My brain is decidedly cluttered and unfocused today, so you get random Poppy core dumpage today.
Last night I tried to apply for a job online at a company you would know if I told you the name of it, but the process for getting my information filled in was sooooo convoluted and was taking sooooo many steps, that after 15 minutes and still only being on Step 1 of 6, I gave up. I then selected another job from the list I was looking at and was able to send off my information in 5 minutes. That company has a list of clients you've heard of, but you've probably not heard of the company itself. I suck at gauging how I'd fit into a corporate company, but this one looks a'ight from the internet. I just can't handle companies where the owners act like kings and queens and treat everyone else like servants. I've worked for a corporate company like this and it's precisely what turned me off to the corporate world for 6 years. I'm a human being at work and at play… and if I'm doing the right work then I am really enjoying what I'm doing… so don't stifle me with your bureaucratic bullshit.
I really miss PiC and da Bomb, who coincidentally both used to be my officemates when we were in the "sharing phase" of officenessdom before lots of people left our department and our floor. I'm seeing Break Boy and HLW Wednesday when Dawg and I go to Vermont, but there's not really any time for a work visit. I have a built in camera and internet access, I should log into chat and see if either one of them will talk to me. I've heard through the grapevine that things at work are very ungood, and this is something I get to feel guilty about. I know I didn't cause it, but my departure contributed to my very good friends' workload.
I also miss K and J in New Hampshire. Hi, guys. 
It smells really strongly of garlic in the apartment today. Dawg and I made those yummy chicken cutlets last night that he'd been drooling about all day yesterday and they came out fantastic! I prepped them and he fried them.
They came out a perfect golden brown and were perfectly cooked — very crunchy on the outside, very moist on the inside.
The Lehman Brothers bankruptcy is a very bad thing for New York City business. Yes, please to Barclays. And… the AIG thing isn't helping either.
HOLY SHIT! You know that guy who does the World Series of Pop Culture?!?!??! Pat Kiernan!!! HE'S A NEWSCASTER ON NY1!!!!!!! (Um, am I the only person who knows what I'm talking about? Mebbe. How about we look on YouTube…)
World Series of Pop Culture 2007:
NY1:
And now, a KITTY BLITZ!!!!!!!!!
We live in a neighborhood with a school. The other night we heard the infamous ice cream truck come through at 10:00PM. Dude, TOO LATE. TOO LATE!!!!
Yes, there just might be (ok, ok, there definitely will be) a Cereal Wednesday tomorrow. I assure you, once your hosts have settled into their new home (as in, we have more furniture than a desk and two chairs) we'll be better about filming.
Poppy, I know what you mean about the online skills evaluations. Some large companies like Verizon or MCI have 12 page online resume and skills evaluations. Or large companies contract out the screening process through a company that forces applicants to go through all of these hoops. Even if you fill it all out, they never call back. Its best to go through a recruiter or through a current employee to get your resume to someone's desk.
Have you thought of working through a placement company on a temp to perm basis? It provides you great opportunites to network with people.
That must be some smarmy news with Pat Kiernan delivering it!
Chicken cutlets, YUM!
The kitties look so 'chill'. It's great that they settled so quickly and are so obviously happy to be home with you. It makes my heart sing that you're family unit has come together so nicely.
I think Belch's suggestion of an agency is a good idea. Would that work for someone with your higher level of skills? I know there are some jobs where it's not practical but, heck, if it means you can 'try out' different company experiences, that might be cool.
The ice cream truck always comes through our neighborhood between 5 and 6 - y'know, just BEFORE you're getting ready to feed your kids dinner..
Isn't it such a pain that no matter where you are, there's always someone somewhere else that you're missing… ya… I pretty much hate that.
…… Heck. I have nothing to say about any of this.
Looks like the cats settled in nicely.
My neighborhood has an ice cream man, too. He usually rolls through around 3:15-3:30 but every once in a while he passes through after dark. Ice cream truck music is creepy enough during daylight… I don't want to hear it after dark!
I like how the one cat is sleeping in the litter box (at least it looks like a litter box from the photo).
Y'all seem to be settling in–it's a good feeling.
I love how content the kitties are–no more staring at walls and talking?
I have a super easy chicken marsala recipe I'd be happy to share.
Is that both rice AND stuffing?! I was watching the Big Bang Theory last night and found out that unless you are running a marathon that is a carbohydrate redundancy!
Oh and the ice cream truck always comes through my neighborhood at 6:00…. just when you are sitting down to dinner… or at least normal people are.
We are European. Because you know, Poppy, in Spain sometimes people don't sit down to eat until midnight!
I wondered who that guy was - I enjoyed watching the WSOPC the few times I did.
Every job I've left, I felt the same way. Not much else to say there.
I like garlic salt.
Here's something you can do to that recipe for the chicken that is quick and oh so delicious.
Take the cooked chicken cutlet (I use Progresso Garlic Italian Bread Crumbs for mine but whatever you did looks great) and put it on a cookie sheet (with sides). Saute some mushrooms and cover the top of the cutlet with them when finished. Take a can of Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce (the Four Cheese or Onion-Garlic flavors work really well) and pour about 1/2 cup over the top of the mushrooms and cutlet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and either put a slice of mozzarella or provolone cheese over the top of it and leave it in the oven until it melts. Tada. It's so delicious. And trust me, one is all you need. A little garlic toast on the side and you've got a great meal.
Do you beat the crap out of your chicken before you bread it? I do. I flatten to about 1/2 inch thickness so it will cook fast and no overcook with the breading. This way the ends of the cutlet don't get dried out while you're trying to get the thicker middle part cooked because it's pretty even.
I have a meat tenderizer that I use the flat side of the tenderizer. A can of veggies will work just fine.
Just thought I'd share. Thanks friend.
Pat, a good idea that I had been considering.
Paticus, are you implying that Pat Kiernan is smarmy?! hehehehe!
Sour, there are agencies that specialize for techs. We used to do a lot of temp-to-hires at my last job.
Britt, and please don't look at me funny, but is there any possibility you can tell the kids they can get the ice creams but they go in the freezer until AFTER dinner?
Tori, I'm finally coming to terms with it. What else can I do?
Dawg, you and your chicken…
Hope you (oops) enjoy the leftovers tonight! 
Creature, awesome!
BEE-bzzt, or I drugged them. Err. Or they're happy.
Mrs. M, nighttime ice cream truck music is creepy… like scary clowns.
Marty, that's actually a floor-flat cat scratching box, it has strips of corrugated cardboard set into a cardboard box.
Turn, we think they cry at the walls on occasion because the walls shake (unnoticeably to us) from the elevated train near our home. As for chicken marsala — I don't really like chicken or mushrooms, but for Dawg I will make it. Yes please to the recipe. (This is a showing of true love right here…)
Maman, Dawg refuses to eat rice and stuffing together, I'm the carb hound who loves the combo. It's like Thanksgiving dinner!
Wah, I wish the world understood that it should properly treat its talented workers instead of treating them like shit, underpaying them, and dumping too much work on them. Stupid world run by money.
Mattie, … maybe next time. Dawg's overnight was switched to tonight and he took the chicken with him in the form of sandwiches.
Thanks for the recipe! And, yes, I used a meat tenderizer to flatten them. Lots of noise. 
Hah - you said "a'ight"! Dork.
i am suddenly hungry. although i am wondering how you sleep with only a desk and two chairs…
Avi, for the next present you get me I'd like a Medium-sized shirt that simply says "dork". Thanks!
Hola, there might be a bed with floating end tables somewhere else in the apartment. (Damn, I was going to link to the posts where he and The Steff shopped for that bed, but his search engine is not cooperating.)
You mean like this one?
http://www.zazzle.com/dork_be_proud_shirt-235109686919218056?rf=238409938363355960
I prefer this one. I'm particular about the font.
That food looks so, sooo good. I am starving!
Recipe? For the cutlets?
Yay, kitties!
And I just thought of this - how the hell are you guys gonna get heavy furniture up those stairs?!!!
Sybil, recipe-ish:
3 or more chicken breasts, sliced length-wise to double the number of pieces
Salt and pepper for taste
A ziploc bag with some flour, salt, and pepper in it
A plate full of Progresso garlic and herb bread crumbs
A beaten egg in a dish
Vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp of butter
0. Preheat a sautee pan with the 1 Tbsp of butter, then add 1" of vegetable oil.
1. Beat the pieces of chicken with a meat tenderizer so they're nice and flat, as flat as you like them.
2. Put some salt and pepper on each side of the chicken.
3. Put each piece of chicken individually into the flour mixture, then remove to egg dish; repeat for each piece.
4. Coat both sides of the chicken pieces with egg.
5. Coat both sides of the chicken pieces with bread crumbs.
6. Place as many chicken pieces as will fit into the pan into it; cook on each side until golden brown (3-5 minutes per side).
7. Move finished chicken to paper towels on a plate for draining the excess oil.
8. EAT them, silly!
We had movers for the furniture, THANKFULLY.