Re: [gardeners] Tragic Thursday

Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 07 Sep 2000 16:41:02 -0700

Dear George,

I am delighted to hear that your life is still good, and are still able to look for
silver linings:)

Our wedding cake, or what was left of it. was pilfered from my mother-in-law's
freezer in Chula Vista by some illegals who had just come over the border, hungry
and scared.

We, too, were upset at first, but 32 years later, here we are, still married, and
somewhat the worse for wear, but not really:)

Ron

George Shirley wrote:

> Got in from work about 11:45 this morning to find the upright freezer door
> standing wide open. Checked and sure enough some of the food had thawed or was
> getting soft. Made sure the freezer was running and then proceeded to take the
> thawed and thawing stuff out and put it in the sink.
>
> Cooked four lbs of chicken tenders and 5 lbs of sirloin steak that was partially
> thawed and then repackaged and put back in the freezer. The shrimp went into an
> immediately organized seafood gumbo as did one package of okra and one package
> of sweet chiles. The rest went into a five gallon bucket to be taken out to the
> compost heap later. The bucket was 3/4 full by the time I finished. I did manage
> to salvage the vac seal bags so there was a positive side to this. There were 34
> packages of veggies that were thawed enough they had to be disposed of. That's
> not counting the tomatoes as I peeled and cored them, chopped and put into the
> big pot with some bay leaf, oregano, basil, onions, garlic, and black pepper.
> That mix is still simmering as I reduce it down to something suitable for a
> tomato sauce and will then put in jars and pressure cook it or will boiling
> water bath it after I check the pH.
>
> By the time Miz Anne got home from work I was over my mad so we could discuss it
> rationally. She was really surprised that I wasn't upset with her. She had
> evidentally gone into the freezer to get a "goodie" to put in her lunch bucket
> to take to school and just forgot to close the door. She always waits until the
> last minute to do things and then her thoughts get chaotic. I guess that after
> 40 years of this I'm getting used to it. <BSEG>
>
> Any how, disappointed that we lost so much good broccoli, okra, and chopped
> sweet chiles but happy the damned persimmon pulp and the blanched cauliflower
> went to the compost heap. On the plus side we now have beaucoup room in the big
> freezer again.
>
> I guess one reason I'm not as disturbed by this action as I used to get is that
> I was offered a very lucrative contract for some consulting work by a major
> refiner in this area. Tomorrow at 0900 I go in to sign the contract and to gain
> passwords, etc to gain access to their extensive nationwide computer system.
> Might be enough in this for a new (to us) small pickup or sedan. Gonna have to
> replace one of these vehicles we have as both have over 150K miles on them. See,
> there is a silver lining in most clouds.
>
> As an added bonus it is clouding up to rain so I'm gonna put on my woodlands
> breech clout and go out and do the old raindance. Miz Anne won't let me do the
> Green Corn Dance anymore. B-)
>
> Life is still good.
>
> George