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June 24, 2007
Gulf Shores
Beach. Sun. Sand. Family.
Yes.
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June 22, 2007
Vacation Delights abount in Lincoln? Nope. But they do at the beach. And that is where I'm headed, baby!
I've been earlyblogging because I CANNOT SLEEP and find it hard to believe I haven't posted in so long. Let me throw you all (oh so many readers) a bone.
The biggest thing is still tightly under my hat. We will see what we will see.
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I do all the writing for the store now. I really enjoy it, and I'm so honored.
In fact, I am liking the store more and more. Retail is still not my world, but God is good and giving me reasons to be happy.
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Since Sis-in-Law graduated, she has flown off to Uganda, come back from Uganda, had two job interviews, has one interview lined up, and has had a flurry of traveling. She and her mom are now here, and have been for a week (except for a quick trip north to a state north of here [sorry for that...it's not my news to tell, so I am not-telling it!]) and will probably be here through Monday.
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Which is odd, because WE ARE LEAVING TOMORROW FOR THE BEACH! Sun, surf (I haven't been to a beach since Hawaii), and best of all, family.
I tell myself I'm most excited about family, and that I would be thrilled anywhere, but it's so much easier to be thrilled at the beach. It's just not as scintillating to have an immediate-family reunion at, say, Lincoln, NE or Shreveport, LA.
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Much more to The Dude's delight, we have also nailed down our dates for the big Kansas trip. For me, Kansas is there, and it's where he's from, but I don't particularly loooong to go there.
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I do not like how this forum has become a "here's a twelve-bullet update on MEEEEE!" How can I change this? Possibly quit this blog and start over elsewhere...or quit blogging altogether...or start another where I mull more deeply over issues that hit me and hit my heart.
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Now that I have been writing, I grow a little tired. I will try to get a little sleep tonight.
Tata.
Posted by The Newest Worker at 05:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 02, 2007
Chicken Pot Pie
I was hungry for pot pie, so I threw one together.
I sauteed some carrots in butter and vegetable oil. I realized I didn't have a good onion, so I added onion powder, and then salt and pepper.
Once they were half-soft, I added about a half-cup of flour, and let it cook to get the flour taste off it. I had some leftover heavy cream in the fridge from a yummy chicken tettrazini I made last week, so threw that in, along with some chicken broth I had in cans. (I have to use that up before I use the good homemade I have in the freezer.)
Added a bag of frozen peas and some cooked chicken I had in the freezer (though I partially thawed the chicken in the microwave).
While it was heating, I preheated the oven, buttered a 9x13 dish, and took the pie shells out of the fridge. The package said to pre-bake a one-shell pie at 450 degrees, so I set the oven to 425.
Once the filling simmered and felt thicker, I took it off the heat, poured it over into the dish, wiped the edges of the dish to make the pie crusts stick better, and lay the crusts over the filling. They are round but the dish is rectangular, so I layered them like a Venn Diagram, crimped the edges good, and cut some vent holes in the crusts.
I put a milk-wash on because I didn't want to hassle with beating an egg and then feeling guilty for throwing the unused egg away. Then the best part: I salted and peppered the crust! Martha's guest told us to do that, and I tried it, and I wholeheartedly endorse it.
I baked it for 25 minutes, then another 15, until the crust was as crusty as I wanted it, and the filling was good and hot. I let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting it, and it was deeeeeelish.
Posted by The Newest Worker at 09:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
These Few Weeks
School is out and The Dude and I breathe a sigh of relief. We have been spending time together again, and it's been a real treat. We spent Thursday, my 'weekend' day (crazy retail schedule), downtown together all day. Highlights included a picnic lunch at the ChooChoo, an afternoon browsing the shops on the North Shore, two rides on the carousel, and dinner on the patio at Big River Brewery. It was great. Super.
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On the phone last week with a friend, and again at the store today with old acquaintances who are just passing through and happened to be shopping at the store, I was reminded of the importance of the unimportant time. Sister and Brother-in-Law spent semester-long stretches of time apart: she had an intership in Nashville while their home and his job was in Atlanta. That's a 4-hour drive, terribly long and taxing for a weekend visit.
This friend was telling about all the little things he wishes she were there for.
And the old friends, F and B, were saying that he traveled a lot for his job.
The unimportant times: brushing your teeth together, the 10 minutes conversation while carpooling, the quick dinner, the falling asleep together--these times are the mortar of life together. Take them away and life together is nothing but a pile of bricks.
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Also doing the writing for the store's website. Go there (email me to ask the www's) -- any bad writing is not mine. It's a thrill to be The Web Copy Writer at the store, and to have the VP factually praise me to vendor rep's.
I also appreciate the store manager, and told him so today. After having served under several principals, working under a true, talented, skilled, and experienced manager is good. He knows what he is doing, and knows how to motivate and correct people. I am paying attention so that if I ever have to manage or direct a group of people, I'll have a little bit of an edge over the me who didn't pay attention.
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I am re-reading all the HP books as I wait for July 21. Seeing connections there I didn't see before. It's good.
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AND I just realized I used too many times the adjective 'good.' Also that the word order just there came out lopsided. Was I thinking Latvian just there? I have no idea.
Posted by The Newest Worker at 09:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack