As you can see by the above image, I’m getting ready for my 31 Day Challenge. As extra motivation, I’m linking up with a collection of blogs filled with folks who are also doing other types of 31 Day Challenges. Check out The Nesting Place linked over on the right in my blogroll (or click here – )
As you look to follow along my 31 day journey, use this page as your one-stop shop for everything. While I’ll be adding each day of the challenge to my blog, I’ll also be direct linking all 31 Days to the bottom of this original post to make sure there’s an easy way to keep track of everything.
Based on my poll results, it looks like my readers want everything but book recommendations (too bad, I’m a bookseller, so you’re getting some of those too….), so expect a very diverse month of posts inspired by the Halloween season. You’ll get everything from reviews, recommendations, recipes, craft ideas, costume ideas, interviews, and posts about all things that go bump in the night (among other things).
I’m very excited about this undertaking. Thanks for supporting me in my efforts to make this October a spooktacular one.
Also, if you like what you see and want to link up with me on your blog, feel free to use the image below -Happy Horror…Happy Haunting…Happy Halloween!
We are fast approaching my favorite month of the year – October! Why? Well, if you’re a horror buff like me, it’s only fitting for October to be such a wonderful month right? It’s the only month of the year that most people are prepared (and willing) to get scared. Because of that, I’m going to be participating in a very intense undertaking during the month of October. For every day of the month, I will post something on this blog. One day it could be a movie review, the next a picture of my daughter in this year’s Halloween costume. Who knows. You’ll just have to keep coming back each day for that day’s October offering. My intention is to cover as much as I can in terms of things that go bump in the night as well as things that fall in line with the spirit of Halloween. Also, with NaNoWriMo right around the corner in November, this will get me in writing shape to knock out those 50,000 words!
A post a day is a pretty daunting task, so before I get started, I was hoping to get some reader feedback. What types of things do you want to see this month? Take the poll, and let me know. That way, I can gear most of my content to the highest vote getters!
Happy Horror! (boy do I feel lame for saying that…)
I’m now on week four of unemployment, and while I have the itch to get back to work ASAP, I feel like I’m getting into a routine for the most part. Sure, I still haven’t learned to clean up as well as I would like (and as well as my wife would like I’m sure), but I think I have the fun and educational stuff down. Lily is napping right now, so I wanted to put up a little blog before I start picking up. Yesterday, I spent her entire nap time applying for jobs and writing cover letters. So today, I thought the ole blog needed some attention. In the coming days, expect some posts about cooking (I did some awesome cooking last week that only my iPhone camera, my wife, Lily, and I know about), weight loss (I’m back on the wagon and seeing results), and writing (I have a new found motivation, now I just need to find the time…plus NaNoWriMo is coming up!). Today though, I wanted to touch briefly on one of the things Lily and I have done recently: Baby playtime at the public library!
Lily and I have been three times, all with varying success. I will say that after three times, it is more fun for the parent if you go when you know another parent who is going. Lily and I went today without a friend and it just didn’t feel right. In fact, today’s trip wasn’t as fun and successful as I hoped, but Lily still had fun and we’re looking forward to going back again soon.
The playtimes at the Ann Arbor libraries consist of about 15 minutes of song and dance (which Lily loves the most), then 45 minutes of play. Our libraries have some great toys and activities. I know I always complain that I never really see my tax dollars at work, but the library programming is well worth it! Usually, Lily runs around like a wild animal and has an absolute blast (in fact, two weeks ago, she escaped the play room and ran half way through the library with little ole me chasing along). Today felt different though. Thinking back on it, I really think it had to do with quantity of children. This was the biggest group of the three playtimes we’ve been at, and I think Lily was simply overwhelmed. She essentially shied away from all the kids and played on her own, which is a bummer because I bring her to these activities mainly for socialization. If any of my readers have any ideas on less imposing socialization activities, drop me an e-mail or a comment.
The reason I called this blog “Infiltrating” is because as a stay-at-home Dad, I feel like I’m in the minority when it comes to these play groups. It is slightly overwhelming, but so far the group of mothers who attend the playtimes seem very welcoming and accommodating. They don’t necessarily strike up conversations with me or anything, but I don’t get dirty looks that question why I’m there, which is nice. We all share one thing in common and that’s our love for our children. I may still look like a fish out of water at times, but I’ll be a playtime pro in no time. Now, all I need to do is learn those damn songs so I can stop faking like I’m singing along.
Oh, two more coming attractions for future blog posts.
1) Lily and I checked out some potty training books, so you know what that means!
2) We’re coming pretty close to October, which is one of my favorite months. As a huge fan of Halloween, horror, and things that go bump in the night, I’m going to start featuring my picks and the like on this blog for a fright-filled October!
Lily is trying to take a nap right now, but I didn’t want to jump in the shower until I know she’s 100% asleep, so I’m going to write a quick blog instead. Sure, I should probably tidy up from our morning of fun (which included puppet shows, personal bubble makers, and other random acts of toddler mayhem), but I wanted to get a few things down on paper first. Then comes the shower. As an aside, it’s pretty weird to not take a shower until your daughter naps. While I don’t mind it, I’m so used to getting up, showering, and then going to work. Staying at home, applying for jobs, and playing with your daughter is a different kind of job, that’s for sure…a very fulfilling job (just wish it paid more).
So, as I was writing a thank you letter for this awesome company I interviewed with last week, I was listening to Queen on Spotify. I had a Greatest Hits album on random (protip: Spotify is awesome!), and this song came on. Note: there is swearing in this clip, but it’s one of the best movies ever, so it gets a pass from me. In fact, after listening to this clip while writing this blog, I want to make sure I watch Shaun of the Dead in the near future.
So, when “Don’t Stop Me Now” came on, I realized just how much Queen pumped me up. I was immediately transported back to a time when I was super motivated to write again. It felt inspiring; it felt good; it felt right. So, the next thing I know, I have over 1000 words written on my current WIP that has been festering in my head for a few months now. It involves a struggling company on the brink of bankruptcy (it’s not a book store chain, I promise) and zombies. I know zombies are so cliche these days, but I really like my idea, so I’m going with it. That’s all I’m going to say for now. I may post samples here from time to time if folks seem interested. The way to let me know is to comment in this blog thread. No pressure, though.
So, fast forward a couple days, and I’m at the Michigan football game where I watched the Wolverines face off against my alma mater, Eastern Michigan University. When halftime rolls around, EMU’s marching band came out and did a Queen medley. Holy Listen to the Universe Batman! It’s settled, I’m destined to write this zombie novel. It may be shit (I am rusty after a long time of only writing blogs, reviews, and features), but I don’t care. Unlike the other novel I wrote (which I have tried to forget – it’s about a fat guy who works for a book company – where do I get this crap?), this novel will see the light of day. It looks like I’m even joining a writing group soon, so double bonus points for me.
I’ve mentioned before that the only thing keeping me sane during the end days of Borders was maintaining the Babel Clash blog. I loved being the moderator there and I already miss it. The other guy who worked on the blog and I have plans to start up a new blog. We’ve been pretty incommunicado as of late because of current life circumstances (he’s back in the job world), but I do want to press on. I could make a blog with a cheesy wordpress or blogspot template and call it a day, but for this, I really want to do it right. There are a few blogs I look at on a regular basis and there’s no way I’ll ever be able to compete with them if I come out with a whimper. With the lack of capital coming in due to my current underemployment status, I was thinking of starting a Kickstarter campaign. I’m relatively familiar with the concept and have seen lots of punk bands use the service to fund albums, tours, etc. I got to thinking, if they can get their fans to chip in for that, can I convince a few folks who may know me from Babel Clash or the other blogs I’ve written for to pony up a bit to make a kick-ass blog? I have huge aspirations and ideas for it, but to accomplish everything I want to do, I’ll definitely need people’s help. So, here’s the question. Do you think in this world of online marketing and social media, I can get complete strangers to help me out? Before I approach the Kickstarter idea, I definitely want to see how much everything I want to do would cost. That also means that if you’re someone who knows how to design websites and you want to help out and see what I have in mind, get in touch. I’m only a blog comment away.
Well, sounds like The Sandman has finally defeated Lily’s willpower. Time for a quick shower and then some tidying up. I’m also going to try to make dinner before the Mrs. gets home too. Wish me luck! This all reminds me of some Mr. Mom stuff I’ll want to blog about later. ‘Til next time, remember to eat your vegetables.
That’s right. Just like David Cross, I’m addicted to chicken pot pie these days. Not just any chicken pot chicken pot chicken pot pie. Rachel was looking for healthier recipes to try and she came across this super easy (and healthy) recipe for chicken pot pie. And, if you’re like me (unemployed and hungry), this recipe is super cheap, hearty, and will last for days.
Ingredients –
1 Rotisserie Chicken (the recipe calls for cooked chicken breasts, but I think it’s easier and cheaper to use the rotisserie chicken)
1 bag frozen stewed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% Fat Free can because I want it to be healthier)
1 can chicken broth
1 ready to bake pie crust (feel free to make your own crust, but I’m going cheap and easy with this recipe.
pepper
Directions –
Take a 9×13 casserole dish and put the chicken meat in the bottom of the dish (you’ll have to peel it off the rotisserie chicken…and avoid the temptations of even the leftover cooked skin).
Next, put the bag of frozen stewed veggies on top of the chicken. No need to thaw them out.
In a separate bowl, mix the cream of chicken and chicken broth together until the chunks of cream of chicken are dissolved. Pepper to taste. I’m a huge fan of pepper, so I go crazy, but you don’t have to. After it’s peppered, pour the mixture on top of the chicken and veggies.
Then, unroll the pie crust. I know the crust is round the and dish is rectangular. Have no fear, simply cut off the excess on the edge and use it to fill in areas that weren’t covered by the crust yet.
Once you have the crust how you like it, make sure to poke some holes or carve some designs into it. That’s an important step (and a good way to let your creative juices/frustrations fly).
Then, place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for an hour. Let sit for a few minutes, and enjoy.
Like I said, it’s a very simple recipe, and there are plenty of opportunities to edit and make your own. Now that I’m Mr. Momming it around the house, I prefer quick and easy, while still relatively healthy.
The way I prepared it above averages out to about $10-$12 for the entire casserole dish. We seem to get about eight or servings out of this recipe, so like I said before cheap, easy, healthy, tasty, and filling.
Chicken pot pie with a side of Sam Adams
I don’t have the points calculations in front of me, but if you’re on Weight Watchers like me and are interested, hit me up and I’ll let you know.
Now, a question to my readers – do you have cheap, easy, and healthy food options that you’d like to share? Rachel and I are always looking to beef up our repertoire!
I’ve been listening to Wesley Willis this evening, and when the song “The Vultures Ate My Dead Ass Up” came on, I immediately thought about the liquidation of Borders. Borders is a carcass, and the folks shopping in the stores (and the liquidators and the consultants and the lawyers and all the other scumbags who make out like bandits while the brand I love goes down in flames) are the vultures picking everything they can off the bones of Borders. In one of our meetings pre-liquidations when we were still moving forward with the business (so this was probably March and April), our CEO said something along the lines of the only people who make money on a liquidation are lawyers and consultants. He was right for the most part. Anyways, I’m starting to go off the rails a bit. Time to get back on. So, Wesley Willis made me think of the liquidation which made me think about my experiences.
There are several blogs and posts and Facebook posts out there highlighting the store experience through this whole thing, but no one has really spoken out about the home office experience. In a word or two, the experience was absolutely soul-sucking. While I was honored to be chosen as part of the team to help wind down the merch operations for Borders, I can’t deny each day I went in after the major layoff of July 29th was a complete blow to my psyche and spirit. After I got the allocations done for the day, we were given other “wind down” projects, which essentially were tasks to pack up and close up shop on a 40-year-old franchise that I cared for dearly.
Before I get going though, let me backtrack. I wasn’t actually in the office when Najafi withdrew his offer to buy Borders. All I know is that happened on a Thursday, and for the rest of the week, I was glued to my phone hoping to get any positive news nugget about Borders. Nothing positive came, and the day after my birthday, I learned Borders was going out of business. Happy Birthday to me, right? Sure, there was a Hail Mary pass to Books-A-Million, but it was broken up in the end zone (can you tell I’ve been watching football today?).
My first major “wind down” task was cleaning out offices and cubes of our fallen comrades. I honestly went from cube to cube, office to office making sure they were all cleaned out and all saleable (sp?) items (paper clips, pens, etc.) were collected for the liquidators. I shit you not, they even sold our used office supplies. Some of the cubes were cleaned already, and some had rotting food in them (that was a gross day), and no matter what, I busted my ass because I was still a Borders employee and because I wanted to make sure Borders was treated with the proper respect in its last days…even when I was cleaning out blueprints of all the old stores. I think it was that moment when everything hit me the most. Until that point, I was in denial and okay with being in denial. But, when you’re cleaning out and organizing old blue prints, it’s kind of hard to hide from it any longer. Thankfully, that was my last task as a Borders employee. If that was first, my last four weeks at the home office would have been harder.
Not all my last four weeks were bad though. It’s still Borders and the people are still top-notch. We all rose above the circumstances and displayed the traits that made Borders employees so awesome. Hell, I even found a Clifford the Big Red Dog costume while cleaning. I bet they didn’t find that in Circuit City when they were packing up shop there. The one weird thing about my last four weeks though had to be how open everyone was about looking for a new job. It almost seemed wrong, but hey, after our time was up at home office, it was time to pound the pavement. I had a few decent leads in those four weeks. Unfortunately none of those leads came through (I’m okay with that with the exception of one of those jobs – that rejection was a bitter pill). Luckily, I have some more leads, so here’s to hoping I’m employed sooner rather than later. To add to the weirdness of looking for a job while working, it is even weirder to be going up against my friends and colleagues on several jobs. It’s just natural that happens considering 400 ish folks lost their jobs in the same month or so, especially when it wasn’t by choice. Add to that, most of us have similar experience and skill sets. It’s great for potential employers. They really do have the pick of the litter, but it’s hard knowing I’m competing with friends. I just have to keep my big boy pants on and keep on trucking.
This may be my last post specifically about the liquidation or Borders. Sure Borders will always be a part of me, but I’m not sure how many of these posts I have in me. We’ll see. I will be writing some more blogs on here in the future, especially when I get back to writing and losing weight. Plus, one of my co-workers and I still have plans of starting up a new blog.
As a parting shot, I took a few snaps of Borders HQ in my last few days (some good, some bad). Since this is my final official post on the subject, I’m going to include them here after the jump