I Made Dinner

I'm a goulash kind of guy when it comes to food. It's kind of a shame considering Jen's such a good cook, but I'm perfectly happy if it's all just mixed together.

Tonight for dinner I did just that. I took all of this (except the beer, though I thought about it)

and mixed it all up into a meal - a meal that has some history. In college we made this for dinner quite often. It's easy and tasty.

First take all the vegetables you have and dice them. Be sure to drink a beer while doing so. This is a college recipe after-all.

Also cut up some meat. Some kind of sausage usually works best. And get more beer if you finish early.

Brown the meat and add the vegetables.

Once the noodles have boiled and the skillet stuff has simmered, mix it all in a baking pan with your favorite spaghetti sauce and various cheeses. Cover and bake at 350 for twenty minutes or so. Pull the cover off and bake for another five or so until the cheese browns a little.

Everyone's recipe is different and usually based on what's in the fridge, but remember you can't ever have too much sausage, garlic or cheese - or beer.

- b

Ooops!

How'd that happen?

- b

Accident Anniversary

It was 19 years ago today I got in my first car accident. At that point it was exactly 6 months after my 16th birthday (that's a lot of math for me).

Up until last Thursday, it was the only accident I had ever been in that I caused.

- b

Rotting on the Vine

s hedge apple season again. That's the time of year when our Osage Orange trees drop their fruit.

This year is a little different. The fruit is dropping already rotted.

Typically they have to lay on the ground a while (long while) before they get like this. The Osage Orange is known for its fortitude against rot and insects. My guess is all the moisture we had this season has taken its toll.

Overall it's kind of interesting watching the various changes and effects of the seasons play out in our yard. Last year our Oak trees didn't drop any acorns. The squirrels, which usually turn to the hedge apples in late February, went right for the hard green fruit in the late fall. This year we have all kinds of acorns - some days we even have short acorn showers, but the Osage Orange aren't so well.

Can't wait to see what happens next year.

- b

Fender Bender

Had a little accident last night.

I rear ended the car in front of me. I thought they had gone when they hadn't. They had plenty of opportunity, but they didn't.

Doesn't matter. It's my fault.

Poor car.

- b

Craig says "I hate my kids". You have to know his kids.

Dark Dark Morning

I completely fell back to sleep between my alarm at 5:30am and the snooze going off at 5:39am.

Oh yeah. It's a ride day.

Stumbling from bed, I had put on some clothes, made my way down the hall, checked the outside temp (warm), then headed downstairs.

I changed clothes again - this time into bike stuff.

I loaded the bike, dog and headed down the road. It was dark - really dark. There were no stars, no moon, and no sun. I drove in a haze.

The one car that followed me I thought was a cop and would surely pull me over for driving while asleep.

At the lake, I unloaded, lit up and road off into the woods.

When everything is black as black except for the small ethereal light in front of you, and you're half asleep, you spend a lot of time wondering if the ride is really happening or are you fidgetedly dreaming it back in bed?

A near miss of a rock here or a slight brush against a tree - was that real or did I just twitch against the sheets?

Then it's time to climb. My breathing gets labored and I start to sweat. This seems pretty real. This feels like it hurts, but how many times have I woken in a sweat and breathing hard with a leg cramp or something?

Overall it was a good ride. Just becomes a chore having to do it so early and so dark.

- b

Kicking

Jen felt the baby kicking all weekend. She walks around with this smile on her face feeling the flutter of little baby kicks.

- b

Useless Monday

It's going to be one of those Mondays where I don't get much done.

I blew my wad over the weekend.

I'll just hide in my cube and hope no one notices me.

- b

Sky Fire

While riding across the dam, enveloped in fog, the eastern clouds caught fire as they rose above the trees.

- b

Sleep Riding

Not sure I ever woke up for the ride this morning.

I think I actually dozed off when I sat down in the dirt at one of Gretchen's water spots.

Somewhere along the way she got a little skunked too.

She's kind of stinky.

- b

Bucket Tree

Look! I made art!

Now I have to throw it all away.

- b

Mmmm Dinner

Who knew a little Chick-Can could turn out soooo good.

Then again, how can you go wrong with garlic and Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale?

But that was just the beginning. The final product can hardly be out done.

We had:

• Dandelion greens with red pepper flakes and garlic
• Sweet potato puree with brown sugar and Sherry
• Chick-can with roasted potatoes and garlic
  
• Candy cane beets and regular beets.
  

Tomorrows lunch leftovers never smelled so good!

- b

So Much Rain

Went for a short hike this morning with the dogs at the lake.

There are one of two lots we normally park at when launching Jen in her kayak. Though no kayaking today (too many chores), it was crazy to see how high the lake was after the last two days of rain.

Most of this summer the water has been up to about the posts. Last summer you could walk out to the rocks without getting your feet wet.

Just last week I remember sitting on this bench waiting for Jen to get back.

The fun part was we had to drive through this to get out of the parking lot.

Well, we didn't have to, but it was fun anyway.

- b

I Made Guacamole

Jen was finishing up her work on the trim last weekend and getting hungry. Since I was done, she gave me instructions on how to make her guacamole.

First start with some garlic and salt - and a beer.

You mash it all up into a fine paste - while consuming your beer.

Next it's the avocados. Slice them, pit them and peel them - while consuming more tasty beer.

Now mash them to a fine green paste - mmmmm love that beer.

Time for some hot stuff - also switch to a different beer. Finish off the growler you got 5 days ago. So what if it's flat. It's beer and it's not bad.

Finely cut up the two jalapeno peppers and add them to the mix - cold, flat, Hop Wallop is still better then Miller Light.

Dice a red onion - drinking beer helps with the tears.

Now cut up a few tomatoes and add them to the mix. It's recommended that you don't add the tomato juice. Just add the slices - almost time for more beer.

After some tasting decide to add some more hot stuff - don't let the head fool you, the 5 day old growler beer is pretty flat - maybe not flat, but real smooth like a cask condition or cellared beer after a few years.

The guacamole turned out pretty good. We devoured most of it that night. I missed a few things Jen would normally add and of course didn't include all the ingredients here. Some secrets must remain secrets. Most importantly I finished the growler and went to get another fresh one currently in consumption.

Mmm spicy stuff and beer!

- b

Mmmm mango right out of the can.

Morning Ride

It's fluorescent yellow abdomen glowed in the beam of my light as I skidded my handlebars against its web.

Whew! That was a close one.

Just thinking of a quarter sized spider crawling all around me after crashing through its web gave me the shivers.

I broke the web, pushed it all to the side and Gretchen and I continued on.

- b

Fourth Dremel

This is my fourth Dremel. That makes three in this house alone.

Handy little tool to say the least.

- b

Tasty Bounty

There's something about growing and consuming my own vegetables that instills a sense of pride.

We don't grow many, but having the ability to feed yourself certainly makes it tempting to grow more.

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Went to the lake this morning. The air was cold. It was like 50°F cold. The air pressure in my rear tire was low, so I had to ride extra delicately. Gretchen didn't seem to notice any of it. She just ran.

Jen did her paddling thing. I half expected her to have icicles hanging off her elbows considering how bundled up she was. She looked like an Eskimo. Luckily the water was warm.

- b