Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Wow, first James Brown died and now Gerald Ford? Celebrities seem to always die in groups of three. I predict Saddam Hussein will be next. Unless the former Mr. Britney Spears wises up and makes the only dignified exit possible...

Today a couple dropped into the office without an appointment and one of them acted like a colossal bully which goes over like a lead balloon with *moi.* We take a dim view of pushy asshats who think they are a cut above everyone else, and turning me off early in a business arrangement is a mistake a few people have come to regret. As recently as 4 months ago, I thought I wouldn't still be working where I am by the new year, so I'm a little surprised. I will be pleased to get out of this particular job title and into another aspect of the industry. Yuck. Ack. Pa-tooey.

A great show I recommend you watch on the Food TV Network is Nigella Feasts featuring Nigella Lawson. I LOVE that show, and I love every recipe of hers I've tried. NF must be recorded in NYC, because the price signs at the cheese market had dollar signs. Her old Style Network show, Nigella Bites, was recorded on film in her gorgeous kitchen in London, whereas the new show is recorded on videotape, which is not quite as visually satisfying. Still, it's a stunning program, and I've learned a lot about cooking from her. For example, when you are melting butter, put a tiny bit of vegetable oil in the saucepan to keep the butter from curdling and boiling. Neat, huh?

Tomorrow night I start making the rum cakes. Thousands of rum cakes to send to all and sundry. I made 12 tiny rum cakes on Christmas Eve (pulled them out of the oven about 1:30 am), but other than that, I am horribly remiss in this social nicety. I swear I'll do better.

I really love to cook, but these days it feels like I'm spending such an exhausting amount of time driving to and from downtown through harsh traffic that I've not much interest in pottering around the kitchen, so it's dinner out or just a sandwich, most of the time. I lived in McKinney and went to school in Denton during my classical voice training, and I drove a 35 mile stretch of road twice a day. Music theory classes at 8am, and opera rehearsals sometimes lasting as late as midnight. I was physically and mentally exhausted beyond measure. Now with this drive, I feel I've slipped into another grind.

When there's no traffic, it takes me 15 minutes to drive the 12 miles home up the tollway. When there's traffic, it's more like an hour. Commuting. Meh. I should have asked Santa for that jet pack. Maybe next year.

5 comments:

Dick said...

No chance on Brittany obtaining a clue.

Rest in Peace Boss.
You were a damn good one.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

I sympathise so much on the commute. I am already starting to dread going back to work because of the hour commute one-way (and I'm off till Jan 8th!).

I too am surprised that I am still at the same job. May 2007 be the year we make the leap!

Just Another Old Geezer said...

I have problems with people outside the industrial world I spent most of my life in. I sold shoe's while in high school and after before joining the Navy. That wasn't so bad, being 18 and selling black suede loafers to college girls in Denton. But I tried real estate after I retired. Never met so many stupid people who had a misconception of their true worth to society. Not the clients, the agents. I didn't mind working with buyers but sellers were not my cup o' tea. "But my friend just sold their house for $500,000. Why do you say this one is only worth $125,000?" Well, your friend's house is in Southern California, and your's is in Kingwood.

Commutes? I've had me some. 17 years in Houston - 11 mile commute took about 15 minutes. 7 years in SoCal - 17 mile commute took 45 minutes, 3 years in Bakersfield - 35 mile commute took 45 minutes, 15 months in Oklahoma - 30 mile commute took 45 minutes, 3 years in Houston - 20 mile commute took 30 minutes. But the last 7 years I was a pipeline district manager and then operations manager so I did a lot of driving to get to my pump stations.

Anonymous said...

It'd be soooo easy for me to take the G.W. Bush (known around the Rabbit Hutch as The Boooosh) to work, but honestly, at the times of day I go in, 75 and 635 are much easier and don't cost the FOUR FRELLING DOLLARS that Booosh does.

NDT is every bit as onerous to me, not that I ever get on it; most anything I have to do out that way can be done from connecting via Preston and taking a paralell street or the access road. If I change jobs and start going to Westlake every day, a tolltag isn't even going to enter into my life. I've resisted this long- why do it now?


Regards,
Rabbit.

Anonymous said...

Jeez, I know I'm gonna sound like a real bi+ch, but here goes...
I used to live in Aldine and work in SW Houston. I also lived there when I was going to UH. Now those commutes took 1.5 hrs. In fact the 1st time I drove a standard on the hwy, a hurrican was blowin' in!
Then, I lived in Aubrey and worked in E. Dallas, just past the Bulk Mail Center. That commute took 1.25 hrs and I was working 9p to 7a. You wankers talkin' about your 30 minute commutes really sound a little bit "whiny".