Customer is ALWAYS right, right?

I don't know about you but when I was growing up my parents were always working in the realm of customer service. When I was 4 they would take me and my sisters to play in our restaurant, called Eddingtons while they painted the walls or picked out carpet colors. Then when my Dad worked for Denny's we would taste sampler plates and critique customer service. Even now when carpet cleaning customers call to complain or ask for better service I answer with a positive, sure we will do whatever you need to make you happy- sort of approach. But in the past 4 months I have been victim to a streak of terrible customer service-and I have just about had it! First to show up at a medical appointment with severe strep throat and find all of the doctors had gone home- then met by heavy attitude from the secretaries. But today I tried to go get a massage and relax from a week of work, using gift certificates I received from my mother in law for Christmas. But thought I didn't deserve a massage until I had found a job and been working for a while. So I show up to my appointment and put on the robe, and I am met by the massage therapist telling me, "what would you like we to focus on since we will only be able to give you half of the massage you were paying for?" I was like you have got to be kidding me. I run into some of the worst service. Somehow they had scheduled my massage into the computer 30 minutes earlier than I had asked for and were telling me that I was late and it was my fault. She continued to try to get me to lay down and take a short massage. But I wasn't having it I couldn't get a massage and relax while I was disturbed and agitated by their terrible customer service. What ever happened to The Customer is Always Right theory? The world today is ridiculous. All I wanted was a massage.

Recipes

Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Black Bean and Corn Salad

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided use)

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (1/3 palmful)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Juice of 2 limes

• 3 tablespoons honey (3 gobs)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder (1/3 palmful)

• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen corn kernels, defrosted

• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

• 6 cups baby spinach

1. Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (twice around the pan). Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

2. While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. In a shallow dish, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the salmon fillets to the lime-honey mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

4. To the cooked onions, add the bell pepper and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are just heated through.

7. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of the second lime, the cilantro and the spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and then taste and adjust the seasoning.

8. Serve the lime-and-honey-glazed salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad.

I made it from the Racheal Ray 365 No Repeats book. I didn't have some of the little ingredients but still tasted amazing.

Happy Birthday KCface

Happy Birthday Kc. He enjoyed his gifts (the mariners shirt, and baseball glove) so much he wouldn't take them off for dinner. Baseball+Dr. Pepper+Salmon=Amazing birthday for Kc.

(happy birthday to my cousin Claire Brown, and friend Ashly Lark too! April 8th is a good day.)

One long party.

It has been a while since I have added anything new. Mostly because we have had awesome visitors and I didn't have time. But to recap my twin sister Martha came to town a few days before our birthday. She got to see our apartment and Alameda, and hangout with our sister Anne and all of their visitors for Easter. It was a lot of fun to blow out candles with her again this year. Even though she blew them all out before I did and all the smoke went in my mouth. It was still worth it. Kc's parents also came to town to entertain him while he was on his week break after finishing his first quarter of chiropractic school. Thanks to everyone who flew into town and made the past week and a half amazing.
These pictures were from the Saturday I got to hangout with Kc aand his parents in the city. We went to Mama's and Alcatraz and walked around downtown, it was delicious.

Visitors Paradise

Thanks for coming to town to celebrate Martha face. Happy birthday.

Wedding Interview

In April of 2006 Martha and Meka interviewed Kc for a wedding shower. I downloaded some of the clips when Martha came to visit last week. Here was a funny one that I thought I should share for Meka. She blew the news to my Dad a little before Kc had planned to ask my Dad if he could marry me- so she was asking Kc to state the details in the interview. Kc looks a little nervous in these clips. HAha

Egg-tastic

In honor of Easter egg hunts and decorating I thought you might be interested in this. I found a fair that is coming to the Bay Area soon (Makerfaire) that features all hand-made things and in the image gallery I found this...

those are some intricate little eggs if I have ever seen any.

made with a motorized machine and a fine point marker. The machine was hand made.

Wow. Some people are pretty creative. Happy Egg decorating and hunting.