Sneezing, Crunches, and the Big O

Did you know that next to the Big O, sneezing offers the next highest pleasurable body reaction?  I didn't until today's lunch and my-"O"-my it was a hot conversation!

We also learned that it's possible to have an "O" during exercise!  One of the lunch table ladies mentioned she has them all the time, mostly during her ab routine.  Ahem...to the tune of six big "O's" per workout! (She's been banned from using the ab machines upstairs at work.)

Ladies, I see us all sporting a healthy glow and six pack abs in our near future!

Addicting Pretzel Dip

The recipe of the week took the office by storm. This stuff is so yummy people were eating it for breakfast, afraid there wouldn't be any left later in the day.

Pretzel Dip

2 8-oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. mayo (don't use miracle whip!)

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese 

1/2 c. Miller Lite (I've used Bud Light, but it gives it a different taste)

Mix well; chill. Serve with waffle-shaped pretzels. Don't become an addict :)

Guero's Taco Bar, Austin TX

A couple of us were in Austin, Texas a little over a week ago. We had a delicious lunch at Guero's Taco Bar

Here are a couple of photos of our lunch:

Of course there was bottomless chips and salsa, too.

Monday, 1-23-2012: Beef Stroganoff

A main topic of conversation yesterday was an easy crock pot recipe, beef stroganoff, courtesy of Kraft.

 http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/slow-cooker-beef-stroganoff-60834.aspx

2

lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

10

oz. fresh mushrooms, halved

1

 onion, chopped

1

clove garlic, minced

1

cup beef broth

2

tsp. paprika

1

tsp. salt

1

cup sour cream

2

Tbsp. flour

1

Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1

pkg. (16 oz.) egg noodles, uncooked

2

Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

PLACE meat, mushrooms, onions and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika and salt. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 5 hours).

MIX sour cream, flour and mustard. Stir into ingredients in slow cooker until well blended. Cook, covered, on LOW 15 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package.

DRAIN noodles; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

 

Underwear and Neighbors

Names are changed to protect the (insert appropriate adjective).

Today, Hannah told a story about her father-in-law. Some years ago, he remarried and moved in with his new wife. The house is a mid-century 20th century ranch, with large corner windows in the living room.He has a habit of walking around the house in just his underwear. He sits in front of those windows to read the morning newspaper.

That Christmas, the doorbell rang. A nicely wrapped present was sitting on the doorstep, addressed to him. He opened it to find a robe. All the neighbors pitched in to buy it for him.

You think he was embarrassed? No! He was angry. Go figure.

Bullies

At the lunch table today, we ended up talking about bullies. This is a group of women who range in age from approximately 25 to 55. Everyone single one remembers bullies from school.

One person was slapped across the face by the girl sitting in front of her for "staring at her." The teacher and principal both ignored the incident.

Another was beat up by another girl because she sewed better. Yep. Sewing envy.

Nasty writing on the windows of a car were experienced by one of our group.

Rocks being thrown at a person while walking home from school is yet another.

The meanest thing mentioned today? One girl was tormented by another pasting tampons all over her locker when she experienced her first menstrual cycle.

We all wonder if these bullies ended up working at the DMV, or somewhere similar, as adults.

Perfect Rumor Mill Fodder

Today's notable comment:

"Not that I want you to think anything by this, but can you use HSA funds for having a child?"

Tuesday Topics, 12-27-11

In addition to talking about all the goodies people received for Christmas, we talked about a co-worker's photographs in the Wall Street Journal, along with one of his videos: Neil Bloom's "Her Flower"

Another topic on the table was kids who were surprised by their dads coming home unexpectedly:
Girl Tells Santa She Wants Dad Home From Iraq, Doesn't Know Santa is Dad





Also discussed, a co-worker recently went on a first date with someone she's been talking with online and through Skype. How comfortable would you be meeting someone face-to-face for the first time, in a city other than your own, without any friends or family nearby?

Sex, Single Rooms, and Funnoodles

Today's dilemma: what do you do when your new apartment roommate is "getting busy" in the room adjacent to yours, and you're having trouble sleeping as a result?

That tidbit led to a discussion about college life. Another person at the table told us about how her freshman roommate had no problems having sex with the boyfriend while our lunch table mate was trying to sleep in her own bed. You know, just a few feet away. Those experiences led our lunch table mate to request a single room at the new semester.

That story led to another lunch table person telling a tale about a family trip to the east coast. Two sisters shared one room; their brother and his wife was in the adjoining room. It was difficult for the sisters to sleep because the headboard in their brother's room hit the wall quite a bit the first night. The sisters' solution? They purchased long foam pool floaties and put them between the headboard and the wall. They funnoodled him!

Tuesday Topics, 11-8-11

Babies that are so ugly, you're startled and don't know what to say.
Glitter eyeshadow that gets everywhere.
Bennie and the Jets.
Homemade chicken pot pie recipes.
Birth control.
Puzzles.
Favorite salad dressings.

Friday Fragments, 11-4-11

"My in-laws like to remind us we have 3 kids and a mortgage. Really, like we didn't know how that happened?"

"My father-in-law likes to say he'd shovel chicken crap to make money if he needed to." Person across the table says, "and there are so many jobs like that around........"

Person 1: "I wonder if the new people around here are surprised by getting food everyday."
Person 2: "I know I was when I first started. I found myself thinking about what food was going to be on the menu."

Creative Sandwich Making

Half egg salad, half lunch meat & cheese. There are grapes on the plate for a bit of nutritional value.......

The Anniversary Dinner

Okay - so my husband and I have been married for over 30 years. We have fun! We went out to dinner for our anniversary and to make it a little bit "special" I opted to wear a nice black dress, and...no undies. It makes for a playful evening. We were seated side-by-side at a table that looks out into the room. The table that would have provided cover for us had been moved to accommodate a large group. Oh, plus, you had to step up to get to the table. Of course it wasn't long before my husband started playing with the skirt of my dress, which was mid-calf length. At one point, I told him to stop because people could see what was happening under our table and the table cloth only extended a few inches over the edge. He disputed that and said it was dark under the table. Playful, playful. Lots of people in two groups facing us.

After a strong pre-dinner cocktail and a bottle of wine we were giggling and having fun and decided we were done with dinner and we'd have an after-dinner drink in the bar. I asked my husband to wait by the table after he got out to give me time to stretch out my bad leg. He got out from the table and charged toward the piano almost knocking a waitress down. I was laughing because I had just asked him to wait at the table, which he agreed to do. He came back to the table laughing and said "you're right, you can see everything...there was a light right between your legs." We were both laughing hysterically on our way out of the dining room to the bar, when I blurted out (in a whisper) "I'm laughing so hard I'm peeing my pants." Trouble was, I had no pants on!!! tinkle-tinkle!!

Good thing I had a longer dress on. It really was just a little, tiny tinkle.

So, in telling this story at the lunch table, the moral of the story was going to be "you young girls be sure to kegel often before, during and after pregnancy", but before I could say it someone else blurted out "wear undies." But, that would've taken all the fun out of it!

Anybody else have a funny or embarrassing story?

"I Heard Cackling Coming From That Table"

Snippets of conversation today:

"I did him, and him, and him, and him..... " (while flipping through a Pumpkin Masters carving book)

"I was standing in the bathroom, in my leopard print undergarments, and my young son walked in. He said Mommy, you look like a leprechaun!"

"How could you tell I was anxious?" Answer: "Well, you probably looked like you wanted to vomit."

"I laughed so hard I peed my pants."

"His shorts were so tight I didn't want to stand behind him at volleyball."

Purpose of Lunch Table Chat

Lunchtime conversations are often some of the high points of our days. Discussions of family, weddings, annoyances, jokes, and pretty much any topic under the sun give us a welcome break. We've laughed until we hurt so many times, we decided we should start recording some of these conversations. I'm guessing some of the tales won't translate well, but at least here's an attempt!