Logging the miles

This is what Friday means to me:
And I'm still not done.....ugh.

Saying goodbye

Last night was the going-away party for my co-worker, Denise, who was also part of our bible study for awhile. It was after work at Casa Ramos at the bottom of the hill (old Casa Lupe). Since Chris knew her too, from bible study, he met me at home and came with.
The party-girl, Denise, unwrapping her photo collage of friends and co-workers.
Like the big chain restaurants, Casa Ramos has introduced their own 2 for $20 menu that we ordered off of. It included one appetizer (we chose flautas) and two entrees. Chris chose Mahi Mahi tacos.
And I picked the arroz con pollo.
I've never ordered it before at a restaurant and it was delicious. I sent the leftovers with some flour tortillas with the Canadian today for lunch.

While everyone was eating there was an open invitation to stand up and share with the group a favorite memory/funny story you had about Denise. I stood up and talked about the time Pam (receptionist) and I signed for a delivery for her from Zappos (shoe company), then took the box in the back, opened it, and replaced her new shoes with a pair of ratty slippers from Pam's car, sealed the box back up and delivered it to her office. She was so surprised and upset about the slippers that she called the company and complained. She even repeatedly told and questioned Pam about it and Pam kept her cool and nodded in sympathy and shock. Towards the end of the day, while she was out of her office, we ran back in, switched the shoes back, and put the box back. Then, as we were leaving for the day Pam and I went back into her office and asked to see the slippers one more time and when she opened the box up there were her new shoes. She was all confused and then figured out what was going on when Pam and I started laughing. She thought it was funny too, until she remembered that she'd called the company and would have to call them back and explain that her lousy co-workers had played a prank on her!

They found me

Today was the 50th birthday of a co-worker of mine and we couldn't resist making sure she didn't forget.
We're so kind.

I had the afternoon off of work to have an MRI and Ultrasound to check my right arm for numbness and my neck for thyroid.
Apparently that's what my thyroid looks like through two inches of goop slathered all over my neck. Good times! Afterwards I did a about an hour long MRI with Susan's brother-in-law. I forgot he worked there. He was talking to me and then said 'you look really familiar'. I laughed and said I'm Susan's Susan. Then he felt like a dork for not remembering. His wife was the one who took our wedding photos. Small world. Anyway, end of story, they don't tell you anything there other than your doctor will get the results in 2-3 days.

I didn't get home until around 3:00 pm and was greeted with this piece of fabulous news:
How lucky am I? The irony is that we just had a conversation about getting selected for jury duty this morning at work. And because I spouted off about the last time I got called there were too many jurors for the number of trials they had so I got sent home, they sent me this welcome back summons. Monday, May 10th I have to report to the court house in O-town. Now I have to make sure I'm current on my shots before I go down there!

Most 5's

Tonight was Bunko night here in Chico. The best part is that the only other Chico resident in our group lives behind our house so it's literally a stones throw away. After months of a dry spell I finally won a prize. Most 5's. It's a small cast iron turtle from The Galley. His shell lifts off for hiding keys, garlic cloves, or other what-nots.
Right now he's just keeping my orchid company on the kitchen window sill.

This weekend was pretty low key. We stayed home, watched movies and tried some new recipes from one of our Weight Watcher cookbooks. We watched The Informant, Law Abiding Citizen, and Up in the Air. All enjoyable. We also whipped up some chicken sausage, peppers and onions over polenta.
Definitely making this one again, so good. We also gave a shot at a curry shrimp stir-fry over coconut rice.
We have a industrial size bottle of fish sauce that I'm slowly trying to use up in any Thai recipe I can find. At this rate we'll finish it up in about 23 more years.

"Nurse,....."

Playing the sympathy card entails:

1. Movies

2. Beer

3. Hot & Sour Soup (Canadian version of Pepper Pot)

Snip, snip

Today was the day that America had dreaded, the day that the hopes for tiny, plaid clothed mini-engineers has come to an end. We had an appointment this morning with a urologist for the long anticipated 'snip, snip' surgery. Our appointment was at 9:30 am, but even by then they were behind schedule and we had to spend some time cooling our heels in the lobby.
But after they called him in, it was only about a 30 minute procedure. They sent him back out with party bag for being such a good patient.
By the time we got out the patient was hungry again so I swung through the Jack in the Box drive-thru for a little late breakfast grub.
Can't you see the suffering on his face??
Ohhh....so painful to drink coffee, surf the web and watch The Bank Job on tivo.

Next on the to-do list is to get my little invalid some hot and sour soup with a side of white rice from Wok n' Roll over by Safeway and then stop at All The Best Video and get his 5 movie wish list with our free coupon. He says this is all payback for taking care of me for three weeks!

Hamming it up

The Canadian woke up this morning to find that the Easter Bunny had stopped by in the night and left him lots of Easter treats.
Funny that the Easter Bunny only leaves him treats....

I came home this afternoon from doing the deposit at church to smell the delicious wafting aromas of ham in the oven. Easter is one of the only times during the year that I willingly buy a ham for the meat loving Canadian. He seasons it with the most interesting array of spices, but it always turns out tasty. This year was a little horseradish, chopped pepperoncinis, mustard, garlic and a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. When it came out for it's final glazing, I snuck a bite and it was delicious!
To accompany our ham I made some mashed potatoes and gravy, brown sugar glazed carrots, and rolls. Nothing too fancy.
That's my plate and I ate every bite!!

Besides eating candy and ham we've also been watching Jesus movies all afternoon. First was The Ten Commandments followed by King of Kings. I've got my bible open to Matthew and we're following along with everything they're saying and doing. Otherwise we'd both be conked out by now. We've both got sleepy ham brain.