Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Pardon Me

It started with a burp. Not many things do, but this did. And not just any burp either, a public one.

It wasn't me, it wasn't even a family member. In general, they're not really a problem, I'm a firm believer that our home is our safe zone, if you gotta burp, this is the place to do it. I'd prefer you leave the room before releasing gas of any sort, but no such luck on this one either. Yeah, the joys of living with all men.

The burp in question here was actually delivered by a stranger. I was walking past him in a parking lot (at a safe distance, no less) at the time. "Pardon me," he said. Shocking me really, because we were moving in opposite directions, had already passed each other. He didn't have to say anything. But he asked and I did. Pardon him. Because I could. I had the power.


Pardon Me | Graphic designed by and property of www.BakingInATorando.com | #Humor #MyGraphics


And there it was. Realization. I have the power. Of the pardon. And while I'm feeling generous, I intend to use it. 

  By the power vested in me, by no one in particular, it is my honor to pardon you:

~ Scanner. I'm not sure what the argument was about, but my scanner is currently not speaking to my laptop. I'm not one to interject myself in a fight that isn't mine, but how the hell did I end up being the one to suffer the consequences of this one? I'm innocent. Collateral damage. And damn, I need that scanner more when it doesn't work than when it does.

~ Snow, for not taking a hint. It settles on our driveway, gets shooed away, comes back, is thrown aside and just comes back again. Of course in the name of full disclosure I have to admit that it's pretty easy for me to do the pardoning, I'm not the one who runs the snowblower around here.

~ Grocery store, for being out of Chambord. Not just toilet paper and past, but Chambord. Don't get me wrong, I love Chambord, and nothing's going to stop me from replacing my bottle, I will hunt that stuff down near or far. But not finding it the first time resulted in my impulse buy of Bailey Strawberry and Cream, and aint nothing wrong with that.

~ Guy Fieri. Yes, I said it. That man is personally responsible for a good 10 pounds. Of mine. Every time I try to watch a show he hosts, I end up with a snack in my hand, and we're not talking celery here. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has made me weak, weighty and waddling.


Crispy Cod Fingers, for lunch or for dinner, fresh cod pieces are coated and fried in a skillet. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner

Crispy Cod Fingers
Crispy Cod Fingers, for lunch or for dinner, fresh cod pieces are coated and fried in a skillet. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner


~ Onions, the ultimate love/hate relationship. They make me cry, every time, are responsible for that meticulously applied mascara running all the way down my face. And although I pardon you, don't get your hopes up, you're still getting chopped.

~ Frizzy hair. We've been together for many years, joined at the head as we are. I pardon not of free will but out of sheer necessity. Because ripping it out or shaving it off being my only other options kinda leaves me no other choice.

~ Morning. Don't get me wrong, at my age I'm grateful every morning I wake up and get out of bed without breaking a hip. Thing is, I just don't see why morning has to come so . . . you know . . . early. But as long as I can keep getting up, morning will be pardoned.

~ People who sing off-key. This pardon was kinda mandatory since it includes me. But I have learned, through the years, that no matter what you sound like, when you gotta sing, you gotta sing. Especially now.

Under consideration but didn't make the list:
self check-outs
Mark Zuckerberg 
daylight savings time
last call 
parking lots


Not even considered:
viruses, any and all
taxes
potholes
politicians
Amazon
mosquitos 

Anything I missed?



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Crispy Cod Fingers      
                                                     ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Ingredients:
1# skinless Cod fillets
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika

about 1 cup vegetable oil

additional salt
OPT: Thousand Island dressing, tartar sauce and/or fresh lemon

Directions:
*Rinse the cod, pat it dry, and slice it into strips about 1 inch thick.
*Mix the flour with the salt and pepper on a dish.
*Whisk the egg with 2 TBSP water in a bowl.
*Mix together the cornstarch, dill, cayenne, and paprika on another dish.
*Dredge the fish, one piece at a time in the flour, then dip in the egg, then coat completely with the cornstarch. 
*Pour about 1/2 inch of oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium high until hot. If you gently drop a little cornstarch in the skillet and it sizzles, it's hot enough.
*Very carefully add the fish fingers to the skillet, try not to let them touch each other. Allow to cook, about 2 minutes, until they start to brown. If the oil sputters, turn the heat down just a little.
*Gently roll the fish fingers over and cook on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove to paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and allow to drain.
*OPT: serve with Thousand Island dressing or tartar sauce for dipping, and/or fresh lemon wedges to squeeze over the top of the fish.

12 comments:

  1. Clients who run hot and cold and then hot again get my pardon. Some let me come with precautions, some leave the house and let me clean then come back, some are scared and won't let me come over, some change their minds after i've scheduled something else. Oh, well, we are all flying by the seats of our pants on this one, so they are pardoned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand both sides of this issue, we were just talking last night about whether to stop our house cleaner from coming for a while. I hate to do that to her, she needs the money, but she is exposed to all the surfaces of all the houses she cleans.

      Delete
  2. Not even considered: people who don't keep social distance. People who think you need to learn a new language and do lots of online learning when all you want to do is stare into space for a couple of hours. People who dump hate on others in a local Facebook COVID-19 group. All the people who hoarded TP. No pardons for them. On the brighter side: There's nothing like crispy fried fish. There's a food truck here that makes it so good, but that darn Weight Watchers......Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've got quite a list there, and I'm on board with it all.

      Delete
  3. So many inconsiderate people around, I hope I am not one of them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now we're all stuck in our houses, we're less exposed to other people and their lack of consideration.

      Delete
  4. No, I think you covered the topic quite well. I would mention that we Tolleys no longer 'bow to the switch' to Mountain Daylight (or whatever the heck it is) because we've decided to throw our considerable weight (Due to Guy Fieri and others of his ilk) behind Mountain Virus Time. MVT It just seemed to fit...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At this point, for most of us, it doesn't matter what time it is. Or what day it is, or even what month it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      Delete
  5. I do love a good fish stick. Yum! This made me giggle and realize that I do NOT pardon and really should. This being "shut in" has left me edgy and less than generous feeling. Oh I'm not expressing it out loud, except right now, but I'm feeling it in my bones. There is also no pardon for the lazy you know what...beep beep bad named people that are tossing their dirty germ ridden gloves all over parking lots. Uh oh I feel a rant coming on.
    Bye Felicia

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like your list. I think my list of not pardoned would be a longer one

    ReplyDelete

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