Why, when you go to a restaurant they charge you up to two dollars more for a Caesar salad, than their regular garden salad? It looks like the garden salad takes a lot more work to prepare, all the cutting and chopping and tossing involved. I just do not understand why, especially when you know that the croutons they are using are of the run of the mill variety, and the bacon bits are simulated. So, tomorrow is the Day I Dread The Most All Year. . .the Community Supper, Mass Mastication, Gob smackers, Lip Loungers, just packed full of open mouth chew people. (Okay to be kind, it is probably just my ears being sensitive after having to perform lunchroom duties for the developmentally challenged back in the day). Also, at large places of Alimentary Action, I cannot stand the farty smell. It's not necessarily people farting, but just the smell of multiple dinners. I had the choice between donating ten pounds of peeled potatoes (as if*), or two cabbages and a litre of Mayo (gag). I took the cabbage route. See, even when I have begged and pleaded with the community supper leaders (last year for a grad dinner) to switch to all natural, organic, just add a bit of milk and water and stir potatoes, they get their feathers ruffled. At Costco you can get 180 servings of Natural Mash for 8.99 or so. They are damn good potatoes. When I mentioned this the Community Supper People they looked like they were going to faint, so I declined on peeling potatoes and sending them. When I went to the store in town, they only had cabbages the size of my pug's head, which is pretty darn puny, and flat, so I bought three, and the god awful litre of mayo, and dropped it off at the place where my pink jacket was held hostage for almost a year. Unfortunately, I forgot my big yellow note stating that this was what I was supposed to bring. So as not to get the Community Supper leaders in a state of frenzy over the unmarked three cabbages as opposed to deux, I emailed the principal with where I left the cabbages, how many and that the mayo was there as well. As I left my cabbages and creamy goodness at the coat held hostage site, http://urbanitch.blogspot.com/search?q=pink+jacket I didn't even order a coffee. I don't feel the least bit guilty. *I hate peeling potatoes, not because I am lazy, the juice irritates my skin. Plus, my idea with the Natural Mash for fundraisers, is much cheaper in the long run than actually having to clean, peel, boil, mash, season tubers in the long run.

What should I do?

I am in a snit. I had heard that a woman in town did tailoring as a side business. I heard she was good, I had met her before, and figured that I would give her my light pink Point Zero, down filled winter jacket to be fixed. The zipper needed to be replaced, this was not an inexpensive jacket. It was 120.00 on sale. I fell in love with it, it was warm, perfect for winter walking, and I actually enjoyed being outside in sub zero temperatures while wearing it. This was almost a year ago. I frequent her cafe business, so every time I go in for a coffee, I ask for my jacket, or leave a message with her husband that I want my jacket back, if she is not in the cafe. This week, I started to call her house. I left a message with her son, telling him that it is very important that she return my call, I did not get a call. I called the next night, no one answered. I have asked at least three times a month for my jacket back. I emailed, but my email bounced back. When I went into the cafe today, I spoke to her husband again, and he was hedgy. I told him I needed it by this weekend, he told me they won't be around. I asked when was a good time to pick it up, he hedged again, I said, drop it off at my house (too busy). I have offered to pay for her time and the zipper. I have been polite and patient, maybe too patient. This has been A YEAR. I actually had to go out and buy a cheap, crappy Roxy jacket to keep my torso warm last winter. I am starting to think that the jacket has been pissed on by one of their cats, it has been burnt, it has been given away, or it has been thrown out. Other people have mentioned these ideas as well. This should not be a difficult situation. Give me back my damn jacket. It's mine, and I don't care if the down is out, or you haven't had time (uhhhh, a year is plenty), just give it back. I will get someone else who is competent and timely to do it. If it has been damaged beyond repair, I have no idea how to handle the situation.

Gimme Back My Jacket Episode #2

This morning, after doing some banking, I mailed this letter, as well as took a copy into the cafe. In doing so, I asked the husband if something happened to my jacket. He said emphatically "NO". . . We shall see how this plays out. On another note, as I have mentioned before, Wookie will do anything for a tissue. As I was sitting here, rambling on the keyboard, there was a big juicy spider. I squished it with a kleenex from my pocket. She wanted the kleenex, until, she realized there was a dead spider on it. Anyhow, my friends, here is the letter (it's been a while since I have written one, and it just doesn't have any zing). I feel like the kid in "Better Off Dead" ~~~~"I want my two dollars!" Just give me a crappy BMX bike to ride, and I am in there like swimwear. Dear (*&*&(!, I would like my Point Zero pink down filled jacket returned to me. I have called your home (a few times) and once was able to leave a message with your one of your sons for you to call me, but I have not received a call back. I have frequented the café on numerous occasions asking for the jacket to be returned or at least an update on it’s status. It has almost been a year since I gave the jacket to you to have the zipper replaced. I will gladly pay you for your time as well as the zipper. The coat does not need to be “finished”, as I have been made aware that time to do this job, is an issue. I spoke to "blankety blank" on Thursday, October 4th regarding this issue, and wanted the coat back so my mother could finish the job this weekend, while I am at the cottage for Thanksgiving, but again was told that you would be too busy to drop it off or for me to pick it up. If something has happened to the jacket, I would appreciate a call and an explanation. Feel free to leave a message or e mail me. My phone number is : blankety blank My email address is : blankety blank Update: Tibbles asked their son about my jacket at school. . .supposedly the dog has eaten it. When she said "I'm gonna tell my Mom", he said he was just joking. I am not impressed.

A Whole Bunch of Nothing and Little Bits of Stringy Stuff On My Ceiling

After waking up to a wonky smoke detector, I did a whole bunch of nothing. Just couldn't wrap my head around any concept today. Is it the sun which is blazing through my window? Do I have Spring Fever? Amidst decluttering my mind and house, bringing in wood, I did fart around on the computer. I did take the dog for a walk down the trail. It was absolutely gorgeous, the snow was melting off the trees and the drips of water were glinting off the branches. Evidence of Spring!! (or a bit of a thaw) People can probably thank me for the warmer temperatures. . .as soon as we buy a snow blower we don't have snow in the forecast). Wookie's hackles went up midway through the walk. It irked me, I felt a tingling in my septum. It wasn't her usual hackle warning, it was a full blown Mohawk. She was completely silent. It made me feel something was amiss, and I hopped off the trail at the next exit. I have no idea what was bothering her, but she was visibly upset. Hopefully there wasn't a dead person in the snow near there. My walking buddy also phoned, and wanted to walk, after my other walk so I did get my exercise today. We noticed that a tin shed had been completely flattened by the snow load and had buckled. "Double L Power Property Police" I forget if we put up our supports in our shed. I don't even want to look. I am looking forward to a boring night. I hope Mantracker is on. LOL, that is just the funniest show I have seen for a while (it's not supposed to be funny). Adam and I started watching it, Creepy Canada, and Survivor Man while we had the flu. Oh my goodness, I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel for for my viewing pleasure. I think Adam and I should try out for Mantracker. I would completely cover myself in mud. I have noticed that most people on Mantracker do not disguise themselves appropriately. The contestants need more camouflaging, not a bright pink fanny pack. I honestly think we could do it as a couple. We work pretty good together, yin and yang that we are. Adam would look dashing in some army green fatigues, I would apply some black shoe polish under his eyes for just the right effect. I would buy that Bench jacket that I have been eyeing and wear leaves in my hair. We would be good looking prey. Later on. . . Nope, no supports were put up in the tin shed. There is about eight inches of snow on the roof. I should get out there tomorrow and shovel it off. I was going to repaint some ugly walls this week and maybe start priming my one ceiling. Here's my problem. The ceiling in question is actually really old beaded board. It was at one time pinkish, then it was painted a canned pea green. There are hundred of nails, that have rusted. I did buy B.I.N. paint. My issue is, after spending 40 hours (no exaggeration), stripping multiple layers of ten test and wallpaper that was put on with flour and water, then realizing that the last layer wasn't wall paper at all, but fabric, there are little tiny fuzzy strings that dangle a bit from each of the nail heads. What am I to do? It is obviously lead paint. I am not going to sand it. They are rough painted boards. Bob Vila would probably get Norm to whip up some reproduction ceilings, planed and routered . I don't want to sand or replace the ceiling. I just want to paint it white, but I don't want to spend another 40 hours removing little pieces of stringy stuff with tweezers. Also, because the house has shifted, there are some gaps. Do I just DAP the crap out of them and hope for the best? It's like my front room's floors. There are 1/4 inch gaps. I have heard that on boats, they use rope to fill in the gaps and then lacquer everything. I find the house too overwhelming.

To Plant or Not To Plant. . .?

I saved my coveted black hollyhock and malva seeds. I am getting pretty antsy this week and I keep looking at them, wondering if Wiarton Willy the prognosticator was correct, and thinking, maybe I should start them indoors. I have no idea. . .I think you start things six to eight weeks before Spring. I definitely want to make sure that the black ones live. I want to make sure that the malva ( I am not sure of the actual generic type), grows. The malva species, is different than any other that I have had. It is bright pink, with large flowers, and is more on par with a hibiscus than any other malva I have encountered. The flowers were so fascinating, that I made sure that I saved them, and squirreled them away into a drawer in the Hoosier. It feels like this winter has gone on forever. But it wasn't until sometime in January that we actually had to start wearing snow gear, and drag our shovels out of the sheds. I want to see some green. I want to see some hope. Spring is hope. It was in December I had wandered out to the tin shed to try to remove the lawn tractor's battery, and actually found a yellow jacket nest, with a few dozy, but mobile wasps crawling around in it. I squashed the wasp's nest, but ended up forgetting to remove the battery. It wasn't coming out easily, and I figured I would come back out with a screw driver, and then got distracted by something else. Sometimes I wonder (in all seriousness) if I may have a form of Adult ADD. I will start something, and then something happens and then I am on to something else. I looked at some distance ed courses again. The Philosophy courses make me drool. My BIG ISSUE in my life is that what the heck can you do with Philosophy? My friends have heard my countless rants, about how it is a valid, and needed in life, and you can take Philosophy and use it in many different types of applications. Thomas Hurka did an excellent essay on the benefits of Philosophy. Philosophy is a great foundation for those pursuing a career in Law. But what the hell am I going to do with Philosophy? There is teaching, there are ethic boards (hospitals, etc). It can be a gateway to other careers. My other option is Psychology, my third option is Journalism. I have yet to find any distance ed courses in Journalism though. It's hard to fall head over heals in love with something, and then try to persuade yourself of it's utility. For eight years I have been humming and hawwing, and mulling and ruminating. I also have pushed it aside in the last few years, avoiding it. If I can take a full course load during the year, I can go back to work for the summer's. I just have to get the inertia going, and I did make a vow to myself that this will be the year. I just need to give myself a big swift kick in the bum, get my auctions up (when we get the new computer), and then dive in. My dishwasher (omg. . .see off topic again) is acting up. I am getting flecks. I threw a whack of pickling vinegar in it, scrubbed down the sides, tried to access the filter (no avail, need to find the instruction book), and then ran it through with some Citric Acid. It is still icky. Maybe if I take the shop vac to it and stick it in the filter area, it may clear it out. How rivetting. I am just so enthralled right now.