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Monday, March 30, 2009

A Monday Report

We ended up getting snow for only about three hours on Saturday. Mostly we had ice – lots and lots of ice. By Sunday afternoon, it was looking like spring on the sunny side of the house. We will need a few days of intense sunshine before the shady side of the house is navigable again.

Got a call from the Sis and my father – from Hawaii… They are vacationing. B-I-L is working there for a few months, and they took advantage of the opportunity to explore while having cheap lodgings available to them. Of course, all they really wanted to do was rub their 80-degree weather into my snow-storm-that-wasn't.

We had plans to work on the second bedroom upstairs this weekend, but somehow managed to talk ourselves into putting it off. I cooked instead. I made a 5-star pot of chili (I think the secret was pinto beans) on Saturday, followed by a Chicken Marsala on Sunday that was also worthy of awards (I’m a hit-and-miss chef, so give me a moment to pat myself on the back). I also made up a bunch of Bierocks. They were plenty edible, but not quite what I was shooting for. Our friend Katie made us some wonderful bierocks for St. James Day and she shared with me her secret key ingredient. Apparently I didn't get it quite right.

I had planned for jury duty today, but called last night to find that they had settled all cases and would not be needing me at the courthouse this morning. I have wanted to serve on a jury ever since taking a psychology and the law class in college. I’m beginning to think it will never happen. I spent an entire day sitting through voir dire once in Houston, before the judge quashed the entire pool. I was called in Dodge City twice – the first time was the same as my due-date with kiddo #2 (they gave me a pass, though I was completely willing). The second time it turned out I was related (in a round about way) to the victim, so they sent me home again. Instead of the experience, I guess I will have to settle for these few colorful additions to my vocabulary.

Now I am simply practicing the great art of procrastination. Solid sleep eluded me last night and it has knocked me out of my usual “stellar” Monday routine.

Oh well, kiddos are up and that sounds like a good excuse to take my mind elsewhere.

4 comments:

Ronnie said...

Oh, be careful what you wish for! I've served on two juries and both left me with painful memories. The responsibility I felt toward the parties was huge, so I'm left with significant uncertainty - did we do the right thing? - and the deliberations on one got downright nasty. I still report when I am called, but I wish for outcomes just like you've described.

Callie Lyons said...

Dearest Tracy,

Please share your recipe for bierocks - out here in the Mid Ohio Valley no one has ever heard of them!

Thanks,
Homesick Callie

cheryl said...

What's the secret ingredient for bierocks?

I made a batch last night - but I didn't know about a secret ingredient!

Tracy Million Simmons said...

Ronnie -- I can see where the reality of jury duty might overcome my fascination with the process, none-the-less, it is an experience I would like to have one day.

Callie & Cheryl: Bierocks for me have always been just chopped up cabbage and ground beef in a yeast bread roll. I've been making my own dough, but Rhodes dough from the freezer section works as well as anything.

Katie adds sugar and vinegar (1:1) to her cabbage. Her bierocks were wonderful! No need to add anything to them, no dipping in ketchup or anything. I think I had too much cabbage for the amount of sugar/vinegar I used. I'll let you know if I come up with the right balance.