Thursday, March 08, 2018

SOME PEOPLE SAY THE DARNEDEST OF THINGS!






Some do the darnedest things. 

Not much darning goes on nowadays.  I’m darned if I do any.  Eons ago I did, but no longer.  It began to needle me, so I ceased.  Holey underwear is tossed out, even on Sundays.  We all know the tale about holey underwear and being run over by a bus.

I’m darned sure you were given the warning throughout your childhood, the same as I was.  I’m equally sure you continue to heed the good advice - either that or, dodge buses.

Please don’t assume otherwise - I do include me in the title declaration.  I have been known to say and do the darnedest of things.  No doubt I will do similar again more than once.  I’m darned if I can stop myself.  My foot often has a mind of its own. Try as I might, I just can’t stop if from landing in my mouth.  It suffers from MJBS...Mexican Jumping Bean Syndrome.

I never cease to be amazed by the utterances some people utter, though. 

One of the darnedest verbal reactions...one which really surprises me (and annoys me, to be honest)...is when I say I’d love to be the recipient of a major Lotto win. 

Nine times out of ten, the rapid retort I receive is:

 “Oh!  That’s too much money for one person!” 

To me, those words are probably up high, near the top of the list of the darnedest words I’ve ever heard.  They leave me gobsmacked every time I hear them. The words make no sense. I’m darned if I understand the logic behind the remark; maybe I’m dense.

To my way of thinking the statement lacks thought and reason.  (I suppose my way of thinking may be questionable to others, but I’m darned if I care!) 

I don’t need a huge mansion on a hill, or on the flat, with a fleet of expensive cars stored in a garage as big as a house, or a sleek yacht moored at the marina growing barnacles on its bottom. (I can get those sitting at my computer).
  
I’m happy with my little two-door, unassuming vehicle, and I’ve no desire to travel the world, or go on cruises at the drop of an anchor.

It’s just who I am and the way I am - we’re all different, desiring different things, of course.  

“Thank goodness!” You exclaim in unison.  

The reaction is understandable. Who would want to be like me?  There are times even I don’t want to be like me.  

To dine on Beluga caviar and truffles every day, or even for one day, is not a yearning.  There was a day, years ago, I dined on both.  One should never overdo a good thing.  

My needs and longings are simple; perhaps broaching boring.  I don’t envy what others have... I don’t covet the property of others.  

However, I’d love to take out a major Lotto win...not a million dollars, not two million dollars (don’t misunderstand me, to win either amount would be wonderful, and I’d willing except either with both hands).  
  
My reasons for wishing to win a major pay-out in the Lottery over just a million or two dollars are:-

There are worthwhile causes winning a major Lotto pay-out would assist; there are genuine people in need it would help.  So much good could be done...so many people could be assisted through their particular battle.

So when I see the Lotto jackpot to $30m, $40m, $50 million etc., I’ll be darned if I think it’s too much money for me, one person, to win.  I’ll be darned if I’d say, out loud, it’s too much money for me, one, person to win.

Darn it!  I’m being selfish – but I’m darned if I care!   I would have so much fun...so much fun....being an anonymous philanthropist! 

Yesterday I read the darnedest article.  The article was the result of another of those darned researches conducted by folk of a higher education.  Those darned academics struck again!

The research’s conclusion was if you write your supermarket shopping list in the running order of the shop’s aisles you suffer OCD. 

In the case of my supermarket shopping list I’m definitely OCD.  I’m darned if I was previously aware of my idiosyncrasy. 

Phtt! Being an OCD-in-aisle-order-shopping-list-writer makes shopping far simpler.  If necessary, because I know in which aisle everything is, I could conduct my grocery shopping blindfolded.   

Please accept my apologies ahead of time if I bump into you.

My two cats are OCD sufferers in the darnedest ways. 

For example – Overcautious Cat Dilemma...Outstanding Cats Decidedly...Omnipotent Creatures Definitely...Outrageously Cuddly Darlings...Opinionated Curious Divas. 

Oh! See! Darn!  I do say the darnedest things.

Caviar Potato Wedges: Cut potatoes or kumara into ¼-1/3-inch thick wedges. Place on baking sheet; season; bake until golden, about 15mins. Turn wedges; bake further 15mins. Transfer to plate; cool; top with sour cream; spoon small amount of caviar onto sour cream; sprinkle with very finely chopped white onion or chives.
Caviar Crab Tower: Carefully combine 155g fresh crab meat, 1/2tsp finely minced shallot, dash of paprika, 1/4tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Cut 1 large avocado in half; spoon flesh into a bowl; mash; add 1/2tsp lemon juice; season to taste. Begin with a 3-inch flattened mound of smashed avocado on each of 4 plates; divide crab into 4 servings; form layer on top of avocado; gently flatten; then spoon 30g black caviar on top of each tower.
Pasta de Truffle Caviar Pasta: Cook some Angel Hair aka Capellini pasta in pot of unsalted, boiling water; drain; run under cold water; drain again, Put pasta in bowl; do not add regular salt to pasta. Season pasta with truffle salt and a generous amount of truffle oil. Add finely cut chives, dried Porcini mushrooms (soaked in water, then diced very finely) and black caviar; drizzle a little x-virgin olive oil over pasta; toss gently.  Allow pasta to marinate in fridge about an hour. Serve topped with a little caviar.
Cowboy Caviar: In a small bowl, combine 1/4c olive oil, 1/4c red wine vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 1tsp cumin; set aside. Combine 1 drained can each of black beans, pinto beans and corn kernels, 1 sliced avocado, 3 diced Roma tomatoes, 1 diced red onion, 1/2c each diced red and green capsicum, chilli powder, to taste, and roughly chopped coriander, if desired. Pour dressing and a little fresh lime juice over corn-bean mixture; carefully toss to combine. Serve with corn chips or fried chicken. 







41 comments:

  1. 'To much money for one person." Well, I'll be darned.

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    1. Some people have no imagination whatssever, Delores!

      I love imagining what I could do with a large win in the lottery...and it's so much fun, the imagining...I can only imagine how much fun the reality would be!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  2. Lee, the comments about your cats having OCD was very funny. 😹 A good post and one I loved reading. You have a witty sense of humour and very sharp mind. Are you sure you aren’t English?? Maybe you’re Vulcan. 🖖 Lol.

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    1. Hey there, Terry...I'm glad I've made you laugh...laughter, after all, is the best medicine there is!

      Nope...not English in any way - My Scottish and Irish ancestor scared them all off! They were scary enough to scare all Vulcans away, too! : I'm an Aussie through and through with the crazy Aussie sense of the ridiculous!

      Thanks for coming by. Take good care. :)

      Delete
  3. Anonymous6:02 PM

    I would have to pay a lot of tax on the income a large win would generate, so that will be my contribution to the world. Well, maybe a few animal based charities. Now, I don't have to think long and hard. An apartment in Hobart, keep this one and an apartment in Montreux, Switzerland. Quite modest of me really.

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    1. Hi Andrew...your desires are much more grandiose than my own. I don't need houses or apartments throughout the world. A little cabin on a couple of acres here on the mountain where I live or by the sea somewhere very quiet with not a lot of people, high-rise buildings and maddening busy traffic around would suit me just fine.

      Remy, Shama and I would continue living the way we do now...I just wouldn't have to pay rent...and I would enjoy the joy of helping others out, unbeknown by them.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  4. Anonymous6:04 PM

    Oh yes, the caviar crab tower appeals to me. I've only eaten cheap caviar and it was ok.

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    1. Good caviar with fresh crab...I could say "manna from Heaven"...but, instead,I'll say.."Manna from the ocean!"

      Delete
  5. I don't enter Lotto/Lotteries so it is a academic question for me. And yes, thirty million or so would be too much - if I was planning on spending it on myself. So perhaps those people who tell you it is too much for one person have no charity in them.

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    1. Hi, EC...I enter the Lotto...gotta be in it, to win it! I often get little pay-outs...the last one of any note was around the six hundred dollar mark, but that was quite a while ago now. But I live in hope. Hope is a good friend of mine. :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  6. "They" can say it's too much money for one person as much as they like, but I'll bet my last dollar if "they" won that amount, "they" wouldn't knock it back saying "Oh no, it's too much money, I don't want it"
    Personally, I'd LOVE to have $20m, $30m, even $50m sitting in my bank account. Just for a few days, then I'd start handing it out to family and a couple of charities that I favour.

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    1. Yep! I agree with you, River. Talk is cheap...they attitude certainly would change...quickly! lol

      Thanks for coming by....take care. :)

      Delete
  7. I’m sure all people say weird things many times....that’s human.
    Never take a ticket or whatever you call it for the Lottery so I certainly would be in for a chance to win or get a prize..

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    1. Hi Margaret...of course we do. I know I do - and freely admit being guilty of doing so.

      I enjoy having a flutter on the Lotto. Who knows...one of these days the big one might just land in my lap, and then I'd enjoy sharing my good fortune with those of my choosing. How wonderful it would be to be able to have those choices.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  8. Neither the lottery nor caviar are 'my cup of tea'. However, I've enjoyed reading your witty post on these two matters.
    The caviar dishes in your pictures look very appealing.

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    1. G'Day, DUTA...both the lottery and caviar are my cup of tea, but, of late, the former is a more frequent dalliance than the latter nowadays.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  9. Enjoyed the read, You know I had caviar once and will never, ever have it again! lol

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    1. Hi Sandie...glad you enjoyed my post...it was written lightheartedly.

      Caviar I like, but I've not had it in quite a while. Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  10. I don’t think it is OCD to write a shopping list with the configuration of the store in mind. It is practical and saves time. You and I are just fine.

    According to surveys done by people with higher education, a very large portion of people who win large lotteries, lose it all in less than five years and many declare bankruptcy. Money can bring you comfort, but it does not bring you happiness.

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    1. Hi Arleen...winning a major win in the Lotto would being me lots of happiness, I can assure you because I gain much happiness from helping out those whom I enjoyed helping out, such as some friends who would never have the need to scrap and save again, certain charities of choice; sick children/families in need. Oh, yes, my friend...much happiness would come my way if I was able to do the above.

      I would ensure I had enough set aside so I would remain comfortable for the rest of my life; for me to be totally independent of others for housing etc. I would not need a massive fortune. As I wrote in my post...my needs and desires are simple.

      And, yes...I am not OCD...and don't need any researchers to tell me otherwise! :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  11. The only thing you take with you, is the love that you give away.

    There, that quote could be made just for you!
    I like the sound of the Cowboy Caviar!

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    1. Hi Kay....I've always said and, no doubt, I will say it again after repeating it here once more..."The best gift of all is the giving".

      And there is no way I'd be jumping up and down wanting accolades or anything of the kind in return. Everything done quietly and anonymously. (I'd make sure that was my condition...no notoriety - just a quiet thank you between the recipient/s and me...nothing more)!

      Me, too, re the Cowboy Caviar! Yeeehaaa!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  12. Here's the plan...Win the Lottery, call estate attorney first before claiming my winnings. Make sure most is earmarked for children and grandchildren. Plan a small amount for myself. Be ready to tell friends it is already protected in a trust and I can't finance all their wants and wishes. Don't think I'll be buying any caviar though. Don't like the stuff. LOL

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    1. Hi, Annie. I wouldn't be broadcasting to the world that I'd won the Lotto, either. I would just go about doing what I wanted to do, quietly, in my own way, without the general populace knowing a thing about it.

      The only proviso I would give to those who benefited from my good fortune...would be that they don't tell anyone from whom they received the money. To keep that part of t to themselves.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  13. I can remember my mum darning socks, she was amazing with knitting needles and sewing ... alas I'm not!

    Interesting about the shopping list, I always write mine in the order of the aisles - of course this sometimes can be wrong as the store managers decide to have a change around!!!

    All the best Jan

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    1. G'day, Jan...when I was a kid, I darned...it was part of life back then...but I gave that up pretty darn quick! :)

      To me, it's the simple thing...to write one's shopping list in the order the aisle run...I don't see anything OCD about it at all. I reckon the researchers need to come up with ideas just to justify their salaries!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  14. I'm with you, Lee. Being an anonymous philanthropist would be so much fun.
    I trust you're bingeing out on good TV, books and food:)
    Enjoy.

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    1. Hi Sandra...It sure would be lots of fun, Sandra. I wouldn't want anyone to know...enjoy my fun my own way. Oh...how wonderful it would be. :)

      Thanks for coming by. Yes...I doing some bingeing, but not on food. I've not had much of an appetite lately, other than for fruit. I'm sure as the weather has begun to cool down said appetite will return! :)

      Delete
  15. $30 million would suit me just fine. I could become Madam Bountiful and hand it around improving a lot of lives along the way ( mine could do with a bit of a shove too though I don't have any need to complain !!)

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    1. Hi Helsie..It would be great to become "Madam Bountiful", that is for sure (We could be sisters in disguise and not let anyone else be any the wiser). I'd have a lot of fun taking on that persona, and by the sounds of it, so would you. Nice to know. :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  16. My cats DEFINITELY have OCD lol...

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    1. Hahahaha...I believe it!

      I've had cats in my life since I was just a toddler. They certainly are characters, with special characteristics. People who say they don't like cats have never had one as a pet, I'm sure. An acquaintance annoyed me somewhat yesterday when she said "I don't like cats". Another one of those "darnedest things" people say.

      I love cats...I love dogs...I love all animals. I hate to think of my life without a beloved pet in it.

      Thanks for coming by Mr. Op....you are always welcome. :)

      Delete
  17. Most of my socks were woolen during my earlier years and particularly during my naval period when as a young sailor pinched for money it was necessary to darn ones socks. Darned if I would do it now. In most cases socks are throwaway items once they become a bit cheesy looking.

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    1. Hi Vest...Yes...attitudes, and socks, have changed over the years. So much nowadays is throw-away.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  18. There's a suburb of Sheffield called Darnall but it should be called Darnnothing as no darning happens there any more. By the way, I am sorry to learn that you have barnacles on your bottom. Head to the coast and get a seasoned mariner to attend to them for you. A little scraping should do the trick and then he'll probably apply some hot tar.

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    1. G'day, Yorkie, mariners, like most men are full of hot air!

      Here, the ocean is pounding presently...very rough, indeed. Some beach erosion is most likely. A cyclone is hovering off the coast of south-east Queensland. Fortunately, it's not gaining strength, and by all accounts, is expected to weaken into a low later today, and won't dump a lot of rain on us down this way. Sporadic gusts of wind began during last night and promise to get stronger as today progresses.

      All the board riders are out enjoying the big swells. This weekend the surfing competition, the 2018 Quicksilver Pro is on down at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, which is part of the World Surf League competition. None of the riders are complaining about the big seas. The competitors will be loving every moment of the big surf.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  19. That Cowboy Caviar sounds delish!
    Have a great evening (here, possibly morning there?).

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    1. It does, Sandra. And it will certainly be on my menu list.

      As I type it is morning here....10 am, Wednesday.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  20. I'm with Grannie Annie - get that Lotto money in a trust as quickly as possible. :) We make a similar "caviar" here with blackeyed peas and call it Texas Caviar.

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    1. Hey, Lynn....Oh, I'd put it in a safe spot...and then hand it to those who I feel are deserving...and I'd receive a lot of fun from doing so.

      I love mixed bean dishes...and will be making something similar for myself tomorrow.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
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