May 28, 2014

That Time I Tried to Be A Spy...

About a year ago I became obsessed with the TV show Chuck. Seriously, it's so good. Go watch the whole thing on Prime Video immediately. I had watched most of it when it was actually being broadcast but since I hadn't seen it all, I started watching it straight through, back to back, over and over and over. (Stop judging it was mostly in the background. 


But that's not how this story started.

So one of my jobs is serving at at banquet venue. You know, weddings, parties, conference lunches, etc. And sometimes, for certain events, there is just nothing to do.  And if anyone sees me just standing around it looks bad because they don't know there's nothing to do. So I am always seeking out hiding spaces.

One of the hiding spaces I thought about a number of times was in the rolling bars aka the giant hunk of plastic that is used to serve alcohol in usually empty rooms.
They have big sections for putting supplies that could totally fit a person, the main question was just whether it would be comfortable or not. And then the concern about using this spot as a hiding space, is what would happen if someone comes into the room while I'm hiding and doesn't leave?

So on one of these days when one of the bars was being used in a function room, and I wasn't the person bartending, I felt it was time to find out.
So I crawled in and determined it was not all that uncomfortable. If I was shorter it would be more comfortable, but If was was just looking to sit down for 5 minutes it was great!
So I was chillin' (yes, "chillin'") for a couple minutes, chatting with the guy who was bartending that day, when one of our co-workers walked in the room.
My options were to weirdly pop up out of nowhere or to wait until she left. I thought "it's just Olga, she'll be gone in a minute," so I chose to wait rather than explain the weird thing I was doing.

But then she stayed. And she stayed, and she stayed, and she stayed. Then some more people walked in and joined her conversation with Billy.
It was un-cramped enough that I was only somewhat uncomfortable, but cramped enough that I felt like I couldn't move at all without attracting attention. This means I couldn't get my phone out of my apron to have something to entertain me while I accidentally eavesdropped on the conversation, so all I had was a wine opener to fiddle with for the nearly 30 minutes before they all left. They had been there so long that after they finally left, Billy said that he had actually started to forget I was there at some point.
For the record, incase anyone was wondering, no, there wasn't anything I over heard that I shouldn't have.

After the first 10 minutes of sitting there, I remembered the episode of Chuck where Sarah stows away on an airplane by hiding in a large piece of luggage. It of course looked uncomfortable for her when she snuck out of the bag but I never thought about the part where she was scrunched up for hours waiting. That was how it felt to be in the compartment of the bar. And I only did it for 30 minutes!
When I first got in I said "I could totally be a spy!" When I finally got out, I determined "I could never be a spy!" In a previous story, I already determined that I would be terrible at stakeouts. I also hate guns. So as much as I want to be exactly like Sarah Walker, I think I'll have to stick to video editing.

Needless to say, I have not used the bars as hiding spots since.

May 24, 2014

That Time I Fried Some Tofu...

20SB Cooking Challenge: Recipe Revision

For this challenge, I had to think about a food I wouldn't eat as a kid and make it myself using a different/better preparation and determine if I still don't like it. The ingredient I am choosing is tofu and the recipe I will be making using it is tofu and mushroom enchiladas.

Here are this challenge's rules:
1)Write about a food you hated as a kid. It could be an entire recipe like tuna casserole or a single ingredient like mushrooms.
2) Cook a meal based on the food you didn't like. Make sure to link to your source if you're not creating an original recipe! And don't forget to take pictures :)
3) Try your dish and tell us if you've changed your mind or if you were right about it all along.

So.... 
1) I am very picky about food textures. I do not eat cooked vegetables or anything with similar consistencies. Tofu strikes me as being one such food and the look of it alone makes me not want to eat it. So I wouldn't even try it. But then I was in Japan visiting my brother and he bought some sort of crispy-thing-on-a-stick that he said was fried soy something-or-other, which was really tasty, so I've wanted to try to make crispy tofu ever since. I'm going to use this challenge to try. When I came across this recipe for Mushroom & Poblano Vegetarian Enchiladas (made with tofu), it sounded like something I could incorporate crispy tofu into so that I actually would like and eat the recipe. I am however making a couple changes to eliminate the cooked vegetables I still won't eat to make: Crispy Tofu & Mushroom Enchiladas.

2) Photos! (Also: recipe)
Fried tofu actually looks yummy.
So do the cooked enchiladas!

3) So I sampled a bit of the fried tofu separate from the enchiladas and I actually liked it. When I tried the enchiladas, I couldn't really tell that the tofu had been fried since the sauce and cheese un-crispied it, but I didn't try it with out the corn starch (that's what made it crispy when fried), so I could actually handle it in this dish un-coated.

However, I still will be hesitant to eat tofu when it's just cooked in broth or anything that leaves it looking like weird, white, squishy, soy-cubes. It's just such a strange food. Nothing about it looks like food. But I think that if it at least RESEMBLES chicken a bit, I could handle it.


May 20, 2014

What Would My Super Power Be?

This week's 20sb blog prompt:

Ah I just now read the sub question! Anyway.


This is not the first time I've thought about this. But it' the first time I've thought about choosing ONE. 

When I was younger I really wanted to be able to read minds so that I would know if people secretly hated me.
Or be invisible so I could overhear people talking shit about me and stuff (ahhh the life of a bullying victim).
But nowadays.... well, being in the wonderful world of dating, mind reading would still be nice, but I think I'd want to be able to teleport. I have many issues with driving my car. Gas costs money and is bad for the environment, everytime I go anywhere the value of my car goes down. And it's not instant. Teleporting solves so many things! I could sleep 15-30 minutes longer every morning! Yes, definitely teleportation.

Oh shit right, a costume. I'm not sure how I would use my power to fight evil but it would be green, and, I don't know. For funsies, let's say: green mini skirt, black shirt, and high-heel knee-boots. And Sunglasses. Cause those racoon-y masks are meh and why not?

May 12, 2014

What Was My Most Memorable Summertime Adventure?

It's time for this week's 20sb blog prompt!

What was your most memorable summertime adventure?

I don't often go on adventures or anywhere really. I am generally too busy being a workaholic and not taking any time off. I did go to 6 Flags with one of my friends a few years back on a summer day that was so hot I will remember it forever. 

I never drank so much water had to pee so little. All the water I drank, which was a lot, was immediately sweat out. I specifically remember not going to the bathroom the entire day. That's probably weird. But it was really fun because we went early enough in the summer that it wasn't very crowded. 

At the end of the day I had aching feet, multiple blisters, mild-moderate sunburn and had to stop going on rides because they were giving me headaches. So instead I took a selfie BEFORE they were cool (June 2011) while I waited for my friend.

May 09, 2014

That Time I Had All The 1st World Problems...

I spilled coffee on my laptop's keyboard. Computer is barley works, requires external keyboard.
Pretty sure I left my iPod in Jersey.
My s'mores cookies came out terribly because I was too impatient to put them back in the oven. 
My brand new phone stopped working after one day.
Community was CANCELLED.
AND then the Red Sox lost.

Worst. Day.


Must sleep for 1 million years.

May 07, 2014

What's On My Nightstand?

This week's 20sb blog prompt:

I don't know why I took the picture from such a high angle...

So what do we have?
  • Lego Darth Vader alarm clock
  • Coffee mug from the last time I had tea
  • Lamp
  • Coke cap, waiting for the Coke Rewards code to be redeemed before getting thrown away
  • The last two nail polishes I used
  • ChapStick
  • A bobby pin
  • A stylus for my iPad
  • My Blackberry on it's last day of use! I loved having the little cradle to charge it in. I'm upgrading to a Blackberry Z10 which does not have such technology. Sad.
  • A packet of basil seeds. Not sure why it's on my night stand. 
 This prompt reminded me of Se7en, "WHAT'S IN THE BOX?"

May 01, 2014

That Time That it Was Finally Spring

Happy spring!