Well, Bart's back, if I hadn't mentioned it before. Thursday morning, while waiting for Vicki to get back from the dentist, I was organizing Brian's Ipod for him and I heard the sound of tinkling liquid. It was too loud to be coming from the litter box. I turned toward the stairs, and there he was, picking up where he left off before we sent him to live with Brian.
"BART!!!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled. He immediately stopped and looked at me to see how serious I was. Then he took off up the stairs.
With good reason -- we said if he didn't stop we were going to have to put him down. I grabbed him and put him in the litterbox, then sopped up the mess and hit it with the enzyme. I didn't tell Vicki as we were headed off that day to see Brian off in Indianapolis for his deployment to Iraq. Figured she had enough on her mind.
I put one of the CatScrams at the bottom of the stairs pointing across the hallway to encourage him not to linger in the hallway. It seems to be working. He skitters by it, and there have been no more... ahem... "accidents" since then.
We went to see Brian off -- there was a special dinner for families of reservists who had been activated basically to let us know "hey, he's no longer a reservist, here's what you can expect now that your boy is an active Marine". Plus, how to get in touch with him, and a little about what he'd be doing.
Well, what he'll be doing is a lot more involved than training Iraqi soldiers and police, it seems. As a matter of fact, he seems to be part of the CAG, or Civilian Affairs Group. He'll be learning some of the language, and his job will be basically working with Iraqi civilians to re-build, re-construct -- in other words... just excactly the kind of target the terrorists like the best.
< /RANT ON >
This speaks volumes about our enemy. What should be the safest job for us is, in fact, the most dangerous. These people want Iraq to fail and fall in to their hands so badly that they use -- as their primary tactic -- the killing of civilians -- to keep chaos and disorder in place. The hope is that people will become frustrated with the fact that the new government can't keep the peace and either vote the terrorists in or simply let the terrorists take over.
Any group of a few thousand loosely organized people in any country who are willing to stoop to this dispicable level of -- ahem, "engagement" -- can, over time, cause the same amount of chaos being caused in Iraq by these villians. People don't seem to understand that.
The gleeful Bush/America bashers like to point to each little bombing and say, "look, it has failed" -- which is all the freaking terrorists want. All they have to do is kill a few people a day in some sort of dramatic fashion (explosion, beheading....) and it will run every day as a top news story. This is easy for people who have brainwashed people to blow themselves up in the name of Islam. The daily news stories magnify their puny successes -- and over time this myopic view will cause public sentiment to shift away from getting rid of them or further marginalizing them, and in the end have us turning the reins right over to these folks. If you think Jerry Fallwell et al are bad, stop and consider this.... how many dreaded Christian-Righters have you heard about kidnapping aid workers and cutting their heads off -- filming it for the world to see? Think about that next time you want to draw some sort of moral equivalence between Al Queda and the American Religious Right. I'm not a part of it, but get real!
Do Iraqis have to do things our way? No. But get serious. There are several thousand black-hearted evil people over there that want to run Iraq THEIR way -- and given a choice, I think the other 20 million+ Iraqis would take our way over theirs. And we're not even insisting on that.
< /RANT OFF >
Sorry, I don't usually rant on this blog -- but it couldn't be helped this time.
Ok, well Saturday I ran around and bought stuff -- food for Colorado and a few other things for the house. Then we went to see Gaelic Storm at 7 at Jesse. They were fantastic. Loved 'em. They are all extremely talented. I must say, though, that I think Ellery -- the fiddle player and probably the quietest member of the band is the one who really puts the sparkle on their sound and puts them over the top. It's not that she gets out in front of the music and takes over, but her playing weaves and winds around the band holding it all together with a silver thread.
Sunday I spent making up trail mix and dinners for the trip, and waterproofing Sam's backpack. Hung out with the neighbors for a while, then came back home. Kevin and Adriene came over and we watched some "reality" (shudder) competition on the Food Network. The little brother of a friend of Kevin's was on it... but he was eliminated last night.
And... that's the way it's been.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
The last few weeks....
Busy. So why isn't it reflected here? A certain dear aunt of mine has pointed out that the posts have been severely lacking.
It's partially it's because it's been THAT busy.
Couple of weekends ago the Groves came up to see Téada, a traditional celtic music group. They are very good, and a bunch of young pups. Cami "discovered" them at Irish Fest in KC last year where she was art director (and I believe will be again this year?). Anyway, it was a small, intimate setting... the sanctuary at the Unity Center here in Columbia. The Unity Center is a kind of really, really generic Christian (mostly) church. It's kind of like to belong you have to agree that Christ, or someone like him fictional or othewise, had some really wise things to say sometimes. :-) Actually, that's just my take. I really know very little about it except what I saw when I was there.
It was kind of funny because live Irish music is generally accompanied by the audience participating by clapping and short, sharp "whoop"s at tempo changes -- the atmosphere in a church sanctuary, however generic, wasn't real condusive to that at first, but eventually the spirit (no pun intended) caught the best of everyone.
Took the kids down to Rock Bridge State Park and took the trail back to Devil's Icebox (the entrance to Conner's Cave and Devil's Icebox Cave. Stepped in and looked about a bit. Nathanial was very excited. Here's a shot up to the top of the sinkhole that you go down into to get to the caves:
This last weekend we helped Kev move, and Bri get packed. He left yesterday for Indianapolis. Tomorrow we go to Indianapolis for a seminar for how to stay in touch with him while he's in Iraq, what to expect and all that. Then we'll drive back that night. We could be home by 2:30am if all goes well.
With Brian leaving for Iraq, and Kev having the dogs, we pretty much had to take Bart back. Last week I had the carpet he'd basically ruined at the bottom of the stairs replaced. According to Brian he was well behaved the whole time he was over there -- and today is day two -- so far, so good. This was our best chance of getting him over the habit, anyway. Several months somewhere else, and clean up the old damage so he can't smell it. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
Also rented a roto-rooter type machine and routed out our sewer pipe because of a backup we had the week before when the washer went to drain.
Tomatoes are growing slowly. Probably need more fertilizer/water and definitely more sunlight.
I've been collecting everything for the Colorado trip. Got maps, park info, books describing back country campsites and trails. My equipment will all fit in my daypack -- sleeping bag, tent, cook kit, extra clothes and warmth/dry layer -- but no room for food. I ordered a Mountainsmith Outback backpack that's supposed to be 2700 cubic inches. It's about the same size as their famous Ghostpack. I'm not sure what my daypack is, but without overstuffing it can't be any bigger than about 2000 cubic inches. But the new pack isn't here yet. I have Sam's frame pack if that doesn't work out. Just tie everything that won't fit inside to the outside.
No matter, I will make do and have a good time.
I did get some WorldWide Sportsman shirts and a pair of their zip-off pants/shorts in the water-resistant teflon fabric at Bass Pro. Niiiiiiiice. I think I want another pair of those pants. They're better than the Columbia Packables I have -- fit better, and are water resistant and fast-drying.
Had molds made from my teeth a couple weeks ago to check out my bite. I've had some jaw problems so doc is checking out how my teeth fit together. It's all related. Long story short $525 for a night splint to hold me over until I decide if I want braces/a retainer later.
Oh, the car is fixed, too from the deer damage.
There's more, for sure, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
I need to be better about keeping this thing up to date.
It's partially it's because it's been THAT busy.
Couple of weekends ago the Groves came up to see Téada, a traditional celtic music group. They are very good, and a bunch of young pups. Cami "discovered" them at Irish Fest in KC last year where she was art director (and I believe will be again this year?). Anyway, it was a small, intimate setting... the sanctuary at the Unity Center here in Columbia. The Unity Center is a kind of really, really generic Christian (mostly) church. It's kind of like to belong you have to agree that Christ, or someone like him fictional or othewise, had some really wise things to say sometimes. :-) Actually, that's just my take. I really know very little about it except what I saw when I was there.
It was kind of funny because live Irish music is generally accompanied by the audience participating by clapping and short, sharp "whoop"s at tempo changes -- the atmosphere in a church sanctuary, however generic, wasn't real condusive to that at first, but eventually the spirit (no pun intended) caught the best of everyone.
Took the kids down to Rock Bridge State Park and took the trail back to Devil's Icebox (the entrance to Conner's Cave and Devil's Icebox Cave. Stepped in and looked about a bit. Nathanial was very excited. Here's a shot up to the top of the sinkhole that you go down into to get to the caves:
This last weekend we helped Kev move, and Bri get packed. He left yesterday for Indianapolis. Tomorrow we go to Indianapolis for a seminar for how to stay in touch with him while he's in Iraq, what to expect and all that. Then we'll drive back that night. We could be home by 2:30am if all goes well.
With Brian leaving for Iraq, and Kev having the dogs, we pretty much had to take Bart back. Last week I had the carpet he'd basically ruined at the bottom of the stairs replaced. According to Brian he was well behaved the whole time he was over there -- and today is day two -- so far, so good. This was our best chance of getting him over the habit, anyway. Several months somewhere else, and clean up the old damage so he can't smell it. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
Also rented a roto-rooter type machine and routed out our sewer pipe because of a backup we had the week before when the washer went to drain.
Tomatoes are growing slowly. Probably need more fertilizer/water and definitely more sunlight.
I've been collecting everything for the Colorado trip. Got maps, park info, books describing back country campsites and trails. My equipment will all fit in my daypack -- sleeping bag, tent, cook kit, extra clothes and warmth/dry layer -- but no room for food. I ordered a Mountainsmith Outback backpack that's supposed to be 2700 cubic inches. It's about the same size as their famous Ghostpack. I'm not sure what my daypack is, but without overstuffing it can't be any bigger than about 2000 cubic inches. But the new pack isn't here yet. I have Sam's frame pack if that doesn't work out. Just tie everything that won't fit inside to the outside.
No matter, I will make do and have a good time.
I did get some WorldWide Sportsman shirts and a pair of their zip-off pants/shorts in the water-resistant teflon fabric at Bass Pro. Niiiiiiiice. I think I want another pair of those pants. They're better than the Columbia Packables I have -- fit better, and are water resistant and fast-drying.
Had molds made from my teeth a couple weeks ago to check out my bite. I've had some jaw problems so doc is checking out how my teeth fit together. It's all related. Long story short $525 for a night splint to hold me over until I decide if I want braces/a retainer later.
Oh, the car is fixed, too from the deer damage.
There's more, for sure, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.
I need to be better about keeping this thing up to date.
Monday, May 16, 2005
So Fly, you gotta wonder why...
Got the tent rainfly done.
Set up both tents (the big new one for luxury camping) and the little backpacking tent and seam-sealed and water-proof sprayed them. I lost a stake, so I painted the rest flourescent orange.
Here's the tent set up with the new, homemade rainfly, and another shot of it all rolled up and packaged in the new ditty bag I made especially for the tent -- and a pen for size reference.
I was at Walmart this weekend and I saw they have a new model of the kids tent (the one I bought for backpacking) -- and wouldn't you know it has a better rainfly (though the one I made is probably better still). It's also apparently smaller (the package is a couple of inches shorter) and its apparently lighter just by hefting the two side by side. However, upon further inspection of the picture, it's got more of a hexagon design. They still say it's 5x6. But that got me wondering. If it's smaller and lighter and a hexagon instead of a rectangle -- they probably mean its 6' in its longest dimension, and 5' in its shortest dimension. My 6x5 rectangle is about 8' in the longest direction (catty-corner).
So I'm not sure. If anyone has bought this tent, I'd like to know what the real dimensions are.
Did all kinds of things around the house... touched up paint on the cabinets in the kitchen where it had chipped, replaced the molding by the stove with smaller molding so the drawer can open ... had to putty and paint the lowest few inches of the wall to do that.
Finally planted the moss rose in the strawberry pot -- I noticed a bunch of seedlings from last year's moss rose coming up in it, too.
There was a bunch of other stuff I did, too -- oh, like re-gasket the Big Green Egg and align the lid better, and I fixed the little ceramic disc at the bottom that the fire sits on. It's been broken in half quite some time. I used the fireplace/furnace cement. It just might hold it together.
I bought a pair of crampons on Ebay for $23.... they're older ones, but hey... I'm not going to climb ice, just maybe hike in some snow on a relatively steep slope. I laughed when I read that these were "obsolete" in terms of technology. They're spikes that strap on to your shoes. If they worked 50 years ago, they'll work today. I'm pretty sure snow and shoes haven't changed that much. Maybe the new ones are better for ice climbing, but I think those people are nuts anyway.
Also did a 10 mile round-trip bike ride yesterday. Not as bad as you'd think, especially since most of it was on "the trail". I'm not in as bad shape as I thought I might be. Still, want that old ticker and lungs hepped up for hiking next month.
Well, gotta go!
Set up both tents (the big new one for luxury camping) and the little backpacking tent and seam-sealed and water-proof sprayed them. I lost a stake, so I painted the rest flourescent orange.
Here's the tent set up with the new, homemade rainfly, and another shot of it all rolled up and packaged in the new ditty bag I made especially for the tent -- and a pen for size reference.
I was at Walmart this weekend and I saw they have a new model of the kids tent (the one I bought for backpacking) -- and wouldn't you know it has a better rainfly (though the one I made is probably better still). It's also apparently smaller (the package is a couple of inches shorter) and its apparently lighter just by hefting the two side by side. However, upon further inspection of the picture, it's got more of a hexagon design. They still say it's 5x6. But that got me wondering. If it's smaller and lighter and a hexagon instead of a rectangle -- they probably mean its 6' in its longest dimension, and 5' in its shortest dimension. My 6x5 rectangle is about 8' in the longest direction (catty-corner).
So I'm not sure. If anyone has bought this tent, I'd like to know what the real dimensions are.
Did all kinds of things around the house... touched up paint on the cabinets in the kitchen where it had chipped, replaced the molding by the stove with smaller molding so the drawer can open ... had to putty and paint the lowest few inches of the wall to do that.
Finally planted the moss rose in the strawberry pot -- I noticed a bunch of seedlings from last year's moss rose coming up in it, too.
There was a bunch of other stuff I did, too -- oh, like re-gasket the Big Green Egg and align the lid better, and I fixed the little ceramic disc at the bottom that the fire sits on. It's been broken in half quite some time. I used the fireplace/furnace cement. It just might hold it together.
I bought a pair of crampons on Ebay for $23.... they're older ones, but hey... I'm not going to climb ice, just maybe hike in some snow on a relatively steep slope. I laughed when I read that these were "obsolete" in terms of technology. They're spikes that strap on to your shoes. If they worked 50 years ago, they'll work today. I'm pretty sure snow and shoes haven't changed that much. Maybe the new ones are better for ice climbing, but I think those people are nuts anyway.
Also did a 10 mile round-trip bike ride yesterday. Not as bad as you'd think, especially since most of it was on "the trail". I'm not in as bad shape as I thought I might be. Still, want that old ticker and lungs hepped up for hiking next month.
Well, gotta go!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Thinkin' 'bout drinkin'
One song I heard while listening to Thayrone the other day that I'd never heard before was a perfect pop/country/bluegrass gem by the Meat Purveyors called "Thinking About Drinking". So I listened to a little more of their stuff on Rhapsody. They're an Austin Bluegrass band that likes to cover songs from other genres -- that last album covered everyone from Nick Lowe to ABBA to Ratt (yes, Ratt!).
The hook is a thing of beauty, and reminds me of a very similar song by Jimmy Buffett which tried to distill country music to its essence, "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (actually, the two songs sound quite similar but then again, why wouldn't they?) Anyway, the hook is
It'd be corny if it wasn't so darned good, and that's what good country pop is about. Heartfelt corniness to help you feel better when you're blue.
They also covered a really good Nick Lowe song I'd never heard before called "Without Love" - which isn't corny at all, it's actually a lyrically pretty song for the most part and I think they actually did a better job capturing that beauty than Nick did. And then that got me looking around for his contemporaries, one of whom is Nanci Griffith -- and I saw the old song "Gulf Coast Highway", which I believe is an Emmylou Harris song. But the group "Evangeline" (unfortunately not carried by Rhapsody) is the one I first heard do it and it made the hair on my head stand on end it was so beautiful. It's closer to Emmylou's version than Nanci's, but there's just a little extra something about their version (and no, I don't think it's Jimmy Buffett but he does sing the male part of the duet on the song) -- perhaps it's because it's a nosalgic song about the gulf coast sung by people who are from there and love it.
Ah, the wanderings through the train of thought music world.
The hook is a thing of beauty, and reminds me of a very similar song by Jimmy Buffett which tried to distill country music to its essence, "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (actually, the two songs sound quite similar but then again, why wouldn't they?) Anyway, the hook is
When I'm not drinkin'
I'm thinkin' 'bout drinkin'
When I'm not thinkin'
I'm drinkin' 'bout you
It'd be corny if it wasn't so darned good, and that's what good country pop is about. Heartfelt corniness to help you feel better when you're blue.
They also covered a really good Nick Lowe song I'd never heard before called "Without Love" - which isn't corny at all, it's actually a lyrically pretty song for the most part and I think they actually did a better job capturing that beauty than Nick did. And then that got me looking around for his contemporaries, one of whom is Nanci Griffith -- and I saw the old song "Gulf Coast Highway", which I believe is an Emmylou Harris song. But the group "Evangeline" (unfortunately not carried by Rhapsody) is the one I first heard do it and it made the hair on my head stand on end it was so beautiful. It's closer to Emmylou's version than Nanci's, but there's just a little extra something about their version (and no, I don't think it's Jimmy Buffett but he does sing the male part of the duet on the song) -- perhaps it's because it's a nosalgic song about the gulf coast sung by people who are from there and love it.
Ah, the wanderings through the train of thought music world.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Oh Deer
Went to Mom and Dad's Sunday for Mothers Day. Did a Swiss thing. Stroganoff and Fondue. It was a nice day.
On the way home, just out side of Mt. Sterling on Hwy A, a doe eyed me from the ditch. She decided to try to cross anyway. I didn't think fast enough to honk, but I did react with the brakes and had slowed down to probably about 35 when I hit her. She hit the front left headlight, rolled up on the hood a bit, then was thrown forward down the road about 15-20 feet (or so). She rolled a few times, scrambled to the ditch on the other side. Then she lifted her head, and stood up and staggered off.
The headlight got pushed back a little, and there is a dent just above it with a paint chip thrown out. The hood is fine. The front quarter panel might be flared a bit. It's hard to tell. I just want the major bend out and the paint repaired before it rusts, and the light adjusted if it needs to be.
Wouldn't you know I JUST paid it off this month.
Drove it to Fort Wayne and back monday and tuesday. Jammed to Thayrone and the Bone Conduction Music Show all the way home (thanks to recordings my brother gets to me -- we don't get Thayrone here. Wish we did) Folks, it's radio the way it's SUPPOSED to be - you and the DJ, hangin' out, playin' tunes.
I love the farm country in Illinois, especially eastern Illionois between Terre Haute and about Montrose. Those big ordered fields of green, beautiful trees, clean buildings and hard-working folks on tractors out on a beautiful spring day with sunshine, blue skies and puffy white clouds *sigh* -- does the soul good. I had to let out a few healthy Tim Allen style "Aaaaauuuurrrr!!!"'s.
A few people expressed concern with my plans to climb Longs Peak this June, including one very nice lady I'd emailed about her experience -- she said in June the snow in the steep area at about 13,300 feet called "the Trough" may not have melted, which might make it a more difficult climb than I'd bargained for.
I have looked up what different "classes" of climbs mean. I'd always said "If I can't walk up it, I ain't climbin' it". Longs sounded about as difficult a climb as I would attempt. I said that if I had to use special equipment -- you know, ropes, little metal rock clamper-thingies, or having my grip being the only thing between me and a plunge to the depths below (otherwise known as rock climbing) that would be out. Well, it turns out they have these "classes". Sniktau I'd call a Class I. We did a little trail detour on rocks and had to put our hands down occasionally for balance which wanders into Class II -- but I'd still call it a Class I climb. Haven't been on a real Class II.
Class III seems to be what Longs Peak is in mid summer after the snow melts, with a little Class IV due to some steep exposure but still on stable rock you can stand on. I'll have to check it out and see how bad the trough would be with crampons (basically snow cleets) and no ice axes. I'd be willing to use crampons for part of a climb (as long as it was somewhat like scrambling), but I'm drawin' the line at ice axes. See, you have to hold on to those. Grip. Plunge. Death, or at least serious injury. Bad. Not for me. I want to have fun and live to have more fun another day.
So, to make a Longs story short, it might not happen this summer since I'm going so early. I might break down and do Greys or something before I head home.
Oh My God and Trail Ridge Roads are definitely on the agenda. And some backcountry hiking/camping.
On the way home, just out side of Mt. Sterling on Hwy A, a doe eyed me from the ditch. She decided to try to cross anyway. I didn't think fast enough to honk, but I did react with the brakes and had slowed down to probably about 35 when I hit her. She hit the front left headlight, rolled up on the hood a bit, then was thrown forward down the road about 15-20 feet (or so). She rolled a few times, scrambled to the ditch on the other side. Then she lifted her head, and stood up and staggered off.
The headlight got pushed back a little, and there is a dent just above it with a paint chip thrown out. The hood is fine. The front quarter panel might be flared a bit. It's hard to tell. I just want the major bend out and the paint repaired before it rusts, and the light adjusted if it needs to be.
Wouldn't you know I JUST paid it off this month.
Drove it to Fort Wayne and back monday and tuesday. Jammed to Thayrone and the Bone Conduction Music Show all the way home (thanks to recordings my brother gets to me -- we don't get Thayrone here. Wish we did) Folks, it's radio the way it's SUPPOSED to be - you and the DJ, hangin' out, playin' tunes.
I love the farm country in Illinois, especially eastern Illionois between Terre Haute and about Montrose. Those big ordered fields of green, beautiful trees, clean buildings and hard-working folks on tractors out on a beautiful spring day with sunshine, blue skies and puffy white clouds *sigh* -- does the soul good. I had to let out a few healthy Tim Allen style "Aaaaauuuurrrr!!!"'s.
A few people expressed concern with my plans to climb Longs Peak this June, including one very nice lady I'd emailed about her experience -- she said in June the snow in the steep area at about 13,300 feet called "the Trough" may not have melted, which might make it a more difficult climb than I'd bargained for.
I have looked up what different "classes" of climbs mean. I'd always said "If I can't walk up it, I ain't climbin' it". Longs sounded about as difficult a climb as I would attempt. I said that if I had to use special equipment -- you know, ropes, little metal rock clamper-thingies, or having my grip being the only thing between me and a plunge to the depths below (otherwise known as rock climbing) that would be out. Well, it turns out they have these "classes". Sniktau I'd call a Class I. We did a little trail detour on rocks and had to put our hands down occasionally for balance which wanders into Class II -- but I'd still call it a Class I climb. Haven't been on a real Class II.
Class III seems to be what Longs Peak is in mid summer after the snow melts, with a little Class IV due to some steep exposure but still on stable rock you can stand on. I'll have to check it out and see how bad the trough would be with crampons (basically snow cleets) and no ice axes. I'd be willing to use crampons for part of a climb (as long as it was somewhat like scrambling), but I'm drawin' the line at ice axes. See, you have to hold on to those. Grip. Plunge. Death, or at least serious injury. Bad. Not for me. I want to have fun and live to have more fun another day.
So, to make a Longs story short, it might not happen this summer since I'm going so early. I might break down and do Greys or something before I head home.
Oh My God and Trail Ridge Roads are definitely on the agenda. And some backcountry hiking/camping.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
General Business (that is, being busy)
Did several things over the weekend -- filled a woodpecker hole in the side of the house, screwed a piece of siding in that's been sticking out, mulched the garden, measured brick molding to be replaced on the house, cooked chicken for South Beach purposes, cleaned out the car, checked for why I had buzzing in my rear speakers, replaced my car battery, changed the oil, and washed it. Plus, I made a dashboard mount for my new GPS.
That's right, I got a GPS. A cool little Garmin Vista. I didn't go with one of the cheaper models because I wanted mine to have an altimeter and be capable of having topographical maps loaded on it.
It was pretty cool -- I could see where I was on the road all the way up to Fort Wayne and back. Helps you visualize your progress.
I really got it for backcountry hiking, though.
Got Mom down here for her Birthday/Mother's day. Vicki's off this week and spending it with her. I'll take her back next mon/tue.
Need to make sure Mom's computer can be remotely managed before we take her back so I can fix problems from 500 miles away and give little tutorials like we did before. Something "broke" since Christmas and last time I tried I couldn't do it.
I have all the parts to build my rain fly for my packable tent, now I need to get off my rear and do it.
I also need to finish putting the new smoke gasket on the Big Green Egg. Oh, and plant the moss rose in the strawberry pot on the deck.
That's right, I got a GPS. A cool little Garmin Vista. I didn't go with one of the cheaper models because I wanted mine to have an altimeter and be capable of having topographical maps loaded on it.
It was pretty cool -- I could see where I was on the road all the way up to Fort Wayne and back. Helps you visualize your progress.
I really got it for backcountry hiking, though.
Got Mom down here for her Birthday/Mother's day. Vicki's off this week and spending it with her. I'll take her back next mon/tue.
Need to make sure Mom's computer can be remotely managed before we take her back so I can fix problems from 500 miles away and give little tutorials like we did before. Something "broke" since Christmas and last time I tried I couldn't do it.
I have all the parts to build my rain fly for my packable tent, now I need to get off my rear and do it.
I also need to finish putting the new smoke gasket on the Big Green Egg. Oh, and plant the moss rose in the strawberry pot on the deck.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Stoves
If you're curious about the stoves:
Here are the altoids and V8 stoves next to each other, plus in the background of one pic you can see the wind screen and pot. That little silver thingy made out of an aluminum strap is the pot handle. Everything fits inside the pot. With the altoids stove, the whole set weighed in at 7.5 ounces (pan, windscreen, stove, handle).
Haven't tried it with the ion stove yet.
Like I mentioned in the previous post -- it might be better to put the "pot holder" on the ion stove to transfer more heat down to the fuel and get it good and hot beforre ignition for better efficiency.
Here are the altoids and V8 stoves next to each other, plus in the background of one pic you can see the wind screen and pot. That little silver thingy made out of an aluminum strap is the pot handle. Everything fits inside the pot. With the altoids stove, the whole set weighed in at 7.5 ounces (pan, windscreen, stove, handle).
Haven't tried it with the ion stove yet.
Like I mentioned in the previous post -- it might be better to put the "pot holder" on the ion stove to transfer more heat down to the fuel and get it good and hot beforre ignition for better efficiency.
Flutterby
Another pic from last weekend's hike:
Put together the ion stove last night, sans pot stand -- but now I'm wondering if perhaps the pot stand may transmit more heat down to the fuel chamber, heating the fuel better and providing feedback for more efficient fuel burning. I may have to add the hardware cloth.
Pretty cool, though!
Put together the ion stove last night, sans pot stand -- but now I'm wondering if perhaps the pot stand may transmit more heat down to the fuel chamber, heating the fuel better and providing feedback for more efficient fuel burning. I may have to add the hardware cloth.
Pretty cool, though!
Monday, April 25, 2005
Fence Posts & Morells
Saturday Jeff and I pounded some posts in and helped Dad put up some fence around a goat pasture. Pretty day. The whole place was emerald green and the new vegetation was quite pretty against the deep blue sky with the puffy white clouds. They do live in a pretty place.
Went 'shroom hunting with Daryl & Ryan Sunday... we went down by the river -- nothin' much there, then over to a place where I've been sworn not to tell where we did actually find some. Did a lot of hiking on yet another lovely day.
Set up the tent to measure the material for the rainfly. I have enough.
Also, friday night I built the Altoids alcohol stove. Indeed, boils water in 8 minutes (from about 55 degrees to 212 at 730 feet). We tested it. And the whole cooking system, minus fuel, and including pot and windscreen -- is 7.5 ounces. Wow.
Probably a little inefficent, though -- so I'm going to build the ion stove next..... it'll look cooler. Still, I appreciate the simplicity of the Altoids stove. Not that the ion one is complicated, it's just more complicated than the altoids one ... which isn't hard.
Went 'shroom hunting with Daryl & Ryan Sunday... we went down by the river -- nothin' much there, then over to a place where I've been sworn not to tell where we did actually find some. Did a lot of hiking on yet another lovely day.
Set up the tent to measure the material for the rainfly. I have enough.
Also, friday night I built the Altoids alcohol stove. Indeed, boils water in 8 minutes (from about 55 degrees to 212 at 730 feet). We tested it. And the whole cooking system, minus fuel, and including pot and windscreen -- is 7.5 ounces. Wow.
Probably a little inefficent, though -- so I'm going to build the ion stove next..... it'll look cooler. Still, I appreciate the simplicity of the Altoids stove. Not that the ion one is complicated, it's just more complicated than the altoids one ... which isn't hard.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Taffeta
Guess I never really knew what taffeta was. Always thought it was that stuff that filmy sheer stuff petticoats were made out of. But, apparently not. It's basically a shiny nylon. So now I know what a taffeta dress is. Does that make me gay? :-)
Well, it turns out taffeta has much more manly uses as well. Tents are made out of it.
Recall that my rain fly on the kid's (ahem "lightweight backpacking") tent is far to small to be effective.
Went to Wally World last night and found grey taffeta for a buck a yard. Niiiiiiice. Got 3 yards of it. Probably only need two or a little over. I think it's 44" wide. Take off 2" for hems, and it should be 42". Make it 6 or 7 feet long, add 4 loops (one in each corner) and hooks and a pocket on each side in the middle for an extra tent pole to hold it taut.... add silicon, and I think I have me an effective rainfly.
Well, it turns out taffeta has much more manly uses as well. Tents are made out of it.
Recall that my rain fly on the kid's (ahem "lightweight backpacking") tent is far to small to be effective.
Went to Wally World last night and found grey taffeta for a buck a yard. Niiiiiiice. Got 3 yards of it. Probably only need two or a little over. I think it's 44" wide. Take off 2" for hems, and it should be 42". Make it 6 or 7 feet long, add 4 loops (one in each corner) and hooks and a pocket on each side in the middle for an extra tent pole to hold it taut.... add silicon, and I think I have me an effective rainfly.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Tent Test & Electric Fence
I set up the new tent last night to check out the size. It will *not* sleep two people if either one of them is over about 5'5. Whey they say it's 6' wide, they mean it. My head and feet touch.
However, it's still a great one-person packable tent, and you can sleep catty-corner in it if you're my height. A little geometry tells me it's about 8' that way, and is at least 6' for a foot either side of that.
The rainfly, I'm afraid, would be insufficient in a real heavy or prolonged rain. I may have to make me another.
Hooked the electric fence back up last night. Heh! No marmot holes in the garden this morning.
However, it's still a great one-person packable tent, and you can sleep catty-corner in it if you're my height. A little geometry tells me it's about 8' that way, and is at least 6' for a foot either side of that.
The rainfly, I'm afraid, would be insufficient in a real heavy or prolonged rain. I may have to make me another.
Hooked the electric fence back up last night. Heh! No marmot holes in the garden this morning.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Lightweight Backpacking Coolness
I love my Ozark Trail 4 person dome tent.
It kept me dry during 3 consecutive nights of mountain valley downpours on the front range of the rockies in 2003 with nary a leak. Easy to set up.... very nice.
I consider a 4 person tent a 2 peson tent, really. I like a little room. But for backcountry backpacking/camping, the lighter and smaller, the better. If I can't carry it with my daypack, I don't want to carry it. And this is too bulky, and also too heavy at 9 lbs.
But I saw a smaller version of it for kids at Walmart -- for $17.62 -- a far cry from the $90-$300 for lightweight flashlight tents, especially two person tents. This is 6'x5' - which would hold two people (under 6', of course) snugly, but dry-ly.
I took it out of its box and carrying case, and it weighs in at just about 3 lbs. The way it was packed it was too tall (long) for the daypack. The reason for that is -- the poles. I had thought about getting more end-sleeves and re-shock-cording the poles to make them shorter, but I think the poles will attach quite nicely to the outside of the daypack. They are not bulky at all. Then unrolled the tent, folded it in half, and rolled it back up. About the size of a football. Heh!
I'll seal the seams and silicon it. I think I just might have me a cheap packing tent. (note the sandal is to give an idea of scale)
It kept me dry during 3 consecutive nights of mountain valley downpours on the front range of the rockies in 2003 with nary a leak. Easy to set up.... very nice.
I consider a 4 person tent a 2 peson tent, really. I like a little room. But for backcountry backpacking/camping, the lighter and smaller, the better. If I can't carry it with my daypack, I don't want to carry it. And this is too bulky, and also too heavy at 9 lbs.
But I saw a smaller version of it for kids at Walmart -- for $17.62 -- a far cry from the $90-$300 for lightweight flashlight tents, especially two person tents. This is 6'x5' - which would hold two people (under 6', of course) snugly, but dry-ly.
I took it out of its box and carrying case, and it weighs in at just about 3 lbs. The way it was packed it was too tall (long) for the daypack. The reason for that is -- the poles. I had thought about getting more end-sleeves and re-shock-cording the poles to make them shorter, but I think the poles will attach quite nicely to the outside of the daypack. They are not bulky at all. Then unrolled the tent, folded it in half, and rolled it back up. About the size of a football. Heh!
I'll seal the seams and silicon it. I think I just might have me a cheap packing tent. (note the sandal is to give an idea of scale)
How many tomato and pepper plants would a woodchuck chuck?
Gonna have to get the electric fence working again. Apparently the disturbed ground where I planted the plants in the garden last weekend was too much for a woodchuck to resist. Easy diggin' for grubs -- plus, maybe he smelled the bloodmeal. At any rate, he dug up most of the peppers and all of the tomatoes. Fortunately, he wasn't interested in the plants themselves -- just worms and grubs -- so I re-planted them.
Grrrrrrrrr.
Ordered a ground-loop isolator off of Ebay yesterday so I can use the power supply in the car for my mp3 player without noise. Plus, when you use the car adaptor, you can put the player in "Car" mode which causes it to shut off when you turn off the ignition and turn back on when you turn the ignition back on. Niiiiiiiiice, since that's where the player gets used the most.
I'm also looking at hiking/camping gear for this summer. Have to decide how I want to do this. I'd like to spend 4 days out there, which means 6 days off. I'll have to decide what kind of food to bring and how much. I plan on hiking alone a lot, methinks. Maybe camp a few days, then head for REALLY high country -- climb a mountain. A 13-er or 14-er.
Looking at ultralight websites. Need to find a good mountain hiking/backcountry camping discussion group. Anybody know of any?
Grrrrrrrrr.
Ordered a ground-loop isolator off of Ebay yesterday so I can use the power supply in the car for my mp3 player without noise. Plus, when you use the car adaptor, you can put the player in "Car" mode which causes it to shut off when you turn off the ignition and turn back on when you turn the ignition back on. Niiiiiiiiice, since that's where the player gets used the most.
I'm also looking at hiking/camping gear for this summer. Have to decide how I want to do this. I'd like to spend 4 days out there, which means 6 days off. I'll have to decide what kind of food to bring and how much. I plan on hiking alone a lot, methinks. Maybe camp a few days, then head for REALLY high country -- climb a mountain. A 13-er or 14-er.
Looking at ultralight websites. Need to find a good mountain hiking/backcountry camping discussion group. Anybody know of any?
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Ask, and ye shall recieve
Ok, I don't want to set that expectation too high, but here ye' go, Anonymous:
Monday, April 18, 2005
Busy, but beautiful weekend
Hmmm... two "weekend" posts in a row. I'm slackin'.
I took friday afternoon off. It was a beautiful day, many people were gone, and when I heard people talking golf for the afternoon, I did something I don't do very often. I just decided to take the time off.
Went to Lakewood and bought some tomato spray to keep the blight at bay this summer. Then I got some petunias to make a couple of hanging baskets and a mixed annuals arrangement for the front entrance.
Went home and planted the pots. Also found some volunteer straw flowers and potted them, planted the melanpalodium I bought last weekend at Strawberry Hill out front, tore the weeds out of the veggie garden plot and planted tomatoes and peppers with blood meal and bone meal.
Cleaned house Saturday, did a bike ride in my quest to improve my cardio system for some summer mountain hiking, got some stuff for kebobs and we bbq'd with the Williams Sat Evening.
Sunday I mostly set up the deck with the outdoor watering system for the plants and converted the automatic watering system from winter configuration (overflow plugged and stock tank heater) to summer configuration (circulation pump and reservoir with mini-fountain).
We rented "Ray" and watched it in the evening. You keep forgetting you're not actually watching Ray Charles. Ultimately, a good flick to watch (especially if you're curious about Ray) but not something I'd want to see again and again.
I took friday afternoon off. It was a beautiful day, many people were gone, and when I heard people talking golf for the afternoon, I did something I don't do very often. I just decided to take the time off.
Went to Lakewood and bought some tomato spray to keep the blight at bay this summer. Then I got some petunias to make a couple of hanging baskets and a mixed annuals arrangement for the front entrance.
Went home and planted the pots. Also found some volunteer straw flowers and potted them, planted the melanpalodium I bought last weekend at Strawberry Hill out front, tore the weeds out of the veggie garden plot and planted tomatoes and peppers with blood meal and bone meal.
Cleaned house Saturday, did a bike ride in my quest to improve my cardio system for some summer mountain hiking, got some stuff for kebobs and we bbq'd with the Williams Sat Evening.
Sunday I mostly set up the deck with the outdoor watering system for the plants and converted the automatic watering system from winter configuration (overflow plugged and stock tank heater) to summer configuration (circulation pump and reservoir with mini-fountain).
We rented "Ray" and watched it in the evening. You keep forgetting you're not actually watching Ray Charles. Ultimately, a good flick to watch (especially if you're curious about Ray) but not something I'd want to see again and again.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Nice Weekend
Nice weekend. Temps in the 70's and 80's, no humidity.
Friday evening was beautiful. Sat out with the neighbors on their deck and talked and had a couple of rounds of beer in the warm evening sunset. Ryan's dad had come in to town. They went to dinner after a spell. We left.
They got a new super-duper gas grill, and offered their old one to me. I'm not a gas grill man, really, but my Big Green Egg isn't very big (I have the 14") and if you have a lot of people over that makes a difference. So I thought I'd replace the wood side-tables (they were rotted) and handle (also rotted and half-attached) and re-paint it with high temperature paint.
And Vicki suggested we give it to Kevin -- who misses his gas grill. So I fixed it for him over the weekend to give to him. Looks much better.
Saturday I went for a bike ride -- need to hep up my cardio system if I'm going to go mountain hiking this summer. We also did quite a bit of cleaning in the house Saturday. My ticker is not in the shape it was in a few years ago. I've been weight training, but no cardio).
We're watching Kathy's DVD's of The Gilmore Girls -- (so how long have I been gay, Bob asks?) No, not at all. The writing is snappy and clever -- and that's saying a lot for me -- I'm not a huge fan of sitting in front of the tube a lot. Plus, the mother and daughter are both very pretty -- not hard to watch at all. Lauren Graham is -- wow. Pretty lady. Whoooo-ah.
Got a few plants at Strawberry Hill -- some moss rose and another citronella plant in hanging baskets, and a few tomatoes, peppers, and yellow melanpodium. Let's see, what else ... replaced the tips for my Rio Riot chargers to fit the new Creative Zen Xtra MP3 player, replaced the plastic belt clip with a METAL one, and made a little aluminum mounting strap for my dashboard to hang the MP3 player on while driving.
The flowering pears bloomed last week, and this weekend we got our annual "snowstorm" of white flower petals. Very cool. Plus the redbuds have popped out, and after our thunderstorms last night, I was treated to one of my favorite sights this morning on my drive in to work... blooming redbuds against a backdrop of tiny, light green leaves and the darkened bark of the wet trees -- beautiful.
Thinking about replacing the heat pump. It's about 20 years old, and it looks like the compressor and condensor were replaced about 10 years ago. The defrost cycle isn't working quite right in the wintertime -- probably not worth fixing. Might as well get a new one and get in on (hopefully) some energy savings. I'd love to get a ground source, but probably couldln't afford to dig the wells and the at least $6,200 price tag.
And I'd rather not wait until it's 105 degrees out with 6,000,000% humidity for it to go out.
Brian came over with Kristen last night and hung out and talked for a while. We sure like her. They seem to be getting along very well. Not all the snipping and physical play fighting we're used to seeing. Lots of laughing and pretty laid back.
I sat and played the guitar quietly while we talked. I had cracked the side of my Martin, but I patched it on the inside with some 1/32 plywood and hide glue. The barred "F" is up one more little tiny notch. Getting there.
Friday evening was beautiful. Sat out with the neighbors on their deck and talked and had a couple of rounds of beer in the warm evening sunset. Ryan's dad had come in to town. They went to dinner after a spell. We left.
They got a new super-duper gas grill, and offered their old one to me. I'm not a gas grill man, really, but my Big Green Egg isn't very big (I have the 14") and if you have a lot of people over that makes a difference. So I thought I'd replace the wood side-tables (they were rotted) and handle (also rotted and half-attached) and re-paint it with high temperature paint.
And Vicki suggested we give it to Kevin -- who misses his gas grill. So I fixed it for him over the weekend to give to him. Looks much better.
Saturday I went for a bike ride -- need to hep up my cardio system if I'm going to go mountain hiking this summer. We also did quite a bit of cleaning in the house Saturday. My ticker is not in the shape it was in a few years ago. I've been weight training, but no cardio).
We're watching Kathy's DVD's of The Gilmore Girls -- (so how long have I been gay, Bob asks?) No, not at all. The writing is snappy and clever -- and that's saying a lot for me -- I'm not a huge fan of sitting in front of the tube a lot. Plus, the mother and daughter are both very pretty -- not hard to watch at all. Lauren Graham is -- wow. Pretty lady. Whoooo-ah.
Got a few plants at Strawberry Hill -- some moss rose and another citronella plant in hanging baskets, and a few tomatoes, peppers, and yellow melanpodium. Let's see, what else ... replaced the tips for my Rio Riot chargers to fit the new Creative Zen Xtra MP3 player, replaced the plastic belt clip with a METAL one, and made a little aluminum mounting strap for my dashboard to hang the MP3 player on while driving.
The flowering pears bloomed last week, and this weekend we got our annual "snowstorm" of white flower petals. Very cool. Plus the redbuds have popped out, and after our thunderstorms last night, I was treated to one of my favorite sights this morning on my drive in to work... blooming redbuds against a backdrop of tiny, light green leaves and the darkened bark of the wet trees -- beautiful.
Thinking about replacing the heat pump. It's about 20 years old, and it looks like the compressor and condensor were replaced about 10 years ago. The defrost cycle isn't working quite right in the wintertime -- probably not worth fixing. Might as well get a new one and get in on (hopefully) some energy savings. I'd love to get a ground source, but probably couldln't afford to dig the wells and the at least $6,200 price tag.
And I'd rather not wait until it's 105 degrees out with 6,000,000% humidity for it to go out.
Brian came over with Kristen last night and hung out and talked for a while. We sure like her. They seem to be getting along very well. Not all the snipping and physical play fighting we're used to seeing. Lots of laughing and pretty laid back.
I sat and played the guitar quietly while we talked. I had cracked the side of my Martin, but I patched it on the inside with some 1/32 plywood and hide glue. The barred "F" is up one more little tiny notch. Getting there.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Good Coffee, and Plastic
It's nice having excellent coffee again. I buy really good coffee, and I've been cheating myself most of the time the past few years brewing it in a substandard pot. I bought that pot because I thought having a timer on a coffee pot would be cool -- you know, have it brew for you and have it all ready in the morning when you get up.
Well, I've done it maybe 10 times in 4 years. Ran into issues like -- sometimes Vicki didn't want coffee in the morning (and you have to know how much you are going to make at night before you go to bed), and then there's the fact on weekends you may not know when you're ACTUALLY going to get up... and you want your coffee as fresh as possible, so you don't want it sitting a long time (hmmm, coffee pot with a remote control, anyone?)
On top of that, I don't think this coffee maker ever got the water hot enough. It was a $50 drip brewer and it never made as good coffee as my $16 Mr. Coffee drip machine. But I felt obligated to use it since I paid the money for it. Silliness. Folks, life's too short.
The French Press didn't make enough coffee for two, and it was harder to clean... and between that and boiling the water in a separate vessel and all... more of a pain (but really good coffee).
The new vaccuum brewer is great. It's almost an antique and it cost half as much as the pot it replaced (Ebay. My friend.) Plus it looks a lot cooler.
Got my new MP3 player. Pretty cool. Two problems with it -- the latch on the cover opens if you look at it too hard (but not when it's in the carrying case, which it will be almost all of the time) and the carrying case itself -- has a PLASTIC belt clip. Folks, I just paid $200 for a nice portable music device -- honest, if it costs that much I'll PAY you the extra 50 cents for a real live spring-metal belt-clip. You KNOW that thing will break somewhere down the road, and at the most inconvenient time. What is it with plastic everything? I don't have anything in particular against plastic, but some things just shouldn't be made out of it. Like belt clips, or anything else that's going to have to be rigid and flex a lot under tension. Stainless Spring Steel, please!!!!!!!!!
Well, I've done it maybe 10 times in 4 years. Ran into issues like -- sometimes Vicki didn't want coffee in the morning (and you have to know how much you are going to make at night before you go to bed), and then there's the fact on weekends you may not know when you're ACTUALLY going to get up... and you want your coffee as fresh as possible, so you don't want it sitting a long time (hmmm, coffee pot with a remote control, anyone?)
On top of that, I don't think this coffee maker ever got the water hot enough. It was a $50 drip brewer and it never made as good coffee as my $16 Mr. Coffee drip machine. But I felt obligated to use it since I paid the money for it. Silliness. Folks, life's too short.
The French Press didn't make enough coffee for two, and it was harder to clean... and between that and boiling the water in a separate vessel and all... more of a pain (but really good coffee).
The new vaccuum brewer is great. It's almost an antique and it cost half as much as the pot it replaced (Ebay. My friend.) Plus it looks a lot cooler.
Got my new MP3 player. Pretty cool. Two problems with it -- the latch on the cover opens if you look at it too hard (but not when it's in the carrying case, which it will be almost all of the time) and the carrying case itself -- has a PLASTIC belt clip. Folks, I just paid $200 for a nice portable music device -- honest, if it costs that much I'll PAY you the extra 50 cents for a real live spring-metal belt-clip. You KNOW that thing will break somewhere down the road, and at the most inconvenient time. What is it with plastic everything? I don't have anything in particular against plastic, but some things just shouldn't be made out of it. Like belt clips, or anything else that's going to have to be rigid and flex a lot under tension. Stainless Spring Steel, please!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Stove, Coffee
As a little windfall from Mike and Lois' move to a new house, we get a "new" stove out of the deal. Mike swapped the flat-top electric that came with the house for his old gas stove, and traded that for our minimal coil-top electric stove which he's putting in the in-law suite.
It's white, and goes quite nicely in our kitchen.
Don't know if you noticed, but if you look you'll see a glass, silex vaccum coffee pot just to the left of it. Just got that. It makes real good coffee. Mom and dad had a stainless steel one when I was growing up.
Apparently that was one of the best ways ever to make coffee. The water in the bottom chamber boils, and the steam pressure forces the hot water to the top chamber where the coffee grounds are. By the time it gets up there, the water is at 200-205 degrees -- perfect for brewing coffee. What's better about this than percolation is that no brewed coffee ever boils. Perfect extraction temperature + no boiling the end product = real good coffee. Plus, since it doesn't use paper filters, it leaves the aromatic and flavorful oils that the paper filters out. I've got the grind right. And it's great. A little extra work, but not much, really.
Mike brought the stove up when he came into town monday night for a couple of meetings here in Columbia this week. We put it in Monday night. And we've had fun the last couple of nights talking and playing guitars.
My new MP3 player should come today. It's a Creative Labs Zen Xtra 40GB player. I'm kinda psyched.
Went to St. Charles over the weekend and visited Joel and Dawn. We went down to Old St. Charles and went to one of the wineries and had lunch outside. It was Scottish Fest down there, so we had good seats for the noon parade of kilts and bagpipes. Did a little walking down the river and went back to their place for dinner. Tom and Betty came over, and we had a good time. Spent the night and came back home.
Aunt Pat's kidney removal apparently went well. Ed said she might even be home today. Hope she recovers quickly.
It's white, and goes quite nicely in our kitchen.
Don't know if you noticed, but if you look you'll see a glass, silex vaccum coffee pot just to the left of it. Just got that. It makes real good coffee. Mom and dad had a stainless steel one when I was growing up.
Apparently that was one of the best ways ever to make coffee. The water in the bottom chamber boils, and the steam pressure forces the hot water to the top chamber where the coffee grounds are. By the time it gets up there, the water is at 200-205 degrees -- perfect for brewing coffee. What's better about this than percolation is that no brewed coffee ever boils. Perfect extraction temperature + no boiling the end product = real good coffee. Plus, since it doesn't use paper filters, it leaves the aromatic and flavorful oils that the paper filters out. I've got the grind right. And it's great. A little extra work, but not much, really.
Mike brought the stove up when he came into town monday night for a couple of meetings here in Columbia this week. We put it in Monday night. And we've had fun the last couple of nights talking and playing guitars.
My new MP3 player should come today. It's a Creative Labs Zen Xtra 40GB player. I'm kinda psyched.
Went to St. Charles over the weekend and visited Joel and Dawn. We went down to Old St. Charles and went to one of the wineries and had lunch outside. It was Scottish Fest down there, so we had good seats for the noon parade of kilts and bagpipes. Did a little walking down the river and went back to their place for dinner. Tom and Betty came over, and we had a good time. Spent the night and came back home.
Aunt Pat's kidney removal apparently went well. Ed said she might even be home today. Hope she recovers quickly.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Trinity Irish Dance
Mary took us to see the Trinity Irish Dance troupe last night. We'd seen them on the Concert Series schedule for the last several years and just never went. We were both big Riverdance and Thistle & Shamrock fans -- this would be a natural extension.
Had dinner at the New Old Hidelberg. Hadn't been there since long before it burned down. It pretty much looks the same, only cleaner and newer materials. Smart move by the owners to keep it the way it looked before, as it's been an institution on Campus -- it would not have the same nostalgic appeal to alumni when they come back to town if they'd changed it. They did add a deck upstairs. Now that was smart as well.
Anyway, the dance troupe was great. I mean ... from my perspective, who wouldn't like to see 20 pretty young ladies in pretty outfits dancing pretty dances to pretty music. They did some traditional Irish dancing, but they also had some more modern stuff which was interesting. The opening number they had some pretty wild costumes that could have come out of some arty performance from the late '60's. Still had a lot of the traditional elements woven in with the interpretive dance.
They had another number called "Current Event" where they all came out in plaid min-skirts and did a lot of sassy, sexy moves along with the clogging and hand-slapping (I called part of it the "Irish Hand Jive") It was pretty amazing, the elaborate game of patty-cake between 10 dancers. Anyway, I guess they wanted to make sure we all knew where the Catholic School Girl fantasy came from... the Irish, of course!
After their break, they came out and did and Irish dance in Indian (eastern indian) costumes/style to some Sheila Chandra music... which is not what one would expect when one goes to see an Irish Dance show, but it was interesting and pretty all the same.
The guitar player for the "Trinity Irish Dance Orchestra (of 3 people) was humorous, and they played songs while the troupe changed/rested between numbers.
Pretty fun.
Had dinner at the New Old Hidelberg. Hadn't been there since long before it burned down. It pretty much looks the same, only cleaner and newer materials. Smart move by the owners to keep it the way it looked before, as it's been an institution on Campus -- it would not have the same nostalgic appeal to alumni when they come back to town if they'd changed it. They did add a deck upstairs. Now that was smart as well.
Anyway, the dance troupe was great. I mean ... from my perspective, who wouldn't like to see 20 pretty young ladies in pretty outfits dancing pretty dances to pretty music. They did some traditional Irish dancing, but they also had some more modern stuff which was interesting. The opening number they had some pretty wild costumes that could have come out of some arty performance from the late '60's. Still had a lot of the traditional elements woven in with the interpretive dance.
They had another number called "Current Event" where they all came out in plaid min-skirts and did a lot of sassy, sexy moves along with the clogging and hand-slapping (I called part of it the "Irish Hand Jive") It was pretty amazing, the elaborate game of patty-cake between 10 dancers. Anyway, I guess they wanted to make sure we all knew where the Catholic School Girl fantasy came from... the Irish, of course!
After their break, they came out and did and Irish dance in Indian (eastern indian) costumes/style to some Sheila Chandra music... which is not what one would expect when one goes to see an Irish Dance show, but it was interesting and pretty all the same.
The guitar player for the "Trinity Irish Dance Orchestra (of 3 people) was humorous, and they played songs while the troupe changed/rested between numbers.
Pretty fun.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Spring Fling
It's that time of year again.
The last couple of years it's been a cardinal, I think. Maybe I remember wrong. But this year, it's a robin.
In the morning, when the light is just right (wrong?) this robin keeps flinging himself against one of our living room windows. Hurling himself over and over again at what I assume is his reflection.
He lands in the pine tree a few feet outside the window, eyes the window, and attacks. Thump! Thump! Thump!
It's funny at first. After a while it becomes pretty annoying.
The switch on my Rio Riot broke. I had a hunch it would at some point. I asked around about Single Pole, Triple Throw switches -- couldn't find any the right size. Well, since one of the settings was for "Lock" which I don't use, I decided to go with an SPDT switch. Got one at Radio Shack -- a little too big but I figured I'd make it fit.
So, I went to put it in last night. Used some enameled wire to solder to the contacts and ran them to the switch -- worked great.
Until I started to put it back together.
in all the jockying around I had to do to get the switch to fit, one of the wires broke. I knew that was a possibility since it's just mono-filament copper wire. I just didn't think I'd have to do that much wiggling.
So, I decided to pull it off. First big mistake. Should have de-soldered. But I didn't think the solders were that good and I thought the wires would just pop off. That was true for one of the contacts... not so much for the other. It ended up ripping the contact off of the printed circuit board.
Fortunately, I found the copper path (which had partially peeled up) that lead to that contact. But it was fragile. I tried supergluing it back down to the board. I soldered some multi-strand insulated wire to that and the other two contacts and hooked up the switch. Worked fine. Turns on, turns off.
I ended up having to modify the shell a bit to accomodate the switch. So, three hours later....
Put the whole thing back together. It turns on. Matter of fact, it now won't turn off. Which was my problem before I ever started. Further, while the computer recognizes the Rio Riot, the Red Chair software I'd bought to manage it would not connect to it. And on top of that, the selector rotary dial doesn't work.
It may be hosed.
And I got an email from Jeff this morning telling me he found some switches that might work better. That's what I get for my impatience.
The last couple of years it's been a cardinal, I think. Maybe I remember wrong. But this year, it's a robin.
In the morning, when the light is just right (wrong?) this robin keeps flinging himself against one of our living room windows. Hurling himself over and over again at what I assume is his reflection.
He lands in the pine tree a few feet outside the window, eyes the window, and attacks. Thump! Thump! Thump!
It's funny at first. After a while it becomes pretty annoying.
The switch on my Rio Riot broke. I had a hunch it would at some point. I asked around about Single Pole, Triple Throw switches -- couldn't find any the right size. Well, since one of the settings was for "Lock" which I don't use, I decided to go with an SPDT switch. Got one at Radio Shack -- a little too big but I figured I'd make it fit.
So, I went to put it in last night. Used some enameled wire to solder to the contacts and ran them to the switch -- worked great.
Until I started to put it back together.
in all the jockying around I had to do to get the switch to fit, one of the wires broke. I knew that was a possibility since it's just mono-filament copper wire. I just didn't think I'd have to do that much wiggling.
So, I decided to pull it off. First big mistake. Should have de-soldered. But I didn't think the solders were that good and I thought the wires would just pop off. That was true for one of the contacts... not so much for the other. It ended up ripping the contact off of the printed circuit board.
Fortunately, I found the copper path (which had partially peeled up) that lead to that contact. But it was fragile. I tried supergluing it back down to the board. I soldered some multi-strand insulated wire to that and the other two contacts and hooked up the switch. Worked fine. Turns on, turns off.
I ended up having to modify the shell a bit to accomodate the switch. So, three hours later....
Put the whole thing back together. It turns on. Matter of fact, it now won't turn off. Which was my problem before I ever started. Further, while the computer recognizes the Rio Riot, the Red Chair software I'd bought to manage it would not connect to it. And on top of that, the selector rotary dial doesn't work.
It may be hosed.
And I got an email from Jeff this morning telling me he found some switches that might work better. That's what I get for my impatience.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Iraq
Well, I wanted to wait until everyone who wouldn't be upset if they didn't hear it first hand had heard it, but some of Brian's unit (including Brian) got called up to go to Iraq later this year, apparently to train Iraqi soldiers to help them secure their own country.
Well, that's what everyone says is the most important thing to do, no matter which group you side with.
Unless you side with terrorists, of course.
Brian's eager to do his part. If you have an extra thought or prayer to share, though, please feel free :-)
Well, that's what everyone says is the most important thing to do, no matter which group you side with.
Unless you side with terrorists, of course.
Brian's eager to do his part. If you have an extra thought or prayer to share, though, please feel free :-)
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Take Me Back to Chicago
Back in college my favorite group was Chicago. Now, mind you, when most people think of Chicago they think of one of about 5 songs, usually. And their popular songs are great (especially through the 70's) -- but I'm talking about the incredible, soulful jams that only people who've heard the whole albums would know. Like "South California Purples" -- especially the live version on Chicago 4.
All the albums through Chicago 8, (9 is a greatest hits album), then 11 is pretty good. And after that, the only one that stands out is Chicago 16 -- not because it's anything like the first 8, but because of it's sheer excellent pop polish. Right after that they added more sugar to the pop and they crashed fast and hard with 17. Which, ironically, was the only time I got to see them. At that point, to me, it wasn't even Chicago anymore. I figured 17 was a good breaking point because Cetera left after that one -- not that he wasn't largely responsible for the schlocky sound of 17. (No offense to Peter - they were very GOOD at the schmaltzy sound, I just don't particularly care for it.)
Anyway, I've been listening to them on Rhapsody the last couple of days. I have all of these (up to 17) on vinyl, but they vinyl collection's kinda hard to get to, and records are just more trouble than CDs and mp3s.
Chicago V, VI, VII, and VIII are probably my favorites. After Chicago 8 (with the exceptions of 11 & 16) there were a few pretty good hit songs but the rest of the stuff between was musically ... um... boring? Nothing like the great music you'll hear on VII, for instance.
Freakin' great stuff with actual melodies (which you pretty much don't hear anyomore outside of country music) and texture and improvisation. Fancy Colours indeed!
Anyway, it's reminding me a lot of my college days (good and bad) -- how many people who went to college in the 1980's are reminded of them by old Chicago music from the 1970's? Kinda funny.
All the albums through Chicago 8, (9 is a greatest hits album), then 11 is pretty good. And after that, the only one that stands out is Chicago 16 -- not because it's anything like the first 8, but because of it's sheer excellent pop polish. Right after that they added more sugar to the pop and they crashed fast and hard with 17. Which, ironically, was the only time I got to see them. At that point, to me, it wasn't even Chicago anymore. I figured 17 was a good breaking point because Cetera left after that one -- not that he wasn't largely responsible for the schlocky sound of 17. (No offense to Peter - they were very GOOD at the schmaltzy sound, I just don't particularly care for it.)
Anyway, I've been listening to them on Rhapsody the last couple of days. I have all of these (up to 17) on vinyl, but they vinyl collection's kinda hard to get to, and records are just more trouble than CDs and mp3s.
Chicago V, VI, VII, and VIII are probably my favorites. After Chicago 8 (with the exceptions of 11 & 16) there were a few pretty good hit songs but the rest of the stuff between was musically ... um... boring? Nothing like the great music you'll hear on VII, for instance.
Freakin' great stuff with actual melodies (which you pretty much don't hear anyomore outside of country music) and texture and improvisation. Fancy Colours indeed!
Anyway, it's reminding me a lot of my college days (good and bad) -- how many people who went to college in the 1980's are reminded of them by old Chicago music from the 1970's? Kinda funny.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Hangovers... I remember those
I guess I got a little overconfident this weekend with the whiskey. My tolerance is not nil, and there's always been this little meter on my brain that tells me when to slow down. Plus I usually drink a lot of water.
Well, apparently that meter was broken Saturday night, and I was too out of it and queasy to drink the gatorade/water when it was offered.
I felt a little woozie going to bed - but it took me all day Sunday to recover. I did manage to get up and make the Snoopy Waffles for the kids. That's one thing they really look forward to at our house, and with all of the adult time we try to work in I wanted to make sure that they at least felt like coming here was something special. But as far as my stomach and head... what a waste of a day. Gonna have to get that meter checked. I haven't had one of those in a long time. And it hadn't been long enough.
Had the Groves over Saturday/Sunday. Did some marinated chicken on the grill for dinner. Mark and I wandered back into the woods in the creekbed behind our house with the kids. Nathanial thought it was "camping". Of course Mark and I both have fond memories of traipsing around in our respective woods and playing in creekbeds when we were little. And naturally there was a lot of "look what I'm doing! Papa! Unco Pheo... look!"
There were naturally the requisite music sessions. I picked up a Cmaj7 from Cami, which is cool, and we learned what to call the funky chord (or one name for it) in "Horse With No Name" -- apparently it's a D+6+9. Which does NOT make it a D15 ;-) It's good to have songs everyone knows -- and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is always a fun one to do. A little "Uncle John's Band", too. Cami's pretty proud of her finger callouses -- I remember those days. Mine are apparently pretty good as mine never really never got sore all weekend.
We watched "The Incredibles" last night. We missed it in the theaters. It was quite funny. Got some pretty good socio-political jabs in there, too.
We'll, I'm off.
Well, apparently that meter was broken Saturday night, and I was too out of it and queasy to drink the gatorade/water when it was offered.
I felt a little woozie going to bed - but it took me all day Sunday to recover. I did manage to get up and make the Snoopy Waffles for the kids. That's one thing they really look forward to at our house, and with all of the adult time we try to work in I wanted to make sure that they at least felt like coming here was something special. But as far as my stomach and head... what a waste of a day. Gonna have to get that meter checked. I haven't had one of those in a long time. And it hadn't been long enough.
Had the Groves over Saturday/Sunday. Did some marinated chicken on the grill for dinner. Mark and I wandered back into the woods in the creekbed behind our house with the kids. Nathanial thought it was "camping". Of course Mark and I both have fond memories of traipsing around in our respective woods and playing in creekbeds when we were little. And naturally there was a lot of "look what I'm doing! Papa! Unco Pheo... look!"
There were naturally the requisite music sessions. I picked up a Cmaj7 from Cami, which is cool, and we learned what to call the funky chord (or one name for it) in "Horse With No Name" -- apparently it's a D+6+9. Which does NOT make it a D15 ;-) It's good to have songs everyone knows -- and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is always a fun one to do. A little "Uncle John's Band", too. Cami's pretty proud of her finger callouses -- I remember those days. Mine are apparently pretty good as mine never really never got sore all weekend.
We watched "The Incredibles" last night. We missed it in the theaters. It was quite funny. Got some pretty good socio-political jabs in there, too.
We'll, I'm off.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Altan
It's St. Patrick's day. Yes, I'm wearing a green shirt. Ok, AND a green earring.
Altan is probably my favorite Celtic group. I fired up Rhapsody this morning, and lo and behold Altan has a new album out this year called "Local Ground". Forunately, with Rhaspody, I get to listen to it now.
Of course, it's excellent. :-)
I brought in some of my Celtic Fiddlefest CDs as well, and some Chieftains.
It promises to be a very green day. (No, I left THEM home today :-) )
Altan is probably my favorite Celtic group. I fired up Rhapsody this morning, and lo and behold Altan has a new album out this year called "Local Ground". Forunately, with Rhaspody, I get to listen to it now.
Of course, it's excellent. :-)
I brought in some of my Celtic Fiddlefest CDs as well, and some Chieftains.
It promises to be a very green day. (No, I left THEM home today :-) )
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Mike the TD
Vicki's cousin Mike -- like a second cousin or first cousin once removed or however that works.... came into town yesterday. He's a free-lance technical director for Television shows. He was here working the NIT tournament for ESPN (Mizzou was eliminated last night in the first round -- big surprise there).
He showed us the inner workings of the "trailer" -- basically a big control room in a tractor trailer. When they park it, one side extends like an expensive RV to make the interior bigger -- and they put stairs on to get in and out of the doors. Cameras and expensive electronic equipment is stored below -- and inside is this television studio. There were about 70 8" television monitors in there, and he sits in front of this massive control board. The producer sits to the far left, the director in the middle, and Mike -- the Technical Director -- sits in the control seat.
The producer decides which direction the telecast is going to go -- what kinds of things they will focus on. The director decides which shots & graphics will best fit that story, and it's Mike's job to make it happen. All those screen wipes, graphics, and bugs that come up on your screen... scores, stats, replays... all Mike. Cool.
We took him to Murry's for dinner -- he had about a 90 minute break after the place got set up, then he had to be back in the trailer 2 hours before the show.
Had a nice time with him at dinner. He showed us some family pics on his laptop -- and we went home. He's already in Vegas for the next game today.
He showed us the inner workings of the "trailer" -- basically a big control room in a tractor trailer. When they park it, one side extends like an expensive RV to make the interior bigger -- and they put stairs on to get in and out of the doors. Cameras and expensive electronic equipment is stored below -- and inside is this television studio. There were about 70 8" television monitors in there, and he sits in front of this massive control board. The producer sits to the far left, the director in the middle, and Mike -- the Technical Director -- sits in the control seat.
The producer decides which direction the telecast is going to go -- what kinds of things they will focus on. The director decides which shots & graphics will best fit that story, and it's Mike's job to make it happen. All those screen wipes, graphics, and bugs that come up on your screen... scores, stats, replays... all Mike. Cool.
We took him to Murry's for dinner -- he had about a 90 minute break after the place got set up, then he had to be back in the trailer 2 hours before the show.
Had a nice time with him at dinner. He showed us some family pics on his laptop -- and we went home. He's already in Vegas for the next game today.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Weekend Update
Well, I spent a lot of Saturday and a little of Sunday cleaning the garage. I got some containers to organize -- did some organizing, threw some stuff out, and I'm still at it. Another day or two half days ought to do it.
I hurt my back walking the trail with Vicki last weekend -- an old injury from picking up a concrete bird bath pedestal many years ago (lift with your legs! Not your back!). As long as I keep my back muscles strong, it's not a problem -- guess they got weak, and I walked funny for 5 miles in shoes that didn't fit right....
Still hurts.
Got sound working with the WinTV card... and my first project is to transfer Vicki's Tae Bo tapes to DVD before they deteriorate more. Still haven't figured out how to get the software to compress to MPEG while recording (instead of AVI). The current recording method requires about 1.7 - 2 gig a minute at 640x480.
However, the Nero authoring tool is cool -- you can actually insert DVD chapters into what you recorded.
Our main DVD player, it turns out, isn't smart enough to play video CDs, so I have to burn them in real DVD format.
I hurt my back walking the trail with Vicki last weekend -- an old injury from picking up a concrete bird bath pedestal many years ago (lift with your legs! Not your back!). As long as I keep my back muscles strong, it's not a problem -- guess they got weak, and I walked funny for 5 miles in shoes that didn't fit right....
Still hurts.
Got sound working with the WinTV card... and my first project is to transfer Vicki's Tae Bo tapes to DVD before they deteriorate more. Still haven't figured out how to get the software to compress to MPEG while recording (instead of AVI). The current recording method requires about 1.7 - 2 gig a minute at 640x480.
However, the Nero authoring tool is cool -- you can actually insert DVD chapters into what you recorded.
Our main DVD player, it turns out, isn't smart enough to play video CDs, so I have to burn them in real DVD format.
Friday, March 11, 2005
New Monitor
I try not to talk about work on this blog.... however, I did get a new monitor at work today, so now I have two. So that's kind of exciting. I have joined the Über Geek Club, I guess.
Anyway, for those of you curious, here's me at work in my office -- with my new monitor.
What am I gonna do with all that real estate?
Anyway, for those of you curious, here's me at work in my office -- with my new monitor.
What am I gonna do with all that real estate?
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Dierdre Flint
I got a hilarious email this morning with a link to a song by a lady named Dierdre Flint. Ok, the song was hilarious, not the email. It was about all the junk you get in your email, done to the tune of the Irish Washerwoman.
It's called "The Irish Email Song".
The irony of getting the link in an email is not lost on me.
I looked her up on the web. She's hilarious. There are several other songs out there that are just as funny.
I don't generally plug stuff on my blog, but -- I enjoyed this too much.
It's called "The Irish Email Song".
The irony of getting the link in an email is not lost on me.
I looked her up on the web. She's hilarious. There are several other songs out there that are just as funny.
I don't generally plug stuff on my blog, but -- I enjoyed this too much.
Horses
I forgot to mention, when we were out at Mom and Dad's over the weekend, Joel and dad moved this concrete statue of a horse, maybe 3 feet high... it had been up near the porch. They moved it down into the yard by the bird feeder.
Now this horse is posed reared up on its hind legs. Still, it's small, concrete, and doesn't move. I wouldn't have thought that real horses would pay it any attention.
Well let me tell you, they got pretty riled up about it.
Prancing, running around with their heads held high and their tails sticking out, stopping and snorting at it... it was hilarious.
Here's a few pictures I took while we were out there for those of you looking:
Now this horse is posed reared up on its hind legs. Still, it's small, concrete, and doesn't move. I wouldn't have thought that real horses would pay it any attention.
Well let me tell you, they got pretty riled up about it.
Prancing, running around with their heads held high and their tails sticking out, stopping and snorting at it... it was hilarious.
Here's a few pictures I took while we were out there for those of you looking:
Monday, March 07, 2005
Weekend
Went out to Mom and Dad's Saturday and took out the shelf and TV they "ordered" through us ;-)
It was a nice day and a pleasant visit. Joel and Dawn came out as well. Had BBQ'd chicken for dinner. Sat and talked, looked at a slide show of pictures on the new TV/VCR/DVD combo, took a little tour of the place on the 'gator. It's kind of like a little 4-wheel-drive utility golf-cart.
The afternoon sun was nice on the porch, which faces pretty much west. I grabbed my guitar out of the trunk and sat and played it while we talked for a while. Did little things like flip a gate (that was upside) down over, put the shelf up, clean the cast-iron grill (which will now need re-seasoning).
Sunday we did some stuff around the house, then went and drove by a house that is for sale near Rocheport (not a very nice house) and took about a 5 mile walk on the MU/Columbia walking trail down the hill from us. It was 67 degrees yesterday. We're expecting snow tomorrow night. Welcome to Missouri.
I played with my new WinTV card last night. Couldn't get the sound to work. Guess I'll have to read the manual ;-) In my defense, I did read it some last night. Might not integrate with my external sound card right.
Been playing with "New World in the Morning" and "Durham Town" on the guitar -- both of which force me to work on my barred "F", which is getting better but I've been saying that for two years now so you can see how slowly it's getting better. Still, I think I'll have it in another 9 or so months and then the fretboard will be opened up a bit more for me.
It was a nice day and a pleasant visit. Joel and Dawn came out as well. Had BBQ'd chicken for dinner. Sat and talked, looked at a slide show of pictures on the new TV/VCR/DVD combo, took a little tour of the place on the 'gator. It's kind of like a little 4-wheel-drive utility golf-cart.
The afternoon sun was nice on the porch, which faces pretty much west. I grabbed my guitar out of the trunk and sat and played it while we talked for a while. Did little things like flip a gate (that was upside) down over, put the shelf up, clean the cast-iron grill (which will now need re-seasoning).
Sunday we did some stuff around the house, then went and drove by a house that is for sale near Rocheport (not a very nice house) and took about a 5 mile walk on the MU/Columbia walking trail down the hill from us. It was 67 degrees yesterday. We're expecting snow tomorrow night. Welcome to Missouri.
I played with my new WinTV card last night. Couldn't get the sound to work. Guess I'll have to read the manual ;-) In my defense, I did read it some last night. Might not integrate with my external sound card right.
Been playing with "New World in the Morning" and "Durham Town" on the guitar -- both of which force me to work on my barred "F", which is getting better but I've been saying that for two years now so you can see how slowly it's getting better. Still, I think I'll have it in another 9 or so months and then the fretboard will be opened up a bit more for me.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Arlo Guthrie
Some Arlo Guthrie tickets fell into our laps yesterday afternoon for the show last night at Jesse.
I wasn't all super-excited or anything, but I like Arlo's stuff and the tickets were free, so I went, sans expectations. Which, incidentally, is a good way to go into anything like this -- if you want my advice.
Not surprisingly, the show was very good. Arlo is a great story teller and he's a pretty genuine human being. He talked about his first public gig (outside of coffee house gigs) being in Columbia, MO in 1965 -- 40 years ago. He had also written a song about how as he gets older -- friends die off, and he dedicated it to Gerome Wheeler (not by name, but a local musician who just died and he clearly knew who he was). Wonder if he knows Lee? Wouldn't surprise me.
No "Alice's Restaurant" -- which I'm sure dissapointed a lot of people who went there to hear that -- can you imagine how sick and tired he must be of that song? I mean, he DID do others. Lots of them.
Well, now it looks like we get to go to see Trinity Irish Dance on the 31st with Mary.
We are lucky people.
I wasn't all super-excited or anything, but I like Arlo's stuff and the tickets were free, so I went, sans expectations. Which, incidentally, is a good way to go into anything like this -- if you want my advice.
Not surprisingly, the show was very good. Arlo is a great story teller and he's a pretty genuine human being. He talked about his first public gig (outside of coffee house gigs) being in Columbia, MO in 1965 -- 40 years ago. He had also written a song about how as he gets older -- friends die off, and he dedicated it to Gerome Wheeler (not by name, but a local musician who just died and he clearly knew who he was). Wonder if he knows Lee? Wouldn't surprise me.
No "Alice's Restaurant" -- which I'm sure dissapointed a lot of people who went there to hear that -- can you imagine how sick and tired he must be of that song? I mean, he DID do others. Lots of them.
Well, now it looks like we get to go to see Trinity Irish Dance on the 31st with Mary.
We are lucky people.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Heartburn (not) on the Diet
Since being on this South Beach thing, neither Vicki nor I (neither, nor indeed!) have had heartburn. It was something we both had frequently before. We have had none -- zero, since we began this diet Jan 24. Used to be several times a week. Tagamet and Tums were staple items in our house. And it ain't the caffienated coffee, because I'm still drinking that same as before.
Now we weren't on a high fat diet before, but we sure ate a lot of pre-prepared foods - which, as I mentioned before, is the down-side of this diet. More food preparation. More time in the kitchen. Not that we spent a lot of time in it before. What I try to do is cook chicken breasts en masse, then cube them and flash freeze them to use on salads. I do a couple of heads of mashed cauliflower at a time as well and freeze it in little containers, about 2 servings per. And when I chop vegetables (peppers, squash, eggplant, onion) I chop a bunch up, and flash-freeze for later convenience.
Wondering what I mean by flash-freeze? Spread the chopped up stuff on a cookie sheet or similar flat item, one layer thick if you can, and freeze it. Then pull it out and put the frozen stuff in a ziplock or other bag and throw it back in the freezer. The reason you do it this way is so that it doesn't all freeze together and you can take as much or as little out of the bag at a later date, depending on what you need.
So what we'll do is grab a few hands-full of vegetables from the freezer and saute them, heat up some of the pre-prepared mashed cauliflower or other frozen veggie and do some lean ground sirloin or fish or pork chops (the "miriacle thaw" comes in real handy here when we don't think ahead to thaw something) on the little Foreman Grill and dinner can be prepared pretty fast with all that chopping out of the way.
I also chop up buckets full of lettuce and veggies ahead of time for the salads we have for lunch. Then in the morning throw about 3 or so cups of lettuce in a container, 1 cup of frozen chicken breast cubes, grab some sugar free jello (and now that we're on Phase II) an apple and a slice of whole wheat bread -- and lunch (and morning and afternoon snacks) is done. Vicki grabs celery and that famous Laughing Cow cheese.
And I make up the breakfast quiches ahead of time as well. Grab a few of those and a slice of canadian bacon and your V8 and you're good to go. Boiled eggs are also a staple I keep done up ahead of time. The key is to make efficient use of your time in the kitchen so that you have to spend less time when you get up or get home tomorrow night and make it much easier on yourself to make good food choices. When alf the preparation is done ahead of time, it's easy to have a good (and good for you) meal.
Just as an example, the other night I spent an hour in the kitchen making bread (bread machine) cooking chicken breasts, boiling eggs, and making Jello, and slicing lettuce and radishes. A couple of nights before I steamed up two heads of cauliflower -- didn't feel like mashing them right then, stuck them in the fridge. Last night I decided to use some, so I went ahead and mashed ALL of it -- which didn't take too long -- while I was preparing the rest of dinner -- and froze what we didn't use last night.
It's been good for us. I lost my 12 lbs, Vicki's lost about 12. I am back to being able to have a beer at night, too :-)
Oh, the other thing we discovered (well, this was before we went on the diet, but it's come in real handy on the diet) -- flavored sparkling water. Mendota and La Croix -- natural fruit flavored sparkling water. No calories. No artificial flavors. No sodium. Just mildly naturally flavored fizzy water. Feels more like a snack, and I like it as well as soda. Maybe even better. Mendota has lemon and lime and La Croix has lemon, lime, orange, and berry (they both have unflavored) -- all of which are good.
So, like they say, this is not so much a diet as it is "changing the way we eat". Changing what makes up the majority of our diet. You're not really "depriving" yourself, you're eating a better balanced variety of food -- most of the time it's not pizza or breaded cheese sticks -- but it can be sometimes, in the long run.
Now we weren't on a high fat diet before, but we sure ate a lot of pre-prepared foods - which, as I mentioned before, is the down-side of this diet. More food preparation. More time in the kitchen. Not that we spent a lot of time in it before. What I try to do is cook chicken breasts en masse, then cube them and flash freeze them to use on salads. I do a couple of heads of mashed cauliflower at a time as well and freeze it in little containers, about 2 servings per. And when I chop vegetables (peppers, squash, eggplant, onion) I chop a bunch up, and flash-freeze for later convenience.
Wondering what I mean by flash-freeze? Spread the chopped up stuff on a cookie sheet or similar flat item, one layer thick if you can, and freeze it. Then pull it out and put the frozen stuff in a ziplock or other bag and throw it back in the freezer. The reason you do it this way is so that it doesn't all freeze together and you can take as much or as little out of the bag at a later date, depending on what you need.
So what we'll do is grab a few hands-full of vegetables from the freezer and saute them, heat up some of the pre-prepared mashed cauliflower or other frozen veggie and do some lean ground sirloin or fish or pork chops (the "miriacle thaw" comes in real handy here when we don't think ahead to thaw something) on the little Foreman Grill and dinner can be prepared pretty fast with all that chopping out of the way.
I also chop up buckets full of lettuce and veggies ahead of time for the salads we have for lunch. Then in the morning throw about 3 or so cups of lettuce in a container, 1 cup of frozen chicken breast cubes, grab some sugar free jello (and now that we're on Phase II) an apple and a slice of whole wheat bread -- and lunch (and morning and afternoon snacks) is done. Vicki grabs celery and that famous Laughing Cow cheese.
And I make up the breakfast quiches ahead of time as well. Grab a few of those and a slice of canadian bacon and your V8 and you're good to go. Boiled eggs are also a staple I keep done up ahead of time. The key is to make efficient use of your time in the kitchen so that you have to spend less time when you get up or get home tomorrow night and make it much easier on yourself to make good food choices. When alf the preparation is done ahead of time, it's easy to have a good (and good for you) meal.
Just as an example, the other night I spent an hour in the kitchen making bread (bread machine) cooking chicken breasts, boiling eggs, and making Jello, and slicing lettuce and radishes. A couple of nights before I steamed up two heads of cauliflower -- didn't feel like mashing them right then, stuck them in the fridge. Last night I decided to use some, so I went ahead and mashed ALL of it -- which didn't take too long -- while I was preparing the rest of dinner -- and froze what we didn't use last night.
It's been good for us. I lost my 12 lbs, Vicki's lost about 12. I am back to being able to have a beer at night, too :-)
Oh, the other thing we discovered (well, this was before we went on the diet, but it's come in real handy on the diet) -- flavored sparkling water. Mendota and La Croix -- natural fruit flavored sparkling water. No calories. No artificial flavors. No sodium. Just mildly naturally flavored fizzy water. Feels more like a snack, and I like it as well as soda. Maybe even better. Mendota has lemon and lime and La Croix has lemon, lime, orange, and berry (they both have unflavored) -- all of which are good.
So, like they say, this is not so much a diet as it is "changing the way we eat". Changing what makes up the majority of our diet. You're not really "depriving" yourself, you're eating a better balanced variety of food -- most of the time it's not pizza or breaded cheese sticks -- but it can be sometimes, in the long run.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Sunspots
Remember when we blamed everything on sunspots?
The joke actually refers to a phenomena we ought to keep in mind, namely, statistical corellations don't necessarily "prove" anything. They're useful, but they, by themselves, can only point us in the direction of what is actually happening and they really don't tell us what is going on. Too often a statistical correlation is used as "proof" of a theory.
Anyway, what brought that on was -- my external 10GB hard drive failed while we were in Florida. The drive itself was free (to me) -- it came from a friend who said it was a questionable drive in the first place. At any rate, my neighbors have been having problems with spyware on their computer -- they've probably been rooted (taken over, owned), so I'm helping them with that. My mother-in-law had trouble installing the new MSN Messenger update, and I can't seem to connect with her computer anymore with VNC for some reason to help fix it myself. And on top of all of that, my 120GB storage drive at home fizzled out Monday morning.
It's gotta be sunspots.
Well, that drive held most of my digital photographs. And all the music I've ripped from CDs. Not that I couldn't rip it again, but it's a pain. The most important things wer the photographs. And I've been meaning to buy a DVD-R to back up my pictures and MP3's (they can store so much more than CD-R's) but you know I never quite got around to it.
So I bought a piece of software (R-Studio) that allows you to recover files off of damaged drives. I was getting lots of CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) errors on it -- which basically means when it tried to read certain spots on the disk and checked to make sure that it read the right thing, in couldn't get the same thing twice so it reported a problem. To make a long story short, the drive is going bad fast -- it's pretty much unusable.
I bought the $80 version of R-Studio, though the $50 NTFS-only version would've done the job (since that's what the format of the disk was). I sprang for the extra $30 because this version will read stuff from any disk format I use, including the old FAT system, SmartMedia, and Compact Flash...
At any rate, I got the pictures and the music off of it. I also ordered a replacement 40GB drive for the 10GB external drive, and I just ordered a new 120GB internal drive AS WELL AS a DVD-RW so I can BACK MY SHIZZIZLE up(!) efficiently.
I made a CD for Mom with the new MSN Messenger client with an AUTORUN file so that it should just start installing when she puts it in the computer. Mailed it to her.
On top of all that, my identity got stolen. Someone got my card number and my ssn and changed my password on a credit card site, changed my address to a New York address, and ordered over $2,000 worth of stuff on it.
Fortunately, the credit card company blocked the attempt. And I no longer have that card. Need to talk to them about their security. I would like someone to have to know at least three things about me on top of my credit card number before they could change my password. Make it a LITTLE more of a challenge.
Now lots of things could've caused that... a trojan sniffer program on my computer, some dishonest employee of a merchant that used my credit card AND then went and found out what my ssn is (it's not really very private these days).... Anyway, I'm fairly careful about these things, and if it can happen to me....
The joke actually refers to a phenomena we ought to keep in mind, namely, statistical corellations don't necessarily "prove" anything. They're useful, but they, by themselves, can only point us in the direction of what is actually happening and they really don't tell us what is going on. Too often a statistical correlation is used as "proof" of a theory.
Anyway, what brought that on was -- my external 10GB hard drive failed while we were in Florida. The drive itself was free (to me) -- it came from a friend who said it was a questionable drive in the first place. At any rate, my neighbors have been having problems with spyware on their computer -- they've probably been rooted (taken over, owned), so I'm helping them with that. My mother-in-law had trouble installing the new MSN Messenger update, and I can't seem to connect with her computer anymore with VNC for some reason to help fix it myself. And on top of all of that, my 120GB storage drive at home fizzled out Monday morning.
It's gotta be sunspots.
Well, that drive held most of my digital photographs. And all the music I've ripped from CDs. Not that I couldn't rip it again, but it's a pain. The most important things wer the photographs. And I've been meaning to buy a DVD-R to back up my pictures and MP3's (they can store so much more than CD-R's) but you know I never quite got around to it.
So I bought a piece of software (R-Studio) that allows you to recover files off of damaged drives. I was getting lots of CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) errors on it -- which basically means when it tried to read certain spots on the disk and checked to make sure that it read the right thing, in couldn't get the same thing twice so it reported a problem. To make a long story short, the drive is going bad fast -- it's pretty much unusable.
I bought the $80 version of R-Studio, though the $50 NTFS-only version would've done the job (since that's what the format of the disk was). I sprang for the extra $30 because this version will read stuff from any disk format I use, including the old FAT system, SmartMedia, and Compact Flash...
At any rate, I got the pictures and the music off of it. I also ordered a replacement 40GB drive for the 10GB external drive, and I just ordered a new 120GB internal drive AS WELL AS a DVD-RW so I can BACK MY SHIZZIZLE up(!) efficiently.
I made a CD for Mom with the new MSN Messenger client with an AUTORUN file so that it should just start installing when she puts it in the computer. Mailed it to her.
On top of all that, my identity got stolen. Someone got my card number and my ssn and changed my password on a credit card site, changed my address to a New York address, and ordered over $2,000 worth of stuff on it.
Fortunately, the credit card company blocked the attempt. And I no longer have that card. Need to talk to them about their security. I would like someone to have to know at least three things about me on top of my credit card number before they could change my password. Make it a LITTLE more of a challenge.
Now lots of things could've caused that... a trojan sniffer program on my computer, some dishonest employee of a merchant that used my credit card AND then went and found out what my ssn is (it's not really very private these days).... Anyway, I'm fairly careful about these things, and if it can happen to me....
She packed up her bags and she took off down the road
She left me here stranded with the bills she owed
She used my address and my name
Man, that was sure unkind
Sunspot baby, sure had a real good time.
-- Bob Seger
Got a fakebook the other day that has "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" in it. I was struggling to figure the bridge out. Everything in that book was in C... I got the bridge, then transposed the whole song into "G", and dropped the diminished chords. Sounds pretty good. What a fun little ditty. I've always liked it. Love the quintessential June Christy/Stan Kenton version of it.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Molly Bowden
We came home to the sad news that local police officer Molly Bowden didn't make it. She was shot about a month ago by some evil freak who felt the cops had it in for him, so he concocted up this fantasy about killing a cop and carried it out.
That freak died the next morning when he shot himself while police tried to apprehend him. Could have saved a lot of people a lot of pain had he decided to do that about 12 hours earlier.
Molly was the daughter of some friends of ours, and we'd had the pleasure of meeting her socially a couple of times. I remember she and Vicki would feed off of each other and just get real goofy. She was a joy to be around. Real neat lady. Anyway, this is not supposed to happen to good people, but as we see too often, it does...
I was coming back from the grocery store today and happened upon a pile of flowers and balloons and such on the side of the road. At first I thought it was another cross and boquette for someone who died in a traffic accident, then I realized it was an unusually large pile of flowers and such. And I remembered the report in the paper and that that must have been where Molly had been shot.
For those of you who don't know about it, you can read the story here.
What a sweet and pretty young lady she was. Our thoughts go out to her family.
Florida
Back from Florida already. Were we ever there? Well, we do have the pictures to prove it.
We drove down on Thursday... made it to Cordele, GA by 11:00pm ET. Got up and did the other 3.5 hours to Ocala, FL, where my Aunt.. you know, the one with the spaghetti sauce? She lives near there.
The one with the twinkling eyes and a certain zeal for life.... That would be the one. She and Ed live in a nice house on a golf course (a pretty nice one -- house and golf course) down in sunny Florida. We, of course, as usual, did our level best to bring inclement weather with us when we visit such places -- the high there on Friday was 58. I think it was 50 in Columbia. Still, we weren't there to sun ourselves, we went to visit.
Friday evening we had dinner at a cool seafood place just down the road a piece by a creek with big cypress trees and spanish moss hanging everywhere. The food and atmosphere were great.
Spanish moss became kind of a fascination with me. I'd only seen it before in Chatanooga, TN, although I knew it was all over the southeast coast of the US. I had to do a little research on it, and I've since found out that it is not a parasite, it is actually an epiphyte like many orchids are -- it grows ON other plants, but only uses that plant for support, not nutrition. It has no roots and feeds out of the air. It has chlorophyll. It is related to pineapples. It can smother a tree -- killing the light it needs, and when wet gets very heavy and can break branches.
We went to Homossossa Springs Saturday and checked out a Manatee preserve where they also had lots of native animals. Got to take a boat ride down Pepper Creek -- kind of reminded me of something out of Crocodile Hunter -- although we saw no crocodiles or alligators or pretty much anything but birds and turtles. But the vegetation was pretty cool. A couple of the pictures above are from there.
I had to go to the Gulf Coast, and we hit it in the afternoon. With the shallow shelf off of the Central Florida coast, there's really no surf -- it could have been a big lake, really. I've seen bigger waves on lakes, truth be told. But there were a couple of flocks of gulls, different kinds, and some sandpipers. A lady and her kids were giving them crackers and they would come take them from their hands.
I got a nice shot of Vicki being swarmed by them in the frenzy. A couple of more nice ones below.
That evening Aunt Pat made us some of the famed spaghetti sauce, and garlic bread served with a cabernet, and it was a great dinner off of our diet.
Oh, the diet -- we've lost 10 lbs apiece, and we were pretty good over the weekend with the exception of some alcohol and the pasta.
Sunday we pretty much putzed around. Put more memory in my Aunt's computer, watched people play golf, sat and talked, and Vicki and I went for a walk in a nearby nature perserve where I took more pictures (imagine that) and we went home for a fabulous steak dinner.
Monday morning we started what was to be another day and a half trip back, but when we realized we could be home by 1:00 AM, we decided to make the mad dash all the way home and took today to recover.
Turns out you can stick to South Beach pretty well while you're out. Hardees, Burger King, and many fast food places as well as Cracker Barrell have options for you. We're back, and back on the diet. I could stand to lose another 2 or 3 lbs, but I'm not too worried about it at this point. Vicki's determined to stay on it, so I'll be eating South Beach food with her for the forseeable future. Won't hurt me a bit.
And one parting shot, the four of us down in Aunt Pat's dining room to prove we were all there...
We drove down on Thursday... made it to Cordele, GA by 11:00pm ET. Got up and did the other 3.5 hours to Ocala, FL, where my Aunt.. you know, the one with the spaghetti sauce? She lives near there.
The one with the twinkling eyes and a certain zeal for life.... That would be the one. She and Ed live in a nice house on a golf course (a pretty nice one -- house and golf course) down in sunny Florida. We, of course, as usual, did our level best to bring inclement weather with us when we visit such places -- the high there on Friday was 58. I think it was 50 in Columbia. Still, we weren't there to sun ourselves, we went to visit.
Friday evening we had dinner at a cool seafood place just down the road a piece by a creek with big cypress trees and spanish moss hanging everywhere. The food and atmosphere were great.
Spanish moss became kind of a fascination with me. I'd only seen it before in Chatanooga, TN, although I knew it was all over the southeast coast of the US. I had to do a little research on it, and I've since found out that it is not a parasite, it is actually an epiphyte like many orchids are -- it grows ON other plants, but only uses that plant for support, not nutrition. It has no roots and feeds out of the air. It has chlorophyll. It is related to pineapples. It can smother a tree -- killing the light it needs, and when wet gets very heavy and can break branches.
We went to Homossossa Springs Saturday and checked out a Manatee preserve where they also had lots of native animals. Got to take a boat ride down Pepper Creek -- kind of reminded me of something out of Crocodile Hunter -- although we saw no crocodiles or alligators or pretty much anything but birds and turtles. But the vegetation was pretty cool. A couple of the pictures above are from there.
I had to go to the Gulf Coast, and we hit it in the afternoon. With the shallow shelf off of the Central Florida coast, there's really no surf -- it could have been a big lake, really. I've seen bigger waves on lakes, truth be told. But there were a couple of flocks of gulls, different kinds, and some sandpipers. A lady and her kids were giving them crackers and they would come take them from their hands.
I got a nice shot of Vicki being swarmed by them in the frenzy. A couple of more nice ones below.
That evening Aunt Pat made us some of the famed spaghetti sauce, and garlic bread served with a cabernet, and it was a great dinner off of our diet.
Oh, the diet -- we've lost 10 lbs apiece, and we were pretty good over the weekend with the exception of some alcohol and the pasta.
Sunday we pretty much putzed around. Put more memory in my Aunt's computer, watched people play golf, sat and talked, and Vicki and I went for a walk in a nearby nature perserve where I took more pictures (imagine that) and we went home for a fabulous steak dinner.
Monday morning we started what was to be another day and a half trip back, but when we realized we could be home by 1:00 AM, we decided to make the mad dash all the way home and took today to recover.
Turns out you can stick to South Beach pretty well while you're out. Hardees, Burger King, and many fast food places as well as Cracker Barrell have options for you. We're back, and back on the diet. I could stand to lose another 2 or 3 lbs, but I'm not too worried about it at this point. Vicki's determined to stay on it, so I'll be eating South Beach food with her for the forseeable future. Won't hurt me a bit.
And one parting shot, the four of us down in Aunt Pat's dining room to prove we were all there...
Friday, January 28, 2005
Diets
I've never been on a diet before. I lost weight through regular exercise (rode my bicycle to work and back most days for about a year) several years ago. I've been working out since and have increased muscle mass -- that helps you burn calories when you're just sitting still.
At any rate, Vickster's wanting to lose weight, and was heavier than I've ever been (part of it's the muscle, but part of it definitely isn't). So, this time through, I decided to go on a diet with her.
Now if you know me, I'm a big proponent of personal responsibility and self-control. And I'm here to tell you that after 4 days, it really isn't easy. But... it is doable.
And in this case, the person you have to be an S.O.B. with is yourself.
So we're doin' South Beach. It's easier to deal with meals, since you're basically changing the kinds of foods you eat instead of eating less food or starving. But for a guy who's used to being able to grab anything anytime -- especially a beer, the first two (or three) heavily carb restricted weeks is, I must say, tough. I like a bit of whiskey in the evening. The bread in the store smells better than ever. The beer looks fresher somehow, foamier. More refreshing. I'd say the hardest part for me has really been not being able to grab a little glass of whiskey in the evening.
The first day, I was a little hungry by late morning, but not bad. The food is good, but it is a pain to fix -- not really relative to other cooking, but frankly we haven't cooked much in the last few years. So any food preparation, chopping, mixing is more work than we're used to. Cuts into guitar playing time, for sure.
I imagine eventually we'll get used to the recipies and do what we've been doing with other foods. Cook a big dinner, and scarf on it for several days. We're already doing some of that. The fake mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower) is very good, and we made several days worth. We can cook up a bunch of chicken breasts ahead of time to reheat, and stuff like that. It'll get better. And we won't be on this "75 grams of carbohydrate a day, and as little of it sugar as possible" part forever.
So between wanting some of your favorite things, and the pain of fixing stuff you're not used to fixing, and re-learning shopping habits -- it's not easy. Not only do you have to say "No", to the little voice in your head, you have to argue with it, too. And most importantly, you have to win.
So far, I can say I've won. And it's paying off. Drop your blood sugar to minimal levels, and after a couple of days of depleting your liver's glycogen, your body is left with no choice but to burn fat. And you really have to be a butthead with yourself to keep your blood sugar low. One sugary snack or baked potato or pile of chips or crackers, or beer and you're back to square one.
I weighed myself every morning the week before we started, and the scale was consistent. I went up and down in a 4 lb range, but usually near the bottom of that range. On the morning of the third day, I was down 3 lbs from the bottom of the range. Next day, same thing. Today, another 2 for a total of 5. Pretty slick.
After the first two (maybe three) weeks, we'll switch to the more relaxed phase of the diet. Now, since my goal is only 10 or maybe 12 lbs... I expect I'll be there by the end of phase 1. But I'll keep trying to eat the new kinds of food most of the time -- and I will probably be able to go back to moderate beer/whiskey consumption.
So, here's my dieting tips.
Be an S.O.B. with yourself. Set up rules and follow them. Don't try to rationalize why it's ok this time to have this, or try to figure out how you can eat something more, too, or a boatload of something because its an allowed food. Don't try to bend the rules. The spirit of the diet won't drop fat off of you. The letter of it will.
My other one is, exercise with your diet. It'll work better. It's hard to snack when you're exercising, and your snack drive is much lower after exercise.
Depending on your willpower, pick a flexible diet. It's probably good to pick one with a meal plan if your willpower is low. That way it's easier to tell yourslef 'I am eating this, and that's it'. The more willpower you have, the less flexible diet needs to be, IMHO.
The reason we picked South Beach is -- it's a combination of a short, fairly inflexible (but still varied) diet with meal plans in the book -- followed by a more flexible, sustainable diet that's still low in calories, especially sugar and fat calories. That make sense to me.
At any rate, Vickster's wanting to lose weight, and was heavier than I've ever been (part of it's the muscle, but part of it definitely isn't). So, this time through, I decided to go on a diet with her.
Now if you know me, I'm a big proponent of personal responsibility and self-control. And I'm here to tell you that after 4 days, it really isn't easy. But... it is doable.
To quote Mark Knopfler, "Sometimes you gotta be an S.O.B., if you want to make a dream a reality".
And in this case, the person you have to be an S.O.B. with is yourself.
So we're doin' South Beach. It's easier to deal with meals, since you're basically changing the kinds of foods you eat instead of eating less food or starving. But for a guy who's used to being able to grab anything anytime -- especially a beer, the first two (or three) heavily carb restricted weeks is, I must say, tough. I like a bit of whiskey in the evening. The bread in the store smells better than ever. The beer looks fresher somehow, foamier. More refreshing. I'd say the hardest part for me has really been not being able to grab a little glass of whiskey in the evening.
The first day, I was a little hungry by late morning, but not bad. The food is good, but it is a pain to fix -- not really relative to other cooking, but frankly we haven't cooked much in the last few years. So any food preparation, chopping, mixing is more work than we're used to. Cuts into guitar playing time, for sure.
I imagine eventually we'll get used to the recipies and do what we've been doing with other foods. Cook a big dinner, and scarf on it for several days. We're already doing some of that. The fake mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower) is very good, and we made several days worth. We can cook up a bunch of chicken breasts ahead of time to reheat, and stuff like that. It'll get better. And we won't be on this "75 grams of carbohydrate a day, and as little of it sugar as possible" part forever.
So between wanting some of your favorite things, and the pain of fixing stuff you're not used to fixing, and re-learning shopping habits -- it's not easy. Not only do you have to say "No", to the little voice in your head, you have to argue with it, too. And most importantly, you have to win.
So far, I can say I've won. And it's paying off. Drop your blood sugar to minimal levels, and after a couple of days of depleting your liver's glycogen, your body is left with no choice but to burn fat. And you really have to be a butthead with yourself to keep your blood sugar low. One sugary snack or baked potato or pile of chips or crackers, or beer and you're back to square one.
I weighed myself every morning the week before we started, and the scale was consistent. I went up and down in a 4 lb range, but usually near the bottom of that range. On the morning of the third day, I was down 3 lbs from the bottom of the range. Next day, same thing. Today, another 2 for a total of 5. Pretty slick.
After the first two (maybe three) weeks, we'll switch to the more relaxed phase of the diet. Now, since my goal is only 10 or maybe 12 lbs... I expect I'll be there by the end of phase 1. But I'll keep trying to eat the new kinds of food most of the time -- and I will probably be able to go back to moderate beer/whiskey consumption.
So, here's my dieting tips.
Be an S.O.B. with yourself. Set up rules and follow them. Don't try to rationalize why it's ok this time to have this, or try to figure out how you can eat something more, too, or a boatload of something because its an allowed food. Don't try to bend the rules. The spirit of the diet won't drop fat off of you. The letter of it will.
My other one is, exercise with your diet. It'll work better. It's hard to snack when you're exercising, and your snack drive is much lower after exercise.
Depending on your willpower, pick a flexible diet. It's probably good to pick one with a meal plan if your willpower is low. That way it's easier to tell yourslef 'I am eating this, and that's it'. The more willpower you have, the less flexible diet needs to be, IMHO.
The reason we picked South Beach is -- it's a combination of a short, fairly inflexible (but still varied) diet with meal plans in the book -- followed by a more flexible, sustainable diet that's still low in calories, especially sugar and fat calories. That make sense to me.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Twenty Two Years....
Twenty two years ago, for my 19th birthday, my college roommate and I and another young freshman girl friend of ours got together for a mutual birthday party... all of our birthdays are within one week of each other....
I don't know that any pictures survived from that party, but a year later, we looked something like this:
And what's with the ultra-hip "Ben Stiller playing a cheezy 1970's hipster" look I have there, anyway? Trying to pretend I'm some sort of wild man, I'm sure.
And the next year (below), Mark's looking like the handsome and innocent boy next door, Lois, looking quite fetching in an early "Madonna" sort of way -- and apparently Geraldo Rivera showed up in my place. Good thing I got back in time from raising that safe from the Titanic. I notice I was taking the rare opportunity to at least put my arm around a pretty girl. Screw the cake, man. And no wonder. (Go back to the picture above if you don't know what I'm talking about.)
The years went by, and we did this until we graduated. Mark left town for radio gigs in Kansas, and Lois went to St. Louis to have a string of bad relationships as pennance for all the sins all three of us committed in college. Thank you Lois, you're a savior. The tradition, we all thought, ended when we left school.
But, five or so years later, Mark, fed up with the dusty plains of Kansas and its associated blah radio culture, came back to Columbia to start anew, and get a graduate degree in philosophy. We got an apartment together, and the mutual birthday party was reborn.
Radio called him back and he found a wonderful girl in Cami. I started doing computer support at the University and met Vicki -- who lived in the fourplex we had moved in to. And Lois dumped the last of the butt-heads and her sister hooked her up with this great guy we now all know and love in Mike.
We've pretty much done it every year since. Even when Mark and Cami lived in Texas. We've gone through the growing up of my two step kids, and the births of four new kids in the group, two for Mark, two for Lois, and here we are, forty one years old, still doing it. Well, the parties anyway ;-)
Somehow, it seems to take less alchohol now.
We had a great time. Mike, Mark, and I all play some sort of stringed instrument, and Cami just picked up a guitar and is doing well. We sat around, fetched kids, made food, listened to fascinating narratives by very young children about anything from why the Incredible Hulk can beat anyone up (hint: it's because he's the Incredible Hulk) to how to make little butterflies with beads and an iron.
Stayin' up late, talking, playing music... yeahhhhhhh.
Mark made some killer bbq sauce and grilled up some fantastic chicken & portabellas (in the -20 degree howling windchill outside) Lois deluged us with a ton of very tasty cob salad. We brought our snoopy waffle irons and batter & canadian bacon for one breakfast, while Cami treated us to great breakfast burritos the other morning. Mike made balloon animals for the kids, and put on a cool magic show for everyone Sunday afternoon to top it all off. Laughing. Joking, Strumming, Singing. Cool shizzle.
Happy Birthdays to Us.
(thanks to Lois Lane for the pictures!)
I don't know that any pictures survived from that party, but a year later, we looked something like this:
And what's with the ultra-hip "Ben Stiller playing a cheezy 1970's hipster" look I have there, anyway? Trying to pretend I'm some sort of wild man, I'm sure.
And the next year (below), Mark's looking like the handsome and innocent boy next door, Lois, looking quite fetching in an early "Madonna" sort of way -- and apparently Geraldo Rivera showed up in my place. Good thing I got back in time from raising that safe from the Titanic. I notice I was taking the rare opportunity to at least put my arm around a pretty girl. Screw the cake, man. And no wonder. (Go back to the picture above if you don't know what I'm talking about.)
The years went by, and we did this until we graduated. Mark left town for radio gigs in Kansas, and Lois went to St. Louis to have a string of bad relationships as pennance for all the sins all three of us committed in college. Thank you Lois, you're a savior. The tradition, we all thought, ended when we left school.
But, five or so years later, Mark, fed up with the dusty plains of Kansas and its associated blah radio culture, came back to Columbia to start anew, and get a graduate degree in philosophy. We got an apartment together, and the mutual birthday party was reborn.
Radio called him back and he found a wonderful girl in Cami. I started doing computer support at the University and met Vicki -- who lived in the fourplex we had moved in to. And Lois dumped the last of the butt-heads and her sister hooked her up with this great guy we now all know and love in Mike.
We've pretty much done it every year since. Even when Mark and Cami lived in Texas. We've gone through the growing up of my two step kids, and the births of four new kids in the group, two for Mark, two for Lois, and here we are, forty one years old, still doing it. Well, the parties anyway ;-)
Somehow, it seems to take less alchohol now.
We had a great time. Mike, Mark, and I all play some sort of stringed instrument, and Cami just picked up a guitar and is doing well. We sat around, fetched kids, made food, listened to fascinating narratives by very young children about anything from why the Incredible Hulk can beat anyone up (hint: it's because he's the Incredible Hulk) to how to make little butterflies with beads and an iron.
Stayin' up late, talking, playing music... yeahhhhhhh.
Mark made some killer bbq sauce and grilled up some fantastic chicken & portabellas (in the -20 degree howling windchill outside) Lois deluged us with a ton of very tasty cob salad. We brought our snoopy waffle irons and batter & canadian bacon for one breakfast, while Cami treated us to great breakfast burritos the other morning. Mike made balloon animals for the kids, and put on a cool magic show for everyone Sunday afternoon to top it all off. Laughing. Joking, Strumming, Singing. Cool shizzle.
Happy Birthdays to Us.
(thanks to Lois Lane for the pictures!)
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Superglue Bandaid
Cleaned out my old office yesterday -- moving to a new cube.
I've been drinking sparkling water at work... this Mendota stuff that comes in cans. The price is right, and so are the calories. Somehow, sparkling water satisfies as a snack -- the carbon dioxide is kind of filling, the fizz makes you slow down so you enjoy it longer, and water's good for you. Win-win-win.
I had an empty drawer. The first day, I needed a place to toss the can. Don't want to throw it away, you know. Recycling's good. Tossed it in the drawer. Deal with it later.
Four weeks later, as you might imagine, I had quite a drawer full.
So I brought a recycle bag in from home, and started crushing them with my heel. One stomp, and blam! Flat. Most of the time.
I caught one at an angle and it didn't flatten satisfacorily. I reached down with my right hand and grabbed it to squeeze it the rest of the way flat.
My thumb caught on the inside of the tab hole, and I sliced my thumb open but good.
I know what you're thinking. "Sue."
Well, that would be the modern American Way, wouldn't it? But if you know me, you know I think people should take responsibility for their own stupid mistakes, and I try to behave as I expect others to. So I put a bandaid on after holding it tight for a few minutes.
Well, the bandaid kept coming off, plus, because of where the cut is, I had trouble typing. And I have my guitar lesson today. And there's this weekend's jamming with Mike and Mark to consider. And the bandaid wasn't keeping the wound closed either.
Then it hit me... superglue. It's durable. It's fast. It sits on top of the skin, and it will hold the wound closed. And it will allow me to do the things I need to be doing.
So last night, after shedding my fifth lousy bandaid, I cleaned the area, put some superglue on a piece of paper, and closed the wound tightly. Then I simply dipped the wound in the dab of superglue and let it dry a few mintues.
Bam!
All the advantages of a bandaid, and most of the disadvantages are gone. It won't get in the way. It'll actually hold better, allowing for quicker healing. It keeps dirt out. It keeps moisture in. I can type. I can hold a pick, and even strum a guitar. I have to replace or re-enforce it a couple of times a day, but hey.
Just don't let it seep INTO the wound before it dries.
A little post bandaid research suggests that superglues made of octo-cyanocrylate are the least irritating to the skin.
(disclaimer - do this at your own risk. I am doing it at my own risk.)
I've been drinking sparkling water at work... this Mendota stuff that comes in cans. The price is right, and so are the calories. Somehow, sparkling water satisfies as a snack -- the carbon dioxide is kind of filling, the fizz makes you slow down so you enjoy it longer, and water's good for you. Win-win-win.
I had an empty drawer. The first day, I needed a place to toss the can. Don't want to throw it away, you know. Recycling's good. Tossed it in the drawer. Deal with it later.
Four weeks later, as you might imagine, I had quite a drawer full.
So I brought a recycle bag in from home, and started crushing them with my heel. One stomp, and blam! Flat. Most of the time.
I caught one at an angle and it didn't flatten satisfacorily. I reached down with my right hand and grabbed it to squeeze it the rest of the way flat.
My thumb caught on the inside of the tab hole, and I sliced my thumb open but good.
I know what you're thinking. "Sue."
Well, that would be the modern American Way, wouldn't it? But if you know me, you know I think people should take responsibility for their own stupid mistakes, and I try to behave as I expect others to. So I put a bandaid on after holding it tight for a few minutes.
Well, the bandaid kept coming off, plus, because of where the cut is, I had trouble typing. And I have my guitar lesson today. And there's this weekend's jamming with Mike and Mark to consider. And the bandaid wasn't keeping the wound closed either.
Then it hit me... superglue. It's durable. It's fast. It sits on top of the skin, and it will hold the wound closed. And it will allow me to do the things I need to be doing.
So last night, after shedding my fifth lousy bandaid, I cleaned the area, put some superglue on a piece of paper, and closed the wound tightly. Then I simply dipped the wound in the dab of superglue and let it dry a few mintues.
Bam!
All the advantages of a bandaid, and most of the disadvantages are gone. It won't get in the way. It'll actually hold better, allowing for quicker healing. It keeps dirt out. It keeps moisture in. I can type. I can hold a pick, and even strum a guitar. I have to replace or re-enforce it a couple of times a day, but hey.
Just don't let it seep INTO the wound before it dries.
A little post bandaid research suggests that superglues made of octo-cyanocrylate are the least irritating to the skin.
(disclaimer - do this at your own risk. I am doing it at my own risk.)
Prison and Exile
Well, the Bart problem isn't getting any better. I put a rubber runner down over the weekend, and he's just taken to "going" on that. At least it doesn't get in the carpet, but that's not the point. He was supposed to look at it and go "oh, that's not absorbant. I know a better place (hint: how about the litterbox?)"
So last night, I put a mild bleach solution in the carpet cleaner and went over the whole carpet area, and put some fans on it to dry it out. I know. "You'll ruin the carpet." As if the cat pee hasn't already.
It did a pretty good job except for in his favorite spot, which I saturated with enzyme this morning.
Bart spent the night in prision last night. Hey, it's better than a shotgun, which is moving up on my list of solutions. We closed him up in the laundry room where he has access to his food and water and to the litterbox area under the stairs. Got his old basket down from the attic and put a towel in it with a light sprinkling of catnip.
He was meowing loudly this morning. I let him out for about an hour -- watching him carefully. Then I locked him back up. He's going to spend the next several days this way. He's already meowing again. Tough. The alternative is lead to the head, buddy, take your pick.
He might even get exiled to Brian's house for at least a short time period. Even if Brian will take him over the weekend.
He's got to get out of the habit, and I have to eliminate the smells from his "adopted" litter area. I'll also change his litter to something less scented. That might be a part of the problem as well.
So last night, I put a mild bleach solution in the carpet cleaner and went over the whole carpet area, and put some fans on it to dry it out. I know. "You'll ruin the carpet." As if the cat pee hasn't already.
It did a pretty good job except for in his favorite spot, which I saturated with enzyme this morning.
Bart spent the night in prision last night. Hey, it's better than a shotgun, which is moving up on my list of solutions. We closed him up in the laundry room where he has access to his food and water and to the litterbox area under the stairs. Got his old basket down from the attic and put a towel in it with a light sprinkling of catnip.
He was meowing loudly this morning. I let him out for about an hour -- watching him carefully. Then I locked him back up. He's going to spend the next several days this way. He's already meowing again. Tough. The alternative is lead to the head, buddy, take your pick.
He might even get exiled to Brian's house for at least a short time period. Even if Brian will take him over the weekend.
He's got to get out of the habit, and I have to eliminate the smells from his "adopted" litter area. I'll also change his litter to something less scented. That might be a part of the problem as well.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Rebates
Oh, how I hate rebates. Normally, I'll go out of my way to avoid them, or only buy the product if the price without the rebate is good enough for me to go ahead and buy it anyway.
But I did go into our cell phone service deal largely because of them, even knowing how much I hate them because they were so substantial and it was something we'd decided we wanted to do.
There were $410 worth of rebates.
The first rebates ($200) I carefully filled everything out and collected all of the necessary materials and mailed them in to T-Mobile and got those rebates right away.
There were two more sets of rebates, though, totaling $210 but there was of course, a catch. I had to wait a certain period of time to redeem each of them.
Now here's the real deal behind rebates. You wonder how the companies can afford to do this -- and the answer is, most of the time, they don't have to. People forget to do it right away before the rebate expires, or they lose one of the littany of pieces of documentation they require.
A typical rebate deal may go like this:
Send in a copy of your original order, a copy of the UPC from the box, and a picture of you wearing a monkey's underwear on your head holding a headline from the New York Times dated precicely 34 days after your invoice (was that the order date on the invoice, or the ship date, or the day you signed for it?). Be sure to be holding the product at a 43 degree angle from the horizon in the photograph. Any visible scratch on the item will invalidate the rebate.
If that date should fall on a thursday, please include the main editorial from section D from the previous Sunday's New York Post. This must not be a copy, but an original printing from the press.
Don't forget to tape the body of a bluebottle fly to the lower right corner of the envelope.
Rebate requests postmarked later than 35 days from the invoice date will be considered void.
This is designed to keep anybody from actually getting the rebate.
I missed the 120 day deadline for $100 worth of rebates, but the other $110 -- there's still time. However, in all my zeal to get everything together and ready to go when the specified dates came, I neglected to include a copy of the UPC from the box -- never mind that I have the order invoice, the number, my 4th month's T-Mobile bill (as requested), which I'm sure all match records they have in their computer anyway.
I HOPE I scanned the UPC into the computer, because I was required to send the UPC's in for the first rebate. No chance of making a copy of those. However, my scanner is a printer/scanner/copier, and I MAY have just used the copy function. I'll have to look tonight.
Otherwise, I've screwed myself out of $210 worth of rebates.
Which was their plan all along.
But I did go into our cell phone service deal largely because of them, even knowing how much I hate them because they were so substantial and it was something we'd decided we wanted to do.
There were $410 worth of rebates.
The first rebates ($200) I carefully filled everything out and collected all of the necessary materials and mailed them in to T-Mobile and got those rebates right away.
There were two more sets of rebates, though, totaling $210 but there was of course, a catch. I had to wait a certain period of time to redeem each of them.
Now here's the real deal behind rebates. You wonder how the companies can afford to do this -- and the answer is, most of the time, they don't have to. People forget to do it right away before the rebate expires, or they lose one of the littany of pieces of documentation they require.
A typical rebate deal may go like this:
Send in a copy of your original order, a copy of the UPC from the box, and a picture of you wearing a monkey's underwear on your head holding a headline from the New York Times dated precicely 34 days after your invoice (was that the order date on the invoice, or the ship date, or the day you signed for it?). Be sure to be holding the product at a 43 degree angle from the horizon in the photograph. Any visible scratch on the item will invalidate the rebate.
If that date should fall on a thursday, please include the main editorial from section D from the previous Sunday's New York Post. This must not be a copy, but an original printing from the press.
Don't forget to tape the body of a bluebottle fly to the lower right corner of the envelope.
Rebate requests postmarked later than 35 days from the invoice date will be considered void.
This is designed to keep anybody from actually getting the rebate.
I missed the 120 day deadline for $100 worth of rebates, but the other $110 -- there's still time. However, in all my zeal to get everything together and ready to go when the specified dates came, I neglected to include a copy of the UPC from the box -- never mind that I have the order invoice, the number, my 4th month's T-Mobile bill (as requested), which I'm sure all match records they have in their computer anyway.
I HOPE I scanned the UPC into the computer, because I was required to send the UPC's in for the first rebate. No chance of making a copy of those. However, my scanner is a printer/scanner/copier, and I MAY have just used the copy function. I'll have to look tonight.
Otherwise, I've screwed myself out of $210 worth of rebates.
Which was their plan all along.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Another light snow
Just like last week, we had some heavy rains followed by a cold blast, and we woke up this morning to sleet and snow. The snowflakes got big, and it was hard to stop watching the cardinals out the window in the cedar tree in the snow.
I filled up their feeders.
Been scanning in family photos like a madman. I've had them far too long -- some of them got damaged in the great water leak incident of 1998. Fortunately, we saved most of them.
So that we can save goofy-a** pictures like this one of me from Christmas of 1969...
I was going over pictures from Kindergarten and first grade and remembering all the girls I thought were pretty -- yeah, I've always liked 'em. Never knew what that whole cooties thing was all about. Whaddaya MEAN you don't want 'em to touch you? I always liked being around 'em. Especially Diana Nichols... I had it bad for her in first grade. And then there was our pretty family friend Carol Schulte, and Donna Pardo(t?) -- who was so cute it hurt to look at her.
*sigh*
Guess you had to be there.
Got the birthday bash coming up in KC a couple of weekends from now. Lookin' forward to that.
New guy showed up at this week's jam session -- a guy named "Bill" -- he was good. Left Columbia like 30 years ago and has been all around the country, most recently in Boston where he played bluegrass with Ray "Tappet" from Car Talk in a local jamming group they started. I picked up a couple of things by just watching him play.
Here's an odd one -- Bart has been pooping at the bottom of the stairs -- fortunately, it doesn't get IN the carpet -- it's solid and remains on top. Still, not excactly the kind of thing you like to come across. He likes to do it where the wall meets the floor. I put a strip of toilet paper down by the wall night before last to check to see if he was also going "number 1" there, too -- he didn't, but the next morning there was a little pile, but not on the toilet paper, and not where he normally goes when he does it. It was off the end of the toilet paper -- so, he doesn't want to go on the toilet paper. Cool. I went along the rest of the wall with it. Need to break him of that habit.
Lesson today. Still slowly but steadily improving, and I'm trying to go back to playing songs I like on top of that -- just printed out Jonathan Edwards' "Sunshine" -- always one of my favorites -- and it turns out to be quite easy to play.
Well, I'm off....
I filled up their feeders.
Been scanning in family photos like a madman. I've had them far too long -- some of them got damaged in the great water leak incident of 1998. Fortunately, we saved most of them.
So that we can save goofy-a** pictures like this one of me from Christmas of 1969...
I was going over pictures from Kindergarten and first grade and remembering all the girls I thought were pretty -- yeah, I've always liked 'em. Never knew what that whole cooties thing was all about. Whaddaya MEAN you don't want 'em to touch you? I always liked being around 'em. Especially Diana Nichols... I had it bad for her in first grade. And then there was our pretty family friend Carol Schulte, and Donna Pardo(t?) -- who was so cute it hurt to look at her.
*sigh*
Guess you had to be there.
Got the birthday bash coming up in KC a couple of weekends from now. Lookin' forward to that.
New guy showed up at this week's jam session -- a guy named "Bill" -- he was good. Left Columbia like 30 years ago and has been all around the country, most recently in Boston where he played bluegrass with Ray "Tappet" from Car Talk in a local jamming group they started. I picked up a couple of things by just watching him play.
Here's an odd one -- Bart has been pooping at the bottom of the stairs -- fortunately, it doesn't get IN the carpet -- it's solid and remains on top. Still, not excactly the kind of thing you like to come across. He likes to do it where the wall meets the floor. I put a strip of toilet paper down by the wall night before last to check to see if he was also going "number 1" there, too -- he didn't, but the next morning there was a little pile, but not on the toilet paper, and not where he normally goes when he does it. It was off the end of the toilet paper -- so, he doesn't want to go on the toilet paper. Cool. I went along the rest of the wall with it. Need to break him of that habit.
Lesson today. Still slowly but steadily improving, and I'm trying to go back to playing songs I like on top of that -- just printed out Jonathan Edwards' "Sunshine" -- always one of my favorites -- and it turns out to be quite easy to play.
Well, I'm off....
Monday, January 10, 2005
The last sputterings of the season
Went to Mom and Dad's for our Christmas get-together with them and the brothers. Had a nice turkey dinner and we had a pretty good time.
Mom had Jeff and Joel bring salt in to kick up the water softener that they hadn't been using, and we had a little trouble with that-- the salt got under the tube that protects the float valve from getting jammed by salt -- and -- well, it all had to be cleaned out again. But once that was done everything was ok.
Carrie, a friend of Mom and Dad's, was out. She seems like a nice girl -- probably in her mid 20's, real cute. They say they've "adopted" her... you know dad always wanted a girl.
I brought them a Doris Day Christmas album and some Classical and Big Band Christmas stuff, as well as the Stanley Black "SPAIN" CD. We also brought out a coat tree -- they'd wanted an oak one with oak pegs, not metal. We found a maple one here in town very similarly colored -- for like $30. The places they'd been looking wanted $160. They are quite happy with it.
Mom and dad got us in the drawing -- and we got a bunch of hot spices from Penzey's. Like 8 or 10 bottles of various stuff from crushed red pepper to chipotle.
Had a bit of trouble hooking up my old (better) scanner last night after I cleaned it. One thing lead to another and at one point I had to reboot -- then there was some sort of spyware thing that installed itself on my box -- "Freshbar" -- and I searched all over for how to remove it. Every solution involved a freeware product called "HijackThis" -- which I eventually got and got rid of it.
The clever little b*stard even swapped the names of itself and the google toolbar in the toolbar control list so that if you went to disable Freshbar you actually ended up disabling the Google toolbar instead (however, once you figure this out you can disable Freshbar by disabling the entry that says "Google". That wasn't enough for me, though, I wanted it GONE.)
And I finally did get rid of it. It wasn't for beginners.
And I got the scanner working, though I can't use my 10 foot USB cable for it because it allows too much noise.
So -- I'll be using the shorter cable. I have a lot of old photos from Mom and Dad's that I need to scan for posterity. I opened the scanner and cleaned it out to get rid of that vertical line that was the reason I'd stopped using it. I have an HP Printer/Scanner/Copier, but the scanner (even though it's 2400 DPI) is a very crappy 2400 dpi. My old one is 1200, but the quality is much better. Cleaned the glass, ran another test scan -- I think we're good to go.
Bart took to peeing again at the bottom of the stairs. Oddly, if he were some wild animal that came into the house I'd have no problem just killing him -- but we've had him for 10 years so I feel obligated to find ways to deter him. We can't use the CatScram 9000 there because he has to go through that area to get to his litterbox and food. I'm going to try to build a CatScram 200 -- with a motion sensor and an old hair dryer fan.
He hates hair dryers, and cats won't linger in a place they're being blown on. I hope.
Well, hi-ho. Off to work.
Mom had Jeff and Joel bring salt in to kick up the water softener that they hadn't been using, and we had a little trouble with that-- the salt got under the tube that protects the float valve from getting jammed by salt -- and -- well, it all had to be cleaned out again. But once that was done everything was ok.
Carrie, a friend of Mom and Dad's, was out. She seems like a nice girl -- probably in her mid 20's, real cute. They say they've "adopted" her... you know dad always wanted a girl.
I brought them a Doris Day Christmas album and some Classical and Big Band Christmas stuff, as well as the Stanley Black "SPAIN" CD. We also brought out a coat tree -- they'd wanted an oak one with oak pegs, not metal. We found a maple one here in town very similarly colored -- for like $30. The places they'd been looking wanted $160. They are quite happy with it.
Mom and dad got us in the drawing -- and we got a bunch of hot spices from Penzey's. Like 8 or 10 bottles of various stuff from crushed red pepper to chipotle.
Had a bit of trouble hooking up my old (better) scanner last night after I cleaned it. One thing lead to another and at one point I had to reboot -- then there was some sort of spyware thing that installed itself on my box -- "Freshbar" -- and I searched all over for how to remove it. Every solution involved a freeware product called "HijackThis" -- which I eventually got and got rid of it.
The clever little b*stard even swapped the names of itself and the google toolbar in the toolbar control list so that if you went to disable Freshbar you actually ended up disabling the Google toolbar instead (however, once you figure this out you can disable Freshbar by disabling the entry that says "Google". That wasn't enough for me, though, I wanted it GONE.)
And I finally did get rid of it. It wasn't for beginners.
And I got the scanner working, though I can't use my 10 foot USB cable for it because it allows too much noise.
So -- I'll be using the shorter cable. I have a lot of old photos from Mom and Dad's that I need to scan for posterity. I opened the scanner and cleaned it out to get rid of that vertical line that was the reason I'd stopped using it. I have an HP Printer/Scanner/Copier, but the scanner (even though it's 2400 DPI) is a very crappy 2400 dpi. My old one is 1200, but the quality is much better. Cleaned the glass, ran another test scan -- I think we're good to go.
Bart took to peeing again at the bottom of the stairs. Oddly, if he were some wild animal that came into the house I'd have no problem just killing him -- but we've had him for 10 years so I feel obligated to find ways to deter him. We can't use the CatScram 9000 there because he has to go through that area to get to his litterbox and food. I'm going to try to build a CatScram 200 -- with a motion sensor and an old hair dryer fan.
He hates hair dryers, and cats won't linger in a place they're being blown on. I hope.
Well, hi-ho. Off to work.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
The Holiday Frenzy
The Holiday Frenzy is subsiding. We had a lovely Christmas with Mom & the boys, the traditional oyster stew & cinnamon pears Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day -- the prime rib and red cabage.
Went to see Mark's play on the 23rd -- it was very funny.
Kevin got a digital camera. Brian got stuff for his house, mostly, and some DVDs. Vicki got some jewelry, and a pretty fleece pullover she wanted, along with a pair of Jack Vetraino paintings (prints, actually -- of course).
Me, I got an electric guitar. It was a pawn shop buy, and I knew about it -- it was a fixer-upper, and fix it up I did. It's a Bruno Conqueror -- probably made in the late 1960's (1967?) as a knockoff of a 1950's Gibson 335 ES hollow body electric. It's a nice guitar. I replaced the two volume controls, and added the missing tone controls -- and got some new knobs, and wired the thing correctly with this wiring kit.
Tom & Betty & Joel and Dawn came in for Bro-fest. It was 67 degrees here New Year's Eve, and it is traditional to have a fire going in the fireplace for Bro-Fest. Well, it was too darned hot... so I drilled seven 1.5" holes in some logs, put them on the fire grate, and put little tea lite candles in each hole -- two logs. That was our fire.
A few days ago, I found a Lord of the Rings replica ceramic pipe -- pretty cool. So I had a New Years pipe with the smokers on the balcony.
2005 successfully got here, as you can see.
I've always been fascinated by Tsunamis -- so the dreadful catastrophy that scourged the rim of the Indian Ocean got my mind going again on them. It's just so difficult to imagine the scale of the forces involved. But I found this on the BBC website and it was pretty good.
Right then. Well -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Went to see Mark's play on the 23rd -- it was very funny.
Kevin got a digital camera. Brian got stuff for his house, mostly, and some DVDs. Vicki got some jewelry, and a pretty fleece pullover she wanted, along with a pair of Jack Vetraino paintings (prints, actually -- of course).
Me, I got an electric guitar. It was a pawn shop buy, and I knew about it -- it was a fixer-upper, and fix it up I did. It's a Bruno Conqueror -- probably made in the late 1960's (1967?) as a knockoff of a 1950's Gibson 335 ES hollow body electric. It's a nice guitar. I replaced the two volume controls, and added the missing tone controls -- and got some new knobs, and wired the thing correctly with this wiring kit.
Tom & Betty & Joel and Dawn came in for Bro-fest. It was 67 degrees here New Year's Eve, and it is traditional to have a fire going in the fireplace for Bro-Fest. Well, it was too darned hot... so I drilled seven 1.5" holes in some logs, put them on the fire grate, and put little tea lite candles in each hole -- two logs. That was our fire.
A few days ago, I found a Lord of the Rings replica ceramic pipe -- pretty cool. So I had a New Years pipe with the smokers on the balcony.
2005 successfully got here, as you can see.
I've always been fascinated by Tsunamis -- so the dreadful catastrophy that scourged the rim of the Indian Ocean got my mind going again on them. It's just so difficult to imagine the scale of the forces involved. But I found this on the BBC website and it was pretty good.
Right then. Well -- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Shortest Day of the Year
I grew up listening to Jack Carney's "Saturday Morning Comedy Show" on KMOX 1120 in St. Louis. I was extremely saddened to hear of his untimely passing in 1984, two years after I'd left for college.
He brought relief to my strife and tension-filled teenage years for three hours on Saturday mornings playing old time radio comedy. Every Saturday while doing the Saturday chores from 9-noon, I'd have my trusty portable transistor radio tuned in listening to Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, George and Gracey and the like. And at no time of year was it more special than the two or so saturdays he focused on Christmas Comedy.
One of my favorites was the Christmas Dragnet you'll find on the Dr. Demento CD's --
But Dec 21 never passes without me thinking of a particular routine by, I think, Jack Benny -- where he does a little speal on his show about a holiday that often gets over looked on account of, or because of Christmas. December Twenty-First, the Shortest Day of the Year.
Summing up, he said, "ladies and gentlemen, let us pause as we pay tribute to December 21st, the shortest day of the year -- "
"Thank you".
He brought relief to my strife and tension-filled teenage years for three hours on Saturday mornings playing old time radio comedy. Every Saturday while doing the Saturday chores from 9-noon, I'd have my trusty portable transistor radio tuned in listening to Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, George and Gracey and the like. And at no time of year was it more special than the two or so saturdays he focused on Christmas Comedy.
One of my favorites was the Christmas Dragnet you'll find on the Dr. Demento CD's --
But Dec 21 never passes without me thinking of a particular routine by, I think, Jack Benny -- where he does a little speal on his show about a holiday that often gets over looked on account of, or because of Christmas. December Twenty-First, the Shortest Day of the Year.
Summing up, he said, "ladies and gentlemen, let us pause as we pay tribute to December 21st, the shortest day of the year -- "
[there is a quick, single-note trumpet blast]
"Thank you".
Monday, December 20, 2004
Christmas is a Comin'
Went out saturday for what I thought would be a 3 or so hour shopping trip which turned into 5 -- well, I went a lot of places. Had a few places to check out for some gift ideas for a couple of people and was largely successful (not giving away what and for whom) -- and there was the grocery shopping for the upcoming traditional dinners. Also got the few cards I send out mailed out (finally).
We're all set for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Oyster Stew & Cinnamon Pears Christmas Eve, and the Prime Rib & Red Cabbage for Christmas Day. Wrapped most of Vicki's stuff although there IS something I need to do for her other gift -- a little manual labor to keep the cost near our mutual quotas. I still haven't done any cookies -- guess I'll be doing those at night this week.
Vicki's birthday was Saturday. Mom and Dad called her and sang happy birthday to her while I was out. Kevin and Adriene (and Mia) called and sang her happy birthday that morning. I had a couple old family prints made for her and framed them. One of her about 6 years old with her Aunt Vivian at an art museum in Toledo. I never got to meet Aunt Vivian, and I understand I really missed something there. She was obviously a very pretty lady, and her laughter is talked about fondly. She was, apparently, quite a neat person.
The other picture was of Vicki's grandfather (Dad's dad) in front of the old family coal company office in the snow.
We went out to CC Broilers for dinner with the neighbors Friday night for a Vicki Birthday Celebration, and we'll go out with Mom and the boys now that she's here for another celebration tonight. We had Mark and Gretchen over for lunch yesterday. It was cold, and we had a fire going. Had a nice visit.
Kevin and Brian went to the Mizzou/IU basketball game. Astoundingly, Mizzou won on a last second shot. Well, both teams are struggling, so maybe not THAT astounding. I dropped them off and picked them up as the Paige -- ahem "Mizzou" arena is right down the hill -- that way they didn't have to find a parking place.
Brian caught some bug and was over after the game on the couch downstairs. After the guests had left, he called up the stairs "M-o-mmmm. I feel like cr*-*p!". After I laughed out loud, he looked up at me and gave a half smile and said "She usually just takes that and runs with it." Which is true. Moms will always be moms to their kids. Even when the kids are 24. Or 50.
Thursday we're headed to KC for Mark's Play, "XMAS Marks the Spot". And the traditional Bro-Fest will once again be held in Columbia New Years Eve.
All this brings me to a point that has become very clear to me over the past few years and it just keeps getting more and more clear. Christmas, or "The Holidays" (Thanksgiving is much the same way and between it, Christmas, and New Years -- those are "The Holidays") is about celebrating the richness in your life. Yes, Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but I'll get to that in a minute. A lot of the traditions we associate with Christmas and even Thanksgiving to some extent have to do with celebrating being able to survive the winter.
Thanksgiving came from harvest festival traditions, and Christmas -- even before the Birth of Christ was assigned to it (scholars believe he was actually born in June) the people of Europe (especially Northern Europe) picked the coldest, darkest days of the year and made it bright and cheery with their spirit as if to give a big, hearty "HA!" to Winter. Decorating with greens and light and robust colors to celebrate life and light, and having a big feast in a warm house while outside the cold winds blow and the fields lie frozen and barren and the night comes early and the days are cold allows us to measure the extent to which we have conquered Winter.
And, of course, Christmas wouldn't even be called Christmas if not for the traditions surrounding the birth of Christ, which were intricately interwoven with these midwinter traditions -- to which there are some wonderful liturgical tie-ins... Christ, the light of the world, comes when the world has become so bleak, and tells us we can conquer death. He comes in to the world poor, born in a hay feeder in a stable -- and with what? The love of his parents, and some shepherds and these three guys from the East who come and give him gifts to honor him. The gifts were symbolic, and were not what was important.
In my lifetime to this point I have come to understand that the most important things in our lives are the people in our lives. Our family, our friends -- people who care about us, and we care about them. And when I look back on the fond memories of Christmas Past, even my childhood Christmas' (perhaps especially those) -- in the end it wasn't the football or the jersey or the train or the rocket or the camera that made that time of year really special. The gifts our our way of reminding people that we are there, and that we care about them.
It was the extra and often random visits people made to our house, and ours to theirs, and we shared their cookies and nog and conversation; memories -- their lives and ours -- and it was all tied together with this common, festive theme that even the music and decorations echoed --
Yes, I am rich. I have people who care about me. I am warm when it is cold. I have food when it can't be grown. I have heels to kick up and the spirit to do the kicking. I belong here. And it is good.
We're all set for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Oyster Stew & Cinnamon Pears Christmas Eve, and the Prime Rib & Red Cabbage for Christmas Day. Wrapped most of Vicki's stuff although there IS something I need to do for her other gift -- a little manual labor to keep the cost near our mutual quotas. I still haven't done any cookies -- guess I'll be doing those at night this week.
Vicki's birthday was Saturday. Mom and Dad called her and sang happy birthday to her while I was out. Kevin and Adriene (and Mia) called and sang her happy birthday that morning. I had a couple old family prints made for her and framed them. One of her about 6 years old with her Aunt Vivian at an art museum in Toledo. I never got to meet Aunt Vivian, and I understand I really missed something there. She was obviously a very pretty lady, and her laughter is talked about fondly. She was, apparently, quite a neat person.
The other picture was of Vicki's grandfather (Dad's dad) in front of the old family coal company office in the snow.
We went out to CC Broilers for dinner with the neighbors Friday night for a Vicki Birthday Celebration, and we'll go out with Mom and the boys now that she's here for another celebration tonight. We had Mark and Gretchen over for lunch yesterday. It was cold, and we had a fire going. Had a nice visit.
Kevin and Brian went to the Mizzou/IU basketball game. Astoundingly, Mizzou won on a last second shot. Well, both teams are struggling, so maybe not THAT astounding. I dropped them off and picked them up as the Paige -- ahem "Mizzou" arena is right down the hill -- that way they didn't have to find a parking place.
Brian caught some bug and was over after the game on the couch downstairs. After the guests had left, he called up the stairs "M-o-mmmm. I feel like cr*-*p!". After I laughed out loud, he looked up at me and gave a half smile and said "She usually just takes that and runs with it." Which is true. Moms will always be moms to their kids. Even when the kids are 24. Or 50.
Thursday we're headed to KC for Mark's Play, "XMAS Marks the Spot". And the traditional Bro-Fest will once again be held in Columbia New Years Eve.
All this brings me to a point that has become very clear to me over the past few years and it just keeps getting more and more clear. Christmas, or "The Holidays" (Thanksgiving is much the same way and between it, Christmas, and New Years -- those are "The Holidays") is about celebrating the richness in your life. Yes, Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but I'll get to that in a minute. A lot of the traditions we associate with Christmas and even Thanksgiving to some extent have to do with celebrating being able to survive the winter.
Thanksgiving came from harvest festival traditions, and Christmas -- even before the Birth of Christ was assigned to it (scholars believe he was actually born in June) the people of Europe (especially Northern Europe) picked the coldest, darkest days of the year and made it bright and cheery with their spirit as if to give a big, hearty "HA!" to Winter. Decorating with greens and light and robust colors to celebrate life and light, and having a big feast in a warm house while outside the cold winds blow and the fields lie frozen and barren and the night comes early and the days are cold allows us to measure the extent to which we have conquered Winter.
And, of course, Christmas wouldn't even be called Christmas if not for the traditions surrounding the birth of Christ, which were intricately interwoven with these midwinter traditions -- to which there are some wonderful liturgical tie-ins... Christ, the light of the world, comes when the world has become so bleak, and tells us we can conquer death. He comes in to the world poor, born in a hay feeder in a stable -- and with what? The love of his parents, and some shepherds and these three guys from the East who come and give him gifts to honor him. The gifts were symbolic, and were not what was important.
In my lifetime to this point I have come to understand that the most important things in our lives are the people in our lives. Our family, our friends -- people who care about us, and we care about them. And when I look back on the fond memories of Christmas Past, even my childhood Christmas' (perhaps especially those) -- in the end it wasn't the football or the jersey or the train or the rocket or the camera that made that time of year really special. The gifts our our way of reminding people that we are there, and that we care about them.
It was the extra and often random visits people made to our house, and ours to theirs, and we shared their cookies and nog and conversation; memories -- their lives and ours -- and it was all tied together with this common, festive theme that even the music and decorations echoed --
Yes, I am rich. I have people who care about me. I am warm when it is cold. I have food when it can't be grown. I have heels to kick up and the spirit to do the kicking. I belong here. And it is good.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Deck the Halls
The halls are decked with boughs of holly
Mistletoe hangs at middle hallway
The tree is up - 900 lights!
That make it glow when it is night
A batch of shrub is on the make
Presents bought, but nothing's baked
The lights outside put up with toil
The door's been wrapped with golden foil
Christmas stories read from books
Carols play in all the nooks
Guitars all have a sprig of green
To help them join the Christmas scene
But the crown of all as this verse ends
It's all done for family, and friends!
-- PGL 12/13/2004
Mistletoe hangs at middle hallway
The tree is up - 900 lights!
That make it glow when it is night
A batch of shrub is on the make
Presents bought, but nothing's baked
The lights outside put up with toil
The door's been wrapped with golden foil
Christmas stories read from books
Carols play in all the nooks
Guitars all have a sprig of green
To help them join the Christmas scene
But the crown of all as this verse ends
It's all done for family, and friends!
-- PGL 12/13/2004
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Happy Birthday to Jennifer!
Jennifer's one of my oldest friends (ok, friends I've had the longest). She is the friend I've had the longest, come to think of it.
We go back so long, I could post pictures that would really embarrass her (no, not in THAT way -- geez -- just from back when we were both young geeks. Well, me more than her, but... it's not a competition, is it?) if I wanted to but... I won't do that. We have a long and semi-complicated history but have remained in touch all these years. There's something nice about knowing she's out there and we have a clue about how each others' lives are going and we can trace them back to some common points. Hard to explain, but I imagine most people know what I'm talking about.
Jennifer and Tony just had their second baby a month or so ago, Elena -- a sister to Gabriella.
I'll even be a big gent and not say how old she is except that -- she's younger than I am, but not TOO much younger.
So, here's to you, Jennio! Hope you had a good one, and lots more!
We go back so long, I could post pictures that would really embarrass her (no, not in THAT way -- geez -- just from back when we were both young geeks. Well, me more than her, but... it's not a competition, is it?) if I wanted to but... I won't do that. We have a long and semi-complicated history but have remained in touch all these years. There's something nice about knowing she's out there and we have a clue about how each others' lives are going and we can trace them back to some common points. Hard to explain, but I imagine most people know what I'm talking about.
Jennifer and Tony just had their second baby a month or so ago, Elena -- a sister to Gabriella.
I'll even be a big gent and not say how old she is except that -- she's younger than I am, but not TOO much younger.
So, here's to you, Jennio! Hope you had a good one, and lots more!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
snow, snoW, snOW, sNOW, SNOW!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone driving to work Columbia, Missouri this morning after sunrise who was not dumbstruck and giddy from the sheer beauty of what they saw must have something wrong with them.
The light snow that fell last night clung to the longer blades of grass, the trunks of trees, even down to the twigs. They accented everything with a supernaturally white sparkle. It really made me want to turn the car around and go walk in the woods. Wow!
A Christmas Postcard. Too bad I couldn't stop and take pictures.
The light snow that fell last night clung to the longer blades of grass, the trunks of trees, even down to the twigs. They accented everything with a supernaturally white sparkle. It really made me want to turn the car around and go walk in the woods. Wow!
A Christmas Postcard. Too bad I couldn't stop and take pictures.
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