2000-02-20
I'm admitting defeat. The vegetable slicer wins. I seem incapable of using this fucking thing without lacerating myself. Today's incident, which occurred while shredding cabbage, produced way more blood than I was comfortable with. So back to the store it goes.
Now we'll have even more store credit. See, we registered there, and returned a few things, and had about $300 in credit. We spent half that, including $50 on this lousy slicer, and were down to $150. Then a friend who's getting married registered there and we used half of that to get their gift, relieved to be down to $75. But once that slicer goes back, we'll be at $125. And no, I'm not complaining, and yes, I know you can use the credit at that other store as well. I'm really just annoyed at my ineptitude because I really want to be able to use this thing to slice, dice, and julienne. It's back to knives for me. (And yes, I know all about that plastic safety guard that allegedly keeps fingers out of harm's way!)
On Friday I was talking to my boss -- not the pontificating big one, the essentially kind but passive-aggressive immediate one -- about this project we're working on. He said something about doing the next step first thing Tuesday morning and I said, "Why not Monday?" And he said magical words: "Monday's a holiday." I had known this but forgotten and I'm certain I would've showed up had we not had this conversation. So the lesson there is, sometimes it's good to discuss your projects with your supervisor.
Today has been that special kind of Sunday when you know you're not going back to work on Monday. This morning I met up with my erstwhile writing teacher, saw her new house and went to breakfast. Then I did errands, which I have to say, I just love. I love driving around going to stores, buying and returning and dropping off and picking up and crossing things off my list.
Above all else, I love returning stuff, especially stuff that has not lived up to its promise (as opposed to stuff I've just changed my mind about). In the last two weeks I've returned fruit (mushy), fish (B thought it tasted funny), sheets (all cotton and after one week they were pilling), bath towels (we splurged on the expensive ones and after four months' light use the hems have come unstitched). And we can soon add to that list vegetable slicer (lacerated fingers).
To accomplish all this returning, you'll correctly infer that I'm a fanatical receipt-keeper. I swear, if you have the receipt, you can return anything! It gives me such deep pleasure.
And I went to the library and to the gym. And made a massive batch of turkey meatballs which I intend to freeze so we can take them out and bake them for easy weeknight dinners. (I made up the recipe: ground turkey; minced red and green peppers, scallions, and garlic; grated ginger; crushed red pepper flakes; soy sauce; and an egg or two to hold it all together. You can use lean turkey but extra lean--all breast meat--is too dry.) I like mine on a bed of steamed cabbage, preferably not too bloody.
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