spaghetti

I'm no cook. But I've encountered worse cooking than mine. Spaghetti is pretty simple. So simple that even I can do it.

I just use a jar of spaghetti sauce of choice.
If I like the sauce thinner, I add a can of seasoned tomato sauce.
I also add a can of mushrooms,
one chopped fresh tomato,
and one chopped fresh bell pepper.
Throw in any additional seasoning ... bay leaves, basil ... whatever you prefer.
If you want meat in your sauce, brown 1 pound of ground beef (I usually add Mrs. Dash to the ground beef), drain the fat and add the meat to your sauce.
Simmer the sauce until the fresh tomatoes are cooked.
Voila. Sauce is done.

As for the pasta, just follow the instructions on the package. I'm not thrilled about pasta that's all mushy (overcooked, chances are someone is not following the directions). After draining the pasta, I like to coat mine with margerine. Add margerine to the hot pasta; as the margerine melts, toss the pasta to coat. I'm sure there are healthier ways to keep pasta from clumping (olive oil, maybe?). I'm ok with margerine.

Catechism in e-book format

Catechism of the Catholic Church in e-book format:
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm

in search of...

I am looking for plastic cards with inspirational scriptural verses with some sort of artistic background (i.e. it's not just text). They might be known as pocket cards or wallet cards. It doesn't have to be that small, but somewhere around that size. I need them plastic like gift cards--not plastic-laminated paper. If you, my very few and loyal readers, can point me to a possible resource for these I would be most appreciative.  Thank you.

I stumbled upon these in my search (but still not finding what I seek)...

I have to admit, Scripture Memory Key Tags are a brilliant idea:
http://gosdm.org/sdmmaterials/devotionalresources/scripturememorykeytags/index.html

I like these too, but I prefer a Catholic bible:
http://www.christianforums.net/store/christian-gifts/verse-cards.html

8/11/2013:  stumbled across these; a good option
http://www.monkscorner.org/store/store_results.php?Category=13&Section=Desk+Table

Blessed

I am blessed to live in this U.S. of A. where, for the most part, my only concern is money (job). I live in relative peace and tranquility. Life here is not perfect, of course. (It's not heaven.)

God bless America. May we learn to live in peace with each other, respect each other's rights and boundaries, help one another as we are able, and try to be "slow to anger." Thank you God for the many blessings You have bestowed on me. May others be blessed as well.

what happens after death?

pants stretcher

This thing is otherwise known as the Wiffle bat. Stuff this thing down your skinny jeans pants legs for a minute (while you are wearing the pants) to stretch those jeans. Uh, do it in your private space, not out in public. No guarantees, but it's worth a shot. Try it at your own risk.

chaser

I just took some horse-sized vitamin pills. I had to chase it down with something. Usually liquid is not enough. I had some Gummi-Bear type candy so I used it as the chaser.

Here's a different chaser: folks who push kids to finish high school. Now that's some serious dedication.
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/24/155649344/former-dropouts-push-others-to-reach-finish-line

it seemed so harmless

The Lord God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.  (Gen. 2,16)

But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die!

It seemed so harmless. Just one individual eating good fruit from a good tree. There was no reason not to, other than that God said not to do so. Besides, God didn't say it to Eve, he only said it to Adam.

Indeed, they ate of the fruit and experienced no harmful consequence. In fact it was kind of good: Then the eyes of both of them were opened. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding.

So what's it to you that Eve wants to eat from that tree. She's not doing anything to you. It's between her and God.

just relaxing

Just a relaxing Saturday so far. I mowed the lawn yesterday evening so that's out of the way. I just fertilized our trees and shrubs out front. Right now I'm taking a little break while the dishes are soaking, then I'll get to washing the dishes.

There's lots of time-consuming stuff that needs to get done when Gumby wakes up. Stuff that's been put off because I get home so late during the week. We'll try to catch up on that stuff this weekend. I had a good ol' nine hours of sleep last night. Gumby had some insomnia issues, I guess.

I'm sure there's lots of stuff that needs doing that I'm forgetting right now. Difficult to remember these things when I have a propensity to just relax. hmm...the cars need washing and the dog needs a bath. But right now the dishes are calling.

call for reform

Vatican calls for the reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.  More details at Whispers in the Loggia April 18, 2012. It made the news in The New York Times.

music

I don't often buy music CD. But I yesterday I did make an impulse purchase of Adele's 21 album, in hopes of finding more music gems. No such luck. The radio stations have already picked out the better songs.

I continue to appreciate The Beatles, with Michael Jackson a close second, who put out almost 100% likeable music.

update: Gumby listened to the CD and loved it. If it were an LP record, the tracks would be all worn out by now.

going overboard

I just finished watching Nightline's story about parents spending tons of money to prepare their preschoolers for the entrance exam to schools for gifted kids.

I find it rather irksome.
1. If there is one thing that life has taught me, it's that brain smarts isn't everything. I've seen geniuses fail miserably in life. Fail in relationships. Fail in emotional stability.
2. Aside from that there are a variety of intelligence, you might call it "talent." You only need one exceptional talent (and some marketing magic + drive) to do well.
3. We don't all learn the same way. Classroom instruction is not necessarily the best way to gain our education. I once heard on the radio some comment about how ridiculous it would be to put all the animals in the jungle in a classroom and expect them to perform equally well in the different tasks. Lions are not good swimmers and tigers are not good climbers, for example.
4. Finally, I don't believe in studying for tests that are meant to measure your general intelligence. I don't believe in studying for the SAT.

Formal education is good. I'm all for it. But please put it in perspective; it's not the end-all, be-all.

I have come to appreciate the marvelous talents, personalities, courage, creativity and various redeeming qualities of others. Yes, redeeming qualities. We all have some redeeming qualities don't we?

Happy Easter

Wishing everyone a most blessed and holy Easter season! May you experience more deeply the love, mercy, wisdom, power, and closeness of God.

the new keyboard

The new keyboard: Microsoft 4000 keyboard. On sale at Office Depot. Gumby said not to get a plain 'ol keyboard, so this is it.

keyboard died

I have a Microsoft keyboard. It's approximately 5 yrs old if memory serves me correctly. It died today. Well, not the whole keyboard: just the "g" key. The "g" key was on the blink for the past day or two. Today it's dead. So the keyboard will go out with the next call for electronic recycling collection. Right now I'm using an old PS/2 keyboard, which I keep around in the event that the BIOS is not set to recognize USB.

arrrrgh

I have an LG Phoenix P505 cell phone. Supposedly there is an update for it, available since November of last year. Today I am trying to do that update. I have spent at least tow hours fooling around with it to no avail. I'm dying of thirst and bursting with frustration. I'm fairly technically inclined, but this is impossible. I don't expect it to be as easy as for the iPhone, but I surely didn't expect it to be impossible.

LG support sucks. I can't even find the P505 in their knowledge base. I can't find basic information about the update, like the version number and how much free disk space it needs. Right now I'm constantly getting the "not enough free disk space" message. Well, how much do you need?!!! I've uninstalled almost all of the apps I had. Whether I get the update or not, I'm going to have to go back in and recover whatever apps I value ... another several hours. No consumer device should EVER be this difficult to update. ARRRRGGHHHH!!!!! I need a drink.

just another day

I had a hundred bucks. Not anymore. Grocery store for a few items: $50. Fertilizer for our trees: $20. Treats for the dog: $5. Breakfast: $5. So I have $20 remaining ... it will probably be gone tomorrow. I am fairly certain that Gumby needs a few more items from the grocery store.

Very nice weather today. I fertilized our young trees up front. Then I put the dog outside for a while so that I clean his crate. He didn't like being outside by himself. After cleaning his crate, I turned my attention towards curbing his demanding barking. He learned a few new things about me today, though I don't think one session was enough to curb his barking.

I ate lunch then went outside again to wash my car. I call it washing but it's basically just an attempt to knock off some of the dirt. Maybe one day I'll clean out the inside. My car is over ten years old and still faithfully taking me back and forth from work.

The job is good. The commute is further than I like but it is what it is. We're scraping by financially so far. I'm earning significantly less than what I did before and it's difficult to afford "extra" expenses -- those that are not the usual monthly bills. Property tax on the other property, home owner association fees, costs associated with maintaining our house or car, and new clothes come to mind. But God provides and in general, we have enough to meet our needs so far.

Tomorrow I'll do my usual church gig. Then have lunch, then attend evening mass and generally take it easy as we begin another week.

wishing everyone well

Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a safe and healthy Christmas season and new year. May we all grow closer to Christ, love God more and grow in holiness.

one of those days

It's one of those days. Normally Christmas decorating the outside takes just a few minutes. I just throw the mesh lights over the shrubs, garland around the door, plug them in and I'm done. Last year the green mesh lights were on the blink. One set was used as the sacrificial set, giving up its good bulbs.

This year I tested them first (maybe not unusual for you, but it is for me). I got two sets going. Then the dog threw up and I had to stop and take care of that. I gave the dog hydrogen peroxide to help him throw up (he was frantically running around the yard trying to find stuff to eat that would help him vomit). After throwing up three times, he calmed down. Then I cleaned out his crate and hosed off his dog bed.

Then back to the mesh lights. On the third set I finally got everything except the middle section working. After testing every single bulb in the middle section and replacing what was found to be dead, it still wouldn't work. hmm. Last ditch effort: transfer all the bulbs to the sacrificial set. No luck. They wouldn't light at all. Not one. hmm. Transfer them all back and throw away the wiring from the sacrificial set. They still wouldn't light at all. Not a single one. Pack up the green mesh lights and put them back in the attic. Two sets are not enough for the large shrubs up front.

So I put up the garland around the front door, a wreath, and the red mesh sets on the two smaller shrubs and that's it for outdoors.

I started working on our mini Christmas tree inside. But I had left the attic ladder down. That allowed the cat to disappear into the attic. Stop work on the tree and go retrieve the cat. With my luck today I must be careful not to step off the rafters and poke a hole into the ceiling. Of course the cat doesn't come when called. But thank goodness she hadn't gotten too far. I did have to crawl under ducting, avoid wiring, and balance on rafters to go get her. First with a flash light in one hand, then with the flashlight and a cat on the way back. but it went without incident. I finally got the mini tree done. I just have the window garlands to put up now. The dog is fine, the cat is fine, no catastrophe has befallen, but my fingers are sore from tugging on the bulbs on the mesh lights and it's been a long day.

have some humanity, please

Regarding the issue of illegal immigration, I don't think "securing the border" is the answer. If people are fleeing from a burning building, locking the doors to keep them in is not the answer. The majority of these illegal immigrants come under very dire circumstances. History indicates that USA was founded by people who came over under very dire circumstances as well. If USA claims to be "home of the free" and land of the brave, why are we brave people afraid to bring on the immigrants? Are we not resourceful enough to make something positive of the situation, to bring in the people and have them help make us a stronger nation? If we can't put out the fire burning building, at least let the people escape from the building.

It's been a lovely, lazy, relaxing Saturday. The weather was pleasant. It was a little blustery today, partly cloudy with pleasant temperatures. Not too hot or cold. I finally trimmed our shrubs up front today. I called myself washing my car; but I didn't do a fantastic job. At least some of the dust not knocked off.

I was searching for a song on Amazon for someone else. They heard it on the radio but didn't know the exact artist. The search was unsuccessful.

Here's an oldie that I did run across (just a sample clip at the link below): I Give You Praise by Richard Smallwood. Try listening to it on a quiet night when you're doing some soul-searching.
http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Momorable-Moments-Album-Version/dp/B000TEEDX2/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1321164320&sr=1-38

***
On a different note... Kudos to whomever invented the nail clipper. Whatever did they do prior to its invention?

that's different

The Magic Clerk is pretty funny. Here's one episode
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/hl-40020151/the_tonight_show_with_jay_leno_magic_clerk_season_19/

traffic congestion

It seems to me that we wouldn't have traffic congestion if we could live close to work, or work close to home.

fun on the internet

draw your own stick man ... you'll be surprised
http://www.drawastickman.com/

via http://www.bookofjoe.com/

just doing chores

Here in Texas we are in drought conditions. We did get some rain last weekend and what a welcome that was!

Today I've been busy vacuuming and mopping. I didn't do the whole house, but what I did do was plenty enough work for me. I also gave the dog a bath ... outside, of course. I'm also trying to wet the earth around the house to avoid FURTHER foundation problems. Not sure that I was able to get water 4-5 feet into the ground. Right now I have to go do some social thing. I'm not a social animal and I often do not look forward to these things. At least I don't have to dress up for this one. Anyhow, see ya next time.

9/11

ho hum

Saw the movie "Contagion" today. It was ho-hum.

jumpstart battery

We bought one of these from Autozone recently. Not bad. Jumpstart your car anywhere without needing another car. Around $60 USD after taxes. We'll be taking it with us on road trips for sure.

There are other models available. If you're not comfortable opening the car hood and hooking up to the car battery, there are models that allow you to jumpstart through the cigarette lighter. Not sure how well that works but I know they do make them. I'm sure your local automotive shop can help you pick out the right one for you.

In any case, read the manual or have the shop show you how it works--especially if you have a unusual car battery.

washing hands after using the toilet

If our hands were truly dirty after using the toilet, wouldn't we have wiped it all over our clothes (since we have to finish getting dressed) by the time we get to the sink to wash our hands?

breaking vows

I happened upon the news of Fr. Corapi yesterday. I don't know the man, but I have heard several of his presentations back when we had Catholic radio in the area. The guy is brilliant and he can really deliver an engaging message that sticks. I think one of his presentations is entitled "The End Game" where he himself said the devil's strategy is to "strike the shepherd and scatter the sheep." Indeed Fr. Corapi as a shepherd has been struck. I do believe he has broken all three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. I suppose if you break the vow of obedience, the rest is sure to go.

story here http://soltnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/press-release-concerning-fr-john-corapi.html

Happy 4th of July to all

Happy Independence Day! We like our freedom!

The following is a tribute to our troops.

teapot

see it here: https://www.therainforestsite.com/store/item.do?itemId=37170&siteId=221&sourceId=221&sourceClass=ArtisanItem&index=1

beggars

There seems to be a lot more beggars these days. Young man with sign that says he needs money to support his little brother and bury his father. Woman with sign that says she's a homeless mother of some number of children. Guys out there with crutches and back brace and such. Guy who obviously is missing limbs, sitting in a wheelchair with sign saying he's a veteran. I never know who's for real. One thing I can always give: prayer.

Sorry, we're scrounging for resources ourselves. Please get with the police and they'll point you to the agencies where you might can find assistance.

checking in

Just checking in. I'm surprised to see that this blog still gets a few visits. I was expecting zero visitors since I've left it quite stagnant.

Sorry I have neglected to wish all a happy Easter. I think of my blog visitors often, but often do not have the time to blog. Amazingly enough, I also have hardly any time to browse the internet and haven't watched the news much.

It's a long drive to my new job. In traffic, it's easily an hour commute. Between the new job and getting the house back in order after it's been in disarray for the re-carpeting and painting, I've not much time left.  There is still some residual work left to be done as a result of re-doing the room, but for the most part I can go back to a more normal mode of operation. Most everything have been placed back in the room.

I suspect that life will continue to be busy. I've dropped the spiritual direction when I got laid off almost a year ago; but perhaps I will restart it one day. I've volunteered to help out at one of the other parishes on a certain project. That hasn't kicked off yet but it will in a week or so. At my own parish, I expect one of my volunteer gigs to be starting back as well, though I'm not sure if it is a matter of weeks or months.

The beatification of Pope John Paul II is a happy occasion.  Know that I share in your joy though I've not followed the happenings and am only vaguely aware of the event.  Easter continues for several weeks, may we all continue in the spirit of joy in light of the resurrection of our Lord.

new job

First week on the new job this week.  I thank all those who have prayed for me during my unemployment.

cheers.

re-doing a room

We have a little money from an insurance claim. We're going to replace a carpet. I've been busy moving all the stuff out of that one room. It's A LOT of stuff. I've got it cleared enough now to where I can roll up the old carpet and padding. I do that so that I can sweep the floor, to avoid the situation where the carpet installers just come in and lay new carpet on top of an unswept floor.

I'll try to get to washing the walls tonight. Maybe tomorrow I can sand the gloss off of the trim and paint the trim. The carpet people are coming Wednesday. It'd be good to finish painting the trim around the floor (base boards) before they arrive. After I wash the walls I can better see any surface repairs that need to be made. Then I'd spackle, wait for the spackle to dry, then paint the walls.

After I pulled up the carpet, I see a crack all the way across the floor. Uh, I think that signals a foundation problem. We're just going to ignore it for now. We have other problems at hand.

tested

I haven't posted for a while. Been busy, I suppose.

Today I was at a drug testing place for a pre-employment screening. The plan was to get there when they open and be finished in less than an hour as I have other plans for the morning. Unfortunately, since I already gave at home, there wasn't enough to give at the lab. (For those not familiar: drug testing requires a urine sample.) I found out that once I'm there, I'm held hostage: either give a sample within 3 hours or be declared as having refused the test. I am not to leave while I wait. Fine.

They gave me a bottle of water which I diligently guzzled down in little time. One hour passed. Now I start to worry. It's quite normal for me to go the whole morning without needing a restroom break. So I go and ask for coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I know it will speed up the biological process for me. Sure enough, after sipping approximately 1/4 of the cup they gave me, I was good to go.

I'm not a coffee drinker, so the caffeine made me feel weird ... a little unwell. On top of that, my allergies/sinus seemed to have affected my eyes. My brain was awake, but I felt as if my face and eyes were still half-asleep. I wondered if I may have looked as if I was high on drugs. hehe.

So I go most of the day "doped up" with that little bit of coffee. Despite not having had breakfast, I wasn't hungry for lunch either. Knowing that I should eat, I grabbed an oatmeal bar and ate it as I drove to class. My morning plans were shot since I took too long at the lab. I had a light dinner and perhaps I'll be back to normal the next morning.

leak under kitchen sink

We keep a bucket under each sink to catch any leaks. Saturday we were getting something from under the kitchen sink when we noticed that the catch bucket was full. Uh-oh, we have a leak.

After some time, I was able to determine that the leak was coming from the hot water supply to the faucet. After several un-install and re-install of the hot water supply line to the faucet, I remained unsuccessful in stopping the leak. I decided I would go to Home Depot on Sunday morning and get a new supply line.

As planned, I went to Home Depot the next morning and got the new supply line. Thinking that the cold water side might leak soon as well, I bought two replacement lines. The hot water side was easily replaced. Not so with the cold water side ... I couldn't even screw the new line onto the valve outlet. When I reinstalled the old supply line I had taken off, it leaked. So now I was committed to replacing the cold supply line.

Further inspection showed that the valve outlet was tapered, unlike on the hot side. When I had replaced the faucet years ago, I had gone to Ace Hardware and just grabbed two faucet supply lines. It turned out that those were for tapered outlets. I bet there was an adapter on the cold side which I unwittingly discarded when I installed the then-new lines. The taper fit the cold side just fine, and I thought they fit the hot side. If I keep the line (with the taper) fairly straight at the valve outlet, the leak was negligible. And so it went that way for years.

This time I went to Home Depot and it seems they only sell the type that is flat and not tapered. The flat type fit the hot side perfectly, but could not be threaded onto the taper on the cold side. Another trip to Home Depot and their helpful plumbing specialist pointed me the solution I needed: an adapter. The adapter converts the taper to a flat, allowing me to use the same type of supply line on both the hot side and the cold side.

So the lessons are: (1) The valve outlets on the hot supply and cold supply under your sink may not be the same: one may be tapered and the other flat (they'll look different on close inspection). (2) There are different faucet supply lines sold; if it's for a tapered fitting, it will say so on the tag. (3) If you have a leak on one side and not the other, this may be the problem. A supply line for a taper will fit a flat, but will leak. A supply line for a flat will not fit a taper (it didn't for me). (4) If one of your valves have a tapered outlet, you can get an adapter to convert it to a flat.

(photo of faucet line is from the Home Depot website)

Lent is just around the corner

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday! (That makes this Tuesday Mardi Gras.)

We typically do no-meat Fridays anyways, and it will just continue through Lent. During Lent though, we'll get more options for fish as the local eateries add fish to their menus and the Knights of Columbus put on Friday fish dinners. I'll will fast from sweets again, since it is still a challenge for me. No cookies, candies, cakes pies, sugary drinks (soda, punch, sweetened tea) and the like. Since I am a weak vessel, I do allow fruit juice, Jell-O, and canned fruit. The goal, though is to fast from them as well ... maybe I can just limit them to certain days.

Wishing everyone a fruitful Lenten journey.

USCCB Lenten website

free desktop wallpapers

I am enjoying some very nice FREE desktop wallpapers from Vista Wallpapers. In particular, I like the Nicobu and the VladStudio collections.

thrilling movie

I saw the movie "Unstoppable" recently. It is one fantastically gripping, edge-of-your-seat thrilling movie. Very entertaining. Thumbs up!

dog cot round 3

Here is the third attempt at the dog cot. Still 1000 denier Cordura nylon. Camo green color was on sale. I tried sewing the material and then assembling it onto the frame, but it was too loose. I had to undo stitches on one long side and one short side. Then stretching the material as tight as I could on the frame, completed the sewing. Stitches are rather large (and uneven), as can be seen in the photos. This time I didn't cut off any material but used all that was there. Sometimes that meant sewing through three layers of material.

It seems that the solution to minimize stretching of the material under weight is to double the material. If this round doesn't work, maybe I'll order two yards of material the next time so that I can double it. On the back side in the middle is a strip of the left over "awning" green I had on the first go. I stuck it in the middle to try and minimize the stretching.

The pipe photo is a 12-inch tailpiece extension. It seemed to be of a very hard plastic. I cut off the part with the larger diameter. The remaining part I wrapped a few turns of duct tape in the middle and inserted it into the pipes that made the long sides of the cot. The duct tape made it a very snug fit and kept it positioned inside the larger pipe. The inserted extensions prevented the long pipes from overly flexing under the tension of the nylon fabric.

The second attempt was short-lived. I broke two needles in the second round. I had tried using a rug and it failed miserably under load. Additionally, I had skipped the part about screwing down the corners. Doggie managed to work up a corner and tore that particular corner.

In this third round I've learned my lesson and screwed down the corners, using as many existing screw holes as possible. I did have to make one new screw hole.

The stitches are rather large. This morning, doggie was working on one of the stitches with his teeth. With the nylon tensioned so tightly, it was like a drum so every time the thread slipped from his teeth, it'd make quite a bit of noise. A little scolding and he is now snoring away. That stitch has not given away yet, but if he keeps working on it, it will break.

Else so far so good. The fabric stretching has been minimal. But it's only been in use for one night.

I consider doggie our "special needs" child in the sense that his things need to be super rugged. One time I got him a stuffed toy and he tore it apart in minutes and was happily unstuffing it. He also had a ballistic nylon bed at one time and within minutes, tore apart the plastic zipper and was working on unstuffing it. It was a very expensive lesson for me. I had to throw it away after I was unable to get the smell of urine out of it. That smell probably came from the "stop chew" spray that I had put on it. Spray is useless against this dog. I once threw a bananna peel outside to see what he would do. He chewed it and ate it. I cannot understand how Labrador Retrievers can be the most popular dog in the country. They seem to be incredibly destructive, and unless you're an hunter, why have one of these things? I would never ever recommend a Lab for a first-time dog owner.

March 15, 2011: Cot is working fantastic; no problems whatsoever thus far.

September 23, 2011: Cot still ok. It helps that it's in his crate, where he can't get to its sides or flip it. When it's outside, he can flip it and he does chew on the legs. The legs are replaceable if need be but right now they're holding up. Photo below was taken in the morning, when the grass was still wet from dew and hence the marks left on the cot from wet paws.

June 08, 2012: I've had to re-stich. The giant stitches were big enough for him to pick at with his teeth and eventually break. The nylon has stretched and the bed does sag somewhat.

a winning movie

I truly enjoyed the movie "The King's Speech." Witty dialogue and great heroes in the king, his wife and his therapist. This one is a winner.

crazy movie

Just saw the movie "Black Swan." It's crazy. I don't watch horror movies. This one is not a horror movie, but it's "horror" enough for me. *shudder*

footnote: A big screen is not necessary for this movie.

uncontacted tribe

http://www.uncontactedtribes.org/brazilfootage

snacking

I have enjoyed snacking on these: Nabisco yogurt pretzels, Nature Valley chocolate granola thins, Blue Diamond wasabi & soy sauce almonds. I don't necessarily need the yogurt pretzels in 100 Calorie packs, but that's how they come. The granola thins are really crumbly so I typically devour one as I stand over the sink. They also come as peanut butter granola thins, but I haven't tried those. The wasabi almonds have a little (just a very little) kick and is just something different. I also enjoy sweet potato fries and would recommend that you get them when offered on the menu. Enjoy!

hand lotion

Hand lotion for around $1 USD. I like it. Not too heavy, not too light, non-greasy and works well enough. I wash my hands frequently and this lotion is what I use when my hands cry for lotion.

It'd be nice to give to homeless people, but the tube is not sealed and they'd be leery, I think.

best online Catechism of the Catholic Church

The best online Catechism of the Catholic Church is Hosted by Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Mississippi. It is searchable, includes the index, and also has mobile device formats. May you enjoy!

Gopher reacher repair

Several years ago I bought a Gopher reacher tool. I think it was around $20 USD, from either the grocery store or Walgreen's.

In a very short time (I'm guessing in a matter of weeks) it broke at the bend pivot. The pivot point was all plastic construction. Not wishing to discard it after so little use, I bought an aluminum angle from Ace hardware in the neighborhood. I used a hacksaw to cut the angle to the length I wanted and also to cut the notch to straddle the pivot. Several photos are included to show how the splice was made. I used some sort of industrial glue to glue it onto the Gopher. That worked out just fine. The Gopher no longer folds but that's okay.

Eventually the cups on the Gopher fell off. The problem was that the threads on the cups were plastic (see photos of the black cups). I tried to patch it up a few times with whatever household glue I had. Eventually I lost a screw and attempted to replace it with a screw I had in my scrap collection. Finally I lost the other screw as well and it sat unrepaired.

Thanks to a reviewer on Amazon, I was clued in to Arcmate. They offered replacement cups (the blue ones in these photos) with free shipping. I just received the cups today and the Gopher is repaired and ready for service once again. The cups aren't exactly as pictured on their webpage; there is no fancy shoulder on the bolt side of the cup. they should still work fine, though.

Home Depot had a reacher that I considered, but it felt too heavy and the angled pick-up end could be a problem in tight spaces and is difficult to maneuver at any other than the ideal angle. We lost the remote to our old stereo set. It has a large cylindrical dial for the volume. With the reacher I can grab that dial and rotate to adjust the volume. That sort of rotation would be very difficult if the pick-up end were angled.

Reachers are fun to use. I'd recommend that everyone have a reacher in the house. There are a variety of reachers on the market so you have options.

Cheers.

information overload

Job hunting is one huge information overload. There is a glut of free advice for the job hunter.  Here are some broad categories to name a few:

Tools and advice for ...
   1. determining a career path
   2. how to go about finding a job
   3. writing a cover letter
   4. writing a resume (one for machines one for when you actually are invited to submit a resume to a real live person)
   5. preparing for a phone interview
   6. preparing for an interview
   7. how to use the internet for the job search
   8. how to network

And each of the above has its own bucket of research. You have to research the company, the job and you have to research yourself. Cover letters and resumes should be geared towards the specific job you're applying for. You'd have to pick through your past and communicate experience befitting the job.

If we're supposed to have prepared answers to interview questions, how about if the company would send us the questions at the time the interview is offered and say, "Be prepared to answer these questions."

Sometimes the advice is inconsistent among the various experts, and a choice has to be made as to which opinion you'd go with.

With all this glut of information, the HR folks are expecting us to know this stuff. We appear completely dufus, careless, or ignorant if we fail to do what is "basic." (Duh, surely you are prepared to answer basic questions such as "What motivates you?" and "What is your greatest weakness?" and "Where do you see yourself five years from now?" and so forth.) With all this required research, application and practice, it's no wonder that it may well take over a year to master the game and get a job.

The professional side of me says I understand. The softer side of me says I might not want to be that wound-up, polished, ambitious candidate for a high-pressure company who is unforgiving to a little mistake.

In the meantime, I'll march on and pray that God grease the skids and help me to land in the right place.

random thought

There used to be a television commercial that asks, "Do you snore?"

It seems to me that you wouldn't know the answer to that question unless someone tells you.  How else would you know whether you snore in your sleep?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year 2011 to all!

Up until a year ago, I didn't do new year's resolutions. After hearing my spiritual advisor comment, "aim for nothing, get nothing" I figured I can give it a try. Last year's resolution was to finish reading one book. I did that, finishing The Shack and just recently, a career-related book.

This year I will try for two resolutions: eliminate the word "stupid" and eliminate profanity from being issued forth from my mouth.  I think today I've already broken both, but I will try again tomorrow. My dog is not stupid, he's ornery. And it's not "f--ing NO" but perhaps an "emphatic NO." Kinda hard when you live with someone who just won't take a simple "no" for an answer and I have go banannas and yell and curse before the message gets through. And then I get the "why are you yelling at me" response. We'll see how it all works out.

Merry Christmas

Very Merry Christmas to everyone!

Here is a free book
Cosmic Diary Anthology Released as a Free Book: Postcards from the Edge of the Universe (you can download the pdf at the link)

and a free audio rental
of Father Corapi's personal testimony (offer posted on this blog some time before, the offer still stands today)

first time

As far as I can remember, this is the first time that I've missed Christmas midnight mass. Gumby isn't feeling well. I asked if I could go to mass or if I need to stick around in case we need to call 911 emergency. Gumby said "I can't answer that." i.e. I don't have the go-ahead to go to mass. Since we are supposed to be in service of our neighbor, I'll miss midnight mass, stick around here tonight and go to one of the Christmas day masses tomorrow. Right now, I think Gumby is sleeping, which is a good thing.

video about Mary

From The Anchoress ... link was made known to me by a friend


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aU18v-tl8I&feature=player_embedded

gifting

Check out Monastery Greetings.  Per their website:

Monastery Greetings is the only catalog-based website that combines hundreds of religious and spiritual gifts from Abbeys, Convents, Monasteries, and Hermitages. Sales of their products directly support them.

Gifting for any day for any one, so even if they're not an option for Christmas, keep them in mind for any occasion.

Here are just a few others. This is not an endorsement. I have not tried any of these products and in fact, have not even browsed their websites.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters bakery and gift shop
Holy Spirit Monastery Gifts
Abbey Gift Shop
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis gift shop (in New Orleans)
Nuns gift shop (Mother Angelica's order)
Mystic Monk Coffee
MonksBread.com
Poor Clares bread and soup (pick up at their place in Canton, OH)

listening to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OraPvMHwlpY
There ya go.
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2 1st movement

listening to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okjfw5JudXM
per the YouTube uploading author:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 17 "The Tempest"
3rd movement: Alegretto
played by Daniel Barenboim

This is a pretty clear recording, where the bass is not muddy. I might look for the 1st movement eventually.

Christmas decorating

I spent a lot of time trying to find replacement bulbs for our Christmas mesh light. No luck. I bought a string of all green lights at a local store in hopes of being able to use those bulbs, but it didn't work out. So I ended up just packing up the one mesh and did my best to drape the new string on the last shrub. I definitely doesn't blend, but so be it.

Yesterday I spent all afternoon and evening yesterday doing some Christmas decorating inside. It's just one room we're doing, but it took a while. What takes time is going up and down the attic, unpacking and packing (trying to find stuff and pick-and-choose among what was found). At one point I had to find the cat and remove her from the attic. The attic is unfinished and has blown-in insulation -- not a pleasant place lose things such as a cat. Our 4-foot Christmas tree is up and decorated. I know we're still in Advent and the Christmas stuff isn't supposed to be up yet, but I think God understands and wouldn't mind.

dead bulbs

We have four mesh light sets that I drape over the shrubs (for Christmas decoration). I put them on the shrubs on this past Saturday and last night when I turned them on, they were pitiful; some were on some were off in alternating sections. Today I stole good bulbs from one set and restored the other three. I have at least 15 dead bulbs. I'm sure I haven't found them all since the one sacrificial set is too stripped at this point for me to see what's working and what's not. They need to be 2.5V super bright green lights. I haven't found the right ones, but I've seen replacement bulbs priced at a pack of 3 for $1.39 or $1.99.  If I need to replace at least 20 bulbs, looks like I should expect to pay approximately $1 per bulb. So I suppose the best bet is to just buy a new set ... if they can be found.

the job search

Job searching has gotten more sophisticated. It is now recommended that you have Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Monster.com, CareerBuilder, and Dice accounts at minimum, and have a blog. So I have signed up for Twitter, I just finished Monster tonight, and I already had LinkedIn thanks to Natty.

My job search is evolving since I am getting training for a new career path. As I get more and more training for what I want to do, I can slowly better define what field and what specialty I'm heading to. This translates to quite a bit of maintenance on the profiles/accounts.

And after all that, the best bet to getting a job is networking. Kind of like dating maybe, where two people meet because they had a friend in common, or at least their friends had a friend in common.

Anyhow, I'll get to FaceBook, the blog (no, not this one), and Dice another time. I'll also need to update my profile in CareerBuilder. Then I'll need to study how best to use LinkedIn ... apparently there are "how to" of LinkedIn that I'm supposed to look at.

Right now I need to hit the shower. "Good night" to those on this side of the earth.  "See you later" to those on the other side of the earth.

plumbing woes

Monday I woke up and as usual made a trip to the bathroom. It was not a happy moment when I found that the toilet wouldn't drain. Still groggy, I attempted to plunger the thing. No luck. I had never seen a toilet so stuck that plunging didn't bring the water level down. After quite some time, I had to stop since it was trash day and I need to get the trash out.

As I went about the task of collecting all the trash, it occurred to me to check the other toilet. I remembered that once before both toilets had stopped and I became fast friends with a sewer auger. Sure enough the other toilet was stopped up too. So after finishing trash duties, I washed up and headed off to rent the sewer auger again. It unclogged the sewer and the toilets.  There were other problems though that left me a little unsure that the problem was solved. But the machine had done all that it can do, and I had to head off to class that afternoon so I returned the machine and just waved it off as "done."

Wednesday evening, sewage backed up into our tubs and shower. Ugh. We called for a plumber and he determined that we have root growth into our sewer line under the house. The plumber had tools to locate the point of root growth. The solution is to excavate and tunnel under the house to replace that point where the roots are growing into the pipe then backfill the tunnel (an almost $6,000 job). Until we get that done, the recommendation was to not flush toilet paper. We took the job quote and sent him on his way with $150 payment for his services. We will get the repair done as soon as possible, but certainly not this month.

Gumby made a multitude of phone calls later that night and also the next day. One advice was to get a root kill solution from the hardware store and flush that down the toilet when we retire for the night, leaving it to work in the sewer lines overnight. The other piece of extremely helpful advice was to use RV/marine toilet paper. They dissolve quickly (wipe fast!) and won't clog. I don't know my prices well, but I think they cost more than regular toilet paper. They were easily procured from a local Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department, $2.97 per 4-roll pack in one brand, $4.42 in another brand. The more expensive one is 2-ply, so I guess the cheaper one is single ply. I'm not sure what the plans are with regards to how long we'll be using this specialty toilet paper. We're just really happy that we can use toilet paper and we won't have to ask guests to not flush paper.

dinner dollars

turkey, 15lb                   $3.31
injectable marinade        $4.49
turkey oven bag             $1.79
mustard greens            $11.12
smoked ham hocks         $3.18
onions                          $0.70
yellow corn meal            $0.97
green bell pepper           $0.64
celery                           $0.94
baking powder               $1.32
chicken broth (3 cans)     $1.50
eggs (dozen)                 $1.58
sweet potatoes              $0.61
margarine tub                $1.98
jellied cranberry (2 cans) $1.96
dinner rolls (2 packs)      $7.98
pumpkin pie                  $3.99
cherry pie                      $5.99
whipped cream               $1.88

total (tax not included)   $55.93 USD


already had on hand:
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla extract
white flour
sugar
marshmallows
shortening
salt
pepper
carrots
gravy
cookware, dinnerware, etc.

I didn't totally wreck Thanksgiving dinner, but it is rated as "glad we didn't have company." Turkey and mustard greens were just fine. I flubbed the cornbread dressing and sweet potato casserole but they were still edible.

adjustments I will make next time:
1.  Do not rub salt on the turkey before roasting. It makes the turkey drippings too salty and can't be used for gravy.
2.  Actually use a recipe for the dressing instead of winging it. Use just a little poultry seasoning or none at all.
3.  Do boil the sweet potatoes instead of baking them. The sogginess from boiling is needed.  Do not put frozen marshmallows on the casserole; they won't "blow" and spread over the top.  Marshmallows need to be either cool or room temperature.
4.  Consider buying smaller baking pans since I'm not making large portions.  The large pans resulted in thin casseroles.

The carcass is currently simmering on the stove to make turkey stock.  Additional veggies for making the stock was less than $6.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The cooking has commenced.  And I'm already worn.  I baked the cornbread yesterday.  The cornbread dressing is in the oven right now.  The turkey has been injected.  The yams are cooked, ready for me to start on the sweet potato casserole.  Mustard greens and turkey are slated to be cooked tomorrow.

the stray

It was probably the beginning of the year when I saw the stray dog. I remembered that it was cold. It was morning and I was leaving for work. The trash was out, but he didn't bother the trash. He was thin. He kept walking.


Some weeks later Gumby and I were returning late at night from a gocery shopping trip. It was cold, it had been raining but at this moment there was break in the rain. We saw that stray dog again. He was walking. We got the groceries in and proceeded to get food and water for the stray. We hoped we would see him. We looked down the street but he wasn't there. We left the food out for a little while but brought it back in since it had started to drizzle lightly. The next morning we looked again. Still no stray.


Months later (September?) I saw him again as I came home from morning mass (I was then and still am unemployed). I passed him up on the street on the way to the house; he was walking in the opposite direction. I parked the car in the driveway and got out to look down the street to see if he was there. No sight of him. As I walked in the house, I made a mental prayer to St. Francis and to St. Anthony that if they'd bring him to our yard, I'd take care of him. By that I meant that I'd call an organization to come pick him up so that he could be cared for.

It was trash day and I'd already put out the trash. Gumby reminded me that there were some wood debris from the previous week that I need to move closer to the trash so that it would get picked up. So I went back out to take care of that. Lo and behold, the stray was lying in the shade on the side of the house. Mentally I had pictured him on the front lawn when I did the prayer, not the side of the house. I would have never seen him had I not gone out to pick up the wood debris.

Gumby called the vet who advised us to call the county animal control. They come out the same day and they are a "no kill" shelter. We got two of the disposable leashes (to make one long leash) that we had from the numerous visits to the vet over the years. I tied him to the gas meter pipe on the side of the house, in the shade. We gave him a little food and water. He was extremely emaciated, had a severe case of mange, and other problems that made it difficult for me to determine that it was a male dog. A red nylong collar hung loosely around his neck. He didn't eat right away but when I checked on him later, all the food was gone.

I wasn't there when the county came to pick him up. They said whatever happens, it would be more humane than having the dog wander in the street and having to fend for himself.

Anyhow, that's my St. Francis/St. Anthony story.

two movies

Old news. I just forgot to post. We saw the movies Secretariat and For Colored Girls.

Secretariat is fun, family-friendly.

For Colored Girls is raw and poetic. As such, it will likely not win awards. However, I do believe the Academy will want to recognize it. Maybe it will win in the category for movie adaptation of a book.

doggie cot is working fine

I slowed down on the projects around the house. Partly because I'm tired, partly because the funds just aren't there, and partly because the weather doesn't permit much working outdoors. I washed the outside of some of the windows today. Only the windows in the back got washed. I started late afternoon, having ran errands earlier in the day; then I quit when it got dark.

The cot I made for doggie is working okay. The fabric stretched somewhat, resulting in sagging. After he had used it for approximately a week, I attempted to remedy the sag. I took the stitches out of one long side and stretched the fabric as tight as I could and re-stitched. Since the only thing keeping the fabric tight on the frame is a death grip by my left hand as I stitched with my right, the job had to be done quickly. I re-stitched with giant stitches from craft hell and the job went fast. I've discovered that part of the sagging problem is that the plastic pipes will bend. Oh well. I also think the bolt-on design would be better for taughtness than the sewn design.

Doggie has been using the cot for a while now and those giant stitches are doing just fine. I like that much of the dirt and loose hair that he sheds falls below the cot and he doesn't have to lie or trample in it. Also, when I do mop the crate, I can put the cot right back in and he can go in his crate without having to wait for the crate floor to dry. The cot has gotten dirty from the mud he brings in. I'll scrub and hose it off one day when the weather is good.

Update: 1/13/2011
The cot fabric has stretched tremendously. Also, the dog has managed to tear the fabric with his scratching. There is now a large hole in the cot. I am now in search of Dacron fabric locally. At least for the moment I'm thinking Dacron.