Off to Publix I go!

Justin had a dish of cut-up chicken in the fridge, looking somewhat gross, if you ask me. He was planning to make a chicken dish in the slow cooker for our dinner. He asked me if I would mind going to the store to get an onion and a container of mushrooms. Of course I would do that, going all the way to Publix (make it sound like a journey!) rather than across the street and down a couple blocks to Winn-Dixie. I chose Publix because Justin told me exactly where the mushrooms were located, exactly which ones to buy, so I wouldn't mess up the recipe.

                       

Upon getting home from the store, I sent Justin a text message to ask him what was to happen now. He told me to cut up the onion, put the chicken in the slow cooker ("set it on warm, not cook!") with a 1/4 stick of butter, and layer it with the mushrooms. Now, doing the math, it seemed to me this recipe would NOT be done cooking in time for dinner. These type of recipes generally cook for 6-8 hours and it was already 3:00 pm. Regardless, I plugged the machine in and let it do its thing.

About an hour later, Justin sent me a text message asking me if it was okay for him to meet his friend, Michael, for dinner. Of course it is! He and I sort of live by that guideline--if the phone rings, turn off the stove and go! Since I anticipated the chicken would not be quite ready to go by 7:30 pm, it mattered not to me!

I could have gone to Happy Hour due to our plan change, but opted to stay in to eat dry bread and water. Or, leftover bratwurst and pasta salad. My friend, Kathy, was looking for me at HH, but I excused myself, leaving her the option to come up here if she needed to talk. She often does come by for a visit but did not come tonight. Justin said I should erect a booth like Lucy has on the Peanuts cartoons, and charge 25 cents for a visit!

The TV news has me riveted, watching as the GOP caves yet again and agrees to the debt ceiling increase, etc. Ugh! Stephanie, my friend at Victory, didn't know yet at this hour if she was going to work in the morning or if she was going to the Southern Women's Show Thursday morning. She had anticipated the shut-down and planned for it financially, was ready to ride it out for the long haul. Around midnight or sooner, she might know what her day holds for tomorrow.