Culinary and other mishaps

So, I learned something interesting at work the other day. Did you know that avocados can come as seedless? I was making guacamole, and if you are unfamiliar with using avocado, this is was one does to it. Grasping the avocado in the non dominant hand, you insert the knife near the stem end and slide it through the avocado until it hits the seed. Then, you rotate the avocado around the blade until you make a full circle. Well, I was slicing my merry little way along, when suddenly I slid my knife in the stem end and sliced down to the seed, but the knife kept going until slid into part of my hand. A very nice cut, and originally I wasn't sure what happened, but once I cleaned up my hand I looked at the avocado. I thought maybe the seed had split in two, it has been known to happen, but lo and behold, there was no seed. No one else has ever heard of or come across a seedless avocado, so I guess I am just special. No worries, I didn't need stitches or anything.

In other news, I was across the street getting milk the other day, and decided to take a short cut back to the sidewalk. I ran up this steep dirt incline and made the jump to the sidewalk and misjudged slightly, catching my back foot on the side of the walk. Down I went and landed on the milk with one hand and the sidewalk with the other. Did you know if you put enough pressure on a milk container, the top pops off. Yep, so there is milk glugging down the street, and I scramble up and rescue the remaining milk and the cap, and continue on my way home. I think it would have been embarrassing, but there was no one around to see it, not even any cars, so it is actually just really funny.

Sea Kayaking

SO, last week for my day off, a friend and I went sea kayaking. It was actually a sunny and warm day, which does not happen all that often in my town. So, we went up to the estuary, rented a tandem kayak (half the work kind of), and paddled about 12 miles through the estuary. There were all sorts of animals too. Lots of sea otters, pelicans and of course seagulls. We had been warned that there was one sea otter who liked to climb in the boat with you and um...chat, see if you had any food, etc. It was a fun day. At one point, about 10 feet off the side of the kayak, a sea otter head popped up, looked right at me, dived under and torpedoed toward the kayak. To say panic would be an overstatement but I was concerned, but the otter got almost to the boat and darted off the other way. Whew!

The Ball

OK. So I guess the pics are not working today on this site. Anyway, we all know the story of Cinderella, yes? She works as a slave for her evil stepmother and her fairy godmother helps her go to the ball. Well, with the exception of not having an evil stepmother, and not being a slave (although I do work in the kitchen as she did), I also went to a ball. The Navy birthday ball. It is now 231 years old....wow. I went with a friend in town, and wore the formal dress, strappy shoes, and had a friend and her sister help with hair etc. It was a really fun time. The ball took place at the oldest hotel in my area, which is where the company I work for officially had its start. Looking around, one could see the grandeur that the old hotel had, and we went for a walk through the gardens after dinner. There is even the pool still there...although it is now filled with sand and has a volleyball net strewn across it. It still has lifeguard stands and the metal bars that help you in and out of the deep end. My friend and I even attempted to dance. At the end of the night, he was walking me to my door, and I was juggling cell phone, keys etc (formal dresses do not have pockets) and while trying to get my keys out, I dropped my cell phone off the third floor balcony to the ground below. (While I know it is not a shoe, I still dropped something just like cinderella, but my friend went and retrieved it for me.) Not to fret, nothing happened to the phone and the night was really fun.

The Laundry

No this is not another ode to those who don't clean out the lint trap. FYI. So, about a month ago one of my complexes laundry machines stopped working, so the owner's called the laundry guy who was going to be on vacation until October. No worries, we still had one more machine. Well, after I got back from vacation, I went to do my laundry and the non working machine had had its top cut off and there were wires and all sorts of stuff. I figured the mechanic had done it for a reason. Then, I couldn't get the other one to work, so I went to the laundromat next door (definitely more expensive, but when you need clothes, you need clothes.) That was on Tuesday. Today, I got home from running errands and a workman asked if I used the laundry room, to which I replied in the affirmative. Well, I guess someone came and stole the top of the other washing machine, so now there were two with no way to do laundry, just empty baskets protruding where once there were tops. Crazy.... all I can say is that I can think of better ways to get quarters and laundry money than taking the entire top of the machine off. What is this world coming to.

Holiday

So, I am currently visiting my aunts, uncles, cousins, their kids and grandkids, with my mom. It was going to be mom and dad, but circumstances got in the way. The flight I took to get here left at 7am, and I boarded the flight and sat down in the window seat I was assigned, except I was on the wrong side of the aisle, A not D. The lady whose seat I was in told me just to stay there and she would take my window seat on the other side of the aisle. No big deal to me. Then, the last people are getting on the flight, and all three came to the aisle I was sitting in and said I was in their seat. So, I got up with all my stuff, and a flight attendent was trying to call someone up front, when the head attendent came back and said they had double booked that seat, and to come with them. (IT wasn't my seat, but the other lady's, but I just followed, and ended up in first class....free movie, free meal and alot of space. It was so nice for napping, although the seat was a little too big for me so it wasn't quite comfortable because the seat belt was around my ribs, but I'm not complaining...needless to say, it was a great flight.

My relatives live in a great food spot, and I can't even tell you how nice it has been to order sweet tea in restaurants and get some good southern cooking (minus the okra, collard and mixed greens. One of my aunts made a great chicken and pastry last night for dinner. Yum. Today I went to the state seafood festival with my cousin and his wife, and was surprised at the lack of seafood, although I had a great fried grouper sandwich on sweet bread. So tasty!! The only thing is on the way back, I fell asleep in the back seat (which probably won't surprise most of you) and felt a little bad that maybe they would think it was their company. I did tell them that it was normal on trips of more than 20 minutes, so hopefully that is o.k.

ONe of my aunts recently remarried, and I have to say that my new uncle is so funny. HIs career was one of those no one can know what you are doing so there have been some interesting stories. Even more fun was going to lunch with his daughter, who was so fun! I would love to get to know her better. Anyway, I'll keep you updated on all that is going on. Sister, I hope you find this sufficient enough, and see I did write something new. I have some other stories, but can't think of them at the moment.

A Sunday off

I had a day off last Sunday, so took advantage of a nice day to go for a hike in an area near my house that is on my list of things to do. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I saw my first whales since I moved into the area, as well as seals, sea otters, cormorants, and pelicans. As you approached people, they would tell you if there was something out there, which is how I found the whales. So friendly! And I get to check something off the list..ahhh. Of course, then I went home and took a nap, because isn't that what days off are for?