them a lot just to see if they will give up and go away. They picked the wrong man to try this on. He destroyed them. And then they tried it again…
Same result, he being an old hand at dealing with insurance company bureaucracy by then.
Mary fought a good fight against The Fury. The leukemia. It took her life but it could not take her spirit.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Bawney Fwank
The respectability of Congress has just gone up 50%. Bawney Fwank, D – Massachusetts, has decided to retire from Congress rather than face a redrawn district and a real challenge for the seat.
So, not only is he a thoughtless liberal, he’s a coward as well.
This has been a regular event. For the 2010 and now the 2012 elections, liberals facing a real challenge for the first time in their careers decide to quit instead of fight..
What a bunch of wusses!! But then, that’s what being a liberal means. You never have to think for yourself. Being a liberal is easy. You just follow the party line. You never have to think of positions on the hard issues. Personal opinions are not needed. No research ever need be done. What matters is how you feel about it. Feelings, not rational thought, are what are important to liberals.
Are you under-water with your mortgage on your house? If you are, you can thank Bawney Fwank. As chair of the House Financial Services Committee, he was directly responsible for the housing bubble that burst and messed up the housing market.
The government put pressure on banks to give loans to people who did qualify for them with the Community Reinvestment Act. Started under Jimmeh Carter, it really came into its own under Slick Willie. Frank, as head of his committee, was in a position to make sure the banks gave those mortgages to people who didn’t earn them. To make it up to the bank and spread the risk around, Frank and his committee allowed the banks to bundle these sub-prime loans into securities that they subsequently sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Because government was backing the securities, people who should have known better bought the things at inflated prices. Housing prices went up as well. Anything government gets into inflates in price: housing, college degrees, medical care, etc.
Maybe with Frank off doing whatever ex-congressmen do (make more millions as a lobbyist, probably) the housing market can recover. Hopefully, the American people will recover their wits enough to throw the rest of the bums out and we can have some economic recovery as well!!
So, not only is he a thoughtless liberal, he’s a coward as well.
This has been a regular event. For the 2010 and now the 2012 elections, liberals facing a real challenge for the first time in their careers decide to quit instead of fight..
What a bunch of wusses!! But then, that’s what being a liberal means. You never have to think for yourself. Being a liberal is easy. You just follow the party line. You never have to think of positions on the hard issues. Personal opinions are not needed. No research ever need be done. What matters is how you feel about it. Feelings, not rational thought, are what are important to liberals.
Are you under-water with your mortgage on your house? If you are, you can thank Bawney Fwank. As chair of the House Financial Services Committee, he was directly responsible for the housing bubble that burst and messed up the housing market.
The government put pressure on banks to give loans to people who did qualify for them with the Community Reinvestment Act. Started under Jimmeh Carter, it really came into its own under Slick Willie. Frank, as head of his committee, was in a position to make sure the banks gave those mortgages to people who didn’t earn them. To make it up to the bank and spread the risk around, Frank and his committee allowed the banks to bundle these sub-prime loans into securities that they subsequently sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Because government was backing the securities, people who should have known better bought the things at inflated prices. Housing prices went up as well. Anything government gets into inflates in price: housing, college degrees, medical care, etc.
Maybe with Frank off doing whatever ex-congressmen do (make more millions as a lobbyist, probably) the housing market can recover. Hopefully, the American people will recover their wits enough to throw the rest of the bums out and we can have some economic recovery as well!!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Moochelle Gets Booed
Moochelle and Mrs. Biden got booed at a NASCAR event this weekend. The media are very offended.
Why wouldn’t they get booed, especially Moochelle. I don’t know much about Joe Biden’s wife but Barry’s wife deserved every second of it.
She has presumed to tell Americans what to eat and when and how much to exercise. She thinks she has the right to tell us what to feed our kids. And she’s only proud of her country because her husband could run for President. She’s the national scold!
Lots of Americans are struggling. They’ve lost their jobs and can’t find another. Or they’re underwater with their mortgage because the property values where they live have fallen so much. Most of them aren’t even thinking of taking any vacations much less ones with lavish suites, top shelf liquor and expensive massages.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029615/Michelle-Obama-accused-spending-10m-public-money-vacations.html
Moochelle has spend over $10 million on vacations just in the past year. Summer of 2010, it was the trip to Spain for her and the kids and over 40 personal friends. Then, it was a Christmas trip to Hawaii where they rented a villa on Kailua for $38,000. that trip cost over $1.5 million! February, 2011 brought a trip to Vale for skiing to the tune of $2,400 a night for a hotel suite. Then there’s Martha’s Vineyard in August, 2011, with the rental of a property at $50,000 a week. They also couldn’t fly together, resulting in 2 huge, expensive air planes going to the same place only hours apart. Add it all up, including mini-trips not mentioned here, at you get to more than $10 million.
Fancy, pricey vacations, date nights in New York, bossy, nosey speeches about our dietary habits. Her own husband still smokes! Deal with your own household and keep your nose out of ours!
Boo away, NASCAR fans!!
Why wouldn’t they get booed, especially Moochelle. I don’t know much about Joe Biden’s wife but Barry’s wife deserved every second of it.
She has presumed to tell Americans what to eat and when and how much to exercise. She thinks she has the right to tell us what to feed our kids. And she’s only proud of her country because her husband could run for President. She’s the national scold!
Lots of Americans are struggling. They’ve lost their jobs and can’t find another. Or they’re underwater with their mortgage because the property values where they live have fallen so much. Most of them aren’t even thinking of taking any vacations much less ones with lavish suites, top shelf liquor and expensive massages.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029615/Michelle-Obama-accused-spending-10m-public-money-vacations.html
Moochelle has spend over $10 million on vacations just in the past year. Summer of 2010, it was the trip to Spain for her and the kids and over 40 personal friends. Then, it was a Christmas trip to Hawaii where they rented a villa on Kailua for $38,000. that trip cost over $1.5 million! February, 2011 brought a trip to Vale for skiing to the tune of $2,400 a night for a hotel suite. Then there’s Martha’s Vineyard in August, 2011, with the rental of a property at $50,000 a week. They also couldn’t fly together, resulting in 2 huge, expensive air planes going to the same place only hours apart. Add it all up, including mini-trips not mentioned here, at you get to more than $10 million.
Fancy, pricey vacations, date nights in New York, bossy, nosey speeches about our dietary habits. Her own husband still smokes! Deal with your own household and keep your nose out of ours!
Boo away, NASCAR fans!!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Deep Fried Ribs
I’m watching this show on TV about this guy who deep fries everything. He’s been challenged by a cowboy to deep fry some beef ribs and he has no idea how to go about doing so.
After thinking about it for a few minutes, I came up with a way to deep fry beef ribs that might be tasty.
First, you need some meaty beef ribs. Slather them with a spice rub that suites your taste. Allow to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Then, slow roast them in a 300 degree oven until they are tender and juicy. Let them rest for a few minutes while you make the batter.
You are going to need a nice tempura batter. Maybe try adding some spices to this as well.
After the ribs have rested and cooled, cut them into single-rib portions. Carefully dip each rib into the batter and slowly drop into hot deep fat. Fry until golden brown.
Serve with a drizzle of your favorite barbeque sauce. Enjoy!!
This seems like it would work just fine. I’m not much for ribs but if anyone wants to try this and let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear about it!!
After thinking about it for a few minutes, I came up with a way to deep fry beef ribs that might be tasty.
First, you need some meaty beef ribs. Slather them with a spice rub that suites your taste. Allow to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Then, slow roast them in a 300 degree oven until they are tender and juicy. Let them rest for a few minutes while you make the batter.
You are going to need a nice tempura batter. Maybe try adding some spices to this as well.
After the ribs have rested and cooled, cut them into single-rib portions. Carefully dip each rib into the batter and slowly drop into hot deep fat. Fry until golden brown.
Serve with a drizzle of your favorite barbeque sauce. Enjoy!!
This seems like it would work just fine. I’m not much for ribs but if anyone wants to try this and let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear about it!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Online Dating
My second anniversary was last week. We got married on Veterans’ Day because we are both bloodied veterans of the Divorce Wars. We ran off to Vegas to do it. Lots of fun!
I met my husband online through a personal ad I put up mostly to have somebody buy me dinner. The guy I moved to Cleveland to be with had broken up with me for the second and last time and I was more than ready to replace him. He was a cheap bastard who insisted that we always go Dutch when we went out, whether it was steak or coffee. So, I was ready meet someone new.
About this time, a friend of mine at work confessed to me that she was putting ads on some popular dating sites and was having no luck meeting a nice guy. Since I’d done it on the first try, could I help her have similar success?
I read a couple of her ads and right away I discovered what her problem was: she was lying her ass off. And being very obvious about it, too. No body goes online for love if they’re that accomplished at art and languages. She claimed that she spoke 3 or 4 languages. She misrepresented her height, her hair color, her weight, everything! So, when she finally met somebody in person, they knew they had been lied to.
I tried to tell her that honesty was the best policy but she insisted that truthfulness was irrelevant. What ‘magic words’ had I used that caught Brian? I had just told the truth about my looks, my kids, my profession, everything. And I also used the word ‘buxom’, again, truthfully. He has said that that word was really attractive to him. I told her to tell the truth, no matter what.
As far as I know, she was still lying online in her ads and still looking for Mr. Right the last time I talked to her. The business we both worked for collapsed and closed so I don’t really know.
My best advice to someone looking for love online is to tell the truth. The line of people waiting for marriage licenses in Las Vegas proves that there really is someone for everyone! :-)
I met my husband online through a personal ad I put up mostly to have somebody buy me dinner. The guy I moved to Cleveland to be with had broken up with me for the second and last time and I was more than ready to replace him. He was a cheap bastard who insisted that we always go Dutch when we went out, whether it was steak or coffee. So, I was ready meet someone new.
About this time, a friend of mine at work confessed to me that she was putting ads on some popular dating sites and was having no luck meeting a nice guy. Since I’d done it on the first try, could I help her have similar success?
I read a couple of her ads and right away I discovered what her problem was: she was lying her ass off. And being very obvious about it, too. No body goes online for love if they’re that accomplished at art and languages. She claimed that she spoke 3 or 4 languages. She misrepresented her height, her hair color, her weight, everything! So, when she finally met somebody in person, they knew they had been lied to.
I tried to tell her that honesty was the best policy but she insisted that truthfulness was irrelevant. What ‘magic words’ had I used that caught Brian? I had just told the truth about my looks, my kids, my profession, everything. And I also used the word ‘buxom’, again, truthfully. He has said that that word was really attractive to him. I told her to tell the truth, no matter what.
As far as I know, she was still lying online in her ads and still looking for Mr. Right the last time I talked to her. The business we both worked for collapsed and closed so I don’t really know.
My best advice to someone looking for love online is to tell the truth. The line of people waiting for marriage licenses in Las Vegas proves that there really is someone for everyone! :-)
Monday, November 07, 2011
Paycheck to Paycheck
I hear the phrase “living paycheck to paycheck” on TV a lot, usually implying that the person in question is poor or is about to be.
Think about that, though. Do you know anybody who doesn’t live paycheck to paycheck? Personally, I don’t. Everyone I know has to work everyday, for pay and their checks are pretty much spent before they get them for the necessities of life: housing, transportation, food, clothing, etc.
Do you know anyone who is independently wealthy? Only those with that kind of money would not have to live ‘paycheck to paycheck’. Paycheck to paycheck seems to me to be the normal way of living. Most of us have a little savings put by for a rainy day but not enough to live on for very long if we lost our jobs.
If you live within your means, you are doing well. And you are also living paycheck to paycheck. If you’re living beyond your means and racking up credit card bills, you’ve then got quite a problem. Then you’re living paycheck to next week’s paycheck. You’re spending future monies. And you are usually paying exorbitant interest to do so.
So, how is paycheck to paycheck a bad thing, again?? I don’t get it…
Think about that, though. Do you know anybody who doesn’t live paycheck to paycheck? Personally, I don’t. Everyone I know has to work everyday, for pay and their checks are pretty much spent before they get them for the necessities of life: housing, transportation, food, clothing, etc.
Do you know anyone who is independently wealthy? Only those with that kind of money would not have to live ‘paycheck to paycheck’. Paycheck to paycheck seems to me to be the normal way of living. Most of us have a little savings put by for a rainy day but not enough to live on for very long if we lost our jobs.
If you live within your means, you are doing well. And you are also living paycheck to paycheck. If you’re living beyond your means and racking up credit card bills, you’ve then got quite a problem. Then you’re living paycheck to next week’s paycheck. You’re spending future monies. And you are usually paying exorbitant interest to do so.
So, how is paycheck to paycheck a bad thing, again?? I don’t get it…
Monday, October 31, 2011
Muslims at the Airport
Muslims are feeling harassed at airports.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/04/authorities_listen_to_arab-ame.html
Wah, wah, wah.
Maybe if they would control their more volatile members, none of us would have to feel harassed at airports! They are only reaping the benefits of what they have sown.
We Americans all remember the celebrations and dancing in the streets that accompanied 911 in much of the Muslim world. Are they ever going to denounce terrorism? Will there ever be a stigma attached instead of a reward to the families of people who blow themselves and innocents up? Will Muslims ever act in a civilized manner?
Probably not. Too many people are willing to make apologies and excuses for their behavior. Their overly arrogant despot governments are swimming in petro-dollars thanks to this country’s inability to drill for its own oil. We have enough oil reserves that we could put them out of business tomorrow but none of our political leaders except for a select, often mocked few, have the nerve to allow our oil companies to drill for the oil that we know is there. And we’re finding more all the time.
And why should they have to act civilized when the civilized world bends over backwards to make sure they’re not ‘offended’ by the security now required for the rest of us to travel by airplane? Way too many people are willing to listen to their complaints without reminding them that they are the causes of this problem. A little profiling should be the least of the burdens they should have to bear for the insane inconvenience they have caused the rest of us! Just accept it without all the whining, please. We have to accept far worse because of your countrymen!
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/04/authorities_listen_to_arab-ame.html
Wah, wah, wah.
Maybe if they would control their more volatile members, none of us would have to feel harassed at airports! They are only reaping the benefits of what they have sown.
We Americans all remember the celebrations and dancing in the streets that accompanied 911 in much of the Muslim world. Are they ever going to denounce terrorism? Will there ever be a stigma attached instead of a reward to the families of people who blow themselves and innocents up? Will Muslims ever act in a civilized manner?
Probably not. Too many people are willing to make apologies and excuses for their behavior. Their overly arrogant despot governments are swimming in petro-dollars thanks to this country’s inability to drill for its own oil. We have enough oil reserves that we could put them out of business tomorrow but none of our political leaders except for a select, often mocked few, have the nerve to allow our oil companies to drill for the oil that we know is there. And we’re finding more all the time.
And why should they have to act civilized when the civilized world bends over backwards to make sure they’re not ‘offended’ by the security now required for the rest of us to travel by airplane? Way too many people are willing to listen to their complaints without reminding them that they are the causes of this problem. A little profiling should be the least of the burdens they should have to bear for the insane inconvenience they have caused the rest of us! Just accept it without all the whining, please. We have to accept far worse because of your countrymen!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Colts Lose, Again
I’m a Colts fan. I have been since they moved to Indy in the 80s. I always liked football but had no favorite team until the city I lived in ‘acquired’ one from Baltimore. My father worked for Mayflower at the time, although he had no part in moving the team, so it seemed especially personal to me, like my daddy had got me a football team to root for.
So, they sucked for years and I watched and cheered anyway. Then I moved to Cleveland where there was no football team anymore. The owner had tried to blackmail the city into building him a new stadium, they called his bluff and he took the team to Baltimore. When I moved to Cleveland, the rumors were that the Colts would be moving to Cleveland! A full circle-jerk with the cities and their fans caught in the middle.
Well, the Colts stayed in Indy and Cleveland got an expansion team, named the Browns as the former owner took only the players and equipment, the name and colors stayed here, unlike the Indy/Baltimore deal.
About the time I moved to Cleveland, the Colts drafted Peyton Manning. I heard about it in a distant way here in northeast Ohio, where the football news was mostly about the upcoming expansion team we were getting. Then Peyton caught fire and started winning. I had to figure out a way to watch my team!!
The year they made their first Superbowl run, I discovered that sports bars in the area had the NFL Ticket on their satellite dishes and I could watch any team I liked. It felt like being in a sports book in Las Vegas, only with no outright gambling. Finally, I could watch my team every week, no matter when they were on.
So, Sunday Night Football this week. I get to watch my team at home! Yay! Then they lose. Lose badly in a rematch of their second trip to the Superbowl in 2009 against the New Orleans Saints. The score: 7 to 62. That’s correct: 62. New Orleans scored 62 points against the Colts. The Colts scored one touchdown. One.
Now, I get that with Peyton on the sidelines with a neck injury and multiple surgeries that the offense might be having some problems. They tried bringing in an older, winning quarterback, Kerry Collins, but he didn’t know the offense and got hurt in the third week of the season anyway. So, they bring in Curtis Painter, Peyton’s understudy of several years. He knows the offense and his fellow players and has some success. Unfortunately, he can’t win a game, either.
What I cannot understand is WHERE IS THE DEFENSE?!? Peyton Manning ran the offense, not the defense. Where are those guys now? Why can they not stop New Orleans from scoring every time they have the ball? What’s wrong, now?
The Colts never were a great defensive team, I get that. It just didn’t matter that much when Payton could come in and score at will. But, now, when we really need them, they’re on vacation! Why?
I’d like to win at least one game this season as well as figure out our next move at quarterback. Payton, if he has any sense, will not put his neck at risk by playing again. I’d like to see him continue as Offensive Coordinator. Give him the title of the position he been filling all along. But we need to get him some good tools to work with! He needs someone who can throw accurately and well. The receiver core is still there, if aging a bit, but they could help a new quarterback learn the offence quickly and maybe get this thing turned around for next season. This season seems done for. Maybe they should have stayed out on strike; the pressure would have been off Payton and he would have had the opportunity to make the best decision for him, his family and the team. Now, the pressure is on him to play since the team is doing so badly without him.
If we had a real defense, it wouldn’t matter so much!
So, they sucked for years and I watched and cheered anyway. Then I moved to Cleveland where there was no football team anymore. The owner had tried to blackmail the city into building him a new stadium, they called his bluff and he took the team to Baltimore. When I moved to Cleveland, the rumors were that the Colts would be moving to Cleveland! A full circle-jerk with the cities and their fans caught in the middle.
Well, the Colts stayed in Indy and Cleveland got an expansion team, named the Browns as the former owner took only the players and equipment, the name and colors stayed here, unlike the Indy/Baltimore deal.
About the time I moved to Cleveland, the Colts drafted Peyton Manning. I heard about it in a distant way here in northeast Ohio, where the football news was mostly about the upcoming expansion team we were getting. Then Peyton caught fire and started winning. I had to figure out a way to watch my team!!
The year they made their first Superbowl run, I discovered that sports bars in the area had the NFL Ticket on their satellite dishes and I could watch any team I liked. It felt like being in a sports book in Las Vegas, only with no outright gambling. Finally, I could watch my team every week, no matter when they were on.
So, Sunday Night Football this week. I get to watch my team at home! Yay! Then they lose. Lose badly in a rematch of their second trip to the Superbowl in 2009 against the New Orleans Saints. The score: 7 to 62. That’s correct: 62. New Orleans scored 62 points against the Colts. The Colts scored one touchdown. One.
Now, I get that with Peyton on the sidelines with a neck injury and multiple surgeries that the offense might be having some problems. They tried bringing in an older, winning quarterback, Kerry Collins, but he didn’t know the offense and got hurt in the third week of the season anyway. So, they bring in Curtis Painter, Peyton’s understudy of several years. He knows the offense and his fellow players and has some success. Unfortunately, he can’t win a game, either.
What I cannot understand is WHERE IS THE DEFENSE?!? Peyton Manning ran the offense, not the defense. Where are those guys now? Why can they not stop New Orleans from scoring every time they have the ball? What’s wrong, now?
The Colts never were a great defensive team, I get that. It just didn’t matter that much when Payton could come in and score at will. But, now, when we really need them, they’re on vacation! Why?
I’d like to win at least one game this season as well as figure out our next move at quarterback. Payton, if he has any sense, will not put his neck at risk by playing again. I’d like to see him continue as Offensive Coordinator. Give him the title of the position he been filling all along. But we need to get him some good tools to work with! He needs someone who can throw accurately and well. The receiver core is still there, if aging a bit, but they could help a new quarterback learn the offence quickly and maybe get this thing turned around for next season. This season seems done for. Maybe they should have stayed out on strike; the pressure would have been off Payton and he would have had the opportunity to make the best decision for him, his family and the team. Now, the pressure is on him to play since the team is doing so badly without him.
If we had a real defense, it wouldn’t matter so much!
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Weinergate
I have one question: how many crotch shots has he taken of himself that he wouldn’t necessarily recognize this one as his?
Here’s the picture that’s causing all the hullabaloo:
My first reaction to seeing this was a great big ‘Meh’. Sorry. Not that impressive nor that interesting. Grey under panties with a slight bulge in them.
All the jokes have been said by now. I’m not going to try and come up with a new one. I just don’t get why these people think they can do these things and not implode their careers! Haven’t we had enough of these events? Is no one capable of learning from others’ mistakes? Don’t put naughty pictures of yourself on the ‘net!!! It never ends well.
Here’s the picture that’s causing all the hullabaloo:
My first reaction to seeing this was a great big ‘Meh’. Sorry. Not that impressive nor that interesting. Grey under panties with a slight bulge in them.
All the jokes have been said by now. I’m not going to try and come up with a new one. I just don’t get why these people think they can do these things and not implode their careers! Haven’t we had enough of these events? Is no one capable of learning from others’ mistakes? Don’t put naughty pictures of yourself on the ‘net!!! It never ends well.
Frack!
Someone at Salon.com, that bastion of liberal “thought” has finally noticed that energy retrieval technology has moved on from the 1970s.
Really?!? I thought we were all supposed to be dead by now!
It turns out that with the new, improved way of getting the stuff out of the ground, we may have enough natural gas and petroleum to last us millennia. Scare stories about it nonetheless, fracking works quite well in producing both natural gas and oil.
And North America has huge reserves of both. As does the rest of the world. We're not running out any time soon.
If the Imperial Federal Government would ever get out of the way, we could tell OPEC to take their oil and shove it! And stop supplying some of the most oppressive regimes on the planet with readily spendable petro dollars, too. If we stop buying their oil and financing their regimes, maybe the populace could make the Arab Spring into an Arab Lifestyle!
Really?!? I thought we were all supposed to be dead by now!
It turns out that with the new, improved way of getting the stuff out of the ground, we may have enough natural gas and petroleum to last us millennia. Scare stories about it nonetheless, fracking works quite well in producing both natural gas and oil.
And North America has huge reserves of both. As does the rest of the world. We're not running out any time soon.
If the Imperial Federal Government would ever get out of the way, we could tell OPEC to take their oil and shove it! And stop supplying some of the most oppressive regimes on the planet with readily spendable petro dollars, too. If we stop buying their oil and financing their regimes, maybe the populace could make the Arab Spring into an Arab Lifestyle!
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Another Everyday Restaurant Review
Reviews of ordinary, everyday restaurants that non-foodie people might go to.
Original Pancake House.
Sunday early afternoon, my spouse and I decided to try the OPH in Westgate Mall in Fairview Park.
Handicapped Parking was available, usually a good sign, however, we were not seated immediately. The girl behind the front desk was dealing with money and someone’s check. Two apparently idle employees were leaned against the wall, not looking at us. The hostess finished her transaction and then there was a discussion with a fourth employee about what was open. Apparently, there were no booths available and we were to wait until one was. I spoke up and said a table would be fine and we were seated immediately. There were several empty tables available as we walked to our seats.
The table seemed clean enough but I was soon to learn that that was an illusion. We were given napkin wrapped silverware, an empty coffee cup and menus. The menus were sticky. A few minutes later a waiter wandered by on his way back to the kitchen and asked us what we would like to drink. I ordered hot tea, not asked which kind I would like (there are several options listed on the menu), my hubby ordered coffee with cream. After about 10 minutes, I saw a plate with a metal pot and another coffee cup full of hot water snake its way on the table from behind me. Scared me to death! My hubby also got another cup, this one full of coffee. He wasn’t brought the requested cream. The empty cups were taken away. Later on in our stay, we saw the Greeting of the Customer done properly; the waitress brought menus and had a thermal coffee pot in hand to fill the empty mugs on every table. That made more sense.
Another 5 – 10 minutes went by before we were asked for our order. My hubby still had no cream for his coffee. We put in our orders, omelets and bacon. The omelets were to come with pancakes as well.
Five more minutes passed before my hubby got his cream for his coffee.
After 20 – 25 minutes, we were finally served our food. We were both out of beverages. I asked for more tea. I got another plate with a small aluminum pot full of hot water and another tea bag, again delivered from behind me. Good thing I didn’t move suddenly! No one brought my hubby more coffee. He finally saw our water go by and asked for coffee and he was brought some.
And now, the food! The omelets were extremely large. Apparently, they are baked at some point in the cooking process. Unfortunately, mine was way overcooked in a pan before being folded and put into an oven. There was a distinct burnt butter taste. My cheese was all on one side of the crescent shape of the omelet. The texture was off-putting and took some getting used to. Whatever they do to the eggs to get them so fluffy is not necessary. I make better omelets at home with my cheap non-stick pan and an old lid! My hubby had a similar reaction to the texture of his eggs as well.
I had also order bacon, crisp but not burnt. Properly cooked bacon should shatter like glass when bent. This stuff was cut so think that it was still too chewy even done crisp. Only half my order was crisp. I couldn’t finish the last piece. I don’t eat raw pork in any form. And I expect better for $4.35!
For a place called “The Original Pancake House”, I thought the pancakes might just be the best part of the meal. I was extremely disappointed. The texture was rubbery, hard to cut with a butter knife, and tasted terrible! They were not only not sweet, they tasted sour. I concluded that mine were made from at least day-old batter. I don’t normally use syrup but tried a little in a hope of improving the flavor. I shouldn’t have bothered. It didn’t help. The syrup didn’t taste good, either!
While we were waiting for our food, I saw several tables bussed by an unenthusiastic young man. First, he played a little game of dumping the contents of the various mugs and glasses into each other and then stacking them rather precariously to carry away. This was very unappetizing to watch while awaiting a meal. He then came back with a wet towel and a spray bottle. He sprayed the easily accessible parts of the table top and wiped them down. He then walked away, having neither cleaned the whole, visible parts of the table but also not having moved the Condiment Cluster and cleaning under it. I checked the table I was sitting at and spotted salt and straw paper scraps amongst the salt and pepper. The salt cellar was also greasy with visible smears. This apparently the way the employees are taught to clean tables as I saw another employee do the same thing a few minutes later at another table. She wasn’t any more thorough than he was.
The dish washer back in the kitchen apparently really enjoys his job. We could hear him banging the sprayer, the dishes and the dish machine with great enthusiasm, laughing as he did so. Quite a lot of noise, actually.
And the architecture of the place is horrible. It is located in a strip mall, which is neither here nor there but, as is all too common these days, there was no ceiling, just painted support beams and duct work. There was nothing to absorb the noise of a mostly full restaurant of people talking over a late breakfast. With the noise coming out of the kitchen, the din was incredible! Why do restaurant designers not consider our ears when they leave out the ceilings? They do serve a purpose beyond being more visually appealing than bare support beams and duct work!
All-in-all, my recommendation for The Original Pancake House is to not waste your money. If you want pancakes, try IHOP or Denny’s. They both make palatable pancakes and are cheaper as well.
Original Pancake House.
Sunday early afternoon, my spouse and I decided to try the OPH in Westgate Mall in Fairview Park.
Handicapped Parking was available, usually a good sign, however, we were not seated immediately. The girl behind the front desk was dealing with money and someone’s check. Two apparently idle employees were leaned against the wall, not looking at us. The hostess finished her transaction and then there was a discussion with a fourth employee about what was open. Apparently, there were no booths available and we were to wait until one was. I spoke up and said a table would be fine and we were seated immediately. There were several empty tables available as we walked to our seats.
The table seemed clean enough but I was soon to learn that that was an illusion. We were given napkin wrapped silverware, an empty coffee cup and menus. The menus were sticky. A few minutes later a waiter wandered by on his way back to the kitchen and asked us what we would like to drink. I ordered hot tea, not asked which kind I would like (there are several options listed on the menu), my hubby ordered coffee with cream. After about 10 minutes, I saw a plate with a metal pot and another coffee cup full of hot water snake its way on the table from behind me. Scared me to death! My hubby also got another cup, this one full of coffee. He wasn’t brought the requested cream. The empty cups were taken away. Later on in our stay, we saw the Greeting of the Customer done properly; the waitress brought menus and had a thermal coffee pot in hand to fill the empty mugs on every table. That made more sense.
Another 5 – 10 minutes went by before we were asked for our order. My hubby still had no cream for his coffee. We put in our orders, omelets and bacon. The omelets were to come with pancakes as well.
Five more minutes passed before my hubby got his cream for his coffee.
After 20 – 25 minutes, we were finally served our food. We were both out of beverages. I asked for more tea. I got another plate with a small aluminum pot full of hot water and another tea bag, again delivered from behind me. Good thing I didn’t move suddenly! No one brought my hubby more coffee. He finally saw our water go by and asked for coffee and he was brought some.
And now, the food! The omelets were extremely large. Apparently, they are baked at some point in the cooking process. Unfortunately, mine was way overcooked in a pan before being folded and put into an oven. There was a distinct burnt butter taste. My cheese was all on one side of the crescent shape of the omelet. The texture was off-putting and took some getting used to. Whatever they do to the eggs to get them so fluffy is not necessary. I make better omelets at home with my cheap non-stick pan and an old lid! My hubby had a similar reaction to the texture of his eggs as well.
I had also order bacon, crisp but not burnt. Properly cooked bacon should shatter like glass when bent. This stuff was cut so think that it was still too chewy even done crisp. Only half my order was crisp. I couldn’t finish the last piece. I don’t eat raw pork in any form. And I expect better for $4.35!
For a place called “The Original Pancake House”, I thought the pancakes might just be the best part of the meal. I was extremely disappointed. The texture was rubbery, hard to cut with a butter knife, and tasted terrible! They were not only not sweet, they tasted sour. I concluded that mine were made from at least day-old batter. I don’t normally use syrup but tried a little in a hope of improving the flavor. I shouldn’t have bothered. It didn’t help. The syrup didn’t taste good, either!
While we were waiting for our food, I saw several tables bussed by an unenthusiastic young man. First, he played a little game of dumping the contents of the various mugs and glasses into each other and then stacking them rather precariously to carry away. This was very unappetizing to watch while awaiting a meal. He then came back with a wet towel and a spray bottle. He sprayed the easily accessible parts of the table top and wiped them down. He then walked away, having neither cleaned the whole, visible parts of the table but also not having moved the Condiment Cluster and cleaning under it. I checked the table I was sitting at and spotted salt and straw paper scraps amongst the salt and pepper. The salt cellar was also greasy with visible smears. This apparently the way the employees are taught to clean tables as I saw another employee do the same thing a few minutes later at another table. She wasn’t any more thorough than he was.
The dish washer back in the kitchen apparently really enjoys his job. We could hear him banging the sprayer, the dishes and the dish machine with great enthusiasm, laughing as he did so. Quite a lot of noise, actually.
And the architecture of the place is horrible. It is located in a strip mall, which is neither here nor there but, as is all too common these days, there was no ceiling, just painted support beams and duct work. There was nothing to absorb the noise of a mostly full restaurant of people talking over a late breakfast. With the noise coming out of the kitchen, the din was incredible! Why do restaurant designers not consider our ears when they leave out the ceilings? They do serve a purpose beyond being more visually appealing than bare support beams and duct work!
All-in-all, my recommendation for The Original Pancake House is to not waste your money. If you want pancakes, try IHOP or Denny’s. They both make palatable pancakes and are cheaper as well.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Craig's List
The hubby and I are Judge Judy fans. I DVR her show and we watch them in batches when we have the time, usually in the evening after dinner. If you pay attention to the Judge and follow her advice, you will never get screwed out of your money or your time.
Craig's List is mentioned, a lot! It seems to be where people meet people to make mistakes with. So, being naturally curious, I decided to check it out.
I started with the personals. That seemed a great place to find something funny and I found something pretty quickly. The following are presented exactly as they were posted. The spelling and grammar are those of the original authors. Get this:
"I'm a mature, decent looking, hard working, white collar gentleman looking for an attractive, intelligent older woman (40+) for occasional nights of submission to my sexual demands. I won't hurt you, but I'll have you submit to all of my sexual needs for a lengthy period of time, until we are exhausted. If interested, please respond with age, hgt, wgt, location, and a photo. No games, please."
I highlighted the last sentence as it is just hilarious! No games?!? I thought that was what he was advertising for, someone to play a game with!!
Next:
"Nice looking married white male in his mid 50s seeking an attractive, educated, stylish woman of any marital status, preferably between the ages of 30-55, height to weight proportionate, for a long term "friends with benefits" relationship. Seeking a woman who for whatever reason does not want the trappings of a 24/7 relationship but misses the enjoyment of a SAFE, available and satisfying sex partner. You might be a busy career woman, an unhappily married soccer mom or someone with a lot of day-to-day commitments that make it difficult to sustain a conventional relationship, but miss an occasional evening of "rock my world" lovemaking with no regrets and no other expectations. Please respond with basic details and a photo. Thanks. Serious replies only. "
Do women really respond to these ads? I found my hubby online 12 years ago. Whilst I had my profile up, I was contacted by several men who just wanted a 'fuck buddy'. As far as I know, this is a male concept. Women may fool around but they usually want some sort of emotional attachment to the people they are fucking. "Men need a place, women need a reason" to have sex. There are lots of these ads on CL.
I had to click through to find out what this meant:
"Fake men got it good what I mean by that Is
All these fake men got a real woman while a real man gotta struggle to get one
I'm looking for somebody I can watch lifetime with help her wash dishes make her breakfast In bed
You know real gentlemen type If you wanna be treated like a queen with all loyalty and respect
Get back at this real man right here”
Um, what do any of these activities have to do with being a man? Guess good grammar and spelling have nothing to do with being 'real'.
From someone selling jewelry:
"1 carot marquie solitair engagement ring with 1 1/2 carot wrap has baggets and round diamonds. very nice set. asking 3000.00 obo."
As far as I know, you need a computer to put an ad on Craig's List. Every computer I know of has some sort of spell checker on it. There is simply no excuse for the travesty above. For three grand, you could at least spell 'carat' correctly!!
The replies I received to my online profile ran the gambit from totally illiterate to college-grade grammar, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. I married one in the latter category.
My advise to people advertising anything online, whether to sell or buy, is to be as honest as you can and try to sound as educated as you can. Remember, what you post creates the only first impression you get.
Craig's List is mentioned, a lot! It seems to be where people meet people to make mistakes with. So, being naturally curious, I decided to check it out.
I started with the personals. That seemed a great place to find something funny and I found something pretty quickly. The following are presented exactly as they were posted. The spelling and grammar are those of the original authors. Get this:
"I'm a mature, decent looking, hard working, white collar gentleman looking for an attractive, intelligent older woman (40+) for occasional nights of submission to my sexual demands. I won't hurt you, but I'll have you submit to all of my sexual needs for a lengthy period of time, until we are exhausted. If interested, please respond with age, hgt, wgt, location, and a photo. No games, please."
I highlighted the last sentence as it is just hilarious! No games?!? I thought that was what he was advertising for, someone to play a game with!!
Next:
"Nice looking married white male in his mid 50s seeking an attractive, educated, stylish woman of any marital status, preferably between the ages of 30-55, height to weight proportionate, for a long term "friends with benefits" relationship. Seeking a woman who for whatever reason does not want the trappings of a 24/7 relationship but misses the enjoyment of a SAFE, available and satisfying sex partner. You might be a busy career woman, an unhappily married soccer mom or someone with a lot of day-to-day commitments that make it difficult to sustain a conventional relationship, but miss an occasional evening of "rock my world" lovemaking with no regrets and no other expectations. Please respond with basic details and a photo. Thanks. Serious replies only. "
Do women really respond to these ads? I found my hubby online 12 years ago. Whilst I had my profile up, I was contacted by several men who just wanted a 'fuck buddy'. As far as I know, this is a male concept. Women may fool around but they usually want some sort of emotional attachment to the people they are fucking. "Men need a place, women need a reason" to have sex. There are lots of these ads on CL.
I had to click through to find out what this meant:
"Fake men got it good what I mean by that Is
All these fake men got a real woman while a real man gotta struggle to get one
I'm looking for somebody I can watch lifetime with help her wash dishes make her breakfast In bed
You know real gentlemen type If you wanna be treated like a queen with all loyalty and respect
Get back at this real man right here”
Um, what do any of these activities have to do with being a man? Guess good grammar and spelling have nothing to do with being 'real'.
From someone selling jewelry:
"1 carot marquie solitair engagement ring with 1 1/2 carot wrap has baggets and round diamonds. very nice set. asking 3000.00 obo."
As far as I know, you need a computer to put an ad on Craig's List. Every computer I know of has some sort of spell checker on it. There is simply no excuse for the travesty above. For three grand, you could at least spell 'carat' correctly!!
The replies I received to my online profile ran the gambit from totally illiterate to college-grade grammar, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. I married one in the latter category.
My advise to people advertising anything online, whether to sell or buy, is to be as honest as you can and try to sound as educated as you can. Remember, what you post creates the only first impression you get.
Monday, March 07, 2011
President Obama hates white people.
That’s what they said of George Bush after the epic flooding in New Orleans and the south from Hurricane Katrina. About black people, of course. Bush supposedly didn't do enough to help the 'victims' of Katrina and now Obama isn't doing a damned thing to help Ohio with it's floods. Everything must be viewed through the lens of racism. Especially when race has nothing to do with it!
Most of Ohio is currently undergoing sever flooding due to heavy snow fall followed by heavy rains. We even had a dam break on the Chagrin River that flooded more people downstream. Quite a mess.
What I think happened is that Obama got the keys to the machine that Bush used to flood New Orleans and turned it onto Ohio since it went so red in the last election. The floods are his revenge.
Obama hasn’t even been here to survey the damage! He doesn’t care about the poor, working stiffs of Ohio.
And, as far as I know, FEMA hasn’t offered a bit of help to the flooding victims. Not one bit. Obama hasn’t sent them to help anybody with their flooded basements and ruined furniture, lined up on the tree lawns all over my neighborhood awaiting tomorrow’s trash pickup.
I, myself, have some men coming tomorrow to lift my boxes and bins of stuff from my still damp basement. All loses to be recorded in film for the insurance adjusters, whenever they finally get here. Tomorrow, I will find out how many of my memories will join my neighbors’ on the tree lawn for the garbage trucks to take them away. I hope all my neighbors were insured! No one seems to have been spared.
Most of Ohio is currently undergoing sever flooding due to heavy snow fall followed by heavy rains. We even had a dam break on the Chagrin River that flooded more people downstream. Quite a mess.
What I think happened is that Obama got the keys to the machine that Bush used to flood New Orleans and turned it onto Ohio since it went so red in the last election. The floods are his revenge.
Obama hasn’t even been here to survey the damage! He doesn’t care about the poor, working stiffs of Ohio.
And, as far as I know, FEMA hasn’t offered a bit of help to the flooding victims. Not one bit. Obama hasn’t sent them to help anybody with their flooded basements and ruined furniture, lined up on the tree lawns all over my neighborhood awaiting tomorrow’s trash pickup.
I, myself, have some men coming tomorrow to lift my boxes and bins of stuff from my still damp basement. All loses to be recorded in film for the insurance adjusters, whenever they finally get here. Tomorrow, I will find out how many of my memories will join my neighbors’ on the tree lawn for the garbage trucks to take them away. I hope all my neighbors were insured! No one seems to have been spared.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Steak on a Stone
We had Valentine’s Day dinner with friends again last night for the 4th or 5th year. It started by accident. We ran in to some old friends one year at what used to be my favorite restaurant. We decided to do it again the next year, on purpose this time, and asked another couple who live nearby to join us. So, 3 couples, us the youngest by a lot, have dinner together every Valentine’s Day. At the same place.
It’s called Steak on a Stone, now. It is located on Lorain Ave. in North Omsted. When it was my favorite restaurant, it was called Kristopher’s. I have had wonderful meals there. Only place in Cleveland I’ve been able to get a whole fish. And their Crème Brule was wonderful. But, then, they decided to change the place radically. Now, you get a 700 degree piece of granite and a raw steak and you slice and cook it yourself. And go home smelling like you’ve been grilling, because you have. Makes your clothes and hair stink. Don’t wear anything that is not washable!
This most recent trip, there was some confusion over who was going and what time the reservation was but we got that worked out and everyone arrived. Not as much snow this year as last but still cold. February in Cleveland, what else do you expect? One couple was already seated when we got there and we joined them. No one came to ask if we wanted drinks for about 10 minutes. All in all, the service was terrible. I had to ask for a bread plate and two of us were missing silverware. Water was requested and never delivered. What was delivered was never refilled. The coffee drinkers got 1 cup apiece and then had to try and catch our very elusive waitress. She was very busy, too busy to see if we needed anything. My hubby and I never did get to order our wine with dinner. She wasn’t around long enough to ask. Lots of smiles and away she would run.
And, for the record, I go to restaurants so I don’t have to cook! If I wanted to cook my steak, I would stay home. The very hot stone on the table in front of you makes the space very hot. I sweated through my dress! Around 10 PM, they turned on some ineffectual ceiling fans and pushed the smoke around. They also do a flambé cheese appetizer that felt like it set my hair on fire when the table behind us ordered one. That just added to the general over-heating of the place.
We won’t be back. Dinner with friends was the only thing that kept us going there even once a year since they changed their format. With this latest experience, not even that can lure us back!
And this used to be my favorite restaurant. So sad…
It’s called Steak on a Stone, now. It is located on Lorain Ave. in North Omsted. When it was my favorite restaurant, it was called Kristopher’s. I have had wonderful meals there. Only place in Cleveland I’ve been able to get a whole fish. And their Crème Brule was wonderful. But, then, they decided to change the place radically. Now, you get a 700 degree piece of granite and a raw steak and you slice and cook it yourself. And go home smelling like you’ve been grilling, because you have. Makes your clothes and hair stink. Don’t wear anything that is not washable!
This most recent trip, there was some confusion over who was going and what time the reservation was but we got that worked out and everyone arrived. Not as much snow this year as last but still cold. February in Cleveland, what else do you expect? One couple was already seated when we got there and we joined them. No one came to ask if we wanted drinks for about 10 minutes. All in all, the service was terrible. I had to ask for a bread plate and two of us were missing silverware. Water was requested and never delivered. What was delivered was never refilled. The coffee drinkers got 1 cup apiece and then had to try and catch our very elusive waitress. She was very busy, too busy to see if we needed anything. My hubby and I never did get to order our wine with dinner. She wasn’t around long enough to ask. Lots of smiles and away she would run.
And, for the record, I go to restaurants so I don’t have to cook! If I wanted to cook my steak, I would stay home. The very hot stone on the table in front of you makes the space very hot. I sweated through my dress! Around 10 PM, they turned on some ineffectual ceiling fans and pushed the smoke around. They also do a flambé cheese appetizer that felt like it set my hair on fire when the table behind us ordered one. That just added to the general over-heating of the place.
We won’t be back. Dinner with friends was the only thing that kept us going there even once a year since they changed their format. With this latest experience, not even that can lure us back!
And this used to be my favorite restaurant. So sad…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)