Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Tuesday's Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Yes, I know. Everyone was here bright and early yesterday morning with a legal pad and number 2 pencil, eagerly awaiting the Monday Morning Staff Meeting. The truth is, I overslept, I didn't bake, I was totally unprepared and my DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK!!

You are the best readers in the world for returning today, all chipper and prepared with those pads and pencils. I don't know that there's any reason to take notes this morning but we'll see what happens.

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Before we get to the food, I want to thank everyone who participated in the latest Postcard Project. It was fun to send out cards to all who signed up. If you didn't get your card, notify me at once and I'll rectify that.

A huge thanks to everyone who sent me a card in return. That wasn't part of the project but I truly appreciated the armchair travel it provided me.

I'm feeling pretty stuck this summer. I've talked about this before, but it bears repeating that sometimes in life you feel literally and figuratively stuck. The Farmer and I aren't quite old enough for retirement but old enough to feel that parade (as far as jobs and careers go) have passed us by. We're both currently unemloyed and though we're not exactly suffering, we're having to watch our buffalo nickels. Remember those?

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Your wonderful postcards have allowed us to take a journey in our imaginations, to places we might never see in real life. My gracious readers have taken us to California (several locations), rural Canada, Cape Cod, Germany and Russia, just to name a few. And no, I don't have any Russian readers to my knowledge. One of my readers has traveled to Siberia and sent me one of the postcards from that trip. WOO HOO. In the spirit of BREW FOR BREAKFAST, I'm going to offer everyone some Russian vodka. If you're not into taking an ice cold shot for breakfast, I'll offer it disguised as a Bloody Mary.

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And now, on to the most important part of the meeting.

THE FOOD

You will notice in that pile of postcards there's one from my friend Vee, in Maine.

Recently, her and her beloved treated themselves to a Maine Shore Dinner.

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We've never been to Maine and rarely to the eastern shore. The Farmer and I, according to Mapquest, are 1,269.78 miles from the nearest Maine Shore Dinner.

But, this is the internet, and we melt the miles away and create our own reality. And so, this morning I'm going to invent something totally new and awesome.....

The Maine Shore Breakfast

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The only problem with this plan is that I am so removed from anything "seafood" that I'm not quite sure about what I'm serving. The Bloody Mary's for sure. But some of these other items need to be identified. Be sure to jump in if you know.

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First of all, this is A LOT of food. I've seen immense steak dinners but this is huge and it's work. I've only eaten one whole lobster in my lifetime and that lobster made me work for my dinner! In addition, we are so far removed from the source of these goodies that we'd need to mortgage the house to be able to afford something like this. If lobster is even on the menu (rarely), it's listed as "Market Price" and you know what that means. $$$$$$

So, here's the rundown. Help me out.

1. The Lobster (that was easy)
2. Clams (????? see how dumb I am related to seafood)
3. Roll (Do you put some of the lobster meat into the small roll, or just eat the roll separately?)
4. Coffee?? (I'll take iced tea. I'm sure they don't serve sweet tea in Maine)
5. Drawn butter (nectar of the Gods)
6. Chips
7. Lettuce with someone on top.
8. Unidentified liquid (water? At this point I'm going to mention that I hate drinking out of plastic cups. You too?)
9. Unidentified liquid in a very small cup. More drawn butter?
10. Moist towlette. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Quite small for dealing with a whole sloppy lobster. Hey, where's the bib and the full-size washcloth and towel. That's what I need!
11. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PIE!!! Maine Blueberry Pie, I'm guessing. Who could possible have room for the pie after eating all that food?

ME!

Are you full yet? I hope you've enjoyed this very unusual breakfast.

In reality, it's been many a moon since I've had lobster and a lobster roll? It sounds wonderful but I've never had one and don't know how it's made. Feel free to enlighten me!

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OK, I'm totally stuffed. Now we need to walk it off. Let's go with this guy. About halfway through you're going to see him walk under the Cloud Gate in Chicago. It's the silver "bean", now the most photographed and recognized sculptures in the world!



And here's how they made the video.




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Suggested reading - "The Road to Quoz" by William Least Heat-Moon. A great book for all you armchair travelers.

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That's all for this morning because I'm still stuffed, even after walking across the United States. I can't even think straight with all that food my stomach. How about you?

9 comments:

Donna@soakinginmustard.com said...

Oh, I am so stuffed and happy after that feast! Thanks for the fun meeting...

Even living closer to Cape Cod and Maine, cost of lobster can be too much for a family, but availability is not an issue, we even have them in tanks at the Grocery stores, which I find a bit sad (don't know why?!)

I do agree about the (single) wet nap and lack of bib being optimistic, but my husband ALWAYS passes on the bib and eats his lobster without getting his (usually new) souvenir T-shirt messy. Whenever he finishes his meal, we all inspect the shirt searching and never finding a single grease spot ANYWHERE! The man is a marvel and HE should teach you how to eat a lobster. One of the ways Captain Marvel eats his lobster is to remove all (every last bit)of meat from inside and soaks it in the butter and then he eats that succulent treat up! And CM does this all very quickly, so his butter and lobster are still nice and warm.

Wild Maine blueberries are tiny and so, so delicious in pie! Michigan has excellent blueberries but wild Maine blues are my favorite!

I really enjoyed our meeting this week and want to thank you for helping me come up with a pseudonym for my husband, as I am working my way in (baby steps) toward writing a blog of my own. You have "the Farmer" Ree has "Marlboro Man" etc...

My husband is a research Physicist, talented woodworker and just all around smart guy, so knowing nothing about the comic character and not needing too either, he is my Captain Marvel.

Peace,
Donna

Donna@soakinginmustard.com said...

Popping back with "I love the Walk Across America Video!" And will be sharing with everyone.
thanks,
donna

ps too much coffee with lobsta'!

chocolatechic said...

If you'd like something totally different to eat, I have some blondies on my blog.

It is okay that you slept in, you deserve it.

Maureen said...

Yum!

You're right on No. 2. Clams! Steamers to be precise. The unidentified liquid - No. 8 - is likely water for dipping and rinsing the sand out of the clams.

Thanks for sharing!

Vee said...

Sleeping in after building an ark is a given. Okay, can't watch the videos right now...an error on the page...right. I know that this is my computer acting up.

Oh my heavens! I didn't pay much attention to that shore dinner. It looks so unappetizing.

Actually, John had the lobster roll and I had haddock. A lobster roll for lobster purists contains a lot of lobster (an entire one usually) and a small bit of dressing. For folks like me, a lobster roll contains yummy mayo with a lobster dragged through it. Either way, I don't like paying for them. John's at the seaside restaurant was 16.95. At a local mom and pop store, they are around $10, sometimes even less. John wouldn't eat lobster at a restaurant for anything...way too messy. The locals buy their lobster at the lobster pound and cook it up at home...cheaper and only your family laughs at you for making a mess.

Ang. said...

Mmmmm....seafood! Yummy! I'm in Sycamore this week. I would have gladly come over to help you cook breakfast this morning. :) Spent a few hours in Rockford and took the scenic route back to Sycamore. Saw lots of places that the Kish was way out of its banks. Back home the Mississippi is rising and some people are preparing for serious flooding. I'm just blocking it all out so I can enjoy my time back home!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I wish I had gotten in on the postcards! What a fun idea! I just had my hubby sit down and read about your 'beer for breakfast' and he got a kick out of it! I'm adding your blog to my list of favorites! I love it! ♥

Velva said...

What a cool blog that you have here. The post card looked like a lot of fun, wow.

Thanks for letting me sit in our Tuesday staff meeting :-).

life in red shoes said...

First of all I was on time and my #2 was SHARPENED!

Next- if I am paying for a top notch seafood dinner that water better come in a CRYSTAL GOBLET!

#3- I can't walk that far, I have Arthur Ritis in my feet:/