Adventures with grilled cheese

I know what you are thinking: “Lorraine, you don’t know how to make grilled cheese, one of the easiest dishes to make, do you?”

There is a simple answer to this. No…no I don’t. But I still tried today in an effort to implement my “learn by doing” philosophy.

First I found the grill, set it up and turned it on. Easy as pie. Although I’m sure I wouldn’t be very successful in making one of those either. Next I got out my ingredients and wondered where to start.

Buttering one side of the bread, I threw it on the grill and stared at it, mildly panicking at what to do next. I figured I should have buttered the other side too, so I pulled it back and did so, smearing butter all over my hand in the process. Now what? Do I grill the other piece of bread? Do both sides need to be done? When does the cheese make its entrance? How many slices of cheese do I use? I hope I don’t end up melting the toaster with the grill like I did the last time I used it…

Making a quick guess, I unwrapped six cheese slices and put them on the first piece of bread. I flipped the other piece of toast and then thought I should flip the piece with the cheese on it. Clearly I couldn’t do this without searing the cheese to the grill. So I picked off the half melted cheese as best as I could and flipped the bread which was quickly turning into toast.

Laughing at my lack of grilled cheese skills, I tried to sawder the first piece of bread back together as it broke apart in the flipping process. Then I rationed that the cheese should help keep it together and slabbed it back on. I decided there was way too much cheese and took a few stuck-together pieces off. But what a waste of cheese that would be to throw out! Back on the bread it went with its cheese brothers and sisters. The worst being over with, I put the other piece on top to finally make it into a sandwich. The tallest grilled cheese sandwich I have ever seen, standing at an inch and a half.

For all the strife, it was pretty good except for the excess of cheese. But next time I think I’ll just stick to heating up hot dogs in the microwave.

Phone Encounters of the Sunrise Records Kind

Just got off the phone with Sunrise Records. I'm trying to compare prices for The Office Season 2 (premiere of season 3 tonight, woo!) and Gilmore Girls season 6. Let me share my phone experience with you.

"GoodafternoonsunriserecordshowcanIhelpyou"

"Oh, hi how are you?"

"Good, and yourself?"

"Good, I was wondering if you could check on some prices for me?"

"Sure, can you hang on a sec?"

"No problem."

*puts receiver down*

Timer on phone: 2:26

*background yammering: "That'll be $103.56. Yeah sorry, that's not the right price, that's like, double the right price...sorry about that."*

Timer on phone: 5:48

*Lorraine starts wondering how long it will be before he picks up phone again*

*backround yammering: "Yeah, you just go out to the hall and turn right. Yeah I can help you find that. Is that all you're looking for today?"*

Timer on phone: 8:49

*Lorraine is convinced person has forgotten about phone and wonders how long it will be till he remembers*

Timer on phone: 9:03

"Hey there sorry about that."

"That's ok, it was only nine minutes and three seconds."

"Oh, you're timing me eh?"

"Well, not intentionally, the timer just happened to be there on my phone. Busy day?"

"Oh yeah! So you're looking for some prices?"

"Yeah, The Office Season 2, American version?"

"And who is this?"

"Pardon me?"

"You're calling Sunrise Records?"

"Yes...where is this?"

"This is Eastgate mall."

"Yes...Sunrise Records though right..."

"Yeah. Who's calling?"

"Erm...uhh...my name is Lorraine?"

"And you're calling from Sunrise Records??"

"NO, I am CALLING Sunrise Records...I just need some prices!"

"OH...oh sorry, I'm a creep."

"Haha...it's ok."

"The Office is out of stock right now."

"Do you know the list price for it though?"

"Aw man, I have to go get my paper...do you want to wait another 9 minutes?"

"No...no I don't."

"K hold on a sec."

"Ok...and this better be good!"

*ruffling of papers*

"It's $36.99"

"Ok. And can I get you to check ONE more thing for me?"

"Oh COME ON, you're making me do work!"

"I know, I'm sorry...I know you don't expect to being at your job and all..."

"Yeah, and I got these people calling pretending to be someone else..."

"Yeah, those crazy callers...Gilmore Girls season 6?"

"*sigh* $54.99. Plus a tip."

"A tip!! Of course I get a discount for having to wait so long right?"

"Oh yeah for sure."

"Awesome. Well thanks."

"No problem!"

*end convo*


Is it strange that I think I have a crush on this person?? And might POSSIBLY be heading there now to see what he looks like? Yeah, I thought so too...

A Procrastinator's Guide To Doing Homework (In 28 Easy Steps)

1. Day of assignment: Think about how you have a glorious five days to do the assignment. Think about starting it that very night. Go out to see your friend's roller derby practise instead. Wince when they fall and hit the boards.
2. Day before assignment is due: Plan to get up extra early to get a good start on assignment. Wake up at 8 or 9. Convince yourself you just need another hour or two of sleep. Get up at 3pm.
3. Wander downstairs and make some food. Ooo and ahhh about books that finally arrived in the mail for you from amazon. Read books for one hour.
4. Go upstairs to shower and get ready for another night class (not class assignment is due in.)
5. Realise there is no time to do assignment before night class. Vow to start right after class. Get to class early and try to buy your textbook for that class. Discover they are on backorder and that you shouldn't have waited until twenty minutes before class to buy it.
6. Stop for food on way home from class.
7. Eat food when home be reached in front of the tv.
8. Go to start assignment around 10:30; this of course means going to the computer where internet is located.
9. Just to "settle into" the computer, first check email and say hi to friends online. Check blogs. Google random things before opening up your school email to check on your assignment.
10. Realize you can't get in because the bastards haven't sent you your student number yet.
11. Half heartedly reach for your binder to check assignment. Realize table that binder is on is messy...tidy up table.
12. Find one of your new books on table...read for one hour.
13. Open binder. Realize pages are not three hole punched and need to be entered into binder.
14. Go search old room for hole punch. Find and inspect interesting things along the way, such as mates to socks you thought your dryer ate and a box of old cassettes of bands you'd forgotten how much you loved.
15. Meticulously hole punch every paper.
16. Do the same for your other classes' binders.
17. Realize pens are loose and need pencil case. Go in search of pencil case from high school two years before.
18. Find more interesting things in old room during search.
19. By 2:30 in the morning give up on finding pencil case.
20. Sit down to computer again.
21. Get reacquainted with computer again by checking email, blogs, etc. Decide to procrastinate further by blogging about procrastinating on homework on your blog.
22. Resolve to get up early and do assignment.

Here is what I am predicting what will happen past this step:

23. Toss and turn all night thinking about assignment.
24. Sleep in, rush assignment, debate handing in late.
25. Think of myriad of excuses to present as to why assignment is late.
26. Decide assignment has given you more grief than it's worth.
27. Stop caring about assignment.
28. Repeat all steps for next assignment.

Oh homework...will we ever be able to live in harmony together? Brush each other's hair instead of pulling it out? Reminisce and laugh over a cup of hot chocolate about the old days when we didn't get along?? Paint our friendship rainbow?!?

Quote-erific

Driving home from St. Catharines at 3 in the morning:

"Did that sign say 'Watch for slow children'?!?" -Me

"I think it said 'Slow, watch for children." - Laura

"Oh...it's much funnier the other way." -Me

Speaking of quotes, our overhead at the beach quotes that I submitted from our camping trip recently got posted on the site. Which means a) I'm famous and B) people all around the world can laugh at the sillyness! I'm glad we were able to spread sillyness around...cause really, if you don't have sillyness, what do you have? A life without sillyness is not a life worth living.

You can read said quotes here and here