McEmergency? Try Some Relish!

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Apparently the folks in Florida take their McNuggets pretty darn seriously. After Latreasa Goodman ordered and paid for a 10-piece Chicken McNugget, she was informed that the McDonald's she was at had run out of the delicacy. In fact, she was so distraught she called 911 three times to report an emergency. THREE times!

In one of her calls, Goodman states, "The manager just took my money and won't give me my money back, trying to make me get something off the menu that I don't want. I ordered chicken nuggets. They don't have chicken nuggets, and so I told her, 'Just give me my money back,' and she tells me I have to pick something else off the menu. She is not going to give me my money back, and she don't have the right to take my money."

When police told Goodman the incident was not an emergency, Goodman insisted, "This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one. This is an emergency."

Really? Let me slap McDonalds' hand - shame on you! Your NO REFUND policy needs to be balanced with a little common sense. If a customer orders and pays for a specific menu item, and you cannot provide it, give them their friggin' money back.

Oh ... but Latreasa Goodman? You win the ME! ME! ME! prize. Your emergency took essential services away from people who were really in the midst of an emergency. I have no doubt the cost of your emergency to tax payers was at least 100 times the cost of your McNuggets. Are you really that selfish? You couldn't take names and write a letter to McDonald's Corporate offices making a formal complaint? At least you were charged with misuse of 911 and issued a citation, but something tells me that won't fix the problem.

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Just in case you ever find yourself distraught over missing McNuggets, I thought I'd post another recipe from my Relish! subscription. This one is a vegetarian dish (yes, Vixen and Garbonzo, you can eat this one too!) and was so tasty my family didn't even miss the meat! *EDIT* Those are basil parmesan bread sticks on the left, not chicken breasts!

Penne Pasta with Italian Vegetable Sauce

16 oz box penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion , chopped
1 red bell pepper , cored, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper , cored, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini , sliced and quartered
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic
2 tomatoes , seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high, heat oil and sauté onion, peppers, zucchini, and oregano for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until almost tender.

Stir in tomatoes, spinach, water, sugar, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened.

Serve pasta topped with the sauce and a generous portion of Parmesan.

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes per serving: 345 calories; 12 grams protein; 5 grams total fat; 6 grams fiber; 1 gram saturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 0 mgs cholesterol; 22 mgs sodium

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No Sex, but a Sextet!

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I've been having a difficult time wrapping my arms around TMI Tuesday lately. It's not that TMI Tuesday is any different, just that I seem to be in more of a reflective, opinionated philosophical mode these days and I just can't seem to merge the place I'm at with talking about sexual acts/positions/practices. Well, maybe I could, but still ...

One of the blogs I lurk on (yes, I'm one of those people) is Volly's This is my secret hiding place. Volly tackles some interesting topics, and usually from a different perspective than mine, which is why I enjoy her so much. She did a Six Happy Things post this morning and I thought focusing on happy was a far more productive way for me to spend my morning. So, if you stopped by to hear about my past sexual exploits (because y'all know there aren't any present ones) I hope you'll stick around for a little HAPPY instead!


1. Chick 'n Dip. Yes, a little hole-in-the-wall drive-in makes me happy! Why? This is what America was built on. A little mom and pop joint that hires local teenagers to work there in the summer and has the best Broasted Chicken ever. If that weren't enough, they have hand-dipped cones - not just chocolate, but strawberry and butterscotch too! Neither of those grab you? How about a milkshake or malt made from scratch. That's right! Real, hand scooped ice cream and one of those fountain type milkshake mixers. Why is this making me happy now? Chick 'n Dip is seasonal and opens on Saturday. Don't bring your debit card because they take cash or local checks only, and they still write up orders on tickets and total them up with nothing more than a hand-held calculator.

2. Anonymous Good Deeds. There is nothing better than knowing I've done something nice for a stranger. You all know about my habit of leaving change in the vending machine for the next person to find. That is one of my favorite ways to do good anonymously. Not only does it have the potential to turn some one's day around, but I never know who got it!

3. Smiles from strangers. It goes hand-in-hand with number 2 (no, not #2, #2 ... but Happy Thing #2!). I try to smile at everyone, and I get immense joy when a stranger returns one of those smiles.

4. Waking Cam up in the morning. He's 13 now. I'm not allowed to spend much public time with him any more, but weekday mornings? Those are mine. I get to gently wake him up by rubbing his back and start his day with positive and encouraging words. I am grateful for each of these mornings as I know the time will come when I'll have to let go of that time as well. For now, he lets me have it (and I think he secretly enjoys it as much as I do).

5. Singing in my car, at the top of my lungs - especially if it's warm enough to have the window rolled down. There is just something about this - knowing that I can sing all of the wrong words and completely out of tune and no one knows ... or even cares. It makes me happy every single time!

6. Spring planting. We're getting close here in the Midwest. The tractors are out tilling the soil, getting it turned over and ready for planting this year's crops (mostly corn and soy beans here). I can drive through farmland for hours, enjoying every sight and every smell. Yes, the smell of freshly turned soil makes me happy!

I've been called simple before, and it was never meant as a compliment. Funny thing is, it's one of my favorite compliments because it really is about finding joy in the little things that makes life's challenges far more manageable! What simple things make you happy?

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Is There a Doctor in the House?

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There are many amazing and insightful American Philosophers - Erich Fromm, Abraham Maslow, and Henry David Thoreau. Although I have a great appreciation for all of these men, my favorite American Philosopher wrote in anapestic tetrameter, and I began reading him at a very early age.

Today is Theodor Seuss (Dr. Seuss) Geisel's birthday. A philosopher whose prose made my tongue dance when I read it out loud and my mind drift to places that could only be imagined.

If I had to pick a favorite quote, it would likely be:

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
-- Dr. Seuss

His "lessons" are just as appropriate for a 5 year old as they are for a 45 year old! Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss quote?

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