Last weekend my daughter had a flat tire. Not just a flat tire, but a blowout. Luckily no one was hurt and luckily a police officer pulled up behind her and put on his lights making it safer to change that tire on the side of the road. Of course, she couldn't drive the 2-plus hours back home on the "donut" tire, so she took the Farmer's car and I took on the task of getting and new tire and having it mounted on the car.
I like to think I'm like a Boy Scout, always prepared. When I know I'm going to be spending some time in a waiting room I always take something along to keep my mind and my hands busy. For some reason I cannot concentrate on reading in a waiting room, so instead I take along some sewing, knitting or crocheting. For the tire change I took along a simple crochet project.
The yellow centers were all finished and I just attached the next color of yarn and finished each rosette.
This is Vanna's yarn. I hate it. I love her color palette but her yarn simply does not hold its twist. It's maddening.
Guess how long it took to accomplish the tire task? Long. Long enough to finish six of these and still have time to stare at the walls.
Here's a small portion of what I keep in my purse. Scissors and tape measure are a must. I sometimes carry other tools. You never know. In my car I carry one of those window-breaking hammers which was a gift from my friend who also believes in being prepared.
After the ridiculously long wait in which all the tire techs went to lunch, I decided that it was too late to think about cooking dinner. After conferring with the Farmer's Son we decided on hamburgers from a fast food place called Culver's. It was just next door to Farm & Fleet where I'd bought the tire.
The Son says to me, "Mom, instead of fries, get me the cheese curds."
Cheese curds??? They have cheese curds? Well, I should have known, because after all Culver's is a chain from Wisconsin!!!
Since I've never eaten the county fair version of cheese curds, I don't know whether these would stand up to a comparison, but they were good.
A look inside shows that they fry up both cheddar curds and what looks like mozzarella curds.
They're very good dipped in ranch dressing. But then again my family dips everything, including pizza, in ranch dressing!! I;ve got a recipe to make them at home which we will try in the near future. I've got to get over to Woodman's food store (another Wisconsin based company) and buy some fresh curds. Woodman's cheese case is about 40 feet long!!!! I am NOT kidding. They are very serious about cheese.
I'd love to hear how you handle those long waits. Do you take along a book or something to keep your hands busy? Maybe you're one of those who reads the gossip mags and catches up on all the celebrities.
19 comments:
I try to not have those long waits. Prince Charming does most of it for me because he has more time. However, there are some things I cannot avoid, and I usually take something to cut out. Since I am a rubber stamper, I often have stamps that need to be mounted or am working on a project that has intricate pieces to cut. I also am lousy at reading books in such places.
And it's always good to end such an experience with fast food so you don't have to cook dinner after losing your whole afternoon!
Wow. My nephew dips his pizza in ranch dressing. I thought he was just a crazy kid, but apparently he is not alone in the love of ranch dressing. While I wait I usually have knitting or reading material.
You lost me at cheese curds.
I had lots of things to say about your wait and the yarn and the stuff in your purse and then not only did you say cheese curds, but you showed a picture.
I L O V E C H E E S E C U R D S.
Like you, ranch is the new ketchup at our house.
It goes on everything.
Mannn, now I really want cheese curds.
Once a week for the last hundred years I have spent an hour in a waiting room while #2 has an appt. I tried the reading thing, I just cannot focus with people talking and the TV blaring some stupid kid movie that I have already fallen victim to. If I am feeling especially antisocial I bring my ipod. Sometimes I use the time to catch up on magazines that sit while I blog. But most of the time I do like you, crochet or embroider. I am currently working on some darling vintage style dishtowels for #1.
We dip pizza in ranch too. yum.
I usually take a ball of cotton yarn and a crotchet hook. I make washcloths to go with my soaps.
CHEESE CURDS!!! We lived in Ellsworth, WI for several years - the cheese curd capitol of WI. We picked them up fresh from the creamery. When we visit, the first stop is to pick up some curds.
Ranch dressing is the only way to go...LOL.
I now officially have cheese curd envy!! ;)
oh my....I cannot stay and wait. As most of my 'waits' are planned in advance (car service, teenager dr. apts. etc.) I always ensure I can walk or do something energetic to get my angst out. Usually to a store far far away so that by the time I reach there I can return. Being too tired to complain is great. For those unexpected waits...I always have my music or a book...to be sure!
I try to make sure that I don't have to wait long.
If I do, I generally just sit and chat with someone in the store, or with the Chips.
Never heard of dipping pizza in ranch dressing.
LOVE cheese curds. The A&W by my house has them and I get them with a root beer float. I take a book wherever I go. It helps the time go so much faster.
I hate long waits, but if I have one, I: (A) rummage through my bag for stuff to occupy my time, (B) talk to random people that do not scare me, or (C) think up post ideas...I am lame.
I don't like Vanna's yarn either for projects because of the same reason...weird, huh?
Love CURD's...can't get them fresh here but I can get fried cheese curds at A & W for a quick fix and I either have some shipped in from Canada or I make my own, which is a pain in the butt.
Sorry, you lost a whole afternoon though.
Love ya.
Farm & Fleet, Culvers & Woodmanss - those are Midwest staples. CUlvers cheese curds are the best other than when they are fresh out of the fryer at Cheese Days in Monroe, WI which is coming up next week. YUM!
I have never had cheese curds....
..in the waiting room at the Dentist yesterday I caught up on all the Woman's day, Family Circle magazines...
I hear you on long waits. I can read anywhere, but even better is my iPod with an audio book or the various podcasts I download.
And CHEESE CURDS? I love cheese, so I'm sure I'd love this. But I've never come across any. Last but not least, home made ranch dressing is a recent discovery, and YUM. It's good on anything.
Because I like you, live 10 miles from town I spend a lot of time in my car waiting on children. I am currently reading The Host. It is a huge book. I am not against the celeb mags either. I tried to teach myself to crotchet. I suck.
I like dipping my pizza in Ranch. Not the whole pizza though, just the crusty outside edge.
I usually take along my knitting or sewing as that way I can keep my hands busy and people watch at the same time..
We *heart* Culver's in our house. They're one of my favorite places to get a good burger (dang...now I'm craving Culver's!) But I don't think they have cheese curds on the menu 'round here. We must be too far removed from Wisconsin down here.
Farm and Fleet....haven't been in one of those since we left northern Indiana. We don't have them around here either, but thankfully we do have Rural King.
To answer your question...I usually have at least 1 child with me while waiting, so my wait time activity is usually trying to keep child(ren) occupied and quiet. If I'm ever faced with a child-free wait time, I either read a book or take along a small cross stitching project. I usually have a designated "travel" project - something small enough that will fit in a small carry-along bag/pouch and is easy enough to pull out and stitch on without requiring all kinds of fancy set-up.
I just linked over from Tipnut. I too am a knitter/crocheter and take projects anywhere I go.
I grew up in N. Illinois and I think I've been to the Farm N Fleet you speak of, especially when you mentioned it was in walking distance of a Culvers!!! I love Culvers and fried cheese curds dipped in Ranch dressing and their Butter Burger and Custard are unbelieveable. Now I'm in Florida without such delacacies!
It's a small world.
Hi Suzanne :)
Pretty rosette! I usually bring a magazine and read it, but most of the time I'm not in a situation where I have to wait. Alex goes to his own apointments now and Annie usually goes with Rich because they are always sick at the same time. The car stuff is dealt with by Rich. So, basically I'm pretty good at aviding it ;)
I can't bring myself to eat anything named curd. It's needs a new name :)
Oh and I gushed about you like a crazed maniac on my blog the other day LOL
hugs,
rue
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