It's a Small World After All

Don't you love me for putting that song into your head? :)

One of my daily reads is Rue's Peanut Butter and Jelly Life. She's a small-town girl at heart and was living in "Mayberry", a small town in Ohio. I loved reading her daily musings about her wonderful life in Mayberry.

Recently, Rue and her family moved to another small town in Ohio, "Mayberry, Jr.". They're doing some remodeling in their beautiful new home, and Rue's doing some exploring around Mayberry, Jr.

On reading one of her recent blog posts, I thought a photo that she'd taken of a local park looked very familiar, very similar to the small town in Ohio that I called home for most of my childhood. My folks still live there, and we visit a few times a year.

Because I'm weird that way, I dropped her a note, telling her how similar Mayberry, Jr. looked to my little hometown. And wouldn't you know it? Mayberry, Jr. IS my little hometown! I'm so excited to go home in April, and I'm hoping that Rue and I can meet for coffee or lunch. How cool is that? :)

So sing it with me kids!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Dear Pizza Hut Corporate Offices,

I have fond memories of Pizza Hut from my childhood. Growing up, it was our "go to" place for family pizza night. My dad would order ahead of time (Super Supreme Pan Pizza with extra cheese) and we'd head to the restaurant, where we would usually be able to sit down, get our beverages and our pizza was on our table in a matter of minutes.

When I was in high school, there was a Pizza Hut right down the street from the school, and it was a popular hangout for Friday night post-football game celebrations.

Now that I'm married with children of my own, I love being able to order a yummy pan pizza and have it delivered to my home, hot and fresh.

Well, I USED to love it.

Living in the Chicago suburbs, we have loads of pizza options, but it seemed we always had a coupon for Pizza Hut, and the kids liked it as well as we did. Earlier this week, I tried to order a pizza and your new pasta. We'd heard such good things about the pasta, and after a long day at work, not cooking was DEFINITELY on my menu.

We hadn't ordered pizza in a few months, but didn't think anything of calling our Pizza Hut restaurant to place the order.

I was told that they could no longer deliver to my address. Ah well, things change. So I called another local Pizza Hut. And another. And another. And another.

Five different Pizza Huts. All the same answer. "Sorry, we can't deliver to your address."

So I went online, only to discover that there are NO Pizza Hut restaurants that deliver to my address. I found this extremely odd, as there are SEVEN of your restaurants within a 9.5 mile radius of my home. THREE of them are under 5.5 miles. ONE of them is less than three miles away!

Sigh.

So I did what any normal, irate customer would do. I ordered from a different restaurant.

Then I called Pizza Hut Customer Service. I told my story and they asked if I'd like a call-back. Sure, why not.

I got a call back the very next day. From the manager of one of the local stores. Who couldn't do anything but take my concerns to the District Manager. Uhm...so why did I call the corporate number? If I'd've thought that the store manager could've helped me, I would've called the store.

His explanation of the Corporate office rationale was that they'd gotten too many complaints from customers about late deliveries and cold pizzas, so they rearranged the delivery areas, cutting out some of the more outlying locations. Which I get. However, when there are THAT many stores who are THAT close to me, I don't understand why they didn't just reassign our location.

Of course the store manager was sympathetic to my plea, as was I to his. Unfortunately, he couldn't solve my problem, and corporate clearly doesn't care that there are about 2500 families in our subdivision area that can't get Pizza Hut delivered. There are at least 1500 more families in surrounding subdivisions (within 2 miles) that are in the same boat.

Pizza Hut must be rolling in dough (a poor, pathetic attempt at humor) for them not to care about these families.

Sincerely,
A Former Pizza Hut Household

Hell Hath No Fury

Like a mother scorned...

So tonight was going to be pizza night at Chez Diva. Pizza and pasta, to be precise. We'd planned to order from a restaurant that, for purposes of this story we'll call Pizza NOT.

We typically order from a local pizza joint that has really good pies, but we'd heard rave reviews about the pasta from this national chain restaurant. So I went online to find the number.

At this juncture, a few things are very important to note.

1. There are no fewer than SEVEN Pizza NOT restaurants within a 9.5 mile radius of my house.
2. THREE of those restaurants are fewer than 5.5 miles away.
3. ONE of those restaurants is less than 3 miles from Chez Diva
4. NOT A SINGLE one delivers to our home.

I called FIVE restaurants, only to be told by each one that they can't deliver to our home. Can't. Apparently their computer system won't even allow them to TAKE a delivery order that is outside their prescribed delivery area.

Now, while I can certainly appreciate the fact that the individual stores have no control over this ABSURD policy, that doesn't reduce my frustration level at all. So, of course, I contacted Pizza NOT's corporate offices and registered my complaint. Of course, I now have to wait for a call back, but rest assured, this isn't the end of the pizza saga.

"Pizza Hut: Now You're Eating"

....Just Not Our Food!

I'll keep you posted!

I Posted...

Over here today.

By George, I Think She's Got It!

It's snowing here. Again. And I have to work. Well, not really WORK, per se. It's more MONITORING than anything. Thank goodness for laptops and wireless access. And Diet Coke.

I've been wanting to learn HTML for a long time. Web page design is fascinating to me, from both a creative standpoint and also from a personal development standpoint. I'm pretty sure that both SS#1 and The Manimal are going to blow me out of the water with their computer skills at some point in the future, but I figure that learning HTML/Web Design might at least give me a fighting chance! :)

I have a friend from college who's a website designer, and what fascinates me most about her is that it's really her second career. With undergraduate and graduate degrees in music education, she sure didn't start out to be a web designer, so I figure there's hope for me yet!

So I did a little online research, figuring that SOMEWHERE in the vast world wide web there would be SOMEONE who offered free online tutorials, and sure enough, I found one. Well, I actually found several, but one was plenty to start.

I went to the Quackit HTML Tutorial and spent about 90 minutes. Now, I'm no expert, by ANY stretch of the imagination, but I was able to learn enough to write this whole post in HTML mode! All by myself!

The link above? I didn't use the handy-dandy little blogger tool. I personally typed the code in with my own ten fingers!

Not only did I learn how to make a link, like you see above, but I also learned some other cool tricks...

• like


• bullet


• points

1. and


2. numbered


3. lists

And how to make things really colorful!

I even learned how to embed graphics.

This one worked pretty well. Kind of wonky looking, but it was from the tutorial library.



This one didn't work so well. I haven't opened a Flickr or Picasa account yet, and my link to the photo on Snapfish was broken. But see how it says "SS#1 Spring"? I made sure it would say what the pic was in case it didn't work!



I also learned how to make a quick e-mail link. You all can e-mail me and let me know how much fun you're having with HTML!

I'm having lots of fun playing with my new baby skills. While it does take a bit more time to enter everything in HTML, it's a cool way to practice. When you're typing in Blogger HTML, however, be sure not to flip between the HTML and Compose modes accidentally. It really does a number on the code and you have re-enter every.single.tag.

Thank goodness for Diet Coke.

Toot Your Own Horn

OK, I give up. I've been trying for nearly an hour to get this button to post, and it simply won't. Not only that, but it makes my text go all wonky when I switch between HTML and Compose mode. I'm going to blame it on Blogger.

So you'll just have to imagine that there is a lovely little black and plum colored button here.

Auds from Barking Mad may just be that. She's giving away a $250 Target Gift Card.

Yep, you read that right. TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS. And all you have to do is create a blog post featuring some of your own favorite posts! Well, and post the button, but we all see how successful THAT attempt was.

So here goes.

Family Recipes

I Am

Caucus Schmaucus

Growth Spurt

Separated at Birth?

Male Pattern Blindness

Hope you enjoy my faves, and don't forget to visit Auds at Barking Mad!

Darndest Part II

While he was supposed to be going to sleep last night, The Manimal was a chatterbox. I told him to be quiet and go to sleep.

"But Mommy, I SPEAKING to you!"

Three years old, going on thirteen...

The Darndest Things

Last night The Manimal sat down next to me and said, "So, I'm up for more juice. How about you?"

Where do they get these things?

Take a Number

I try to be a positive person. I don't like negativity, as a general rule, and if possible, try not to be around negative people.

That being said, I have a complaint.

I once sang the praises of Bloglines.

I'm not anymore. Bloglines stinks. They have SO many technical glitches; for example, they have been on the fritz ALL DAY. And sometimes, they just randomly quit updating a blog that I know has a feed.

Anyone know how to import all TWO HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT of my bloggy reads into Google Reader without doing the old manual entry?

**UPDATED: So not only is Google Reader more user-friendly? It told me exactly how to import my Bloglines list! :) Farewell, Bloglines! Parting is such sweet sorrow!

Hey Old Friend

Seems like everyone I know, used to know, or want to know is on Facebook.

My mother is on Facebook. My pastor is on Facebook. One of my favorite college professors is on Facebook. My college friends, high school friends, even some of my grammar school friends are on Facebook. Former colleagues, current colleagues, they're all there.

It's a bit overwhelming, really. I'm the type of person who compartmentalizes my relationships in my head. I have a section for family, which has grown to "his" and "hers" since I got married. I have a section for my current coworkers, a section previous coworkers, a section for my college friends...you get the idea.

Since I've been on Facebook, those sections have overlapped. I discovered that one of my students from my teaching days (12 years ago, in Ohio) is good friends with one of my former graduate assistants here at Diva U. I also discovered that my neighbors graduated from the same undergraduate institution as my brother (again, in Ohio), only a few years apart. AND those same neighbors are good friends with a fellow colleague here at Diva U. and a friend who now works in Cincinnati. Weird, huh?

I knew I was in too deep, though, when I recommended a friend to a former student of mine who'd gone on to study at my alma mater. Both were Miami Grads, but from different eras. My former student responded to me with "Do I know this guy?"

All because my friends insist on overlapping in my brain.

On a related note, Facebook helped me discover that a former co-worker also counts herself among the ranks of "mommy bloggers". I'd forgotten (since it's been more than TEN YEARS since we worked together!) how very funny she is, both in person and in print. Go check her out and give some bloggy love. She is Sandwiched between Chiquita, Mr. Hoagie and her little ones.

Enjoy!

Follow Your Bliss

You may, in your blogging travels, have encountered a blogger extraordinaire. She's a mommy blogger with five boys, an entrepreneur who makes beautiful photo jewelry, an event coordinator and now the publisher of an online magazine.

Her name is Allison Worthington, a.k.a. "Mrs. Fussypants", and she's my hero.

I'm going to get to Blissdom '10 if it kills me. And yes, I know the link is for Blissdom '09, but you've got to read the posts from attendees. Who wants to join me?

Do A Good Turn Daily

I think that was one of the Girl Scout tenets. Of course, it's a good motto to live by, regardless.

In my Facebook reunions with old friends and colleagues, I reconnected with a grammar school/high school classmate. He has this great blog, Good Turns At Every Turn.

In his own words...

"10% of people don't care. 10% might care a little too much. Then there's that 80% in the middle who want to do the right thing but don't have the time or resources to question and examine every decision they make. If you don't know where to start, this might help you learn how to do a Good Turn in small ways in your everyday life. It's environment, it's politics, it's social awareness. It's a start, you know?"

Mike publishes a wide variety of articles about and opportunities for "doing good". Like mounting a recycled trophy head, adding broken glass to your dinner menu, or, in honor of today's Valentine's Day celebrations, giving chocolate with heart.

So do your good turn for today, and become concerned about life outside your own little circle of influence (and shouldn't we all be so concerned?). Go check him out!

Good Luck

I'm not superstitious. At all. I don't believe that Friday the 13th is a particularly unlucky day. Just the fact that it's Friday should be cause for celebration!

So in celebration, I did what any blogger worth her salt would do. I swiped this idea from a fellow blogger. Jenny from Chased by Children did a 13 blog today. And so I give you my Random 13.

1. I was 13 for 6 months in 1982 and 6 months in 1983.

2. 13 years ago I was teaching high school band and music appreciation.

3. I've never seen any of the Friday the 13th movies. I don't do horror and gore.

4. This was my 13th blog post.

5. Sweet Son #1 will turn 13 in 2013. I have a friend who always said she wanted to have a baby in 2000 so she'd always remember how old the kid was. She didn't. I did.

6. Many high rise buildings don't have a 13th floor. Floors are numbered sequentially "...11, 12, 14, 15..."

7. Mary Kay Ash started her business on Friday, September 13th in 1963. MK Corporate Headquarters is a 13 story building and has 13 elevators. She felt 13 was a lucky number for her.

8. Apollo 13 is one of my favorite movies. 2. The actual Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). Luckily, the crew all returned safely to earth.

9. There will be three Friday the 13th occurrences this year. February, March and November all have them.

10. Apparently, superstitious dining parties of 13 in Paris can hire a professional 14th guest, called a quatorzieme.

11. 13 of anything (not just bread) is known as a "Baker's Dozen". Henry III was serious about customer service.

12. The 13 letter of the alphabet is M.

13. If you were born on February 13th, 1996, today is your Golden Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

In case you've been under a rock, or you don't happen to live in Kentucky or Illinois, today is the bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. I never really thought too much about our sixteenth president, with the exception of the annual President's Day holiday from school.

But 200 years is a pretty significant milestone, and since I do live in the "Land of Lincoln" (it says so on my license plate!), I thought a little tribute was in order.

In college I developed a love for the music of composer Aaron Copland. He was a creative genius and I could listen to his music all day. We had the privilege of playing "Lincoln Portrait" during my junior or senior year in Wind Ensemble. It's an incredible piece of music that has a text, read by a narrator.

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history."

That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]

He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois. And this is what he said. This is what Abe Lincoln said.

"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we will save our country." [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]

When standing erect he was six feet four inches tall, and this is what he said.

He said: "It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says 'you toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.' No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle." [Lincoln-Douglas debates, 15 October 1858]

Lincoln was a quiet man. Abe Lincoln was a quiet and a melancholy man. But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said.

He said: "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy."

Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of these United States, is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen. For on the battleground at Gettysburg, this is what he said:

He said: "That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Here is an incredible rendition of "Lincoln Portrait" by Fred Child and the U.S. Marine Band.

Enjoy.

Chair Dancing With the Stars

One of my favorite things about living in the Windy City is WGN News. Now, while I try to stay away from the somewhat bipolar personality, the mundanity and insanity of mainstream media in general, WGN manages to infuse just enough lightheartedness into their broadcasts, particularly the Morning Show, that I don't mind watching!

Robert Jordan and Jackie Bange are two of my favorite reporters, and they complement each other perfectly as anchors. Perhaps it's because they genuinely like each other and get along off air as well...



***UPDATED: Thanks to my bloggy friend C.Beth for finding a fab little interview with Robert Jordan about the Chair Dance! Check it out here.

Monday String Beans

Today's post title doesn't have much to do with anything except for the fact that I love Eric Carle's books. If you have small children, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" or one of his other classics is probably on your bookshelf. If you haven't seen it, check out "Today Is Monday" as well. You'll be humming the song to yourself all week. And, hey, maybe it'll help with your menu planning!

Speaking of menu planning, you all know about my penchant for bargain hunting and my attempts at frugality. Now, I love me some Aldi, and I coupon cut occasionally, but it's still tough to keep to a strict budget when grocery shopping.

Enter Angel Food Ministries.

From their website: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states. In 1994, Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo found their hearts going out to the families of many of the local families in Monroe, GA, affected by the recent industrial plant closings. On their back porch, the first Angel Food distribution fed 34 families. Over the next years, other churches wanted to be get involved, and Angel Food began feeding hundreds of families across the southeast. Now, Angel Food feeds over 500,000 families a month in 35 states."

Basically, AFM is a program that allows families to pre-order and purchase boxes of food each month. With the purchase of at least one of the standard boxes ($30, enough to feed a family of four for a week), additional special boxes are available, such as produce, grill meats, etc. The menu changes every month, but as an example, February's standard $30 box includes the following:

1.5 lb. Sirloin Strip Steaks(4 x 6 oz.)
2 lb. Tray Pack Chicken Breast
1 lb. Boneless Pork Chops
2 lb. Breaded Chicken Nuggets
28 oz. Salisbury Steak Entrée
12 oz. Sliced Bacon
1 lb. All-Meat Hot Dogs
1 lb. Stir Fry (Broccoli, Red Peppers & Onions)
1 lb. Carrots
8 oz. Breakfast Cereal
32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk
35 oz. Crinkle-Cut Fries
7.25 oz. Mac ‘n Cheese
1 lb. Rice
1 lb. Bean Soup Mix
Dozen Eggs
Dessert

If you want to add the produce box to that, it's just $21 and includes the following:

3 lb. No. 1 Premium Idaho Baking Potatoes
3 lb. No. 1 Premium North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
2 lb. No. 1 Premium New Crop Western Grown Yellow Onions
9 oz. California Premium Raisins
1 lb. Premium California Grown Carrots
1 head Premium Fresh Green Cabbage
3 lb. New Crop Tree-Ripened Red Delicious Apples
2 each Premium Washington State Anjou Pears
1 each Premium Golden Sweet Pineapple
3 lb. New Crop Premium Florida Tree-Ripened Valencia Oranges

Now, lest you think that AFM is just another food bank, there is one major difference. There are NO income requirements. ANYONE can place an order and take advantage of this program. In fact, some churches encourage their members to participate and apply the money they saved to help others in need.

We purchased boxes in December and January and plan to purchase this month as well. The goal for our family of four is to be able to buy nearly all of our food through this program, with the exception of some staples that aren't provided, as well as supplemental produce. Overall, we've been very pleased with the quality of the food included in the packages.

There is no limit to the number of boxes that you can purchase. The only requirement is that you purchase at least ONE of the "standard" boxes. The Angel Food Ministries website even has a section with recipes using the foods in the monthly boxes! Orders and distribution are handled by local church host sites. Many of the sites accept debit cards as online payment. All locations take cash, as well as food stamps.

The bottom line in this economy is that everyone could probably use a little help saving money, and this is a great way to do it. There are locations in 35 states across the USA. Check and see if there's an Angel Food location in your area!

Saucy Giveaway!

I've mentioned The Secret is in the Sauce before, and those Saucy girls have done it again. The February giveaway is up and it's a great pampering surprise for your bedroom. Check out SITS and register!

"I love Jesus, but I drink a little."

I love the Ellen DeGeneres show. She totally cracks me up. Unfortunately, working during the day, I don't get to see it very often. My bloggy buddy Sasha had this on her blog, and it totally cracks me up. Enjoy!

The Coke Tsunami

This is from one of my daily blog reads "Mabel's House". I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or the creative presentation, but it served me well as my much-needed Monday Morning Humor Break. The original, witnessed and penned by Liz herself, can be found here.

Driving home from work, I saw the most horrible, most hilarious, most slap-stick event. Ever. And you know I had to write about it.

Picture this. I was leaving my office parking lot and came to a four way stop. When I stopped, I noticed a woman barreling along in a Taurus. She was chatting on a blue-tooth and it was obvious she didn't see it was a four way stop, so I just stayed there, waiting for her to plow through.

Taurus lady is going about 30 miles per hour and at the last minute, she spots her stop sign. Her head whips sideways as she sees my car. Her mouth forms a panic stricken O and her eyes widen as she realizes she's about to run it. And with that, Taurus lady slams on her breaks.

Now what I didn't tell you is that Taurus lady was holding a lidless Big-Gulp cup in her right hand. Full. To the brim.

And as she slammed on the breaks at 30 miles an hour, tires shrieking, the Big Gulp was subjected to the sheer inertia of the stop. And that's when I saw the tsunami. A big, dark brown wall of coke rose up past the rim of the Big Gulp in a wave-like arch... crashing into Taurus lady's blue-tooth, face, hair. A victim of the Coke Tsunami.

And there she stopped, the hood of the car sticking out past the stop sign, coke dripping from her hair as she sat, stunned and blinking. And that's when the cursing started. Of course I couldn't hear her, but reading her lips wasn't hard. I didn't really know what to do. So I gave her a little wave and took my turn at the four way stop, before the laughter started. Laughter that made tears run from my eyes. Laughter that followed me all the way to the freeway and halfway home. Body shaking, snort-inducing laughter.

I can still see this playing over and over in my mind. And I hear what you're saying, "LIZ! This is so mean to blog about that woman's misfortune." But the bottom line is... all bets are off when I witness an actual Coke Tsunami.

Flat

I love to cook. I've been cooking since I was in junior high or high school. My mom went back to work when both my brother and I were in school, and she worked the 3-11 shift at the hospital, so it was up to me to make dinner for my dad and brother.

It was pretty simple. If dinner wasn't leftovers, my mom would leave me the basics and some instructions. Often, it would be a pound of ground beef, with instructions to make some sort of casserole. My mom had a spice rack that had an "Herbs and Spices and How to Use Them" instruction picture on the front. I would go down the list and find all the spices that were often used in beef, and add them to the casserole. If dinner was pork chops, I'd do the same for pork. You get the idea.

I'm pretty sure that my dad developed an iron stomach, because he ALWAYS ate whatever I made. God bless him.

I attribute my love of cooking to that period and my family's willingness to be a part of my creativity. I'll try pretty much anything, and have the most fun using recipes as a guideline, rather than a strict formula.

Baking is totally different. Other than the occasional cookie recipe or my Grandma's Finnish Pulla, I never really enjoyed baking. Preciseness is an absolute necessity, and I was never too concerned with the difference between a level cup or "about a cup" of flour. I was more of the "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade" school of baking than the "from scratch" school.

Someone once likened baking to a scientific formula. If you don't have the ingredients exactly right (like baking soda instead of baking powder), or the measurements are slightly off (like a tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon), or your oven temperature runs hot (who knew 350 could be different on two different ovens?), the end result is not quite what you expected. Sort of like 13 and 15 adding up to 28.5. Ever so slightly off, but not what you expected.

Lately, though, I've discovered how cool it can be to follow a recipe exactly and end up with a beautiful loaf of bread or "from scratch" cake. We're not talking anything too fancy here, though. Basic white cake recipe with a chocolate buttercream frosting. Ciabatta bread. You get the idea.

But I have learned that even if you have the exact ingredients in precise measurements with a perfectly heated oven, if your baking powder is expired? Your anticipated beautiful white sheet cake? Will measure about 1" tall.