Alas, so all things now do hold their peace

Okay, so I do have a few things today. First off, I'd like to tell you all about what I call 'My Big New York Salad'. Our local grocery store has a fabulous salad bar, which I frequently stop at (at least 3 times a week.) I know ... it would be cheaper to make my own gosh darn salad, but I usually stop on the fly. Anyway, for a little background, I lived in NYC for about two and a half years, and around the corner from the building I worked in was a deli, that had a salad bar (a bit of a rarity in the city). You'd pick your greens already in their to-go bowl and then you'd have the attendant at the bar add whatever toppings you would like. I always got spring greens and had them add, red onion, olives, tomatoes, sprouts, and cucumbers. I would flip between blue cheese dressing and ranch. (Both homemade by the deli ... freaking fabulous deli!!) So even though I now have to toss my own salad, at the grocery store salad bar, I usually stick to my big NY salad toppings. Today however, I was starving when I got to the store. So ... my salad today has, ham, turkey, cheese, cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes, olives and sunflower seeds. I could probably feed a small community on this big ol salad. It's times like this I sort of wish I had a digi-cam. I don't ... so you don't get to see my terrific salad. I know you all are PEA GREEN with envy!!!

It's actually kind of odd that I want a cold salad ... as It's been 20 below here as of late, you'd think I'd prefer a hot bowl of soup ...

anyway ... onward HO!!!

I do have something fun for you though, I am from Omaha NE. Here are the absolute truthful driving instructions:

Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Omaha has its own version of traffic rules:

1. At a 4-way stop, the truck with the loudest exhaust goes first. The truck with the biggest tires goes after that. Blue-haired ladiesdriving anything have right of way anytime.

2. To find anything in Omaha, it is required that you know where 72nd & Dodge is. It is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End of all directions.

3. The morning rush hour is from 6:00 to 10:00. The evening rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:00. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

4. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended, cussed out and possibly shot.

5. Construction is a permanent fixture in Omaha. The barrels are moved around in the middle of the night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.

6. If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder immediately to let them know it has been accidentally activated.

7. Never honk at anyone. Ever. . . Seriously.

8. The JFK Freeway, MLK Freeway, I-480 and US-75 are four names for the same road. (See also US-133, Blair High Road, Military Ave., NW Radial, and Saddle Creek Rd.)

9. The Omaha interstate and highway system is intended primarily for cargo-bearing trucks and resident commuters. Any cars not bearing Omaha/Council Bluffs plates will be cut-off, boxed-in and caused to miss their exit.

10. Watch very carefully for road hazards such as: potholes, barricades, dogs, cats, humans, cones, barrels, squirrels, rabbits, deer, pieces of other cars, raccoons, skunks, possum, truck tires, crows, or vultures feeding on any of these items.

11. If you are in the left lane and only going 70 mph in a 55-65 mph zone, you are considered a hazard and will be flipped off accordingly.

12. The minimum acceptable speed on the JFK/MLK/I-480/US-75 (see above) is 85mph. Anything less is considered downright sissy. This is Nebraska's version of NASCAR.

13. The seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are referred to here as Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night.

14. If it is below freezing and sleeting or snowing, then watch out! Omaha residents consider this "demolition derby day" and will be all over the roads (forward, backward, sideways, etc.) Please proceed with caution as you could be the next target.

15. Thou Shalt not turn left out of the middle lane of Dodge Street lest ye be struck down by the righteous vengeful hand of God. (Signs are posted saying "no left turn"!!)

16. Yes! The Middle Lane of Dodge Street does change directions twice during the day, in the morning you can go eastbound and in the afternoon you can go westbound in this lane. Pay attention to the little arrows. (It is not a center 'left-turn' lane)

Once again, we would like to say, Welcome to Omaha, Nebraska.

Enjoy your stay.

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while.
Kin Hubbard

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

Have you ever replied to or cc'ed someone on an email that was definitely not intended for their eyes? Or received one that was about you but wasn't meant for you to read? What was the email about and how did you react?

Actually I did this at work (early on in my career) and accidently sent an email to the entire department. I was playing around with the email program and hit send instead of delete. Oopsie Daisies!

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Minnow

PRONUNCIATION:
(MIN-o)

MEANING:
noun: 1. Any of the small freshwater fish of the Cyprinidae family. 2. Someone or something considered insignificant.

ETYMOLOGY:
Ultimately from Old High German munewa, a kind of fish, via Old English and Middle English.

USAGE:
"Compared with the Scottish Parliament, a regional authority in the north-east would indeed be a minnow."

ஜ~§What I'm Reading§~ஜ

Usually it doesn't take me this long to finish an "In Death" series book, however, I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, so ... I'm still reading Salvation in Death; JD Robb.

ஜ~§What I'm Watching§~ஜ

It's all bloody re-runs tonight. Nothing new to watch. :)

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Alas, so all things now do hold their peace

ALAS, so all things now do hold their peace,
Heaven and earth disturbed in nothing;
The beasts, the air, the birds their song do cease;
The nighte's* chair the stars about doth bring.
Calm is the sea, the waves work less and less;
So am not I, whom love, alaw, doth wring,
Bringing before my face the great increase
Of my desires, whereat I weep and sing
In joy and woe, as in a doubtful ease.
For my sweet thoughts sometime do pleasure bring,
But by and by the cause of my disease
Gives me a pang that inwardly doth sting,
When that I think what grief it is again
To live and lack the thing should rid my pain.

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 (32 ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 (10 ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
6 cups store-bought or homemade tomato sauce
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 pound fontina cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add spinach, and stir well to combine.

Spread a small bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish or dishes. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce; sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated cheese. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with cheese. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Before baking, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.
Yield: 8 servings

Brightest Blessings,
~S~