Interesting Juxtaposition

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Yesterday was one of those days when I realized that, somewhere around 7:00 PM, I realized that I was going to need a little more in the fuel tank if I was going to make it through the rest of the night without rude complaints from my stomach. Fortunately, things weren't too crazy after rush hour was over, and I had a few minutes where I could lock up and walk next door to Oriental House to get takeout.

I went with the beef with broccoli lunch special this time. I wasn't particularly in the mood to be adventurous, and beef with broccoli seemed like just the thing. About 15 minutes later, they brought my food over.

The fortune in the fortune cookie brought a little bit of amusement. Not so much for the fortune itself, which was this:

"A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you."

The amusement came from the other side of the fortune. Like most fortune cookie fortunes, on the back side of the fortune was a word of Chinese. On this fortune, the word was zui, which means "drunk, tipsy."

Okay. does this mean that a lifetime of happiness lies ahead of me if I am drunk or tipsy?

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So When Do I Get It?

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I think I have gone through just about all of the lunch specials at Oriental House. I'm probably not going to try the Pepper Steak, ever. That sounds like it is mostly bell pepper, and I am quite certain that I have made my views clear on bell pepper on numerous occasions.. Other than that, I think the one selection I hadn't tried was the General Tso's Chicken.

Last night, I had to be at work on the early side. And as I didn't really think about it beforehand, I fell back on Oriental House for lunch. This was easier said than done. Once I decided what I wanted, it took me over 30 minutes to lock up, walk next door to Oriental House, and place my order. Every time it looked like the lot was empty (in other words, when the coast was clear), and I was walking to the door with the "Be right back" sign in hand, someone else would walk up and scuttle my plans once again. One time, I had locked one of the doors, taped the sign to the door, and was outside and just about to lock the other door when someone decided that their day wouldn't be complete without making mine just a little bit more insane.

I mean, seriously, people! Do you have something against an overworked cashier getting something to stave off the pangs of hunger?

Once I did manage to get over to Oriental House, it took all of about three minutes to place my order, pay for it, and ask them to bring it over. And I have already suggested, I ordered the General Tso's Chicken with fried rice and an egg roll. Mild on the spicy side, please.

When the guy from Oriental House brought my food over a few minutes later, I think he was glad for the break. from what I could tell, they were even busier than I was. We talked for a minute or two. I was doing what I could to stretch out his relative peace as long as I could.

The food was delicious. Not too spicy, with large chunks of chicken, carrots, and zucchini. There were also a couple of chili peppers blended with everything else. I tried to bite into one, but it was dried, and not really conducive to eating. That attempt also released an additional bit of heat into the food. Not much, but enough to make me glad that I didn't order the full strength spiciness.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end. Here's what the fortune said:

"Joy comes from peace today, save the adventure till next week."

Given the sort of week I have had at work this past week, I want to know one thing. Just when am I going to get that whole "peace today" thing?

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It's The Year Of The Tiger

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It's the Year Of The Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight . . .

Okay, I'll stop with the impromptu karaoke. I couldn't resist, and let's face it, I won't have the opportunity to go with this riff again until 2022.

As you may or may have not noticed, today is the Chinese New Year. And in the Chinese zodiac, this is the year of the Tiger.

I learned one thing last night. The Chinese New Year is not a particularly good time to order takeout from a Chinese restaurant.

I learned this the hard way. I had not made any plans for dinner before getting to work, and so I went to my fallback choice of Oriental House. Besides, I remembered somewhat vaguely that this weekend was Chinese New Year, and I thought it would be somewhat appropriate to get takeout for dinner.

Well, during the time we were changing shifts, Hale told me that Oriental House was getting slammed yesterday. In fact, they were so busy at times that their parking lot was completely full, and people were parking in our parking lot.

It was somewhere around 8:00 PM before things were slow enough for me to lock up for a few minutes, and walk next door to place my order. Things were still busy for Oriental House, even if customers weren't parking in our lot any more. If the restaurant wasn't filled to capacity, it was pretty damn close. I can't remember ever seeing it that full before.

Fortunately, there wasn't much of a line at the register when I got there, so I was able to place my order somewhat quickly. And even more amazingly, they brought my order over within about 20 minutes.

I ordered the bourbon chicken lunch special last night. I also discovered that the best way to keep the sauce from being overly sweet is by adding soy sauce and hot mustard.

And here is what the fortune in my fortune cookie said:

"A kiss can beautify souls, hearts, and thoughts."

Pure coincidence that I received this particular fortune when I did, but it does seem an appropriate one for Valentine's Day.

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THERE'S The Beef!

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Last night was a really sucky night at work. There's no other way to describe it. Murphy's Law seemed to be in full force.

Just trying to get something to eat was one of the things that made the night sucky. I had not eaten much yesterday, and it seemed that the universe was conspiring against me to prevent me from getting anything else. And I was rapidly reaching the point where the lack of food was making me distinctly cranky.

Don't make me cranky. You won't like it when I'm cranky.

I think it was close to 8:30 before I managed to walk over to Oriental House to place my order. I ordered the Hunan Beef lunch special again. And this time, I made sure I specified the beef. I also had to repeat the order twice, because my my brain was so fried that I wasn't sure I had mentioned the other stuff (mild spice, no bell peppers).

Things definitely started feeling a little better once my order arrived. This time, it was the beef, and not the chicken. The food was good, and went a considerable way toward putting me in a better frame of mind.

And here's what the fortune in my fortune cookie said:

"You'll never know what you can do until you try."

Okay, I now know that I can handle a near-total meltdown at work. I think I would rather not have to repeat the experience again anytime soon.

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I Distinctly Said Beef . . .

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Dinner last night was takeout from Oriental House. My shift started a 4:00 PM, and quite frankly, they were the best option.

There were a few moments when I wasn't even sure that I would be able to get anything. Rush hour started right around 5:00, and once or twice, I was beginning to think that it was going to last right up until I closed at midnight. It wasn't quite that bad, but I still had way too many people coming in after 11:00. (The fewer people that come in after that time, the better. Call it a combination of paranoia, and a desire to start getting ready to close as soon as possible.)

It was somewhere around 8:00 PM before I could finally get a couple of minutes to lock up, walk over to Oriental House, and place my order.

I decided to try one of the few lunch specials that I hadn't tried yet. This special is listed on the menu as "Hunan Chicken Or Beef," and I think one of the reasons I hadn't tried it was because it's also listed as hot and spicy.

I already had my order in mind before I walked over to Oriental House. I told them I wanted Hunan Beef, no green peppers, mild spice. I paid, and they said that they would bring it over in a few minutes.

When they brought my order, I discovered that they didn't quite get it right. Instead of beef, I had Hunan chicken. They did get everything else right. Not too spicy, and definitely no green peppers. Next time, I will have to be certain to say that I want the beef.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end. The fortune in this cookie read as follows:

"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter."

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Just Keep Thinking That

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Monday night, I got takeout from Oriental House. This was one of those nights when the choice was planned, rather than being the fallback option. As is usually the case, there was an hour overlap in the schedule. I waited until 10 minutes or so before Hale left to walk over and place my order. I was a little surprised when they brought it over as quickly as they did.

I ordered the bourbon chicken lunch special Monday night. I like the dish, but sometimes I find that the sauce can be just a little too sweet. This was one of those times. When I mixed my fried rice with the remaining sauce, I needed some soy sauce to cut the sweetness just a little. A packet of the hot mustard that Chinese restaurants usually provide would have done the job even better, but they forgot to include one with this order.

Even with the possible over-sweetness, the food was still good. And at the end of the meal was the fortune cookie, with this fortune:

"You will lead a rich and successful life."

Yes, it would be nice if that particular fortune came true. I guess I just have to keep thinking positive thoughts while waiting for the right opportunity to come along.

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Nose Doubt

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I went to my fallback option for dinner Tuesday night. This time, it was more planned than fallback. I had eaten a late lunch, so Oriental House was my best option for dinner.

I ordered it a little earlier than I originally planned. I decided to take advantage of the overlap in the schedule between when I arrived and when Hale, my co-worker, left. On the one hand, I didn't have to try to get a few quiet minutes to lock up long enough to go place my order. On the other hand, Hale needed to leave a little early, so I couldn't place my order near the end of the overlap as I was hoping to do.

I ordered the sesame chicken lunch special. From what Hale has said, this is one of his favorites, and it is one of the first things that he orders from a Chinese restaurant. He also mentioned that he didn't particularly like Oriental House's sesame chicken. But when my food was brought over, he said that my sesame chicken smelled better than the one he had ordered. Hale suspected that there must have been two different cooks involved, and I apparently got the better one.

Maybe I'm not being as critical, but I don't think I have ever had a bad meal from Oriental House. There might have been some unwanted bell peppers once or twice, but I can always remove those.

In any event, the food was great, once I was able to get to it. And of course, there was the fortune cookie, with this fortune:

"A mile walked with a friend contains only a hundred steps."

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That's Absurd!

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Saturday night, I went over to Oriental House to get takeout. I really hadn't thought about what I wanted to eat, so Oriental House became my fallback choice.

Of course, there was a point where I wasn't certain that I would even be able to rely on my fallback. It was one of those nights. A constant stream of people that left me wondering if I would even be able to lock up just for the five minutes or so it would take for me to walk next door, place my order, and walk back. I mean, is it really that hard to be left alone for just five minutes?

Fortunately, I was able to get those five minutes, and someone walked my order over about 15 or 20 minutes after that. I ordered the chicken with garlic sauce lunch special. And while it was spicy, it wasn't fire-breathing spicy. Maybe they remembered my preferences.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie at the end, with this fortune:

"Ideas you believe are absurd ultimately lead to success!"

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Two Ways To The Same Idea

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I was at work a couple of nights ago. As one customer opened her wallet to get the payment for her purchase, I noticed a fortune from a fortune cookie in the ID slot, right in front of her driver's license.

Obviously, I was just a little curious as to what the fortune said. Part of it, of course, is because I'm always collecting fortunes. I was also wondering what it said because it seemed clear that she took this fortune to heart. I asked her if I could see the fortune, and she said, "Sure," turning her wallet so that I could get a better look at the fortune:

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

I can see why she kept that fortune. The message is a good one to keep in mind. My friend Bill Levy, through his alter ego of the philosopher Weng Shu, expressed the same idea, but in a slightly different wording:

"Chop wood, fetch water. Achieve enlightenment. Chop wood, fetch water."

Personally, I think Bill's version sound more like it came out of a fortune cookie.

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Quotable Fortune

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I had eaten a somewhat sizable lunch yesterday. I still thought I was going to need just a little something else to see me through the evening at work, though. And since I was cutting it a little closer than I had planned, I decided to get takeout from Oriental House.

I almost didn't get that. As soon as I walked in the door, Emma's first words were something along the lines of "Hurry up." Not a good sign, to say the least.

I managed to make it next door to Oriental House, and I ordered the subgum chicken chow mein lunch special. As I was paying for it, I asked the lady at the register if she could bring it over, "because Emma is about to chain me to the register." She was amused by my declaration.

When I got back, I discovered why Emma was in such a rush. When our manager had made the schedule, it had Emma leaving at 5:00 PM -- and me starting at 6:00 PM. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this picture? For a number of reasons, Emma needed to clock out as quickly as possible. As in RIGHT NOW.

The food came a few minutes after Emma left as though the hounds of Hell were on her heels. Other than the especially rushed turnover, the evening wasn't too bad. The food was good. And here is what the fortune inside my fortune cookie said:

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

The line seemed familiar, so I turned to Google. The quote is from Aesop -- the moral to his fable "The Lion And The Mouse."

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A Familiar Fortune

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I was weighing my lunch options while on my way to work late this morning. The decision came up Lemongrass Cafe, for at least a couple of reasons. For one thing, I hadn't had takeout from there in quite a while. For another, I decided that, even though I enjoy it, I really didn't want Burger King today.

As usual, I went with one of their lunch specials. This time, it was shrimp chow mein, because it was something I hadn't tried before. Even though I didn't make this a specific New Year's resolution, I am going to try a few new things this year. Eat at some new restaurants -- or even at a couple where I haven't eaten in some time.

The chow mein was delicious, as I expected it to be. Besides the shrimp, there were a variety of vegetables, including mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and celery. The shrimp were succulent, and the remaining sauce blended well with my brown rice.

And of course, there was the fortune cookie. What surprised me was that I recognized the fortune:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

I knew I had seen the quote before. At first, I thought it was something that either Benjamin Franklin or Robert A. Heinlein had said. But I just Googled the quote, and it turns out that it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said it.

Good advice, whether in a fortune cookie or wherever Eleanor Roosevelt first said it.

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Not A Hot Cookie, But Close

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More than a few months ago, I wrote about finding fortune cookie-ish messages on the packets of taco sauce that Taco Bell provides. When I first noticed them, I found five different messages. And as far as I can tell, those have been the only messages. I guess Taco Bell didn't see the potential in putting additional messages on the packets.

Yesterday, though, I was getting lunch at Taco Bell. As I was waiting for my order to arrive, I glanced at the taco sauce packets again, and I noticed two things. First, the hot sauce was now in a green packet, instead of the orange color previously used. And on the packet, there was a new message of sorts:

"drivethrudiet.com"

Yes, there is an actual website with that address. And it is Taco Bell related. If you want to know more, you'll have to go the website yourself. (Hey, what fun would it be if I gave you all the information?)

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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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