September 17, 2010
More Loiterers Needed
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I shared what usually goes on outside of my office window? People talking on their phones. A lot. And here I was, thinking that it was a bit annoying and all. I’ve changed my mind. I want more of them. When the phone talkers aren’t there, I have a skate boarder. The first time I heard this noise, I thought the street crew was back, jackhammering on the street. But no – it’s just a skateboarder, zipping back and forth on the walk that goes along the side of the building. I wish I could record the noise and let you hear it. 
You’re really missing out on this headache-inducer. On the other hand, I realize that there are a lot of worse things that kids this age could be doing. Maybe skate boarding after school isn’t so bad. And don’t you love it that I keep you posted on things around the Loopy Building? I’ll tell you another story about that, soon. There’s always something going on around here. I know you’re waiting on the edge of your seats. But back to the issue at hand – if there are people talking on their phones out there, then no one can skateboard. Now I need more phone loiterers.
I have a new recipe for today. WH wanted “some kind of chicken casserole” for dinner, so I took another recipe and tweaked it a bit and came up with this. Make up a fruit salad and some fresh steamed broccoli, and you have dinner.
Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole
6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup sour cream (I used Light)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 md. onion, chopped
3 cups cooked noodles, al dente (I used the German noodle spaetzle, but you can also use corkscrew or small macaroni noodles)
2 Tbl. poppy seeds
Combine the above ingredients and put into a 9 x 13 pan. Then top with:
2 tubes of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick of margarine, melted
1 Tbl. poppy seeds
Mix together and put on top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (longer if you make it ahead and refrigerate it first.)
Sheri lookingforwardtomyweekend,howaboutyou?
Jody said,
September 17, 2010 @ 11:06 am
I know exactly what kind of noise you’re talking about. Every workday afternoon this summer, I would hear the same noise outside my window. I’m on the third floor, so it wasn’t quite as loud as yours must be. Anyway, I figured it was a student on his way from class. What a surprise to find out it was one of our faculty skateboarding to the bus stop! Enjoy your weekend !! I’ll be knitting (YAY), watching football (Go Michigan!), and visiting my parents (we have a great time solving world problems)!!
Kay said,
September 17, 2010 @ 11:47 am
I have that noise in my neighborhood. I couldn’t figure out what that ‘hitting’ noise was and went outside to see some kid doing tricks on his skateboard and I was hearing the wheels coming back to earth (hitting the sidewalk). lol And yes it is annoying.
Sarah said,
September 17, 2010 @ 11:54 am
the kids across the street skateboard all the time! it’s super annoying, especially when they have their friends over. They used to skateboard down our slanted driveway until i set them straight, lol!
Bonnie H. said,
September 17, 2010 @ 11:55 am
I hate to be a party pooper and maybe it’s the legal assistant coming out in me, but the building owners may want to discourage the skateboarder for liability reasons….
Karen Wong said,
September 17, 2010 @ 12:07 pm
I feel your pain! My parents retired to a peaceful place in Montana and their neighbors put in a huge “half pike” for their kids to do tricks on their skate boards. It was horrid for a few months until the son had a compound fracture of his leg. Sorry for his pain, but they are glad it’s quieter.
Kathryn in Minnesota said,
September 17, 2010 @ 12:23 pm
If you like classical music, try tuning your radio to a classical station and pointing it outside your window with the volume loud enough that the skateboarders can hear it. A few skateboarders like classical music, but most will decide to skateboard someplace else.
Kim B. said,
September 17, 2010 @ 1:17 pm
Thank you for that recipe! It looks yummy. Will make this weekend. I think it would work well as a lunchtime warmup in the microwave.
Karen said,
September 17, 2010 @ 1:19 pm
You can come listen to the noise of Park Avenue if you’d like…..
Have a wonderful weekend – going on a yarn crawl with Loopy’s famous songwriter on Saturday
Clara said,
September 17, 2010 @ 2:10 pm
Yummmm, receipe made me hungry — I bet it tasted delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Marsha said,
September 17, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
I agree with Bonnie H. Building owners would most likely have a fit to see someone skateboarding because of liability.
Knitting and painting living room this weekend.
Loretta Barrett said,
September 17, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
The noise! Wow,poor you. But I love hearing about the otherside of our little lilly pond. I’m down lower in Aurora,Mo. It’s so peacful here. Only the birds singing & the wind in the trees. Thank you for the yummy recipy. I will try it soon. Love all your recipys. Your a very good cook.
Diane said,
September 17, 2010 @ 4:57 pm
Many shopping centers here have parking lot type signs posted along the sidewalks in front of the stores – saying no skateboarding allowed. Maybe you can call your township to ask if they can post one for you. I agree with the other posters who brought up the liability of the situation – if they fall in front of your place – you would be responsible, unless a no skateboarding sign would get you out of that – not sure. Or maybe re- the cell phones – can you write your landlord and ask if THEY can write a polite letter to all tenants asking them to please not use cell phones outside the first floor businesses – that it is disturbing to those trying to conduct business (and ask to remain annonymous) good luck.
Linda said,
September 17, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
Yes, looking forward to the weekend and Sunday is Stitch & Pitch in Mpls. Best of all, we have our internet back …. lost it yesterday afternoon and finally got it back at 9pm tonight. I knew I was missing some Loopiness and could not do anything about it – that’s a yarn diet that is pretty strict(hard to cheat).
Kris said,
September 18, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
WE have two parks quite nearby and the kids don’t seem to be smart enough to stay out of the street with their skateboards, especially at night. I have come around the corner and not going all that fast, (15mile speed limit) and just miss hitting someone at 9:00pm. My husband on the other hand has run over a skateboard accidently, when they see him coming ,they move. There is no skating boarding allowed in these parks.
Rebecca said,
September 19, 2010 @ 2:09 pm
I haven’t seen that recipe in twenty years and it is one we loved! I’ve never had it with the spaetzle which sounds like a wonderful rendition……..I’m going to try it this week. Blasting classical music out the window is sure to drive off any skateboarder. That is, if they don’t have earbuds in their ears listening to their own music! Good luck!
Marjorie Hartnett said,
September 19, 2010 @ 3:29 pm
Trying a new chicken recipe…….cut up chicken, cream of chicken soup, water, dijon mustard and salt, pepper. You cook it in a 275 oven for 3 hours. Hope it cooks….I’ll let you know.
turtle said,
September 19, 2010 @ 3:39 pm
i know the sound you talk about….loud and annoying. What you need to do is drop a bunch of pistachio shells or something that will not be friendly to wheels outside your office window….. he will find somewhere else to skate!
Jennifer said,
September 19, 2010 @ 7:20 pm
Our recipe for poppyseed casserole is similar, however we add french fried onions to the cracker topping. Mmmmm!
We also don’t use noodles but serve it over rice.
Seanna Lea said,
September 20, 2010 @ 10:13 am
I’ve been a vegetarian since 1992, so I have to admit that I love a product called Quorn. They make a fake chicken breast that doesn’t taste too much like chicken (so I can actually eat it) that can easily be used in place of cooked chicken in pretty much every recipe I’ve tried. I made a buffalo wing soup this weekend using it, and it came out well, if a little spicy. My hot sauce was about 80% habanero and vinegar.
Marjorie Hartnett said,
September 20, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
The chicken was delicious and so moist!!! Plus while it cooks (3 hours) I can knit!!!
Alisa said,
September 20, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
I think you should invite the skate boarder in and offer to teach him to knit or crochet. (:
TMTTYRR said,
September 21, 2010 @ 5:29 pm
We have some skate boarders that go up and down the hill near my mom’s friend Mrs. Jennings’ house. They just coast in the middle of the street and look at you really funny if you should, perhaps, make a gentle “suggestion” with your car that they might consider getting out of the way. One day, I almost hit one who refused to move out of the middle of the street on my way to drop something off, and when I went to pull out of the driveway, he and his friend were standing right behind my car and didn’t even move. I honked, and they did this really dramatic screaming thing like I was so far out of line in suggesting that they move. I rolled down the window and reminded them that it would hurt if I hit them. They seemed genuinely perplexed by that suggestion.
But boy, that recipe sounds really good!