Why do I do things that I don't like? It must be some weird psychological problem. I went for lunch at a Chinese/Malay restaurant, before I went to work. The menu has a mix of Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian dishes. I usually get the buffet, which has a nice mix of items, though they are usually empty pans with just a few vegetables in sauce when I get there, and they have to make stuff fresh. The food isn't really that good. Today I tried a Malaysian appetizer of lightly fried tofu, cucumbers, bean sprouts and carrots with a peanut sauce. I ordered this along with the buffet, which basically had no food on it other than soup. It read as delicious, so I thought I'd try it. The woman brought it out, and I took one taste of it, and it was terrible. I don't know if the oil they used was bad, but it sure tasted rancid. They treat me so nice there, that I didn't have the heart to tell them (it was only $3), so I asked her to wrap it to go, and I'd have it during my work break (of course, as soon as I was out the door and out of their line of vision, I threw it away... I thought it would smell up my car!). I sat in my car wondering why I went there again. I'm never happy with the food. The more I thought about it, I think it's because of the waitresses... I think they are sisters, and I believe they are Malaysian. They are always happy to see me, and remember what we talked about the last time I was there and follow up on the conversation. I think they may be the part of the family that owns the restaurant. The grandmother is one of the cooks, and their young children do their homework in one of the booths. (Once when I was there, one daughter was practising her violin in a corner!). It's a nice atmosphere. I usually go and write in my paper journal after I eat. When I decide I won't go back, something happens to make me change my mind. Today, one of the sisters asked me to bring in a menu from Panera Bread the next time I come, as she is interested because I work there! So now I have to go back! I feel obligated now. I don't want them worrying about what happened to me if I never show up again (they seem like the type who will!). Is this a good reason to keep going there? Should I put up with the so-so food, because the women are so nice? ARGH!

I crashed when I got home last night, so here's the Friday Five, one day late.

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith? I was baptised in the Greek Orthodox church. My family as a whole was not that religious. We didn't go to church on Sundays. But I went to different churches, just to see what it was all about. I would go to my friend's churches... I took bible classes at one church, and attended holiday services at another. It was fun.

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not? I don't really practise any faith now. When my parents died, we had their services in the Greek church, but that was it. I was kind of scared away by the hypocrisy of some of the religions. Certain people I know try to force their beliefs down my throat, and all that does is alienate me from what they are trying to say.

3. What do you think happens after death? I sure hope it isn't one big, black nothingness for eternity. We spend our whole life gathering memories, and then suddenly, they are gone. There should be some kind of storage, whether it's heaven or just a spiritual plane where your memories exist.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)? As silly as this may sound, I have always loved the "Blessing of the Animals".

5.Do you believe people are basically good? I used to believe that. I think it's harder to be good now. We have lost our innocence. People have so much going against them now, that the bad sometimes wins over the good.

Bill and I took a drive today to King of Prussia to have lunch with our good friend Kelly. We ate at a restaurant called "Champs". It was fun, because all the servers were dressed in costume. One girl had a great costume... she was dressed as Medusa, complete with a head of snakes! Our waiter was a Ninja. There was one poor guy, who made me giggle everytime he walked by our table. He has waited on us before, and I remember that he is one arrogant fella. He must be a weightlifter, because his upper body is very big and strong, while the rest of him tapers down to skinny legs. Well, he was dressed in shiny white tights, and a shiny white skintight shirt, and he was wearing a black cape with a white "S" on it. I couldn't get the thought out of my head that he was "Super Sperm"! It was cracking me up!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I just got home from the movies... we went with our friends Nino and Brandi. We saw "The Ring". I have to say, it was one of the scariest movies I have seen in a long time. It wasn't a gory scary, but a psychological scary. ***Spoiler Alert***... The seen with the horse on the ferry has to be one of the most horrifying scenes in a movie involving animals... It was so awful to watch, I hurt in my chest. "Cujo", the horse head in the bed in the "Godfather", even all those icky spiders in "Arachnophobia" didn't bother me as much as this one scene. I will have nightmares (no pun intended!) for a long time! I'm so glad they passed laws protecting animals in movies. Years ago, if they needed a horse to jump over a cliff, they would just make a horse jump over the cliff. I hope the horse in this movie wasn't hurt.

I worked at Panera Bread during lunch hour today. I usually don't work mid-week, but they had a corporate visitor auditing the store today, and they wanted to look like they are always well-staffed! I've been through corporate visits before in my past jobs, and I always get a kick out of them. Everyone is made to clean and pretty things up, and act like this is how it always is. Today was cool, though. Usually, if someone orders a hot drink (i.e. an espresso or latte, etc.), you take their cash, and leave the register to go make the drink. That slows things down immensely, but it's what you have to do. Today, everytime I needed a specialty drink, one of the managers got it for me! It was kinda funny, and I was irreverently telling the manager it should always be like that! (I'm always irreverent with this one manager... I guess he figures that's the way I blow off steam, and so far, he has put up with it!).

It's so dreary today, with this constant downpour of almost frozen rain. The roads aren't getting slick, but it's still messy. I hope it clears up for tomorrow... if there are any kids going trick or treating. This area is strange... they designate certain nights for you to take the kids. Instead of going out on Halloween, they make it the Friday night, so the kids don't have to worry about getting up early for school the next day. It's just part of the wussification of America. I loved dressing up for Halloween when I was a kid (I always seemed to be a hobo... that was my favorite costume. One year I shook things up and went as a Raggedy Ann doll), and there was something spookily exciting going out on Halloween night. Nowadays, you have to pretend it's Halloween. It's not right. It's bad enough that some places aren't safe enough for the kids and you have to take them to the mall to go from store to store for candy. Now they want you to go a different night!

We drove to Scranton early yesterday, as Bill had plans on going golfing with some of his friends. I forgot how much colder Northeast Pa is compared to where I live (though I am only 75 miles south of them!). I'm not sure how much of a good time Bill had, as it was so cold, they really couldn't concentrate. I guess it was more for the conversation and catching up with his friends.

I met my sister, and we did a little shopping. A.C. Moore had the cutest Christmas rubberstamps out now! I love snowmen! We also went to the new Target that recently opened. That store is the best! She bought my belated birthday present from there (my birthday is in July!). It was nice to pick out exactly what I wanted! She gave me a journal, a notebook, a funky purse,and a cool pen with fake tortoise shell on it. We also went to lunch at a very good Chinese restaurant. My sister did drive me a little crazy, though. She has a thing for Elvis! In her CD changer in her car, each slot is take up with an Elvis CD! I don't mind the guy, but over and over again, with different variations of the same song is a little too much! HA!

Bill received today in the mail a letter from the corporate office of the company he works for. It was regarding the Accidental Death & Dismemberment covereage available under the company's Life Insurance Plan. It reads:

"The exclusion for benefits regarding war previously read as follows:

Benefits will not be paid for accidental deaths or disabilities if the cause is related to the following:
6. Nuclear war, or war between the United States and any of the following countries: the states of the former Soviet Union, China, France, or the United Kingdom.

The exclusion will now read:

Benefits will not be paid for accidental death or disabilities if the cause is related to the following:

6. War or any act of war, declared or undeclared."

Isn't that nice of them? It's the changing world we live in and the insurance companies trying to save their ass.

Congratulations Anaheim Angels... 2002 World Series Champions!
You've made my husband a very happy fan!

Why is it when I know I have to wake up at 5am, I can't go to sleep until 2am? That's what happened to me yesterday. It's like my mind wants me to be absolutely exhausted before I start work! I had the long, morning shift yesterday. It was so incredibly busy... I don't know where all the people came from! I was a good little multi-tasker... dividing my time up between the cafe, the bakery and cleaning the dining room... I was a dynamo! I don't know where the energy came from, though.

There was this new guy... typical that they threw him right on a register with hardly any training. I felt bad for him, because I know what it's like being new there... everyone acts like they are nice, but no one really wants to help you. He was in the bakery, so when I wasn't busy, I went over and backed him up. I was so proud of myself though. I was making a cocoa with steamed milk (yummy!), when he asked me if I knew how to make vanilla lattes. If you asked me that 4 weeks ago, I would say no. But yesterday, I suavely replied, "Oh sure... they're easy... let me show you!" Oh yea... the mantle of "newbie" has fallen off my shoulders and onto his! It doesn't take much to get me to do the "happy dance"!

Bill came home from work last night, and of course we had to watch the World Series. There was a time when the Angels were scoreless while the Giants had 5 runs. My brother Pete, the bitter Cardinals fan, called up to rib us about it. I said just give it time. Of course, in my exhaustion, I fell asleep, but I was awoke by Bill's jubilant shouts that the Angels won. My mind was foggy, and I thought they had won the World Series. But no. I have to go through one more night of this! It's not easy living with a baseball fan!