Saturday, September 5, 2009

Staying awake during a graveyard shift

So, I'm at work, struggling to stay awake during a graveyard shift. See, the thing is I have two main problems: 1. I work/go to school during the day. 2. Ever since a few years ago, when I started taking caffeine pills in a futile attempt to lose ten pounds. I've been trying to find a way to stay awake and googled the topic, but didn't really come up with a reasonable answer. So, this is what's worked for me so far.
1. Vitamin B. For some reason, the giant B complex pills really help keep me awake.
2. Drink tons of water. Cold water. I hate water, so forcing myself to drink it helps keep me awake for some reason.
3. Have enough stuff to do for the entire shift. I tend to bring games, books, homework, etc. so I have tons to keep me occupied if work is slow.
4. That being said, I typically have stuff that doesn't take very long. If I try to read the entire time, I invariably feel like falling asleep, but when I have stuff in one hour compartments, it makes me stay awake.
5. Taking a shower right before my shift also really helps.
What else? I don't know... Reading random crap... Munching on food, etc.
Well, back to work... And to get a sandwich and some chips. i've been craving potato chips for a while now.
On a totally different note, it takes really long to think when you're tired.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Tips for peeling eggs

One of the biggest hassles of hard-boiled eggs is learning to peel them quickly. Here's my favorite method:
Take the egg, tap the entirety until the surface is filled with spidery lines. Run under cold water, then peel the egg by tugging gently on the shell. Run the eggs under water to eliminate any pieces of shell. Takes under 2 minutes.
Questions? Let me know.

Egg Salad

So, I work Sunday mornings usually (I'm on call) and one of the easiest, fastest, and most liked recipes that we do for lunch is egg salad. First, let me say that I've hated egg salad for years. Boiled eggs are one of those things that I can take or leave on a good day. I almost never make them becuase of the boiling and peeling and all that. I hated it. But, after working two Sundays, this egg salad has become one of my favorite recipes. I've never found someone who didn't like it. :) Also, part of this is inspired by some of my male friends who complain about how much money they spend on food because they can't cook because they: a) Don't have time; b) don't have space; c) don't know how. If you can't make this, you're retarded. Sorry... Politically incorrect but true. :D
K... Now for the recipe.

Egg Salad Recipe

3 eggs
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise (to taste) (Tbsp = tablespoon. You can also use a heaping soup spoon of mayonnaise if you want)
2 tsp. Mustard - Regular, dijon, etc...
1 Tbsp. Chopped onions
1 tbsp. Chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the eggs. Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, onions and celery. Stir until all the ingredients are combined, but not until it's totally smooth.

Serve on bread. I like croissants. I buy the big box from Costco and freeze the ones I don't want to eat yet. Add tomatoes or lettuce as desired and enjoy. :)

Well, there you go. Under 10 minutes (except for the time to boil the eggs). I usually throw the eggs in while I hop in the shower, then peel them for the sandwiches while I let my hair dry.


Intro

Hey all my loyal readers...Which probably amounts to one person right about now. I'm a 24 year old law student who works... a lot. One of my favorite jobs happens to be working at a mental hospital (one of my bachelors degrees was in Psychology).
Weirdly enough, though, I've learned more working there for peanuts than I have in any of my more serious jobs. I've decided to start posting here some of the top tips I've learned there.
This will include food recipes, cleaning tips, random interpersonal skills, etc.
Hey, I like it and if nothing else, I can use this to remember the stuff I've seen when I no longer work there.