The Curious Case Of The Missing Takeout.

While away on a small respite with my family, we indulged in one of our favorite traditions back home-Sunday Chineese dinner. The food was great, the company better and we enjoyed our family ritual in a different state and atmosphere. After dinner was done, we asked for the left over food to packed up and then headed to our home away from home where we safely ensconced said leftovers in the fridge.

Important to note-there were 5 boxes of Chineese takeout. 4 large boxes and one small box.

Day 2 of our fabulous vacation, and the family decided to grill dinner on the fantastic grill out back. That morning, we went to the supermarket and got all of the needed items for the feast. The menu was planned-including some of the stir fry veggies from the Chineese take out. I confirmed the veggies were still a viable entity, by opening the box and tasting a cold piece. Frick, who is here with some friends, informed me that she would be eating some of the leftovers for lunch. I know that the veggies are safe around a bunch of young girls so I then went on about the rest of the day.

It's now later that afternoon and I come back to the house to begin preparations for our cook out. I had to start the water for corn, marinate some of the meat etc, when I noticed that there was only 

1 takeout box left in the fridge- and it wasn't the stir fry veggies. No biggie, I thought, the girls must have eaten the veggies with lunch and I thought I probably should have told them of my intended use for the veggies for dinner. When the girls come back, I jokingly say to them, "hey, you must have been hungry because you ate the veggies too, huh?" Frick is surprised. "No mom, we only ate what was in 2 of the boxes." Really? I asked where the other 2 boxes had gone. They had no idea. 

I then asked My Guy. He had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the 2 missing boxes. Ok, I thought now this is curious. I'm so curious that I decide to satisfy my curiosity by checking the trash can. Interestingly enough, the trash had just been taken out. I inquired with everyone in the house as to who had taken out the trash? My Guy said he had taken out the trash, but did not throw away the missing 2 boxes. Now I'm more than intrigued. WTF had happened to the 2 missing boxes? If Frick and her friends had not thrown them away, and My Guy had not thrown them away, and I know for sure that I had not thrown them away, then where were the 2 missing boxes? 

I tried to dismiss the whole incident as unimportant, but the nagging mystery poked at my psyche. Who was lying and why? And was there a stranger who came into the house and took the 2 boxes of leftover takeout? The empty trash can held the answer and my curiousity was just about killing me, so I went out to the garage and I opened the trash can. The nearly empty can held the white kitchen garbage bag clearly visible, so I reached in and retrieved the bag. Yes, I opened it because at this point I needed to know if the 2 missing boxes were in there. Just as Frick and My Guy had said, the 1 large box and 1 small box the girls had eaten for lunch were inside the bag but not the 2 missing boxes. 

I can't say I wasn't disappointed. Now Im really perplexed with this strange situation and I tie up the white garbage bag and throw it back into the trash can. It was then that I spot 1 of the 2 missing boxes thrown at the bottom of the can! Right next to it is the other missing box, but curiously they are without a trash bag, just thrown randomly into the can???!! And none of the food had been touched, as they were both still full of food and veggies.

What the? And here's the kicker- no one is admitting to anything. It has now become a running joke between us, with everyone accusing one or the other of lying about the missing boxes of takeout.

What do you think happened here bloggers? I'm just about ready to think there is a ghost on vacation with us. 

Snake Oil

So the strangest thing happened to me yesterday. A valued member of my inner circle told me that while out shopping, a woman working at the store, who she did not know, randomly asked her about her "friend who owns her own boutique". How did she know about this?, she was asked, to which she responded, "I'm a psychic." Without going into too much detail, it was confirmed that she was most probably referring to me. 

The "psychic/sales girl" produced her business card and informed my friend that she was available for home parties, of course, because life is sometimesone big sales pitch. Believe it or not, that's not the weird thing. The weird thing is that this swami/psychic/sales girl proceeded to tell my friend that the reason she asked about my business was that she wanted to tell me to get some....peppermint oil.

Peppermint oil?

She told my friend to tell me to put peppermint oil all over the top of my front door, on my body, on my wallet, in my bag and to carry it with me at all times. 

Really? Peppermint oil?

She said it brings money and good fortune. And before you ask, yes, I thought this to be very strange. But what I thought even stranger is that a couple of months ago, one of my BFF's gave me a bottle of peppermint oil as a gift....We had gone to Miami together in April and while we were on the plane she applied the pepperrmint oil to her neck. Being the complete product junkie that I am, I of course, inquired about the fresh smelling scent. My BFF told me that it relaxes the senses and that it's great for stress. I love any and all things peppermint, so I immediately applied it to my skin. I loved it and here's the thing...I have carried the roller ball bottle of peppermint oil in my bag ever since she gave it to me. 

Ok, so I know what you are thinking (I know you so well). She's a fraud, a Machiavellian scheister, a grifter and a swindler. It's highly possible and likely, but I'm not doing business with her. Heck, I didnt even meet her. Why did she bring up me? 

I'm a firm believer in psychic powers but I'm not stupid. I know how the grift works, but I also believe in messages from the universe and I can't help but think this is a message. Is the peppermint oils good, old fashioned snake oil? Probably. But what do I have to loose? 

So if you walk into The Candy Bar and detect the heavenly scent of peppermint. Smile. 

You'll know exactly the reason.

A Tall Tale Of Courage And Hope

I happened across the Diane Sawyer interview with Jaycee Dugard last night and found myself unable to move from the TV for two hours. I had heard about Jaycee's horrid 18 year experience, being held captive at the hands of a madman, on the news and had caught bits and pieces of her story. But really I had no idea.

What I found was a not what I had expected. At all.

I found a beautiful and caring young woman who had decided to share her story so that it may help others. And the most courageous person I had ever seen.

With not an ounce of anger or harsh language, Jaycee took us back to when she was an innocent 11 year old that was taken captive by a disgusting and dangerous pedophile. Handcuffed and kept in a storage unit in the backyard of his home for most of her first year, Jaycee talks, almost childlike, about the man who robbed her of her life. She explains that for most of the first year she did not see the sun, or feel it's warmth on her skin, and that she grew to anticipate his short daily visits to her prison because she was "so lonely", as she explains.

Raped by him repeatedly, she says the hope of survival is what kept her going, while he went on elaborate drug "runs" in her presence, forced her to have sex with him and listen to his incoherent ramblings about God. She was fed sporadically, with fast food and scraps and handcuffed for almost all of that first year. She met his wife, as horrid and disgusting as he, and she explains that in all of her 11 year old little girl body, she wanted this woman to like her and accept her.

At the age of 14, Jaycee gave birth to a baby girl, then a few years later, another, to which she was overjoyed because she would no longer be alone. She had someone that was "all hers" as she says. She managed to write small journals on scrap pieces of paper and keep them hidden from her captors and that she always held out hope. Hope that she would one day see her mother again.

A mother who never gave up trying to find her. Never. A mother who never gave up the hope that her daughter was still alive and always spoke about when Jaycee would come home. A mother who held all that anger that one would think Jaycee would have, but does not. A mother who will continue to let that anger, now that she has her precious daughter is home, fuel the fight for a justice system that failed her daughter and her miserably.

All that is in the past now and Jaycee, holding her mom's hand tells the cameras that her captors can no longer steal anything from her.

She is home now and they are the imprisoned ones.

For what one can only hope will be much longer and harder than the 18 years they stole from Jaycee.

Unrest In Peace

A quick peek at all the news that's out there today reveals s a lot of unrest. It's everywhere you look. There's the unrest in Egypt. There's unrest in Lybia and in Mexico City the drug cartels are bonding together to resist capture. Here in the US, Charlie Sheen is babbling and manic-ly proclaiming his rock star status while Lindsay Lohan has commenced on her own "Unrest-full" press tour.

I read yesterday that although there is unrest in the world we live in, Americans are more interested in who won an Oscar and whatever words last came out of Charlie Sheen's mouth.

Why? Because we can. Because our forefather's fought many a famous battle of unrest to ensure that we had certain freedoms from political dictators and oppressive governments. So we can indulge in frivolity, in the privacy of our own computers, if we so choose.

In Beijing, the Chineese people are uprising against authoritarian rule, only to be met with police force and imprisonment. In Yemen, thousands of protesters took to the streets to protest against their president, possibly hoping for the same kind of outcome as Egypt. Yet, in LA, they are calling a press conference to announce the new cast of Dancing With the Stars.

And somehow, it's OK because that's just how we, as Americans, roll. Detroit Free Press journalist Mitch Albom wrote about how the Kardashian's made $65 million dollars last year without doing anything of particular importance. Not one of them found a cure for cancer, wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning essay, solved an economic crisis or contributed anything of civic value to this country. They simply perfected the art of having an audience and we bought it, all $65 million hooks, lines and sinkers.

There is a battle going on in this country too, over public vs private workers and the unions that represent them. The battle hymn of the so called "working man" can be heard throughout the land.

I just hope it's not loud enough to drown out tonite's 20/20 episode with Charlie Sheen.