Funny Story Mostly at Steve's Expense

I e-mailed Nina the following annecdote since she enjoys physical humor like people falling down (as long as they're not seriously hurt). Please note that no one was ultimately hurt physically.

So Steve and I were taking the T home last night and we could hear our train pulling into the station so we start running (a big "no no" I know in Nina's book) toward the turnstiles. I whip out my pass, I go through and I see Steve running into the turnstiles at top speed. He doesn't go through, but slams into the immobile turnstile. I wondered if he was trying to jimmy the turnstile so he wouldn't need to use his pass because we were in a hurry. At this point, I'm on the other side of the entrance and I'm watching Steve back up and run into another turnstile, once again at full speed and without a pass. As one would guess, he slammed right into the turnstile. Then Steve, having realized he forgot about the whole T pass thing, pulls out his wallet and takes out his pass and finally comes through the turnstile safely. We still caught that train by the way, but I was doubled over in laughter and I couldn't believe he ran full speed into the turnstile TWICE. He was distracted and thought we were "exiting" rather than "entering" and forgot he needed to use his pass.

Pringle Shaped Chocolate

I spotted these Swoops (Reeses PB, Hershey's, York Peppermint and Almond Joy) at CVS last night while prowling the aisles for candy. Befuddled at first, I thought the Swoops were chocolate covered Pringles Potato Crisps. Although odd, the subject of chocolate covered fried potato chips had come up recently with my "no longer coworker" friends so my initial assumption about the Swoops was not completely random. Don't they look like Pringles?

Sushi Confections

Confections meticulously created to look like sushi. Visually appealing yet oddly bizarre...even though I'm completely onboard with the notion of chocolate handbags.

Kaplan Geeks

MGDub and I bonded over how Kaplan classes (GRE & GMAT respectively) boosted our self-esteems with regards to our "smarhhhhtness." Kaplan Class is the only time when knowing how to do basic Algebra is disproportionately rewarded. MGDub recalled being a "Kaplan Geek" with her friend Joanne and reenacted the following for my amusement.

MGDub (as a “Kaplan Geek” in GRE class somewhere in Providence in the very late 1990s): "Three-fourths is really just 75% or could also be expressed as .75 and six-eighths is also .75 because I know you can reduce the fraction down to three-fourths."

I get depressed before class because I could spend every waking moment studying for the GMAT and still fail to utilize all the resources available to me. Then I go to my actual class and leave feeling better thanks to my instructor who is best described as an endearing "spastic geek" given his reaction to a fading dry erase marker is to beg the marker to "black marker please don't go away" always followed by a elated "thank you black marker" when the ink well of the marker miraculously revitalizes mid-equation.

Mind the Pyrex Warning

Pyrex ovenproof glass dishes and pans come with the warning not to place the pans on direct heat such as a burner. My roommate had just turned on a burner so it wasn't quite red yet and I just wasn't thinking because I put the glass plate of mashed potatoes on the burner thinking it was off. A few minutes later, Carin exclaimed that the burner was on so we quickly removed the plate off the burner and a few seconds later, the glass plate shattered into the dish of garlic mashed potatoes. Very sad, but at least we had lots of other food. We then referred to a random bowl of muddy buddies as the "carbs" in place of the potatoes.

Reparations

I e-mailed Amazon's customer service yesterday expressing my disconcernment regarding their dramatic double price drops and they quickly responded by giving me a credit for the difference. Go Amazon! Their e-mail customer service isn't a big black cyberhole...I'm greatly encouraged.

Buhhht all the cool kids have 256MB!

Having received a generous bonus this weekend for last year's dedication, I wanted to celebrate by getting plasticmom a fun present. She initially asked for a dozen Papermate stick pens in green. Upon further consideration and having realized her request cost all of 99 cents, plasticmom requested one of those key chain type USB memory drive gadgets to transport her PowerPoint presentations and other documents between school and home. The following is a reconstructed conversation between plasticann and plasticmom with a guest appearance by Adam.

plasticmom: I really want one of those Flash Drive key chain things.
plasticann: Sure, I'll look into it and order you one.
plasticmom: All the other students in my class have them and I wanted to buy one, but I didn't know which one to buy when I went to CompUSA.

plasticann: Mom, can I call you back in a few minutes, Adam's on the phone.

plasticann: Hi Adam!
Adam: blah blah blah!
plasticann: blah blah blah...guess what, I'm going to buy my mom one of those key chain memory gadgets. I think I'm going to get her 128MB, that should be enough.
Adam: Ask her what she needs it for. She probably only needs 20MB.
plasticann: PowerPoint and papers and stuff, I guess I figure out how much memory she really needs.
Adam: blah blah blah...Bye!
plasticann: Talk to you tomorrow.

plasticann: Hi mom, I was just talking to Adam. What are you using the memory key chain and how much memory do you need.
plasticmom: Schoolwork and pictures and things.
plasticann: Well, I was going to get you 128MB, but Adam thinks you may only need 20MB if you're only using it for your homework.
plasticmom: You tell Adam I need 256MB.
plasticann: That's like 2 or 3 CDs and dozens of floppy disks. Your digital camera only as 128MB and you could carry around hundreds of pictures with 256MB
plasticmom: That sounds good.
plasticann: Why do you need 256MB?
plasticmom: All the cool kids have 256MB.
plasticann: Well then, if we're talking about cool kids...256MB it is.

Footnote to this amusing episode is plasticmom went to CompUSA to check out the gadgets and kept asking for 250MB and the salesperson told her they 250MB devices didn't exist because it's 256MB. On another note, why does the price keep dropping on Amazon. It was lower this morning than it was yesterday and the price dropped again this afternoon. It's already dropped 20% in price thus far between yesterday morning and this afternoon.

Stash of Candy and Nuts

I started at a new company this week which sounds much more dramatic than in actuality. I'm really working the same job in relatively the same place at a new company that consists of not all, but many of the same folks. There will be no Nina, no Jessica, no Greg, no Carol and no more general joyful L@#@&%* mayhem. It's truly heartbreaking, but don't get me started on that because I'll get depressed.

Nonetheless, I'm in Harvard Square temporarily before I move back to good ole Kendall Square merely two blocks away from where I once worked. The brief sojourn in Harvard Square is not without its perks. More lunch options, daily trips to Bob Slate and a shorter T ride by two stops. I digress! The friendly folks here in Harvard Square gave me a tour of the office featuring the usual water cooler, copier, fax machine and office supplies, but the tour also featured the Candy and Nut Drawers...note the plural in Drawer.

As the keeper of the gum bin at the old L@#@&%*-Kendall Square, I was flabbergasted at the overwhelming sight. Huge drawers filled with Candy and Nuts and unless the drawers were fitted with false bottoms, each drawer held least twenty if not forty pounds of treats. Unbelievable! Granted we enjoyed a greater variety of snacks at L@#@&%*-Kendall Square, but the sheer quantity of candy and nuts here is borderline disturbing. Just think how many pestilent squirrels could feed off that drawer of nuts? Dozens if not hundreds.

Pure Genius

At an office party this past Saturday, half the staff at L*&*%@# KS was found hovering over a bowl of Marshmallow Fruit Dip Jessica had whipped up. The simplicity of the concoction is pure genius...cream cheese and marshmallow fluff whipped together. Incidentally, Jessica reports that Marshmallow Fluff made using a slightly different process than marshmallow cr?me. Fluff is made using a "special batch process" so it's an artesianal brand of marshmallow cr?me. Talk about high quality.

Idiot Tax

Having forgotten my T-pass over the weekend as January rolled into February and now being unable to find my T-pass, I'm forced to pay what Zeith calls the "Idiot Tax" where unneccesary T tokens are purchased.

Patriot's Bagels

Our Friday office ritual includes bagels and in honor of the Super Bowl, we had some plain bagels dyed Patriot's team colors from Finagle a Bagel. Reminds me of the three gallon drum of rainbow "crazy vanilla" ice cream I bought from Newport Creamery one summer...the summer of 1999...good times.

Better Back Exercises

I found this on the web. Now I just have to get some black stirup pants and a black turtleneck so I'll be properly attired.

Plasticmom Knows Best

I was having lower back discomfort this morning and decided to sleep in. I feel a whole lot better and I think the discomfort is partially due to packing and lifting boxes yesterday when I'm usually more sedentary at work. Lo and behold, I got some mail from plasticmom and she'd sent me an ad for a contraption that stretches your back. Either she has ESP or she just knows me too well. Perhaps she's anticipating my problems based on her own experiences when she was my age.

State House

Stopped by the State House during my lunch hour because Adam's workplace (Healthy Futures) was hosting a media event with a big check presentation and all. I wondered whether the BIG checkwas valid and how funny it would be to fold it up and deposit it in an ATM. I thought it was funny, but it only mustered a small smile on Adam's part. The event was a great success as far as I could tell and I got to see the State House. Note that there's a bookstore in the State House where one can buy the usual postcards, but also purchase state government publications. It reminded me of copy centers near school like JoArt that sold the assigned course packets.

Seasonal Nalgene Bottles

The Nalgene online store now features a seasonal water bottle and currently the season is "Valentine's Day." I'm not sure how I feel about this blatant pandering to folks who like collecting variations of things. Perhaps, Nalgene is finding that their product is so durable and high quality that people only need one so to encourage us all to buy more of the exact same bottle...new colors and new designs are introduced. This is exactly the business problem Coach faced a few years ago before they became a trend setter. On the other hand, I kind of want a red heart bottle...maybe if the hearts weren't in that allover pattern it'd be cuter. I'm predicting a shamrock version will hit the website next month for St. Patty's day and I think Nina would probably be into it cause she's part Irish.

Pigs in a Blanket

We celebrated MGDub's birthday yesterday with a rousing round of Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture Edition and some tasty snacks. MGDub's good good friend, Caitlin made a delicious chocolate cake we all enjoyed. Not having time to bake something special for MGDub, my contribution consisted of some makeshift, but tasty pigs in a blanket (PIAB). At one point during the game, I set out a plate of hot PIAB on MGDub's coffee table. I turned away for a few seconds and looked back only to see that the top layer of PIAB had disappeared and hands were coming from all directions toward the plate of PIAB...it reminded me of commercials where everyone's grabbing cheese cubes all the same time.

PIAB "recipe"

3 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough (eight in a can)
1 pack of Oscar Meyer's Little Smokies (approx. 48 per pack)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut each crescent roll triangle into two smaller longish looking triangles (Jessica says thirds work too)
3. Roll each Little Smokie in a strip of dough starting from the wide side of the triangle rolling toward the point.
4. Place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper and bake for 10-13 min or until rolls are golden brown.

Boxes filled with Free Coupon Books available in the lower level of the MIT Coop in Kendall Square.

Knowing how much I get jazzed about coupons, Nina and Jessica snagged two coupon books for me from the MIT coop yesterday...one for me and one for Adam. I later discovered they didn't take any coupon books for themselves not because there was any lack of supply, but because they mocked and scoffed at the coupon books. I must say, this year's coupon book is better than last year's book. Here are some highlights to motivate you all to run out and snag some books for yourself.

Pearl Art: 25% off single item
JP Licks: $2 off
Bertucci's: $5 off min $15 purchase
The Wrap: 20% off
Ben & Jerry's: Buy one get one free
coupons for salons, skiing, clubs and more.

Reconstructed quotes from a recent trip to Chicago

Steve: Do you have any food? I'm so hungry I could eat my hand.

Jessica: [upon realizing why the peephole of her door of her hotel room was located at hip level, not eye level] Do you have railings in your bathroom? I was wondering why my toilet was so tall.

Deep Dish Key Lime Something or Other

I decided to take a crack at making Key Lime Pie last weekend using a crust of ginger snaps rather than the usual graham crackers. Because I was too lazy to crush the ginger snaps to make a crust, I decided to use a pile of crumbled ginger snaps on the bottom of a 9x9 Pyrex glass baking dish and bypass the whole process of actually making crust. The results were pretty tasty, but I think my "crust" got soggier than usual and was a bit aesthetically unpleasing since I didn't bake the pile of ginger snaps in the oven before pouring on the liquid filling. Next time I think I'll try baking only the filling with no "crust" and serve with ginger snap crumbs on top rather than baking the ginger snaps...which would be a snap. Alternatively, I could fill little ramekins and torch the top like creme brulee which would require extra equipment and I'd have to get over my fear of fire.

Key Lime Pie Filling (1 pie, two pies of filling were needed to reasonably fill the 9x9 Pyrex dish)

Mix until blended:
3 eggs
1 14oz can of condensed milk
1/2 cup of key lime juice + a bit extra for more zesty flavor (Trader Joe's bottled variety)

1. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min for one batch of filling. I'd try 30-40 min for two batches or until the filling is really no longer liquid to avoid food poisoning. 30-40 min may be overkill, but I'm always paranoid about food safety.
2. Cool outside oven for 10 min
3. Refrigerate for few hours or overnight.
4. Serve with crumbled ginger snaps on top

Hello 2004

The ever-thoughtful Jessica procured a 50% off 2004 Hello Kitty Wall Calendar for me. My search proved unsuccessful, but it was worth the wait because the 2004 is pretty darned cute. While the 2003 Hello Color theme was adorable, the 2002 Hello World was at times culturally insensitive...there was something weird about Hello Kenya. On a related note, here's a book about Hello Kitty, "Hello Kitty The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon." I sure hope it's a hard hitting piece of journalism and not merely a piece of fluff.

Barefoot in my UGGs

The temperature plummeted down to zero this morning (Fahrenheit, not Celsius mind you); "Double Down Day" was added to the "Winter Spirit Week" lineup…a down jacket over a down vest. While bottoms and hats were also doubled, I remained comfortably barefoot in my UGGs.

"Double Hat Day"

With the weather dipping down 15 degrees this morning, I wisely re-instituted "Double Hat Day," which calls for simultaneously wearing two hats because it's too cold to wear just one...an odd sight indeed. This inaugural "Double Hat Day" also convinced me that I needed a new suit, a pants suit to be specific and since we're being specific, not a purple pants suit.

As all college seniors are to acquire a suit in hopes of acquiring that ever elusive job, I do own a suit from four years ago...a skirt suit. I have many fond memories from that fateful winter four years ago, including an especially memorable Siberian death march of two blocks in negative fifteen-degree weather for lunch at the Legal Seafood in Kendall Square. I would rather have starved than go to lunch, but one doesn’t have many options when one is being interviewed so I proceeded into the polar freeze in my skirt suit and an insufficient coat.

I've put off investing in a new suit because I never wear suits at work save for the one on-campus interview I conduct each year behind a desk usually in a small basement room or cubicle. Jessica, Steve and I are flying to Chicago next weekend for an interview and we need to look "professional," so warmth and comfort has now become a high priority. A quick trip to Ann Taylor around lunchtime reinforced the following lesson in life, "Money isn't the solution to all problems, but if the problem is needing a pant suit and you've got the cash, then you're all set." Ahhhh...Deep Thoughts...I should write for fortune cookies.

But I Love The Stipple Portraits

From the Onion: "Wall Street Journal Lays Off 150 Stipple-Portrait Artists"

Snaps for Adam for the tipoff.

Beautiful Array of Colors

I was perusing the latest Williams-Sonoma Catalog last night when I noticed the KitchenAid Mixers that come in all these beautiful colors...violet, pink, tangerine...a different color for every season would be pretty excessive, but disburbingly appealing. My mixer is a pale yellow and I love it.

Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies --- as requested by Adam's mom. They're also a favorite of Laurel's

From Martha Stewart with some edits from plasticann: makes 2 dozen or 40 smaller cookies

7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate (or Chocolate Chips)
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 2 Tbs Chopped up Crystallized Ginger)
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer,fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

4. Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls or 40 smaller 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.