The Player and The Played

Now—as far as practical jokes go—it has been awhile since I’ve the player or the played.  I just haven’t had many opportunities to make those happen.  But I will tell you about two—rather funny—practical jokes—one I was the player the other one I was played.

The Player:  Many moons ago I worked in a retail’s store back stock room.  I was second fiddle to a guy named Cory who to say the least was an interesting guy.  He and I worked great together—I guess that was a good thing considering he was banging our boss and if the company found out well—they both would have been jobless.  (Yes a big no-no back in the day).  But that didn’t mean I didn’t have my moments with him…he he he he.

So Cory was a blond-haired freckled kid—and always enjoyed a good laugh.  As I said we worked well together and our end of the stock room was in tip top shape.  There was one drawback to working with Cory.  He dipped tobacco and always had a spit cup laying around.  The company frowned on these spit cups—because they were nasty and in my opinion unsanitary—especially if one spilled over.  Anyway, I hated looking at those nasty things and I had devised a brilliant plan to get him back. You see, Cory wasn’t afraid of much, but he was afraid of one thing and I happened to know what that one thing was

He went on lunch break and I took out my box cutter and dived into the Halloween merchandise. It was August.  He would be gone an hour so I searched and searched til I found it.  The prettiest 8 legged plastic creature in the box.  This one was special—because it was made to look real.  Now I knew the retail company wasn’t going to miss this little creature—in the least and I set my plan into motion.  Ever so carefully, I placed that beauty down in that cup. (I snicker as I write this!!)

It took awhile for him to open up his chew. We were nearly had our tasks completed in the stock room for the day when he stuck the wad of nasty into his mouth.  Oh it wasn’t long before he reached for that cup.  I tried so damn hard to keep a straight face…gawd I really did.  *snickers*

Well…he and I were chatting away and he goes to spit.  Looking down for a second and then—flinging the cup across the stock room and jumping straight up in the air like a cat that had been electrocuted.  His hole body turned beat red and he could not blink.  He was also hyperventilating into a mass of hysteria.  He couldn’t talk—although he kept trying while pointing frantically at the cup and with the critter inside!

Of course, I wanted to keep a straight face—but I couldn’t. I laughed so hard I about peed my pants.  That little plastic spider almost literally scared him to death.  I wasn’t the only one laughing about 3 other people witnessed the event and 1 of them knew my devious plan.  HA! But I have to say to some degree it worked, because he never left another dip cup around where I could

see it and have the opportunity to play another joke on him.

The Played: I’ve blogged this one before on Myspace, but never saved it before deleting my account so it deserves to be retold. 

My friends had a party planned for my 22nd birthday.  It wasn’t a surprise party—and I was excited because we all took the night off including my boyfriend.  Unfortunately, the night before we were to go out and celebrate my birthday, my boyfriend calls me from the military base and says he has orders to fly out, he’s very sorry, he’d make it up to me.  I was a bit bummed—but okay—such is the life of a military man.

I called my friend Laurie, who had born the whole birthday bash plan and told her, no big deal she tells me, it will be a girls night out.  The next night my friends take me roller skating. It was so much fun!!  I had not been since my high school days and I had really missed how much fun it could be. We had a blast skating, listening to music from the 80’s and playing all the games like the hokey pokey, the chicken dance and the limbo. 

After they surprised me and told me that they were taking me to a late dinner.  I was so happy because I was quite hungry after skating my butt off.  The problem was they took me to a rather upscale restaurant.  Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but I had just got done skating and here I was all hot and sweaty! Oh well—I figure they are all hot and sticky too—so it will be a big group of us hot and sticky girls.

We drove to the restaurant on some pretty icy roads.  We made our way inside and Laurie talks to the host greeting us.  I decide to hit the bathroom to freshen up and fix my hair.  I come back out to the lobby and I witness my friends walking out their cars (we had to take two to get everyone there).  “No big deal,”  one of them shouted back, “We have to get something, out of the cars. We’ll be right back.” I remember thinking how thoughtful they were—they must have gotten me some sort of present for my birthday.

Except, as I watched them head to the car through the windowed doors of the restaurant, I could see them laughing and they got IN the cars and LEFT!!!! 

I did not know what to think. Honest to God. I ran out those doors so fast, into the cold and I start flailing my arms screaming “Hey! HEY!! Where are YOU Going?  HEY!! Don’t leave me!!”  I tried to chase them on foot but it was really slippery outside and they paid no attention whatsoever!!

They DITCHED ME!!

I don’t know if I was just really stunned or what? It was if the cat got my tongue.  What kind of freaking stunt was that??  I had to have stood there for an eternity as I watched them pull out of the parking lot and speed away.

So, I walked back inside, to go find a pay phone.  And there is the host all ready with menus in hand as he says, “Please follow me, your table is waiting.”  I’m almost in tears. I hesitate.  “Right this way,” he repeats as he motions for me to follow him. Fine. I followed him. A huge chocolate mudslide sounded pretty damn good right about then, what the hell!!  He leads me back to a small type of banquet room behind two double doors. I follow him in as he opens the doors for me and then I stop stunned at what held my eyes.

I walked into a room with a small table set for two, with wine poured and candles (well those oil lamp candles) lit. And there was my boyfriend in his black leather boots and black suede cowboy hat with a private table in a private room and some country music piped in from somewhere.  Man was he a site for my misty eyes.  He had been in on the plan all along.

OOOOOH…they had got me good! I was totally played!!  *smiles*

We met up with the my friends later for drinks…they had thoroughly enjoyed their little stunt.  I had to admit…they had me pretty darn good.  I vowed then and there to get them back—somehow, someway, someday, very soon.

And those are the two best stories I have to tell you about being Played and being the Player. I have to say—what goes around—really does come around!!

Cheers,

This was written for BFF topic The Best Practical Joke.  Click here to join the BFF and join in on some fun blogging challenges!!.

The Summer Stretch

What do you do on a lazy summer night when you want a quick, uncomplicated dinner, but you want to elevate it beyond a simple grilled cheese sandwich? And furthermore, what do you do when you really don't have much to choose from in your fridge or freezer? I was faced with that question recently. Not only have we been cutting back on our trips to the grocery store but our freezer has really dwindled down a lot. And we have a nice, upright freezer in the garage. It is tempting to fill it with a range of possibilities that someone who likes to cook (ME!) would find exhilarating. But we learned the hard way during Hurricane Frances that it is not smart to stockpile a freezer during hurricane season in Florida.

Even though by the time Frances blew through our area it was less powerful, it still knocked a punch!! Several trees were blown down and our power was out for 4 days. FOUR DAYS!!! That means no air, fans, TV or even coffee (at the time I didn't have a "campstove coffee pot", but you can be assured that I do now!!). It was days filled with chronically STILL, hot, MUGGY air afterwards. During the day was tolerable as I was up and about (luckily I was on vacation--a "staycation" that didn't quite turn out as expected--but at least I didn't have to show up to work all sweaty after a night of no sleep), but nights were nearly unbearable, and the only lights we had were hurricane lamps, and they only threw off extra heat, so it was unappealing to cozy up next to one to read a book just to occupy myself.

Needless to say, the night the power company trucks rolled into the neighborhood, we stood outside and cheered them on! By dawn our power was back and I closed up the house, turned on the air, and immediately set to work clearing the fridge and freezer of all we'd lost. We were lucky in that the freezer managed to keep things well enough that at least they weren't spoiled....we just had to cook them all at once after! (We'd managed to borrow a gas-powered generator from a family member to at least run our freezer in bursts).

So while sometimes I'm tempted to buy extra to throw in the freezer, I resist the urge this time of year because with less in the freezer there is less to worry about and less to lose. (The only time I broke from that mindset was last summer when we acquired the pig! That definitely filled the whole freezer. Luckily we had a quiet hurricane season...LOL). Even our pig is nearly gone now....we have one, big "fresh ham" left , some packages of pork sausage and pork fat (to make homemade sausages)

So since our fridge and freezer are a bit "lean" this time of year, I had to be creative. Luckily I'd roasted a chicken the Sunday before, so I just cut some meat off the leftover chicken and used it to make Chicken Gorditas!! I decided to make homemade flatbreads (but you can certainly buy flatbreads at the store to make it quicker)...to be honest, the idea of running out to the store at the time was even less appealing than going through the task of making my own. I was a bit concerned that I'd find it to be quite a JOB, but I was pleasantly suprised that it really wasn't that big a deal....and my husband LOVED the fresh flatbreads (he was eating them plain the next day). So our assembled "gorditas" had: chicken, shredded lettuce, tomato and a special "Spicy Ranch Sauce" that I whipped up. Served with some french fries, it really turned out to be an easy and fun summer night's dinner! The wine I enjoyed with this: Pinot Grigio.

The Power of Words

Words—a set of symbols when strung together give meaning to persons, places, things, thoughts, concepts, ideas—when aligned together in any communicable fashion, hold a lot of power.

If you think about the ways in which we use words…we have the power to make people laugh, sing, move, weep, dream, destroy, cry, scream, think, act, and oh the list goes on. 

How we use them—what we say, how we say it, who we say it to—can reveal how powerful or powerless the words are…we are.

I read a lot, I write a lot and I also speak a lot.   It is part of my social nature—part of my extroverted personality—part of who I am at the core of me. In all of these ways, that I see and use words, I find that the most profound way in which I see and use their power is through encouragement.

Through my use of words, I have the power to encourage—to inspire someone through courage or confidence to do something.  I have the ability to stimulate something or someone into doing something through approval or support.  This is something I choose to do…this is something that I’ve learned I am good at doing.

I may not be the type to persuade others to join a particular band wagon—or a campaign of sorts---I may not be able to bring a flood of tears through evoked emotion—I may not be eloquent enough with my words to make you believe I am a scholar.  And I am okay with all of that, because I do know that I can use words to encourage others in their endeavors—to see the positives of a given situation—to see life with a glass half full and not half empty.  This helps establish lasting connections and build strong friendships.

Words have power—my words have power—and they are inspiring, uplifting, meaningful and lasting.  This is something I choose to do—encourage others through the power of words.

What is your take on the power of words? 

Cheers,

**This post was written for The Writers’ Post group on Facebook, Blog Hop #7, topic: The Power of Words.  If you are interested in connecting with other bloggers and want to join in on the fun click the picture below!

Sweet Tomatoes!

Even though the air conditioner is struggling and it seems a bit warm inside the house, the moment I open the door and step outside, I remember just what WARM really is. The hot, humid air wraps around me like a stuffy blanket. The stickiness and heaviness in the air is suprising, though it shouldn't be, as I have lived here all my life. It is the middle of summer in Florida. For awhile there I'd thought the weeks weren't so bad as they passed by, hot as they were. But then a couple weeks ago, it seemed like I stepped outside one morning and wham! ....it was like I ran into a wall of humidity. It seems like even though I'm a Floridian, I forget exactly how oppressive the heat and humidity can be when it arrives. Yes, sometimes summertime in Florida can really get a grip on you.

One thing that doesn't seem to mind the Florida summer is our tomatoes! They have been flourishing quite well in 12" pots out back. We planted other vegetables in our garden beds, but they have not done well this summer so far. Though since we have a long growing season in Florida, I still might have a shot to get out there and clean out the beds and try again. But for now I am pretty satisfied with how my tomatoes have been producing! We're growing Plum (roma) tomatoes, 'Juliet' grape tomatoes and 'cherry-chocolate' tomatoes!

They have been producing quite well....it seems like every day I step outside and there are more to be picked, and it has been getting to be more than I quite know what to do with. But I set them in bowls on the counter and they do very well there, lasting quite awhile (I always try to avoid refrigerating tomatoes, because that makes them "mealy"....though so far, I've found the cherry tomatoes to be more resilient to this occuring). I've used them in omelets, put extra in my tacos....Tonight I decided to make a sauce for my homemade pizzas with them. Since I was using both Plum and grape tomatoes, I decided not to go through the "peeling" process....I just puree'd them fresh in the food processor.

When I lifted the lid it was so heavenly & tomatoey!! It smelled like the BEST of summer!! I briefly sautee'd the fresh tomato puree and then used it to top one of my pizzas (the dough recipe makes 2 pizzas; I usually freeze 1 half of the dough for later, as 1 pizza at a time is sufficient for us....but I made two since John wanted extras to take for lunches). Then I used some leftover jarred, commercial tomato sauce for the second pizza. The pizzas turned out delicious! But my husband did say that he could tell a difference in the sauces....I was leery at first when he announced this, 'cause I know he is not one to like fresh tomatoes (though I hadn't told him the first pizza was made from fresh tomato sauce till after he scarfed down a few pieces with all the appropriate...."Ummmm...good" comments...LOL)....and he admitted that he liked the pizza with the fresh sauce better! It was "lighter tasting" and not with all the "strong" characteristics of the jarred, commercial sauce. Hooray! The sweet tomatoes from our garden have proven that they are supreme!

*I served Oak Leaf Shiraz with our pizzas.

From the Garden to the Oven

Along the lines of a summer theme—I thought I’d do a quick post on how my vegetable garden is coming along!!  If you didn’t know this was the first year I decided to grow vegetables not planted in planters.  Amazing what I’ve learned this first year in a garden setting!!

Okay this was a picture of my garden from mid-May—and honestly—it was just getting started!!

It is not a HUGE garden.  It is only 6 feet by 10 feet and 12 inches deep.  We had to do a raised garden because our electric lines happen to run right under the ground there.  Anyway—I like the idea of the raised garden.

So this next picture was taken near the end of June—just to sort of give you an idea how it had progressed:

I know—it doesn’t look like much.  But I was excited.  Each day I’d go out and weed it and check everything to make sure I didn’t have a problem with bugs.

This picture was taken yesterday (July 25th):

Now I know you must think: That is a glorified mess!!   Really—it is coming along wonderfully. I have 12 ears of corn coming off those 6 stalks back there. I have 6 broccoli flowering.  That big bushy thing on the right side of the garden?  A zillion and a half cherry tomatoes.  The big leafy things on the left—cucumbers and zucchini. I’ve had numerous peppers, leaf lettuce come to fruition.  The cauliflower will be any day now as will these onions!!

So to give you an idea---here are some close ups!!

Broccoli

Corn

Bell Pepper

Cherry Tomatoes

Bush Tomatoes

Banana Pepper:

Zucchini !!

While not the best shot I’ve ever taken of a zucchini—that thing got huge!!  Here is my daughter holding it after we picked it!

Poor kid---sun was really in her eyes and I kept saying ‘open your eyes’ and she was trying…but it was that time of day where the sun had the advantage!!

Okay—so we waited until the sun set and went to work in our kitchen.  We made a 5lb loaf of Zucchini Bread.  You can follow this link to get our recipe!!

And here is a picture of the finished product.  A bit blurry, my apologies. Normally, I don’t like to post blurry pictures—but it was late at night and I was just not going to wait much longer to take a bite of the that bread calling my name. (LOL)

And so now you know how it is going over here from the Garden to the Oven!!

Thanks for reading along!!

Cheers,

Guilty or Not Guilty

Ahhh---the topic of guilt.

I don’t feel guilt often---because I am pretty much someone who owns up to things, I like to take responsibility, and that means (at least for me) quickly ridding myself of guilt by admitting I’ve done something wrong, apologizing and try like hell not to do it again.   I’ve certainly had my fair share of screw ups and my fair share of stubbornness in not wanting to admit my wrong doings…but over the years I’ve quickly learned to own it, apologize and move forward.  No dwelling on the past as they say.

HOWEVER!!! (Yeah, you KNEW that was coming) I will say when it comes to CHOCOLATE I have a slight weakness and I love to delve into that guilty pleasure way more than I should.

And I also have to say---I’ve been a really good girl lately---but that is about to change!!  My nieces are in town and we totally plan to make smores tonight!! YUM!

My neighbor gave us an outdoor fireplace with one of those tall chimneys. We have every intention of putting wood into it to burn…I’ve bought the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate and we are going to have ourselves a little treat!!  Our fire is set to be lit at 8:00pm so we can be eating smores right at bedtime!! LOL!!

So---while the sun is setting tonight---think of me---enjoying some smores with my nieces and my kids and having a blast!!  I may not get much sleep before work tonight---but I can feel guilty about that later—right?? 

Cheers,

Summer

I thought it would be fun to share some summer photos with all of you!!  These are photos I’ve taken since June and well—hopefully I’ve capture a bit of what summer looks like around here! 

Now—to warn you I like to photograph nature…and generally macro style.  I’m still learning when it comes to photography. Let me know what you think!!

The Rose and The Meadow:

Coneflower and the Bumblebee:

Smell the Roses:

Water Lily:

Purple Allium

1923 Ford

Come Rest in the Shade

Old Glory at Sunrise

Toad-ally Charming

(Yes it is a Frog!)

Yellow Chrysanthemum:

Full Moon in July:

Reflections at the Lake:

Red Burst Sunflower:

Downtown Columbus:

Spider and Web at Night:

Succulent Macro:

Hanging In There:

Such a Poser:

Center of a Sunflower:

Purple Flowers:

Small Blue Grecian Butterfly:

Orange Barred Sulpher Butterfly:

Discovery:

Please Don’t Rain on My Carnival:

Rainbow:

Sunset in Michigan:

 

Hope you all enjoyed these!!  Cheers!!

 

**All Photos taken by Duffee © 2011, All Rights Reserved.  The photos are not to be copied or used without the express written consent of the author of this blog**

 

This was part of the weekly theme for the GBE2 group on Facebook.  You want to join in on the fun??  Click the picture below!!