HNT...a bit homesick

Why shouldn't I be happy? I have a great job, I have my good health, I have a boyfriend, I own a house. I travel, I have great friends, I have two pets that love me, friends and family that love me. But I'm a bit blue.

I want to be here...

With my feet spread out in good ole Montana dirt. I miss "home". I didn't grow up there but pretty much got adopted when I lived there. Montana runs in my blood. I miss it lately.

Happy HNT!

Rhubarb recipes

Since I was gone into the land of dial-up it wasn't until now that I reviewed most of my HNT comments. Looks like I need to leave you a few rhubarb recipes to enjoy! I brought another bag home from mom and dad's too so I'll have more to come.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake
One box super moist white cake mix (make as box instructs)
2-3 cups rhubarb chopped (mix into cake mix in the pan)
Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 3-4 tablespoons cinnamon, and 1/2 cup pecans (chopped). Mix with fork and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 35-45 minutes

Rhubarb Apple Crisp
In a 9 x 13 pan cut up enough Granny Smith apples to thoroughly cover the bottom. Add in enough chopped rhubarb to completely fill the pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar. Add 1/4 cup water over top.

For topping...mix one package DRY white cake mix with one stick butter, one cup brown sugar, and two tablespoons ice cold water. Mix just enough to make it crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apples and rhubarb.

Bake until top is completely brown and juices of apple are bubbling. This recipe gets juicy so I like to serve it chilled instead of warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Non-fiction five challenge

I was a bit worried if I would get this done this month but a trip to Mom and Dad's in South Dakota with not much else to do but read let me finish this one. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was my first book for the Non-fiction Five Challenge...5 non-fiction selections in five months. I picked this one because I read a lot of murder/forensic fiction and thought delving into a true crime story would be fun.

The crime story in this isn't all that. Yes, a man is murdered in Savannah. Yes, a man is tried for his murder (4 times to be exact!). Yes, he's convicted. Yes, it's overturned. No, the crime story did not fascinate me. What did fascinate me were the people! Oh, the characters in this book!

The author is a Yankee who becomes fascinated with the little world Savannah is all on it's one. It's a city of pride, nostalgia, voo-doo, and hospitality. It's a city with a personality all it's own. The author tells the story of Savannah more than that of a murder and a messed up trial. Yes, the mistakes of the local prosecutors rival that of those in The Innocent Man. Yes, the defendant has money to rival that of OJ Simpson. But the people of the city are unique all to themselves without the crime.

I enjoyed the stories the author wove of the town and how if one looked hard enough every one was some how connected whether by blood, secrets, or prestige. The author's slow fall in love with the city reminded me of my own fall into love with Montana. I was an outsider but the people took me as one of their own...calling me a lost adopted Montanan. The people of Savannah took the author in and allowed him to weave a wonderful tale of their lives. That was the story worth reading.

I'm making a jump start on June's selection...The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. Take the time to pick up a book or two this summer, it just might take you away!

HNT...Scorched

A co-worker brought me a huge bag of rhubarb. I love rhubarb. I made a rhubarb coffee cake on Monday and took it to work on Tuesday. It was devoured by 10:30 am. This afternoon I made a rhubarb apple crisp...two of them in fact; one for work and one for the neighbor. This is the end result. I caught the knuckle of my left thumb on the top rack. It blistered immediately. And of course it's right on the damn crease and it hurts every time I move my thumb. It's amazing I have any sensation left in any of my fingers from all the hot and cold shit I have stuck them in while cooking never mind the 3 months as a barista with the scolding hot espresso shots. Just one more scar to add to my culinary career.

Just an FYI: The rhubarb apple crisp is scrumptous!

Happy HNT!

The Food Meme

I was tagged with the food meme by Osbasso.

The rules:

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
miss kendra (los angeles, california, u.s.a)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA! USA! USA!)
Lee Ann (Birmingham, AL, United States)
Osbasso (Helena, MT, USA)
Moose (Rochester, MN, USA)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

City Cafe: Os has eaten here with me. As have guests from out of town that I have taken to this place. I first found it in October of 2003 when I flew back to Rochester to find a place to live and complete my new employee physical and such. I didn't have a car so I checked out places close. When i ordered a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert I was hooked. The atmosphere in the place is great too...rough stecco/concrete walls in a muted mustard, a moon mural with a bottle of wine, a great whine list, stall like booths, and a menu that changes seasonally.

China Star: Best Chinese take out in town. The portions are huge, the price is cheap and the flavor is to die for. I usually get two full meals and a snack out of one serving. I always get the crab rangoons instead of the egg roll. Fried or white rice depends on my mood. Favorite entree is Orange Chicken.

Rollie Pollie: This place has gone out of business because they opened in a bad location. The idea behind this place was deli sandwich shop but all the sandwiches were made in wraps. The hot ones were pressed onto a flatiron very quickly. The sauces, which I always got on the side, were very good and creative. The wraps came in different flavors and the "fillings" were unique. One of my favorites included turkey, brie cheese, and bacon. I miss it.

Michael's: This place is a legend of an establishment in Rochester. It's been here since the Mayo brothers were first operating. It's located downtown. Michael's is a steakhouse but all the elderly, rich "Clinic" patients frequent it on a regular basis in their best attire. But at the very next table you will find locals in jeans and a sweatshirt. The prices are more geared towards the "Clinic" clientele but the food is Midwestern steak done to perfection no matter how you order it.

The Canadian Honker: This is directly across from the hospital. They are famous for their Coconut Cake. It's so moist, comes in gigantic servings, and tastes like nothing I have tasted before. I also am fond of the Honker Melt. Sourdough bread, turkey, bacon, and coleslaw. They cater a lot of events in town as well and on the weekends they have live music (usually one man shows). We usually end each quarter here when the boss takes the residents and I out to lunch.

3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.
Those with their feet up on the coffee table or desk as you read this
Those of you with cats
Those of you who have planted any flowers or plants this spring
Those of you road tripping for Memorial day
Those of you that have eaten ostrich (yes, I have and it's very good)

Makin' a trip of it

This morning I needed to drive to Minneapolis/St. Paul to drop the boyfriend off at the airport for a conference. I decided earlier in the week I need to make a trip out of it other than just stopping long enough to leave him and his bag at the terminal doors. I tried to find contact info for a gal from work who moved up their with no avail. I knew a couples gals who I knew for sure would be around. On Wednesday I started up a chat with Sandi to see if I could crash her weekend with Chelle.

These two know how to throw a girls' weekend. They have a kick-ass suite, their computers rigged out in the room, and a party is goin' down. They were kind enough to let me crash it this afternoon and we headed out to lunch together. It was a good time and we even got the hostess to click a picture for us. These two gals are amazing and I'm in awe of their friendship...Thanks for letting me tag along briefly today!

The Things I Wear HNT 4...Killers

Last night three of us went to see The Killer's live. What a great show! The opening acts were horrendous though so we wasted time goofing off with the camera. This was supposedly an "accident". I saw it and insisted it needed to be my HNT this week. That's another recent jewelry purchase. I'm addicted...The only problem with last night is that I got to bed at 1 am and was up at 6 am. I'm posted and I'm heading to bed.

Happy HNT!

A day for nothing

I'm busy. I thrive on being busy. I have a tendency to put things off unless I have multiple things to accomplish. Only when I am really pressed for time due I most efficiently use the time I have. Last week was busy. With a call day from hell, meetings, housesitting, a church event, etc., Monday through Saturday evening was pure chaos. Saturday night I got home around 6:30 pm and I swear I just stared for at least a hour at nothing coming down from it all. I actually crawled into bed after a glass of wine around 9:30 which is very unusual for me.

Sunday morning was a perfect morning for sleeping in. There was a thunderstorm late on Saturday night and Sunday morning dawned on the dark side a bit. It was also cool. I didn't wake up until 8 am and then stayed in bed until 9:30. I moved to the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and started watching a movie. I woke up again around 11. I moved back to bed for 45 minutes. At noon I drove to the gym and got a great massage. I got home around 1:30 pm. I snoozed on the couch again for another hour or so. Watched a little more TV, read a bit of a book, snoozed again.

I have not taken a day to do nothing for so long. It felt good but at the same time each time I woke from a little snooze I felt a bit guilty as well. Is that just a curse of the idle mind? I managed a conference call last night and watched the Survivor Finale with a friend but even that was pretty mindless. Today, I feel a bit refreshed.

A day for nothing felt so wonderously good. I need more of those...

Tagged...

I'm wearing a blue shirt, I have green eyes, and I love lattes so I guess I'm stuck doing this one :) Thanks, Lime.

What was the name of the teacher that was most influential in your life from grades K through 6?
Probably Mrs B in 5th and 6th grade. I went to a very small school and Mrs B taught both 5th and 6th grade in the same classroom. She taught more than the "usual" stuff. The words "shut-up" were NOT allowed in her classroom. We had to memorize poems...real literature. We learned geography by self-directed projects not writing papers. We could give a book report by acting things out instead of just reading a paper out loud. Her classroom was interactive. We only had commador pet computers at the time but she let me play "where in the world is carmen sandiego" when I had spare time. She let me check out "older student" books from the library. Not to mention in the summer as a kid Mrs B also baby sat us and let us make "pop" with this little machine thing and a powder mix. We also played Mousetrap at her house. That was fun too.

She still goes to my hometown church and even though I'm near 30 I still call her Mrs B. She asks me to call her M, but she will always be Mrs B.

Did you argue with teachers? (I saw this question on another meme somewhere else)
Duh. My goal in high school geometry was to do the proof in less steps than the teacher. Sort of took the same approach in college calculus. Two of my favorite college courses were Bioethics and Moral Theology where the purpose of the class was to argue.

What subject did you favor in high school?
Building Trades was fun. We got to learn how to draft, use power tools, and the class project was building a garage for an elderly woman in town.

Did you attend a university and if so, did you attain a degree?
Yes, Masters in Physician Assistant Studies

Do you learn best through books, by watching, or hands-on?
Usually hand on or with pictures. I'm very visual.

Has education been an ongoing process for you?
Definitely!

What seven people are you tagging to do this?
I doubt seven people will even read this so whomever wants to can fill it out.

The Things I Wear HNT 3

If you have read the post below you know that today got a little down and dirty at work. That's when I feel like I have had the best day. So yes, I did come home in my surgical blues (technically, against hospital policy) and I wil not answer what could possibly be on them if someone notices a spot and asks what it is but doesn't that necklace look nice with the drab hospital scrubs?

happy HNT!

Why I do what I do

Today....I

1. Saw first mummified foot
2. Took care of SUV versus semi-truck patient
3. Took care of grain truck versus train patient
4. Took care of moped-vs car patient
5. Saw a proximal and a distal humerus fracture in two separate patients
6. Saw a guy who jumped 12 feet to "get away"
7. Explained to a retired doctor why it had been four hours before we saw his friend with a hip fracture

Doing 2-7 between 3:30 pm and 9 pm tonight! Just awesome....

I smelled it, but...

I didn't deal it...

At first there was just a whiff. A hint. Was it there? Yeah, I think I smell it? Then, then...ooohh, yup, I smell it! The full nostril clearing whiff. A completely distinctive ordor. It could only be one thing...

Happy Spring!

A request

I read Kelly on a regular basis because she is as obsessed with books as I am. If you have a chance, head over to her site and give her a shout and a hug. It's her anniversary today but this weekend her brother-in-law lost a long battle with cancer. She could probably use a hug. Thanks

Moose revealed

Poor Lime got tagged about five times with this list of five so I thought I would let her ask me a few questions too. It's taken me a bit to get them since I was home in South Dakota with dial-up only! For gosh sakes, dial-up is slow! Anyway, here's my go at her questions...

1. First of all, I have always wondered how you got the nickname "moose?'
You've all seen pictures of me, I'm not the size of a moose. Sometimes I am as awkward as a moose but neither of those are how I got my nickname. My grandparents traveled all summer long and if they left town I was in the backseat. Except for one trip. My grandmother is from Maine and they always went the first week of school to get out their and spend a few weeks in the fall to watch the colors change. Mom and Dad refused to let me go because I would miss school. Grandma took to bringing me home stuffed "meese". Then I went to college in Montana with my stuffed "meese" collection. Also a lot of moose stuff there to be had. My collection grew from not just stuffed "meese" but to moose everything including the nickname. My maiden name was "Kahl" pronounced "call" so the email of moosekahl came to be followed by customized Moose Kiss license plates and so forth. So...I'm Moose :)

2. Second, your love of all things moose-ish makes me wonder if you are familiar with Harry & David's 'Moose Munch' snack and what your opinion on moose tracks ice cream is? what other moosey delights do you enjoy?
I've never HAD Harry and David's Moose Munch but a lovely lady with a very kind heart sent me a box this week while I was away and I plan to make lunch out of it :) I do love moose tracks ice cream though...it's like a speciality version rocky road with a bit of everything. Nuts, peanut butter, caramel...what more could you ask for?

I think my favorite moose delight has to have been the Moose Nuts my friend Rachel gave me though...you can't help but put on a naughty grin when you are chewing away on chocolate covered moose nuts.

3. I know your mom has been seriously ill and her health is in decline. Would you share the greatest lesson you have learned from her?
Never give up. This woman knows what she wants and does it. She went to college after high school to be a nurse because back then that's what women did...you went to college to be a teacher, a secretary, or a nurse. It's not what she wanted though. She quit after just a few years of working as a nurse so she could run the farm with my dad. She wanted to be outdoors ranching and farming so she did it.

She was diagnosed with cancer in February of 2001. The statistics gave a 2 year survival rate of 20%. This past February was 6 years. 6 years with an incurable cancer that has made everything hard. In the early years, you know what she did the day after chemo? She went out in the field and raked alfalfa on the tractor all day. Now she's bound to a bed or chair pretty much and it's literally killing her to not be "doing". She's a doer.

Now, I'm a stubborn, go-getting doer too!

4. I love non-fiction and i was excited to read why you chose the books you did. How is that non-fiction reading challenge coming along?
Yesterday was the official day one of the challenge. I have decided to read Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil first. I've been on a forensic fictional spurt lately so I might as well continue with the non-fiction version. I'm fascinated by "normal" people so I'm even more excited to delve into the mind of "abnormal" people who commit such crimes.

5. Since you are in the medical field can you please explain why childproof caps are so easy for kids to get off and so maddening for adults to remove?
It's all a conspiracy. Those companies know adults can't get them off. It's a con technique to keep kids at home. They are working with the FBI, the CIA, the DEA to keep kids at home to care for their ailing parents. It's an attempt to fix a generation that is forgetting their parents and all the stuff they did for us. It's an attempt to keep kids off the streets and out of the law enforcements hands. They can get there drugs from mom and dad now. Grandpa Jones too. And if the poor adult does manage to fumble their way into the bottle they spill half on the floor and have to go to the store to buy a new bottle for more money in the pharmacy companies pockets. Like I said...Just one big conspiracy :)

Made it back

I'm tired, I'm emotionally exhausted, I'm glad I went back to SD to see mom. Too worn out for any details now but I'm home. Yeah! Tomorrow I "get" to go back to work.