Fresh and Yeashty...

Wow, finally, week 3...

2011-11-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I gotta say sorry again, folks. I did a recipe a while back, but just now am getting a chance to write about it. Things have been mad, mad, mad here, but, finally, here I am.

Week three's recipe was, well, a failure. It tasted alright, but didn't look anything like it was supposed to. So, without any further ado, I bring you:

YORKSHIRE PUDDING.

This is a very nice accompaniment to a roast of beef; the ingredients are, one pint of milk, four eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one teaspoonful of salt, and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder sifted through two cups of flour. It should be mixed very smooth, about the consistency of cream. Regulate your time when you put in your roast, so that it will be done half an hour or forty minutes before dishing up. Take it from the oven, set it where it will keep hot. In the meantime have this pudding prepared. Take two common biscuit tins, dip some of the drippings from the dripping-pan into these tins, pour half of the pudding into each, set them into the hot oven, and keep them in until the dinner is dished up; take these puddings out at the last moment and send to the table hot. This I consider much better than the old way of baking the pudding under the meat.

First off, I didn't have nearly enough drippings from my roast. I don't know what went wrong there, but I just didn't really get any. I think that was the main problem I had, combined with not really having a clue what I was doing.

Anyway, let me first show you what a Yorkshire Pudding is supposed to look like:

In fact, according to a 2008 ruling by the Royal Society of Chemistry, "A Yorkshire pudding isn't a Yorkshire pudding if it is less than four inches tall"

Now, I bring you mine:

Hmmm, yeah. Not 4" tall. Now, don't get me wrong. It could have been much worse (recall the Great Brisket Fire of 2011). They were really tasty, kind of like a heavy pancake. They just didn't really grow much.

Anyway, a flop had to happen eventually, otherwise this whole project would have been really boring.

So, that's about it for now. Hopefully I will be able to get on it more soon, and get to trying some more recipes.

Take it easy, all.

Apologies to all...

2011-09-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but I missed a week for the experiment. Andy and I had a wicked cold this last week, and we were in no mood to find something in the cookbook. Check back next week, though, because we will be sure to get back on it.

Take it easy, all.

Week Two...

2011-09-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

This week's adventure: Codfish Balls!! (Insert joke here)

CODFISH BALLS.

Take a pint bowl of codfish picked very fine, two pint bowls of whole raw peeled potatoes, sliced thickly; put them together in plenty of cold water and boil until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked; remove from the fire and drain off all the water. Mash them with the potato masher, add a piece of butter the size of an egg, one well-beaten egg, and three spoonfuls of cream or rich milk. Flour your hands and make into balls or cakes. Put an ounce each of butter and lard into a frying pan; when hot, put in the balls and fry a nice brown. Do not freshen the fish before boiling with the potatoes. Many cooks fry them in a quantity of lard similar to boiled doughnuts.

So, last Saturday we had some friends over for dinner, and I decided to bust out my experiment on them, and see what would happen.

Again, with this recipe I used shortening instead of lard, but other than that, everything was done like the instructions said. (I went with the cake option, instead of the round ball option.)

Overall, the fish balls weren't bad. To be honest, they didn't really taste like fish, they just tasted like a potato pancake. But they were tasty enough.

Mmmmm, smashed stuff

Mmmmmmm, smashed and fried stuff.

All ready.

I guess things so far have gone pretty well, so I may start trying to find some more, well, interesting recipes. We'll see what next week brings.

Take it easy, all.

One Down...

2011-09-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Week One -- Fried Chicken

FRIED CHICKEN.

Wash and cut up a young chicken, wipe it dry, season with salt and pepper, dredge it with flour, or dip each piece in beaten egg and then in cracker crumbs. Have in a frying pan one ounce each of butter and sweet lard made boiling hot. Lay in the chicken and fry brown on both sides. Take up, drain it and set aside in a covered dish. Stir into the gravy left, if not too much, a large tablespoonful of flour, make it smooth, add a cup of cream or milk, season with salt and pepper, boil up and pour over the chicken. Some like chopped parsley added to the gravy. Serve hot.

Well, I decided for the first week to do something that isn't too complicated. My goal is to change as little as possible in the recipes, however I did make a few minor changes in this one. Instead of lard, I used shortening, because it is what I had. With the chicken, I used boneless breasts, again because that is what I had around.

Overall, I think it turned out really well. Or, as Amy says, "Meh." I take that as a compliment, though. I even followed through and made the gravy at the end.

Now, here are some pictures:

Getting ready.

That would be fat.

That pan on the left weighs about 487 lbs. Which is awesome when you have to hold it tilted and scrape the gravy out.

Fryin' it up.

The finished product.

Another view. The gravy didn't look like much, but it was delicious.

Chicken.

The potatoes. These weren't from the book, just kind of made them up.

Anyway, for being the first week, it really turned out OK. I have to get used to using cast iron again, but I will get there.

That's really about it for now, tune in next week for round two.
Take it easy, all.

For my next trick...

2011-09-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, it's been a while. I have guilt for having neglected you for so long, but that's ok, because I am back now. I have returned to tell you about my next exciting cooking experiment:

(Click the image to go to the eBook version)

This is the 1887 White House Cook Book. For the next 8 weeks, maybe longer, I will be trying to make at least one recipe from this book per week. I want to make them as close to the original as possible, so the only substitutions will be for ingredients that I can't find anywhere, or that might kill me.

So, keep coming back, because I will be posting pictures and results each week.

That's about it for now, take it easy all.

(Oh yes, one last thing, I highly recommend reading the medicine section of the cook book. Opium was apparently the cure for everything.)

Beans and bacon...

2011-04-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well, having learned to make bacon, I have decided to continue in the breakfast vein and learn to roast my own coffee. I got me a sweet hand-crank popcorn popper, some fine green coffee (check out Sweet Maria's link on the side, because they are awesome), and decided to get at it.

Here's how it works: Get the popper hot, add the coffee, crank and crank and crank and crank (this continues for quite a while.) After a bit, it gets to popping, this means you are almost done. So you keep cranking. When you are done, you dump it in a metal bowl, or a colander, or a strainer, or both. Then you dump it back and forth while the bowl/strainer gets really hot. Eventually, the beans are cool enough that they stop roasting, so you can put them in a jar, or wherever you choose. I got the thumb of my glove in them accidentally, and decided to store a bunch on the back patio.

Really, though, for being my first try, it turned out fairly well. It made some pretty good coffee, too.

That is a big, big bag.	The 4# Sampler
Ready to go!	The "before"
The "after"	All done, just hangin' out before getting bagged.

Now, if I get some chickens, I will have an entire homemade breakfast.

Well, that's about it for now. I leave you with a picture of Andy. Just because I can.

PS -- I am not getting any chickens.

March madness... I guess...

2011-03-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, for those of you that don't know me well, I should explain. I am not a sports person. I don't really play them, I don't really follow them. In celebration of my apathy, I have started something that I hope will become a tradition. I have randomized a bracket for the NCAA Championship. Now, I don't know most of these schools, but that didn't stop me from being able to flip a coin, just to see how I do against people who actually know what they are doing. So, with no further ado, here it is:

Now we will just have to watch and see!

Take it easy, all.

Smokin' a pig...

2011-01-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, recently I got it in my head that I should try something new and make my own bacon. Those of you who know me well, know that I am prone to do things like this.
Anyway, I went to our local Asian market, and got myself a slab of pork belly.

Pork belly. Not really a lot more I can say there.

You may notice from the photo that it still has skin on it. I decided that the skin had to go, so I went about cutting it off. In doing so, I learned something. Pigs have really, really tough skins. Like, bulletproof tough. I honestly don't know how anyone can kill a pig, that's how tough we are talking here. Anyway, I eventually got it off.

Let's go throw the ol' pigskin around!

I then rubbed the pieces with my salt mixture and got them in the bags, ready to go.

Pork belly in Ziplocs.

Now the really hard part. I had to put these bags in the fridge, and turn them over once a day. For an entire week, I had to do that. I almost didn't make it. It took at least 15 seconds each morning, turning the bags over.

Then, after a week, I had to take the slabs out, rinse them, and let them dry. I put them back in the fridge overnight and called it good.

At this point, I could have fried and eaten it, but what fun would that be? I figured, I've already come this far, let's go the whole hog. Ha ha, lord I'm funny.

So, I decided to smoke them. I put them on my grill and wrapped some apple chips in aluminum foil. Then I put those on the burner, set it fairly low, and three and a half hours later, I got:

BACON!!!

We have fried some up, and it came out pretty good for being my first try. I am definitely going to try it again, but I am going to change a few things. First, I will leave the skin on. I can take it off after I smoke it if need be. Next, I would soak it for a half hour or so and then let it dry after it cures, because it is a little bit salty for me. Amy disagrees with this. Last, I might need to invest in an actual smoker and try to get some cooler smoke on it. I had it about 20° hotter than I wanted it, and it cooked it a little more than I'd hoped. But all in all, for a first go, it didn't come out half bad. And we are having BLT's tonight.

With that, take it easy, all.

Bullets and such...

2010-12-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I am finally updating here. If you follow The Glad SAHD, then check it out, it just had an update posted as well, with lots of photos. And snow. And a moose.

Not a lot has gone on here that wasn't posted over there. I finally got my bullet molds in the mail, got them cleaned up, and tried making some. It actually went pretty well, considering I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I ordered some wheel weight metal from someone on the web, rather than going to the trouble of cleaning my own right now, and got about 19 lbs. With that, and what was already in the lead pot I got from my Grandpa, I was able to make a pretty nice pile.

Why my mailman hates me. That's a 20 lb. box.

Work work work. If you look on top of the pot, you see a little cup heating up. It came from...

this muffin tin. I was trying to knock a lead ingot out, but it was stuck something awful.

They actually all dropped from the mold the right size, so that was nice. I just had to lube them (I used floor wax), and now they are ready to be loaded. It was pretty fun, and I am definitely going to do more soon.

That is really about all I have right now, take it easy, all.

Oh yeah, and we got a new car.

Hooray, update!!!

2010-09-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally updating this. A lot has happened since I last updated. Andy is growing like a weed and learning something new every day. We celebrated her first birthday over Labor Day weekend, and both sets of grandparents as well as my sister Jodi and all of my nieces and nephews came into town. We had a lot of fun, and Andy loved her cake. And now, here are a whole lotta photos in no order whatsoever.

That's about all I have time for right now. I leave you with my favorite recent Andy photo. This is not staged, she did this right as I took the picture. Take it easy, all.

Almost there...

2010-06-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the computer changeover is almost done. I have converted the old box to Linux, which is great for my little server, but does not work with my scanner, no matter how I try. So, I have had to move it to one of the new systems, and have just been too busy to do it. Well, it should be done a little later this week, so I will be able to scan some negs from the half-frame, and get them up soon. Hopefully. Anyway, just a quick update. Take it easy, all.

New pictures, coming soon...

2010-04-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it's been a while, but I am actually posting an update here. A little while ago, I got a little Standard Projection Co. half-frame camera. I put a roll of film through it, and it actually came out pretty well. Unfortunatly, because of the computer switching we are currently handling, my scanner is temporarily out of commission. But, as soon as it is up and running again, I will be posting some photos here. It did surprise me how long it took to get through 48 pictures, and also how noisy the wind up motor drive was. It did a good job, though.

Things here are going pretty well. Andy is growing like a weed, it's crazy how big she is getting.

That's really about it for now, come back soon for some fun pictures!

PS -- on the box: Nothing, the music collection hasn't been moved yet.

Yuma...

2010-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend, my sister and her family came down to Yuma to visit my Grandpa, so we took a quick trip over to visit all of them. In fact, I am writing this from my Grandpa's laptop, because we are still here. We have really been having a good time. Yesterday, we took an outing and went to the Camel Farm. We saw all kinds of animals, including some biblical 4 horned sheep, some Arabian camels (with only one hump), and a zedonk. A cross between a zebra and a donkey. You can't make this up.

We also went into a do not enter area and got to get really close to some camels and a Watusi cow. Which is like a regular cow, but with really big horns. That did not like Patrick.

In our defense, the cable wasn't up, so we didn't know not to go there, and we were out before we got caught.

We also went to the Yuma Territorial Prison, which I am glad we did because we found out it is closing on March 29, along with all the other Arizona State Historical Parks. It was interesting, and I have come to the belief that it would suck to have been sent there.

Anywho, that is about it for now. I have a whole bunch of pictures, but am having problems uploading right now. I will get them on here ASAP.

Til then, take it easy, all.

PS -- Nothing on the box right now.

Behold, the Argus...

2009-11-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Recently, my dad brought me some cameras that he found at my grandpa's house in a closet. One of them was an old Argus A1 with a broken viewfinder and a 2-position focus. I managed to take a roll through it recently, but found out when I finished developing it that I have a bent film spool, so the film kinked and big parts of it didn't develop right. Oh well, here are some of what came out:

The bright spots in the corners are where the film kinked and didn't get developed.

Really, not too bad for a camera that age with the issues it had, and the probable user error involved.

That's about all I have for now, except for some pictures of the camera I used to take those.

The Argus

The broken viewfinder

Another view of the viewfinder

On the box: The Last, the Lost, the Least - Relient K

New things...

2009-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally updating. Things here have been a little crazy, with the baby being born and the moving and the finishing at work and everything that has gone on, but we are back now.

My parents visited us at the beginning of the month, to see the baby and the house, and we had a really good time. We drove to Benson (where I finally found somewhere that sells Dutch licorice, so that's good) and to St. David and got us some pecans, we took a trip over by Yuma just because, and all in all we had a really good time.

Andy is doing well, she is growing so fast that it is hard to believe. She will wear clothes, we wash them, and by the time they come back int the rotation, she is up to the next size. It's crazy.

Amy starts work again tomorrow, which means it will officially be my first day as a stay-at-home dad. I swing between being really excited and scared to death, but I think I am going to make it. Exciting times.

You are probably wondering "Hey, where are all the pictures?" Well, let me tell you. I will still be updating this blog, with my adventures in photography, and stuff like that. But for the day-to-day baby adventures, I am branching out and starting a new blog here. Be sure to check it out, it will be getting a link on the left as soon as I am in the mood to make one. Actually, you may want to wait a bit, because it is kind of boring right now. But check it out in a day or two, for sure.

That's really about it for now, so take it easy, all.

PS - On the box: Moonlight Sonata -- Ludvig van Beethoven

TAAAAAAAHHHH DAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!

2009-09-08T18:42:00.001-07:00

Andrea Kathleen
6 lb 12 Oz.
20 3/4"

Welcome to the world!!!

More home...

2009-08-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally managed to get some more pictures of the new house put together, so I decided that I should probably share them. Here you go:

The house with the chicken wire and foam that helps hold the stucco.

The first coat of stucco and sheet rock being done.

Stucco and sheet rock finished!

So, things are moving along pretty well. That's about it for now, just a quick update.

Take it easy, all.

PS -- On the box - Nothing. No music right now.

Home again, home again...

2009-07-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

Howdy all,

Sorry for the wait between posts. I just haven't posted. I have no excuse, I just haven't. So there.

Since the last post, Amy and I have spent like we've got it, and we bought a house. Well, sort of. It is being built right now, but it is coming along nicely. It is about 3 blocks or so from where we are right now, which should help to make the move a little bit easier, so that's nice. Here is a picture of how it is coming.

Home.

They have finished hanging the foam and chicken wire on the outside (not in the picture), so they are ready to start stuccoing soon. Pretty exciting.

Amy is coming along well, she braves the heat nearly every day and we walk to the house site to look around and see how it all is coming, and it is just about right distance wise for her. She is getting bigger, and the baby moves a lot. You can look at her blog for more on that, photos and such.

Work is crazy crazy crazy, we are tearing through buildings like it was going out of style. All kinds of fun there.

That's really all I have right now, except for a fun game. For a fabulous prize which will be determined later, tell me where this is. (Oooo, just like in the Utah Historical Quarterly!)

Well, that's about it. Take it easy, all.

On the box: Stardust -- Dave Brubeck

Itchy...

2009-06-09T16:46:00.001-07:00

So all, sorry for the lag in posts lately. Not a lot to blog about, though we have been busy busy busy.

We recently had some doves build a nest on the ceiling fan on our back patio, and they had some babies. It was kind of fun to watch them grow, and then leave.

The babies, just before they flew away.

Also, the other night I was going to go outside for a bit, and saw this right outside our back door:

Just in case you can't tell what that is, either click on it for a bigger image, or here is a closer look:

Eww.

Yes, we had our first black widow. It is now dead. And I don't even feel bad about it.

Then, the very next day, we found this in our house.

Again, if you can't tell what it is, click on it, or look here:

Eww again.

A big, fat wolf spider was in our bathroom. Another was in our kitchen/dining room. Both are also dead. I am usually not one to kill wolf spiders, they eat bugs and such. But they shouldn't come in the house if they value their well-being. (And they are crazy fast. Just as a side note.)

We did also see a coyote on Sunday, the same day as the wolf spiders, but didn't get a picture. Oh well. It was a lot more fun than the spiders.

Anyway, that's about it for now. Take it easy, all.

And on the box: Let's Face It -- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Caffenol...

2009-04-26T21:01:00.001-07:00

This picture, as bad as it looks, deserves a break. This is my first experiment with caffenol. Recently, a friend sent me a link that says you can develop film with instant coffee, washing soda or soda ash, and vitamin c. I decided to see for myself.

So, this is what came out. Honestly, for my first attempt, I am really surprised I got anything. It is really underexposed, and over developed, but that's ok. I think it has some charm all it's own. I plan to shoot some more film and try this some more, but I thought I would share the first attempt, just to let you all know that it is actually possible.

And here are some new baby photos for those of you who don't care about the wonders of instant coffee. (If you follow Amy's blog, these will be a rerun. But that's alright.)

That's about it for now. Take it easy, all.

Baby, baby, baby...

2009-03-03T19:33:00.001-08:00

Ta Dah!

Please, no visual clichés...

2009-02-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was reading about submission guidelines for Arizona Highways magazine, just for fun. They actually request that you "avoid visual clichés like saguaro silhouettes at sunset." I didn't really think much about it at the time.

A few days later, Amy and I went to eat at a local restaurant, and they had photos on the wall for sale. Every one was of a saguaro silhouette at sunset. No lies. All of them. Now I understand their request.

Anyway, things here are pretty crazy. We have put in an offer on our house, and are now just waiting for a response on that, which could take a while.

I haven't really had a chance to take a lot of pictures lately, so not a lot to show here. I do have a few of my mobile garden. They have to be mobile, because they go under our porch in the summer, to prevent my plants from bursting into flame, but they go out during the winter to get some sunshine. I leave you with these photos:

Though not mobile, this mint has managed to survive for quite a while.

A cherry pepper getting ripe. These are the hottest freaking cherry peppers in the history of man.

My pear tomatoes.

The whole garden. Including Amy's hanging plant, that hasn't been enjoying winter.

That's about it for now. Take it easy, all.

Oh yeah, on the box: Bright Spring Morning - Suburban Legends

New Additions...

2009-01-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the wait, all. I have no reason, I just haven't had much to say lately I guess.

Things have been crazy since the last post. Amy and I went to Utah for Christmas. It was lovely, nice to see all the family and friends again.

While there, I picked up a few new additions to my slowly growing photographic family.

The one on the left is a Keystone Olympic 8mm movie camera, and the one on the right is a Voigtländer Bessa.

These were in my Grandma Elaine's basement, and she thought of me and my love for old cameras and gave them to me.

Also, on New Years Day, I finally gave in and spent the rest of my stash money and bought a Nikon D60. It is not in the picture above, because it is taking the picture above. I'll post more about it later, once I manage to get a picture taken of it.

Anywho, that's about it for now. Later all.

On the box: Bend - Ben Sollee

Cook, cook, cook...

2008-12-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally managed to get into a festive mood the other day and decided to try something new. I called up my grandma and got her recipe, and made some peanut brittle.

After much boiling and watching and waiting, this came out.

Yay hot peanut brittle.

Scraping

All done.

Things here are good. I am back in my old building at work, which is really, really nice. Amy and I are busy getting ready for Christmas and such. Other than that things here are pretty normal. Go, go, go. That's about it for now.

I leave you with a picture of a turkey.

A Turkey.

Take it easy all.

P.S. -- On the box: Hungry Like The Wolf - Reel Big Fish

Just thought I'd start throwing out what I'm listening to while I blog.

Old Dogs, New Tricks...

2008-10-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Amy and I went to Wellton, Az (just outside of Yuma) to see my dad and grandpa. We had a really fun time, ate good food, and had some good conversation.

While we were there, I developed a roll of film that we took through a Zeiss Ikon, an old camera that my dad and grandpa found while cleaning out my grandpa's basement.

After the film was spooled in a not-really-light-tight closet, I realized that I didn't bring any fixer. But we decided to develop it anyway, just to see if we even got any pictures. They were hard to see because of the emulsion still on the film, but we could tell the pictures were there.

So, after the film dried, I respooled it with the backing paper and brought it home, then fixed it later, not knowing what would happen.

Considering that they were developed and hung to dry on a patio in a breezy, sunny, dusty Arizona day without being fixed, then being fixed and redried 3 days later, they came out suprisingly well.

Here they are:

(l) My grandpa, not believing that there was film in the camera.
(r) My parents and Amy, the first picture we took with the camera. We didn't know if the flash would work with it.

(l) My grandpa, now knowing that there was film in the camera.
(r) Amy and my dad.

(l) My dad, telling Amy we have ways to make her smile. I forgot to focus.
(r) Percy Dovetonsils

(l) My dad and grandpa
(r) Amy.

That's about it for now.

Take it easy, all.

Let There Be Light...

2008-10-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to finish my workbench, mostly. I need to rewire the light fixture because I have changed my mind on the switch I am going to use, and I decided, bue to a mistake on my part, not to put doors on the shelves for right now.

Anywho, just a quick update on that project.

Here are some pictures:

Stack o' Lumber.

Cut stack o' lumber

More cut stack o' lumber

Lots of sawdust. And it gets everywhere. Everywhere.

The legs together, with the lower shelf attached.

Top on.

All done!

And with light.

That's really about it for now. Take it easy, all.

Building...

2008-10-06T16:52:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since my last post, so I figured I would give a quick update.

Amy and I went home a few weekends back, to go to Jonathan Umbriaco's wedding. It was lovely, and it was good to see everyone. Congratulations to Jonathan and Christina.

I am going to be starting a bit of a project soon. I will be building a reloading bench in my garage, because right now all of my reloading equipment is living in the following places:

The box on the bottom has my press, my powder measure and such.

All of my bullets, powder, primers, dies, etc. live in the closet.

So, it will be nice to be able to reload again.

Here is a rough sketch of what the bench will look like:

My reloading bench. With plywood templates. Oooooo.

Well, that's really about it for now. Work is work, it is still pretty hot here.

Take it easy, all.

A Friendly Reminder...

2008-09-14T10:12:00.003-07:00

Just a quick friendly reminder for everyone out there:

P.S. - If you can actually find me some 620 Verichrome and send it to me, I will give you a dollar.

Wildlife and Such...

2008-09-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Amy and I have finally had another Arizona wildlife experience. The other night we were driving home, and we saw this in the road: (Sorry, the photos aren't great, my camera had problems focusing in the dark)

There was a tarantula, just wandering down the road. It was pretty exciting. They are pretty slow, so I felt safe enough to get out and take these. Anywho, that's it for wildlife.

Things here are about the same. Amy and I work, then come home, eat sleep, and all that.

I have started scanning my Grandpa's black and white negatives again, and I am getting faster as I go. I have done about 50, and only have about a million more to go through. It is worth it, though. I haven't gotten my cameras out all that much lately either, but someday.

That's really about it for now. Just a quick post so no one thinks I disappeared.

I leave you with a few more pictures, just for fun.

These are both of Amy's new plant, that took the place of the geranium that didn't make it.

This is my oven lid, just showing that it is getting some good TLC, trying to recover the seasoning.

Take it easy, all.

Charging On...

2008-08-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally broke down this week and decided to spend some of my saved up gift money. What did I purchase, you ask? Well, here you go.

This is a Ruger 22 Charger. For those of you that care about the technical stuff, it is a Ruger 10/22 rifle action, only with a short barrel and a pistol stock. I took it out to shoot yesterday, and it is a load of fun. Once I got it sighted in, it held a group pretty well, too. Here are some scans of targets. The top one had a lot of rounds put through it, and the bottom had just ten, which are marked on it.

Besides that, things here are going well. We had visitors over the weekend, Amy's Aunt came in from El Paso with a friend to pick some things up, and we all had a grand time. We have a new bed, which is very, very exciting for us. It's really tall, and took some getting used to, but we like it now.

That's really about it for now. Just keep on keepin' on.

I leave you with a few more pictures.

The view through the red-dot sight.
Took some getting used to, that did.

The Charger next to my new Nerf gun.

A rendition of what it may have looked
like if Van Gogh had owned a Charger.

That's about it for now. Take it easy, all.

Cheese - It's like milk, only older...

2008-07-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just a quick update here, as it has been a while. Things are good in Arizona. The monsoons are here, so things have cooled off a bit, but we have some humidity now.

Work is, well, work. I clean dorm rooms. That's about it there.

Amy's parents were here for a week, which was lovely. They were able to be here for Amy's birthday. They brought some stuff with them that I had left in Utah, which was great.

Which brings me to my next topic, my bow. When they came, they brought with them this:

It's a Browning Safari II recurve. 60" long, with a 47# pull. Which is a lot harder than it sounds.
I went out to the archery range we have here in town, and used it some, and got very sore. I do still need practice, also.

Amy and I had a good 4th of July. We went to some friends houses for barbeques and such, it was fun. I shaved my head over the weekend, then went outside for a while without a hat, so I got me a wicked sunburn. It's pretty much healed, now, though, which is nice.

I developed a roll of Tri-X over the weekend as well. I have changed developers, and am still deciding if I like the new. They came out alright, I suppose, I just have to figure out my times and temperatures and such again.

So, that's about it for now. I leave you with some pictures of stuff.

That's the name.

A geranium.

Some star trails.

I kind of liked this one. Dust spots and all.

Hey look, it's me.

Anywho, that's all I got for now. Take it easy, all.

Work, work, work...

2008-06-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well all, it has been a busy month and a half since I last posted, so lets get started.

The first weekend in May, Amy and I flew home for her doctoral graduation. It was really exciting, and she is very, very happy to be done. I would post photos of that, but she has them on her blog, so you can see them there. Use the links on the left.

The second weekend in May, Amy and I moved from our apartment into a house with lots more room. Here is a comparison for you.

Comparison of apartment space vs. house space.

Here is another:

Comparison 2 of house vs. apartment.

So, we have a lot more room, and a yard, and we are really happy about that.

The third weekend in May was my mandatory work weekend at the U of A. It was no fun, no fun at all.

The fourth weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, was nice. We both had a 3 day weekend, so we unpacked a lot and such.

The last weekend, I flew home for 2 weddings, and was very, very busy, staying out until 3 a.m. twice in a row so I could catch up with friends and such.

So, forgive me for totally skipping the month of May in my postings, but I had my hands full.

I leave you with some more exciting photos, mostly of our house.

We planted a flower bed yesterday, under our bedroom window.

The back of the house and part of the backyard.

Our kitchen and dining room, still kind of messy due to more unpacking.
Hanging pictures and such.

Another view of the kitchen.

Our living room area.

The newest member of the family, a Kodak Brownie Movie Camera.

Another view.

Large calzone (feeds 4-5)...

2008-04-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I last posted. I'm sorry. I have been busy with working, and with packing, and with finding a new place to live, and all that. So, thats what's up here.

Things are going well. Amy and I have found a house to rent in Marana (a suburb of Tucson), so we will actually live in a city now as opposed to "Pima County".

Amy flew home a while back to defend her capstone project for her doctorate, and she passed, so she is now officially done with school. All she has to do now is go through graduation, so we are pretty excited about that.

I went to transfer day at University of Arizona, and have been accepted, so I will be going back to school soon. Eventually, we will both be done, and that will be good.

Anyway, thats about it for now. I'll leave you with some exciting pictures to update everyone on what has gone on.

A freaky potato.

We had company, and ordered a large calzone from Mama's Famous. This is the box. On top of our range.

This is the calzone. It was huge. I mean really, really big. Had to force it to fit it in the back seat big.

A puzzle we put together. Thanks Danny.

Well, thats about it. Take it easy, all.

When it's springtime in Alaska...

2008-01-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

It's forty below, Johnny Horton tells us. However, when it's January in Tucson, we sit in the mid-sixties.

Things here are going well, but kind of slow. I got a massive amount of laundry done yesterday, which was good. Amy is work, work, working on her capstone project, and it is looking really nice.

It's hard to get used to the weather here. I keep forgetting that it's only January, because it feels like mid-spring would in Logan. I don't miss the snow one bit, or the cold for that matter. But I do miss the seasons changing. Here, there are only two seasons, cold and hot, and if you just looked at pictures, you would notice no difference between them. But, I can deal with that, I suppose.

Anywho, thats about all for now. I leave you with a picture from last Saturday, from Sabino Canyon.

Take it easy, all.

Prickly Pear

Second today...

2008-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here we have it, folks, two posts in one day. What more could you want?

Anyway, I said earlier that I would update when I heard back on different things.

Firstly, I got the job that I interviewed for, that is very exciting, and my joy knows no bounds.

Also, I got my film processed today, and I would like to put in a plug for Photographic Works in Tucson, they were very friendly and provided excellent service. Check them out (click the words), maybe they have some services that you can use.

Here is what I got:

The mountains from our patio area.

Anyway, thats about it for now. Not much else to report.

Take it easy all.

Small calzone (feeds 2)...

2008-01-09T08:46:00.001-08:00

Yum

Well, last night Amy and I got ourselves a calzone from the northside Mama's Pizza. If you are ever in Tucson, eat there. It will make your belly happy.

Things here are pretty normal, really. Not much to report. I finally used a sheet of 4 x 5 film, now I just have to get in to get it processed. More on that later.

I went in for a job interview yesterday as well, more on that as soon as I know something.

Soooo, not really an exciting update right now, but at least it's a post.

I'll leave you now with some fun and exciting pictures. These are as they were scanned, no altering. So, sorry for dust spots and such.

The Family Christmas Portrait

The 'Rents
(The 2 pictures above were taken with a c.1950 Kodak Duoflex IV. With flashbulbs. The world is a better place with flashbulbs.)

L to R: Andy (My grandmother), Pauline (My great-aunt), Millie Smith (My great-grandmother), Virginia (Also my great-aunt).

Virge, Millie, Ick (My great-uncle) and Pauline

My Grandpa (Earl). This is such a classic picture, I had to toss it in there.

Rollin' in the rumble seat.

Well, thats about it for now. Take it easy, all.

Little Visitor...

2007-11-18T19:45:00.001-08:00

Last night, I went outside to sit and drink my delicious cranberry punch, I looked up as saw that we had a visitor on our balcony.

From what I can tell, I think it was a Western Banded Gecko. It just hung out on our porch for the night, and was gone by mornong, much to Amy's joy.

Anywho, that's really the exciting news for now. Take it easy, all.

Octoberween...

2007-10-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well all, sorry for the lack of updates lately. I have no excuse, I just haven't added as of late. Anywho, where does the time go? Halloween already. Amy and I carved pumpkins last night, and that was fun.

Our Pumpkins

Our pumpkins in the dark

My parents came to visit since the last update, and we had a lot of fun. We went to Bisbee on a mine tour, to the Desert Museum, and to the San Xavior Del Bac mission, amongst other things. It was great to see them, and we had a really good time while they were here.

Also, this morning I got my first processed roll of Fujichrome Velvia back. It is my first time trying slide film, and I was very impressed. it has made me consider looking into a slide projector, even. I will post some of the results below, and I am sure that there will be more to follow.

Anywho, that's about it for now. Take it easy all.

My parents in their hotel room

An ocatillo in the Desert Museum

Rocks outside the museum. Bonus points if you name the two most apparent minerals in them.

A butterfly

A black bear

New poll...

2007-09-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, there is a new poll on the Homeless Kenny blog. So check it out. Use the link on the left, it's the guy sniffing the melon. Take it easy, all.

This is a shrub near our laundromat. I just put it here for fun.

Always remember...

2007-09-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hello all, just looking about and realized that I haven't updated for a bit. So, a quick post. Not much has been going on. I found a hiking trail that is just a few miles from our house, and managed to go up about 1½ miles the other day. It was really nice, following a little stream with tadpoles and everything. I got a few pictures while I was out with both my 35mm and my Kodak Vigilant, but have only been able to develop one of the rolls of film because I am out of fixer. So, hopefully I will have some more pictures to post soon. Anyway, thats about it for now. Take it easy all.

Oops. Always remember, just because the shutter will go, doesn't mean that the film is wound.

Fun with updates...

2007-09-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, not a lot is new as of late. Amy and I did go to Phoenix on Tuesday and stayed overnight so she could take her Hearing Aid Dispensing License Exam, so that was fun. On the way home, we stopped in Mesa at Organ Stop Pizza, which was really fun. They have a massive Wurlitzer theater organ, which is truly amazing. Anyone who has never heard a theater organ before is definitely missing out. So, we had good food and really great entertainment. Then we got lost trying to get back on I-10, but eventually managed to get home safely.

We met with our ABF group from church on Thursday, to plan what would be next in our bible studies and to play games. It was tons of fun.

I did my laundry today. It was raining when I went to bring it home, of course. It rained for about 10 minutes today, and it timed it just right. Oh well.

That's about it for now. I leave you with some more fun pictures. Take it easy, all.

Corrine, Jami's dog.

Jackson and Corinne.

Whenever Homeless Kenny got sad, he cheered himself up by playing cards. He just wished someone else would play with him.

We had a lot of spare time in high school.

Homeless Kenny is sooooo big!!!

Now, he needs his rest. And a nice bottle.

A few more...

2007-08-22T14:03:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more pictures I scanned. Enjoy.

Bear Lake from the deck of the cabin.

My niece, Marina.

A classic, Homeless Kenny: In Search Of Food.

I've just always liked this picture.

Adjectives fail me.

Well, tune in later for more. Take it easy, all.

Finally here...

2007-08-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the scanner has finally arrived, and I have been learning to use it. I have scanned a few negs, and am hoping to do many more. Black and white is kind of tricky to scan, so there is a bit of a learning curve to get through, but I seem to be getting a bit better as I figure things out.

Here are some pictures for everyone to enjoy:

A dead saguaro at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

Looking over the valley, also from the museum.

If these pictures don't seem as sharp or clean as they might be, don't blame the scanner. Part of it is the photographer, and his focus distance guesswork, and part could the the camera, which is this one:

I do like using older cameras, though, because you never know what little quirks or light-leaks might be in there. I also had to respool a roll of 120 film onto a 620 spool so it would work in this camera. So, it's really been fun.

That's about it for now, hope to have more pictures up later. Take it easy, all.

Yay scanner!!!

2007-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, after shooting several rolls of medium format film, and deciding that there is just nowhere in the apartment to build a darkroom, I finally decided on a scanner that would fit my needs. So, it is on order and should be here sometime this week, or early next at the latest. It will do 35mm slides or negs, medium format (120 and 220) and large format (up to 4 x 5 negs, anyway.) So, I can't wait for it to get here, and hopefully I can post some of my fun pictures soon. I am also giving slide film a go, and decided to give Fuji Velvia a go. I've heard that its color range is amazing, so we'll see what happens.

In other news, Amy got bit by some spider-thing and was pretty miserable and itchy in the foot for a while, but she is getting better now. I got my car fixed (it had a bad intake manifold gasket. It was apparently installed wrong in the factory, and finally burned through a weak spot. Oh well, better now.) and I got my AZ plates. So long UT 929 XEG. You will be missed.

Thats about it for now, more later.
Take it easy, all.

Michigan is just tickin' me off...

2007-07-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Check it out, all, it's a culture lesson and a geography lesson. Post your time as a comment if you want. That would be fun. And a hint, hook the small eastern states together first, it makes it easier to attach them.

Have fun, take it easy all.

Thorns or fangs...

2007-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally managed to get a flat tire on my bike. I went out to get the sun tea, and noticed that my front tire was low. Since it wasn't flat when I got home, I figured that I had a slow leak somewhere. So, I did what anyone would do, I took off the tire to see what was wrong

Well, it seems that my "slow leak" wasn't quite what I expected. I got the tube out (at which point I heard the rest of the air leak out), and ran my finger around inside the tire, only to find this:

The big end was still (barely) on the outside, and the little end was (obviously) in my tube. So, I dug it out, patched the tube, and got everything put back together. So, at least I am breaking my new tires in right.

In other news, things are cooling off a little bit here. We missed the triple digits today, and it looks like it should stay that way for a few more days. The monsoon is getting here, so we are getting really hard, short-lived thunderstorms. Crazy how hard it rains here, you would never expect it if you were here 2 weeks ago.

Amy and I are watching season 1 of "The Muppet Show", which I love. (Season Two is out mid-August, keep your eyes open, all). Amy is liking her job more. Things are all in all good.

Thats about it for now. Take it easy, all.

More fun for all...

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

Well, another Fourth of July come and gone. Amy and I found out that one of the Tucson resorts had fireworks that we could see from our balcony. So we made a snack and stayed at home for the night, and really had a grand old time watching the fireworks and singing patriotic songs to ourselves. Before that, we went to Amy's aunt and uncle's for a barbecue, which was a lot of fun.

All in all, it was a good Independence Day, but we definitely did miss being home in Utah with family and the Huntsville parade and such.

On the first, there was a planetary conjunction between Venus and Saturn, so now if you look in the western sky in the evening, Saturn is below Venus. I got some pretty spiffy pictures, and messed with the black and white mode on my digital. It still doesn't quite match B & W film, but it works for now.

Venus, all by it's lonesome on July 1.

Some fun black and whites from June 30. Notice the location of Venus and Saturn in the top one, as opposed to their locations in the color picture.

Anywho, thats about it for the time being. Take it easy, all.

PS - Just a shout out to my dad, who is at home watching the dogs for the weekend. Have a good one, dad.

Nighttime...

2007-06-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally finished my roll of 35mm TRI-X, and being out of film, decided to leave my little cellulose heaven and go into the sissified world that is digital photography. Actually, to be totally honest, I like digital photography, and the instant gratification that it provides. There is just something about film, though, that I really love. Anywho, I decided to get out my digital last night and use the "night landscape" mode, just to see what would happen. I was actually pretty surprised. Some of the pictures came out pretty well, and I managed to get Venus in a few of them. Anywho, here are a few samples (click to make them big, they look better that way):

Looking at the mountains north of our apartment.

Looking west, the bright light in the sky is Venus, with Saturn above it.

Another view of Venus and Saturn, with the star Regulus above them to the left, and an airplane.

Anywho, thats about it for now. More later, take it easy, all.

Decisions, decisions...

2007-06-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, things are still going pretty well here in Tucson, though it is getting hotter. 105º today, it was 108º earlier this week. But, we're surviving it. I made us some Greek food today, it really came out pretty well. We had us some souvlaki and some salad. Not too bad for my first go round, if I do say so myself.

I finally found a place here that sells photo developing equipment, which is a good thing for me. It surprised me how few places sell that. I guess everyone is going digital nowadays, so oh well. I still like to shoot film. Anyway, this place (Jones Photo) also has a contest once each quarter for amatuers. The theme for the summer is "Downtown Tucson", and I am thinking about entering. I'm just not sure yet, just don't know what to do. So I guess I'll keep updating and let everyone know when I decide.

Anyway, just a quick update to say that we are doing ok. Take it easy, all.

You think it's hot where you are...

2007-06-15T15:32:00.001-07:00

but you ain't seen nothin'. Check this out. (Click on it to make it big enough to read.)

It's not the 102º that bothers me, check out the station at Oracle and Ina (the third one down). This is a screenshot, and is totally undoctored. That is exactly how it looked on the web.
That's why I avoid that part of town, I tell ya. The humidity just about kills me, as does the heat index. Just wanted to leave a quick post to show everyone just how hot it gets in Tucson.
Take it easy, all.

More photos...

2007-06-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Here we go, some more photos of our little home:

Here is the livingdiningoffice room.

Here is the bedroom.

The bathroom. Well, half of it. I'm standing in the other half.

And the kitchendining room.

Thats about it for now, all. Not much else to say. Oh, except that I have a new link in my "links" section that is just grand. Check it out. Take it easy, all.

Please, don't drink the fixer...

2007-06-10T20:31:00.001-07:00

Well, things just keep on a chuggin' along. Things are going pretty well here in Tucson. Yesterday, Amy and I went with her family to float down the Salt River. It was a lot of fun, with only a bit of sunburn between the two of us.

Here is a rough idea of where we went:

A map. We got in at the green arrow, and out at the red arrow.
Pretty straightforward, really.

We started right below Saguaro Lake, which is formed by the Stewart Mountain Dam, about 40 miles outside of Phoenix. It was a fun trip, especially because the water was about 68º, which was great.

In other news, I have begun to develop my own black and white film again. I find that if I put plankets just right, I can block all of the light coming into my closet and put the film on the reel there, then I can develop it in the bathroom. So far, I have had a few good ones, and a lot of clunkers, but I am slowly improving as I figure out the camera that I am using. It is my Grandpa's old Busch Pressman, and it is all kinds of fun. I am hoping eventually to be able to use 4 x 5 sheet film, but for now I am using an adapter so I can shoot 120 roll film.

(For those of you who don't know what 120 looks like, here is a picture.)

120 Medium Format Film. This is Kodak T-MAX 400 Speed.

I also found a place that can do reprints and enlargements from any negative that I decided is a picture that I can't live without, so that will work until I can find a public darkroom so I can make my own prints.

I actually shot a roll of film through an old Kodak Vigilant Six-20 today, so we will see how it turns out.

Anywho, things here are good. I hope to have some updated pictures of the apartment up soon. Take it easy, all.

Home At Last...

2007-05-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of home, anyway. We made it into Tucson with no problem, Amy has started work, we now have a local phone and an internet connection, and lots of boxes all over. We are slowly getting unpacked, though, so thats good.

It is hot here, they weren't lying when they said that. But, to quote a well-used phrase here, "it's a dry heat." So, thats good. We have a little gym here at the apartment complex, so I am trying to get back into a workout routine, hopefully lose some weight. That would be good. I've gone twice so far. Hopefully that will get better.

My mom and grandma came down last weekend, and it was nice to see them. We all went to the Sonora Arizona Desert Museum on one day, which was really cool. Then we went to Tombstone on Saturday. That was a lot of fun as well. We drove through some lovely country to get there, and all in all had a grand old time.

So, the moment you've all been waiting for, here are some pictures of our house, showing our wonderful "office" and everything. (Actually, the apartment is bigger than it seemed at first, so I won't knock it.)

Amy working hard. In the livingdiningoffice room.

Another of the livingdiningoffice room. Note we got the couch and the big chair in there.

Yet another view of the livingdiningoffice room, and the shambles therein.

The kitchendining area, the kitchen is more to the left there.

The bedroom. Simple enough.

Anyway, thats about it for now. We are gradually getting unpacked, as everthing finds a home. So, all is well. Take it easy, all...

P.S. -- Happy 30th Birthday, Jami. You didn't really think that I'd forget to mention that, did you? Love ya!!!

Pack pack pack, all day long...

2007-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally in the home stretch at Schreiber (makers of fine cheeses that go everywhere. If you've ever had a cheeseburger, you've probably had our cheese.) It's my last week there, and I am kind of sad to leave it. I don't really mind the job, most of the time, and I like most of the people that I work with. But, things gotta keep on rollin'.

Amy is in a packing frenzy. I am looking forward to not working next week so that I can help out more, and generally pull my weight.

So, actually, other than the packing and the general disarray that has become our house (and in some ways our life, running this way and that) there isn't much to talk about. Hopefully more at a slightly later time.

Take it easy, all.

Spring cleaning

2007-03-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Well, spring is roughly finally here. This means that it is time for the Farmington City cleanup. This is a really great program that they have, where you can pile all your branches and other yard junk by the curb, and they come by and pick it up in these massive sweeper trucks. It's really a great program, and one which I wish other cities would consider adopting.

In other news, Amy and I found an apartment in Tucson, which is a really big load off my shoulders. Amy's as well. So, thats a good thing.

We also went to the Sonora Arizona Desert Museum while there, and I would have to say to anyone in the area, you should check it out. I was very impressed, especially with the hummingbird exhibit. I actually saw one on its nest, which is something that I haven't seen before.

Let's see, what else? I have decided to try my hand at medium-format photography, using an old Busch Pressman and an adapter for 620 film, which I use 120 in. My first exposure was shot, so lets hope for some better ones to come.

Thats about all the the news there is right now, so take it easy all

Stupid weather

2007-02-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

So, last Sunday, I went to all the trouble to take the seat off of my bike, and get it in my car, and drive it all the way up to Logan, thinking, "Woo hoo, I can go ride because the weather finally got nice." Then it snowed. Quite a bit, really. Stupid weather.

Thats about it for now.
Take it easy, all.

Insert cool acronym here

2007-02-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I was going to put a spiffy acronym in the subject to show my support of Singles Awareness Day (SAD), celebrated every 14th of February by people sick of Valentines, love and all that. Now I know that you are all saying "But Jon, didn't you get married recently?" Well, yes I did. But that doesn't mean that I have to stop supporting all of my single friends out there. I was a proud celebrator of SAD for many a year, so I think I should at least give it a shout on my blog.

So, Happy Valentines to those who want, and Merry SAD to everyone else.

More will be forthcoming, but I have to go and get gas, so as I can go to work and make me some money.

Take it easy, all.

by the way, the only acronym I could come up with was the Association of Supporters of Singles Awareness Day, which spelled ASSAD. It just didn't feel right. Send your ideas. Later all.

Fun New Things

2007-01-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, just because I am posting something new that is fun to play with, please don't think that this means that I want you all to forget the refrigerator. Please, continue to put fun messages on it. Keep it up, it has been quite entertaining.

Anywho, here is something new for you to enjoy.

Yes, that's right. Draw on me to your hearts content. Then save it!! Now won't that be exciting for all involved? So, have fun all, all if you change it, be sure to leave a comment so we know who you are.

Take it easy, all.

Hello again

2006-12-31T00:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it would seem that I can't correct the grammar on my countdown. So, we will just have to deal with it. But, to make up for it, I present to you some fridge magnets.
Wait a minute, I just got it to fix. Enjoy the magnets anyway. (And remember to hit save if you want me and the rest of the world to see your message. But please, keep it somewhat sanitary.)

Bad Grammar and other fun stuff

2006-12-30T23:57:00.000-08:00

Upon looking at my blog, I noticed that it said 14 Days 9 Hours 57 Minutes 22 Seconds since The Wedding Begins, I figured I should go in and fix that. Things are all good, with the exception of seeing that I have been married over two weeks now and I am kind of wondering where that time went? Maybe there is something to all this talk from the parents about how fast it all seems to go. Who knows. I am still having issues with the fact that people who are currently seniors in high school were in about 5th grade when I graduated. Roughly. Really, where does it go?

Anywho, things are good. Vegas was lovely, we saw many brightly lit things, not to mention a bunch of wax people and a 3,250,000 cubic yard block of concrete. Don't let my tone there fool you, I really did love the wax museum, and I was totally blown away by Hoover Dam. An amazing marvel of modern engineering. Really cool stuff.

So, thats about all for now. I hope to have some exciting photographs soon, so check back regularly. Take it easy, all.

Interesting fact -- if Lake Mead were full (approx. 28.5 million acre-feet of water) and due to some unforseeable cosmic event failure of Hoover Dam was imminent, it would take roughly 142.8 days to drain it totally empty, based on a total release capacity of 100,600 cfs. I don't think we would be able to make it.

It's The Final Countdown (Do do do doooooo)

2006-11-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Go go go!

2006-11-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

Well, so much for the once a week idea. Things have been going well, sorry for the delay, work work work. I work, I plan, I learn to golf. The first two go better than the last.

The wedding planning is actually going pretty well, we are getting down to the nitty-gritty now. Invitations have been sent, showers have been thrown, et cetera, et cetera.

Amy leaves for Tucson on Thursday, everyone wish her the best. That means that I will be alone here, just hangin' out with me. It's cool, though.

Anywho, thats about it for now. Back to the races, I guess.

Take it easy, all.

Being sick sucks.

2006-10-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

The title of today's post pretty much explains itself. Apparently, I have bacterial phenygitis, which translated means my thoat hurts like hell and I have to take a buttload of antibiotics. Other than that, things have been pretty normal around here. I actually got to use my insurance, which was exciting. Amy had a bridal shower, and we got all kinds of recipes and such. It rocks.

Anywho, thats about all for now. Into the tub with me.
Take it easy, later all.

A Little Behind...

2006-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ah, the best laid plans. I really did want to update more often, but then all kinds of things came up and got in the way. Things here are good, though. 70 days out, going to look at tuxedos. I am thinking of something maybe in a powder blue, or classic black waistcoat with a white tie, tails, a cane and a top hat. And don't forget the kid gloves. Unfortunately, I think that the lady won't agree with either of those plans. So, we will see what they got. I actually have a really good plan of what I want, so it shouldn't take too long.

It's been raining pretty much all week off and on here. Wish it would just clear up for a bit. I miss the sunshine, and winter is nearly upon us. We need a few more days to absorb the glory of the sun before the snows come.

Anywho, more later, including a fun and exciting picture. So there.
Take it easy all.

Double Digits

2006-09-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that we are going into the double digits until the big day. Good thing that things are going pretty well on the planning front. We get our pictures taken for the invites on Saturday, so that should be a good thing. And we already know how we want the invitations, so as soon as we get the pictures done, we can get those ordered. Knock on wood, things are begining to come together pretty nicely.

More later, but for now I leave you with a picture of a giraffe.

Take it easy, all.

Blah blah blah blah blah...

2006-08-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, not a lot to say this go round, so I'll try and keep things short. We are 108 days out from the wedding, so planning is getting pretty crazy. I am still searching for the tuxedos that I want, but it'll work. At least all the girls are dressed now.

Went down to Farmington on Sunday to help with yardwork in my grandpa's yard, and was able to get this picture:

That's my nephew Will. He has started walking now, so he gets everywhere and drives his mom nuts. He's fun though. I'll try and get some posted of the other kids as soon as I have them, so I can share them all.

Amy has been in Portland for the past few days, so things around here have been pretty lonely. And kind of dull. I have learned that I am a pretty boring person when left to my own devices. Oh well, she gets home today, so that will be good.

I am still making cheese, obviously, and things have really started to die off. Summer is my departments busy time apparently, so we are getting pretty slow now. Which is both good and bad, overtime sucks to work it but the money is great.

Anywho, I guess that I should go and get things ready for work, lunch and all that. Have a good one all, take it easy.

Yay b!!!

2006-08-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

A quick post to let the world know that Amy finally got her grade back from her summer stats class, and she got a B!!! That rocks!!! Send her many congratulations, she lives here. Also, to be fair to my sister, I have laid down the law and threatened her with expulsion from the links list. (She probably knows that it is an empty threat, but hey.) So you should see un update there soon. Anyway, off to pay tuition. Take it easy all.

Ixnay on the acingray

2006-08-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well, after much public controversy and debate, it has been decided that there was too much racing talk on my blog. I'll work on that, not saying that I'll stop all together (especially with Ferrari only down 7 points on Renault), but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.

First, and foremost, you may have noticed the new title to the blog. If not, don't worry, only 6 people read this, so it won't get around. The change comes about because of recent computer issues, both at home and work, that hopefully have been resolved. We can always hope.

Things in my life are about the same, except for being crazy busy. Planning wedding stuff, making cheese, making cheese on Saturdays, etc. Apparently, people really like those individually wrapped pieces of cheese. Personally, I just can't handle them anymore. Oh well. They say that we should be calming down soon, not so many weekends and such, but I don't know about that.

The current record holder for longest wait for an update on the blog, at least of those in my links, may soon be fixing that. After threatening my sister, the flaming cowboy on the left, with expulsion from the link area, she decided that she should update. So, keep an eye on that.

Well, thats about it for now. Gotta go get ready for work. Fun fun fun. Oh yeah, I am hoping from now on to update at least once a week. Hoping, not positive, but hoping. Anywho, take it easy all.

Clean up...

2006-07-12T23:58:00.000-07:00

After a months worth of saved drafts, all of which were cut off half-way in hopes of finishing them later, I have decided to actually add to my blog. What else do I have to do at 1 a.m.?

So, whats new. Hmmm, I have officially moved to swing shifts at my new job, love the crew, hate the hours. But we make up for it by having a pot luck about every other week. One of our machines hasn't been running well lately, so that means lots of overtime. When you have 9 hours of downtime at the end of Tuesday, it makes it hard to catch up. Oh well, money money money by the pound to quote Doc Terminus.

I officially finish training this week, which is good because I then become full-time instead of being "supplimental". So I get to be a wrapper, instead of a mere trainee. (Don't get too excited, I'll be doing the same thing, except now I won't have an excuse when I screw up.)

Before I forget, congrats go out to my cousin Paige and her fiance Brody (pardon the spelling, will fix it later). They are getting married on Friday, June 14th, so congratulations and many happy years to them.

I got a haircut yesterday, the first that I have actually paid for in probably 5 years. Went to a real barber shop and everything.

I was hoping to have some fun pictures and such to post here, but haven't come across any good ones yet. I will keep trying, though.

I made a ride up to the monastary in Huntsville over the Fourth of July weekend, got some honey, some peanut butter and some cereal. All good stuff. (Click here to go to their web page, pretty interesting stuff.) I got the opportunity to patch a bicycle tire again, which I am getting fairly good at. Still made it, though.

Amy and I are under 160 days until the wedding. Pretty exciting, stuff, I know. We are hoping to get our photos taken for our invites, if only I could ever get a Saturday off so we could do it. Well, soon enough. I can't believe how fast the time is going by, it seems like it was only last week that I proposed, now we are well under 6 months. Wow.

Anyway, my contacts are really starting to dry out, so I should probably wrap this up. Take it easy, all.

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot...

2006-05-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we've gone from hoping that the snow is gone, to super hot. But that is really ok, sunshine is really, really easy to shovel. Don't have a lot of time to write right now, just thought I'd let everyone know that I am already aware it is -15 days on one of my countdowns, so I am correcting that. Oh yeah, and next weekend is the last weekend in May. We all know what that means. Sunday is the Indy. And more importantly, the Monte Carlo. Yes, tune in one and all to see cars going 200 miles per hour, while incredably rich people watch from their unbelievable yachts. And it's Memorial Day, for those of you who aren't race fans. More later. Take it easy, all.

The snow is gone...

2006-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well, as those of you on IE will notice, I finally decided to take down the snowflakes. Hopefully, this will make spring come for good here, because this sprinter stuff is really getting old. Things here are about normal, at least as can be expected. I have a new job, I start next Wednesday, I am going to make cheese. Not too much fun, but it beats Wal-Mart. I can now bad-mouth Wally World, because as of Saturday, I no longer work there. Woo-hoo!!!!! The wedding plans are going well, which is a good thing. That's about it for now. Things are good. Take it easy, all.

Leaving on a jet plane...

2006-03-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well, as of tomarrow morning, I'm outta here. For four days anyway. Off to the wedding. I just got a suitcase from my sister, so I have yet to pack. Oh well, I have 2 hours before I leave for work. I should be fine. Got the counter fixed for Australia. Malaysia was a pretty good race, would have liked to see a Ferrari on the top step, or at least on the podium, but hey... you can't win 'em all. At least not this season. Anywho, thats all for now. More upon my return home. Take it easy, all.

67 minutes out

2006-03-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, I see that we are 67 minutes away from roll-off of the Malaysian Grand Prix. This is good. Hopefully my boys at Ferrari can put up a good fight. I think I may have to record the race and watch it tomarrow, because roll-off is at midnight. But thats ok. Anywho, thats about it for now. Take it easy all.

One last thing...

2006-03-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, two posts in an hour. I think I got the countdown so it won't mess with those of you using IE. Let me know if there are any problems, because I can't tell. Take it easy.

Shake it...

2006-03-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all, sorry for the problems with the countdown going negative, I tried to fix it at about -1 or so, but my computer freaked out before I could update. But, it's fixed now. I learned something new today, there is an informal unit of measure (used mostly in nuclear physics and by nerds like me) called a "shake." It's equal to 10 nanoseconds. So it's not very long. We go through about 100,000,000 of them every second. So I decided to use this new knowledge and make the countdown to Malaysia to include it. Sorry if you use IE, but it probably forced my posts down to the bottom of the page. It should self correct in a day or two, so fret not.

Bahrain was an interesting race. By boys at Ferrari had a killer qualifying, but some mistakes (and some lousy luck) in the race. But we were on the podium, so it's just possible that we may be back. We'll see what Sunday brings.

I thought about getting rid of the snow at the top of my blog, but decided that I would keep it as long as we keep having snow storms here. So I should get rid of it by sometime in July. I swear this winter refuses to end. Well, I'm sure it will some time. Hopefully. Anywho, thats about it for now. Oh yeah, on the box right now: Chet Atkins, "Yesterday". The man is unreal. Sweet tunes.

Take it easy, all.

Under 1,000,000

2006-03-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Good news, everybody. We are officially under 1,000,000 seconds until the start of Round 1 of the 2006 Formula One Season in Bahrain. This is good news, because now everyone in my house can stop going through withdrawls, and we can start yelling at the tv at 5:00 AM again. Seriously, though, I am excited. A lot of team change-ups this year, with BMW leaving Williams, Minardi getting sold to form a second Red Bull team (Toro Rosso), Honda buying out BAR to form a works team, Barrichello moving from Ferrari to Honda, and the formation of a new team (Super Aguri) with Takuma Sato and Yuji Ide as drivers. It's gonna be one helluva season, me thinks. Anyway, that's all I have to bore you with right now. Take it easy, all. More later.

PS - Welcome home 'rents!!! Hope Mexico was great!!!

Short update...

2006-02-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to say that I am having problems uploading the smaller version of the horse, so to make the IE users happy, I am taking it down for a while. Also, I was informed that it was getting old. So maybe it will return at some point, we'll see. I am also attempting to add snow, but we will have to see how that works. Anyway, that's it for now. Take it easy, all.

Here we go again...

2006-02-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

I checked out my blog today, and decided that it was time for an update. I really should try to keep on top of these things, but you know how it goes. I finally pulled the pictures from the Auto Expo off of my camera, so I will include some of those here. Also, I have resized the quarter horse, so hopefullyit will be more friendly for those of you out there that still use IE. Things are about the same here as always. My parents left for Mexico yesterday, so I wish them a safe trip. I would have a big ol' party, but honestly, who would I invite? What fun is a lonely party. And I have to work anyway.

Before I forget, though, here are the car pictures.

This is a Ferrari Enzo. But it's black, which, as I said in a previous post, should be a crime. But still a good lookin' car.

The Chrysler ME Four Twelve Concept. Research says 0-60 in under 3.0 seconds. Twelve cylinders and 850 bhp. The perfect car for phenomenal gas milage and practicality. Great for a quick drive to the grocery store.

These are for you, Pop.
On the top, the new Ford GT, on the bottom, the new Dodge Viper SRT 10. Both very cool cars.

Speaking of cool cars, I have to give a big ol' right on to the folks in Torino for having the Ferrari F1 in the opening ceremonies. Right on again.

Anywho, thats about it for now. Have a good day, all. Have a good time in Mexico, 'rents.

Quarter horses and proof sets.

2006-01-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Howdy all, time for a quick update. First, it seems that I forgot to order a proof set of US coins from the mint for 2005, and all they had left was the silver state quarter proofs, so I have ordered that. Better than nothing I suppose. I changed where the game was for the 3 weeks it was active (on the side) and now have a picture that made me laugh to no end. Gotta love the quarter horse. Not a lot new going on. Just having fun in the same old way that I always do.
Went to the Auto Expo on Monday, wow. Pictures are forthcoming, so keep checking back. While there, I discovered that it should be against the law to have a Ferrari Enzo in any color except for red. (However, they are also available in silver, black, or yellow.) A black one was there, and it just didn't look right. There was a lovely Maserati Quattroporte, though, which was beeee-utiful. And I got to sit in the new Subaru WRX STi. Know it. Love it. Buy it in blue.
Tomarrow is Miss America, so my dad and I will probably sit around and hang out without the ladies. They are all getting together to watch it and all that jazz. That really is about all the update there is for now.
Oh yeah, on the box right now: "Trampoline", by Calamine. Not bad, really.

Take it easy all, and enjoy the quarter horse.

No more game

2006-01-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Time to update. Not much new, my parents are fixing up my dad's bedroom. Which is cool. Amy is looking at different colors for the wedding, which is also cool (but I don't really have an eye for color, so I just kind of help where I can. Not much good, though.) On the box right now: "Live For Today" by The Grass Roots. (See them live, I highly recommend it.) Just so everyone knows, the name the movie game has been canceled due to total lack of interest. Maybe I'll find something else to put there later, have to work on it. Anyway, thats all for now. Take it easy all. Oh yeah, many congrats out to ya, D.

A big fat hello to Argentina!!!

2006-01-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all, just wanted to make a quick post to say check out the new movie question on the side of the page, and to tell you that I am working on an awards page for those of you who can send me a right answer. Or a wrong answer, even, just send an answer. Cheat if you must. I know I tell you not to, but desperate times, etc., etc. Here's something new, a big hello to my cousin who is in Argentina and sent me an e-mail the other day. That's super cool, hopefully he can read this at some point. So we all know him, here are some pictures. They were taken with my phone, so pardon the not-so-great quality.

Here he is... whistling, maybe? (Actually, I think he was eating.)

Here he is looking all smooth in his sweet red leather jacket and supafly hat.

Hopefully, I can find some better pictures soon. Hopefully.

And since I'm posting, happy new year to everyone, hope that it will be a great one for all.

Keep it goin', cuz. We're pullin' for ya.

Hi

2005-12-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Heyyyyyyyyyy everybody!!! Sorry for the wait, just haven't really been up to much lately. Except for Christmas, and surviving the season at work, and all that jazz. Amy and I have passed the one year mark (on Dec. 16) which is super-cool. And I am probably going to add a new countdown to the side of my blog, which is just what it needs. As of right now, there are 74 days, 10 hours, 54 minutes and 40 seconds before the start of the Formula One Racing Season. And my household is already going through withdrawls, so it can't get here soon enough for us. We'll see what happens. I have changed the fact of the day to a fun little game, though, be sure you check it out. And be sure to send me your guesses. Anyway, if you can't already tell, there is not a lot going on right now, just the same ol' thing. So, thats about it for now. Right on. Have a good one, everybody.

IE Problems

2005-11-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!
I just looked up my blog on internet explorer, and the formatting was a little wierd. But, I don't know how to fix it and not have everything change in firefox. And since I don't use internet explorer, I guess I am not going to change it. So, if the formatting and text size seems a bit wierd, then sorry. But I'm not sure how I can fix it. Anyway, I have added a fun new countdown clock to the side, and made it really big so everyone will notice it. Fun fun fun. Anywho, more later. Gotta run. Happy Thanksgiving all!!!

We have a date!!!

2005-11-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hey all, super-quick post to announce that Amy and I have decided on December 16, 2006 to get married. Just wanted to let everyone know, so you could get your calendars marked and all that jazz. Have a good one. Should be a longer post next time. Oh yeah, congratulations Jake on the acquisition of Battlecat. Bye!!!

Wentandunit

2005-11-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in the post, was waiting for pictures that I could show with it. Anywho, I am pleased to announce that on October 29, I finally, after knowing her for the last 10 years or so, asked the most beautiful, amazing, perfect girl in the entire world to marry me. Oh yeah, and she said yes. Yay for me and yay even more for us!!! Here are some pictures of the ring, and some of us:

The ring

How we will dress for the wedding.
(Actually, this is our Halloween costumes.)

Hopefully, more updates will be coming soon. Sorry for the wait, Patsy. Have a good one all.

Here they are...

2005-10-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Due to the huge amounts of email I recieved requesting photos of my trip to Tucson, I am posting them here for your viewing pleasure. Actually, I just said that to feel important, no one really wrote. But I'll still post the pictures.

Amy and I at the gate to the park.

Jim (henceforth known as Cactus Rud) and I at the gate.

Amy and a cactus. It's only 3 feet tall, and she's just really far away. Not really, it was more like 30 feet tall, and she was right by it.

The Cactus Tamer's (Jim's) leg after he tried to go all Crocodile Hunter on a cactus.

Crikeys, it was a mean one.

Thats about all I have for now. Hopefully I will be able to post again fairly soon. 'Til then, y'all.

PS: For those who read my interesting fact lately, graphinte was a typo. It was meant to say graphite.

More fun things...

2005-10-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hey all, sorry for the wait... again. I think it's becoming a habit. Anywho, I have to post the llama song, simply so anyone who hasn't read Paulo's blog can hear it. I know all the words I've listened to it so many times. Hopefully you will all enjoy it. I will post it here, and on my links so you can enjoy it for years and years to come. I had all kinds of fun in Tucson, just to actually update about my life. I was able to find my NPS passport and get it stamped at Seguaro National Park. Hopefully, I can post some pictures soon, particularly the one I have of the Cactus Tamers leg. From now on, we will call him "Cactus Rud". Til then, all, I leave you with these profound words: Llama llama duck.

Late, late, late...

2005-09-29T13:12:00.001-07:00

Hey all, sorry for the delay. I won't make excuses, I have just been lazy when I haven't been in school or at work. Anywho, here for a quick update, updating the interesting fact and everything. By the way, where did all the banana twinkies go? They were there one day, and I haven't been able to find them since. Which is too bad. They are probably hanging out with my NPS passport, which has gone awol as well. But, life goes on. Take it easy everyone, will hope to update more often next time.

It's the 31st

2005-08-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JODI!!!!!

Hmmm.

2005-08-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Ferrari goose-egged that one. Not looking good for my team. I saw the ALMS race at Road America, though, killer. Three of the four classes finished with their respective first- and second-placers within about 10 seconds of each other, the two lower classes within more like a tenth of a second of each other. So that was good. Anyway, more later.

Turkey Tomarrow...

2005-08-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks, the Turkish Grand Prix is tomorrow. Missed qualifying this morning, unfortunately, but saw the results. 17th, Schumi? Whats up with that? Stupid spin. Oh well, we'll see what happens. Later all.

My Pirate Name

2005-08-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hey all, just come to find out that my pirate name is Black John Bonney. Cool. Find out your own. Go to the link at the bottom of the blog. That would be sweet. Later.

Super updating action

2005-08-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I have been doing some pretty major renovations to the blog here. Be sure you check out everything on the side now, including my cool links and stuff. I even show the phase of the moon, according to your computers clock. If you want to see what the moon was like, say, on the day you were born, just change the date and time and there you go. You don't get service like that just anywhere, you have to go to the quality blogs for that. Anyway, I should have some real updates later, so y'all come back now.

PS: The potato won that game, but lost the next two, so we are safe for another day.

How the fate of the universe is really decided

2005-08-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

How the fate of the universe is really decided. A chess game between a potato in a mask, and a story-telling doll.

Not quite as happy...

2005-07-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we can dream. Not the best day for my team (Ferrari), but a decent day for my driver (Little Schumi). All in all, a decent race day, and my 'rents were able to record it so I can see more than the last 15 laps. Just couldn't get up at 5:00 am today, didn't have the gumption. Oh well, things could be worse. Hopefully, I will have some cool photos to show soon, because that would rock!!! More later.

PS -- I ask the 8-ball about the magical leprechauns, it said to ask again later. Things just don't go my way sometimes.

Welcome back Schumi!!!

2005-07-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all, sorry for the long wait. Things in the world of Formula One are finally seeming to look up. This weekend, we have the Hungarian Grand Prix, and Ferrari is back on the pole. About freakin' time. Now, if we can only hold the lead it will be a bright and happy Sunday.
In other news, I finally got a new cel phone, that has a battery talk time of more than 3 minutes. It hurts to get rid of the old t720, and all of my ringtones with it, but hey, sometimes these things must be done in the name of progress. Its a Moto v710, and it will take pictures and movies, and I think if I ask it right it will cook me breakfast and vacuum the floor. My aunt finally decided to sell her house (again) and is moving (again). Maybe we can get her into a house for more than a decade this time. And maybe magical leprechauns will bring me a pot of gold to pay my tuition. I don't hold my breath for either. Anywho, thats it for now.

Happy 4th

2005-07-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody!!! Happy independence day!!! Quick post to say that. Later.

Magic 8 Ball vs. Ouiji Board

2005-07-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hi. This is my first posting to my first blog. Wow. Behold the wonders of technology, even I can get myself posted on the internet. So, I don't really have much to say here, so I will just say hi to everyone who reads this and leave the question of the day...why is the ouiji board considered evil but the magic 8 ball is not? Anyone... anyone?? Follow up: Why did they invent a glow-in-the-dark ouiji board, for those who can't pay their power bill, or want to ask it things while camping? Whats up with that?