Vikings Filmed in Ireland

I don't think the original Vikings filmed anything in Ireland since they lived around 1400 years ago, but I read that the History Channel series filmed there. When you watch shows or movies, do you go check imdb.com or wiki or anything to see where it was filmed? I often do.

When your password says it needs to be reset, doesn't your company have rules about what values it must contain? Ours does, although they are not quite as specific as today's CoV.



I told you we attended a wedding this past Saturday, right? For a while, I followed their photographer around. At one point, she had the bride pose in an unusual position. I look forward to seeing what she will do with this shot.



When I was grabbing the link for wiki above, the following displayed on the front page. Check out the British businessman entry. I wondered, "How would you test a fake bomb detector? Pass a real bomb through and make sure it did not register"?



Dad did not do anything on the laundry today? What is up with that? Then again, neither did I. I have sanded most of the outside wall, but I have not finished the taping and bedding yet. I still need to do the walls adjoining the house and the ceiling.

[Tuesday update] Our D-I-L's grandmother had a heart attack yesterday and the prognosis is not good. Please pray for her family and the health care professionals as the situation progresses. We kept the GRANDS last night and are available whenever she needs us.

Nuptials and Night-Night

Our Daughter-in-Love's brother got married Saturday. Congrats, Casey and Kelsey. We had a good time and I got to be an unofficial photographer. Here's one of my shots.



Then, the GRANDS came home with us for the night. It was late and we were all tired, but we still had a good time.

Teacher Daughter always wants to order Sesame Chicken when we go to our favorite Chinese restaurant. I wonder if we would like it made at home in the ole Crockpot.

'Member when I went bowling for a team even sometime in the last couple of weeks? Well, this CoV idea has been messing with my mind since then.



Wow. Even with close-up photography, I can guess how some of this magic happens, and I know he is using trick shuffles, but he really is good. Check it out.

Right now, we are watching Smash. We have enjoyed it, especially for the musical arrangements. Actually, that's what I really enjoy on Glee, too.

Ali's car is kind of acting up. So, how do we handle it? She passes it to me to drive. Somehow, that seems unfair. Right now, my unofficial diagnosis is fuel filter.

[Monday update] The interweb seems to agree that it could be the fuel filter, but it also could be fuel injectors. For $16, I should get a fuel system cleaner and try it. Yeah, I guess that couldn't hurt.

[Monday more] I have heard that One is the Loneliest Number that you'll ever do. Today, I have one meeting, with one dude, at 1 o'clock, to talk about one project. One-derful, right?

It's The End of the Week As We Know It

And I feel fine.

I finished my training class today. It will be helpful for effective tool adoption if the same teacher can train all 1000 of us. She knows the tool and she is learning our processes, so she can guide us all the same way.

We do have a somewhat new vacuum cleaner, but it is not a pricey one. It does its job and that is what we need. However, that doesn't mean that I don't see ads for more powerful (i.e. expensive) ones on TV. Today's CoV refers to an ad you may have seen.



Speaking of TV, there was a show that aired for three years that impacted pop culture as we know it, and I feel fine. Anyway, one of the props from this show is being restored. The video is interesting in that it gives you some behind the scenes info about how a set is conceived and built.

Not everything worth watching airs on TV. There are lots of videos on the interweb that are fun to watch. I sure you know it, and you feel fine. Check out this one using a picture frame and some creative editing.

Didn't we have a Disney photo yesterday? We are going to see one today. Have you ever been to New Orleans? Yes, this is still the same paragraph as Disney. I ask the question because there is an area called New Orleans Square that really does look like we have been magically transported to LA. If you've been to either place, I'm sure you feel fine.



Right now, the news is on because I am writing it earlier than normal today. I don't know why.

[Friday fact] I actually finished tweaking today's post during Glee. Yes, I am a Gleek and I loved that ex-Coach Sue was back on the show last night. Whoever writes their musical arrangements does quite well.

[Friday factoid #2] We are keeping the GRANDS after their Uncle Casey's wedding tomorrow night. I imagine they will be very tired, except probably Kendall, who is a night owl deluxe.

My Learned Colleague

What did you hear in your mind as you read today's title? I am specifically asking about the middle word. How many syllables does it have? In this phrase, it always has two syllables in my mind. lur-ned. I came up with the phrase because I was in training all day, learning a new application for tracking projects.

We got our tax refund this week. I prefer to minimize this amount just so we will have more of it during the year. I did not minimize it as much as in today's CoV.



Things are heating up outside, at least here in the desert. So I decided we needed to revisit cooler times. Here is the castle in Disneyland from 2004. If you have never visited the park during that season, you should try it. It is very lovely.



Do you use any software to manage or manipulate photos? You know, even Ansel Adams did a lot of post-processing on his famous shots. However, I am asking because Adobe has a new version of Lightroom, and you can use it in beta test mode until June. If you want to try it, download it here.

What's on the old telly as I type today? I am watching CBS Sunday Morning, which I recorded...when do you think? Yes, Sunday morning. They are talking about the Kon Tiki. Have you ever heard of it? It is famous, and you can become learned be reading here. I do not have that type of adventurous spirit.

Hmm, it is Wednesday, and you know what that means. If you don't know, then you won't understand when I predict Eddie will be voted off tonight. If you do know, then you will also know that I think I have missed every week except one. So, who knows. I hope the episode is as fun as last week's.

[Thursday update] The streak stays alive. I did not correctly predict who would be voted off. Maybe I'll have better luck next week.

[Thursday thinking] I am in class for 1/2 day today with the training on the new project and time tracking tool, or as I like to call it, the new project and time tracking tool. While the actual material is already familiar from the pre-class video training I watched, the answers to questions and the hands-on nature of the live training makes it worthwhile.

Lord Willing, And the Crick Don't Rise

Well, the crick rose...right into my neck. I must have slept wrong or something. It seems worse when I look right. So, I drove all day making only left turns. No, not really, but it is bothersome. Here's a question, though. When you have a pain like that, do you kind of make it hurt? What is up with that?

Is it a bother when you have to walk between people talking in a hallway? What if there are 3 or 4 there talking and you need to get by? I just walk through them, but I have also been caught up in hallway drive-by meetings. And sometimes, they will ask you something as you pass by and now, suddenly, you are part of the meeting.



Let's stay at the Calico Ghost Town for one more day, OK? Isn't this a lovely landscape. Yes, it is, but it is more than that. Didn't you notice the train near the upper left?



Did I mention my neck hurts? Well, it still does.

Well, I went to Chorale practice tonight, so I am running late. I will shut 'er down for tonight.

[Wednesday update] OK, while a TX high school may have won the US News Best High School award, but AZ does have two schools in the Top 10. They are charter schools, but those still receive public funding.

I have training offsite today from 9am-4pm. Yes, I did my prerequisite studying.

I Was Zero for Zero

I made it through a day with zero meetings. Of course, my boss is away for training through noon Tuesday, so that probably lowered the risk of getting caught in one of those hallway meetings. Plus, I handled some of my interaction via chat, so it was kind of like a meeting.

Speaking of meetings, the meeting started in yesterday's CoV looks like it will continue through today.



In the 70s, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition released an album called The Ballad of Calico. Have you heard of it? It has never been reissued as a cassette or CD, though. Anyway, it is based on thoughts Michael Murphey had as he toured the ghost town. Anyway, we toured it a few years ago and the songs were constantly in our minds as we saw places named in the songs. You can see the sign from I15 near Barstow, if you are so inclined.



Lindsay, I did like How Should We Account For Me tumblr account (that must take a long time to create each day), but Suri's Burn Book is meh. Still, thanks for sharing.

Speaking of someone creating a new comic each day, another site I check frequently is xkcd. It is probably too geeky for some of you.

On TV during the writing of this post was The Following. Yeah, it has been renewed for next season, but I have no idea how they can extend the current storyline.

[Tuesday update] I have an uncomfortable sore throat this morning. It is not bad enough to stay home, but it is bad enough to make me fuss and tell y'all about it. I will decide by around lunch time if it will make me skip Chorale tonight.

[Tuesday too] Yes, I do know that Monday was Earth Day, but I had already written Monday's CoV when I heard about it. I may still go back and create one, because you all know me and know that I am all about carbon credits and saving the Earth.

Who's a Jelly Doughnut?

We had a good time bowling at last Friday's team event. We bowled three games as a team, and then a couple of us bowled a few more individual frames before we quit. So, I ended up bowling 50 frames. Now, since I haven't bowled in decades, I had soreness in my forearms, thighs, and lower back. And on top of that, Dad and I worked on the laundry Saturday morning, so by Sunday, I was feeling it.

[Monday update] I am definitely feeling less sore today. I still notice it in my right forearm. The last 20 frames from bowling, and team member and I started practicing with putting heavy spins on the ball. My consistency actually did improve, but that is why my arm is so sore.

Yes, a 'parking lot list' is a place where future discussion points are captured so as not to interrupt the flow of an ongoing point during a meeting. Of course, that is not all that a parking lot is, right?

One time, we took a trip to Universal Studios in CA and saw our buddies, these astronauts, standing around. I am thinking maybe 1998 or 1999. I know that is how we were partying (a la Prince).



I am watching Amazing Race as I type this. They are in Germany. They entered a labyrinth after identifying who said, "Ich bin ein Berliner." Do you know who said that? Some of them had to find a person who knew the answer before they could continue their activity. Oh, read the this link to see if JFK actually said that he was a jelly doughnut.

[Monday update] ZERO! That is how many meetings are on today's schedule. It does not mean I will not participate in any, but it means I can focus on planning until someone says, "Hey, let's talk about (whatever)".

I checked my file and I don't have any saved up links for you today. Sorry. I will let you know that two of the blogs I check everyday are Ikea Hackers and Stuck in Customs HDR Photographs. What do you check everyday?

Let's get the new week started, OK? I need to make use of my no meetings day.

Gleeking As I am Watching

Let's talk about the recent miniseries The Bible, produced by Mark Burnett of Survivor fame. Did you watch it? Well, here is what I thought of as I viewed some of the episodes.



For some reason, I like to follow a few blogs about remodeling or house updates or whatever. Rarely do I dislike a house, but this one I did not like at all. I cannot think of any room where I thought, "That's kinda cool." Check it out and let me know what you thought.

I am sure that a bunch of you, maybe all of you, have some kind of pad or tablet now, right? What do you think? Do you still use them? Have they replaced your laptop or desktop? For me, with my Kindle Fire, I still use it everyday for reading books. I also have a few games that I still play, including Subway Surfer. And the girls like to play it when they spend the night (which they will be doing in two days! Whoo hoo!). No, the Kindle Fire has not replaced my laptop, though.

Wait. Did I have a family photo yesterday? No, I don't remember. That was in the past. Anyway, can you spot Salesman Son and Teacher Daughter anywhere in the photo? If not, ...well, I've got no clever rejoinder, so just go look again.



I have mentioned Pentatonix before, but they have a new video out of them singing snippets of songs from previous decades. They are a talented bunch, that's for sure.

[Friday update] The news this morning is full of the happenings in a Boston suburb. Apparently, one of the bombers is dead and the second, his brother, is holed up in Watertown. Wow, I hope they are able to capture him and try to understand what their motivation was for those bombings.

Nothing New The Next Morning

[Thursday update] I've got no new ideas for a Thursday update, so we will just go with what I wrote last night after watching Survivor.

I saw this recipe today and got excited because I have been looking for the Betty Crocker box mix for years. It is for fig bars. I kept looking, just to see if any other recipes caught my eye. And sure enough, one did. It was this one. When I saw it, I realized it was this one for date bars I have been searching for and not the fig bars.

Didn't this joke go through your mind your whole life when you heard the phrase "break bread together on our knees"?



I was going to title this photo "Tickling the ivories", but I wonder how many years since piano keys were actually covered with ivory. Probably not since before I was born. Still, Jack and I are having fun.



Oo-whee. That was one fun episode of Survivor. I won't tell you any more, but watch it soon so that no one will give anything away. Sis, did you watch it?

Has anyone watched any of the Yahoo online web shows? There is one called Cybergeddon that I keep trying to watch, but haven't seen enough to get me engaged yet.

Walcolm to Wednesday

[Wednesday update] What's with today's title, you may ask? Go ahead. Ask. I'll tell you. It is my clever way to predict a blindside attack on Malcolm in tonight's Survivor. I know he has a hidden immunity idol, but he is splintering from Stealth-R-Us, so they have reason to want him gone.

We've got a nephew and family heading up to Washington state for work. We will miss them a lot, but to be honest, we are excited to know someone up there in case we ever get the hankering to visit. Then again, we've got NZ family right now, too, and you don't see me heading down there for a weekend visit.

I came up with today's CoV idea while watching Celebrity Apprentice. You would not have suspected, right?


I showed you a shot of JV yesterday. Today, just confirmation that the girls spent Friday night with us, too. As you can see, they don't pay too much attention to someone walking around with a camera. Between their mother and me, there's always one flashing in their face.


Can you juggle? I tried to pick it up years ago, but my hands never coordinated with my eyes and I gave it up. Architect Bro is the best of us. Anyway, this article says learning how is good for your brain.

Here's a Q for which I found an A. What is the difference between LCD, LED, OLED and Plasma TVs? Watch this and then you'll know if you actually already knew. If not, now you will know.

OK, I worked on this after Chorale practice, so now it is time to shut 'er down for the night.

Smash is Getting Smashed

As I type these words, Liza Minnelli is singing a song on Smash. I read that its ratings have reached a new low. Is that why they brought in Liza? That's not for me to judge. True, it's been moved to Saturday, but it is still falling pretty low. I will miss it, but not as much as I might have a few months ago. They have had some fun songs, though. I check that ratings and how shows are doing on this page.

Did y'all read NZ CPA's blog the other day when she had the photos of the Moeraki Boulders? She had photos of her family playing on them. Those were great. Then, Monday morning, I saw them on a photo blog that I follow. Pretty cool that I know someone who has been there.

I also knew someone that won $1,000,000 in the lottery a few years ago. He took the annuity, so he only got about $40,000 per year for 20 years. He did not retire. I would not turn down a free ticket, though.


I decided to download a book onto my Kindle. It is about a guy that decides to spend 12 weeks discovering what it means to really live like Jesus. I don't know what that will look like, but I thought I'd check it out.

Let's take a look at Jack, OK. He is right on the verge of walking. Here, though, he is playing with some costume beads, and probably just counting the minutes until it is time for dinner.



[Tuesday update] MBH noted that I did not post any photos of Dad working on the laundry room. My bad. rest assured that it would not be happening without him and I am really glad we are having the chance to do this together.

[Tuesday, too] Wow, those bombings at the Boston Marathon yesterday are really horrendous. I heard the news people debating whether or not they can be called terrorist acts yet. I say yes. Anyone that does that kind of heinous acts is a terrorist.

Laundry Room Photos Make a Clean Sweep of Today's Post

The laundry room moved forward in great leaps this weekend. We have the walls up (including ourlet cutouts and insulation. Next is taping and bedding, and replacing the washer/dryer connections.

Here we are listening to Eagles Greatest Hits and laying the new floor extension.


And framing the walls.


Well, we did have a little help.


And now, we are here.

Luckily, I am eating well and ate some grilled chicken. Why did I write that? Maybe you'll understand when you read today's CoV.



BTW, we had a great time with the GRANDS Friday night. We all had a good time.

OK, time for Sunday night dinner while we watch SNL. I hope it's funny.

[Monday update] I heard a story while driving in about regulation on a food reprocessing place (or something. I wasn't paying close attention). Anyway, they mentioned a place that had caused listeria for hundreds some months ago, and I heard her say the place was "a major sugary processor". OK, my mind started listening and trying to figure out what a sugary processor was. Ah, probably she said a sugar reprocessor, right? See, that's why I think I might fail a word association test if I ever had to take one. Who knows what connections my mind would make. "Black" "White" "Red" "Green" "Temple" "Run" "Happy" "ness" What can I say?

Are Your Taxes Already Filed?

Are you one of those that gets your tax forms filed as early as possible? I think Teacher Daughter has already spent her refund. Ours are not complicated, but I just haven't gotten around to them yet. I delayed at first on purpose due to the issue with Congress and making sure the software would reflect the current tax laws, but since then, it just keeps slipping week by week. However, I am just about out of weeks. I will certainly do some of it tonight. Everything has been put into Turbo Tax except medical and charitable donations.

[Friday update] I did not get anything entered, but I did find all my remaining records. So, during the weekend, I will get 'er done. Since I will pay the fee to file electronically, I won't worry about the craziness at the Post Office on the 15th.

Dad has the walls up in the garage and has begun wiring. Luckily, we have had a cooler week than normal, so it hasn't been too bad in the garage.

Speaking of Dad, check out what this father did for his son. When we were young, Dad did build us a "control panel" that had buttons and lights and whirling things. One thing is for sure, though. The "control panel" cost a lot less than what this dude did, since ours was built with $50 of spare parts he picked up at his workplace..

Did you notice that, on Thursday, I did not put up a new CoV or a photo? Did you even notice that there was a post? Anyway, let's go ahead and get those out of the way. Which one first?

I read an article the other day taking about the importance of double- and triple-checking requirements. I wondered what would be the worst that could happen if we did not do that?



Now, let's use Peabody's WABAC Machine (did you think it was Wayback? Me, too) to go back to the late 60s and head over to Bandelier National Monument. Have you been there is the last few years? Back then, we could pretty much climb anything, and we did. Here are us kiddos hanging out of doors and windows.



OK, we've received the final canvases from which to assemble our den wall. What do you think? This is the arrangement I am currently planning to put up.

That feels like enough for this week. We've got the GRANDS again Friday night. It would not surprise me AT ALL if we hit Golden Arches for dinner. They enjoy playing there, especially when there are others that can join them. Well, the girls enjoy it more than JV does.

Time for tonight's dinner. We're just eating left-overs at home. I like that.

I Got Nuthin' For Ya

Have you ever heard that phrase? Jeff Probst says it every week to the losing team after a challenge. On the TV program Survivor, it is preceded by "Head on back to camp...." I didn't need that part for my title, though.

What do I mean? Well, I was unable to send CoV to the work distribution group yesterday, so I will be sending yesterday's comic out today. That means I did not create a new one last night. I still didn't feel well.

And I also did not feel up to playing with any photos to attach. So, you will end up seeing a lot of words today with no images to break up the monotony. It should make sure this finishes up more quickly than normal.

I need to ask if any of you saw this announcement on the interweb? Check out the paragraph toward the bottom wherein they allege that it has fewer calories than similar offerings at Golden Arches and Jack In the Box. I am still not sure it is for me.

How many of y'all are trying to prepare your own foods more often? I suppose we are, but I don't think I am ready to do this at home. If any of you try it, let me know how it turns out.

Any of you runner-types want to really challenge yourself? How about a race where the temperature is likely to never go below 110F? Come on down. No, I probably won't even go out to watch, but I will tell people I know someone who did the race.

I saw a headline for an article that read "Blind Taste Test: The Best Hot Dogs." Do things really taste different for blind people? Well, how would you have interpreted it? BTW, Nathan's won.

OK, I am way behind of work stuff, so I'll be dropping out now. You are welcome to browse for as long as you want. I'll be back tomorrow with little to say, but lots of time to say it.

'Friends' and Loved Ones

Recently, a certain sister of mine who shall remain nameless visited a museum. I don't know what she saw, but that's beside the point. What is the point, then? Well, it is a lead-in to this story about a dude that recreates art on toast. Some of them look pretty good, and by good, I mean tasty.

OK, I'm going to go all Joey on you now.



Dad put up a wall today while I was at work. I am assuming it was Dad. Not many people break into a home and erect a wall in their garage (or anywhere, really). I bet he would like a cool calculator like this one, though. Who wouldn't?

Speaking of Dad, he mentioned bacon tonight and that reminded me of a placemat I saw this morning. When I saw that, I also checked out chocolate bacon and a great gift idea for your loved one for almost any occasion, no matter what country they live in (except NZ, of course).

Have any of y'all watched The Bible on the History channel? I was watching The One About Moses tonight and I realized something horrible. I am not sure I would have trusted Moses (and therefore, God) to keep me safe when I see the Red Sea on One Side and Pharoah and his army on the other. We've been captive for 400 years. It is the only life I have ever known, and then we get to leave and end up in that situation. No, I am not comfortable on how I would react.

BTW, I am only watching the news as I write tomorrow's post. Not very exciting, huh? The girls are watching Celebrity Apprentice in the den and I didn't feel like that distraction.

[Wednesday update] Whoa! What happened here? I started feeling poorly during the night and now, I am really sick with a stomach virus. Did something blow in with the recent winds? Did I eat something disagreeable? Whatever, it is currently a constant discomfort.

Sick...And Tired

I came home early from work on Monday, feeling somehow "off". As I type this, I am feeling better, but not really well. I know that both MBH and Teacher Daughter had something that lasted around 24 hours. Hopefully, that is all this is. Right now, I plan to go back to work in the morning. I brought work home with me, but then ended up sleeping the whole day.

I forgot to mention whether or not we liked the Eagles tribute band. The answer is YES. We actually knew a lot more of the songs than I remembered. Of course, after 20 years of hearing them, I suppose that should be no surprise. You can read about and see photos of the band we saw here.

Listen, we can't dance around this all day. Certain preacher-types may want to skip lightly over today's CoV. I heard someone use this phrase in a non-offensive way on TV, but my mind did not stop there. I will understand if you jump straight my next paragraph.



I saw this online today and thought it was interesting. I wonder which, if any, of these are why I didn't get any of the jobs I applied for?

[Tuesday update] I guess you heard that Margaret Thatcher died yesterday (or maybe Sunday). Anyway, someone apparently started a Twitter hashtag for her called #nowthatchersdead. This caused an uproar on the twitterverse because it can also be read "now that Cher's dead". Kind of funny, huh?

[Tuesday, too] I am back in the office today. I am in that weird getting better phase where you don't feel right, but not sick enough to stay home. You know what I'm talking about?

[Tuesday three] I meant to grab a photo and post it, but I guess I forgot. You can do without it for one day, right? If not, search backwards through past blogs and choose one of your favorites.

A Year? Already?

Yup, today is JV's birthday. Isn't this a great number to remember? 4-8-12? Anyway, Happy Birthday, Jack. We'll be seeing you Friday night.

Dad and I worked together on Saturday to finish the curb extension (to extend the floor of the new laundry area). So our next step is to build the walls and then raise then into place. To prepare for that, I need to finish scraping the popcorn off the ceiling in the place where the wall meets the ceiling.

I wish we had a Designated Nail Gun Wrangler to shoot those things in. Dad is still struggling with his hearing after firing it off too close to his ear (it uses an air compressor to function). You know, it would be like a Designated Hitter for pitchers in MLB. Speaking of Designated Somethings, let's imagine one in the workplace.



I don't see that I have posted this before, so let's look at it now. It is a cool graphical depiction of how far it is from Earth to Mars.

This kind of looks like Mars. Well, I don't really have any clue what Mars looks like, but Dad did get all artsy with this shot in the mid-1970s. I think it looks like Utah (Bryce, maybe?).



We are watching the latest episode of Bates Motel right now. Currently, I like it but don't love it. How about y'all? Now, the show I am most behind in watching is Touch. I see that I have 10 episodes on the old DVR.

Let me share something from our Sunday School lesson today. Here is the starting quote for the chapter today. "First, Jesus implies, again and again, that a selfish spirit will keep us out of heaven. Here are five examples to show this truth." Do I have your attention? He backed this claim up with the Rich Ruler, Poor man Lazarus, the King saying 'When did we see you hungry..?", Rich fool with the barns, and dishonest manger. He concludes that section by saying, "Therefore, Jesus is saying that we will not get these true riches if we have not been faithful with what we were given to use in this fallen world. He is referring to our money...." Later, he does say "We recognize our selfish spirit and despair of overcoming it on our own and turn to Jesus as our only hope," acknowledging that you must accept Jesus to be saved and nothing else counts toward salvation. I guess he just wanted to get us talking, huh? It worked.

We are now watching last night's SNL. It has some cute stuff in it. I think I will stop typing and watch. If I had a Designated Keyboardist, I could do both. I don't, so this'll do for tonight.

[Monday update] In the previous paragraph, I used a less-common contraction. It reminds me of one that so many people don't know they use. It is "would've". A lot of folks think they are saying "would of". Anyway, I wonder what word is contrived of the most contraction strung together. You know, something like "It will have happened by then" would be "It'll've happened by then". Come on. You know you've said something like that before. Can you think of an example with three contractions? I cannot off the top of my head.

Another Week Ends

Dad is progressing on the laundry room build without me. He has marked out the new location for the walls and is ready to attach the footings where the south wall will be. It's looking real. Speaking of building, I thought this building looked cool. I saw (did your kids use to pronounce that word as 'saul'?) it on Facebook.



Let's stay with that arts theme and go on a date.



Tonight, we are watching Dallas while I write this post. So far, it has remained interesting, even with J.R. gone. I do miss his character, though.

We have a departmental picnic Friday afternoon at a local city park. Even at 11am, when it starts, I imagine it will be in the upper 80s. I will stay in the shade and not play volleyball.

Have y'all ever tried to make a couscous dish? It is supposed to be healthier than pasta, and just as tasty. It is also good for the Mediterranean diet I am supposed to be following.

OK, I don't find anything else that I want to share, so let's call it a day (make that call it a night).

[Friday update] Oh yeah, tonight we are going to see Hotel California, an Eagles tribute band. This should be a lot of fun. As a bonus, parking is free at this venue.

When I Start Blabbering, You Start Blubbering

I taught the Study Group again today. The person who was supposed to teach this chapter got too busy at work and has dropped out of the group. Since I taught this chapter in the last group I was part of in 2011, so I volunteered. Unfortunately for the group, they had to deal with another game of Jeopardy since I did it for that lesson, too. Now, I think I have five weeks until my next lesson. I need to use something besides Jeopardy.


This one came from a sticker on a loaf of bread we ate on Easter Sunday. No, ours did not get hot by itself, either.




I debated putting this shot up since it shows so few of us but I noticed a common feature on most of the models. Did you notice? Check out the grimace/smile. I think Dad must have said, "OK, everyone, do your beaver smile."



Speaking of Dad, he has started working on the laundry room enclosure. He tore down an unused shelving unit to make room for the west wall today. Tomorrow, I think he will be...no, I have no idea what the next step is.

What articles do you read first when you surf through Yahoo or any general news site? For me, it is not sports. I do click through to stories involving technology. And in a nod to the fact that I am aging, I also usually read stories relating to retirement (funding, are you ready, where will you retire, etc). And do you have sites that you like to check such as younghouselove or stuckincustoms? Yeah, me, too.

Oh yeah. Nice blindside on Survivor tonight. Those are always fun. I won't say who in case you haven't watched it yet.

Speaking of browsers (well, we were, indirectly), how many tabs do you have open? I just noticed that I have 22 open right now. For example, one of them is an article entitled "Hack Bluetooth into Your Old Car Stereo for Wireless Audio Streaming". Well, I might do that...someday. Two of them are for pinterest. One is for bitstrips, which I use to create Clarity of Vision. You get the picture.

Listen, I have just been blabbering for several paragraphs now. Let's just ignore the bits and bytes I wasted and do something productive today. I may blabber a bit more tomorrow.

[Thursday update] There is a departmental picnic on Friday afternoon. I am sure I will see some people that I have not seen since I came back, but it will be 88-ish by early afternoon, so I will be seeking covered seating more than camaraderie.

Not Much to Say Today

For some reason, I am creatively empty today. Some may argue that, if I was ever creative, you see no evidence. Yeah, I can't dispute that. Nevertheless, today's post will be short (if not sweet).

Let's start with a photo of Mom reading to a pile of kids from three of the four families.



And next, let's look at something newer than a photo from 20 years ago. Today's Clarity of Vision.



And next, let's talk about the upcoming laundry room. Dad is planning to come over today for a little demolition. That's always the fun part of these workdays, right? Ripping out a wall or fixture. Yeah, baby.

And next, we are going to see an Eagles cover band this weekend. We are not as familiar with their music as we are with The Beatles music, but it will be fun. I hope they sing Seven Bridges Road.

Do y'all ever watch the evening weather report and check, not only your local weather, but the weather in all the places you have formerly lived? I do. It is a challenge to see the weather down in central Mexico, though. They usually don't show much below the US-MX border.

OK, it's time to get your day on. Me, too.

Easter Leftovers

What constitutes Easter leftovers at your place? Is it hard-boiled eggs? Ham and potato salad? Strawberry and cream cheese salad? What is it? For us, we did not have any kids or GRANDS around, so there are no eggs (hmm. That is not completely true. I do have some Cadbury Eggs). Anyway, we ended up with some leftover ham, potato salad, sweet potato casserole, strawberry cream cheese salad, and red velvet cake. Pretty tasty sounding, huh? Dad actually made most of it. He has hidden talents, right? No, I don't think that means I will have inherited them.

If I were to chart the volume of leftovers from gatherings at the folks, I would still guess that Thanksgiving yields the most, and this is probably #2.

However, if you have any eggs that no one found, it is probably too late to consume them (although you should probably find them before they go really rancid). And if it is hot like here, you'll just find little egg-shaped stains by now.



Do you watch those killer-type movies like Friday 13th? Check out today's family photo. Doesn't the photo framing kind of look like a point-of-view shot just before the killer storms into the campsite? This could be up near Grand Lake, Co, although I am not sure. I am sure it is PB and AB, though, and I believe it is either 1970 and 1971.



On another update regarding things dead, we watched the finale of Season 3 of The Walking Dead. What are we going to do for six months without zombies? It could be a long, dry spell (appropriately, it is coming up on summer).

[Tuesday update] Well, we have been four days with the new shower and no leaks have shown up (that I can tell and I checked all the places we saw evidence last time). I declare it complete. However, with the temps reaching the mid-90s this week, it may be Fall or Winter before I declare the laundry room enclosure complete.

He is Risen Indeed!

We had a great little slumber party with the GRANDS on Friday night. Everyone was a a great mood. We hit The Arches for dinner and let them play for a while. Then we came home and the girls played games on computers. Bella wanted to be the first to use the new shower, but they decided to wait until the morning, so MBH was actually the first to use it. We headed over to JV+KLIK for lunch (they have a local Mexican restaurant close to home. Not Lyndsay's cooking, but tasty), and then MOS (my only son) and I picked up a new battery for his commuter car. It did not fix the problem. Luckily, his neighbor works on cars and diagnosed it as a bad starter. New part ordered via interweb and should be here mid-week. So, he has one of our cars (of course, we still have one of Dad's, so I guess it's only fair).

Today was Easter. Did your church do the "He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!" thing? We did. It was a good service and a good sermon. It was preceded by a good SS lesson. We were talking about Love Your Neighbor as Jesus Loved Us and the material said "Jesus' death is both guilt-bearing and guidance-giving. It is a death that forgives sin and a death that models love. It is the purchase of our life form perishing and the pattern for a life of love."

That was yesterday. Do you know what today is?


And do you know what was happening 40 years ago today? Neither do I, but this photo is from a long time ago. Check out the cool dude in sun glasses. This reminds me of a cologne commercial from the early 80s.


With the shower complete, we are eyeing enclosing part of the garage to make a laundry room. However, we may have waited too long into the warm weather. We'll see. Dad, what if we picked up the portable A/C first and use it to cool the garage while we work?

The other day, I was checking out Facebook (I do that once or thrice a month) and came across the name Icky Twerp. Have you ever heard of it? He was a local TV personality who showed Three Stooges, cartoons, kiddy stuff when I was younger in Dallas. Anyway, his son is working on gathering memorabilia on this website. Check out the photos. Sharp looking dude, right? When I was younger, though, I did not realize that Icky Twerp wasn't his real name.

OK, I have reached the limit of how much I think you want to read in a single day. Thanks for sticking with it.

[Monday update] This bacon-flavored mouthwash is not available in NZ (not that anyone there would want it).