Things I Learned Today*

*Actually, yesterday. Thanks for the maintenance, Blogger. Hope you got a lot done in that 20.5 hours. [Ok, it was annoying, but it's hard to be mad after this.]

Today was a learning experience... all 17.5 (waking) hours of it. Lest you all think I'm selfish, I decided to share some of these lessons with you. Don't repeat my mistakes, people.

 -- When a business meeting starts at 12:30 and the ending time is quoted as simply "long," eat lunch before it begins. Otherwise you will likely find yourself still sitting there at 5:10, fielding judgmental glances every time your stomach makes a sound like it might be considering eating itself. And really, the guy sitting just outside the board room window snacking on pretzels doesn't deserve your dirty looks.

 -- Always ask that question -- the one you're worried might be stupid but could be of consequential importance. Chances are, everyone around you is concerned too, but they're also too terrified of looking dumb in front of their colleagues. Either that, or no one else has thought of it, and speaking up could mean the difference between success and imminent disaster.

 -- No little wild bunny will let you sneak up on them with the intention to kidnap and force them to be best friends with your cat. They will tease you, letting you get just close enough to actually reach down, and then they will hop like lightning. Not fair. But true.

Toby, as you can see, is devastated.

 -- Just because one grocery store in town does not have canned pumpkin and "has been trying to get some in," but "cannot find it anywhere," and "will probably not be able to restock for a long, long time," does NOT mean that the other grocery store in town doesn't have two shelves filled with it. Thank goodness. My mental well-being is directly correlated to the number of cans of pumpkin in my pantry at any given moment.

 -- There is a (relatively bumpy) learning curve to quinoa. I attempted this popular new grain (it is a grain, right?) last night for the first time, and it's not for the easily frustrated. I followed the instructions carefully and ended up with a whole cup of uncooked, bone dry, stuck-to-the-pan mess. I immediately added lots more water and put it on the heat again, and this time it cooked but the finished product resembled soup. Do you know how difficult it is to drain something that is only slightly larger than a grain of sand?

 -- Garlic sprouts quickly. Almost -- almost -- as quickly as it burns. Keep an eye on it at all times... it's 7:00, do you know what your garlic is doing?

 -- Mushrooms saute much faster than onions. Add them to the pan only when the onion is almost done, unless mushy is your style.

 -- Creativity in the kitchen only gets you so far. Sometimes, even the most logical flavor combinations don't actually taste like you think they should.

 -- Dessert is always the best part of any meal. No exceptions.

Clearly I've had my fill of life lessons for a while. Has anyone else learned anything important this week?

   Love,

    Meg