unexpected kindness and typical drivers

So it's 2:30 am. I worked half a day today and then drove to North Adams to spend the weekend with Jon. Unfortunately, he has to work 11 pm to 7 am today. I've spent the last 3 hours playing the Sims 3 and decided to update before going to bed.

Work was unexpectedly pleasant today. I was working the front desk instead of answering the phones like usual. I was soon informed that one 80 year old patient would have to sign a waiver saying that we had not yet received their referral from their PCP. This was very concerning for me as I saw the conversation to likely go something like this:
"Good Morning, I just need you to read and sign this for me." "WHAT? I'VE NEVER HAD TO SIGN ANYTHING BEFORE!" "yes, I realize that, but we haven't received your referral yet; but don't worry, it was requested. "I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU NEED ME TO SIGN THIS!" "It's just saying that you know that we have not yet received your referral, that's all." "I'VE NEVER HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE!" and so on.
However, to my delight, the man walked in and I asked him to read and sign the slip and he promptly complied with just a question as to what exactly it was. I responded by telling him that his referral was requested but not yet received and he informed me that his primary care doctor had been sick and that is probably why and then continued to tell me all about how his daughter and him are planning to go to the cape soon and he was very pleasant with me the entire time he spent in the waiting room. If everyone who came to our office was that nice, I would be much happier.

After work, I embarked on the 3 hour journey to North Adams. It was a nice day, so it wasn't too bad. Jon and I saw Brüno. We enjoyed it quite a bit, but you definitely have to go into it knowing how ridiculous it is going to be.

Now it time for a very important PSA of the day!
Today's PSA is about yielding. The yield sign is a somewhat mythical creature in the eastern part of Massachusetts. Everyone learns about it in drivers-ed, but it is rarely seen by drivers. Oh, they are there, they are just ignored. I have found that once you get to the middle of the state and beyond, they are more vigorously acknowledged. However, for the east I feel that I must spread the word. The yield sign is that triangular red and white (sometimes yellow) sign that you see, especially while merging onto the highway. This sign means that you can only fly onto the highway if it is clear and safe, not if there are 5 cars coming. If this is the case, then you must stop until it is safe to go. Many many many drivers in eastern Massachusetts choose to just drive right onto the highway regardless of what is coming which leads to many a problem. Those who manage to go fast enough and get lucky enough that any cars are far enough away, can make it work. However, it often happens that there are cars coming and the person merging without yielding is going 30, nearly gets hit and pisses off the other driver. This can all be avoided by YIELDING!!!!

On a lighter note, Today's recipe!!!

Today's recipe is soft pretzels! I love pretzels. I love hard pretzels, soft pretzels, pretzel sticks, regular shaped pretzels, pretzel nuggets, pretzel goldfish, etc. I like them with just a bit of salt, no mustard or cheese to take away from the purity of the pretzel. (Something I forgot from my I love food post: I am a total food purist.) Pretzels are one of the few adventures I will take into the world of baking and it is always worth it! I've tried a few different recipes and sort of combined them all into my own that I think works the best.

Pretzels

1 ½ C warm water
1 T sugar
2 t kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 C all purpose flour
2 T melted butter
10 C water
2/3 C baking soda
1 egg for egg wash
Kosher salt to salt pretzel

Combine the 1 ½ cups water, sugar and kosher salt in a medium sized bowl and add yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the mixture gets foamy.

Add two cups of flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Mix for a minute then add the rest of the flour. Mix until all the flour is mixed in and it forms a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (this can be done in a mixer with a dough hook attachment, but I find it easier to do by hand) Remove the dough and clean the bowl. Lightly grease the bowl with some vegetable oil or non-stick spray. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in a warm place for about an hour.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two sheet pans with non-stick spray or cover them in parchment paper. (I find it best to lightly grease the parchment paper as well, just to make sure nothing sticks)

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil. Take the plastic wrap off the bowl and lightly push down on the dough. Take out the dough and place it on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. (I find it easiest to pat the dough into a square then cut it into quarters and those quarters into halves) Roll out each piece into a rope then cross the ends over to a make a pretzel shape.

Place the pretzels one by one into the boiling water for about 30 seconds then place them onto the baking sheets. Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle on the desired amount of salt.

Bake them in the oven for about 12 minutes. (I find it best to set the timer for 6 minutes, check them and switch racks then set the timer for another 6 minutes, this way each sheet gets 6 minutes on the top rack of the oven. Depending on your oven, one sheet may have to come out slightly earlier than the other, just watch them) Let the pretzels cool for at least five minutes, waiting 10 or 15 will allow them to get their normal chewy pretzel texture. Less than 5 minutes and they will be too hot and less than 15 they have a more bread-like texture.


Thanks for reading and remember to yield!!

Tschüß!

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