2007

What's a Qdoba anyways?

Only the best damn fast food, chain restaurant that I've eaten at in a while.

Granted, it was Christmas Eve when we went in and the place was empty, but I can tell you from experience that slow times are the hardest time to keep your staff motivated.  So I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when we snuck in the back door and were still greeted with honest, glad-to-see-you, hello, welcom to Qdobas.

We had peeked at the menu prior to walking over (another plus for La Qunita, not just Denny's, but Qdoba, Panera, Starbucks, Game Stop, and Applebees within walking distance and that's before crossing the street) so we wouldn't stand there all day trying to figure it out.  I made a last minute change to my choice and ordered the Mexican Gumbo, Lovey had the Shredded Beef Burrito.  We got a side of guacamole since we're avocado hounds.

Let me just say this: OH MY FREAKING DELICIOUS GOODNESS!  Yeah, it was good.

I don't know what all went in his burrito.  I took a bite but I couldn't tear myself away from the Gumbo.  If you like the Mexican food or even the TexMex, I suggest giving this a try.  In-greedy-ents:

  • black plastic bowl
  • big scoop of white rice
  • big scoop of your choice of pinto or black beans
  • scoop of tortilla soup
  • scoop of your choice of mild, medium, or hot salsa
  • huge scoop of your choice of chicken or beef (chicken=yummy)
  • sour cream (optional)
  • cheese (optional)
  • tortilla strips

Fan-friggin-tastic.  I'm a Q-girl for life!

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Home from the holidays

No, not home for the holidays, I'm home from the holidays.

Lovey and I packed up the truck with Kiddo, Pooch and presents and took a (short) road trip to Jacksonville.  Did you know that there's basically nothing to see on I-95 between Miami and Jacksonville?  Now you do and you have proof: no pictures.

Kiddo did find it highly amusing that when we stopped for a bathroom break she saw a couple: black female with dreds and a (quite possibly) hispanic, bald male.  I don't, by any means, think we're the only mixed couple in the world, but that is a little bit odd to run into your twin couple at a rest stop off the highway.

So, for the actual three days in Jax, we stayed at La Quinta.  Nothing fancy but they sport king beds with pillowtop mattresses and they welcome Pooch with open paws, so we like it there.  And if we get hungry in the middle of the night, there's a Denny's within a 2 minute walk.  Hello Moons Over My Hammy!

It isn't often that we all get together, so when we do, there's the obligatory family photo.  We are one mixed up group.

 

Xmas_family
Xmas_family

I look like I got punched in the eye, but oh well.  Out of those 13 people, I'm related to 3 by blood, 7 by marriage, one I just met, and one is my Lovey.  You figure it out. 😛

The story of the trip goes a little something like this:

Mom was rummaging through the liquor cabinet and she pulled out a bottle of pear brandy that had the pear in the bottle.  Ever wonder how they get the pear in the bottle?  Yeah, me too.  Well, step-sister says that she knows the answer.  They GROW IT IN THE BOTTLE!  And of course, this MUST be true because she saw it on TV.  Apparently in Jax, they have crackhead TV or something of the sort.  After she made this revelation, the room just got quiet.  Until Lovey broke the silence with a "WHAT?"  Yep, that's my guy.  She still swore that they grew the pear in the bottle.  Right.  They grow a whole tree inside the bottle until it grows only one pear then they chop off that pear, leave it in the bottle, and then pull the tree out of the bottle, scrape out all the dirt and fill it with brandy.  I have never laughed so hard in my whole life.  My mom had to come in the kitchen to tell me to cut it out because I was literally on the floor laughing.  Good times.

Other than that, it was just good family times.  A lot of Wii playing, drinking and talking about the good old days.  Mom and her husband (no, he's not my step-father, sorry, long story) promised that next year they were doing Christmas with the Kranks, as in, don't look for them, they won't be around.  More power to them, I say.  I'd like to do something in the way of a family cruise or something, but I wouldn't want to give up a ski vacation for it.  8 days to Park City!!

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Here's to you, 2008

I'm not going to make "resolutions" because I know that they never happen or get kept.  But maybe if I change the wording, it'll work a little better for me (and maybe if I try, that'll help too).  So these are the things that I hope to accomplish in the upcoming year.

The Undisputable, Irrefutable, Complete and Definite List of Goals for 2008

  1. Learn to speak and understand Spanish – I really have no excuse here.  I lived in Mexico for two years, I've lived with a Cuban for over 2 years, the majority of the people where I work speak Spanish as their first language, I have the Rosetta Stone, and I subscribe to a podcast for learning Spanish.  My main issue is getting over the concern of saying something wrong and getting made fun of.  I used to be almost fluent (when inebriated) but now I'm back to square 1.75. 
  2. Attain the body that I want to have – And by this, I don't mean knock someone else about the head and take theirs.  I have, fortunately, never been "fat", but I'm also not getting any younger and it's getting a little tougher to stay in decent shape.  I wasn't blessed with much junk in the trunk (or girls in the front seat either) but I've been making do with what I've got.  I've been saying for years that I was going to buy myself some ladies to sit up front for my 35th birthday for a while now, so when it actually gets to game time, we'll see what happens.  Sometimes, I just want to look womanly dammit!
  3. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up – I can remember as a child wanting to be a variety of different things when I got older: doctor, chemist, lawyer, veteranarian.  None of those panned out.  As of late, I'm finding that I don't really have a passion for anything.  I dabble in things but nothing seems to hold my interest but I know that I have to figure it out so that I can…..
  4. Get back to school – I don't know yet if I will just do some sort of certification or go full on bachelor's degree, but I guess that will depend on my answer to #3.
  5. A year and a day – I've been trying to do this for a while now and when the time is once again right in February, I will start.
  6. Work from home – self-explanatory
  7. Write more – I have a couple ideas floating around in the ole noggin that might make for good reading but I have yet to get them onto paper. 

Lucky number 7.  That'll do.  Happy Thursday.  And HEP!

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Shady business dealings

I wanted to learn website design.  I did a little research and decided to go to the Art Institute Online.  To be honest, I can't say that I would recommend it to anyone.  I don't feel that I came away with anything more than I would have if I had simply bought the textbooks and went through them myself (besides a huge student loan).

The point of it is that back in June, I got an email from them stating that their "final record" showed that I owed them $xxx.xx dollars.  I called them and arranged a payment plan that was suitable.  I made the final payment last month.  Riddle me this, then, Batman, why did I receive from them another bill in the mail stating that I still owed them another $130?

Well, I did what anyone would do – I called to see what the story was.  I spoke to a lady who wasn't pleasant and thought that I was just trying to get out of paying my bill.  Nope, not this time.  I've grown up.  I take responsibility for my actions.  Well, most of them anyways, but I digress.  I told her who I had spoken to before and she told me that he no longer worked there.  While I don't see what that has to do with the price of bananas, I let her continue.  She told me the last payment they had for me and I asked her what happened to the payment of $xx.xx that cleared out of my bank on November 13, 2007?  She said she didn't know but she would look into it and call me back.  That was 9 days ago.  Had I heard from her?  Not a peep.

Today, I am sick.  You know those Mucinex commercials with the nasty guys that live inside you?  They're living inside me right now.  TMI? Yes.  Sorry.  I am in no mood for people and their bullpoop.  I once again called AI and asked to speak with Student Accounts.  The poor guy that answered the phone.  I'm sorry dude.  I shouldn't have been mean to you but you can't transfer me to the same lady who hasn't answered my emails or phone calls for the last 8 days.  He was, however, kind enough to TELL ME that he was going to transfer me to her supervisor.  Hooray!  Before you transfer me though, could you please tell me what my balance is?  Insert sound of jaw hitting floor.  Really?  Because that is DOUBLE what the incorrect paper bill said.  Yeah, go ahead and transfer me.

Transfer goes through and guess who picks up?  Yes, the original lady.  I guess she only works when there's the threat of discipline.  She obviously has no recollection of our conversation of over a week ago because she goes into her same snotty routine of 'why do you think you don't have a balance' and 'he doesn't work for the company anymore'.

Round and round we go.  Have you found my payment?  No.  So what have you been doing for me for the last week?  Obviously, not much.  I know I get long winded so here's the bottom line.  I am a pack rat and keep everything and for once it came in handy.  I politely told Miss Stick-Up-Her-Ass that I had an email in front of me from Mr-Doesn't-Work-For-The-Company-Anymore stating that my "final balance" was $xxx.xx and I would be more than happy to go through my bank records and show her that I paid exactly that, and guess what?

MAGIC!

"Oh, I see, this is an accounting error.  You don't have a balance."

WHAT

THE

FUCK?!?!

Right, send me a final bill showing my zero balance and then burn in hell!  I hate you AI.  You're possibly the only thing to ever come out of Pittsburgh that I hate. (Except RMS, but he's just a douchebag.)  So there you have it.  My glowing endorsement of AI Online.

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