Going On and On
19/06/18 07:32
It's my Father's Day gift and if I want to put my cold brew in a gallon jug for easy sippin' then that is what I am going to do. Nancy would prefer that we parcel it out and add the required water and milk with each beverage concocted. If you know anything about cold brew you know that it comes in a concentrate and you are required to mix it with water and milk if that is how you like our drink.
The water is mandatory unless you like drinking mud and the milk is optional. I might have deferred to her way of making the drinks once we received the cold brew in the mail but told myself that it is my Father's Day gift and I should be able to do with it what I please. I'm only kidding about sipping the darn stuff from the jug although there are days. You know what I mean. At the end the day I'm just a little curious as to how many glasses of cold brew I can get out of the jug and will be asking the following question: Maybe it's cheaper to just buy a cold brew from Dunkin' Donuts every day?
I don't know why it takes so long to do some things that should have been done a long time ago. I'm talking about common sense sorts of things that when you finally get them done you wonder what took you so long. In this particular instance I ordered a handset for our main phone so we could have a phone in the bedroom. Keep in mind that if you have a cell phone, which most people do, the need for a second handset in the bedroom seems unnecessary.
Before ordering this second handset I increased the number of rings on the main phone to give me more time to get to the phone before it went to voice mail. Not that I am getting slower in making that trek but running to the phone only to ignore it after seeing that it is likely a robo call of sorts makes you wish there was a better way. The better way in this instance was to get a second handset. I can now rest easy when the phone rings. No need to rush. The second handset has caller ID and the usual bells and whistles to which we as consumers of such products have become accustomed. Nancy was on board with the purchase but insisted that I keep the handset on my side of the bed. Is she ever going to get tired of trying to wear the pants in this family of ours?
The gathering in the Falls for Carli's HS graduation was a good time for all. We made the 5 hour trip without incident and stayed in a hotel near the malls for a change. Uncle Wally and the Mrs had the event catered so everything was uber organized and tidy down to the crisp white tablecloths draped over the 6-foot tables. Tarpaulins were erected in the event of rain. Tables and chairs for sixty guests were arranged neatly and slowly but surely guests arrived to take their seats. The smell of Sterno was in the air but only became noticeable when the breezes died down or when someone sat in close proximity to the serving stations. There was ample cover from the sun provided by the many oaks in the yard and it was a pleasant but warm day so shade was welcome.
Carli and her small contingent of friends busied themselves apart from the adults and that I'm guessing was by design. The caterers cooked their BBQ goods in a portable smoker which sat in Uncle Wally's driveway before delivering the final product to the serving tables within an hour of the last guests arriving. Everyone seemed to have a preference for one thing or another be it the pulled pork or the ribs which were according to those who had them, "to die for."
I made a point to stay away from the carb rich items like pasta salad and rolls of any kind and did just fine. Getting in shape for the summer biking season requires discipline and I was determined not to let a good backyard BBQ get in the way. Not sure anyone noticed anyway so that's fine. Nancy asked me if I wanted a piece of cake but I declined her all-too-subtle attempt to sabotage my best efforts. Had someone offered me a piece of key lime pie I'm not sure I would have been as resolute in my resistance. All in all, everyone looked good and everyone was in good health. Some are actually looking for career changes of sorts. Best of luck to everyone!
Speaking of staying away from food that may not be good for me, I stopped into McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich a little before eight in the morning on the day of the graduation party. I ordinarily go through the drive-thru window but decided that I might like to check my iPad while having breakfast so went into the store. I had heard about the stores getting ordering kiosks but thought that might be down the road a piece.
In fact, I thought it nothing more than an idle threat and a message to those even thinking about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. I don't know what the minimum wage is in NY but I can say that I was very surprised to see kiosks set up in the store. Apparently, the "raise the minimum wage and we'll bring in automation" movement is alive and well in the food industry.
I'm typically not flummoxed one way or the other when it comes to navigating GUI's so thought I might like to give this one a whirl. There wasn't anyone in line at the counter and I didn't see anyone rushing to take my order so I was good to go with just following the instructions on the screen. I had a couple of fits and starts until the very end where the instructions on the screen were less than clear as to what the next move was. I can't say that I panicked but it was just about then that I noticed a small contingent of what appeared to two or three small family units converging at the counter.
They looked suspiciously like illegal aliens and their command of the english language was rudimentary at best. So there I was standing at the kiosk struggling with a poorly designed GUI and this group of folks with children in tow and speaking broken english were being waited on hand and foot. I may have thought that I should have forgone the kiosk and gone directly to the counter. I would have been half way though my egg mcmuffin by the time the Guatemalan's showed up. Life would have been good.
Apparently, I hesitated just long enough so that the kiosk cancelled my order while I was standing there dumbfounded and with low blood sugar to boot. The last thing I wanted to do was get behind a family of ten trying to order in a foreign language. Forget the foreign language angle, a family of ten any way you slice it would not be a welcome sight for anyone waiting in line for anything. Let me just say that there was a lot of pointing going on by the time I headed out the door and on to the drive-thru.
There is something to be said for taking the path of least resistance. On the issue of illegal aliens, I can take them or leave them but believe in the rule of law so prefer that they return to their own country sooner rather than later. Nancy has been warning me forever that we are being invaded by foreigners and I've aways told her to wake me up when it's over. Maybe that day is now. Oh, and by the way, I think the kiosks are here to stay.
The water is mandatory unless you like drinking mud and the milk is optional. I might have deferred to her way of making the drinks once we received the cold brew in the mail but told myself that it is my Father's Day gift and I should be able to do with it what I please. I'm only kidding about sipping the darn stuff from the jug although there are days. You know what I mean. At the end the day I'm just a little curious as to how many glasses of cold brew I can get out of the jug and will be asking the following question: Maybe it's cheaper to just buy a cold brew from Dunkin' Donuts every day?
I don't know why it takes so long to do some things that should have been done a long time ago. I'm talking about common sense sorts of things that when you finally get them done you wonder what took you so long. In this particular instance I ordered a handset for our main phone so we could have a phone in the bedroom. Keep in mind that if you have a cell phone, which most people do, the need for a second handset in the bedroom seems unnecessary.
Before ordering this second handset I increased the number of rings on the main phone to give me more time to get to the phone before it went to voice mail. Not that I am getting slower in making that trek but running to the phone only to ignore it after seeing that it is likely a robo call of sorts makes you wish there was a better way. The better way in this instance was to get a second handset. I can now rest easy when the phone rings. No need to rush. The second handset has caller ID and the usual bells and whistles to which we as consumers of such products have become accustomed. Nancy was on board with the purchase but insisted that I keep the handset on my side of the bed. Is she ever going to get tired of trying to wear the pants in this family of ours?
The gathering in the Falls for Carli's HS graduation was a good time for all. We made the 5 hour trip without incident and stayed in a hotel near the malls for a change. Uncle Wally and the Mrs had the event catered so everything was uber organized and tidy down to the crisp white tablecloths draped over the 6-foot tables. Tarpaulins were erected in the event of rain. Tables and chairs for sixty guests were arranged neatly and slowly but surely guests arrived to take their seats. The smell of Sterno was in the air but only became noticeable when the breezes died down or when someone sat in close proximity to the serving stations. There was ample cover from the sun provided by the many oaks in the yard and it was a pleasant but warm day so shade was welcome.
Carli and her small contingent of friends busied themselves apart from the adults and that I'm guessing was by design. The caterers cooked their BBQ goods in a portable smoker which sat in Uncle Wally's driveway before delivering the final product to the serving tables within an hour of the last guests arriving. Everyone seemed to have a preference for one thing or another be it the pulled pork or the ribs which were according to those who had them, "to die for."
I made a point to stay away from the carb rich items like pasta salad and rolls of any kind and did just fine. Getting in shape for the summer biking season requires discipline and I was determined not to let a good backyard BBQ get in the way. Not sure anyone noticed anyway so that's fine. Nancy asked me if I wanted a piece of cake but I declined her all-too-subtle attempt to sabotage my best efforts. Had someone offered me a piece of key lime pie I'm not sure I would have been as resolute in my resistance. All in all, everyone looked good and everyone was in good health. Some are actually looking for career changes of sorts. Best of luck to everyone!
Speaking of staying away from food that may not be good for me, I stopped into McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich a little before eight in the morning on the day of the graduation party. I ordinarily go through the drive-thru window but decided that I might like to check my iPad while having breakfast so went into the store. I had heard about the stores getting ordering kiosks but thought that might be down the road a piece.
In fact, I thought it nothing more than an idle threat and a message to those even thinking about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. I don't know what the minimum wage is in NY but I can say that I was very surprised to see kiosks set up in the store. Apparently, the "raise the minimum wage and we'll bring in automation" movement is alive and well in the food industry.
I'm typically not flummoxed one way or the other when it comes to navigating GUI's so thought I might like to give this one a whirl. There wasn't anyone in line at the counter and I didn't see anyone rushing to take my order so I was good to go with just following the instructions on the screen. I had a couple of fits and starts until the very end where the instructions on the screen were less than clear as to what the next move was. I can't say that I panicked but it was just about then that I noticed a small contingent of what appeared to two or three small family units converging at the counter.
They looked suspiciously like illegal aliens and their command of the english language was rudimentary at best. So there I was standing at the kiosk struggling with a poorly designed GUI and this group of folks with children in tow and speaking broken english were being waited on hand and foot. I may have thought that I should have forgone the kiosk and gone directly to the counter. I would have been half way though my egg mcmuffin by the time the Guatemalan's showed up. Life would have been good.
Apparently, I hesitated just long enough so that the kiosk cancelled my order while I was standing there dumbfounded and with low blood sugar to boot. The last thing I wanted to do was get behind a family of ten trying to order in a foreign language. Forget the foreign language angle, a family of ten any way you slice it would not be a welcome sight for anyone waiting in line for anything. Let me just say that there was a lot of pointing going on by the time I headed out the door and on to the drive-thru.
There is something to be said for taking the path of least resistance. On the issue of illegal aliens, I can take them or leave them but believe in the rule of law so prefer that they return to their own country sooner rather than later. Nancy has been warning me forever that we are being invaded by foreigners and I've aways told her to wake me up when it's over. Maybe that day is now. Oh, and by the way, I think the kiosks are here to stay.