“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 613 (Friday)

Office Overlord Winston
performs a desk check.

The work day (ha, more like the whole week!) was a headache pretty much end-to-end. At least it was a work from home day with the delightful and mostly scarce office Overlord Winston, who periodically appeared to make sure I was still busy at the desk. And at its conclusion, the frustrating workweek shifted to more of a success story. 

There was the now monthly 5:20 chiropractor appointment which was declared by the doctor as “the best yet!” I may be feeling like I’m wound a bit too tight, but apparently, it’s more in my head and less in my spine.

From the chiropractor, it was yet another trip to Hannaford. I've been there more times in the past two weeks than in the previous 19 months. The primary mission was ingredients for my Finnish grandmother’s Canadian stuffing recipe to bring to Mom’s house on the Day of the Turkey. Or, as the point of debate that raged the entire length of marriage number two, “dressing.”

X2, raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, referred to the stuff made from bread crumbs and other ingredients and served with turkey as “dressing.” Imagine my surprise at our first Thanksgiving together when he kept referring to “dressing” and I kept thinking of the stuff in the bottle. That first years'  conversation was along the lines of:

“Is there dressing?”

“Why, I thought you didn't like salad?”

“No, dressing!”

“Ummm…. what, what?!?!”

Anyway, we finally got it sorted out and agreed to disagree on whether it was called “dressing” or “stuffing.” But, really, if it's actually "dressing" like he claimed, why is every box of Stove Top and every bag of Pepperidge Farm called "stuffing" and not "dressing"? I rest my case.

Of all the ingredients on the shopping list, the Bell’s Poultry Seasoning was the hardest to find. I checked the spice row. And over by the turkeys. And on each of the endcaps featuring all sorts of Thanksgiving related displays. And while fetching the forgotten onions, even looked in produce. Then it was back to the spice row, where the yellow boxes were finally located, shoved far back on the shelf. In a flashback to my DeMoulas days, I pulled the remaining boxes (all three) forward to the edge of the shelf to spare the next shopper the hunt.

The reward.

Other grocery conquests included a 12-pack of Sam Adams assorted holiday brews and two bags of the coveted Tri-Sum 1908 recipe chips, which were woefully absent from the shelf on my previous three visits. I almost missed them, as they were behind some of the not quite as tasty more modern recipe. My tendency to be like a dog with a bone when on a mission paid off. And there was a payoff. 

The persistence at both the grocery store and the desk, and a sensible lunch of rice, chicken, salsa, and cheese was rewarded. Despite the overabundance of delightful and healthy foodstuffs, supper was a spontaneous meal of Tri-Sum 1908 Original Recipe chips and Sam Adams Winter Lager (Festive and Smooth!). And the rewards will continue into the night and weekend with the discovery of "20 years of Harry Potter" on the Peacock streaming channel.