Thunderstorms

[MauEvig]

I think you're actually right Murf, I'm pretty sure there are "kosher" rules about how an animal is slaughtered, and the Jewish people know that all creatures are to be treated with respect. I think they believe in draining the blood out of them as well. They also separate milk and meat products, because they don't believe a "calf should be drowned in it's mother's milk."

I don't follow kosher law though. I've had stuff that was considered kosher, but I still eat stuff like pepperoni, hot dogs and sausage. Plus I love a good cheeseburger fired up on the grill.

We had a nasty storm today at work. The power went out for a split second, and then it just got crazy busy in there.

[Kolchak]

Kosher meat is more expensive but imho, it is much better tasting! Living in Miami we had all kinds of Kosher delis to choose from. Man I miss those places. You haven't had a club sandwich until you've had one from a really good deli!

But here it is in a nutshell.....

I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat berries and roots!


And


There is a place for all of Gods creatures...Right next to the peas, carrots and mashed potatoes!

[Murfreesboro]

[MauEvig]

Well Kolchak certainly has a point.

I've heard that saying before, but it went like this: "There's a place for all of God's creatures...right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy"

On a serious note I don't judge anyone's dietary choices, unless it involves eating animals meant to be our companions and endangered species. That I am not ok with.

Have y'all tried Boar's head? Now that stuff is pretty darn good. I believe they are located in New York city, but some local places here in Virginia are now carrying their products. I tried their turkey, it's amazing!

We've been getting more rain lately. It didn't thunder and lightning today; which is fine by me. I can tolerate rain, but keep the lightning!

[Murfreesboro]

The Boar's Head line of products is available in our local grocery chains, but I don't buy those products because they are very expensive. I don't doubt that they are good. I tend to go for Kroger's "private selection" brand. It is a house brand, but clearly is being made by premium distributors. Sometimes you can tell which company is making which product by the shape of the bottle, etc.

[MauEvig]

That sort of reminds me of something my grandfather told me before he died; "same product, different label and different price" and he was describing in particular a brand name of beans and weinies along with an off brand at Walmart. You wouldn't think a conversation about groceries was significant, but it was to me because my Grandfather didn't socialize much. He was usually out in the garage working on one of his tractor projects for tractor pulling. He'd always up date me how on his kitties were doing, because believe it or not it was my Grandpa, not my Grandma who was the cat person in the family, and could never say no to another cat. He loved his cats and tried to connect with me by talking about them. I guess that's how he showed his love. Sadly, he died of cancer in 2006.

Yeah these meats can be rather expensive, but sometimes I just have to spend that little extra, because the cheaper meats are often stringy and gross to me. Although the cats will eat just about anything.

The local store I work at has a great selection of meat. People will drive way out of town just to buy it there.

It's been so cloudy lately all I feel like doing is sleeping. Sometimes I think gray skies make me drowsy but something about the blue skies gives me energy. I have no idea why that is. Yet I often "luck out" and have to work on nice days. Then customers rub it in. Got to love it.

It could be psycological, but something about light gives us more energy I think while the darkness of rain and stormy weather makes me want to sleep. Although lightning and the shake of thunder will make me jump, and I can definitely do without that.

[Kolchak]

A few years back they did a study at Ft Wainwright army base in Alaska regarding sunlight. Due to their location they don't get Sun as much as they do in other areas and they were concerned about work productivity going down because people were not getting the benefits of having that Sun shine. They imported some artificial sun lamps and people began spending time around them and they found people were not as lethargic and had more pep than those who weren't exposed. Children had the highest rate of improvement and it became a regular feature at the base schools to have the kids be in room with those lamps for a certain amount of time each school day.

[Kolchak]

You don't see it much anymore, but back in the day you had a local butcher who would give you the cuts of meat you wanted. Some worked in regular grocery stores and others had their own butcher shops. Butcher shops are kind of becoming extinct these days. I know of a couple in areas I hunt and fish at and when I can I stop by and pay the extra amount, but very often it is really worth it.

[Boogeyman]

The township I grew up in still has a butcher shop. It has been in business for at least 25 years. Of course, this same community had the last Mcdonalds to open on Sunday in America.

[Murfreesboro]

We have a good relationship with the butchers at the Kroger we frequent. They will break up any package to give you what you want, cut up any slice of meat. And if you want something they don't usually carry, you can ask for it ahead of time and they'll get it for you. It's not just us they will do that for, but I think most people don't think to ask them. Ask and ye shall receive.

[MauEvig]

The IGA representative at the store I work at was giving the boss some suggestions, and I put a bug in his ear for two different types of meat that I'd like to see sold in our store.

One is buffalo burger; I've never tried it but I have heard it's really good. My New York friends and family have it at the local Wegmans; and unfortunately the nearest one is way too far to drive to. I sure do miss Wegmans that's for sure!

Another is my favorite type of fish...Haddock. For me there's just no substitute for Haddock. They're the perfect fish for fish fries which are huge in New York state. Almost everywhere you drive to offers Friday Fish fries, including Wegmans. Haddock isn't so big here in the South though.

So there are stuff that make me hunger for New York sometimes. I admit to getting home sick every now and then. But I'm finding there are some great things about Virginia as well. For one thing, I can walk into the local Walmart and buy fireworks. Sure they're only the fountain ones, but they beat just the sparklers they have in New York since all fireworks are banned there. (Granted, I still buy the sparklers anyway, because who wouldn't? The first time I got to light those up and run around the yard with them, I felt like a big kid. )

Plus Virginia has Waynesboro and Lexington, two places I like to make a day trip to when we get a chance. We haven't explored Roanoke as much because it's easy to get lost there. ^^; Roanoke reminds me of Rochester, the nearest "major" city in NYS that we lived, and I lived between there and Corning. But I often find what we want in Waynesboro, so there's no need to go anywhere else, and Waynesboro is easier to navigate. Plus they recently put in Aldi's, and I was ecstatic. They also have Martin's which is very similar to Tops; another popular Northern chain of grocery stores and the main rival to Wegmans up there. Historically, I believe Martins and Tops had the same ownership, but I don't think that applies today, but the lay out and use of the bonus card really remind me of it. If I want to buy frozen foods or meat though, I will need to invest in a good cooler. We have that styrofoam one for now though that I got at local Dollar General. Plus Virginia has a nice variety of parks, including this one that has a small lake/pond to swim in. The parking rates are very reasonable, cheaper than Moomaw. So I can find most of my "comforts of home" right in those locations.

I just need to find a place that makes a sub like they do in New York, and a fish fry. I will probably have to order my Grandma Brown's baked beans online though. A couple places in Clifton Forge have come close, and I don't mind getting something from one of the local markets. Now that we are getting Boar's head though, that's going to change everything. I'd love it if they put a full deli in at work (and let me work in there as far away from the cash register as the East is from the West! ) that made made-to-order subs. Sure they have a subway, but they don't have that "local delicatessen" taste. (Wegmans also makes great subs! Wegmans has it all...I sure do miss them! I need to see if Martin's has anything comparable. They have a carry out cafe, but my concern is the long drive between here and that store and I don't want anything to spoil.)

The meat at the local store is really good though. They'll take orders as well, though I'm not sure if they'll break up a package or not. I have seen people go through the line with the meat sliced and diced up with the same price as the original steak it was, or pork. I've also seen some really strange products go through my line. Including those creepy looking fish with the heads still on them, pig's feet, and ox tail. When I get a couple nickels to rub together I'll probably get me a couple New York strips, and make sure I got that Country Bob's sauce handy. Maybe I'll jazz it up with some seasoning too. People will drive 45 minutes out of the way to go to our store just for the meat. It's that good.

I think the local stores are the closest we have to a butcher shop, but there's no shortage of locally made products, like sausage, bacon and local eggs. But I usually buy the cheap eggs; and I found I like that Gwaltney brand bacon myself.

Man all this talk about meat makes me want to fire up a bbq!

[Murfreesboro]

Mau, I just love you. You miss your home, which is natural, yet you always look for the good things about the place where you are.

We have ground bison in our groceries around here. I don't buy it, although I have eaten it out West (and also at the Montana Grill in Nashville, which I believe is owned by Ted Turner, who raises bison). It is leaner than beef and has a stronger flavor. Some people really turn onto it. I am OK with it, but I think I prefer beef.

I am not sure I have ever eaten haddock. When I was growing up in Mississippi, my father was a bass fisherman, so that was what we used to eat. (Of course, he died when I was 7, so I am remembering my early childhood.) My husband is not fond of fish, so almost the only kind I ever buy is salmon, which the kids and I love. But the kind of fish you eat is probably going to be determined by where you live. You need to find out what is common in your area.

I think there is some town here in middle TN that makes a big deal of having a fish fry during the summer. I can't remember now exactly which town it is, but I know I've read they've been doing that for, like, 75 years.

[MauEvig]

Awww thanks Murf! I certainly do try, there are good and bad things about every area. I'd always wanted to leave New York state when I was a little girl, because I had this exploration spirit where I always wanted to see new places and new things. Virginia feels like a new and refreshing experience, but sometimes I long for the familiarity of my old home as well. But Virginia has become more and more familiar to me, I'm getting to know the locals and I'm appreciating it's beauty. It's like being a pioneer, but thankfully I live in a day and age where there's technology to make such transitions easier, and communication with family members instant. The real pioneers didn't have these luxuries. The draw back is that settling the land meant stripping away some of it's natural beauty. One of the first lessons in Biology class was about the American Chestnut tree, and how logging, forges, and the introduction of a foreign chestnut tree containing a harmful fungus drove it to near extinction. The tree is trying to regrow in certain areas where the trees were once abundant, but the fungus continues to kill it off. It's a shame really. One day when I have time and money, I'd really like to see the world. I'd like to see the rest of our own Country's beauty of course, but I'd also like to tour Europe and Japan. I enjoy learning about the rich histories of other cultures, and sometimes I learn new philosophies that I can agree with and add to my own philosophical mindset. Unfortunately time and money hold me back from a lot, but right now I'm taking things one step at a time. I'm working at a place that's basically a pay check; but the co-workers I've got to be pretty good friends with so that's a plus. I certainly don't intend on being a cashier forever though, but I think with my goals in place and my good grades (I made the President's List twice!) I'm going to make my mark right here in Virginia. It's only a matter of time, patience and lots of hard work. I believe the virtues of America can still exist today, that hard work and an education can mean life long success and I hope that will come true. Time will tell of course, but I certainly won't stop until I've made it. Even then I'll continue working hard of course, because I'm certain there will be new goals in the future.

I'm not sure if I've had ground bison, but I've had these Peppy Bison sticks that are really good, if you like meat snacks of course.

Haddock is amazing. It's a very meaty fish and it's great fried. Fried fish on Fridays are probably as big as Fried chicken is here. But I like Fried Chicken as well! I get a bag of it at work every now and then.

I'm sure FIsh fries are big in other places, but I remember they were literally everywhere in New York.

Then again, I like all kinds of delicious foods and I'm usually interested in trying new things. That's another nice thing about travel though, getting to try new delicacies and such and learning about the local foods and what's popular in that area.

But one thing is for sure, I never can do that sweet tea, though I've had pre-sweetened teas with raspberry flavoring in it from Snapple. Those are good, or the Honey Ginseng variety from Arizona Beverages. I can tolerate it if the sugar is cut in half with unsweet at the local restaurant, but I prefer it unsweetened. No sugar for me please, but I do like a bit of lemon in mine. Yes that darn lemon! My taste buds certainly do confound me for sure! I like lemons in tea but not in dessert! I have no idea why either. I guess lemon is meant to be a sour taste, not a sweet one to me. (Unless it's lemonade! I love lemonade. I don't think I'm normal. )

[Murfreesboro]

I don't like sweet tea either (but shhh! I'm afraid someone will revoke my Southern citizenship!). Sweet tea really is the "table wine of the South," as someone once said.

If you want to travel, I will tell you what I tell my own kids. You can do whatever you want to do as long as you make a goal to do it and follow the steps. Also understand that there is what economists call an "opportunity cost." If you want to spend money traveling in Europe, you might have to put off buying a house or something like that. Or if you want the house, you might have to postpone the travel plans. But you can do whatever you want. Just set your priorities and make a plan. (I realize you already have a house, but I am just using that as an example.)

My older boy has had the travel bug bad, and he has done so much traveling since he has been in college! He started by spending his junior year in Germany (seven months in Europe). Then he went back to Europe for six weeks two years later, visiting friends over there and seeing some places he hadn't seen the first time. Then he went back again for a couple of weeks last summer, in part for a European friend's wedding. Meantime, he has taken every opportunity to see parts of the US he never saw growing up. Sometimes he is visiting friends or relatives, sometimes he is combining sightseeing with a conference for his work (he is working on a PhD in math). But he gets around. He doesn't own a house, though. He rents an apartment. He is spending his money on travel right now.

[MauEvig]

Major traveling may be something that will need to wait for right now, aside from occasional trips to New York to visit family and friends. But that's OK, I'm finding plenty to do locally anyway and discovering new things about Virginia all the time. I rather wait until I'm in an established career and have my student loans paid off before I venture off to Europe or Asia somewhere anyway. We're probably talking more about the distant future.

Don't worry Murf. I'll make sure no one revokes your Southern citizenship!

Now if I hit the lottery, that may be another story. But I'm sure I'll get to travel one day. There's still so much of the world to see.