The Hyena Chat thread: Everyone's welcome!

[sameyeyam]

However, on the bright side... the kidlets are meeting me at the office after work and we are going halloween costume shopping and out for dinner.

Seems that my 16 & 10yo kids still aren't ready to give up trick or treating. That's ok, neither am I!

 

[funnygarcia]

sorry for the soapbox here I'll take it off.

Moral of the story is I hate best buy and sprint.

Blast away! Sorry I missed the rant, I like reading some good ranting, heck I like shouting off my own ranting. hmm, I got nothing new.. oh wait yes I do.

I ordered some things from a store specializing in European foods, I paid not a penney as it was posted on Slick Deals with a special code. I was happy they honored the code, lots of places cancel orders if it comes out free.

Opened the box, each item tightly wrapped in bubble wrap and the larger puffy bubble stuff was around each of those. Lots of packing, should not have been a problem to get glass containers here in one piece with their contents intact.. yes?

Apparently not, got to the last item and I can see the chutney had leaked in the bubble wrap. Brought it to the sink to see if the glass broke-- hmm nope.

The lid was halfway off, which begs the question.. did it leave the warehouse that way? How the heck did the lid unscrew during transit??

I wrote a sad letter, now to see what they plan to do about it.

mmm, more free stuff ??? That would be awesome!




I also need to write Kraft and complain, I bought these singly wrapped cheese slices (the Live Active variety-- after coupn was less than a $1) . Went to grab a slice out of the bag as a nice snack...


huh? It was a comletely sealed empty wrapper. I guess it skipped the cheese line in the assembly process?

oh and Tyson chicken patties, browned to burnt color.


Coupon queen that I am.. I am already savoring the potential freebies.. muahahhahahhaa

 

[funnygarcia]

However, on the bright side... the kidlets are meeting me at the office after work and we are going halloween costume shopping and out for dinner.

Seems that my 16 & 10yo kids still aren't ready to give up trick or treating. That's ok, neither am I!

WE decided the boys are too old, but we plan to wrap ourselves in foil and pick up Chipotle burritos for free that night .
Have I mentioned our boys don't like burritos... hah too bad.... they are still getting a free one . For me

and E too of course.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

Hello Hyenas,

I'm eating dinner at the moment (they have the best fried chicken ever). I went to Norstrom awhile ago to get some gentle facial cleanser and the sales lady was so nice she gave me a fee gift of products from their more expensive skin care line.

I hope u guys are having a good evening.

 

[sameyeyam]

I'm back! I'm also in a much better mood. DS chose a bleeding skeleton costume. DD found a Flapper costume, but alas wasn't in her size. Oh and Target has the Burger King costume. I was tempted to get it, just because he's so freaky!

We decided on Red Robin for dinner. DD had mac n cheese, DS had pizza and I had a Bruschetta Pesto Chicken sandwich.

 

[sameyeyam]

Happy Dreams Hyenas.

 

[sameyeyam]

Good Morning Hyenas!

Geez, starting to think I'm just talking to myself lately. Hope everyone has a Super Day!

 

[sameyeyam]

So far I've been at work a full 48 minutes and so far it seems to be starting out really well. Can today be the first good day at work this week? Let's hope so!

I have turned the music up to relax me and am enjoying the morning. I want to apologize for getting so wound up lately, but thanks for listening. I guess I need to learn to have more tolerance with stupid people.

DS is off on a field trip to the Ape Caves today. Lava tubes/caves near Mt. St. Helens. I have lived about 20 miles from these caves my entire life and have never been to them. One day I will get the nerves up to go in them. Everyone I know has been there but me. I'm a bit claustraphobic, but I could probably handle the easy route. Not to mention that I've been all around them, but just never went. Of course if I were to tell anyone in my hometown that I'd never been there I'm sure they would stare at me in disbelief!

Anyway, there are no apes in the caves! It was discovered by a boy scout troop that was sponsored by a bunch of loggers that called themselves the Mt. St. Helens Apes...probably named apes because they hang off the side of hills while logging or after Big Foot.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/ape-cave/index.shtml

 

[staley7580]

Good morning, hyenas!
It's chilly and foggy this morning, but supposedly going to be sunny later. A tentative in anticipation of that.

My left eye is twitching really badly today, I don't know what the deal is. It will start twitching off and on for days, weeks even, and then gradually disappear, and then 6 months or more later start up again. Apparently it's time.

{sigh}

Eye twitching is due to stress. It happens to me ALL the time. Go figure.

I looked like an asian Shirley Temple!
[/COLOR]

THAT is funny!

I was afraid he was going to make me sing Good Ship Lolipop!

 

[sameyeyam]

Eye twitching is due to stress. It happens to me ALL the time. Go figure.

That's funny...my eye twitches when I've been on the DIS too long! Perhaps you guys are stressing me out. NAH!

Yelling at idiot people on the phone is how I handle stress. Apparently I handle it quit well lately.

My biggest stressor(sp?) is stupid people. I have no tolerance for people that don't use common sense, blame things on the computer and can't find a simple solution.

For instance the lady at Office Max can't figure out how to ring up my special order for copier toner. So I politely suggest that I leave her the exact money, she hand write me a receipt, then someone can figure it out after I leave, so we don't back up the line full of angry people and I don't have to stand there for 45 minutes while she tries to figure it out. SIMPLE? YES! But still she can't do that! WHY? Because that's not how she's supposed to do it!

I know there I go again, but really how simple is it to allow employees to use common sense? If management doesn't like how they handle a problem, then they can let them know a better way for the next time. Why do companies not EMPOWER EMPLOYEES? I don't get it. When problems arise the employees should have the power to come up with a simple solution for the customer and then deal with the logistics later when they have time. I always tell our employees at our hotels...handle the problem in whatever way works best for #1 the guest and then #2 easiest for you...don't worry about what corporate (me) thinks...just let me know what happened and I will account for it/fix the problem on my end. But perhaps that is why our hotels have such a high occupancy rate and our corporate office only needs 3 people! Could it be...YIKES...we let our employees use their brains and satisfy our customers instead of blaming it on the computer? Why YES!

 

[sameyeyam]

OK, I need to quit doing this....take a deep breath, heart rate is falling, birds are singing, blood pressure has dropped, life is good!

 

[sameyeyam]

DH is at elk camp. So every night he heads for a nearby hill that gets cell coverage and calls. Last night he calls home around 7pm and nobody is home. We were in town getting costumes and having dinner. So he panics, but instead of calling my cell phone, he calls my brother to have him look across the field and see if we are home or if any lights are on. Of course my brother sees no lights on...and heads over to make sure we are ok. Apparently neither one of them had the foresight to try my cell phone. After determining that no one is home they decide to try my cell.

I feel so protected. Guess I can't even stay out with the kids until 7pm or everyone is in a panic. I'm such a creature of schedules that if I deviate the tiniest bit everyone freaks out. I would do something really drastic tonight...like be home 10 minutes late, but tonight is Thursday night...it's our day to deep clean the house and since my Domestic God is out hunting and gathering I'm stuck with taking care of the cave!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Good morning, hyenas!
It is definitely overcast today, with a chance of rain. Pooh!

We made the boys go to bed a half hour early last night, because the previous night they were horsing around instead of getting ready for bed, then still up half an hour after bedtime. That always (and did) mean they were hard to get up the next day. So 8:00ish the kids were in bed... which never happens, and it was soooo nice! DH and I actually could talk without interruption, have a bowl of ice cream. It was very odd-feeling!

Of course DS8 brought up at bedtime that he needed to get his costume ready for school today; school is out tomorrow, so they're having their class Halloween party and costume parade today. (Never mind that I told him right after school that he needed to get it ready...) I told him, "Sorry, too late. Maybe we'll have time in the morning, otherwise you're out of luck."
Him:
Me:

So the boys were MUCH easier to get up this morning; I had actually gone looking for a black robe for DS8 to wear with his scary mask he'd picked out. (This is the same robe great-Grandma wore at Halloween last year when she scared the pants off him...) Can't find it. We looked everywhere in the house, and I actually wandered into the garage before realizing even if it's in here, there's no way I'll find it!

DH called to say good morning, so I asked if he had any idea where it could be; he thought he probably took it to storage with some other Halloween decorations we haven't been able to find.

DS wanted me to run out to storage and get it, but I said, "I don't think so. Wear a black hoodie and your hooded mask, you'll be plenty scary." He took that surprisingly well!

So I'll pick up DS4 from preschool in a bit, then relax for a couple hours, then head over to DS8's class party. We'll be carving pumpkins, so I'll need to bring carving utensils and newspaper, and something to put the seeds in. Hope this is fun, and that DS4 behaves... and that I don't cut myself!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I'm trying to think what to do for dinner tonight. I have a whole chicken and boneless skinless chicken breast pieces to cook up, plus a pound of hamburger. So I'm thinking I'll probably cook up both chicken packages; bake the whole chicken as usual in the oven, and could do my oven chicken & rice dish, too, assuming I have all the ingredients.

Or maybe do that in the crockpot? The boneless skinless tends to come out a bit dry when I do it in the oven, but I've never done it in the crockpot before... Do you suppose you use the same amount of water, or would it come out too soupy?

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Hmmm... I just searched for a recipe for the boneless skinless chicken breast. There's one that sounds good that I will try (with a few modifications... Wish me luck!)

It uses dried fruit, honey, onion and ginger (which I don't have), and you serve it over rice or noodles. Sounds yummy, and definitely a change of pace from my usual. Hopefully it will turn out tasty and the family will like it.

 

[funnygarcia]

I mkae chicken in the crockpot a lot, poached some thighs in liquid with carrots/ celery/ onion and spices. Shredded the chicken for various recipes and strained the broth for later use.

One thing the boys ask for frequently is chicken tacos.

Toss the breasts (frozen is fine) into the crock pot.
Mix 1 c liquid (broth or water and bouillon) , 1 packet taco seasoning, pour over chicken.
4 to 6 hours on low, remove chicken- shred- return to liquid.

Just don't look at it too much, my boys tease and say it's cat food It smells good, tastes good, will be just fine wrapped in a warm tortilla. HMPH!

Very yummy! The low sodium seasoning works as does the spicy version.
Leftovers become filling for enchiladas.
I like making meals that I can stretch, feeding our family two or more times with just one package of meat.

Our latest stretcher, beef and potato tacos.
Leftover baked potatoes, cut and browned with onion. Mixed with 1/2 pound browned hamburger. Added taco seasoning packet. They were very yummy! Tastes better than Taco Bells' version.

Large sacks of potatoes (10 pound) are only $2.49 at Aldi's.
Taco seasoning I usually get for free or pennies a packet thanks to coupons.
Beef was bought on sale and had a mark down sticker on it at Super Target-- 2 pound package split into portions.
The one larger expense was the tortillas, pricey at Target as all they had were their Market Pantry brand (ewwww, pasty flour and cheap fat taste) and Mission (pricey $3.89 for 30) .

I'm going to try making my own.

 

[funnygarcia]

Not to encourage more distress but.. Alison made a good point about management should empower their employees to make decisions and deal with logistics later.

I've had some frustrating incidents at my local grocery sotre, enough that I search out check outs that I remeber seeing that cashier beofre and had a good expereince.

I had a newer casheir try to scan a coupon, it wouldn't read. In most instances the cashier would hand key the amount as a general merchandise coupon. I guess they never taught this cashier, she hands me back the coupon and says " It didn't scan" .


Pause for a moment and picture the coupon queen and king staring back in disbelief.

We burst out laughing and tell her "make it work because it is a legitimate coupon".

She looks at us- stunned, deer caught in the headlights look.

She makes no move to do anything.

Hubby suggests "call a manager to help you", she finally flashes her light. Another cashier comes over.
"what's the problem?" ...
"It won't scan"...
She looks at her, sighs, grabs the coupon and punches in the amount.

"There!" and stomps off.




We had to try really hard not to fall over laughing at this point.

We smile graciously, say thank you and run out the door. Collapsing in the car in a fit of giggles.

oh and the other fun thing, they reset their registers to lock up if you reach more than a certain percentage in savings in coupons (40- 50%). Only senior cashiers are allowed to key the lock and allow the coupons to go thru.

Some are set to only allow 20 coupons-- how dorky!!
Slows down the line when the cashier needs to flag someone down to bring the key.

 

[sameyeyam]

I have a very good, simple chicken recipe.

Cut up the chicken into small pieces (think nuggets). Dip into a mixture of bread crumbs & onion soup mix, spray Pam on cookie sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes until done. Turns out very moist. Serve with various dipping sauces...honey mustard, bbq sauce, ranch, whatever.

Can also use flour, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic or whatever spices you like, but not quite as juicy/moist as above recipe.

I suppose it could also be done coated in corn flakes or crackers, but I like the bread crumbs and onion soup mix so much that I use that coating.

 

[sameyeyam]

I also make chicken tacos...leftover baked chicken breast, chicken flavored rice a roni, frozen (cooked) peas, cheese and sour cream. Sounds kind of odd, but uses up leftover meat quite nicely and gets the kids to eat peas (which they normally hate). I don't usually put taco seasoning mix in the chicken because the chicken flavored rice provides the flavoring. If you only have a small bit of chicken leftover, shred it up and add to the rice to stretch it.

 

[sameyeyam]

Yesterday I went to Walmart and had $48 worth of coupons, so my $72 grocery bill only cost me $24.

Now I had heard horror stories about Walmart & coupons, so was prepared for a battle. But my cashier was very nice, some wouldn't scan and she punched them right in and then congratulated me on saving so much. No manager required. She said her sister is one of those Coupon Queens. So I stopped at customer service on the way out and told them she was an excellent employee and I appreciated her good service even though I had a ton of coupons.