Look familiar to you? Please contact me if he does.

There is never a dull moment around here! This morning Ralph called me at Manatee Memorial Hospital (MMH). He was at the restaurant. Ralph never calls me at MMH, unless it's bad news. You'll remember that Deb called me at MMH back in November and how that went. Anyway, this was no different, bad news, although it could have been worse news.

There was another break-in last night at CCI. I thought the signs I posted around CCI that the restaurant is under 24 video surveillance as well as 24/7 surveillance by the Manatee Sheriff's Department would be a deterrent. I guess not. You would also think that just by nature of being a small family owned restaurant would in itself be a deterrent. Of course, that small family owned issue might make them think that we are country bumpkins or something. Perhaps they think we don't know about night depositories and not leaving cash and valuables on site after closing. And really, what is there of value at a restaurant? Frankly, after they break-in, they find out what you and I already know. There is nothing there worth stealing.



 

If you know or recognize him, please call me or the Manatee Sheriff's Department

                                                  
Maybe I'm over thinking this, but wouldn't you think that someone planning a break-in would at least do their own surveillance of the business and try to determine if there's anything worth risking jail time for? Am I giving these perps too much credit.

This guy spent over one and a half hours at the back of the restaurant between the walk-in, freezer and the actual restaurant proper. At that juncture, he saw the camera and disconnected it. Really? Does he not know about DVRs? Did he actually think that disconnecting the camera was the end of the story? Now who's the country bumpkin?  Plus over one and a half hours in a space not much bigger than a jail cell? What's that all about? I'll tell you. He looked through the shelves, tried to pick the main lock, cleaned his ears with a Q-tip, rummaged through the First Aid kit, drank a soda, wondered in and out the back door, saw then disconnected the camera, and after that at some point took off with a case and a half of soda.

As I said, it could have been worse. Three break-ins involved smashing the glass of the front door. That's costly to fix. One break-in involved stealing the cash register drawer. In the process of swiping the drawer, he yanked off the receipt printer and POS. Miraculously, both still worked, although some cables were damaged. Cheaper to replace cables than computers, although the drawer wasn't cheap to replace. Another break-in involved drinking a V-8 juice. The first break-in involved stealing a couple of beers. So you see, nothing overly dramatic, just a series of events that piss me off and require repairs. Not sure yet if that particular camera is permanently disabled.

The kid last night climbed in through a screened in area in the back. He must have planned his point of entry during the day because this area isn't highly lit or visible at night. That's all he planned. Then, he dropped down above the slicer and he was in.

Point of entry outside



Point of entry inside



First Aid kit



   

This is when he saw the camera

He disconnected the camera right after this image

We're working closely with the Manatee County Sheriff's Department. The original investigator took down the information and provided the case number. Shortly after he left, two undercover detectives arrived to gather more information and to look at the video footage. One of the undercover detectives was a patrolman at the time of the last break-in and he was involved in that case. Several hours after they left, two additional undercover detectives arrived to also look at the video footage and to ask additional questions. The first detective called me to ask if I had a copy yet of the video footage. Obviously, they have someone in mind. I think this time justice will be served. What do you think?

Words to live by: write it down!

OMG! We did a bang up business at CCI last night! It was certainly worthy of fireworks, sparklers, and other incendiary devices! All hands were on deck, except for mine, and things went quickly and smoothly. We gave away free tiramisu, or free draft Bud, for those who aren't dessert eaters. Frankly, unless you're a diabetic, I'm suspicious of non-dessert eaters! I've been known to split my food in half to ensure there was room for dessert...provided of course, that the dessert was calorie worthy. I can tell you from personal and professional experience that our tiramisu is calorie worthy. OK, 'nuff said about that.

So here we are on the first day of 2012. I'm sure many have hangovers, some spent the night in jail, others are inspired, and most are giving thanks for a brand new day and a brand new year. I'm sure resolutions abound. Me? I've only made two resolutions through the years that I've actually kept, and still keep. Given those odds, I'm not sure I'll make one this year. If I do, I'll make it later today and it will be something simple, like eat more rutabaga. Right, just kidding. If you read my Thanksgiving blog, you'll know where that came from. Or perhaps I'll bake more...which reminds me of the blog I formulated in my head on my last 18 or 27 mile bike ride or however long it was.

When we were growing up, we always had cranberry sauce with our Thanksgiving and or Christmas turkey. It was always Ocean Spray. You could give me a few pieces of white meat turkey and a can of cranberry sauce and I'd be in heaven. Through the years when I was raising my family, I always served cranberry sauce with the turkey, but it wasn't always Ocean Spray. Occasionally, when money was tight during a holiday, I'd buy the off label brand. I didn't notice anything different. Not only that, I never even noticed that some of my kids don't even like cranberry sauce. Why would I care about that anyway? It just meant more for me....and no wonder there was always SO much more for me! Anway, one would think that cranberry sauce is cranberry sauce. Not so.

Several years ago, Deb decided canned cranberry is unacceptable so she started making home made cranberry sauce for the holiday dinners at my Mom's, or wherever the holiday dinners were. Needless to say, it was out of this world and how did I ever eat the canned stuff and how could I ever go back to the canned stuff....and why would I have to? Well, then came the year Deb was in California for Thanksgiving.

What to do? Easy! I would make the cranberry sauce. Well, by the time it all came to light, Deb wasn't here so it was too late to ask her for her yummy recipe. So I did what any good cook would do, I Googled it! And let me just say that the results were mind bogling. I sifted through the results to find a recipe that appealed to me, and in true Sperlunto fashion, I said to myself, "This looks good, but I know for a fact that Deb would say too much sugar, so I'll cut back on the sugar." After all, hers was going to be a tough act to follow and I wanted my cranberry sauce to taste as good or better. Well, it wasn't going to be better because I think she put brandy or vodka or some other alcohol in hers. I had no plans to do that. 



Deb, the "sugar" Nazi


When I read recipes, I have a penchant so day, "Hell no, that's too much salt!" So my experience is with decreasing salt. As I said, when Deb reads a recipe, she says, "Hell no, that's too much sugar!" So her experience is with decreasing sugar.

But I LOVE sea salt

I guess you know where this is going. No one liked the cranberry sauce. My mother who makes no bones about rising to the occasion to criticize, was quick in her evaluation, "It's too tart, next time add sugar." Well, I did add sugar, I just don't know how much. And aren't cranberries tart by nature? Whatever.

I was not to be discouraged or deterred. Next time I made it, I added more sugar. I think the family liked it. Who knows? I tend to block the negativity from my mind. My grand daughter was with me so I gave her the job of remembering how much sugar. This was all two years ago. Last year I made it again because Deb was in California. So again I Googled the recipe, not remembering that in the cabinet was the recipe that I Googled the first time. My grand daughter wasn't with me, I couldn't remember how much sugar I added, I used water instead of orange jiuce, and voila, we were back at square one! Not a hit.

If nothing else, I learn from experience. I located the original recipe, wrote down the adjustments I made because adding sugar depends on my mood at the time. Feeling healthy, wwwaaaayyyyyy less sugar, feeling Martha Stewart, a reasonable amount of sugar.

Carrie's home made cranberry sauce in the really classy goblets!

Now my cranberry sauce is perfect every time. Just ask Ralph. He tends to be a little like his grand mother with the criticism. 

So, now that the recipe is written down and I don't depend on my moods or my memory....which brings to mind a resolution for 2012. If it's important, I'm going to write it down and live accordingly. If it's not written down, I won't be living it....and mood and memory won't factor in! Is that doable? What do you think?

Oh, for you avid readers who are still wondering what the only two New Year's resolutions I ever kept are, drum roll please, here they are: quitting smoking and wearing seat belts. There you have it!

Happy 2012 to you and yours. Let's make it memorable and livable. I wrote it down, so I'll be doing & living accordingly! How about you?