This Stop Willoughby

We don't go out to eat very often, so when we do, I want to have a good time.  I want the food to be tasty, the atmosphere to be fun and the service to be good.   A local morning show recently had listeners call in with what they consider "deal breakers", or experiences that would keep them from going back to a particular restaurant.  I didn't call in, but here are some experiences that were deal breakers for me. Waiting Too Long To Be Seated -  There is a restaurant a few miles out of town that makes great fish and chips and killer Long Islands, so it's usually our first choice for dining out without going very far from home.  Once, when my niece was visiting my parents, we all decided to go there for dinner.  It was a Friday evening and it was pretty crowded, so we were prepared to wait for a table.  There is no real waiting area, so we stood near the door.  The owner's wife had a problem with...

Why is the cord on my mouse so long?  How far away from the computer do they expect me to sit? When was the first American Thanksgiving?  In history books, the illustrations always show the Pilgrims and the Indians having their feast outdoors.  It seems highly unlikely that anyone would have an outdoor dinner in late November in Massachusetts. (An internet search narrowed it down to autumn of 1621, no actual date) Why, when unemployment and foreclosures are skyrocketing, are local governments spending time and money deciding whether McDonalds should be able to sell Happy Meals? Is daylight savings time really necessary?  I have yet to find any benefit to turning on the lights at 5:00 pm. In countries where languages other than English are spoken, do they ever use English expressions?  Here, in the US, we say things like "Ciao" (hello in Italian), "Gracias" (thank you in Spanish), "Au Revior" (goodbye in French) and so on.  Do they do that...

I'm not an idiot.  I may look like one sometimes, I may act like one sometimes, but I'm really not an idiot, so I hate to be treated like one.  Recently, I was in situation where someone was talking down to me and treating me like an idiot.  This was someone I had never met before, so the condescending attitude was unexpected.  How did I handle it?  I didn't.  While I'm not normally confrontational, I'm most certainly not opposed to opening up a can of verbal whoop-ass when push comes to shove (metaphorically, not physically).  Now, I can't help thinking about what I could have or should have said.  Did I keep my mouth shut because I was caught off guard?  Was I simply being polite?  Does it make me the better person?  Would I regret it now if I had been equally rude?  I just don't know, but it's bothering me. So what are your thoughts, blog friends?  When do you speak up for yourself and when do you let it go?...

What dish are you most likely to order if you go to a Chinese restaurant?  One of my favorites is Almond Boneless Chicken, also known as War Shu Gai.  Never heard of it?  I'm not surprised.  I recently learned that it is a local dish, created somewhere in the Detroit area to appeal to American palates.  As disappointed as I am to find out it's not authentically Chinese, I still love it and wonder why it hasn't made it's way to Chinese restaurants in other parts of the country.  Basically, War Shu Gai is boneless chicken that has been dipped into a light batter and fried.  It is served with either white or fried rice, a sauce/gravy for dipping or pouring over the dish, and garnished with almond slices.  Since you probably can't get it at your local Chinese restaurant, I'm going to show you how to make it.  It's simple, but can be a little time consuming.  If you've got a sous chef to help, all the better. First, yo...

In past years, Halloween wasn't much of a family event because I would be home by myself handing out candy while Mr. Willoughby took one or both of the kids trick or treating.  Yesterday, though, we were able to spend it together.  Of course, my son hasn't gone trick or treating in years, but this year, my daughter decided she was too old to go, too.  She said she would rather stay home and help hand out the candy.  When we weren't able to change her mind, we made the decision to decorate like crazy so we could all get involved and have fun.  We didn't exactly have a theme, but we knew we wanted to make it a little scary. Usually, we decorate the front porch and that's where I hand out candy.  This year, we wanted to try something a little different and have the trick or treaters come to the back yard.  We live on a corner and have an arbor with a gate that opens to the sidewalk; the perfect...