A week and a half, and nothing from me. What kind of blogger am I, leaving you all hanging on what's been going on in my life? Well, what's been going on hasn't been very pretty; in fact, a lot of it was downright disgusting. And we'll get to the nasty details after the break, so if you're not of a strong constitution or just hate hearing about general unpleasantness, do not read further. There will be more come Tuesday.
Before the jump, I offer my condolences to Sonya's family on the loss of her husband's father this week. May he find eternal rest and freedom from his pains.
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Another attempt to duplicate a recipe
About eight years ago, when my marriage fell apart, I packed up and moved to The Frozen Tundra, mainly because this was the only area where I had friends that were willing to take me in while I got back on my feet. One place that was on the list of preferred dining spots was a local pizza chain called Davanni's. This was the one place that served a pizza that was close to what I had in Connecticut, and whenever we went there for dinner this was what we would get.
Besides being a deep-dish style, loaded with toppings and cheese, it also featured what they called "pink sauce." Essentially, this was a mix of their red sauce and their "white" sauce (which was a garlic-and-herbed olive oil), and the mingling of these flavors was truly spectacular.
Ms. Darkstar expressed a craving for this particular style of pizza, along with the fact that there seem to be no pizzerias in the area that serve anything close. So, it fell upon me to try to duplicate it. I knew I wouldn't even come close to an exact match, but just getting in the ballpark on this one would be worth the effort.
I started with the white sauce. I took some fresh garlic and Italian seasoning, and heated this in a pot with some local extra-virgin olive oil that I picked up at the farmers' market in Frisco last year. It's a local olive grower that produces some fantastic oils. Once this was cooled, I poured it into a jar with some re-hydrated Penzey's minced garlic and let it sit.
Our red sauce came courtesy of another Frozen Tundra place we went to: The Green Mill. Target sells their pizza sauce by the jar in their stores, so we picked up some of that, and I was able to doctor it up a bit with some Tuscan Sunset to get the flavor just right.
The toppings were simple enough. I cooked up some Italian sausage and hamburger, cut some red onion, got sliced mushrooms, and for an added kick, cooked up some bacon left over from breakfast. Pepperoni and a nice four-cheese blend were the crowning touches.
All that was left was to make the pizza dough. We tried the one that Robyn and Nance made. The dough was simple enough to make, and I was able to split it into two and freeze the other half for another time.
We placed the dough into an oiled deep-dish pizza pan, put on the sauces, a base layer of cheese, the meats and veggies, and topped it off with the rest of the cheese. Now, what temperature to use to bake the pizza...
I dropped the rack to one space below center, and baked it at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes (to start). The crust seemed cooked after that time, and the mushrooms had cooked up perfectly. I sliced and served, and damn if it wasn't pretty close to good ol' Davanni's.
All in all, the recipe was a success. Some minor tweaks for next time:
Besides being a deep-dish style, loaded with toppings and cheese, it also featured what they called "pink sauce." Essentially, this was a mix of their red sauce and their "white" sauce (which was a garlic-and-herbed olive oil), and the mingling of these flavors was truly spectacular.
Ms. Darkstar expressed a craving for this particular style of pizza, along with the fact that there seem to be no pizzerias in the area that serve anything close. So, it fell upon me to try to duplicate it. I knew I wouldn't even come close to an exact match, but just getting in the ballpark on this one would be worth the effort.
I started with the white sauce. I took some fresh garlic and Italian seasoning, and heated this in a pot with some local extra-virgin olive oil that I picked up at the farmers' market in Frisco last year. It's a local olive grower that produces some fantastic oils. Once this was cooled, I poured it into a jar with some re-hydrated Penzey's minced garlic and let it sit.
Our red sauce came courtesy of another Frozen Tundra place we went to: The Green Mill. Target sells their pizza sauce by the jar in their stores, so we picked up some of that, and I was able to doctor it up a bit with some Tuscan Sunset to get the flavor just right.
The toppings were simple enough. I cooked up some Italian sausage and hamburger, cut some red onion, got sliced mushrooms, and for an added kick, cooked up some bacon left over from breakfast. Pepperoni and a nice four-cheese blend were the crowning touches.
All that was left was to make the pizza dough. We tried the one that Robyn and Nance made. The dough was simple enough to make, and I was able to split it into two and freeze the other half for another time.
We placed the dough into an oiled deep-dish pizza pan, put on the sauces, a base layer of cheese, the meats and veggies, and topped it off with the rest of the cheese. Now, what temperature to use to bake the pizza...
I dropped the rack to one space below center, and baked it at 400 degrees for about fifteen minutes (to start). The crust seemed cooked after that time, and the mushrooms had cooked up perfectly. I sliced and served, and damn if it wasn't pretty close to good ol' Davanni's.
All in all, the recipe was a success. Some minor tweaks for next time:
- I may season the dough next time. Mixing in some dried garlic and Tuscan Sunset with the wet ingredients right before adding the flour might enhance the flavor a bit.
- Prebake the crust a bit. I did find one small raw spot on the bottom, so next time I may top the pizza with everything but the final layer of cheese, bake it for five minutes, take it out, add the cheese, and bake it for fifteen more minutes.
- Oil the pan better. There were a couple of places where the dough stuck to the sides of the pan. Ms. Darkstar also noted that Davanni's crust had a buttery flavor, so I'm thinking maybe some butter-flavor Crisco would solve both of those issues.
Other than that, I think dinner was a huge success, and I will definitely have to make it again. Soon.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
This whole "free time" thing ...
The rest of the week went pretty well. I am gradually getting the hang of things, and I proved to them that I am, indeed, certifiable when I successfully completed my forklift training. There's already a few trailer loads booked for next week (one delivery and a week of pickups) along with whatever else comes up.
Wednesday was a pretty busy day and I was glad we picked a quick and easy dinner for that night. On our shopping trip to the Target, we found a bag of Tyson's cheddar and bacon flavored chicken strips on clearance, and we made a plan for dinner based on that. We had already planned on salad, which would be topped with the cooked chicken, and a mix of buffalo ranch dressing, and a cucumber ranch dressing to cut the heat of the buffalo ranch. Top with some shredded cheese and there's our dinner -- The dressings blended well with each other and gave a nice buffalo-wing flavor to the chicken
The chicken on it's own isn't bad either, as I found out on Thursday. Since Ms. Darkstar was doing her volunteer work that night, I had a dinner of clam chowder and the leftover chicken strips, with some cucumber ranch for dipping.
And, now it's the weekend. Friday night was a trip to our favorite Indian restaurant, and then a trip to Central Market. We wandered and looked at all of the wonderful things they had, and I wept silently as I realized I would have needed that half a billion Mega Millions jackpot to get everything I may have wanted at that store. We went to the bakery and got a couple of cupcakes for our dessert (tiramisu cupcake for me, Nutella cupcake for Ms. Darkstar), and a jar of organic blood orange spread for breakfast this morning.
Saturday was our usual shopping and whatever day, dinner being a trip to get some barbecue that we hadn't had since before I left on my cross-country tour. Tonight, a simple crock-pot pot roast dinner and pie for dessert.
I still have this feeling that I shouldn't be just sitting around, that I have work to do and I shouldn't be such a slacking slacker. I'm sure that feeling will pass. Right after I get the crock pot going. Relaxation is a wonderful thing, and I intend to make the most of it.
I have six months of catching up to do, you know.
The chicken on it's own isn't bad either, as I found out on Thursday. Since Ms. Darkstar was doing her volunteer work that night, I had a dinner of clam chowder and the leftover chicken strips, with some cucumber ranch for dipping.
And, now it's the weekend. Friday night was a trip to our favorite Indian restaurant, and then a trip to Central Market. We wandered and looked at all of the wonderful things they had, and I wept silently as I realized I would have needed that half a billion Mega Millions jackpot to get everything I may have wanted at that store. We went to the bakery and got a couple of cupcakes for our dessert (tiramisu cupcake for me, Nutella cupcake for Ms. Darkstar), and a jar of organic blood orange spread for breakfast this morning.
Saturday was our usual shopping and whatever day, dinner being a trip to get some barbecue that we hadn't had since before I left on my cross-country tour. Tonight, a simple crock-pot pot roast dinner and pie for dessert.
I still have this feeling that I shouldn't be just sitting around, that I have work to do and I shouldn't be such a slacking slacker. I'm sure that feeling will pass. Right after I get the crock pot going. Relaxation is a wonderful thing, and I intend to make the most of it.
I have six months of catching up to do, you know.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Because the internet can never have too many cooking blogs...
So yeah, it's official, I start the new job Monday morning and I've already processed out of the old job. It's nice not to be under the gun and having to pack up all my stuff yet again for another odyssey into the great unknown. Anyway, that's all of the job stuff for now. Let's get down to the real reason for this entry.
I may have said it once before, but I do love to cook. I'm also fortunate to live with someone that loves to eat what I cook. In that regard, things work out rather well. Until now, however, I've never gone into great detail about just how I make the dinners that have Ms. Darkstar raving on her blog about how tasty it is.
Naturally, once it was known I would be home (although we didn't know at the time it would be permanent), I received a list of things that I would be required to cook. Tonight's meal would consist of French onion soup, and key lime pie for dessert.
A couple of the things I truly love, food-wise, are French onion soup and clam chowder. I've had many different preparations of each, in different places, and I've tried several recipe variations at home. Another thing about me is I love to tweak a recipe, adding here and subtracting or omitting there and seeing how things turn out. This recipe started out from Top Secret Recipes, specifically Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Volume 2, with a few modifications by yours truly.
A quick note, and full disclosure: I absolutely LOVE Penzey's Spices. I first discovered them when I was living in Saint Paul, MN about eight years ago, and was in hog heaven when I found out they had a store here in Dallas.
I'll try to keep the more exotic blends (ones that can't be replicated by a trip to the local grocery store) to a minimum, but for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and get their catalog, try a few things, and see if they don't have what I consider to be the best spices and dried herbs I've ever tried.
I mean, c'mon, spicey goodness in your mail box? What's not to love about that, for crying out loud?
Of course, one should pace oneself, so don't be like me and point to the catalog and announce you'd like one of everything, please, even if in your little heart of hearts you truly mean it.
So ... on to the soup.
Most of the traditional recipes for this soup call for chicken stock, while the recipe I "followed" calls for beef broth. I compromised by adding some beef bouillon granules to the chicken stock (use unsalted or low sodium, whether it's stock or broth. It makes it easier to control the flavoring). The recipe calls for three different cheeses, but I prefer to use the traditional Gruyere, because the nutty flavor of the cheese compliments the sweetness of the finished soup. The Parmesan cheese serves double duty, as you will see in a moment.
That may look like way too much onion (that's three white onions in that bowl), but they will cook down. Don't let the amount spook you. This recipe will cook down to about four servings (or two servings with seconds).
First thing you do is melt down the butter (one-half of a stick, or 1/4 cup) in your soup pot. Do this over medium-high heat, and wait for the butter to stop foaming. If you're the adventurous sort, like I am, let the butter brown a little bit before dumping in the onions. Stir well to coat them with the butter, than cook them until they start turning brown. Be VERY careful not to burn them. It's a good idea not to stray too far at this stage and stir often. When the onions have a little bit of brownish color to them and have reduced in volume in the pan, add the stock and a small sprinkling of the bouillon granules, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. (I had a picture of this but my stupid phone decided not to save it after I took it. Bah.)
The crouton toppers are fairly simple. I used a loaf of demi-French bread I got at Target (seems to be the best size without a lot left over), made four slices about 1 inch thick, and topped each with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. These went into a 350-degree oven until they were browned and crispy (recipe says 10 minutes, your time will vary, just keep an eye on them and pull them when they're browned).
Let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, adding three tablespoons of the Parmesan during the last ten minutes of cooking. And now, it's time to finish and serve.
I bought these crocks at my local restaurant supply store. They're not all that expensive and, because they're oven-safe, they can go under the broiler for the finjal step. Unless your serving dishes are safe in this way, DO NOT place them in the oven.
To finish the soup, ladle it into your crock or bowl, place a crouton on top, and top it with the Gruyere you've grated beforehand. Place it under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns slightly on the top.
If you don't have a broiler or don't have oven-safe serving dishes, an alternative is to use a cook's torch (I've seen these at Target and places like Bed, Bath and Beyond in addition to restaurant supply stores) to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it so you don't burn the cheese or start a fire. Always practice safe cooking.
I served our soup with a 2010 Hogue late-harvest Riesling (don't you just love my fancy plates?) and Ms. Darkstar was simply overjoyed that she didn't have to cook anymore -- oh, and the soup was great, too.
Dessert is a simple key lime pie, from a recipe off a bottle of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice and available on their website.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this page. Tune in tomorrow as I torment you further with my culinary adventures and prepare a simple country-fried steak and mashed potato dinner.
I need to let dinner digest a bit.
I may have said it once before, but I do love to cook. I'm also fortunate to live with someone that loves to eat what I cook. In that regard, things work out rather well. Until now, however, I've never gone into great detail about just how I make the dinners that have Ms. Darkstar raving on her blog about how tasty it is.
Naturally, once it was known I would be home (although we didn't know at the time it would be permanent), I received a list of things that I would be required to cook. Tonight's meal would consist of French onion soup, and key lime pie for dessert.
A couple of the things I truly love, food-wise, are French onion soup and clam chowder. I've had many different preparations of each, in different places, and I've tried several recipe variations at home. Another thing about me is I love to tweak a recipe, adding here and subtracting or omitting there and seeing how things turn out. This recipe started out from Top Secret Recipes, specifically Top Secret Restaurant Recipes Volume 2, with a few modifications by yours truly.
I'll try to keep the more exotic blends (ones that can't be replicated by a trip to the local grocery store) to a minimum, but for heaven's sake, do yourself a favor and get their catalog, try a few things, and see if they don't have what I consider to be the best spices and dried herbs I've ever tried.
I mean, c'mon, spicey goodness in your mail box? What's not to love about that, for crying out loud?
Of course, one should pace oneself, so don't be like me and point to the catalog and announce you'd like one of everything, please, even if in your little heart of hearts you truly mean it.
So ... on to the soup.
That may look like way too much onion (that's three white onions in that bowl), but they will cook down. Don't let the amount spook you. This recipe will cook down to about four servings (or two servings with seconds).
First thing you do is melt down the butter (one-half of a stick, or 1/4 cup) in your soup pot. Do this over medium-high heat, and wait for the butter to stop foaming. If you're the adventurous sort, like I am, let the butter brown a little bit before dumping in the onions. Stir well to coat them with the butter, than cook them until they start turning brown. Be VERY careful not to burn them. It's a good idea not to stray too far at this stage and stir often. When the onions have a little bit of brownish color to them and have reduced in volume in the pan, add the stock and a small sprinkling of the bouillon granules, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. (I had a picture of this but my stupid phone decided not to save it after I took it. Bah.)
The crouton toppers are fairly simple. I used a loaf of demi-French bread I got at Target (seems to be the best size without a lot left over), made four slices about 1 inch thick, and topped each with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried parsley. These went into a 350-degree oven until they were browned and crispy (recipe says 10 minutes, your time will vary, just keep an eye on them and pull them when they're browned).
Let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, adding three tablespoons of the Parmesan during the last ten minutes of cooking. And now, it's time to finish and serve.
To finish the soup, ladle it into your crock or bowl, place a crouton on top, and top it with the Gruyere you've grated beforehand. Place it under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns slightly on the top.
If you don't have a broiler or don't have oven-safe serving dishes, an alternative is to use a cook's torch (I've seen these at Target and places like Bed, Bath and Beyond in addition to restaurant supply stores) to melt the cheese. Just keep an eye on it so you don't burn the cheese or start a fire. Always practice safe cooking.
Dessert is a simple key lime pie, from a recipe off a bottle of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice and available on their website.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom of this page. Tune in tomorrow as I torment you further with my culinary adventures and prepare a simple country-fried steak and mashed potato dinner.
I need to let dinner digest a bit.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I made it ... and just in time
It's been a while since I've been able to do a proper update here, and I confess, I forgot where it was that I last updated from. My update tonight is because I am home once again, out enjoying a glass of wine and some wonderful wood-oven baked pizza. Tonight is a celebration, for a couple of reasons. Allow me to elaborate:
For the past six months, I have been in the "training" phase of my job. I spent five weeks with a regular trainer, who showed me a little more of what the job was about, and allowed me to develop my skills of driving, backing, and dealing with various shippers and receivers under different types of loads. Following that, there was a week of classroom work, more practice on the truck yard, and then it was off for three weeks with a fellow student. In this phase, we would be reinforcing what we had learned previously while relying on each other to make it through the more difficult situations.
The final phase is three months of solo driving, essentially doing the job on your own. You were responsible for getting things done in the proper order, getting them done on time, and keeping everything compliant with company rules and federal regulations.
So, now let's backtrack a bit to the New Jersey load. I had made it as far as Ohio when they gave me another load to deliver in Pennsylvania, reason being I had more time to make the delivery than the person the load was assigned to. This happens for a lot of reasons, and I made the delivery as scheduled. I was low on hours, both for the day and overall, and I wondered about thins as I received my next assignment: picking up in Ohio and heading to Houston. I would pick up Saturday afternoon for a Monday delivery.
Had I sufficient hours, I may have been able to make it. Unfortunately, I ran short on delivery day, and as I was doing my trip plan, I made this fact known and asked for someone else to take the load so it wouldn't be late. I repeated this request on Sunday. It wasn't until Monday that I was finally able to swap loads, with my load going to Terrell, Texas on Tuesday, giving me time to sit and gain a few hours so I could make delivery.
I opted (with some minor prodding from Ms. Darkstar) to see if I could take my home time after I dropped off in Terrell. My truck had some mechanical problems that needed attention, the trailer I was hauling was due for it's annual state/DOT inspection, and Dallas was only about 25 miles away. I was glad to see that my request was approved, and I began packing. Not to mention the fact that I still had a shot at that local job that I was called about the week previous.
I got a message later on Tuesday telling me that I had successfully completed my training and would now be made part of the regular fleet. That made me happy, in that at least I knew all the hard work paid off. I was also about to mark six months with the company, and could pick up my award the next time I was at the yard.
I made the delivery, headed back to Dallas, and today I had the second interview. After about fifteen minutes, I was conditionally offered the job, pending the results of a background check and urine screening.
I know, since I hold a hazardous materials endorsement, that there is nothing in my background that is cause for alarm, and I know the urine test will be clear, so it appears I have a new job. All I need to know is my starting date. Once I know that, I can go back and process out from the company I now work for.
I wonder if I should wait and get my service award before I tell them?
For the past six months, I have been in the "training" phase of my job. I spent five weeks with a regular trainer, who showed me a little more of what the job was about, and allowed me to develop my skills of driving, backing, and dealing with various shippers and receivers under different types of loads. Following that, there was a week of classroom work, more practice on the truck yard, and then it was off for three weeks with a fellow student. In this phase, we would be reinforcing what we had learned previously while relying on each other to make it through the more difficult situations.
The final phase is three months of solo driving, essentially doing the job on your own. You were responsible for getting things done in the proper order, getting them done on time, and keeping everything compliant with company rules and federal regulations.
So, now let's backtrack a bit to the New Jersey load. I had made it as far as Ohio when they gave me another load to deliver in Pennsylvania, reason being I had more time to make the delivery than the person the load was assigned to. This happens for a lot of reasons, and I made the delivery as scheduled. I was low on hours, both for the day and overall, and I wondered about thins as I received my next assignment: picking up in Ohio and heading to Houston. I would pick up Saturday afternoon for a Monday delivery.
Had I sufficient hours, I may have been able to make it. Unfortunately, I ran short on delivery day, and as I was doing my trip plan, I made this fact known and asked for someone else to take the load so it wouldn't be late. I repeated this request on Sunday. It wasn't until Monday that I was finally able to swap loads, with my load going to Terrell, Texas on Tuesday, giving me time to sit and gain a few hours so I could make delivery.
I opted (with some minor prodding from Ms. Darkstar) to see if I could take my home time after I dropped off in Terrell. My truck had some mechanical problems that needed attention, the trailer I was hauling was due for it's annual state/DOT inspection, and Dallas was only about 25 miles away. I was glad to see that my request was approved, and I began packing. Not to mention the fact that I still had a shot at that local job that I was called about the week previous.
I got a message later on Tuesday telling me that I had successfully completed my training and would now be made part of the regular fleet. That made me happy, in that at least I knew all the hard work paid off. I was also about to mark six months with the company, and could pick up my award the next time I was at the yard.
I made the delivery, headed back to Dallas, and today I had the second interview. After about fifteen minutes, I was conditionally offered the job, pending the results of a background check and urine screening.
I know, since I hold a hazardous materials endorsement, that there is nothing in my background that is cause for alarm, and I know the urine test will be clear, so it appears I have a new job. All I need to know is my starting date. Once I know that, I can go back and process out from the company I now work for.
I wonder if I should wait and get my service award before I tell them?
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A nice surprise
As I suspected, I didn't take the load that I picked up in Laredo any further than Lewisville. When I arrived at that stop, I received a message informing me that yes, there was a mistake in the dates for the rest of the deliveries. It seems the Tennessee delivery was supposed to be a day earlier, and since there was absolutely no way I was going to make it there, they had another truck ready to take the load the rest of the way. So, it was back to Dallas to make the trade, and hopefully for me, get time to rest and let my hours of service regenerate a bit.
I met the truck, unhooked from the trailer, and got out of the way. Not surprisingly, the way the load was set after unloading, and even with my load locks bracing it, the load still tipped. It was fixed, and I am hoping it was accepted as there was no real damage to the load that I could see, and was somewhat easily restacked. And, just to make my day complete, I got hit on the head with two cases of broccoli. Lovely.
Around the time all of this was happening, I received a call from my office. Since I was close to the yard, and I had a class coming due that I needed to take, and since I lived in town ... would I be willing to return to the yard and take my downtime in the comfort of my home? This caught me completely off guard, but of course I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to see home for even a day or two at most.
I got some laundry done, organized some more music to take with me on the road (it's easier to load up an MP3 player than it is trying to find a decent radio station that doesn't annoy me after about fifteen minutes these days), and tonight I'm at a place called The Wine Therapist with Ms. Darkstar. This is her usual night to hang out with her writer friends, and because I had the car, I was given the choice to tag along. I agreed, because I had wanted to see this place ever since Ms. Darkstar first talked about it.
No, sadly, I cannot partake of any of the alcoholic offerings, and what a lovely list they have, too. Instead, I am sipping on a non-alcoholic Pinot Noir soda. It contains the pinot noir juice concentrate, mixed with sparkling water, and is quite tasty.
Tomorrow, it's back to the truck yard to take that class, see if my truck has been repaired, and find out where in the country I will be enroute to once I get final clearance to leave. My truck was placed out of service for mechanical repairs, and I'm hoping they actually get fixed this time around, as most of the problems are the same ones that existed the last time I was back in Dallas.
So, that's where things stand in my exciting life. I will update more when I find out where I'm going, and when I'm able to actually type out an update. Have a great rest of the week.
I met the truck, unhooked from the trailer, and got out of the way. Not surprisingly, the way the load was set after unloading, and even with my load locks bracing it, the load still tipped. It was fixed, and I am hoping it was accepted as there was no real damage to the load that I could see, and was somewhat easily restacked. And, just to make my day complete, I got hit on the head with two cases of broccoli. Lovely.
Around the time all of this was happening, I received a call from my office. Since I was close to the yard, and I had a class coming due that I needed to take, and since I lived in town ... would I be willing to return to the yard and take my downtime in the comfort of my home? This caught me completely off guard, but of course I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to see home for even a day or two at most.
I got some laundry done, organized some more music to take with me on the road (it's easier to load up an MP3 player than it is trying to find a decent radio station that doesn't annoy me after about fifteen minutes these days), and tonight I'm at a place called The Wine Therapist with Ms. Darkstar. This is her usual night to hang out with her writer friends, and because I had the car, I was given the choice to tag along. I agreed, because I had wanted to see this place ever since Ms. Darkstar first talked about it.
No, sadly, I cannot partake of any of the alcoholic offerings, and what a lovely list they have, too. Instead, I am sipping on a non-alcoholic Pinot Noir soda. It contains the pinot noir juice concentrate, mixed with sparkling water, and is quite tasty.
Tomorrow, it's back to the truck yard to take that class, see if my truck has been repaired, and find out where in the country I will be enroute to once I get final clearance to leave. My truck was placed out of service for mechanical repairs, and I'm hoping they actually get fixed this time around, as most of the problems are the same ones that existed the last time I was back in Dallas.
So, that's where things stand in my exciting life. I will update more when I find out where I'm going, and when I'm able to actually type out an update. Have a great rest of the week.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow...
I've reached that point in my time at home. The dreaded halfway point, after which it's all downhill until my return to another couple of months on the road once again. I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to going back.
There is a glimmer of hope, however. It's a faint glimmer, almost a barely glowing ember, but I am hoping it will expand to a bright light that will show me the way out of the darkness I am in.
"This time is different," he said, trying more to convince others than himself, as he was already convinced that this would be The One Shot. Research was actually done in advance, I know more now of what I want to get myself in to, and I have no doubts or questions forming in my mind as I did when I took the path that led me to where I am now.
Okay, the path previous was a necessary evil, as without it I wouldn't have the critical component to The One Shot that I do now. I could have done without the past four months, in terms of the isolation and loneliness, but I am grateful for the experience I gained.
I'm hoping to know something more by tomorrow, since I'm due to return on Thursday and jump through several more hoops before I can actually get back out on the road. And, that's assuming that my truck has been fixed and is not still sitting in the repair bay.
I'm not looking forward to the next stretch of away time. I'm at the point where I would do anything within my power to make it not happen. I got this way right before the last time I went out. And, I'm quite sure it will continue to happen each time I have moments like this.
The One Shot, right now, seems to be the only hope I have left. And I refuse to give up on it.
I just hope it doesn't give up on me.
There is a glimmer of hope, however. It's a faint glimmer, almost a barely glowing ember, but I am hoping it will expand to a bright light that will show me the way out of the darkness I am in.
"This time is different," he said, trying more to convince others than himself, as he was already convinced that this would be The One Shot. Research was actually done in advance, I know more now of what I want to get myself in to, and I have no doubts or questions forming in my mind as I did when I took the path that led me to where I am now.
Okay, the path previous was a necessary evil, as without it I wouldn't have the critical component to The One Shot that I do now. I could have done without the past four months, in terms of the isolation and loneliness, but I am grateful for the experience I gained.
I'm hoping to know something more by tomorrow, since I'm due to return on Thursday and jump through several more hoops before I can actually get back out on the road. And, that's assuming that my truck has been fixed and is not still sitting in the repair bay.
I'm not looking forward to the next stretch of away time. I'm at the point where I would do anything within my power to make it not happen. I got this way right before the last time I went out. And, I'm quite sure it will continue to happen each time I have moments like this.
The One Shot, right now, seems to be the only hope I have left. And I refuse to give up on it.
I just hope it doesn't give up on me.
Welcome to the threadbare tapestry that is my mind.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
I think the kitchen missed me
One disadvantage to being a truck driver is that your choice of stopping points is severely limited by where your truck is allowed access, and consequently, you will be parking in the most remote areas of town, where a truck stop won't wreck the aesthetic of the quaint little community nearby. As a result, your choices of cuisine are limited to whatever is nearby, or at the truck stop itself. This leads to eating a lot of food that is:
This is why, when I do get home, I cook like a madman and eat like a condemned prisoner on his last day. Last night, we went to our favorite Brazilian restaurant, where we had the rodizio (rotisserie-cooked meats on skewers served - and carved - tableside, what's not to love?); Monday will be a trip to one of the local Vietnamese restaurants, which one we haven't determined yet; and this evening and Wednesday are my turn in the kitchen.
Since I was away for all of the major holidays, we never had a proper feast as we had in the past. If memory serves, we had a pot roast with homemade stuffing for our late Thanksgiving dinner, so I wanted to do something a little different this time around. I have a recipe for a maple-mustard-glazed pork roast in one of my Cooking Club of America books (yes, I'm also a life member) that I had made once before to rave reviews. We opted for my bacon-garlic sauteed potatoes instead of the sauteed apples, and a quickie dessert of mini-cupcakes and boxed pudding. After dinner yesterday, we did our shopping to prepare for the cooking ahead.
After a nice breakfast of bacon and blueberry muffins, I puttered around the house before getting the preparation started for dinner. I mixed up the roasting glaze, which was butter, maple syrup (the real stuff, not that Aunt Jemima corn-syrup crap), Dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar, and a bit of sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. This was spread over the roast a few minutes before it went into the oven.
Bacon and garlic was cut up, followed by the potatoes. This was set aside until the roast was almost done, and the dipping sauce for the pork was prepped (syrup, mustard, and a dash of balsamic vinegar). Once the roast was about five degrees from done, I heated the pan for the potatoes, rendered down the bacon, and tossed in the potatoes. The roast came out and was allowed tor rest on the serving platter while the potatoes finished. The garlic went in at the last moment to avoid overcooking, along with some parsley, salt, and pepper. The dipping sauce was heated in the microwave right before service, portioned out into smaller bowls, and the whole thing was served with a lovely, sweet moscato.
The pork was very moist and tender, the potatoes came out very well, and Ms. Darkstar was extra-thrilled to have lots of delicious food cooked by me once again. In a little bit I'll retrieve the desserts and relax with a nice chai.
Coming Wednesday: my attempt at Indian cookery.
- Disc-shaped,
- Vaguely beef-flavored, and
- Served on a bun with fries and a soda.
This is why, when I do get home, I cook like a madman and eat like a condemned prisoner on his last day. Last night, we went to our favorite Brazilian restaurant, where we had the rodizio (rotisserie-cooked meats on skewers served - and carved - tableside, what's not to love?); Monday will be a trip to one of the local Vietnamese restaurants, which one we haven't determined yet; and this evening and Wednesday are my turn in the kitchen.
Since I was away for all of the major holidays, we never had a proper feast as we had in the past. If memory serves, we had a pot roast with homemade stuffing for our late Thanksgiving dinner, so I wanted to do something a little different this time around. I have a recipe for a maple-mustard-glazed pork roast in one of my Cooking Club of America books (yes, I'm also a life member) that I had made once before to rave reviews. We opted for my bacon-garlic sauteed potatoes instead of the sauteed apples, and a quickie dessert of mini-cupcakes and boxed pudding. After dinner yesterday, we did our shopping to prepare for the cooking ahead.
After a nice breakfast of bacon and blueberry muffins, I puttered around the house before getting the preparation started for dinner. I mixed up the roasting glaze, which was butter, maple syrup (the real stuff, not that Aunt Jemima corn-syrup crap), Dijon mustard, some balsamic vinegar, and a bit of sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. This was spread over the roast a few minutes before it went into the oven.
Bacon and garlic was cut up, followed by the potatoes. This was set aside until the roast was almost done, and the dipping sauce for the pork was prepped (syrup, mustard, and a dash of balsamic vinegar). Once the roast was about five degrees from done, I heated the pan for the potatoes, rendered down the bacon, and tossed in the potatoes. The roast came out and was allowed tor rest on the serving platter while the potatoes finished. The garlic went in at the last moment to avoid overcooking, along with some parsley, salt, and pepper. The dipping sauce was heated in the microwave right before service, portioned out into smaller bowls, and the whole thing was served with a lovely, sweet moscato.
The pork was very moist and tender, the potatoes came out very well, and Ms. Darkstar was extra-thrilled to have lots of delicious food cooked by me once again. In a little bit I'll retrieve the desserts and relax with a nice chai.
Coming Wednesday: my attempt at Indian cookery.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Reflections on the recent trip...
... or, "Please Don't Make me Leave Again."
I'm finally home. I never thought I would get this far, nor did I think I would ever make it back here. Considering if I hadn't said anything when they tried to route me toward Denver, I'd be sitting there, snowbound, wondering if I would ever make it home. Or if the damn snow would thaw so I could get the hell out of Denver.
As I tend to do when I have a moment, I reflect on the past trip and all that I have seen over the past nearly two months. I remember playing Ring Around The Blizzard on my first trip, spending Christmas Day at the only truck stop in Rhode Island, my layover in Houston, the traffic jam from Hell in Virginia that made me go from having three hours to spare on my delivery to being a half hour late, seeing Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, returning to San Diego, and wishing I had enough time to go pet ostriches and see what the big deal was about The Thing.
I am grateful that they allowed me to bring the load I had back to the truck yard, although I think that, when they saw my trip plan and knew I was going to be super-early, that they could have made that decision sooner. I guess they had hope that I could deliver early, although with the runaround I got I had a feeling they were going to make me wait it out for the three days and deliver when I was scheduled.
Once again, I will make the most of the time I have at home, and once again, I will dread the moment when I have to return to the truck and set off on yet another two-month tour. I dread it because I know it will be more of the same: more trying to work my remaining hours of service so I can make the near-impossible delivery times they set for me; more repowers in the middle of the afternoon that have to deliver early in the morning, meaning I won't get enough sleep but have no choice but to deliver anyway; more aggravation at trying to get hold of someone in the office to answer a question, only to have to sit on hold for close to three hours; and just the feeling of being totally alone and missing home and all that goes with it.
Tomorrow I will do my laundry (along with Ms. Darkstar's), and for the rest of the week we will eat wonderful dinners that I will prepare, eating as if each one is our last. Only because come Wednesday, it will be. And then it will be so long home, and hello once again to my tiny rolling office/apartment.
I'm hoping for an out before that day comes.
I'm finally home. I never thought I would get this far, nor did I think I would ever make it back here. Considering if I hadn't said anything when they tried to route me toward Denver, I'd be sitting there, snowbound, wondering if I would ever make it home. Or if the damn snow would thaw so I could get the hell out of Denver.
As I tend to do when I have a moment, I reflect on the past trip and all that I have seen over the past nearly two months. I remember playing Ring Around The Blizzard on my first trip, spending Christmas Day at the only truck stop in Rhode Island, my layover in Houston, the traffic jam from Hell in Virginia that made me go from having three hours to spare on my delivery to being a half hour late, seeing Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, returning to San Diego, and wishing I had enough time to go pet ostriches and see what the big deal was about The Thing.
I am grateful that they allowed me to bring the load I had back to the truck yard, although I think that, when they saw my trip plan and knew I was going to be super-early, that they could have made that decision sooner. I guess they had hope that I could deliver early, although with the runaround I got I had a feeling they were going to make me wait it out for the three days and deliver when I was scheduled.
Once again, I will make the most of the time I have at home, and once again, I will dread the moment when I have to return to the truck and set off on yet another two-month tour. I dread it because I know it will be more of the same: more trying to work my remaining hours of service so I can make the near-impossible delivery times they set for me; more repowers in the middle of the afternoon that have to deliver early in the morning, meaning I won't get enough sleep but have no choice but to deliver anyway; more aggravation at trying to get hold of someone in the office to answer a question, only to have to sit on hold for close to three hours; and just the feeling of being totally alone and missing home and all that goes with it.
Tomorrow I will do my laundry (along with Ms. Darkstar's), and for the rest of the week we will eat wonderful dinners that I will prepare, eating as if each one is our last. Only because come Wednesday, it will be. And then it will be so long home, and hello once again to my tiny rolling office/apartment.
I'm hoping for an out before that day comes.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Very long, definitely strange, and quite the trip
Once again, I'm back in Texas. This time, I'm heading in the direction of home. There's only one obstacle standing in my way of a home that doesn't roll and a bed about as big as the entire living area of my sleeper cab.
It's this load I picked up in San Diego. See, while they were nice enough to give me a load that would point me in the direction of home, they also gave me something with so much time on it that I don't know if I can deliver early or not. I had called when I parked, but the person I spoke to advised me to call back tomorrow, as they would know for sure if I could be in that afternoon or not. I'm hoping I can deliver either tomorrow afternoon or on Saturday morning.
I also don't know what my company will do if I can't deliver on either of those days. I feel it's highly unlikely that they would have me sit on a load for three and a half days, but the way things have been going, you never know.
I have been doing small prep work, cleaning the truck and packing things I know I will not need. I'll do the bulk of it when I'm ready to roll back to the yard, or even after I get there.
Wish me luck, I'm gong to need it.
It's this load I picked up in San Diego. See, while they were nice enough to give me a load that would point me in the direction of home, they also gave me something with so much time on it that I don't know if I can deliver early or not. I had called when I parked, but the person I spoke to advised me to call back tomorrow, as they would know for sure if I could be in that afternoon or not. I'm hoping I can deliver either tomorrow afternoon or on Saturday morning.
I also don't know what my company will do if I can't deliver on either of those days. I feel it's highly unlikely that they would have me sit on a load for three and a half days, but the way things have been going, you never know.
I have been doing small prep work, cleaning the truck and packing things I know I will not need. I'll do the bulk of it when I'm ready to roll back to the yard, or even after I get there.
Wish me luck, I'm gong to need it.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Homeward, this time for sure! (Part 754878 in a series)
Greetings my friends. I managed to make it to my drop in California with only a couple of hitches, namely the flat tire hitch and the burned-out low beam headlight hitch, unfortunately noticed by the member of the Arizona Highway Patrol. So, once those were fixed, I made my way to my stopping point, amazingly enough right across from the drop point. I settled in and waited for the morning.
I was bright and early for my delivery time, and to my surprise, all I had to do was drop the full trailer at the site. Okay, no problem there, but there were no empty trailers from our company, so I had to wait until they found one for me to pick up. Which they did. In San Diego.
Off to San Diego I went, moving incredibly well over the mountains thanks to having no weight on my back end (and no trailer). I got to the pickup point, got the trailer, and waited for the load that would, mercifully and hopefully, take me toward home.
No such luck. I got a pickup in Brawley, California, heading to Denver. I sighed heavily, called in for my mandatory talk regarding the specific load I had to pick up, and called my driver manager to notify him that I would need to buy a new load lock (one was still in the trailer I dropped back in Calexico), and to ask when it would be possible to head towards home. He did some finagling, and amazingly enough, I get to have a 34-hour reset of my hours of service (which was necessary no matter what load I received as I had nowhere near enough hours to get anything moving), and then I pick up a load here, heading to Fort Worth.
Which is near Dallas.
Which is near home.
I have my fingers and toes crossed that, after delivering this load, I can finally bring the truck back and take some well-deserved home time. For now, though, I relax, make my trip plan for the load (picks up on Wednesday and delivers Monday, plenty of time to run). I may call the receiver and see if I can deliver early, if I'm in the area early. I just pray I don't get repowered. I may tell the one that tries to repower me that this is my home load, and unless they're giving me a load directly to Dallas, to go piss up a rope (although I'll put it in a nicer way).
I'll let you know how things go.
I was bright and early for my delivery time, and to my surprise, all I had to do was drop the full trailer at the site. Okay, no problem there, but there were no empty trailers from our company, so I had to wait until they found one for me to pick up. Which they did. In San Diego.
Off to San Diego I went, moving incredibly well over the mountains thanks to having no weight on my back end (and no trailer). I got to the pickup point, got the trailer, and waited for the load that would, mercifully and hopefully, take me toward home.
No such luck. I got a pickup in Brawley, California, heading to Denver. I sighed heavily, called in for my mandatory talk regarding the specific load I had to pick up, and called my driver manager to notify him that I would need to buy a new load lock (one was still in the trailer I dropped back in Calexico), and to ask when it would be possible to head towards home. He did some finagling, and amazingly enough, I get to have a 34-hour reset of my hours of service (which was necessary no matter what load I received as I had nowhere near enough hours to get anything moving), and then I pick up a load here, heading to Fort Worth.
Which is near Dallas.
Which is near home.
I have my fingers and toes crossed that, after delivering this load, I can finally bring the truck back and take some well-deserved home time. For now, though, I relax, make my trip plan for the load (picks up on Wednesday and delivers Monday, plenty of time to run). I may call the receiver and see if I can deliver early, if I'm in the area early. I just pray I don't get repowered. I may tell the one that tries to repower me that this is my home load, and unless they're giving me a load directly to Dallas, to go piss up a rope (although I'll put it in a nicer way).
I'll let you know how things go.
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