Who Knew In 1952?

Mr. Potato Head would be 1st toy advertised on television.

The Royal Wedding

It is the other story of the week and why I stayed home from work on Friday. Funny how I had so many plans and they all fell to the wayside. It was a day not to soon be forgotten. Glad Jodie and Rob stopped by for a while. Otherwise, it is now all a bit of history.

Tornado Alley

One cannot be catching up on posts and not note the two major stories of the week. The horrific tornadoes in the south are just horrible. Hundreds dead and it is not the worst month yet. How sad. From floods to earthquakes and on to cyclones and tornadoes, the world has seen its' share of bizarre weather this year.

Return To The Salt Mine

I had set the week up so I had two full days in the office. Who knew it was going to be a massive first day back. Processed over 800 emails and it was Administrative Assistant Appreciation Day so lunches all around. Financial requests put in and chatted with many staff. Stressed and feeling it but I'll get through. Pushed hard and made it through. But it was not without stress.I did not happen to mention that on Monday, upon my return from Portland, I got to enjoy a lovely tea with Lars and Anita. We celebrated Easter Monday and what a delight. It was also the annual White House Easter Egg Roll and this year I got one of their Eggs.

So What Did I Do On Tuesday?

Slept and ordered some stuff on the computer. That was seriously all I did. A beautiful waste of a day on me and oh so needed.

And Back Home We Go To A Surprise!

At the front door I should have known something was up as pieces of salt water taffy were plugged into the egg wreath. Just inside the door was the first egg nest...Next up the bathroom by the toilet and yet I missed one of my favorites in there but you will see later...

Around the preserved plant...
In the champagne flutes...
There were four places on the side board, do you see all of them?
In the spoon from South Africa...
At least 4 places in this picture if you look close...
At least two places here...
Moonsong had to have had a good time doing this!
Even the glass sclupture was a nesting place...
Yes, the top of the fan held taffy too...

And to think I did not get pictures of at least 4 other places. But my favorite by far:Yes, inside the clothes washer in the bathroom! When I went to do the launrdy I thought I was going to plotz! Bravo my friend, BRAVO!

Easter Sunday Oh My!

Easter morning arrived and the bunny had stopped by. Janet, I mean the Easter Bunny, was very generous with a bag of jelly beans that ended up with Uncle Markie and a bagof candy corn which was yummy plus a couple of toys and a copy of "The King's Speech" which I am thrilled to own! After Sunday services we were packed up and on our way to Jacksonville Inn for Easter Sunday Brunch. So glad I made reservations a month in advance for not! While the majority of the group opted for the Special of Sherried Scramble Eggs with cream cheese, plus multiple breakfast meats, scalloped potatoes and a fresh crepe filled with a strawberry-raspberry compote, others went to different items. Janet ordered a naked eggs benedict while Mike choose malted pancakes and a side of bacon. Courtney went with leg of lamb in a minted lamb jus. I opted for the smoked salmon and cream cheese quiche with red onions, capers and tomatoes as you see above complete with the scalloped potatoes which appeared on just about ever dish that came out of the kitchen.Here is Lizzy enjoying some Easter brunch while sitting on her Dad's leg. I had been told how she just loves to laugh and is such a good little girl. Funny, that is not quite how it turned out. Alas, after a year reality is beginning to set in and the terrible two's are not far behind. But she is a cute little girl to be sure and distance does make the heart grow fonder!All entrees included: champagne or sparkling cider; fresh fruit plate topped with creme chantilly; baked Inn-made pastries; plus a spring lemon meringue tart topped with a poached "Easter Egg" Meringue and fresh spring berries. Coffee and OJ extra! Came out about $25 per person with tax and tip. Janet and I split the bill and after dropping Mom off at home we headed north.Ah here she is that smiling gem of a grand daughter, great grand daughter, etc.

Saturday Is All About Easter & Tamale Pie

Mom decided to have a little chat with her new found friend. A lavender bunny I gave her for Easter. It was very cute. Janet got a mint green one plus a couple other little items for the holiday as you can see below. They stayed back in Portland. While Mom and I played domino's, Janet decorated the house for Easter with various decorations Mom has collected over the years. Below, Mom is sitting with a couple of left over and still blooming poinsettia's from Christmas that have gone into a spring basket and they are under a great picture of Dad that mom really likes. When we arrived on Friday we took Mom to Standing Stone Brewery for lunch. It was a delight and that evening Janet made yummy egg salad sandwiches for dinner. Saturday arrived and Mom was going to make Tamale Pie for lunch, but i got her off track on chicken thighs and I have to say BRAVO to Janet for stepping up and making her 1st Tamale Pie and it was wonderful. Not quite the same, but still delicious. This is not, I repeat, not something you will find south of the border. It is pure Betty Crocker circa 1950's! But it has been a dinner staple of the Schilling family oh these many years.Here's the recipe:

2 pounds ground beef
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1
clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup
canned whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups canned tomatoes or 1 can diced
tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
(we never had these because
Mom does not like olives)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
powder
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
4 1/2 cups boiling salted water

Saute first 4 items breaking ground beef into bite size pieces with a fork.

Add next 7 items and stir and cook through.
Set aside to not overcook.

Add cornmeal slowly to boiling hot water so that it does not stop boiling.
Cook until thick.

Line greased baking dish with cooked cornmeal mush reserving some for the top.

Add meat mixture and then spread remaining mush on top.

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

You can add more spice or top with ketchup as desired.

Good Friday = Good Rolls

My friend mick is an amazing baker and recently made homemade cinnamon rolls for a breakfast to welcome Markie home from one of his bizillion trips. Yes, he travels a lot. Hell, sometimes he travels and goes no where. Anywho, I shared my sister and mom love cinnamon rolls.

Usually I fly home to see Mom, but this time I drove. So I asked Mick if he would make a batch for me to take down. he did and they were stunning. You know they were stunning by Janet's look of joy. We do have a lot of fun together.

In full disclosure, Janet is a very good Catholic and did not eat any of these on Friday. Now Thursday night or Saturday morning, that is a whole different story. But she was a good trooper and fasted on Friday.

Please note the elegant serving tray. I was so lazy I did not change out the box for a more proper tray, but it did not change the AMAZING taste one little bit. Thank you Mick!

The Vacation Begins - Breakfast

This is Judy, a dear friend who is battling cancer and was wonderful enough to take time out of her day to join me at Jake's Grill for breakfast. She opted for the classic Eggs Benedict.

They have quite the menu at Jake's no matter whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner and they print them fresh each day. Wowzers! Judy arrived with her son William as Susie was delayed on another errand and would join us later.

Here is Judy and Susie together. They have been friends for like forever. Susie has been quite helpful in keeping us updated on her condition in real terms and just recently got remarried and is settling down in southeast Portland.

I decided to go for their biscuits & gravy. I have never ordered it before and while tasty, it was weird that the biscuits are served on the side and not under the gravy. Yes, I had to go and order a side of bacon. Guilty as charged.

And here is a close up of the two of them. It was not until I was doing this posting I realized I did not get a picture with Judy. But oh the memories.

The Vacation Begins - Friends

I have known Di for like 13 years now since I began working for E&A and she is a dear friend. It is through her I got to meet her partner Julie. They are so fun and we have shared a lot of laughs.

Julie is my secret "girlfriend" and we were married years ago, but don't tell anyone. She is a hoot and always has a laugh ready to get me going for the evening. I got to see both of them plus so many more on this trip. great to catch up.

Lisa and I have been friends for years and years. We met at Weight Watchers and have kept in touch. She is the Beer Goddess and oh how I will never, ever forget her 30th surprise birthday when I got an earful for not being around to celebrate! Little did she know what her husband Mark had done. I got to be the emcee for the evening and it was a blast. She is now an author and I am the proud owner of a copy of Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest!

Hello Mary! Used to be my neighbor over on NE 22nd and Flanders and I love her to death. She has a hottie for a husband and two great kids. We got to catch up a bit at Mother's. In addition I was able to drop shoes off at Cobbler Bill's and see Darlene. What a trip to Portland it was!

Two Moments We Would Rather Forget

12 years ago today youth in schools would never be the same again as Columbine High School becomes the center of our universe for the day as children are randomly attacked by two class mates and life stopped for a moment in utter disbelief.

Last year, this was the day when all hell broke loose in the Gulf of Mexico as the worst oil spill started and thousands and thousands of barrels of oil spewed into the gulf. Major environmental disaster with all shrimping shutting down and the tourist trade dies for the now. And all the head of BP could say was, "I want my life back." What a moran.

Taco Bell To Law Firm: 'Would It Kill You' To Apologize?

When this story broke I remember all the murmurs. A co-worker LOVES Taco Bell and I admit I do eat there once in a while when he buys lunch, although we are eating more and more at Subway these days. But still you gotta love this. Law firms can do so much good and yet also be pains in the butts! Read on...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Taco Bell took a parting shot Wednesday at the law firm that questioned the beef content of the filling in the chain's tacos and burritos.

In full-page newspaper ads, the company asks in big, bold type: "Would it kill you to say you're sorry?"

The chain ran the ads in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and USA Today as well as in publications in Chicago, Los Angeles and in Alabama, home of the law firm that sued Taco Bell early this year.

The ads amount to a victory lap by Taco Bell after the law firm dropped its lawsuit this week but also risk keeping the issue alive.

The law firm Beasley Allen said it dropped the lawsuit after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.

Not so, the chain insisted. In its ads, Taco Bell says that it made no changes to its products, ingredients or advertising, no money was exchanged and there was no settlement agreement as a result of the suit being dropped.

The law firm had no immediate comment on the new ads.

Laura Ries, president of Ries & Ries, a marketing strategy firm based in Atlanta, said Taco Bell's latest response was a mistake. She said the ads revive memories of a lawsuit that most people had forgotten after the initial burst of publicity.

One positive approach was the mention that Taco Bell lists its ingredients on its company Web site, Ries said of the new ads.

Still, "when you run these ads defending, defending, defending, sometimes people think, 'Well, wait a minute, why are they trying so hard to defend themselves?'" she said.

Taco Bell says it spent $3 million to $4 million in advertising to counter accusations in the lawsuit. Previously, the chain ran full-page ads in at least nine major newspapers, aired television spots and launched a YouTube campaign to defend the quality of its taco filling.

"We launched this campaign to make sure that consumers know that we didn't change our marketing or products because we've always been completely transparent," Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed said in a statement Wednesday.

Taco Bell has said the allegations were "absolutely wrong" and the federal lawsuit was voluntarily withdrawn by the firm.

The false-advertising suit, filed in California in January, alleged the chain's filling doesn't have enough beef to be called that.

It alleged the meat mixture has binders and extenders and does not meet federal requirements to be labeled beef. The suit sought to make the company stop calling it "beef," and pay the suing law firm's bill.

Taco Bell says its taco filling contains 88 percent USDA-inspected beef and the rest is water, spices and a mixture of oats, starch and other ingredients that contribute to what it calls the "quality of its product." It says it uses no extenders to add volume to the filling.

Taco Bell has almost 5,600 U.S. restaurants. The chain is owned by Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc., which is also the parent of Pizza Hut and KFC. Taco Bell accounts for about 60 percent of Yum's profits in the U.S.

In the ads, Taco Bell gets in a final dig at the lawyers who brought the ill-fated suit — "You got it wrong, and you're probably feeling pretty bad right about now. But you know what always helps? Saying to everyone, 'I'm sorry.' C'mon, you can do it!"

Copied off MSNBC is the following AP report by BRUCE SCHREINER

It Was Just One Of Those Days

There are days that you know you should just roll over and go back to bed. But no, I did not do that, I got up and headed to the office. For those that know Seattle, I hop on I-90 and head east across Lake Washington and take the first exit onto Mercer Island and make my way to Starbuck's if I did not make breakfast at home.

Well, I was out of coffee and since I am heading south this week, I will Starbuck for a couple of days. Had my banana with me. Grabbed a "artisan" breakfast sandwich. What is so artisan about it other than the price! Well, it ties me over to lunch. Get to the office and there are problems from the moment I sit down in my chair. I swear it is going to be fun to be out of range for email and cell later and see just how many times things stumble. Granted, I don't want to see it happen, but dang it, people use your head!

Between calendar issues to people canceling on trips and feeling they should not get dinged the $100 cancel fee. Hello, it is printed clear. Then came not one, but two conference calls with staff. Decided to be a nice guy and treated the local office to Fatburger. If you have not been, you should treat yourself. They have turkey burgers. YUM!

Then it happens, I have to sit through a sucked call of Mark, me and Barb. It was the saddest waster of time - seriously, over an hour over two words in an email that she totally blew out of proportions. I even apologized and yet it was not enough. What did she want? Seriously. She started crying and seriously, I was stunned. WTF? I finally gave up and left. I could hear her still pleading her case as Barb is so good at. Well, I am not sure what happened, but she left crying with her sunglasses on. Oh well, maybe I will not have to deal with her again.

Yes, I am blunt and sometimes say the wrong thing, but I do not usually do it with malice. I do it because I am an elephant in a china shop. I am such a Sag. I go along and take a lot and then blow up and move on. I often don't remember it the next day, but oh that is not the case for others. They hold it and let is simmer and swirl and then hell will be paid. OY! Why not share, oh two weeks ago, that you were upset and let's talk it out.

So I was now way behind schedule and had to get funding requests in plus an overview of the admin staff plus a follow-up summary of the events from the 16th which we are judging. By 6:40pm I was driving across Lake Washington on 520 and look down to see the yellow gas pump telling me I am about to run out of gas. Oh Great. Well, I did not and got to stop by and see Jodie and drop off a little Easter surprise and then it was on the road home. Dinner was baked chicken thighs and potato. YUMMERS! Exhausted and now I am sitting here ready for a good night's sleep. Good night.

Seriously, A Laugh When I Needed It!

Found this on Amazon Fresh website. I just had to go ahead and buy it. Made many of the staff laugh this day. Why are Monday's so stressful? But thankfully I had this book and it was a great stress reliever today. It was a blur to be sure. Was up early and at the office to be sure to get the backlog of emails out of the way. Over 300 and I had to laugh. Mark only commented on 2 of them. Yup, both negative. About two hikes. Now mind you, did he mention how it was great to see the rest of the events go off so positive. Noooooooo! That would be a thing of positive re-enforcement to tell me I was doing a good job. Well, I decided to do it for myself. And proud of it. I'll be damned if I am going to allow one man ruin my weekend of good events.

50 Years Ago It All Began...

Ground was broken for the Space Needle!

Easter Memories

A week from tomorrow is Easter. I'll be down in Ashland for Easter for the first time in years. Driving down next week to Janet's and then on Friday we head for Ashland. Easter brunch at Jacksonville Inn on Sunday for 10. But back in 2004 I was in Turkey with my friend Ani and she surprised me with this cute little touch of Easter she had packed the whole way over. It is only about an inch high but it is just too cute. So while it looks bigger above, below is a perspective shot. Hippity Hop we go...

Wait, It's Spring - Right?

So my friend Markie is up at Whistler for the week with the first of a two week 60th birthday celebration for his friend Rich. They have been having fun being lazy and taking in a tour of a local mine. Swimming and enjoying good food have been part of the fun. But one thing not planned for is the snow! Yup, SNOW! It is just amazing at how winter will not release her grip on the region. This is a picture at his condo complex up in Whistler I snagged off his blog. And get this, Mt. Baker still has a base of just shy of 300" and it is April 15!

A Fortnight Away

I'll be watching...will you?

The pomp and majesty will just be a delight.