Hooray! Kitty weighed in at 16 lbs this week. That's 0.4 lbs less than last week!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Spring?
Wow. Not only does it not snow in Portland very often, but it hardly ever snows at the end of March! It is really coming down now. It's sticking on the grass and cars, but thankfully not much on the roads.
Perhaps my christmas cactus is psychic?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Forever Stinky
Mentaljr has his first real job at Burger King. He's aiming for full time work since he's done with school for the time being. So far, he seems to like it, and has worked there for 2 weeks.
When he gets home, his uniform stinks to high heaven of some kind of spice mix that must be on the chicken that goes in the deep fryer or something. He also smells a bit of sweaty boy, because he's been working, and it's a 3/4 mile walk to work and back. The smell is so strong that it makes me gag, so I make him change and wash his clothes. A couple of times, I forgot to remind him to wash his clothes or he forgot after I reminded him, and his clothes didn't get washed. A few days ago, poor mentaljr got pulled into the office by his manager who said that he stinks and needs to wash his clothes and, you know, maintain proper hygiene. Mentaljr seemed embarrassed by this and I thought that perhaps we were going to see some changes in his behavior. For example, I thought that he might be motivated to wash his clothes without being hounded, change underwear, or even brush his teeth, etc.
However, the following two incidents have occurred since then that have squashed my hopes:
- Yesterday, mentaljr was dressed to leave for work. Beneath his work shirt was a long-sleeved t-shirt that he had slept in, showered, and then changed back into. I said, "Take off that shirt under your uniform." He said, "But we're allowed to wear long-sleeved shirts under these." I said, "But you slept in that shirt." He said, "Oh, right," and went off to go change.
- I forgot to remind him to wash his uniform last night, so of course it was not done. This morning he wanted to go to the library before work. I said, "Put your uniform in the wash." He said, "But if I do that I won't have time to go to the library before work." I said, "PUT YOUR UNIFORM IN THE WASH." His response was the quintessential sigh of a teenager.
Help.
When he gets home, his uniform stinks to high heaven of some kind of spice mix that must be on the chicken that goes in the deep fryer or something. He also smells a bit of sweaty boy, because he's been working, and it's a 3/4 mile walk to work and back. The smell is so strong that it makes me gag, so I make him change and wash his clothes. A couple of times, I forgot to remind him to wash his clothes or he forgot after I reminded him, and his clothes didn't get washed. A few days ago, poor mentaljr got pulled into the office by his manager who said that he stinks and needs to wash his clothes and, you know, maintain proper hygiene. Mentaljr seemed embarrassed by this and I thought that perhaps we were going to see some changes in his behavior. For example, I thought that he might be motivated to wash his clothes without being hounded, change underwear, or even brush his teeth, etc.
However, the following two incidents have occurred since then that have squashed my hopes:
- Yesterday, mentaljr was dressed to leave for work. Beneath his work shirt was a long-sleeved t-shirt that he had slept in, showered, and then changed back into. I said, "Take off that shirt under your uniform." He said, "But we're allowed to wear long-sleeved shirts under these." I said, "But you slept in that shirt." He said, "Oh, right," and went off to go change.
- I forgot to remind him to wash his uniform last night, so of course it was not done. This morning he wanted to go to the library before work. I said, "Put your uniform in the wash." He said, "But if I do that I won't have time to go to the library before work." I said, "PUT YOUR UNIFORM IN THE WASH." His response was the quintessential sigh of a teenager.
Help.
Confused Cactus
I bought this christmas cactus from one of those big-box hardware stores for $0.50 or $1.00 or something like that after christmas a couple of years ago. This silly plant has never bloomed at Christmas. In fact, it is blooming now. The last time it bloomed was early October. Perhaps it is an equinox cactus and not a christmas cactus!
Monday, March 24, 2008
bombay bomb
Mick and I went to one of our (former?) favorite Portland restaurants tonight, the Bombay Cricket Club on Hawthorne Blvd. We have loved this restaurant for many years, maybe 10. Generally, we go there on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, and randomly when we feel like it. It's a little bit hard to go there on the spur of the moment, because you usually have to have advance reservations. Tonight I called at 4:30 and got a reservation for 5:00, which is not too unusual given that not many people eat at 5:00 PM on a workday.
However, it was unusual that there was no one else in the restaurant when we were seated. That should have been clue number 1. Our server came over and we ordered our usuals: papadums, garlic naan, meat samosas for Mick, okra for me, and vindaloo curry for Mick. Oh, and Mick got a mango lassi to go with dinner. Like I said, these are things we usually order, so we know what to expect.
The papdums and naan were good. However, the meat samosas were obviously from last night, but Mick ate them anyway; he must have been hungry. When dinner came, I noticed that my okra looked more limp than it usually does. It wasn't hot enough to have been over-cooked, so it must have been from last night, too. Well, I was really hungry, and I figured if it tastes good, who cares? I dug into the rice and there were big clumps of hard, gummed-together rice. Usually, the rice is beautiful and aromatic, with bay leaves and cardamom in it. I didn't see any spices, but it was yellow for whatever reason. Mick said his food was not very hot in temperature, but was much more spicy than usual. He likes hot (temperature) food, especially since he's a meat-eater and high temperature is equivalent to safer food. A manager type person approached our table and asked if everything was okay. Mick showed her how the rice was all clumped up. She said something about how the rice doesn't always come through right. We sort of said, "oh." And then she walked away. After she left, I said to Mick, "the proper response would have been: Let me get you a fresh helping of rice." He agreed. We couldn't believe how she had brushed us off like that. I mean, it's just rice; it hardly costs anything.
Our server came over and asked if everything was all right. Mick showed her the rice, and the server immediately offered to switch out the rice. She quickly returned with fresh rice that was not clumpy. Mick mentioned to the server that his food was not as hot in temperature as he liked it, and that she might want to tell the chef, so that other orders get heated properly. She said that of course she would tell him. We continued to eat until Mick said that his food was just too cold and too spicy to finish it. The manager-type person came over again, and asked how everything was. Mick told her the situation with his food. The manager person offered to reheat his dish. I am not sure if the restaurant has changed owners or what, but when I go to a place like that, I expect a response like: would you like the chef to cook a new order? or would you like to order something different off the menu? Instead we were offered the use of their microwave! Finally, after arguing with her about when we should have told her that the food was cold and spicy, because apparently after 5-10 minutes has passed the complaint is no longer valid, Mick explained that he didn't want his dinner reheated, that he didn't enjoy it, and he didn't want to pay for it. She said she'd go see what she could do. Ten minutes later she came back all smiling and apologetic and nice and said don't worry about paying for the vindaloo. She blamed the coldness of the food on the server (whatever!) and made it sound like the whole situation was the server's fault.
The poor server looked a little shaken the next time she came to our table. I felt bad for her. I felt that she did a good job; she is just suffering from having a stupid, clueless manager. Chef Ramsey sure could teach that manager woman a thing or two about running a restaurant: food needs to be hot and not clumpy.
Sadly, it will probably be a while before we go back. I figure I'll test whether it's safe to go back or not by how easy it is to get a reservation. Also sadly, this was the first night I have thrown away my leftovers. I usually have them for the next day's lunch. There were two reasons for me throwing it away: 1) it wasn't really hot enough and it looked like it was from last night, and 2) I don't trust that manager woman; she probably put a curse on it.
However, it was unusual that there was no one else in the restaurant when we were seated. That should have been clue number 1. Our server came over and we ordered our usuals: papadums, garlic naan, meat samosas for Mick, okra for me, and vindaloo curry for Mick. Oh, and Mick got a mango lassi to go with dinner. Like I said, these are things we usually order, so we know what to expect.
The papdums and naan were good. However, the meat samosas were obviously from last night, but Mick ate them anyway; he must have been hungry. When dinner came, I noticed that my okra looked more limp than it usually does. It wasn't hot enough to have been over-cooked, so it must have been from last night, too. Well, I was really hungry, and I figured if it tastes good, who cares? I dug into the rice and there were big clumps of hard, gummed-together rice. Usually, the rice is beautiful and aromatic, with bay leaves and cardamom in it. I didn't see any spices, but it was yellow for whatever reason. Mick said his food was not very hot in temperature, but was much more spicy than usual. He likes hot (temperature) food, especially since he's a meat-eater and high temperature is equivalent to safer food. A manager type person approached our table and asked if everything was okay. Mick showed her how the rice was all clumped up. She said something about how the rice doesn't always come through right. We sort of said, "oh." And then she walked away. After she left, I said to Mick, "the proper response would have been: Let me get you a fresh helping of rice." He agreed. We couldn't believe how she had brushed us off like that. I mean, it's just rice; it hardly costs anything.
Our server came over and asked if everything was all right. Mick showed her the rice, and the server immediately offered to switch out the rice. She quickly returned with fresh rice that was not clumpy. Mick mentioned to the server that his food was not as hot in temperature as he liked it, and that she might want to tell the chef, so that other orders get heated properly. She said that of course she would tell him. We continued to eat until Mick said that his food was just too cold and too spicy to finish it. The manager-type person came over again, and asked how everything was. Mick told her the situation with his food. The manager person offered to reheat his dish. I am not sure if the restaurant has changed owners or what, but when I go to a place like that, I expect a response like: would you like the chef to cook a new order? or would you like to order something different off the menu? Instead we were offered the use of their microwave! Finally, after arguing with her about when we should have told her that the food was cold and spicy, because apparently after 5-10 minutes has passed the complaint is no longer valid, Mick explained that he didn't want his dinner reheated, that he didn't enjoy it, and he didn't want to pay for it. She said she'd go see what she could do. Ten minutes later she came back all smiling and apologetic and nice and said don't worry about paying for the vindaloo. She blamed the coldness of the food on the server (whatever!) and made it sound like the whole situation was the server's fault.
The poor server looked a little shaken the next time she came to our table. I felt bad for her. I felt that she did a good job; she is just suffering from having a stupid, clueless manager. Chef Ramsey sure could teach that manager woman a thing or two about running a restaurant: food needs to be hot and not clumpy.
Sadly, it will probably be a while before we go back. I figure I'll test whether it's safe to go back or not by how easy it is to get a reservation. Also sadly, this was the first night I have thrown away my leftovers. I usually have them for the next day's lunch. There were two reasons for me throwing it away: 1) it wasn't really hot enough and it looked like it was from last night, and 2) I don't trust that manager woman; she probably put a curse on it.
Kefir - Aha!
I think I figured out how to make thicker kefir. If you remember, my current experiment to make thicker kefir involved adding more fat to the jar during the fermentation process. Previously, I had been using 1% organic cow's milk. For this experiment, I used approximately 4 parts 1% organic cow's milk and 1 part organic half-and-half.
The first thing I noticed was that the fermentation process seemed slower. With only 1% milk, I was reaching the popcorny stage in about 12 hours. With higher fat, after 12 hours, there was only a thin layer of curds gathering at the top. I let it go 24 hours. At 24 hours, it looked popcorny so I strained it. At the time of straining, it looked a little thicker, but not terribly much. I stored the kefir in the refrigerator for 24 hours. At the time I went to drink it, it was slightly thicker, but not a whole bunch. I didn't give up and repeated this process three times. Over the three repetitions, the kefir became thicker and thicker. The curds are still small and not big chunks like they were for the "Add a little kefir in along with the milk" experiment.
So, it appears that milk fat is an important constituent in making nice kefir. I am not afraid of fat, so this is okay with me.
The first thing I noticed was that the fermentation process seemed slower. With only 1% milk, I was reaching the popcorny stage in about 12 hours. With higher fat, after 12 hours, there was only a thin layer of curds gathering at the top. I let it go 24 hours. At 24 hours, it looked popcorny so I strained it. At the time of straining, it looked a little thicker, but not terribly much. I stored the kefir in the refrigerator for 24 hours. At the time I went to drink it, it was slightly thicker, but not a whole bunch. I didn't give up and repeated this process three times. Over the three repetitions, the kefir became thicker and thicker. The curds are still small and not big chunks like they were for the "Add a little kefir in along with the milk" experiment.
So, it appears that milk fat is an important constituent in making nice kefir. I am not afraid of fat, so this is okay with me.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Another planet
Today, as mentaljr and I were walking into the house from a failed attempt at browsing at the dollar store (it was closed on Easter of all things), we had the following conversation:
MJ: "Katie whatever happened to that painting above the telephone table in the kitchen?"
K: "What are you talking about?"
MJ: "You know, that big painting of the orchid. Where did it go?"
K: [We have had a large painting, about 3' x 4' above the telepone table since we moved in 7 years ago. It is still there and has never moved.] "I don't know what happened to it. It just disappeared."
MJ: "Oh." [pause] "Wait, you said that kind of sarcastically. How long has it been gone?"
K: "Just come in the house and you'll see." [We enter the house and go into the kitchen. The painting is there waiting for us just like always.]
MJ: "Oh. It's still there."
K: "Yes. It is."
MJ: "Katie whatever happened to that painting above the telephone table in the kitchen?"
K: "What are you talking about?"
MJ: "You know, that big painting of the orchid. Where did it go?"
K: [We have had a large painting, about 3' x 4' above the telepone table since we moved in 7 years ago. It is still there and has never moved.] "I don't know what happened to it. It just disappeared."
MJ: "Oh." [pause] "Wait, you said that kind of sarcastically. How long has it been gone?"
K: "Just come in the house and you'll see." [We enter the house and go into the kitchen. The painting is there waiting for us just like always.]
MJ: "Oh. It's still there."
K: "Yes. It is."
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Kefir experiments
I am interested in making thicker kefir. What I end up making right now is pretty thin with some curds floating in it. Here are some experiments I have tried and their results:
1. Reduce the amount of grains and let it sit longer
When I did this, the kefir was still pretty thin and smelled different than it usually does. It had an off-putting smell, so I threw it out. I only tried this once; it is likely worth repeating to see if that was just a fluke. I used approximately 2 tbsp of grains in 1 pint of milk for 24 hours.
2. Add a little sugar
I added about 1 tsp of sugar to the milk and grains and let it brew. I did not notice any thickening, but noticed a change in smell. It smelled less yeasty than before. I tried the sugar experiment 3 times. Ever since then (about 1 week), my kefir has smelled less yeasty than it used to. Weird.
3. Add a little kefir in along with the milk
Here, you're supposed to add some of the kefir you just made to your new brew. So, it ends up being grains, milk, and a little kefir in the brewing jar. This did cause it to thicken up somewhat, but it also made it have some really big curds. I wasn't really thrilled about mostly thin kefir with some big chunks in it.
So, no real positive results yet. Right now I am experimenting with having more fat in the mix during the brewing process. I have been using 1% organic cow's milk, because that's what I can afford. I read somewhere where someone said (I love the Internet) that when they switched to a higher fat milk, they got a thicker, smooth kefir. So, I am using my 1% organic milk with some half-and-half added in. It's about 4 parts milk to 1 part half-and-half. We'll see.
1. Reduce the amount of grains and let it sit longer
When I did this, the kefir was still pretty thin and smelled different than it usually does. It had an off-putting smell, so I threw it out. I only tried this once; it is likely worth repeating to see if that was just a fluke. I used approximately 2 tbsp of grains in 1 pint of milk for 24 hours.
2. Add a little sugar
I added about 1 tsp of sugar to the milk and grains and let it brew. I did not notice any thickening, but noticed a change in smell. It smelled less yeasty than before. I tried the sugar experiment 3 times. Ever since then (about 1 week), my kefir has smelled less yeasty than it used to. Weird.
3. Add a little kefir in along with the milk
Here, you're supposed to add some of the kefir you just made to your new brew. So, it ends up being grains, milk, and a little kefir in the brewing jar. This did cause it to thicken up somewhat, but it also made it have some really big curds. I wasn't really thrilled about mostly thin kefir with some big chunks in it.
So, no real positive results yet. Right now I am experimenting with having more fat in the mix during the brewing process. I have been using 1% organic cow's milk, because that's what I can afford. I read somewhere where someone said (I love the Internet) that when they switched to a higher fat milk, they got a thicker, smooth kefir. So, I am using my 1% organic milk with some half-and-half added in. It's about 4 parts milk to 1 part half-and-half. We'll see.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Kefir -- It does a body good
I've been making and drinking kefir for about 6 weeks now and I am in love. Kefir is a fermented milk product that is easy to make at home and very nutritious. There's quite a bit of information about it out there on the Internet, most notably Dom's Kefir in-site, so I won't repeat it all here. What I will say is that kefir has made a very positive change in my life and I wish I had discovered it sooner. I had been suffering from insomnia and anxiety for several years, but in the past weeks I have noticed these going away. It's very strange. I feel I am at peace and I sleep deeply. I am happy again. I am not sure if I had a nutritional imbalance, or a problem with my internal bacteria/yeast ecosystem, or a combination of the two, or what. And yes, before you make fun of me, kefir is slightly alcoholic, but no, I'm not just drunk! It's got a very small amount of alcohol, less than 1%.
Kefir making starts with some globules called "grains." They are whitish gelatinous blobs that look a bit like cauliflower. I got my grains from a woman on the Internet, Marilyn Kefirlady. You can get yours from her or you could try craigslist or this link. Most people will either give them away, or charge you a small "hassle fee" ($15-$20) that covers shipping costs, or makes it worth their time because you are 20 minutes late to meet them, etc.
Once you get your kefir grains, you need to feed them milk. Put them in a glass jar with a quantity of milk. I use about a pint. The experts say to use enough milk so that the milk is fermented in 12-24 hours. You can tell when fermentation has happened because it gets "popcorny." (I can't take credit for the term popcorny. Credit goes to this guy James that I shared grains with who gave me some tips.) Popcorny means that the grains are floating at the top in a layer of curds and whey and, well, it looks like popcorn. The degree of popcorniness that you let it get to is up to you. Here's two pictures of different degrees of popcorniness. The one on the left is less popcorny than the one on the right.
If you swirl the jar around, the popcorniness goes away temporarily and it looks like this picture.
The time it takes to ferment is a combination of temperature (warmer=faster), amount of grains (more=faster), and amount of milk (less=faster). The more fermented it gets, the more sour it gets. I haven't figured out the right proportions of these variables to make nice, thick kefir yet. I am working on that. Mine usually turns out thin with curds floating in it. It's fine that way, but I would like to see if I can make it thick.
Okay, once it gets fermented what do you do? You strain out the grains and keep the fermented milk. The experts say that you want your strainer to be made of a non-reactive material and there is some controversy on what material to use (plastic versus stainless steel versus bamboo). I use a stainless steel strainer and am happy. These are picture of my grains after I have strained the kefir into a measuring cup. The left one is immediately after straining. You see there are some curds in the strainer. The middle one is after I have jiggled the grains around a bit in the strainer to get some of the curds to go through into the measuring cup. The one on the right is me getting the grains out of the strainer to make more kefir. The important bits here are: 1) my beautiful pink spatula and 2) you should be nice and gentle with the grains -- don't smash them or poke them.
Now, you put the grains into a clean, glass jar and start again. You don't need to rinse the grains or anything. Just leave any curds that are stuck to them where they are. If you notice any sliminess, this is good. The slimy stuff is a polysaccharide that is made during the fermentation process. It's good for you; don't worry about it (see for example this article). Then add milk to the glass jar with the grains and leave it to ferment. Take the kefir you just strained and either drink it straight away or put it in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator. The experts say that it will keep for two weeks in the fridge. These are pictures of this step. On the left is the kefir grains after I just put them into a new glass jar before adding the milk. On the right is the kefir I just made sitting in the fridge.
Okay, what do you do with the kefir after you have it? Well, there's lots of things to do with it. I just drink it so far. I either make a smoothie by putting it in the blender with some frozen fruit like strawberries or blueberries, or if I don't feel like washing the blender, I mix the kefir with a little agave syrup (honey would work, too) and some cinnamon. Kefir is, in my opinion, an acquired taste, so give it a chance before you give up on it. Remember how bad coffee tasted when you first tried it and now you can't live without it? This is kind of like that.
Over time, your kefir grains will multiply. They get bigger and then some babies seem to pop off of them. What do you do with the excess grains? You can share them with friends or random people on craigslist. Or, crazy as it sounds, you can eat them. Eating them is reported to have more probiotic benefits than simply drinking the kefir. Yes, I admit I have eaten them and have lived to tell the story. It took me a while to work up the nerve (several weeks!), but I put a bit (approx 1-2 tsp) into the blender when I was making a kefir smoothie and blended it really well. The result was fantastic. The smoothie had a nice creaminess to it. Dom reports that he cured his ulcerative colitis by drinking kefir and eating the grains.
Kefir making starts with some globules called "grains." They are whitish gelatinous blobs that look a bit like cauliflower. I got my grains from a woman on the Internet, Marilyn Kefirlady. You can get yours from her or you could try craigslist or this link. Most people will either give them away, or charge you a small "hassle fee" ($15-$20) that covers shipping costs, or makes it worth their time because you are 20 minutes late to meet them, etc.
Once you get your kefir grains, you need to feed them milk. Put them in a glass jar with a quantity of milk. I use about a pint. The experts say to use enough milk so that the milk is fermented in 12-24 hours. You can tell when fermentation has happened because it gets "popcorny." (I can't take credit for the term popcorny. Credit goes to this guy James that I shared grains with who gave me some tips.) Popcorny means that the grains are floating at the top in a layer of curds and whey and, well, it looks like popcorn. The degree of popcorniness that you let it get to is up to you. Here's two pictures of different degrees of popcorniness. The one on the left is less popcorny than the one on the right.
If you swirl the jar around, the popcorniness goes away temporarily and it looks like this picture.
The time it takes to ferment is a combination of temperature (warmer=faster), amount of grains (more=faster), and amount of milk (less=faster). The more fermented it gets, the more sour it gets. I haven't figured out the right proportions of these variables to make nice, thick kefir yet. I am working on that. Mine usually turns out thin with curds floating in it. It's fine that way, but I would like to see if I can make it thick.
Okay, once it gets fermented what do you do? You strain out the grains and keep the fermented milk. The experts say that you want your strainer to be made of a non-reactive material and there is some controversy on what material to use (plastic versus stainless steel versus bamboo). I use a stainless steel strainer and am happy. These are picture of my grains after I have strained the kefir into a measuring cup. The left one is immediately after straining. You see there are some curds in the strainer. The middle one is after I have jiggled the grains around a bit in the strainer to get some of the curds to go through into the measuring cup. The one on the right is me getting the grains out of the strainer to make more kefir. The important bits here are: 1) my beautiful pink spatula and 2) you should be nice and gentle with the grains -- don't smash them or poke them.
Now, you put the grains into a clean, glass jar and start again. You don't need to rinse the grains or anything. Just leave any curds that are stuck to them where they are. If you notice any sliminess, this is good. The slimy stuff is a polysaccharide that is made during the fermentation process. It's good for you; don't worry about it (see for example this article). Then add milk to the glass jar with the grains and leave it to ferment. Take the kefir you just strained and either drink it straight away or put it in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator. The experts say that it will keep for two weeks in the fridge. These are pictures of this step. On the left is the kefir grains after I just put them into a new glass jar before adding the milk. On the right is the kefir I just made sitting in the fridge.
Okay, what do you do with the kefir after you have it? Well, there's lots of things to do with it. I just drink it so far. I either make a smoothie by putting it in the blender with some frozen fruit like strawberries or blueberries, or if I don't feel like washing the blender, I mix the kefir with a little agave syrup (honey would work, too) and some cinnamon. Kefir is, in my opinion, an acquired taste, so give it a chance before you give up on it. Remember how bad coffee tasted when you first tried it and now you can't live without it? This is kind of like that.
Over time, your kefir grains will multiply. They get bigger and then some babies seem to pop off of them. What do you do with the excess grains? You can share them with friends or random people on craigslist. Or, crazy as it sounds, you can eat them. Eating them is reported to have more probiotic benefits than simply drinking the kefir. Yes, I admit I have eaten them and have lived to tell the story. It took me a while to work up the nerve (several weeks!), but I put a bit (approx 1-2 tsp) into the blender when I was making a kefir smoothie and blended it really well. The result was fantastic. The smoothie had a nice creaminess to it. Dom reports that he cured his ulcerative colitis by drinking kefir and eating the grains.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Save Fatty
Sigh. I weighed kitty today and he's at 17 lbs. What in the world is he eating? I am not feeding him very much at all...
Beethoven is such a drama queen
I've been listening to classical radio over iTunes lately at work. Today, I realized what a overly-dramatic spaz Beethoven must have been. I mean, look at that picture of him! His pieces (okay, I'm not an expert, so the ones I've heard) are so overly dramatic. I was trying to think what genre of today's movies his pieces would work with. All I came up with was "Will Farrell action movies" -- campy but suspenseful. Maybe.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Amazing
So, today I rode my bike into school. The weather reporter told me that it was likely to rain this afternoon or evening. It just struck me how amazing it is that I can check the rain status whenever I like via the Internet. I can see that it's currently raining in Salem, so the rain will probably get here around 5:00 or so, which means that if I leave near 4:00 I won't get rained on. This is important to me because 1) I have no fancy rain gear and 2) I had a bike accident last fall because I slipped on wet train tracks. How cool is that?
Friday, March 7, 2008
Save Fatty
I think I'm going to do a weekly weigh-in with kitty so that we can track his progress. I weighed him this morning and he was at 16.4 lbs. My scale weighs a little heavy, but we can judge his progress relative to this weight.
Xbox 360 HD-DVD Saga
Yay, oh yay! I received the USB cable for the hd-dvd player. I have it all plugged in, but Mick won't let me test it because he's playing on the Xbox now. I don't know what he's playing, but he loves it and he plays it all the time. He's a white mage or something... sheesh
Monday, March 3, 2008
Sir Chew the Defender
This is Chew, aka: chewbaca, chewie, poochie pants, chewper pooper. He is an old doggie, over 12 years old. He's still getting around okay, but I can tell it hurts him some. I give him a doggie aspirin every day and that seems to help. I might have to up it to 2 per day, though. He's getting a little slower. We tried some of those new-fangled canine NSAIDS and they made him sick. He's mostly deaf and blind. When he's out in the yard at night, I clap and he hears that, but he doesn't know which way to go. I have to have a flashlight or the porch light so that he can find me. It's sad and funny when I say, "Come into the light, Chew." You know, because people who have near-death experiences say that they saw a light...
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Xbox 360 HD-DVD Saga
Well, I never received the USB connection cable for my HD-DVD player that I sent to MS to be repaired. I once again resigned myself to spending an hour or so on the phone with Xbox support to get the matter resolved. This time, though, I was pleasantly surprised. I probably only spent about 30 minutes on the phone total and only 15-20 of those minutes was spent on hold. Also, I did not have to argue with anyone about my situation and explain to them that I really did send my cables in with the dvd player and was not making it up so I could sell the cables on ebay. My helper was Rose. She was very efficient and polite. I hope that she gets a promotion and a raise. She said she would send the cable to me and that I should receive it in about 1 week. Fingers crossed!
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