Typically, I'm a fairly responsible person. I pay my bills, remember to take out the trash, and I give the dog a bath (occasionally). If stuff is broken, I fix it. And despite the fact that I wash rayon and sometimes dry the random sweater, I take care of my things.
So when I was working at the store recently and noticed a huge hole where my diamond should be on my left hand, I understandably freaked out a wee bit. This is why we can't have nice things, apparently.
Let me back up...
A few days before this, I had noticed one of the prongs around the diamond on my engagement ring was... shorter than the others. I mentioned it to Cori, who told me to take off the ring until we could get it fixed, which I did.
A few days later, I was cleaning some other rings with my handy-dandy polishing cloth (me being the responsible jewelry owner that I am), and I decided to shine-up my engagement ring as well. Naturally I stuck it on my finger since IT WAS JUST SO SHINY. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
Then I wore it to work. Dumb.
I can see you shaking your head at me. Trust me, I was more upset with myself than I think you could ever be. But this is how we learn.
So I'm helping an associate, talking exuberantly with my hands, as per usual, when I look down at my hand and notice the hole in my ring. It was weird... the hole was not only dark, but it had a matte finish and reminded me of a tooth that had been knocked out of someone's mouth. My heart sunk into my stomach, and I'm sure I turned fifty shades of white.
Coworkers (and several customers) helped me scour the areas I'd been walking in. One young gent continued to bring me every plastic/lucite/glass crystal he came across on the sales floor (which was adorable, but there's no way anyone's diamond could be THAT big, sir - A for effort). The entire time we're on our hands and knees searching for things, my brain was thinking the following (warning, expletives ahead):
"SHIT. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!!! WAIT - WHAT IS THA- oh... stupid nail head. Jesus, it has to be here somewhere. I didn't leave the store... surely I would have noticed when I went to lunch, because I'd look at my hands while I ate, right? WAIT - IS THAT THE DIAMO- damn... stupid fake crystal... waaaay to big to be the diamond anyway. I feel so terrible, that kid is trying to help me look while his mom is giving me that look of pity... I don't want your pity, lady - EYES ON THE GROU- ANOTHER NAIL HEAD! Who knew nail heads could pose as diamonds on the floor?? What on earth am I going to tell Cori? She's gonna be so upset with me... WHY DID I PUT IT BACK ON?!?!?!?!? No one is allowed to vacuum this floor until we find it. Will Anita go for that? Surely I'm not the only one who's lost their diamond ring in here. I bet this floor is littered with them - DANG - ANOTHER NAIL HEAD. *UGH* I'm going to die."
You get the jist.
After what seemed like forever, one of the girls found the diamond... under the register. The thing had bounced its way into what I thought to be the Bermuda Triangle of the store.
But she saved me.
Things are precious. Responsible people lose their crap all the time, and I am no exception. The people I work with are awesome, have eagle eyes, and I can't thank them enough for helping me avoid several nights sleeping on the couch.
Crisis (semi) averted.
UPDATE: Today Cori surprised me with a freshly-fixed ring, complete with a new setting and an extra layer of shine. I am one lucky woman.
Lemon Swirled Cheesecake
from Food & Wine Magazine - they don't lose their precious stuff, I'm sure of it...
For the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh finely-grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of either a 10" round pie dish, or a 9"x9" square baking pan. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. until evening mixed. Drop the butter over the flour mixture. Pulse and blend until the mixture just begins to form a crumbly dough.
Turn the dough out into the prepared pie dish and press with your fingers to create an even surface. Go up the sides of the pie dish about 1/2" or so, creating a semi-shallow lip. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until just golden brown and set.
For the Filling:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup ice water
2 large egg yolks
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest
20 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dissolve the cornstarch into the ice water in a small bowl. In a medium-sized sauce pan, whisk together the egg yolks, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice. Over medium-high heat, whist constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and creamy (the sugar will have dissolved after about 4 minutes). Allow to boil, whisking occasionally , for about a minute. The lemon mixture will be thicker and glossy now. Strain the lemon mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Stir in the lemon zest. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese with the remaining cup of sugar together until smooth and creamy and slightly fluffy. Add the flour and beat again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. Finally, beat in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the baked crust.
Dollop the lemon mixture over top randomly, then drag a hot knife or a toothpick through the curd to create swirls and visual movement in the cream cheese.
Bake for 40-50 minutes - the cheesecake should have lightly golden edges and be just set in the middle (very little jiggle).
When the cheesecake is done, run the tip of a sharp knife along the edge and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled (about 4 hours).