Friday Fragments: Bad Eats

This evening Papa Cat took me out to dinner. We went to the Ninety-Nine. As we perused the menu, trying to decide what to eat, I saw this:


Behold, kittens, the iceberg wedge. Tell me, is this dish a holdout from the 60s or 70s? Because I've never seen any of the hoity-toity chefs on America's Test Kitchen or Food Network try to recreate this. Not even Rachael Ray will touch this one! I never understood its appeal; iceberg, to me, is rawther tasteless, and the addition of tons of dressing and bacon bits cannot improve upon the nutritional value of the lettuce. Even though it's a vegetable, and a leafy green at that, iceberg has the fewest vitamins and minerals of all of the salads. Who even came up with the idea of serving this dish? No comprendo! De ninguna manera!

That got me thinking...what other weird foods are out there? There are tons! So many I can't limit myself to just one blog post! But I'll highlight some of my faves in this one.

We shall continue with this:

I never understood the appeal of marshmallow fluff. It has always looked like watered down Spackle to me. Then again, I've never liked marshmallows. I have a sweet tooth, but marshmallows have been way too sweet for me. As a kid, Sister Kitten used to eat marshmallows straight out of the bag while watching TV. That is not so bad when you consider that she used to eat marshmallow fluff right out of the tub.

And speaking of eating things straight from the container:

I have a few friends who used to squirt this stuff in their mouths and consider it a meal. Granted, this was during our college days. Even better, you'd get this stuff out at parties, and once people had a few drinks too many, they'd squirt this stuff in each other's mouths. Generally girls never participated in this ritual. The males often did, and would wash it down with whatever beer was on hand.

And finally, there's this:Maybe it's because Mama Cat never believed in feeding us processed foods as kids, but I just feel funny even looking at a box of Velveeta. Is this stuff really cheese? Is dairy even one of its ingredients? I've never picked up a box to examine its contents, and I'm not sure I want to Google an ingredient list, either.

As the holiday season fast approaches, I may have some more posts like this. I can think of a couple of side dishes at the Thanksgiving table that I could write about, but I'm saving those for another time.

Friday Fragments

Hey everyone--

Sorry I've been such the slacker here on the blog lately. Lots going on, as you know, especially if you follow me on Facebook. Let me give you some brief updates here.

Today I went to a funeral for a friend and former colleague of mine. I really don't want to go into too much detail about it, other than to say that I haven't really grieved yet. Usually when something like this happens I have a delayed reaction--a VERY delayed reaction--and I don't grieve until four or five days after the death's happened. So I'm just waiting for the moment when I can finally break down and feel some relief.

I am housesitting, and have been since October 1st. This is for the same friend who had the butter-eating dog a few months back. Not to worry, I don't plan on doing any baking right now. However, the other dog has been dragging my clean, folded laundry all over the house. I thought I had put it out of reach by stacking it high on the dining room table. Maybe the cat has been knocking the clothing off when I'm not there.

I will be here till the 17th. I've never been away from home for so long--in my adult life, that is. I get to visit my cats every other day, check on them, see if they're okay. And they are. But I miss them something awful--especially right now. I haven't had a lazy, do nothing day at home in a very long time. I just want a Saturday afternoon to chill on the couch, catch up with my DVR shows, and have the kitties in my lap. Yes, I know that sounds incredibly selfish--and it is. But it's what I'm craving right now.

The other day I told my BFF that I had never been happier, professionally or personally. I then added that I hope I didn't jinx myself by saying that. Now I wonder if I have...or maybe this is a temporary setback. I hope it is.

I have a long weekend. I was excited about it at first, but now, not so much. Saturday I'm getting my car serviced--AGAIN. Stupid belts have been giving me a lot of grief, but I'm going to the dealership, and they're good at what they do. Sunday I was supposed to go apple picking with BFF, but I found out that A) I have to sing at church, and B) I am going to sit shiva Sunday night with my friend's family. Normally I could balance all of these activities--if I were at my OWN home and if I didn't have dogs to let out. Now again, I like housesitting and I enjoy dogs, but with everything going on, and everything I want to do, it's been difficult scheduling my life around letting them out--and they have to be let out every four hours, given that one of them has urinary issues. I hope that I can get someone to let them out on Sunday while I'm gone.

So, anyhoo, I'm in a funk right now. I know that this will pass, but it's just a lot to deal with in a short time. Thanks, as always, for letting me vent.

Friday Fragments and Felines

For more Friday Fragments, go to Half Past Kissin' Time.

Stupid moment of the week: I was driving Tuesday afternoon when I pass a country store. In Connecticut towns, you find many of these. So there's this sign outside this one country store that reads:

LOL CHEESE
$2.49/LB

I thought, "LOL Cheese! What the hell is LOL Cheese? Must be some kind of new brand."

I kept driving and passed another country store, and found this sign:

LOL CHEESE
$1.99/LB

Another ad for LOL Cheese! I had never heard of LOL Cheese. Did the logo have some kind of emoticon on the package? Was there a picture of an eager kitty like the ones over at LOL Cats?

Then I passed a third country store. (Told ya we had a lot of country stores!) And there was THIS sign:

LOL CHEESE
$2.99/LB

"Wow," I thought, "this LOL Cheese is really popular."

And that's when I realized...

LOL = Land O' Lakes

The cheese which the country stores were selling was not a cheese with a smiley face, but one with the same Indian that graces the packaging of the butter that Mama Cat buys at the grocery store.

If I wasn't driving, I would have banged my head against the steering wheel.

If you follow me on Facebook, or on Twitter, y'all know I have DVR now--as well as almost every movie channel known to man. I'm feeling overwhelmed at the channel selection I now have. I may DVR True Blood just to see what all the fuss is about. I've already got the season premiere of Mad Men scheduled. I never watched it before and I want to know why people are raving about it. I'll be writing a post in a few weeks about how my life has changed since the arrival of this appliance in my home. Cause I have a feeling I'll be watching more TV than ever, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Got an E-mail from Lyman Orchards saying that their first crop of apples is ready to be picked. I plan to head out in early September, especially since that's when the honeycrisps are ripe. Honeycrisps are my favorite apple. I will do almost anything for a honeycrisp. Seriously. If you haven't had them, you're missing out. They're that good.

My cats have dandruff. This is quite embarrassing. And gross. I'm grooming them tonight. I did some research online and learned that the best way to get rid of kitty dandruff is to bathe your cat. Uhhh...no thanks. I have a friend who's bathed his cats since they were kittens, and they're quite used to the water. My girls are six and seven years old. I don't think they'll take to the water quite so easily.

Yesterday I took a spontaneous trip to the mall with a friend of mine. She always knows when the good sales and bargains are at Macy's; she's the best shopper I know. And thanks to her, I bought three new tops, a gorgeous wrap dress, and a ridiculously cute pair of Sketchers--all on clearance, and I got to use her 20% off coupon. Then we headed to the food court and splurged on Chinese for dinner. So much fun!

Today I start another housesitting gig. I'm watching over a golden retriever and a Bernese mountain dog. They really are good dogs. I'm looking forward to it.

Tomorrow I'm heading over to the Mystic Food and Wine Festival with some friends, followed by ladies night at a cafe with another group of friends.

And next week, Mama Cat and I are trying desperately to get together to see "Julie and Julia." And at some point I need to see "The Time Traveler's Wife." Imagine that--I haven't been to the movies in five and a half years and suddenly I want to go to the theater.

And before I leave you, here is the "Felines" portion of the post, which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that cats love suitcases. I had unpacked from my conference last week, and Mags and Gabs decided they wanted to go on my next trip:




So things are looking up in my neck of the woods! I hope y'all are doing fabulous and that you have a fabtastic weekend!

Friday Fragments: The "I'm on Vacation?" Edition

Hello, kittens! Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments, brought to you by the good people at Half Past Kissin' Time.




How is it that I can be busier on vacation than I am when I'm working? This week was full of errands!

Monday: A routine oil change turns into replacement of my alternator belt, as well as a transmission flush. I think there was another belt replaced, too, but I don't remember which one it was. Oh yeah, and I did get the oil change done too. I have an excellent mechanic who is very honest with me; he showed me the old belt and how much it was damaged. I'm glad he does this; that way I know he's not screwing with me.

Following my visit chez le mechanicien, I had to stop at AT&T Wireless to see if I could replace my phone. I have a Sony Ericsson W350 phone, which looks like this:

I got it for free when my contract expired last year, and the front flip panel broke off. Since I'm not eligible for an upgrade, they can't replace my phone for free. They can, however, give me a small discount on a new phone--provided I pay the $75 early contract renewal fee.

Uh, I just spent $350 on car repair. No thanks.

From there it was off chez le dentiste for my biannual checkup. I had to have X-rays. Once again, they hygenist scolded me for not flossing--and she scolded me more when the X-rays came back and she found a possible cavity between my molars. The dentist himself checked it out, concluded it was not a cavity, and I've been flossing like a banshee ever since.

Tuesday: Visit to Gigi, my therapist, followed by a jaunt to the library, then the Y.

Wednesday: Started a housesitting gig. Had to drive my friend, the owner of said house, to another friend's house. A limo was meeting them to take them to JFK. They're off on a river cruise in Central Europe right now! I'm so happy for them!

I had to drive my friend's Chrysler Pacifica over to the house. I'm not used to driving a car that big, but it was kinda cool. At least I didn't have to back into a parking space.

Thursday: Took my car back to the mechanic's. The belt was still squeaking, and I was concerned. He made a few adjustments and sent me on my way. And I also got a good look at his assistant--younger than I am, but he was adorable!!!

Then I went back to my house to greet Maggie and Gabby, got some stuff I needed, and stayed for a couple of hours. Then it was back to my friend's house, where I had lunch, did some reading on the patio, then went upstairs and took a three-hour nap.

Did I mention there are lots of ants in this house? There are! And they creep up in the weirdest places. Unfortunately this is not my house so I can't invest in ant traps, but I'm tired and creeped out at finding the occasional stray ant in the bed! Yuck!

To my American pals: Happy 4th of July weekend! I don't have any plans other than relaxing by the pool. To my Canadian buddies: Hope you had a great Canada day! And to my international friends: Enjoy the best weekend ever!

I'll be at the VGNO tonight if anyone wants to stop by! See you then, kittens!

Friday Favorites, Focus, Fill-Ins, and Favorites

Hello, dear Kittens! Welcome to your weekly edition of FF4! I've been on vacation this week and I am nice and rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated! I just don't want to return to work!

Let's start off with the Friday Fragments, brought to you, as always, by the good people at Half Past Kissin Time.

For the last two days, one of my neighbors has been doing nothing but polish his truck. Every single time I look out my living room window, there his is, in the parking lot, polishing away. In fact, I looked out the window five minutes ago, just to see if he was still going at it, and he was!!!

Speaking of the art of automotive maintenance, Papa Cat loves to wash our cars every time Sister Kitten and I return home. As long as the temperature is above freezing, he's out in the driveway, washing and vacuuming our cars. He's washed cars on Christmas day, Easter Sunday, birthdays, and Fathers Day. It doesn't matter what the occasion is, but as long as he has a bucket of soapy water and a hose, he's happy. That, and I return home with a very clean car.

Now that spring is here I have put up my patio umbrella once again. Now my patio is--pardon the pun--all decked out.

As of this writing, I've finished 20 books in my 100+ Reading Challenge. As London Tipton would say, "Yay me!" But now I'm worried. It's almost the end of April, and I'm only a fifth of the way done. At the rate I'm going, if it takes me four months to finish 20 books, I'll fall way short of my 100+ goal. However, I don't want to turn into a reading machine, either; I want to continue to enjoy my books.

I gave the cats their flea treatment yesterday. That's always a joy. I try to get them when they're sleeping, so I don't have to chase 'em and pin 'em down. Yet they always sense when I'm coming towards them with that little packet of medicine. At least I don't have battle wounds from this procedure--yet.

Why is it that every time I venture out of the house in sweats, with no makeup on, looking more or less like crap, that I bump into someone I know--and that someone I know is always someone from work?

And now it's time for our Friday Focus, brought to you by the good people at Thrifty and Chic Mom.

Last week I focused on finishing Three Cups of Tea and starting A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. I'm proud to say that, not only did I finish both books, but I finished four others!

This week, I'm going to focus on something non-book related: keeping my living room clean. I do a good job keeping my kitchen and bathroom spotless, but there's something about the living room that gives me pause. So that will be my goal this week.

Now let's move on to Friday Fill-Ins, brought to you by the good people at...Friday Fill-Ins!

1. Join me in saluting our Friday Favorites, which you can find below!

2. Put a little chocolate in your day!

3. Happiness is a warm puppy (as Charles Schulz used to say).

4. One very stupid-funny movie is "Dazed and confused."

5. I'm waiting for nothing really special in particular right now.

6. A Reese's Peanut Butter Egg is hard to resist.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapbooking with my gal pals, tomorrow my plans include going to a choir concert and Sunday, I want to enjoy my last minutes of freedom before returning to work on Monday!

Finally, let's finish off with some Friday Favorites, brought to you by the lovely Miss Janna Bee.

What have been my faves for this week? Well, sleeping late has been at the top of the list! It's been so nice to wake up with the sun's light pouring into my bedroom and the kitties curled up on the bed with me. It's so peaceful. I take my time getting out of bed; I reach for the remote, turn on the TV, and flip through the morning shows before I head downstairs for coffee and breakfast.

Ahhh, coffee. It's so nice to drink coffee as a leisurely beverage as opposed to slurping the stuff down in order to get a caffeine boost. And now that the weather's warmer, and my patio's decked out, I can go outside with my coffee and my book and just relaaaaaaax.

Family has certainly been a favorite this week. It was so good to spend a weekend with Mama and Papa Cat. Sister Kitten joined us on Sunday. Mama Cat and I also met Sister Kitten at a day spa, where we had some decadent treatments. I got a hot stones massage, Sister Kitten got a seaweed massage, and Mama Cat got an "aging skin facial." Then we all went out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday's, followed by some shopping.

Papa Cat and I ordered Pay-Per-View on Saturday night. We watched Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It's not a movie I recommend. Penelope Cruz won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this movie, and I'm not sure why. I wasn't blown away by her performance.

Friends--another Friday Favorite. Last night I went out to dinner with one of my book clubs. We didn't discuss books; we did it just to hang out (which is what I love about this book club; we love hanging out together). We went to a Thai restaurant in town. It was a nice, relaxing evening. I get to spend time with two more gal pals tonight. We're going out to dinner, then going scrapbooking! Yeah!

So that's all that's going on right now in the Life o' Kitten. Stay tuned next week for some more Friday Fun!

Friday Fragments, Focus, Fill-Ins and Favorites

Let's start off with the Friday Fragments, brought to you by the good people at Half Past Kissin' Time.

Why can't the NCAA hold the Final Four in Vegas? It seems like the perfect place to hold a Final Four.

Why can't the NCAA hold the Final Four in New York City? Think about it, playing a championship game at Madison Square Garden...fantastic!

Speaking of the Final Four, I've signed all my comments this week with "GO HUSKIES!" I borrowed a page from Yaya's book with this one; you know how she signs her comments with a different saying every week?

We're two weeks into springtime, Kittens. So why aren't there buds on the trees?

When Barack Obama was running for president, I couldn't stop looking at the parentheses lines around his mouth and thinking, "He needs Botox. Stat." (Yeah, I know, it's horrible of me to talk about the president this way, but I can't help it!)

I've recently taken to watch New York Rangers games, now that I have the MSG channel. Funny thing...I've never been much into hockey. Why am I suddenly a fan?

I recently spent part of my tax refund and bought a Keurig brewer. It's fantastic! I have to discipline myself, though, not to drink coffee too much, now that it's so easy to do. Don't wanna be awake at 1 AM, ya know?

This is not the exact model I purchased, but is very similar. I didn't buy the deluxe platinum edition, but one step below it--the model between basic and luxury is the best way I can put it.

And now...time for our Friday Focus, brought to you by the good people at Thrifty and Chic Mom.

The last time I did a Friday Focus, I focused on finishing The Pillars of the Earth--and I did! Woo-hoo! This week, my focus will be on finishing Three Cups of Tea and starting A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Now that we've got our fragments and focus out of the way, time now for Friday Fill-Ins, brought to you by the lovely Janet.

1. Angel or not I'll always have a bit of devil in me.

2. Bend me, shape me any way you want me.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of shit.

4. I always shower after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I can find at least one person I know.

6. A day without laughter is a day fraught with peril.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a play, tomorrow my plans include hanging out with some old college friends and Sunday, I want to visit my friends K and A and see their new puppy!

And finally...some Friday Favorites, brought to you by the lovely Miss Janna Bee.

Speaking of our Friday Favorites hostess, she recently blogged about the magic that is the Lean Pocket. That's one thing that got me through the week. It was going to be busy, with many late nights at work, so I needed something quick and easy for dinner! They weren't on sale, however...the Healthy Choice meals were on sale, but the customers at the A and Piss Off already bought all the good ones.

What else got me through the week? My Keurig brewer! I freakin' love this thing! It brews coffee ever so quickly, so perfectly, so tasty, and so warm! And they got the flavors right with this one! French roast tastes so wonderfully robust! The Earl Grey tea is fantastic! Oh my God, am I becoming a coffee snob?

A special thanks goes to the Y, my iPod, Three Cups of Tea, and the warm, wonderful weather we've been having. It has felt so good to exercise. It's really helped out my mood quite a bit.

Also, Blue Bunny and Ben and Jerry's now make single serve ice cream containers. They are wonderful! Saves the temptation of eating the whole damn pint!

And let's not forget sleep, glorious sleep...ahhhh, I loves to catch me some Z's.

So that's the latest and greatest going on in the Life O' Kitten. I won't be at the VGNO for the next few weeks; I'm going out almost every Friday night till the first weekend in May. If I do participate, though, it won't be till the wee morning hours, but by that time I'll be catching my precious Zs, most likely.

I'll be away all weekend, and next week's shaping up to be a crazy one, so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me. I will be back, though, as always!

Oh, and one more thing...it's another Friday Favorite...

GO HUSKIES!!!

(Janna, Vickie, and Blueviolet...may the best dog win).

(P.S.: CDB: Tar Heels are goin' DOWN in the title game.)

Friday Fragments, Focus, Fill-Ins, and Favorites!

I've decided to combine all of the Friday posts into one! Saves me--and you--time reading and writing.

First up: Friday Fragments, brought to you by the good people at Half Past Kissin' Time.

The moon was huge today as I drove into work. I mean, huge! I never saw it look so big. Maybe it was abnormally close to the Earth; I don't know!

Why is it that the plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and baggies can't be located in the grocery store with all the rest of the paper goods?

Brian Williams has a crooked nose. Anyone else notice this?

Speaking of my TV boyfriend the NBC Nightly News anchor, from him I learned how the expression "Ponzi scheme" got its name, and that the first Fireside Chat took place 76 years ago yesterday.

I love red wine. I mean, I reaaaaaalllllllllly love it.

My car repairs finally got done. I had to drive a 2008 Chevy Aveo for a day. Roll down windows, manual locks, crappy gas mileage. On a 2008 car?!?

President Obama's been in office for more than 50 days now. Where the hell does the time go?

I have jury duty next Wednesday. I hope I don't get picked for a jury.

I really want to go to Long Beach Island for a couple of days in April, before the tourist season starts. I haven't been there since I was 16 and feel like taking a trip down Memory Lane.

Lately my town's sounded more like New York City. There have been a lot of cop sirens and fire trucks going by my place!

Focus Friday is brought to you by the good people at Thrifty and Chic Mom.

This coming week I'm going to focus on finishing The Pillars of the Earth. Only 300 pages to go--and it's really getting good!

Now for some Friday Fill-Ins.

1. When I look to the left, I see my bookcase.

2. My living room is the room that has the best view in my home.

3. Let it work, but also let it play.

4. I like to get stuff done dirt cheap!

5. Owning Citigroup is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any comments feel free to add them to the end of this post.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to participating in Ann's Virtual Girls Night Out, tomorrow my plans include singing in our church's talent show and Sunday, I want to read and veg!

And finally, some Friday Favorites, brought to you by the lovely Miss Janna Bee.

So what got me through this week, Kittens? Well...

• The good folks at Enterprise Rent a Car helped me when my car was in for repairs. They gave me the above-mentioned Chevy Aveo. Not the best car in the world, but it was reliable, and it got me to where I needed to go. And the people there were very friendly and helpful.
• My mechanic at the Kia dealership. He's honest and will help out a customer as much as he can.
• My Monday night book club. I needed a diversion this week. It was a long one.
• Red wine. Good for both the heart and soul.
• Sleep. I really needed it this week.
• Friends, both bloggy and non-bloggy. Their advice and humor kept me sane during a tres long week.
• My iPod.
• The good news stories at the end of the NBC Nightly News. It's refreshing to hear about the good things that people are doing for others during hard times.

Well, there you have it--my fist full o' Friday! I'll be back later tonight--that is, if I don't fall asleep in my dinner--for the VGNO. I hope to have another soundtrack ready to go for you girls! Happy Friday!