Chainsaw Approves of the New Duvet

Dinner Brought to You by...Well....Me

Tonight I got a nice dinner together for Mags and Meself. I made up a dish of bruschetta with some crackers for an appetizer, a nice Spring mix salad with vine-ripened tomatoes and then I breaded some Tilapia filets for our entree. Served with asparagus with a homemade CreamyDijon sauce.

For desert I whipped up some cream brulee.

Is Carjacking Really Bad??

So Unemployment has me home nowadays. I enjoy being home during the day. It allows me to spend time with the boys, to do a little cleaning and make some dinner for Mags who works so very hard during the day.

Being home also allows me to pursue one of my favorite past times. Video gaming. Yeah I know..I'm soon to be 40...but there is something about the escape of a video game that is so relaxing. It all started way back in the 'Pong' days and continues today. Although when I was in my teens I really spent alot of money in the video arcade. I was a junkie. Hey, Asteroids. Need I say more??

Nowadays I'm happy to spend a couple hours a day crusing through San Andreas. This game is so awesome. And it's huge! Meaning the layout. The sheer size and complexity of the game. The many vehicles you can fly, or drive...and of course the carjacking and drivebys. The game industry has come so far since I've discovered video games. Wait, am I'm aging Meself there?

Seriously, nothing soothes the unemployed soul like moving down a bunch of Ballas or cruising through a massive, fictional state in a low-rider, listening to some 80's West Coast Gangsta rap...

Woooo...too cool. 

Another post?? Yes, But This Needs Saying

Living in New Jersey we, by 'we' I mean the good hockey loving folks who are Devils fans, are used to a very high standard of talent from the boyos in red. We've got Marty, Patty Elias, hell, they're all good. Thanks to the Devs brain trust and the wily hockey knowledge of 'Sweet'  Lou Lamoriello; we have been treated to some really good hockey over the years. Really good.  Since 1994-1995, they've won the Cup 3 out their 4 times in the Finals, which is pretty good and second in that category to only the Mighty Red Wings, who did it 4. And the Cup they won in '95 was over the Wings....but anyways. 

Last night I did a final check of email and my wife heard me mutter 'Holy Crap"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong....It's good news. Brendan Shanahan is coming back to Jersey."

Yes. Brendan Shanahan who started his NHL career back in the '87 88' season with the Devils will be rejoining the squad this month. Nothing has been ironed out yet, but it will happen.
Over his almost 20-year career Shanny has put up some really good numbers. Let's take a look shall we?

1,490 games played 650 goals and 690 assists. that's 1,340 points. Almost a point a game people.

And that's not even his playoff stats. So things are looking good for the Devs, who are still in third despite being without Marty.

Shanahan was quoted as syaing "I'm really happy to be staying in the Northeast. My family is here and I'm even happier to be coming onboard with the Devils."

When asked about his parting with the New York Rangers, he spoke of problems with their 'salary cap' and was even heard to mutter "fuck the Rangers...New York blows..."* So there you have it.

So here's hoping the second half of the season gets even better for the Devils.

p.s. Side note. Shanny was actually Lou Lamoriello's  first draft pick as a GM for the Devils.

* Shanny never really said that. I just put that in because I hate the Rangers.

Wednesdays Dinner.

Okay so this is a before and after photo-shoot of dinner I made on Weds. What? You think I just vacuum and play ball with CrazyDog??

The recipe was pretty simple.

 You'll need the following.

a.)  3 - 3 1/2 lb piece of chuck roast or bottom rump whatever...

b.)  6 baby red potatoes halved

c.)  some baby carrots.

d.)  1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10 oz I think)

e.) a pack of Liptons onion soup and dip mix.

 f.) I minced up a little Leek and added a pinch of Herbes de Provence but that's up to you.

Set up your slow-cooker CrockPot thinger & pour in the soup and soup/dip mix and mix it all up.

Add your 'tatoes and carrots, cover them and then add the meat. Cover the meat thouroughly and then set your cooker for between 7-8 hours.

The flash made the 'after' picture look weird but it is really tasty.

An F.Y.I though. If you have a problem with salt, use only half of the soup mix. It is LOADED with salt.

Open cold beer and enjoy. Well..you have to drink the beer to really enjoy it. But you probably know that...

Not Working, But Keeping Busy

So I'm into my first full week of unemployment and it is really not too bad. I'm home all day with the boys (Chainsaw and CrazyDog) and that is a real treat for them. Usually Mags and Meself are working all day, so they are loving having Daddy home with them. Or...I think they are. Well the dog is. He's kinda clingy and he'll often follow me from room to room. Usually if he knows I'm going to the kitchen he'll be especially attentive in hopes of a treat.

The cat, however is another story all together. He's....well... a cat. He wants attention when he wants it and really the only time he really wants attention is feeding time. But I digress....

Today I ventured out early to avoid traffic and the approaching nasty weather that's going to hit us this evening. I hit the local grocery for some foodstuff and then off to Loews for some home goods. I hit the post office on the way home and once home, put groceries away, changed our furnace filter and then hooked up a dimmer switch in our kitchen. Honestly, we have a really nice fixture over our country table, but if you get up sick in the middle of the night and need tea and flip the light on it's like being in an interrogation room. So I flipped the breaker and hooked up our new 3-way dimmer. And so far the switch works fine, the circuit hasn't flipped and there is no smell of smoke. So I guess I did good.

Then I cooked up my sausage and pepper dinner. Served over a little pasta..yum. I have no plans for tomorrow yet except maybe wash the hardwood floors. And play ball with the pooch of course.

I Won the Freakin' Lottery!!!

Not really..but it got your attention.

I spent my first day as a member of the swelling ranks of the unemployed today. I really didn't do a whole lot. I stayed home because I was waiting for my severance package to arrive via FedEx. It actually came UPS and at like 5 o'clock. I tore into the envelope because I thought there would be a check or two in there. Silly me. Check is in the mail. The actual mail. I am not shocked, really. The severance statement was about 5 pages long and I have to sign it. Then I need to send it back to Boston. Then I get my severance check. By the 16Th I'm told. No 'stay-on' bonus like we were told we'd get.  Only the folks in the office got that. They're special. 

So this chapter of my work-life is about to close. I'll be relieved when it is finally done. 

Today I cleaned the house a bit. Laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooked a nice dinner..... (I am available at a completely reasonable hourly rate btw.)

Touched up the resume...entertained the dog.....I'm very versatile...

So Monday I'll call unemployment and go on the dole.

Hopefully something good comes along soon.

Happy New Year

Well here it is 2009. Yesterday I closed the door at my place pf employment for the last time. I knew it was coming since April. It was still kind of a shock. The four of us that were left came in at 8 or so, did some more cleaning and by 2 everyone but me was gone. I took one last stroll through the place, checking all the  doors were locked but to really have one last look. 

The head of the Mass. site was there on Monday, but he only stayed for a few hours. He shook our hands and thanked us for all our hard work. And work hard we did. The four of us that were left, busted our asses. We loaded trailer after trailer. We loaded several flatbed trailers outside in the rain and bitter cold because the company could save a few bucks by having us do it rather than having the company that took our racking down do it. One day was driving rain, two days later the temperature was below freezing. 

We packed all the computer equipment from the office, all the furniture, filled dumpster after dumpster and finally yesterday we finished. I ran the 'Zamboni' floor cleaner a few times over our empty warehouse and then I turned out the lights. 

It was sad because of my familiarity with the place, all the cool people I had worked with, the routine...I'm hoping we, like the office staff, will get decent severance and a 'stay-on' bonus. But I'm not holding my breath. One of the great downfalls of this site was the office staff was treated so much better than the warehouse/workroom staff. We didn't even get to see our H.R. guy. Instead we will be getting our info by FedEx.

But now the New Year will bring me some change. Hopefully in the form of a new job. Hopefully better health for Mags. Maybe the future will be so bright I gotta wear shades...