The Office Pot-luck

So we had an office party for my boss's birthday yesterday. It was like they were just handing me crazy things to write about!!!

Here's the menu:

1. BBQ, OF COURSE!! Served in a crock pot. To me it was sloppy joes...pulled pork in sauce served on a bun.

2. Meatballs. The co-worker mentioned in my last post brought these, in celebration of my recent decision to become a vegetarian (ok, pollo-pescatarian). But anyway, to me, meatballs aren't their own dish, they should be served on top of pasta, like a garnish, but whataevs...

3. Corn Salad: made by the same co-worker....the recipe included fritos, need I say more?

4. Hashbrown casserole. One of the 5,000 casseroles they make out here including potatoes, cheese, sour cream, etc. Surprisingly delicious, but I'm sure I gained 6 pounds from just looking at it.

5. Pear salad. I had to include a picture for this one. Very strange. You take a canned pear (off to a great start already), put a dollop of mayonaise on it (yep, that's right kiddos, good ole fashioned mayo), and top it off with a marachino cherry and some grated cheddar cheese. I tried it, and it tastes as strange as it looks...

6. Sweet tea. I'm actually starting to like it (gasp!). It cracks me up that they all buy it at the store in jugs, no one actually makes it...

8. Birthday cake!!! Katie, our resident pastry chef made a very cool (and very delicious!) golf themed cake.

9. Congealed salad. We didn't have this at yesterday's pot-luck, but I had to mention it. This conjures up terrible slaughterhouse-like images in my head, but really it's just a jello salad. Every time I hear it, a shudder goes down my spine, and I'm sure my face has some aweful expression on it, I just can't think of anything but blood. I told Katie that in California, the only thing that congeals is blood and that gross meat by-product goo, and we definitely don't make that into salads....

I kissed a girl...

Here is a second batch of laugh-worthy southern-isms and short stories of my experiences...

Pine straw-NOT pine needles, I constantly get corrected on this one. They use it in landscaping everywhere and they always talk about "fixing the pine straw" and "adding more pine straw." Straw is for horse bedding sillies!

Along the landscaping theme, no one ever "mows the lawn," but because of the constant rain and sun combo, they "cut the grass" a lot. They look at you a little funny if you talk about mowing, must be one of those damn Yankees!

Georgia Law (and order?)

Most ridiculous law ever!!!! You cannot buy alcohol on Sunday! Poor Brady had to listen to me rant for days on end on the blatant disregard for separation of Church and State. That is the only explanation I can come up with, anyway. Brady says me complaining about it makes me sound like a drunk, and perhaps that's why no one wants to dispute it. It's just ridiculous! UGH! Don't even get me started on the concealed weapons laws!

Moving on...

It is legal to talk on your cell and drive, though I am still conditioned to drop my phone in a panic when cops drive by. I can't imagine what they must think. I no longer have CA plates to explain my strange behavior (though I still have not conceded my CA license, my picture is actually cute!). O and here they aren't "plates," they are tags, and you have to go to the "tag office" to get them. They actually hand them to you right there!! Kind of amazing, though it took me 5 trips with numerous document requests, a yelling match, and an all out tearful meltdown for us to get all of ours, but that's another story entirely.

Police only have blue lights, which is weird to me, and school buses have flashing lights on top of them, for some inexplicable reason. Someone told me it was so helicopters could find them in the fog. Ummm ok?

On the topic of roads, you do not take the "freeway," but rather, the "interstate," it's called I-75 for goodness sake! They are always correcting me on this one too. Also, no one tells you the name of the exit you should take from the "interstate," but only the exit number. I'm always like "ya, but what road is it?" Confused looks always follow.

On a completely different note, one of my extremely conservative, very sheltered (but 30-something year old) coworkers asked me if that Kelly Perry girl really is a lesbian. The laughter that ensued was slightly rude on my part, but I just could not contain myself. I mean, seriously!?!?

This is my new habitat, and I am definitely a bit out of place, but it has really helped me to identify who I really am, and that is a valuable (yet often strange and uncomfortable) experience. I will keep you all updated on my craziness, and hopefully it will be entertaining as well as enlightening for both myself and you, dear reader.

Here we go again!

I haven't blogged in so long, and I've been saying for months that I would start again, so here goes. Living in the South should provide a host of entertaining stories to entertain ya'll (see, I'm learning so fast, haha). I'll start with a list of funny words that I've noticed since we moved here.

young'uns: people actually say this, even people my age!!! Still can't believe it..
reckon: again, actually used!!! By "normal" people, not just crazy old guys with the corncob pipes
buggy: instead of grocery cart: makes me giggle every time
fixin:"I'm gonna" still makes me laugh
plug up: instead of plug-in (like for a cord)
mash: the buttons: instead of "press"
bbq: means cook meat, shred it, and mix with sauce. They use "grilled" for what we think of as bbq'd

Here's a list of food products with changed names:

Hardee's: instead of Carl's Jr.
Helman's: instead of Best Foods (mayo)
Chesters: instead of Cheetos

and NO (seriously they look at you like you're smokin something if you ask about...):

Jack-in-the-box
Fro Yo of any kind
In-n-Out (of course)
Dim Sum (dim WHAT?)
Thai Food (we have found a few places in Atlanta)
Bubble Tea (I soooo miss them!!)
Sourdough bread :(
Jamba :( :( :(

And it's easier to find a fried chicken place than a Starbucks (and they prefer sweet tea to coffee any day).

I will tell you more about food experiences on my next post. I could write this whole blog on food here, it's insane!!!!

On a side note, we did see our first lightning bugs up close yesterday at Katie (my coworker)'s apartment. They are pretty amazing, though somewhat creepy when buzzing around in your face.