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 So playing the trombone wasn't getting me in enough trouble? |
| I need someplace to write down the often confusing thoughts that enter my mind, while my stories give voice to the characters that wander through periodically, this is the place for my voice. Join me if you wish, comment if you wish, all are welcomed and appreciated. |
So to keep my streaks going, I think I'm gonna have to cheat a bit. I'm planning to do two reviews on Saturday: one on the review page and another that I keep in Notepad to copy and paste on Sunday. I will do the same for a blog post, create one in the can to send up on Sunday. Those two items take the most time, and it looks like time will be at a premium. Hopefully, we don't lose power, and this plan works. We're making lentil soup tonight, so we'll have some nice warm stuff waiting for us. Actually, I'm watching Lennie make the soup while I type this. We finished off most of the leftovers tonight. So I may cook tomorrow night, trying to get ahead for the week. I bought a new small cast-iron pan that can go from the stove to the toaster oven, so there are steaks in our future. We have plenty of baking potatoes, with a salad that's a quick meal. Speaking of potatoes, I have just been summoned for KP duty ... |
| I'm not sure if I'm correct, but I feel like we've already had more snow in January here on Long Island than we had all last year. And now we're getting ready for yet another one, over the weekend. This one is going to hammer Texas and the South first. I wonder how those folks prepare for snow? Here on the Island, people will wishfully ignore the prediction at first, after all, the local weather people are calling for a coating to a possible 12+ inches, which translates to, "Your guess is as good as ours". Then they'll rush out on Saturday and clear off the grocery store shelves. As far as my personal preparation, today Lenore and I are checking pantry and freezer stocks, and later I'll go shopping before the crazies buy everything in sight before Snow-mageddon hits. We also checked in with Lennie's sister; she needs white onions, not sure why. I have to check one of the snow melting mats we use on the steps; it has stopped working. The mats work great. I will take a picture if I remember. The mats are pricey, but well worth it. We haven't had to shovel steps in three years. I already topped off the snowblower's fuel; we couldn't use it in the last storm, but if this one shapes up to be its worst, the blower will get a workout. I'll do the usual rounds, the driveway aprons across the street, the two elderly neighbors, and the front of the guy next door to me, so he doesn't park in the spot I cleared. I also might have to walk the blower a few blocks away, to Lennie's sister's house, her hubby is traveling on business, if his flight makes it out of NY. The night before the storm, I'll turn the cars around to face out of the driveway and put them on one side of the drive. Less snow to blow/shovel, and if we need to get out, going forward is easier than backing out. No matter what, with our Arctic Front in place, the snow will be of the light and fluffy variety, so even if it's less than blowable we'll have that going for us. Good Luck out there. Stay warm, make sure your phones are charged and with you if you go out to shovel, take breaks, and stay hydrated. |
| So right now, a mumbling idiot has preempted the airwaves, touting accomplishments that would generally embarrass other people. I generally try to keep politics and my opinions about off WdC, but this is really over the top. Just for the record, I have no interest in acquiring Greenland by any means, nor in conquering Canada; let's just leave those nice people alone. Venezuelan oil is dirty and hard to obtain, and extremely costly. There are better things we could do with that money. I don't want to take healthcare advice from a former heroin addict, who's stupid enough to take his grandkids wading in a polluted creek. I don't want people who are too stupid to know who the people on their group chats are in charge of national security. I don't want to destroy an alliance that has effectively kept the peace since WWII I don't want an armed, under-trained, secret police force patrolling America's streets. I hope an army of lawyers steps forward to litigate the multiple violations of fundamental rights being committed. I don't want a government full of crooks, grifters, insurrectionists, and criminals. I don't want an argument; I want civility, statesmanship, compromise when needed, and a return to the values that built America. |
| This morning we woke up to more snow, but it didn't accumulate on the north-facing front surfaces. We had warm, above-freezing temperatures once the sun came up. There wasn't much to shovel, even in the backyard, which faces south. I did have to clean the slushy snow back there, since temps are predicted to plunge tonight. We're getting another Arctic blast blowing in from Canada. These Arctic blasts are about the only thing I wish Canada would keep to itself. And on top of that, there's a forecast for more snow this evening, with a rock solid prediction of a coating to fifty feet. For whatever reason, I feel the need to bake a loaf of bread! I'm thinking either a Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread, a Rustic Pepperoni Pecorino Bread, or a Sweet Onion Foccaccia. Of course, to do that, I need to prep the proofing oven thing that I bought and never used. And to get my act moving early so that the process has a chance of completing before midnight. Another detail is that I need to visit the grocery for some ingredients. So I think bread-making is off the table for today, at least. I have a couple of reviews to do, one for "Rach's Reading Club"  and another for "Anniversary Reviews" , I reread one of my favorite authors, Patrick O'Brian, and now I'm a bit hooked again, and may have to reread the whole series of Aubrey/Maturin adventures. I was trying to listen to another favorite of mine, Isaac Asimov, on Audible, but it wasn't working out well. Either I got wrapped up in listening and forgot to complete the manual task, or I focused too hard on the task and lost the story's context. Audible might work better for me in the Spring and Summer, when I'm doing repetitive work in the garden. Come to think of it, it might work while I'm bread-making. Oh, a warning: Audible isn't good when you're tenderizing meat. Getting distracted while using that thing with multiple sharp, pointy blades is detrimental to your fingers. |
| A nasty weather day here on Long Island, overcast, snowy, and windy. Fortunately, it stayed above freezing all day, so there was no accumulation. I worked on my to-do lists, set up a garden calendar, and looked forward to Spring. Lenore was working on taking down the Christmas tree, we still had it up for Kid's Christmas. When I wasn't planning and plotting, or helping Lenore, I was making soup. I made "Grandma's Corn Chowder" , for a meal in the future. We never got to eat the quesadillas last night; we didn't get hungry until late, so we ended up with a bowl of cereal. The quesadillas were great tonight, and we still have leftovers. |
| Habits are hard to break, but it's even harder to establish new, healthy, and beneficial habits. I've gotten over the bad habit of flipping off aggressive drivers; in the present craziness climate, it's better to just let'em go. I'll still slow down on a highway if someone drives up my tailpipe. But there is a sound reason behind that, since the tailgating driver is tight on my rear, I need to allow time for a longer stopping distance, which means more room in front of me. Now we aren't talking about me doing 45 in a 60 MPH zone. I'd more likely be hitting somewhere around 65 - 70. (unless Lennie's in the car, then we're locked in at 65). A good habit I share freely: Knife handles should never be submerged in the dishwater. Two reasons for that: first, on many quality knives, the handles are wood; submerge them in water, and the wooden handle soaks up water. The second, more important reason? If the entire knife is submerged in suds, you can't see it. Reach into the soapy water to pick something up, and you might get a handful of blades! Ouch!! Better, if you use a dishpan, put the knives in the sink, alongside, and dip them in the pan. Or, put them in a small pot of soapy water, with the handles sticking up. Yeah, this one is based on experience. One habit I'm trying to establish is completing the streaks, not so much for the badges, as it might help with the discipline of time management. Specific tasks, every day, just like my time at work. Thinking up blogging topics every day is weird. I blog when the spirit moves me, but now I have to think about it. I'm doing okay with the Cook Once, Eat Twice plan. I made Quick and Easy Chicken Quesadillas, which will get us through two suppers. All that's left to do is make the actual Quesadillas on the George Forman Quesadilla Maker. You can find this fast recipe here "Quick and Easy Quesadillas" |
| So, one June, Lennie and I traveled to far-off Galloway, NJ, to spend time at her sister's timeshare. We enjoyed it, the dining out, the little shopping village in Smithville, and the pool. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to buy our own week. Now, if you don't know it, Galloway is in southern Jersey, about 30 minutes north of Atlantic City. Neither Lennie nor I is a big-time gambler, so the proximity to that particular den of inequity isn't much of a draw. As I said, we enjoyed dining out and shopping in the little shops, particularly the kitchenware and Christmas shops. Now there are no regrets with our timeshare purchase; we didn't buy directly from the venue, we went through a broker, and purchased from an owner. There's a significant price difference, and we saved a ton of money. No matter what, you can't think of a timeshare as an investment; you'll never make your money back. That's even more true if you buy it from the venue. I do regret one thing, well two really. There are high (think summery) and low (think wintery) seasons at this timeshare. In my enthusiasm, while perusing the brokerage site, I came across a bargain! Two weeks, during the low season, for less than the week I bought for the high season. Great Deal, Right! Well, not so much. The fees are the same for all the weeks, which aren't bad when you divide them by seven and compare them to a seven-day hotel stay. So those two weeks cost us the same. Here's the rub: The area tends to close down during the winter. Many of the restaurants go on hiatus, the shopkeepers bug out for warmer climes, and there is far less to do. There is an indoor pool, but it's small, doesn't look nearly as inviting, and is often full of children. So those two low weeks aren't the bargain I thought they'd be. We can try to trade them, but trading off the low weeks will be tough. We did go down in November, planning to do the Cape May Christmas tour, but screwed up the dates and got there a week early. There's always next year! So the plan now is to sell either one or both of the low weeks and buy a week somewhere warm and sunny. |
| We had a pleasant kids' Christmas; it was calm and relaxing. Everybody enjoyed the food, and contrary to my worries, there was plenty to go around. I have succumbed to the nagging doubt that there won't be enough to eat, and that someone might go hungry. BTW: we're still eating leftovers from the day. The kiddies loved their gifts. It's interesting to note the changes, though. Lenore's niece showed more appreciation for the clothing and jewelry she received than for the toyish/craftish gifts she used to love. We got her a locket, a daisy on a chain that opened to reveal an etched picture of Daisy. Daisy, in case you don't know, is their lovable ball of fluff. That gift was the subject of many pictures sent to her friends! We've got Christmas decorations to take down, and the outside is done. I pushed to get it done yesterday. We're expecting rain and a drastic drop in temperature. Right now, an inflatable Rudolf is flashing his nose in the garage, drying out before I put him away until next year. I'll be helping Lennie with the inside stuff, and then move onto my inside winter projects. |
| Yesterday, I asked for some slow cooker and cook-ahead recipes. I got many good suggestions! Thank You!! While they were piling into my notebook, I did some cooking. Since I was in the kitchen, I decided to make it count by knocking off a few meals at one time. I made "Thick and Hearty Minestrone Soup" , it says it serves ten, so that will get us through a couple of meals. I am also going to freeze a meal's worth so we can stretch it out and use it up without wasting any.While the minestrone was simmering away for last night's dinner, I prepped dinner for today "Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken" This is a try-it-and-see. This is the first time I'm making it, so hopefully we enjoy it!I did modify the recipe. The original calls for putting the chicken in the slow cooker raw and whole. I cubed and browned it a bit, then made the sauce and used it to deglaze the pan. I put the meat and sauce in a container to marinate overnight. I'll get it into the slow cooker later today. This should be good for multiple meals. I plan on serving it with vegetable fried rice. |
| Extreme minorism, but some that tweaks me a bit every two weeks or so. So every couple of weeks, give or take a day or two, I get a haircut. Not a big deal, I really hate taking the time, which isn't such a problem now that I'm retired and can go when the barbershop is empty. But what frosts me is the cost. The cost of a haircut is equivalent to a visit to my internist, who spent several years studying her trade and performs it exceptionally well. Okay, I'm basically bald, not much on top, a fringe on the side. I get a relatively simple cut. A number one buzzcut all around. Trim the back of my neck and around my ears, and you're done. If I'm in the chair for ten minutes, it's because the barber stopped to check his phone. And yet! I pay exactly the same as the guy getting that special fade, razor cut, with a blowout. You know, the guy in the chair for an hour. My haircut, with tip, costs $25. If we give the very generous ten minutes, the barber could do six of my style cuts. Which means he's billing me at $150.00 an hour. The least he could do is let me pick the radio station for those ten minutes. |
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