- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Chicken parmesan and broccoli
Every once in a while I hear something in the news that makes me shake my head in bewilderment. From spring to fall, crab processing plants are normally busy on the Eastern Shore, picking the meat from blue crabs and packaging it for restaurants and retail markets. The crab meat is used for crab cakes, soups, dips, etc., all across the country. Unfortunately, most of the plants were unable to open this season due to a lack of workers. That's right, even with unemployment numbers at record highs, apparently nobody wants to work there.
Roughly twenty years ago the number of workers got so low, the plants had to turn to hiring temporary foreign workers through a visa program. However, the government caps the number of foreign workers to 66,000 annually, and the businesses cannot file requests for the workers more than 120 days before they're needed. So this year, before the crabbing season started, other businesses like construction, landscaping, and tourism snapped up all the foreign workers, leaving the crab processing plants high and dry.
The plants have held recruiting events and job fairs, but only a handful of people showed up. They've also tried temp agencies, but the folks quit soon after being trained. It seems it's a dirty job, and nobody wants to do it. As a result, lots of people are hurting. Many of the plants think being closed this season will cause them to go out of business permanently. Restaurants and stores can't get the local crab meat they need for their customers. Watermen aren't sure what's going to happen if the picking houses are still closed when crabs are at their peak in a couple months.
This whole situation seems really messed up to me and makes me sad for my country.
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Snow crab
If you don't have a pet, here's what you're missing. Yesterday a crazy storm went through for a few minutes, but it was long enough to knock out my power and cable. The power came back on after a few hours, but the cable was out all night. I flipped on a radio in my bedroom and figured it would be a good time to get my coupons together for today's trip to the grocery store. I have one of those small cardboard accordion-file organizers that I keep them in. I pulled out expired ones and started clipping some new ones. I saw my cat, Oscar, jump up on the bed with me, but I really wasn't paying any attention to what he was doing. The next thing I knew, he took off like a bat out of hell, and there were coupons flying all over my bedroom, with the window a/c and ceiling fan helping out. I was totally dumbfounded by the fluttering paper rain and the strange banging sounds Oscar was making as he tore down the stairs. By the time I got down there, he was nowhere to be found, but the other cats ratted him out, and I located him hiding under the living room sofa. Then I found my poor coupon organizer, empty and torn, on the dining room floor. I can only guess that when he saw the stretchy band fastener, he thought it was one of my hair bands and it was too much of a temptation to resist. I'm sure he was shocked when he grabbed the band with his mouth and the attached organizer followed him. LOL
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Healthy Choice - Honey Ginger Chicken
If you've never had the pleasure of an older person calling you for help with operating something electronic, let me give you a taste of what that's like.
So, how do I get it to do that?
Press the select button.
What?
Press the sel--
Huh? I can't hear you.
Turn Down The Volume On The TV.
What?
TURN DOWN THE VOL--
Huh? Wait a minute. Okay, what?
TURN DOWN THE VOLUME!
You don't have to yell.
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Steak and sauteed peppers, onions, & mushrooms
I had what was probably the most fun I've ever had at work today. We spent about an hour playing games. It was a combo summer kick-off/support the troops event. In exchange for donating an item for the troops overseas, we got time away from our jobs. There was a big room set up with tables and various board games; even Twister was there. I chose Trivial Pursuit, 80s Edition. I've played a few of the versions before, but never that one. I love Trivial Pursuit, but rarely get to play because you really need a group to get a good game going. (There's some alliteration for ya ) Six of us played as two groups of three, and my team won. Apparently the 80s is my decade, baby! Yes, I really did know that the former One Life to Live actress who went on to play a ditzy blonde on Newhart was Julia Duffy, and that the only cast member of Night Court to win an Emmy was John Larroquette. See? All those years of watching TV finally paid off at work. 
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Pasta, pizza, and salad buffet
I finally found one lone BIC mechanical pencil in my house, but despite interrogation, it wouldn't tell me what happened to the others. So I bought myself a brand new 10-pack of regular old sharpened #2s. Let's see how long they last around here.
Why is it that I'm charged extra for a haircut because I have long hair?
It's not like the stylist has to cut elaborate layers or anything. She's doing the same amount of cutting she would if my hair was 6 inches shorter. I can understand charging more for long hair if you're getting some sort of processing or a perm (I get exhausted waiting for them to finishing putting all my hair in those little rollers, so I can imagine how tedious it is for them), but why just for a basic cut? The other thing that ticks me off is when they put some kind of product in your hair without asking if you want it, and then you find out when you're paying the bill that it's an extra $3.00 charge. Granted, my hair does feel soft and silky, and I probably would have said OK, but I still want the courtesy of being asked first.
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Crab Imperial
Why can I not find any pencils in my house? 
I know I had some. Where did they go? Did they run away or were they stolen? Is there a pencil shortage I'm not aware of?
- Mood:
- What's for Dinner: Taco salad
Be careful when you're out driving. It's that time of year when geese are having their babies. On my way into work yesterday, a mama and papa were trying to get their goslings across the highway. Luckily all traffic did stop while the parents got the little ones, who were trying to go this way and that, wrangled and across the road. Whew! 
I was sweatin' it out for 'em.
~~~~~~~
A great big YAHOO to my friend out there who recently got some fantabulous news. I'm so happy for you. 
~~~~~~~
Does the show, Lost, confuse anyone else? I admit that I'm not a regular watcher, but I've seen a lot of the episodes and I've tried to follow the story, but it never seems to go anywhere, IMO. 
They're on the island, they're off the island, they're back on the island; it's the present, it's the past, it's the present again; people live, people die, people come back to life...it's like a big circle and I keep waiting for a point.
~~~~~~~
There's a chat on Bonanza World today in honor of Pernell Roberts' birthday. It starts at 4:00 pm ET and lasts into the night. I hope some of you can stop by.
and landed in your neck of the woods. Nice place you have here. Will visit again soon. Wishing you a spiffy Tuesday! 
Happy New Year AD. 
Merry Christmas, Francine. 
Score! 
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