Directions

Yesterday, we went to visit my mother-in-law in the hospital. Before I go on - she's OK and we brought her home with us. She is 83 and has some problems but yesterday ended up OK.

But the hospital she was in is old and has been renovate many times over the years. Building after building was tacked on or multiple buildings connected together. The main parking lot is on one side but most of the nice, new patient rooms are on the other side. So, when you go to the main lobby from the parking lot looking for the patient, they hand you a card with directions. Here is what it says:

Go thru door at rear of lobby. Turn right, then turn left. At end of hall, turn right. Go thru door at end of hall & turn left. Take next right down the art corridor to the inpatient building. Elevator on right.

Good grief! Notice they left out most of "the", shortened "through" and replaced "and" with ampersand. Otherwise they would have needed two pages.

By the time we got to the art corridor, we were too tired (or afraid to get distracted) to look at the art. We did get to see my mother-in-law but had to wait about two hours until the discharge papers could be written up and signed. We all had a nice nap when we got home - after a 45 minute drive home from the hospital.

Broccoli

Ahh - good broccoli

This is going to be a short rant. I like broccoli. I didn't used to like it when I was young but back then, I liked very little that was green - except pickles and olives. But now I like broccoli. I might even say I love broccoli. Except...

I don't like broccoli when the stems (or is it the stalks?) are included. When we buy fresh, whole broccoli from the store and use it in meals and cut it up ourselves, we don't use the stems (stalks). When you buy prepared packages of sliced broccoli or you get it as a side dish in a restaurant, you invariably (it seems to me) get the stems (stalks) included in the mix. This is when I don't like broccoli. As a matter of fact, I hate broccoli like that. What would you think if you ordered sliced apples and half of it was sliced branches?

Yuck - stems, too!

I know some people have ways of preparing the stems (stalks) by slicing it and cooking it for a longer time. I'm sure you can add enough spices to make them taste better. But they should not be cooked the same as the florets. The stems (stalks) need longer cooking so if you include them with the florets, either the florets are overcooked or the stems (stalks) are under cooked.

It seems to me that when you get packaged broccoli, it should have to say on the label if the stems (stalks) are included. That just my opinion but you know I'm right!