Lord of the Rubberbands

Mega Millions

If I win the lottery, I'd invest half then pay off my debt which would leave me $65,960,000. Then, I'd give equal parts to my family which would give me 16,490,000. I'll buy a condo here: http://www.onefirst.com/. This home will suffice: . Now I still have $10,190,000. A third of that can go to various charities. I love the ocean so I'd need one of these babies. Gee, I still have over $5 million leftover. Tough life, huh?

Another Good Recipe: Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1-2/3 cups applesauce
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/ tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 24 muffin cups with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Stir the wet into the dry just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir just to mix. Do not overmix. Divide batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just done. Do not over-bake. Makes 24 muffins.

Number of Servings: 24

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 24
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 118.4

* Total Fat: 3.0 g
* Cholesterol: 26.6 mg
* Sodium: 184.7 mg
* Total Carbs: 22.3 g
* Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
* Protein: 3.4 g

These are excellent for a quick breakfast. Also, you can just make 12 muffins if you don't have a big enough muffin pan (like me).

Trash Barrel Wars

I live in a 4 family apartment building and when I moved in, 6 years ago, I was told that I needed to buy my own trash barrel for curbside pickup. I did and yet no one else in the building has bought their own barrel. In fact, there are only 3 barrels out back (including mine). Also, my neighbors never bring their barrels out to the curb. It's like they believe in magical trash fairies. Sadly, my landlord enables their laziness and brings the barrels out front.

Now that I am a militant recycler, commingling trash has become an issue. Even though I have labeled my trash barrel with my apartment number, some asshole week after week plops his unsorted smelly trash in my barrel. Fed up, I typed up a note explaining that each apartment has their own barrel and I recycle etc. Also I included a map of where the nearest home depot is. I made 3 copies and put the note in my neighbor's mailboxes.

Within a day, I received an apology note. Luckily the lazy neighbor is moving and admitted that he simply didn't pay attention. Yet, yesterday I got a stronger reaction from another neighbor - a note saying how dare I accuse him, get my facts straight, blah, blah, blah. Obviously anger issues from the same guy who runs his AC 24x7. I can't wait until I move outta here.

Crustless Broccoli Quiche

Ingredients

1 tsp. Canola Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 pkg. (10oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained.
2 cups egg beaters
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup kraft 2% chredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. black pepper


Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in small nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, cook 5 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli; mix well. Spoon into 9-in pie plate sprayed with cooking spray.
Mix remaining ingredients until well blended; pour over broccoli layer.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is set and top is golden brown.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 6
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 128.5

* Total Fat: 5.4 g
* Cholesterol: 8.7 mg
* Sodium: 293.4 mg
* Total Carbs: 4.8 g
* Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
* Protein: 15.1 g

Apartment Composting 101: Vermicompost with Barb Finnin Video

This is a cool option for apartment dwellers who are sick of stinky trash/garbage combo cans. Plus, worms are cute!

Apartment Composting 101: Vermicompost with Barb Finnin Video

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Work Place Food Conundrum

Week two at my new job and I have been thinking about how work location impacts your diet and wallet. Of course, I started mulling this over as I snacked on artery-clogging onion rings today with just $4 in my pocket.

My first job was in downtown Boston which could be a pro/con depending. You have multiple outdoor eating spots and easy access to a variety of restaurants. I usually wound up brown bagging it and splurged an occasional Friday by going to a local Thai restaurant. My second job was at a university. It started out fairly well foodwise. There was a cafe in my building with fresh deli and salad offerings. Then a couple years in, they revamped the entire cafe format due to a new food service provider. So meal prices went up and the food offerings were greasy, doused in sauces, and nothing was fresh. Everyone I worked with complained about the new cafe. My next job just had a cafeteria for seating and a bunch of outdoor eating options. It was located near a local deli that was always mobbed at lunchtime and I came down with nasty food poisoning thanks to that establishment. So, brown bagging was the only viable option.

Hands down, my next job had the best cafeteria I've ever seen in a workplace. It was open for all 3 meals of the day and had a wide variety of vegetarian options. I loved this cafeteria so much, I branched out from my normal deli sandwich comfort zone. The soups were amazing and fresh, ditto for the salad bar. The prices weren't bad either! My next job had an abysmal, overpriced cafeteria and was down the street from a Stop and Shop. A Stop and Shop with BOOZE people! That is a dangerous thing for your wallet. If I did buy wine on my lunch shopping, I'd try to do the self checkout line because I didn't want to bother with people judging me in line. If I did get any comments, I'd say, "Tough day at the office." My current job has a cafeteria in the building. The food is pretty decent but the salad bar looks uninspiring. To me, lunch prices seem a little high ($7 for a sandwich and drink) but everything is getting expensive nowadays. The cafeteria is right next to a gym so I get to walk by all these hard bodies with my full belly - very smart psychologically. Yup, I am thinking of joining.

The New Job

I started my new job last Friday and it was one of those dive right in, sink or swim days. Luckily, I can easily swim through mounds of data. I didn't meet too many co-workers but I found out a couple essential facts: the office building has a cafeteria across from an ATM that doesn't charge me a fee, and there's a gym in the building. I also discovered that the guy who had this position before me was skilled way beyond what the job requires (since he has so many fun programs downloaded).

My commute is pretty decent lots of rolling country and a couple Dunkin Donuts along the way. Usually, it takes me 25 minutes but it all depends if I'm stuck behind a lost/elderly/cell phone gabbing local who is creeping along at 20 mph. Unfortunately, my route home does tend to get flooded when there's torrential rain (ie. last Friday and every evening this past month).

I'm having fun, enjoying the work, and learning something every day.

How I Celebrate

My favorite Pinot Noir and a good companion. Yes, I am a crazy cat lady.

I Got A Job!!!

Within the last 30 minutes, I got a job offer and accepted it. It's a unique position. I will be sent out on assignments like a temp but I am salaried, with benefits, 401K etc. My assignments will last months. I will be starting my first assignment Friday!

Food or Heat

My apartment has oil heating that's not included in my rent. The first couple of years living here 2002 - 2006, it wasn't too bad. Only about $75 per month. That price doubled this past year and I just got my new budget statement for the 08-09 heating year: $235 per month which equals to about $3100/yr. Obviously, I can't afford this heating bill on unemployment. Even if I do get a fabulous new well-paying job, I can afford the bill but will hate paying for oil heat (for environmental and ethical reasons).

Luckily, my situation is pretty common. Reporters and politicians are already aware of the impending crisis. Thank goodness for Joe Kennedy's program . The ridiculous part is that I don't use that much heating oil but oil companies don't charge you for usage, they charge you based upon projections. Anyways peeps, I am going to move outta here before first frost!

Fall TV

The network schedules are out. Here is what I'm planning on TiVoing:

Sunday
Nothing

Monday
Chuck

Heroes - it kinda sucked last season but I'm still holding out hope.

Tuesday
Kath & Kim - I love Molly Shannon and haven't seen the original series.

Wednesday
Bones - I want to see how they develop the show after Zach's betrayal. Also this show has perfect will they/won't they chemistry (let's hope they won't screw it up).

Private Practice - I'll give it a couple episodes. If I don't get a Tim Daly sex scene, I'll drop it.

Thursday
The Office - yes, this won out over Grey's Anatomy.

Friday
Numb3rs - this show makes me feel smart because I kinda understand the math behind it. Plus, Rob Morrow has aged really well.

Saturday
Nothing

Cool Down Period

So yeah I got another rejection last week but quite frankly I wasn't surprised. They rejected me for another job back in May and in June they asked me if I was interested in this new job. So the timeline was completely ridiculous with the first interview in June and the second at the end of July. My other concern was that there wasn't a single woman in the department who I interviewed with. That has started to become a concern of mine throughout my job search. If I don't see a single woman in senior management, I get worried.

Why does it worry me? As a woman, I'd like to have a mentor or someone to emulate career-wise. It also worries me because studies show that the more diversity in a company, the more successful it is in the marketplace. I don't want to work for a company that will stagnate and die due to outmoded prejudices. How many women in senior management did Enron have? Just 1 and she left before the shit hit the fan.

Another Day, Another Job Rejection

That job I really wanted and was perfect for doesn't want to hire me. I bet it's because I have a vagina. Fuckers stringing me along for months...

Ghost in the Machine

Any fellow Verizon customers out there who have televisions that randomly turn on like me? I don't have a timer or sleep anything set on my TV but without fail, the set in my bedroom turns on at random intervals throughout the week. The worst is when it turns on at 3AM at night, scares the crap out of me and my cat.

The Waiting Game

I'm supposed to hear about the job I really want this week so it's yet another week of waiting. How do I deal with patiently waiting for a job offer/rejection? I try to get out of the apartment or get engrossed in a project.

Batman: The Dark Knight really deserves all the rave reviews. My only complaint is that I wanted more Joker! When he wasn't in a scene, I kept wondering what he was up to. Bravo Heath and RIP. :-(

Step Brothers is funnier than Talladega Nights. Unfortunately, a lot of the funny stuff appears in commercials. But I have to tell you, there are a bunch of other funny scenes (one that almost had me crying laughing). It's definitely worth a matinee.

Today, I picked up this puzzle:



It combines my love of puzzles and maps. I have been working on the edges all afternoon. Even Rasputin tried to help...



Gee looking around, my next new project should be a good apartment clean!