Pocket Fortune

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A few days ago, I grabbed a jacket that I hadn't worn in quite some time. When I stuck my hand in one of the pockets, I realized that for whatever reason, I had not emptied the pockets the last time I wore it.

I spent a few minutes emptying the pockets. Most of it was stuff that could be thrown away. But as I was going through the odds and ends that were hiding in the pockets, I pulled out an old fortune from a fortune cookie.

I don't even remember when I last wore this jacket, so I have no idea from which restaurant the fortune cookie (and the fortune) came. But, here's what it said:

"You are cautious in showing your true self to others."

This is one fortune that does a fairly good job of describing me.

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Delayed Thanksgiving Fortune, Sort Of

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I went to 8 China Buffet for lunch today. I had planned to do it for Thanksgiving, but my timing had been a little off, and I wouldn't have been able to eat there and make it to work on time. So, this year I had to go with my backup choice for Thanksgiving dinner -- Golden Corral.

I still wanted to have lunch at 8 China at least one more time before the end of the year. Since I had the day off today, I decided that today would be as good a time as any.

I left the restaurant pleasantly stuffed -- maybe even a little overstuffed. I hereby confess, I probably overdo it just a little whenever I'm at any Chinese buffet.

I did manage to save just a little room for the fortune cookie. And here is what the fortune said:

"All the answers you need are right there in front of you!"

Well, if I'm on the Internet (as I am right now), that may indeed be the case. Either that, or if I'm reading the Hong Kong Book Of Kung Fu.

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Nice Advice, But . . .

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Last night at work, I discovered an abandoned fortune cookie by one of the registers. More than likely, one of my coworkers had opted for lunch inner at Oriental House, and forgot about the fortune cookie. I snagged the cookie, and when I cracked it open, here's what the fortune read:

"Don't forget to do good deeds as you accumulate wealth."

Very nice, very high-sounding advice. I might even follow it. It would really help if I could accumulate some of that wealth so I could do some sort of good deed.

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Not The Oops I Was Dreading

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Yesterday, I stopped by Lemongrass Cafe on my way to work to get lunch. I went with the Shrimp With Garlic Sauce lunch special. I was in the mood for something that I had eaten before.

It was only as I was getting to work that I suddenly said to myself, "Oh, crap." Shrimp With Garlic Sauce is one of several items on the menu that is flagged as being hot and spicy. They will alter the spice level to fit your preferences, but I had negelected to say anything in that regard when I placed my order. My first thought was that the default that Lemongrass Cafe used would be the highest level of spicy; something with more Scoville Units than I really wanted.

On the way to work, some of the garlic sauce had spilled onto the egg roll. When I took my first bite from the egg roll, I was pleasantly surprised. I did not immediately start belching fire, as I was thinking I might. Apparently, the default is the mild end of the scale.

After breathing a sigh of relief, I ate the rest of my lunch without any sense of dread. And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end of the meal. The fortune read as follows:

"A family reunion in the coming months will be a tremendous success!"

This would have been better suited for my parents' wedding anniversary back in August, now that I think about it.

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Lunch On The Fly

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Yesterday, I decided to get lunch from Lemongrass Cafe. The main reason for my choice was that I hadn't picked up anything from there recently, and I was having something of a craving for their food. (It was also on my way to work from the Eline/St. Matthews library.)

I decided to get the Almond Fried Chicken lunch special, because I don't think I had ordered that from them before. (And because I hadn't bothered with breakfast, I also grabbed a couple of double cheeseburgers from Burger King on the way to work as well.)

When she saw my lunch, Emma wondered what I had ordered. She thought I had ordered something from Oriental House, and she didn't quite recognize it. It does look similar to a couple of Oriental House's lunch specials, but the addition of the almonds threw her off.

The food was delicious, as usual. And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end of the meal, with the following fortune:

"Luck is coming your way."

[ADDENDUM: I was looking through previous entries, and it appears that I have ordered the Almond Fried Chicken before. And I will probably order it again, because I like it.]

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Once More, To The Mall

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Yesterday, I made a quick stop by Jefferson Mall. Only a few minutes this time; I had gone by the post office, and was really waiting for the bus.

In fact, my main reason for even going into the mall was to use the restroom in the food court. Once I was finished there, I stopped by Max Orient. I gave into temptation, and bought a half dozen fortune cookies.

As usual, I waited until I was at the computer to crack them open. Here are the fortunes, in alphabetical order:

"A pleasant surprise is in store for you soon in the coming week."*
"Adjust finances -- make budgets, to improve your financial standing."
"Soon you will receive a letter from a loved one"**
"Unveil your ideas. Be ready to act on them."
"You will soon meet a life long kindred spirit."
"Your qualities overshadow your weaknesses."


*This one did turn out to be correct. I got my laptop out of the repair shop today. Nothing serious, thank goodness.

**These days, it's more likely to be an email.

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Full Potential

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One of my co-workers had takeout from Oriental House for lunch yesterday. The takeout box was still behind the counter when I was clocking in. The fact that he hadn't finished his lunch should have been something of an omen of what my own shift would be like.

Unlike the last time, he left his fortune cookie behind, for reasons unknown. More than likely, he just forgot about it. In any case, after he left, I grabbed it, and I opened it later, at my leisure. Here's what the fortune said:

"Help people reach their full potential. Catch them doing something right."

I think that may be one of the longer fortunes I've seen. Nice sentiment, though.

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Quick Fallback

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Yesterday was, as they say, one of those days. Problems with my laptop made a mess out of most of my plans for the afternoon. It was one of those times when I really didn't want to spend too much time trying to decide what I wanted to have for lunch at work.

So, I went with the fallback option -- getting something from Oriental House. This time, it was the Hong Kong chicken lunch special. I wasn't in the mood to try something different, and the Hong Kong chicken is familiar enough to be a good choice.

I was wondering this time if the fortune in the fortune cookie would have something to say in regards to my computer problems. Not really, as it turned out. Here's what it said:

"To hear, you must listen with your ears, and not your eyes."

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A Kiss Of Friendship

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I picked up another package of Baci chocolates recently. I really wish they were available in bags, just like Hershey Kisses or other similar chocolates. I would like to be able to have more than just a couple of bites on hand. (For all I know, Baci are packaged in bags, but if those bags aren't sold in my area, it doesn't do me much good, does it? But I digress . . . )

I managed to savor the blend of dark chocolate and hazelnuts as long as I could. And of course, there was the matter of very carefully unwrapping the chocolates, so as not to damage the love notes inside. The notes in both of these chocolates were attributed to that well-known writer "Anonymous." At least, I'm guessing that "Anonimo" translates to that. Anyway, here they are:

"Friendship brings great happiness with little gestures."
"Real friendship can be enjoyed in silence."

I suppose it was purely random chance that these two similarly themed notes ended up in the same box. Or maybe it was just one of those occasional bits of serendipity.

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Make That Messages, Messages

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I have had the material for this entry for a couple of weeks now. Not long after I wrote my last entry about the messages I found in Dove Promises, I had a few more. And of course, I saved the foil wrappers, with their messages on the inside.

I have been carrying the messages around with me since then. I seem to have been waiting for the right time to write about them, and I finally decided that there is no time like the present.

I had several repeats in this batch. In fact, I think there may have been more repeats this time around. But I did find three messages for the first time. And as always, I present them to you in alphabetical order:

"Do something spontaneous."
"Listen with your heart."
"Share a sunset."

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Abandoned Fortune

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It was toward the end of the night at work last night, and I was starting to clean things up. As I was sweeping, I noticed a familiar strip of paper on the lottery station. It was a fortune from a fortune cookie.

Actually, I'm surprised that I don't see this more often. After all, there is a Chinese restaurant right next door.

I am making a couple of assumptions about this fortune. First, I'm guessing that it came from Oriental House. Second, I'm guessing that the diner had decided to play the lottery using the "lucky numbers" on the back of the fortune. (In both cases, these fall into the category of "most likely scenario," but I have no way of knowing for certain.)

I'm not certain why someone would have left the fortune behind. Perhaps that someone felt that they no longer needed the fortune. In any case, here is what the fortune said:

"Your dream must be bigger than your fear."

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He Got The Cookie; I Got The Fortune

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When I started work yesterday afternoon, I noticed that the coworker for whom I was taking over had picked up Chinese takeout for lunch. (I'm guessing it was from Oriental House, but I didn't ask.) As I put a couple of things of mine on the counter, I noticed the fortune cookie, and I moved it out of the way so it wouldn't get crushed.

About 20 minutes or so before he left, my coworker finally unwrapped the cookie and cracked it open. I mentioned that I collected fortunes, and asked him if I could have it if he wasn't going to keep it. He said sure, and gave it to me after reading the fortune and pondering its meaning for several minutes:

"Your wisdom will influence others."

He thought that this was a good fortune, but he didn't elaborate on his musing. I will admit, it does have something of a nice ring to it.

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Okay, But It Still Tastes Good

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Chop suey is not authentically Chinese.

To the best of my knowledge, I was 11 or 12 the first time I read that little bit of information. It was mentioned in a book titled The Year Of The Jeep. The book also mentioned that chop suey was created in America by Chinese immigrants, but that was probably the extent of the information given on the subject. (It was more an incidental bit of information than anything else.)

I've been reading about chop suey more recently in Jennifer 8. Lee's book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, and on Wikipedia's entry on the subject. Ms. Lee's book tells quite a few interesting stories about chop suey and its origins, but the only thing that can be said with any certainty is . . . that chop suey is not authentically Chinese, and that it was created in America by Chinese immigrants.

For one reason or another, I don't think I had ever had chop suey until last night. After taking a break from eating Chinese takeout at work for a few weeks, I was in the mood for it again. And the schedule had me coming in early enough that Oriental House was my best option. As I looked over the takeout menu, I glanced at the chop suey section, and said to myself, "Why not?"

I went with the beef chop suey -- or as it was listed on the menu, "sirloin of beef." When my order was brought out, it smelled wonderful.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to eat it for a couple of hours. Surprisingly, it was still somewhat warm once I did get a chance to eat.

And the food tasted as good as it smelled when it was brought to me. Strips of beef cooked together with a variety of vegetables in brown sauce. Those included mushrooms (nice big chunks!), sliced water chestnuts, bean sprouts, celery, and cabbage. It was served with white rice.

I made one slight mistake this time. I ate too much of the rice first, and as a result, there wasn't enough to mix with the leftover sauce once I was finished. I won't make that mistake again.

And of course, I had a fortune cookie with my meal, with the following fortune:

"Silence is the great teacher, and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it."

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Promises, Promises

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I indulged in a few Dove Promises the past few days. After my initial encounter, I knew to unwrap the chocolates carefully, so I could read the messages printed on the other side of the foil wrapper.

One of them was a repeat from that initial encounter -- "Trust with your heart, not your head." This leads me to believe that the people at Dove may not have a great variety of messages. I'll have to pay closer attention during future samplings of Dove Promises. I can easily foresee unwrapping five to eight Promises, and finding only one with a message I hadn't used before. I may even need to keep a list.

In any event, I did have three new messages in this particular batch. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

"Be a little mysterious."
"Chocolate. Always your Valentine."
"Discover how much your heart can hold."

Okay, I can really relate to the second one.

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I KNEW There Were Four!

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The last time I posted a Linda Collection entry, it had three fortunes. And as I said at the end of the entry, I could have sworn that I had pulled four fortune cookies out of the Ziploc bag.

As it turns out, I was right. I did grab four fortune cookies.

When I dropped the other fortune cookies in my backpack, this one bounced off and apparently landed in the box of stuff next to where I usually put my backpack. And last night, I found the cookie on floor adjacent to the box and my backpack, when it apparently fell off the box. I still don't know how I didn't notice the cookie during that time.

It's nice to know that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. And here is what the fortune from that cookie said:

"It tastes sweet."

Okay, to borrow a line from Buffy Summers, do you think you can vague that one up a little more?

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Internet, Iced Tea, And Egg Fu Young

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Yesterday, I went by Lemongrass Cafe for takeout. The shrimp egg fu young lunch special, to be precise.

I didn't go from there to work, though. It was still at least a couple of hours before my shift started. Instead, I went a couple of blocks down the road to Heine Brothers Coffee. I got a large cup of iced tea, set up my laptop, and connected to their wifi network.

It made for a pleasant combination. The egg fu young was delicious, Heine Brothers serves a refreshing iced tea, and being able to eat and drink while surfing the Internet is something I'm unable to do at the library.

And I did get a fortune cookie. Ideally, I would have posted this entry yesterday, but by the time I started thinking about writing it, I realized that I needed to get to work. So, the opening of the cookie (and the revelation of the fortune inside) was left for today:

"Success is in the details."

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Linda Collection 5

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As you might have guessed, recently, I have been going with something other than Chinese to eat while I'm at work. (It seems to be mostly Qdoba and Taco Bell, but that's not the point.) And since I haven't posted anything recently, I thought it was time for another Linda Collection.

Of course, sooner or later I'm going to run out of the big bag of fortune cookies that she gave me. I'm not sure what I'll be doing for filler once that happens. I still have material for at least two or three more entries.

In any case, here are the latest batch that I pulled out of the bag (in alphabetical order, of course):

"He who seeks will find."
"Your ingenuity and imagination will get results."
"Your talents will be recognized and suitably rewarded."

I could have sworn that I pulled four fortune cookies out of the bag, though.

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Forgotten And Found

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I had just arrived at work Monday evening. I got there about 30 minutes early, mainly so I could eat before clocking in. (As I discovered, that was a smart decision. It turned out to be one of those nights.)

As I was getting settled, I happened to look over to a spot along the wall where some boxes had been stacked a few days earlier. They had been moved, and in the empty space on the floor, I spotted it -- the fortune from a fortune cookie.

I have the feeling that it had probably gone unnoticed since it had been taken out of a fortune cookie some unknown time previously. I probably would have been the only one to notice that little slip of paper, just because I collect these things.

More than likely, it came from Oriental House. That is the most likely source, anyway, and I tend to resort to Occam's Razor. Anyway, here is what that fortune said:

"The cure for grief is motion."

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Sandwiching Fortunes

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A couple of weeks ago, I was running a few errands before the monthly meeting of my local SF club. One of the last things I did on my way was to swing by China #1 to get some lunch.

I ordered one of the lunch specials, mainly because it was lunchtime, and it was the best value. This time, I ordered the shrimp egg fu yung.

When I got home, I decided to do a little experimentation. I grabbed a couple of slices of bread, and used one of the pieces of egg fu yung to make a St. Paul sandwich. I didn't add anything else at the time -- just the bread and the egg fu yung. I just wanted to get an idea a general idea of this sandwich.

Interesting concept, really. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time I order egg fu yung. I may have to get a little creative with what else to put in the sandwich.

My friend Linda had told me that China #1 was the place where she had acquired all of the fortune cookies that she had given me. I could see what she meant when I got home. When I opened the bag, I found three fortune cookies inside. Now, she may have needed only one fortune cookie per meal, but I don't mind if I get more than one.

Originally, I was going to write about this the following day. But I placed the fortune cookies where I would easily find them -- and, of course, I quickly and promptly managed to misplace them. It wasn't until earlier today that I rediscovered where I had placed them. And now, here are those fortunes:

"With integrity and consistency -- your credits are piling up."
"You display the wonderful traits of charm and courtesy."
"You have an important new business development shaping up."

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Wok Around The Clock

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Yesterday, I found myself in the mood for Chinese for dinner, and near a restaurant I hadn't tried before. The restaurant in question is King Wok, which is in St. Matthews. It's a little off the beaten path for me; I only discovered it a few months ago after The Zone moved to the same shopping center.

Well, I went by The Zone yesterday looking for a couple of comics. I realized that it would probably be a good idea to eat before I went to work, as opposed to trying to eat in between customers. (It turned out to be a smart choice.) I had been meaning to give King Wok a try, and I decided that now would be as good a time as any.

I went with my fallback -- a shrimp lo mein combination platter. As I think I've mentioned once or twice, you would have to really try to screw up shrimp lo mein.

They didn't screw it up. Plenty of shrimp. The combination platter came with fried rice and an egg roll. The fried rice had a little more onion in it than I prefer, but it was tolerable.

When I first looked, I didn't have a fortune cookie. I was eating at the restaurant, so I went back to the counter. When I asked the guy at the counter for a fortune cookie, he gave me two. Here is what the fortunes inside those cookies said:

"Go for the gold today! You'll be the champion of whatever."
"No job is so simple that it cannot be done wrong."

Hmmm . . . that first fortune sounds tailor made for John Scalzi.

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Overstuffed

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I went to #1 Asian Buffet in Mid-City Mall for dinner earlier this evening. I hadn't been there since I started this particular online journal last year. I think tonight's dinner may be a reminder why I haven't been there in so long.

I feel overstuffed. Uncomfortably so, as a matter of fact.

I don't think I ate more than I normally do at any Chinese buffet. But instead of that comfortable, satisfied feeling I usually have, right now it feels like I have a large lump of spent uranium in my stomach.

Oh, well, it will go away soon enough. And I did get a fortune cookie, with the following fortune:

"Spirit guides accompany you."

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Shrimp On The Run

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Yesterday, I made a quick stop by China 1. My stomach made that annoying gurgle and rumble that told me that it needed something right now, irrespective of what my plans for later dining might be.

I was in the mood for a light snack more than anything else, so I got a small order of shrimp lo mein. Something that would be quick and filling for at least a little while. And it did the trick.

Of course, packed along with the noodles and shrimp was a fortune cookie. Here's what the fortune said:

"It is very good karma to practice random acts of kindness."

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Million Dollar Fortune?

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I turned on the TV this morning, and I happened to catch part of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. I caught it just as a new contestant came on, and I wanted to see how well he would do, so I kept watching.

At one point, Meredith Viera was interviewing the contestant, and he mentioned that after he got the call from Millionaire that he was a contestant, he and some friends went to a Chinese restaurant to celebrate. And according to the contestant, this is what his fortune cookie said:

"You are going to come into a large sum of money."

Now, this makes for a good story, but part of me has to wonder if this guy was stretching the truth just a little. That's almost too big a coincidence. On the other hand, he is going to get at least a decent sum of money. When this particular episode ended, he had just answered (correctly) his 10th question, which guarantees him at least $25,000.

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Twice As Nice

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You may have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a little over a week. There is a simple reason for this. I have been going a variety of different places to grab lunch for work. I have been on something of a burrito kick recently. They have the advantage of being self-contained and (usually) not that messy, but Qdoba and Taco Bell don't give out fortune cookies.

Yesterday, though, I was near China 1 when I thought about getting something for lunch. It was early afternoon, and I ordered one of the lunch specials, shrimp with lobster sauce. I also got to work early enough where I could eat before clocking in. The food definitely tastes better when it's hot.

Lunch came with fried rice, and for once it wasn't overly oniony. Definite plus there.

I'm not quite sure what lobster sauce is, but it was pleasant. There were plenty of shrimp, along with peas and chunks of carrots. I usually mix whatever sauce remains after eating the entree with the rice, but this time, it seemed to be easier to do the blending beforehand, and eat everything together.

I also had a slight surprise at the end of the meal. I found two fortune cookies in with my meal. Here is what the fortunes said:

"There is no glory unless you put yourself on the line."
"You will soon take a very pleasant and successful trip."

That first one sounds like a fancier version of "No guts, no glory," doesn't it?

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Sandwich Without The Bread

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I made a stop by Lemongrass Cafe on my way to work yesterday to grab some takeout. This time, I decided to try something a little different, and went with the shrimp egg fu yung lunch special.

Now, as far as I can recall, I don't remember ever having egg fu yung before. I think what probably triggered my decision was a program I saw on KET last week. It was a program on regional sandwiches produced by WQED of Pittsburgh. One sandwich mentioned in the program was a local specialty in St. Louis called a "St. Paul Sandwich." (No, I don't know why it's called that.) This sandwich is a serving of egg fu yung slapped between two pieces of bread.

I don't live in St. Louis, but I think that part of the program got me curious enough to try egg fu yung. and as is the case with their other lunch specials, Lemongrass Cafe serves a generous portion. I know there was stuff in the egg fu yung besides just the shrimp, but unfortunately, I really couldn't tell what was in it. Well, I do know that there weren't any bell peppers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the egg fu yung, as well as the brown rice that came with the meal. And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end of the meal. The fortune inside the cookie read as follows:

"It is the hope and dreams we have that make us great."

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Lemongrass Before Work

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I made a quick stop by Lemongrass Cafe about 30 minutes ago. I wasn't on my way to work -- that will be in a few hours. But I'm at a meeting at the St. Matthews/Eline library, and Lemongrass Cafe is only about two blocks away from the library.

I ordered the shrimp lo mein lunch special. While the food has always been enjoyable when I've had it at work, it was absolutely delicious when I was able to eat it while it was still hot.

And this was one time when I opened the fortune cookie with my meal, since I would be writing this entry right away. Here's what the fortune had to say:

"A thrilling time is in store for you."

I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing or not.

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Jumbo Lunch

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As often as I grab Chinese takeout for lunch at work, you might think that I would want to steer clear from any and all restaurants serving that cuisine on my day off. Well, you would be wrong.

I had lunch this afternoon at Jumbo Buffet. I was in the mood for sushi, especially when I realized that it had been several months since I had any. I would say that there are at least five Asian buffets that serve sushi that are within a reasonable distance from where I live. I also couldn't remember when the last time I ate at Jumbo Buffet, so it was as good a choice as any.

The sushi was good. I would have preferred more nigiri sushi choiices, but it might been a matter of timing. I might have been there when the restaurant thought people might want more maki sushi.

And I did make selections other than the sushi. I even picked a few things that I suspect are more inspired by American cuisine than any Asian cuisine. Things like green beans and corn. For the record, you can eat both with chopsticks. The green beans are quite easy to eat with chopsticks, albeit one at a time. The corn . . . takes a little more patience.

And with the bill, the server brought my fortune cookie. Here's what the fortune said:

"You have a friendly heart and are well admired."

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A Twin-Fortuned Cookie

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Yesterday, I grabbed takeout from China 1 on my way to work. I decided to go for something a little different, and I ordered the honey chicken combination. It's something they serve as one of their lunch specials, but as I mentioned the last time I ordered from China 1, those are unavailable after 3:00 PM, and it was almost 6:00 when I placed my order.

From what I can tell, the honey chicken is batter dipped chunks of chicken, sinilar to how chicken is prepared for sweet and sour chicken. It was served with some sort of honey sauce, which could be get on the overly sweet side if not handled correctly.

The meal also came with fried rice. The remaining sauce could have been a little on the too sweet side, but mixing it with some soy sauce and hot mustard cut the sweetness just a little.

The big surprise came with the fortune cookie. The cookie contained two fortunes -- rather like an egg that has two yolks, I suppose. I suppose it would have been strange if the two fortunes had been identical, but they were different. Fraternal rather than identical twins, you might say. And here is what those fortunes said:

"You are original and creative."
"You are talented in many ways."

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Linda Collection 4

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Since I haven't indulged in takeout for the past few days, I thought I would dive into the bag of fortune cookies that my friend Linda gave me. In other words, it's time for another Linda Collection.

I only grabbed three cookies out of the bag this time. Here are the fortunes, in alphabetical order:

"Do not be afraid of competition."
"There is no fear for the one whose thought is not confused."
"You have much skill in expressing yourself to be effective."

I would like to think that that last one applied to me.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0082 . . . CLOSE

A Baci Is Just A Baci

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0081 . . . OPEN:


I finally unwrapped the other Baci in the package I got recently. Now, I have discovered that if you want to get the lovenote in readable condition, you need to unwrap the chocolate carefully. Of course, I had figured that out before I ever unwrapped my first Baci.

The note inside was in at least one other language that I hadn't seen previously. I recognize it as Greek, but again, I couldn't read anything other than the English version. Here's what it said:

"The more I love you the more you flee from me my darling."

This was attributed to a C. Baudelaire. Not recognizing who that might be, though.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0081 . . . CLOSE

Sealed With A Baci

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0080 . . . OPEN:


A few entries back, I mentioned Perugina's Baci chocolates, and how each chocolate contains a lovenote inside the wrapper. At the time I wrote the entry, I mentioned that I hadn't tried a Baci, so I had no firsthand knowledge.

Well, that has changed. Not too long ago, I was in World Market, and was looking through the candy section when I noticed Baci on one of the shelves. Obviously, I grabbed a box right away.

The box contained only two chocolates. Not much more than a sample, but to tell the truth, that was all I really wanted at the moment. I just wanted to get an idea of both the candy and the notes.

The chocolate was delightful. A dark chocolate ganache with chopped hazelnuts, topped with a whole hazelnut and covered in dark chocolate.

What really interested me was the lovenote inside the blue and silver foil wrapper. It was printed on a slip of translucent paper. It had what I assume was the same message printed in several languages. Besides English (the only one I can read), it was also printed in what looks to be Italian, French, Spanish, and one other language. Here's the English message:

"We've spoken a lot about love. Now let's try to listen to it, shall we?"

I haven't seen what is inside the other chocolate yet. That's for another entry.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0080 . . . CLOSE

Back To The Fortunes

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0079 . . . OPEN:


Most of last week, my lunchtime urges were satisfied by Jimmy John's, Subway, and Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches. All very satisfying, all very tasty . . . but unfortunately, none of those places put fortune cookies in with their sandwiches.

On my way to work Saturday, though, I decided that I wanted Chinese, and I went to China 1. (At the time, it was the closest place.) I decided on a a shrimp lo mein combination. Basically, it's the same as their lunch specials, except that China 1 only offers the lunch specials until 3:00 PM. And you guessed it, by the time I got there, it was after 3:00.

The combination was shrimp lo mein, pork fried rice, and an egg roll. As I have mentioned before, China 1's fried rice is a little heavier on the onion flavor than I usually prefer, but it wasn't too bad. It was tasty, it was filling, and that was the most important thing. I think I was even able to eat my meal in less than an hour.

Rounding out the meal was the fortune cookie. Here's what the fortune said:

"Your determination will bring you much success."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0079 . . . CLOSE

Being Prepared

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0078 . . . OPEN:


There are times when you can just tell that things are going to be going crazy. That happened to me yesterday. I think it was based on how things had gone at work the past few days, but I had the feeling that things were going to be anything but calm at work yesterday.

And I was right.

I went by Lemongrass Cafe on my way to work, and I picked up the shrimp lo mein lunch special. And when I was ready, I reheated the food in the microwave, and tried to have something resembling a peaceful meal.

That, as it turned out, was a little too much to ask. A lunch that should have taken 15 to 20 minutes to eat at most lasted over an hour. I could barely get a bite in my mouth before someone else walked in. Is it really too much to ask for just a few minutes to eat in peace? Trust me, I start to get a little cranky when I get taken away from my food one time too many.

And as I mentioned last time, Lemongrass Cafe remembers the fortune cookies. Here's what yesterday's cookie said:

"Rest not from duty, but find rest in it."

Okay. Now, can someone tell me just how to do that?

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0078 . . . CLOSE

Don't Forget The Fortune

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0077 . . . OPEN:


I have been a little disappointed with my last couple of orders from Oriental House. No fortune cookie, ergo, no material for an entry here.

On my way to work yesterday, I decided to pick up something at Lemongrass Cafe. I went with the lo mein, but this time, I decided to try the beef lo mein for a bit of a change.

The fun part was finding a few moments to actually eat. Emma swears that Tuesday is when they let all the lunatics out of the asylum. After last night, I'm beginning to think that she just might be right. Some of these people had to be synchronizing their arrival times just to screw with my attempts to eat.

The beef lo mein was pretty good. I'm toying with the idea of ordering a "surf and turf" lo mein some time, although that would be a dollar additional.

And most importantly, Lemongrass Cafe didn't forget the fortune cookie! Here's what the fortune read:

"A truly great person never puts away the simplicity of a child."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0077 . . . CLOSE

Lunch On The Run

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0076 . . . OPEN:



I tried someplace new for lunch this afternoon. It's not too far from where I live. It's China #1. Now, that's not to be confused with China 1. China 1 is in St. Matthews, more or less at the intersection of Breckenridge and Shelbyville Road. China #1, on the other hand, is in Beuchel, right next to the Bashford Manor Kroger.

Now, while these are two completely different places, they are quite similar. Their menus and prices are about the same. Both places are more for people wanting to get takeout than for sitting down to eat (limited seating at both).

I happened to be near China #1 when I realized that I was starting to feel just a little hungry. It was the closest place, and I was in the mood to give it a try.

As is usually the case when I try a Chinese place for the first time, I went with my default order, the shrimp lo mein. They do a respectable job with it. They had plenty of shrimp in my order, and from my point of view, that's the most important thing.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie. Here's my fortune for today (or at least for my lunch):

"No profit grows where there is no pleasure to be had."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0076 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 3

JANUSFILES2 . . .ENTRY #0075 . . . OPEN:


Since I haven't had takeout for the past few days, I thought it might be a good time to present another batch of fortunes from the fortune cookies my friend Linda gave me. (And sooner or later, the cookies are going to go stale, so it might be a good time to eat them before that happens.) In other words, kiddies, it's time for another Linda Collection.

There is no rhyme or reason to these presentations, by the way. I just pulled a handful of cookies out of the Ziploc bag, and I'm arranging the fortunes in alphabetical order.

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
"If you understand what you’re doing, you’re not learning anything."
"There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you."
"There is no greater pleasure than seeing your loved ones prosper."*
"Use your head, but live in your heart."

*This one looks a little familiar. I think I may have encountered this fortune before, but I will have to do a little digging before I know for certain that this is a close encounter of the duplicate kind.

JANUSFILES2 . . .ENTRY #0075 . . . CLOSE

Promises Of More Material

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0074 . . . OPEN:


I found a new source of fortunes, or at least fortune-ish sayings. Yesterday, I unwrapped a Dove Promises chocolate, and as I happened to glance at the inside of the wrapper, I saw a short message that would have not been out of place if I had found it while cracking open a fortune cookie.

Dove is not the first candymaker to do something like this. From what I have read, the Italian chocolatier Perugina has been doing this for years with their Baci chocolates. Wrapped inside each Baci (which, by the way, is Italian for "kiss") is a short lovenote, usually quotes from great love poems or other comments on love. (I have never tried a Baci, so I don't have firsthand knowledge.) And as I mentioned in an entry last year, Nestle includes messages on their Nestle Treasures chocolates as well. Those messages offer advice on the theme of just taking time to enjoy life.

I'm not sure if there is a general theme to the messages found on the Promises wrappers. I think I will have to look a more than just the three I sampled last night before I come to any conclusion. But here are those first three:

"Trust with your heart, not your head."
"A gentle touch speaks volumes."
"Laugh until your heart overflows."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0074 . . . CLOSE

Taking Things Easy (Or At Least Easier)

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0073 . . . OPEN:


Last night's dinner was takeout from Oriental House. More than anything else, it was the easiest choice to make.

I had a feeling that things were going to be just a little crazy at work yesterday. And guess what -- I was right! I had just about enough time to walk next door, place my order, and pay for my food. They brought my order over about 15 to 20 minutes later.

Surprisingly enough, I had time to eat at something resembling a normal meal. Things were relatively quiet when my order arrived, and I was able to eat several bites in between customers. More importantly, I didn't have any of the jerks who seem to find it funny to keep me from eating more than one bite at a time.

I went with the Hong Kong chicken. No particular reason, other than maybe I like the way the remaining sauce mixes with the rice. And of course, the meal ended with a fortune cookie, with this fortune inside:

"Teach only love for that is what you are."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0073 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 2

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0072 . . . OPEN:


A few months ago, I mentioned that my friend Linda had brought a bunch of fortune cookies to the monthly meeting of my local SF/fantasy club. She mentioned that when she got takeout from one Chinese restaurant, they were giving her several fortune cookies with each order -- more than what she needed. When I mentioned what I was doing on this site, she gave the remaining cookies to me at the end of the meeting. And over the following few months, she gave me more fortune cookies -- enough to fill a couple of big Ziploc bags.

And after that first entry (Entry #0024, by the way), I haven't done anything with them.

Until now.

One very big reason for that, of course, is that I have been gathering more than enough research material on my own. Since I didn't get any takeout myself the past few days, I thought this would be a good opportunity to present more fortunes from, and I have chosen to call them, the Linda Collections.

"Never argue with a fool."
"Say hello to others. You will have a happier day."
"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work."
"Turbulence is a life force. It is opportunity. Let’s love turbulence and use it for change."
"What great things would you attempt if you knew you could not fail."

More collections like this to come, I promise.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0072 . . . CLOSE

Numerical Curiosity

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0071 . . . OPEN:


"Working together works."

This was the first fortune that I encountered a second time. Its brevity was probably why I did a search of my earlier entries when I found it in a cookie for a second time. It was short enough where I realized that this was no mere feeling of deja vu -- I really had seen this fortune before.

It wasn't until earlier this week that I decided to take another look at the actual fortunes. Since I started this particular online journal, I have been keeping the fortunes in an envelope. (Right now, it's just your standard #10 envelope, but sooner or later, I suspect I will need something much larger.) I took the fortunes out of the envelope, and carefully began sifting through them until I found the two with that fortune given above.

After encountering the same fortune twice for a second time, I was now more than a little curious. I remembered that the fortunes had "lucky numbers," but I was now wondering if there were two different sets of numbers, or if by some chance the "lucky numbers" were the same.

As I quickly discovered, there were two sets of "lucky numbers" on the two fortunes. That leads me to conclude that wherever the fortunes are printed, they probably go through two different printings. The first printing is for the actual fortune, and the second pass through the printer (on the reverse side) is for the numbers. (That's my best guess, anyway.)

In any case, here are the "lucky numbers" that appeared on one of the duplicate fortunes:

13 17 55 27 18 50

Its twin had this set of numbers:

48 05 36 27 08 19

I'm still trying to decide if this is a sign that I should play either of these sets of numbers.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0071 . . . CLOSE

Just Wanting A Few Minutes To Eat

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0070 . . . OPEN:


After taking some time away from Cninese takeout, I decided to go by Lemongrass Cafe on my way to work yesterday. I think I was in the mood for some shrimp lo mein more than anything else, so that's what I ordered.

I think Lemongrass Cafe's shrimp lo mein just might be my favorite. Or at least the lunch special is. It comes with the rice of your choice (my choice last night was brown rice), and that made it just a little more filling.

The only problem, as usual, was the actual eating. Because I'm working alone for the most part, I'm eating while behind the counter. There are times when I am barely get one bite of food in my mouth before someone else walks in the door. And there are more than a few jerks who find it funny that they are preventing me from enjoying my dinner. (I haven't slammed anyone's face into my counter -- yet -- but I have been sorely tempted.)

As I said, the food was great, when I could get a chance to savor it. And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end. Here's what the fortune said:

"A small house can hold as much happiness as a big one."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0070 . . . CLOSE

The Wisdom Of Yogi

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0069 . . . OPEN:


"You are imaginative in using your skills. Apply this next week."

In a previous entry, I mentioned getting a fortune cookie with the exact same fortune that I got . . . well, it was some time ago. When I got it the second time, I wondered what the odds were on one person getting the same fortune twice.

After yesterday's entry, I am going to have to revise that thought. Now, I have to wonder what the odds are on getting the same fortune twice at the same time.

Okay, I realize that my situation is just a little out of the ordinary. Most people are not going to be buying fortune cookies by the half dozen, the way that I did. And don't know if there is anyone else who writes about the fortunes he or she finds in fortune cookies.

Still, there is a situation that is at least somewhat similar to what I just encountered. Take a group of friends who get together for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. At the end of the dinner, when the waitress brings out the fortune cookies, what are the odds that two of them would get cookies with the same fortune in them?

I suspect that "astronomical" would probably be a fair estimate. Getting a better idea would more than likely require a mathematical genius, like Charlie Eppes of Numb3rs. And sorry, but my mathematical skills don’t come anywhere near that level.

Like most fortune cookies, these fortunes came with sets of "lucky numbers" for playing the lottery. I checked the back of these two fortunes, and found two different sets of numbers. The numbers on one fortune were:

08 15 24 37 41 43

The numbers on the other fortune were:

11 16 20 21 28 41

I didn't think about checking the numbers on my other set of twin fortunes. I may have to go back and do that, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Yogi Berra might have been right. This sounds like a case of deja vu all over again.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0069 . . . CLOSE

Not A Typo

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0068 . . . OPEN:


I have been continuing my brief hiatus from Chinese takeout at work the past few days. This weekend, it was Subway and Papa John's. Definitely a welcome change of pace, but unfortunately, none of those places serve fortune cookies.

(Fortune cookies with your pizza. Now, that might be an interesting gimmick.)

Instead, I have another batch of fortune cookies that I picked up at Max Orient a couple of months ago. Now, it was probably at the beginning of the year when I got these cookies, but I know who picked out the cookies for me. As I mentioned the first time I presented fortunes that I picked up at Max Orient, they sell fortune cookies at three for 50 cents, and I usually get a dollar's worth. There is one lady who works behind the counter who almost always drops in an additional cookie to be certain I’m getting what I'm paying for. (I will assume that she does this for everyone who buys fortune cookies, and not just me.) With this particular batch, I got eight cookies. And here are the fortunes:

"Emulate what you respect in your friends."
"Pull the universe inside you. Make it your own."
"Take that chance you've been considering."
"You are imaginative in using your skills. Apply this next week."
"You are imaginative in using your skills. Apply this next week."*
"You will make many changes before settling satisfactorily."
"You will soon be crossing warm waters for a fun vacation."
"You will soon be receiving sound spoken advice. Listen!"

*No, this is not a typographical error. I really did get the same fortune twice in the same batch of fortune cookies. I'll be writing more about this in another entry.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0068 . . . CLOSE

Strange New Definition Of "Mild"

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0067 . . . OPEN:



Yesterday, I decided to get takeout from Lemongrass Cafe to take to work. The primary consideration was that it on my way to work from the library. I also knew that I needed to get something before I went to work, because for some reason, Tuesdays tend to be just a little on the insane side.

I was right about the higher-than-usual level of insanity. If I hadn't ordered takeout before I went to work, I would not been able to get anything later. And that would have made me crankier than I already was.

I had ordered the shrimp with garlic sauce. And I specified the mild version. Based on what I got, this was obviously some strange new definition of the term "mild" of which I was previously unaware. This was more of a medium in terms of spiciness. It wasn't overwhelming, but the sauce definitely left something of a lingering tingle on my lips and tongue.

Despite our disagreement on what constitutes mild, the food was great. And I discovered that Lemongrass Cafe has an option for ordering brown rice with their lunch specials. Which I did.

And I discovered that there is at least one writer of fortunes for fortune cookies who has a quirky sense of humor. I think it shows through the fortune that came with last night's cookie:

"How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0067 . . . CLOSE

Taking The Lo (Mein) Road

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0066 . . . OPEN:


As I mentioned in my last entry, I decided to go for a bit of a change for dinner at work. Sandwiches, mostly -- Penn Station and Subway. But for Saturday night, I decided to stick to Oriental House.

As I have mentioned in at least one entry, one of my usual default orders is shrimp lo mein. Part of my logic in ordering that is that it's something relatively simple, and if a restaurant screws that up, I probably don't want to be wasting my time trying anything else they might have.

I finally got around to ordering shrimp lo mein from Oriental House on Saturday night. I was expecting it to be good. It was something of a reverse of my usual logic -- I already know that they serve good food, so they shouldn't be screwing up something this simple.

And they didn't. Lots of shrimp (I think they were medium size), vegetables, and plenty of noodles. A satisfying dinner, to say the least. And I didn't realize it when I placed the order, but I was getting what most Chinese restaurants sell as the large portion. Most of the time, I order the smaller size.

And of course, let's not forget the fortune cookie, and its fortune:

"Think about your own mistakes rather than blame on other's faults."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0066 . . . CLOSE

Changing The Pace

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0065 . . . OPEN:


For the past few days, I decided that I wanted a little change of pace. So instead of Chinese takeout, I've gone with sandwiches from Penn Station. Delicious, but unfortunately, they don't include fortune cookies with their sandwiches.

On the other hand, I do have a bunch of fortunes to share with you. A half dozen pithy thoughts, to be precise. They're from a batch of fortune cookies that I picked up at Max Orient at least a couple of months ago. It was right before I started working next to a door to a Chinese restaurant, and was getting my fortune cookie fix several times a week. The bag has been hanging on the doorknob of my bedroom door ever since then, just waiting for the right time for me to crack them open.

With this week's hiatus, I thought it was as good as time as any to do just that, and take a peek inside these cookies. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

"A secret is no longer a secret by the time it gets to you."
"There is someone owing so many thanks to you."
"They can because they think they can."
"Things are only impossible until they are not."
"To build a better world, start in your community."
"Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0065 . . . CLOSE

The Silence Of Thunder

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0064 . . . OPEN:


Another Saturday night, and as the old song goes, I ain't got nobody. Of course, part of that is because as usual on a Saturday night, I was at work.

I thought this past Saturday night would be a relatively peaceful one. With Thunder Over Louisville going on, and some 700,000 people downtown, I was hoping that things would be rather dead at work. Well, it was on the quiet side, but not quite as quiet as I hoped it would be.

Fortunately, I went by Oriental House before I clocked in to get dinner. I wasn't feeling particularly adventurous, so I went with something I had tried before, the Hong Kong chicken.

The fortune in Saturday night's fortune cookie is giving me a feeling of deja vu. I have this feeling that I have seen this one before. At the moment, though, I can't recall if I have posted it in an earlier entry:

"You will be successful in your work."

I'll have to go back through my past entries to see if I have encountered this fortune before.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0064 . . . CLOSE

Chaos For Chaos

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0063 . . . OPEN:


Most of the time, when I'm ordering takeout, I never know what I'm going to order until about 30 seconds before I actually order it. I suppose some people would say that I just can't make up my mind. I prefer to think of it as the essentially chaotic functioning of my mind.

Somehow, that was rather appropriate last night. Things were crazy all night, and for no apparent reason. Crazy enough that I had to phone in my order to Oriental House, then walk over a few minutes later to pick it up.

I ordered the beef with broccoli. I'm fairly certain that I've ordered it before, but come to think of it, last night was not one for being adventurous.

I thought the fortune was just a little amusing:

"Your love life will be happy and harmonious."

Now, could someone please tell me what a love life is?

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0063 . . . CLOSE

A Case Of Deja Vu?

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0062 . . . OPEN:


Tuesday, I had plenty of time to make it to Lemongrass Cafe to get takeout for that night's dinner. I went with the almond fried chicken. Batter-dipped chicken, fried (obviously), with plenty of almonds (also obviously) and assorted veggies. The sauce came in a separate container, and I decided to save that for mixing with the rice.

I have the feeling that I have seen the fortune that came in the fortune cookie before:

"A smile is the most effective medicine."

I'm fairly certain that I haven't used it in any of my entries yet, though. I think this is a mystery that needs further research.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0062 . . . CLOSE

Follow The Leader

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0061 . . . OPEN:


When I saw that Emma had ordered takeout from Oriental House Monday night, I asked her what she had ordered. It was her default order, shrimp with lobster sauce. I had asked her about it at least once before, and from what she told me, it was something that I put on my "had to try sometime" list.

When she mentioned her order Monday night, I decided to follow her lead, and give it a try. I can see why Emma likes this so much. There were plenty of succulent shrimp and chunks of pork in a wonderful sauce. And once I finished the meat, I dumped the steamed rice that came with it into the remaining sauce.

And I think Oriental House may have a new supplier for their fortune cookies. At least, my cookie appeared to come from a different company. Not sure what Emma would have to say about this fortune:

"Handsome is that handsome does."

Okay, I've heard that in slightly different forms more than once.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0061 . . . CLOSE

Emmatorial Commentary

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0060 . . . OPEN:



Yesterday at work, I discovered that Emma had opted for getting lunch/dinner/whatever from Oriental House. This was not exactly by choice. She was originally planning to bring a sandwich, but discovered that she did not have one essential ingredient at home -- the bread.

To make a long story short, I told Emma about my explorations into fortune cookie philosophy, and I asked her if I could have her fortune after she cracked open her fortune cookie. She was amused by the concept, and she said, "Sure." This is what her fortune said:

"It takes guts to get out of the ruts."

Emma was . . . less than impressed. It is her opinion that Oriental House's fortune cookies aren't that good. As I recall, she thought that they had "crappy fortunes." And I think she was even less impressed by the fact that this particular fortune was attempting to be a short poem as well.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0060 . . . CLOSE

Doubling Down Again

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0059 . . . OPEN:


Saturday afternoon, I made it to Lemongrass Cafe in time to order one of the lunch specials -- even though I wouldn't be eating it for a couple of hours. (As they say, it's all a matter of timing.) After Friday night's dinner, I suppose I was wondering how another restaurant's sweet and sour shrimp would be, so that's the lunch special I ordered. I remembered to ask if it had bell peppers in it (it did), and I remembered to ask them to leave them out.

After I left the restaurant, I realized that my stomach was rumbling, and that I really needed to eat something right then and there. so, I decided to go to China 1, and get a small order of pork fried rice.

The fried rice was good. A little more onion than I prefer, but still pretty good. And the fortune from China 1 read as follows:

"Confuscius say: Lovers in triangle not on square."

For some reason, I'm surprised that I haven't seen more fortunes that use that particular format.

A few hours later, when I was ready to eat dinner, I zapped the sweet and sour shrimp in the microwave. It came with plenty of shrimp, but unlike Oriental House, the sauce was in a separate container. I liked that, because I could control the amount of sauce on the shrimp.

I also concluded that it might be Oriental House's sauce that's just a little too sweet for me. Lemongrass Cafe's sauce is still sweet (and not sour enough), but not overwhelmingly sweet.

And here is the fortune I got from Lemongrass Cafe's cookie:

"Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0059 . . . CLOSE

Too Much Sweet, Not Enough Sour?

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0058 . . . OPEN:


As the saying goes, the most important thing in comedy is timing. And yesterday, my timing was off just enough that I couldn't make it to Lemongrass Cafe in time to get one of the lunch specials to take to work with me. Instead, I went to my fallback plan -- takeout from Oriental House.

Last night, I decided to have the sweet and sour shrimp. But as I was eating my dinner, I realized something. I think Oriental House's sweet and sour sauce may be just a little too much on the sweet side. It needed a little . . . well, something to blanance the flavors a little better.

And of course, capping off the meal was the fortune cookie. Last night's fortune read as follows:

"Good bakers always make plenty of dough."

I'm still chuckling at that one. I'm something of an incorrigible punster, and I always appreciate a good pun.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0058 . . . CLOSE

Forgetting My Own Rules

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0057 . . . OPEN:


Tuesday, I made it to Lemongrass Cafe again to get takeout. My timing had been off most of the day, and I was cutting it close to the 4:00 PM deadline when I placed my order. And I was a couple of minutes late getting to work, which threw Emma off just a little bit.

Tuesday, I decided to order the Princess Chicken lunch special. And I didn't remember to follow two of my own rules. First, it was listed as a "hot and spicy" dish, and I don't think I asked for the mildest version. Second, I forgot to ask if it had green peppers in it. It does, and of course, they had no way of knowing to leave them out.

Fortunately, the bell peppers were in large enough chunks for me to easily remove. And if I did order the full-spicy version, it was manageable. There was heat, but not overwhelming.

Minus the peppers, the Princess Chicken was quite good. Besides the chicken, there were peanuts, water chestnuts, and celery in a decidedly spicy sauce. There was the occasional burning sensation, but I felt it more on my lips than on my tongue. And when I mixed the remaining sauce with the rice, I don't remember feeling any burn at all.

And of course, let's not forget the most important part of the meal -- the fortune cookie. Tuesday night's cookie read as follows:

"Foot: A device for finding furniture in the dark."

Or for finding any other obstacles that might be on the floor in the dark.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0057 . . . CLOSE

(Lo) Mein-Lining It

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0056 . . . OPEN:


Yesterday, I said that I needed to change my dinner habits just a little. Monday, I found out just how right I was.

Monday afternoon, I made it to Lemongrass Cafe right before the 4:00 PM cut-off point for the lunch specials. As I mentioned quite some time back, one of my default choices when ordering Chinese is shrimp lo mein. Lo Mein is one of their lunch specials (with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp), so I decided to get that, and take it to work for dinner.

Right after I left Lemongrass Cafe, though, I realized that I was going to need something else to eat sooner. And I'm still not sure why I did this, but I decided to bike a couple of blocks over to China 1. I picked up a small order of lo mein there as well -- pork lo mein this time.

I went to work after that. I was a couple of hours early (which threw Emma for a curve when I first arrived), but used the time to take a nap in the back room before clocking in. I also ate the pork lo mein right away. As the saying goes, that really hit the spot right then. I saved the shrimp lo mein for later (after a quick zap in the microwave). The shrimp were a decent size, and the vegetables included mushrooms -- one of my favorites.

And best of all, I got fortune cookies with both orders. The fortune in the cookie from China 1 read:

"You have a yearning for perfection."

I was also amused to note that this fortune came decorated with smiley faces at the beginning and end of the fortune.

The fortune in the cookie from Lemongrass Cafe read:

"A great pleasure in life is doing what others say you can't."

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Fall Back To Default Setting

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I really need to change up my dinner habits just a little.

I realize that Oriental House has the advantage of convenience (as in right next door), but I have the feeling that I'm rapidly becoming familiar with their entire menu.

Saturday night is a case in point. Thanks to Murphy's Law intervening, going by Lemongrass Cafe was not an option. Instead, I settled for Oriental House -- the sesame chicken.

Part of what I have been enjoying about getting dinner from Oriental House has been discovering something new. But what happens when you run out of new things to discover?

The food was great, as always. And Saturday's fortune read as follows:

"To have peace is to increase fortune and longevity."

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Janus See, Janus Do

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My original plan for yesterday was to try another one of the lunch specials at Lemongrass Cafe. There was just one little problem. Their lunch specials run only until 4:00 PM, and -- you guessed it -- I got there just enough after 4:00 where they weren't offering them anymore that day.

As a result, dinner was from Oriental House, which seems to have become my default location for getting dinner. At first, I had no idea what I would be getting to eat. That was before my co-worker Emma decided to get something from Oriental House. She decided to get the Hong Kong Chicken. I think when I saw it, some inner voice said, "Hey, that looks good," and I decided to order it myself a little later. I also decided to try one of their desserts, the puffy egg custard tarts.

I didn't forget the fortune cookie, either. Last night's fortune read as follows:

"Live each day well and wisely."

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Back To Business

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Now that April Fools Day is out of the way, we now return to our regularly scheduled presentation of fortunes.

Tuesday, I decided to do something just a little different. I like Oriental House, and it has the advantage of being conveniently located to where I work, but I thought a change of pace would be nice. So before I went to work Tuesday afternoon, I stopped by Lemongrass Cafe, a restaurant that specializes in Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. It's not too far away from where I work, so getting the rest of the way to work with the food wasn't a problem. Still, it's far away enough that I will have to think about going there in advance.

I took a look at their takeout menu, and decided upon one of the lunch specials, shrimp with garlic sauce. The menu indicated that it was hot and spicy, but also said that the spiciness could be adjusted. As usual, I went for the mildest version.

The food was cold by the time I was ready for dinner. I expected that. It was also delicious. Pleasantly spicy, in fact. Most of the sauce had been absorbed by the rice, so I really couldn't detect the garlic as much as I normally would.

And unlike Oriental House, I didn't have to ask for a fortune cookie. Lemongrass Cafe includes one as a matter of course. The fortune in Tuesday's cookie read as follows:

"The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does."

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Taking Time Out

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Yes, I have material for a new entry. I've decided to save it until tomorrow, though.

Why? Just take a look at the calendar. That's right, it's April Fools Day.

I decided that if I posted a fortune today, there might be a good chance that someone would be thinking, "No, you really didn't find that in your fortune cookie!" And I can't say that I would blame you, either.

Besides, if I were going to be really serious about an April Fools Day joke here, it would take some planning. I want it to be remembered as something spectacular, not something that fell flatter than a pancake.

So, enjoy the day. And I just thought of one bit of advice that would be the perfect fortune for today:

Take everything you hear or read on April 1 with an appropriately sized grain of salt.

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Pigging Out

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Just like last week, I'm closing four nights this week. And it looks like this is going to be the way the schedule runs for the forseeable future, for reasons I would rather not go into.

As you probably guessed by now, dinner was takeout from Oriental House. I went with something from the main menu, and as I placed my order, the hostess's eyes snapped open with surprise. She even said something to the effect that this was a little unusual for me. I mentioned that I had gone through most of the lunch specials. I even asked about a couple of the items on the menu for future reference.

Last night, though, I had the roast pork with steamed rice. It came with a side of steamed (and wilted) lettuce, just like the roast duck I had a week or two ago. And this wasn't on the bone, so I didn't have that little problem of gnawing the meat off the bones and then disposing of the bones that I did with the roast duck.

And of course, I made sure I had a fortune cookie. Last night's fortune read as follows:

"Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes."

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Slightly Less Insane

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I was scheduled to close at work last night. It really wasn't that bad, though. U Of L was playing last night, so for a good part of the evening, I'm guessing that most of the people who would normally be in my store were someplace where there was a TV, watching the game.

As usual, I went to Oriental House to grab takeout. Lemon chicken tonight; I wasn't in the adventurous mood. And much to my surprise, I actually had the chance to eat my dinner at a somewhat leisurely pace. You know, it's much more enjoyable to eat when you aren't scarfing down a bite or two in between customers.

And the capper of the meal was the fortune cookie, with this fortune:

"To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others."

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Crazy Time

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Yesterday was . . . just a little rough. I had a nine-hour shift, and I was alone for most of it. And that was particularly a problem when it came time to get something to eat. It seemed as though I was never going to get the store empty long enough to lock up for a few minutes, walk over to Oriental House, and pick something up. And when I finally was able to go grab some food, I found a line waiting for me when I came back. Good grief!

Last night was not one for trying something new. So, I went back to something I had before, the sesame chicken. It was just what I needed, even though I was eating on the run. And I suspect that last night's fortune might be more than a little appropriate:

"There is nothing that costs so little nor goes so far as courtesy."

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Much Better

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This is going to be another long week at work. I'm scheduled to close four nights this week. At least one of them is already out of the way.

I'm probably stating the obvious, but that first night was last night. And I decided to move away from the lunch specials when I ordered takeout at Oriental House. This time, I went with the stir fried flat rice noodle with sliced chicken, pork, and shitake mushrooms.

The girl at the counter remembered the mistake they made Saturday night with my order. She even went back to the kitchen to make sure that they didn't put any bell peppers in my food this time.

I think this may have been one of the best dises I have tried yet. No rice with this dish, but there was so much food, I didn't need any rice. The only problem is that the noodles didn't want to stay on the fork.

And I was slightly (and pleasantly) surprised to find two fortune cookies in the bag, with the following fortunes:

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
"This instant is the only time there is."

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I Said, No Bell Peppers, Please . . .

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Working on Saturday night is rapidly becoming a reason to get takeout for dinner. And once again, I turned to Oriental House. (Sooner or later, I will probably choose some other restaurant just for some variety. But Papa John's doesn't deliver fortune cookies with their pizza.)

This past Saturday, I chose kung po chicken from the lunch specials. When I ordered it, I specifically stated, as I have in the past, "No bell peppers, please." I also requested the less spicy version of the dish.

When I got my food back to work, though, I could smell the bell peppers in the food. And one of the first things I did was remove a rather large chunk of bell pepper and dump it in the trash. At the time, I figured that just picking out the bell peppers would be the easiest thing to do, because I was already on the register, and there was no way I could go back to get things corrected.

But then "Emma," one of my co-workers, came behind the counter, smelled the bell peppers as well, and commented on it. (She has the same low opinion of them as I do.) She then offered to take my food back to Oriental House to have the problem corrected, since she still had a few minutes to go before clocking out. I said sure, and a few minutes later, she returned with the food. This time, the odor of bell pepper was noticeably absent.

The kung po chicken was good, but they also didn't pay attention to my request for the less spicy version. It was just a little hotter than I originally anticipated. It didn't have me breathing out fire like you would see in any number of cartoons, but it was definitely hot enough to make me realize that this was not the less spicy version.

I had taken out the fortune cookie before Emma took the food back for correction. When she returned, I opened the bag, and found another fortune cookie inside. So at least there was something good that came out of this. Two fortune cookies, two fortunes, and two rather interesting viewpoints:

"It is better to have beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear."
"It takes courage to lead a life. Any life."

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A St. Patty's Day Fortune

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As I mentioned last time, my normal work schedule was scrambled just a little this week. It was for a good reason, but it left me feeling just a little scrambled as well. In addition to closing Monday night, I closed Tuesday night as well.

This was a little disappointing. While I'm not Irish, I was planning to make some corned beef and cabbage in my Crock-Pot for St. Patrick's Day. Because of the schedule change, though, that was pushed back a day or two, and I had to settle for a Reuben sandwich from Penn Station (which I ate when I got home) as a substitute.

For dinner, it was -- you guessed it -- takeout from Oriental House. I decided to go for another spicy selection from the lunch specials, Hunan beef. As usual, I specified no bell peppers, and I requested the milder version.

They did leave out the bell peppers, but I think they missed my request to make it less spicy. The food was good, but just a little hotter than I anticipated. It left just a little afterburn on my tongue and in my mouth for a few minutes.

At least they remembered the fortune cookie. Here is the fortune:

"Social events have a lot to offer at this time."

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Not Just For The Weekends

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My week is feeling just a little off. Normally, I work afternoons and early evenings on Mondays and Tuesdays. But for a couple of different reasons (and I won't bore you with the details), I was scheduled to close both of those days, which meant that I was going to have to make different plans for dinner than what I normally would.

In other words, I was going to Oriental House for takeout.

I decided to do something a little different Monday night. Instead of one of their lunch specials, I went with something off their main menu. Now, Oriental House's menu boasts that their food is "authentic Chinese." Not being authentically Chinese myself, I'm just going to have to take their word for it.

I had been looking through their menu for a few weeks, looking for something else to try, and I settled on roast duck with steamed rice. It also came with steamed lettuce as a side.

I'm trying to remember if I had ever had duck before. It was moister than chicken. Unfortunately, the duck came on the bone, so I ended up eating it off the bone, so it was just a little messier, too.

And as always, I made sure to get a fortune cookie with my meal. This fortune read as follows:

"Necessity does everything well."

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More From Saturday Night

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That little collection of fortunes wasn't the only fortunes I gathered Saturday night. I continued my quest through the lunch specials at Oriental House. My choice this time was the beef with broccoli.

Not a bad choice -- even though I can't say that I have been disappointed by any of Oriental House's dishes. And of course, I got a fortune cookie with my dinner. Unlike the customer who came in my store, though, I kept my fortune:

"There is no greater pleasure than seeing your loved ones prosper."

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Fortunes Without Cookies

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Saturday night was another usual Saturday night at work. During the early part of the evening, though, I had a slightly surprising moment. As I was ringing up one customer, she was on her cell phone with someone. Normally, I find this more than a little irritating, but I also noticed that she was going through her purse, looking for something to write on.

I fed some blank paper from the register tape for her, and as I handed it to her, I noticed several fortunes from fortune cookies on the counter. The most likely assumption would be that she had just come from Oriental House. Of course, you know what they say happens when you assume something.

She wrote down whatever the person on the other end of the line was telling her, and I was finally able to ring up her purchases. After she left, I noticed that she had left the fortunes behind. Naturally, I retrieved them, and here they are:

"Book lovers never go to bed alone."
"Have a vision. Be demanding."
"Know a person with time, know a horse with distance."

I have to admit, I really agree with that first one.

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Yet Another Saturday Night

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Saturday night, and I'm stuck at work again. Okay, it isn't that bad, but there are times when I wish I could get the afternoon shift on Saturday every once in a while.

For last Saturday's dinner, I tried the sesame chicken. The chicken was stir-fried, then covered in some sort of sesame sauce, and served on a bed of shredded lettuce. Delicious, but apparently, the sauce is rather pungent. My coworker made a couple of comments on my breath after I had eaten. It sounds like I need to remember to have breath mints on hand the next time I order this.

A fortune commenting on the need for fresh breath would have been eerily appropriate. I didn't find anything like that in my fortune cookie, though. What I found was this:

"No problem leaves you where you found it."

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Fortune Blast From The Past

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After spending the past couple of weeks trying every variation on the chicken with garlic sauce, I decided that it was time to go back to checking the other lunch specials at Oriental House. Last night, I went for the sweet and sour pork.

It wasn't that different from the other sweet and sour dishes that I've ordered from Oriental House. Just a different meat from what I've had previously. I remembered to have them hold the bell pepper. And I've discovered that the best way to eat the rice with any of the lunch specials is to eat the main dish, then mix the rice into the sauce that remains. (Makes less of a mess that way.)

The fortune that came with last night's fortune cookie was short, sweet, and too the point:

"Knowledge is power."

I think I learned that one from Schoolhouse Rock, many years ago.

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Pushing The Envelope

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Last Saturday, I decided to throw caution to the wind. After trying the chicken with garlic sauce in both the mild and medium versions, I thought I could handle the full spicy version. And that's what I ordered for dinner.

I was pleasantly surprised by one thing when my order came out. The hostess who took my order made certain that there was a fork in the bag. It's nice to know that she remembered the time I didn't get a fork (of course, she probably remembers because I'm becoming something of a regular).

I didn't have a problem with the full spicy version. I think I may have noticed that it was little spicier than what I ordered before, but it wasn't enough to make my tongue feel as though someone had set it on fire.

This week, though, I think I will be trying something else when I get my takeout. I think I still haven't tried about half the list.

And I'm still thinking about the fortune that came with Saturday night's fortune cookie. I think this one might apply to me more than I realize:

"It is more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others."

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Spicing Things Up A Bit

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After trying the chicken with garlic sauce last week, I decided to push the envelope a little this week, and go for a medium level of spiciness. So, just before going to work Friday night, I went to Oriental House and ordered just that.

I forgot one little thing, though. I forgot that the chicken with garlic sauce has bell peppers in it, and since I forgot that, I didn't ask them to leave them out. You guessed it -- my food came with bell peppers. Not too many, but I still had to pick them out. The food was good, although I couldn't tell if there was much of a difference from what I had the previous week.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie. The is the fortune I had with Friday's dinner:

"Toil awhile . . . endure awhile . . . believe always . . . and never turn back."

Saturday, I ordered the same thing, only this time, I remember to ask them to hold the bell peppers. Definite improvement. Even when I pick out the peppers, you can occasionally catch the faintest taste of them in the food.

I think this week, I may throw caution to the wind, and try this with the normal level of spiciness. I haven't had problems yet. (That's always a Famous Last Word, isn't it?)

And here is what Saturday's fortune cookie had to say:

"Temptation resistant is the true measure of character."

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No Miss This Time

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Around this time last year, I mentioned an opportunity I had missed with the Valentine's Day version of Hershey's Special Dark Kisses. This year, I got it right.

Quick recap: Hershey does something a little different with the Valentine bags of the Special Dark Kisses. Instead of the usual flags (which simply say "Dark"), Hershey uses flags with Valentine messages. They only do this with the Special Dark Kisses (and don't ask me why).

These messages aren't precisely fortunes, but I thought they were close enough to include here. But as I said last year, I waited just a little too long after Valentine's Day. The Special Dark Kisses disappeared from the shelves much quicker than I thought they would.

This year, things were a little different. I grabbed a couple of bags several weeks ago just to be certain that I wouldn't miss them two years in a row. And as I went through the first bag, I very carefully kept the flags. Hershey used six different messages, and I made certain that I had all of them:

"A Kiss For You"
"A Valentine Kiss"
"Be My Valentine"
"I Love You"
"Kiss Me Quick"
"Love And Kisses"

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The Weekend Fortunes

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I usually work Friday and Saturday evenings. And it's becoming more and more the case that I get dinner at Oriental House, usually just before I clock in. I'm still working my way through the lunch specials, although I think I have a few that are starting to shape up as favorites.

Last Friday, I tried the bourbon chicken. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, this seems to be a locally inspired dish. It's grilled chicken in a bourbon-flavored sauce. Oriental House's sauce is one of the sweeter versions of the sauce that I've tried. Maybe a little sweeter than I prefer, but it's still good. And the fortune with Friday's fortune cookie said this:

"Happy event will take place shortly in your home."

Saturday, I tried the chicken with garlic sauce. This is one of their dishes listed as "hot and spicy," but I asked them to make it on the mild side for me. It wasn't that bad in the mild version, and I might even try it with the medium spiciness next time. The chicken and vegetables were in a wonderfully garlicky sauce -- and I love garlic. Saturday's fortune was this:

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

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Another Saturday Night

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Another Saturday night at work, and another reason to get takeout from Oriental House. At the most fundamental level, that's what it is. It's next door to where I work, it's the most convenient place to get something to eat, and the food is pretty good. And that's how I spent my Saturday night.

Another selection from the lunch specials as well. this time, it was Hong Kong Chicken. A batter-dipped chicken breast, fried, covered in some sort of gravy along with plenty of stir-fried vegetables -- mushrooms, broccoli, snow pea pods, baby corn, and carrots. As always, the food is good, but then again, I don't think I have had anything bad from them.

And capping the meal was the fortune cookie, with this fortune:

"Drastic means are not as necessary as you think."

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Double Your Fortune

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I tried another lunch special at Oriental House last week. This time, it was the Chicken Subgum Chow Mein. Before ordering, I asked what the difference between subgum chow mein and plain old chow mein was. The lady at the register told me, but at the moment, I'm drawing a blank on what it was. I also asked if it had bell peppers in it (it did), and remembered to ask them not to put any in my order.

The food was good, as I have come to expect from Oriental House. Nice-sized chunks of chicken and plenty of vegetables, with cashews sprinkled on top nof it all.

I was a little surprised when I saw my fortune cookie. Due to some packaging error at whatever plant made these fortune cookies, I had two cookies in one package. And with two cookies, you get two fortunes:

"Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important."
"Someone will invite you to a Karaoke party."

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Hits And Misses

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I'm in the process of going through all of Oriental House's lunch specials. Since they're all the same price, I might as well try all of them and see which one is my favorite, right?

Well, make that almost all of the lunch specials. As I may have mentioned once or twice already, I don't like bell peppers. Make that I really don't bell peppers, so I think I'll give the pepper steak a pass. And before I try any of the hot and spicy selections (such as General Tso's chicken), I'm going to see if they can crank down the heat just a little.

In any case, last week I tried two more selections. First, there was the sweet and sour shrimp. I was both pleasantly surprised and slightly dismayed. Surprised, because they used some of the biggest shrimp I had ever seen. These would probably qualify for that oxymoronic description, "jumbo shrimp." Dismayed, because in spite of the fact that I distinctly specified "no bell peppers," . . . you guessed it, there were bell peppers in it. But they did remember the fortune cookie, with this fortune:

"When in doubt, just take the next small step."

The following day, I decided to try the lemon chicken. This time, I didn't have to worry about bell peppers. Just chicken, either batter-dipped or breaded (I don't remember which at the moment), then fried, on a bed of lettuce and topped with a lemon sauce.

I had a slightly different problem this time. They forgot to include a fork with my food. I tried using a couple of straws as improvised chopsticks, with somewhat mixed results. The straws just weren't sturdy enough to be used as chopsticks, unfortunately.

An hour or so later, the lady who had taken my order came by my store. I told her that the food had been delicious, but mentioned the shlight problem I had encountered. Her face immediately twisted into an expression of surprise that almost screamed, "How could that have happened?" She did promise that it wouldn't happen again.

At least they didn't forget the fortune cookie. This one said:

"Walk with a good heart and you will run with success."

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Double-Take

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I waited a few days before trying Oriental House again. I tried the sweet-and-sour crab again, and this time I knew to ask them to hold the bell peppers. They did, and quite frankly, it tasted much better.

I had a surprise when I opened my fortune cookie. For the first time I can ever remember, I got a fortune for the second time:

"Working together works."

This was the same fortune that I mentioned in Entry #0012, for the record.

I wonder how often that really happens. Somehow, I suspect that people get fortunes that they have had in previous fortune cookies. It's just that if they aren't keeping track the way I am, it isn't as noticeable.

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The Fortune Next Door

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Last time, I mentioned finding a fortune at work that more than likely came from Oriental House, the Chinese restaurant next door. I received a couple of glowing endorsements from some of my co-workers, so I decided to give them a try.

The first time, I tried their moo goo gai pan lunch special. The food was good, but I was disappointed by two things. First, all of their lunch specials are supposed to include an egg roll, but there wasn't one. Second, there wasn't any fortune cookie.

The second time I went to Oriental House, I tried another lunch special -- sweet & sour crab steak. (Well, that's what the menu called it.) This time, I specified both an egg roll and a fortune cookie, and I got both.

Again, the food is good. I learned the hard way that they included bell pepper, which I absolutely detest, and I spent quite a bit of time picking it out. I'll have to remember to specify no bell pepper next time.

And of course, there was the fortune:

"You are open-minded and quick to make new friends."

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Working Hard For The Fortune

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I was at work about a week or two ago, and I found a fortune from a fortune cookie on the floor. More than likely, one of my co-workers had ordered something from Oriental House, the Chinese restaurant next door. (That's the most likely explanation, anyway, and I tend to follow Occam's Razor in matters like this.)

Since the fortune was on the floor, I'm assuming that the co-worker had intended to discard the fortune after reading. In any case, it was now mine, and I share it with you:

"Your fortune is not something to find but to unfold."

A couple of my co-workers have told me good things about Oriental House, so they may be a source of future entries.

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