by Kiki Nelson | Aug 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
I recently went back to work after a long hiatus. I took a job as a management specialist for a local police department…and I love it! The hours are good, it’s great for my retirement, and the commute is beautiful. I pass Patrick Henry’s house twice a day. Yeah, that Patrick Henry.
But the main reason I like it so much is because my co-workers are so damn nice! They are the world’s best workplace hosts. It’s been almost a month now and I have yet to meet one person who isn’t openly, aggressively, nice! I have worked in law enforcement before and this is not normal. What’s with this place? Is it in the water? Are they piping it in through the air ducts? Have the real people been replaced by the Stepford Staff? Am I next to emerge from my cubicle-pod as a nice employee? I’m already starting to feel nicer a little around the edges. There goes my rep.
Example, the woman who’s training me. After a long session of correcting my numerous mistakes from the previous day with amazing patience…she asks me if I work out because I seem like I’m in good shape. Are you serious? No, I don’t work out and believe me it shows. Are they all blind too?
I have sort of a cubicle-office in the corner. When I pipe in on a conversation from the common area, they refer to me as The Cubicle. “See, I told you so! Even The Cubicle agrees with me.” Because of my cubicle’s placement there are two male officers I can hear but not see. They are hilarious and I call them Lucy and Ethel (only in my head). The other day they got some new camera equipment that they were just gaga about. “Oh my gosh, it’s waterproof! That is so cool! Did you take it in the bathtub to check it out?” I finally met them in person the day when I was fighting with my new “Date Received” stamp. I just kept slamming it down harder and harder on my desk waiting for it to submit and release its precious ink. Finally Ethel came over and offered his assistance. Then Lucy piped in as well. I love those guys. Ethel is on vacation this week and I think Lucy kind of misses him.
Of course my perspective may be skewed by that “hiatus” I mentioned earlier. I quit my previous job to finish my degree and it took me a lot longer to get work than I’d expected. We’re talking a soul killing long time. So maybe I’m just really happy to have a J-O-B! And a P-A-Y-C-H-E-C-K. Maybe that’s part of it.
Anyway, thank you for visiting and I hope you have a fabulous day and you look great and I love your outfit and please let me know if you need anything and have a nice weekend.
Kiki
Photo attribution: http://paleocave.sciencesortof.com/2010/07/how-i-spend-my-weekdays/
by Kiki Nelson | Jul 25, 2017 | Travel, Uncategorized
On the very first day of a much-anticipated beach weekend, I got a nasty puncture wound on my forearm. This was last Thursday night. I cleaned it out with hydrogen peroxide, covered it with antibiotic ointment, and checked with my doctor first thing in the morning to make sure my tetanus shot was up to date.
But what about wound care? More importantly, what about wound care at the beach and in the ocean? Despite popular assumptions that salt water is good for healing wounds, OCEAN water is not!
“When you decide to swim with your open wound in the ocean, you give a contact between your wound and this possibly-contaminated water. Besides, ocean water might contain harmful bacteria that can lead your wound to infection.”
“When you have an open wound, especially the big and deep one, its healing process might cause changes to your immunity. You can easily be infected with various kinds of viral and bacterial diseases. This is why swimming in the ocean with an open wound is not the best decision.”
www.woundcaresociety.org
I LOVE to swim in the ocean. I should probably say I love to jump through waves and hang out in the water rather than technical swimming. It’s one of my favorite things to do. This is not to say I don’t have respect for rough water, rip tides, and jelly fish. I’m not stupid.
The surf at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina this past weekend was perfect. It just doesn’t get any better for someone like me with a longing to frolic in the ocean but the upper body strength of a kitten.
What to do about my wound?
Here’s where the condoms come in. I first got this idea when I was taking care of my mom during chemo and she had a pic line (surgically inserted port) in her upper arm. One of the few things she still enjoyed was baths. So, I got some super-sized condoms, cut the reservoir end off, rolled it up over her arm, and it worked perfectly! A friend of mine got the same advice from the nurse at an infusion center.
I thought to myself, why can’t I do the same thing at the beach?! I did and it worked equally well.
As always, I have some caveats.
I’m not medically trained. Duh. My advice is anecdotal and should be taken with a grain of salt, but not salt from the ocean on an open wound.
I discovered it’s not a good idea to ask your host or hostess if they have a condom you can borrow.
If you have an allergy to latex or embarrassment, this is probably not for you.
You will need to take the following things with you to the beach:
Condoms
Scissors
Fresh, dry bandages
A friend (especially if your wound is on your dominant side)
A sense of humor
Remove the condom by carefully cutting it off as soon as you’re done swimming so you don’t cut off your circulation.
Keep a dry bandage over the wound while you’re on the beach cause who knows what’s in the sand! Probably used condoms.
I prefer unlubricated condoms but apparently they’re hard to find these days. I found this out after having to ask the young, male, pharmacy aid for help. Talk about embarrassing! I can just see his thought bubble, “Yeah, right, it’s for your arm…cougar!”
Anyway, the condoms worked great and I had two days of amazing swimming. And—so far—my arm is still attached to my body.
Thank you for visiting.
Kiki
by Kiki Nelson | Jul 19, 2017 | Diet, Food, Host, Recipees, Recipes
I spent this past weekend as a guest in the home of a Super Cook. This is someone who was trained by
his grandma, has been cooking most of his life, AND is enthusiastic about trying new recipes and cooking
styles. This means he does comfort food, hoity toity gastro, and combinations of both with delicious
results.
This weekend he introduced me to the Monte Cristo Sandwich. Have you heard of this? It sounded
vaguely familiar to me, but I had not had the pleasure of eating one until Sunday. It looks like a Dagwood
sandwich had a baby with a grilled cheese sandwich and then it rolled in jelly. I don’t know why it’s
named after a character in a French novel, because it was created in the US (according to Google).
Maybe it’s an American way of saying “Hey Chief Pepe! You think you frenchies can cook? Check out this
orgasmic sandwich.” Just a guess.
Here’s the basic recipe as I understand it:
Sliced bread
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Cooked sliced ham (lots)
Cooked sliced turkey (lots)
Sliced cheese (even more)
Egg
Milk (Use whole milk. At this point, what difference does it make.)
Various spices (Whatever and wherever you see fit; cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla in the egg/milk mixture,
fancy mayonnaise, etc.)
Butter
Jam or jelly
You make a sandwich with the bread, mayo, mustard, cheese, and meats, then dunk the whole thing
in egg/milk mixture, then fry it with lots of butter and serve it with a splop of your favorite jam or jelly.
My host served his Monte Cristo sandwiches with bacon, home-fried potatoes, and fruit on the side.
Good Lord, I was food drunk for several hours. I decided not to even attempt figuring the calories
because my calculator doesn’t go that high. But, yeah, it was worth it.
Thank you for visiting.
Kiki
Photo Attribution: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://shewearsmanyhats.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/monte-cristo-sandwich-7new.jpg&imgrefurl=https://shewearsmanyhats.com/monte-cristo/&h=854&w=600&tbnid=VvVjrf22CQvA5M:&tbnh=186&tbnw=130&usg=__a-N9nJ6yndHwwLOwoez7QoYhtCU=&vet=10ahUKEwi84_2wo5bVAhXMQD4KHdiFBp8Q_B0InwEwDQ..i&docid=7Qrh-g3GJ5wnqM&itg=1&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwi84_2wo5bVAhXMQD4KHdiFBp8Q_B0InwEwDQ&ei=SM1vWbyfHsyB-QHYi5r4CQ
by Kiki Nelson | Jul 12, 2017 | Diet, Ettiquette, Events, Host, Hostess
I recently attended the birthday party of a neighbor held outside on their lawn. The set up was perfect; tables and chairs under a large tent that provided some much-needed shade. The meal was catered by a barbeque outfit, the kind that pulls right onto the venue with a big old cooker that looks like a huge black barrel on its side. They provided appetizers, main dishes, fixins’, and sides. Delicious! A gorgeous dessert table was set up just inside the kitchen of the 1790’s era home. I felt like I was on the set of Steel Magnolias.
The host and hostess were extremely gracious and managed to make each of the guests feel welcome and comfortable. This was quite a feat considering attendees ranged from close relatives and friends to church members to new neighbors. There was also a wide range of ages from about 18-months-old to over 80. Most of these folks were delightful and I’d like to think I’ve made some new friends. I also learned a lot about my new neighborhood. For instance, did you know there is an insurance designation called an “attractive nuisance?” This is something on your property, like…oh I don’t know…say an old mill on a stream that is no longer functional but adds to the beauty and ambiance of the neighborhood. Cool huh?
Whenever I go to an event like this, or any party or celebration, I am always left with the question, “What is the individual guest’s responsibility in terms of socializing?” Is it enough to simply show up, or is there an obligation to interact with other guests including those you don’t know?
I was trained up to be an active participant in social situations regardless of my reason for being there or my mood at the time. This includes making conversation with people and being an active listener. It was part of what a friend of mine calls “Home learning,” and is right up there with saying please and thank
you. I don’t care how old you are or why you attended, I think it’s actively impolite to sit around at a social function looking overtly bored or spending all your time communicating with people who aren’t there. I’m not saying that everyone needs to be a sparkling conversationalist all the time. Lord knows I would fall waaaay short of that goal. I’m talking about really basic stuff like introducing yourself, putting a damn smile on your face, asking appropriate questions, and at least faking interest in the answers. Here are some examples:
“How do you know our hosts?”
“Are you from out of town or local?”
“This barbeque is really good. Are you a fan of the Virginia or North Carolina variety?”
“I see you’re wearing a UVA tie, my condolences.”
It’s not that difficult. Even if you’re shy or socially awkward you can at least try to look pleasant and approachable and teach your children to do the same.
But perhaps I’ve got it all wrong? Do we owe our hosts anything more than our presence? Do we have an obligation to instill some basic social skills in our children and make sure they get some practice before we release them into the wild? Thoughts?
Thank you for visiting.
Kiki
Photo attribution: https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/BBQ15001.html?mv_pc=fr&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=BBQ15001&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIurXIvYuF1QIVlYqzCh3MxAxLEAQYAyABEgLmqPD_BwE
by Kiki Nelson | Jul 5, 2017 | Animals, Diet, Ettiquette, Events, Holidays, Host, Hostess, Travel
I was fortunate to spend my Fourth of July weekend as the guest of a couple who live in a lovely home on Chesapeake Bay. I arrived on Saturday afternoon, about two hours before my hosts’ annual Fourth of July celebration began. I had been asked to arrive early, get settled, and help with a few chores.
Our hosts provide crabs and corn while everyone else brings a side and their beverage of choice. This leads me to a hosting issue which I hear frequently. When hosting such an event is it better to assign sides or let the chips (and dips) fall where they may? If it’s a large event such as this, I like the free-form event. Folks get to make their specialties and if someone doesn’t show up, there isn’t a hole at the table that the hostess may feel obligated to fill at the last minute. But I know it bothers some folks to have too much of one thing and not enough of another. In this case we had a lot of pasta salad and one guest was heard to remark, “With a little planning this wouldn’t have happened.” I guess my thought is, who cares? Thoughts?
Several couples spent the night and I was in charge of breakfast Sunday morning. As usual we had an assortment of diets including vegetarian, pescitarian, and pregnant. With the help of another guest I made a huge load of bacon, pancakes, homemade blackberry syrup, fruit salad, and watermelon salad. For future reference, that combination seemed to work really well. Two of the couples peeled off to go home and the remaining six people spent a relaxing day puddling around in the water and eating leftovers.
On Monday we gave our hosts a break and went to Calvert Cliffs along with the other remaining guest couple. I almost hate to promote it, but this is an amazing 4 mile hike along a shaded path through forest and bordering several different ecosystems. You end up at a small swimming beach on the Bay with an amazing view of the cliffs. It’s also dog friendly, and our Boston Terrier swam for the first time. We headed about seven miles down Route 2 to Soloman’s Island for lunch. Again, found a dog friendly restaurant with shade and really good sandwiches. That night we took our hosts out to dinner. Really nice day.
On Tuesday, one couple went to check out Chesapeake Beach, two of us went to a small-town parade, and two of “us” stayed on the couch all day watching Robocop movies. I love a parade, there’s something about gathering with other people on Main Street America and complaining about their children that I enjoy. That night the other couple treated us all to pizza.
We could see fireworks from different localities from our hosts’ backyard every night. I also love fireworks.
This trip reinforced several of my best practices.
1) When you have a group staying at your house for several days, it’s helpful if people can entertain themselves, at least during the day.
2) It’s OK for people to do different things. Guests shouldn’t be pressured to participate in activities that don’t interest them. When someone on vacation is forced to do something they don’t want….it shows and takes away from the enjoyment of others.
3) Don’t complain or make negative comments about anything. If there is a serious safety or comfort problem, don’t whine about it, suggest a solution. “I know we need some room in the fridge. Mind if I toss this mayonnaise-based salad that was out on the sun for 10 hours?” “I know it’s just me, but do you mind if I turn the AC down just a couple of degrees?” You know stuff like that.
4) If you bring a pet, take responsibility for it! The first night, my bad cat woke everyone up at 5:00 am yowling in the hallway. Once again, my apologies.
I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.
Thank you for visiting.
