My Weird Dog - Halloween Recovery

Halloween is always a fun time of year at our house.  Even my weird dog Pippen gets in on the fun.  You see, every time the doorbell rings he jumps up and runs to the door.  You're probably thinking, "That's what all normal dogs do."  You have to remember that Pippen is not normal.

One of Pippen's favorite hangouts is in the family room.  He is usually engaged in his favorite activity:  sleeping.  When the doorbell rings, he will jump up and start barking.  It's nice, because he has a loud bark and people can hear it at the front door.  The only problem is, if we remain seated, he just stands there and barks.  He doesn't run to the door to protect us.  If we start walking towards the door, he will follow.  It's like he is afraid to go near the door (my fearless protector).  

I should also mention that our front door is down a flight of stairs and that Pippen is not a puppy.  With every doorbell ring on Halloween, he runs down and up a flight of stairs.

Pippen has been a little tired and out of sorts for the last week.  Hopefully with a few more naps, he should be back to "normal" soon.

Retail Problems - Two Cents

 It was one of those crazy days at work.  I had a long line of customers at the service desk.  As I was helping someone, a customer came up and demanded her change.  "The cashier forgot to give me the change."  I told her that I can't just take it out of any register.  The change has to come from the register that rang up her purchase, otherwise both register drawers will be off when counted.  

I brought the customer over to the register and realize that it's a new cashier.  She has no idea how to open her drawer and get change and she is in the middle of ringing up a large order.  So, I start bagging for her and explain the situation to the customer.  The customer, of course, becomes upset because she does not want to wait.  I try to calm her down.  The transaction ends and I instruct the cashier on how to do a "no sale."  She's new, so I want to teach her how to do this so we don't get in the same situation in the future.  

The cashier opens the drawer and pulls out the change.  Two cents.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The customer threw a fit because she needed her two cents back.

I try to carry change in my pocket (my own money) so I don't have to go through these nightmares.  Unfortunately, this was one of the times I did not have any money on me.

National Harvey Wallbanger Day

 Happy Harvey Wallbanger Day!

I think this is one of my favorite days of the year and I want to make sure that everyone out there is celebrating with me.  Of course, I'm starting early this morning, so I might be a few drinks ahead of you.  

A Harvey Wallbanger is a fruity cocktail made with vodka, Galliano and orange juice.    It's basically a screwdriver, but a little fruitier.  Galliano is an Italian liqueur that contains Juniper, Anise, Mint and Vanilla.  If you are unable to locate Galliano, you can always substitute Kahlua, Triple Sec or peppermint Schnapps. 

The Harvey Wallbanger originated in the sixties.  There are several stories out there, but I prefer this one:  A bartender named Donato Antone created the drink and served it at a party.  The one person remaining after the party, Harvey, was banging his head against the wall.  The drink made its debut to the rest of the world in 1968.  Galliano used Harvey in their marketing campaign in 1969 with, "Harvey Wallbanger is the name and I can be made."  The drink's name also became a metaphor to describe someone who goofs off or makes mistakes.  Harvey Wallbanger was also a frequent write in vote during elections.  

How can you observe Harvey Wallbanger Day?  Meet your friends at your local hang out and order a Harvey Wallbanger and toast good ol' Harvey (just don't be the one banging your head on the wall at the end of the night).  You can use #HarveyWallbangerDay when posting on social media.

How to make the perfect Harvey Wallbanger?  I'm glad you asked!

1.5 oz Vodka
4 oz orange juice
.5oz Galliano
cherry or orange slice for garnish

Mix vodka and orange juice.  Pour Galliano on top and don't mix it in the drink (best if you pour over a spoon).  Garnish with a cherry or orange slice and serve.

Cheers!

Blank Notebooks

 I have quite the collection of blank notebooks.  I'm a sucker for the pretty designs.  The ideas flow through my head of how I could use them.  I mean, there are so many things that you can do with a new blank notebook. 

Here's my list of what to do with those beautiful, blank notebooks:

Gratitude Journal

Daily planner

To Do List

Personal Journal (Diary)

Food Journal

Travel Jornal

Place to write down your thoughts

Favorite quotes

Favorite lists (songs, flowers, food, movies, etc.)

Bullet journal

Journaling prompts

Recipes

Goal Setting

Bucket List

Doodle or drawing book

Write stories (or blog posts)

Learn a new language

Track your finances

Prayers or reflections

Memories

I could go on and on.

What's holding me back from using my journals?  Oh, afraid that I use them for the wrong thing.  Messing up the book with my bad handwriting (you would agree if you saw the original writing of this post in my, believe it or not, blank notebook).  

Do you have a blank notebook obsession?

Do you use blank notebooks?  If yes, how do you use them?  Let me know in the comments below.

Belly Ache Day

 Another Halloween has come and gone.  How much candy did you eat?

My Dad always called the day after Halloween, "Belly Ache Day."  The belly ache came from eating too much candy the day before (Halloween).  I never suffered on Belly Ache Day.  I was allowed a few pieces of candy on Halloween, and then the rest of my candy was squirreled away by my mom, never to be seen again.  I think she probably threw it all in the garbage (Thanks, Mom).

If you have some energy and are looking for some ways to use up that Halloween candy (besides hiding it or throwing it away), check out my recipe for Halloween cupcakes.  You can make a few batches and give them out to the neighbors.   You can always donate some candy to a food pantry or bring candy to a nursing home (the seniors love getting the candy as a bingo prize!).  There are local dentists that collect candy, also.

Here's hoping that you aren't suffering too much on this Belly Ache Day!

Happy Halloween!

 Every day I go on a bike ride and take the same route just so I can ride by this one house.  They have two skeletons in their front yard that they move every day.  One day they are exercising, the next day they are playing baseball or football.  They have been known to camp, barbecue, do sit ups, cut the grass, do yard work, golf and rake leaves.  Today they were Trick or Treating. 

I'm a little sad the Halloween season is over because I will miss my skeleton friends.   Hopefully one of the neighbors has some creative outdoor holiday decorations planned.

Happy Halloween everyone!

National Months - November

 Once again, we have quite a few scary weird fun holidays to celebrate all month long.  

Let's get started!

At the top of our list.... it's

World Vegan Month

An entire month dedicated to vegans.  There are lots of exciting vegan products out there (food, beauty, clothing).  There are also a lot of vegan recipes out there for you to give a try this month (even some on the blog, just click on recipes).  Some reasons people go vegan:  to save the animals (because of poor treatment of animals on farms and the actual killing of the animals), to save the environment ("animal agriculture takes a toll on the earth by contaminating aquatic ecosystems, soil and more"), and for their health (animal fats and proteins are linked to colon cancer and heart health among other diseases).  

it's also

National Noshavember

Learned something new about No Shave November.  Apparently, this was started to raise awareness for cancer.  Any money that you would normally spend on haircuts or facial grooming was to be donated to a cancer research charity.  Don't forget to share those hairy pictures on social media, #NoShaveNovember. 

National Pomegranate Month

Pomegranates are packed with many nutrients like, protein, fiber, Vitamins C and K, folate and potassium.  They also are a beautiful and tasty fruit and this happens to be pomegranate season.  Check out Greek Mythology and the story of Demeter and her daughter, Persephone for an interesting take on the effects of pomegranate seeds. 

National Pepper Month

Great time to try out the world's hottest new pepper, Pepper X.  I'll stick to peppers that don't burn the inside of my mouth (and stomach).  Add this fruit (yea, peppers are fruit because of the seeds) to all of your dishes.   I love adding them to salads for extra color and crunch.

 

National Peanut Butter Lovers Month

Great time to celebrate our love for all things peanut butter.  Check under recipes on the blog for some peanut butter recipes.  Better yet, just type peanut butter on the search bar.  I'm sure Pippen would love to participate this month.  Peanut butter is his favorite.

and, finally, it is 

National Gratitude Month

A month of being thankful.  Let others know that you appreciate their friendship.  Give back to your neighbors and community.   It's also a great time to start that gratitude journal.  How about just journaling for the month of November?  Just by writing down what you are grateful for helps you look at the world in a positive way.    

Looks like a fun month ahead.  Get out there and celebrate all month long!