A Top Chef Challenge

Thursday, November, 13, 2008.....

I'm a Top Chef fan and have been since Season 1. However, I always wonder, will they run out of challenges?

I've come up with one that combines a growing movement with food and would be one of the hardest challenges I can think of. Preparing food discovered on a Freegan outing.

This year I was introduced to the Freegan lifestyle, not by experience, but by watching Oprah. I can't explain it, but after seeing an episode on Oprah, the Freegan lifestyle was thrown in my face through documentaries and articles.

For people who may not know what a Freegan is, let me describe a Freegan as simply as possible. It is a person who has adopted a lifestyle that recycles everything that another may have thrown away. This includes clothes, furniture and FOOD. I commend Freegans for grasping the concept that Americans waste so much and want to recycle what we can. There are tag sales, swap meets and giving away furniture or clothes to friends or family. However, I draw the line with food.

I can't imagine preparing any meal from food that I climbed through a dumpster of dirty diapers for. Maybe it is just me, but the thought makes me squeamish (ask my sister)and a part of me believes that it is stealing food from the homeless that have to do this to survive.

However, imagine if Padma came out and told the contestants that for today's elimination challenge they were going to drop them off in a neighborhood and they'd have to create a 3 course meal (one course must include a protein) for the judges.

I really, really hope that the individuals at Top Chef responsible for creating the challenges have enough ideas and never have to resort to this.

j

Six Weeks....

Wednesday, November 12, 2008.....

Yesterday, I was at WW meeting when the leader talked about making pledges to ourselves during the next 6 weeks, a.k.a. The Holiday Season... Holy smokes, when did that creep up on me?

I can't believe that in the next 6 weeks I'm going to finish wedding thank you notes, mail out Christmas cards, create a Christmas letter, host Thanksgiving, host Christmas brunch, shop (okay, on a very limited basis), decorate a tree, rake all the leaves off my lawn (looks like a blanket of leaf snow at the moment) and stay on plan.

I think the Holiday miracle, is not the birth of Jesus, but being able to be nice and smile to all the pushy people I will encounter in the stores. I also wonder why during the Holidays, when it is to be the happiest of times, brings out the worst in people?

Personally, looking forward to hosting both meals because I like to entertain. I know I will finish the thank you notes, rake the lawn and decorate the tree, but I may ditch the cards and letter as I've done so in years past. However, I am always a hit or miss on birthday and Christmas cards and like to keep people guessing.

j

Interview with Company from Hell....

Monday, November 10, 2008.....

I had a great weekend, but before the weekend, I interviewed with a company that I wasn't really excited about and I'll refer to the company as the "Company from Hell".

Company from Hell is HUGE, but not for me. I am not swayed by interviews where the person brags that he gets responses to his 2:30 a.m. emails from colleagues in the US .....or......how his friend convinced him to check off 100% travel and how it would never happen, but now is commuting to another state on a weekly basis for his job.

After 40 minutes of listening to how wonderful the Company from Hell was, I got to answer his 4 questions and, if time permitting, I got to ask a few questions. However,there was an absolute stop at the top of the hour. I answered his questions, but when I asked about particulars about the job (that would require a 80 mile commute) he didn't have any. Ugh...so frustrating.

The best part is that the Company from Hell was a prior client of mine and I knew all about them. I'm also at a point in my career where I know to research the employer before the call - Hello? 101 Basic Interviewing Practices. It was a shame he never heard of the concept because he didn't even take 5 minutes to look at my resume prior to the call and it was obvious.

According to him, I spent a lot of time in sales (which I haven't) and he glossed over that my experience actually pertained to the position I was interviewing for.

Friday, I sent a thank you note and received a prompt notice from the HR person that, although I was great, blah, blah, blah.

Oddly enough, totally relieved. I have tremendous Catholic guilt and if offered the job, I would have taken it and been miserable.

I guess I do have a guardian angel. I have an interview for another company this week and am excited about doing my due diligence on the company and brushing up on an industry I left many moons ago.

j

Food Like Mom Used to Cook.....

Thursday, November 6, 2008.....

I didn't think it possible, but last night I cooked a meal that brought home memories of meals my mom used to serve......It was HORRIBLE.....

The joke about my mom and her cooking is that she thought it to be the best food EVER! She cooked one dish, Glob, which my sister loved and I'm still wondering how to this day. The meal's ingredients were ground hamburger, box of frozen veggies, rice, soy sauce, water and cornstarch (the cornstarch was necessary to thicken up the water and soy sauce to make a faux gravy).

Other choice meals included codfish cake casserole (canned codfish, boxed mashed potatoes and wheat germ to sprinkle on top for health reasons) or hot dog-potato casserole (hot dogs, cut up potatoes and cheddar cheese soup). She never cooked the potatoes first. The hot dogs would dry up and shrivel because she kept the casserole in too long to cook the potatoes; or the hot dogs were fine and the potatoes were undercooked.

Last night, my meal, could be added into mom's collection. The meal consisted of some meatloaf recipe I found on-line (aka Worcestershire sauce burger), freezer burn green beans and undercooked salt potatoes. The best part is that my hubby didn't say a word until I said "do your beans taste really funny?" He was a good sport by being polite. However, once I opened up the door, funny comments came through the door freely.

Best comment from hubby: "If you wanted to go out to dinner, why not just say so. Did I really have to suffer?"



j

Unemployment

Wednesday, November 5, 2008....

It's been 26 weeks and I just had to file for emergency benefits. Can I just comment how much that sucks!

If I chose to be unemployed that would be one thing, but I didn't. First, it was the summer and postings were scarce due to summer vacations and then the market crashing.

I interviewed for positions that have now been placed on hold. I've applied for positions that my skillset could be transferred, but companies don't have to settle anymore so I doubt they'll call. I've even applied for far reaching positions that I'm not qualified for, but thought what the heck.

I was talking with a friend the other day, who is also unemployed, and although I wish he wasn't, it is nice to talk with someone that understands what you're going through. I never imagined I'd be out for this long and never thought I'd be in the mindset to jump on the first offer that will come my way. Unemployment can be paralyzing. I try to remind myself that the time I have can be treated as a gift, but some mornings I don't see it that way.

Many of the positions I'm applying for I don't want. I have an interview with a company tomorrow that I'm not thrilled about. The company was a client of mine so I know how they operate and the position would require a daily commute of 80 miles one-way. I've been there and done that.

I am torn because there is a part of me that hopes to get the job and part of me that prays something better comes along.

ughhhh....

Humor...

Tuesday, November 4, 2008.....

Yes I voted. However, I want to see if my humor is a bit sick or what...

This morning I was talking with a friend who often drops off the face of the earth when dating someone. It is always the same, he falls in love in a nano second and tells me she's the one and six months later the relationship is over. I always remind him that I thought this one or that one was THE one...he's quick to say, I never said that, but knows better.

Today we caught up on things. I asked if he dressed for Halloween and he said no, he went to a Coldplay concert. I asked what was the girl's name he went with because no straight guy would go to one. He mentioned her name and said he's been dating her for 3 months. I said, oh....that explains why I haven't heard from you sooner. Seriously, he's like some of the girls I remember from high school that dumped all their girlfriends once they started dating someone.

We went through the particulars and when we got to her age I found out there was a 12 year difference and she was 29. This would never have phased me, but he usually dates older women and comments that he would NEVER date a woman under 37 because they have a lot of growing up to do; or he'd never date a woman without kids, but clearly does.

I pointed out that when he got his license, she was heading off to kindergarten. He pointed out that when he was flying planes for the Air Force she was 10. I then made the remark, "just think if you dated her then you'd be considered a pedophile and now you're legal to date her".

He laughed. My husband was a bit in shock that I said it. Personally, I thought it was funny. Still do. Does that make a bad person?

I think if he hadn't pointed out the Air Force tidbit, I would have never made the comment, but the flow was there and I went for it.....

Saturday Night...

Monday, November 3, 2008.....

This past Saturday night, my friend offered to take me out for a belated birthday dinner because it is a tradition of ours. I wanted oysters and martinis and she knew of this great place that I hadn't gone to.

I love new places and since the place is always booked she wondered if I'd be okay eating at the bar. I was fine with that because sometimes it turns out to be the best spot in the place. Particularly for people watching. Saturday was no different.

The bartender was very nice and they had a great piano player playing old Sinatra type tunes on the piano. However, I didn't think that we'd be the people to watch.

We had just settled in, taking our first sips of martinis when this older gentleman plopped down next to my friend. My friend is always attracting men and many times I just ignore them because they turn out to be annoying (note: desperate men are scary to watch in action). This case I couldn't. I was dragged into the conversation.

I want to note the following of this man so you understand just why I wanted him to go away ---

1. He had too much to drink. He came over because he was interested in my friend's Cosmo. He had claimed he never had one and was curious about the taste;

2. He thought he was hot stuff for a man that had been married close to 40 years and his son was 43. I think he asked us several times if we could believe that he was only 67. Personally, I thought mid-seventies.

3. For a man who bragged about divorcing his wife after many years of marriage because he finally came out and admitted he was gay, he resembled a "straight dirty old man out on the prowl" (more on that reason in a moment).

4. I could care less that you married a woman from a prominent American family. If you have money, don't tell two women, "I just closed out my bar tab, but if you ladies buy me a Cosmo, I'd love it." Ummm...think again. My friend put it nicely by stating "If you have all this money, shouldn't you be buying us drinks."

Lucky for us, he finished his wine. He got up to leave, coming behind both of us to say goodnight. He first mentioned that he was going to get in his Mercedes (woo hoo -- again, like I care) and then kissed us on our cheeks. I'm okay with that. However, what he did next, I questioned his declaration of "I'm gay" -- he turned my cheek and before I knew it, tried to tongue me. Eeewwwwwwwwwwwww...... I did not see that coming and when he tried for another, I just faced the bar. Hello? Don't you get the clue when a person pulls back and quickly wipes their mouth they have NO INTEREST in receiving another kiss.

I have to ask, is he gay when sober and hetero when drunk???

After he left, we had a great meal and then saw Changeling which was a great movie. I'd recommend it.