As I mentioned in a previous post, we went out to dinner and a movie tonight for our Halloween celebration instead of doing the trick-or-treating and handing out candy thing. This is the first time since becoming an adult that I’ve ever been out for dinner and a movie on Halloween. Following are some observations from the evening:

-We went out to eat early so we could catch a show around seven. We arrived at Outback around 5:35 or so….the same standard as always holds true for the demographic of people you will see at a decent restaurant this early; retirement age couples, childless middle aged couples (if they have kids they are probably away at school), people with very young children, and perhaps a few of the happy hour hangers on. No wait for a seat, that’s for sure.

-When you go out to eat on Halloween, sometimes the people who wait on you will be in costume. This was the case tonight…our waiter (who looked somewhat like Colin Farrell) was dressed in a girl’s black tight t-shirt, a blonde wig, and gir’s cargo shorts. And hiking boots. He semed to be making an extra effort to swagger whilst he walked to ensure everyone was aware of his real gener. Funny….but he looked even more like Colin Farrell to me – probably because I just saw Alexander on Saturday.

-If you have time to stop home before going to the movie, go into stealth mode – after all, you’ve been away all night not giving out candy and you don’t want anyone to see you pull in and run up, hoping to get candy now that you’re back. Luckily, our garage door light was out so we were able to slip in relatively unnoticed. Note: we stopped home because Tommy does NOT do horror flicks – ever. So I pulled scary movie duty on my own.

-Be very, very careful when driving around the neighborhood just after dark….kids rarely pay attention to moving vehicles, and they pay even less attention to them in their effort to get the most candy possible on this special night.

-The only people that go to movies on Halloween are teenagers…trust me.

-Said teenagers used to be quite obnoxious at movies – now they are armed with cell phones and they are even MORE obnoxious…calling friends while the movie is playing.

-The Fog is an OK horror flick…not great, but OK. I usually get really scared in these types of movies, but I’m actually OK after watching that one…probably because I was so distracted by the girl kicking my chair and the kid on the cell phone behind us I coun’t give my total attention to the scary stuff playing out on the screen.

-It’s scary walking out into a dark parking lot after watching a scary movie. It just is.

-Finally…going to dinner and a movie with your kid is time well spent. Technology can interfere with the parent-child relationship, and getting everyone (including yourself) away from the phone, T.V., video game consoles, and computers is a good, healthy thing to do once in a while.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. We sure did. I think we’ll make it a tradition…dinner and a movie on October 31st. Sounds good to me.

So anyway…I really, really hate to admit this but I was at the final stage of boredom the other night so I went ahead and rented Alexander via our cable OnDemand function.

I know, I know…why in the hell would anyone want to do that given all the really, really bad reviews and comments I’ve heard from sundry commoners about how horrible this movie is.

However….Tommy was in Chile, I had spent the entire day cleaning, and Scytheboy was busy playing video games, so I figured….why not? If it’s bad, I don’t have to watch it.

I got the movie cued up, popped me some popcorn, got me a soda, and sat down to watch (sort of).

It would not be an understatement to say that Alexander ranks in the top five of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Expected from most of you, I know…but I’ve found that sometimes movies that the critics pan turn out to be really good so I thought it would be worth a shot given that I like historical stuff. Um….W-R-O-N-G!

The only positive thing I can say about the experience is that I discovered that if you rent a movie on demand you can use the fast forward button on your cable remote and race through the worst bits. This is a function much needed whilst watching Alexander.

Don’t do what I did….this movie is definitely not worth taking the chance on…even with Colin Farrell. You can hardly tell it’s him portraying that fem…I mean, SERIOUSLY…NOT…A….GOOD….MOVIE.

I’ve posted before on all the road construction that’s going on around where we live. One of the necessary evils of said construction is that the workers need to block off and/or move lanes from time to time so they can do the work required to widen the roads. This action by the road crews unfortunately brings out really, really bad behavior by certain people who feel themselves more important than all others on the road.

You know the ones I’m talking about….the people who weave out of traffic, race to the front of the line, and then cut in so they can make it home or to their current destination faster. Because, in their mind, what they have to do is WAY more important than what anyone else has to do, and they as a person are WAY more important than anyone else, and so therefore they should be let into line so they can quickly move toward work or home, or wherever…before anyone else.

As a side note, it goes without saying that the cutter-inners are always in expensive cars and talking on a cell phone.

I have never, ever done this (intentionally, that is). I think it’s rude, inconsiderate, and sometimes downright dangerous. The road crews around here are pretty good about giving fair warning to drivers about upcoming lane manipulations, and considering the fact that most of these “cutter-inners” are in SUVs and have a very, very good view of what’s coming up there really is no excuse for them not to make an early attempt to move over so as not to impede the flow of traffic.
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I like these:

With a grilled ham ‘n swiss.

So….what’s your favorite salty snack? Do tell…..

Every morning, Chocolate Chip attends his viewing post, ensuring the squirrels and other creatures out back are kept in line.

For some reason, scanning the limited viewing area from side to side is key.

Also key, apparently, is the purple feather thing….he brings that with him to the table most mornings, keeping it close by his side. The morning these pictures were taken, he gently laid the feather on the props Scytheboy will be using for his Halloween party costume.

Don’t forget to go visit the Friday Ark.

This one’s for you, Jack. And it’s all in one pan so it’s all ready at the same time! It should take you only about 30 minutes to do this, including all the cutting.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 sm. can sliced water chestnuts
1 sm. white onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions (scallions), sliced
1 package cooked brown rice (the kind you boil in the bag – I use Success)
1/2 cup frozen baby green peas
Garlic Powder
Fresh ground black pepper
Sea Salt
Teriyaki sauce
Soy sauce
1-2 Tablespoons canola oil

Heat your skillet to med-high, coating the bottom of the pan with your canola oil (I use closer to two tablespoons, but it’s a matter of taste). Sautee all the onions in the oil with sea salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and season to taste with more salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I usually do one layer of sprinkle with the garlic powder, you can do more if you like). After you add the chicken, start your water to boil for the rice.

When chicken is lightly browned on all sides, drain and add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce to taste (I usually add twice as much teriyaki as soy sauce and it seems to work out). Simmer, uncovered, while the rice boils. A couple minutes before the rice is done, add the frozen peas and stir; continue simmering for 2-4 minutes. Add the rice, stir, and simmer a couple minutes more and you’re done.

Good eatin’ and easy, trust me. The best part is you get to decide how you want it…spicy or mild, saucy or not. You can add any other veggies you choose….I figured I should put something green in there and at least try to give Scytheboy part of his daily quota at dinner.

Sorry, no pictures. It was gone before I thought to post the recipe.

I was scanning headlines this morning, mostly reading about the Miers withdrawal, when I saw this. Unbelievable. A company fired a receptionist for needing an extra day to deal with the fact her husband was going off to war on a dangerous mission. Let’s be honest….guarding truck convoys is not a walk in the park.

After many years with Tommy in the military, including seeing him off to Iraq where he was later bombed at Khobar Towers, I feel I can speak on this subject with some degree of expertise. People….it is NOT easy to watch your husband walk away, knowing what he’s walking into, and not be more than a little upset by the prospect of perhaps never seeing him again. Words cannot describe the agitated state of worry, concern, and wondering “what-ifs” that ensue for days, weeks, even months (basically until the spouse is safely back on American soil) after a goodbye such as this. Nobody…and I mean NOBODY has a right to judge this woman or anyone else if they need an extra day to regroup. Firing her the day after she got back was just bad form.

On the other hand….she could have at least called in to let them know she wouldn’t be there so they could cover her shift. And I must say that the company is in a difficult position as they cannot legally say anything about past performance or past unexcused absences regarding this woman.

But….they could have picked a better time to fire her other than the day after she got back from sending her husband off to war. Don’t ya think?

I just got finished with a small contract project, and I started thinking about what it used to be like to actually have a regular job where you have to go into work each day and are beholden to your boss’ whims.

Anyway, I’ve had both really good and really horrible bosses. The effects of both seemed very heightened, given that I worked in the hi-tech industry for companies that were either struggling to start up or launching multiple new products and promotions at the same time.

That said, below are some comparisons (based on personal experience) between a good boss and a bad boss:

During a major project that requires approvals and feedback to meet deadlines:

-A good boss will return calls and emails promptly, always with a little tag line about what a great job you’re doing and how much they appreciate your hard work.

-A bad boss will not show for appointments or be so late that he misses meetings, turn his cell phone off for hours, and never return emails. This same boss will then come in at the last minute after all the work has been done and change everything so as to ensure you miss your deadline and none of your ideas come to fruition.

During the holidays:

-A good boss will ensure you are able to have some time with your family, slowing down the work flow to ensure balance is achieved and you come back after the new year refreshed and ready to take on new projects.

-A bad boss will go on holiday himself, remaining completely unavailable, while you finish work on the year end report, next quarter’s plan, and guiding the agency in preparation for the financial earnings news release.

After a major news release or new product launch is successfully executed:

-A good boss will find a concrete way to ensure you are recognized for your hard work. This could include cash bonuses, complimentary dinners out, or an award recognizing your success.

-A bad boss will take all the credit for the success of the endeavor, never even mentioning that you worked on the project. He will go out with the Sales team to be slapped on the back while you remain working 70 hours a week with no reward and no time with your family.

When the annual Sales incentive trip comes around:

-A good boss will throw your name in the hat as a possible includee in the trip, at least giving you a chance to compete for the few slots that are left for the trip that could be awarded to select marketing team members for their contribution to achieving sales goals.

-A bad boss will do everything he can to ensure that he and his family get to go on the trip, especially if there is only one slot left allotted to marketing.

When it comes to raises and bonuses:

-A good boss will try and ensure all those members of the team that exceed their goals are given the best possible raise and bonus.

-A bad boss will take the largest piece of the raise and bonus pie he can for himself, splitting the pittance that is left equally among the team because he does not like conflict and thus does not ever bring attention to his shining stars on the team.

In general:

-A good boss supports his team, remains available to them for guidance and approvals to ensure their projects remain on time or better, recognizes his employees for their contributions both inside and outside the company, and mentors his staff, helping them to exceed their professional goals within the company while recognizing the need for balance in professional and personal lives.

-A bad boss will remain unavailable, refuse to return emails, will be late for meetings (making sure you realize his time is more important than yours), take credit for any success you have, take time off when he knows you are back at the office finishing the project he will eventually take credit for, give you a mere pittance of what you are worth in the way of raises and bonuses, will rarely if ever thank you for your hard work, and will eventually weed out anyone with any talent or work ethic at all from his team to ensure he doesn’t look like a slacker in front of the execs.

Yeah, I’ve had a couple of really great bosses, but I’ve also had one or two really bad bosses. I know the bad ones will get theirs in the end…shame I won’t be around to see it .

A while ago, I was whining about how much I HATE for people to leave flyers, business cards, brochures, etc. by, on, in, and taped to my front door.

Today, when I got home someone had actually used masking tape – over my front door key hole – to attach a flyer to my door. It was for a martial arts place.

Yeah…I’ll sign up for karate lessons….so I CAN KICK THE ASS OF THE NEXT PERSON WHO PUTS MASKING TAPE OVER MY FRONT DOOR KEYHOLE TO ATTACH A FRIGGIN’ FLYER!!!!!!

I was ranting to Tommy on this earlier, and after a few minutes he broke in and said “So….are you pissed?” YES, I’m pissed!

That is all.

You know the ones? The neighbors who turn all their outdoor lights off on Halloween, darken the house, and either hide in a back room or completely leave the premises during the trick-or-treating. ..yup, those people.

You see….we only have one child and starting last year he became unenenthralled with the whole prospect of trick-or-treating, especially given the fact he can have candy pretty much whenever he wants….within reason. Oh, to be blessed with those “thin” genes.

Anyway…last year he agreed to dress up and hide in the darkened garage to “scare the little kids” and was highly successful at this endeavor…for about an hour. Then he went back into the house and played video games while we sat on the front porch, had drinks, and handed out candy to all the little ones. We went in once the teenagers with alcohol on their breath and no costumes started to come ’round.

So this year we’ve been talking about it…and….we’ve decided to join “those people”. Those unsociable, withdrawn people that are completely disengaged from their neighbors on Halloween. We will go out to dinner, and then maybe a movie or a bookstore for coffee and to browse.

But we will definitely not be here….listening to the annoying doorbell, handing out candy to the “precious little darlings” of our neighbors who are WAY out of our son’s age bracket, and dealing with those pesky teenagers whose main goal is to remain drunk as long as possible and smash as many pumpkins as they can get their hands on. We haven’t even decorated like we usually do.

I know, we’re bad. But we will be thinner from not eating all the leftover candy and we will spend some quality time together which we get precious little of anyway…out….with all “those people”.