Almost perfect!

Brownie lovers of the world....listen up! I came across

this ingenious baker's pan online today, and I have

already targeted this to be a Christmas present for a

good friend of mine who loves to bake. It is a pan with

edges built in, as you can see from the picture above.

With this pan, there will be no gooey centers, each piece

will have the crunchy, tastier side of the brownie. I love

the corner pieces (even when I make a tray of lasagna!),

and know quite a few folks who do as well. It is perfect...

well, almost perfect....I imagine there are those who

prefer the gooey center pieces and are looking at this

pan in horror!

We shall return...and return

Well, got back to the restaurant a few days ago after taking

a little bit of time off, and needless to say, the drama did

NOT decrease while I was away! One of the waitresses

who had given notice and left is actually coming back this

week, much to the chagrin of the rest of the staff, who were

enjoying an absence that basically was a 2 week vacation!

I had actually told this woman that I knew she would be

back; I predicted within 3-4 months, so this return after 2

weeks did surprise me. Another waitress has actually left

after seemingly giving notice for the last 2 YEARS...I think

I should set up a pool, allowing everyone to predict when

she will be back! There seems to be a common thread

within the restaurant. So many members of the staff, past

and present, have one time or another left, sometimes

more than once, only to return a month, 6 months, a year

later. It is almost a joke....oh, so and so will be back,

everybody comes back eventually! Some are welcomed back

with open arms, others are taken back only because of need,

and then there are those that the only thing that can be

said is HECK NO!!!

Ventriloquist Fun!

First and foremost, I must acknowledge ventriloquist/

comedian Jeff Dunham for coming up with one of the

funniest (if not THE funniest) puppet acts ever - Achmed

the Dead Terrorist! Good ole gal pal Michelle showed me

the video of their act online, and I was immediately

HOOKED.....repeating the catch phrase 'Silence....I Kill

You!' way too often, and prompting me to buy tickets to

Dunham's show in mid September right here in our fair

city. For those poor souls unfamiliar with Achmed and

Jeff, just click on the title of this post, and it will take

you to the YouTube video of the act. The humor is at

times dark and/or politically incorrect (the latter being

right up my alley!), but is simply too hilarious to pass

up....ENJOY!

Despicable

Contempt is what I feel for the jerk in this story. A

man in Wisconsin was recently arrested for faking

heart attacks to get out of cab fares and restaurant

tabs. His scam was uncovered by a doctor at the

hospital he was taken too; the doc recognized him

as a repeat 'patient' and called the police. The faker

was charged with fraud and could face up to 9 months

in prison and a $10,000 fine. I think both are light-

weight slaps on the wrist. Someone close to me has

had a heart attack, and it is NOT a laughing matter or

something to play with and fake having one. One day,

it might be a case of the boy crying wolf.

Weekend warriors

This past 4th of July weekend was not a banner one for the

restaurant. Business was a bit off as alot of folks took the

opportunity to go out of town for the long weekend, while

those who remained did fireworks/cookouts/family

activities at home. But that didn't mean that we didn't

have our share of dysfunctional hijinks at our dining

establishment. As we are bit shorthanded as far as night

shift waitstaff goes, we have been on the hunt for a few

good men and/or women. Well, we did rehire a young man

who worked briefly for us in the past on a part-time basis.

As the so called 'fresh meat' of the restaurant, he has gotten

endless scrutiny, mainly inquiries as to his availability and

sexual preference! And I must confess, one of my gal pals,

the one and only Michelle, is slightly smitten with him!

Good luck girlfriend! Meanwhile her best friend, Alexia,

who has now been with us for 2 months, has quickly

moved up the drama queen ladder; I foresee her firmly

perched in the top rung in just a matter of time! Recently

she broke up with her significant other, only to hook up

with an ex flame. In the meantime, she has had to ward off

the unwanted advances from members of both sexes,

primarily cooks, with a few customers thrown in! Last,

and sadly not least, I was compelled to call 911 last night

due to a disturbance in the restaurant by someone who was

obviously mentally unbalanced. She had come in once

before, about a year ago, but had left peacefully. Last night,

however, was a different story. I didn't want to have her

arrested, but it got to the point where I had no choice. The

situation was simply distressing; makes me wish there were

more viable and effective longterm solutions to help the

homeless and/or mentally disturbed members of our society.

Happy 4th of July!

When it comes to the American independence day,

most folks think of fireworks, cookouts, and general

merriment. I just want to remind people the real

meaning of the day, how it symbolizes when the

founding fathers of this great country 'declared'

independence from Great Britain in 1776; a long war

followed to ensure the declaration came to actual

fruition, and in the 232 year history of the United

States, several more wars have been fought to ensure

our freedom - the freedom to vote, have free speech,

freedom of religion, and of course, the freedom to

have firework exhibitions and to grill 'til our hearts...

and stomachs...delight! Happy Birthday U.S.A.!