RT's Wallet (continued)

 I guess I should continue my story about RT and his plastic bag wallet.  If you missed the first installment, click here.

Since RT's wallet was soaked, and took 5 days to dry, he had to find something to use as an interim wallet.  So, he chose a plastic bag.  Oh, and not just any plastic bag.  The plastic bag that he used to hold his wallet and keys on the kayak trip.  Hey!  It was dry and it was available!  He put everything in the bag, zipped it and folded and put it in his pocket.  Bella and I found it quite amusing.  I have to admit, I was impressed.  RT just went with the flow.  Life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

This is where the fun part begins.

Every time RT had to pay for something, he would whip out his wallet  plastic bag.  Bella and I would watch the other person's reaction and laugh.  People would give RT these strange looks.  This entertainment  went on for a week.

When we went out to dinner with Nick, RT went to pull out his credit card.  Nick turned to us and said, "You just let him go around in public like this?  Do you even notice that he is carrying around a plastic bag?  Are you just desensitized to the fact that he is using a plastic bag as a wallet?"  Bella and I glanced at each other and shrugged our shoulders. 

I told Nick that we have experienced RT and the plastic bag wallet for a week and a half and have become used to it and the reactions of other people.  I find it great that he did not make a big deal out of losing / ruining his wallet and did not let it ruin his vacation.  Instead, he embraced the opportunity to make the best of the situation. 

We have been back from vacation for a couple of weeks now and RT is still using the plastic bag for a wallet.  The only comment he has is that the bag is getting holes in it.  He said he either needs a new bag or has to find something else to use as a wallet.

Stay tuned for updates.

My Weird Dog

 I write quite a bit about my weird dog, Pippen.  Recently, we have been given custody of a weirder dog  a dog named, Curly.

Curly grew up with my in-laws.  She was spoiled, able to do whatever she wanted, ate dog food along with whatever other food that was given to her, and she had no rules.  Oh, and she would refuse to do her business in their yard.  Curly would hold out for a walk.  

Curly went through a little adjustment when she moved in with us.  She wouldn't eat much of her (dog) food because she was holding out for handouts from us.  Luckily we had a family meeting before the move in process and agreed that only dog food will be available for the dogs.  It took about a week, but, Curly finally realized that her dog food was pretty tasty.  She eats her food in a matter of minutes now.

While Pippen enjoys the outdoors, Curly is a pampered indoor pooch.  She prefers the air conditioned life.  If left outside, she will stand by the back door and stare.  You can leave her out there for an hour and she will stand the entire time, waiting for the door to open.  Curly does not like the feel of grass under her dainty paws.  She has to be coaxed into the grass to do her business.

Curly is not used to all of the movement in our house.  More people living here means more exciting activity throughout the house.  With all of Curly's odd quirks, she makes Pippen look a lot more normal than weird.

By the way, Pippen is not too fond of Curly.  He tolerates her, finds her annoying and is trying to figure out why Curly is in his house.

Karen Stories

 It's that time, kids.  Time for me to share a lovely experience that I have had with a Karen.

I honestly didn't believe that there were that many Karens in the world.  I also thought I would only encounter them at work.  Little did I know that Karens take vacations.

I encountered this Karen a couple of weeks ago at a restaurant.  Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the restaurant had a limited menu:  pizza and salads.  We ordered a pizza and a couple of salads.

As we were waiting for our meal to arrive, we engaged in some small talk.  Well, also, we were eavesdropping on other peoples conversations.  Particularly the people behind RT. 

Apparently, they ordered a pizza and were told it would be out in 45 minutes.  The time had passed and they were still waiting.  In fact, another table got their food and they ordered after this couple.  Karen  The woman was doing all of the complaining  talking.  Here husband was just sitting there, silent.

Karen asked the waitress about the pizza, and, of course, went into all the lengthy details about waiting.  The waitress came back and apologized and said that it would be out shortly.  Karen couldn't leave it alone and continued her tirade while the husband sat quietly.  When the waitress left their table, Karen yelled at her husband for not saying anything.  The did receive their food.  And, then the b    ill came.  Karen went into action and did not want to pay for a second topping (she had two toppings on her pizza).  She did not want to pay the $2.00 for the extra topping (yes, $2.00 and she had two toppings).  The waitress said that she would pay it.  Karen wasn't having that.  She wanted it removed from the bill.  The waitress said that she would pay the entire bill (just to shut her up).  The waitress was in tears.  Karen wasn't letting up.  I couldn't take it much more so I reached in my wallet and gave the waitress $5 to pay for their topping.  I even apologized that Karen made her cry.  I'm sorry that I didn't say something to Karen.

Hey, if you go out to eat, expect that it's going to cost money.  And, to get in an argument with a waitress over $2.00?  And, the waitress, who probably makes less than minimum wage, offers to pay your bill and you still yell at her?  Maybe you should just stay home.  If you stay home, I think you (and the rest of the world) will be a lot happier if you do.

Masked

 I've learned a lot during this quarantine.

I've learned things like, pandemics make everyone go into a crazy mode and people start hoarding the weirdest things.  Toilet paper, flour, garlic, yeast and meat just to name a few.

I also learned that people don't wash their hands.

Oh, and people need to be told to turn and cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze.  

All of these things I learned from my Mom when I was a little kid.

And, then came the mask.  The face mask, or face covering, is supposed to save us all.  We are now all required to wear one when we are out in public (well, at least here in Illinois).

I have posted about Karen's  people who call out other people who are not wearing masks (I like to call them tattlers).  

I'm not pro or con on the mask.  I'm not exactly sure how wearing a piece of cloth, where I can breathe through is going to protect me from this (and any other) disease.  I mean, if air can get through it, germs can most likely get through.

I do know that face masks can come in handy.  I learned this while I was on vacation.  The use of a face mask is necessary to survive any restroom or outhouse experience.  In fact, I might just carry a face mask with me for the rest of my life just so I can use it during my public rest room visits.

By wearing a face mask daily at work, I learned that I don't drink as much water.  As a result, I notice that my breath can be a little on the strong side (OK, go ahead and say it.  It stinks!)  Anyone else notice that they become mouth breathers with a face mask on?  

Oh, and I learned that I should avoid eating garlicky things if I'm going to have a mask on immediately after a meal.

How do you feel about wearing face masks?

RT's Wallet

 I think I mentioned we went on vacation not too long ago.  Our vacation was a lot of outdoors.  Sun, fun, water, hiking and a lot of beach time.  

At the beginning of our trip, the very beginning...let's just come clean and say it was the very first day of vacation, OK?  We decided to go kayaking.  We rented some kayaks, put our suits and sun screen on.  They gave RT a ziploc plastic bag for keys or any valuables that he might want to bring with on the trip.  I explained that I had a waterproof bag that I purchased at work.  RT was set on using the plastic zipped up bag.  He put his key and wallet in there and we were ready to roll.  

The trip takes you down a river.  We did the two hour trip because a late afternoon rain was in the forecast.  We goofed around the first half hour (paddling back, going in circles, etc.).  After awhile, we started getting into the whole lazy river / kayak mode and found it to be very relaxing.  We even stopped off at a beach and hung out in the water.  Bella started getting hungry and we realized we had been out on this river for four hours (without snacks because it was so spontaneous).  We paddled (rather quickly) to the end of the line.  When we got out, RT realized his wallet and car key were soaked.  Luckily, the car key worked (because I did not have the spare car key on me).

I believe (and hope) that a lesson was learned by this experience.  Something like, use the waterproof bag, or, maybe, take a class on how to close a ziploc plastic bag prior to using them in life or death situations.

More on RT's wallet in a later post.

Karen Stories

Time for another installment of Karen Stories.  A time when I can share my wonderful  lovely  scary  retail experiences with you.  

I keep thinking I will run out of stories, but, then I go to work and a Karen inspires me to write another post.  

Todays story is about face masks.  Face masks are required in stores, businesses, restaurants and grocery stores in the state of Illinois.  You are required to wear one, but, most places do not enforce it.  Masks are required in our store, but, we are not allowed to enforce this rule.  We were told to call a manager if a problem arises.  It's pretty common knowledge.  Put a mask on when you enter a store.  There are signs on the doors telling you to wear a mask when entering.  I really didn't think that masks would be a problem when we opened in June.  People were wearing them at other stores when they were shopping.  It wasn't a new thing.

A couple of week ago, I get a customer that starts telling me about an unmasked customer in the store (oh, the horror!).  I assured her that we require masks in our store, but, unfortunately (or fortunately) we can not enforce this policy.  She told me, "That's OK.  I approached her and told her to put on a mask.  And can you believe it?  She told me that she doesn't have to wear one because she is not sick!"    There wasn't much I could do, so I just sympathized with her.

The other day, I had a customer come up to me and asked if I was the manager.  I said no.  This customer starts telling me about some people in the front of our store that were unmasked.  OK, Karen.

I told her that we can not, as an employee, enforce the mask policy.  I did call a manager for her to complain to to speak to about the unmasked heathens  customers.   

Have you confronted other shoppers in a store?  

Have you told another customer to put on a mask? 

The Green Glass

Isn't it funny how you favor certain items.  They become your favorite or your go to item.  It could be a shirt, a pair of shoes, or a hat.  And, sometimes it's a green glass.

Whenever Nick comes home to visit, he always goes for the green drinking glass.  I only have one green glass.  I  bought it because it looked cool.  The kids all asked about it, like,

"Why did you buy it?"

"Why is it so thick?"

"Why is it green?"

"Can I use it?"

Nothing gets by my kids.  They usually notice new things when they appear in or around the house.  Once they notice the item, the questions start pouring out.  One of the most asked questions is, "Why did you buy this ____?  The old item could be falling apart, have holes in it or is broken and my children will ask why I bought a new one.  They are excited about the new item but feel close to the older item that is being replaced.  And yes, they ask about the fate of the older item.

It's funny.  I will see the green glass in the cabinet and I won't use it.  In my mind, the glass belongs to Nick.

Nick has a special spot to hide his  the glass he is using when he is here visiting.  A spot in the corner on the kitchen counter.  He purposely leaves the glass there when he leaves.  I always make sure that the glass is clean and ready for him to use when he comes home.  

Before his next visit, I'm going to have to remember to place the clean glass in his special spot before he arrives home.

Vegan Diaries: Vegetable Stir Fry

As I have mentioned in previous posts, during quarantine I did quite a bit of cooking and baking.  I started making this stir fry recipe and it became a huge hit with everyone.  Yes.  My meat lovers really got into the tofu!  I like that this recipe is flexible and I can add whatever vegetables that I have an abundance of in my refrigerator.   Although, I do have to admit, I'm a big fan of broccoli in this recipe.

Oh, and, if tofu isn't your thing, feel free to substitute chicken or leave it out completely.

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Stir Fry

ingredients:

1 TBSP sunflower seed oil

8oz tofu*

ginger

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup broccoli florets

3/4 cup bell peppers, sliced

1/2 cup water chestnuts, drained and sliced

3/4 cup baby corn, drained

1 tsp ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

for the sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tsp cornstarch

directions:

Heat oil in small pan.  Add tofu and ginger and cook until desired consistency (I like it to be a little brown on sides).  Set aside.

In large pan, heat oil.  Add carrots and mushrooms and cook until tender.

Add broccoli, peppers, water chestnuts and 2 TBSP of water to pan.

Cook for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds.  Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, mix the vegetable broth and soy sauce.  Pour mixture over vegetables.

In separate small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 TBSP cold water.  Add mixture to vegetables and bring to a boil.  Cook until sauce starts to thicken (about a minute or two).

Serve over rice.

*Make sure tofu is drained of water.  Press with paper towels to get rid of excess water.  Cut tofu into cubes.

*This recipe is great because you can add any vegetables:  Cauliflower, baby corn, snow peas, peas, green beans, etc.  Use your imagination.

Enjoy!

Fun National Days in August

I thought I would start this at the beginning of the month so everyone can mark their calendars and celebrate all of these fun National Days.  Oh, and let me know in the comments if you got some of the references.

Here we go:

August 4  National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Pour yourself a glass of milk (or almond milk) and enjoy America's #1 favorite cookie today!   

August 5 National Underwear Day

A great way to celebrate today would be to put on a clean pair of underwear.  Did your mom ever tell you to, "Make sure you are wearing clean underwear.  You never know when you will be in an accident!"   Break out a clean pair those boxers, tighty whities, bikinis, briefs or thongs.  Need more ideas on how to celebrate today?  How about 

watching Tom Cruise in Risky Business?  

read about the history of underwear in, "Unmentionables:  A Brief History of Underwear," by Elaine Benson.  

buying some new underwear  

Clean out your underwear drawer

It's also

National Work Like a Dog Day

Today is a great day to go and meet every challenge you face head on.   Feel free to share on social media how hard you work or even a video of your average workday.  I know that today I will be working hard like my weird dog, Pippen by laying around on our back deck.

August 6  National Fresh Breath Day

I added this day because I thought it was odd to celebrate fresh breath.  I did a little digging and this day is in place to celebrate oral health.  So, brush your teeth a few extra times today.  Don't forget to pop a mint (or three) when getting close to your special someone.  And, it doesn't hurt to pop a mint if you are wearing a face mask.  Does anyone else think they have bad breath when wearing a face mask or is it just me?

August 10  National S'mores Day

"You want a s'more, Smalls?"

"Some more of what?"

"No.  Do you want a s'more?"

"I haven't had anything yet so how can I have some more of nothing?"

"You're killing me Smalls!  These are s'mores stuff, 'kay?  Pay attention.  First you take the graham.  You stick the chocolate on the graham.  Then you roast the mallow.  When the mallow's flaming, you stick it on the chocolate.  Then you cover it with the other end.  Then you scarf.  Kind of messy, but good.  Try some."

Does anyone know what movie that's from?

August 12  National Middle Child Day

Wow.  Now you get your own day.  You must be Mom's favorite.

August 13  National Left Handers Day

It's time to recognize all of those Lefties out there (including RT).   Once thought as "the hand of the devil," parents would force their children to use their right hand.  Now left handers are accepted and make up about 10% of the population.  Left handers grew up and survived a right handed world.  Why not celebrate by taking your favorite left hander out for lunch today?

August 15  National World Honey Bee Day

Today we celebrate bee keepers, honey lovers and all blooming things.  It's a way to encourage people to buy locally grown honey.  How you can celebrate the day?  Plant some wildflowers, buy locally grown honey or add a little honey to your tea this morning

August 16  National Rum Day

Rum is a clear alcoholic drink which is the byproduct of sugar production.  It can also be made directly from sugar cane juice.   I'm sure you don't need a background on rum or even a reason to drink it.  Cheers!

It's also 

National Tell a Joke Day

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Tank.

Tank who?  

You're welcome.

August 17  National Thrift Shop Day

A great way to celebrate would be to go pop some tags, especially if you have twenty dollars in your pocket.   You can also celebrate today by donating your unused items to your local thrift shop.

 

August 26  National Dog Day 

National Dog Day encourages dog ownership of all breeds, including, mutts, purebreds, mixes and weird dogs.  The purpose of the day is to find homes for rescue dogs.   Pippen makes the calendar twice this month.  Today I will be celebrating by giving my weird rescue mutt lots of love.

August 30  National Beach Day

Today is to celebrate the sandy beaches all around the world.  It's also a reminder to keep them clean.  Always remember to clean up after yourself (Don't litter!).  Take home what you bring to the beach.  I need to be a part of National Beach Day.  Anyone care to join me?