~ 06:40 PM ~

"....a hero is anyone who dies for my cause..."

We went for a walk and I cleaned the house. Neale is watching episodes from season 1 of "Extras".

We are leaving soon to have dinner at Cafe Balaban with one of Neale's coworker and his wife.

linkfinity:
Cafe Press
Happy New Year
Bill Hicks on Marketing

~ 11:53 AM ~

"....as it falls apart..."

It is nice enough for a ride so I am heading out. Neale wanted to do some shopping with her remaining Christmas money.

We watched The Lord of The Rings: Twin Towers last night. It was the special edition so the added scenes make it quite a marathon. Since Neale is a fan of Gone with the Wind, we recently purchased that and that maybe playing soon. I have never seen the whole thing.

I am making vegan black eyed peas for New Years Day. It is also the official marker of the year Ellis has been with us. Next weekend, we start another round of dog classes (novice 1).

I replaced my bridge pins with this product and the bass sounds more resonant.

linkfinity:
Cliff House
Save It For Later

~ 03:57 PM ~

"....I can't make up my mind..."

We went for a walk and then lunch at Kaldi's. We hung the picture at Debbie's place and I checked her PC for a virus. It seemed fine but I will bring AVG to install next week.

linkfinity:
Who died?

~ 09:34 AM ~

"....blitzkrieg on bling..."

Happy Birthday Bro! Best wishes.

What is that I hear? Ah yes, the sound of jingle bells. No, wait. It is the sound of a wood chipper. For unwanted kittens? Hell no. (Remember that?) Finally, the wood pile, which is a holiday home for woodland creatures, will be gone.

Today, we are hanging a picture at Debbie's house. Yesterday, we picked up electrical materials at the Alton Home Depot for Bill's house. Of course, they were short on switches and we HAD to have almond and ivory. There was a ton of white but "we" did not want it. Also, we got the doors but they were in a very difficult spot of the store so they are on will call. So, next Wednesday they can be delivered. I purchased knee pads and a respirator rated for asbestos removal. With gloves, full coverage clothing, a respirator, and goggles, I should survive the tile removal.

Neale got a call reminding her that Tuesday, Jan. 2nd will be a national day of mourning for the late President Ford. The Federal government will be closed.

linkfinity:
Art of Roasting
Teavana
Benny Hill on Halo

~ 10:33 AM ~

"...come get your knife...."

We had a great time in Oswego celebrating with family. We drove up on Christmas Eve and opened gifts that day. We spent time around the house on Christmas Day and went for a walk, which turned out to be slightly longer than our usual walk. Ellis and Sami are getting along better. The following day we spent some of Christmas cash at Chicago Premium Outlets and headed back to Saint Louis. I have not updated my wardrobe in a few months and needed some new shirts in the rotation. The weather was great, the company was excellent, and it was one of the better Christmas times in recent memory. Photos added soon.

Bedsides my recent surge of baking, I have been spending too much time looking around this website devoted old and abandoned buildings. Neale thinks my fascination with these spaces is a metaphor for life. These objects were once vital and useful but now they are pushed aside and forgotten. I believe the Daily Show did a segment on Centralia.

At a party before Christmas, we met a guy that Neale grew up with that does furniture design. Check it out.

Yesterday, we went to Bill's house to open the house for the door and floor installers. I used a RotoZip to cut the back door padlock, which was missing a key. We got word today the asbestos floor tiles in the kitchen need to be removed so I will do that next week. Today, we are picking up the doors and electrical supplies for the electrician’s Friday visit. We thought about it yesterday that we are more than 70% done with the house. The last major project I have to do is some touch up painting in the spring and cleaning up the basement.

After Bill's house, we visited Judy Hoffman and talked. Then we went to Moonlight for dinner, which is a restaurant Neale use to visit when she lived in Alton. The place is known for its fried chicken. While we were there Neale saw an old friend from high school and college.

linkfinity:
Pizza
Virtual Bubble Wrap

~ 12:02 PM ~

"...the most important person on my list...."

Where has the week gone? Well, I actually did a few things. I still want to deep clean the carpets, which has never been done here. Someday I will have Berber carpet in every room but that is not possible in this home. Today, instead of baking something (PB cookies, Andes Candies brownies, bread, and a pie were made this week), I am going to clean the interior doors. I have some Murphy's Oil soap and sponge to battle the grime. We decided to keep the interior doors if they clean up and look better than they do currently.

Neale is doing some last minute shopping tonight and picking up the pizza dough for Sunday.

linkfinity:
Best Friends
Catch Phrases
Jim the Wonder Dog

~ 02:51 PM ~

"...blue on black...."

I had to meet the door installer over at Bill's house. The front door is being replaced along with the damaged back door. I got lunch at my favorite Subway (downtown Alton), which is a Subway that has a nice flat screen to catch the news and an excellent set of wall prints. The prints had a holiday theme. It also has the veggie patty sandwich, which is rare. I got asked again by another customer if that sandwich was any good. This time, the person answered their own question. Then, I got groceries and I found change in the self-check station, which I gave to the Salvation Army bell ringer.

The rain is gone so Ellis can get a walk. It is also warm.

Last night, I moved my Ellis Ale from secondary to Tap-A-Draft.

As of 20 minutes ago, the piles of branches from the ice storm are still on our curb.

linkfinity:
Blue on Black
He was shot
Sexy Time
History as a Weapon

~ 01:11 PM ~

"...Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity...."

I made bread. I used Alton Brown's "Morning After" recipe and it was slightly off on the amounts of liquids in my opinion.

There has been a request for Andie Candies brownies. I am a benevolent chef. The fruitcakes are ready and if you find me around the holidays, I may offer you a slice of my fruitcake to show you what fruitcake should be and returned to its place of honor.

Santa dead?

The pizza was good but it did not top Neale's favorite from Dewey's. We watched our recorded episodes of "Sleeper Cell". We have the finale left to watch.

linkfinity:
Cheerleaders gone wild
facts
Apartment life

~ 06:41 PM ~

"...sizzle...."

I started a crock pot corn chowder this morning (vegan actually) and Neale wanted pizza so we ordered from Dewey's. I believe we got the Edgar Allan Poe. She went to pick up after we walked.

We got Steve and Joan's gift in the mail along with letters from Neale's Vegas-based Grandmother and a holiday letter from Pam.

~ 03:32 PM ~

"...There's an army
On the dance floor
It's a fashion
With a gun my love
In a room
Without a door
A kiss is not enough...."

Grades are done. I am on vacation. I win, you lose. You lose! Good day sir!

We painted over the weekend and by "we", I mean "me". Neale had to meet with the floor rep at Alton's Home Depot. Since she was gone for three hours, I was able to get the work done. On Sunday, she had to go into work so I applied the wall satin in the kitchen and bath. I would have pictures but the paint fumes zapped my short term memory. While I was painting, I was listening to NPR's "Prairie Home Companion" and Billy Collins was featured. If you have a dog, the poem called "the Revenant" should be a good read. Very funny.

We got carry out from Mai Lee on Saturday as we found a coupon in Sauce.

The Deftones and Sparta were great.

Check your carbon monoxide detectors.

linkfinity:
Ameren....no love
Shambala
Sleepy Puppy
Way to go Knicks

~ 09:39 AM ~

"...Say goodbye on a night like this
If its the last thing we ever do
You never looked as lost as this
Sometimes it doesnt even look like you...."

I am at home grading. I should be done soon. Grades are due Monday. Tomorrow, we are painting.

Neale's office party went well.

Deftones tonight!

linkfinity:
A Coke and a smile
To Cry you a Song
Light Butter Jesus
Pup
Opiorphin
Jason Sherry

~ 02:01 PM ~

"...werewolf
there wolf....there castle..."

Peter Boyle.....RIP.

~ 10:24 AM ~

"...We think the same things at the same time
We just cant do anything about it...."

The game on Monday was great. Parking was tough due to construction but we saw 85% of the game. They don't take visa or mastercard yet but you may find an ATM or their Fastbreak card, which you buy with plastic. The food/drink choices are better than Busch but a veg better eat before attending. Also, they allow Miller products into the stadium, which Busch does not last I checked.

We should have our Holiday cards done soon.

linkfinity:
Vegan soup

~ 04:03 PM ~

"...woody...."

View from our seats from the Rams ticket service.

~ 12:31 PM ~

"...protection...."

Clicky

We are going to the Rams/Bears game. See you on TV...maybe.

linkfinity:
Wires

~ 07:40 AM ~

"...chase freedom...."

We painted at Bill's yesterday and made progress. All walls have been primed and two rooms will be given a coat of paint today. I was working in the back rooms, which had original dry wall so they will need another coat of prime before paint. Next weekend, we should been done for this winter. After the floor, fixtures, and other items are in, we will place a finish coat.

Neale found a better peppermint mocha at Kaldi's Coffee than Starbucks. Kaldi's is a local STL chain. We went to the Kirkwood location on Friday and was pretty nice.

Tomorrow, we are going to the Rams/Bears game, which is the Monday Football game this week.

linkfinity:
Becoming Human, oh so human
Radio on the Web
Mojo

~ 11:34 AM ~

"...cheap shot...."

Last night, I made Neale a burger (half ground chuck, half ground sirloin, salt, pepper, egg yolks, A-1, and a little butter). She was pleased. Also, we got a great batch of fries from our deep fryer. The onion ring recipe is not perfected, the fire bites are nowhere near close, the mushrooms were ok but the fryer does great "MacDonald" and steak cut fries.

She also got her Christmas present from me, which was a Griffin brand Auto Pilot so her new Ipod can play in her car. Today was the first drive with it so I have not heard how it worked out. I found a car power point splitter so the phone and Ipod can both charge while driving. Yes, I said new Ipod because her original Ipod developed a screen issue and Apple was kind enough to replace it.

I am home grading and working out. It was cold last night so we did not walk and it would have been too cold for Ellis. Currently, it is 20 here and I busted out the oil heater for the back room, which is up to a toasty 70. My place in the basement is more in the mid 60s.

We got tickets for the Rams game on Monday night. Go Bears!

Tomorrow, we are painting if Bill's house has its power back on.

Finally, I am getting a haircut this afternoon. Shaggy.

What was with my journal dates being off? Arrghh.

linkfinity:
The Lost Room
Horny Manatee

~ 09:18 AM ~

"...things are going good...."

The window installers are here. I am grading online and doing the usual Wednesday activities. Tonight, I have the last regular meeting of my Wednesday night class before their presentations start.

Last night, we watched "Midnight Madness", which is a film that not too many remember for good reason. But, it is a guilty pleasure for us. The film was Michael J. Fox's first film and it has many faces you remember but were never main players in Hollywood.

linkfinity:
Radio
Plug

~ 08:03 PM ~

"...bloody hammer...."

We went for a walk and it was Neale's first in a week. Ellis also missed two days due to weather. After the walk, I went to Home Depot for salt and saws. Neale did some Christmas shopping. The front yard cleaned up well. I was able to saw and trim the limbs in the back into a nice pile.

Neale made a chicken artichoke dish from Time for Dinner and I made onion pie, which was quite good.

linkfinity:
Little Wing
Radio

~ 07:55 PM ~

"...haul the main round...."

Sorry for the delay...busy week plus we lost phone/DSL for 2 days. On Thursday, we had an ice storm and about midnight some limbs broke off our silver maple. The limbs hit the phone and power lines. The power maintained but the phone snapped. Want some pics? HERE.

I have not shoveled or lay salt yet. The ice was 2 inches thick in the driveway so I was hoping for a melt. Today, the temp rose above freezing and it seemed like it was raining.

We went to the Des Peres theatre to support the annual Can Film fest. Fifteen canned goods per person gets 2 movie passes per person. So, we saw "Casino Royale", which was great and Daniel Craig was a great Bond. Then, we were going to attend the Webster tree lighting but City Hall does not have power yet. Once again, the other side of our block lost power and is still out. Since Webster is out in parts, we had dinner at the Kebob House in Tower Grove, which was tasty and a drink at Absolutely Goosed. We stopped by Blockbuster on the way home and the Da Vinci Code was in.

linkfinity:
Mad World
The Office
Ride
Internet Frog
Bandwidth
Colbert
Make some cheese

~ 05:40 PM ~

"...oh god could it be the weather
oh god why am i here
if love isn't forever...."

Neale came home early because she is not feeling well. She has a slight fever and some muscle soreness. She is forcing fluids and resting.

Ellis and I went for a walk, I rearranged the lights, and I am using the Soloflex. I made a tofu and brocolli for dinner. I added sprouts and cellophane noodles with some mu-shu.

linkfinity:
Science is fun in any language
Its a Beautiful Day
Wine Diet

~ 11:40 AM ~

"...Call out your name
Here comes a regular
Am I the only one who feels ashamed?...."

Sadly, I did not place in the top three in the Thanksgiving Day Run. This is hard news for me to take and I may not run again.

In the annual struggle to make the house look shiny and twinkly (sp?) during this festive time of the year, I placed lights outside our home. One broken light put a nice slice in my thumb so that is my current wound of significance. The new slice tops last Sunday's slice of my left pointing finger by Bill's door hook, which is currently healing nicely. It was a bit sensitive during guitar playing on Friday/Saturday though.

linkfinity:
Over time
OWneD
Magic Ball....like Amazing Gopher of the UK
Vinegar

~ 10:37 AM ~

"....downstairs the furnace swells
safe from all the horrors in your stinging velvet arms
and i surrender, surrender..."

Thanksgiving photos are up.

We had breakfast at Chris' Pancake House and I had a frittata, which inspired me to make one this morning. I used the cast iron due to the broiling and the artichokes that I have a few cases of in the basement. It was quite good. Since I had the oven on, I also did a couple of heads of roasted garlic.

My plan to do nothing worked. I pretty hung out by the PC, watched movies, and practiced my musical interests. Neale left around 8 and got home after I went to bed.

I finished with a time of 29 minutes on Thursday. It went well and I could have pushed it more. The course was hilly. It was fun and Neale my walk it with Ellis next year.

It is nice here (64 degrees currently) so we may dust off the bikes, which have been neglected due to the painting.

linkfinity:
Espino's
Ralphie's house
World's Biggest Catfish
My Name is Earl

~ 03:01 PM ~

"...get down closer to the ground...."

Thanksgiving was a success. Pictures soon.

Neale is heading over to Alton and I am doing nothing, which is exactly what I need.

I watched "The Final Cut", which was a sci-fi film featuring Robin Williams and it was not that good. Pass.

I am giving 3WK a try, which is local internet radio.

linkfinity:
28 Point Doe
Stem Cells move on
Time Zones
100 Downloads
Bush flash
Circular Life

~ 06:44 AM ~

"...good because we made it
and when momma's not around
there's no telling what we'll do when we're free...."

The food is made except for the turkey (which is brining) and the soup. We are leaving for the race in 20 mins., we'll have breakfast afterwards, and then do the final prep.

Our Christmas tree is up but one row of lights went out. I checked the fuses and replaced each bulb in the string....no luck.

linkfinity:
Christmas Story House
Red Rider Leg Lamp

~ 10:56 AM ~

"...And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had,
I find it hard to tell you,
I find it hard to take...."

I am prepping for tomorrow. The brine is ready, the potatoes are chopped, and the tableware is being cleaned. We are also setting up the tree so I moved our big living room chair.

I have a dentist appointment soon. Then, I will do some remaining errands.

linkfinity:
Will the Wolf Survive?
Elvis...Alive!

~ 09:34 AM ~

"...Like a fiend with his dope and a drunkard with his wine
A man will have lust for the lure of the mine
And pray when I'm dead and my ages shall roll
That my body would blacken and turn into coal...."

The painting of Bill's house exterior is done. There maybe some touch ups in the spring but it looks good. We will clean the inside, buy a sprayer, and get the inside done soon.

Neale is doing an overnight election so Ellis and I have the house to ourselves. I will go for a run this afternoon, register for the race, pick up the sausage for the stuffing, and get Neale's "Time For Dinner" order.

I want to test the propane burner and clean the pot tomorrow. Also, I have to test to see if the pot is big enough and see where the water/oil will be.

I have the remaining leaves to bag as well.

linkfinity:
Read
Happy Happy...Comrade
My job in a nutshell...sort of
Grave

~ 06:42 PM ~

"...old tin cups, and little paper dolls
all wrapped up, in the ribbons of your heart ...."

We went for a walk. I worked out before the walk because Friday afternoon got busy. I ran to see how my legs are for the upcoming race. Good news, my legs felt good. Then, I ran some errands: Costco (17 lbs. of turkey for a dollar a pound), Tru Value (water heater blanket...finally), local home brew shop (extract for the chocolate stout), and Whole Foods (avocados). I raked the yard and cleaned up the front of the house. By that time, it was dark and my slow cooker Minestrone soup was calling. Ellis got lucky and dodged his bath too.

After our walk, we went to Corgi Fun Day and Ripley was there. Ripley was the other survivor of Ellis' (at the time Riley) litter. The brothers knew each other and played for a long time. Ripley's owners live in Ladue and we exchanged info for an eventual play date. Despite being a fluffy Corgi, Ripley looked really good and was well behaved. The event had about 150 corgis and according to Diane (our breeder), about half were rescue dogs. The event was to support the local Corgi rescue organization and we picked up some other stuff. We brought mini pastries from Trader Joe's but the table was so crowded they were not opened (somebody got lucky at clean up time). We saw one corgi bigger than Ellis but Ripley and Ellis were good examples. We also got our AKC paper request forms. In all, a great event.

I made cornbread for the Thanksgiving stuffing after watching the OSU/Michigan game. We had our favorite dips with food from Nacho Mama's. I made another version of my Guacholeo (this time with roasted tomatillos, roasted serranos, and roasted garlic plus a squirt of lime juice, some small tomatoes, and pinch of kosher salt) and Neale made her cream cheese and salsa dip.

Tomorrow, we are finishing the back of Bill's house and I will touch up some trim. Soon, we are starting on the inside with a sprayer. There will be two coats of prime and two coats of white interior paint. Britt wants the inside done before the cold can affect the pipes and the base board heat needs to be installed. We have to wash the walls first and sweep the floors before painting.

linkfinity:
Autumn
ABC
Well, that's great
Rain storm in the Midwest

~ 10:51 AM ~

"....Juba juba juba, juba, everybody's got one..."

It is a decent Friday and I am going for a practice run. I am planning to participate in the Webster/Kirkwood Turkey Day run. After that, I am going to do some yard work and let Ellis join me in the backyard. The yard and house needs to be prepped for Thanksgiving Day. I may run some errands too.

We found the Ipod Base Neale wants for her holiday gift. It is my gift to her. Plus, we found a car adapter splitter so her Ipod and cell phone can both charge.

linkfinity:
Zune is out
Shop the Tube
Nov. 25th

~ 05:21 PM ~

"...that was a priceless Steinway...not anymore..."

It is wet still and they say we may get our first bit of snow. So, "school could be canceled" has already been circulated.

Both Ellis and Sami have been added to MSN Dog Central.

linkfinity:
Monster

~ 09:20 AM ~

"...No amount of coffee, no amount of crying
No amount of whiskey, no amount of wine
No, nothing else will do
I've gotta have you, I've gotta have you..."

It is a cold and rainy day in STL. We are ramping up for Thanksgiving. I purchased an electric knife for the turkey at Target yesterday. Despite the lack of traditional Thanksgiving feel (well, we are not including eel or shellfish), the electric knife does a swift and efficient job.

I cleaned the inside of Mega (original PC). It was the first time I cleaned it and I noticed some dust on the vents. I needed some compress air and an anti-static wrist strap to be safe.

Since I have been painting and walking but not biking enough for exercise, I have yet to commit to the Kirkwood/Webster Turkey Day race. I have done two races this year but that was during the summer. I am not sure how much practice time I would need for next week. Plus, I just remembered last weekend that the race is coming up. So, I will take a practice run on Friday and see where I am. The weather for Turkey Day is clear and in the 50s currently.

linkfinity:
Nov. 25th
Smooth criminal
The big one

~ 09:08 AM ~

"...When the gales of November come early...."

My Mexican gumbo was good. Neale has some mini tacos from Trader Joe's and she wanted to deep fry them like a local bar does. The frying experiments have not gone well in our brief time with the unit. Yet, Neale's tacos turned out well. I had some leftover mushrooms so I found a batter for them. I am finding that thin batters are better than thick and the flour/egg/bread crumb method works best.

linkfinity:
Alton's fun with dry ice

~ 11:34 AM ~

"...We gave our eyes but no one will yes I know because..."

I made my first batch of Mead (i.e. honey wine). The recipe is on the homebrew page. The toughest part was getting the temp down so I could pitch the yeast. About this time next year, it will be ready for sharing. There is no activity in the bubbler yet.

Neale said the Cesar Milan event went well. He is not the best presenter as they was spillage between the screen and the words. She did learn a few things and Ellis will have to adjust. We are still trying to find a solution for the occasional whimpering.

My back is better but not 75% yet. So, I am not going after the leaves.

I made Mexican Gumbo for dinner. It was a slow cooker recipe from a previous day link (see below).

linkfinity:
Wander no more
Curbed
What Not to Feed your Dog

~ 02:43 PM ~

"...engine #9..."

It is a typical Saturday. I cleaned and did laundry. Neale is at a seminar featuring Cesar Milan of National Geographic's The Dog Whisper. Next weekend, we are attending a Corgi Fun Day. However, we will be home in time for the OSU/Michigan game. Sadly, my ABC station is not showing the Buckeyes. So, I am watching the Michigan game on ESPN with the OSU score in the corner. Plus, the ESPN scoreboard helps keep me informed. Michigan and OSU just scored!

Last night, we saw Borat and had dinner at Growler's Pub. Borat was very good but not the funniest movie ever as some have said. Anchorman, Holy Grail (not the musical), Caddyshack, & Animal House are still my favs. As for the frat boys from South Carolina, you screwed up. Learn from your mistakes (ie hating women and minorities) and stop drinking.

As a sign of the pains of being active, I pulled a lower right back muscle while doing shrugs yesterday. It was tight last night during dinner so I took a Epsom salt soak after dinner. A Tylenol helped morning but the laundry basket did not help. I should be back to normal by Monday.

linkfinity:
Against the Day
Thanks to the Veterans
Karl Rove speaks
Worst Police Dog Ever

~ 10:13 AM ~

"...first words..."

The rain or potential rain is keeping us from hiking. We had three parks picked out ( Lake of the Ozarks, Hawn or Turkey Run ) but there are storms around each area. We may go out for a movie later and to Growlers.

I am watching "Unknown Solider: Searching for a Father". Good doc so far.

I realized that Papa Nicholas coffee has Papa Points. I might get some Bodum products.

When we were traveling to Chicago, Neale torn a nail and i realized I did not have a car first aid kit. So, I fixed that and got a new one for home, which was pretty exhausted of some important items. Also, I realized that illumisticks were a better choice for the cars than flashlights. Plus, we could another emergency blanket for Ellis.

linkfinity:
Eye tricks
Vegan recipes
Bike
Chill

~ 10:13 AM ~

"...Thou dankish reeling-ripe flax-wench!..."

Boiled peanuts are the official snack food of South Carolina.

I am not painting today. My supplier has not procured more trim paint and I cannot do the back peak alone. Not to worry though. I need to get an oil change.

Tomorrow's plans are hinging on the rain. We have an alternate site of Lake of the Ozarks state park.

It is fine with me if anyone wants to buy and mail me one of these. It is the contest prize on Radio Paradise this month.

linkfinity:
Down the rabbit hole
Pet Peek

~ 10:43 AM ~

"...buckets..."

Many of the issues & candidates voted for were accepted. Despite the support for banning marriage, the people of South Dakota sent a message to their governor.

We are heading to Turkey Run on Friday for some light hiking.

linkfinity:
Tree
Pet Death
Write on Money

~ 08:00 PM ~

"...Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight I'm gonna open up your gate And maybe tell you 'bout Phaedra And how she gave me life And how she made it end Some velvet mornin' when I'm straight..."

Vote

I may have perfected my pizza dough recipe...here goes:

1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons of Splenda
1 teaspoon salt...kosher, of course
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of Italian herb mix

top as you please....tonight it was veg pepperoni, Trader Joe's Mozz/Mont Jack blend, and sliced black olive.

linkfinity:
Gotta have Faith
Knee
Peaches
Tubes

~ 05:30 PM ~

"...Birth..."

Pretty lazy day here as we could not walk due to the rain. We are going out to dinner soon.

Over the course of the weekend, Neale watched all six episodes of the Star Wars series. I have not seen "Jedi" in years.

linkfinity:
Gates
Dove
More water, less coke

~ 09:55 AM ~

"...And everything and nothing is As sacred as we want it to be When it's real. Make it real Compared to what? ..."

The weather is better so painting maybe a go.

Neale really like "Borat". We will see it together soon.

The fruitcakes turned out well. While I was brewing my Ellis ESB, I was reading our Classics Cookbook (huge book with every recipe you could want...we got it for $4 at Borders Strongsville). I am unclear how coffee would taste in a fruitcake. One recipe also called for bourbon instead of rum. I did purchase brandy this year and have given it one basting already. Brewing went without incident. Although I had to look up my resting/steeping temp, which is 150.

linkfinity:
Hanging Tree
Most dangerous road
Sub Base
Hand Lotion
Lotion in the Basket

~ 02:48 PM ~

"...Well I tell them there's no problem, only solutions Well they shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind..."

Some rain has changed my plans. Tomorrow we will go over to Bill's house. I finished all the basement windows and the porch has a second coat or trim paint. I will let Neale decide if the other windows need another coat. I think I may have to have a "going away party" at the house. The neighbors have become use to me and the mail woman says "hi" regularly.

The fruitcakes are done. Later, after we walk, I will brew. Neale is currently seeing "Borat".

linkfinity:
Tweak Firefox 2.0
Oh, You Pretty Things

~ 08:15 PM ~

"...your face and suck it..."

What?

~ 11:04 AM ~

"...I wish I was god instead..."

I am in the mood to explore the Black Box but I must workout and paint. The outside painting is almost done.

linkfinity:
The pill
Tolerance Map

~ 11:03 AM ~

"...just forget the words..."

The fruitcakes are being made on Sunday. I am not painting on Sunday. I am trying to have a more normal Sunday to celebrate my birthday...sleep late (9AM at least), go for a ride, brew some beer, make some fruitcakes, and watch a movie with Neale. Although I have enjoyed (for the most part) the painting of the house, I have missed lazier weekends. I am painting on Friday and Saturday. Neale is coming over on Saturday and I am almost done after that day.

Despite my love of music and interest in playing guitar, I am a little dumbfounded when people debate types of batteries to use in their effects. What?

linkfinity:
Stardust Memories

~ 10:05 AM ~

"...I took them..."

Halloween at our place went great. Ellis and greeted about 20 kids of various ages. We have leftover candy (Hershey's, Snickers, and Twix minis). One kid did ask if Ellis was a cat though.

Neale had a great time at Briit's house.

Thanks to my parents and Debbie & Ed my birthday gift is paid for and is a nice addition. It took me about an hour to get the software/firmware update to work. The instructions in the setup, booklets, and online were not the best. It took several restarts, which was not mentioned. Yet, it is a great device.

Before Halloween trick or treating begin, Ellis and I went for a walk. We saw a small dog off its leash moving towards us and I let them meet. It was going well until someone yelped. I picked up Ellis and attempted to move off the other dog. Meanwhile, the dog's owner is sitting in a car about 20 yards away yelling something. I eventually make out "Molly". The car goes around the block and Molly moves into another yard. The owner is back by then and is yelling "grab her". I realize the guy in the car is A) drunk B) vicitim of a stroke or C) both. This noise and confusion causes another neighbor to come out onto his lawn and we are on his lawn trying to get Molly (who has no training it seems). The new neighbor says something to the effect of "Gus' dog is out again and I am moving towards the dog, which has moved into another yard through a gate. I close the gate behind me and search for the dog. The dog is in a corner of the yard and I let Ellis go to help corner this dog. We do and I drive into a bush to grab Molly. I have Molly in one arm and have Ellis' leash in my other hand now. The drunk/stroke guy "Gus" is at the gate and I return his dog, which he says nothing. The other neighbor makes a comment about how I do not want to miss the trick or treaters and I continue on my walk. Sometimes we should just stay home.

The spellcheck function in Firefox 2.0 is working well.

The past journal has been archived.

linkfinity:
Livin' Astro
Bastards of the Young
Boot and Nuke

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