BrennerWorld

Fast Food Chicken Icon of the Week

amandabrenner — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:49:37 -0500

Why hello there, Foghorn Leghorn, er, I mean Claudio!

This week's fast food chicken icon comes all the way from the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, apparently a city beyond the reach of U.S. copyright lawyers.

I snapped this photo back in October while walking along one of Buenos Aires' main streets. David asked, "Aren't you going to take a picture of that for your Fast Food Chicken Icon of the Week series?" So I did, and a mere eight months later, here he is in all his scared witless glory...

Claudio!

The sign reads Pollo a las Brasas, which translates to "chicken of the coals", or basically a chargrilled chicken. Unlike most Spanish-speaking countries, in Argentina the "ll" is pronounced "sh", so one would say, "posho a las brasas."

And I can't describe how delicious that sounds to me at the moment (sorry, Claudio).

So, looking at Claudio's face, he is clearly horrified by something (and rightly so), but what? We can't see what he is looking at. Could he be watching the fate of other chickens before him? Could it be that he sees the grill for which he is destined? Or did someone just unexpectedly remove his drumstick with a cleaver? More than likely, he is mortified by the way people drive in Buenos Aires, since he seems to be looking down towards a major street. Trust me, Buenos Aires driving is even more exciting that Paris driving, and Claudio appears to agree.

Or is he reacting to the fact that they deliver? Or that he is wearing a chef's toque? Or that he has a long-lost twin north of the equator... you be the judge:

Eat Mor Chikin

amandabrenner — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:35:01 -0600

It was very cold this morning, in the teens, which is extreme for us here in the Dallas area. When it gets this cold, if there is any sign of impending moisture, schools and government offices tend to close. Face it, we do not know how to drive in "weather" and we are better off at home.

This morning I was driving east along U.S. Hwy 380 at full speed, about 60 miles per hour. The roadways were completely dry, and I was behind other traffic that was moving at the same pace. There was no one behind me.

As I approached Hardin Road, the signal turned to yellow. It was one of those moments: Can I stop safely, or do I go on through? I probably should have stopped, but I saw some sort of slow moving convoy of work vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, and I somehow processed that they were sand trucks, and therefore I should not apply my brakes in case of ice on the roadway.

The light turned red just as I entered the intersection.

I made the requisite "horrified that I did that" facial expression to signal to other motorists that I am not a jerk.

As I drove through the intersection, it became clear that the convoy was a street sweeper and not a sand truck. I never see street sweepers here in Texas, so where did this come from and why was it sweeping the center lane of the three westbound lanes?

As luck would have it, a police vehicle turned onto Hwy 380 from Hardin Road and began to follow me in my lane. There was no other traffic behind me, so it was glaringly obvious that he was behind me. I could even feel him glaring at me, running my plates.

He followed me for a while. I fumbled around the center console of my car for my work badge. At least if he saw the logo on the badge he would assume that I was poor and perhaps take pity on me and just issue a warning. Except for my car, while several years old, is considered a luxury vehicle. Crap.

So he followed me almost to Central Expressway, in that intimidating way that cops do, by driving near or behind one who has just committed some infraction.

Then he turned into Chic-Fil-A, a popular place for the officers to stop for a meal.

I seriously thought, as I continued straight and he turned into the parking lot, hooray, "Eat Mor Chikin!"

What is there to do north of Dallas, other than go to the mall?

amandabrenner — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:15:48 -0600

It is a frequently asked question in our area. What can we do when the relatives come to visit? And it's a good question, as Dallas doesn't have too many interesting natural sights to see. We've no beach, no mountains, and not much that really stands out from the rest of the country. In fact, we seem to have a large percentage of chain retail and restaurants, and a short list of unique or interesting attractions.

So, I'm assembling this catalog of good things to do in the north Texas area, especially those things to do near McKinney.

I'm not ruling out shopping altogether, but I am leaving out most malls and chain stores. Who really wants to travel across several states to go to a generic mall with the same stores and merchandise as one can find at home?

If you have any suggestions of additions to my list, feel free to comment!

In support of small business

amandabrenner — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:26:09 -0600

Just a friendly note to small businesses:

I know that your employees may be stressed right now. Many businesses are having tough times, and that makes things even harder for those small businesses who are already up against the low prices of the corporate giants and the anything-for-a-buck-made-in-China-loving American public.

So, if you, Mr. Small Business Owner, decide to run a special in order to attract business, please ensure that your employees know about the special and that they hide any dislike for what may be a loss leader.

If you own a hardware store, and you have to special order an advertised item, please actually order the item for the customer. Odds are fairly high that the customer actually wants the item for which they drove to your store to purchase. They may even want it fairly quickly. And if the customer calls to inquire if the advertised item that had to be special ordered has arrived (since your employees didn't call like they said they would), please tell the employees to check thoroughly before saying "yes, it's here". The customer has already gone out of their way to shop at your store, no need to have them return solely for an exercise in asking for a product that isn't there.

Also, if you own a hardware store and an item is advertised at a specific price in the sales flyer and on the shelf tag, it would be good if you actually charged the sales price for that item. If the Murphy's Oil Soap is advertised at $2.50, please ring it up at that price, and not $4.29. As a matter of principal, I will be back for my $1.79 and I will be less inclined to go out of my way to shop at your place if it takes 3+ visits to get what I need. I may be a savant as far as what everything in the cart should ring up, but I should be able to send my husband to buy a few things without being grossly overcharged. He isn't a savant in that regard, and he trusts you to do what you say, i.e. charge him the correct price for the stuff he buys from you.

If you own a restaurant, and you run an ad for a weekday dinner special, please inform your waitstaff of said special. Let them know that you need the new customers and perhaps even mention that the customers are not a bother but rather an asset. Customers who come in for the special, but are served up a heaping plate of attitude along with their Italian food are not likely to return to purchase entrees at full price. I don't want to be treated like a burden for taking you up on an offer that you voluntarily extended. By "you" I mean you or your employees because they are representing you. Yes, we took you up on your two dinners for $17, which was a killer deal, but we also bought a bottle of wine and a dessert, and tipped and spent $60 at your restaurant instead of our original plan of eating soup and sandwiches at home.

Small business cannot survive "just because". I will not pay the same or higher prices to be treated poorly. We don't live in Mayberry, RFD. There are alternatives out there and while I may not like them, if their service manages to surpass yours, I don't plan on paying more for inept or flat out bad service. Yes, everyone messes up from time to time, and I'm the first one to acknowledge that, but a bad attitude is not okay.

Times are tough right now, small business owners. Don't let bad attitudes or misguided employees sink your business!

A new roof! Just what I always wanted!

amandabrenner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:00:10 -0600

Nothing makes me long for apartment living more than having to replace a large part of a fairly new house.

Last year, our neighborhood was hit with a series of fairly strong hail storms. The most memorable one hit around 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The loud cracking noise coming from the roof woke me, and fairly convinced me that the house was on fire. Baseball-sized hail tends to make quite a racket, I can attest.

Many of the houses in our area needed a new roof. Perhaps a third of our subdivision, and slightly south of us, almost entire subdivisions. The roofing trucks were on the prowl, like sharks looking for prey, many with out of state plates.

We got conflicting opinions on the state of our roof, so we put it off. With the one year mark coming up, and the accompanying insurance claim deadline, we had the adjuster out. Yep, we need a new roof, in the $10,000 range.

Our eighth anniversary is coming up:
Traditional 8th wedding anniversary presents have a theme of Bronze and Pottery.
A contemporary or modern 8th anniversary present has a theme of Lace and Linen.
The flowers associated with the 8th anniversary are Clematis

Perhaps our eight anniversary gift will be a bill for a new roof on some nice linen paper! Ugh. Let's pray for a year of no hail, please. At least not the big stuff.

Let me enlighten you regarding "bridge lines"

amandabrenner — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:56:25 -0600

Hello, fellow middle class Americans.

Let me fill you in on a relatively newly widespread phenomenon, known as the "bridge line". You are probably a bridge line consumer, but don't know it.

Bridge lines refer to higher end luxury items marketing to lower end consumers. We used to see "bridge departments" in high end department stores, where one could buy more trendy clothing by designers from higher end labels.

An example might be a cotton knit dress with a Dior Sport label.

At one time, this was referred to as "better sportswear", etc.

Nowadays, every high end retailer has a lower end line. The line between the average and the rich is blurred by such product lines as "Armani Exchange", "BCBG", etc. Look at the local outlet malls and their offerings, such as Hilfiger, Coach, etc.

If you have ever bought from these bridge lines, versus the "real deal", you know that the labels have been diluted. Many of the bridge line products differ from the original quality by being outsourced to China.

How many middle class American woman are sold on Coach and other purses that sell for $600 + dollars that are made in China?

These are not the same Coach purses from 15 years ago. Nor are they the same Louis Vuitton, etc. They are cheap versions, even if "genuine".

Even Tiffany has a bridge line these days. You can buy Tiffany stainless steel cutlery instead of their silver, priced within reach of most households. And, some of their hottest selling items are their sterling silver with the logo charm. One of their best selling stainless flatware lines tackily enough has their logo on the topside of the utensils. So, people are buying the cheapest stuff with the biggest logo and claiming to be Tiffany customers.

Way to go, Tiffany, Coach, and all the other labels. Way to cheapen yourselves and your brand beyond repair. You are no longer exclusive in any way. Bravo!

Ode to a farmer, on his first airplane flight

amandabrenner — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:52:08 -0600

Dear Farmer, how we love thee and your new found ability to roam about the country.
How we love that you no longer must stay home to tend to cattle, fowl and hog.
With joy we marvel of numerous connecting flights, you can make your way to San Diego, California via Frontier.
And also that you have a cell phone. That works on an airplane.
We lament your hearing loss, through years of exposure to loud machinery. Or perhaps a loud wife.
We applaud your ability to talk loudly about the wonder of lobster, California weather, and your first plane ride, on Frontier Airlines.
And confessing to the person on the other end of the line that you called, "Just to holler at them", all the while hollering loudly.
And for making the rest of the passengers laugh, and talk to one another a little in a friendly way.
Because you innocently disobey the flight attendant.
Farmer, you are a breath of fresh air compared to the willfully self-absorbed so-called sophisticate,
Who thinks he is more important than most, and above the rules.
You make us laugh with glee and wish we also might fly to Nebraska
Instead of hating our fellow man.

Dear acquaintance, please don't give me gift cards

amandabrenner — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:00:36 -0600

Christmas time is here again. Why is this always a surprise to me? Here I am thinking I have plenty of time to send out my cards when in reality we are down to just 12 days before the big day.

Anyway, it is the time of year when people are thinking about what to give the loved ones in their lives.

And the acquaintances, and complete strangers.

Gift giving has gone over the top, and unfortunately it is now the norm to purchase gifts for people we simply don't know, just because they perform some function in our lives.

Nothing screams (to me, anyway), "I don't know you from Adam" more than a Starbucks gift card.

If you don't know me well enough to pick out something I might enjoy, please don't buy me anything at all. Please save your money to spend on people you do know, or better, give to someone who really needs it. I don't like overpriced crappy coffee, I don't often eat at fast food or chain restaurants and I won't start now because I have a gift card. I don't shop at many big box retailers.

I have some Nordstrom gift cards that were given to me perhaps five years ago by someone who probably thought Nordstrom was a really impressive place to shop. I used to think so too when I was in my 20s but I lost interest in Nordstrom many years ago. So, Nordstrom has had $50 in free money for a few years now, and may have it forever. What a great gift for Nordstrom, but a waste for the giver, and of no benefit to the receiver. $50 just isn't going to make me go out of my way to enter Nordstrom, or a mall.

Gift cards have flourished in recent years and they don't really benefit the public. They are great for the retailers though. How many gift cards go unredeemed because the recipient has no use for the product? Or as in the case of Starbucks, the recipient may actually dislike the product.

Many retailers start deducting value from unused gift cards. So the recipient who doesn't use the card fast enough faces a reduction in value. How is that a good value for the giver or the receiver? It is only good for the store.

Let's not forget that with gift cards, if the retailer goes belly up, the bankruptcy court will likely not allow them to honor the gift cards, so those gifts can become free money to the failing retailer and a complete waste to the giver and receiver.

What would happen if we all stepped back from the catch-all "solution" of gift cards and paid more attention to the recipients habits and feelings? If we don't know the recipient well enough to know some of their habits, perhaps we should stop giving meaningless gifts to strangers.

Christmas costs more at Wal-mart. Maybe your life.

amandabrenner — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:54:53 -0600

Another fine Wal-Mart experience.

Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a Long Island, New York, store at 5 a.m. Friday, police said.

“This incident was avoidable,” said Bruce Both, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, the state of New York’s largest grocery worker’s union.

“Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?

Please do not insult animals by comparing them to these "shoppers". Better words for these "shoppers" might be lowlifes, dirtbags, bullies, or I guess now, killers. But as long as y'all got your discounted crap, congratulations.

And as long as Wal-Mart makes a few bucks each year, I'm sure we will see the sales events continue.

Was anyone surprised that this death occurred at a Wal-Mart? I wasn't.

I even read about grown men pushing down little girls at the local Wal-Mart near where we live. Also, there was a lot of cussing going on among North Texas shoppers fighting over low prices. Nice.

I doubt I will ever step foot in their stores again. I feel sick that I ever did.

"Penguins and wine go together, you just don't know it yet"

amandabrenner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:46:42 -0600

Yes, now that you ask, we did just spend a few weeks in Buenos Aires and while there will be more posts and pictures from our trip later, I do want to address a few things about Buenos Aires (and Argentina in general), right now.

Buenos Aires is a fabulous city, and the Porteños know how to party. Most nights, dinner doesn't even begin until 9:00 p.m. As in, the restaurants aren't even open until 9:00. The rumors are still true: Good wine and good beef is to be had at low prices, compared to the United States. But for now, let's concentrate on the wine.

David and I spent a lot of time with some of our new friends who we met through our participation in Español Andando. Each of four days, for three hours a day, we would meet up with two other students and our teacher and guide, Tatiana, for an introduction to Buenos Aires language and culture. It was fantastic. Hour one was language lessons in a bar or cafe, and hours two and three were spent learning about the city and pestering local shopkeepers and bus drivers while we completed exercises designed to help us learn the city.

Due to some fortunate scheduling snafu, our last class occurred over dinner instead of lunch, and so the wine began to flow. I believe we had about five bottles of wine for five people, along with our dinner. Some of it was house wine served in a carafe in the shape of a penguin. That is when we found out about the pinguinos of Argentina (here is one pictured with David):

Keep in mind that normally, David would never do such a thing, but it was a festive evening! And, I decided that I simply had to have the pinguino decanter, but when David tried to buy it for me, the waitress said no way, they only had ten, and please do not steal the pinguino!

So, on foot., we scoured the city of Buenos Aires for pinguinos. Come to find out, they are not common items anymore, as we walked many miles without finding any. We did manage to find them online, but not in stock, on Uncommongoods.com (and at the price of $45 each, it would have been much cheaper to swipe the pinguinos from the restaurant - kidding already!):

The Drink Of The Penguins
PATAGONIA PENGUIN WINE PITCHER

Real penguins might live in Antarctica, but this ceramic penguins will always call Argentina home.

During the 1930s, serving table wine in penguin-shaped pitchers or pinguinos was popular among the Argentinian working class. Penguin pitchers can still be found in Argentina today, and this replica is a wonderful and whimsical way to share in a tradition and serve wine in a fresh, new way. Made in Argentina.
This item has been discontinued. When it sells out, it will no longer be available. We apologize for any inconvenience.
$45.00
ITEM NUMBER: 16538
MATERIALS: ceramic
NOTE: Hand Wash Recommended.
SIZE: 8" H x 5" W, holds .75 liters
We are sorry, but the item listed is currently out of stock.

We finally returned to the restaurant to ask where we could find the pinguinos for sale, and managed to find the quaint little shop that was filled from floor to ceiling with kitchen cruft of every type imaginable. I would never have thought to look or inquire in this store.

When we asked the shopkeeper, "Hola, tienes pinguinos por vino?", he replied, "Si" and I about fell over. He reached over to a shelf and pulled a wine pinguino, literally, out of nowhere. We were thrilled. I asked, "Tienes mas?" to which he replied, "Quantos necessitas?" Now if that isn't a loaded question, I don't know what is. Technically, no necesito pinguinos, pero quiero trente. I don't know what I just said, but the intent was to say that I don't need any penguins, but I would like thirty. So, we settled on two. The shopkeeper pulled a ladder out of thin air, climbed up towards the ceiling and shoved some undescript items out of the way to reveal more pinguinos. This guy knew his inventory.

So, two very cherished pinguinos flew home with us, and I am putting them to very good use. And, as the reviewer states, "penguins and wine go together, you just don't know it yet". I have to agree.

Another gem lost: Smith Drug

amandabrenner — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:42:41 -0500

Well, the inevitable finally occurred. I saw it coming for a long time, and tried to help in what small capacity I could.

Smith Drug is no more. McKinney's oldest business has thrown in the towel.

Seriously, what local business can compete with Wal-Mart or Target, when people only give a damn about the mighty buck? It isn't even really about bucks. It is more about cents.

Smith Drug had been in business since the 1800s. The service, until the end, was wonderful. They delivered medication, for free, to the homes of their customers. They would loan you a few pills until you could get back to the doctor. They would sell you a doo-dad that you might need, for a quarter, although you'd pay ten times more for it anywhere else. What a wonderful service in the world of people hiring strangers to do what neighbors used to do for free without a second thought, like feeding the dog while you are on vacation, or checking the mail. Or seeing if you are breathing if no one has seen you for a few days.

Back in 2004, Smith Drug tried to find its niche in filling prescriptions for uninsured folks at cost. Business was booming. Smith Drug was making the news. Then, Wal-Mart and Target and others started the $4 generics program. How can Smith Drug compete? They can't even buy the drugs for $4, let alone make a profit. Well, they can't compete, can they?

So, America. You've spoken loud and clear. You want a dirty, limited service pharmacy that doesn't have any leeway to treat you as a human being. You don't give a damn about personal service anymore.

The thing that sucks the most is that many of our prescriptions have the price set by our insurance plans. It doesn't matter where you fill most prescriptions, it will cost the same at an independent or Wal-Mart or even Costco. But if you flock to the $4 place for everything, you get less service for the same price.

My thyroid pills would be $12 for 90 days at the $4/month Wal-Mart/Target places, and the same prescription was $20 for three months with my insurance at Smith Drug. $0.22 vs $0.13 per day. Well, I guess the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world cost about 1/2 in that instance.

Is this a significant difference in a world where people pay $4 for a cup of chain restaurant coffee that cost a dime to brew, and burn $1.00 in gas waiting at the drive through to collect the coffee? No. But if the cost of generic prescription drugs could be flaunted with pride as a fashion statement, like franchised coffee, Smith Drug would still be around.

Oh and I guess that is another factor. At Smith Drug, there is no drive through. You actually have to park your car and walk a few yards to get into the store. Good golly.

What really irks me is that most of our prescriptions would cost exactly the same at Smith Drug. Going elsewhere didn't save us anything. The Advair would still be $80 for three months. The Proventil would be the same. All your kids ADD meds and your daily antidepressant would cost the same at either Wal-Mart or Smith Drug.

But now you don't have the choice, and no one is going to deliver it to your house no matter how desperate you are.

I hope you are all happy.

More children with social skills... boy children, that is.

amandabrenner — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:30:32 -0500

Tonight, just as we were sitting down to dinner, I noticed out the window a young person running up the driveway towards two of our neighbors homes. A car seemed to be shadowing this young person, and I suspected that our home would be next to have its doorbell rung by this young person.

I was right. The child and the corresponding car visited our house next.

And, I was pleasantly surprised when our door was opened to a boyscout, in uniform, offering popcorn for sale.

This is the second time we have been approached by scouts to buy fund raising popcorn, and each time I have been impressed by the boy at our door. What a pleasant experience to talk to a kid who can carry on a conversation, look you in the eye, answer a simple question, or two or three, and has pride in his appearance and his associations. I even remember the young scout who visited our last home, so that must have been three years ago at least, his name was Tristan and he delivered a thank you letter with the popcorn.

This was what I wanted for LD when we signed her up for Girl Scouts several years ago. Unfortunately, the Girl Scouts were more interested in makeup (yes, among 4th graders), doughnut breakfasts, and general cattiness. The girls were rude to each other. They were not interested in learning new skills, or cleaning up after themselves, or really earning a badge. It was more about crying when expected to do anything, or calling one another names, or eating sugar.

Perhaps this is why you don't see many girls selling Girl Scout cookies door to door anymore. You really only get to buy the cookies from the parents these days. The girls are all prima donas whojust wear the Girl Scout sash on delivery day or do a token run-through the office with mom. I had the pleasure of turning down a Girl Scout selling cookies in the office and once I said "no", the kid had no pretense of manners.

What a user.

Families who raise children with social skills and a work ethic

amandabrenner — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:44:49 -0500

I've crossed paths a few times with families who for one reason or another raise their children according to their own family values as opposed to television, or popular culture. And, I applaud those families wholeheartedly.

I find it odd that families like the Duggars, and other Christian families, are met with so much hate and criticism, and often from the do-not-judge-me crowd.

I see online moms seeming so proud that their offspring are so disobedient that they won't clean their own rooms, let alone the bathroom or the kitchen. What kind of loser parent can't assign a simple chore to a pre-teen or teen and follow through enough to get it done? It seems like a lot of parents are retarded, and are voluntarily creating retarded children. Sorry, the truth hurts at times!

Then again, we have the Duggars. Oh, look, they have 13 kids and no paid help. I guess that could be classified as child abuse, having children perform family duties, etc. Or perhaps that is just what smart parents do, have their kids become able-bodied contributors, rather than helpless lazy slobs.

Let's compare the happiness quotient of the Duggars (or insert the surname of a Fundamentalist Christian family near you) to the average subject on "My Super Sweet 16". Who would seem most happy? Do we even have to talk about this?

I've already addressed how gratitude creates happy people.

So today, we went to the McKinney Farmers' Market, and we bought a few dozen eggs and some ground beef from the local farmer. He has about a dozen kids, and most of them live at home and help on the farm.

The youngest kids, according to the website, collect the eggs from the laying chickens, washing those eggs that need washing, put the eggs in the carton and then label the carton.

Looking at the pictures, all the kids look so damned happy. Yes, call me simple, but those kids with chores and responsibility look happy. And, like one of the other ladies at the farmers' market noticed, those kids have a sense of accomplishment and -gasp- know how to talk to people.

You can actually talk to these kids about normal stuff and they understand English. They are nice kids.

Don't expect that from the average school aged kids these days. But expect them to be able to talk about the cell phone they want, and expect them to be able to ask you for money and things. They can't carry a conversation, but they can request stuff.

Sickening but true.

Free Range Happiness

amandabrenner — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:19:33 -0500

Above is one of my favorite recent pictures.

Whoa, chickens! How cool!

Those are laying hens, and those chickens are laying eggs, eating a natural diet, and clawing about for bugs. They live out on a farm northeast of Dallas.

I am really sick of reading, or watching television programs, about how bad the animals who produce our food are treated. I am not an animal activist, or a vegan, or a die-hard vegetarian, but I am sickened by cruelty and laziness, and I now believe that is the norm in our meat processing plants.

We are so far removed from our food sources. Do we even care that living beings are beaten and mutilated? I do.

Can you ignore the stories of cruelty and torture? I can't.

I was in tears for two days after reading a story on MSNBC. com about the mistreatment of pigs destined for a Hormel meat plant. My God, how do we raise people who can be so mean to an animal who has done nothing to them? These aren't wild children pulling the legs off grasshoppers or the wings off butterflies. These are adults who thrive on being cruel.

Click if you even dare to read about the PETA report on pig abuse.

We have been buying eggs from the pictured chickens that range freely and we will be from now on. We need to research the meat options, but it looks like we can get free range meat from the same farm. Yes it costs a lot more, but we can do this. Maybe we need to eat a little less meat, but we sure as hell don't need to buy food from plants that employ disgusting so-called "people" who get a rise out of torturing living beings.

BBC America!

amandabrenner — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:59:59 -0500

While browsing the higher channels on our cable system in search of HDTV opportunities, I rediscovered BBC America.

It has been a long time since I ventured away from my little TV neighborhood of Court/TruTV, HGTV, Food Network, and A&E. So I was pleasantly surprised to see several shows of interest on BBC America.

I thought it would be sort of like the olden days. Specifically, my olden days of visiting Scotland and enjoying the four or six available telly channels, which made up for the lack of variety through supreme quality programming (plus a nice dose of my departed and decidedly clean Papa picking non-existent lint from the carpet in front of the coal fireplace, West Highland Terrier lazing nearby, and Gran making some tea with some lovely bread and jam, or biscuits).

Instead, BBC America is overrun with the same sort of pseudo-reality drivel that American television has to offer. In fact, some of BBC America's programming is the original version of some American television programs.

And, I'm hooked!

I've got our DVR set up to record two shows that air multiple times per day: How Clean Is Your House, and You Are What You Eat.

I was really missing the American version of How Clean Is Your House, which features two animated British ladies, Kim and Aggie, helping out of control slobs clean their filthy homes. I am convinced that people who have homes as filthy as these are mentally ill and need more than a good scrubbing to return them to the world of the straight and narrow, but the show makes for good telly.

So imagine my joy to see the original British version, featuring Kim and Aggie scraping their fingernails through the loo-grime of British mentally ill people with their delightfully old fashioned, non-updated filthy homes! What a departure from HGTV's world of snotty house flippers, quarter-million dollar (plus!) renovation budgets and serial relocators. After all, who can move when their government-owned (council) home is not only not staged, but is by all accounts uninhabitable due to sanitation issues? And who can upgrade to granite or hardwoods when the counters and floors are caked in grime and animal dung and three year old sodden putrefied fruit and maggots?

Yes, that is good telly right there.

As if that isn't good enough, I discovered You Are What You Eat, which is a sort of Intervention for the British obese person. To my knowledge, the show has not come to America yet.

The shows hostess, Gillian McKeith, erupts weekly into the life of a morbidly obese junk food eater, solving all problems by springing upon them an immediate vegan lifestyle accompanied by insults and stints on a mini trampoline.

Never mind the psychological reasons for turning to alcohol and bad food for comfort, or the reasons why a person would choose the sedentary life of a ridiculed and hated fat person. The underlying issues do not seem to be addressed.

Gillian isn't a bad person though. She is a no excuses kind of gal and I like that. After all, excuses and reasons don't solve problems. And she gets people to eat fruits and vegetables, even those people unfortunate enough to have been born to idiot parents who never fed their kids vegetables. I am sorry but it is annoying to see adults say, "I don't eat vegetables." Why not let stupid people like that just perish?

One of the best parts of the show is when the obese person is shown a table crammed full of food they have eaten in the past week. The tables seem to be full of beige foods, such as chips (fries), nuggets, chocolate, and booze, soda and coffee. Mostly this is the diet of the uneducated and poor.

Also, this is the diet of the two-income family who eats drive-through food and of the family that doesn't sit down at the table together for meals.

One of the things I pointed out recently on a popular message board is that people who eat like this and reject vegetables and fruits are often referred to as "picky eaters" and this behavior is often supported by parents. We are even on the second generation of people who only eat macaroni and cheese, white meat chicken, and pasta and nuggets.

To me, this is not "picky eating" but rather "garbage eating".

We really need to bring Gillian McKeith to America to kick our garbage-eating asses. I hope it doesn't take two or three generations to remove us from the junk it took two generations to get us into.

Dallas is cleaner than Los Angeles, thankfully.

amandabrenner — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:36:40 -0500

David and I drove down to Plano last weekend to pickup a laptop at Fry's. This entails driving almost but not quite into Dallas County. On the way in, we spied some gangland style spray painting on one of the over passes in Plano. It wasn't very big, but it was way more than we are used to in our relatively squeaky clean suburb.

I pointed this out to him and he was equally surprised.

The last time we were in the Los Angeles area, we stayed in downtown Long Beach and traveled the 710 (Long Beach) Freeway, which had a lot of graffiti. By that, I mean one entire freeway sign was completely obliterated with spray paint. 100%. It was illegible.

Most of Long Beach, and Los Angeles, is grime coated and dotted with graffiti. Usually, upon arrival at the airport, I go into scared adrenaline mode, from which I don't recover for several days.

At one time the dirty, grimy, gang-tagged neighborhoods were my home. It wasn't alarming, it wasn't a big deal. Now it is frightening.

Everything here is so shiny and clean. Even the old buildings on what people here like to consider the poorer (older) side of town are way cleaner than the neighborhoods where I grew up. Why is this? Is it because we don't have the gang element so much here as there? Is it that trash and vandalism attract trash and vandalism? Is it because here we clean up vandalism as soon as it occurs?

I believe in the concept of "creep". "Creep" is when we allow the little, undesirable things to creep into our lives - our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces - and we don't do anything about them. After all, we shouldn't sweat the small stuff, right?

Wrong.

Once we start ignoring the small stuff, more and more small stuff will creep into our lives. Small stuff might be neighbors not taking care of their property, or a little spray paint here or there, or a suggestive song or two on mainstream radio. When you have one or two little things creeping into your world, it is easy to have three or four things. Then five or six. Think of it like counter top clutter or junk mail piling up. Before you know it, it can be a large and dirty mess.

Think of it like cockroaches or rodents. You either have none, or a whole bunch, you have to decide what you want, and then defend your choice with vigor!

Too much time for too much minutiae

amandabrenner — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:02:32 -0500

mi·nu·ti·a [mi-noo-shee-uh, -shuh, -nyoo-] Usually, minutiae. precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft.

This is the word that comes to mind most often when I am watching television.

If you are even close to my age, you will have the childhood memory of waking early on Saturday morning to test patterns of circles and Indian head profiles. At 6:00 a.m. or so, dependent upon your local time zone, the early morning cartoons would come on. You would have a choice of several channels, and the cartoons would be sane in nature.

In our Los Angeles suburb, we were spoiled by VHF channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13. We had a few UHF channels as well, channel 28 (PBS) and I think we had a channel 52. So, we pretty much had a whopping nine channels and limited hours of broadcast.

Fast forward to 1977 when ON-TV, a scrambled UHF TV channel and precursor to cable television, came to the Los Angeles area. A harbinger of things to come, no doubt.

Now, we have so many channels of 24 hour programming that we are inundated with minutiae every minute of every day. We have time for grotesque cartoons like Ren and Stimpy and rude and ungrateful teenagers and play by play cops chases of every magnitude. Plus cooking shows for southern belles, chefs with only a half hour to spare, and people who like to cook semi-homemade crap. And don't forget catching people in the midst of cheating on a loved one, parents who want to secure a date for their offspring, and so on.

Oh, and what about the celebrities willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the spotlight. How about those quasi-celebrities like George Foreman, Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, etc., "Run's House" and Gene Simmons who whore out their family moments for a paycheck, only to have their daily moves choreographed to clown-like undignified music?

Take me away to the days of nine meaningful channels and fewer visions of corny celebrities and cartoon vomit. Please.

Pee: A word we could definitely do without

amandabrenner — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:58:13 -0500

I am amazed by how common the use of the term "pee" has become.

To me, this is one of the lowest slang terms. It isn't dirty, it isn't racy, it doesn't sound edgy. It just sounds like an uneducated little kid talking. People should be embarrassed to use such stupid baby talk (and get this straight: even as babies, our family didn't use that word).

Why do people use this word?

If you need to use the restroom, just say so. There is no reason to specify what you are going to do in the restroom. For little kids, you can use terms such as "#1" or "#2" until they are old enough that (a) it doesn't matter (to you, anyway) which function they need to exercise in the bathroom, or (b) they can use less trashy terminology.

Really, no one cares what you are actually going to do in the stall, so announcing your need to "pee" isn't necessary. It is sharing, in fact, too much information.

When talking with your doctor about such body functions, you can use proper terminology. Trust me, in medical school, they use big words like "urine" and "urinate".

"Pee" is to urine as "poop" is to defecate.

Do people really need to talk like babies?

What would you say if during a job interview you needed to take a bathroom break? Would you use the words pee and poop? Come on people, let's try to act like intelligent adults.

The Girls (and doddering old coot) Next Door

amandabrenner — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:05:21 -0500

I hate to admit it, but I sometimes watch The Girls Next Door. This is the reality television show about Bridget, Holly and Kendra, the three young women (ages 34, 28 and 23, respectively) who live with Hugh Hefner in the Playboy mansion, allegedly filling the roles of live-in girlfriends.

I think it is one of the funniest shows, not in a nonstop guffaw sort of way, but I love watching little background scenes.

Really, what 83 year old man doesn't want to have three beautiful young "blonds" attending to his "needs"? You can't blame the guy for that, and he obviously has the right carrots to dangle. Male readers: Don't even try to tell me you would turn down Hefner's living arrangements, well at least not at age 83.

I also don't have any problem with ladies being interested in financial security. You can call them gold diggers, or whatever, but in reality the majority of women like a man with some earning potential. Many women have a need for financial security and look for a man to help fulfill that need.

But I watched the Valentine's Day episode last night, and I had to laugh at the old geezer selecting gifts for the three live-in ladies of his life - get this - from the official-looking Playboy licensed merchandise catalog. Woo woo! And all of them received identical gifts assembled and (identically) boxed by Hef's personal and ancient, yet spry, secretary.

The biggest concern was how to fit the corporate rabbit-eared cruft into the preselected heart shaped gift boxes. Valentine's Day for Hef's women is apparently the same as receiving a fifth anniversary incentive from your company. So personal, like a Tiffany money clip or engraved lighter or digital clock with company logo. I think he gave Holly, the "main" girlfriend, some additional cheap Disney crap, but really, I would be pissed to get corporate gear and Mickey Mouse shit on Valentine's Day.

In most episodes, Hef walks about pretending like he is interested in the live-in girlfriends. One time, Main Squeeze Holly, who refers to the old codger as "Baby Puffin" bought him some real live peacocks or parrots and he seemed genuinely thrilled. But the interaction with the girls seems completely fake and contrived.

They talk to him and fawn over him and he interjects a fake laugh here and there. And sometimes he refers to some interest of theirs as "cute" and feigns a little interest. It's almost like he is interacting with a trio of gerbils.

The girls go off to Vegas or Alaska and try to make us believe that he cares if they come back the same day (or ever).

Bridget and Holly actually seem intelligent although we can see right through Holly's pretend marriage and baby plotting. Bridget is supposedly still married to her real-life husband.

Kendra seems to have been added for the high potential of girl on girl action, plus it is kind of fun to see Kendra's mom on the show, a woman who looks like she has smoked a few packs a day for most of her life. And call me a prude, but I have never wanted my brother involved in my sex life, and I can imagine Kendra's brother doesn't want her setting him up to "get laid". *shudder*

The whole Kendra wanting to help her little pseudo gangsta brother get laid thing reminded me of a girl I used to know back in California. One time, after a night of clubbing, we went back to hang out at her apartment and she shared with me (a) some awesome homemade bread and butter pickles that her mother had sent to her from South Carolina, and (b) an XXX rated birthday card featuring a porno picture of a guy, sent to her by her brother. That scarred me!

If I had to be one of the three, I would definitely be Bridget. She has some curves, and an IQ of substance and a degree or two.

And, at 34, she looks smokin' hot in a sequined bikini!

I love being Argentinian!

amandabrenner — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:46:29 -0500

This week's food experience de mi cocina: Empanadas!

These beauties were my first attempt at the ubiquitous snack food of Buenos Aires. I decided to stick with the traditional chopped meat version using a recipe from my favorite publication, Saveur Magazine. Yep, that is steak that I finely chopped by hand (not ground beef), mixed with spices, roasted red peppers, chopped potato and hard-cooked egg, onion, red pepper and raisins, all oven baked in a handmade pastry.

I must say, they were delicious and I will be making more.

I want to make some vegetarian versions, perhaps onion and cheese. I also want to learn to make the pretty braided edges. Some of my edges came out better than others, but we ate the pretty ones before I took Empanada glamour shots.

Did I mention that I am going to take photography classes soon? The goal is to get the basic classes out of the way, then pursue food photography. I've got plenty to learn, but my published food photos to date suggest this is something I could do rather well with practice!

How did we lose gratitude?

amandabrenner — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:11:14 -0500

It's a serious question that I think about often. I'd like to hear what others think.

Of course, in spite of caring to hear others' thoughts on the matter, don't think for a moment that I am going to keep my own theories to myself!

What I perceive is that more and more, people are very concerned with what others have, to the detriment of their satisfaction with their own lives. They talk about money and houses and cars, and the best home theater, with anyone who will listen. They talk about salaries and what things cost, and everyone knows approximately what everything costs these days anyway. Thank you, Internet. Thank you, Public Records.

The lack of gratitude permeates every aspect of our lives.

Our children are not happy with what they have. They've likely been raised with everything they've wanted, or they at least know and hang out with children who have been raised with everything. Most kids don't say "thank you", aren't expected to say "thank you", and quite frankly, aren't thankful. If they don't have every whim satisfied, or know other kids who have every whim satisfied, they can watch countless hours of MTV where children of celebrities and car dealership owners are ungrateful for birthday parties which cost in excess of a half a million dollars and involve proudly being cruel towards kids they don't like. And their parents seem clueless in teaching them gratitude. Or shame. Or empathy.

Two working parents, some with credit cards, often equals owning (or appearing to own) whatever they want, and why should children not have what they want as well? The line of the haves and the have nots has been so blurred by the credit society. We can all have it all with credit cards, home equity loans, etc. Entitled parents equals entitled children.

I remember the first Christmas with LD. We didn't have a lot of money between the two of us due to some mistakes, but we went out and purchased quite a few gifts for her. At least she would have packages to open and she would have joy. Well, maybe not. After she unceremoniously ripped the paper off each gift, she moved onto the next, barely looking at what was given to her. At the end, she looked around, and asked, "Is that all?" Never mind that no one else was opening gifts.

It took years to teach her gratitude, or at least teach her to fake gratitude, which had to be taught by NOT giving to her, or having her LOSE something, but never just by explaining or talking nicely to her.

Now granted, she was just not quite six, but I clearly remember writing thank you letters for gifts and purchasing gifts for others at that age (and I still have some of those precious cherished gifts from friends and family alike), and here she was, acting as a miserable slighted child instead of one being taught to appreciate and cherish not just possessions, but the fact that someone thought of her, sometimes from far away.

No, I don't expect children to be perfect, but I do expect the adults in their lives to teach them gratitude from early on, as soon as they can grasp the concept, and it just isn't happening anymore, and I believe that this is because people who are not grateful cannot teach gratitude.

And I am also guilty. As we collect more possessions, and surround ourselves with more possessions, we start to think we need those possessions, but in reality we need very little.

When I moved into my own apartment in the Houston area after a failed cohabitational relationship, I was able to be very happy in a one bedroom apartment in a nice area. Eventually I moved into a two bedroom apartment in a nice area. I had decent things, and everything I needed and even some of what I wanted. I had good friends and a decent job and a nice boss.

But that apartment, which was once happiness for me, would take some serious getting used to these days. For as my standard of living has increased, I've learned to turn my nose up at anything less almost every step of the way, and I surround myself with people who live like me and have as much as me or more. Where once I could be happy with my life with a linoleum kitchen floor, I've learned that I like tile better, and I've learned that I like pricey big tile even more and now simple 12" tile doesn't bring out the same gratitude that it once did. And rightfully, I feel shame.

How many things can we look at from a completely different direction, therefore bringing joy to our lives instead of thinking of our circumstances as a burden or punishment?

In my September 1, 2008 issue of Woman's Day, there is an article titled "No More Drowning in Debt!" by Mary Hunt. Interesting is Ms. Hunt's first rule to eliminating debt is the "10-10-80 Rule". She says to give away ten percent, save ten percent, and live the best life you can on eighty percent of your net income. Ms. Hunt also acknowledges that this is not advice that you would hear from a traditional licensed financial advisor. Her point for the first ten percent being given away is that giving to others who are less fortunate releases gratitude for what you have. The point of the ten percent savings is that knowing you have money in the bank quells the fear of being broke. Giving and saving promote contentment.

Personally, I think it is my best interest and the best interest of my family to regain gratitude. Perhaps it is time to rethink the rote meal blessing for those of us who practice it. Perhaps it is time to think of "we" instead of "me". There are a billion ways to do this.

What do you think?

Going to the dentist is not my favorite pasttime.

amandabrenner — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:45:46 -0500

You know you are getting old when your dentist seems too young to drive, let alone drill about in your mouth at will.

I've got this reminder postcard on my desk here, that says I'm due for my cleaning soon. And here I am, flossing like mad to make up for the fact I've been slacking again. If I floss for a good two hours a day until my appointment, and make some sort of bargain with God, I'll be okay and the hygienist won't have to mark my chart for not flossing (and then torture me with the hook tool).

I had a bad experience quite a few years back, at the hands of the "dentist" of my then "boyfriend". Both of those terms are in quotes because both of them were sub par in their roles. Never before had I tried to escape from a dentist, nor had I been tempted to exact revenge on a medical professional or a boyfriend. I still contemplate it from time to time. Think back to the days when the dentist was also the town blacksmith. It was like that only worse!

As a result of this horrid experience, I actually avoided the dentist for years. I'm really lucky that I don't have dental problems now, and I thank my attentive parents for that. My mother would haul us kids to the dentist several towns over, a feat that involved transferring onto several city buses, mind you. I don't know why she did that as I am sure the town we lived in had plenty of qualified dentists. It was my father's job to nag and threaten us kids if we didn't brush and then he would peer around in our mouths to see if we did a good job. Thanks Mom and Dad!

We love our current dentist. He looks to be about seventeen, but he's gentle, and I don't think he's a farrier on the side. He also has a policy that you never have to wait for your appointment time, which is good because I get testy while waiting for the inevitable torture (which never actually occurs anymore).

I am sad and disheartened at the demise of etiquette...

amandabrenner — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:23:17 -0500

Recently, on one of the local message boards I read, someone wondered aloud why anyone would wear a ball cap to an upscale restaurant.

My guess is that most people are not aware that it is considered a lack of respect to wear a hat or cap indoors, as they have likely never been taught any sort of manners. They don't know that it is the custom for a man to remove his hat, and for a woman not to wear a man's hat.

Well let me tell you, the ball cap wearers are very upset that people are not accepting of ball caps being worn indoors. People in the far, far, far north Dallas area want to wear their ball cap indoors. They want to wear their cowboy hat indoors. How dare someone point out to them something printed in every etiquette book printed in the last 200 years.

Their retorts were, "what does it matter what someone else is wearing?" It doesn't matter that it is considered customary to remove the hat!

No one replied, "Gee I didn't know that, now that I know it is part of my society's rules of conduct, I'll take my hat off!" Nope, they were just irate.

I dunno... what does it matter? At what point does anything matter?

Where do we draw the line at respect? What does it matter what anyone wears to your wedding? Seriously? Let them wear shorts and a shirt with an expletive across the front. Who cares? Why should anyone dress up for your wedding? Don't matter what people wear.

What is the point of "Please", "Thank you", or "Excuse me"?

Here was a good point: What about when you go to a job interview, do you decline the interviewer's handshake? What is the point of shaking hands? Who cares? Shouldn't affect you if they expect a handshake. Pshaw.... respect and custom, how stupid. Oh, wait... money in your pocket if you get the job.. you have mastered the handshake, haven't you?

Another good point: What, you are getting married? You already have your own place, maybe live together? How stupid to register for your wedding... that's old school. Oh wait, you can get a huge payout by embracing custom and sending out tons of invites, and registering at multiple stores? Well, by all means, register then! But please omit the thank you cards! People should give a gift with no strings attached, and to expect acknowledgment is to attach strings.

What is the next social option? Why should we use the knife and fork? Let's use our hands.

Manners are about showing respect for others. It is no surprise to me that so many people are uninterested in manners in this "all about me" world.

Paul McKenna can make you thin!

amandabrenner — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:55:29 -0500

Recently on A&E, a short series aired. I Can Make You Thin is a program (or programme, in Paul's homeland) where this motivational hypnotist uses mind programming and behavior modification techniques to help people lose weight.

I won't argue with Paul's techniques. After all, they work. Eat less. Eat when hungry, stop when full. Don't eat for emotional reasons. Don't shoot to be model thin. All that makes 100% sense.

The weird and very sad thing is that people think that this common sense is a diet.

Paul McKenna has a message board on his website. People who most likely were birthed by second or third generation serial dieters ask questions such as:

"I'm overweight now. Do I need to go on a diet and lose weight before I start Paul's program?"
The answer is no, you do not have to lose weight before you start eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full.

"I'm pregnant. Can I use Paul's diet?"
The answer is yes, you can eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full, while pregnant.

It is so sad that people have gotten so out of whack with what eating is all about. It isn't a game of trading off these calories for a diet soda, or how many artificially sweetened products can I substitute for regular. It isn't about getting the most food for the least money. It is about feeding our bodies.

The saddest thing is that there are more and more people who are using food as a drug. I know I do, especially in the middle of the night when I feel alone, and another day has passed where I didn't do what I wanted to do. I can start it all over tomorrow after all, be it housework, or writing, or a dream, or healthy eating habits. Or exercise.

You get the picture.

Hmmm... I'm still Italian.

amandabrenner — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:39:09 -0500

Well, here it is almost a month later and I am still cooking Italian food. I am sorry that I promised Ethiopian food, I guess that has been moved to the "back burner" for now. Pun intended?

Ethiopians please note: I haven't given up yet!

Tonight's pictures are of a rustic bread (a la extra pizza dough that I practiced throwing about) and the precious and shiny Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine. We can't wait to make more spinach pasta, and that is what we plan to do for this week's date night.

The weekend before last, I had an impromptu dinner get together. Given the timing, there were only five of us, but it was a great combination of five! Anne, Mike, Kari, David and moi. With most of us being light eaters, I made a simple lasagne Bolognese with homemade spinach pasta (pre-machine, sore muscles pasta), Caprese salad, A few cheeses to start off with, including gorgonzola and an aged cheddar, and baguette. For dessert, we had creme brulee in my little lion's head ramekins (not the best vehicles for torching a creme brulee, yet adorable and must be used).

For once, all the wines were a hit. In the order served:

The Argentinian Malbec was a wild card, thrown in at the end of the evening since everyone was done eating. I never miss a chance to roll out my favorites! The evening was a success and I hope to do it again soon.

Stay tuned to Brennerworld for more faffing about in the kitchen!

I love being Italian...

amandabrenner — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:19:41 -0500

...even though I'm not.

My current interest is Italian cooking. Why is this? Well the long story short is that while having my car serviced at the dealership, and leafing through their collection of magazines, I came across one titled Saveur. It was full of gorgeous photos and recipes, one of which was for my favorite dish to cook at home, French Onion Soup! And they included historic photos of French restaurants that are still in existence - places to visit on our next trip, and motivation to visit yet again.

Yes, I know French Onion Soup is not Italian. But the dealership was so kind as to make me a photocopy of the article and I took a subscription card home to subscribe immediately.

As part of my paid subscription, I received two small recipe booklets, Italian Classics I and Italian Classics II. Then, I received my first issue, which was full of Italian recipes.

In the last week, I've made two pizzas completely from scratch. I've made a double batch of Ragu alla Bolognese, and with half of that I will be making homemade spinach pasta with which I will assemble lasagne. We polished off a recipe of Spaghettia alla Carbonara over the last two days. Delicioso!

Oh, and since I am now Italian, we had to go to Jimmy's Food Store, in Dallas proper, which is a neighborhood Italian market. There, I bought Parmesan Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, canned Italian tomatoes, and pancetta. So what that it cost me $20 in gas to drive there (plus we were going down that way anyway for wine tasting).

Next, I'll be trying some of the Ethiopan recipes from the last issue. The spices sound wonderful and we love lentils.

Watch for my installment titled, "I love being Ethiopian".

Seven years of Brennerhood

amandabrenner — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:18:50 -0600

Yesterday was our seventh anniversary. At last, a day of celebration without one or both of us having some sort of viral infection!

So we did the usual anniversary stuff: We visited Celestial Park, where we were married, drove past some of the old haunts down in that area, and then went to dinner.

I always enjoy going back to Celestial Park, but it is so different now. The park isn't kept up as nice as it was back then, and there is usually someone loitering around the sundial (much like we do).

We visited the two apartment complexes where we lived as newlyweds, and they are really run down now. They may have been less than stellar while we lived there, but now they would be out of the question. I don't think it's a matter of us being used to nicer surroundings, I think the area has just gone to the dogs. Sorry, dogs.

The idiocy of Oprah and some woman who married a comedian

amandabrenner — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:59:11 -0600

My mother loves Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah likes to give things to people. Some of those things might be stupid and unnecessary ideas.

A rags to filthy riches story can be a wonderful thing, but let's not go off the deep end folks!

Jessica Seinfeld, supposedly wife of Jerry Seinfeld (of Seinfeld), supposedly cannot get her kids to eat regular ol' food. So, she wrote a book on how to sneak regular ol' food into kids.

She purees some vegetables and mixes minute quantities into desserts.

Hello?

Would you, as an intelligent human being, admit that you couldn't feed regular ol' food into a kid? For how many thousands of years have children been eating vegetables, etc.? All 11 Walton kids managed to live after eating just regular ol' food right out in the open.

My mother was so impressed with this idea of tricking children into eating desserts containing smidgens of vegetables, that she proclaimed Jessica Seinfeld a genius. So I asked my mother, "How did you manage to get us to eat our vegetables as kids?"

My mother's response: "I don't know, you just ate them!"

Helllooooooooo? Because that is what we were given!

And, to this day I love vegetables the best.

I know I won't win anyone over here, I won't even try. But rest assured, if you are feeding your kids hidden foods everyday, a bunch of people are laughing at your stupidity. And your kids are not going to sneak vegetables into their own undeveloped senses of taste later in life. You understand that, right? They will just eat sweets and fats because they never developed beyond that stage.

But hey, you won.

The death of the social visit

amandabrenner — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:36:39 -0500

When I was a little kid, my parents would take us visiting.

It could be in any familial configuration: Mother/daughter, parents/children, etc., but people would go the homes of friends and acquaintances and sit in their living rooms, partake of their refreshments, and just shoot the breeze.

Judging from known milestones in time, I would have to say I was doing this on my own by about the age of six, around 1969 or 1970.

We had some next door neighbors, Stella and Mike, who had a kid-magnet in the form of an old English sheepdog named Harry. I remember, vividly, knocking on the door and being invited in to talk. I can tell you the layout of the house, and describe part of the decor. Stella and Mike were super-cool, having a highly lacquered wooden cable spool as a coffee table, and a "guest room" of purple inflatable pool mattresses. Mike drove a convertible Porsche, and although Harry was happy to go for a walk on his leash, he was even happier to see Mike come home.

Lest you think this was just some poor woman tolerating me, Stella, who took ceramics classes, made me a really nice little wall hanging with little purple dried flowers. This was not simple tolerance for some bratty kid coming over, this was real visiting! You don't have to believe me though.

When we traveled to Scotland as children, or visited family friends in the United States, we were always welcomed and treated as well as our parents were treated. We would sit and talk to grown ups. They would talk to us.
More often than not, upon our leaving at the end of the evening, we were presented with a gift of some sort, perhaps money to purchase a treat, perhaps an extravagant gift of chocolate. We ate the same food that the grown ups ate, and for the most part, sat at the same table.

One of the nicest couples I have ever met in my life, Gertrude and Ed Patterson, lived in Tucson, AZ and had been friends with my grandparents for years. They had no children of their own. As far back as I can remember, we visited them. I remember the floor plan of their home in the 1960s. I remember the floor plan of the mobile home that they lived in later, and I remember the furniture and its placement. They always had an electric vibrating recliner. They've been gone for over 30 years, but I remember them and always will. I searched for their gravesites the last time I was in AZ, and while I didn't find them in time, I will visit their graves next time. I would even make a special trip to visit their grave sites. Maybe after tax season I will go.

When we traveled to Scotland with my mother, we would visit her friends and relatives, and her mother's friends. I loved going over to my Aunt Sadie's house with or without my mom. Aunt Sadie's husband was Uncle Bill, and they were fabulous people. They had a dog named Roddy, and although I cannot say what type of dog Roddy was, I know he was an awesome jumper and was likely not neutered and was probably hated by other dog owners in the area. Aunt Sadie's electric meter was in a cupboard to the right as you walked in the front door, and one would drop coins into it as needed.

When in Scotland, my mother would always make it a point to visit Mrs. Watson. Mrs. Watson was a friend of my grandmother's, who became a friend of my mother's later in life. The last time I was in Scotland, I traveled alone. My mother told me to be sure to visit Mrs. Watson. I was given Mrs. Watson's address, and I dutifully went to her home, sat on her couch and ate delicious cucumber and tomato sandwiches. It was wonderful.

I can tell you the surnames of every family that we ever had as neighbors. I can almost give you addresses. Tonight, I pulled out carved animals and little wooden dolls from Japan that I received as a small girl from family friends. I recalled having chicken pox and adults bringing me diversions because they cared. And I remember a kimono from Alice Niiya, and these wooden dolls and animals, and the color of her house and her husband's name was Tak (for short) and he worked at the botanical gardens as a horticulturist. I remember taking shoes off in their home without question and the bonsai tree on their coffee table, and the floor plan of their home.

These days, even as an adult, I don't always feel welcome visiting. I can't imagine LD going off for a visit, knocking on someone's door, and going in for a chat. I get bad vibes enough expecting her to say please and thank you, and talking to adults or taking interest in others is pretty close to abuse in this day and age. I really think people are making children socially retarded these days.

A few years ago, we attended a very small church, and while visiting with a family after church, the parents told us that their child was very shy and made excuses for her. This teenager was smiling hugely and sitting on the top of the car. They pretty much told us that she didn't speak, and to be honest, we didn't believe it for a moment.

Today, we visited David's aunt, and I confided that we were trying to get LD to care about other people and to actually listen to others, and not to leave the room to play with animals or to wrestle with dad, and I did hear the comment that L.D. is only 12. When I explained my own background, David's aunt asked how many times I had been molested, doing all that visiting. Zero, I replied.

I wonder if LD could relate the details of childhood friends and neighbors the way I can 35 years later. I doubt it. She hasn't been taught to look past her own nose, and when someone encourages it, half of the people think it is mean to do so and the other half think it is a novelty.

Alcohol might just be the Devil in Anna, TX

amandabrenner — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:05:48 -0500

I know I've written about alcohol sales in Texas before, but I am going to do it again.

Texas, unlike California or New York, has some really backwards laws regarding alcohol and what you can do with it, and when and where.

For example, one cannot, even in the 21st century, buy hard alcohol on Sunday in Texas. At least not in a liquor store, I don't know about restaurants, as I rarely ever drink outside the home. Larger liquor vendors build beer and wine stores adjacent to "real" liquor stores so that they can close the liquor part on Sunday and continue to sell beer and wine. If Christmas falls on a Sunday, one cannot buy hard alcohol on the Monday following.

Anna, Texas is a small town in the far northeast reaches of Dallas. It is a nice place, something I've learned since they started to sell liquor.

Anna has new subdivisions, and many rural properties. There are historic businesses, and new stores appearing, like an auto parts chain and a new dollar store. Most of the town is set well off 75, a four lane highway that runs from Dallas to Oklahoma.

So less than two years ago, the town narrowly voted in hard alcohol sales. I didn't learn this by reading it in a newspaper, or by seeing it on television. I didn't see a liquor store ad. Anna didn't have a reputation for alcohol sales, and I would venture a guess that most of the county's residents have no clue.

How did I learn about Anna's "sordid" side then? A friend who lives out that way told me.

So now, we drive up to Anna from McKinney, instead of all the way across Collin County to Denton County. We buy some liquor, maybe eat out in Anna while we are there. They have a rare (for Texas, anyway) Carl's Jr. and we love to eat there. If you go, it is exit 49, and try the jalapeño burger, or if you really want a treat, a Six Dollar Burger (which is actually four dollars and change).

Now, I go up to Anna, and I explore the town. I always thought it was just a Podunk town with an offramp and two truck stops. The Love's Truck Stop has just about everything you could ever need. Plus there's that damned Carl's Jr. that beckons.

When I go up to Anna, I might buy a bottle of alcohol, and drive right back to McKinney, leaving little trace that I had even been there. Another time, I might eat there in Anna, or we might eat there as a family, or I might take something home to eat. I might go for a drive through the countryside looking for small cemeteries where I might take pictures of headstones for a genealogy website for which I volunteer. I consider what it might be like to live out there.

Regardless, I always leave a little something behind: My sales tax dollars.

If I buy a bottle of booze, I leave some sales tax and support the local business.

If I eat at Carl's Jr., or any other restaurant, I leave some sales tax and support the local business.

If I buy a home out there, I'll pay some property taxes and some sales tax.

If in the upcoming election, the prohibitionists outlaw alcohol sales, I will never spend another dime in Anna, Texas. Except perhaps at the Carl's Jr.

The prohibitionists? Yep, 21st century prohibitionists.

Although the liquor stores in Anna are on the frontage road to the highway, and the stores close at 9:00 p.m., and these are beautiful, clean, service-oriented stores with expensive wines and pricey, quality liquors, and the crime rate has not increased in Anna, and there have been ZERO DWIs, and the property values are rising, and the sales tax dollars have increased with only ONE liquor store (and more to follow, one opening tomorrow), the prohibitionists want to vote alcohol sales out of Anna, TX.

We'll find out what happens soon.

I guess if they outlaw the liquor sales, they'll win. Big. They'll show us. They'll run the "riff raff" like us out of town. The ~40-somethings with nice cars, nice incomes, and nice homes. Yes, run us off. And we will give our money back to The Colony, or Addison, or now, Little Elm.

And while we are out spending our money, we will eat in restaurants, buy gas and groceries, and consider living "there", which won't be Anna, TX.