Oliver Benjamin's Buggsby

Best 2012 Bowl Commercials

2012-02-06T08:32:00.001-05:00

Cute Animal Pictures

2012-02-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

So, I was watching the snoring dormouse video on youtube, and then started clicking on other videos. One such video was of "cute animals." I took a screen shot of my favorites, but you can see the full video here

Funny Church Signs

2011-12-16T07:03:00.001-05:00

you should go to this site and read the series of "conversations" these two churches have

http://tithenai.tumblr.com/post/3215186237/two-churches-located-across-the-street-from-each-other

Humor in "uniform"

2011-12-13T07:19:00.001-05:00

So, Looking at wedding dresses has given rise to some funny and what on earth were they thinking moments ... with dresses and with typical poses... so I will post some dresses for you with my captions/thoughts.

Maybe this is only funny to me because I have seen these so many times. In which case you can just shake your head at me. ;o)

This one says "I'm afraid its going to fall off! I really shouldn't have gone sleeveless! Maybe if I pin it with my arms it will stay up"

This one is "I can't... quite ... reach ... the itch... AHHHHHH got it!"

Handcufs? Sorry honey, I guess I shouldn't have stolen our "get away car"
(the smile implies she enjoyed it, so you might want to reconsider the whole marriage thing)

Oh! I have always wanted to lay down at my wedding! Thank you so much for posting this picture to let me know how my dress would look in this position!

hmmmm looks like someone forgot to use the restroom before the photoshoot! If she crosses her legs far enough she will hopefully make it through!

"I think... I'm going ... to be sick!"

The next few are a similar pose that is VERY popular!

"Oooooh My back is SOOOO tired!"

Either "does this make me look fat?" or "can you tell I'm pregnant?"

"Yeah! Lets get ready to LIMBO!"

This last one you can decide on the caption... I'm really not sure what she is saying.I just know its really weird!

13 funny Dogs

2011-12-08T08:25:00.001-05:00

For your enjoyment I will post my favorite pictures from another blog's funny picture posts

T-shirt re-do

2011-12-06T07:31:00.000-05:00

What a fun DIY, I wonder if I could figure out how to do it.

Swim wear

2011-12-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

Inexpensive AND modest AND cute

DIY Bench

2011-12-04T07:42:00.000-05:00

Interesting idea

Frugality

2011-12-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

Budgeting Tips

Photography Quote

2011-12-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

Muahahahahahahahahahahaha

:o) love it!

Hand Warmers

2011-12-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

What a great idea!!!

Pocket Warmers

Cells

2011-11-26T07:40:00.000-05:00

I love science humor! hehehehe

Reading Nook

2011-11-23T07:16:00.000-05:00

Cool :o)

Fries

2011-11-22T07:34:00.000-05:00

I wonder if I could do this with potato starch...

Recipe

Synomymns

2011-11-21T07:22:00.000-05:00

Haha its a funny!

Leather Jacket

2011-11-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

So awesome looking.

So not worth the $500 price tag

Pretty Lights

2011-11-19T07:28:00.000-05:00

What a cute way to electrocute yourself! :o)

Website (in case you like looking at photography like I do)

Date Ideas

2011-11-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

Dates on a budget/just great ideas

Tree Railing

2011-11-17T07:10:00.000-05:00

SO cool! This could totally go in my dream house someday!

Fairytale lights

2011-11-16T07:04:00.001-05:00

Oh. My. Goodness. I can totally see these being used at a wedding/reception.
Can you imagine? It would be GORGEOUS!
(obviously I have an unrealistic picture in my head of a perfect setting too, and enough of these to make the look be excessively expensive to purchase, but still... fun to imagine. I love fairy tales.)

Fairy Berries

Blogging More

2011-11-16T07:02:00.001-05:00

I don't like Facebook anymore, which is a problem. I don't want to delete my FB then loose my pintrest account. In order to avert further disaster I am going to start posting awesomeness on here in stead of pinterest. Hooray!

Recycling Old Games

2011-11-08T13:47:00.002-05:00

I saw this while looking for a new game... thought I would share. Talk about awesome DIY

Uno Dress

Twister Poncho

Skirts and Boots

2011-11-03T14:29:00.003-04:00

Long Skirts and Knee-Length Boots: Invented for and by women who don't want to shave their legs.

The Thief

2011-09-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

Let me start by saying, I read this book as a when it first came out, years later I found it again in a library, having forgotten about it, but remembering with delight partway through. Years later, once again, I found myself looking for an enjoyable read, and the Thief re-appeared in my life. It now sits on my book shelf and has been read multiple times since taking its place there.

This is an excellent book for all sorts, I read all the time, I love stories with mythology, with plot twists, and with maturing characters. This is also an excellent book for the reluctant reader, I have a couple friends who, though neither particularly enjoys reading, both loved this book.

If you are looking at this book for a younger audience, there is fighting, some dying, and are threats of peril (it is an adventure story). There is dialogue about the God's, some believe some don't, periodically characters call on Gods, or use their names. There isn't any sexual innuendo, the closest thing there is, is talk of arranged marriages, but that's all. I would say this book is probably fine for 10 and up, but that depends on the child (I was about that age when I read it the first time).

This book is a light enough story to not require effort in reading, but is also full enough that the reader will feel satisfied for a good story told once they are finished. The book starts well and ends well, and progresses well throughout.

If you want a good read, I recommend this book.

Castes and things

2011-09-08T07:16:00.001-04:00

No its not fake, but it kinda looks like it is!

Water Closets

2011-07-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

This amazing photo was taken at south Kensington and... well, I'm not sure of the cross street (I think its Chelsea based on the sign that is at the top of the WC). I know its weird, but it seemed like a neat photo op. Very European, the old buildings, big bus, bikes, euro cars, and then smack in the middle, a public toilet.

England... in photos

2011-07-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

I just got back from england... and so I have LOTS of pictures.

So for the next little while I will be posting various pictures that were taken, with a tad of back story.

Our first night in london, my friends and I went for a "stroll" around london. The hotel pictured here is right by the kings cross station. It is called St Pancras: Renaissance Hotel. Est. 1873.
Might I say... GORGEOUS! Its probably obscenely expensive to stay in, but it sure makes for some great photographs!

$150Amazon Gift Card?

2011-06-23T14:33:00.001-04:00

you want one??? go ahead and try for it! The link is below!

http://www.stylelist.com/30daysofswim/

More pictures

2011-04-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures that I like that weren't singles or family shots...

Smile for the camera

2011-04-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

Its hard to catch O without her posing
She likes to look just so for the camera
As with J and B she has been on this blog before

She's a princess

2011-04-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

I would like to re-introduce the beautiful J...
A few years older and wiser too, doesn't she look like a princess to you?
you may remember J from a photoshoot I did with the L family two years ago

Growing up

2011-04-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

He is in the double digits now, can you believe it?
B has appeared on here a few times from various photo shoots
If you want to see him, use the labels to take you to photography,
Then scroll to the older posts

The L Family

2011-04-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

They are amazing, beautiful, fun....I could keep going but I will get to the pictures
I have photographed the Lfamily many times, some of which are on this blog...
Look at my photography and people tags to find them.

In order to increase my posts from this shoot I am going to post pictures in multiple entries...
and In order to not get carried away I have limited myself to 3 pictures of each child or grouping...
yes that was VERY hard if you were wondering

So without further ado, the L's

Exchange

2011-03-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

A few months back a friend of mine sent out a shout out

She loves knitting you see, and she wanted projects

I graciously offered to let her make me something

In return I am making her knitting markers

I don't actually know what these are supposed to look like... so I googled it

(I love google)

Based on what I saw, I made my version of knitting markers

Hindsight tells me I am going to have to go back and fix them.

I think I made them too dangley

But all is well, a few scissor snips and a bit of re-stringing is all they need

I guess I should have looked at the pictures again before beginning.

I actually saw one set on etsy that was numbered... me likey!

3-14

2011-03-14T20:32:00.000-04:00

Friend - "I didn't know people actually celebrate pi day, I thought it was a mathematical joke"
Me - "duh! of course people celebrate pi day, its an excuse to have pie!"

Happy Pi Day!

Last Day

2011-02-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy last day of february!!!

Just think ... next year... this wont be the last day!

Fondue?

2011-02-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

I .... greatly dislike chocolate... so... we decided to try melting carob chips in a double boiler.

It actually worked quite well... but... twas thought that maybe the carob was too thick....

ahh, why not add milk... that should thin it out thought we....

Did you know that adding milk to melted carob chips creates a toffee like substance??? I didn't.

We kept eating it for a bit, but if we thought t was too thick before, it was definitely too thick now!

It was fun to swirl though. :o)

We decided to turn it into actual toffee... complete with pulling...

then we molded them into little candy shapes

voala!

We had very... tootsie roll like candy, except its not chocolate...

Future directions for next experiment:
* try non vegan chips... they will probably have less oil...
*if we want thinner fondue, maybe add water or oil?
(if we have less oily chips maybe the extra oil will not be bad... I am told that oil is how people thin chocolate for fondue)

*****************************
Update after original post was written... apparently the toffee stuff is only good fresh, later its mucho yucky. Luckily I was not the one to make this discovery ;o)

The Balloon Series ... continued...

2011-02-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

So, I am a terrible blogger, and haven't been keeping up with my balloon series... I won't go back and update all the cards... However... Here are February's

Valentines....

2011-02-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

I know how much everyone loves my obsession with card making....

so here are some of my valentines

The Plot Thickens....

2011-02-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, you should hopefully remember the Valentine Plot

This is actually what it turned out like...

So, this house of guys likes... chocolate, peanut butter, almonds... so I combined those into the candy and then layered it in the glass bowl (that they can use for whatever...)

I added the alphabet letters so that I could spell out happy valentines day, and because I thought they were funny... aaaannnnd because there is a "joke" between me and one of the guys where he is teaching me "how to read"

I added the finger bowling because it was cute...

You can't see it but there are also containers of playdough in there (White, Blue, and Black)

And then there are the Cars, Red & Black, Baby Blue, and White (each of the guys favorite colors)
Apparently the guy who likes white also really likes planes/helicopters too... that was a happy coincidence (but we will pretend I knew that)

Happy V-Day surprise!!!!!!

Valentine Plot

2011-02-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this concept is starting in January... well... okay so its January 31st... but anyway... I am devising a plot to deliver a basket (or container of some sort) to some friends of mine... so the following are my brainstormings...

I'm thinking something like this guy... or a pack of 3 maybe????

And who doesn't love random zombie references???

and maybe some toy cars???

I actually am going to swing by walmart to see what they have... I would like to get the cars/bikes/boats/etc in their favorite colors

also on the thought list are candy, games, icecube tray with strange shapes, cook books, etc... I plan to "break in" and leave this on V-day... I will let you know how it goes... then again, by the time this gets posted... it will have happened. ;o)

Time to Thaw

2011-02-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

Do you think its time for a thaw? I do!

Its cold and I am looking forward to warmer times....

Maybe I should open the door to the frozen world?

Do you think it would work? Let the ice melt?

My Books!

2011-02-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

They arrived!

They actually got here the same day as my gift card!

Yeah, it was a good day. :o)

I actually realized the fifth book was just the first of the two, which I already had, so I gave it to my brother.

Contest Winner???

2011-01-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

Lest just start out by saying...

I DON'T Do Contests....

Why??? Because I don't win... it only happens to those random strangers on the TV.

So back in November when I commented on a blog I follow, I didn't do it for the contest they were running, I did it just because.

You will imagine my surprise then, when I received an email saying I had been the randomly selected winner... Say WHAAA???????

Ahhh, thought I, this is not actually going to happen though, its through another website... no way... people like me don't win visa gift cards....

HMMMMM I thought.... maybe this is actually happening....

Nawwwwww.....

Then they said I should receive my prize in 6-10 weeks...

Well thought I, perhaps this will really happen.... but I don't have to worry my brain about it since its not getting here till march...

This was waiting for me when I got home Monday.....

Want to know what was in it????

HUH...

I actually won a contest!!! :o)

** just as a note, I thought I posted this several days ago, but when I checked my blog... twas not there!!!!!!! so... here it is at last

Adventures in the White Realm

2011-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

The sun was bright as I set out on my adventure

I peeked through the branches at the Fort, the towers were magnificent, and the fortifications were excellent, but now one seemed to be home so I traveled on.

As I advanced further into the White Realm I saw magnificent flora, if a little lacking in color.

As I reached the lake I saw a small house...

I sought out the denizens of this little dwelling

I searched around the lake... with no success

Then peaking through the brambles I saw them, the princes of the lake
I visited with them for a while then headed home

Through the trees and along the path

and I finally found the road home.

It was a lovely adventure.

Snow in the dark

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

I was excited for the first snow of 2011... so much so that I went out after dark (when I got home) to snap some shots

Interesting fact of the day... the ground up at our house hasn't been free of snow since....

White Christmas

2011-01-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

For the first time in 9 years... we had a white Christmas!!!

We woke up to snow, and it kept on snowing...

Monday we went out to play in it, before it melted.

and to take a few pictures

The sky was SOOOO blue...

Our geese were still in the pond though.... strange creatures

sledding + pictures = awesome!

Little did we know that this was just the beginning.....

Best Form letter ever!

2011-01-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Remember how I ordered from Better World Books??? (you should, It was my last post ;o)

Well instead of the usual Order shipping notification they sent the following email the day after I place my order.

Hello Buggsby (name has been changed),

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note - it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It's me... it's me! I can't believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I've got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can't believe I'm leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already - the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge - so many memories. I don't have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it's time to see the world!

I can't wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol' brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I've had, I'm ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn't take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I've found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

But hey, enough about me, I've been asked to brief you on a few things:

We sent your order to the following address:

******

********

*********

Order #: **********


We provide quick shipping service to all our customers. You chose USPS Standard Mail shipping, your book should arrive within 4 - 14 business days. The Postal Service may occasionally take slightly longer to deliver your book.

At this time, we are not able to offer tracking on our USPS Standard Mail shipments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email my friends in Customer Care at help@betterworldbooks.com. If you could please include your order number (********) that would be very helpful.

Eagerly awaiting our meeting,

Wren to the Rescue
Crown Duel: The Crown & Court Duet, Book I
The Floating Island (The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme)
Dragon's Bait
The Thief

I can't wait to get my books! :o)

Better World

2011-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Oh dear!!!!!!!

I did it. I broke down and browsed Better World Books website.

I LOVE amazon, they are amazing, but there are some older books that are harder to find on there for a good price.

Enter my mom. She found BWB... they do free shipping... say what!?!??! So, basically, if I can't find a book through amazon, I can, instead of paying shipping through amazon marketplace, potentially order it from BWB!

So, a couple days ago I decided to spend my birthday money from last year... or rather, I used my amazon gift certificate for something I "needed" and then went to BWB to buy stuff I wanted. :o)

Here are my lovely selections:
(I have them linked to the amazon paperbacks, I got all hard backs when I ordered)

I read this book YEARS ago and remember enjoying it. So... I bought it to see if I still would.
Hardback price: $3.98

Again, an old friend that I decided to get since, its hardback, and I want to re-read it.
Hardback price: $3.48

Ummmm... * guilty face *
I already own this one... but I really like it! and I found it in hardback! Anyone want a paper back version of one of my FAVORITE books? hmm... or maybe I should keep it just in case...
Hardback price: $3.98

Okay, if you have never read any of vivian vande velde's works... you need to. Again, this is an old book, to re-read
Hardback price: $3.98

And here my friends... I actually bought a book I haven't read, by an author I have never heard of... but the third book in the series had all 5stars... and this one is 4.5... so I figured... why not?
Hardback price: $3.98

Happy Late Birthday to Me!!!!!!!!

Roses and Eggs

2010-12-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

What do roses and eggs have in common????

well at first glance, not a whole lot....

But look again....

These roses are made from egg cartons (and some floral tape & wire)

Start by cutting out the cups of the carton, and if you want leaves, cut those from the top.

Soak them in warm water + food coloring

After letting them soak for a while pull out a cup and form the center of your rose
then another cup and form the outside of the rose
(depending on how big you want your roses you can use more or less I used 2cups per rose)

Once you have all your roses formed, its time to let them dry

We have a food dehydrator so ... it was easy and fast... you could also use a hair dryer or just let them air dry

Once they are dry, you can use some wire and floral tape to make them into roses! :o)

Just be careful, it will turn your hands red!

Original Art

2010-12-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

I like this picture,

It hangs in the hall near my room.

My sister drew it.
Yeah, she is awesome...
I am related to her :o)

She is illustrating her own children's book right now...
It looks WAY awesome, but I don't have any pictures of it.
I want a copy when its done (hint hint) ;o)

in case you were wondering

2010-12-21T12:19:00.000-05:00

I've been sick. like in bed for three days sick...which is why I haven't been blogging... and before that, super busy, so I worked through the exhaustion that should have clued me in... yeah, I don't always use my brain.

I will return... when I find my camera... and when I'm better... hopefully the better and the camera will happen before christmas. ;o)

To the Point...

2010-12-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Lets talk knives.

I like them.... but only when they are sharp.... when they aren't sharp they make me grouchy, and I want to throw them.... away....

So today I am going to talk about knives.
Years ago, my mom bought some knives from a little amish store,
They quickly became our favorite knives ever.
If we go to the drawer and there isn't a rada knife clean, then we will go look in the dish rack,
Often if they are all dirty, I will wash one rather than use one of the other, clean, knives.

yes, its an addiction, I admit it, but what a great addiction!

So lets talk about a few specifics. I have picked three of their knives, they have lots more though.

The other day, we were talking about these knives, and decided to see if amazon carries them, because amazon carries EVERYTHING!
lo and behold... searching "Rada Knives" yielded a vast selection.

I want this knife. Good bread knives are so hard to come by, and this one, I am SURE it will be great. Because all the rest of the rada knives are.
(seriously, don't believe me? all their knives have 5star ratings, go look)

This knife is awesome for those jobs where you need some blade length.
Just BE CAREFUL! You see how it says "boner" that means it will slice right through your pretty little finger and into the bone if you aren't careful.

* However, I am a clutz and haven't lost any fingers to this knife yet ;o)

And my personal favorite... the granny Pairing knife.

I LOVE this knife.

Its amazing. I can't describe how amazing it is.

Buy it, Try it. Love it. Its a done deal

Its only 1.50 on amazon, you aren't, I promise, are not, going to find a better price for this knife (now, the others are cheaper on lehmans, not going to lie, but with shipping, amazon might still be the better deal)

No seriously, buy one of these knives, you will love it forever. Eventually they will get dull, but run it over the sharpener blades a couple times and it will be good as new. :o)

Happy Birthday

2010-12-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother's birthday...

he's not a teenager anymore...

but he's still my baby brother #1 and always will be

even though he towers over me.

We used to go bowling for his birthday

Somehow that became a tradition

Every year

I guess its a good thing to do when its cold out

But he doesn't live at home anymore,

or even in the country,

so I sent his presents nearly 2 months ago,

that way he would have them on his birthday,

his happy birthday.

Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

I think I should go bowling sometime soon... and send him pictures...

In November

2010-12-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Its Cold Outside

We don't shoot off Fireworks! noooo

We stay in and play games

We Bake

We Light Fires

We wrap presents

We get ready for Christmas!!!

And then there was Thanks Giving

2010-12-01T14:56:00.000-05:00

A strange occurrence... well, occurred this year.

No, not thanksgiving. That happens annually.

No the strange occurrence was that I could count the people in our house on one hand

unless you count my dog... she thinks we should...

I could count the number of pies on 2 hands

and we used nice dishes (aka not paper ;o)

Usually my house is FULL

Lots of people

Lots of kids

Which means no candles

No fancy dishes

Who wants to worry about things breaking during a holiday

Not us that's for sure!

You know what?

As pretty as it was...

I think I like it better when the house vibrates with little running feet

After all, we wouldn't want the pies to go to waist again ;o)

Maybe next year

SUSHI!!!!!!

2010-11-25T20:42:00.000-05:00

I am going to start my holiday baking series with... something you don't actually bake! ;o)

I googled lots of different sushi recipes when getting ready to make sushi for the second time. Due to this, I can't really tell you where I got the recipe from. Thus I will just type out the way I made it. I don't know all the terms, so this wont be the most verbose recipe you can find, but it works and is delicious!

How much rice you make determines how much sushi you want. 1 cup of rice will make about three rolls, which is perfect for two people. I am going to type up the recipe according to this measurement and you can multiply according to need.

Shopping List: this cost us about $25 and we had enough for 6 people, plus a few extra sheets of paper, and lots of extra rice.
Japanese Short-Grain Rice - this is the key, you can use white or brown rice but it need to be short grain.
Rice Vinegar -This is part of what gives the rice it's "sushi flavor" so get the rice vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Seaweed paper

Wassabi
Bamboo Roller
Chopsticks

Whatever fillings you want, here are some suggestions:

Cucumber
Green Onion
Carrots
Cream Cheese
Avacado
If you are brave you can get the raw fish, I don't trust myself working with that.

I've used artificial crab, and we cooked it in the frying pan with some asian seasonings I want to try thin chicken strips sometime

Prep:
Rice: Get this going first, and then cut your veggies while the rice is cooking (but keep an eye on the rice, don't let it burn!)
1 cup short grain brown rice. Place rice in colander, rinse thoroughly with water until the water runs clear. Most recipes tell you to drain for 30-60 min, but I just let it sit for at most 5 minutes then cook.
Place rice and 1.25 cups of water in sauce pan and bring to a boil, then turn to low and cook for about 10min.
Take rice off the heat and let sit covered for 15-20 min.
** About 5 minutes before the rice is done you will need to prepare the rice seasoning (see below) ***
Spoon rice into glass dish (I like to use a casserole dish because the rice is at an even depth) and spread evenly, don't pack, leave it loose *** use a wooden or plastic spoon, NOT metal it will damage the rice

Pour rice seasoning onto rice and mix with wooden spoon till everything is evenly coated

Fan rice till it reaches room temp and has the sticky, shiny sheen that is characteristic of sushi rice.
I like to fan it with a plate so that it cools faster, but you can set it aside to cool as well, I have never done so, I just fan it, and if needed, stir the rice a bit to expose the underside to the cool air. The rice needs to be at room temp before rolling.

Rice Seasoning:
2 TBS Rice vinegar
1 TBS Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Mix in small bowl and dissolve in microwave, or mix in small pan and dissolve on stove.
just heat it till all the sugar is dissolved then pour over rice

Fillings:
This depends on what you want. Don't fill the roll too full, I recommend starting small and then see how much more you can add.
The rolls pictured below have Green onions, Carrots, Cucumber, and Crab
Whatever you use, thinly slice it.

Tezu: the one thing I remember the name of!
This one is easy, mix 4TBS Rive vinegar and 4TBS water in a bowl, be sure to wet your hands with this before touching rice in order to keep it from sticking to you (believe me, it will stick)

Rolls:
Place seaweed paper on bamboo roller, rough side up.
Cover with ~1/4 inch of rice, leave about 1/4-1/2 inch of seaweed uncovered at the end
Place fillings in a long pile at top of the paper
Roll
-as you roll fold the bamboo roller back on its self so you can keep rolling the sushi
At the end wet the Seaweed paper with some tezu and then it will stick to its self, sealing the roll
I like to then take the roll and gently squeeze it in the bamboo roller just to be sure it is tight.

Cutting:
I have found it is easiest to make all the rolls, then cut them, letting them sit for a bit helps them to cool and they are easier to cut.
If you have sharp knives, then this will probably be easier, wet the knife with Tezu to keep it from getting stickyfied
It helps to have a friend there to cut the rolls, so they can hold the other end.

Eating:
well, I think you can take it from here ;o)

I love it

2010-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

This Jacket... its amazing... it costs too much, but I really like the cut.... and the buttons

sorry that its sideways... for some reason the picture wont rotate for me... I will try and fix it.

Fall Colors

2010-11-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

Me playing with water colors....

Bright colors in the air

Red Gold leaves are everywhere

Above me in the tree they lay

Then flutter down to the ground in play
Covering the world in a warm bright quilt

Until the world will thaw and melt

Then once again the leaves grow bright

Working hard, till over night

They change into their autumn gold

And once again we see their beauty unfold

These trees are right outside the building where I work.

I didn't get a chance to catch them when they were in full color/leaf

but they are still pretty.

these pictures don't do justice to the brilliance of the color...

For some reason they are displaying quite muted on here,

whereas they are very bright in iPhoto... hmmmmm

Another Catalog moment

2010-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

here is another pretty shirt from that catalog... way too pricey, but its pretty...

Driving Lessons

2010-11-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is actually a post I wrote a while back, but didn't publish (and by a while back I mean last November) So I will post it now.... :o)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

My mother taught me a lot when I was learning to drive. One of those things being, "always break when you see break lights ahead. Don't wait till you see how fast they'll be stopping, because if they stop too fast then it will be too late."

My commute involves a two lane road... and today I got to apply my mother's principle. I saw break lights and started slowing down. Thankfully, since the end result of the traffic alteration ended up looking like the image on the left. (I'm the star "car". There was a car 3 in front of me that was turning left. the one behind them apparently hit their brakes late, transferring that late reaction to the PT cruiser in front of me who moved over onto the shoulder partially. I stopped back a little bit, but the car behind me went all the way off onto the shoulder and came up on my side and the car behind them stopped right behind me.

Lets just say that 1... I'm glad I listened to my mom, and 2.... I'm glad the people behind me realized I was stopping before they hit me. I think a 3rd statement is in order, and that is that people need to pay better attention when driving.

I like it

2010-11-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

So, I snapped this picture a while back... I love the shirt... I just don't love the price, but that is what catalogs are for, to look and drool, but not actually buy...

Flowers!!!!!

2010-11-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

Just a splash of color to brighten your day. This is a bouquet of some of our last flowers before the frosts hit... PRETTY

Study Time

2010-11-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

Week Before last I had a BIG ... ummm.... project... due... not so much a project, I just had to report on my progress in school, to the department, and to a committee of 5 doctoral professors....

I was a little stressed....

Needless to say, that Monday found me reading a few last minute papers....

Enter "the thing my mother taught me"

My mom taught me all about brain food.... you know stuff with vitamins to make you think better...

Cheetos were not on that list....

yet here I was eating them as I read....

Hey, I was hungry.... I needed to nibble.... they were free...

On the upside... I did well on my presentation, and the committee meeting went well. ;o)

Exciting!!!!

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, as I have said before, Patricia C Wrede is one of my favorite authors...

She stopped writing for a while... it was sad

Last Christmas... I got a surprise! In the form of her new book the Thirteenth Child

So... Naturally I have been wondering if there will be a sequel... I keep checking the internet, google, amazon, you name it I've been watching for news.

Today, I found it!

The sequel comes out August 2011... :o)

YAY!!!

Well, not yay that its so far away, but very much yay that she is still writing. :o)

Needless to say, this new book wont remain out of my collection long enough to be a Christmas present.

I can't wait!

A New Set of Words to Describe an Old Idea

2010-10-31T11:00:00.000-04:00

She had lost the will to die.

That seemed such an odd way to put it.

For as long as she could remember there had been someone or something she was ready and willing to die for. As she stood on the hillside overlooking her home being engulfed in flames the last of her will melted away. There was no longer anything left ... No one to whom she had enough of a tie to. It was over and the budding young hero melted away as she watched the flames, leaving behind a warrior, who had nothing left to loose, and everything to gain.

--- ~ --- ~ --- Fast Forward Several Years --- ~ --- ~ --- ~

She had nothing to loose, she was invincible. They called her the black knight. And as she fought the knight in front of her she knew he was hers. Her swinging blow was deflected by his last minute block and glanced off his helmet ripping it free of the mans head.

And her world twisted sharply...

For there in front of her was a face from her past, older yes, but still recognizable, one of the first she thought she had lost. Her pause was too long and he struck her arm with brutal force . She cried out as she fell to the ground His sword at her neck. He unlatched the helmet and kicked it away with his foot. He didn't seem surprised to find a womans face beneath the mask... But when she turned to face him she could see his skin pale and his sword dropped to the ground as he crouched next to her and whispered a name she had not heard in years.. suddenly, unexpectedly, she found that she might still have something to die for after all.

----------------------------------------------------------

This is something I wrote up last night. It is part of a story that has been is my head for years. Maybe one of these days it will actually all be on paper, but not for a while yet I think.

Good Night Sweet Prince

2010-10-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

I heard it from the Pelican down by the way,

That Sunset is the time to watch the dolphins play.

So we ventured out down the rickety old dock
That definitely showed signs of rot

We plowed through the water at remarkable speeds
and the dolphins came up to play and be seen

It was mentioned to me that I might want to mark my pictures more often so that they are clearly mine....

Clearly you can see that tonight I was in a hurry and just used my mac to screen shot them from powerpoint ;o)

Then we drove through the water at a leisurely pace

and watched the sun descend with grace

I guess it finally decided to run and hide, I was too obvious today in my pursuit of the glowing quarry... better luck next time!

whaaa??

2010-10-27T22:07:00.000-04:00

Are you confused??? I certainly am....
I accidentally published my newest post early... so when I went back to change it... it just put the "to be published date on there...

I promise I didn't learn any witchcraft while on the island... I didn't just make time move faster...

then again... maybe I did ;o)

The Big City

2010-10-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

We decided to head into the big city, and leave our little island behind for a time.
Once there we started wandering around... intentionally of course.
Who could possibly get confused by the historic square "round abouts" that we stumbled into?
We finally made it to our destination and hopped a trolley to see the sights.

Yep, these guys definitely look historic....

These.... Not so much.....

I thought this was Historic Savannah??? Not modern art land...

I guess these were some of the very few Modern Pieces that slipped by the historic society because the rest of the squares were pretty "normal" for a historic section of town.

We took a few pictures of the various buildings.

I thought this one was absolutely gorgeous!

"The Pirates House"

I was told it is an excellent restaurant, a little more expensive than some,

but worth it. We didn't get to go this time, but I will keep the Pirate House in mind.

And I only took a few of trees....

I've lived in the south for 10 years, and still can't get over the beautiful trees

This beautiful tree is 300+ years old... and too big for my camera... ;o)

I think Spanish Moss might be one of my favorite things ever!

After exploring the squares we rattled on down to River St.
And I mean RATTLED....

The streets are all of ballast stone

On River street there were many things to see....

I had to include the Tug Boat for my grandfather. :o)

This shop was neat, if a little expensive ;o)

On our way back from the river we passed by a park, that my little puppy would have loved

They had their priorities right you see...

No human water fountains in sight, but here nestled in the shade,

A doggy fountain: press the foot peddle, and water fills the bowl.

Yes indeed my puppy would have loved it

But she was sound asleep...

Poor thing all tuckered out after a long day of riding around in her carrier

Don't be a chicken...

2010-10-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

Eat one instead! ;o)

This is a recipe that my boss used at a party a couple months ago.

I LOVED it!

So I asked her for the recipe.
Sorry, I didn't take pictures... but I stole one off line! ;o)

Apparently she found it on epicurious... here
I plan on exploring this site more at a later date

The recipe is HUGE!!!!!!!
So I am going to reduce it on here for you!
I halved the recipe ... it was still too much... luckily we had friends who were willing to help us eat it ;o)

Okay, just a note... I change recipes around all the time. In this case I used thighs instead of whole chicken, but the original recipe is above so if you want to do it the standard way, you can.

Recipe:
~2.5lb chicken thighs
1/4 head of Garlic
(I would estimate around 3 cloves for this, but go ahead and check)
1 TBS dried Oregano
Coarse Salt and Pepper to taste
(I just used regular and it worked fine)
2 TBS Red wine vinegar
2 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 cup pitted prunes
Trust me on this... they are good
1/8 (or 2 TBS) cup pitted green olives
2 TBS Capers
2 Bay leaves
I love Bay leaves... so I added more than the recipe called for.
1TBS Honey
1TBS Molassas
The recipe calls for brown sugar but I used this substitution because I don't like refined sugars
1/4 cup White Cooking Wine
1TBS Fresh Parsley
you sprinkle this on top... so once again this is a relative number.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

I just mixed everything including sugars and wine

then dipped the chicken and got it covered in the sauce

then laid it out in the casserole dish poured the rest of the sauce over it

and stuck it in the fridge over night, next day I just pulled it out,

turned it over to re soak the chicken, and tossed it in the oven.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

Like I said, the original recipe is for a lot more... I've quartered it.

Yep... its awesome, try it out! Feel free to give me any ideas on alterations!

The second good-morning

2010-10-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING!!!! I will try my best not to rhyme today, Don't want to drive everyone completely crazy. ;o)

I slipped out of the beach house down onto the beach to try and capture pictures of my elusive quarry....

Crouching behind the drift wood I caught a glimpse and * SNAP * I took a picture to catalog the moment.

That sun is a sneaky thing! ;o)

I'm sure it caught sight of me sneaking along the beach, but it didn't run away.

Emboldened, I ventured out further to see the sights, and found a couple enjoying the lights.

(No, its not actually a random couple, sheesh, you think I would be that person?)

Standing out there I heard my name, I paused in my step, and it came again.
Curious I followed the sound of the voice until I saw this:

Why, the ocean its self was calling me to play!
With such an offer, how could I refuse?

I really like the ocean silhouette shots, After a bit of coaching,

I managed to teach My brother the "trick" so there would be a few of me.

My Brother thought it was a grand idea, and quickly decided to venture in.

(note the tennis shoes and the guitar)

I think he forgot about the water, that's right, because the next wave sent him running in fright!

One hundred and seventy eight

2010-10-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

As we explored our island abode, we decided to take a wee jaunt up the road....
To see a tower, made of light, that guides the ships in the dark of night.

We paid a toll to go inside, to climb up those steps...

...that rise and rise...

We made the ascent and reached the top, to see the view our dollars had bought
We looked at the battlements...

and gazed out at the sea

Then we looked down and got weak in the knees

We flew down the stairs at break neck speeds

Upon reaching the ground, we fell to our knees!

Then gathered the proof to share with the seas,

We climbed the Lights of Tybee!

This looks "cool"

2010-10-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Quite literally...

Kick a ball around to burn off the calories and fat you are about to consume? Sounds good to me!

I kinda want to try it out.... maybe next summer though? It is getting a little chilly now.

* Special Bulletin *

2010-10-21T15:06:00.000-04:00

I interrupt this broadcast of vacation events to bring you a VERY special bulletin...

I FOUND MY CAMERA!
I hope

I tried calling every airport and the airline I had taken after leaving my home port.... No one could find it. Today, on a whim, I decided to try my home airport... just to see... even though I was sure I had it with me when I left there.

Guess what...

They have a camera there that matches the description! :o) so... guess where I am headed on my lunch break tomorrow!!!!! How many people out there have a blue cannon power shot in a black case, lost on the very day I flew out? I mean really... there can't be too many people who fly through that airport with my same camera, let alone same day same color case... right???

Here's to hoping...

The first good-morning

2010-10-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Wake up wake up! here comes the sun!! come out on the beach! lets have some fun!

Taking pictures out our back door, a world of sand for us to explore!

What have you found out there on the sand?"

"Oh look its a shell that's as big as your hand!"

We wander off to explore this new land...

The adventure begins

2010-10-19T08:21:00.001-04:00

To begin our grand adventure we first decided to commandeer a mode of transport that would allow our increased numbers.... we searched high and low...

some were too big...

Some were too small...

And some wouldn't have worked... no, just not worked at all!

we finally found transport of quality size, and took off and drove with the sun in our eyes. Until at last we reached the sea, and whipped out the cameras to take pictures of things...

Then finally tired we turned off the lights and slept safe in our beds, all pretty and bright.

I've Lost it!!!

2010-10-15T10:52:00.000-04:00

In case you hadn't noticed... I haven't written in a while. I've been out of town... first to California for a conference. (I stayed in Anaheim, right by DisneyLand)

Then just a day and a half after I got back it was off to the atlantic ocean for Family vacation. (this time I was in Tybee Island... its awesome, but I'll write about that later).

On my way to California, well, as I was packing, I debated bringing my camera. I thought no, but then decided that since I was hoping to squeeze in some time with my sister and her family I would bring it along for some darling niece pictures!

After I got to my hotel I noticed that something was missing. I went to grab my camera out so I could post the cinnamon roll recipe with pictures, and realized that somewhere between Atlanta, GA and Orange Co California My camera had escaped my possession.

I called and submitted lost article forms to the airports and airline, but no luck... the camera is gone, along with the pictures.

* SIGH *

Someday I will have a camera that stays in my possession, doesn't get damaged, or fall apart... someday I will have pictures to post on my blog. Someday.... but not today.

A New Blog

2010-09-23T19:55:00.000-04:00

I found another one!!! YAY me!!!

BunkyCooks

This time the blog is courtesy of a friend. I will have to see over time if it is any good, but the one post I have read was pretty awesome.

What is it about you say??? Well go ahead and read it to find out!

Spinning Spider Creamery

Note.... Cullen says that the goats only milk 8-10 lbs a day, and they only go to 5 shows a year... aside from that the post is accurate.

Are you Ready???

2010-09-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

I've been baking... and this time I took pictures!!!!

Soon to come.... (as soon as I get the time to compile the photos, etc)

My Sticky Bun recipe!!!!

Oh yeah, get excited!

stumbling around the web...

2010-09-22T12:05:00.000-04:00

I'm on lunch break, and none of my usual blogs had updates... so I start looking for something to do... and then I found this blog

For Love Or Funny

"Hey thats a cool name" I thought....

So I clicked on and started reading.

Its a good blog...

I like it, so I bookmarked it...

and now I'm sharing it with you.

It makes me want to be a better blogger.

Mockingjay

2010-09-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

I just finished listening to Mockingjay... Final book in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (Previous two books are Hunger Games and Catching Fire). My brain feels like its going to explode... I'm not sure what I was waiting for... but that book certainly wasn't it. The bits and pieces were all fine... but the way she assembled them... I just didn't like...
The first book was well written... if not my favorite ever. The second book I liked, and to be honest, while not quite as well written, I got more into the story. Then came Mockingjay, and so did disappointment. Like all fans of a series, I had various scenarios in my head for where she could go with this story. As the book progressed I started to adjust them. Towards the end I started becoming a little frustrated and confused. To me at least, she was not fitting her puzzle pieces together. Characters dying, thats fine, plot twists thats fine, I like surprises. However, it seems to me that no matter the story, you have to fit the pieces together right to build to the ending, so that the ending fits, and once you get there and look back you can see how it all makes sense. At least, that is what makes a well written book in my opinion, and Mockingjay did not make the cut.
It is an interesting read, and if you have already read the first two books you may want to go ahead and read it anyway. The violence in this book seemed more pronounced, but maybe it's just been a while since I read the other two. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.

A Little More Happy

2010-09-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

So, I didn't finish ALL my cards before september 1. I had a couple late september birthdays that I figured would be all right if I waited a few days to paint. They've been done for a while, but I just haven't had the time to get pictures of them up here. Now, its time, for my last two cards this month...

Happiest of Birthdays!!! :o)

Happy September!!!!

2010-09-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

I LOVE birthdays!!!! and so I LOVE September. It is a month containing a vast amount of birthdays among my friends and family.

This year I decided to try a new "tradition" of sorts, and we will see how long it lasts.. And of course, I decided to start it in September... I shall call the first wave of this tradition...

The Balloon Series:

These cards will be going out, or have all ready gone out to my September birthdays.

I will probably spice life up and have another themed set for the next few months, because there are only so many ways one can work with balloons. ;o)

So with that, if your birthday is in September, and you happen to be cool enough to be close to me or in my family, look for one of these cards heading your way sometime soon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Atypical and Hypocritical

2010-08-27T12:30:00.000-04:00

With out fail, at some point every week day, I will get on blogger and do a run through of all the blogs I follow to see if maybe, someone, possibly, has posted something that I can read instead of doing school work.

Usually my attempt is in vain.

I realize how hypocritical of me this is since I am a TERRIBLE blogger, especially in recent months. Yet I still do it, every day. Luckily for me, people have started posting again, and I have more things to distract me from what I should, but don't want to, do.

The trouble is, I don't have much to blog about. I have minimal time for the creative projects and such that most people blog about, and the one I do have underway is not complete, and I would like to finish it before I blog about it. Most of my day is spent in the lab doing
This:

No... Not threatening to STAB people with scissors and pipettes, but doing research. Purifying proteins from human plasma, Purifying human proteins that we grow in E. Coli, Banging my head on the wall when I didn't actually manage to purify the proteins. AND THEN... FINALLY... I get to perform experiments with the proteins I have hypothetically purified.

Granted, I do try and add some creativity to lab life... For instance, with the help of two lab mates, we created a representation of our entire lab ... in dinosaur format, let me tell you, it was amazing!

And I get to spend most of my day in a rolly chair... WEEEEEEEEEEeeeee!!!! But its not your typical Crafty and/or Mommy Blog type of topic you see? (yeah the latter, I kinda don't qualify for... for the next few decades at least ;o) So I am usually at a loss of topics.

*sighs*

Oh well, for now, its off of lunch break and back to work... next on the to do list... run 150V through some wires and make proteins migrate through a neurotoxin to make sure I have purified the right thing!

WOOT WOOT!

I'm signing off, But will be back sooner than last time, to wow you all with more amazing LAB NONSENSE!!! because who wants to write a typical blog?

A Matter of Opinion

2010-08-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

Why is it that no one asks questions of the people they really want to know about????

It is a commonly observed phenomenon that people will go out of their way to find out information in all sorts of round about methods, but rarely will they ever "attack" the question head on. Granted there is the potential for awkward pauses or brutal rebuttals, but really... why don't we just ask people what we want to know?

It certainly would eliminate all sorts of half formed opinions and misinformation coming from second party sources or misunderstandings between people who just couldn't ask what they mean.

I know I am guilty of participating in the afore mentioned phenomenon, but still, I try and be clear when I honestly want to know something. So despite the hypocrisy in my opinion, I will still voice it... I would rather have someone ask me a question, and get to answer it myself, than have them try and gather information from every other possible source and form their opinion from the subsequent harvest.

Opinions... sheesh... such complicated things.

A joint effort

2010-08-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this isn't really anything new. In fact, I had this song recorded before Let It Pour. However, I realized that I never put it up here, so I will do so now. Its a rough recording, one of these days I will take the time to actually make this stuff sound a little professional. ;o) For now, try to enjoy!
The lyrics to this song were written as a poem by my older brother back in the early 90's. Nearly 10 years later I came along and set them to music, and about 5 years after that I am finally posting a recording of it on the interwebs ;o)

Wishful Thinking

2010-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

I sit at work and listen to music as I go about my day's business. Some calm and soothing, some more active, some sad and some happy, most of it with a story to tell. I like stories, in books, or in songs, so these are the songs I love the best. Anything with the music and lyrics to actviate my imagination and make me see the world the songs sketch out with their notes and sounds. Can you see it... musical colors drawing out a world?
Different musicians and bands have different effects, like artists and their own unique styles. Its like the difference between Norman Rockwell, Simon Dewey, and Picasso. Or even the difference between Tuesday Mourning and Raven (the same artist, but different pen names for different styles.) The great thing is, that even though you may prefer one style over another, you can still see the skill present in each piece of work.
Thats how I view it anyway. I listen to these musicians and wish I could sound that good. I may not like all their songs, but they have voices, and such talent on their various instruments to make my meager attempts at composition and performance seem like a 5year old's scribblings at times.
* Sigh *
One thing I deplore about working and attending school full time is the minimal amount of time left for my musical pursuits. I have convinced myself that if I could but practice, I would be as skilled a musical story teller. A voice to weave the words and a guitar to lay out the color on the palate of the mind. A safe conviction since my ability to obtain proper amounts of time for practice will not be soon forth coming. Especially with the summer rapidly drawing to a close and the new school year approaching with more time consuming responsibilities.
I could continue to weave dry words, but without music they are merely able to paint pictures and not breathe life into the story. Books are different material all together, the mere feel and smell of the pages introduces the breath of life into a tale. Perhaps that is the key, reacting multiple senses, with music you feel and hear, emotionally and physically. Have you ever just held a guitar as someone else sang or played. It is beautiful! The most amazing feeling. The music echos and reverberates through your entire being.
* ahh *

Well, writing about the beauty of the written and musical world only serves to make me long for it more. Perhaps I ought to get back to work and work hard. Figure out the puzzles facing me today, and wait for the weekend, when I will have more time to venture into a world of color and life, and music.

Almost...

2010-05-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

Its almost summer... and here I am in the lab.. working. I realized yesterday that my vacation is coming up rapidly!!!YAY!!! Now if only I can kick this stupid cold or whatever it is out of my system and get back to feeling good. I have a week, one week that's all!!! :o)

Speaking of which... that means I only have one week to get the decorations together for a dance I am in charge of the week after I get back! YIKES!!! Its going to be a luau, so not too hard, but still...

And... I've got to print my friends wedding invitations... I told her I would, but I got them from her mid week, so I haven't had a chance to touch them yet... guess what I'm doing tomorrow??? ;o)

... almost vacation...

Making A Lion

2010-05-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen a Great Pyrenee? They are Lovely!!! Especially if you keep them clean and brushed, which we don't really, since they are in the barn, so basically unless you take a picture right after a bath, they will never look clean.

Our older guy has gotten to the point where he doesn't shed his woolen undercoat very well after winter is done, so every spring I give the boy a good buzz cut to help him feel better. He LOVES it. Here are a few shots of our great lion dog! :o)

Tutorial.... How to make a lion....

Take one great Pyrenee
A set of clippers
and 3ish hours on a saturday morning (try and time this so that it is still cool enough (ie early in the day) so that you aren't hot, sweaty AND covered in hair... because you will be covered in hair... no matter how hard you try to avoid it... so just give up now and change into old clothes if you haven't all ready...

Before:

It helps if your pyrenee is mild mannered.... then he will more easily submit to the shaving... this one right here... he actually likes it, but even with that he does get tired of being shaved after a while so the better tempered your pyrenee,... the better tempered you will be... ;o)

Since I was wanting to make a lion... I left the neck and shoulders alone and started at the middle of the back and started shaving outward... this is how I work, I am sure there are other techniques that could be used (feet first... tail.. etc)... you will just have to try it out and see how you prefer to work

In the middle:

Be sure to shave the legs... tail... and leave a little hair on the chest... (make sure when you shave the tail to leave a little bit of hair at the end for the tuft... not too much though... we don't want it looking like a poodle!)

Vouala!!! Your lion!!!! (after a few hours of shaving anyway)

Pause for pictures:

But he hates this look, gets quite embarrassed... it also doesn't serve the purpose of keeping him cool since his neck is still covered, so back to the shaving... (Doesn't he have a great smile??? ;o)

Sweeping up the hair... (there is more hair than dog here... I should have taken a side by side!)

and finally "Bald"!!!

Poor guy... look at his toes... we hadn't noticed before how bad they were because of all the hair... needless to say he got a good nail clipping too.

And that was my saturday...

Musical...

2010-05-09T20:21:00.000-04:00

Let It Pour
(finished 10-11-07)

The Day is warm with a clear blue sky
The sun is bright, good friends are nigh
Laughter rings from deep within
When suddenly the clouds move in...

**
Then I look up into the sky
Throw my arms out really wide
And close my eyes
I twirl, and twirl, and twirl again
Until the laughter bubbles up within
And I say
The day is just as beautiful... gray
**

The world is wet with waters rising
Deep black clouds the sun disguising
Hope appears with a break in the clouds
But once again the rain falls down...

**
Then I look up into the sky
Throw my arms out really wide
And close my eyes
I twirl, and twirl, and twirl again
Until the laughter bubbles up within
And I say
The day is just as beautiful... gray
**

When life throws you curves you just can't take
The road's already wet when you hit the breaks
When it feels like you'll drown with just one more tear
As the clouds move in and the thunder is near...

**
Look up into the sky
Throw your arms out really wide
And close your eyes
Twirl, and twirl, and twirl again
Until the laughter bubbles up within
And say
The day is just as beautiful... gray
**

Life isn't always sunny, the sky not always clear
But the beauty all around us makes this lesson clear
If the sun was always shining, its worth would dissapear
It is the rainy gray days that make the sun so dear
So when the rain comes, just let it fall
You'll get through it...

**
So just look up into the sky
Throw your arms out really wide
And close your eyes
Twirl, and twirl, and twirl again
Until the laughter bubbles up within
And you can say
The day is just as beautiful... gray
**

The world would not be as beautiful without the rain...

Accidental Continuation...

2010-05-07T10:13:00.000-04:00

So, do you remember that post a while back about the green pancakes??? no??? well refresh your memory here.

So this morning... I don't have classes, don't have tests to study for, nada. Consequently when I woke up at 6:30am I was like. hmmmm I could make breakfast for everyone. So up I got and whipped out my handy pancake recipe (from my br-zain) and set to work. I had plenty of milk this time so no juice needed.

In addition to the pancakes I decided to make smoothies. I don't have a recipe... not really... its more of a ... add oh... 5-6 spoon scoops of plain yogurt, 4ish handfuls of frozen strawberries, a couple handfuls of frozen blueberries, 2 TBS of Cranberry Pomegranate juice concentrate (yeah, you remember that part from last time???), a little bit of vanilla, and a couple squirts of stevia (which is delicious btw.. I should write about it sometime...).
Any who... blend all that up and vuwala!!! yummy-ness

So smoothies and pancakes... not too bad for a breakfast. I like yogurt & fruit on my pancakes rather than maple (most of the time) so I poured some of my smoothie out for toppings. My brother chose to do so as well, and as we are eating I look at his stack and did a double take.. the normal colored pancakes were now green (sorry I didn't take pictures this time either... )!!!!! WHAT!!?!?!??!?!?!

Conclusions from most recent data:
* Pomegranate Cranberry juice undergoes a reaction with the vinegar... (because as we recall from last time it wasn't until after the addition of vinegar that it turned green)
* It doesn't require heat for the reaction to occur

Future directions & Questions:
* Try juices separately... cranberry only; pomegranate only

*recall that other juices are present... may need to also try apple juice (which is a key component of the concentrate mixture)
* does this work with juice that has not been concentrated?

The Alchemist

2010-04-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

Oh yes, its time for another book review!!! Why? because I am at work, but have no work to do! I drove 30+ min to get here too!!! :oS

So... the Alchemist...

The story line follows a set of twins (Sophie and Josh) as they suddenly discover that their friends the "Flemings" are actually the Nicholas and Perrenel Flammel the famed alchemist and his wife. The discovery is made when another supposedly deceased figure from the past attacks their bookstore and takes "Perry" captive. Now the twins are on the run with an immortal, chasing other immortals, and trying to rescue Perry and the codex before the Dark Elders can use it to free themselves from their prisons outside this world and return to rule and wreak havoc.

I enjoyed this book, its a fun read. Good for 10 and up I would say... maybe a little younger. Its Magic and the modern world combined. My favorite part is that all the historical facts mentioned are accurate!!! Except for the fact that the people are still living of course ;o)

There are 2 other books in the series (The Magicianand The Sorceress), both worth the read, and the 4th (The Necromancer) is coming out next month.

Cat In Morning Sun...

2010-04-22T10:30:00.000-04:00

That is what I call these photos. They could also be called "The Saga of Pumpernickel vs Jerry, Ch 2" or many other things.

Pumpernickel (or pumpkin for short) has taken to sitting on the bluebird house lately. This morning he presented a beautiful picture with the morning sun lighting him and the trees just so. My only wish is that I had a better camera with a telephoto lens, for now my cute little Canon PowerShot will have to do (ps if you want to get a cannon Overstock usually has them cheaper than Amazon).

I was playing with various styles of picture taking/edits... feel free to comment or suggest

The Frog Princess

2010-04-15T09:57:00.000-04:00

I am a sucker for the whole, "twist on a classic fairytale" style of writing. I LOVE fairy tales, more than most people I would be willing to bet. I loved them to the point of getting my hands on the complete Grimm's collection as wells as Hans Christian Andersen's (ps... Andersen's collection is a bit more grim... ;o) and reading them in their entirety at least twice, not to mention re-reading my favorites.

Thus, stories like E.D. Baker's are quickly on my list of "to be read." So without further ado... my review... ;o)

- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Recently, as many of you may know, Disney finally made their African American Princess movie. I personally thought that they should have used Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (yes that link does show that price, there are a few other links on amazon for it, but they didn't have pictures ;o) for this long awaited Princess, but I digress.
As always (in my opinion) the book is much better than The Movie, in this case, they alter the movie so much, that it was nearly unrecognizable when compared to the book.

The Frog princess begins in a classic manner, the princess meets the frog in the swamp, doesn't want to kiss the frog at first, eventually kisses the frog, and there the tale changes. Instead of the prince turning into a handsome prince and getting married Princess Esmeralda turns into a frog herself! This story follows her and the "frog prince" Eadric as they try and first find the witch who turned Eadric into a frog in the first place, and then to get back to the castle to petition the help of her Aunt, who also happens to be a witch. This book is excellent for a 7-8 year old, boys and girls alike, maybe even younger children, it really just depends on their comprehension levels.

Thirteenth Child

2010-04-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

Patricia C. Wrede is one of my FAVORITE authors. The only challenge I have with her, is that her last set of books was published in the early 90's. Much to my surprise then, was the presence of an unknown Wrede book among my Christmas goodies this last year. How did I miss this, since when is she publishing again??? Good thing I didn't know about it though, otherwise I would have bought it myself instead of getting it for Christmas! ;o)

As far as my review goes... here is the review I gave it shortly after reading the book (for the first time) this past year.

- ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

I love patricia c wrede! I've read all her books I can find, not an easy task since most of them have been out of print for several years. I'm so excited she is writing again, its been a while...

13th child is a great book, different from her others, but still with the Wrede style running through out. The main character is (obviously) the thirteenth child, a daughter in fact. In a world where numbers are incredibly significant she is believed to be cursed by all but her parents. To make it worse, her twin brother is the 7th son of a 7th son, thus blessed with "goodness" and power. Eff, hearing the comments of others all her life, tends to believe the general assumption of her "luck" and nature. However, as she grows, she begins to see that perhaps all that nonsense about being the 13th child may just be wrong after all.

This book is good for around 10 and up, but that is depending on the comprehension level of the child. If you like her other books, you will probably like this one too!

I'm monetizing

2010-04-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is right, I am going to blow your minds with nifty things that may (unlikely) make me money. However, this will not be the Add banners that so many blogs do (I don't think) rather it will be links to amazon products that I think are cool.... I figure I need something to blog about and maybe if I start putting up reviews of books and such, that will help me blog, and while I'm at it I may as well give you a link to what I'm talking about. Yeah, so thats pretty much it. Mostly I think its cool because it will link you directly to amazon... :o)

Its April...

2010-04-08T10:53:00.000-04:00

March is over, and life is settling down just a bit. I finally had some long needed repairs done on my car, and it runs so much better now. :o)

I need to repent of my "Pay it Forward sin" last year I started one of those and had set an April 1st deadline for the delivery of stuffs... but life went crazy... so I will be getting all of it out to people, just later than intended.

I figure I'd better post some pictures of Lake Barklay... It was quite pretty, and is probably more so when the trees have leaves.

Mushrooms and Lakeside Cell Service

2010-03-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

I am at a "bio informatics" conference this weekend. Basically that is code for a bunch of scientists getting together and talking about their research, in this case, a lot of it is health/computationally based.
We are at Lake Barkley state park in KY. The rooms all have balconies that look out on a BEAUTIFUL lake. However... it being a park in the middle of nature.. cell service is sporadic... I randomly get texts every so often, usually hours after they were sent. Apparently there is good reception down at the lake side though, so I may try going down there this afternoon to see if I can access this amazing phenomenon.

Currently I am "listening" to a talk about ... well.. okay, lets not go into what I am listening to, I shall spare you from my nerd-dom... and spare myself from a mini science lesson. ;o) Lets just say its about "non genetic" alterations, and the development effects of said alterations. The speaker was just talking about a set of genetically identical twins, where one has a gigantism growth pattern... so they don't look identical. Its pretty interesting.

When I'm not surfing the web, or actively listening to the speakers, I am doodling. Funnily, I will get in doodle moods, and my current one (as unconsciously demonstrated by my scribbles) is mushrooms. I will take some pictures of my doodles, and post them when I get home.

Terrible

2010-03-02T07:32:00.000-05:00

... thats what I am, a terrible blogger, but perhaps if I explain you will forgive me...
It's called my research, I've been very busy doing that, and little else, In fact, I am amazing myself by being on here blogging right now.

I am in the middle of a "death week" ... well the week isn't so bad now I guess, but the anticipation sure was killer.
My to do list (for just the last week):
Friday 2-26 : Experiment - AUC --- check
Saturday 2-27 : Going out of town to Nashville --- check
Monday 3-1 : Project due in 512 --- check
"   "    "   "   : Abstract due for conference poster --- check
"   " "   "    : Write up for my fellowship --- check
"   "   "   "   : Practice talk for lab --- check
(the best part is some how I had to get this done among the experiments, and being out of town all weekend)
Tuesday 3-2 : Practice talk with lab again (at least I'm getting it in... )
   "    " " " : More experiments ....
Wednesday 3-3 : Present my Rotation data (in only 10 min.. but don't forget to be thorough)
Thursday 3- 4 : Rotation paper due

... yeah... ummm... maybe it doesn't sound to intimidating... but it was... still is, but since a good protion of that list is checked off, I am starting to de-stress a little.

Lecture Notes

2010-02-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you get bored during our seminar class... ehm... I mean... I take REALLY good notes...

Can you see Dr. Gonzales? He was the... riveting speaker...

Believe it or not... He was not actually speaking on flowers, or elves, or any other such things. In fact he was going on about machines and sensors (as can be seen in the first image if you look really close.)

Hey, At least I didn't fall asleep like one of my 512 professors!!! (along with several other people)