Soap or Soup: Fly on the Wall

Welcome to our monthly Fly on the Wall, a blog post written in snippets. Marcia, Diane, and I invite you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes, at our writing desks, and in our worlds. Come on in, buzz around, see what we've been up to. Bet you laugh! 

Hubs was leaving for work and, as he always does, asks me if I need anything while he's out. I rarely do, but I'd been having trouble finding eggs and we were running low so I aked him, if he was going to be near a grocery store, to see what he could find.

Later, I hear him coming in through the garage door and hanging his coat up in the closet.

Hubs (calling from the hallway): Guess what I got?

Me (calling back from the den): Eggs?

Hubs: No, even better.

Me: Better? what did you get?
Hubs: Munchkins.

Me: Ummm . . . like little people?

Hubs: No, like donut holes.

That IS better, but I don't think I'll be scrambling them for breakfast any time soon.

Later that week, he was leaving again.

Hubs: I'm going into the office for a little while, do you need anything?
Me: Yes.

Hubs: OK, I'll stop on the way home, what do you need?
Me: Summer.

Hubs' tire needed air and the pump was broken at the gas station where he usually goes. He wasn't sure where he should try next. I suggested googling it. 

Hubs: I found a place that's close, but I can't picture it. It says it's at the corner of 120th and Jones.

Me: Yes, you know the place.

Hubs: I do?

Me: Yes, if you go up Jones, it's on the left, there's a gas station and a few store fronts. You used to get your hair cut there.

Hubs: I never got my hair cut at a gas station.

OK, now do you see what I'm dealing with here?

A fly, a few days ago, would have seen me giggiling now and then, for no apparent reason.

I had been reading a book on my Kindle and I was starting to question whether English was the writer's first language. Some of the wording seemed odd. I wasn't quite sure until:

Either this book was taking a sharp turn into some kind of kink, or somethng here has gotten lost in the translation.

But it really was funny.

Hubs had an early morning meeting in the next town over, and it just so happens there's a Dunkin' drive-thru on the way home. I've already mentioned that he'd brought some of their Munchkins home a few weeks ago.

I was in our office on our bank website paying bills when I noticed, in our account, a debit for that day. At Dunkin'.

Hubs comes home, I can't see him from the office, but I hear him hanging up his coat.

Hubs (calling out from the hallway): I have

Me (interrupting him): I know.

Hubs: You know?

Me: I know.

Hubs: What do you know?
Me: You stopped at Dunkin'.

Hubs: How do you know that?

Me: I have ESPN.

Hubs: You mean ESP.

Me: I know.

Caramel Apple Crumble

Later that afternoon, Hubs came in after having run a few errands. I had been in the kitchen, finally trying out a recipe (for a Caramel Apple Crumble with Rolo candies melted inside) that had been running around in my head.

Me (talking to Hubs as he hung up his coat): I made a pie.

Hubs: I know.

Me: How do you know?
Hubs: I know.

Me: Do you have ESPN too?
Hubs: No, I have a nose.

 

Hubs was at work, I knew he was busy, had a lot of paperwork to do, a meeting, and a few client appointments, so I was surprised, midmorning, to get a text from him:

Hubs: I forgot before I left the house, can you put some soup in the shower?

Me: Interesting, is that something kinky?
Hubs. Oh, umm, soap.

Me: Less interesting . . . but still could be kinky.

I had made a big pot of my Crockpot Italian Soup. After dinner, I put the leftovers into containers to freeze. The spare freezer is in the basement, in a room off of the man cave, so whenever Hubs plans to go downstairs in the evening, he takes whatever I want moved to the freezer.

Hubs: Do you want me to take the leftover soup downstairs?
Me: Yes, unless . . .

Hubs: Unless?
Me: Well, unless you'd rather take it up to the shower.

Hubs: Very funny.

Me: Maybe after you run out to the gas station to get your hair cut . . .

I still order many shelf items for pick up from the local grocery store. It's a lot easier for me to just go in personally for the meat and perishables.

Hubs: Is our grocery order ready? I can head out now.

Me: I ordered them for Tuesday, like I always do.

Hubs: And . . . 

Me: I'm pretty sure today's only Monday.

Hubs: Oh yeah, I don't have to go until tomorrow.

Me: Either that or take a blanket and a pillow. 

I teased Hubs about his soap/soup text, but I (as usual) had one of those kinds of texts myself recently.

Me: What is your current jail status?

PurDude: I'm at home, no orange jumpsuit and no bars on the door.

I didn't realize what I'd typed until I read his answer. So, the back story:

PurDude had our address listed on most of his paperwork. He's updated, but his health insurance keeps getting overlooked. His 2024 health insurance card had come here so I was going to send it. Until he said that he couldn't get into his mailbox.

I asked when that would be fixed, and he said he only gets mail on Hanukkah and his birthday, so he wasn't going to bother. After multiple arguments and knowing, since I got the EOBs from when he went to urgent care in November, he'd be getting bills he should not ignore, I started arguing with him about reporting the issue. He finally agreed, and I was waiting to send him his insurance card until I knew he could receive it. 

So, mail. I wasn't asking about his jail status (yikes), I was trying to ask about his current mail status.

 

Now click on the links below and see what my friends have to share:

Menopausal Mother   

On the Border

Caramel Apple Crumble

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pie crust and 1 TBSP flour OR a frozen deep dish pie crust

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

12 Rolo candies, unwrapped

5 tart or semi-tart apples, I use Braeburn or Cosmic Crisps

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP caramel syrup

1/2 tsp orange zest

2 TBSP flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp apple pie spice blend

Directions

*Freeze the Rolos. If using a frozen pie crust, defrost the crust.

*Mix together the butter, 1/2 cup flour, and the brown sugar until it comes together. Roll into plastic wrap and refrigerate.

*Place a large piece of tin foil on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

*If using a refrigerated or fresh pie crust: spread 1 TBSP flour over the pie crust. Flip the crust over into a deep dish pie pan so the flour is on the bottom. Fit the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Crimp the edges.

*Peel, core, and cut the apples into 16 slices each. Mix with sugar, caramel syrup, orange zest, remaining flour, salt, and the apple pie spice blend. Place about 1/3 of the apples into the prepared crust, just covering the bottom. Mix the frozen rolos into the remaining apple mixture and spread evenly onto the apples in the crust.

*Place the pie on the tin foil in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Just before the 30 minute mark, remove the butter mixture from the refrigerator and slice (it will crumble).

*Remove the pie from the oven, leaving the oven on. Dot the butter mixture onto the top of the pie. Use a pie shield to cover the edges of the crust. Return the pie to the oven for 25 - 35 minutes, depending on how soft you like your apples.

*Cool to warm or room temperature before slicing.

Nineteen Little Monkeys: Word Counters

 

Counting my words again.

Today my fellow Word Counters and I are sharing our monthly group post. Each month, one group member picks a number between 12 and 50. All participating bloggers are then challenged to write something (or a few somethings, as the case may be) using that exact number of words. Today we share what we all came up with.

 This month's number is 19. 
It was chosen by Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings.

As I've been doing in these Word Counters posts, I've chosen a theme and am using my word count multiple times in keeping with the theme. This month I've chosen to take my cue from the number Mimi chose, 19, and its current significance in this country. 

Nineteen Little Monkeys (The Devils Go Down to Georgia)

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

knew they lost, so tried to cheat,

but Georgia saw red.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

conspired together to act on the,

lies that they had spread.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

instead of treason, red. white and blue 

you should have bled.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

forced to show up in Georgia, take

a picture they'd dread.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

few afraid of court so took,

a deal. Guilty, they plead.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head.

Karma is a bitch, they say,

let's talk about what's ahead.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

no more desserts for you,

soon it'll be gruel and bread.

Caramel Apple Peanut Butter Bars

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

forget those billable hours, you'll

make license plates for pennies instead.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

especially in the showers best,

be careful how you tread.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

guess you'll soon be sleeping on,

a hard steel bunk bed.

~ Nineteen little monkeys,

not right in the head,

hope you like your new roommate,

soon you will be wed.

Here are links to the other Word Counters posts:

On the Border 

Messymimi’s Meanderings 

Caramel Apple Peanut Butter Bars         
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 stick margarine, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

6 (about 3.5 oz total) Snickers fun sized candy

1/2 Honeycrisp apple

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup apple or caramel apple flavored breakfast cereal

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.

*Cream the margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and peanut butter. Mix in the flour and salt to form a dough. Press into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, but leave the oven on.

*While the crust is in the oven, cut each candy into 5 slices. Peel, core, and chop the apple into small pieces.

*Sprinkle the chopped candy over the crust, followed by the chopped apple, then the cereal. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the entire top.

*Bake for about 35 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Cool on the counter for 1/2 hour, then refrigerate to cool completely before cutting.

The Apple Bites Back: Word Counters

 

Counting my words again.

 

Today my fellow Word Counters and I are sharing our monthly group post. Each month, one group member picks a number between 12 and 50. All participating bloggers are then challenged to write something (or a few somethings, as the case may be) using that exact number of words. Today we share what we all came up with.

 This month's number is 45. 
It was chosen by Diane of On the Border.

As I've been doing in these Word Counters posts, I've chosen a theme and am using my word count multiple times in keeping with the theme. This month I've chosen the theme The Apple Bites Back.

 

 

~ Can an apple frustrate you for a day? A week? A month? I lived all of these years not realizing just how aggravating an apple can be. Now I know. And although this story has an acceptable ending, the beginning and middle? Not so much.

~ It started with changing cell providers. They rewarded us well. I wrote about all of the perks in my post Swag Bag Sister Wife. One of them was free Apple TV, which sometimes had the only rights to a Red Sox game. Sign me up!

~ The cell store clerk had Hubs to set up an Apple account, associate it with their free offer, and just in time to get the first Sox game Apple TV was showing. Signed into the IPad app (for later use), and watched via our Roku.

~ First sign of trouble, whenever I got on my IPad, it asked if I wanted to sign in as Hubs. Nope, declined. A month later, Apple sent Hubs an email saying our free month was over and we had to pay to continue. Wait. What? 

~ At game time Apple TV wouldn't let us in. Cell provider app showed us as active on Apple TV, but Apple would not recognize the login we'd set up. We missed the game. I started a DM with the cell provider.

~ The customer service agent worked with me for two days via DMs. We had to delete Hubs' original Apple account, set up a new one with his personal email, connect that to the cell account, and we were good to go. Or so it seemed.

~ Got onto the channel. Yay. It required payment to watch. Boo. Three days, more cell account reps and a trip to a cell store, nothing. THEY promised us free TV, THEY, not us, had the Apple agreement, but told us to deal with Apple ourselves.

~ Hubs drove to the store where he'd originally signed up for the cell service. Yes! Five time's the charm. They deleted Hubs' second Apple account, signed us up for the free TV using my IPad account, and we had Apple TV. For reals this time.

~ Then I tried to updating an IPad app. It would not allow me to unless I signed in as Hubs' original Apple account, now deleted, nonexistent. Which, of course, it wouldn't recognize. What else wouldn't it let me do? Download any app. Oh, HELL no!

~ So, my IPad in hand, Hubs ended up at the Apple store after all. After explaining the whole loooong story to the rep there, who answered with "you need to see a tech, I'm just the door guy," Hubs got an appointment. In an hour. 

~ When granted an audience with an actual tech, Hus once again explained the whole long story, then he turned my IPad over. The tech did his tech stuff and looked at Hubs. Good news: he could delete the nonexistent account and restore my IPad. BUT . . .

~ Bad news: although I could then use the IPad as before, wiping Hubs' original Apple account would . . . wait for it . . . lose us Apple TV. We'd come full circle. Full nauseating, frustrating circle. We bit the apple and that damn apple, it bit us back. Again.

Apple Gingerbread Cheesecake Parfait

~ But why? The TV used my Apple account and I'd deleted the app from my IPad, so there should be no association. But the tech was adamant, I had to choose. I waived the white flag, give me my IPad, take your freakin' Apple TV.

~ Confused though, I checked and was right, we still had Apple TV. Hubs drove home feeling good. My IPad had relinquished authority back to me. It worked! Apple TV worked!. Unfortunately, when he got here he realized that one of our garage doors . . . did not.

Here are links to the other Word Counters posts:

On the Border 

Messymimi’s Meanderings 

Apple Gingerbread Cheesecake Parfait         
                                   ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 4):
1 Milky Way candy bar

1 TBSP butter

1 apple

1 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

10 oz cream cheese, softened

3 TBSP apple juice

5 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups gingerbread, chopped 

      My Caramel Apple Gingerbread recipe HERE

Directions:
*Place the candy bar in the freezer for 30 minutes, then take out, chop, and set aside.

*Core, peel, and chop the apple. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the apple, 1 TBSP sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, just until the apple starts to soften. Refrigerate to cool.

*Beat the cream cheese with the apple juice, 5 TBSP sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. 

*Divide the chopped gingerbread into the bottom of 4 short (8 oz) rocks or juice glasses. Press lightly.

*Add an apple layer onto the gingerbread. Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture onto the apple layer.

*Top with the chopped candy pieces. Refrigerate.

 

Escaping Troubled Waters

 

Maybe I'm easily amused.

Or maybe I'm in desperate need of being amused. Especially given the train wreck that is our current political climate. A wreck we cannot look away from despite the calming lull of apathy, for fear that apathy could kill any hope of survival. So it isn't too tall a leap to think I just might like something bright and shiny (and nontoxic) to divert my thoughts.

An escape, so to speak. From troubled waters.

One that came, the other day, in the form of planes, trains, and automobiles. Oh, and a row boat added in for good measure.

It started with a social media post, made on a Boston based page that had somehow made it into my newsfeed. And the post showed up right when I was trying to decide whether to shut off the news, or throw the remote through the screen. Serendipity.

You all know I'm originally from Boston, so I'm very familiar with Boston University, the Charles River, Cambridge, and the BU bridge. So I was intrigued that the first of the facts listed was that the BU bridge is the only place in the world where you could fly in a plane, over cars, over a train, over a row boat. That'll capture your attention.

 

That and maybe the irony of the momentary diversion from a train wreck involving an actual train.

But is it true? Or have you got a bridge you'd like to sell me?

Yeah, it's the bridge for sale thing. Sort of.

Turns out (thanks again, google) that the BU bridge is actually one of three where you can row under planes, trains, and automobiles, if you're inclined to do that sort of thing. For me, I think it's probably safer to exercising my imagination in the kitchen below a ceiling rather than exercising my arm muscles below tons and tons of steel.  

Caramel Apple Gingerbread

Oh, in case you're wondering, the other two bridges are in Oregon and Portugal. Most likely not for sale though, if anyone offers.

 

Now yes, I know that fascinating facts . . . well, even if they don't turn out to be wholly true . . . don't do anything to change our political climate. But it can be a fun escape. 

Handcuffs and police plane optional.

Caramel Apple Gingerbread         

                                                                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 apple

1 cup apple juice

1 stick butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup caramel syrup

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp ginger

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/ cup caramel baking bits

OPT: sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or top with whipped cream and/or caramel syrup for serving

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 X 11 baking dish.

*Core, peel, and chop the apple into small pieces.

*In the microwave, heat the apple juice until hot, about 1 1/2 minutes.

*Beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and caramel syrup. Beat in the eggs.

*Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt, and mix well. 

Next, mix in the hot juice, and keep mixing until completely incorporated then the chopped apple and caramel baking bits.

*Spread evenly into the baking dish and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the center springs back to the touch.

*Allow to cool before topping and/or slicing.