Christmas was shaping up to be a wonderful time. Everything was going well with family, friends and pets. The shopping had been finished and the dinner fixings had all been purchased. All was well until Christmas Eve morning when we discovered that our Christmas display had been vandalized. The whole street's display actually. Our big animated Mama Polar Bear and and animated seal had been stolen. We called the police and they took a report for insurance. Gilroy police came to the house 10 minutes after we made the call for such a small crime. After the police left, we got a call from the policeman that he saw some decorations lying by the side of the road down by the farm. We quickly got in the truck and went down there. It was the bear, crushed by a car, and the head of the seal. We were heart broken. We spend 20 minutes looking for the seal body and found other's decorations along the way. All damaged. All had had the wires cut. So we lost some of our treasures for good. On the positive side, we immediately went to the store to find something to replace the damaged decorations with and got fantastic deal on a set of set to music Christmas tree displays. It was perfect timing for something we had wanted to buy in the first place and we would not have gotten it otherwise. We paid a price though by losing a few memories.
It bothers me too about this. It is not unusual for decorations to be stolen by someone less fortunate to have something of their own. That kind of defeats the Christmas spirit though. I can understand that. Sometimes, something is stolen to sell in a flea market or out of the back of a car. This though was worse. A couple of kids, drinking beer, we found the bottles, running along and wantonly destroying peoples displays and happiness. Apparently it happened a lot in other places that night. We're speculating it might have been a gang initiation thing or something. Too many incidents happening at the same time. All destruction, not stealing. This is what our kids are growing up to be? Destroyers of happiness? Very troubling and sad. We spent a sleepless night wondering if they were going to strike again. Kind of like a terror attack on a much much smaller scale. No loss of life or injuries but fear and worry none the less.
The rest of Christmas was wonderful. Got to talk to family. Got most of the presents we wanted and the meal was delicious. Quiet but fullfilling of a need to experience abd enjoy the Christmas spirit. It's time to rest and reflect. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. God Bless.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
What I Got For Christmas 2007
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Limited Edition
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Limited Edition
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Limited Edition
DVD Caddyshack
DVD Halloween
DVD Chicago
DVD Darby O'Gill and the Little People
DVD Bourne Identity
DVD Bourne Supremacy
DVD Bourne Ultimatum
DVD Disney Something Wicked This Way Comes
DVD Jingle all the Way Extended Edition
PS2 Atari Godzilla: Save the Earth
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Limited Edition
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Limited Edition
DVD J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Limited Edition
DVD Caddyshack
DVD Halloween
DVD Chicago
DVD Darby O'Gill and the Little People
DVD Bourne Identity
DVD Bourne Supremacy
DVD Bourne Ultimatum
DVD Disney Something Wicked This Way Comes
DVD Jingle all the Way Extended Edition
PS2 Atari Godzilla: Save the Earth
Monday, December 10, 2007
American Chop Suey
This is a common dish if you grew up around Boston, MA. Everybody had their own spin on it and it's pretty easy to make.
12oz. Box of Barilla Tri-Colored Rotini
1 lb. of lean ground beef (85%+)
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausages (Cut into bite sized slices)
Note: You can leave out the sausage and increase the ground beef to 1 1/2 lbs.
(2) 14.4 oz. cans of S&W Italian Recipe Stewed Tomatoes
2 large stalks of celery (chopped)
1 med. onion (chopped)
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping.
Optional
1 large green or red bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup mushooms (sliced)
Serves 4
Cook, until just soft, a box of your favorite shaped pasta that holds sauce well. Rotini, elbow or penne pasta are good examples. Look at your pasta's cooking directions and figure about 1-2 minutes less cooking time. The pasta will finish cooking later. Drain in colander well and set aside.
Put 1 tbl. olive oil in a large heavy skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is heated up, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Don't let the garlic burn. Add chopped onion, celery and optional bell pepper and mushrooms and saute until onion just starts to turn opaque. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Add 1 tbl. olive oil, ground beef, in small pieces, and sausage to skillet and brown meat throughly. Add back vegetables and stewed tomatoes, lower heat, partially cover skillet and medium simmer mixture for 12-15 minutes. Add pasta, salt & pepper to taste to skillet and low simmer an additional 5 minutes covered. Serve with warm bread. Note: This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. It actually tastes better day 2 because the spices have had time to marry better. Makes a great pot luck dish. You can add 1 tbl. of tomato paste to the meat while browning for a deeper tomato flavor.
12oz. Box of Barilla Tri-Colored Rotini
1 lb. of lean ground beef (85%+)
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausages (Cut into bite sized slices)
Note: You can leave out the sausage and increase the ground beef to 1 1/2 lbs.
(2) 14.4 oz. cans of S&W Italian Recipe Stewed Tomatoes
2 large stalks of celery (chopped)
1 med. onion (chopped)
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping.
Optional
1 large green or red bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup mushooms (sliced)
Serves 4
Cook, until just soft, a box of your favorite shaped pasta that holds sauce well. Rotini, elbow or penne pasta are good examples. Look at your pasta's cooking directions and figure about 1-2 minutes less cooking time. The pasta will finish cooking later. Drain in colander well and set aside.
Put 1 tbl. olive oil in a large heavy skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is heated up, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Don't let the garlic burn. Add chopped onion, celery and optional bell pepper and mushrooms and saute until onion just starts to turn opaque. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside. Add 1 tbl. olive oil, ground beef, in small pieces, and sausage to skillet and brown meat throughly. Add back vegetables and stewed tomatoes, lower heat, partially cover skillet and medium simmer mixture for 12-15 minutes. Add pasta, salt & pepper to taste to skillet and low simmer an additional 5 minutes covered. Serve with warm bread. Note: This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. It actually tastes better day 2 because the spices have had time to marry better. Makes a great pot luck dish. You can add 1 tbl. of tomato paste to the meat while browning for a deeper tomato flavor.
Eye Exam
I recently had an exam and I'm waiting for my new glasses. I asked about contacts or surgery and found out that no matter what, glasses will always be part of the solution. Oh well, I've been wearing them for 45 years what's a few more. Now, I just need to know why I had trouble lining objects up. I usually ace that. The doctor found nothing medically wrong. Pressure and everything is fine. It may have been how my old glasses were totally out of alignment for so long and my brain was having problems seeing n0rmal instead of compensating. So here are my options:
1) Bifoculs
2) Laser Surgery with close vision glasses.
3) Contacts with glasses over contacts for close work.
My right eye is too weak for mono vision options. My left eye has to carry both the long and short vision burden for the most part.
1) Bifoculs
2) Laser Surgery with close vision glasses.
3) Contacts with glasses over contacts for close work.
My right eye is too weak for mono vision options. My left eye has to carry both the long and short vision burden for the most part.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Books & Movies of the Month - December 2007
12/26/07
The Waterhorse. Good movie. Not as much a kids movie as I thought. Much more adult oriented plot then what the trailers portrayed. I'm not going to spoil it by giving any plot lines. Let's just say there are major characters and events that aren't even hined at in the trailers. The actual Waterhorse effects are done well.
12/16/07
Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's all about the Chipmunks. Forget Dave and his life crisis. That's just there to maybe appeal to adults. As an adult, OK, that might be debatable, it didn't do anything for the story. Nether did the eye candy girlfriend. It was fun, it made me laugh, it made me sing some old and new songs. It made my daughter giggle a lot. That's all that counts.
12/9/07
The Golden Compass. Although I liked the movie, I found it diverged or twisted the plot meanings from the book quite a bit. Also, the action flow was very stilted. Set scene. Stop. Switch. Set scene. Stop. Switch. Very annoying. OK, on second thought, maybe the movie wasn't as good as I thought.
I'll give it
12/7/07
Currently reading Stephen King's "Cell"
The Waterhorse. Good movie. Not as much a kids movie as I thought. Much more adult oriented plot then what the trailers portrayed. I'm not going to spoil it by giving any plot lines. Let's just say there are major characters and events that aren't even hined at in the trailers. The actual Waterhorse effects are done well.
12/16/07
Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's all about the Chipmunks. Forget Dave and his life crisis. That's just there to maybe appeal to adults. As an adult, OK, that might be debatable, it didn't do anything for the story. Nether did the eye candy girlfriend. It was fun, it made me laugh, it made me sing some old and new songs. It made my daughter giggle a lot. That's all that counts.
12/9/07
The Golden Compass. Although I liked the movie, I found it diverged or twisted the plot meanings from the book quite a bit. Also, the action flow was very stilted. Set scene. Stop. Switch. Set scene. Stop. Switch. Very annoying. OK, on second thought, maybe the movie wasn't as good as I thought.
I'll give it
12/7/07
Currently reading Stephen King's "Cell"
New TV Hookup Status
Update 12/10/2007:
Everything is rewired and configured. Much better. The HD Cable/DVR Box hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Sony DVP-NS77H/B HDMI Upconverting DVD Player hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner DVR hooks to the TV via a S-Video and L/R Audio connections and the VCR hooks to the TV via a RCA Audio L/R & Video connections. All I can say is WOW! The HD video sources on cable and the upscaled DVDs look absolutely great. Even the audio is much better.
Previouly:
OK, the TV has been up and running in the family area. I guess that's what you call the little space next to the kitchen area. Previously, I had a standard cable box, a dvd player, a vhs recorder/player and a Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner hooked up to the old TV. First thing I noticed is that standard cable on the HDTV sucked. The DVDs looked really good because the HDTV has built in signal upconverting circuitry from the DVD player. VHS playback is always going to suffer somewhat.
So, I called Charter Cable and had them come out to install an HD cable box and run a new outlet into a front room. Bad news was they'd have to run the line on the outside of the front of the house. There's a chance an electrician can run a line up in the ceiling since we have ceiling vents instead. So no go on the second line for now. The good news was they ran out of regular HD cable boxes and they gave me one with a built in DVR for N/C. All right! Except one problem. I have a Tivo DVR box already. The installer re-wired all my equipment and now I have boxes with wires hanging off them or routed in a way I'm not happy with. I have a "project."
Shouldn't be bad. I took a look at what I have and how it's wired and figured out what I'm going to do. I also want to take advantage of the highest quality signals the equipment can handle. I have HDMI connects but no wires. That's not cheap but doable.
This is what I'm going to do since the HDTV has a ton of input connections.
1) Get an HDMI cable for connecting the HD Cable Box to the HDTV
2) Use the built in HD cable box DVR to record HD channels or any channels > channel 99.
3) Split the cable signal and run a co-axial connection to the Tivo Box. I'll use the Tivo DVR to record channels 1-99. In other words, daughter can record all the cartoons and Hannah Montana, Sweet Life of Zack & Cody and other kids shows she wants on the Tivo without interfering with the "good stuff" that will be recorded on the cable box dvr. Once the old tv is hooked to a new cable connection then the Tivo box will be moved.
4) The VHS recorder/player will have a RCA Audio/Video connection direct to the TV or maybe a co-axial connection. I'm not sure yet. I never use it for recording anymore so no problem being stand alone.
5) The DVD player is being moved to where the old TV is. Daughter can watch DVDs there. Eventually, the Tivo box and the PS2 will join it. A mini entertainment center so to speak. The HDTV will be strictly viewing pleasure.
6) I bought a Sony upconverting DVD player with HDMI interface. A real bargain. Retailers are getting desperate. The HDMI cable to connect it to the HDTV costs almost as much as I paid for the DVD player. Eventually it will be upgraded to a Blu Ray DVD player. Part of the reason I say Blu Ray is because I eventually want a PS3 and it has a built in Blu Ray player. I'm sneaky that way.
Everything is rewired and configured. Much better. The HD Cable/DVR Box hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Sony DVP-NS77H/B HDMI Upconverting DVD Player hooks to the TV via a HDMI connection. The Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner DVR hooks to the TV via a S-Video and L/R Audio connections and the VCR hooks to the TV via a RCA Audio L/R & Video connections. All I can say is WOW! The HD video sources on cable and the upscaled DVDs look absolutely great. Even the audio is much better.
Previouly:
OK, the TV has been up and running in the family area. I guess that's what you call the little space next to the kitchen area. Previously, I had a standard cable box, a dvd player, a vhs recorder/player and a Tivo Series 2 Dual Tuner hooked up to the old TV. First thing I noticed is that standard cable on the HDTV sucked. The DVDs looked really good because the HDTV has built in signal upconverting circuitry from the DVD player. VHS playback is always going to suffer somewhat.
So, I called Charter Cable and had them come out to install an HD cable box and run a new outlet into a front room. Bad news was they'd have to run the line on the outside of the front of the house. There's a chance an electrician can run a line up in the ceiling since we have ceiling vents instead. So no go on the second line for now. The good news was they ran out of regular HD cable boxes and they gave me one with a built in DVR for N/C. All right! Except one problem. I have a Tivo DVR box already. The installer re-wired all my equipment and now I have boxes with wires hanging off them or routed in a way I'm not happy with. I have a "project."
Shouldn't be bad. I took a look at what I have and how it's wired and figured out what I'm going to do. I also want to take advantage of the highest quality signals the equipment can handle. I have HDMI connects but no wires. That's not cheap but doable.This is what I'm going to do since the HDTV has a ton of input connections.
1) Get an HDMI cable for connecting the HD Cable Box to the HDTV
2) Use the built in HD cable box DVR to record HD channels or any channels > channel 99.
3) Split the cable signal and run a co-axial connection to the Tivo Box. I'll use the Tivo DVR to record channels 1-99. In other words, daughter can record all the cartoons and Hannah Montana, Sweet Life of Zack & Cody and other kids shows she wants on the Tivo without interfering with the "good stuff" that will be recorded on the cable box dvr. Once the old tv is hooked to a new cable connection then the Tivo box will be moved.
4) The VHS recorder/player will have a RCA Audio/Video connection direct to the TV or maybe a co-axial connection. I'm not sure yet. I never use it for recording anymore so no problem being stand alone.
5) The DVD player is being moved to where the old TV is. Daughter can watch DVDs there. Eventually, the Tivo box and the PS2 will join it. A mini entertainment center so to speak. The HDTV will be strictly viewing pleasure.
6) I bought a Sony upconverting DVD player with HDMI interface. A real bargain. Retailers are getting desperate. The HDMI cable to connect it to the HDTV costs almost as much as I paid for the DVD player. Eventually it will be upgraded to a Blu Ray DVD player. Part of the reason I say Blu Ray is because I eventually want a PS3 and it has a built in Blu Ray player. I'm sneaky that way.
Monday, December 3, 2007
42" Philips 1080i HD LCD TV
Flat HDTV with Perfect Pixel HD and Ambilight 2 channel 42PFL7432D/37
42" LCD integrated digital
Specifications
Picture/Display
•Aspect ratio: 16:9
•Brightness: 500 cd/m²
•Contrast ratio (typical): 1100:1
•Dynamic screen contrast: 8000:1
•Response time (typical): 5 (BEW equiv.) ms
•Viewing angle: 176º (H) / 176º (V)
•Diagonal screen size (inch): 42 inch
•Display screen type: LCD Full HD W-UXGA Act. matrix
•Panel resolution: 1920x1080p
•Picture enhancement: Perfect Pixel HD Engine, Digital Natural Motion, Dynamic contrast enhancement, 1080p 50/60Hz processing, 3/2 - 2/2 motion pull down, 3D Combfilter, Active Control + Light sensor, Jagged Line Suppression, Progressive Scan, Widescreen Plus
•Screen enhancement: Anti-Reflection coated screen
Ambilight
•Ambilight Features: Ambilight 2 Channel, Auto adaptive to video content, Efficient low energy lamp
•Ambilight light system: LED wide color
•Color Settings: Full Multi Color
•Dimming Function: Manual and via Light Sensor
•Preset modes: 4 Active Adaptive modes
Supported Display Resolution
Sound
•Output power (RMS): 2x8W
•Sound Enhancement: Digital Signal Processing, Dynamic Bass Enhancement, Graphic Equaliser
•Sound System: Virtual Dolby Digital
Loudspeakers
•Built-in speakers: 2
•Loudspeaker types: Front Speakers, Dome tweeter
Convenience
•Child Protection: Child Lock+Parental Control
•Clock: Smart Clock
•Ease of Installation: Auto Program Naming, Automatic Tuning System (ATS), Autostore, PLL Digital Tuning, Plug & Play
•Ease of Use: Auto Volume Leveller (AVL), Channel list, Delta Volume per preset, Graphical User Interface, On Screen Display, Side Control, Smart Picture Control, Smart Sound Control
•Remote Control: TV
•Remote control type: RC4451
•Screen Format Adjustments: 4:3, 6 Widescreen Modes, Auto Format, Full screen, Movie expand 14:9, Movie expand 16:9, Super Zoom
•Teletext: Closed Captioning Full Text
Multimedia Applications
•Multimedia connections: USB
•Playback Formats: MP3, Slideshow files (.alb), JPEG Still pictures
Tuner/Reception/Transmission
•Aerial Input: 75 ohm F-type
•TV system: ATSC, NTSC
•Video Playback: NTSC
•Cable: Unscrambled Digital Cable -QAM
Connectivity
•AV 1: (1, 2, 3Fh autoranging), Audio L/R in, CVBS in, S-Video, YPbPr
•AV 2: Audio L/R in, CVBS
•AV 3: (1, 2, 3Fh autoranging), Audio L/R in, YPbPr
•AV 4: HDMI, Audio L/R in
•AV 5: HDMI
•AV 6: HDMI
•Front / Side connections: Audio L/R in, CVBS in, Headphone out, S-video in, USB
•Other connections: Monitor out L/R (Cinch), S/PDIF in (coaxial), S/PDIF out (coaxial)
Power
•Ambient temperature: 5 °C to 35 °C
•Mains power: AC 110 +/- 10%
•Power consumption: 264 W
•Standby power consumption: 0.64 W
Accessories
•Included Accessories: Tabletop swivel stand
Dimensions
•Color cabinet: High Gloss Black
•Set dimensions in inch (W x H x D): 41.2 x 27.0 x 4.6 inch
•Set dimensions with stand in inch (H x D): 29.5 x 10.4 inch
•Product weight (lb): 60.8 lb
•Product weight (+stand) (lb): 76.3 lb
•Box dimensions in inch (W x H x D): 44.3 x 30.7 x 10.9 inch
•Weight incl. Packaging (lb): 89.1 lb
•VESA wall mount compatible: 600 x 400 mm
Monday, November 26, 2007
Amazon Purchase 2007.11.15
DVDs:
"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition)"
"Ernest Saves Christmas"
"Holiday Inn (Special Edition)"
"Jack Frost"
"The Year Without a Santa Claus / Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey / Rudolph's Shiny New Year"
"Sleepy Hollow"
"It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)"
"Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)"
"Jingle All the Way"
"White Christmas"
"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition)"
"Ernest Saves Christmas"
"Holiday Inn (Special Edition)"
"Jack Frost"
"The Year Without a Santa Claus / Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey / Rudolph's Shiny New Year"
"Sleepy Hollow"
"It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)"
"Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)"
"Jingle All the Way"
"White Christmas"
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thanksgiving 2007 Menu
Roast Turkey stuffed with Grapes
Sausage Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes or Candied Yams
Parsnips & Carrots
Broccoli
Bread de Jour Rolls
Apple Cider/White Wine
Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee, Cocoa
Sausage Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes or Candied Yams
Parsnips & Carrots
Broccoli
Bread de Jour Rolls
Apple Cider/White Wine
Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee, Cocoa
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Books & Movies of the Month - November 2007
11/25/07
Saw "Enchanted" *** 1/2 Good movie all the way around. Disney blended the entire Princess mythos into a well rounded animated/real world fairy tale. Predictable only because you knew all the stories it drew from but did it in a fresh way. Very entertaining.
Watched "Live Free or Die Hard" on DVD. ***
11/24/07
Done with Terry Brooks "Angel Fire East - Book 3 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Started Stephen King's "Cell"
11/21/07
Saw "Fred Claus" ** This was not very funny. Too many moral lessons and so on. I know it was the Santa's brother's perspective everything turned out OK but too contrived.
11/15/07
Finished Terry Brooks "A Knight of the Word - Book 2 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Starting Terry Brooks "Angel Fire East - Book 3 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Saw "Bee Movie" at the theaters last Saturday. I give it a ** 1/2 stars.
Saw "Enchanted" *** 1/2 Good movie all the way around. Disney blended the entire Princess mythos into a well rounded animated/real world fairy tale. Predictable only because you knew all the stories it drew from but did it in a fresh way. Very entertaining.
Watched "Live Free or Die Hard" on DVD. ***
11/24/07
Done with Terry Brooks "Angel Fire East - Book 3 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Started Stephen King's "Cell"
11/21/07
Saw "Fred Claus" ** This was not very funny. Too many moral lessons and so on. I know it was the Santa's brother's perspective everything turned out OK but too contrived.
11/15/07
Finished Terry Brooks "A Knight of the Word - Book 2 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Starting Terry Brooks "Angel Fire East - Book 3 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Saw "Bee Movie" at the theaters last Saturday. I give it a ** 1/2 stars.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Acquisitions 2007.10.31
Spiderman 3 DVD
La Crosse Technology Atomic Projecting Alarm Clock
x2 2GB Kingston Micro SDs w/Readers
Various Charging Tips and Adapters for AT&T 8525 PDA Cell Phone.
La Crosse Technology Atomic Projecting Alarm Clock
x2 2GB Kingston Micro SDs w/Readers
Various Charging Tips and Adapters for AT&T 8525 PDA Cell Phone.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Cingular/AT&T 8525 PDA
It was time to replace the cell phone.
Cingular/AT&T 8525 PDA 3G Bluetooth 2.0 Wi-Fi Cell Phone
Cingular/AT&T 8525 PDA 3G Bluetooth 2.0 Wi-Fi Cell Phone
- tri-band UMTS/HSDPA; quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE for global use
- Windows Mobile 5.0 with Messaging & Security Feature Pack
- sliding QWERTY keyboard with improved keypad design and improved backlight for easier use in low light conditions
- 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM; ~51MB user available memory
- Includes: Stereo Headset, AC Power Adapter, USB Sync Cable, Stylus, Companion CD and Getting Started Guide
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Singapore Noodle Recipe
Singapore Noodle Recipe
1 pound thin rice vermicelli noodles, soak and cook as directed *
1 pound small shrimps, without shells, deveined, rinsed and drained
1 skinless chicken breast, 1/4-inch strips or 2 breasts instead of shrimp
1/4 cup rice wine
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Canola oil, to cook
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 cup scallions bulbs, 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound mung bean sprout
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 small onion, julienned
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
1 to 1 1/4 tablespoons Madras curry powder
Salt and white pepper to taste
(Optional)
Add Red Pepper Flakes or a couple of dried chili peppers to kick it up
Add Baby Bok Choy, Mushrooms or Chinese small corn for variety.
1 pound thin rice vermicelli noodles, soak and cook as directed *
1 pound small shrimps, without shells, deveined, rinsed and drained
1 skinless chicken breast, 1/4-inch strips or 2 breasts instead of shrimp
1/4 cup rice wine
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Canola oil, to cook
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 cup scallions bulbs, 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound mung bean sprout
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 small onion, julienned
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
1 to 1 1/4 tablespoons Madras curry powder
Salt and white pepper to taste
(Optional)
Add Red Pepper Flakes or a couple of dried chili peppers to kick it up
Add Baby Bok Choy, Mushrooms or Chinese small corn for variety.
*Rice Noodles: Place Noodles in pan of warm water and let soak about 30 minutes. Rice noodles do not like long periods of hot water or high heat. They turn to mush. After soaking, place noodles in bowl of cold water or drain and place bowl and toss with a bit cold water to separate noodles just before using in recipe.
Marinate shrimp and sliced chicken together in soy sauce, wine, cornstarch and white pepper for 20 minutes. Remove from marinade before cooking. In a hot wok or large non-stick fry pan coated well with oil, stir fry ginger, scallions and garlic. Add marinated shrimp and chicken to oil and stir fry quickly for 30 seconds to one minute. Remove shrimp and chicken and set aside.
Use same oil plus little more to stir fry bean sprouts, peppers and onions, mushrooms and corn. Season and cook for 1 minute and set aside. Wipe out wok and coat well with oil. When oil is smoking hot, add 2 beaten eggs and rotate the pan so as to quickly spread the eggs into a pancake shape. While the egg is still partially fluid, add cold drained rice noodles to the wok. Stir and fold noodles and the eggs should be broken up into small pieces and dispersed uniformly. Continue to stir to avoid noodles from sticking to the pan. Add curry powder and check for seasoning. When noodles are steaming hot, add back shrimp, chicken and vegetables to the noodles and continue to mix and stir until everything is steaming hot.
Rice Noodles: Place Noodles in pan of warm water and let soak about 30 minutes. Rice noodles do not like long periods of hot water or high heat. They turn to mush. After soaking, place noodles in bowl of cold water or drain and place bowl and toss with a bit cold water to separate noodles just before using in recipe.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Books & Movies of the Month - October 2007
2007.10.25
Raymond E. Feist - "Talon of the Silver Hawk: Book One of the Conclave of the Shadows"
"Transformers" Movie
2007.10.15
Books:
Finished Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Guild"
Reading Terry Brooks' "Running with the Demon - Book 1 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Movies:
"The Premonition" - Sandra Bullock. Very complicated movie. Hard to follow at times. Glad I caught on DVD instead of the movies. Husband dies in a car accident and then is alive again the next day. Which is true?
"The Derby Stallion" - A big waste of time. Many themes ripped off and not done well at all. Save your money. Even the horses were nothing special.
"The Astronaut Farmer" - OK, it had it's moments but come on. It defied logic in so many places it was laughable. Even trying to teach the lesson that you can do anything if you put your mind to it was joke. I'll give you and example. When a rocket engine fires up, it burns everything around it. Why is the barn still standing?
Raymond E. Feist - "Talon of the Silver Hawk: Book One of the Conclave of the Shadows"
"Transformers" Movie
2007.10.15
Books:
Finished Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Guild"
Reading Terry Brooks' "Running with the Demon - Book 1 The Word and the Void Trilogy"
Movies:
"The Premonition" - Sandra Bullock. Very complicated movie. Hard to follow at times. Glad I caught on DVD instead of the movies. Husband dies in a car accident and then is alive again the next day. Which is true?
"The Derby Stallion" - A big waste of time. Many themes ripped off and not done well at all. Save your money. Even the horses were nothing special.
"The Astronaut Farmer" - OK, it had it's moments but come on. It defied logic in so many places it was laughable. Even trying to teach the lesson that you can do anything if you put your mind to it was joke. I'll give you and example. When a rocket engine fires up, it burns everything around it. Why is the barn still standing?
Friday, June 8, 2007
Getting Ready for Juyl 4th BBQ
Each year, our street has a July 4th BBQ. It starts about 5:00pm and goes until the Gilroy Fireworks end. It's a fun time for all and we have our own safe and sane fireworks show as well. The BBQ is attended by the residents of our street. We supply most of the BBQ meat, ice, tables, chairs and utensils. The rest of the people bring drinks, side dishes, salads and deserts. It's a great time for all even when it gets too smoky from all the fireworks we set off. This year I think I'll make the following:
BBQ Pork Ribs with a dry rub and sauce. (Grill/Oven)
Tri-Tip Steak (Smoker)
Nathan Hot Dogs (Grill)
Hamburgers (Grill)
Oven Chicken Breasts (Garlic and Lemon Pepper in coating)
Vegetable Kabobs (Oven)
Vege Burgers (Grill)
I'll also make some salsa fresca, guacamole and some salad dressings/dips. We'll supply some of the sodas and a few beers.
BBQ Pork Ribs with a dry rub and sauce. (Grill/Oven)
Tri-Tip Steak (Smoker)
Nathan Hot Dogs (Grill)
Hamburgers (Grill)
Oven Chicken Breasts (Garlic and Lemon Pepper in coating)
Vegetable Kabobs (Oven)
Vege Burgers (Grill)
I'll also make some salsa fresca, guacamole and some salad dressings/dips. We'll supply some of the sodas and a few beers.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Animal Status
2007-05-23
Indy arrived on the 17th. He was here all of two hours when he decided to leave his stall over the stall chain. He got scraped up on the hind legs a bit but was OK. A more serious problem was he developed colic and needed the vet to tube him twice. The stress of the trip probably. It also appears he developed ulcers en route to California. He is being medicated three times a day for a month to cure the ulcers.
Bonnie is now at her new home in TX. She has settled in fine and is now at the breeders. Her new owner says Bonnie has every other horse on the place buffaloed except one. Hopefully, she will take her breeding quickly. I miss her but, I know this is best for her. I have not heard whether Sumo and her recognize each other.
Pali is doing fine. A little diarrhea once in a while but that is just old age. It just gives him a bit of a messy butt that needs cleaning once in a while.
Tanner is learning his lessons better. He is turning into one handsome fellow. All he needs now is work, work, work and a ton of exposure to a bunch of stimuli.
Jack (Dog) and Pablo (Conure) are doing fine. Dillon is going to class to help with his aggression to Jackie. Hope this works.
2007-04-20
Lisa sold Ellie Mae (horse) to Tracy. Lisa has put a deposit down on a new horse named Indy. He should be arriving in June. Bonnie (horse) should be going to her new home in Texas tomorrow. Vicki Morgan is taking her. She is the same person who took Sumo (dog). Bonnie is going to be a brood mare. I am completely torn up about this but it is the best for Bonnie. I can't take care of three horses myself and it is a severe financial strain. Tanner (horse), her brother, is a better horse for me in the long term. Bonnie is more of a performance horse and Tanner is more a pleasure horse. Tanner however, needs more respect and work ethic training. I know Bonnie will be a good mama and I'm going to miss my pet and buddy very very much.
Dillon (dog) continues to be a major problem. He is very dog aggressive to not only Jackie but other dogs as well. I have seen aggressive tendencies towards children as well which does not make me happy. In truth, I do not trust or like this dog. It's too bad because he can be very sweet and has a lot of potential. He needs a place he can run around and have a job. He is not a house dog and I'm afraid he is just going to get worse or maybe even hurt Jackie or a child.
All other animals are doing well.
Previously:
Parrot:
Pablo - Doing fine. Needs to get out of cage more. Loves to take a shower with me.
Dogs:
Jackie - Doing Fine. Needs shots - Rabies and license renewal.
Dillon - Doing Fine. Pain in the butt. Digging up Crepe Myrtle. Eats Jackie's poop. Need to get stuff to stop that. Needs a license. Had a problem Saturday night with two kids sleeping over. Was scared of them and barked at growled at them for first 15 minutes. Got over it. Need to work on training and other things.
Horses:
Getting Spring shots today plus teeth checked.
Paladin - Fine. Rode him on Saturday. Still real fuzzy. Lots of energy.
Bonnie - Doing fine. Scheduled to leave on April 16th. Will need Coggins Test.
Tanner - Doing Fine. Needs an attitude adjustment and work ethic built. Working in draw reins for a while. to build up topline and get head down. Switch to outside tie later this week.
Ellie Mae - Vet check today for sale. Crossing fingers.
TK - Flexion test today to see if OK to buy. Crossing fingers.
If all goes well, we will be down to 3 horses after April 16th. Paladin, Tanner and TK.
Indy arrived on the 17th. He was here all of two hours when he decided to leave his stall over the stall chain. He got scraped up on the hind legs a bit but was OK. A more serious problem was he developed colic and needed the vet to tube him twice. The stress of the trip probably. It also appears he developed ulcers en route to California. He is being medicated three times a day for a month to cure the ulcers.
Bonnie is now at her new home in TX. She has settled in fine and is now at the breeders. Her new owner says Bonnie has every other horse on the place buffaloed except one. Hopefully, she will take her breeding quickly. I miss her but, I know this is best for her. I have not heard whether Sumo and her recognize each other.
Pali is doing fine. A little diarrhea once in a while but that is just old age. It just gives him a bit of a messy butt that needs cleaning once in a while.
Tanner is learning his lessons better. He is turning into one handsome fellow. All he needs now is work, work, work and a ton of exposure to a bunch of stimuli.
Jack (Dog) and Pablo (Conure) are doing fine. Dillon is going to class to help with his aggression to Jackie. Hope this works.
2007-04-20
Lisa sold Ellie Mae (horse) to Tracy. Lisa has put a deposit down on a new horse named Indy. He should be arriving in June. Bonnie (horse) should be going to her new home in Texas tomorrow. Vicki Morgan is taking her. She is the same person who took Sumo (dog). Bonnie is going to be a brood mare. I am completely torn up about this but it is the best for Bonnie. I can't take care of three horses myself and it is a severe financial strain. Tanner (horse), her brother, is a better horse for me in the long term. Bonnie is more of a performance horse and Tanner is more a pleasure horse. Tanner however, needs more respect and work ethic training. I know Bonnie will be a good mama and I'm going to miss my pet and buddy very very much.
Dillon (dog) continues to be a major problem. He is very dog aggressive to not only Jackie but other dogs as well. I have seen aggressive tendencies towards children as well which does not make me happy. In truth, I do not trust or like this dog. It's too bad because he can be very sweet and has a lot of potential. He needs a place he can run around and have a job. He is not a house dog and I'm afraid he is just going to get worse or maybe even hurt Jackie or a child.
All other animals are doing well.
Previously:
Parrot:
Pablo - Doing fine. Needs to get out of cage more. Loves to take a shower with me.
Dogs:
Jackie - Doing Fine. Needs shots - Rabies and license renewal.
Dillon - Doing Fine. Pain in the butt. Digging up Crepe Myrtle. Eats Jackie's poop. Need to get stuff to stop that. Needs a license. Had a problem Saturday night with two kids sleeping over. Was scared of them and barked at growled at them for first 15 minutes. Got over it. Need to work on training and other things.
Horses:
Getting Spring shots today plus teeth checked.
Paladin - Fine. Rode him on Saturday. Still real fuzzy. Lots of energy.
Bonnie - Doing fine. Scheduled to leave on April 16th. Will need Coggins Test.
Tanner - Doing Fine. Needs an attitude adjustment and work ethic built. Working in draw reins for a while. to build up topline and get head down. Switch to outside tie later this week.
Ellie Mae - Vet check today for sale. Crossing fingers.
TK - Flexion test today to see if OK to buy. Crossing fingers.
If all goes well, we will be down to 3 horses after April 16th. Paladin, Tanner and TK.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
What to do with $370 Million
The Megamillions jackpot is over $370 million dollars. What would you do with the estimated $185 million dollars after taxes?
I would:
QUIT MY JOB!!!!!! Then:
1) Disconnect the phone. Everyone in the world will be calling asking for money.
2) Hire off duty policeman to keep the crowds and reporters away from the house and move into a hotel suite for a month until things died down.
3) Pay off every debt I have.
4) Pay off my immediate outside families' credit card debt and set up college trust funds for every child. Anyone who asks for money gets zero. :)
5) Buy my sister a home and new car.
6) Make sure my mother's assisted care and grandmother's nursing home care were paid for.
7) Buy 50 acres and build a home and ranch facilities from scratch. Make sure there is room for huge BBQs and an indoor shooting range.
8) Hire tax and estate accountant and lawyer to set up trusts and wills for my family to minimize taxes and inheritances.
9) Get my daughter the best education I could.
10) Build investment portfolios to meet future financial needs.
11) Buy every vehicle on my dream list.
12) Start taking vacations.
13) Start having a huge BBQ, wine, beer, scotch and cigar tasting each month.
14) And last but not least. Spend 6 hours a day on the internet BUYING EVERY LAST ITEM ON MY AD LIST!!!!!!!!
I would:
QUIT MY JOB!!!!!! Then:
1) Disconnect the phone. Everyone in the world will be calling asking for money.
2) Hire off duty policeman to keep the crowds and reporters away from the house and move into a hotel suite for a month until things died down.
3) Pay off every debt I have.
4) Pay off my immediate outside families' credit card debt and set up college trust funds for every child. Anyone who asks for money gets zero. :)
5) Buy my sister a home and new car.
6) Make sure my mother's assisted care and grandmother's nursing home care were paid for.
7) Buy 50 acres and build a home and ranch facilities from scratch. Make sure there is room for huge BBQs and an indoor shooting range.
8) Hire tax and estate accountant and lawyer to set up trusts and wills for my family to minimize taxes and inheritances.
9) Get my daughter the best education I could.
10) Build investment portfolios to meet future financial needs.
11) Buy every vehicle on my dream list.
12) Start taking vacations.
13) Start having a huge BBQ, wine, beer, scotch and cigar tasting each month.
14) And last but not least. Spend 6 hours a day on the internet BUYING EVERY LAST ITEM ON MY AD LIST!!!!!!!!
Wet Shaving - What I learned so far.
It's been 8 months since I started my odyssey of wet shaving. It's safe to say I learned a lot and come a long way. It has been an eye opening experience for me for not only wet shaving but the whole grooming experience. Here are some of the methods, highlights and tips I have learned for my personal wet shaving experience.
The Shower:
Use a gentle shampoo. Shampoo twice if needed. Use a conditioner for dry hair conditions.
Use a facial scrub twice a week
Use a facial wash the rest of the time
Natural hand made soaps are best. Olive Oil, buttermilk and Shea Butter are good choices. Super fatted soaps are great for really dry skin.
Don't dry face with towel. The trick is to have a face as hydrated as possible with open pores just before shaving.
Pre-Shave:
Rinse face with hot water to keep hydrated. A couple of drops of oil or glycerin is OK.
Don't be in a hurry to make lather. I have found with both soaps and creams it does not pay to be stingy or too quick. There are different methods I use for creams versus soaps. I like a boar brush for soaps and a badger brush for creams. Check shave equipment. I use a DE blade no more than 3 times and then dispose of it safely.
Lather Making:
Like I said, it does not pay to be stingy. Creams and soaps are lathered in a shave bowl. For creams, I start off with a moist badger brush, swirling about a quarter size amount of cream in the bowl and adding hot water a couple of drops at a time to the mix until I get the lather I want. I might have the brush pre charged with a little shave soap if I am looking for a super lather. Once the lather is done, I make sure my face is rinsed with hot water one more time. For soaps, I put some hot water in the soap bowl for about a minute to soften it up. Then I dump about 2 tbsp of the soap water into a shave bowl and either reserve or dump the rest. Next, I will make some lather right in the soap bowl starting with a moist brush. I then create my final lather in the shave bowl adding water or reserved shave soap water as needed similar to a cream. If I want extra lather, I will gently squeeze the lather out of the brush and recharge the brush with soap. Since the lather has been curing and drying in the bowl, I will add a few drops of water to "freshen" it. Slow swirling and pumping the brush a little usually gets me the lather I want.
The Shave:
It doesn't matter what the equipment is. It's pretty much the same. Very light pressure, make sure of your angles and know the contours of your face and the direction(s) your beard grows. I use a 3 or 4 pass stubble reduction method. The first is with the grain (WTG), the second is across the grain (XTG) at a 45° angle, the third is across the grain the opposite direction (XTG) at a 45° angle and the fourth is against the grain (ATG). I may skip the ATG if my face is feeling a little abused. The final step is cleanup of stubble patches with some light quick blade buffing or J-hooking. I splash my face with hot water between passes and spread the leftover shave cream around before applying the new cream. I swirl the new lather on my face and then do a "painting" to cover the lather patches.
Post Shave:
For me with my very sensitive skin, this last step is very important. I rinse all the lather off my face thoroughly with warm water. I then do a quick rinse with cold water. I have not had to use a styptic pencil in a long time to stop any bleeding. I then run an alum block over my face to close the pores and cut back any irritation. I then rinse any alum residue off with cold water and apply some witch hazel toner. At this point my shave and face care are done. All that is left is waiting a little bit for the pores to finish closing and checking my face for any final irritation or dryness. I don't use colognes except for special occasions. I might use witch hazel aftershave instead of just a toner. If my face is dry or has further irritation, I will use an after shave balm with a little aloe vera and a couple of drops of oil mixed with water on my hands. A little goes a long way. The reason I talk about irritation so much is that I have very sensitive skin. Water will give me a rash. The shave brush bristles will give me rash and most certainly, passing a blade over my face will give me a rash if I'm not careful. The one place I will always have some irritation is the hollows of my neck just on either side of my esophagus. My most stubborn spots are just above these hollows and certain spots on my jawline especially the hollow just below my chin. My chin is not smooth and tends protect stubble in the little pocks.
Other care:
Due to the nature of my skin, I try not to put to much stuff on it. However, I do have some very dry patches on my shins and abdomen. I will use a moisturizer on those patches during the day. My face is usually OK for the rest of the day unless I have been out in the elements for a long time. A few drops of ASB (after shave balm) works well. My final step is to use a little ASB and aloe vera just before going to bed. It keeps my face hydrated overnight and helps with the shave the next day. If I happen to get an ingrown hair I use icthamol to help draw the hair out.
The Shower:
Use a gentle shampoo. Shampoo twice if needed. Use a conditioner for dry hair conditions.
Use a facial scrub twice a week
Use a facial wash the rest of the time
Natural hand made soaps are best. Olive Oil, buttermilk and Shea Butter are good choices. Super fatted soaps are great for really dry skin.
Don't dry face with towel. The trick is to have a face as hydrated as possible with open pores just before shaving.
Pre-Shave:
Rinse face with hot water to keep hydrated. A couple of drops of oil or glycerin is OK.
Don't be in a hurry to make lather. I have found with both soaps and creams it does not pay to be stingy or too quick. There are different methods I use for creams versus soaps. I like a boar brush for soaps and a badger brush for creams. Check shave equipment. I use a DE blade no more than 3 times and then dispose of it safely.
Lather Making:
Like I said, it does not pay to be stingy. Creams and soaps are lathered in a shave bowl. For creams, I start off with a moist badger brush, swirling about a quarter size amount of cream in the bowl and adding hot water a couple of drops at a time to the mix until I get the lather I want. I might have the brush pre charged with a little shave soap if I am looking for a super lather. Once the lather is done, I make sure my face is rinsed with hot water one more time. For soaps, I put some hot water in the soap bowl for about a minute to soften it up. Then I dump about 2 tbsp of the soap water into a shave bowl and either reserve or dump the rest. Next, I will make some lather right in the soap bowl starting with a moist brush. I then create my final lather in the shave bowl adding water or reserved shave soap water as needed similar to a cream. If I want extra lather, I will gently squeeze the lather out of the brush and recharge the brush with soap. Since the lather has been curing and drying in the bowl, I will add a few drops of water to "freshen" it. Slow swirling and pumping the brush a little usually gets me the lather I want.
The Shave:
It doesn't matter what the equipment is. It's pretty much the same. Very light pressure, make sure of your angles and know the contours of your face and the direction(s) your beard grows. I use a 3 or 4 pass stubble reduction method. The first is with the grain (WTG), the second is across the grain (XTG) at a 45° angle, the third is across the grain the opposite direction (XTG) at a 45° angle and the fourth is against the grain (ATG). I may skip the ATG if my face is feeling a little abused. The final step is cleanup of stubble patches with some light quick blade buffing or J-hooking. I splash my face with hot water between passes and spread the leftover shave cream around before applying the new cream. I swirl the new lather on my face and then do a "painting" to cover the lather patches.
Post Shave:
For me with my very sensitive skin, this last step is very important. I rinse all the lather off my face thoroughly with warm water. I then do a quick rinse with cold water. I have not had to use a styptic pencil in a long time to stop any bleeding. I then run an alum block over my face to close the pores and cut back any irritation. I then rinse any alum residue off with cold water and apply some witch hazel toner. At this point my shave and face care are done. All that is left is waiting a little bit for the pores to finish closing and checking my face for any final irritation or dryness. I don't use colognes except for special occasions. I might use witch hazel aftershave instead of just a toner. If my face is dry or has further irritation, I will use an after shave balm with a little aloe vera and a couple of drops of oil mixed with water on my hands. A little goes a long way. The reason I talk about irritation so much is that I have very sensitive skin. Water will give me a rash. The shave brush bristles will give me rash and most certainly, passing a blade over my face will give me a rash if I'm not careful. The one place I will always have some irritation is the hollows of my neck just on either side of my esophagus. My most stubborn spots are just above these hollows and certain spots on my jawline especially the hollow just below my chin. My chin is not smooth and tends protect stubble in the little pocks.
Other care:
Due to the nature of my skin, I try not to put to much stuff on it. However, I do have some very dry patches on my shins and abdomen. I will use a moisturizer on those patches during the day. My face is usually OK for the rest of the day unless I have been out in the elements for a long time. A few drops of ASB (after shave balm) works well. My final step is to use a little ASB and aloe vera just before going to bed. It keeps my face hydrated overnight and helps with the shave the next day. If I happen to get an ingrown hair I use icthamol to help draw the hair out.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Guilty Pleasure Meal
Simple fair and tastes but oh so guilty and pleasurable.
Meal:
A small plate of Caesar Salad - glass of Pinot Grigio
A cup of New England Clam Chowder - glass of Pinot Noir
A small plate of angel hair pasta pomodoro - glass of Chianti
Basket of Warm Italian Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar or Danish Butter
Either a Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms - glass of Cabernet or Merlot
Steamed fresh vegetables w/lemon & garlic
Basmanti Rice Pilaf or Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Or a 2lb Maine Lobster with warm butter on side. - glass of Chardonnay
Basket of Steamers
Homemade Cole Slaw
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Dessert:
Soufflle Grand Marnier drizzled with bavarian cream sauce and Grand Marnier Liquor
Coffee
And to top it off, a glass of porto or madeira with a good cigar or pipe.
Throw in a bag of CA plump, ripe, pistachio nuts and I'm in heaven.
Meal:
A small plate of Caesar Salad - glass of Pinot Grigio
A cup of New England Clam Chowder - glass of Pinot Noir
A small plate of angel hair pasta pomodoro - glass of Chianti
Basket of Warm Italian Bread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar or Danish Butter
Either a Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms - glass of Cabernet or Merlot
Steamed fresh vegetables w/lemon & garlic
Basmanti Rice Pilaf or Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Or a 2lb Maine Lobster with warm butter on side. - glass of Chardonnay
Basket of Steamers
Homemade Cole Slaw
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Dessert:
Soufflle Grand Marnier drizzled with bavarian cream sauce and Grand Marnier Liquor
Coffee
And to top it off, a glass of porto or madeira with a good cigar or pipe.
Throw in a bag of CA plump, ripe, pistachio nuts and I'm in heaven.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Buddy Day at Tae Kwan Do
I took Ana to Tae Kwon Do yesterday and it was buddy day so, I got to be her buddy for the class. Always nice to be able to do something with my daughter. We played a couple of games. Duck, Duck, Goose and Dodgeball. I found out how old I was when I ran around the circle and my mind said go this fast and my feet said no way. Needless to say, I over balanced and wiped out on a turn. Nothing hurt but pride. I did slide into my spot on another round and ended up with road rash on my left knee and jambed a couple of toes on my left foot. Nice pretty purple now. Advil helped and Aloe99 helped on the road rash. I'll survive. I had a good time. I won the Dodgeball game at the end for our team. It was just me and David and he is real short and fast. I got lucky. Ana had a good time too but today she is the walking wounded. She twisted her ankle I think.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Aquisition Disorder (AD)
Revised: 10/02/2007
An acute disease afflicting many of us. Getting a hobby and buying everything in sight.
Horses - Down to 3 from a high of 6
DE Shaving - My current #1 Hobby
Cookware - Have almost everything I need for a while.
Cutlery - Ditto. No cutlery for a while.
Christmas Outdoor Decorations - Joint effort by one and all. Almost no room left in storage.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books - Tapering off.
Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy DVDs - in my wish list
PS2 Games - Depends on how much my daughter wants it. Need PS3 and a Wii.
Coffee - Goes back and forth
Porto - Need more
Pipes & Pipe Tobacco - When I get older, I'll get back into it.
Cigars - Ditto.
Firearms - One of these days I'll go Trap Shooting again.
An acute disease afflicting many of us. Getting a hobby and buying everything in sight.
Horses - Down to 3 from a high of 6
DE Shaving - My current #1 Hobby
Cookware - Have almost everything I need for a while.
Cutlery - Ditto. No cutlery for a while.
Christmas Outdoor Decorations - Joint effort by one and all. Almost no room left in storage.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books - Tapering off.
Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy DVDs - in my wish list
PS2 Games - Depends on how much my daughter wants it. Need PS3 and a Wii.
Coffee - Goes back and forth
Porto - Need more
Pipes & Pipe Tobacco - When I get older, I'll get back into it.
Cigars - Ditto.
Firearms - One of these days I'll go Trap Shooting again.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Experiment in Shaving
Well, I'm in the process of re-learning how to shave. I have taken the step of putting away my 2, 3 and 5 blade throw away cartridge razors and drugstore shave gels and have started using a brand new Merkur Futur DE Razor. My wife, Lisa was kind enough to give me one of these for Christmas. It has been a pleasurable and painful adventure to far. :) DE stands for "double edged." This is the type of razor your grandfather might have used only in a modern version. The experiment is broken down into a couple of categories. These are 1) shaving equipment and 2) shaving process. Shaving equipment for me has started out pretty basic as listed as follows:
Shaving Equipment:
Merkur Futur DE Razor
Omega Chrome Boar Hair Shaving Brush
Small deep bowl or mug for creating lather (about 4" across and 3" deep)
Double edged razor blades (Feather, Merkur, Derby, Gillette and Israeli Super+)
There is a huge assortment of equipment that you can choose from. This is about personal preference so I'm sure I'll be making some changes/upgrades as time goes by.
As a great reference, I would suggest going to these to places:
Badger & Blade
Shaveblog.com
Leisureguy Guides to Shaving
The Wet Shaver's Group
You'll learn everything you need to know how to get started shaving with a safety or straight razor and then some.
The second part of shaving is the process itself broken down as follows:
Pre shave face preparation
Creating a proper lather
Lathering techniques
The actual art of shaving using the 2, 3 or 4 pass method
Post shave care
This is where you can spend hundreds or dollars and hours figuring out what works for you in terms of techniques and products and quite frankly the most fun with a little bit of frustration thrown in trying to get things "right." I am quickly learning that I knew nothing about my face, beard growth patterns and so on in my quest for that baby bottom smooth shave. I won't go into details since the reference links I gave can do that much better than I can. I can say that I have started out using the Proraso and Nancy Boy line of products based on other's recommendations. So far, they have not steared me wrong. I suspect that based on my skin and beard type that I am not going to be able to cut any corners. I am however enjoying this process immensely. Right now I am using a Burt Bee's Body and Bath Oil as a pre shave with the Proraso or Nancy Boy shave cream. Just for the heck of it I throw in a little of my Aveeno shave gel as a comparison. I also have the Prorase pre/post shave cream to experiment with. For post shave care I use either Proraso's shave balm or my L'Oreal or Aveeno moisturizers. I just got a bottle of Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel to try. I'm waiting on a couple of others things to come in the mail to try.
So, that's it for now. My next experiment is to try the following.
Pure Glycerin as a pre shave lubricant.
Keep the same shave creams for now.
Use Witch Hazel after rinsing with cold water
Use an after shave balm.
What's Next
I am in the process of looking to add a styptic pencil and alum block to help with the razor burn and nicks. I'll be mixing up the pre and post shave products a bit more to find the best combination for me. Pre shave lubrication and after shave comfort is the name of the game. There are other things I can do too like upgrade my shave brush and get a hot shot water heater and a mug warmer to help get the best lather possible. I'm going to try out a few more Nancy Boy products since they get such high marks. The shave creams are last because there is a ton of them to choose from in all styles and flavors. I'm not out to build a huge collection of these things because they are not cheap so I'm going to be pretty picky and then stick to what works best.
Shaving Equipment:
Merkur Futur DE Razor
Omega Chrome Boar Hair Shaving Brush
Small deep bowl or mug for creating lather (about 4" across and 3" deep)
Double edged razor blades (Feather, Merkur, Derby, Gillette and Israeli Super+)
There is a huge assortment of equipment that you can choose from. This is about personal preference so I'm sure I'll be making some changes/upgrades as time goes by.
As a great reference, I would suggest going to these to places:
Badger & Blade
Shaveblog.com
Leisureguy Guides to Shaving
The Wet Shaver's Group
You'll learn everything you need to know how to get started shaving with a safety or straight razor and then some.
The second part of shaving is the process itself broken down as follows:
Pre shave face preparation
Creating a proper lather
Lathering techniques
The actual art of shaving using the 2, 3 or 4 pass method
Post shave care
This is where you can spend hundreds or dollars and hours figuring out what works for you in terms of techniques and products and quite frankly the most fun with a little bit of frustration thrown in trying to get things "right." I am quickly learning that I knew nothing about my face, beard growth patterns and so on in my quest for that baby bottom smooth shave. I won't go into details since the reference links I gave can do that much better than I can. I can say that I have started out using the Proraso and Nancy Boy line of products based on other's recommendations. So far, they have not steared me wrong. I suspect that based on my skin and beard type that I am not going to be able to cut any corners. I am however enjoying this process immensely. Right now I am using a Burt Bee's Body and Bath Oil as a pre shave with the Proraso or Nancy Boy shave cream. Just for the heck of it I throw in a little of my Aveeno shave gel as a comparison. I also have the Prorase pre/post shave cream to experiment with. For post shave care I use either Proraso's shave balm or my L'Oreal or Aveeno moisturizers. I just got a bottle of Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel to try. I'm waiting on a couple of others things to come in the mail to try.
So, that's it for now. My next experiment is to try the following.
Pure Glycerin as a pre shave lubricant.
Keep the same shave creams for now.
Use Witch Hazel after rinsing with cold water
Use an after shave balm.
What's Next
I am in the process of looking to add a styptic pencil and alum block to help with the razor burn and nicks. I'll be mixing up the pre and post shave products a bit more to find the best combination for me. Pre shave lubrication and after shave comfort is the name of the game. There are other things I can do too like upgrade my shave brush and get a hot shot water heater and a mug warmer to help get the best lather possible. I'm going to try out a few more Nancy Boy products since they get such high marks. The shave creams are last because there is a ton of them to choose from in all styles and flavors. I'm not out to build a huge collection of these things because they are not cheap so I'm going to be pretty picky and then stick to what works best.
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