It is funny how life turns out sometimes. I decided to make a Cornbread Casserole the other day when we had some leftover Veggie ChiliMac i made the night before. I hadn't made the casserole in a while. Made me think of the person that gave me the "recipe" (in quotes because it was more of a general guideline).

I used to be a bit sad that i am not friends with her anymore. We were never very close, and now, looking back, i see we never could have been. I know we both tried, in our own ways, to be better friends. We would talk on the phone from time to time. But i never felt like she was interested in getting to know me. Things always seemed to be more about her, her life, her drama. We hung out together in a group a few times, but attempts for it to ever just be a couple of girls bonding never really happened. I was warned by people that knew her or were friends with her that she could be very manipulative and i found out for myself how true it ended up being. When one of our mutual friends told us that he could no longer remain her friend, i knew that the person i thought i knew wasn't there anymore, or she never was. Sad. I guess me wanting to retype the recipe and have my own copy with more specific instructions is a way for me to not have to think about her and what could have been every time i want to cook this..

Southern Sweet Corn Bread Casserole

1 box corn muffin mix (i got mine at Aldi)
1 8 oz can (1 cup) cream style corn
1 16 oz can (2 cups thawed fozen) corn
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 stick melted butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk*

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease (i use the paper from the butter) a 8 x 11 1/2 x 2, 2 quart casserole dish (square casserole dishes run the risk of a gooey interior).

Mix together all ingredients in any order that suits your fancy. Don't overbeat, or your bread will be a bit on the tough side.

• I highly recommend leaving the milk until last. Sometimes, it needs a touch more milk. The consistency should be similar to slightly loose cake batter.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes on the middle rack of preheated oven. Done when toothpick inserted in top comes out clean and top is a golden brown (i like it when the bottom corners are slightly browned too, so i usually go for the 35 minutes in our oven).

Notes: Most of the measurements of this can be altered. It is fairly foolproof. If we don't have much sourcream around, i use less.. if i am in a corny mood, i add more corn. I haven't tried this, but i reckon it would be good with some red peppers or red pepper flakes in it, if one likes food with a bit of a kick. Because it is a bit on the sweet side, this goes really well with spicy chili.

(E:Dragonfire)'s post entitled Hotel Shmotel Reply [inlink]dragonfire1024,22[/inlink]

Possibly, but he has owned these properties for twenty years. For twenty years, he has not made a single major repair to any of those properties. As a landlord, he is required BY LAW to keep them to code.

So, you think it is only a possibility that the tennants got lower rent because no repairs were made? You don't think that if the repairs were done he would have raised the rent at least 10 fold in 20 years? Hmm. OK. Interesting. I figure if the guy is a scumbag, then he would up the rent the second any tiny repair was done, law or not. I thought that was a given. Seems it's not as obvious to others, including you. Cool. I do agree, though, don't get me wrong, that if the law states that he should do repairs, then he should. Period.

What would change if he was in jail? The business owners would not go anywhere. They pay rent. He broke the law, not them. The buildings could be better, but also keep in mind that any repairs done to the buildings were done by the tenants. Also keep in mind, that people live in these buildings too.

Well, if the dude was in jail, he would still be profitting if he was getting the rent and things were going on the same way. So, i guess the answer to your question is nothing would change if he was in jail. He would still be getting rent checks coming in and when he got out of jail, things would be exactly the same. Same slumlord scumbag with tennants living and doing business in shitholes. Could it be the buildings might be condemned and all the tennants would be ousted anyway? That would be terrible for them!

Remember Elmwood and Auburn?

No, i don't remember Elmwood and Auburn. I have only been living in Buffalo for about 16, maybe almost 17 months. Got no idea what you are talking about with that one, but i would venture a guess that it used to look bad and now it looks better?

The city could yes. Have you heard of Rocco Termini? read my previous enteries or see my article here:link you can scroll to Related Wikinews and see the oldest article at the bottom of the list. Anyways, there is one about Rocco in there and a picture of what he wants to do.

Yes, i have heard of Rocco Termini. And no offense, dude, but you so sound like you're his PR man. I have read your previous posts and they don't make this Rocco Termini's ideas any more clear to me, sorry. Certainly don't make them seem any better than the idea of a hotel. Least not for the people that are currently renting there now. I really think the tennants will be displaced, even if only for a while as the new place is being built and they will end up paying more, even if they have a place in this design, because market rate, or fair rent, is way more than any scumbag slumlord would be charging.


The End

For me, this is a lot of debate. I don't tend to get into debates with people. I am not particularly confident with my skills in this department on almost any subject. So, to be clear, i want to say that if i did, i really never meant to stir up anything more, particularly anything of any ill will, on this issue for anyone involved. I may not agree with anyone or everyone on this issue, but i respect all of us here and our respective opinions.

In a comment to (e:Jenk)'s journal, [inlink]jenks,86[/inlink], (e:Dragonfire1024) wrote:

Well again, we would not be where we are today if Hans Mobius would have kept his peoperties to code...ok so fine build the hotel. Whil we are at it lets reward every slum lord in Buffalo.

If Hans Mobius had kept his properties to code and wasn't such a slumlord, then perhaps all the tennants in those houses would have had way way way way higher rent, perhaps even not been able to afford to do business or live there?!?

So, the options are for him to sell the property to someone else and be rewarded or continue to be a scumbag slumlord? Neither are attractive. If he ends up in jail because he is a slumlord, what happens to the buildings and the tennants? Does the city take over? What the heck would they do with the buildings? Condemn them and boot out the tennants? Or sell them to the highest bidder and then the tennants would be out anyway?

Instead of telling me what is wrong with Hans Mobis and him being a slumlord and wanting to sell to a developer that will do things you thing aren't good for you, your neighbourhood and the tennants of those buildings, how about what you are hoping will happen? What is your suggestion in an ideal world? Really, i am not being sarcastic or arguing, i really want to know...

Some of ya'll are getting sick and tired of the "Hotel on Elmwood" debate... heck, i think some of ya'll got sick of it before it really got started. *waves to (e:Paul)*

I thought i was gonna stay out of it. Then, (e:Metalpeter) posted the Buffalo News story about revitalizing things over here on the westside at Grant and Ferry. [inlink]metalpeter,581[/inlink] Thanks, by the way, (e:Metalpeter), appreciate you posting about that.

Personally, i don't have any issues at all with anyone wanting to build a hotel on Grant. Closer to Buff State, that might even be a good idea (as per a comment from the lovely and talented (e:Uncutsaniflush) [inlink]metalpeter,581[/inlink]). Hell, build it at the end of our street, on the corner of Bird and Grant. I could work there as a maid (have i ever admitted to ya'll that when i was a kid, my parents asked me what i wanted to be when i grew up and i got all excited and said "a maid!"). It would be so close, no long bus (i don't drive) commute.. Ok, who wants to build a hotel at Bird and Grant?

I understand why some people would not want a hotel on Elmwood. I understand the reasons... not wanting to see Elmwood change, not wanting to see tennants misplaced. I get it.

In a comment to (e:Metalpeter)'s post [inlink]metalpeter,581[/inlink] (e:Dragonfire1024) wrote:

No one would stay in the hotel on grant no, but you know what, its not about the looks. I am not going to use the hotel and neither will anyone in the area. It does not benefit the neighborhood, since no one will use it personally. I will not shop there, eat thewre or stay there. As far as I am concerned, if I or anyone else will not use it, then its NOT beneficial to the community.

One of the things you have mentioned a few times, (e:Dragonfire1024) is that no one you know will use the hotel. I agree. Locals don't use hotels in their neighbourhoods. It's the people that live out of town that use a hotel. Like maybe on Elmwood it would be people who are want to visit the gallery for an opening, but don't want to stay way out in the 'burbs. Or because the woman that walks her dog down the street has the cutest top that she got on some street in Buffalo and look at that, there is a hotel right there...! And look, there is a college right there.. i wonder if little Billy would want to go there when he grows up!?! There are so many reasons for a tourist to want to stay in a hotel on Elmwood. The same reasons you and i and so many others think it is a cool place to be are the reasons people might want to visit.

Saying that no one in the neighbourhood would benefit from a hotel just isn't true. Not everyone would. Some wouldn't. But some would. like maybe me... i might want a hotel job. Might be my dream job.. i did want to be a maid when i grew up! Now, i just need to grow up!

As (e:Uncutsaniflush) mentioned [inlink]uncutsaniflush,174[/inlink] our Sunday morning paper did not arrive. I made a quick phone call and it was all sorted. Cortney at the Buffalo News told me it should have been there and one will be sent out. Within an hour, it was. Not bad. The dude that delivered it drove the wrong way up Bird Ave to do it. He looked rather confused. He walked up on the porch, put the bagged paper on our doorknob, went back to his truck, got out a clipboard, looked at his watch and wrote something down. I was talking to my dad on the phone at the time, and we both got a chuckle out of my description of him trying to turn around in the truck on our street, with cars parked on both sides, small snowbanks everywhere...

Mucus. Holy crap, i didn't think so much could actually come out of a single skull. How many boxes of tissues can one person use? My head feels like it is made of some of that pastel Easter cotton used to line children's baskets.

I'm not gonna even start about the crap coming out of my lungs. I did quit smoking for good reasons! I did quit smoking for good reasons!! I did quit smoking for good reasons!!! I've been told that the first 3 days are for the physicall addiction, the first 3 months for the social addiction and another 3 years for the lungs to be clear. *sigh*

My sense of smell is coming back in fits and starts from this cold. I find myself able to smell subtle things, but not really strong things (which can be a blessing at times).

Today, when we were at Wegmans, i didn't have my I.D. and (e:Uncutsaniflush) was buying beer (i can't tell you how many times i have been carded at Wegmans.. i would be flattered if i weren't annoyed. i am not the one buying or drinking it!), so i thought i would wander around in the seasonal department for a while. If the cashier doesn't know i am "with" him, then i won't get carded. All of a sudden, a smell hit me like a ton of bricks. Chocolate. Easter chocolate. It was so overwhelming, i thought i could taste it.

Is it all in my head, or does Easter chocolate smell different than, say, year round chocolate? I had a rush of olfactory inspired memories of childhood Easters...

... to all the new (e:peeps) that have been signing up lately.

Lee - [adjective] Full of bees

OMG... doesn't it know i am so afraid of bees??!!??

Thanks for the chuckles, (e:Theecarey)! [inlink]theecarey,112[/inlink]

I wish i could remember exactly where those song lyrics come from, but i can't. My guess is that it is some strange and mediocre Hamilton band i used to like. Probably the Dik Van Dykes In fact, the more i think about it, the more i think it might have been a song called Klaus Barbie... a silly little song about someone's younger sister that got a barbie doll and named it Klaus. Ah, but i digress.

I actually went out of the house today. Wow, eh? I made sure i was always well stocked in easily grabable tissues, of course. Merely going out to eat lunch then to TJ Max (i got 2 new Matt & Nat purses ), then for a couple of quick errands to Radio Shack and Family dollar wore me out. Thank goodness it is just a head cold. So much for me bragging on how much better i feel since i quit smoking...

It's not life that matters; it's the courage we bring to it.

This is printed on the paper tab of "Throat Comfort" tea i am drinking right now.

I really do not feel like this cold i have right now is so "common". I was sick a week or so ago, but it came and went so quickly that i was surprised. I thought it was my new "i don't smoke" head that resisted the cold better. HA! It is now back... with a vengence!

So, now, i drink throat comfort tea and take herbal remedies and be miserable. I am such a bad patient.

He said he would have bought them anyway, for not reason except that they were there, but yesterday, (e:Uncutsaniflush) came home from the store with a bunch of beautiful red tulips for me. My favie! Made me cry. In a good way. They, and he, are beautiful.