From one commercial to another?!

Since when did the end of campaign commercials mean the beginning of holiday commercials? And by holiday commercials, I mean Christmas commercials...

Comfort food at its best...

Here's one of my favorite comfort food recipes... for the easiest Chicken Pot Pie:


Easy Chicken Pot Pie

What you need:

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (try a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 16-oz bag frozen broccoli/cauliflower mix, thawed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tube pull-apart biscuits

How you do it:

1. Mix all ingredients, expect biscuits.
2. Pour in 9x9 pan.
3. Cut each biscuit into four pieces and place on top of mixture.
4. Bake at 375* 30 minutes.

#43

I pulled into the parking lot at 6:40am and walked into the church with a cute old man who told me he first voted for President Truman. We chatted in line, checked our names off the list to ensure we were in the right spot, and at 7:00 this morning, the voting began. At 7:10 I placed my ballot in the little booth, took my pen, and carefully and completely colored in the little oval for my candidate of choice. By 7:15 I had slid my ballot into the machine, stuck my "I voted" sticker on my shirt, and headed to work.

On this historic election day, I was #43 to vote.

(MN) Wild Fire

Last night my company sponsored the MN Wild hockey game. We had three locations throughout the Xcel Energy Center where we were demoing our new printer. David and I were working the table up on the Upper Level of the arena, right next to a concessions stand.

From the time we got there, we were plotting our attack on a huge bucket of popcorn and mega Diet Coke. We decided after the 1st intermission break and the Amazing Race ice event that led contestants up to our stand to collect a printed photo for the contest, we could execute our popcorn attack. However, the concessions stand had a different adgenda.

I smelled it first. Then I looked to the right. Smoke bellowing out of the concession stand. Now, I'm deathly afraid of fire, so when the smoke got thicker, I froze and sent David over to the stand with a camera to see what was going on. He came back a minute later, "The popcorn machine started on fire!" There was smoke everywhere and we couldn't breathe, but he did get some amazing photos:
... and as it turns out, we ended up printing more photos of the flamin' popcorn machine than we did of hockey fans!

PS. Yes, I am still deathly afraid of fire and no, this didn't help.

What a mess...

Thinking nothing of it, I left for work this morning with sweaters all over my bedroom floor, a bra and boyshorts on my dresser, and my bed totally unmade. I didn't move my bathroom floor mats, put away the kleenex box and bottle of lotion, soap and water mug. The apartment complex would notify me when they would finally be over to repaint the bathroom ceiling.

***

I could smell it when I walked in the door. The painters had been over. It was about time. They were supposed to come on October 1st. No show. They were then supposed to come Monday. Again, nothing. The apartment complex said they would call. Guess not.

My bathroom is a disaster. There are little ceiling paint chips everywhere. The shower bottom is covered; luckily it looks like my shower radio/cd player is ok. The bathroom floor itself is covered with these little specs, which feel like you're walking on glass chips. At least they tossed the bathmats into my bedroom. My sink and mirror, speckled. And my toilet seat has nasty wet footprints all over it.

I peer into my bedroom. Two rolls of tape, sitting on my bed, way on the other side of the room. What the hell were they doing in my bedroom?

I go into the kitchen to get the floor vac. They have put the big paint chips from my bathroom ceiling into a brown grocery bag that happened to be sitting out -- mine, not theirs -- and would ultimately NOT be used for garbage. At least they could have taken it to the dumpster. They used the Swiffer, as it was not in its original place.

I walk over to the office to return the two rolls of tape in my bedroom. They were expecting me, as I called to tell them about the mess in my bathroom and the left tape rolls. They tell me apparently they did some work in my bedroom too. And that they apologize for the mess. They make a joke or two, ask about my job and interviews, and tell me they'll get to the bottom of this mess.

I walk back to my apartment and get to cleaning my bathroom. I realize I should check my bedroom to see what they did. It's hard to tell if they did anything, but they certainly moved the hats, tie, and scarves I had hanging on the wall. Back to the bathroom, I clean it up, put everything back in place.

Missing: one kleenex box. I call the office again. As I am talking to them about the mess and the bedroom which is hard to tell if they actually did anything, I mention the kleenex box. I walk back into the bathroom while on the phone, I decide to check in the cabinet under my sink. Bingo. One kleenex box. Which means... they were under my sink for no good reason. They have now had a good ol' look at all my "feminine products". Awesome. NOT OK. There was no reason to go under my sink -- my kleenex box would have been just fine where you piled the soap, water mug, and lotion. Then I get nervous -- if they went under my sink, what else did they go through? And if they were in my bedroom, did they go through my nightstand? (No, there is no vibrator, but there are condoms -- a girl has to be prepared!) Did they put on the bra that was on my dresser, or worse yet, go through my jewelry boxes? (Note: I checked my jewelry boxes. Everything is there... but damn they could have made off well with everything Gram-O has given me over the years.)

Is this ok? Absolutely not. Will I write a nasty letter to the bitch-ass company that left my bathroom a disaster? Absolutely.

Bitches.

To the batmobile, er office...

This morning, was just like any other morning. I woke up dreading having to go to work all day. I dreaded going to work today only until as I turned into the parking lot a mere five minutes ago. As I turned the wheel, the Batman theme started on the radio. I kid you not, "To the batmobile, let's go!"... and then the theme in all its glory.

While in no way am I excited to be at work today, I'd like to say the Batman Theme surly helped.


Note: Neal Hefti, who wrote the Batman theme song, died Saturday at the age of 85.


PS. Happy birthday, mom!

Curry Sugar Snap Peas

I stumbled upon this one over the summer at an office barbecue. Our summer intern, in all her vegetable-loving, happy-go-lucky, over-bubbly style brought a platter of pea pods I just couldn't keep my fingers off. Though she spread the dip on pea pods, sprinkled each with nuts, and made a beautiful presentation, I found just serving this as a dip, sprinkled with nuts, and with sugar snap peas was just as delicious and a little less tedious. With a little Asian flare, this dip is a sure winner!

Curry Sugar Snap Peas

What you need:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tbsp mango chutney
• 2 tsp curry powder
• Chopped nuts
• Sugar snap peas
  

How you do it:

1. Mix cream cheese, chutney, and curry powder.
2. Sprinkle with chopped nuts before serving.

(Robyn -- you will LOVE this one!)