Introducing Project GFS1

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0156 . . . OPEN:


Remember last entry, when I said that I already had something to replace the now-depleted bag of fortune cookies that my friend Linda gave me? I've been meaning to write about this for a couple of weeks now, and I finally got my butt in gear today.

This little project actually started February 3 -- Chinese New Year. When I went to Jefferson Mall, I also made a swing by the nearby GFS. Now, if you're unfamiliar with Gordon Food Service, I've occasionally described it as a great place to go if you're planning a party. Need to buy ketchup, chocolate syrup, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce by the gallon? GFS is the place to go. Planning a room party at your favorite sf convention, and need to feed a few hundred of your closest friends (some of whom you have just met for the first time)? You can find what you need at GFS. Trust me.

In a couple of previous visits to GFS, I noticed that they carried fortune cookies -- in bulk. More than likely, this is what your local Chinese restaurant buys when they get fortune cookies. After one visit, I thought that this might be an interesting source of material for this blog. If I haven't been in the mood for Chinese for a while, I can still write an entry. All I have to do is pull out a fortune cookie, and voila, instant entry.

As you probably have already guessed, I purchased a whole bunch of fortune cookies that day. "A whole bunch" in this case was a bag containing 160 fortune cookies. This bag should last me quite a while. Even if I didn't use any other source material for this blog, I could have enough entries for most of the year. (And I do plan to have using other sources. sooner or later, I'm going to have a craving for Chinese.)

As I said, it's about time I started using these cookies for the reason I bought them. Here is the first of many, many fortunes from that bag:

"You should be able to undertake and complete anything."

Hmmmm, kind of appropriate for a first entry, now that I think about it.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0156 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 8

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0155 . . . OPEN:


Well, I have finally reached the last of the fortune cookies that my friend Linda gave me. So unless Linda shows up at a club meeting with another big bag of fortune cookies, this will probably be the last Linda Collection.

Looking back, I see that I made the cookies last over two years. More importantly, these last cookies didn't taste stale, so it seems I didn't have to worry all much on that account. And I have decided on a replacement for the Linda Collection entries (more on that in a future entry). So for now, I present the fortunes (with comments by me in parentheses):

"You are a bundle of energy, always on the go."
(Well, most of the time, anyway.)

"You have a potential urge and the ability for accomplishment."
(Sounds promising.)

"Your dearest dream is coming true."
(You mean the identical triplet majorettes?)

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0155 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 7

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0151 . . . OPEN:


You might have noticed that I have been somewhat conspicuous in my absence this month. There's a simple explanation, really. I haven't been in the mood for Chinese food recently. And if I don't get Chinese anywhere, that also means that I don't have any fortune cookies.

Well, I still have a few fortune cookies in that bag my friend Linda gave me. So, it's as good a reason as any to post another Linda Collection entry. (Unfortunately, I think I have only one more entry to go before I use up all of the fortune cookies.)

This time, I grabbed two cookies from the bag. Here's what the fortunes said:

"Your life becomes more and more of an adventure!"
"Your whole family are well."

All right, the second fortune sounds more than a little vague. And I'm wondering just what sort of adventure my life is going to become.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0151 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 6

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0147 . . . OPEN:


I noticed a few days ago that it had been some time since I posted an entry concerning that big bag of fortune cookies that my friend Linda gave me many months ago. I also realized that sooner or later, those cookies are probably going to go stale, so it might be a good idea to go ahead and finish the cookies before that happens.

This time, I pulled out five fortune cookies from the bag. No particular rhyme or reason to my selection, although I did select one cookie that was crushed. In any case, here's what the fortunes said:

"A cheerful letter or message is on its way to you."*
"Accept the next proposition you hear."
"Happiness always accompanies with you."
"If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job."**
"You are kind-hearted and hospitable, cheerful and well-liked."

*This time of year, that will probably be a Christmas card.
**There are aggravations, and then there are aggravations. When people seem hellbent on causing as many as possible, I can do without them, job or not.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0147 . . . CLOSE

I KNEW There Were Four!

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0096 . . . OPEN:

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?

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0096 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 5

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0094 . . . OPEN:


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.

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0094 . . . CLOSE

Sandwiching Fortunes

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0092 . . . OPEN:


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."

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0092 . . . CLOSE

Linda Collection 4

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0082 . . . OPEN:


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

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

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

Linda Collection 1

JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0024 . . . OPEN:


My friend Linda brought a surprise to a club meeting yesterday. It was a big Ziploc bag of fortune cookies. If I had heard her right, the place where she had been getting Chinese takeout was now giving her four (or more) fortune cookies with each order, instead of just one. She didn't need that many fortune cookies, so she brought them to the meeting for the rest of us.

I immediately grabbed a few cookies. A couple of the others did as well, but when I told them about what I was doing here, they let me have their fortunes after reading them. (I think they would have been thrown away if I hadn't said anything.)

With Linda’s blessing, I also grabbed the bag at the meeting's end. I haven't gone through all of the fortune cookies yet -- that was a one-gallon Ziploc bag, and it was stuffed with cookies. What I am presenting here is the first of what I am going to call the Linda Collections:

"A family reunion in the coming months will be a tremendous success!"
"A good time to start something new."
"A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn't go by yourself."
"Nothing is impossible to a willing heart." (I think this was the fortune in the first cookie I opened.)
"The best prophet of the future is the past."
"The courage to be great lies deep within each of us."
"You are a bundle of energy, always on the go."
"You are ambitious."

There will be more to come, I promise. Hmmm, I need to ask Linda who is being so generous with the fortune cookies . . .


JANUSFILES2 . . . ENTRY #0024 . . . CLOSE