Thursday, December 10, 2009
Picture Of The Day 12/10/09
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Conversations with my Father
The other day I was looking at quite a few digital pictures from a few years back. Many of these featured my father. One of my favorites is shown below.
Danielle, My Dad, and Scott July 2007That night I had a very realistic dream, it was very vivid and made quite an impression on me. My dad and I were talking. We knew he was dead and we knew I was dreaming. "When you dream my son, the veil between our two worlds is more easily traversed." he explained, "I can sometimes come and talk to you as we are doing now. You may think it's just a dream, but it's not."
We talked awhile about how much we missed and loved each other, and we gave each other a big hug when we were done. As my dad faded away, he winked at me with the smile of his I remember and mentioned he'd be seeing me again, and not to be too sad about his being gone.
I awoke, and reflected. Could it really be my dad talking to me, or was it in fact just the product of my over-active imagination? Unlike most of my dreams this one was very clear and very realistic and the full memory of it stayed with me. Anyone else have an experience like this?
Real or not, I will say I missed him a bit less, and felt better about his being gone. I hope to see him again in my dreams some night soon.
We talked awhile about how much we missed and loved each other, and we gave each other a big hug when we were done. As my dad faded away, he winked at me with the smile of his I remember and mentioned he'd be seeing me again, and not to be too sad about his being gone.
I awoke, and reflected. Could it really be my dad talking to me, or was it in fact just the product of my over-active imagination? Unlike most of my dreams this one was very clear and very realistic and the full memory of it stayed with me. Anyone else have an experience like this?
Real or not, I will say I missed him a bit less, and felt better about his being gone. I hope to see him again in my dreams some night soon.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Picture Of The Day 12/5/09
The view looking out the back door of mygarage after the first snowfall of the season.
Click picture for a larger version in a new window
Help Desk Log
Found this old tidbit when going through some very old files on my system. It's a bit dated, but still funny!
HELP DESK LOG
Monday
8:05am
User called to say they forgot password. Told them to use password retrieval utility called FDISK. Blissfully ignorant, they thank me and hang up. God, we let the people vote and drive, too?
8:12am
Accounting called to say they couldn't access expense reports database. Gave them Standard Sys Admin Answer #112, "Well, it works for me." Let them rant and rave while I unplugged my coffeemaker from the Accounting departments UPS and plugged their server back in. Suggested they try it again. One more happy customer...
8:14 am
User from 8:05 call said they received error message "Error accessing Drive C. Operating System Not Found" Told them it was an OS problem. Transferred them to microsupport.
11:00 am
Relatively quiet for last few hours. Decide to plug support phone back in so I can call my girlfriend. Says parents are coming into town this weekend. Put her on hold and transferred her to janitorial closet down in basement. What is she thinking? The "Myst" and "Doom"
nationals are this weekend!
11:34 am
Another user calls (do they ever learn?). Says they want ACL changed on HR performance review database so that nobody but HR can access database. Tell them no problem. Hang up. Change ACL. Add @MailSend so performance reviews are sent to */ALL.
12:00 pm
Lunch
3:30 pm
Return from lunch.
3:55 pm
Wake up from nap. Bad dream makes me cranky. Bounce servers for no reason. Return to napping.
4:23 pm
Yet another user calls. Wants to know how to change fonts on form. Ask them what chip set their PC is using. Tell them to call back when they find out.
4:55 pm
Decide to run "Create Save/Replication Conflicts" macro so next shift has something to do.
Tuesday
8:30 am
Finish reading support log from last night. Sounded busy. Terrible time with Save/Replication conflicts.
9:00 am
Support manager arrives. Wants to discuss my attitude. Click on PhoneNotes SmartIcon. "Love to, but kinda busy. Put something in the calendar database!" I yell as I grab for the support lines, which have (mysteriously) lit up. Walks away grumbling.
9:35 pm
Team leader from R&D needs ID for new employee. Tell them they need form J-19R=9C9\\DARR\K1. Say they never heard of such a form. Tell them it's in the SPECIAL FORMS database. Say they never heard of such a database. Transfer them to janitorial closet in basement.
10:00 am
Perky sounding intern from R&D calls and says she needs new ID. Tell her I need employee number, department name, manager name, and marital status. Run @DbLookup against state parole board database, Centers for Disease Control database, and my Oprah Winfrey database. No hits. Tell her ID will be ready tonight. Drawing from the lessons learned in last week's "Re-engineering for Customer Partnership," I offer to personally deliver ID to her apartment.
10:07 am
Janitor stops by to say he keeps getting strange calls in basement. Offer to train him on Notes. Begin now. Let him watch console while I grab a smoke.
1:00 pm
Return from smoking break. Janitor says phones kept ringing, so he transferred them to cafeteria lady. I like this guy!
1:05 pm
Big commotion! Support manager falls in hole left where I pulled floor tiles outside his office door. Stress to him importance of not running in computer room, even if I do yell "Omigod -- Fire!"
1:15 pm
Development Standards Committee calls and complains about umlauts in form names. Apologizing for the inconvenience, I tell them I will fix it. Hang up and run global search/replace using gaks.
1:20 pm
Mary Hairnet from cafeteria calls. Says she keeps getting calls for "Notice Loads" or "NoLoad Goats," she's not sure, couldn't hear over industrial-grade blender. Tell her it was probably "Lettuce Nodes." Maybe the food distributor with a new product? She thinks about it and hangs up.
2:00 pm
Legal secretary calls and says she lost password. Ask her to check in her purse, floor of car, and on bathroom counter. Tell her it probably fell out of back of machine. Suggest she put duct tape over all the airvents she can find on the PC. Grudgingly offer to create new ID for her while she does that.
2:49 pm
Janitor comes back. Wants more lessons. I take off rest of day. Notice Janitor transferring support lines to Loading Dock as I leave..... I like this guy!
Wednesday
8:30 am
Irate user from Monday calls to say chipset has nothing to do with fonts on form. Tell them Of course, they should have been checking "Bitset," not "chipset." Sheepish user apologizes and hangs up.
9:10am
Support manager, with foot in cast, returns to office. Schedules 10:00am meeting with me. User calls and wants to talk to support manager about terrible help at support desk. Tell them manager about to go into meeting. Sometimes life hands you material...
10:00 am
Call Louie in janitorial services to cover for me. Go to support manager's office. He says he can't dismiss me but can suggest several lateral career moves. Most involve farm implements in third-world countries with moderate to heavy political turmoil. By and by, I ask if he's aware of new bug which takes full-text indexed e-mail databases from management and puts all references to furry handcuffs and Bambi Boomer with the managers name in the Marketing section on the corporate Web page. Meeting is adjourned as he reaches for keyboard, Web browser, and Tums.
10:30 am
Tell Louie he's doing great job. Offer to show him mainframe corporate PBX system sometime.
11:00 am
Lunch.
4:55 pm
Return from lunch. Take support lines of of random dialing to China.
5:00 pm
Shift change; Going home.
Thursday
8:00 am
New guy ("Marvin") started today. "Nice plaids" I offer. Show him server room, wiring closet, and technical library. Set him up with IBM PC-XT. Tell him to quit whining, Notes runs the same in both monochrome and color. New guy and I boot our PCs.
8:02
My PC finishes booting up.
8:45 am
New guy's PC finishes booting up. Tell him I'll create new ID for him. Set minimum password length to 64 characters. Go grab smoke.
9:30 am
Introduce Louie the Janitor to Marvin. "Nice plaids" Louie comments. Is this guy great or what?! I really like this guy!!
11:00 am
Beat Louie in dominoes game. Louie leaves. Fish spare dominoes out of sleeves ("Always have backups"). User calls, says Accounting server is down. Untie Ethernet cable from radio antenna (better reception) and plug back into hub. Tell user to try again. Another happy customer!
11:55 am
Brief Marvin on Corporate Policy 98.022.01: "Whereas all new employee beginning on days ending in 'Y' shall enjoy all proper aspects with said corporation, said employee is obligated to provide sustenance and relief to senior technical analyst on shift." Marvin doubts. I point
to "Corporate Policy" database (a fine piece of work, if I say so myself!). "Remember, that's DOUBLE pepperoni and NO peppers!" I yell to Marvin as he steps over open floor tile to get to exit door.
1:00 pm
Oooooh! Pizza makes me so sleepy...
4:30 pm
Wake from refreshing nap. Catch Marvin scanning want ads.
5:00 pm
Shift change. Flick HR's server off and on several times (just testing the On/Off button...). See ya tomorrow.
Friday
8:00 am
Night shift still trying to replace power supply in HR server. Told them it worked fine before I left.
9:00 am
Marvin still not here. Decide I might start answering these calls myself. Unforward phones from Mailroom.
9:02 am
Yep. A user call. Users in Des Moines can't replicate. Me and the Oiuji board determine it's sunspots. Tell them to call Telecommunications.
9:30 am
Good God, another user! They're like ants. Says he's in San Diego and can't replicate with Des Moines. Tell him it's sunspots, but with a two-hour difference. Suggest he reset the time on the server back two hours.
10:17 am
Pensacola calls. Says they can't route mail to San Diego. Tell them to set server ahead three hours.
11:00 am
E-mail from corporate says for everybody to quit resetting the time on their servers. I change the date stamp and forward it to Milwaukee.
11:20 am
Finish @CoffeeMake macro. Put phone back on hook.
11:23 am
Milwaukee calls, asks what day it is.
11:25 am
Support manager stops by to say Marvin called in to quit. "So hard to get good help..." I respond. Support manager says he has appointment with orthopedic doctor this afternoon, and asks if I mind sitting in on the weekly department head meeting for him. "No problem!"
11:30 am
Call Louie the Janitor and tell him opportunity knocks and he's invited to a meeting this afternoon. "Yeah, sure. You can bring your snuff" I tell him.
11:05 am
Lunch.
2:00 pm
Start full backups on UNIX server. Route them to device NULL to make them fast.
2:03 pm
Full weekly backups done. Man, I love modern technology! Usually takes 3 days to write it all to tape!
2:30 pm
Look in support manager's contact management database. Cancel 2:45 pm appointment with Doctor for him. He really should be at home resting, you know.
2:39 pm
New user calls. Says want to learn how to create a connection document. Tell them to run connection document utility CTRL-ALT-DEL. Says PC rebooted. Tell them to call microsupport.
2:50 pm
Support manager calls to say mixup at doctor's office means appointment cancelled. Says he's just going to go on home. Ask him if he's seen corporate Web page lately.
3:00 pm
Another (novice) user calls. Says periodic macro not working. Suggest they place @DeleteDocument at end of formula. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.
4:00 pm
Finish changing foreground color in all documents to white. Also set font point size to "2" in help databases.
4:30 pm
User calls to say they can't see anything in documents. Tell them to go to view, do a "Edit -- Select All", hit delete key, and then refresh. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.
4:45 pm
Another user calls. Says they can't read help documents. Tell them I'll fix it. Hang up. Change font to Wingdings.
4:58 pm
Plug coffee maker into Ethernet hub to see what happens. Not (too) much.
5:00 pm
Night shift shows up. Tell that the hub is acting funny and to have a good weekend.
HELP DESK LOG
Monday
8:05am
User called to say they forgot password. Told them to use password retrieval utility called FDISK. Blissfully ignorant, they thank me and hang up. God, we let the people vote and drive, too?
8:12am
Accounting called to say they couldn't access expense reports database. Gave them Standard Sys Admin Answer #112, "Well, it works for me." Let them rant and rave while I unplugged my coffeemaker from the Accounting departments UPS and plugged their server back in. Suggested they try it again. One more happy customer...
8:14 am
User from 8:05 call said they received error message "Error accessing Drive C. Operating System Not Found" Told them it was an OS problem. Transferred them to microsupport.
11:00 am
Relatively quiet for last few hours. Decide to plug support phone back in so I can call my girlfriend. Says parents are coming into town this weekend. Put her on hold and transferred her to janitorial closet down in basement. What is she thinking? The "Myst" and "Doom"
nationals are this weekend!
11:34 am
Another user calls (do they ever learn?). Says they want ACL changed on HR performance review database so that nobody but HR can access database. Tell them no problem. Hang up. Change ACL. Add @MailSend so performance reviews are sent to */ALL.
12:00 pm
Lunch
3:30 pm
Return from lunch.
3:55 pm
Wake up from nap. Bad dream makes me cranky. Bounce servers for no reason. Return to napping.
4:23 pm
Yet another user calls. Wants to know how to change fonts on form. Ask them what chip set their PC is using. Tell them to call back when they find out.
4:55 pm
Decide to run "Create Save/Replication Conflicts" macro so next shift has something to do.
Tuesday
8:30 am
Finish reading support log from last night. Sounded busy. Terrible time with Save/Replication conflicts.
9:00 am
Support manager arrives. Wants to discuss my attitude. Click on PhoneNotes SmartIcon. "Love to, but kinda busy. Put something in the calendar database!" I yell as I grab for the support lines, which have (mysteriously) lit up. Walks away grumbling.
9:35 pm
Team leader from R&D needs ID for new employee. Tell them they need form J-19R=9C9\\DARR\K1. Say they never heard of such a form. Tell them it's in the SPECIAL FORMS database. Say they never heard of such a database. Transfer them to janitorial closet in basement.
10:00 am
Perky sounding intern from R&D calls and says she needs new ID. Tell her I need employee number, department name, manager name, and marital status. Run @DbLookup against state parole board database, Centers for Disease Control database, and my Oprah Winfrey database. No hits. Tell her ID will be ready tonight. Drawing from the lessons learned in last week's "Re-engineering for Customer Partnership," I offer to personally deliver ID to her apartment.
10:07 am
Janitor stops by to say he keeps getting strange calls in basement. Offer to train him on Notes. Begin now. Let him watch console while I grab a smoke.
1:00 pm
Return from smoking break. Janitor says phones kept ringing, so he transferred them to cafeteria lady. I like this guy!
1:05 pm
Big commotion! Support manager falls in hole left where I pulled floor tiles outside his office door. Stress to him importance of not running in computer room, even if I do yell "Omigod -- Fire!"
1:15 pm
Development Standards Committee calls and complains about umlauts in form names. Apologizing for the inconvenience, I tell them I will fix it. Hang up and run global search/replace using gaks.
1:20 pm
Mary Hairnet from cafeteria calls. Says she keeps getting calls for "Notice Loads" or "NoLoad Goats," she's not sure, couldn't hear over industrial-grade blender. Tell her it was probably "Lettuce Nodes." Maybe the food distributor with a new product? She thinks about it and hangs up.
2:00 pm
Legal secretary calls and says she lost password. Ask her to check in her purse, floor of car, and on bathroom counter. Tell her it probably fell out of back of machine. Suggest she put duct tape over all the airvents she can find on the PC. Grudgingly offer to create new ID for her while she does that.
2:49 pm
Janitor comes back. Wants more lessons. I take off rest of day. Notice Janitor transferring support lines to Loading Dock as I leave..... I like this guy!
Wednesday
8:30 am
Irate user from Monday calls to say chipset has nothing to do with fonts on form. Tell them Of course, they should have been checking "Bitset," not "chipset." Sheepish user apologizes and hangs up.
9:10am
Support manager, with foot in cast, returns to office. Schedules 10:00am meeting with me. User calls and wants to talk to support manager about terrible help at support desk. Tell them manager about to go into meeting. Sometimes life hands you material...
10:00 am
Call Louie in janitorial services to cover for me. Go to support manager's office. He says he can't dismiss me but can suggest several lateral career moves. Most involve farm implements in third-world countries with moderate to heavy political turmoil. By and by, I ask if he's aware of new bug which takes full-text indexed e-mail databases from management and puts all references to furry handcuffs and Bambi Boomer with the managers name in the Marketing section on the corporate Web page. Meeting is adjourned as he reaches for keyboard, Web browser, and Tums.
10:30 am
Tell Louie he's doing great job. Offer to show him mainframe corporate PBX system sometime.
11:00 am
Lunch.
4:55 pm
Return from lunch. Take support lines of of random dialing to China.
5:00 pm
Shift change; Going home.
Thursday
8:00 am
New guy ("Marvin") started today. "Nice plaids" I offer. Show him server room, wiring closet, and technical library. Set him up with IBM PC-XT. Tell him to quit whining, Notes runs the same in both monochrome and color. New guy and I boot our PCs.
8:02
My PC finishes booting up.
8:45 am
New guy's PC finishes booting up. Tell him I'll create new ID for him. Set minimum password length to 64 characters. Go grab smoke.
9:30 am
Introduce Louie the Janitor to Marvin. "Nice plaids" Louie comments. Is this guy great or what?! I really like this guy!!
11:00 am
Beat Louie in dominoes game. Louie leaves. Fish spare dominoes out of sleeves ("Always have backups"). User calls, says Accounting server is down. Untie Ethernet cable from radio antenna (better reception) and plug back into hub. Tell user to try again. Another happy customer!
11:55 am
Brief Marvin on Corporate Policy 98.022.01: "Whereas all new employee beginning on days ending in 'Y' shall enjoy all proper aspects with said corporation, said employee is obligated to provide sustenance and relief to senior technical analyst on shift." Marvin doubts. I point
to "Corporate Policy" database (a fine piece of work, if I say so myself!). "Remember, that's DOUBLE pepperoni and NO peppers!" I yell to Marvin as he steps over open floor tile to get to exit door.
1:00 pm
Oooooh! Pizza makes me so sleepy...
4:30 pm
Wake from refreshing nap. Catch Marvin scanning want ads.
5:00 pm
Shift change. Flick HR's server off and on several times (just testing the On/Off button...). See ya tomorrow.
Friday
8:00 am
Night shift still trying to replace power supply in HR server. Told them it worked fine before I left.
9:00 am
Marvin still not here. Decide I might start answering these calls myself. Unforward phones from Mailroom.
9:02 am
Yep. A user call. Users in Des Moines can't replicate. Me and the Oiuji board determine it's sunspots. Tell them to call Telecommunications.
9:30 am
Good God, another user! They're like ants. Says he's in San Diego and can't replicate with Des Moines. Tell him it's sunspots, but with a two-hour difference. Suggest he reset the time on the server back two hours.
10:17 am
Pensacola calls. Says they can't route mail to San Diego. Tell them to set server ahead three hours.
11:00 am
E-mail from corporate says for everybody to quit resetting the time on their servers. I change the date stamp and forward it to Milwaukee.
11:20 am
Finish @CoffeeMake macro. Put phone back on hook.
11:23 am
Milwaukee calls, asks what day it is.
11:25 am
Support manager stops by to say Marvin called in to quit. "So hard to get good help..." I respond. Support manager says he has appointment with orthopedic doctor this afternoon, and asks if I mind sitting in on the weekly department head meeting for him. "No problem!"
11:30 am
Call Louie the Janitor and tell him opportunity knocks and he's invited to a meeting this afternoon. "Yeah, sure. You can bring your snuff" I tell him.
11:05 am
Lunch.
2:00 pm
Start full backups on UNIX server. Route them to device NULL to make them fast.
2:03 pm
Full weekly backups done. Man, I love modern technology! Usually takes 3 days to write it all to tape!
2:30 pm
Look in support manager's contact management database. Cancel 2:45 pm appointment with Doctor for him. He really should be at home resting, you know.
2:39 pm
New user calls. Says want to learn how to create a connection document. Tell them to run connection document utility CTRL-ALT-DEL. Says PC rebooted. Tell them to call microsupport.
2:50 pm
Support manager calls to say mixup at doctor's office means appointment cancelled. Says he's just going to go on home. Ask him if he's seen corporate Web page lately.
3:00 pm
Another (novice) user calls. Says periodic macro not working. Suggest they place @DeleteDocument at end of formula. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.
4:00 pm
Finish changing foreground color in all documents to white. Also set font point size to "2" in help databases.
4:30 pm
User calls to say they can't see anything in documents. Tell them to go to view, do a "Edit -- Select All", hit delete key, and then refresh. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.
4:45 pm
Another user calls. Says they can't read help documents. Tell them I'll fix it. Hang up. Change font to Wingdings.
4:58 pm
Plug coffee maker into Ethernet hub to see what happens. Not (too) much.
5:00 pm
Night shift shows up. Tell that the hub is acting funny and to have a good weekend.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Six Truths of Life
Six Truths of Life **
1. You cannot touch all your top teeth with your tongue.
2. All idiots, after reading the first truth, will try it.
3. And discover that The first truth is a lie and
feel superior because they can do it.
4. You're smiling now because you're an idiot
5. You soon will forward this to another idiot.
6. There's still a stupid smile on your face.
1. You cannot touch all your top teeth with your tongue.
2. All idiots, after reading the first truth, will try it.
3. And discover that The first truth is a lie and
feel superior because they can do it.
4. You're smiling now because you're an idiot
5. You soon will forward this to another idiot.
6. There's still a stupid smile on your face.
I apologize about this.
I found out that I was an idiot too and I needed company....
** Thanks to my friend Barry for sending this Gem my way!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Happy Birthday Scott
It seems like just yesterday I was at the hospital the day after thanksgiving awaiting the birth of my second child. Today he is 18! We had a nice day together. We all went and saw 2012 and then had dinner at Olive Garden.
Later he and I played a couple of campaigns of Left 4 Dead 2, and we also watched tv in between him working one of his flash projects.
I can't put into words just how happy it made me to be able to spend so much time with him on his 18th birthday.
I will say it was the best day of my week off!
Happy Birthday Scott! Remember now matter where your life takes you down the road or how old you are, I'm always here for you.
Later he and I played a couple of campaigns of Left 4 Dead 2, and we also watched tv in between him working one of his flash projects.
I can't put into words just how happy it made me to be able to spend so much time with him on his 18th birthday.
I will say it was the best day of my week off!
Happy Birthday Scott! Remember now matter where your life takes you down the road or how old you are, I'm always here for you.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Picture Of The Day 11/28/09
No my friends, it's not the prelude to the Zombie Apocalypse, but, it certainly looks like it could be. What's unusual about these shots taken outside my home was it was a sunny morning around 9:30 but the fog was so thick as to be surrealistic. I really like these shots though I must admit it was eerie being outside while taking them. Note all can be viewed in a larger size by clicking on them.
Friday, November 27, 2009
CajunGrocer Turducken Was a Real Turkey.
For thanksgiving I ordered a Turducken with pork sausage stuffing from cajungrocer.com.
Since more than a few people wanted to hear how it was, I decided to do a CajunGrocer Turducken Review......and here it is.
The Turducken was easy to prepare and I used a meat thermometer to insure it was cooked in accordance to the directions on the package since their web site's instructions differed from the instructions on the Turducken package itself.
Eight of us dined on this yesterday. As side dishes I made corn bread, biscuits, peas, onions, broccoli & cauliflower in cheese sauce, and corn. Of course there was jellied cranberry sauce.
Before I go into detail I can sum up my feelings in one sentence: I must say after shelling out over $80 for the Turducken and shipping from CajunGrocer that it was quite a disappointment.
Now, after making such a statement here's the reasons why.
The stuffing was just totally inedible, no one liked it and it resembled in appearance, taste, and texture nothing in the way of any stuffing I had eaten over the years. Heck, a box of Stove Top Stuffing would have been far, far tastier. The comment was made it looked like canned dog food when it was on the plate which everyone agreed to and got a good laugh from.
The duck was another sore point. Out of 8 of us only one person enjoyed the duck, the rest of us thought it tasted bad. I've had duck in the past and liked it, but this was just so gamy tasting that I could not eat more than a bite.
Even my gravy, made from the pan drippings was off and this was noted by my dinner guests who normally rave over my gravy on Thanksgiving.
On the plus side the Turkey and chicken were quite good and fortunately there was enough of that for us all to have a hearty meal thanks to the side dishes, but we all agreed that one of my regular stuffed Butterball turkeys with my cornbread and pork sausage stuffing would have made for a much better centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal. It would also have cost less. We all really missed having stuffing with our Thanksgiving dinner!
I did not go into this purchase blind. I did a lot of research before settling on CajunGrocer. One thing that swayed me in their direction was that on the cajungrocer.com website is a re-print several years back from the Wall Street Journal proclaiming that of the brands tested their Turducken was the best, and delicious. I can only conclude that their quality has gone downhill since that was printed.
It was nice to try something new, but between the inedible stuffing, the overly gammy duck (I've had duck before that did not taste as strong as this did), couple with the high cost made this a very disappointing purchase for me and one that will not be repeated.
So, my opinion is that this Turducken was a real Turkey!
Since more than a few people wanted to hear how it was, I decided to do a CajunGrocer Turducken Review......and here it is.
The Turducken was easy to prepare and I used a meat thermometer to insure it was cooked in accordance to the directions on the package since their web site's instructions differed from the instructions on the Turducken package itself.
Eight of us dined on this yesterday. As side dishes I made corn bread, biscuits, peas, onions, broccoli & cauliflower in cheese sauce, and corn. Of course there was jellied cranberry sauce.
Before I go into detail I can sum up my feelings in one sentence: I must say after shelling out over $80 for the Turducken and shipping from CajunGrocer that it was quite a disappointment.
Now, after making such a statement here's the reasons why.
The stuffing was just totally inedible, no one liked it and it resembled in appearance, taste, and texture nothing in the way of any stuffing I had eaten over the years. Heck, a box of Stove Top Stuffing would have been far, far tastier. The comment was made it looked like canned dog food when it was on the plate which everyone agreed to and got a good laugh from.
The duck was another sore point. Out of 8 of us only one person enjoyed the duck, the rest of us thought it tasted bad. I've had duck in the past and liked it, but this was just so gamy tasting that I could not eat more than a bite.
Even my gravy, made from the pan drippings was off and this was noted by my dinner guests who normally rave over my gravy on Thanksgiving.
On the plus side the Turkey and chicken were quite good and fortunately there was enough of that for us all to have a hearty meal thanks to the side dishes, but we all agreed that one of my regular stuffed Butterball turkeys with my cornbread and pork sausage stuffing would have made for a much better centerpiece of our Thanksgiving meal. It would also have cost less. We all really missed having stuffing with our Thanksgiving dinner!
I did not go into this purchase blind. I did a lot of research before settling on CajunGrocer. One thing that swayed me in their direction was that on the cajungrocer.com website is a re-print several years back from the Wall Street Journal proclaiming that of the brands tested their Turducken was the best, and delicious. I can only conclude that their quality has gone downhill since that was printed.
It was nice to try something new, but between the inedible stuffing, the overly gammy duck (I've had duck before that did not taste as strong as this did), couple with the high cost made this a very disappointing purchase for me and one that will not be repeated.
So, my opinion is that this Turducken was a real Turkey!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Picture Of The Day 11/25/09
So, above is a picture of the items (except the Turducken of course which sits in the fridge, nearly thawed) for Thanksgiving dinner. Look at the picture, and tell me what item is missing to prepare one of the other items I bought. You can click on the picture above to open a larger version in a new browser window.
Note the X cannot play, as she knows already.
Winner is welcome to stop by for a slice of Turducken! See disclaimer below.
Disclaimer: If you opt to stop by for a slice of Turducken it should be after 3 PM EST. While this offer is extended it is not to be taken as a guarantee that there will actually be any Turducken left depending on your arrival time or the ravenous hunger of my dinner guests. Cost of transportation must be borne by the winner. We cannot be held responsible if the Turducken makes you sick or has any other affects such as halitosis, body odor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fever, chills, palpitations, ringing in the ears, double or blurry vision, the heartbreak of psoriasis, psychosis, bloating, excretion of methane gas, visions of the undead, the ability to talk to visions of the undead, twitching, itching, a rash, speaking in tongues, the growth of a third eye, causing zombies to roam free, or the earth to spin out of its orbit and spiral into the sun killing all of humanity just because YOU wanted a slice of Turducken!
Note the X cannot play, as she knows already.
Winner is welcome to stop by for a slice of Turducken! See disclaimer below.
Disclaimer: If you opt to stop by for a slice of Turducken it should be after 3 PM EST. While this offer is extended it is not to be taken as a guarantee that there will actually be any Turducken left depending on your arrival time or the ravenous hunger of my dinner guests. Cost of transportation must be borne by the winner. We cannot be held responsible if the Turducken makes you sick or has any other affects such as halitosis, body odor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, fever, chills, palpitations, ringing in the ears, double or blurry vision, the heartbreak of psoriasis, psychosis, bloating, excretion of methane gas, visions of the undead, the ability to talk to visions of the undead, twitching, itching, a rash, speaking in tongues, the growth of a third eye, causing zombies to roam free, or the earth to spin out of its orbit and spiral into the sun killing all of humanity just because YOU wanted a slice of Turducken!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Picture Of The Day 11/22/09
Actually, it's Pictures Of The Day today, I shot several of the same Sunset and could not choose between these two finalists, so, I decided to just post both of them. Enjoy!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Ghosts of Christmas Past
We're in the Holiday season and frankly I'm a bit blue because of it. Since I don't anticipate a lot of posting in the coming weeks other than my Picture Of The Day posts, I thought I'd go into a bit of explanation for those who might wonder why I may seem a bit distant and why I'm not online a lot these days.
Christmas Eve 2000Growing up we were in the lower middle class bracket. We lived on the second worse street of a pretty affluent town. While we did not want for for simple good food or clothes, though I often wore hand-me-downs, there were not a lot of luxuries because money was always tight. My Dad took a second full time job around the holidays, I found out years later, just so my parents could afford Christmas presents for my brother and I. Christmas as kid, then growing up before and after having my own kids, it was always something special, magical, and just the best of times.
Danielle, Scott, and Chris on Christmas Morning 2000We started our own tradition with the kids for Christmas. Christmas Eve the three of them would get new pajamas and a Christmas book which we would read a story out of after they we in there new Jammie's before they went to bed.
Starting in 2000 for four years each Christmas I would make and give away on the internet a Christmas Screen Saver for the PC. These took months to create in my spare time. I watched Christmas specials in the middle of July off of video tape and in later years DVDs. I just really loved Christmas.
In fact I truly loved the Holiday season starting with Halloween and stretching through New Years. Since the divorce, it's just not been the same. I don't have the creative spark to do the Screen Savers. Thinking about doing it seems like such a massive effort and before it was effortless. The first holiday season was a real struggle to get through but that year and subsequent years I did my best to try and make the kids holidays happy and I found joy in their happiness. It really refined in me the spirit of giving, and I truly believe it is better to give than to receive. So, most years I've hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the kids, the X, and her parents, I give money to charities around the holidays as well which brings the holiday to others. This does make me feel good for those I am helping.
For me though this year, now that the kids are older and have less child-like joy with it, and even my daughter is distancing herself from us, there's not that much magic to be had as I really loved their love of it. Sometimes I think nowadays for them it's an occasion to get some gifts and not much else. January can't come soon enough.
Yes, I know, I'm like Charlie Brown; the only person who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Wow, A Charlie Brown Christmas! I love that cartoon! I used to watch that special every year with my brother since it first aired until we moved to Michigan. I watch it every year though.
Anyway, thanks for listening.
Starting in 2000 for four years each Christmas I would make and give away on the internet a Christmas Screen Saver for the PC. These took months to create in my spare time. I watched Christmas specials in the middle of July off of video tape and in later years DVDs. I just really loved Christmas.
In fact I truly loved the Holiday season starting with Halloween and stretching through New Years. Since the divorce, it's just not been the same. I don't have the creative spark to do the Screen Savers. Thinking about doing it seems like such a massive effort and before it was effortless. The first holiday season was a real struggle to get through but that year and subsequent years I did my best to try and make the kids holidays happy and I found joy in their happiness. It really refined in me the spirit of giving, and I truly believe it is better to give than to receive. So, most years I've hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the kids, the X, and her parents, I give money to charities around the holidays as well which brings the holiday to others. This does make me feel good for those I am helping.
For me though this year, now that the kids are older and have less child-like joy with it, and even my daughter is distancing herself from us, there's not that much magic to be had as I really loved their love of it. Sometimes I think nowadays for them it's an occasion to get some gifts and not much else. January can't come soon enough.
Yes, I know, I'm like Charlie Brown; the only person who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Wow, A Charlie Brown Christmas! I love that cartoon! I used to watch that special every year with my brother since it first aired until we moved to Michigan. I watch it every year though.
Anyway, thanks for listening.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Militants Take Manhattan
Sunday Morning.... So, there I was locked up in the stockade of the underground militant group I am a part of. I've been accused of cowardice and dereliction of duty, and what they have planned for me in reprisals does not sound pretty at all! I've professed my innocence and had plenty of my fellows backing me up, but, as I've pissed off the right hand man of the Commandant my fate is pretty much sealed.
I am therefor quite surprised when the camp Commandant comes over to the stockade and lets me know that he's heard a lot of unsolicited testimony on my behalf and has decided to let the fates decide my fate!
I am given a paintball gun and told all I must do to win my freedom is succeed in a little war game. I must cross the football field sized area between the stockade and the rail yard and rescue the hostage from one of the many train cars therein. Here's the twist; while I will have a paint gun the 25 or so men of our regiment participating in the exercise will have live ammo. If I tag one of them with a paintball, they will be out of the war game.
The Commandant seems to take some delight in telling me this was his right hand man's idea and he also picked those participating. He also mentions, though I have no idea why, that all the lab animals which include some rats, mice, and cats, are going to be euthanized later this evening.
Without further adieu the Commandant extends his arm into the air and fires his pistol. "GO!" he shouts and pushes me out onto what could easily become the killing field! Expecting to be cut down within my first steps I take off. Shots immediately ring out and I am narrowly missed multiple times as evidenced by impacts in the ground around me. Trying to shield my eyes against the spray of dirt and gravel being kicked up by the incoming shots I am also returning fire as I run madly towards the train cars in the distance.
I am a machine! Moving swiftly and sinuously I am able with shot after shot to take down the majority of my attackers without sustaining a single injury though many shots come close!! No matter how I am approached, no matter how quick the attack, and am always able to get a shot off and stop my attacker!
Panting with effort, my face stung with fragments of rocks from the near misses, I manage to make it to the train yard and begin scurrying between the lines of train cars looking for the car that contains the hostage. I pause for a moment leaning against a passenger car to try and catch my breath. Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up I drop the ground a split second before a round of bullets throws up sparks as they impact into the side of the train car that I had been standing against. I sprint off and spy (with my little eye?) a car surrounded by guards. I manage to sneak under the car, use the trapdoor on the bottom to gain access, and free the hostage!
I have made it! Shots are being fired madly in the air by my friends in the regiment who did not participate and I can hear them cheering outside! The Commandant tells me I am free to go or stay with the regiment. Some of the others are heading off to the local bar and invite me along. As we are heading off, the Commandant calls after me "Remember the lab animals!"
I am now in some darkly lit business area looking for the bar. My fellows have vanished, and I hear the sound of laughter and clinking glasses ahead. I am drawn to the noise and enter the bar, which has a sign next to the door picturing a mouse, rat, and cat with sad eyes looking at you, with the caption "Remember the Lab Animals Die Tonight!".
I am very disturbed by this news, and after a few drinks decide to do something about it. I head back to the military compound which is now dark and seemingly deserted except for a lone guard or two patrolling, By timing their rounds I am able to easily infiltrate the lab area. There are easily 100 animals. They all appear to be clean and healthy. I begin opening the cages and I hear a familiar voice say "I'm so glad you came to help!"
I look over and discover Kermit the Frog is talking to me. Looking back at the cages I see while some of the animals appear the same, some are now comical Muppets! Kermit and I lead them out of the complex and all of a sudden we are in a run down area of (yes, I hate to say it) Manhattan. "We have to find a place for everyone!" exclaims Kermit! We approach an old brownstone apartment building. Inside it is clearly run down and dilapidated, but it is sound as far as having a roof over ones head. The animals all begin cavorting around. I hear a squeaky noise down near my feet and an adorable (real, now Muppet) little white mouse looks up at me and says "Thank you for helping us!"
At that moment a New York City Police Officer bursts in and demands to know what we are doing there! I show him my underground (go figure!) militant ID and state I am going to buy the place for my friends. He thanks me for his time and takes his leave amidst much cheering and applause by the assorted animals.
I turn to Kermit and ask how this whole thing started. "That's easy!" hey says and claps his flippers together. Now, everything is gone and Kermit and I are in some very ritzy house, and I am saying farewell to someone who I evidently care for (but have never seen before). It's evident to me that she cares for me as well and we are both crying. With tears streaming down her face so proclaims that she understands how I must save the animals that have been sent for lab testing, but she cannot come with me. I kiss her goodbye, and turn to leave. I take a single step and . . . . .
I awake. After rising I spent some time and reflect how this has to be one of the strangest dreams I have ever had in my life! Obviously the military aspect is from playing way too much Borderlands this past week, and I of course love the Muppets and my favorite Muppet movie has always been "The Muppets Take Manhattan". The girl obviously symbolizes my lost love. What a dream this was to start off my Sunday with! What a way these elements combined into one dream!
Go figure!
I am therefor quite surprised when the camp Commandant comes over to the stockade and lets me know that he's heard a lot of unsolicited testimony on my behalf and has decided to let the fates decide my fate!
I am given a paintball gun and told all I must do to win my freedom is succeed in a little war game. I must cross the football field sized area between the stockade and the rail yard and rescue the hostage from one of the many train cars therein. Here's the twist; while I will have a paint gun the 25 or so men of our regiment participating in the exercise will have live ammo. If I tag one of them with a paintball, they will be out of the war game.
The Commandant seems to take some delight in telling me this was his right hand man's idea and he also picked those participating. He also mentions, though I have no idea why, that all the lab animals which include some rats, mice, and cats, are going to be euthanized later this evening.
Without further adieu the Commandant extends his arm into the air and fires his pistol. "GO!" he shouts and pushes me out onto what could easily become the killing field! Expecting to be cut down within my first steps I take off. Shots immediately ring out and I am narrowly missed multiple times as evidenced by impacts in the ground around me. Trying to shield my eyes against the spray of dirt and gravel being kicked up by the incoming shots I am also returning fire as I run madly towards the train cars in the distance.
I am a machine! Moving swiftly and sinuously I am able with shot after shot to take down the majority of my attackers without sustaining a single injury though many shots come close!! No matter how I am approached, no matter how quick the attack, and am always able to get a shot off and stop my attacker!
Panting with effort, my face stung with fragments of rocks from the near misses, I manage to make it to the train yard and begin scurrying between the lines of train cars looking for the car that contains the hostage. I pause for a moment leaning against a passenger car to try and catch my breath. Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck sticking up I drop the ground a split second before a round of bullets throws up sparks as they impact into the side of the train car that I had been standing against. I sprint off and spy (with my little eye?) a car surrounded by guards. I manage to sneak under the car, use the trapdoor on the bottom to gain access, and free the hostage!
I have made it! Shots are being fired madly in the air by my friends in the regiment who did not participate and I can hear them cheering outside! The Commandant tells me I am free to go or stay with the regiment. Some of the others are heading off to the local bar and invite me along. As we are heading off, the Commandant calls after me "Remember the lab animals!"
I am now in some darkly lit business area looking for the bar. My fellows have vanished, and I hear the sound of laughter and clinking glasses ahead. I am drawn to the noise and enter the bar, which has a sign next to the door picturing a mouse, rat, and cat with sad eyes looking at you, with the caption "Remember the Lab Animals Die Tonight!".
I am very disturbed by this news, and after a few drinks decide to do something about it. I head back to the military compound which is now dark and seemingly deserted except for a lone guard or two patrolling, By timing their rounds I am able to easily infiltrate the lab area. There are easily 100 animals. They all appear to be clean and healthy. I begin opening the cages and I hear a familiar voice say "I'm so glad you came to help!"
I look over and discover Kermit the Frog is talking to me. Looking back at the cages I see while some of the animals appear the same, some are now comical Muppets! Kermit and I lead them out of the complex and all of a sudden we are in a run down area of (yes, I hate to say it) Manhattan. "We have to find a place for everyone!" exclaims Kermit! We approach an old brownstone apartment building. Inside it is clearly run down and dilapidated, but it is sound as far as having a roof over ones head. The animals all begin cavorting around. I hear a squeaky noise down near my feet and an adorable (real, now Muppet) little white mouse looks up at me and says "Thank you for helping us!"
At that moment a New York City Police Officer bursts in and demands to know what we are doing there! I show him my underground (go figure!) militant ID and state I am going to buy the place for my friends. He thanks me for his time and takes his leave amidst much cheering and applause by the assorted animals.
I turn to Kermit and ask how this whole thing started. "That's easy!" hey says and claps his flippers together. Now, everything is gone and Kermit and I are in some very ritzy house, and I am saying farewell to someone who I evidently care for (but have never seen before). It's evident to me that she cares for me as well and we are both crying. With tears streaming down her face so proclaims that she understands how I must save the animals that have been sent for lab testing, but she cannot come with me. I kiss her goodbye, and turn to leave. I take a single step and . . . . .
I awake. After rising I spent some time and reflect how this has to be one of the strangest dreams I have ever had in my life! Obviously the military aspect is from playing way too much Borderlands this past week, and I of course love the Muppets and my favorite Muppet movie has always been "The Muppets Take Manhattan". The girl obviously symbolizes my lost love. What a dream this was to start off my Sunday with! What a way these elements combined into one dream!
Go figure!
Picture Of The Day 11/03/09
This morning on the way to work. I thought the power pole made a nice contrast against the sunrise.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Picture Of The Day 10/25/09
Saturday's healthy peanut butter flavored noodles with chicken, peas, and scallions. About 400 calories.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
A funny thing happened to me on the way to the office
So Friday was one of the rainiest, if not the rainiest day of 2009. The wind was howling and the rain was coming down fiercely! There was flooding and many roads had accident and varying amounts of water on their surfaces.
Imagine my surprise as an accident had happened to the left me, and someone who was obviously blissfully free of the ravages of intelligence tried to go around it and came at me head on as seen in the picture below. I had the camera out to take a picture of the accident so I was able to snag this shot as this fool decided to come into my lane instead of waiting until the oncoming traffic had passed.
Imagine my surprise as an accident had happened to the left me, and someone who was obviously blissfully free of the ravages of intelligence tried to go around it and came at me head on as seen in the picture below. I had the camera out to take a picture of the accident so I was able to snag this shot as this fool decided to come into my lane instead of waiting until the oncoming traffic had passed.
What a way to start the morning and test one's underwear is all I've got to say! At least I managed to avoid this idiot who kept going without even slowing down as I narrowly avoided him.
California Dreaming
So, I'm on an airplane headed to California. With me are Scott, Danielle, the X, and my friend David. It's a long flight. The kids are playing their hand held video games and texting, the X is on the phone, and David and I are watching video on our portable computers. Mine is an old beat up 7" Internet Media Tablet, and David's is a thin and light weight 15" flat panel device with an incredible picture. I have never seen the likes of this device before but I know immediately I want one. He passes it over to me and the kids are impressed as we watch a scene from Heroes featuring the character Hiro.
Obviously we are annoying the other passengers in the immediate area with our chattering and the volume from David's flat panel device. The X and I get into a bit of an argument and spend some time discussing some things including proper behavior on an airplane. When we are done the X heads off to see about a beverage and an older women behind me taps me on the shoulder and tells me not to worry about the fight, obviously that lovely lady cares for me very deeply. "That's no lady, lady" I reply, "That's my X wife!" As I deliver the punch line I press the button on my iPhone that delivers the traditional rim shot sound effect. The causes some light laughter of the surrounding passengers and my kids.
The pilot announces we are getting ready to land, the X returns, and we can see the airport outside the windows. There is a lot of turbulence which seems strange considering its a sunny day, and some people seem to be frightened by this.
Obviously we are annoying the other passengers in the immediate area with our chattering and the volume from David's flat panel device. The X and I get into a bit of an argument and spend some time discussing some things including proper behavior on an airplane. When we are done the X heads off to see about a beverage and an older women behind me taps me on the shoulder and tells me not to worry about the fight, obviously that lovely lady cares for me very deeply. "That's no lady, lady" I reply, "That's my X wife!" As I deliver the punch line I press the button on my iPhone that delivers the traditional rim shot sound effect. The causes some light laughter of the surrounding passengers and my kids.
The pilot announces we are getting ready to land, the X returns, and we can see the airport outside the windows. There is a lot of turbulence which seems strange considering its a sunny day, and some people seem to be frightened by this.
We land without incident, retrieve our luggage, and head to the hotel in Hollywood where we are all staying. The hotel is something to see! It is huge, towering up into the sky! It takes 10 minutes to walk across the cavernous lobby to the front desk. Thank goodness the bellmen had taken all our bags in the parking lot. We check in and split up. The X and I arrive at our lavish hotel room. The room is immense!! The honor bar is the size of a double wide fridge and freezer and is stocked with gourmet items and beverages. There is a 70" plasma display mounted on the wall of the living room. The bathroom is a polished marble wonderland with two huge tubs, one with leather seating, a TV in front of it, and a device for aeration and the depositing of warm foamy soap reminiscent of an espresso machine gone wild! There is a huge assortment of toys for the kids, who are nowhere to be seen. The rooms are arranged around a central court, and looking off the balcony of our room, which is pretty high up, I am amazed at the sheer size of this establishment.
I start talking with the X about the trip and my puzzlement as to why the kids and I, and my friend David who already lives in California, flew out to Hollywood from Michigan with her who has a trade show to attend. I mention that the old woman on the plane thought we were a lovely couple and she cared deeply for me. The X then informed me that was someone else in her company and she was supposed to say just the opposite so I would not be pining away over her any more. "Well, then why invite me to come to California with you then?" I ask.
At that point the lighting in the room dims considerably and she looks at me ominously and whispers "Well, if you must know, it's because you won't be coming back from this trip my dear!" The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I sense someone come up from behind me and...
I awake with a start, and ponder over this strange and disturbing dream. Though my head fully realizes that the feelings my heart has towards the X are not reciprocated, stupid dang heart has a mind of its own in this matter though after five years you think it would learn. Oh well, at least my head is in control during waking hours. I've never had a scary dream about the X before.....note to self, do not accompany her to California if she offers!
I start talking with the X about the trip and my puzzlement as to why the kids and I, and my friend David who already lives in California, flew out to Hollywood from Michigan with her who has a trade show to attend. I mention that the old woman on the plane thought we were a lovely couple and she cared deeply for me. The X then informed me that was someone else in her company and she was supposed to say just the opposite so I would not be pining away over her any more. "Well, then why invite me to come to California with you then?" I ask.
At that point the lighting in the room dims considerably and she looks at me ominously and whispers "Well, if you must know, it's because you won't be coming back from this trip my dear!" The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I sense someone come up from behind me and...
I awake with a start, and ponder over this strange and disturbing dream. Though my head fully realizes that the feelings my heart has towards the X are not reciprocated, stupid dang heart has a mind of its own in this matter though after five years you think it would learn. Oh well, at least my head is in control during waking hours. I've never had a scary dream about the X before.....note to self, do not accompany her to California if she offers!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
Video Of The Day - City of Crime
Music Video from the remake of Dragnet. Very funny, particularly if you saw the movie. Features Dan Akroyd and Tom Hanks.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday September 28th, 2009
Pauline FalcoSince my mom passed away on my first wedding anniversary, this had always been a rough day for me. Each year it would overshadow the happiness I had for reaching another year on what I then thought was an endless and happy journey being married. Each year until the divorce I tried to carry the burden as silently as I could, though I know the X at the time was aware of it.
At least now I can give over to the dark side and really, really, loath this day! If I could pull myself and my house into a hole and cover it over for the day I would. This year having it fall on a Monday is even worse.... I hate Mondays. And it's a rainy, dank, dark, and chilly Monday to boot. In reflection it is perfect for my mood...though tomorrow will certainly be a much better and brighter day no matter the weather!
I really miss my Mom today! While I miss my folks every day, today for missing my mom it's the worst. Compounding this is I remember the last time I saw my mom she was in the hospital for what would be the last time. She had just finished bad-mouthing my dad, who gave up so much for her when she became sick and stayed by her side for the 10 years her major illness lasted, and I told her off big time. We ended up yelling at each other before I stormed out of her room.
I carry this memory with me to this day, and usually manage to keep it in the back of the closet in the dark most of the year, but today like every 9/28 I remember it all too well. While I'm not sorry I spoke the truth, I am very sad that the last time I saw my mom alive we had to part under such circumstances, never to see each other again.
I think of the good memories too.......
I remember coming down to a home cooked breakfast most mornings, happy time on vacations, my mom walking me (and when he was younger my bother) down to the Bloomfield Center to shop. Sometimes she'd buy us ice cream soda's or Sundays at the counter at K-Mart. I remember one year we were on vacation down at the Jersey Shore. She decided to make Hamburger Helper for dinner. It was the first time she ever made it....and it was almost the last. She used ground chuck as back in those days there was no outcry about fat in ground beef, or 90% lean..... Well, she did not drain the fat out of the frying pain after browning the beef as the directions say to, and while the dinner was delicious, shortly after that the one bathroom in our motel room was highly sought after! We teased her about that quite a bit, it was funny because my mom was such a good cook when it come to home made food, particularly Italian. I can't remember how many times after that whenever she made Hamburger Helper we would all just stare at our plates silently, trying not to crack up, until she mentioned that she drained the ground beef.
I remember how at this time of year she used to love to drive in the more rural areas of New Jersey or update New York to look at the fall foliage change. I remember how much my brother and I hated such weekend trips until we were old enough to stay home. Of course, I'd gladly hop in the car and go now if I could. My brother and I used to call these, and other excursions Joy Rides, but she and my Dad really enjoyed them and I did to depending on where we were and what there was to see.
I remember how she convinced my dad, who was very strict regarding eating your dinner, to let me and my brother skip such really gross things like Liver and Onions. As they had been brought up in households where you literally went to bed hungry some nights because there was not enough food around, my dad felt you should eat whatever was on your plate. She really mellowed him out of some of the stricter after affects he had of living with my very strict grandfather.
I remember when she finally got her drivers license how proud she was.
I remember how she loved Sylvester and Tweety bird on Saturday morning TV! We would watch that together and she would chime in with Tweety echoing his "I tawt I taw a Puddy Tat!" exclamation whenever he spied Sylvester.
I remember her calling out to me anxiously to be careful, when as a young boy I climbed the tree on the other side of the school yard fence next to the house and was higher than the second floor window she was watching me from.
I remember as an even younger boy her bandaging my knees after I fell down roller skating. I remember the Bactine, which was not supposed to sting, did.
I remember how she was too sick to attend my wedding, so we had a friend video tape it and we recorded a personal message to my mom. She cried when she watched the tape.
I remember how much she wanted grandchildren, yet passed away before they were born. I often tell my kids that she would have spoiled them rotten.
I remember....I remember so many things today!
Well, mom, I've got your Virgin Mary statue looking down on me in my Living Room, and after work is done I'll light a candle by her. I apologize for yelling at you; we both should have discussed the issue like adults, but we did not. I miss you, and love you, and am so very sorry our last words with each other had to be in anger. You were a good mom, burdened by health issues for many years, and I know without a doubt how much you loved my brother and I, and our father too, and I want you to know that I miss you so very much!
At least now I can give over to the dark side and really, really, loath this day! If I could pull myself and my house into a hole and cover it over for the day I would. This year having it fall on a Monday is even worse.... I hate Mondays. And it's a rainy, dank, dark, and chilly Monday to boot. In reflection it is perfect for my mood...though tomorrow will certainly be a much better and brighter day no matter the weather!
I really miss my Mom today! While I miss my folks every day, today for missing my mom it's the worst. Compounding this is I remember the last time I saw my mom she was in the hospital for what would be the last time. She had just finished bad-mouthing my dad, who gave up so much for her when she became sick and stayed by her side for the 10 years her major illness lasted, and I told her off big time. We ended up yelling at each other before I stormed out of her room.
I carry this memory with me to this day, and usually manage to keep it in the back of the closet in the dark most of the year, but today like every 9/28 I remember it all too well. While I'm not sorry I spoke the truth, I am very sad that the last time I saw my mom alive we had to part under such circumstances, never to see each other again.
I think of the good memories too.......
I remember coming down to a home cooked breakfast most mornings, happy time on vacations, my mom walking me (and when he was younger my bother) down to the Bloomfield Center to shop. Sometimes she'd buy us ice cream soda's or Sundays at the counter at K-Mart. I remember one year we were on vacation down at the Jersey Shore. She decided to make Hamburger Helper for dinner. It was the first time she ever made it....and it was almost the last. She used ground chuck as back in those days there was no outcry about fat in ground beef, or 90% lean..... Well, she did not drain the fat out of the frying pain after browning the beef as the directions say to, and while the dinner was delicious, shortly after that the one bathroom in our motel room was highly sought after! We teased her about that quite a bit, it was funny because my mom was such a good cook when it come to home made food, particularly Italian. I can't remember how many times after that whenever she made Hamburger Helper we would all just stare at our plates silently, trying not to crack up, until she mentioned that she drained the ground beef.
I remember how at this time of year she used to love to drive in the more rural areas of New Jersey or update New York to look at the fall foliage change. I remember how much my brother and I hated such weekend trips until we were old enough to stay home. Of course, I'd gladly hop in the car and go now if I could. My brother and I used to call these, and other excursions Joy Rides, but she and my Dad really enjoyed them and I did to depending on where we were and what there was to see.
I remember how she convinced my dad, who was very strict regarding eating your dinner, to let me and my brother skip such really gross things like Liver and Onions. As they had been brought up in households where you literally went to bed hungry some nights because there was not enough food around, my dad felt you should eat whatever was on your plate. She really mellowed him out of some of the stricter after affects he had of living with my very strict grandfather.
I remember when she finally got her drivers license how proud she was.
I remember how she loved Sylvester and Tweety bird on Saturday morning TV! We would watch that together and she would chime in with Tweety echoing his "I tawt I taw a Puddy Tat!" exclamation whenever he spied Sylvester.
I remember her calling out to me anxiously to be careful, when as a young boy I climbed the tree on the other side of the school yard fence next to the house and was higher than the second floor window she was watching me from.
I remember as an even younger boy her bandaging my knees after I fell down roller skating. I remember the Bactine, which was not supposed to sting, did.
I remember how she was too sick to attend my wedding, so we had a friend video tape it and we recorded a personal message to my mom. She cried when she watched the tape.
I remember how much she wanted grandchildren, yet passed away before they were born. I often tell my kids that she would have spoiled them rotten.
I remember....I remember so many things today!
Well, mom, I've got your Virgin Mary statue looking down on me in my Living Room, and after work is done I'll light a candle by her. I apologize for yelling at you; we both should have discussed the issue like adults, but we did not. I miss you, and love you, and am so very sorry our last words with each other had to be in anger. You were a good mom, burdened by health issues for many years, and I know without a doubt how much you loved my brother and I, and our father too, and I want you to know that I miss you so very much!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Picture Of The Day 09/21/09
Here's an interesting shot of Danielle making a face at me with the reflection of me taking the picture on the left.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Talk Like a Pirate Day
Captain Chris an' Polly, ready t' loot an' pillage!If ye do nay like seafarin' heartys, ye might as well avast readin' this post! For them o' ye who ben livin' under a rock these past 7 years, take note! Today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day! When I think o' gentleman o' fortunes, I think o' th' romanticized version such as Captain Jack Sparrow. Swashbucklers wi' nay law other than th' Buccanneers Code. I jus' love th' way gentleman o' fortunes speak an' each year on September 19th at work I would drive me mateys crazy, partiularly th' years that I had direct reports as I would expect them t' talk aft t' me like a gentleman o' fortune!
So, I jus' want t' wish sea dogs an' land lubbers a great tide! Dasn't shave or bathe this mornin'! Really embrace th' role! Gather yer mangy crew an' get ou' thar an' drink, loot, an' pillage, gather up all th' dubloon an' booty ye can get yer hands on, all without breakin' any local laws o' course! We wouldna want th' police or the Royal Navy after ye me hearties!!
An' reckon, drink them multiple kegs o' run responsibly, an' dasn't set sail loaded t' th' gunwhales me heartys, or ye could jus' find yersef walkin' th' plank!
So, I jus' want t' wish sea dogs an' land lubbers a great tide! Dasn't shave or bathe this mornin'! Really embrace th' role! Gather yer mangy crew an' get ou' thar an' drink, loot, an' pillage, gather up all th' dubloon an' booty ye can get yer hands on, all without breakin' any local laws o' course! We wouldna want th' police or the Royal Navy after ye me hearties!!
An' reckon, drink them multiple kegs o' run responsibly, an' dasn't set sail loaded t' th' gunwhales me heartys, or ye could jus' find yersef walkin' th' plank!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Photo Of The Day - 09/17/09
Fall will soon be upon us as evidenced by this picture I took of a plant outside my bedroom window this morning. Where did the summer go to.......
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
To sleep, perchance to dream wildly....
You all know I like to spin off my dreams as real life and then at the end mention it was a dream. Prime examples of this can be read here, and here.
Note though that after last nights nocturnal adventure, there's no way to spin it as a real story because it is just too bizarre! I've not been sleeping well at all since Sunday night due to the pain in my leg after falling and twisting it, and last night while I actually did get a bit more sleep, it was only a couple of hours. To sleep, perchance to dream.....a doozy!
In the dream I am here in my house at the start and it pretty much resembles my house. An EMT and ambulance has arrived, and the EMT himself is sitting on the floor of the hall outside my bedroom door with his kit all laid out as if he expects to be using it, but, he is watching the TV that is on in my bedroom. It seems to be showing nothing in particular just a jumble of incoherent images as though someone is constantly changing channels every second. Looking past the TV to the bedroom windows I see it is sunny and apparently warm outside.
I am carrying a load of wash which must be taken down to the machine in the basement. There is a sense of urgency that this wash must not leave my presence and it is imperative that it be done before the kids get home from school. I am at a loss as to this sense of urgency, but, it has me wanting to get the wash down to the machine in the basement quickly!
For a moment, the TVs mad changing of channels stops on a commercial for laundry detergent! I notice outside the windows now it is dark and stormy, with the rain pouring down and the wind howling to the point of trees bending and thrashing wildly in the gale-like conditions.
Suddenly my x-wife is there asking if I want her to try and sell the dirty laundry at a garage sale she is having. I tell her no, and after remarking that I could have made a pretty penny on this sale, she departs. Tails jumps up on the dresser in my bedroom to watch her go (as she often does in real life watching any one's arrival or departure from her perch) and I notice that outside is now blizzard-like conditions with a least a foot of snow on the ground though the X, seemingly unaffected by the cold, is sporting sun glasses and is dressed in shorts, a t-shirt, and wearing flip-flops! She pulls out of my driveway and zooms away without so much as removing the snow from the windshield of her car.
The urgency of getting the wash done continues to pressure me and I try to get to the machine but no matter where I walk to in the house I keep ending up back in my bedroom. I realize at this point I have a terrible headache (which in all actuality I did have when I went to bed, having had it most of the day. It was one of those throbbing "I have not slept properly in 72 hours" headaches. I begin ransacking the medicine cabinet which is full of medications galore except any analgesics!
I ask the EMT who is still sitting on the floor of my hallway if I can have a Tylenol so I do not have to go to the store with my leg hurting (which up until this point in the dream I was walking around fine). He hems and haws and says as I am not his patient it would be illegal. "Who the hell IS your patient!???" I demand and he simply shrugs his shoulders and returns to playing solitaire with a deck of cards on the floor. Several bottles of Tylenol are now lying visibly by his other equipment.
At this point I eject him from my residence and wonder why he was there at all. Suddenly my daughter is there and she asks me if I am ever going to take the wash to the machine and offers to do it for me. "No!" I tell her. For some reason in the dream the wash is important to me and I do not want to let it out of my hands.
I then start to walk through the house.....suddenly I am walking, without a load of dirty clothes, through a large industrial complex with a girl I used to work with at Smiths Aerospace many years ago back in New Jersey. She was an older woman named Linda(older than me anyway) who was very helpful to me as I established my carer. She passed away before I moved out to Michigan. In the dream this was not remembered by me and it was perfectly natural for me to be walking and talking with her.
"HR is over here, you can take care of your wash there." she said to me. Suddenly I was again carrying the load of dirty laundry and the urgency to get it cleaned was back. In the dream I am perplexed that I would be taking my wash to the HR department! I was also pleased that it looks like it would finally make it to a washing machine.
We enter Human Resources and the inside looks like a cross between my dream-scape and the old HR offices I remember in New Jersey at Smiths almost 10 years ago, but, there are washing machines hidden behind the filing cabinets. As I dump my laundry into one of the machines I turn and say hello to someone who works with me in Michigan in real life calling her by name. "What did you call me?" she says? I look at her again, and her face has changed, subtlety, but changed it has so now she just strongly resembles the person I first saw, but is obviously not her. I explain I though she was someone else, and she winks at me and and whispers conspiratorially "It's OK, I am someone else...in fact if I can tell you a secret, I am really...."
At that moment the door bangs opens and the HR manager from NJ walks in, says hello to me, and goes into her office and closes the door. I turn back to hear the secret but the girl is gone, the washing machine now takes quarters to do a load (of which I have none) and on the washing machine is a cat carrier with a mewling kitten in it!
As I go to open the door of the cat carrier, some guy I have never seen dressed like a maintenance worker says "You don't want to do that, Kitty has claws!". I look at the adorable innocent little kitten and chuckle as I open the door of the cage.
With the speed of a bolt of lightening the cat leaps from the cage and wraps itself around my arm and starts biting and scratching! "Ha ha! Told you so!" this strange guy says as he exits the area. In a mad attempt to free my arm of the biting, clawing, growling ball of fur, I fling my arm hard and the cat goes flying fast towards the concrete wall! I am worried the cat will be hurt, but it flips itself mid-air so it is now facing the walls with all four of its paws, and after landing on them like a coiled spring releasing it launches itself snarling right back at me once again attaching to my arm and attacking it with renewed vigor!
For some reason only my injured leg (which in the dream is not injured) feels the pain, and this is about the only part of the dream I understand.
All of a sudden the kitten and I are sitting in a nice large easy chair in a living room like setting that is still part of this mysterious HR department, and I am scratching her gently as she purrs loudly and relaxes. That's all she needed, I thought, some love!
At that moment some other girl I have never seen comes around the corner with a huge basket of folded laundry wrapped in plastic and announces my wash is done and I owe her 50 dollars in quarters!
I woke up! After doing my morning routine I got the wash together and took it down the the machine. It had been accumulating for a few days, and obviously this must have been bothering me. I nodded to the EMT technician who was sitting on the floor by the washing machine playing solitaire and I woke up!!! A dream within a dream! I can't remember the last time that has happened to me.
After doing my morning routine I got the wash together and took it down the the machine. It had been accumulating for a few days, and obviously this must have been bothering me.
Here's to hoping for a better nights sleep this evening! Thank god the wash is done.....I'll leave the sink full of dirty dishes until tomorrow.......
Note though that after last nights nocturnal adventure, there's no way to spin it as a real story because it is just too bizarre! I've not been sleeping well at all since Sunday night due to the pain in my leg after falling and twisting it, and last night while I actually did get a bit more sleep, it was only a couple of hours. To sleep, perchance to dream.....a doozy!
In the dream I am here in my house at the start and it pretty much resembles my house. An EMT and ambulance has arrived, and the EMT himself is sitting on the floor of the hall outside my bedroom door with his kit all laid out as if he expects to be using it, but, he is watching the TV that is on in my bedroom. It seems to be showing nothing in particular just a jumble of incoherent images as though someone is constantly changing channels every second. Looking past the TV to the bedroom windows I see it is sunny and apparently warm outside.
I am carrying a load of wash which must be taken down to the machine in the basement. There is a sense of urgency that this wash must not leave my presence and it is imperative that it be done before the kids get home from school. I am at a loss as to this sense of urgency, but, it has me wanting to get the wash down to the machine in the basement quickly!
For a moment, the TVs mad changing of channels stops on a commercial for laundry detergent! I notice outside the windows now it is dark and stormy, with the rain pouring down and the wind howling to the point of trees bending and thrashing wildly in the gale-like conditions.
Suddenly my x-wife is there asking if I want her to try and sell the dirty laundry at a garage sale she is having. I tell her no, and after remarking that I could have made a pretty penny on this sale, she departs. Tails jumps up on the dresser in my bedroom to watch her go (as she often does in real life watching any one's arrival or departure from her perch) and I notice that outside is now blizzard-like conditions with a least a foot of snow on the ground though the X, seemingly unaffected by the cold, is sporting sun glasses and is dressed in shorts, a t-shirt, and wearing flip-flops! She pulls out of my driveway and zooms away without so much as removing the snow from the windshield of her car.
The urgency of getting the wash done continues to pressure me and I try to get to the machine but no matter where I walk to in the house I keep ending up back in my bedroom. I realize at this point I have a terrible headache (which in all actuality I did have when I went to bed, having had it most of the day. It was one of those throbbing "I have not slept properly in 72 hours" headaches. I begin ransacking the medicine cabinet which is full of medications galore except any analgesics!
I ask the EMT who is still sitting on the floor of my hallway if I can have a Tylenol so I do not have to go to the store with my leg hurting (which up until this point in the dream I was walking around fine). He hems and haws and says as I am not his patient it would be illegal. "Who the hell IS your patient!???" I demand and he simply shrugs his shoulders and returns to playing solitaire with a deck of cards on the floor. Several bottles of Tylenol are now lying visibly by his other equipment.
At this point I eject him from my residence and wonder why he was there at all. Suddenly my daughter is there and she asks me if I am ever going to take the wash to the machine and offers to do it for me. "No!" I tell her. For some reason in the dream the wash is important to me and I do not want to let it out of my hands.
I then start to walk through the house.....suddenly I am walking, without a load of dirty clothes, through a large industrial complex with a girl I used to work with at Smiths Aerospace many years ago back in New Jersey. She was an older woman named Linda(older than me anyway) who was very helpful to me as I established my carer. She passed away before I moved out to Michigan. In the dream this was not remembered by me and it was perfectly natural for me to be walking and talking with her.
"HR is over here, you can take care of your wash there." she said to me. Suddenly I was again carrying the load of dirty laundry and the urgency to get it cleaned was back. In the dream I am perplexed that I would be taking my wash to the HR department! I was also pleased that it looks like it would finally make it to a washing machine.
We enter Human Resources and the inside looks like a cross between my dream-scape and the old HR offices I remember in New Jersey at Smiths almost 10 years ago, but, there are washing machines hidden behind the filing cabinets. As I dump my laundry into one of the machines I turn and say hello to someone who works with me in Michigan in real life calling her by name. "What did you call me?" she says? I look at her again, and her face has changed, subtlety, but changed it has so now she just strongly resembles the person I first saw, but is obviously not her. I explain I though she was someone else, and she winks at me and and whispers conspiratorially "It's OK, I am someone else...in fact if I can tell you a secret, I am really...."
At that moment the door bangs opens and the HR manager from NJ walks in, says hello to me, and goes into her office and closes the door. I turn back to hear the secret but the girl is gone, the washing machine now takes quarters to do a load (of which I have none) and on the washing machine is a cat carrier with a mewling kitten in it!
As I go to open the door of the cat carrier, some guy I have never seen dressed like a maintenance worker says "You don't want to do that, Kitty has claws!". I look at the adorable innocent little kitten and chuckle as I open the door of the cage.
With the speed of a bolt of lightening the cat leaps from the cage and wraps itself around my arm and starts biting and scratching! "Ha ha! Told you so!" this strange guy says as he exits the area. In a mad attempt to free my arm of the biting, clawing, growling ball of fur, I fling my arm hard and the cat goes flying fast towards the concrete wall! I am worried the cat will be hurt, but it flips itself mid-air so it is now facing the walls with all four of its paws, and after landing on them like a coiled spring releasing it launches itself snarling right back at me once again attaching to my arm and attacking it with renewed vigor!
For some reason only my injured leg (which in the dream is not injured) feels the pain, and this is about the only part of the dream I understand.
All of a sudden the kitten and I are sitting in a nice large easy chair in a living room like setting that is still part of this mysterious HR department, and I am scratching her gently as she purrs loudly and relaxes. That's all she needed, I thought, some love!
At that moment some other girl I have never seen comes around the corner with a huge basket of folded laundry wrapped in plastic and announces my wash is done and I owe her 50 dollars in quarters!
I woke up! After doing my morning routine I got the wash together and took it down the the machine. It had been accumulating for a few days, and obviously this must have been bothering me. I nodded to the EMT technician who was sitting on the floor by the washing machine playing solitaire and I woke up!!! A dream within a dream! I can't remember the last time that has happened to me.
After doing my morning routine I got the wash together and took it down the the machine. It had been accumulating for a few days, and obviously this must have been bothering me.
Here's to hoping for a better nights sleep this evening! Thank god the wash is done.....I'll leave the sink full of dirty dishes until tomorrow.......
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Remembering 911
Who could ever forget the tragic and horrific events of 911? I know I will never be able to. At least 2,998 victims perished as a result of the cowardly attacks. Direct and indirect costs totaled more than 100 billion dollars.
I was walking past the library at work here in Michigan, and they had rolled a large display to the front windows that showed the Twin Towers burning after the first plane crash. I had a huge lump in my throat and I was shocked beyond belief.
The world was stunned. I had close friends who worked in the Twin Towers...it was days before I found out that they were OK. I can only imagine what others, particularly those who lost a loved one, went through.
Words failed me at the time, but I had to do something to work through the feelings I had afterward. The following link is to a 911 Memorial Windows screen saver I made and gave away shortly after 911. I made this screen saver as both a memorial to those who were affected by the attack, and as a tribute to those who worked selflessly during the aftermath. 911 showed both the lowest level human beings could sink to, and the highest levels of bravery and courage they could attain. I received a lot of feedback from people who downloaded it, and some of the comments were very profound.
I was walking past the library at work here in Michigan, and they had rolled a large display to the front windows that showed the Twin Towers burning after the first plane crash. I had a huge lump in my throat and I was shocked beyond belief.
The world was stunned. I had close friends who worked in the Twin Towers...it was days before I found out that they were OK. I can only imagine what others, particularly those who lost a loved one, went through.
Words failed me at the time, but I had to do something to work through the feelings I had afterward. The following link is to a 911 Memorial Windows screen saver I made and gave away shortly after 911. I made this screen saver as both a memorial to those who were affected by the attack, and as a tribute to those who worked selflessly during the aftermath. 911 showed both the lowest level human beings could sink to, and the highest levels of bravery and courage they could attain. I received a lot of feedback from people who downloaded it, and some of the comments were very profound.
911 Memorial Screen Saver (Windows XP and later versions (such as Vista and Windows 7).
Also of interest to you might be The September 11 Digital Archive. From their home page "The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images. In September 2003, the Library of Congress accepted the Archive into its collections, an event that both ensured the Archive's long-term preservation and marked the library's first major digital acquisition."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Picture Of The Day - 09/10/09
For those who don't follow me on Facebook, here's the picture of my Birthday Monster Burger. An excellent shot taken with my iPhone if I do say so myself! Note the ice cold Diet Pepsi with a twist of lime was an excellent accompaniment to this taste treat!
Click on this puppy to see it super-sized in a new window!It should be noted this picture is a higher resolution than the one I posted on Facebook.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
September 7th - My 53rd Birthday
Monday I celebrated my 53rd birthday and I had a wonderful weekend filled with few chores, lots of relaxation and I got to spend time with all of my kids.
Monday on my birthday I arose around 8:30 AM and did 2 hours on the exercise bike instead of the usual 90 minutes. Around 2PM we ate at Red Robin and my son Chris and the kids mom and grandparents joined us.
I had a Monster Burger with Bacon and the table shared a tower of onions rings. It was good food and good company. Even the requisite singing of Happy Birthday by the Red Robin staff was endurable.
Monday on my birthday I arose around 8:30 AM and did 2 hours on the exercise bike instead of the usual 90 minutes. Around 2PM we ate at Red Robin and my son Chris and the kids mom and grandparents joined us.
I had a Monster Burger with Bacon and the table shared a tower of onions rings. It was good food and good company. Even the requisite singing of Happy Birthday by the Red Robin staff was endurable.
The kids and I outside of Red Robin when I asked for a nice picture!Afterward Chris and I watched two of our favorite Buffy The Vampire Slayer episodes; the "Once more with Feeling" Musical and the scary episode Hush. It was great spending time with him and the rest of the family.
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The kids and I outside of Red Robin after numerous threats!As to my favorite present of the day.....it would have to be my kids. They help me keep my life in perspective. Some days I might get a bit sad about lacking some things in my life, such as a significant other, no parents to talk to, or even a larger cash flow. The love of my three wonderful children and the pride and affection I have in them is all I need to put a smile on my face. They are what I am most thankful for on my 53rd birthday. All in all, this was the happiest I have been on my birthday since my divorce, so, it was a very good day for me.
Disclaimer: That's not to say I did not appreciate the gifts I did get, I did! It's just that you can't put a price on something like the love and affection I have for my children.
Disclaimer: That's not to say I did not appreciate the gifts I did get, I did! It's just that you can't put a price on something like the love and affection I have for my children.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Mark: 20 weeks on the Lifestyle Modification Plan
and my trip to Olive Garden
Today marks 20 weeks on my Lifestyle Modification Plan. As of Friday's weigh in I've lost 96 pounds.
That's not too shabby! That's almost 5 pounds a week over a five month period. Just goes to show what diet and exercise can do for you.
I had decided that for my birthday I was going to reward myself with a birthday dinner. Yesterday I went to Olive Garden with Scott, Danielle, and their mom. Olive Garden was having their Never Ending Pasta Bowl which we all like.
It should be noted the last time we went to Olive Garden I was so big I could not bend over the table! This is something I am not at all proud of. Yesterday I was quite comfortable eating with the bowl on the table and I had room to spare.
That's not too shabby! That's almost 5 pounds a week over a five month period. Just goes to show what diet and exercise can do for you.
I had decided that for my birthday I was going to reward myself with a birthday dinner. Yesterday I went to Olive Garden with Scott, Danielle, and their mom. Olive Garden was having their Never Ending Pasta Bowl which we all like.
It should be noted the last time we went to Olive Garden I was so big I could not bend over the table! This is something I am not at all proud of. Yesterday I was quite comfortable eating with the bowl on the table and I had room to spare.
Needless to say I was quite pleased to be able to enjoy a large meal!Normally they bring you your first bowl in a large plate and then subsequent bowls come in a smaller size. I had them start out my traditional first bowl, which was Angel Hair pasta with meat sauce in the smaller bowl. I also ordered sausage with my meal. Having the protein helps slow the digestion of carbs, and I knew I was going to really blow my carb allowance! The past five months I have been religious on what I have been eating both in caloric and nutritional areas.
I managed to get through three bowls of pasta and think I could have done a fourth (I've done 6 in the past starting with the larger big bowl) but I did not want to be a total glutton.
The only thing marring the meal was the really poor service of the waiter to the point I had to talk to him about how displeased I was with his service. Sadly for him, the tip really reflected
this.We departed after biding farewell to the kids mom and as we approached the Mustang Scott pointed out that evidently some very large mutant avian creatures had quite befouled the rear trunk deck of the Mustang quite voluminously! So, we made an unscheduled swing by the car wash before swinging by Blockbuster to drop off Inkheart.
This morning after arising I had my usual nutrition shake before burning off 1100 calories on the exercise bike, I'm getting ready to have my second now for a total of 200 calories for the day thus far. Tomorrow is my birthday, we'll be heading somewhere for lunch that my older boy Chris likes, since he loathes pasta he did not join us for the festivities yesterday. My goal upon my next two week weigh in is to not have gained any weight, though I'm really striving to drop at least a pound or two in spite of the extra eating this week. We will see just how much exercise I can handle!!
Friday, September 04, 2009
Answering Steve's Question
I was not thinking when I used some classic pictures of past paintings in yesterday's post. My friend Steve asked me to identify the artists, so here we go:
The first painting "Marriage at Cana" by Jacopo Tintoretto was painted in 1561.
The second painting "The Bean Feast" is by Jan Steen painted in 1668
The last, and my favorite, is “The Monkeys’ Feast” by Ferdinand van Kessel but I do not know the date it was painted. The artist lived from 1648 through 1696.
My apologies Steve, and anyone else who may have wondered, for not including this info but I was so wrapped up in my humorous use of the pictures. You all thought it was humorous, RIGHT!!!???!!!
My apologies too, to anyone reading this blog that does not want any cultural education. Deal with it. Sometimes culture just leaps and bites you on the ............
The first painting "Marriage at Cana" by Jacopo Tintoretto was painted in 1561.
The second painting "The Bean Feast" is by Jan Steen painted in 1668
The last, and my favorite, is “The Monkeys’ Feast” by Ferdinand van Kessel but I do not know the date it was painted. The artist lived from 1648 through 1696.
My apologies Steve, and anyone else who may have wondered, for not including this info but I was so wrapped up in my humorous use of the pictures. You all thought it was humorous, RIGHT!!!???!!!
My apologies too, to anyone reading this blog that does not want any cultural education. Deal with it. Sometimes culture just leaps and bites you on the ............
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Scheduled Caloric Intake Overage in Celebration Of A Most Auspicious Annual Event Which Commemorates The Start Of My Yearly Journey Around The Sun
Actually this post should have been entitled 'A Scheduled Caloric Intake Overage in Celebration Of A Most Auspicious Annual Event Which Commemorates The Start Of My Yearly Journey Around The Star Known As Sol' but evidently there is a field limitation on the post title!
As many of you know I've been on a Lifestyle Modification Plan for almost 20 weeks now. As some of you know Monday is my birthday, and a Scheduled Caloric Intake Overage in Celebration Of A Most Auspicious Annual Event Which Commemorates The Start Of My Yearly Journey Around The Star Known As Sol is what I call going out to dinner to celebrate my birthday.
I've been averaging lately about 1100 calories a day except for Sundays when I can do 1500. For someone who used to do 1500 calories for lunch it has been quite the change for me. I figure a birthday dinner is a reasonable gift to myself for this event!
As many of you know I've been on a Lifestyle Modification Plan for almost 20 weeks now. As some of you know Monday is my birthday, and a Scheduled Caloric Intake Overage in Celebration Of A Most Auspicious Annual Event Which Commemorates The Start Of My Yearly Journey Around The Star Known As Sol is what I call going out to dinner to celebrate my birthday.
I've been averaging lately about 1100 calories a day except for Sundays when I can do 1500. For someone who used to do 1500 calories for lunch it has been quite the change for me. I figure a birthday dinner is a reasonable gift to myself for this event!
I would like to think my birthday dinner would be a classy and refined affair!I went back and forth on this subject for quite awhile. Finally I decided a couple of weeks ago when I hit the 90 pound lost mark that I deserved a nice meal for my birthday.
There were quite a few choices and places I considered. Over the days I whittled the list down. Right now I am torn between Olive Garden and their infrequent Never Ending Pasta Bowl which is running in this area, or one of the three Chinese places I used to frequent on a regular basis.
One of the Chinese places is the best sit-down restaurant we have been to since we moved to Michigan just over 9 years ago. The other two are buffets, both with their strong points.
Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Bowl however is something the kids and I love plus they have 2 new sauces this year. They run this twice a year at most so it seems the timing of this is almost a sign to go there! Scott really loves the bread sticks there as does Danielle. I like them as well in addition to the excellent salad they serve.
There were quite a few choices and places I considered. Over the days I whittled the list down. Right now I am torn between Olive Garden and their infrequent Never Ending Pasta Bowl which is running in this area, or one of the three Chinese places I used to frequent on a regular basis.
One of the Chinese places is the best sit-down restaurant we have been to since we moved to Michigan just over 9 years ago. The other two are buffets, both with their strong points.
Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Bowl however is something the kids and I love plus they have 2 new sauces this year. They run this twice a year at most so it seems the timing of this is almost a sign to go there! Scott really loves the bread sticks there as does Danielle. I like them as well in addition to the excellent salad they serve.
However, I am sure my dinner will be somewhat less refined, though still pleasant!The longest I recall ever being able to maintain a diet has been 3 months. I've passed that by two. In addition I have have never exercised this rigorously for this long. Since I actually started exercising a few days before the dieting started, it's been 140 days in a row of riding the exercise bike. I hate exercising, but always feel good afterward. These days on my normal 90 minute work out I burn about 920 calories.
I'm not calling going out to dinner breaking the diet, because it is scheduled and planned for. I do plan to do a minimum of 90 minutes on the exercise bike both Sunday and on my actual birthday, returning to my normal caloric guidelines after my birthday passes.
Based on this I feel I am justified, and am OK with the decision.
Heck! If I can still move after dinner I plan on taking a nice 2 mile walk to help offset some of the extra calories so long as weather permits.
I can hardly wait for Sunday! In addition to the food it will be so nice to go out to eat. The kids and I have really missed that this summer though I have been bringing in Chinese and Italian food for them at least 2 times a week when they are at my house. I know they prefer dining out though.
I'm not calling going out to dinner breaking the diet, because it is scheduled and planned for. I do plan to do a minimum of 90 minutes on the exercise bike both Sunday and on my actual birthday, returning to my normal caloric guidelines after my birthday passes.
Based on this I feel I am justified, and am OK with the decision.
Heck! If I can still move after dinner I plan on taking a nice 2 mile walk to help offset some of the extra calories so long as weather permits.
I can hardly wait for Sunday! In addition to the food it will be so nice to go out to eat. The kids and I have really missed that this summer though I have been bringing in Chinese and Italian food for them at least 2 times a week when they are at my house. I know they prefer dining out though.
Heck who am I trying to kid! My birthday dinner will probably be like this!On my actual birthday since I have the kids, I'll see if they want to take in a movie or something. They may be a bit subdued as school starts the next day. That's one of the reasons I decided to do dinner Sunday so in the back of their minds they won't be thinking they have school the next day.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Recipe - Egg Beaters Omelet With Mushrooms, Cheese, & Chives
Here's a tasty and filling low calorie, low fat dinner! This is the second night in a row I had it. Read on after the picture for ingredients and preparation.
Ingredients & Calories:
1 cup Egg Beaters (120)
2 slices Louis Rich Turkey Bacon, diced (70)
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (50)
1 slice Kraft Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Cheese (25)
1 tsp Red Monkey Cajun BBQ seasoning
2 tbs chopped chives (2)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt substitute
1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
PAM spray
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray
With spices I'm going to call this 275 calories total. Quite a large omelet for so few calories! Note the plate in the picture is a full size dinner plate.
Substitutions: Of course if low calorie, low fat is not in your game plan, substitute 4 large eggs for the Egg Beaters, 1 slice Cheddar Cheese for the Kraft Cheese, and 1 tbs butter for the bottom of the frying pan instead of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray. Note though that this will triple the calories and add lots of fat. Honestly, this recipe tastes really good the way I prepared it.
Preparation: Lightly spray bottom of 10" frying pan with PAM, coat that with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray, and top that lightly with another coating of PAM.
Heat frying pan until water sizzles over medium high heat, and add mushrooms. Spray with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray and sprinkle Red Monkey BBQ Spice, cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt substitute. Toss every 30 seconds or so for several minutes until mushrooms are evenly browned.
Add diced bacon and continue to toss for another few minutes. Pour Egg Beaters into pan, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook for 8 minutes or until surface of Egg Beaters is just set. Break slice of Kraft Cheese into quarters and place evenly down one half of the pan. Sprinkle chives over surface of pan.
Using a spatula carefully fold the omelet in half. Increase heat to medium and add 2 tbs of water to pan and cover. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes flipping once until the water is gone.
Spray omelet light with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray, grind a bit of additional black pepper over the top and serve.
Substitutions: Of course if low calorie, low fat is not in your game plan, substitute 4 large eggs for the Egg Beaters, 1 slice Cheddar Cheese for the Kraft Cheese, and 1 tbs butter for the bottom of the frying pan instead of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray. Note though that this will triple the calories and add lots of fat. Honestly, this recipe tastes really good the way I prepared it.
Preparation: Lightly spray bottom of 10" frying pan with PAM, coat that with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray, and top that lightly with another coating of PAM.
Heat frying pan until water sizzles over medium high heat, and add mushrooms. Spray with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray and sprinkle Red Monkey BBQ Spice, cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt substitute. Toss every 30 seconds or so for several minutes until mushrooms are evenly browned.
Add diced bacon and continue to toss for another few minutes. Pour Egg Beaters into pan, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook for 8 minutes or until surface of Egg Beaters is just set. Break slice of Kraft Cheese into quarters and place evenly down one half of the pan. Sprinkle chives over surface of pan.
Using a spatula carefully fold the omelet in half. Increase heat to medium and add 2 tbs of water to pan and cover. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes flipping once until the water is gone.
Spray omelet light with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pump spray, grind a bit of additional black pepper over the top and serve.
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