Tag Archives: ham

A Mans Meal

Posted on by
4

About two or three nights a month I have to do audits and resets overnight.  I hate working third shift.  I’m very thankful that I don’t have to do it all the time unlike so many of my co-workers.  It should really be outlawed.  Nobody should have to work overnight.  It ruins your life.  I did it years ago, when I was in my early twenties.  I found it literally impossible to lead any sort of normal life while working third.  It even messes up the weekends.

The guys I work with are nice though, so the time goes by a lot faster.  We had a new guy from another team helping us last night, but we all got along like old school mates.  About 1:00AM, we went to lunch, supper, or whatever you want to call a meal at that time of the night.  We ended up going to the only restaurant open.

I’m a health nut for the most part.  I only allow healthy food in my house.  However, every once in a while I’ll have something unhealthy to balance things out a wee bit.  So, us guys sat down at the counter and started ordering our meals.  The older blokes ordered breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and grits.  I, on the other hand, ordered hash browns all the way.  This consist of shredded potatoes, diced tomatoes, cheese, cured ham, bell peppers, portabella mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, and a spicy chilli.  It taste better than it looks.

After a few minutes, the waitress brought over our food.  The new guys eyes enlarged to the size of saucers, as she laid the plate of what looked like steamy mush down in front of me. 

“What the hell is that?  He enquired while staring in disbelief. 

“This is a mans meal”, I laughingly uttered whilst pouring hot sauce over the top of the mush.

“Good God man, your’ stomach will explode if you eat that.”  He said with a sincere tone.

"I laughed, and said, “Nah, you just have to have an iron stomach like me in order to enjoy it”.

“You Mexican er somethin’?”

“Nope, I inherited the stomach of steel from my Cherokee ancestors.”

He sat there and watched me clean my plate in disbelief.  I explained later that I don’t eat that garbage everyday.  Such a venture would clog anyone’s veins.  I came home this morning and had a proper bowl of oatmeal and two cups of Irish Breakfast Tea.  I may have the eyes of a bat, but I’ve got the stomach of a swine.  :)

Thanksgiving

Posted on by
2

The ol’ turkey seems to bring out the worst and best in people.  All of it in one afternoon. 

There was enough muttering, whispering, yelling, arguing, and laughing going around yesterday to last a lifetime. 

I got up early yesterday and went to my grandmothers house to get everything in order.  I am the official chairman of orderliness.  I bring order to chaos.  I bring peace to the warring tribes of my family by reciting a few words that I usually come up with at the last moment.

“We are privileged to be gathered together in this place to give thanks to the fruitful bounty of our labour.  Also, to treasure our families and friends here today and those that are away yet so close to our hearts. 

And, let us never forget the ancestors that came before us.  Those that fought and died for our freedoms, and those that suffered because of their religious beliefs or nationality.

And finally, everyone in this family should recognise how special this day is, for most of you, being of European and Cherokee descent, can greatly understand both sides of the story and the importance of this day.

Now, dig in!”

While chowing down on turkey, dressing, gravy, candied yams, green bean casserole, potato salad (me Mum’s specialty) and cranberry sauce, I got into a wee bit of a spat with my cousin.  She weaved, wobbled, and pecked at me like a turkey, as I stood and smiled.  I don’t remember what it was about, so I don’t reckon it was too important.  Something about my sister, I presume.

In the middle of eating, I got called down to my sisters to repair a phone line.  To say I was irritated would be an understatement.  At every family event, I am badgered with technical questions.  They usually want to know what kind of TV to buy or what the best mobile on the market is at that time. 

I shouldn’t be insulted by such questions, but I am.  Mind you, I kindly answer their questions.  But, I know a heck of a lot more about a myriad of other subjects than they would every give me credit for.  It is an insult to my intelligence to think that information technology is the only thing buzzing around in my head.  :)

After repairing her phone line, I went back to the festivities and ate entirely too much.  When I got ready to leave, my little niece and her mother came over to say goodbye.  She said she wanted to be just like me.  Can you imagine such a thing?  I asked her why, and she said it was because I was really…wheelly smart and go places. 

A ten year old looking up to me?  Well, that makes it all worthwhile.

Everybody that had argued through the afternoon conciliated and the three dozen chocolate oatmeal cookies I made were gone!

Happy belated Thanksgiving my ‘merkan comrades.   :)