Smidge and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Chapter One Don’t get me wrong.. I love Apple { not “apples”, silly, “Apple” } I waited for decades years for my wireless contract with Roger’s to expire and would still have to wait TWO MORE so that I could upgrade my vintage cell phone…
There’s been a focus on cooking in volume these past few weeks, Super Store has become my new friend. Gone are the leisurely strolls through the upscale organic food market.“Whole Foods”? Try “Whole Wallet“! Workouts, hockey, wake surfing and voracious appetites left me no other option! except, perhaps, eating out hint hint I had initially planned to…
Looks really delicious! I love a good chilli – the ladle in red looks particularly nice!
Thanks for stopping by… my fav is the Ladle in Red for sure:)
I think BBQ sauce makes an interesting addition to the Ladle in Red chili.
[...] grated Spring onions Corinder Olives Hot jalapeno Serve Hot…! Mouse here for Related Links“Rictusempra” Chili Cook-Off with Butter Melting Cornbread Amazon.com [...]
O M G – I’ve stumbled on the mother lode… the quintessential summer recipe for shimmery sweet, golden brown, fall off the bone barbecue ribs. Perfect for the carnivorous cravings of the hockey men in our family. (Or the non-vegetarian in yours.) It’s a straight up recipe that gets a boost of flavor from whiskey…
[...] Music Soothes the Savage Beast, but I Say Nothin’ Says Lovin’ Like Ribs in the Oven (justasmidgen.com) [...]
[...] spent the day making our favorite Extra Meaty Pork Back Ribs.. stowed them in the oven before grilling, blended up a Banana Rum Smoothie in our Margaritaville [...]
by Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen
Drama finished with a lovely treat. I LOVE pulled pork. So yummy.
They really should do something about the screen. My friends and I all got our screens shattered. Definitely NOT cool. Here I had to pay 60€ to replace it. I could have bought 2 regular mobile phones with that money.
Blimey… I can’t read any more – I hate phone companies with a passion. Still, mine gives me 30% off for life
. Great looking treat at the end though.
Smidge had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Rotten-to-the-Core, Very Bad Nasty Nasty Day, and I’m so sorry to hear it!!! If we’re honest we might as well admit, life was a whole lot simpler before Bill Gates or Steve Jobs decided to improve it for us. But, at the end of the day, (and no thanks to them) there’s always comfort food (or drink)…or in the case of the day our good Smidge had, both in abundance!! xox
Wow! Super!
I believe these things are all designed to self-destruct:)
I’m sorry to hear about all your phone catastropes! Was it wrong of me to find it slightly amusing? I put it down to your fantastic writing ability Barbara. I’m just trying to get into your good books now so you won’t be cross with my amusement. The pulled pork looks mouth watering, because my mouth is watering looking at your photo. X R
Yes.. it’s a good one to stuff oneself with to put oneself out of her misery..
You make me laugh! Oh dear. We’re struggling with ancient Apple computers and awaiting new iPhones, too. Can’t live without them! That BBQ should smooth over a lot of that frustration though.
Now.. how did you get 30% off.. you have a way with people, frugal, honestly!!
Nah, my friend gave me a discount code when he worked there
. I think it’ll work for more than one contract too 
I used to love Apple and have been a Mac evangelist and expert for 20 years, but since they became a phone company, as opposed to a computer company, IMHO they’ve become the new Microsoft and I feel betrayed
That looks so good. It still find it hard to come to terms with the phrase “pulled pork”. It reminds me of Chevy Chase “European Holiday”:)
Oh my oh my oh dear oh me
Glad it was the screen
That cracked and not thee
Hahaha, It is totally hilarious.. if it wasn’t so costly!! I’m glad I made you laugh, it’s what I was hoping for:D Thanks, Rhoda!
Hahaha.. Loved that show:D
Hahaha.. yes, I fell on my “good” knee.. just a little scraped, with a bruised wallet!!
Haha, had to google IMHO.. the new “smaller” ipad are awfully close to the huge “Samsung” phone I saw yesterday.. it would be like holding a “plate” to your head, lol!
It’ll totally be funnier, in about 2 years, when I have to upgrade my phone again, lol!! xx
Awwww Smidgey Poo! You have had a rough and slippery patch of things as of late. Hope all is settled down and no more slip sliding away for you. xx
Oh.. perhaps a glass of wine and some delicious food from, say, Provence, would do just fine, now wouldn’t it:) xx
Thanks!!
Hahaha.. that “Smidgey Poo” has a ring to it:D No more slip sliding for me!! xx
You poor thing. Isn’t Rogers a pleasure to deal with? Not? I’ve numerous wonderful experiences dealing with them as well. Hang in there. Are you in the Toronto area? I have a place that will replace a screen.
Poor you.. bad ice.. ICE!! wait.. You have ICE!! oh no.. I hate my phone, actually there is a song in that! No seriously i hate my phone so i went to the man at the shop and he showed me the new i phone, you have to have an a adapter he said, anyway it was 200 dollars to upgrade and I said . OH.. but he said if you want the one before this one.. it will be free.. well i said all I want to do is call people and txt people.. will it still do that? sure he said but it won;t upgrade new programmes, i said i don’t want those programmes..I just want to phone and txt.. so i am going to go back and upgrade to an OLD model!!! ha ha ha i am laughing.. i have a dumb android and i hate it.. anything will be better!! good luck in the clouds! c
OH MY GOSH!! This is AWFUL!! I am so sorry to hear about your screen. BAH! The story telling was great though, and I couldn’t help but smile despite the AWFUL chain of events! I hope the phone company waives your bill. Damn that ice though..
That would be JUST the ticket, love! (only add 1 glass more to the 1 you’ve accounted for!)
Oh Barbara! I hate that you had such a hard time! I would have cried. And while I pressed the “like” button here I was thinking if this was your Facebook status I wouldn’t have! I ‘dislike’ that you had to go though all this. Hate phone companies in Canada, period. But that pulled pork, I like, a lot!
Gosh sorry you had to go through so much drama my friend! That is just not the done thing! Technology – you gotta love it but it is such a killer too! And with phone companies added to the mix… *sigh*
Anyhow at least there is a delicious treat at the end
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Arrgh mobile phone providers can be the pits ‘we expect to answer your call in less than ten minutes’ etc etc. Oh no, I am so sad that you damaged your new phone when you dropped it. Whenever I get a new phone the sales assistants always try to sell me insurance, I have never taken it out, instead I list my iphone for full replacement value and all risks on my home insurance policy, I have never been charged extra for doing so.
Oh poor you! I decided to buy the 4s for a few reasons: 1/ all my adapters will work with it. 2/ it will have google maps (well that’s not entirely true because when I upgraded to OS7 apple kindly erased google maps ap and you tube from my phone) 3/ I got it for $99. I’ve been with Telus for about 20 years. The devil you know.
Apparently iPhone 5s have a much more delicate screen than any other. I have a case on mine because most people I know have their screens smashed!
This dish sounds great and I bet it was wonderful to come home to the aromas after such a bad day.
PS. After almost 30 years with Rogers, we cancelled our cabel and so far no one has cared enough to call and ask us why. I feel your pain.
We live in interesting times where we are promised that communication is fast, easy and transferable. I could go on about the business strategy behind all of this, but I rather just look at your wonderful photos and visualize taking a bite and then another and another…
What a carry on …. So glad I have my nearly 10 years old Nokia … and on pay as you go.
Love that sauce and that bun photo – just stepped out of my screen.
That recipe looks divine! What a crazy story with your fancy new phone! Some days everything just goes wrong…
Aaargh! What a huge pain all of that has been for you! I wish I could tell you things are better in Australia, but they’re not always (but hey, the weather is nice at the moment!
). Phone plans are complicated things shrouded in mystery, and I’m equally annoyed that the iPhone5 has a different connector, because I’ve only just bought the car kit for the 4S. I think slow cooked pork was essential after all this drama, preferably washed down with alcohol. 
Oh, you poor thing! It was indeed a ” Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Rotten-to-the-Core, Very Bad Nasty Nasty Day”, and I can feel your pain, and suffered virtually with you…. don’t you HATE those automated things? Not sure if you deal with paypal, but not too long ago I had a problem that required a phone call. Their loop is perverse. You cannot get out of it to get a real person until the loops goes 20 times around. Literally. By the time the real person answered the phone I was in seriousl need of Prozac (not that I ever taken any…
still, even after all your bad nasty nasty day, you present us with a beautiful recipe, shock full of flavor… you are something!
I hope you will have a stretch of 3,650 wonderfully happy, problem-free days! and after that I will wish you another stretch just like it, ok?
Sounds like you had a tough time of it. I had technology woes with my previous laptop, so I sympathise. I hope it all gets sorted out OK soon.
We Brits just cant do slow cooking like you West-of-the-ponders. As for tech; I am dilly-dallying over whether to buy a Mac Pro – I just cant see myself getting a windows laptop but the apple things are so expensive
Sounds like the typical experience when you upgrade….always that fine print…so don’t feel alone…been there….:)
Oh Smidge! I did know some of those things, because I’ve had similar experiences… Technology, it’s supposed to make life easier, right?!! Hopefully the pulled pork made things better – I had a pulled pork eggs benedict this morning that was delicious
I cringe as I read this….I am SO sorry, what a mess!! Sending hugs your way, STAT! I can relate, sadly. Mine wasn’t an iPhone, it was a Windows laptop, years ago. We despised each other, apparently. To make a long story short, I took it out to the driveway and drove over it. It felt pretty good….but I could have used some spicy pulled pork afterwards.
Pork on a bun is still a good thing, though leftover birthday cakes probably would have been good, too! I’m sorry you had such a horrible time, Smidge!
That pork looks so tempting! Great photo!
Having just traversed a similar minefield, Barb, I truly sympathize. I’ve dealt with Apple Cares and they are very good. They replaced my iPad because the volume control button got stuck. Seemed like overkill but who was I to argue? I hope you find an agreeable customer service rep and together you work something out.
Now, this pulled pork sammich looks incredible! Just last Sunday I made short ribs and feasted on leftover sammiches for the early part of the week. I can see myself have a very similarly delicious Sunday dinner and sammich-filled week in the not too distant future, thanks to you.
You could have moved here for less snow and the same problems! However, our cellphone coverage is pretty good. Have a great Sunday
Oh dear not good! I must admit I bought a very smart flip white case for my iphone the same day I bought it because of the worry of dropping it. Hope next week goes more smoothly
for you.
Much sympathy for the trials and tribulations of upgrading hardware. I am a Mac addict too but I spent most of last summer weeping (yes really) with rage and thought I was going quite mad when I finally upgraded my hardware after eight years with my old stuff. Files that wouldn’t open, photo libararies that wouldn’t do what they were supposed to do. All quiet at the moment (shhhh, don’t let them know I am talking about them). Much love and hope it gets better from here on in xx J
Aw definitely a day for some pulled pork! Hugs x
You would need a pulled pork roll after a day like that. I can certainly tell you that we do indeed have days like that here in Oz but if you moved here you would be welcomed with open arms. We don’t have Rogers here – when you’re on the phone to them fighting over their ridiculous one-way contract, please tell them not to set up business here – even of their types are already here xx
Glad I read this tonight Smidge. I’m making pulled pork in the slow cooker this week and hadn’t picked what to put in it yet. Now I know. Thank you. I’m so sorry you had one of those days. Those are the worst. I can’t believe Rogers doesn’t have service on the highway. How is that possible?! Wow.
Gosh I’m so sorry that you had such a dreadful series of events ! I was just saying to my hubby last night that when technology works, it’s EXCELLENT – how could we live without it and some of the innovations they have come up with have truly made our lives easier. But goodness, when it breaks down, (my) whole world disintegrates.
And there’s got to be some super smart propeller-heads and lawyers that are specifically employed by telcos to make buying a phone and the accompanying plans so complicated and confusing that most people just nod, smile and go “please take however much you want out of my account”.
Your post started to make me all cross with telcos (I had to decipher my bill over the weekend), and then I got to your pulled pork recipe and then everything was good in the world again
These darn companies are the same the world over! What a bother Smidge!
Mandy
What a fantastic pulled pork bun!
Hi Smidge, I am writing this from Australia to aassure you that a couple of years ago I tripped while running across the road and not only faceplanted myself right in front of 3 lanes of traffic, I stretched out my phone hand to break my fall and broke my screen at the same time. Yep. Stuff happens here to. The only good thing is that once your 24 month contract expires you are free to go away whenever and you MUST buy Smart Cover with an iPhone… it helps. Though… Have you tried going to Apple instead of your phone co? I did and they swapped it for a new one without any insurance excess! Give it a try!
PS Love pork shoulder roast.. great for sinking away sorrows!
Makes you wonder how we managed before cells doesn’t it. This is why I can’t decide what to do about my 4 year old iPhone.
I keep advising people to switch over to Android and have a bit of freedom but people never listen
Sorry to hear about your phone catastrophe though… that must have been so annoying (even if it was an iPhone ((evil-grin)). Hope everything is running a bit more smoothly now 
Oh Smidge, I’m so sorry! If you can believe it, I slipped in a parking lot once and did the same to my blackberry. Phone companies have increasingly become so difficult to deal with. Makes me want to chuck my cell phone at times. But then I’d panic if I couldn’t text my girls. Lol! I hope your day got better! Love, love this pulled pork. Looks so delicious and a family fave. Pining and posting on my Facebook page. Yum!
I think it is absolutely horrible that you have had such a terrible time of late. At least you didn’t break any of your parts…they take much longer to repair. You certainly did create a comforting meal to help a terrible day get better.
Hi Smidge, sorry to hear about all your trouble… on these occasions I’m somewhat relieved to be a fringe luddite
. Your pulled pork looks fantastic though!
A nice comforting meal to put behind all the trouble. I hate dealing with the phone companies. I switched three times from one to another and they are all just full of you know what… XOs
Our family loves that book! Sorry for your true life version of it, though it looks like you made the best of it with that yumminess.
So sorry to hear about your horrible day Smidge!
Some days are plain nasty and all one can do is keep it together and say this too shall pass
ouch. kudos for you to get a post out in spite of all that. Does help to share though.
Pulled pork would equally mend my saddened state. Chin up my dear… hopefully it can only get better now.
Just to update my comment. My husband just purchased a new iPhone and I reminded him to buy the extended care package…thanks for making everyone know that bad things can happen to something new.
I have a new i phone that I am not liking much, but your experience sounds a lot worse than mine. Too bad about your phone but I love pulled pork, on a bad day it’s nice to have comforting food.