Friday, December 19, 2008

Bereft Without Survivor!

I was so bereft with no Survivor on TV last night that I didn't post anything! Er, well, actually ... I wrote an entry and my Firefox browser decided to change to a new version, thus freezing up my computer and making it lose my entry. So I hit the sack instead. Below is the weather pic I was going to post from last night. I live right directly to the right of his thumb -- the pointy part of Union County. The island directly along the line of his thumb is Staten Island (a borough of NYC), the island above that is Manhattan. The long island on the right is Long Island (duh) ... or, as they say out there, Lawn Guyland.

So far we have about four inches slushed down from sleet, rain, and freezing rain. It's turned back to snow. I don't think we'll get the eight inches, but we might get six.


Here's a bit more Jersey culture for you. I like Taylor Ham (but call it pork roll), but I'm more of a Scrapple person at heart.

Ledger Live - 12-18-08




Television itself is kind of repeats, holiday specials, and such. I may go to bed early again tonight. What are you up to?

Today's musical non sequitur:
If you want to find all the cops
They're hanging out in the donut shop
They sing and dance (oh whey oh)
Spin the clubs, cruise down the block
-- "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles

56 comments:

Unknown said...

1st?

News flash!

Julie Chen and Phil from TAR are the celebrity players on Million Dollar Password on Sun night at 8pm! Be there or be square! oh, wait, that's a different game show :)

Hi Jackie!

Unknown said...

Hooray, I never get to be first! Must be my lucky day.

Thanks to all the folks who offered to wrap my gifts, but I'm going to get to it tonight. I swear!

Music? check
Hot chocolate? check
Wrapping paper, scissors, tape? check
Christmas spirit? check

Looks like I'm all set. Have a nice evening, everybody.

Donna in Alabama said...

I am going to watch Ghost Whisperer and Numbers tonight. I was going to a party but I didn't get but four hours of sleep last night, so I will pass on going out.

Jackie, it was 70 here today, T-shirts and AC. It's supposed to go below freezing Sunday or Monday night.

What is Taylor Ham, a brand? I have never heard of pork roll or Scrapple. What are they?

Anonymous said...

I am hoping beyond hope that PBS has finished its semi annual several weeks of begging and will show The McLaughlin Group tonight. I was able to catch the "rerun" on Sunday morning only once while the begging was going on. I am getting tired of all the corporate begging on all its many levels. I want to watch something LOL and ROTFL funny other than the news.

Anonymous said...

Jackie said: "Below is the weather pic I was going to post from last night. I live right directly to the right of his thumb -- the pointy part of Union County."

I am about 12 inches behind him. In fact, when any of the weather people talk of the national weather, they tend to stand right in front of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. I am always shouting to them to please move over a little. They don't listen.

Hope you can stay home and enjoy the weather from an indoor view.

Sydney said...

Have a ball Clem, adn we want a report on how it went when you get a chance.

Lol Sizzie. Saw you stopped by Albglinka's blog. Isn't he funny?

Jackie, my firefox does that all the time, and often the "upgrade" crashes or won't load my gmail. Why doesn't it ask you if you want to install new stuff or wait, like every other software?


Well, it's not even Christmas and I am running on fumes. Had to get it all doneearly as my stepson graduates from College tomorrow. We leave at 5:30 am to drive up to San Marcos to see the ceremony and have a little party lunch, then drive 3 hours back, then my husband will drive his mom back another hour down to Texas City, then drive back that hour. LONG DAY (and I drive down to pick her up this afternoon, made a roast chicken), wrapped gifts, etc.

YET, I just made a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch so I could eat a few spoons raw and go to bed, exhausted. There is flour everywhere (including on me) cuz I tried to rush blending that in, but I have had my spoonfuls and am heading to bed.

Jackie S. said...

Donna -- Taylor Ham is indeed a brand of pork roll. It's a bit similar to a round Canadian bacon.

Scrapple is something else entirely. It's more of a Pennsylvania thing, but is in many of the supermarkets here. It has parts of the pig normally not used, but is soooo tasty!

Sizzle - The NYC weatherman usually stand in front of NJ instead of Long Island and the ocean. Of course, many of the NYC stations (and sports teams) are here in NJ! Long Island is farther away from them than the most densely part of NJ (the most densely populated state).

joy n said...

Clementine, thanks for the heads-up on Million $ Password. I miss Phil already and hope we won't be seeing Julie in her BB role until next summer, but it might be interesting to see how well they can play. I'll bet Phil is a whiz at it.

About 6-7 inches of snow here. My husband's park n' ride bus was over an hour late, and man, was it cold. It snowed all day but is tapering off now. 19 degrees out there.

Tomorrow, the family Christmas gathering at my sister-in-law's house. Afternoon shindig this year. Glad for that as I'm liking night driving less and less in the winter.

Christmas cookies to be done on Sunday. I am so late with them this year and I have a ton of them to make.

Well, have a good night, all!

Sydney said...

What kind of cookies Joy?

Jackie, do you have any kind of time off over the holidays? I know you are doing double time with your boss out of commission. Any chance of an update on him?

meb said...

Scrapple... We don't get it here in NC unless you buy some unknown frozen brand, so when we go to Delaware we buy it by the pounds and pounds and bring it home and freeze it ourselves. We get the Dolly Maid, the best ever!

Most people wouldn't eat it if they knew what was in it, but it is the best tasting stuff. I like mine thin and crispy, but everybody else in the family likes there's cut thicker and fried softer. To each his own.

Believe it or not my wv was bessuet.. you know "best you ate"... that's what scrapple is.

Donna in Alabama said...

Scrapple sounds like something that would have to be fried crisp for me to eat. Not knowing how it looks, you might not need to tell me until after I have eaten it! ha ha For instance, I can eat deer meat but I had rather not know what it is until I have consumed it. I know it is all in my head but...

It is strange to me that it is not offered anywhere but in Jersey and PA. I guess like corn meal and grits in the south.

Delee said...

Taylor Pork Roll is more like spam, different flavor though. The Boardwalks always had/have a stand. It is fried and placed in a roll. It is thin sliced.

Scrapple is made by boiling the bones and scraps of a pig. Cornmeal is added after removing bones and other non-chewable things. It gels and is loaf shaped. It is sliced and fried golden and served with maple syrup. (PA girl here) If you are aware of corn pone or corn mush just add pork and you have scrapple.

Should we discuss liver pudding? LOL

Anonymous said...

pork roll, egg and cheese on a kaiser roll, please....one of my favorite breakfasts at the diners... and of course a "happy waitress" any other time....
i miss jersey diners...sigh

joyzjenn

Anonymous said...

I thought scrapple might be Head Cheese, but I just did a search and they are not the same..but are similar. I used to like 'chipped beef'. Some places in the USA sell it at the deli counter, it can be sliced like ham and other meats. But, other parts of the country, it is not in the deli but only found in those little jars on the canned meat aisle.

I like to hear what is available in differnt parts of the country. In the south we have Ott's salad dressing and it is hard to find any where else.

Jackie S. said...

Sydney - I have my vacation time coming up after Christmas. As for my boss, it turns out to be all very bizarre. He's okay physically, but I don't see him returning to work anytime soon. It turns out his license is suspended and he's facing law-related issues. I know he can't get to work from where he lives without a car or license. Oh well, I'm sure they'll replace him.

Anonymous said...

Jackie, stay in and stay warm. Clementine, hope you get those gifts done.

I am still down with the bug I caught from Darling husband. He has been really good taking care of me.

We had to cancel the family Christmas that was to be here today. I did get my children and grandchildren's gift, but nothing under the tree for either of us.

Everyone, stay in and stay warm. This is a nasty bug that is sweeping the nation. I am seldom ill for more than a couple of days. With this one, I have been down for over a week.

Anonymous said...

Jackie, I forgot to ask you. Will you be blogging Leverage? I like that show. It reminds me of the old Mission Impossible shows.

PDX Granny said...

I'm trying to think of some kind of food that we have here that's not so common everywhere else. I can't think of a thing. But then if I had been someplace else and looked for something and couldn't find it, then I'd know. But then, when I travel, I like to try things I don't normally get, rather than look for something I can get any time.

Oh, I just thought of some things - Chinook Salmon, Dungeness Crab, steelhead. Also, Burgerville USA, a local fast food restaurant that's only in Northwest Oregon and Southeast Washington. They use fresh, local ingredients as much as possible. The fresh fruit shakes, sundaes and smoothies are so yummy! I can't pass up the sweet potato fries when they're in season!

I'm finally getting around to wrapping gifts today. I have my "wrapping station" all set to go in front of my window where I can watch the snow fly. I put out food for the squirrels and birds, and I can watch them while I'm wrapping. It's been coming down all day and the wind is howling, with gusts around 40 MPH and 20 degrees in my backyard! The weather folks are saying what we're getting now isn't anything compared to what's coming. . . . ice and freezing rain.

This is nothing compared to what some other places are getting around the country! Nana, it looks like you have more snow and colder temps in Tacoma than we do in Portland. And Karen, you're in Salem, right? From the weather reports, it looks like you may not have it too bad yet. How about everyone else?

I went out early to get food that doesn't need to be cooked, just in case we lose power. I'm all set now.

Now I'm worried about my daughter. She's a supervisor at Best Buy and has to work overnights one night a week, making sure the trucks get unloaded and the merchandise gets out on the floor. Wouldn't you know, tonight's her night, and she has to drive about 20 miles to work. With the freezing rain overnight, and possibly ice that won't thaw until tomorrow afternoon - if at all, I keep trying to tell her that if she doesn't make it, it won't be the end of the world, but will she listen??? NO!! Of course not!

She's a dedicated, hard working employee who feels she has an obligation to be there. Instead of going in at 10:00, she's planning on going in around 4:00 and packing an overnight bag just in case she's stranded there
tomorrow morning. I have a feeling she won't make it home until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

Believe me, I'm going to be praying her to and from work!!

My WV is shoey - as in wouldn't it be fun to have some of those snow shoey things about now?

Burrr - On the news they just showed some people surfing on the Oregon coast and it's snowing! Wet suits or not, I can't imaging they're too warm. Yesterday they showed people having a snow ball fight out on the beach.

Anonymous said...

PDX Granny, let us know if your daughter gets home okay. Thanks to the computer I have friends across the States. Several are without power. We have a nasty front coming in tomorrow morning. I doubt I will even try to go to church.

PDX Granny said...

Thanks for your concern, Becky. I just got a call from my daughter. She left for work almost an hour ago. It usually takes her about 20-25 minutes from her house to work. She made it to the freeway, then two exits later had to get off, which is normally about 5-10 minutes from home.

Her windshield wipers were getting a build up of ice, even tho her defroster was going full blast. She was also hitting drifts of snow on the freeway that were deeper than the bottom of her car. There's so much snow coming down, and the wind is blowing so hard, that visibility is close to zero.

Thankfully, she wised up and decided that Mom's right after all. She's heading back home. Now she just needs to get there.

I'm sorry for rambling on about this, but I'm so worried and nervous for her. It's helped being able to express it here. Thanks Jackie for giving us this place!

Anonymous said...

pdxgranny, Please let us know when she is home safely. I know how awful it can be to wait for one of our loved ones to get home.

Delee said...

PDX, I hope she is home safe now. Blizzard conditions are never fun or a good time to go out. I do admire her dedication to her job, but safety is more important.

Let us know!

PDX Granny said...

What a wonderful group we have here! It feels so good to have so many people who care!

My daughter made it home safe & sound. She called me about 1/2 an hour after I talked to her. She was shaken, but safe, and that's what counts. Now she's worried about not getting the ad set for tomorrow's sale.

Silly me, I was so relieved to hear her voice telling me she was home that I started crying. And I thought that once our kids became adults that we didn't have to worry so much!! LOL

My lights keep blinking, so it's time to get my inner Sydney to work and prepare for no power!!

PDX Granny said...

By the way, my new avitar is one of the birdies I was feeding today. If you look closely, you can see the snow blowing sideways.

Sydney said...

Becky -- I'm sorry you're still feeling bad, but at least soon you'll be feeling better and it will be behind you. It has to be bad to cancel your plans.

I think you said you were in Corpus? I'm in HOuston and I knew we were expecting a cold front but I didn't think it was going to be bad like you mention. It's been a busy day, maybe I've missed something. But while everyone else in creation is enjoying holiday snow, I am roasting with frizzy hair in 81 degree weather with 80% humidity. ARRGH

PDX, just tuned in now but so glad your daughter made it home OK. I understand her devotion especially since it's the holidays... in case those things on the trucks would end up being gifts under the tree for folks.

Sydney said...

wooo! our cold front just arrived, within 20 minutes after I wrote the last post. It's about 45 degrees suddenly. For now I'm happy, even though the forecast for X_mas Eve and Day is in the 70's. Boo

Anonymous said...

Sydney said... wooo! our cold front just arrived, within 20 minutes after I wrote the last post. It's about 45 degrees suddenly.

Yes, we are in Corpus Christi. We had the AC on last night when we went to bed. The front hit and now the heater is on. No wonder we are ill. Our bodies never get a chance to get used to the drastic change in temperatures.

PDX, while it is wonderful that your daughter is a conscientious employee, her safety and your mental health come first! If conditions are even near what TV says they are, there won't be many shoppers out.

We are staying in today. I have my grocery list ready. Our Christmas dinner will be very simple. Might even be more so if one of us is not well enough to go to the store.

Is Christmas really this coming week?

meb said...

I've been busy over on my blog, so I didn't realize you guys have been "talking" over here.

pdx granny... I left you a post that you're going to be thrilled with... make sure you go check it out. Smile

becky...so sorry you're still feeling down and out... I'm so glad I got away without catching this... both my daughter and one of the grandsons got it and were out for over a week. Sorry too that you had to cancel your Christmas celebration... don't worry tho, I'm sure Santa will arrive with some "things".

pdx granny... so glad your daughter got home safe and sound. I understand the breaking into tears...they were tears of joy knowing she was safe. I would have done the exact same thing.

becky... we haven't even shopped yet for Christmas dinner... can't figure out what we want since we just had the turkey and one of the grandsons hates ham... He may have to eat cake, cause I like ham on Christmas... may even make it a New England style dinner with cabbage, green beans, potatoe salad, and all that stuff.

Everyone be safe and warm. We're just a rainy mess here in NC. Just don't like this weather...

meb said...

OMG .. I spelled potato with an "e". Remind you of anyone? Hehehe

Anonymous said...

So glad your daughter got back home, pdxgranny. And no, the ties don't break or even loosen as they grow.

becky, I am sorry to hear you feel bad and I hope you will let us know when you are feeling better...it will happen. I hate being sick. It makes me angry and that just makes me feel worse.

meb, I like Heavenly Ham because it is supposed to be eaten cold and the only prep work I have is to take it out of the fridge before we eat it. My family prefers a hot meal. They think I buy fresh turkey because it tastes better, but I do it so I don't have to thaw it. You wouldn't believe the huge ordeals I have had in the past while trying to remove a frozen giblet pack from a turkey that was still frozen.

Let's just tell all our guests that in the interest of the recession and world peace we are having Christmas dinner made from whatever is in the freezer and already on hand.

Terry is a Texan! said...

My south Dakota sister in law cooks a pork roast with a beef roast, all the juices together are divine..

PDX so glad your daughter is home safe....gosh you guys are really being hit with it.
We head off for San Antonio tomorrow morning...hopefully the plane doesnt get delayed anywhere.

PDX Granny said...

sizzie said...
Let's just tell all our guests that in the interest of the recession and world peace we are having Christmas dinner made from whatever is in the freezer and already on hand. . . .

Sizzie, that's just what we do! My daughter and I were talking yesterday about how we don't have one and how some people just don't understand how we could NOT have a big Christmas dinner. We just snack all day.
On Christmas Eve, we've always had finger foods with everyone bringing something and there's always plenty left over. I usually cook a ham so we have sandwiches or cheese & crackers along with the veggies and chili cheese dip. With everything else going on between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the last thing I want to do is cook!! And I've proudly taught my daughter to think the same way. LOL

Becky, I hope you're feeling better real soon! It's no fun being sick at anytime, but during the holidays, it's enough to make one turn into Scrooge, although it's obvious you have not!

Syd, I'm so glad you're happily enjoying your cold front. If I could send you some of ours, I would - gladly!!

Delee, I did a double take when you described our conditions as being a blizzard. We don't have blizzards in Portland. I just thought of it as a lot of snow and wind. I guess that would make it a blizzard, huh! LOL
It's funny how everyone is talking about their Christmas dinners.

Terry in CA, hopefully your flight isn't delayed due to the weather all over the rest of the country. Our airport is open but a lot of flights are delayed because the incoming ones aren't making it in.

I got a call from my daughter at 5 AM. She had walked from her apartment (about a block), and was standing on the road waiting for a ride to work. One of her co-workers lives close by and has a 4 wheel drive with chains. The snow has stopped so there were no more blizzard conditions. Everything was just covered with ice. She called again when they made it to work. It took a little over an hour to go the normal 20-25 minute drive.

Since the freezing rain started overnight, the bird & squirrel food I put out yesterday was frozen over. I put more out this morning, and it didn't take long for them to come to breakfast. The squirrels were doing OK tho. They just broke off pieces of ice and chewed thru to get the food. I'll probably have to go out and replenish again since it's freezing rain now and it will soon be covered with ice again.

Anonymous said...

I was in a blizzard once. And once was enough! What surprised me the most about it was not being able to breathe. The wind was so cold and so strong that it literally seemed to take my breath away. That was more frightening to me than not being able to see where I was going.

Delee said...

Here is the definition of a blizzard:
Blizzard conditions occur when strong winds (at least 35 mph) combine with either falling snow or snow on the ground to reduce visibilities to 1/4 mile or less for at least three hours.

Lived through many of them in Colorado Springs. One was with wind chills down to minus 60 and power out for 8 hours (7p until 3a). We huddled in front of the fireplace and prayed the pipes did not freeze. The wind was howling. So I knew those were the conditions you were describing.

Kids are I are having cheese fondue/smokies in bbq sauce/shrimp cocktail and other small treats on Christmas eve.

Christmas Day, ham/hashbrown casserole/cranberry salad/baked pineapple/cookies & key lime tart. Make all on Weds and just finish on C-day. Easy for once. No potatoes to mash/gravy to make/bird to carve and unstuff, I always end up so tired I do not want to eat. Plus I have helpers, now that the kids are good cooks! LOL

Temps Mon only in the teens, guess winter is finally here! BRRR

Do not forget Password tonight at
8pE (yeh football delay maybe) with Julie and Phil.

PDX Granny said...

Delee, baked pineapple??

lynn1 said...

PDX Granny,
I don't know about Sydney's baked pineapple but I make a baked Pineapple casserole that is yummy. In fact I took it to a pot luck party last night and it was the hit of the of the party.
I would be glad to sahre the recipe with you and anyone else who is interested. It is simple and delicous.

Anonymous said...

I think I need help.... I am having some bad withdraws... No Survivor, no Big Brother, no Amazing Race,not even DWTS. I am so lost! I feel like I am just hanging in mid air! I can't wait for new seasons. :-) I've got it bad.

Anonymous said...

I email'ed you the recipe PDX Granny!

meb said...

lynn1, I would love the recipe.. just post it here for everybody since you said it's simple... Sounds like it would be good to add to the ham, etc.

Delee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delee said...

Lynn said...I don't know about Sydney's baked pineapple but I make a baked Pineapple casserole that is yummy.

I was the one who mentioned the baked pineapple not Sydney. LOL

joy n said...

Phil didn't do so well on Million Dollar Password. He actually froze a few times. It was surprising because he's so calm on TAR. I felt bad for him because you could see he wanted to do well and he just buckled under the pressure a few times. Still love him to pieces.

Julie was cool as a cucumber for the most part.

lynn1 said...

Delee, Sorry I said Sydney when I meant Delee. I better lay off the eggnog! LOL

lynn1 said...

I posted the pineapple casserole recipe at my blog. Some friends who aren't a part of Jackie's group wanted it too so it was just easier for me.
Just click on my name and it wiil take you to my blog.

PDX Granny said...

Thanks for the recipes, Delee & Lynn! They sound very similar.

Maybe I'll make the one with egg and put the Ritz & butter on it. Or maybe I'll make the one with Ritz & butter, and include an egg.

Decisions, decisions!!

Tom said...

Jackie,-

Simple kind of man

Anonymous said...

Sydney - You call 45 a cold front? It was -45 with the windchill yesterday! We lost power for a few hours so we went to my mom's house, but the man was stuck in the barn trying to figure out how to milk the cows with no electricity! Thankfully his brother-in-law brought his generator over and they didn't have to do it by hand!

meb said...

-45 windchill.. orkmommy, I can't imagine you went out of the house.

I used to help my girlfriend milk cows when you used your hands before they got the electric ones. I'll bet it would have taken hours and hours to do it by hand if they had had to... doubt they even remembered how. Too funny.

Sydney said...

I know, a cold front for HOUSTON. It was 81 and 80 % humidity the day before so that's a big deal. I grew up in the midwest, so I remember those double digits in below zero wind chill. YOur nostrils stick together (freeze) on the first or second inhalation!

Sydney said...

Lynn 1 -- I'm just glad you're thinking of me, lol

Anonymous said...

It's been so long since I've commented I can't possibly catch-up!

The snow and wind have thrown us into a state of emergency here in my county. I've been very busy with X-mas parties, gifts and shopping. Tomorrow is baking day.

I kind of like the reruns during the holidays. It gives me a chance to snuggle up with a fire going, a warm cup of cocoa and a good book. After Thurs. that is what I am going to do for the next 10 days. I also will be seeing some movies...7 pounds(Will Smith)...Milk(Sean Penn)...Revoluntary Road(Leonardo Dicaprio)...and maybe a few others.

I thought it funny that both teams I had for Survivor and TAR finished in 3rd place! I was glad Bob won but couldn't believe that Sugar didn't get any votes.
It happens every time but I hate that so many of these people vote against someone because they think they wronged them. It's a game and the best player should win(yes, I know Bob was the best player and he did win....but Susie???).

I am really liking Leverage. It's kind of like a modern day Robin Hood....the bad guys doing good and getting the other bad guys.

Can't wait for The Bachelor to start. I think a pool would be fun once they get to 10-12 girls.

Time for bed......

Anonymous said...

First, I am finally feeling human again! Thank all of you for the warm thoughts.

Sydney, I can appreciate what you are saying about the weather in Houston. We have pretty much the same here. Our blood never has time to get thick when the temps are in the high 70's or 80's. And then we get a norther and it drops down to 45.

To all of you in the East. Stay in and stay warm.

I posted previously that I really live leverage. It reminds me of the old Misson Impossible shows when the group does their "thing" like clockwork. I would love to see the show blogged.

Now I am off to clean my house. I have barely touched it and the dust bunnies are taking over.

Jennasmom said...

Christmas Blessings to you All!

Jennasmom said...

Becky,
I think I caught your bug! Blaaaahhh! Oh, well, I'll spend Christmas with my Imodium box! LOL

KarenJC said...

Merry Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you stay warm in your house and your heart.

I'm waiting for my stuffed shells to finish cooking, usually make my italian sauce and meatballs for Christmas eve. It's the family dinner we usually have with the kids before they scatter Christmas day to see the other side of the family. We plan on playing Taboo and some other games tonight.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

Anonymous said...

Jennasmom said... Becky, I think I caught your bug! Blaaaahhh! Oh, well, I'll spend Christmas with my Imodium box! LOL

Jennasmom, if you did, I apologize. I thought I had 'de-germed" my posts before I hit "send". Also, if you did, get to the doctor -- or even a Doc-in-a-box, don't wait. Hubby didn't go to the doctor for several days and he was sick for over a week longer than me.

Aren't you in San Antonio? Until my 90 year old Momma stopped traveling we spent our holidays with our children there. There is this horrible Mexican food restaurant where we went on Christmas Eve with our families to eat. I called it El Horrible. The only good thing on the menu was the Margaritas! Our son and his wife found it the first Christmas Eve they were in SA by themselves. Now it has become a tradition.