When Things Get Tough, Tough Get Going

So yesterday was supposed to be our big CAJUN CRAWFISH BOIL PARTY.  20 people were showing up.  Yes, words get around about our annual crawfish party and we get more people showing up every year.  Heck, more the merrier... so the table set; potatoes and corns piled up; water simmering.  We were ready!!

Where Are Them? The crawfish is usually delivered by 10:30am but there seemed to be a delay this year.  FedEx shipment tracking showed that the package was scheduled to be delivered by 12 noon.  However, the status still showed as "in transit".  It looked odd but I let it go.

By 11:30am, a little birdie told me that something wasn't going right so I called up FedEx.  After the round and round of talking to the computer, I got a live person.  She first reiterated what I read on the website.  I told her to check real-time.  Lo and Behold, my crawfish was still in Memphis!!

UGH!!!!  WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY CRAWFISH IS STILL IN MEMPHIS?

Urrrr.... memory of that Turducken, our Christmas Eve dinner getting stuck in Memphis due to severe snowstorm few years ago, came rushing back.  Not again!!  Don't tell me so!!!

While dealing with FedEx and emailing the shipper to inform them of the situation, I told James that we need to have PLAN B now.  Our brains spinning fast and we both thought of a SEAFOOD BOIL instead.  We came out with a complete new menu on the spot: live Maine lobsters (for show), frozen lobster tails (to feed), clams and mussels (for variety), prawns and squid (for color).  So he headed out to the New England Lobster Company and I headed out to the Chinese supermarket to get new food.  It was 12:30pm.

After the quick scrambling, we did it!  People start coming at 2pm and were treated to a wonderful seafood boil.  I don't think they even remembered they were supposed to be here for crawfish!

Yes, once again, a twist to make my day interesting.  Like keeping me on my toe, my dear God??

Just One of Those Days

Ever have one of those days when you just tripped right and left?  Well, I have plenty of those days -- like I said before an eternal dark cloud is forever over my head - and I had one of those days yesterday.

I stayed at Robert's on Friday night to keep Dexter company since Robert was back in Taiwan.  I decided to tackle his backyard which was a weed forest after breakfast on Saturday morning.  And this was how my day went:

• First, all his garden gloves had holes.  Ugh! Bad start!
• Then, I can't find an extension cord long enough for the electric saw.  Yes, I used the saw because his weed trimmer was missing a part.
• After I sawed/chopped the tall weeds and tried to rake the weeds, his rake fell apart.  Ugh again!
• So I duct-taped the rake back together and had to use my hands - wearing the holly gloves - to pile the weeds up.
• I then accidentally severed the extension cord.  Oops! Just great!
• I finally found another extension cord but not a heavy duty one.
• I gave it a try anyway but the plug couldn't fit the socket on the saw. Urrrr...
• After looking high and low, I found an adapter so it finally fit.
• I was close to complete cutting the tall weeds down when the saw died.  And I could only laughed.  The other option was to roll in the weeds.
• I decided to call it quit.  Cleaned up, put things away and wanted a beer.
• Then when I opened the refrigerator, I discovered the light was out.  Worse, the refrigerator seemed to have died.
• There was still electricity to part of the house, so I was hoping it was just a tripped circuit.  But where the heck was the circuit breaker box?
• Who can I call?  It was about 5am Taiwan time.  Robert must have been asleep and besides, I didn't have his phone number.
• What should I do?  I saw Sheila, Robert's sister, still online on Facebook so I FB her asking how I could get hold of Robert?  One point for me for being resourceful!
• Sheila said she had to walk over to the apartmet where Robert was staying to wake him up because Robert did not have a phone.
• Sheila FB me back 10 minutes later to say no one answered the door. Robert was probably in deep sleep.  She asked me to wait for couple of more hours.
• I decided that I couldn't wait because I didn't know what was wrong with the refrigerator and I didn't want the food to start going bad.  That breaker box must be somewhere.  I searched inside and outside of the house opening up every box that looked like a breaker box.
• Two hours later, I finally found it.  Of course it was on the game room wall well camouflaged with the wood paneling.  Who would have guessed?
• At a switch, the refrigerator and some part of the house came back to life.  At that moment I saw fireworks!!

And I, finally, was able to have my beer.  Yes, the best part of the day!

(p.s. Later, Robert called.  He said he wasn't sleeping on the 11th floor of their building.  He moved down to the 3rd floor apartment but Sheila didn't know.  Ugh!  A small but important detail, won't you say?)