Yapping, Bitching, and ...Hot Meat?

A few things that I just don't get.

1. I have a coworker who talks incessantly on her cell phone, taking personal calls during the day. My boss has had numerous meetings with our team, in which she has said to us "The next time I catch anyone using their cell phones for personal use, you're fired! Consider this your warning"
The next day, she'll be sitting at her desk, yapping away about "Oh no she didn't! Well, I said.." ..."and then he said..."
Yeah, it's like a 14 year old girl is sitting across from me.
I have a few issues with this situation.
A. It's totally disrespectful to your employer, especially after they have provided you with warnings.
B. It's extremely disrespectful to coworkers around you to be subject to listen to your conversations while they are on their phones actually conducting business.
C. Even more rude, it becomes, when those conversations last so long that fellow employees , namely ME, are being delegated this employee's share of work, because she is behind.
Now, I'm not normally one to be quite so vocal, but this has gone to a level of absolute absurdity. The other day the phone call was over an hour and a half long. AN HOUR and a HALF.
I don't get how someone would think that it is OK to behave in this manner at WORK, that is, unless you were the owner of your company.

Next on my rant-agenda

2. Dyke-Drama. I just don't get it. Oh, I've seen it, I've participated in enough of my own, in my day, and quite honestly, I'm quite penitent about all of that.
But I believe that a big portion of it stemmed from my having been a drug addicted, wasted youth. Immature, irrational, and high. The dyke-drama that I continue to see flare up from time to time today (not in my own life or relationship, but in the circumference, with friends, acquaintances, is usually of little or no consequence and has no real bearing on anyone's quality of life, mental, physical, or financial stability. So what gives? What's the point? I suppose some people simply enjoy stirring the pot every chance they can get. Not me. I like to let things simmer down and keep it at a nice mild temperature. Always trying to keep it smooth and moderate. Amicable for all. I'm a diplomat like that.

And finally...

3. Why am I just now finding out that the cooking guide on my George Foreman grill has me WAAAAAAAY overcooking my food? Wifester and I finally bought a meat thermometer, and the heavens parted and I do believe I heard trumpets.
Prior to meeting her, I'd been on a tofu kick for a while, and when not eating tofu, my chicken was boiled to the point of falling apart in shreds (see enchilada recipe) Otherwise, it was veggies, veggies, and carry-out. Oh, don't give me that...it's hard to cook for just one. Anyways, new meat thermometer, since Wifester is a Grill-Master and every grill Master needs a meat thermometer, we found her one. Since it resides in my kitchen, I incorporated the use of it on all my meats, and wow! No more crispy dried out chicken breasts on Mr. Foreman's Grill! Someone should really tell him to adjust his guide! We made salmon on it prior to the thermometer, and went by the guide, it was so chewy and tough. So this time, I used the thermometer ....mmmmmmm! Flakey juicy perfectly grilled salmon. Now if I could just get the Wifester to actually grill the salmon on her grill-de-la grill...But that's a whole other gripe for a whole other day.

After work dates

Before I tell you about my after work date, I have a new post over at Fortune Cookies Cooks! , go check it out too. Sorry, no George Foreman Grill or Tofu used in this one. Maybe next time.


Now, about my date...

Yesterday the Wifester picked me up from work and took me on an adventure. We became tourists for the day. We went to Carnton Plantation, in Franklin, TN. It served as the largest field hospital in this area for hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soldiers. The floors of the mansion are still stained with bloody footprints. Ewwww. The grounds were once covered in blood, as this is the sight of one of the worst battles in the Civil War. It makes me sad each time I'm faced with the fact that I live in an area that is the epicenter of such racism and bigotry. But I believe that it is important to visit this part of our history, to understand and learn from it, so that we can move forward.
So much unnecessary death happened, all because of ignorance. The entire place feels as though the weight of the world presses upon it. At night, you can get a ghost tour. We went during the daylight hours, but that was eerie enough, to think of all the death and suffering that happened there, not only the soldiers on both sides, but the slaves who were being fought over as well. The slave's house was where I had the strongest reaction. It seemed so painful there. I felt as though more pain and more suffering than all the battles of all the wars had occurred right there in that front room. I immediately felt repelled from the room. The bedroom was peaceful and comfortable to look in, but the front room...it was dark and not in an absence of light kind of way.
Wifester kept the camera in her possession, so I was unable to take any photos, but she got many. You can check out the ones she's posted at her flickr page.
It was an eerie, heavy, and somewhat unsettling adventure, at a beautiful mansion on meticulously manicured grounds. I always enjoy being a tourist in my own hometown. Sometimes, though, it's tough.

Promoting P.A. Bees and other hot topics...

So, first things first, Wifester's mom, who is a published author and poet ( P.A. Bees) and all around fabulous gal, has a newly budding blog, and I wanted to be the first to buzz it in your ear! So what are you doing still here? Buzz on over, and check out the Bee's Blog!! But come on back here when you're done ;)

Next. When will people learn to keep guns out of homes with children? A 12 year old girl was shot in the head, apparently by her 11 year old playmate, while playing with a gun that had been tucked between the mattresses of his parent's bed.
I can't even keep my brain wrapped around this topic, it's so sad and so upsetting. People say guns don't kill people, people kill people...Well, I'm pretty sure that had this particular gun not been in the house, this little girl would be home playing today, not laying in the hospital fighting for her life with a bullet hole in her forehead. I say it's people with guns that kill people. Rarely is it either independantly.

Next. I saw photos of myself that Wifester took this weekend, and lets just say I've decided to stop eating for oh about the next 6 months, yeah, that otta do it.
Really, though. I know I can't eliminate all food, but ok, I've done away with fast food, I've cut out colas and tea(except 1 Sprite M-F with lunch while I'm at work) and in lieu of bread, I use tortillias. I rarely have pasta, and usually use the George Foreman Grill, I mean, it is the lean, mean, grilling machine, right? We eat mainly lean, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or tofu or salmon and steamed veggies. I've even stopped adding salt after it's cooked! No poundage lost. So what gives? What the ever loving hell gives? I'm glad Wifester loves me, fat and all. I sure hope I can find a treadmill soon that both fits my budget and my house's square-footage...