Originally we'd booked three nights, but when I decided to go to Big Bear I changed it to two. Unfortunately, it appears I did this within the penalty period for changing my reservation and that particular hotel enjoys making you pay a one night charge as a penalty (which, I'm aware, makes canceling that one night moot). That sucks, but isn't Hotels.com's fault.
What is their fault is that while their receipt explains the possibility of the penalty period/fee situation, it apparently does not think it should factor that sum into the total. So I got a receipt from them--when I changed the reservation, mind you--giving me my new total--let's call it X--for my hotel stay. But then a week later discovered on my credit card they'd actually charged me around twice that amount (that's ~ 2X, for you algebra nerds out there).
When I called to have them explain this, they gave the 'I'm sorry, but I'm a stalwart asshole and I'm not interested in fixing this problem for you' routine. And also the, 'I'm offshore and don't speak English very well' routine, which is really, well it's just the ultimate in customer service, I find. So every time I said, 'Yes, I understand that the receipt explains the penalty policy, but the total you are showing me on that same receipt doesn't reflect that amount, i.e. I agreed to pay one thing and you decided to charge me way above the agreed upon and stated fee,' they responded with 'Blank stare,' and also 'Crickets.'
I was not amused. I spent the rest of the afternoon drafting angry letters to the Better Business Bureau, Hotels.com's customer service department, and having my credit card company dispute the charges. This was not how I was hoping to spend my day.*
What's more, it wasn't much better on Josh's end. He spent his day in union negotiations, which, well let's just say they were rough and leave it at that. He came home looking kind of like a beat up, wrung out zombie, poor guy. I decided to cheer us up with a little Pumpkin Bread courtesy of Tilzer.
Tilzer sent me his mom's Pumpkin Bread recipe along with the unintentionally rindy Lemon Squares (I am looking forward to making them again once the Recipe Book is done, this time with just the zest and not the whole rind--this is what happens when you aren't careful with your grammar, people). That is, they were part of the late entry regulations, so they didn't get made during the bread section. Deal with it.
In nothing short of a miracle, I had every single ingredient this recipe called for in the house. No grocery store run necessary! Not only that, but all you have to do is dump said ingredients all into the mixer at once, mix it, and then pour into loaf pans and bake. It had to be kismet.
Josh was firing up the grill for dinner at the same time as I was doing the Pumpkin Bread, so we kept bumping into each other in the kitchen. But aside from two grumpy Huntingtons trying to share not that tight of quarters, this recipe came off without a hitch.
Furthermore, it's goddamn good. Tilzer says he bakes these in the fall and gives them to people as presents, and I can see that making total sense. Wait, wasn't yesterday the first day of fall? KISMET I tell you. Kismet!
The bread was lovely. It turned out moist and tasty like you wouldn't believe, and in my world perfect for breakfast. Josh brought a loaf to work, where it was received with accolades like 'delicious' and 'better than the Starbucks pumpkin bread' (a serious compliment vis-a-vis me, considering that I live in constant admiration of their Madeleines). AND when I carved around the edges and then upended it to knock it out of the tins it did not break into a million pieces. Oh, I am starting to appreciate the structural integrity of loaves, yes I am indeed.
The Breakfast of Champions3 cups sugar (mostly white, although you top it off with raw sugar when you run out. note to self: get more white sugar)
1 cup cooking oil (olive, as you are almost out of canola)
4 eggs (plus some shell, natch)
2 cups cooked pumpkin, canned (please see Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake if you are wondering why I just so happen to have lots of canned pumpkin in the house)
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt (Kosher!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 1/2 cups sifted flour (minus the one ant that snuck in there and froze to death when I put the counter tins into the freezer to protect against last week's ant insurgency)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup nuts, optional (almond slivers)
Combine all ingredients and mix in an electric mixer (read that Mixmaster, not hand mixer). Realize you didn't pay attention and dumped in 1 cup of water instead of 2/3s. Debate trying to scoop some water out, but realize it's already mixing with the oil...and eggs...and sugar...and...well, you're fucked. Hope it doesn't make that big of a difference. It doesn't.
Think, 'Hmm, I see cinnamon and nutmeg used together very often. Especially in recipes that use pumpkin.' Think, 'This much be some sort of alchemical "brings out the woody nut-ness of the pumpkin" or something,' Then think, 'I wonder why the DVR didn't record Family Guy this week.'
Mix until smooth. Divide batter into 3 small loaf pans (yes) or 2 large pans (no). Wonder, 'Should I grease the pans?' but decide against it as it doesn't say to grease them. Hope for the best.
Bake one hour @ 350 degrees or until done (when knife or toothpick--or chopstick. How come I'm the only one who uses a chopstick?--comes out clean). Bread freezes well.
Conclude morals of the story, which are:
1. Hotels.com sucks. Don't use them. Their customer service is abominable and the business ethics are shady, to say the least.
2. Citibank doesn't. Surprise!
3. Pumpkin Bread will cheer you up.
4. The end.
*Side note: The credit card company (Citibank, for those of you keeping score), was magnificent. No fuss, no muss, took me at my word, and is disputing the charge for me. It was a three minute phone call, tops.
Hooray for pumpkin bread. And Citibank.
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