Random Thought Thursdays

-In expecting the worst; hoping for the best news: I’m pretty sure that we will have to reschedule our trip to Spain . . . again. Looks like no family reunions, no tapas, and no half-marathon in Madrid.

-I can somewhat understand the hesitancy in getting vaccinated against COVID, but why the hesitancy in wearing a freaking mask in public spaces? No one seems to have an issue with this:

-I’m thinking about registering for a half-marathon right after NYC Marathon (if it is still happening) to avoid post-marathon depression.

-Speaking of half marathons: I was planning on running a small (entries capped at 30), local half marathon this weekend, but it was canceled due to the rising COVID-delta cases. While I’m a bit annoyed, I totally understand the decision.

-Ever have a 15-ingredient Bloody Mary?

-It’s kind of funny (I guess) how much restaurants mark up their food. Below is a pic from last weekend’s brunch when I ordered a crab cake eggs Benedict. However, I ordered a side of homefries (an extra $10), which should have been included with the meal (IMO).

Y’all think this serving of potatoes is worth 10 bucks? How much does one potato go for? According to a quick search on Instacart, a 3 pound bag of potatoes is around 4 bucks. I had low-key “boycotted” this restaurant for about 3 years, but forgot the reason why. Now, I think I remember. Overpriced BS and SUPER loud music.

-While I’m going off about this restaurant. The waiter asked me if I wanted poached eggs for the Benedict. Ummm. . . .how else does one prepare eggs Benedict?!!!

-Is playing super loud music in a restaurant another scam to make folks purchase more drinks and/or prevent them from lingering once they’ve finished their meal?

-This is so true as I’m beginning to hit 2+ minute planks.

90 Day Fiance rant:

If you have been following this thing for a while, you may know that 90 Fiance and its 80 millions spin offs have been a guilty, trashy reality tv pleasure of mine. A few (of many) things that have annoyed me about this show.

-Why do many of the US citizens on this show think that it’s every non-US citizen’s dream to live in the US? Is this American arrogance or ignorance? Don’t get me wrong, on this show, there are definitely a few cases where folks are doing this just for the Green Card.

One example. An American woman lost a bunch of weight and had a fun girl vacation in Jamaica to celebrate her weight loss. Of course, she had TOO much fun and got pregnant by a Jamaican fellow. However, she’s upset that the guy does not want apply for a K1 visa, move to the States, and get married. Doing the K1 visa (aka fiance visa) means you have to get married within 90 days.

-Why do some of the Americans get pissed when the fiances cannot financially contribute to the household during the K1 visa process? One cannot (legally) work while on the K1 visa. Even after the wedding/marriage, the immigrant still has to wait (1-6 months) for the status adjustment process is completed before he/she can work.

-On the flip side, they show rarely tells us what the US citizens do for a living . . . if anything

-I think it’s a bit unfair that the show/TLC only pays the US citizens, and it’s up to them if they want to split the money with their fiances.

-For the immigrants who do not speak English, why don’t they take ESL classes since they cannot work during the 90 days? What else are they doing all day? Same goes for the US folks that go to another country (e.g. 90 Day Finace: Before the 90 Days and 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way). If I’m going to live in another country for a few months (or more), I’m definitely going to learn some phrases that would be useful in my new country (e.g. where’s is the bathroom, how much is a gin-soda, can I add homefries to that). Hell, I still remember how to ask for the restroom in French, and I was only there for a few days 12 years ago – Ou sont les toilettes?

Random Question of the Day:

-Lately, my Facebook and LinkedIn feeds have been blowing up with folks getting new jobs. If you recently switched jobs/careers, when did know that it was time to move on? For instance, what was the straw that broke the camel’s back?

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17 comments

    • I guess everything is bigger in Texas. 😉 Now, can you select which breakfast sandwich will be the “garinsh” for the Bloody?

      I’m not a huge tomato juice fan myself, but there is so much stuff in this Bloody that you can’t really taste the tomato juice.

      Liked by 1 person

      • That’s fair. To be honest, I’ve only had this Bloody Mary about 3-4 times in the 19 years that I have been in NYC. I’m more of an 2-3 ingredient cocktail of guy. In fact, I’m guy that asks the bartender/wait staff to remove ingredients from posh cocktails.

        An example
        Me: is the gold rush cocktail really sweat?
        Waiter: Yeah.
        Me: Could you make the cocktail without honey and rosemary-infused (or maybe it was basil) simple syrup.
        Waiter: So you just want bourbon with lemon juice?
        Me: YUP!

        Liked by 1 person

  1. Thanks for explaining the 90 days fiance, i didn’t know they had to get married in 90 days, but haven’t really watched the show. my guilty pleasure is bravo housewives, or have fallen into catfish episodes and then have to watch to the end to see the outcome. 😉 also potatoes for 10 bucks is highway robbery!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I think the earlier seasons of 90 Day Fiance were better because the couples were a bit more authentic. Now, it seems that TLC casts for drama and ignorance, which I guess makes for great reality TV. You can tell that many of the couples are faking drama in hopes of doing another season (e.g. 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After) or their own spin off. Damn you, COVID for adding another trashy reality TV to my watch list.

      I’ve been watching RHoA and RHoP. I have not been able to get into the other RH shows. Well, I lie, I watched RHoNJ for a couple of seasons.

      Like

  2. $10 for potatoes? Um no… I’m not an ala carte person, I expect sides with the price of my meal. Jason and I went to DC a few years ago and tried out Capital Grille and after having to order my mashed potatoes separate from my chicken and dropping like $150 for a meal for two it was like no way was this worth it. Now Georgia Brown’s where we dropped close to $150 included sides and definitely made their food worth the price… especially the Jack Daniels chocolate ice cream sundae.

    Eggs benedict is always poached eggs in my book… then again I was once asked when I ordered chicken how I’d like it cooked… um done? Is there any other safe way to eat it?

    If I get a job offer this fall (talks began the end of spring but the company is going through a big update with the software’s latest version and is pretty busy this quarter I was told) and decide to leave my current job it’ll primarily be due to always feeling like my coworker and I are the last to know anything in the department even when it directly affects us and just feeling stale/unmotivated with lack of opportunities to grow in my knowledge after 5+ years doing the job.

    Liked by 1 person

    • 1. 100% correct. I was under the assumption that the dish was going to come with at least ONE side . . . even a raggedy side salad that has a couple strips of shredded lettuce My neck of the woods is becoming more and more gentrified (I guess technically, I’m a gentrifier too) so quite a few businesses have been taking advantage of this and jacking up prices.

      2. What you do not like chicken tartare? 😉

      3. I also feel like I’m the last to know things (or my opinion does not count) regarding a program that I direct. The job description should have had the title program manager or program coordinator instead of program director.

      Keeping my fingers crossed for your new opportunity.

      Liked by 1 person

      • On the topic of food while I complain about ala carte places and wanting more food included with my meal, I also feel like places should offer a “small portion” option. There is only one restaurant I’ve been to in my area that does that. Then I wouldn’t feel obligated to stuff myself to make something worth the money particularly when I’m on vacation and am not going to have a means to heat up leftovers. A place in New Hampshire had a “small portion” option for the fish & chips I ordered and even ordering that I was given 2 huge pieces of fish… who knows what the full sized portion would’ve been??

        Ok fancy pants I had to google chicken tartare because I never heard of it and no, I definitely wouldn’t risk eating raw chicken! I’ve eaten questionable/likely expired things before (I go buy if it looks/smells fine then the date doesn’t matter normally) but not going to push my luck with that.

        My job title is workforce specialist. If you look up job descriptions for this at most places it consists of not just forecasting call volumes and creating schedules but analyzing the data to make suggestions on schedules to help reach call metric goals. There is legit no analyzing in my job; it’s basically just doing what I’m told and if I try to offer suggestions a lot of times it’s just brushed aside. I also do a lot of tasks that “real” workforce specialists don’t do like maintain people’s attendance records, handle their time cards, etc. While the work isn’t that bad it also doesn’t give me a full skill set and I feel like to apply for a different workforce specialist position I wouldn’t be as qualified/experienced in what I need to be despite doing the job for over 5 years.

        Liked by 1 person

      • I 100% agree with a small portion option. Back when I was actually watching how much I ate, I would ask a server to bring a to-go box as soon as I ordered my food. That way, I could put half in the to-go box. After 30 days into intermittent fasting, I would find that I would be stuffed after eating only half of my food especially in traditional American restaurants.

        Wait! Chicken tartare is a thing? I was saying that as a joke. In the few instances that undercooked chicken was brought to our table, my mom would say I guess we’re having chicken tartare today.

        “While the work isn’t that bad it also doesn’t give me a full skill set and I feel like to apply for a different workforce specialist position I wouldn’t be as qualified/experienced in what I need to be despite doing the job for over 5 years.”
        This how I feel about my current professional situation. After doing this job for the past four years (well technically four years in October), I do not feel like there is anything new I can learn.

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  3. I’m trying to guess which brunch spot burned you like this. Is it on Frederick Douglass south of 125th? Bc I have a few contenders there.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Care to share? 😉 Perhaps, I have had similar experiences with some of the Frederick Douglass spots.

      You are close, Harlem Social (126 and Lenox) is the place that I’m talking about. I kind of see it as a second option to Red Rooster, which is across the street. Many folks go to Harlem Social when the wait for a table is too long at Red Rooster.

      Like

  4. Is Spain changing its entry requirements or the US its re-entry? I’m sorry this is so stressful! It’s stressful enough just doing a half!

    Hvar er snyrtinga – there’s where are the toilets in Icelandic …

    I’ll tell you why I left my last job (to turn my side-hustle into full-time self-employment). We used to be allowed to celebrate 21st and 60th birthdays by going to the person’s office for like 10 minutes with a cake etc at tea break time. So a couple of people had a 30th and we did it for them. SHOCK HORROR this is NOT ALLOWED. I was turning 40 the next January and put in my notice in the December. If I can’t have a birthday, I will leave. OK, we also got deskilled and our jobs got even more dull, but that’s the thing I remember!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Is Spain changing its entry requirements or the US its re-entry? I’m not sure just yet, but we know these things can change within days.

      Such intense birthday rules. I’m getting to the point in my current position where I feel that I’m becoming more deskilled.

      Liked by 1 person

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