Pickles & Beer

A week in Reno

2011-02-11T14:00:00.001-05:00

Headed home after a week working at the Reno, NV plant. Don't know if I could have taken any more...

A Morning at the Flea Market

2010-09-19T18:50:00.011-05:00

I spent this morning at a local flea market (or the dirt mall as we call it). After the first few tables I noticed that the items for sale this morning were a little weirder than the usual fare. So I decided to take a few pics of the more odd items... here they are.

#1 First off, new tires too expensive for you? Check out Leo's Discount Tire Service. he works out of an old U-Haul truck. Just like WalMart, drop your car off and do a little shopping.#2 Ever wonder where those Mexican wrestlers get those fabulous masks? Think you want to give it a try? You'll need to get your costume first!

#3 It starts to get a little sketchy with the fresh shrimp & live crab guy. He has fish too! I tried to get a better picture but the guy was giving me the evil eye. He wasn't too keen on my snapping pictures.#4 Now we're starting to enter the dark side. Need some brass knuckles? I actually considered buying one, just because I could.
#5 This one takes the cake. Now there are plenty of tables that sell dented cans & boxes of food, aspirin and the like. But this one..... yes, that large damaged box with faded graphics is contraceptive gel! I mean, come on..... I really don't know if I can type everything I want to say. Are you that desperate? Then there's the issue of trust and confidence.....
Okay, enough with the bad and on with the good. The reason why I come here is for some of the freshest fruits vegetables in town. There are a few tables and makeshift stores that sell fresh fruit & veg at dirt cheap prices. Avocados $0.75 each, onion, $1/pound, watermelons $3 each, cucumbers 6/$1! Not only cheap but fresher than any grocer in town! And you can get a pinata!
Anyway, as always, your comments are more than welcome!

Garden Update May 2010

2010-05-23T09:06:00.016-05:00

I spent the morning working in the Victory Garden. I weeded around some carrot, radish & swiss chard seedlings. Checked on the progress of everything else & took a few pictures.

Here I have some green Stupice tomatoes. I didn't get them into the ground until April so they're blossoming a few weeks later than last year. I'm also growing Hungarian Heart, German Johnson & Black Krim tomato varieties. The only other variety besides the Stupice to have green tomatoes is the Black Krim. Although all of the plants have flowers blooming.
In between the tomato plants I planted two varieties of cucumbers, Marketmmore 76 & Japanese Climbing. I did this last year and the cukes did very well climbing up the tomato cages. I also planted sunflowers at the end of the bed and maybe they will also serve as a base for the cucumbers to climb up. I also tried something new to support the tomatoes. I strung twine in between poles in the ground to serve as supports. Hopefully the cucumbers will like the twine to climb up too.

The zucchini and yellow squash are starting to blossom too. I've stick with my favorite zucchini variety, Black Beauty, again this year. Last year I was only able to get a few zucchini before the plants were destroyed by insects. I'm not sure what bugs attacked the plants last year but we'll see what happens. I also planted to some crookneck yellow squash. I've never grown these before but we have a few good recipes that use yellow squash and would love to have some fresh squash to use.
Also in the bed I planted some more sunflowers and some pepper plants. For peppers this year I planted Wenk's Hot Yellow, Ancho and also Anahein. The Wenk's Yellow Hot and Anaheim already have blossoms and small peppers. The Anchos have some small flowers but no fruits yet. They were also the last to get planted, about 2 weeks later than the others.

Lastly a picture of my bean fence. On the right of the fence I have Purple Podded beans and on the left I have Kentucky Wonder. I've grown the Kentucky Wonder the past few years and have had great success. The idea of growing purple beans led me to try the Purple Podded ones. They're supposed to turn green as they cook. In front of the fence I'm growing garlic. I just harvested some of the garlic scapes. They're the flower shaft that sprouts up before it goes to seed. I snipped them off to prevent flowering and to encourage bulb growth. They also taste great, we use them in recipes like green onions. They have a strong garlic flavor instead of onion.

My hockey alter ego..

2010-05-02T13:07:00.006-05:00

Snaps to the Bruins winning in OT yesterday! 2 quick thoughts.... Miro Satan has been the best mid-season pickup on any team this year. All for a pro-rated $700,000 ! Also, can someone explain to me why Marc Savard doesn't have an Olympic gold medal from Vancouver? He is definitely one of the top 5 Canadian centermen in the NHL..... somebody must have had it in for him when picking the team....

Ok, while getting my playoff hockey fix & commentary on TSN.ca, I noticed an ad for Bud Light. You can put your picture on a hockey card of your favorite team. Each round of the playoffs releases a new "generation" of cards. Here I am when Milt Schmidt and I formed 2/3rds of the famous Kraut & Potato line .

Orr, Sanderson, Espo, Chief, Keaveny.... We won it all in 1970 & 72....

Next up... My years playing with Ray Bourque...... Stay tuned....

Hanging out at the Bee Bar

2010-04-10T15:11:00.006-05:00

Spending a Saturday lounging around the house, working in the garden. I'm about 2 weeks later than I usually am but I planted much of my garden today. While digging in the dirt I was accompanied by a constant humming for the girls. Both hives have been quite active over the past few days. Coming and going, landing and flying..... they're busy as, well... you know.

I was taking a few pictures and tried to get one of the girls hanging out at their local watering hole. You might not think of it at first but bees do need a source of water. A good urban/suburban beekeeper provides a source of water for them. If you don't they'll go off and find their own watering hole, usually an inconvienent spot, like your neighbor's swimming pool. Not a way to be a good beekeeping neighbor. Anyway, so I made up a little watering hole they can use. It's just a clay pot with some old tiles and rocks in the bottom that I filled with water. It took a few days for the girls to find but now they have a place to cool off and relax when things get hot. Here's the best picture. I caught one bee is coming in for a landing!

Here's a few other pics of the hives full of activity.

And one last picture of the garden. You can see the garlic growing in the front and some beans already sprouted and ready to climb their fence.

Bachelor weekend & Checking out the girls

2010-04-03T11:12:00.007-05:00

A busy morning today...

It's the start of spring break for the kids, Sheridan had a dance recital last night and danced wonderful. All 3 of them will be spending the next week with their dad. That leaves just me a Hot Momma for the week. WooHoo! But.. for the next 2 days she's a workin', that leave me as Bachelor James for the weekend! What to do?......

I got a great start to the weekend already. So far I've painted fence pickets, fired up the lawnmower for the first time this season, cut a bit of the back yard to make sure the engine was running right, cleared out weeds from the garden so I can plant the victory garden this week & lastly checked on the girls in the bee hives.

Last week I installed a 2nd hive in the yard. I needed to check on it to make sure the queen was laying eggs, the workers were drawing out honey comb & collecting nectar. I opened up the hive and was very pleased at the progress. I found the queen and she looked well. The workers were drawing out the comb and I even saw a bit of nectar being stored in some of the comb!

Last year's hive looked even better. Of course it has more bees and already has a 2nd level (super) added. When I took off the top I was quite surprised. With all of the warm weather recently the girls must have been working overtime because I soon realized that 2 supers were not going to be enough. The top was full of honey, pollen & larva. Soon they would need more room. I added a 3rd super. Here's a picture.The really great part about this is that the bottom 2 supers are where the bees live and store the honey they'll need to get through the winter. Anything above these 2 supers is what I'll get to keep in my honey harvest! It's April 3rd and they have already fullfilled their needs and are contributing towards mine! I didn't harvest any honey last year but from what I hear a good hive will make about 5 gallons of honey! Hopefully with the two hives I'll get close to 10 gallons!!

Lunchtime.... a nice big plate of meat loaf, mashed potatos, carrots and Brussel sprouts washed down with a cold beer. what's on the agenda for this afternoon??.... a nice long motorcycle ride and maybe a quick trim of the front lawn.

Free Dog House (plus labor)

2010-02-20T14:19:00.011-05:00

We've just finished a great weekend project! We made Diego a doghouse. But the best part of it all was that the only cost was elbow grease!! We used an old wooden pallet as the base. I was able to scrounge two 2x4s from work (they are sometimes used as load locks on incoming trailers). The walls are made from pieces of plywood I originally bought when we needed a make-shift countertop in the kitchen during our remodel. The paint was all left over partial gallons from various painting projects over the years. I didn't take any pictures of the beginning of the construction but here's a few of the finishing touches. Sheridan did all of the painting, including making Diego's sign. The last bit was some free shingles from our neighbor, Mr. Hodges. He had half a package left from an odd project.

2010-02-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

It's been noted by some that I haven't posted anything in a while. It's not that I haven't had interesting/witty/smart things to say; or cool pictures to share with the world. It's just that I've been busy. Busy tweeting.

The problem with this blog is the upkeep. I feel obligated to post pictures and ideas. I don't know why, I can count the number of unique readers on both hands. I'm not letting down the masses. What I have been liking about Twitter is it's limitations. 140 characters. That's it. A tweet by definition has to be short and sweet. I'm released of the obligation to produce a high quality post with pictures. Also I like that I can tweet on the go. With my fabulous iPhone I can make comments on life anytime or anywhere. With Pickles & Beer, I must wait until I get home to compile the post.

But fear not! I am not abandoning my sweet home on the web. I do think I want to post more regularly, especially pictures. This is a much better format for that than Twitter.

So, be patient. More to come soon. I have a good post brewing in my head. If you want to follow me on Twitter I'm SCBruinsfan.

Best Post-Beatles Beatles songs

2009-08-09T17:29:00.007-05:00

In tribute to the to the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' Abby Road album I'm giving my unsolicited opinion on the best solo song of each Beatle.

John Lennon - Tough choice but after narrowing it down to two I have to pick Woman off the album Double Fantasy. A close second is Jealous Guy.

Paul McCartney - Silly Love Songs gets the nod easily. Best of his stuff with Wings and solo. It never get enough airplay on the radio & when it does I have to turn it up load and sing along.

George Harrison - This was by far the toughest to decide. First off, my favorite George song is Here Comes the Sun. But that my friend, is a Beatles song and not allowed on my list (BTW Here Comes the Sun is even better when listened to off the Abby Road album when it follows I Want You (she's so heavy). Abby Road is one of the best albums of all time, not only for the songs on it but for the order in which they are in. A real masterpiece.) But I digress. My top two other songs are My Sweet Lord and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Since Eric Clapton plays guitar on My Guitar (and I really like Clapton) I picked My Sweet Lord. Confusing? Well, I think of My Guitar as almost a duet and since I am picking only George Harrison songs, My Sweet Love is the winner. How's that for logic!

Finally, Ringo Starr - He's actually the reason I got to thinking of a post Beatles list. He never gets any respect. Not as a musician or as an actor (if you haven't seen Caveman, go rent it NOW!) He also married a Playboy playmate/Bond girl. He was the original Mr. Conductor of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Photograph is his best solo song. Even more now with the death of co-writer George Harrison. Of course other good songs are The No No Song, It Don't Come Easy & With a Little Help from My Friends.

Alright, let the arguments start! Post a comment and tell me what you think.

Pictures of the week

2009-08-02T08:38:00.007-05:00

I added a second super to my beehive the other day. This gives the bees more room to live and store honey! I won't be harvesting any large amounts of honey until next summer but I stole a bit to taste when I opened the hive up. Mmmmmm. So much better than Sue Bee
I was out in the garden the other day and saw a butterfly (an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail) around Sheridan's sunflowers. I thought it would make a great picture. I thought it came out pretty well.
While at a rest area near the North Carolina/Virginia border I saw the above sign. Straight, direct and to the point. If that doesn't get you to pick up after Fido I don't know what will.

Lastly, I was cooking last week. Making some jambalaya. I paused for a moment and thought it would make a good "Living the High Life" picture. What do you think?

2009-07-07T11:55:00.003-05:00

I added a small Fuelly banner to the side. You can click on it and find out all of the important fuel stats of Colonel Mustard. We went to Atlanta last week to see the Red Sox play (they won!). We drove Bessie our 1997 Ford Windstar. It developed a small then medium transmission leak. She ran fine especially on the highway but once we made bathroom pitstops the transmission would slip and rev until I topped it off with fluid. Then it would slowly leak out all over again. Anyway, I'll be driving the Colonel more this summer until I can get a new car (once the house renovations get done). I'm impressed with the almost 12 mpg I've gotten over the past 3 weeks.

Deja Vu all over again....

2009-06-19T08:10:00.002-05:00

Didn't I predict this?? My timeframe was a little off but the results are the same.

Your daily geography lesson

2009-06-11T10:11:00.007-05:00

Well thanks to Dave's link on his blog I've been having a few more visitors lately. Welcome!

Here's a link to a cool website that helps you keep track of your gas milagage and money spent on gas. I like how you can browse other peoples cars and compare different areas of the country with different cars. You can even link your car's results to a blog or webpage (look for my info coming soon to a blog near you).

Of course what would a pickles and beer blog post be without an updated garden picture. Here you go. It looks like a wild jungle but it's been a productive year so far here on Westgate Drive. I had green tomatoes by May 1st, red ones since June 1st and have been harvesting 1-2 cucumbers a day for the past 2 weeks. I'm crediting the Black Hen chicken manure I worked in over the winter. The zucchini is starting to fruit, along with pattypan squash. I'm looking for some recipes for them. If you know any let me know.

A great aricle in the NY Times today about South Carolina BBQ. No this isn't a couple of dogs on the grill!! This is by far the best food that isn't found up north. Gotta love the pork products! For the less educated there are 3 types of BBQ sauce. 1)Ketchup Base, 2)Mustard Base and 3)Vinegar Base. Most of your grocery store bottles are ketchup based. Lots of SC is partial to mustard based. The coastal area (where the BBQ stand in the article is located) and into the NC area likes a peppery vinegar base (that's my favorite). You can usually get all three in BBQ joints around here. Here's a map of the state I found that explains it all. Move a little west into Tennessee and you have your dry Memphis style rubs. Also good. But enough BBQ geography for now.

2009-05-04T16:08:00.003-05:00

Yes, that is what you think it is. I have green tomatoes by May 1st! This year I'm growing 3 types; Black Krim, Hungarian Heart and Stupice. Of the three types the Stupice is the only one with green fruits. The description does say it is extremely early and productive. I planted the transplants the week before Easter. If these grow anything like the description in the catalog then I think I'll have a new favorite. I'll post more garden stuff soon.

A real Millionaire Next Door

2009-04-30T08:06:00.002-05:00

Just a great little article from one of my favorite blogs. Over the past couple of years I've really tried to get my (our) financial house in order. The article hits the financial goals I have in life right on the head. Like John in the article, I want to retire at 55 with the house paid off and no debt. Pay the light bill and food, that's it! Oh, and $1,000,000 in the bank. If this interests you too, a good book to start with is The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley. It's a bit statistical at times but it's a great peak inside of what makes someone quietly successful. Of course I added the Amazon.com link but your local library should have it for free (that's how I read it).

What's your financial goal in life?

2009-04-29T13:37:00.003-05:00

Pickles & Beer and Honey????

As you may or may not have heard, my latest plan to flush success from the Victory Garden is to start bee keeping. Yes, you heard right. I've been thinking about this for a few months, almost a year now. I was mesmorized by the South Carolina Bee Keeping Association table at the SC State Fair last fall. For $40 they offered a begining beekeeping course, complete with resources and a practical day. As serendipity would have it, this past winter, just before the classes started, I met someone who calls himself a honey producer. Yes he's a beekeeper too but he has over 80 hives. His honey is amazing! So much better than what you get in a supermarket. He sends them by tractor trailer to Maine for the blueberry nectar and California for the almond bloom. When not on the road they stay on his farm about 30 miles down the road..... but I digress.....

So, much to my wife's dismay, I'm picking up another hobby. I spent an afternoon out on the bee farm installing some new hives. After that I was hooked. I didn't even get stung once! (although that will probably be more the exception than the rule) One Saturday soon I'll be picking up my new hive of bees. The raspberry bushes are already in bloom so I doubt they'll still be flowering when the hive arrives. But my garden is already planted! And as soon as they arrive they'll bee able to spend all day pollinating my (and the neighbor's) garden, assuring me my most successfull harvest yet! AND THEN THERE'S THE HONEY!! I'll be making more mead than traditional beer this year. But that my friend, is another post.......

A great article about how amazing honey bees are.

http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/guest-column-lets-hear-it-for-the-bees/

Back at it.....

2009-02-02T10:16:00.002-05:00

I think I'm reviving Pickles & Beer for yet another life..... the theme for this incarnation will be more informal. Quick blurbs about things I find interesting.... I hope I can gather more of a following than before but as before that's not the reason for this..... we shall see what takes root.

Weekly Sunday Update

2008-10-26T11:16:00.007-05:00

Okay, so as much as I want post daily updates of my exciting thoughts and life, the longtime reader(s) may notice that I tend to update more in fits and bursts. So as a way to be more proactive in blog posting I'm going to try to make Sunday my update day. Lately my Sundays have consisted of watching some football, taking in the boys soccer games, cooking & other home/family projects. I think (hope) I can fit in a blog post at some time during the day.

Here we go!...

I picked a radish the other day that had a big booty backside.
The cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce I planted are doing great. I added some hen manure to the raised bed before planting them a few weeks ago. At first I wasn't convinced that all the work would pay dividends but as you can see the seedlings have taken off and I'm convinced it was the hen manure. Also there's no sign of the cabbage worms that have plagued my cole plant when I grow them in the spring/summer.
Kimberly also did some work getting her flower boxes in order for the autumn. Here's a quick pic.Enough gardening for now. I am 99% sure of who I will vote for on Nov. 4th. Call this a tease if you want but this decision deserves a post devoted to itself entirely. It wasn't an easy choice but look for another update explaining everything in the next 10 days.

Also something I've been thinking about for a while. I'll be starting a second blog to chronicle the greener renovation of our house. There isn't much there yet but check it out when you get a chance.

Nascar Weekend

2008-10-14T08:04:00.005-05:00

I'm feeling a little run down after a busy weekend. I took a half day off last Friday and Kimberly and I went to the State Fair for lunch. They have a great bargain where you pay $5 to get in after noon and if you leave before 2pm you get your $5 back. We use that oportunity each year to look at all of the craft, flower, agricultural and home improvement displays. We can also get our fair food fix without kid interference. The kids get really bored with the agriculture/competition stuff and are always wanting to go on the rides. We'll be taking them to the Fair on Wednesday.

Saturday I went to the Bank of America 500 Nascar race in Charlotte, NC. It's hard to explain the alure of a Nascar race to someone who hasn't been to one before but it's a whole lot of fun even if you're not a big motorhead. It's a cross between the State Fair, major sporting event and tailgate cook out. I bought tickets through work (Mars sponsors the #18 car driven by Kyle Busch) and our plant manager rented a bus for us to ride up in. A friend of a friend works for Time Warner Cable; he also won 4 tickets to the race but in the Time Warner luxury suite!! We took the company bus to the track and met them there. He had 2 extra tickets so we promptly scalped our tickets and took the ones in the luxury suite. It had an open bar and a buffet. The highlight was the pumpkin cheesecake! Being the Time Warner suite there was not only the race to watch but other TVs set up to watch college football and also the Red Sox/Rays game! It was about as good as it could get for 3 hours! Here's a few pictures of the view from the TWC suite.

I was in the doghouse for a little bit for spending so much money on the tickets before having buyers for them, and when it looked like we might eat the cost of 2 of them I was really in hot water. I sold the other 2 on eBay last week. When the auction closed there wasn't enough time to mail the tickets out so I told the winner that I would meet him at the track and he can pay me and I'll deliver the tickets just before the race. I didn't realize that he lived in Indiana! He and his wife rented a car left at 4:00am to get to the track at 3:00pm! They did all of this on my word that I would meet them and deliver the tickets. When I finally met them I was amazed that they did all of that just trusting that I would hold up my end of the bargain. That my friend, is trust in your fellow man! Long story short, I was able to get out of the doghouse because after selling all of the tickets I had and getting the free one to the Time Warner suite, I ended up spending $60 to go to the race! What a bargain!

Fall/Winter Garden Plantings

2008-09-13T11:09:00.006-05:00

I spent my morning today getting one of my beds ready for some autumn plantings. I double dug the bed and got rid of some roots and grass. I made a trip to Lowe's and bought some seedlings - cabbage, cauliflower & broccoli along with some Black Hen Compost. As the picture shows... I made double sure to keep everything labeled because they look so alike at this stage it's easy to get them mixed up.

I think one of the reasons why some of the older parts of the garden haven't done as well as I had hoped is because it needs some good organic matter to fertilize. I have a feeling that the county compost I used to create the beds wasn't as fertile as I thought. The Black Hen compost should help there. It is a bit expensive though.

Anyway, After getting all sweaty and dirty I have another 9 cauliflower & broccoli pants along with a dozen cabbage seedlings. If last year is any indication, the first hard frost won't happen here until January. A whole three and a half months of prime growing time! I also have about 25 brussel sprout seedlings I started from seeds. They're much smaller than the seedlings I bought but I'm hoping they turn out well. The pole beans I planted last month are starting to flower. I should have a second harvest of green beans in a few weeks. In the picture below the bed I replanted is closest to the left. In the back you can see the pole beans climbing up the fence.
You can also see some pepper plants in the middle along with some rows of raddishes. On the far right is the last of my cucumber plants. I should finally be able to harvest a cuke or two in the next weeks. I had a little incident with some worms eating all of my baby gherkins, but now they seem to have vanished, The last picture shows my herb garden. The rosemary planted 2 years ago have taken well and are turning into perenial bushes. The oregano and basil grew well this year and I planted some dill and cilantro from the seed pods. Hopefully they'll come up next spring.

Land's End Free Shipping

2008-09-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Just a little tip to save some money!

As you probably know Sears sells Land's End merchandise now. We like Land's End stuff for the kids. It hold up well but isn't too expensive. The Sears here was having a big (50%) Land's End sale and the salesman also told us that if we can't ever find anything Land's End in stock at Sears we can order it through the catalog kiosk @ Sears and it will be delivered to your house with NO SHIPPING FEE!!! In essence, before you buy something from Land's End, check to see if they have it in stock @ Sears. If not then order it at the in store kiosk and save the shipping charge!!!

My presidential dilema....

2008-08-31T08:57:00.004-05:00

David Broder had a great column today about Barak Obama's Denver speech. He hit what I feel right on the head. Most of you know that I'm all over the map with my political beliefs. One thing I do strongly believe is that our country needs change. Change in energy policy, education, health care, organization, foreign policy, budgeting & special influence. Don't confuse what I just wrote with me saying that Geaorge Bush is the root of all of the world's ills. What Obama was preaching in March stired up lots of support and interest, in cluding in me. But lately things seemed to have changed. Here's the paragragh that sums it up for me.

"One of the major questions about Obama, of whom so little is known, is whether he is really serious about challenging the partisan gridlock in Washington or whether his election would simply bring on the regular wish list of liberal policies.

His Boston speech -- and many others early in this campaign -- suggested that he was sincere in wanting to tamp down partisanship and would be creative enough to see the need for enlisting bright people from both parties in confronting the nation's problems.

But the Denver speech, like many others he has given recently, subordinated any talk of fundamental systemic change to a checklist of traditional Democratic programs."

I joked a while back that an Obama/McCain election would be the toughest choice for me ever. I've always liked McCain. His plain talk is always refreshing in a time where every word a politician chooses is parced to the milimeter. He too has changed. The steadfastnest of his previous veiws on campaign finance reform, oil drilling and others now seem to be more in line with the party bosses. They/he seem(s) to forget that those views are what got him the nomination in the first place.

Anyway, there's where I stand. My vote will probably go to the candidate who I feel will most likely actually deliver change. Is it old school McCain or new school Obama. Or is it Bob Barr... who knows. I will, in about 2 months.

Lawnmower Music Review

2008-08-30T16:42:00.002-05:00

I was preparing myself for cutting the grass today and syncing the ol' iPod and remembered a few old CDs I wanted to import. Straight out of High Fidelity.... my top 5 cds to listen to while mowing the lawn.

The Lemonheads - "Come on feel the lemonheads" (only because I don't have "It's a shame about Ray" imported yet)
Jimmy Buffett - Fruit Cakes (If I have to pick an albumn not my mix playlist)
Duran Duran - Greatest Hits (You don't realize how awesome this cd is until you listen)
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People...... And today's discovery..
Talking Heads - Sand in the Vaseline disc #2 - (nothing but) Flowers is an awesome song.... just sit back, dig the rhythm and mow!

Of course all comments are welcome..... what are your favorite tunes to listen to when giving the grass a haircut?

Cool easy web browsing

2008-08-28T19:01:00.002-05:00

I hope there aren't many people left who have yet to use Firefox . So much better than Internet Explorer. My favorite aspect is all of the add-ons you can customize Firefox with. I came across this one, Morning Coffee, today. It's perfect! You can customize what days to load what tabs. Perfect for loading up the Sunday sports section or daily opinion pages. I can't rave enough about this. Check it out!

Why I'm not excted about the election

2008-08-27T12:34:00.003-05:00

A great article today in the Washington Post. All the little bickering and accusations just keep the candidates from addressing issues. Not that they're the only ones to blame, when was the last time you heard an indepth article on your six o'clock news about the differences between issues? Campaign ads on either side only tell half truths.

I counld go on but I don't want to waste my time just ranting...

Vote Barr/Root 2008!!

Separating the wheat from the chaff

2008-08-06T10:48:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of articles that caught my eye today.....

The summer joys of fresh tomatoes and the work needed to farm them is described in a great article in today's Boston Globe.
A rare site, the Christian Science Monitor has a very good, non-partisan report on McCain & Obama's energy plans as contrasted to the city of Austin, TX energy plan. A well written piece that is more than just a mouthpiece for campaign talking points (that's a rarity).
And lastly, in the midst of a summer heat wave, check out a brief history of the bikini slideshow on Slate.com

It's called a LIBRARY!!

2008-08-04T12:13:00.003-05:00

Library
noun, plural libraries
1) A place in which literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for reading, reference, or lending.

Check out this link.

I'm not sure if the guy who invented this site is dumb or very smart making tons of cash off of really dumb people.

I wonder if anyone ever told him " You realize that most cities, towns, municipalities, counties, schools & universities provide this service for free and they will be your competition?"

And another thing... he only has 140,000 books! Whether audio books, mp3, cd or paperback... that's a pretty meager number compared to most libraries and lending library systems.

A great new TV show idea or a fool and his money are soon departed

2008-07-29T08:36:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure what to think about this story.

Part of me says "Serves you right!"

Part of me would be quite pissed off if I was part of the community that worked so hard to build that house.

Part of me thinks, "This is why is rarely watch network TV."

Another example that proves the adage, "You can't legislate stupidity." No matter what local, state or federal government laws are passed to help homeowners in this time of economic crisis; stupid people will always do stupid things. Like the writer of the article said, "Where's the cameras now?"

2008-07-28T06:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it's been almost a month and a half since my last post. I know my loyal reader(s) have been in breathless anticipation of what I've been doing. Who am I to deny the masses?

Work was crazy for about a month. We had our corporate quality audit 2 weeks ago and all of the preparation has paid off! In 2007 (our first year doing the audit) we came in at a 61% (76% is needed to pass). This year do to much hard work and long hours we blew it away at a 90%! One of the largest jumps in the whole company and a real testament to the hard work put in the last 6 months.
Kimberly graduated nursing school last week! She takes the state boards today, so hopefully by tonight she'll be a licensed nurse! Then off to the job market!
I took a week's vacation when Kimberly graduated because her parents came out to visit and see the ceremony. My father in law (Joe) is quite the DIY guru. We added a ceiling light fixture to our new shower to you can see yourself get clean now. He gave me a great home electrical primer and now I feel confident that I can tackle a few more job..... add GFCI breakers to the breaker box, add a vent fan to the laundry room and possibly change a circuit or 2 around the house. I also fixed the drain in the new bathroom, replaced the drain the master bedroom bath and finally found the color to paint the new bathroom (a color we already had sitting around).
As far as the Victory Garden 2008 goes....... The green beans are still harvesting. We must have had about 3 gallons or so from the two 12' rows. My tomato plants dies of verticillium wilt. The cucumbers I planted in June are flowering. The second planting of zucchini is also flowering (the first plants died shortly after the first fruits). The Alma Paprika pepper plants (say that 5 times fast) are starting to fruit.
And as always, we're still working to track every dime we spend as part of getting our financial house in order. We slacked off the tracking in July but plan on becoming more anal about it in August. With Kimberly not having to drive to Orangeburg, SC 5 days a week, our gas bill should be more reasonable.

Anyway, that's the quick update for now. Pictures and more to follow soon.

Harvest Time

2008-06-14T11:32:00.005-05:00

Green beans and Zucchini galore!!

For the past 2 weeks or so the green bean harvest has been coming in great! I've never grown pole beans before this season but now I'm hooked. The gardening books and catalogs have it right; a little time and effort to set up a fence in the spring has paid off now. My two 12' rows of Kentucky Wonder beans have given up 2 gallons so far. They are a bit stringy when let to get big, I have to remember to pick them small. But all last week I was able to harvest about 2 servings every other day. They've slowed down production a bit this week but with the success of this first planting I may replant some more in late August to take advantage of the warm South Carolina autumn.
The Black Beauty zucchini plants are giving us great squash too. They haven't been huge or forever fruiting like last year but at least 2-3 times a week I get to pick a zuke. We've been slicing and saueting them in olive oil with red onion and yellow squash. Great side dish! The picture above is one days pickings last week.

Garlic Too!

The garlic that was planted last November has been dug up now too. This was my first year growing garlic. I bought some nice heads in Ithaca, NY last November and planted them here in SC. I was a bit unsure if they would grow well in the heat. They wintered well in the mild weather and I was rewarded with about 30 heads. They're a bit smaller than something you would find in a store but I'll chalk it up to first time learning. I have them hanging the laundry room now to cure for a few weeks. As I told Kimberly the other day..... We won't have to worry about vampires for a while! I just hope the garlic smell doesn't permeate the washing.

Memorial Day Weekend Garden Update

2008-05-25T15:58:00.004-05:00

Here's a quick garden update for the weekend. As you can see beans and zucchini are going crazy! In fact the second picture is of the first tiny zucchini growing. In about a month we'll have more summer squash than you can shake a twig at! Everything else has been OK. The onions have been blown over a bit by some windy weather. The garlic took a bit of a hit too but it looks OK. The brussel sprouts have been eaten by bugs so I pulled them out. The cauliflower, pumpkins, tomatoes & peppers all are slowly growing. The first planting of beets didn't really sprout but I planted another row 2 weeks ago and there sprouting at last! I hope everything is growing in your garden!

Bubble bubble toil and trouble!

2008-05-25T15:50:00.003-05:00

It's a little tough to see, but if you look inside you can see a huge bubble forming on the mead. It was about 6 inches across before it popped! I don't know how or why it formed but 1 month into the fermentation, everything look great!

Free address stamp

2008-05-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick freebee I found on the web. Get a free self inking address stamp for just the price of shipping ($3.79). I've already ordered one and it works great and I just ordered a second so it's not a one time offer. Order as many as you need!

Food, History & Culture

2008-04-30T16:57:00.003-05:00

I was perusing the NY Times today while at work and came across an interesting article about a book that combines a couple of my favorite subjects - Food, history & culture! I've been familar with the Seed Savers Exchange for a few years now (it's usually where I order most of the Victory Garden) they've been selling seeds and plants that have been entered into the Ark of Taste the past few seasons. My two cents.. all things being equal, why not grow something spiced with true American cultural history as opposed to just the same old home center six pack o' plants or cardboard display stand of seeds. I just might have to buy this one, oh and save $11 by pre-ordering the book on Amazon.com by May 15th!

Later.....

After checking out the Slow Food webpage (the organization that runs the Ark of Taste) my interest has been piqued.... The membership price is a little steep but the work that they do is certainly justified. There's also a chapter in Columbia! Check out Slow Food USA!! This book is a definite buy now!

Mmmmmead......

2008-04-26T12:05:00.003-05:00

I making some mead this morning. Yummy! The last time I made some (about 4 years ago) it was a bit sweet but very good. I bottled it in flip top Grolsch bottles, I think I might use champagne bottles this time. The alcohol was a bit high and combined with the sweetness, a 16 oz. bottle was more than one serving. I'm hoping to make it a bit drier this time. I'm using 10.5 pounds of honey (12 pounds last time) and adding some cloves, cinnamon & orange zest. I'm using some dry champagne yeast for fermentation. It takes a while to fully ferment so it will be ready for the holidays (hopefully!). I'll keep the progress posted here..... I've been in a brewing mood lately but I think I may try some hard cider next. If anyone has any recipes, feel free to pass them along.

reboot... reboot... reboot...

2008-04-24T11:53:00.003-05:00

Campaign analysis in the guise of my favorite commercials! I don't know how I missed this when these columns were first written but here you go... here & here!

BTW... I love macs!

Personal values and economic choices

2008-04-23T05:13:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite money blogs has a great post about the values we hold and what we buy. The book he reviews seems interesting and may need to be a library pick the next time we visit. My green philosophy has always been two-fold. First, green from a sustainability point of view but also green from a wallet aspect. I need to keep as much green as I can in my wallet! As unproven and anecdotal as it is, I certainly believe that there's a markup on many products just because the words organic or environmentally friendly are on the label. Although there are exceptions everywhere. Just buying less stuff is green, sustainable & environmentally friendly. And don't forget about the extra cash left over to pad that 401(k) and the magic of compound interest!

Any comments?

Victory Garden 2008 - Spring

2008-04-15T13:13:00.006-05:00

Okay, we're well into spring here in South Carolina so I figured I would add a bit of an update to show how the Victory Garden 2008 is progressing. This winter I did a lot of thinking of how to make the garden better and more successful. After contemplating the two previous plantings I came up with to 2 areas on which I need to improve on.

The first is watering. This is a little tricky. Since starting this garden 2 springs ago I've used soaker hoses to do most of the watering. I think they've done an OK job but I've always been a little concerned that there are dry spots in the bed that don't get enough water. So I usually do a little hand watering also to make sure everything gets enough water. This usually works out great for the first month or so when my enthusiasm is high but soon I get lazy and then just use the soaker hose. And then I sometimes forget to do that regularly. April & May are always great but by June & July when the really hot and dry weather gets here and we're off doing summer vacation stuff, many of my plants just don't get enough water to produce a great harvest. Resolution #1 keep everything well watered!! All season long!

Second is plant selection. Since moving into the house in 2005 I've always had ideas and fantasies of what I wanted my vegetable garden to be. Three years into this space, about 1/3 of the plants always seem to grow slow or unsuccessfully. Lots of these plants are ones that, looking back, were set up to fail. High maintenance, low tolerance to heat and drought (see #1 also). So when planning what I wanted to plant this year, I made a conscience effort to choose plants that I've had success with in the past and also choose plants that do well here in the southeast regardless of whether they're on my fantasy plant list.

So keep these two thoughts in mind when I describe what I planted this year.

As you can see in the first picture, I added a 4th raised bed. I filled it with compost from the county composting facility (at $20/yd3 it's a bargain and very healthy for the plants). In the new 4th bed I stuck with some old successful favorites and some new stuff. Last year I planted Black Beauty zucchini and it did gangbusters! We had baseball bat sized fruits and ate zucchini bread all summer long. I've never had big success with winter squash, which is disappointing because I love them so much (see rule #2). With the zucchini having done so well I decided to plant some more summer squash. Along with the Black Beauty I planted some pattypan type. I also changed things a bit with my beans. The past few years I've been growing bush type beans with limited success. After reading a bit about pole type beans I made a trellis and gave them a shot. The Kentucky Wonder variety is an old heirloom type that is supposed to be very productive and tolerate heat well. Everyday it seems as though they grow at least 3 inches. I also planted some petunia seeds in a small row in the front that will hopefully save us some money when Kimberly plants her flower boxes this summer.

I have some themes in the other 3 beds. One bed consists entirely of onions and garlic. I planted the garlic last November. When I was up in Ithaca, NY for Dave & Arjean's wedding we spent some time at the Ithaca farmer's market. It really puts the Columbia one to shame but I was able to buy lots of cool stuff including some organic garlic grown locally around Ithaca. They seem to be doing well but I just hope the weather isn't too hot and they get enough water to be successful. If everything goes well, I'll save a few heads and replant an entire bed again this fall. I also have some red onions growing in this bed. About 5 years ago I grew some onions and they were the best onions I've ever tasted. I bought the seedlings about as thick as a pencil and planted them about early March. I hope they do as well as before.

In another bed I have my cole crops. Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. I tried to grow some cauliflower over the winter but in January we had a hard freeze and that did it for them. They were doing well until the freeze. As for the brussel sprouts, that was another thing I brought home from the Ithaca farmer's market. Fresh brussel sprouts right off the stem are amazing just pan fried with a little olive oil.

My last bed has a bit of a hodgepodge. I have two Hungarian Heart tomato plants, two Alma Paprika pepper pants & two Aunt Molly's ground cherry plants. these run down the center and I have a row of German Giant radishes on one side and a row of Bull's Blood beets on the other side. I'm looking forward to eating the beet greens as well as the roots. We LOVE beets in our house, especially pickled! Peppers grow great here. The plants grow slowly at first but as soon as the hot hot July summer hits, we'll have peppers well into October! I've never been a very successful tomato farmer but hopefully increased watering will help that.

I'm also growing some butterhead lettuce in a galvanized tub. I sowed the seeds close together and hope to feed on the seedlings as I thin them out.

That sums up the Victory Garden 2008 status so far. Probably in a little more detail than needed but I think of this as my garden journal too. As always, let me know what you're growing this year and if you're interested in saving any seeds and swapping for next year. Happy gardening!

Consumerism, big box stores or what really annoyed me today.

2008-04-09T16:09:00.005-05:00

Okay, just a little rant today. So I've been working on Colonel Mustard a bit lately. Last month I added a real car radio (no more portable one on the floor) and added speakers behind the seat. In the process of all of this, I took off the door panels to check out the door speakers (they fell apart like you would expect 35 year old speakers). I thought I had everything organized but when putting it all back together I found I had lost the screw that holds the window roller handle on (you remember those things right? when you actually had to roll down windows!). Not a big deal, I'll just get another for like 7 cents right? Wrong.

After about 2 weeks suffering with a window handle that falls off when I close the driver's side door, I said enough was enough. I went down to Lowe's to get the much needed screw. I took the screw out of the passenger's side door to match what I needed and headed to the hardware section. Here's the catch. I couldn't buy just the one screw I had to buy a package of five. FIVE!! Colonel Mustard only has two doors! The one screw (and four extras I have no use for) cost me $1.01 with tax. Then I had to listen to a rude cashier say in disbelief "What!? you don't have a penny?" followed by her making a 'quite put out' face, when I gave her 4 quarters and a nickel.

While driving home (I didn't make this trip just for 1 screw, it was just one stop on my afternoon errand run) the crux of the problem really annoyed me. What bothered me wasn't the $1.01 or the cashier (well the cashier did annoy me, it's not like I gave her a $100 bill, she only had to part with 4 pennies from her drawer) but that I was forced to buy 4 extra screws and a plastic bag that they came in and I didn't have a choice in the matter. Somewhere at Lowe's HQ someone is laughing because I was forced to buy more product than I needed. The four screws will end up in my odd screw/nail/thingamajig box, probably never to get used again. Very wasteful. How is packaging the screws in bags of 5 serving me better. It doesn't, it just sells more. Instead of 4 extra screws on the shelf at the store, they're now at my house. And the plastic bag is in the trash.

This doesn't only happen at Lowe's. Think about it, everywhere you go, stores and salesmen are trying to package their wares to get you to buy more than you need. Buy this get that free. Then you're made to feel bad that you passed on the stuff you don't need. I've actually had people look incredulous at me when ordering at a fast food places. The conversation usually goes like this..

Me: I'd like a hamburger with only lettuce, onions and tomatoes & a large coke.
Server : Do you want cheese on that?
Me: No, only lettuce, onions and tomatoes please.
I love having to repeat my order over because the server wasn't paying attention
Server: Do you want fries with that?
Me: No.
Server: But for only $0.45 more you can get a meal with fries.
Me: But I don't want a meal package. I'm not going to eat the fries, they'll just end up in the trash.
Server: really put off like I just offended her or I'm the stupidest person in the world Okay but it's only $0.45?!
Me: But I won't eat them, they'll be thrown out.

It's really tough not to just shake someone and scream "LISTEN TO WHAT I'M SAYING!!!"

This post probably sounds a bit disjointed but I needed to vent. So, do you think I'm some curmudgeon weirdo or does this bother you too?

Cheap Beer

2008-03-24T22:07:00.007-05:00

Words of wisdom I learned long ago... "There are two types of beer in the world, cold beer and free beer. Free beer is always better!"
In these hard economic times everyone needs to reevaluate our priorities in life. Tighten our belts, go without and make what little we have last longer. Pass up that case of Newcastle Brown Ale ($25) for a 12 pack of Miller High Life ($6.99). Search the sofa cushions for wayward quarters and dimes. What do you do when times are tough and you yearn for that malty hoppy goodness? This question has made man pause for thought for generations. Being schooled in the art of home brewing, the obvious answer is to make your own. Rewarding and fun but it's also time consuming. If I started a batch tomorrow, I would have to wait at minimum 6 weeks to reap the rewards of my hard work.

Of course drinking a less expensive brew is an obvious option. But how to justify the reduced expense with the reduced quality and flavor? I think that Yeungling is the one of the better price/quality/flavor beers around.

My solution to cheap beer involves my second hand kegerator. A few years ago I bought an old second refrigerator from a coworker. When I went out to his house to pick it up I noticed a box of old beer dispensing equipment. Since he was well past his prime drinking age, had teenage children around often and was recently more involved in his local Baptist church, he gladly threw in the kegerator parts with the price of the fridge figuring (correctly) that he probably would never set it up again. He also recounted many a tales of excess (beer in Cheerios, etc..) to warn me of the dangers of keg beer the house. After fixng a few parts and replacing a few hoses and gaskets, I had it up and running in no time. I can certainly attest to the dangers of keg beer in the house. With no empties to count, having one or four too many is very easy. Also, anyone who wants to loose weight shouldn't have draft beer in the house. But I digress, this post is supposed to be about reducing the cost of beer in your budget...

As I said before, I find Yeungling Lager one of the best mix between taste and cost. 6 Packs go for $4.99 at the local gas stations. 12 packs run between $7-8 and out on the town, a draft pint is usually under $3. A pony keg of Yeungling runs between $42-$47 plus a refudable $10 deposit.(Yeungling 1/4 kegs also come tall & skinny and fit nicely in the fridge by only taking out the sleves on one side, leaving the other side for other beverages or food). The CO2 tank lasts about 3 to 4 kegs before having to refill, about $30. At $45 for 7.5 gallons, doing the math gives me $0.89/pint. I also get coolness points and rarely have to "make a beer run" in the middle of the big game.

A couple of tips. 1) keep a hand pump handy. It really sucks to have a full keg and run out of CO2 during a big game. Plenty of beer and no way to get to it. 2) you will drink more, no matter how you rationalize this to you wife.... with beer on tap in the house, you will drink more than just buying a 6 pack at a time.... This may lead to a quick extra 10 pounds.

I actualy use a travel version I made from a plastic trash can and few pieces of scrap wood more than the original set up. It's invaluable at sporting events (see picture in my profile at a SC football game) and other gatherings where copious amounts of beer will be consumed. Also using CO2 instead of a hand pump to dispense the brew eliminates the oxidization of the beverage and reduces much of the "skunk" taste of leftovers. Just keep everything cold (draft beer isn't pasturized) and you'll never have to worry about bad keg beer again.

So, pass along your ideas for drinking on the cheap, hopefully without sacraficing quality!

Check it out.... & 2008 Victory Garden update

2008-03-21T10:52:00.003-05:00

While taking the boys to the library yesterday, I was perusing through the home improvement section and a gardening book caught my eye. Check out Great Garden Shortcuts by Joan Benjamin. Lots of great ideas for organizing, planning and working in your garden. I liked the idea of using a bottle bottom to make an impression in the soil to mark spacing of seeds. Lots of ideas about planning and also working more efficiently in your garden. I blew through it in a night and took what I wanted out of it. now it's back to the library.....

Also, I've spent the past 2 days getting the garden ready for spring. I took Colonel Mustard down to the county composting facility to fill him up for $20 (well, as much as I could before the bed was below the rear tires and the front tires were raised enough to make it hard to steer). I added another raised bed this year but am still running out of room. This year I've dedicated an entire bed to garlic and onions so the addition of a 4th bed only brings me back to my original 3 beds for everything else. I'll be spending the rest of the day figuring out where I plant the last few things most efficiently. My Seed Saver order was shipper Thursday so hopefully I'll be fully planted buy next week! Happy Gardening!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-16T20:37:00.005-05:00

Read a little about St. Patrick. Enjoy an Irish feast of champ and Irish soda bread and chicken & leek pie. When washing it down, forgo the Guinness and Killian's for a Smithwick's or Beamish. You can thank me later. And of course think of your Irish ancestors and the trials & tribulations they endured for a better life. Thanks Patrick Keaveny & Nora Quirk!

I have the day off today, so Mr. Quinn & I will be visiting local establishments from about lunchtime on, all day. maybe I'll post a picture or two later.

One bit about Irish history in Columbia, SC. One of the local Catholic churches here was formed by Irish immigrants. Read about the history here. I find it a bit odd that in 1821 (well before the Civil War), there was nobody in South Carolina able hand dig the Columbia Canal but Irish immigrants from the north?

My political platform...

2008-03-15T21:12:00.007-05:00

Since I like a spirited political discussion as much as the next guy and I'll no doubt be posting more links to articles about the candidates, I figured I should come up with a manifesto of my core tenets. This should make it clear as mud who I support in the coming and all future elections.

As of now I'm currently undecided who to vote for President in November. I voted for McCain in January but that was because I felt he needed my vote more than Obama in the primary and I have always liked his straight talk and independence. I despise Hillary. She is about the most slimy, detestable, abhorrent politician there is. As long as she doesn't become President, I will be happy. I like Obama's mantra for change. But then again 8 years ago I though GWB was the type of outsider to bring change to Washington. As long as Obama doesn't surround himself with the same type of democratic old guard GWB did, change might actually happen. For the record my votes for President since turning 18 have been for Bush I, Clinton, Bush II & David Cobb.
I believe that I have the right to buy a shotgun from Walmart or an AK-47 from a gun show, and don't mind anyone knowing that I have the weapons or filling out some paperwork or waiting a week to fire that first round, but if I ever get committed or commit a felony I would expect those rights to be taken away from me.
I have to live withing a budget and expect my government to do so also. On a similar note, I own a house, I mean I owe a mortgage for a house & have a car payment. For big expenses these are practical ways to pay for things I can't pay outright for. I grant the government the right to do the same thing if the need is there.
Torture is torture no matter how or why it's done. We have prosecuted many other nations & soldiers for this throughout the 20th century. It should be clear as day that ALL TORTURE IS ILLEGAL, but there's a comparison to justified murder that nobody ever talks about. There are many occasions that a beaten and battered woman who kills her abuser isn't charged with murder. Also, imagine if someone breaks into your house and rapes and kills your wife and kids. You grab your Walmart Special 12 gauge and blast him to kingdom come. Both extreme circumstances but if I'm on either jury, you'll get a 'not guilty' from me. Why isn't torture perceived the same way? Republicans like to speak in a vagueness that they would never want to hinder future Presidents or soldiers; but if the Jack Bauer scenario ever happens with an eminent attack & the only person with knowledge of the when and where is in custody. Go ahead and torture his ass to get it out of him. It doesn't matter if it's legal or not. Then let the Attorney General decide if it was justified just like a state Attorneys General would do for the many justified homicides that happen each year. If it really wasn't needed though (see Abu Ghraib) I'll put your ass in jail for a LONG time.
Too many people in this country/world will gladly acknowledge that they've been dealt bad hands in life, but refuse to acknowledge that just about everyone CAN overcome most of life's problems through hard work and a hand up as opposed to a handout and waiting for that full house to be dealt. Apply this to all social programs, help those who help themselves.
We are stewards of the world. That means growing our population and economy in symbiotic relation to our environment. We are one of the world's most prosperous, inventive and industrious nations. If there's a true commitment to make a successful electric car or use more sustainable agricultural practices or become energy independent, it will happen. Think JFK's commitment about going to the moon. Too often the commitment is to profit and return on investment.

Ok, I've rattled on enough for now. I'm sure there will be more to add in the coming months. As always I would love to get comments. Or if you are just unsure of what side of an issue you should be on, let me know and I'll tell you where you need to be. ;-)

Candidates, speeches, talking points and reality

2008-03-12T10:34:00.002-05:00

This article caught my eye the other day. It seems all three candidates fall short on economic policy making but instead of actually debating the issues they try to shout louder that their policies are best. Nobody wants to say the emperor has no clothes on because they themselves haven't looked in a mirror in a while.

Something else that bothers me quite a bit about the modern political campaign is when polititians (or there spokesperson) harp on one statement or idea and try to monopolize it hoping that some of it actually sticks and the public will associate the candidate with the issue/idea. Example, the Bush campaign painting John Kerry as a flip flopper. Because the Bush people were able to ingrain that image into the voters minds early and often, it stuck, rightly or wrongly. I'm starting to see similar tactics with Obama & Clinton attacking each other. Each one trying to attach themselves to vague ideals so that hopefully some stick, no matter what the realities are, the public perception is already formed.

The Fact Checker is a great regular column that also interjects reality into overstating campaign promises and ballyhoo.

Stream of Conscienceness blogging

2008-03-01T15:23:00.003-05:00

Bear with me.......
I've been looking for shaving stuff on eBay lately and came across some good links...

A Straight Razor Forum, This has all of the questions, answers, tips & techniques for shaving with a straight razor but also buying old razors and restoring them to top notch form.

A good place for sharpening stones and hones, I have my old Boy Scout stone but I think I do more damage with it than good.... I need something around 3000-8000 grit.

I think Paul McCartney'S Silly Love Songs is one of my favorite of his.

I went on a field trip with Sheridan yesterday. I joined Springdale Elementary's 3rd grade on their trip to the State House and visited the Confedeate Relic Museum. I know all of you Yankee are snickering about that Confederate Relic Museum, but It was much better than I thought it would be and the staff was very entertaining and knowledgable. I went free but for $6 admission, it's worth it when you're visiting through Columbia. I was surprised that it wasn't just "guns & uniform" place and more than "those damn yankees ruined everything!" They have lots of stuff from Wade Hampton. They also talk a lot about the Confederate Veterans post war too which I thought was interesteing.

The State House was cool too. Especially the bronze stars marking the 6 places hit by General Sherman's cannonballs! Great architecture and gardens on the property too.

I looking at going back to graduate school this fall. I need to take a few calculus courses to bone up a bit but I'm looking at a Master's of Industrial Statistics degree at USC.

I placed the first of my garden seed order this past week.... getting the green thumb itch soon. More to post later.

Kimberly is a 2 mini-semesters away from graduating nursing school! We're going to have a hum dinger of a party after she graduates!

more soon

Newman??? Farley???.... maybe....

2008-02-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

This was just too funny not to pass along....

2008-01-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I didn't post a picture of Dan's chickens!!! Love them fresh eggs!

It's the middle of winter....????

2008-01-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, so by all accounts it's the middle of winter. January 20th. But yet in South Carolina there are already signs of spring all around. A few houses down the road there are a few daffodils in bloom. Here at 205 Westgate Drive the daffodils are poking up but haven't had any blossoms yet. Daffodils are big in this neighborhood. When we first moved here, we noticed all of them around our house (evidently the original owners loved them). I've never been too keen on them and we took a bunch out (but they still came back). But now after a few years I've grown to like them much more. They really are the first sign of spring here. When I saw the first bit of yellow down the street, I was instantly moved to start thinking about the end of winter and the start of spring & summer (here in SC summer starts about Easter and goes well though Columbus Day). Anyway, I hope all of the Yankees who read this aren't too jealous. It's been about 4 years since we've had any snow. I really do miss it, and the pond ice skating and sledding. Just doesn't happen here.
As for the Victory Garden 2008, most of the stuff I've done is on the planning end. I'm awash with seed catalogs and ideas for plantings. I have to temper my enthusiasm for what I want to grow with some reality of what I can grow. Looking back the past few years, I've been most successful with plants that I know will work well. Case in point, I've tried to grow peas every year but each year they fry once that first hot day hits Columbia. As much as we would love fresh peas, it's just not in the cards. Zucchini & other summer squash are quite the opposite. We've had bumper harvests of zukes the past years, so I'm going to expand a bit to some patty pan type summer squash.

I'm going to add another raised bed this year, hopefully for some flowers Kimberly can put in the flower boxes. I also might move some lettuce to wide terracotta planters on the front steps, I want to use more mixed color & shape lettuce types so it should look good as well as taste good.

As far as the winter garden goes..... let's take a look. The cabbages are growing... slowly. We've had only a couple of hard freezes so far but I think once things warm up they're pick up the pace. The garlic I brought home from the Ithaca farmer's market has sprouted up and looks to be growing well. If that is the only successful crop I have I will be ecstatic! We love our garlic! I also moved the herbs from the raised bed to another established bed nearby. The rosemary and oregano are still going strong and I hope they stay perennials here. The cauliflower I planted is going great. A favorite recipe we cook all of the time is cauliflower and cheese soup. I hope we can make some soon with fresh cauliflower.
I could write more (lots to say about work and life) but it's almost 1:30pm and the Patriots play at 3:00pm. I need to get some work done so I can devote all of my attention to another AFC championship.

The Home Budget & Fresh Eggs

2008-01-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

I've had a few conversations with a couple of people about finances recently and they seemed intrigued about our family budget. I was inspired by an article call the 60% Solution. After setting up a spreadsheet I realized we weren't that far off. I actually did 2 budgets, one ideal and one reality. While we're not all there yet, having the comparison between the two we're able to see where we need to trim more and where we can save more. For us it's really shown us how much money actually comes into the family each month and that with a few tweaks we should be able to pay all of our bills, save for retirement, save for a rainy day and have some extra for some fun. I would love to hear any comments on your budget solutions.

Here's a few pictures of the Megan family (Dan, Kathy & Paulie). In a couple of months they will expand their family by another! They also have the best eggs in Dedham, MA, fresh from their backyard!

2007-12-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to post more but everything has just been so busy, work, Christmas, Arthur..... Yes, the last 25 songs are coming, soon. Until then have a read at some articles I found at the Washington Post.

and also....

My recent favorite blog - Get Rich Slowly
My favorite post so far on said blog

The Greatest!

2007-12-29T15:29:00.001-05:00

All of the Grizzlies together at the Ranger Jack Amphitheater opening, 2005. Probably the only picture of us all together since the 1994 camp staff photo. Makes a great wallpaper!

More pictures

2007-12-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to some pictures of Arthur that Dave put together

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmakar/tags/arthur

More Arthur pictures

2007-12-28T02:59:00.001-05:00

Just going through some old albums..... This is what I found.... Mostly from my going away party and one from Mike Lavoie bachelor party. More to come....

The best summer of my life....

2007-12-28T02:30:00.000-05:00

1994, My first summer on the Camp Wanocksett staff. I was Nature Director. I shared a Duplex cabin with Dan Megan & Arthur Lomax. it was by far the best summer (probably 3 months) of my entire life. Here's a few pictures from our trip to Canada at summer's end. Thanks for being part of it Arthur!

I can't believe it's been 13 years since then!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

I promise, more to come soon.

2007-10-31T14:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!!

Yes the last 25 are still coming......

Pics form last night

2007-10-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a few pictures from a little Halloween party last night.

A Banana & a Pineapple

Jeff as Captain Kirk & I as Bacchus

More to come later today as I have to stay up late to get back on night shift.

51 -75

2007-10-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

James - Laid - Loved it from the beginning.
Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner - The version with DNA not the album track
Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name Of - I'm proud to day I was a Rage fan way ahead of everyone!
Arlo Guthrie - City of new Orleans - Solid classic
Pearl Jam - Evenflow - There may be better songs but this reminds me of senior year of HS and going to see them at Lollapalooza 2. Subsequent Lollapalooza concerts pale in comparison. Check out the bands.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground - lots to choose here but the Mother's Milk album is my favorite
The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar - Classic
The Who - 5:15 - Anything from Quadrophenia is excellent
The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations - NPR did a story about this song as part of their top 100 back in 2001. It's quite the tale. I remember hearing the original broadcasts 6 years ago but looking over the list I find I have 6 of their 100 on my list and a few other singers too. Make the time to listen to this and some of the other interviews!! Oh, and send in your pledges too!
Simon & Garfunkle - Kadochrome
David Bowie - Heroes - Don't try do out sing Bowie on this.
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi - Same as above. Why do people insist on remakinging great songs when there are so many sucky ones you could remake better (see the leamonheads)
Sheena Easton - Morning Train - You just can't help singing along
Cheap Trick - Surrender - Live version only please. 70's stadium rock at its best!
Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye - Fabulous song.... Currently my cell phone ringer.
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Sometimes Always
Barry White - Just the way you are - He does this better than Billy Joel. And he's cooler.
Lemonheads - Luka - One of the best remakes EVER! You've never heard this song like this before.
Ringo Starr - The No No Song - You would think there would be more rock songs centered on this theme. It Don't Come Easy is a close second
Steely Dan - FM - Groovy Stuff
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime - Otherwise known as the soundtrack to my life. Listen to the NPR story on this song too. Another hard time choosing just one song. If you don't have it, pick up the Sand in the Vaseline double CD. Awesome stuff.
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Steal my Kisses - Wish he got more airplay.
Phish - Cities - With all of the live stuff to choose from I pick this studio track for my favorite, even though it is a Talking Head cover. Or maybe because it is a Talking Heads cover.
Hall & Oats - Rich Girl - The Hall & Oats greatest hits CD is AWESOME!
Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf - Another awesome greatest hits CD. The Old Spice commercial featuring the guy at the piano playing this song in hilarious!!

Gimme you comments

26 through 50

2007-10-24T18:51:00.000-05:00

Here's the next installment.....

Five for Fighting - Superman
Dr. John - Right Place, Wrong Time - Great bluesy number, A classic.
Jackson Brown - Doctor My Eyes - One of my favorites of his.
Billy Idol - Dancin' With Myself - Great bar jukebox song.
Paul Revere & the Raiders - Kicks - An oldie that never gets enough airplay
The Ramones - Rock & Roll High School - Tough to pick a favorite but I like this one the best.
Ac/DC - you shook me all night long - By far the best stripper song in the world, so I've heard.
The Clash - The Magnificent Seven - By far the hardest choice so far.
REM - Superman - Another tough one that never get any airplay.
Sugarcubes - Birthday - I was searching for a Bjork song but I like this one better than her solo stuff.
Buffalo Tom - I'm Allowed - Another great Boston band that never got more national exposure. Big Red Letter Day is an awesome album!
The Killers - Mr. Brightside - Great newer band and the best of their stuff.
Dave Brubeck - Take 5 - Jazz classic. I remember PBS used this tune for morning TV intermissions.
Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive - I like the Bee Gees no matter what anyone says.
The Violent Femmes - 36-24-36 - Tough call but my favorite.
Mathew Sweet - Girlfriend - Good little hit, I wish he had more.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Drunks & Children - Or any other incarnation of the song. Best heard live.
Prince - Kiss - Lots of choices but this is the cream of the crop
Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod - Great industrial type song, lots of fun too!
Kiss - Rock & Roll All Night - A little cliche but it still rocks!
U2 - One - Does anyone remember that there were 2 videos for this? I liked the one with the two cars with a man and a women painted on top searching for each other as they drive around town.
James Taylor - Handyman - Another tough choice but this is my favorite JT. Awesome concerts too!
Sir Mix-a-lot - Baby Got Back - My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns hun! nuff said!
Frank Sinatra - In other words - A swinging classic.
Sonic Youth - Kool Thing - Another hard rocking alternative song. Love the lyrics too.

More to come soon.

Top 100 song shuffle

2007-10-23T06:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, inspired by Mike P. I've been thinking of my own list of 100 songs for the iTunes shuffle. I'm doing mine a bit different. First off, my mind was awash with a flood of possibilities. Not only did I want to include some of my all time favorite songs but also some that you just NEVER hear anymore so when you do hear them it makes them even more fabulous. While at work I started putting together a list.... before I knew it I had 75 songs and that was before I got home to look over my cd collection or iTunes. It would be hard to whittle the world of music down to 100. Instead of having a maximum of 2 songs per artist (like Mike), I am limiting myself to one song. SO, when reading this realize that, say, my #2 song by the Clash my not be on the list, I still like it better than Sir Mix-a-lot, but I still want Baby Got Back in my shuffle. Make sense? Also, since I really do have a laundry list of home projects to do on my days off, I am going to break everything up into blocks of 25 to be posted over the next 3 days. And like mike, the numbers do not constitute rankings. Without further adieu, the first 25....

Bare Naked Ladies - Life in a Nutshell - lots of good songs but I like this one best
Weezer - The Sweater Song - this is the best breakup song ever!
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - Back in the day this song shook the world when it came out. I'll admit I wasn't the biggest Nirvana fan in those days but I love this song much more now
Paul McCartney - Silly Love Songs - Just my favorite of his solo stuff, bee boppin' fun stuff
John Lennon - Watching the Wheels - I think it sums up post Beatle John Lennon perfectly
Van Halen - Hot for Teacher - One of the first cassette tapes I ever had! The drums rule & the video is a teenage boy's dream!
Entrain - Tarbosh (Dancin' in the Light) If you live in New England and have never seen Entrain then go!!! Best live shows ever!
Marvin Gay - What's Goin' on - Best part of SC radio is being able to get a Billy Dee Williams cool fix by just switching the station.
The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man - Catchy tune, never knew why the Pixies didn't get more radio play.
The Breeders - Cannonball - Love the bass here.
Eric Clapton - Promises Tough to pick just one but this is his best songwriting
Queen - Fat Bottom Girls - How can you not just sing along to this rockin' song!
Rupert Holmes - Escape (the pina colada song) - A forgotten 70's song that is the butt of many jokes but I like it! I like three's company too!
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues - Just my favorite of his, especially live
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock - A forgotten early hit that put them on the map as a hard rocking band.
B-52's - Rock Lobster - I just can't convey how much I love this song, puts me in a great mood every time!
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus - cool bass & rhythm. Love it!
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? - I scream every time I hear a crappy remake. You cannot come close to the original!
Blink 182 - All the Small Things - Brings me back to the fresh out of college work days.
Lit - My own worst enemy - Looking back, this was the theme song of the Howard St. apt. Jeff & I lived in when I first moved to Columbia.
Harry Chapin - Taxi - Love lost and then found, then life goes on....
Greatful Dead - Good Lovin' - Tough choice but this is the perfect cover for this band, and they do a fabulous job. Look for the version on Dick's Picks v. 10.
Cream - Sunshine of your love - bet you didn't know Clapton's solo start is the song Blue Moon. Don't believe me? Listen to it. For a kick look at them 40 years ago.
Spin Doctors - Pocket Full of Kryptonite - Great underdog theme
Dave Mathews Band - Crash - Love the whole album and this is my favorite song from it.

Let me know what you think...... more to come soon.....

You've never had it so good!

2007-10-23T06:28:00.000-05:00

Old boy Dan hit it right on the head. These are the days of wine, women & song!

Attention Tito

2007-10-14T05:37:00.000-05:00

Attention Terry Francona!! Your warning is now official. You are dangerously close to having a Grady Little moment. At the end of the season you put in Eric Gagne to hold a lead. The Yankees were close in the rear view mirror and after the game you told us that you needed to know what he was made of before the playoffs came. He blew it and you found out everything you needed to know about him. Fast forward to game 2 of the ALCS. Did you forget everything you saw that night in September? The ONLY time Gagne should be pitching is when the Sox have a HUGE lead with less than 3 outs left to get. I thought you got it during game 1?!?! Even in game 1 Gagne felt to need to load the bases and get Pappelbon warmed up before finally getting that 3rd out. You are on notice Tito!! Grady Little knew damn well 100 pitches was Pedro's limit, but he kept him in anyway. Look where that got him. Eric Gagne should not be pitching in a close game situation, end of story!!! We are grateful for your leadership over the past years but if you refuse to acknowledge this truth, your fate will be the same!

Seed Saving & Swapping

2007-10-09T06:48:00.000-05:00

I just came inside from a morning out in the Victory Garden. In case you're wondering, the cabbage and cauliflower I planted a few weeks ago seem to be growing well. I am a bit worried about cabbage worms since they destroyed the plants I had this spring. I really don't want to have to use any insecticide so I hope they don't like the cool weather.

About mid summer when my cilantro had gone to seed and became coriander, I decided to just bury the plant seed heads where they were and see what happens. Well, I forgot about them for a few months and now just noticed they started to sprout again! I hope I can get some good cilantro out of them before it frosts. I also saw that the last of the summer plants were going to seed also. I picked some of the last peppers and also some basil seeds. I planted half of the basil seeds in a pot to bring inside and the other half I buried right where they were like the cilantro. The peppers I'm drying out to save their seeds.

Which brings me to the point of this post.

I'm looking for some other people to save and swap seeds with. Right now I have some hot banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, dragon's tongue beans, basil and my monster marigolds (they grow 3 feet tall!). I'm looking for some tomatoes, cucumbers, beans & squash. Garlic would be fabulous too! I really dig any heirloom varieties too, the stranger & older the better! If you don't have any seeds to swap with but want some of mine, just let me know & I'll pay it forward and send you off some.

So spread the word to your friends & neighbors and hopefully we can all swap some good stuff in time for planting season. If you're unfamiliar with the benefits and process of seed saving, here's a few links.
Seed saving tips from the University of West Virgini a

The hows and whys of seed saving along with a seed saving resource

Great practical tips for gardening in order to save seeds

A website I like to buy organic & heirloom seeds & plants

I hope to hear form you soon!

Sportscaster Role Reversal

2007-10-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

So here I am, the first day of baseball playoffs..... excited to see the Red Sox whoop it up on the Angels (yet again). It was earlier in the afternoon, the Sox didn't start until 6:30pm. I figured I would watch a bit of the Rockies/Phillies game while doing other stuff around the house in order to clear my schedule for the Sox later on. After a few minutes something is bugging me.... that voice! I know that voice! Who is it? Actually at first I thought it was Sean McDounough since he has no regular gig any more, right Mike? Then I realized it was Don Orsillo! For the uninitiated, Don is the play by play guy for the NESN broadcasts of the Red Sox. And now he's doing a National League playoff game when the Red Sox are supposed to start in a few hours! Who scheduled this? After a few minutes I come to my senses and realize that I'm being too much of a homer fan to expect the lords that be to allow Don Orsillo to broadcast the Sox games on TBS. It will be enough for the Red Sox to win the World Series and it just isn't the same to have Don without Jerry Remy. I confess, after the first game I continued to watch the Rockies/Phillies just to see Don as much as to see the Rockies continue their streak.

But here is the real twist!!!! The next day, I'm watching the Indians/Yankees game and I have deja vu all over again..... That voice! I know that voice! It's Chip Carey, the voice of the Atlanta Braves. Living here in the south, the Braves are the big team and since they are in the National League and Boston has no NL team, they're my home NL team and I can root for them up until they meet the Sox in the World Series. The Braves are also on cable TV everywhere on TBS. I've seen the Red Sox play the Braves 3 times in Atlanta. And have actually met Chip Carey doing a live broadcast before a game there. And here he is doing an American League game. Oh the irony!

Why do this? Why are the baseball broadcasting gods playing Mr. Potatohead with these guys? Wouldn't it make more sense to have Chip Carey do the NL game since he knows the game and players better. Or have Don do the Indians/Yankees game if he can't do the Sox/Angels. Well maybe that wouldn't be a great idea. Anyway, I did like the contrast of the mix up. Chip Carey actually took a dig a Jeter in game 1 when he was batting with runners at 1st & 2nd with none out. Chip said "In the NL, Jeter would be bunting here to move the runners to 2nd & 3rd with 1 out." He implies that Jeter is a selfish hitter that would rather get the Sportscenter RBI with the big hit than a quick productive out that puts the team in a better spot to score runs. Of course he is right about everything. The fat guy is Tony Gwynn enjoying the HOF buffett.

I wonder who the broadcasters for the league championships will be.....

September Musings....

2007-09-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

Here's a little bit of what's been going on...

It's a little late but we had a fabulous time at Jeff Quinn's bachelor party in Myrtle Beach on Labor Day weekend. To sum it all up, we all had a fabulous time but definitely realized that we aren't 22 anymore. Remember those days?? 3 days & nights of fun definitely took a toll on me. After coming home on Monday night, I was spent until Wednesday, and didn't have a beer for a week.
On the up side, I did win $100 playing blackjack on a casino boat & found a great condo to stay at! If you want more info let me know and I'll forward the condo rental info to you.
As I am writing this, the Red Sox are about to be swept the the Blue Jays. Leave it to the September Sox to make me look forward to Patriots and Bruins season!
On a similar note.... it's great to see Bruins articles 4 straight days in the Boston Globe.
The garden is in full phase two. The only things still growing from summer are some Anaheim & Hot Banana peppers and some herbs. I planted some peas (Wando variety) hoping they will do better in the fall than spring and won't get burned from the SC heat. I also planted some cauliflower and cabbages along with sowing a few rows of swiss chard. We shall see how my first venture into fall/winter gardening goes.
The Corrolla got 39.7 mpg at the last fill up. Granted Kimberly drives about 70 miles on the highway each day going to school and back but I'll take that any day of the week. Much better than we expected.
I'm about to grout the tile in the 2nd bathroom. You remember the bathroom right? Well a year and a half later I hope to have the sink and toilet re-plumbed by next weekend (I have to work all this weekend).
How about those Gamecocks ranked #12!! Being a Gamecock fan is a lot like being a Red Sox fan, you're excited to see them win and be successful but at the same time are waiting for them to blow it and lose. We'll see what happens this week in Baton Rouge.

That's about it for now. I promise to try to update more. I've just been busy and tired.

2007-08-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

Driving around town the other day I noticed a plot of sunflowers in a cornfield. I had Miss Priss with me so we stopped and took a few pictures. We also picked a nice one for Momma. Does anyone know why someone would plant sunflowers in the middle of a corn field. It isn't big enough for harvesting the seeds or anything. I think it's to attract bees for pollinating the corn. Let me know if you know what the deal is. I also plan on going back in a few weeks to get some of the seeds. I would love to have some of these monster sunflowers in my back yard!!

Some summer listening

2007-08-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

Instead of offering a hot new hardback for people to read this summer I figured I would offer some tunes. Digging through the ol' CD collection the other day I found my favorite Jimmy Buffett studio album. Anyone who knows me knows I love my JB. This is the type of stuff that attracted me to him..... this was before the pirate/mardi gras/perma-tour era (not that I don't like my fun filled concerts). Perfect for driving around town on a hot day in your old pick up truck or just hanging out in the back yard. If you've never really gotten into Jimmy Buffett's music then this is a great start. This is the real Margaritaville, not the radio hits of the past 5 years. Some of my favorites....."The Great Filling Station Holdup" & "They Don't Dance Like Carmen No More" Also has the concert staple "Why don't we get drunk". So click on the link, pay your $9.99 and enjoy the 105 degrees today!

Also..... I have a few homemade play lists that make about 4 CDs worth of good deep Jimmy Buffett if this strikes your fancy. Let me know and I'll send one out to you.

2007-08-04T09:08:00.000-05:00

In keeping with this blog's name, I'm spending the morning bottling up my latest batch of brew and finding a recipe to do something with the 1/2 bushel of cucumbers we just bought. I found this recipe online by Googling cucumbers (now that really sounds naughty). Try it and tell me what you think.

Indonesian Cucumber Salad
3 large cucumbers
1 medium onion
1 chili pepper

for the dressing
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Peel and thinkly slice the cucumbers and onions. Seed and thinly slice the chile pepper. Put cucumbers in a shallow bowl, arrange the onions on top & sprinkle the chile peppers on top. Combine all of the dressing ingredients mixing well. Add salt to taste. Pour the dressing over the onions & cucumbers and refridgerate for a few hours or overnight. Enjoy.

A good little tool....

2007-08-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

Whoever came up with this site should have a statue in every town square. The free service lets you send yourself tunes and graphics to your own phone.... you even get to pick the 20 second part of the song for your ringer! I will never pay for a song or graphic again for my cell phone. Besides, I have never even heard of 85% of the songs AT&T wants me to pay $2.50 for. The other 15% suck anyway.

BTW... my newest ringtone is Naked Eye by Luscious Jackson

Finally!!

2007-07-30T17:07:00.000-05:00

Finally, after days of trying to negotiate an overrun website, I was able to get our family Simpsonized! Tell me what you think.

SImpsonized Update

2007-07-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

As Brandon pointed out, the Simpsonizeme.com website is quite popular. I found that it pretty much stalls after 5pm. As for the pictures you use, I found that a quick head shot works very well if you Photoshop the background a solid color to make the head stand out more. Think weatherman green screen. Of course I still trying to export the picture or email it. They offer the options but have yet to get them to work. I'll post the pics as soon as I get that to work. In the meantime I keep on trying to Simsonize the rest of the family.

Simpsonize Me!

2007-07-26T17:41:00.000-05:00

I Simpsonized myself today. What do you look like?

I want to be a CABBAGE!!

2007-07-25T05:05:00.000-05:00

Just an odd link I found this morning.

You know, I have my quirks. And yes, our family has it's own funny stories that only we get and think is funny. But, this is over the top! I first thought copious amounts of drugs or alcohol had to be involved but then I thought that there is way too much thought and organization to this. Click on the link, turn into a cabbage and tell me what you think.

The usual "it's been a while" post or cars and such

2007-07-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm slack. But summer is here and life is busy. I do think of plenty of things to write about but rarely to I have the time to actually put digits to keyboard.

We bought a new car a few days ago. A 2008 Toyota Corolla. This a big step for me.... I've never had a car payment before. I'm a used car type of guy. Colonel Mustard (my truck) cost $2300, My most recent cars.....
2003 - 2006 :1992 Mustang ($1750)
2002-2004 : 1985 Cadillac Coup deVille (inherited from my dad when he bought a new caddy)
1999-2003 : 1981 Suzuki GS750E (yes this is a motorcycle and I did actually use this as my primary transportation for the summer of 2002. Grocery shopping with a backpack and saddlebags was always an adventure!)
2000-2003 : 1981 Chevy Malibu Classic sedan ($2500)
1997-2000 : 1988 VW Golf ($900, I LOVED this car.... I was in college and it took me everywhere!)
1996-1997 : 1979 Chevy Malibu sedan (free)
1993-1996 : 1980 Chevy Malibu station wagon ($800, Ah, the original Chuckwagon!! Remember the road trip of 1994 after camp)

Kimberly on the other hand has an ex-husband that would buy her a new car whenever the mood hit him or her. She's driven Bessy (our 1997 Windstar minivan) for the past 5 years. She starts school in a few weeks and will be driving about 70 miles a day, so we decided to bite the bullet and get a little fuel sipping run around car. We didn't trade in Bessy so we still have something to move all 5 of us in together in comfort. As much as I now dislike having a car payment the upside is that the Corolla will easily outlast the payments while getting thirty something mpg. We're hoping for 500 miles to the tank.

That's all for today. I do have a draft post of our Atlanta vacation. I hope to finish it up this weekend (a month late). Anyway, ta ta!

June Garden Update

2007-06-18T06:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick update on the garden....

The Good.
We have more zucchini & yellow squash than we know what to do with. The plants have really taken over their bed. We already have multiple loaves of zucchini bread in the freezer. Feel free to pass along your summer squash recipes. I'm harvesting cukes and peppers (both sweet and hot). The lettuce is growing tall and will likely bolt before we can pick and eat it all. 2 rows of lettuce is definitely enough! Beets continue to grow, I've picked a few and made some yummy pickled beets...Mmmmm. Lots of green tomatoes! I'll keep them on the vine as opposed to frying them

The Bad.
The green beans got hit hard by the late freeze. Only a few plants survived so I decided to let them go and produce some seeds I can plant later on this fall (and not have to buy them later too). They're next to the summer squash so they are being pushed over and crowded out a bit. I hope I'll be able to save enough seeds for a few rows. Some of the onions have been hit hard by the hot weather so I harvested the ones without green tops. They'll make great pearl onion for chicken pot pie! There are a few onions left that I hope will grow fat and taste great on a hamburger.

The Ugly.
I pulled the cabbages out. The cabbage worms had bellied up to the buffet and were having their way. I didn't want to use insecticides so I just pulled them. Cabbages grow great over the winter here so I figured I would just delay planting new ones until this fall. I replaced them with some Japanese eggplants. They're doing much better! The garlic also got hit hard by the scorching heat. Without soaker hoses where I planted them, they just didn't get enough water. Chalk it up as experience but in only a few short months I'll be planting more.

I hope your garden is doing as well as mine. I think the key this year had been then soaker hoses in the beds and the fresh compost courtesy of the City of Columbia.

Has it really been a month???

2007-06-18T05:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything and I know you just can't get through the day without knowing what's going on. It's about 6:30 Monday June 18th. In approximately 4 hours we leave on the family vacation to Atlanta to see the Red Sox play the Braves! Yeehaww! We'll be camping at Stone Mountain all week. I haven't seen the kids this excited in a long time!! We hope to visit Callaway Garden for a day also. With the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta too, I think the next 3 days will fly by! I'll be posting some pictures and stuff later in the week when we get back.

So what's been happening with me the past month you ask. Well, here's the short list..... Kimberly has been accepted to nursing school and will start this August so we both have been working a bunch of overtime to pay for the tuition and books. The bad part of that is I don't get to see my wife as much as I would like. Yet another reason too look forward to the aforementioned vacation!

We've caught a bit more of the home DIY bug again. I've primed and painted the hallway. Installed a new programmable digital thermostat, and WILL finish the bathroom by August 1st!!! Really!!! Speaking of home projects...... we had an incident with a forgotten bathtub running. The nice hardwood floors in 2 rooms & a hallway took a big hit. It took about an hour to clean up the water and the floors were starting to buckle bad. Following some advice, we borrowed a dehumidifier and ran it for a few days in the affected rooms. It reduced the swelling & bucking by about 90%!!! There are still a few bad spots but now we can wait until we want to have all of the floors refinished on our own schedule instead of having to shell out money to do it now because it looked so bad. I won't mention by name which wife of mine forgot she was drawing the bath or the child who thought it was a good idea to stuff cotton balls in the overflow drain after being told that the drain serves an important safety purpose. I hope you never have to use this little trick.

I have a line on a cadaver for Colonel Mustard. I guy from work just combined three old Ford trucks (1974, 75 & 77 F100's) to make one good running truck. He was mostly after mechanical parts, so he has many old body parts left. When he's totally done I'll make like Dr. Frankenstein. Slowly but surely Col. Mustard is taking shape.

Victory Garden Update

2007-05-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

Here's an update on the status of the Victory Garden 2007. As you can see everything is in full swing. The cabbages are getting huge, although I did have to battle some cabbage worms. I've been squishing them as they appear and that's been keeping them in check. But the holes they chew leave permanent scars. The zucchini plants have taken off and I expect to harvest the first fruits in the next 10 days or so. The cucumbers are starting to climb up the fencing and starting to flower. Tomatoes and peppers are growing high and flowering. The first beet harvest should happen in the next 2 weeks. I've picked some of the lettuce to thin out the plants but they are big enough to make some salad with the thinnings.

Everything isn't going perfect. The green beens got hit hard with a late frost and have never recovered. That same cold snap hurt some of the pepper and tomato plants I bought from seedsavers.org. Disappointing because I really get into growing heirloom varieties and had to replace them with local garden center varieties. I'm already noticing a big difference between 2006 & 2007. I think that has a lot to do with the compost I used to make the beds. Last year I did little if any soil work since we bought the house in April/May and I didn't have much free time for the garden until May/June (well past prime spring planting here in SC).

A Knuckle Sandwich

2007-05-11T06:29:00.000-05:00

After last night's gem. Tim Wakefield now has a league best 1.79 ERA and has also thrown 16 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Next start in Detroit.......

This will not be a jinx because I am no way affiliated with Sports Illustrated and I wrote the last post before he pitched last night and that didn't jinx him. Really!

The other 40 something pitcher or in praise of Tim Wakefield

2007-05-08T06:29:00.000-05:00

Gordon Edes has a great bit on the Red Sox rotation today. It would be wonderful if Tim Wakefield keeps up his season's pace. All in all, I think he's my favorite all time Red Sox pitcher. When that knuckleball is on there is nothing that can stop him. He regularly pitches more innings than other starters on the Sox. He's been a starting pitcher for the hometown team the past few seasons but can relieve and has even closed before. It was hilarious when he would relieve Pedro Martinez and batters would look like they were in a Bugs Bunny cartoon the way they would try to hit a 67 mph knuckleball after seeing 97mph heat for 7 innings. I would love to see his ERA remain around 2.00 all season long so that more people nationally will talk about him. How many other knuckleballers have had league leading numbers lately? How many other knuckleballers are there in the league? Of course there will be a few nights where it will seem like he's throwing batting practice to the other team (come on, even I can throw 60 mph!) but for now I hope this continues and we see the ace of the Sox staff be the other 40 something

Home Improvement Frustrations

2007-05-07T18:44:00.000-05:00

We live about a 1/2 mile from the local Lowe's home center. It's not far but just once I would like to start a project with just ONE trip to get what I need. Every time I start a project, without fail I have to make another trip to get something I forgot or need more of. Today I lucked out, it was just one extra trip and $5.

2007-05-06T14:12:00.000-05:00

Summer is here in full swing. We've already broke out the sprinkler to run through the other day. I'm harvesting peas, lettuce, beats and soon zucchini in the garden. it seems like it was just Christmastime. The past 5 months have just cruised on by. For those who may be interested.... I'll be planning Mr. Quinn's bachelor party over the summer. Right now we're looking at Labor Day weekend at Myrtle Beach. Golf, casino boats, fishing, beaches bars and well lots of other stuff too. If you have any suggestions for activities or would like more information, email me.

And I noticed I have an anonymous comment poster!!! ooh, someone else besides Mike & Brandon read this!!! I think I know who you are but if you want to keep your identity hidden to the rest of the world maybe you can give me a hint that only I will get? pretty please?

A Lifetime of Learning

2007-04-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted anything nerdy in a while. I figure today is the day to change that. A few weeks ago I read an article about how MIT is now in the process of offering all of its courses online for FREE! I checked it out and it looks quite interesting. It's great to see learning for the sake of learning and not just to make a buck on it. Of course I don't know how many people are looking to learn more about the physics of space exploration, but something that did strike my fancy was to learn a bit of Spanish. Since most language courses nowadays are computer/audio/video based anyway I figured that this would be a great way to pick up a few phrases. I downloaded the course .zip file. It has the syllabus, coursework, assignments & ect. The video portion is done off of free streaming video on demand. I searched Half.com for the textbook and workbook and found it fairly cheap. So, for the cost of the books, (say $35) I can take an official Spanish course from MIT. Okay, so I don't get any credit for it but my coworkers (Alex & Cornelio) will hopefully appreciate my effort to communicate better. Of course I won't have that fat tuition bill hanging over me to force me to study and do homework every week, I'll just be learning on my own pace and have to force myself to keep working on it & not get distracted (something I have never been really good at). I hope there is something out there for you to keep learning about.

Lawnmower Races

2007-04-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

I was out doing some spring yard cleaning the other day. I figured I would spruce up the lawn mower & get it running. I sharpened the blade, replaced the spark plug and rebuilt the carburator. When I was done it started up and ran like a champ but ......... something was missing. I figured out what it was. I painted some flames on the plastic motor cover. It just adds a little something extra. Some people might not like it (my wife) but other think it's cool (the kids). I think I makes mowing the lawn just a bit more Daytona 500 or American Choppers. What do you think?

I see the future.....

2007-04-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

With a last minute deal between MLB and local cable companies I was able to watch the greatly anticipated season debut of Matsuzaka-san on the free preview of MLB In-Demand. You don't need a full analysis by me. Dan Shaughnessy did a fine job in today's Boston Globe. What I do envision is what will happen to good ol' top step Curt. If Dice-K holds this course, Beckett pitches like he did the other day & Papplebon and Lester show their stuff; Theo & co. will let him go unless he wants to sign a hometown discount deal. I have visions on Pedro, yes Curt may have another good year left in him, but not much more than that and definitely not at a premium price. How did Pedro pitch in the playoffs last year? he didn't!! The Sox could see him having one or 2 good years but he isn't the same he was 5 years ago, and certainly isn't worth top shelf money. The same thing will happen to Schilling.

Victory Garden 2007

2007-04-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Well here is what you've been waiting for. A step by step guide of this year's Victory Garden. It has been a few months in the making but now the hard work is done.

First you'll notice the raised beds I made. I made three but could really have made 2 more. I like the idea of having mulched walkways in between the beds. I filled the beds with compost from the local county composting site. They gather up all of the fall and spring yard waste for composting each year. Then they sell it cheap for only $30 a cubic yard ($20 if you shovel it yourself). Very fertile stuff!
Next I tried to plan what I would plant and where better than last year. I did a little research on companion planting and also wanted similar plants grouped together. In the first bed I have lettuce, cabbage, beets, cilantro and ground cherries. In the middle bed I have zucchini, yellow squash, cukes & bush beans. The cukes will hopefully grow up a trellis. Lastly the third bed has tomatoes, peppers and basil. Also, along a fence off to the side I planted a bit of a winter/early spring garden - some peas and pea pods along with onions and garlic.
Watering has been simplified by the addition of soaker hoses snaked through each bed. Soon I will add some wheat straw mulch to reduce water evaporation and slow weeds

I think everything is how I want it for now. Here in the south it's warm enough for a fall planting. Cabbage, leaks and spinach are possibilities for planting this September. By then much of the garden will have blossomed and harvested. I would love to hear what you're planting this year. I shall keep posting updates as the summer rolls along.

Appropros of nothing.....

2007-03-26T18:52:00.000-05:00

A couple of shout outs.....

Kuddos to Jeff & Karen getting engaged!! It's just a short time until their wedding on December 15th.
Boy the Bruins sure know how to make me anticipate opening day. I just hope they don't destroy the team in the off season. They have a great group of young talented players and a few grizzled veterans. All that's missing is a top notch goalie and maybe another veteran scorer. Huge improvement over last year but still a ways to go. Oh, and enough of the "too many men on the ice" penalties!! Good God!!
One of the best things about spring in the south is the fruit tree blossoms. Peach trees & pink flowers everywhere we go! We have a peach tree in our back yard and our neighbor does too.

Tomorrow.... a garden update!

2007-03-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

I see it's been almost 6 weeks since my last post. Sorry for my little siesta. Here's a pic to describe what has been happening over the last month. I'll post something every day this week.

It's truck day!!

2007-02-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

I woke up this afternoon, started reading the news and found out that today is Truck Day at Fenway park! I do confess that I feel a little more anticipation for the upcoming baseball season. maybe it's because of Dice-K, maybe it's because the Bruins have sucked Zamboni ice all winter. I don't know but I can't wait for opening day this year. The Red Sox will be in Atlanta again this year (June 18,19 & 20). As soon as single game tickets go on sale I'll be buying 5 tickets for the family for each game. Turner Field is a great place to see a ballgame. If you don't believe me then ask Mike Penny. If anyone is interested in a Red Sox road trip, let me know. New manager Gabe Kapler is only 1.5 hours away in Greenville, SC. The park is supposed to have the dimensions as Fenway Park. Go Sox!!

Spring has sprung!

2007-02-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

Spring is definitely here.... looking around the estate I found some of the fruits of our bulb planting labors last fall.

Some crocuses,

daffodils
and even some of the garlic I planted!!!

I did it!!

2007-02-03T05:32:00.000-05:00

I spent most of yesterday driving around town and truckin' down the highway to drop the kids off with their father, but before I did I was messing around with the ol' iTunes and I believe I have made the absolute best driving CD. I won't tell you what's on it because if you email me (newcastle74@sc.rr.com) your address I will send you a copy and you can judge for yourself! I will say that it's a little bit country & a little bit rock & roll........ ooohhh the anticipation builds!

It's OK to be a nerd

2007-01-31T03:59:00.000-05:00

I more than others freely admit to being a big nerd about science & technology. After reading this article about changing bird migrations, it occurred to me that the creators of eBird.org have a pretty cool website. It's run by the Audubon Society & the Cornell University Ornithology Lab and connects ornithologists with birders from all around the world. I ran across the website a few months ago when I was trying to identify a bird that was visiting our bird feeder (it was a tufted titmouse like in the picture). I signed up just to give my 2 cents to science and to keep track of what birds we have around the house, but after reading the article I feel kind of proud that my contributions may actually contribute to bird research.

I tried to get the kids into it but for some reason they just aren't as excited about it as me and would rather play their Gameboy. Go figure. I hope I turn someone else out there onto the website and make your casual bird feeder watching into a little something more.

2007 and already disappointed.....

2007-01-30T19:07:00.000-05:00

No, not with the year 2007 but it's 2007 and I am already disappointed with the 2008 presidential election. Listening to the news the other day I heard about Hillary Clinton's latest campaign speech. She doesn't get it.... she isn't running against President Bush or the past 7 years! She is running to be president herself. I'm sick of politicians giving speeches and running against someone or an idea or a policy and NEVER EVER getting specific about anything. If she thinks she can just rehash what she doesn't like about President Bush and expect to win an election, she (or anyone else) can forget about my vote. The election is about the next 4 years not the last 7.

Rule #1 for getting my vote...... avoid generalities! Who isn't for the American Family or energy independence? What's your plan? Have a plan for the FUTURE and tell me about it! If you always talk in generalities then how do I know what you would do if elected. At least Dave gets it, I wish more campaigns were run on the issues like his.

Winter in the South

2007-01-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

The scene : 11:45PM on January 18th, 2007, West Columbia, South Carolina. Working night shift so I am up all night. The Bruins have beaten the Penguins in an overtime shootout with the winning goal scored by Phil Kessel. I'm getting ready to watch the epic silent film "Metropolis" I saved on the DVR from last week (great film if you have never seen it, great story, lots of modern imagery from the 1920's, picture an early Superman comic from the 20's in silent movie form. It is supposed to have influenced sci-fi films from Flash Gordon to Star Wars). And I am also sitting here in shorts without a shirt because it's DAMN hot!
The thermometer says 36F outside, the thermostat is set at 68F & it's 85F here in the living room! Why is that? We just got another load of seasoned split oak and I have stove cookin'!

Yesterday there was a winter weather advisory. There was a posibility of freezing rain and sleet to start by about midnight Thursday. Of course the 6:00PM news on Wednesday had a full list of school/work delays and cancelations (mind you, not one bit of precipitation had even hit the ground or will for another 6 hours!) Ah the south.... back in New England you didn't even think about checking for delays or cancelations until morning when there was at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. Work was never canceled, just "get here when you can." meaning "be here by noon!" And growing up we never had a 2 hour delayed school start! I mean what's the point? Show up just to have lunch, listen to the teachers say "since nobody is here we can't teach anything new, and then go home? Our schools had a two hour delay. Although as a parent now, I did enjoy the 3 hours the kids were at school today as quiet time, not learning time.

Anyway, enough of my rant. Of the 6 years I've been here, it's snowed twice. Just a few inches, nothing more than that would melt away the next day. Kimberly is from Colorado and knows what a real winter is like too. We both really miss cold snowy winters. Maybe we need to take a trip next year to show the kids what winter is supposed to be like. What are your winters like?

Oh and I had to walk to school everyday, up the biggest hill in the city, in the snow & 20 degrees outside. Both ways. And that's the truth, phhfftt!

And we're off....

2007-01-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

"The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful".... A little Jimmy Buffett never hurts in January to warm things up, or at least some gardening, or both. I've been back in a home improvement mood lately and we've been getting the house ship shape. We planted TONS of bulbs; tulips and irises all over the place. Then while picking up a few things at Lowe's the other day I walked through the garden center and saw the first seedlings for sale! and there had ONIONS!! Now we love fresh grown onions. They taste SO much better than anything from a store.
And the get me in an even more springtime mood, the county was giving away free Christmas tree mulch. So, I filled up Col. Mustard and started to get the garden ready! I didn't have all of the raised beds finished yet so I used the mulch for the aisles between the beds. I went through my seeds from years past and found some peas. (The package says to plant them in January here.) I planted both regular English peas (Wando variety) and also some Asian style pea pods along the fence hoping they would climb up. With those in place I figured the onion seedlings would go nicely along the fence next to them. On the opposite side of the fence I have some garlic planted from last fall.
What's left you ask? Well, I need to build 3 more raised beds, fill all 4 with compost, buy some seedlings & seeds for what I don't have, get some more mulch for the paths and some wheat straw for mulch & try to figure out how to make watering more automated.

More mental ipod.....

2007-01-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

I had another string of random songs fly through my mind the other day at work. I wrote them down envisioning this post. As with my other post they are in the order I started to think of them.... I am also adding some of the thoughts in my head that may have contributed to my mental play list...

Life is a Highway - Tom Cochran version, not the new country one..... Just the last song I heard on the radio driving to work.
Fat Albert theme - We have a new temp worker who is the spitting image of Fat Albert
Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale..... Just thinking about my fave Christmas present, the 25th anniversary DVD of Slap Shot
Candyman - Christina Aguilera... I have NO idea how I started singing this one!
In the Ghetto/Suspicious Minds - Elvis
Raspberry Beret - Prince.... A woman at work was wearing a Prince tour t-shirt. Now that would be a great concert to see.
One Particular Harbor - Jimmy Buffett...... I guess just thinking about going home for the day.

I would love to hear what you think about this play list.....

2 Minute sports roundup

2006-12-27T16:02:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! It's been a bit since I have written anything so I figured I would get my feet wet with a little sports talk.

The signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka is big news in Red Sox Nation. I like the deal, $100 is a lot of money to spend overall but I think he is a potential Cy Young winner. And the $52 million posting fee will be made back easily selling pink Sox hats to teenage girls in Tokyo; and be prepared to see a billboard written in japanese behind Manny. And as for the latest with J. D. Drew... the Sox's medical staff is at the top of their game..... Remember them warning about a 4th year for Pedro?? Passing on Kip Wells at the trade deadline last year? Passing on Eric Gagne this offseason... if the medical staff smells smoke, I'd leave the building. It was also nice that they kept quiet about it with Mr. Boras until Matsusaka was signed. Sneaky if you ask me... But the last thing I want is an overpriced Trot Nixon. I love Trot and if the Sox end up paying top dollar for someone to miss 40 games a season it will be a big mistake. They could have signed Nixon for a lot cheaper and kept fan favorite. That's why they play the games I guess.

Now for the Bruins..... They have turned around a horrible October to a very good Nov. & Dec. Of course much of that has to do with the spectacular play of Tim Thomas in net (he was the NHL's #1 star 2 weeks ago). Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard have to be one of the best one two centers on ANY team! And we have them locked up for the next 5 & 4 years respectively! Chara has been a bit of a letdown in the offense department but he is still one of the best big defenseman in Original Thirty.

I'll write some more later this week, I've been doing some garden planning.

The challenges of being The "Tooth Fairy"...

2006-12-12T03:26:00.000-05:00

So here I am, Monday night..... Sheridan has been wiggling that front tooth of her's for at least 2 weeks. It was never quite ready to come out until now. But then after the tooth is gone.... and now..... what about the Tooth Fairy?......we search our wallet & purse only to find out we are both tapped for singles. This is an important moment..... a $20 bill will NOT work for the tooth fairy! If I put $20 under Sheridan's pillow tonight she would expect $20 for EVERY TOOTH she lost. Never mind the birthday cards from Aunt Edna with only $10... the cheapskate. What to do?....

My beautiful wife had the greatest idea. She had an old Wal-Mart gift card in her purse. Sheridan would find the card under her pillow in the morning and that would buy us enough time to break any large bills we had or just put $2.00 on a Wal-Mart gift card. It would be at least 3 days before we would get to take her to the store. Problem solved, or at least stalled until we can fix any hiccups in our plan. Fixed for now..... or at least until I try to make the Tooth Fairy switch... damn that's tough.

The first time I go in for the switch..... she actually has her head ON the tooth. No, really! Sheridan has an envelope that she keeps her teeth in, in order not to loose them before the Tooth Fairy can find it! She is actually sleeping on it, under her head! Of course the hardwood floors creak at every step I take, waiting for her to wake up.Very hard to get to, but I figure I can at least be halfway done by putting the gift card under her pillow and coming back later for the tooth. Mission accomplished. It was very easy to slip the card under her pillow. I can snatch the tooth later. Or so I thought............

About 3AM (I am working night shift so I am wide awake about this hour), I walk down the hall to try to lift the tooth envelope. And then it's gone...... I can't find it anywhere! It must have fallen off her bed and hidden between her bed and wall! And then..... she rolls over awake and looks right in my eyes.... I tell her to "Go to sleep, I was just checking on you." It works! For now....... What to do!! 5 minutes later she is walking down the hall saying she has a tummy ache needs a drink of water. I hope this is just a sleepy episode and she won't remember any of it come morning. I hope. I head to bed hoping she would be more interested in what the Tooth Fairy left as opposed to scouring her bed for the tooth.

Skip to next morning...... when she wakes up she was all excited to find a Wal-Mart card under her pillow. Patton told her he thinks there must be $20 on it and she should save it for Christmas (of course why wouldn't they think that since every other gift card they have ever had has at least $10 on it). So now we've bought enough time put a few dollars on the card but now we have to listen to her ask if we can go to Wal-Mart at least 4 times a day until we go. Our penance I guess.

Axelson really a Charlestown Chief??

2006-12-04T20:33:00.000-05:00

After reading the last part of this post on boston.com. I couldn't help but think of the scene in Slapshot where the Chiefs are doing a fashion show and team captain Johnny Upton whips it out on the catwalk..... Hahahahaha Definitely a top 5 movie on my list!!! Does Slapshot make your top 5 list?

Another great scene....

Damn smooth.........

2006-12-03T01:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the link Branden...... I'm 5 Bottle Smooth.

Billy Dee Williams Smoothness Test.

Independance is good or why cats are better than dogs....

2006-12-03T00:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's late on a Saturday night.... I'm watching one of the funniest Saturday Night Live episodes in a long while.... I have a good Carlo Rossi $11.99/gallon buzz on. And then, I figure I would let Edward inside (Edward is my[our] cat).
It's cold outside, maybe 37F. He is about 6 feet away from the door, paws tucked under him, all puffed up, like he is relaxing on a nice June afternoon..... and looks at me.... like... "Why the hell would I ever want to come inside?", I picture him saying under his breath, "It could be -15F and I would stay outside tonight, just because you want me inside. I am the King of my house! And the King does as he pleases!!!"

You see, cats do what they want, when they want. You cannot teach a cat tricks, he will do a trick whenever he damn well feels like it. And if it's when you want him to, then better for you! If not then, Oh well. I like dogs, they serve man well. but........ they are not equals to humans, they look to serve people. They will guard your house, point at your hunting prey or fetch your slippers. But a cat.... a cat will tell you to fuck off any time he feels like it and all because you think you know what he wants.... James Dean in a fur coat I tell ya....

PS - the pic is from earlier this September, but the expression on his face is priceless.... anyone who "owns" a cat knows what I mean.