If I paid you $5000, would you let someone use your restroom?

If I paid you $5000, would you let someone use your restroom?

That is the question that was asked yesterday.  One of you got it right.  One of you did not.  Let me explain.

I buy gas for my car each week.  Due to the job I have, I am on the road a lot.  I spend between $100.00 and $150.00 most weeks.  One busy weeks, I buy $300.00 worth of gas.  But, hey - to make the math easy, lets assume I only spend $100.00 a week on gas.  Let's talk minimums!

I work most weeks.  So, let's assume I have 2 weeks I do not work.

That means 100x50 = 5000.

So, I spend about $5000.00 per year on gas.

I had been buying gas at the Marathon station (Speedy Mart) between Fairlawn and Dublin.  The gas there costs approximately $0.10 less than other locations.  And it is a local vendor.

BUT, yesterday while I was buying gas, my friend went into the store to ask to use the bathroom.  There was no sign up saying "no public restroom".  My friend was told, "We don't let customers use the bathroom." Uhmmm, OKAY.

So let's check - female person, no specific triggers for biases (not that this would be an excuse), acknowledgement of being a customer (person spending money), middle of the day (could maybe understand if this were midnight... or maybe not)....  And no bathroom access...

We drove down the road about 3 miles to Cougar Xpress.  Having already bought gas, I did not need to purchase anything.  My friend walked into the store and asked to use the bathroom.  "Sure thing."  And it was no problem.  Customer service was provided - even though we were not purchasing anything.

But guess what!  Remember that $5000.00 I spend in gas each year?  Want to know who is going to benefit from that money?  Surely is not Speedy Mart.

And, I did the math about that $0.10.  Going to Cougar Xpress will cost me another $120.00 per year.  I am willing to pay $10.00 per month for the purpose of supporting a business which will let a friend use the bathroom.

So next time you (business owner or employee) are asked by a community member if your bathroom is available for use, please consider that there are those of us who vote with our feet, our wallets, and our blogs.  That simple question might cost you $5000.00 or it might win you $5000.00.  You choose.

Irony - Letter from Montgomery County, VA

Irony:
Montgomery county sends to my home a notice that I have not registered Chai for his dog tag. Per letter, if I no longer own the dog or have moved out of Montgomery County, please note it on the bottom of the letter and return to the office. If I do not comply, I will receive a visit from Animal Control.

THE LETTER WAS SENT TO MY ADDRESS IN PULASKI COUNTY!

I am almost tempted to not respond just to see if they come to Pulaski to tell me about it.

RECIPE: Curried potato salad

For people with allergies - USE SAFE FOR YOU INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon curry powder (get individual spices and mix your own is safest!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups large diced left over baked potatoes (Skinned)
1/2 cup sour cream or sour cream substitute

mix all ingredients well.  Place in GLASS (not plastic or metal cause it taints the flavors) dish and cover.  Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Tastes like a light potato salad with curried flavors.

Gluten-free, corn-free DUMP AND BAKE bread. Takes about 10 minutes of work to get it done.

USE SAFE FOR YOU INGREDIENTS

Frittatas are done.  Had all the pans and stuff out, so thought I would make bread.  Dump and bake bread in the oven.

Today's recipe -
DRY:
10 cups 50% starches (sweet potato, potato, tapioca) 50% chickpea (besan) Flour
4 tablespoons baking powder (make your own for safety)
Salt to taste

WET:
16 oz sour cream (can use any somewhat greasy/milky sub)
1 cup oil
1 cup melted butter (or GHEE) (can use any oil or sub a liquid)
a couple cups of water (to thin it all out to thickness of thick pancake batter)
6 eggs (prob would work with some sort of egg-replacer, but you gotta have enough to puff up the stuff or you will end up with hockey pucks!)


step 1 - Mix dry.  (2 minutes to measure and mix)

Step 2 - Whisk eggs, add wet stuff, mix well. (3 minutes to break eggs, whisk and mix)

Step 3 - Pour wet into dry.  Stir until thoroughly mixed. (3 minutes)

Step 4 - Dump into 2 cake pans (greased) (1 minute).

Put into COLD OVEN (no preheating necessary).  Bake at 375 for 90 minutes.

Check after 60 minutes.  Done when thumps hollow and is cracked on top.

Dump and Bake - squash frittata and salmon frittata

cooking for the day is done.

Used ninja to blend cheese (10 oz), eggs (5), garden scallions (1/4 cup), garlic (4 cloves), onion (1/4 cup), milk (1 cup) and salmon (1 pound).  Poured into very large casserole dish (cake pan size or bigger).

Used ninja to blend  blend cheese (10 oz), eggs (5), garden scallions (1/4 cup), garlic (4 cloves), onion (1/4 cup),  milk (1 cup) and 5 large yellow squash.  Poured into very large casserole dish (cake pan size or bigger).

10 minutes prep time.  5 minutes rinsing and putting dishes in dishwasher.

Cheeses - asiago, feta, cheddar, parmesan, farmer - but you can use whatever you like.

Now the oven is baking 2 very large casseroles/fritattas at 350 for about an hour

...and lunch is baked for the week.  YAY.

Inky and Chai Pictures - March and April 2014

Inky (black, min-pin and pug mix) is 1 1/2 years old.  Chai (brown, whippet mix) is 8 months.

Spring Flowers - Tech Horticulture Garden - April 2014