Saturday, October 25, 2008

And all this time we thought it was cats and dogs.

We've all heard the stories about Chinese restaurants and their means of acquiring their 'meat'. How there's 'never stray cats in the vicinity of a Chinese restaurant'. Well, we can put those rumors to rest finally. It wasn't the cats and dogs after all.

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) - Is road kill on the menu at a popular Hamburg, NY restaurant? A disturbing discovery at the China King Restaurant has forced health officials to lock the doors.

Lisa Williams was going to eat in the restaurant when she got some upsetting news. "Were you coming to eat here?" "Yeah, we were coming to eat." "Did you hear what happened?" "No." "Health inspectors closed it down because there was road kill out here, a deer." "Oh no."

People who came to China King for their Friday dinner found it hard to believe. A dead deer had been butchered inside the kitchen in the restaurant they've been coming to for years.

Patron, Sue Bender said, "Our daughter just called us because she knows this is our take out Chinese, and told us, you're not going to believe what was just on Channel Four."

A witness tells us he saw an oriental man dragging the deer inside.

"I watched him drag it across the parking lot and he dragged it through the front door of the China King Restaurant. I said this is just not right, so I called Hamburg Police and reported it. Sure enough by the time they got there, they said that he had the deer almost all butchered inside the restaurant."

Another patron wonders, "How stupid could that man be? To let that go on."

Erie County Health Commissioner, Dr Anthony Billitier said, "I don't know what the intention was with the deer, but they can't do that in the restaurant even if they were going to use it for private consumption. It's not consistent with the sanitary code.

Its a story that's closed down the restaurant and caused patron to loose their appetite

Lisa Williams said, "That's disgusting, I'll never eat Chinese again. I'm sorry for all these people out there. That's gross."

When asked if Sue Bender will come here again? She replied, "never...never."

The Health Commissioner tells News4 a hearing with the owner is scheduled for next week.

Story by Tricia Cruz, WIVB

Monday, October 20, 2008

Holy Crap!

A house down the street just went up for sale. Naturally, I immediately head over to the website to check the digits. 3 bedrooms, living room, dining room, family room, kitchen 2-1/2 baths. And he does have the built in pool. I have 4 bedrooms, living room, family room. No dining room, but I have a country kitchen which is more open than his model. Don't have the pool (hahaha,..see post) but I do have more square footage. And he has a finished basement and I don't.

Let's see what the board says, Johnny!

$209,0000.

Let me say that again....Two hundred and nine thousand dollars. Now, that might not seem like a lot considering housing prices around the country. I watch House Hunters and My House Is Worth What and all that stuff on HGTV. Religiously. I know what real estate is going for everywhere else. I know that I could sell my house for half a mill if we lived anywhere else, say, the other side of the state. But this is Western New York. Erie County. Cheektowaga. First ring suburb to the city of Buffalo. Hot Damn!!!

About a year ago, there was a bidding war on a house similar to the 209 house on the other side of the circle that is my neighborhood. They got, like, $195k or something. I was a little shocked at that but this!!!! Topping the 200k mark is amazing to me. Let's hope he gets it!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Flashback Part Deux


October 12, 2006. I'll do the math...thats 2 years ago.


This blog is born....sort of. Well, the idea of it anyway. Can't blog with no electricty now, can we? But anyway...it was 2 years ago tonite that THE storm started. Crazy stuff.

Flashback ... Part One

October 12, 1983. I'll do the math....that's 25 years ago.

Offspring #1 is born.


Holy crap, I have a kid who's 25.

Happy Birthday Melissa.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

DoDaDoDoDo Inspector Gadget DoDaDoDoDoDaDo and My "Almost Panic Attack"

For a couple months now, I've been looking for a particular gadget. I looked everywhere...Macy's, Kohls, BedBathandBeyond, Penney's, LeGourmet Chef, who cant seem to keep them in stock...the girl there was the only one who knew what kind of gadget I was talking about. So, anyway, I turn to my trusty friend, The Internet, and sure as shootin, she leads me to the exact spot I need. I end up at QVC and there it is, all shiney and new......



I even made sure I had a pineapple in the house on delivery day. I know what you're thinking, "what a loser" but hey, the little things exite me, k? Don't judge.

Now....anyone who knows me, knows I'm not one to go into a tizzy about anything. I don't know where the panic button is around here cuz I never use it. That's me..calm, cool, and collected. Just a character trait.

But today,GOOD LAWD I came this close. I chopped the top of a pineapple off and I open the drawer to find my new toy and *GASP* it's not there. Its not in any other drawer, or cabinet or a pot or pan, no not in the dishwasher. IT'S FRIGGIN DISAPPEARED!!!!!

My heart started beating a little faster...I'm muttering stuff to myself...I'm ripping stuff out of everywhere and I just CAN'T FIND IT!!!! I'm gonna strangle the person who took it. And I looked in every cabinet and every drawer, like 3 times. I've got a galley kitchen and I went in a big circle for a good half hour.

Turns out it was still in the sink, under a bowl. I'm getting all uptight cuz I can't find my shiney new toy and there it is right in front of me...sorta.

Lame. But I'm all better now!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

In Two Weeks Time....

....we've gone from this...


To this..


To this...


To this...


And now we're scrapping Plan A (new slider, covered porch, patio and pool) and going to Plan B (new slider, bigger covered porch, patio). We had the pool guy over the other day and, even though we came in $3,000 below my estimated budget, we're eliminating the pool. No way we can justify spending 27G's on a hole in the ground we're only able to use 4 or 5 months out of the year. It's a no brainer. You get hot..come in the house, we got A/C. And with a roof over a nice big porch, we won't be roasting out back. That side of the house faces east and we get glaring sun out there till at least 4:00 in the afternoon during summer. Another plus...That roof will help protect the dining area in the kitchen from the heat. I mean, we cant even open the curtains for the slider cuz of the solar rays.