Update On the Biscuit Crisis with Paige

Paige approved a bagel from Einstein Bagels this morning. I got her two of the mini bagels with cream cheese, which she promptly devoured. She then informed me that she would prefer a regular size bagel the next morrow and a biscuit on the third morrow. She told me that I shouldn't have a problem buying her a biscuit since she was willing to eat a bagel for breakfast two morrows in a row. We can all go back to our regularly scheduled lives now :)

Anyone cooking chili this weekend? I'm not cooking this weekend, but will be cooking next weekend at the Denton Elks Lodge. I am going up there to pay tribute to my fellow Charlie Robison stalker, Delora Goin. I'm also going up there, unknown to me until about 10 minutes ago, to beg her forgiveness for all of the noise my guys have made at her place of business the last two weeks :) I'm kind of scared. How do I know she won't be hiding in the Elks Lodge kitchen with a very large knife ready to attack me when I show up??? Kidding, kidding...I love my Delora! I meant to send earplugs with Gary when he went up there the other day, but I forgot. I kind of think I should shelve the earplug idea and just send hard liquor instead. Haha!!

I wonder what would happen if some real ball busters ran for the Board. Would anyone have the guts to vote for people who could potentially turn CASI on it's ear? I ponder that thought sometimes. I've noticed that so many of those unhappy with the leadership keep voting for that same type of leadership year after year. I've learned that if you talk about change too much, you scare the old school chili cooks. If you don't talk about it enough, you lose the younger ones who want to see CASI continue to evolve. I don't think anything too life altering is going to happen this year when the GP's elect individuals to the Board. I believe next year is the year that many of the positions on the BOD come up for re-election. That could be a really interesting GP meeting. What would you change about CASI? What would you keep the same? Does anyone care enough about CASI anymore to really hold the people running for the board accountable for what they say they're going to do and really challenge them when they don't follow through? Or, do we recognize that the people running for the Board are going into it (we hope) with good intentions and they're only one of a group of people charged with making decisions that have to benefit an entire organization? Sometimes you're outnumbered. Sometimes you start out with a gung ho attitude that quickly becomes squashed when you are repeatedly up against senselessness...on all sides of the equation. I think it's a balance of both. I've run for the Board and I give a huge thumbs up to anyone willing to do it. It's not easy and it's not the most pleasant experience I've ever had. My most favorite moment from last year's GP Meeting wasn't getting completely hammered at The Bar in downtown Midland on Friday night, it was when I was talking to a table of GP's and RR's and a GP from a state that borders the western edge of Texas called me a liar when I answered a question. Man...that was so fun. So yeah, I have a different perspective of those running for and elected to the Board. It's a thankless position and no matter how hard you work, you're going to have to constantly defend yourself and your actions regardless of the good things that you do. Regardless of some of the negative things I say about CASI on my blog, I absolutely recognize the time and commitment it takes from the Directors to guide this organization. That doesn't mean I have to agree with how it's done. I sometimes wonder if when the Board asks for the opinions of the cooks, they only want to hear the favorable ones. Are they willing to listen to everything the membership has to say - especially the not so nice comments? Are the individuals on the board still so wrapped up in the personal agendas that unless the opinions of the cooks match up with theirs, the dissenting voices will be ignored altogether? Is that what happened with the Old 320 vote? Look, I'm just thinking out loud here. I'm not saying that's what happened nor am I suggesting what's fair or not. I'm just commenting on a perceived pattern that so many of us have observed over the past few years.

Enough chili talk for today. Unfortunately, I can't gripe about what I really want to gripe about because I'm trying to take some time off from naming names and stirring up too much trouble via my blog. I have had to call my husband several times over the last week and unleash on him the ignorance that has been slowly driving me mad. He joined some others at a fine establishment for lunch today and he just sent me a text asking me if I needed anything from 7-11. I told him I didn't need anything, but that he might want to pick up some antibacterial wipes for himself ;o)

Have a fantastic day!