Uncle Henry's

So I figured out why there's almost nothing on Craigslist for the state of Maine: Uncle Henry's Weekly Swap or Sell It Guide. It has everything from guns to farm animals to cars to a "free for the taking" section. Some other prime selections are "racing," "racing accessories," "yard sales and flea markets," "arts and crafts," and "mobile homes." If you just thought "wow, it's like redneck Craigslist," then you and I are on the same page. That said... this thing is pretty awesome!

 The best ad I've come across so far is one for a Glock .22 conversion kit. Excuse me, but wtf? Who buys a Glock and decides what they REALLY want is a .22? The ad says "save on ammo" lolz.

Also notice the "*Kat's First Ever*"

Tyson (one of my roomies) got it for me as a step in the process to becoming a "real Mainer" :)

Perfume and Glitter???

So I finally figured out why people look at me weird when I pull out a $2 bill. For a few weeks now I have had a stash of them and occasionally use them to tip. Anyways, rumor has it that there is only one gentlemen's club in the state of Maine, and it's SOOOOO far from anything, and is such a... quiet... establishment, that they don't give out ones, but only twos so the girls get paid enough. Everyone in the state knows this.

Thank God my twos were from Georgia.

Fried Dough

What, you ask, is "fried dough?" It is of course, dough, that has been deep fried. There's nothing in it, it's just dough.

As near as I can figure, it's the funnel cake of the North East. They top it with powdered sugar and cinnamon and give you some syrupy type stuff to dip it in... and you walk around fairs tearing of pieces with your fingers and getting powdered sugar everywhere.

Tastes pretty good too :)

Now Who's Jealous??

Today it was nearly 70 and sunny... So I went to the beach :D Lots of people were out throwing frisbees, playing in the sand...  no one in the water past their ankles though, lol. Also, you can't see it in this picture, but the snow hasn't completely melted from that storm last week! I was driving around today with the windows down with SNOW on the ground, haha. It was more than a tiny bit confusing.

I've been working alot, I'm starting to actually be part of the crew, answering more questions than I'm asking... They even gave me my own set of keys!!! I don't know what any of them go to thought. Something called "the chowder company," a storage space called "Bob's closet" (I have no idea who Bob is...), and some mysterious box I've never seen where I'm supposed to put employee cell phones. Also one to the office and one to the back bathroom which apparently also hides a liquor room.

The thing I miss the most today: Mellow Mushroom Pizza

My First Blizzard!

So last night at 9pm, there was ZERO snow on the ground. This is this morning when I woke up. Yeah, it was still snowing. I knew something was going on because about 4am I awoke to 5 transformers blowing out front of the apartment. I figured being in the middle of a snowstorm it would be out for a while, so I closed my laptop and went back to sleep. I swear less than two minutes went by before the plows and repair trucks drove by.... I guess that's what happens when you live in the same town as a former Pres. Also, Maine St in town is mysteriously completely clear and DRY. We don't know how. New life goal: get my own secret service ;p

This is what it looked like from inside Tyson's car. That slightly red spot is Meri's Miata, lol. There was probably about 6-8 inches on the ground, and it didn't stop til after dark! It's at over a foot now...

I got to drive on it, and learned the real difference between 2wd and 4x4 (and was also reminded that my truck is rwd... there are some fun tracks at the mall parking lot, teehee). I'm finally starting to feel like I'm up north for the winter. Apparently things are flowering back in GA. I'm not jealous :p

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. For those of you that don't know, my Grandad is in the hospital at Vanderbilt with heart problems. I flew down for a few days to be with him and my family. The good news is he's doing as best he can with as weak as his heart is. He'll have a procedure tomorrow and if all goes perfect, be home by Saturday :D

Georgia can keep its collard greens

Today I had my first ever lobster roll. Yes, I've been in Maine a whole month, and this is my first one. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's the first lobster I've ever eaten! It was also $23 on my food card!!! Thankfully I have a little extra this month since I only got it a week ago ;) Oh, yeah, and it was good.

In the background is iced tea. It's not sweet. We don't make sweet tea. I knew this coming up here, but I just want everyone to know how happy I am to not be looked at like fool every time I order tea.

I did my first round of managing tonight: paperwork, computer stuff, etc. We have a log book with daily entries (most places do) that is extremely entertaining to look through. Last year in February a man claimed an "over fried tortilla" caused his dental crown to break. Personally, I think that beats the guy at T Mac who went to the ER after getting salsa in his eye. Thoughts?

Sneak Peek!!!
Things that make Federal Jack's better than Taco Mac:
- the hosts bus
- we're allowed to eat pretty much at any time
- we get shift beers

Maple Sugar Candies!!!!!

 

So, I bought a flannel shirt (yeah, my first one) at L.L.Bean and when I went to check out these little gems were on the "impulse aisle!" The last time I had one of these was probably 10 years ago, they're delicious!!!! I already ate all of them, I'll have to find a closer source.

I brewed some beer for KBC on Thursday with Mike, Andrew, and Ben. We pumped a red ale into the last holding tank, continued letting a stout ferment (open air, you could watch the yeast bubble!), mashed, boiled, and hopped a scotch ale that will be their first ever barrel aged brew, and measured out the malts for their first ever black IPA :) I was pretty much on cloud nine til I had to scoop 250lbs of wet barley out of the mash tun with basically an ice scoop. Then it was only cloud eight.

Tomorrow is my first day "managing," even though it's still training. The biggest challenge so far is remembering everyone's name! I know there are some I've forgotten >.< Anyone know a good way to remember a bunch of new people without making flashcards? Yeah, I'm a flashcard person.