Bizzy Bizzy Bizzy!!!

Buffett came to town on Tuesday and, OF COURSE, we were there!!! I did my standard (awesome) Pre-Show Tailgate Party (but didn't make The Parking Lot Video this time, unfortunately).

I have much to Ramble about regarding the Buffett Show, but don't have much time - so I'll have to post updates later...

But, suffice it to say, it was an AWESOME SHOW and I had a freakin' blast!!!

In other news: I'm going to be taking a brief hiatus starting this Saturday. Mom, BFF Sharon (we've been friends since Elementary School), and I are piling into mom's car and heading for So-Cal. On Sunday, we'll board Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas and spend seven days cruising Mexico!

I actually booked this cruise while I was on my last cruise in April of this year: The Hogs on the High Seas Rally Cruise, and this is actually the EXACT SAME cruise. Same ship. Same Ports of Call. Except that on the HOHS Rally, instead of "Formal Nights" they had "Leather Required Nights!" (and the entire atmosphere is MUCH more relaxed!). But anyway, I booked it b/c I found a good deal on a Balcony Room and, between the three of us, it was actually *quite* reasonably priced... (appx $800 pp for a week-long cruise - which included Trip Cancellation Insurance). I would have preferred a suite, but it just didn't work out that way...

Anyway - Cool thing about this particular cruise is that we'll get to celebrate Halloween at sea. And I've always been a bit of a Halloween Freak (to the point where mom kept asking me "When are you going to outgrow this?!!" "Uhh, Never?!")

I used to be pretty notorious w/my Halloween Costumes and/or decorations - to the point of utter tastelessness. I recall one year, back in my BofA Daze [when I was a manager - no less!] my Team was totally on-board with the idea of an Anti-Christmas Vignette. So we decorated a Christmas Tree w/severed doll-parts and set-up Santa on a guillotine! (Yes, Extremely Tasteless!!!!).

Also, we've been very non-PC in the past. Back in the 80's - during some Middle-Eastern Crisis - Sharon and I dressed up as Terrorists (complete w/flak jackets from the local Army-Surplus store, and berets, and toy M-16's). Back in those days, we were NCR Operators (NCR = National Cash Register. Those were the machines that would "encode" those little computer numbers on the bottoms of your checks). We'd spray-painted the office with "NCR Non-Conformist-Revolution - JOIN US OR DIE!!!" propaganda.

Luckily, a pair of our co-workers had shown up, dressed up as Arab Oil Sheiks, so we took them hostage!

Yes, decidedly Non-PC! (I think, nowadays, we'd be called in to HR for the antics we used to pull!!!)

Hell, I could probably post dozens of stories from our heyday, but maybe another time...

For now, I'll post the latest in my "Shopping [Mis]Adventures" related to Halloween 2008 (However "pedestrian" it may be!!!).

So, Halloween will be celebrated while we on our cruise... I still actually have several "Elaborate" costumes in storage - but mom's car has limited storage capacity (and no trailer hitch!!!). So I'm having to dial-it-back significantly...

So I've settled on being a Witch for Halloween (:::YAWN:::). Hey, I've got the gear - and it's readily accessible (I found it in my closet!). And it won't require much room to pack!

So... I already had the hat (black velvet) and cape (also black velvet), but needed add'l accoutrements... And here's an excerpt of an email to Sharon that I wanted to share.............

Oooh! Long's Drugs had Halloween sh*t on-sale!!!

I got a long black wig (w/white streaks), some green face-paint (the greasy stuff), some ultra-light colored "regular" foundation (that I can mix w/the green-greasy stuff) and assorted other make-up items (mostly regular stuff - but some halloweeny crap, too).

And I found a cool little witches broom. Black w/orange mylar broomy-stuff and spider-webs at the bottom (hope it'll fit in my suitcase!!!).

So I did all this shopping at Long's. Prob'ly took me about 15-20 minutes to select all my stuff, right?

Took me OVER THIRTY MINUTES to get checked out!!!

It's like, all the Halloween Shelves have signs on them saying "40% Off!" "50% Off!" So when I go to check-out, I've got this nice little retirement-aged lady at the register. Things ring up and I ask - "Was that on sale?" "No. It didn't ring up as On-Sale. Should it have?" (Don't you just HATE getting behind people like me?!!).

"Well, the signs on the shelves said they were on sale - Let me go double-check" (since the Halloween Aisle was "Right There!")

"Oh, I'll come with you" says little-old-lady.

(And the people behind me in-line huffed and wandered off to a different line!!!)

(Yeah, I hate getting behind people like me, too!!!)

So we wander over to the Halloween Aisle and - sure-as-sh*t - everything's supposed to be 40-50% off "With In-Store Coupon."

So we wander back to the register and pore through the In-Store Ads to find the coupons. Yep. 50% off all Halloween Costumes. 40% off all Halloween Wigs, Make-up and Accessories...

So we have to back EVERYTHING out of the register, and key them in, individually w/the discounts, right?

Then we get to the fake tattoos (Like panty-hose for arms... Army hose???), And the mylar broom thingie... And we have to call over another check-out clerk to determine if these are part of the sale, as well... A deep, philosophical discussion ensues and it is determined that the Army Hose *must* be a costume (so 50% off).

But we're not sure about the broom, right?

"Is this a Halloween Accessory?" wonders the check-out lady

"I would THINK so" I replied. (What the hell else WOULD it be???)

Well, second check-out lady was consulted again, and she seemed to agree (And, hey, that was the Big Ticket item @ $7.99!!!), so I got that at 40% off!!!

Jeezus H. Jehosaphat!!!

(Actually, it was worth it in the end, b/c I think I got close to $20 knocked off the total)

Anyway... I think I'm all set for Halloween, now! Found my witches hat and my black cape in the closet. I can wear those with black leggings and a black tank top (Gawd - for a middle-aged woman who sweats like a pig, going to a warm-vacation-destination, I seem to be packing an inordinate quantity of Black Velvet outfits!)

Hey - You've got the Daily Log Thingies from our last cruise, right? Which nights were "Formal?" If one of 'em was Friday, then we're off the hook for formal-wear (I think/hope!)

Okay, I'm "Officially" getting excited now (it's about damned time!!!). All I gotta do is finish laundry (only 1.5 loads to go!) and get packing!

So, that's about All the News that's Fit to Print (or at least All the News that I've got Time to Report!!!). I haven't decided whether I'll bring my laptop on the cruise or not (depends upon luggage space, I think!). I do know that WiFi on this particular ship... Well... "Sucks" for lack of a better term!!! They do have an internet cafe, but they charge "by the minute" and I'm pretty damned cheap! So I may not have anything to post until we get back!

Jimmy's Comin'!!!

Yep. Jimmy Buffett in concert next Tuesday 10/21 @ Shoreline Amphitheathre!!!

Yep!!! Got my Tickets and I'm a Happy Camper!!!!!!

As usual, I ordered my "original" $300+ tix on the day, at the very frickin' moment, they went on-sale...

200 section, Natch!

Not *horrible* - but not great, either!

I kept going back to TicketB@$stard's site and - about a month before the show - scored 100 section tix and had to unload my previous tix (at a LOSS!) on Craigslist :::sigh:::

But - when JB tix go on-sale, I take-on a Tazz-like personna where I go into full-blown DT's and Depression if I *don't* have Tix, in-hand...

Yes, every year, I go back and review just HOW MUCH I PAID for Tix - and tell myself I'd be better off just skipping the "Day-of-Sale" BS on TicketB@$stard - and just pay thru the nose for Primo Tix thru eBay (or Ticketsnow.com, or whatever!). In the long run, it'd be cheaper to go that route - but I just *can't* seem to retrain myself!!!

(A lesson to be learned, for sure - as I'm trying to train Tazz to drop the ball "In-The-Bucket!" Ball = JB Tix!!!).

Anyway.... I did manage to unload my extra JB tix at *only* a $100 loss, this year (a vast improvement over previous years, actually!). And I've got my "Lowers" in-hand, so I'm a Happy Camper!

I just need to drag out all the Tiki-Truck Regalia: Including "The Margarator!" and a Tiki Umbrella, + Hula-skirt + "License to Chill" plate + Gawd-knows what-else I'll bring along this time!!!

Couple-three-four-years ago, I'd totally planned on "doing it up right" for a JB show and Rog was all "rolling his eyes" and stuff...

(although - by that time, he'd learned to just "give up" and let me run w/it - as opposed to one of our first years going to a JB show when he took on this whole "You're not wearing THAT are you?!" Attitude with me. "Uh yeah! Got a problem wit' dat?!! Get OVER IT ALREADY!!!")

So anyway, I'd planned on doing it up - and was yammering endlessly, in the truck (on the way there) about how my goal was to "Make it onto the Parking Lot Video!!!"

Well, damned if I didn't make it onto the video!!! Truck-bed got fully converted to a Tiki Bar and I was all done-up in Flamingo-Paraphernalia. The JB Crew was wandering thru the parking lot looking for "outrageous" set-ups and, yes, we MADE the video!!! (I think I yammered about that in a previous post - but I still consider if one of the few "High Points" in my pathetic little existence!!!)

Not sure if we'll manage a "Repeat" - but I'm willing to give it a try!!!

Anyway, I think tomorrow I'll start digging thru the shed for the Buffett Decor...

Aaack... Just learned I'll be tailgating alone - at least initially...

More to follow, later........................................

Kitchen Conundrum (Avoid Alliterations Always!)

Okay... I've gathered my bids already!!!

And my sister says I "oughtta write a book!" Because, as always, the pitfalls have wrought numerous story-telling opportunities...

Let's see... I've spoken to Kitchenworks, MasterCraft Home Design, Kitchen Concepts, Kitchen Tune-Up, Sears, and Home Depot (Ooooops! Haven't "changed the names to protect the guilty!")

I figure 6 bids oughtta be sufficient.

Hate to say it, but I'm trying to stick with those who "specialize" in the whole Kitchen-Refacing field b/c of the alleged "buying power" that goes along with it (as opposed to "buying the materials ourselves" and hiring Juan, or Pablo, or Miguel, or whomever-of-questionable-residency-status" - which might cut-us a price-break). Normally, we prefer the "independent contractor" kinda guy - but in this case it seems to make more sense to go with someone who's "in the business" of doing this sorta thing...

My "Last Bid" came yesterday afternoon, from D***** of Home Depot.

And, again (after kvetching to the In-Store HD Rep about the "No-Show"), I had to go through the whole "Will your husband be there?" B.S...

"No, he won't. I am the 'Decision-Maker.'"

"So are you saying that if we install something that he doesn't like, that he'll just have to live with it?" (again, with that hint of derision!!!!!!!)

"Actually, pretty much - yes!" was my reply (Jeezus H. Jehosaphat Christ!!!)

So I got an appt scheduled with D*****, a Sales Rep from Home Depot. To be fair, he actually had the courtesy to call me when he was running late due to traffic (Understandable - given that it was 4:00pm on Friday afternoon during PEAK Rush-Hour Traffic - which is INSANE in Silicon Valley). I did appreciate the call...

Well, D***** comes in and wants to do a "walk-thru" of our house to "get a feel" for our taste - or whatever (probably more like "get a feel" for our income-level!). "So, who's the Piano Player?" "Me." "What kinda dogs do you have?" "Dachshunds." "My girlfriend loves dachshunds!" Yada-Yada....

He even looked outside and saw the Tropical Resort (and yes, I admitted that we'd put the pool in. And yes, *I* did the landscaping, thankyouverymuch)...

Seems D***** (who appeared to be about 16 yrs old - turns out he was 25, which isn't THAT much more, IMHO - as I'm learning to "Embrace my Inner Curmudgeon!"), *just* completed his Sales-Training from Home Depot. So I was subjected to the full-on Sales-Pitch - complete w/ PowerPoint Presentation delivered via tree-based paper-booklet.

"Why Choose Home Depot? - We are the largest Home-Improvement Supplier IN-THE-WORLD..."

"Can you turn the page?"

(I turned the page)

"Do you know how many ceiling fans we sold last year?"

"Oh, I dunno... Eight gazillion?!"

"Close! We sold seven MILLION ceiling fans last year."

[What-EVAH!!!]

("What's the freakin' bid already?!!" screams my inner-curmudgeon)

So I endured the entire sales-pitch. And we talked about my "wants" and "budget" and I made it Crystal-Clear that I was shooting for a number in the "As-Close-As-Possible to the Four-Range."

"Four thousand?"

"Yes."

No-frills, yada-yada. Nope, don't need pull-outs... Nope. No Lazy Susans... "Yes, I got a bid from Home Depot a few yrs ago... Nope, don't remember the exact number but it was 'somewhere in the middle.'"

Well, after a bit of hesitation on D******'s part "Well, our prices have gone up since then."

"Well, I didn't think that a three-year-0ld bid would be 'binding'..."

Anyway... Bottom Line... Bid du jour came in at (drum-roll please!!!) OVER Eight Thousand Dollars!!!!

Well, after D***** had done such a "FINE JOB" of establishing a rapport/interpersonal relationship, I felt no compunction as I laughed, outright, in his face!

"Wow!" I laughed "You're the highest bid, so far!!!"

Well, he went back and re-worked it a bit (Now mind you, I was pretty cognizant of the "Add-on's" like pull-outs, upgraded drawers, lazy-susans, etc. - and pretty-much LEFT THEM OFF of the bid, right?!!). His "revised" number came in, immediately, @ $7200.00 - which (while still more than $1K less than his original bid) was still pretty OUTRAGEOUS...

Side-note: I'd *just* gone through a similar "dance" with another Kitchen Refacer where the initial bid went from $6300.00 to $4900.00 - based, simply, on the fact that I'd raised my eyebrows! (Making me wonder how much the price would have dropped had I actually *scowled!*).

Well, D***** was prepared to offer me the "IVD" discount (Initial Visit Discount) of $300.00 - IF I would sign-the-contract right-then-and-there!

Yeah, right!

"No, that's not gonna happen. As I already explained, I am gathering MULTIPLE bids and will discuss them with my husband...."

"Well, when does he come home?" he queried (still hoping for the "IVD" discount, no doubt!).

"Could be any minute now - but I assure you you want to be LONG-GONE before he gets here. See... He backed our truck into his Classic Car last night and the LAST THING HE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT is an $8,000.00 bid for a Home Improvement Project!")

True Story, BTW: Thursday night is "Garbage Night" and I dutifully dragged the trash and recycling bins out to the street - and parked the Truck in the driveway (which is de rigeur for Thursday Nights, BTW). When Rog got home, late Thursday night, he'd temporarily parked 'Scarlet' - his pristine ("Show Quality") '88 Corvette behind 'Red,' my '97 "Old-Beater" Pontiac Sunfire Convertible. When he backed Willie (our '00 Toyota Tundra) out of the driveway, he managed to scrape the sh*t outta Willie (and f**ked up the bumper), but did a SERIOUS NUMBER on Scarlet's rear quarter-panel (we're talking SO bad, he's gonna have to buy a whole new hunk 'o fiberglass, unfortunately - So "Garage Queen" Scarlet is no longer "Show-Quality").

So anyway, I figured that D*****'s presence probably would NOT be welcomed. Nor did I think that "this weekend" was the opportune time to drag Rog into ANY discussions about Kitchen Upgrade Projects. What with unexpected Car-Repairs on the docket, ya know?!!

So, our $300 "IVD" Discount is toast. But D*****'s price was simply freaking outrageous anyway!!! (And I'm sorry, but if you've got such a hard-on for getting us to sign-on during the First Visit, well, "Screw You!!!")

Soooooooo... Kitchen Tune-Up is *still* the front-runner and I need to schedule our appt (to include Rog this time) w/them.

That'll have to wait 'til I get back from the Girl's Vacation, week-after-next...

So that's the Latest from Nancy-Ville....

Last Daze of Summer...

Okay, I think this is "officially" going to be my last poolside blogging day ("Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!").

Temps are supposed to hit the mid-70's today (which translates to mid-80's in our backyard microclimate), and we've turned on the pool heater and removed the solar cover. So I'll definitely get a swim (or two) in today...

Next weekend, I'll be on a Road-Trip: Girl's-Only Vacation!!! Mom, bff Sharon, and myself are piling into the car, driving down to L.A. and embarking on a week-long Mexican Riviera Cruise! Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas... (Sux to be me!!!)

So poor, lonely, DH Rog will busy himself with shutting down the pool, completely, while I'm gone...

For today, I've dragged out the hundred-dollar-laptop and the boombox and mp3 player (full o' Jimmy Buffett tunes!) - and I'll post a couple-three blog updates!

Stay tuned!!!

Tazz got a New Toy

Subtitle (However gross, but true nonetheless):

"Party 'til you Puke"

I blame Kathie for this. Kathie's my Joysey Colleague/Partner in Crime. She's come and stayed with us a couple of times and she's met the quadrupeds... And Tazz is particularly "Memorable!"

Tazz has a *serious* problem with Tennis Ball Addiction (so much so, she actually experiences the DT's when we take the ball away from her - and goes into full-blown depression for days afterward!). Kathie sent me a link - a couple of years ago - to this site: Go Dog Go. They've got some simply hysterical videos of the toy in action!

My initial reaction was "How COOL!" But then I saw the price...................

Tazz doesn't get tennis balls anymore. She just gets too worked-up over 'em. And she destroys anything else that we give to her (actually, she "skins" tennis-balls, too). Pretty much, if any company is advertising a toy that is INDESTRUCTIBLE, well, they need to contract Tazz to confirm that fact!

The closest we've come to an indestructible toy is this: Tire Toy - and even this isn't indestructible - it just takes her several weeks (as opposed to minutes) to destroy it!

Anyway, I finally broke down and bought the damned thing at Buy Go-Dog-Go. Turns out there was an excess of orders/shortage of stock, and everything was on back-order, so they were offering discounts if you were willing to wait (which is about as close as I'm gonna get to finding this thing for less $$!). So I went-ahead and ordered it.

It arrived today - and Tazz abso-freaking-lutely LOVES it!!!

It's basically just a low-powered tennis-ball launcher - with a bucket on top for holding extra balls (up to 15). It also comes with a Remote Control (which'll tickles Roger's whole X-Y Chromosome thing!). The launch distance is adjustable (I've left it at 15'). And it has an "Automatic Launch" setting. All told, it's a really cool Dog-Toy!

Of course, the thing is waaaay bigger (and taller) than Tazz. So I set it up on the lawn, next to the porch in front of the shed which, conveniently, has an AC electrical outlet (although it will run on batteries as well). Tazz is gonna need the porch in order to be able to drop the retrieved balls into the bucket (Whenever we reach the point where we can set it on Auto-Pilot)...

Presently, we're running with three tennis balls. Three dogs, three balls, right?

Well, when I first set-it-up, it was pure pandemonium! Three dogs attacking the toy simultaneously (and stealing tennis balls) was a bit much for me! So I ended up locking Annie and Dynah in the house so Tazz and I could have some One-On-One time.

She's getting the general jist of it - and knows not to steal the balls from the track (That was a BIG hurdle!). It makes *some* noise ("hum" preceding a "THWONK!"), so we've got the whole Pavlovian Response thing kickin'. The "Challenge" (not surprisingly) is to get her to drop the ball in the bucket. She's never been fond of giving up the ball (or ANY toy, for that matter!). The bucket is particularly puzzling to her, because when the ball is dropped in, it swirls around and :::gasp::: disappears! (Scary Stuff - for a little canine mind!!!). So we're still working on the "Drop it [in the Bucket]" command...

When she does (albeit - with assistance!), she's rewarded with a fresh "Hummm-THWONK!!!" and a tennis ball arcing nicely through the air (Boy, she's got "Reverse" down-pat!!!)

We've had three "training sessions" so far. Session #1 was fine (before their dinner). Afterward, she ran up to me and licked my knees gratefully before - literally - flopping down and passing out on the floor!

Session #2: She got herself sooooo worked up, she was literally nauseous - eating grass frantically (I refused to let her back into the house 'til she'd finished her Binge 'N Purge).

Session #3: I wanted to skip - but Rog came home and wanted to see the new toy. That was a short session but, evidently, she's forgotten how overly-excited (and sick) she got last time 'cuz she's whining at the back door, begging for more!!!

I suspect Tazz is gonna Sleep Like the Dead tonight! I just hope she doesn't go through DT's again!!!

Anyway - Tazz gives it a Big Dewclaw's-Up! If you're a Dog-Owner and in the market to drop a C-Note and a Half, we highly recommend this product!!!

A Truly Amazing Woman...

I stumbled onto this blog - just three days ago. It was linked from an article that linked from another link from another blog sorta situation...

Diary of a Dying Mom

I don't even know this woman - yet, at the same time, I feel that I do...

The link, above, points to the beginning of her posts (scroll to the bottom to read "up" in chronological order).

What I found ironic was that, at some point in her blog, she'd made mention of the fact that she, an avid reader, would frequently skip to the final pages of a book to find out the ending - before she'd decide whether to read it.

I thought: "I would NEVER do that!"

Yet, in this case, I did. Even though I knew the final outcome.

I spent much of my past three days reading the entire thing - start-to-finish. It was like a book I couldn't put down. I literally laughed... And cried...

It's like a book that I hoped would never end...

It's a story that's definitely worth a read..........

Cool Weather... Warm Food...

It's a Slow-Mo Day today. It's sunny out - but cold :::sigh:::

Autumn is upon us. Temp was 48* when I woke up (Brrrrr!!!). I think it might hit 70 this afternoon, but it's been staying mostly in the 60's and it's quite windy.

I'm not feeling motivated enough to go out and do anything in the yard - plus I'm feeling a little sniffly (though I don't think I have a cold coming on - I sure as hell better NOT!).

Anyway - Cooler days mean I turn more toward "nesting" tendencies. Hence the whole "Fix-Up-The-House" mindset, of late. Today I've decided I need to cook some "Comfort Food" (which actually isn't good for the whole Diet Thing! But "Oh, well!").

Earlier this week, Rog was out of town (he still is, actually. Well, he's in the air at this moment, heading home). I was hungry for real (but low-carb) food, and I didn't want to cook, so I picked up a Rotisserie Chicken at the grocery store. I nibbled at it for most of the week, but then got bored with it.

Thought about stripping the last of the meat and making chicken salad today, but that didn't sound appealing. I wanted something heartier. And I know Rog loves a good home-cooked meal (on the rare occasion that cook!). I really didn't want to toss the half-eaten chicken so I did end up stripping the meat off and now the remainder is boiling in a pot of water, herbs, garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Yep, I'm trying my hand at making Chicken Stock! I've never actually done that before - so it'll be interesting to see how it comes out.

The ultimate goal is to make Chicken and Dumplings. If not today, then maybe tomorrow. Seems like the boiling of the carcass is going to take several hours...

I normally "cheat" and make crock-pot C&D using a package of frozen "Crock Pot Classics" Chicken and Dumplings. But I HATE the frozen dumplings in those packaged products - so I usually make Bisquick dumplings (or - at the very least - use a tube of those refrigerator biscuits).

This time I'm going for "mostly homemade." Yeah, I'll probably toss-in a can or two of Cream of Chicken Soup - but it'll be "mostly" homemade. Chicken breasts were on sale, so I'll use those to add more meat the mix...

Oughtta be yummy!

~~~~~~~~~~
Postscript: It was quite yummy! I wasn't sure if Rog was gonna be hungry when he got home, so I held off on making the dumplings until I knew for sure (he was very hungry and appreciative).

Recipe (kinda/sorta).

Nan's Chicken & Dumplings (This is how *I* did it - Not necessarily "correctly" but it came out just fine!)

Ingredients:
Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
2 fresh (or frozen/thawed) half-breasts (mine had bones and skin)
Small bag of Baby Carrots
1/2 head of Celery
2-3 cups of Frozen Mixed Veggies
1 cup sliced Mushrooms (I used fresh button mushrooms)
1 Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic
1-2 tsps Poultry Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Dumplings;
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup milk

Optional (if needed and good to have on-hand)
Small can of Chicken Broth (if you end up needing more liquid)
Small can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup + Milk (or Half & Half)
White (or Marsala) cooking wine

Strip all the salvageable meat off of last week's Rotisserie Chicken. Set meat aside in the fridge.
Put the carcass in a big pot. Toss in a couple-three handfuls each of whole baby carrots and coarsely chopped celery (coarse - as in 2-3" long chunks). Half an onion and a clove or two of fresh garlic (again, big chunks). For this go-round, we're using the veggies to flavor the water. They'll be strained off and discarded later.

Add water (I nearly filled the 5-6 qt stock pot) and add 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning. Set uncovered pot on stove @ med-high heat until it starts to boil, then turn it down. Let it simmer for an hour.

About an hour into it, I added the two half breasts. Turned the heat up to med-high and got it boiling again, then I turned it back down to "simmer." I left the breasts in for about 2 hours. Then I removed 'em, set them aside to cool (I returned the skin and bones to the pot).

Let the pot continue to simmer for another hour (all told, it was right around 4 hours).

The recipes I'd read said you should skim off the scummy stuff as it cooks, but I never got any scummy stuff.

Using a strainer, pour the liquid into another pot, bowl, whatever. You'll find that about 2/3 of the liquid will have evaporated off, and the remaining chicken stock should be quite tasty and flavorful (*Much* better than canned chicken stock, IMHO!).

Now's the fun part: Sifting through the strained stuff! It helps to let it cool for awhile (I poured the stock back into the original pot and set it back on the stove with the burner turned off). I managed to salvage quite a bit of meat (which went back in the pot). Bones and fat get thrown out. Mushy veggies could be pureed in a blender or food processor and tossed back in, but I wasn't feeling that industrious (I bet it'd be tasty though!).

I put all the chicken back in the pot (rotisserie chicken leftovers, and the half breasts). Then I added more fresh veggies: Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic (chopped in smaller pieces this time around - this time it's meant for eating!). Personal Note: I prefer my veggies to retain some semblance of their original color and texture - that's why I prefer to save most of 'em til the end of cooking...

The soup, at this point, was looking really thick 'n chunky, so I added a small can of chicken broth, a can of Cream of Chicken Soup, and one can of Half & Half. Add Salt, Pepper and Poultry Seasoning to taste.

Turned on the burner (medium) and brought it back up to a rolling boil. Add the frozen mixed veggies and sliced mushrooms at this point and a splash or two of wine. Then set it back to simmer for about 30 minutes. Toward the end of that you may or may not want to add some sort of "thickener" to the soup (corn starch or a flour roux). You don't want it too thick b/c the dumplings will absorb some of the liquid.

Now it's time for dumplings: In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup milk to 1 cup Bisquick. Mix with a fork til well-moistened. Batter should be pretty "sticky." Using a tablespoon, gently plop batter blops onto the top of the soup. Don't worry if it seems like there's not enough dumplings - they'll expand as they cook!

Cook 10 minutes uncovered, then cook an add'l 10 minutes covered.

Serve and Enjoy!

BTW - This made a huuuuuge batch. It would easily serve a family of four. So now we've got leftovers for lunch! (Unfortunately, dumplings are never quite as good the next day - but the soup should be very good!)