Maybe I'm a Bully Bitch

I’ve had a lot of customer service type jobs. I’m good at that, not the sales part, but the actual people part. I don’t even mind the grumpy or angry people. It’s those people who never acknowledge you, never look at you, that bothered me.

Funny, the angry people would just make me feel stubborn and I’d only give them the bare minimum of service or discounts, etc. Most of the other customer service people would cave in and give the angry, shouting people whatever they wanted. That annoys me, to reward someone for acting like a bully.

Some of the worst people would deliberately line up at the youngest cashier’s stand and then start in on her. They had some of those girls in tears. I saved a couple when I could. Usually I couldn’t just abandon people waiting in my line.

Maybe I’m a bully bitch. I did like sorting them out when I got the chance. People I work with are always surprised. I like surprising people now and then.

New Mousepad


I’m not a big online shopper. I can easily count the purchases I’ve made on one hand. If you don’t count a couple of ebooks, there are exactly two things I have bought online. Tonight I decided to get this mousepad. I like it cause it is about St. Patrick’s Day, coffee and I do need a new mousepad.

I’ve been putting off getting a new one for a couple of years. The one I have now was from my ex-husband. It’s a yellow smiley face. But, it’s been shedding the backing for a few years until it’s kind of bald around the edges (on the back). Sometimes my hand gets a bit numb from resting on it when I’m using the mouse awhile. So, it’s time for it to be retired.

I really need to put up a corkboard or something like that. I get bits of things I’m working on cluttered all over and lose track of things as they get buried. So, it is a sensible idea. I can also put old smiley up on it, give him a featured corner. You can’t keep a good smiley down.

Exercise Regime

MY NEW EXERCISE REGIME:

Begin with a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.
After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.
Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand. (I’m at this level.)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

Found on Facebook .

Heart Stirring my Canadianisms

I have that cookie cutter, more than one of the same kind even. I’m not much of a tea drinker. But, this image just appeals to me so much, I had to cut and paste it over here. It’s on several sites so I’m not even including a link. (The first couple of sites only had a thumbnail and sent me looking for the original site which did not even have the image up any more).

Anyway, it’s red and white and has a maple leaf. To me this image is vibrant and yet soothing with that feeling of home. Plus, even though I rarely drink tea, I still like the fancy tea party idea.

Snow in Ontario Today!

We have snow here in Ontario. Might not have it in Toronto but I’m in Barrie. Lots of snow coming down here. Started a couple of hours ago and still going steady. I’m kind of liking it. I was missing the snow last week. Things look so grubby in early Spring. Yeah snow!

Isn’t this a pretty picture? I don’t know who created it. I found it on a blog about some barely related topic with no credit given to whoever made the illustration.

The Delicious Miss Dahl's Borscht

We make borscht a couple of times each summer usually. I love the beets with the sour cream swirled on top. We don’t put it all through the blender or serve it cold. Will be nice to try a new recipe this summer and see how it comes out as a cold soup. This recipe comes from The Delicious Miss Dahl, a cooking show from the UK with Sophie Dahl . I just happened to catch the show today on the Food Network. Too bad they didn’t make more than one season. It was kind of elegant and glamorous in a simple way.

Sophie’s Borscht
This hot pink borscht looks best served in a glass punch bowl with party fare all around.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4

Ingredients

6 medium sized beetroots – washed but not peeled
5 spring onions, white part only
olive oil
1 1/2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
Shot of vodka
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons creme fraiche, plus extra to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Handful of chopped fresh dill
Chopped hardboiled free range egg to serve – optional

Directions

Wash and trim the stalky bits of the beetroot.

Sweat the spring onions in a pan with some olive oil on a low heat until they are translucent.

Then add the stock to the spring onions and leave on a low heat to warm.

In another pan, cover the beetroot with water; bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the beetroot is tender.

Drain, and when cool enough to handle peel off the skins and cut the beetroot into rough chunks.

Put the beetroot into a blender with the spring onion, stock and puree until smooth.

Add the shot of vodka, lemon juice, crème fraiche, season and give the mixture another whizz in the blender.

The soup can be served hot or cold. Either way serve with the chopped dill on top, a swirl of more crème fraiche and some chopped hardboiled egg if you feel like it.