Good thing they have a dish inside for water, this is an ice rink today!!
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Cold doggie
Poor puppy, she was outside for over an hour playing in the snow, now she's warming up under a down comforter, and she never likes to be under covers... boy! was her nose cold then.
Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl
Why do I always have yellow food? This is New England Clam Chowder in a sourdough bread bowl with croutons and cheddar cheese on it. On a YELLOW plate too, lol
Friday, 5 December 2008
Pumpkin Crumble Dessert
Ok, I promised on Twitter (follow me @tiggr) that I would put the recipe for the nameless pumpkin dessert thingy that I made last weekend.
This is very sweet, so 1-2 lg spoonful in a pudding dish will satisfy most sweet toothed friends.
I left the shopping list in the car, yet still managed to remember 99% of the ingredients, so that tells you how easy it is.
I bought white instead of yellow cake mix. I'll try yellow next, but I'm sure there is not a major difference.
I only put nuts (I used chopped walnuts) on half the dessert, remembering that not everyone can eat nuts, and if you are taking this to a buffet, they will appreciate this gesture.
Preheat oven to 350F (175C or gas mark 4)
Grease (but not flour) the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan (I used glass)
Ingredients:
1 x 12 oz Evaporated milk
1-1/2 c Granulated sugar (white)
1/2 t Salt
16 oz can Pumpkin (they may be 15 oz cans)
3 Eggs
4 t Pumpkin spice
1 box Yellow cake mix
1 c butter/margarine (melted)
1 c Chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
Cool Whip (or other topping)
Combine the first six items
Pour into greased pan
Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top of mixture, level it out, to avoid pocket of mix after cooking
Top with nuts
Drizzle butter over the entire pan... it should cover almost all the surface
Bake for 50 minutes at 350F
Top with Cool Whip
Should serve 12-20 depending on how much you serve. Since it needs to be spooned, not sliced, servings will be uneven.
**What I learned:
Let the dessert set for 30 min or longer to let the pumpkin form.
Cover and refrigerate. Serve in pudding dishes, and warm in microwave.
When I dished it up, it looked more like a bread pudding, rather than a cake.
I don't know if it would freeze, but why wouldn't it, if covered airtight???
Checking my receipt from the grocery store, this was not an expensive dessert to make.
Monday, 10 November 2008
My first attempt to beat the cooking Credit Crunch
(well, sort of...)
An earlier post gave a recipe I found for Beef Stew, which claimed a total cost of under $5.00 (under 3 quid). It had the least amount of ingredients, and being a simple person, seemed simple enough for me.
I doubled the recipe, as my goal was to fill freezer containers for later dinners, so here is the actual price breakdown.
Fred Meyers store 7 Nov 2008
Stew beef- approx 1.5 lbs $5.50
Carrots 4 really long ones 1.28
2 cans tomatoes 1.06
1 sm bag frozen green beans .99
1 onion (lg, used 1/2) .90
2 lg baking potatoes .95
Bag of rolls from discount cart .79
(used only one per meal)
---------------------------------------
Total $11.47
Not bad!! Besides getting 6 x 1-cup freezer containers filled and in the freezer, I had 3 more meals with what was left in the pot.
Side notes:
-Added 2 boullion cubes to the mix
-Used part of the onion to cook when braising the beef cubes before adding the rest of the meeting.
-I already had a jar of chopped garlic, and used a healthy tablespoon to the braising step also.
-Added about 4 cups of water, enough to cover all the vegetables, then used corn starch towards the end to thicken.
-Used the entire bag (16oz) of green beans, which probably brought the cost up by .50.
-Very important to salt and pepper to taste, I added a tablespoon of powdered curry just for fun. If I'd had it, I might have added cooking sherry, or worchester sauce.
A nice touch might be to get some bread bowls, hollow them out, and serve hot in the bread!
I'm very pleased with the results!!!
An earlier post gave a recipe I found for Beef Stew, which claimed a total cost of under $5.00 (under 3 quid). It had the least amount of ingredients, and being a simple person, seemed simple enough for me.
I doubled the recipe, as my goal was to fill freezer containers for later dinners, so here is the actual price breakdown.
Fred Meyers store 7 Nov 2008
Stew beef- approx 1.5 lbs $5.50
Carrots 4 really long ones 1.28
2 cans tomatoes 1.06
1 sm bag frozen green beans .99
1 onion (lg, used 1/2) .90
2 lg baking potatoes .95
Bag of rolls from discount cart .79
(used only one per meal)
---------------------------------------
Total $11.47
Not bad!! Besides getting 6 x 1-cup freezer containers filled and in the freezer, I had 3 more meals with what was left in the pot.
Side notes:
-Added 2 boullion cubes to the mix
-Used part of the onion to cook when braising the beef cubes before adding the rest of the meeting.
-I already had a jar of chopped garlic, and used a healthy tablespoon to the braising step also.
-Added about 4 cups of water, enough to cover all the vegetables, then used corn starch towards the end to thicken.
-Used the entire bag (16oz) of green beans, which probably brought the cost up by .50.
-Very important to salt and pepper to taste, I added a tablespoon of powdered curry just for fun. If I'd had it, I might have added cooking sherry, or worchester sauce.
A nice touch might be to get some bread bowls, hollow them out, and serve hot in the bread!
I'm very pleased with the results!!!
Sunday, 9 November 2008
My Podcast Debut
I had the great privelege of appearing "live" via SKYPE on my very fist Podcast on 27 October 2008.
The ERKPOD is actually several podcasts, origiating from Sydney, Australia. Hosted by Erk (of course), Drue, Squeak, Leigh "The Voice-over Guy" and various friends, the feeds including Erkpod Round Table, they also produce the Erkpod Mini, Maxi, NAPODPOMO (National Podcast Post Month), and Echo Romeo Kilo One One. They vary in length, with the Round Tables lasting several hours, but the feed is broken up in one hour increments.
I was involved in Round Table Ten (ERKPOD 151-154) which included emminent podcasters and storytelling authors Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine. (Full disclosure: I own two of Tee's books, and one of Pips, but I'll try not to let that influence me!!)
I just happened to be paying attention to my Twitter, and @druey and @erkpod sent out
tweets announcing a live recording available for viewing on their site (via ustream.tv. After Tee and Pip (may I be presumptious enough to call them that?) I was invited to join the round table via Skype. OMG...
Now, I have no idea how many subscribers they have, but as far as I was concerned, it could be 10 or 10000. They are a group of friends who meet on a regular basis, and just talk about stuff. There are no show notes, until afterwards (corrected post), and digression is not only allowed but encouraged.
To say my 15 minutes of fame was a blast is an understatement, and I was invited to be involved in the November Round Table. You can bet I'll move mountains to be there, even if I have to take a nap (yeah, I'm not too proud to admit they are a good thing) and be awake at Aussie time!
Follow the gang on Twitter:
@erkpod
@druey
@thevoiceoverguy
@squeakaz
@rockeye
@rgspro
Join the Erk Pod Group on Facebook where these wonderful young men have appointed me (yes! me!) as the Idaho Correspondent!!
27 Oct Round Table 10 (episodes 150 - 153) Show Notes
By Erk
Categories: Comedy, Drue, EP Bunny, Erk Pod Maxi & Round Table, Erk Pod Shop, General, Haiku of Frustration, Interweb, Leigh the Voice Over Guy, NaPodPoMo2008, News, Orange Tim, Other Podcasts, Podcasting - General, Round Table, Show Notes, Squeak, TV, Twitter, Video, You Tube and humour
ROUND TABLE 10 (INCORPORATING EPISODE 150) WITH HOSTS ERK & DRUE WITH A CAST OF VARIOUS PANELISTS FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AMERICA, ENGLAND AND IRELAND
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 2008
Erk Pod Round Table 10 (incorporating episode 150) was recorded on Saturday 25 October (Sydney time) at the Erk Pod Studio.
MORE LINKS AND PHOTOS TO FOLLOW!
In the Erk Pod studio was:
Erk (host)
Drue (co-host)
Orange Tim
Leigh the Voice Over Guy
Squeak (on floor)
Joining in via Skype at various stages were:
Richard from the Wasting Time podcast
Stephen from the Tea & Chat podcast
Podcasters and authors Tee and Pip making their return after Round Table 7
Shawno & Jen from the Hyper Nonsense podcast
Tim from the Some Guys in a Car podcast
Jim from the UK (who made the excellent comments for Erk Pod 146)
Tiggr, creator of the Tiggrz Travels blog
Grizzly (host of the Grizzly Growls podcast) from a bar in Wisconsin
Most music is courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
The ERKPOD is actually several podcasts, origiating from Sydney, Australia. Hosted by Erk (of course), Drue, Squeak, Leigh "The Voice-over Guy" and various friends, the feeds including Erkpod Round Table, they also produce the Erkpod Mini, Maxi, NAPODPOMO (National Podcast Post Month), and Echo Romeo Kilo One One. They vary in length, with the Round Tables lasting several hours, but the feed is broken up in one hour increments.
I was involved in Round Table Ten (ERKPOD 151-154) which included emminent podcasters and storytelling authors Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine. (Full disclosure: I own two of Tee's books, and one of Pips, but I'll try not to let that influence me!!)
I just happened to be paying attention to my Twitter, and @druey and @erkpod sent out
tweets announcing a live recording available for viewing on their site (via ustream.tv. After Tee and Pip (may I be presumptious enough to call them that?) I was invited to join the round table via Skype. OMG...
Now, I have no idea how many subscribers they have, but as far as I was concerned, it could be 10 or 10000. They are a group of friends who meet on a regular basis, and just talk about stuff. There are no show notes, until afterwards (corrected post), and digression is not only allowed but encouraged.
To say my 15 minutes of fame was a blast is an understatement, and I was invited to be involved in the November Round Table. You can bet I'll move mountains to be there, even if I have to take a nap (yeah, I'm not too proud to admit they are a good thing) and be awake at Aussie time!
Follow the gang on Twitter:
@erkpod
@druey
@thevoiceoverguy
@squeakaz
@rockeye
@rgspro
Join the Erk Pod Group on Facebook where these wonderful young men have appointed me (yes! me!) as the Idaho Correspondent!!
27 Oct Round Table 10 (episodes 150 - 153) Show Notes
By Erk
Categories: Comedy, Drue, EP Bunny, Erk Pod Maxi & Round Table, Erk Pod Shop, General, Haiku of Frustration, Interweb, Leigh the Voice Over Guy, NaPodPoMo2008, News, Orange Tim, Other Podcasts, Podcasting - General, Round Table, Show Notes, Squeak, TV, Twitter, Video, You Tube and humour
ROUND TABLE 10 (INCORPORATING EPISODE 150) WITH HOSTS ERK & DRUE WITH A CAST OF VARIOUS PANELISTS FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AMERICA, ENGLAND AND IRELAND
SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 2008
Erk Pod Round Table 10 (incorporating episode 150) was recorded on Saturday 25 October (Sydney time) at the Erk Pod Studio.
MORE LINKS AND PHOTOS TO FOLLOW!
In the Erk Pod studio was:
Erk (host)
Drue (co-host)
Orange Tim
Leigh the Voice Over Guy
Squeak (on floor)
Joining in via Skype at various stages were:
Richard from the Wasting Time podcast
Stephen from the Tea & Chat podcast
Podcasters and authors Tee and Pip making their return after Round Table 7
Shawno & Jen from the Hyper Nonsense podcast
Tim from the Some Guys in a Car podcast
Jim from the UK (who made the excellent comments for Erk Pod 146)
Tiggr, creator of the Tiggrz Travels blog
Grizzly (host of the Grizzly Growls podcast) from a bar in Wisconsin
Most music is courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network
Monday, 3 November 2008
My Second Attempt Will Be:
Both @Shayna and @renee_daniels suggested the 5DollarDinners website, so I grabbed this as my second attempt. www.5dollardinners.com
Beef Stew
Ingredients
Stew Beef ($2.25)
Can petite tomatoes ($.59)
3 carrots, peeled and chopped ($.35 )
4 potatoes, washed and chopped ($.60)
1/2 cup frozen green beans ($.25)
2 cloves garlic, crushed ($.10)
Salt/Pepper
Water
Rolls ($.79)
Directions
1. Put all ingredients in pot. Let simmer however long you like!!!
2. Enjoy with warm rolls!
Cost $4.95
Seems too easy, so it's perfect for me!!
Beef Stew
Ingredients
Stew Beef ($2.25)
Can petite tomatoes ($.59)
3 carrots, peeled and chopped ($.35 )
4 potatoes, washed and chopped ($.60)
1/2 cup frozen green beans ($.25)
2 cloves garlic, crushed ($.10)
Salt/Pepper
Water
Rolls ($.79)
Directions
1. Put all ingredients in pot. Let simmer however long you like!!!
2. Enjoy with warm rolls!
Cost $4.95
Seems too easy, so it's perfect for me!!
First Credit Crunch recipe experiment
My thanks to @CarrieP for this submission!!!
Cargo Bay rice and beans from http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=34312&highlight=#34312/
Equipment
Large saucepan with lid
Spoon
Wet and dry measuring cups
Ingredients:
1 cup dried, split lentils, any color
1 cup instant brown rice
16 oz can black beans
3 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1-4 Tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Put rice and lentils in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add coconut milk and brown sugar to rice and lentils. Add the black beans, including the liquid in the can. Add 2 cups of the stock to the pot. Add curry powder, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling, uncovered, sirring often. Once the mixture reaches a boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add a little bit more chicken stock if mixture starts to get too dry.
Uncover pot, add tomatoes and liquid. Cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt or curry powder if needed.
This is going to be my first attempt in the goal of filling my freezer... Since I'm cooking for one, it will take lots of freezer containers, I hope, lol
Cargo Bay rice and beans from http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=34312&highlight=#34312/
Equipment
Large saucepan with lid
Spoon
Wet and dry measuring cups
Ingredients:
1 cup dried, split lentils, any color
1 cup instant brown rice
16 oz can black beans
3 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1-4 Tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Put rice and lentils in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add coconut milk and brown sugar to rice and lentils. Add the black beans, including the liquid in the can. Add 2 cups of the stock to the pot. Add curry powder, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling, uncovered, sirring often. Once the mixture reaches a boil, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add a little bit more chicken stock if mixture starts to get too dry.
Uncover pot, add tomatoes and liquid. Cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt or curry powder if needed.
This is going to be my first attempt in the goal of filling my freezer... Since I'm cooking for one, it will take lots of freezer containers, I hope, lol
Fighting off the Credit Crunch
Here is an audience participation post.
In these "credit crunching days", many people are having to cut back. However, you can only turn off so many lights, cut back so many miles driven, stop drinking quite so much, and who can do without their telephone or Internet? (Well, certainly not me...)
One place we are probably all guilty of splurging is food. Let's face it, we make a resolution to eat at home more, but still our grocery bills seem to get higher and higher. This is resulting in some very creative, "CC" meals. What have YOU done to reduce your grocery cost without sacrificing flavor or nutrition?
I'd like to know what you are making for your family (or having if you are not the cook) to fight inflation. What is your favorite budget meal? I want recipes!!! I want shopping lists!!
Here are the guidelines:
1. Easy to prepare (under 30 min is good, but not required)
2. Low in cost
3. Fairly nutritious
4. Easily freezable for leftovers or use in another meal
Think you can handle this?
Post your responses in the comments section. If you are not using a meal of your own, link to the appropriate page for credit to them.
I'd like to fill my freezer for those dark winter nights when I'm too flippin lazy to cook (as opposed to now, when I just don't want to, lol)
I'm looking forward to submissions!!
In these "credit crunching days", many people are having to cut back. However, you can only turn off so many lights, cut back so many miles driven, stop drinking quite so much, and who can do without their telephone or Internet? (Well, certainly not me...)
One place we are probably all guilty of splurging is food. Let's face it, we make a resolution to eat at home more, but still our grocery bills seem to get higher and higher. This is resulting in some very creative, "CC" meals. What have YOU done to reduce your grocery cost without sacrificing flavor or nutrition?
I'd like to know what you are making for your family (or having if you are not the cook) to fight inflation. What is your favorite budget meal? I want recipes!!! I want shopping lists!!
Here are the guidelines:
1. Easy to prepare (under 30 min is good, but not required)
2. Low in cost
3. Fairly nutritious
4. Easily freezable for leftovers or use in another meal
Think you can handle this?
Post your responses in the comments section. If you are not using a meal of your own, link to the appropriate page for credit to them.
I'd like to fill my freezer for those dark winter nights when I'm too flippin lazy to cook (as opposed to now, when I just don't want to, lol)
I'm looking forward to submissions!!
Nine Inch Nails
I got on a mailing list from NIN (Nine Inch Nails) after I took advantage of an offer for a free download of their latest EP. If I had that link, I'd put it in here. So, consequently, I get, from time to time, emails from them about upcoming concerts and other news.
Today, I got an email about tomorrows election. I was expecting an endorsement, and I probably assumed to know who they would endorse, but I was surprised.
The email was simply an appeal to participate in our democratic (small "D") system which we cherish. It was simple and to the point, so I'm re-posting it here:
date Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 9:15 PM
subject *Important* Regarding Tuesday's Election
9:15 PM (11 hours ago)
Reply
Next Tuesday we will elect the next President of the United States. The result will have great consequences for the nation.
This election offers a choice is between two men with dramatically different visions of the future. We have strong feelings about this choice. But we feel even more strongly that all Americans, regardless of political preference, have a stake in the outcome and should vote in this critical election.
This is likely to be a close election. Your vote matters. Please use it and make a difference.
Sincerely,
Trent Reznor
Thank you for listening.
Today, I got an email about tomorrows election. I was expecting an endorsement, and I probably assumed to know who they would endorse, but I was surprised.
The email was simply an appeal to participate in our democratic (small "D") system which we cherish. It was simple and to the point, so I'm re-posting it here:
date Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 9:15 PM
subject *Important* Regarding Tuesday's Election
9:15 PM (11 hours ago)
Reply
Next Tuesday we will elect the next President of the United States. The result will have great consequences for the nation.
This election offers a choice is between two men with dramatically different visions of the future. We have strong feelings about this choice. But we feel even more strongly that all Americans, regardless of political preference, have a stake in the outcome and should vote in this critical election.
This is likely to be a close election. Your vote matters. Please use it and make a difference.
Sincerely,
Trent Reznor
Thank you for listening.
Monday, 27 October 2008
Future blogs
I've had around 600 visits to this blog!! WOW! I'm surprised, impressed and honored. I would like more comments, though, so I'm throwing it out to you for the subject of my next blog.
I've been to the following countries:
Canada
Mexico
Japan
Thailand
Singapore
Diego Garcia
Canary Isanda
Italy
Spain
England
Scotland
Wales
France
Kuwait
Egypt
Afghanistan
Kyrgyzstan
Australia
You tell me which country you want the next blog about. I have pictures from most of these countries, so choose wisely.
I've been to the following countries:
Canada
Mexico
Japan
Thailand
Singapore
Diego Garcia
Canary Isanda
Italy
Spain
England
Scotland
Wales
France
Kuwait
Egypt
Afghanistan
Kyrgyzstan
Australia
You tell me which country you want the next blog about. I have pictures from most of these countries, so choose wisely.
And, as long as I'm blogging...
I recently took a long road trip with the first leg being from Boise to Colorado Springs to see my son. Dave works for SRAM Company (http://www.sram.com/) which makes components for road and mountain bicycles, as well as trains dealers and mechanics at STU (SRAM Technical University).
Dave has been in CS for almost 18 months, so I felt it was high time I went to see he and Teri, his girlfriend. I thought, early October should be fine... no snow... yeah right... brilliant plan...
I started out on Friday, 10 October, in what I (though not most weathermen) would consider a full blown blizzard. Great. The earliest snowfall in recorded Boise history, and I leave town in it. I knew I had at least a five hour drive ahead to Salt Lake City, so I couldn't delay anymore than I already had. Fortunately, the snow ended about 30 miles past Boise, and was smooth sailing after that. All was fine on the drive to SLC as I had a full iPod (plus backup), my Crackberry with GPS direction to my first stop, and a tank full of gas. I thought...
I arrived at my first stop, which was the Worldmark by Wyndham location in Eden, Utah. I'd booked a night in this timeshare location as a perfect first stop on Friday night. It's about a 14 hour drive to CoSp and it would cut a big chunk out of the drive. Well, just like me, I get to reception, and realize that I'd booked for the night before, Thursday night. Sheesh! I'd only read the confirmation three or four times, but still I'd managed to cock it up somehow. Oh well... back in the car...
As it was the Friday of a three-day weekend, and the resort was 100% full, my choices were simple... drive down the mountain to Ogden and stop for the night, or get back on the Interstate, head for Wyoming, and stop somewhere down the road. I chose the latter. So off I went again.
Next... Day 2
Dave has been in CS for almost 18 months, so I felt it was high time I went to see he and Teri, his girlfriend. I thought, early October should be fine... no snow... yeah right... brilliant plan...
I started out on Friday, 10 October, in what I (though not most weathermen) would consider a full blown blizzard. Great. The earliest snowfall in recorded Boise history, and I leave town in it. I knew I had at least a five hour drive ahead to Salt Lake City, so I couldn't delay anymore than I already had. Fortunately, the snow ended about 30 miles past Boise, and was smooth sailing after that. All was fine on the drive to SLC as I had a full iPod (plus backup), my Crackberry with GPS direction to my first stop, and a tank full of gas. I thought...
I arrived at my first stop, which was the Worldmark by Wyndham location in Eden, Utah. I'd booked a night in this timeshare location as a perfect first stop on Friday night. It's about a 14 hour drive to CoSp and it would cut a big chunk out of the drive. Well, just like me, I get to reception, and realize that I'd booked for the night before, Thursday night. Sheesh! I'd only read the confirmation three or four times, but still I'd managed to cock it up somehow. Oh well... back in the car...
As it was the Friday of a three-day weekend, and the resort was 100% full, my choices were simple... drive down the mountain to Ogden and stop for the night, or get back on the Interstate, head for Wyoming, and stop somewhere down the road. I chose the latter. So off I went again.
Next... Day 2
Today
Well now, it's been quite some time since I've updated my blog, and there is a ton of stuff which has happened, or will happen. I'll try to cover a few today as I am quite relaxed from a full body massage I just receive. We'll start there:
Full disclosure, I have no connections to this business other than my patronage today
Shangri-La Tea Room & Cafe 208-424-0273
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=416197275
Located at the corner of Federal Way and Overland in Boise, this unique establishment offers a vegetarian menu and an extensive list of herbal teas. On certain days, they offer lectured programs and have live music in the evenings, including jazz and drumming.
Today the event was:
BlueThunder, peacekeeper of The Shoshone Nation, rainbow warrior and guardian of Mother Nature leads special teaching circles to raise awareness on how to clean the negative energy away from natural environments. For more information, e-mail alanamarmel@hotmail.com or tetonrainbows@yahoo.com.
Future events can be found at:
or watch the Boise Weekly for newly added events.
Sample menu items include:
Corn Chowder and Black Bean Soup
Boca Burger (Served o a whole grain bun with goat Cheese and Peach-Mango Salsa
Southwestern Wrap (Black Beans, Corn, tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Spinach, Cheese, and Mango-Salsa
Mediterranean Pizza (Olive Oil and Pesto sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olives on Pita Bread
Prices are very reasonable, and they have all items for take-out.
I visited today, as I had an appointment for a massage, which is offered by Laura. Her massage room is quite comfortable, with gentle music. Her technique was professional and relaxing, very therapeutic, and lasted the full 60 minutes. I will be a returning customer. Give her a call and let her know you read this, you won't be disappointed.
As I was leaving my appointment, the pleasant oder of lunch wafted throughout the dining room, and there were a dozen or so patrons with tea and lunch waiting for BlueThunder to speak.
Full disclosure, I have no connections to this business other than my patronage today
Shangri-La Tea Room & Cafe 208-424-0273
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=416197275
Located at the corner of Federal Way and Overland in Boise, this unique establishment offers a vegetarian menu and an extensive list of herbal teas. On certain days, they offer lectured programs and have live music in the evenings, including jazz and drumming.
Today the event was:
BlueThunder, peacekeeper of The Shoshone Nation, rainbow warrior and guardian of Mother Nature leads special teaching circles to raise awareness on how to clean the negative energy away from natural environments. For more information, e-mail alanamarmel@hotmail.com or tetonrainbows@yahoo.com.
Future events can be found at:
or watch the Boise Weekly for newly added events.
Sample menu items include:
Corn Chowder and Black Bean Soup
Boca Burger (Served o a whole grain bun with goat Cheese and Peach-Mango Salsa
Southwestern Wrap (Black Beans, Corn, tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Spinach, Cheese, and Mango-Salsa
Mediterranean Pizza (Olive Oil and Pesto sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olives on Pita Bread
Prices are very reasonable, and they have all items for take-out.
I visited today, as I had an appointment for a massage, which is offered by Laura. Her massage room is quite comfortable, with gentle music. Her technique was professional and relaxing, very therapeutic, and lasted the full 60 minutes. I will be a returning customer. Give her a call and let her know you read this, you won't be disappointed.
As I was leaving my appointment, the pleasant oder of lunch wafted throughout the dining room, and there were a dozen or so patrons with tea and lunch waiting for BlueThunder to speak.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Attention OIF/OEF Veterans
As you can see from my website here, I am a veteran who has deployed to various places around the world, including Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan and Kyrgystan. I support all coalition troops, and will pass on good news and the like when I get it.
I received the following notice through official channels, and have signed up for future notifications myself (age appropriate, can't see myself rock climbing anymore).
The best part is that ALL expenses including round trip transportation are included in this!!!!
Fully Paid Outward Bound Wilderness Excursions for OEF/OIF Veterans (POCe-mail and phone numbers listed at the end of paragraph)
Outward Bound, an international non-profit outdoor educationprogram, is offering fully funded outdoor adventure excursions to all OEF/OIF veterans. It doesn't matter what your current military status is (active, inactive, discharged, retired) - you're eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in the military. These five-day excursions offer adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, canoeing, and dog sledding in beautiful wilderness areas in Maine, Texas, Colorado, California, and Minnesota. Scheduled courses from Sep 08-Feb 09 are listed below, and future courses will be scheduled soon. All expedition costs for lodging, equipment, food, and instruction are completely funded by a multi-million dollar Sierra Club grant, including the participants'round-trip transportation between home and the wilderness site. The excursion is offered at no cost to the participant. To sign up for one of the prescheduled courses, please contact Doug Hayward at 1-866-669-2362, ext. 8387, or simply e-mail him atobvets@outwardbound.org. To learn more about the OEF/OIF program, visit the website at www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.htmlwww.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html> . You can alsocontact two of our retired Judge Advocates, Joe and Amy Frisk, who areworking for Outward Bound on this incredible program atvetsor@outwardbound.org, or at (303) 968-4420.
If you have the opportunity to participate in one of these adventures, be sure to let others know, leave a comment about this or other tributes to the troops, whatever country is offering them, and I'll be sure to post them all
I received the following notice through official channels, and have signed up for future notifications myself (age appropriate, can't see myself rock climbing anymore).
The best part is that ALL expenses including round trip transportation are included in this!!!!
Fully Paid Outward Bound Wilderness Excursions for OEF/OIF Veterans (POCe-mail and phone numbers listed at the end of paragraph)
Outward Bound, an international non-profit outdoor educationprogram, is offering fully funded outdoor adventure excursions to all OEF/OIF veterans. It doesn't matter what your current military status is (active, inactive, discharged, retired) - you're eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in the military. These five-day excursions offer adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, canoeing, and dog sledding in beautiful wilderness areas in Maine, Texas, Colorado, California, and Minnesota. Scheduled courses from Sep 08-Feb 09 are listed below, and future courses will be scheduled soon. All expedition costs for lodging, equipment, food, and instruction are completely funded by a multi-million dollar Sierra Club grant, including the participants'round-trip transportation between home and the wilderness site. The excursion is offered at no cost to the participant. To sign up for one of the prescheduled courses, please contact Doug Hayward at 1-866-669-2362, ext. 8387, or simply e-mail him atobvets@outwardbound.org. To learn more about the OEF/OIF program, visit the website at www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html
If you have the opportunity to participate in one of these adventures, be sure to let others know, leave a comment about this or other tributes to the troops, whatever country is offering them, and I'll be sure to post them all
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Running...
Let's face it... I am not a runner. I was not built to run... I hate running... can I make this any clearer??
That being said, I have started running... again... blech.
For Mother's Day, my son Chris bought me a very nice pair of Nike Shox at the Nike Employees store in Portland. These are supposed to be the most comfortable shoes for running they have. I'd just started going to the Fitness Center at Gowen Field (Air National Guard Base) to run on the treadmill, as I'd hit a plateau losing weight just going to Curves, and wanted to bump up the calorie burn.
These shoes are ones which have the space in the shoe for a Nike+ sensor, so you can sync it with your iPod Nano and track your runs/walks. Too cool!! The only problem was that neither of my iPods are Nanos. Not cool! So, I put about 75 miles on the treadmill with them, writing down my milege in a diary.
Now, though, Nike has come out with a new Nike+. This one has a wristband with the sensor, so you can use it without an iPod. It has a USB connection that you just plug into your computer to download your stats. I want!!
http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml?sitesrc=USPL&l=nikestore,nikeplus,overview&re=US&co=US&la=EN#l=nikestore,running,what_is,_pdp,cid-1/gid-181290/pid-181290&re=US&co=US&la=EN
Anyway...
I have always been a treadmill runner, recently running to Podrunner beat music. But today, I went to the High School track to see how I'd do with "roadwork". I still used the Podrunner music, trying to figure out which BPM (Beats per minute) rate was good for me. I did 2.75 miles in about 45 minutes, and that included a lot of walk/run laps. Not too bad for an old lady, eh??
The point of blogging all this is to keep me going.
Are you a runner? How do you keep motivated?? Are you a morning or evening runner? Inside or out? Let me know!
That being said, I have started running... again... blech.
For Mother's Day, my son Chris bought me a very nice pair of Nike Shox at the Nike Employees store in Portland. These are supposed to be the most comfortable shoes for running they have. I'd just started going to the Fitness Center at Gowen Field (Air National Guard Base) to run on the treadmill, as I'd hit a plateau losing weight just going to Curves, and wanted to bump up the calorie burn.
These shoes are ones which have the space in the shoe for a Nike+ sensor, so you can sync it with your iPod Nano and track your runs/walks. Too cool!! The only problem was that neither of my iPods are Nanos. Not cool! So, I put about 75 miles on the treadmill with them, writing down my milege in a diary.
Now, though, Nike has come out with a new Nike+. This one has a wristband with the sensor, so you can use it without an iPod. It has a USB connection that you just plug into your computer to download your stats. I want!!
http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml?sitesrc=USPL&l=nikestore,nikeplus,overview&re=US&co=US&la=EN#l=nikestore,running,what_is,_pdp,cid-1/gid-181290/pid-181290&re=US&co=US&la=EN
Anyway...
I have always been a treadmill runner, recently running to Podrunner beat music. But today, I went to the High School track to see how I'd do with "roadwork". I still used the Podrunner music, trying to figure out which BPM (Beats per minute) rate was good for me. I did 2.75 miles in about 45 minutes, and that included a lot of walk/run laps. Not too bad for an old lady, eh??
The point of blogging all this is to keep me going.
Are you a runner? How do you keep motivated?? Are you a morning or evening runner? Inside or out? Let me know!
Jelly Belly Heaven
When I planned my drive to San Francisco in April for a Navy weekend, I left early enough in the day to get (I hoped) to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA before it closed. I knew the last tour was at 4pm, and the store closed at 5pm, but I was remembering it as being closer to Sacremento than San Francisco. Boy, was I off by 100 miles!! Fortunately, I arrived right at 4:45, in plenty of time to buy a few pounds of Jelly Bellies!!!
If you EVER have a chance to go through this tour, or the one at the Midwest factory, do it!! It is a fascinating tour, well run, and great for all ages. When I took the tour 10 years ago, I had my then 18 yo son with me and since we had already taken the Alcatraz tour that morning, I gave him the option of staying in the car and sleeping, or going in with me. He came in, and admitted afterwards, it was one of the best tours he'd ever done. Well! Who'd've thunk??
In the lobby of the Gift Shop, where the tour begins and ends, there is a very nice art collection up on the walls, all made from the different flavors of Jelly Bellys. Here are a couple of them that I was able to take pics of as I was leaving.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Some pics from my last trip
 |
| Pompey on tour |
I was away again... no surprise there, lol. This time I combined a business trip with a pleasure trip. I drove (yes drove) the 1100 miles to San Diego for a wedding. OK, not just a wedding, but a Pompey wedding. OK, not just a Pompey wedding, but a pre-wedding wetting down, a wedding, and a honeymoon cruise.
Click on the ship above to see some of the nutters who flew all the way from England, Canada, Florida, New York for the shenanagans.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Road Trip Part II
Well, day 2 and I made it to Sandy Yago in one piece. Just shy of 1100 miles via I-15, the driving part was pretty uneventful. South of Salt Lake City, there was a truck fire on the northbound side, firefighters on scene, nothing left of the cab of the semi... I hope the driver got out ok.
There were dozens of hawks, falcons and eagles along I-15. The drafts from the hot air gave them roller coasters of currents to play on
I saw two license plates that caught my attention to the point I wrote them down so I wouldn't forget them.
One was in Idaho, east of Twin... SODFTHR hmmm shades of a dirty Adam Curry (ok that's a podcasting joke)
The second was harder to do without symbols, but I'll try... MAN U R
I read it at Manchester United Lover, but they may just be into manure... with a heart stuck between the U and the R. As I was driving by with my POMPEY tags, I thought of extending the international sign of goodwill, but it was an older woman driving, and made the sexist assumption that it was her husbands SUV and she'd have no idea who Pompey was, and why I was gesturing at her.
OK, also because I've never given the bird to another driver in my life, and I'd feel stupid.
I did drive through a sand storm today, and amazingly, the majority of the traffic actually slowed down and maintained a safe distance. I mean, like 45 mph versus the 80 mph they were doing before.
Buying 89 octane each time, I paid $3.99 in Boise, and up to $4.45 in Victorville.
Tomorrow, the assorted wedding guests (well, ones that I know, anyway) start trickling in. I have a pickup at 6pm. Inbetween checkout of the Navy Lodge and airport time, I will go over to the USS Midway (CV-41) and take pictures for my "3rd" son, Casey. He was stationed onboard her 10 years ago, and has fond memories. I'll post the pics in the next posting.
Monday, 2 June 2008
On the road again
Well, yes, I'm off on another road trip. Hopefully I will remember to update this occasionally and post pictures to keep my loyal readers (all 4 of you!) apprised of my whereabouts and comings and goings.
In the meantime, enjoy my nephew's debut on the comedy circuit...
in Hong Kong...
See you along the road...
Sunday, 25 May 2008
The Death of a Common Man
JR Simplot died today at the age of 99. If I accomplish in my entire life what he did before the age of 21, it will be a miracle. "JR" as he was known by everyone in Idaho was the epitome of the self-made man, a humble family man who had the respect and admiration of those who came across him in one way or another.
His innovation just in the frozen potato (french fry) business would have been enough to satisfy any one person, but not for JR. He branched out into all areas of food processing, both meat and vegetables, but locally, most children know him for what he gave back to the community. From the Simplot athetlic fields in the Columbia Village subdivision to Simplot Stadium in Caldwell, and so much more than can be mentioned here, JR believed in Idaho and Idahoans.
He lived a rich life, and not just with dollars. He will be missed by family, friends and strangers alike.
An alternative to Television
.... or ... what to do if you are bored...
As I've said before, I'm a G.I.T. (a Geek in Training) and I love discovering new sites on the web. Thanks to my Twitter friends, I've disovered ustream.tv which has an array of live shows at any particular time of day. Some are pretty cheezy... such as live cam of some college kid sleeping, but there are some pretty interesting shows also.
For example:
Fr. Roderick, who does quite a few podcasts for his SQPN network, keeps his cam going while going about his daily routine. Sometimes you can watch him recording his podcast The Daily Breakfast, to name one in particular, but often he is just in his office doing paperwork, working on his next sermon, or rearranging his office computer equipment.
Fr. Roderick is such a regular guy, it doesn't matter if you are Catholic or not, you can enhance your life knowledge just by listening/watching. His enthusiasm for all things geeky is contagious. Catch the bug!!
His other podcasts include The Secrets of Harry Potter, The Secrets of Narnia, The Healthy Catholic and others.
You can also watch a live fish tank and a hamster habitat, but one of my favorite live cams is from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, which has been following the development of falcon eggs in a nesting box outside the window of an office building.
The chicks are several weeks old now, and have ventured out of the box (so to speak), but are still on the ledge. You can tell from the video that this is not a ground floor window.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/392127
Discover ustream.tv! It's fantastic. Follow them on twitter at http://twitter.com/UstreamTV or me at http://twitter.com/tiggr or Fr. Roderick at http://twitter.com/FatherRoderick
As I've said before, I'm a G.I.T. (a Geek in Training) and I love discovering new sites on the web. Thanks to my Twitter friends, I've disovered ustream.tv which has an array of live shows at any particular time of day. Some are pretty cheezy... such as live cam of some college kid sleeping, but there are some pretty interesting shows also.
For example:
Fr. Roderick, who does quite a few podcasts for his SQPN network, keeps his cam going while going about his daily routine. Sometimes you can watch him recording his podcast The Daily Breakfast, to name one in particular, but often he is just in his office doing paperwork, working on his next sermon, or rearranging his office computer equipment.
Fr. Roderick is such a regular guy, it doesn't matter if you are Catholic or not, you can enhance your life knowledge just by listening/watching. His enthusiasm for all things geeky is contagious. Catch the bug!!
His other podcasts include The Secrets of Harry Potter, The Secrets of Narnia, The Healthy Catholic and others.
You can also watch a live fish tank and a hamster habitat, but one of my favorite live cams is from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, which has been following the development of falcon eggs in a nesting box outside the window of an office building.
The chicks are several weeks old now, and have ventured out of the box (so to speak), but are still on the ledge. You can tell from the video that this is not a ground floor window.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/392127
Discover ustream.tv! It's fantastic. Follow them on twitter at http://twitter.com/UstreamTV or me at http://twitter.com/tiggr or Fr. Roderick at http://twitter.com/FatherRoderick
Friday, 23 May 2008
Ford's Theater
A simple sign in front of a historical landmark. The play that night was "Our American Cousin".
Directly across the street from Ford's Theater, where the President was taken after being mortally wounded.
The Presidential Box, (minus the modern speakers). John Wilkes Boothe opened the door behind the President and First Lady, and fired.
If you are in Washington D.C. and have the time, participate in the the History on Foot program. Get off the Greyline bus, explore the living history that has made our Nation's Capitol such a wonderful city to visit and get to know.
(The following is shamelessly copied from http://www.fordstheatre.org/Performances/)
"On the night of April 14, 1865, Detective James McDevitt was on duty at the Washington Metropolitan Police headquarters at the corner of 10th and E Streets. Just before 10:30 p.m., frantic witnesses rushed in with news: President Lincoln had been shot at Ford’s Theatre. Before long, other rumors swept the streets: the Secretary of State, the Vice-President, General Grant – all dead. Southern prisoners freed; Confederate cavalry converging on the city. Join Detective McDevitt to revisit and reexamine the sites and clues that separate fact from fiction in a first-hand look at the investigation into the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy and the events of April 14 and 15, 1865.
History on Foot lasts approximately 90 minutes and makes at least 8 stops throughout the story. The distance walked is approximately 1.4 miles, an easy walk to follow the most exciting night in our nation's history!
History on Foot Walking Path
Tour Dates Available:
Friday, June 20 at 7 pm
Friday, June 27 at 7 pm
Friday, July 11 at 7 pm
Friday, July 18 at 7 pm
Friday, August 1 at 7 pm
Friday, August 8 at 7 pm
Saturday, August 16 at 7 pm
Saturday, August 23 at 7 pm
Space is limited, so make your reservation today!!!
Now Offering Private Tours of History on Foot :
Private tours of History on Foot are available by request and based on availability. Private tours can be requested for any time, on any day of the week based on availability. There is a flat fee of $500 for a private tour for a group of any size -- 2-40 people. Payment in full is due at the time of tour confirmation. Tours are approximately 90 min. and travel about 1.4 miles beginning at Ford's Theatre and ending at the White House. For more information or to book a tour please contact the Group Sales office by calling 202.638.2367 or email groups@fords.org. In order to facilitate scheduling of the tour. please be prepared to provide us with your first, second and third choices of dates and times for the tour, as well as the number of people and a very brief description of the group. We will make every effort to accommodate your first scheduling choice. Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you at History on Foot!
History on Foot lasts approximately 90 minutes and makes at least 8 stops throughout the story. The distance walked is approximately 1.4 miles, an easy walk to follow the most exciting night in our nation's history!
History on Foot Walking Path
Tour Dates Available:
Friday, June 20 at 7 pm
Friday, June 27 at 7 pm
Friday, July 11 at 7 pm
Friday, July 18 at 7 pm
Friday, August 1 at 7 pm
Friday, August 8 at 7 pm
Saturday, August 16 at 7 pm
Saturday, August 23 at 7 pm
Space is limited, so make your reservation today!!!
Now Offering Private Tours of History on Foot :
Private tours of History on Foot are available by request and based on availability. Private tours can be requested for any time, on any day of the week based on availability. There is a flat fee of $500 for a private tour for a group of any size -- 2-40 people. Payment in full is due at the time of tour confirmation. Tours are approximately 90 min. and travel about 1.4 miles beginning at Ford's Theatre and ending at the White House. For more information or to book a tour please contact the Group Sales office by calling 202.638.2367 or email groups@fords.org. In order to facilitate scheduling of the tour. please be prepared to provide us with your first, second and third choices of dates and times for the tour, as well as the number of people and a very brief description of the group. We will make every effort to accommodate your first scheduling choice. Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you at History on Foot!
Monday, 21 April 2008
Fire on the Grove
Last week, I got a lot of tweets from people in Boise about something being called "Fire on the Grove". I'm not sure if this was an "official" name for it, but...
As a semi-hermit, I decided to venture out of my cave to see what was going on. It was a beautiful, warm night in Boise, and so after a bite to eat at Pollo Rey and dessert from Cold Stone, I wandered over to the Grove fountain area to do a little people watching while waiting for sunset. Since fire was going to be involved, sunset was the appointed starting time.
There were quite a few "stilt" people, as in the picture above, who were wandering around, working the crowd before the show. It reminded me of the late 60's carnival troupes who busked for money wherever the wind took them.
At 8:30, the appointed hour of sundown, after about 15 min of their band playing pretty good music, the stilters came out to wow the crowd.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VhaSu4ezWkw is one of the acts...
Enjoy
Monday, 14 April 2008
Good news involving a Teen
With all the complaints about young people today (and the last generation, and the last, and the last) it's good to see someone who got involved, with no thought of personal safety or reward. It's even nicer to see that person recognized on a national level.
The following story was shamelessly taken from the 14 April 2008 Idaho Statesman (link in the title of the video).
byline: By Jerry Manter Idaho Statesman reporter
BOISE - A Caldwell teenager has the U.S. House of Representatives thanking her.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Bill Sali officially recognized Brooke Garcia, 17, in the U.S. Congressional Record.Last week, police officials say Garcia saved the life of a 3-year-old toddler in an Intestate-84 accident. The toddler's aunt, who was driving the vechile died in the crash.
"Madame Speaker, I rise today in recognition of my constituent Brooke Garcia of Caldwell, Idaho. On Thursday night, April 10, Brooke displayed courage, bravery and maturity well beyond her young 17 years of age."
"While driving down Interstate 84 in Caldwell, Brooke witnessed a car accident. Her quick thinking led her to stop her car and run to the burning wreckage. Brooke then had to break the back window of the smoke-filled car and reach through the broken window to pull out a 3 year-old toddler from his seat. She said she didn't even think about not stopping."
"Police on the scene said if Brooke didn't get to the child as quickly as she did things, would have turned out differently. She saved the toddler's life. I admire Brooke's composure after witnessing such a terrible accident. I am honored to recognize the heroic efforts of my constituent. I am grateful for her example to our fellow Idahoans and all Americans."
"Brooke's valiant action is yet another reminder of why I am proud to be an Idahoan and to represent the Gem State's First Congressional District. Brooke attends Caldwell High School and is the daughter of Amy and Gerald Garcia. They are rightly proud of their wonderful daughter."
"I trust that all my colleagues will join me in recognizing Brooke for her actions and character. She represents the best of Idaho's next generation."
The following story was shamelessly taken from the 14 April 2008 Idaho Statesman (link in the title of the video).
byline: By Jerry Manter Idaho Statesman reporter
BOISE - A Caldwell teenager has the U.S. House of Representatives thanking her.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Bill Sali officially recognized Brooke Garcia, 17, in the U.S. Congressional Record.Last week, police officials say Garcia saved the life of a 3-year-old toddler in an Intestate-84 accident. The toddler's aunt, who was driving the vechile died in the crash.
"Madame Speaker, I rise today in recognition of my constituent Brooke Garcia of Caldwell, Idaho. On Thursday night, April 10, Brooke displayed courage, bravery and maturity well beyond her young 17 years of age."
"While driving down Interstate 84 in Caldwell, Brooke witnessed a car accident. Her quick thinking led her to stop her car and run to the burning wreckage. Brooke then had to break the back window of the smoke-filled car and reach through the broken window to pull out a 3 year-old toddler from his seat. She said she didn't even think about not stopping."
"Police on the scene said if Brooke didn't get to the child as quickly as she did things, would have turned out differently. She saved the toddler's life. I admire Brooke's composure after witnessing such a terrible accident. I am honored to recognize the heroic efforts of my constituent. I am grateful for her example to our fellow Idahoans and all Americans."
"Brooke's valiant action is yet another reminder of why I am proud to be an Idahoan and to represent the Gem State's First Congressional District. Brooke attends Caldwell High School and is the daughter of Amy and Gerald Garcia. They are rightly proud of their wonderful daughter."
"I trust that all my colleagues will join me in recognizing Brooke for her actions and character. She represents the best of Idaho's next generation."
Monday, 31 March 2008
How could I??
Well, it's been a busy month, but and exciting one too. I mean, how many people can say they are in a podio(audio)book??? OK, Evo Tera can, but he get's bumped off in the middle of Murder By Design (by Rob Suarez), and I'm sure there are some others, but lil 'ol me??
It happened! Paul Nicholls (www.podcastpaul.com) is writing a new audiobook based on the life in hallowed halls of the legal profession. It's semi-autobiographical so you know that he knows the stuff he's writing about. He's been furiously writing while on holiday in Devon, so I'm sure the next segment will be available soon. In the first one, just about eight minutes into the story... well, I'll let you listen to see the major contribution I provide. Paul Parkinson (www.thisweekinlondon.blogspot.com) is mentioned too. Well done podcastpaul!!
Just in case all the dubs confuse you... scroll down the left side of this page to the player, and listen to the first episode of A Law Unto Myself, the latest and greatest podiobook available online. And I promise, this is a completely objective and unbiased review.
Really!
Sunday, 9 March 2008
My Football team
OI OI!!
WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I can't help it. I'm so proud of the lads (transtlation = these guys) I could just burst. I was following the match (game) at work yesterday; I kept hitting refresh on my mobile (cell phone) and not believing the results. It wasn't until the tweets started coming in (http://www.twitter.com/) that I actually believed that David had slew Goliath. Beaten him, at his own game, in his own back yard!! There are not words to express what is going on in Portsmouth now, I'm sure. I've been reading the message boards, but imagine if YOUR team had won, the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and World Series all rolled into one... that's got to be what Pompey supporters were feeling in Manchester yesterday.
PLAY UP POMPEY, POMPEY PLAY UP
This video is to a song sung by Shep Wooley, a wonderful friend to Pompey and her supporters
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Oops he did it again!!
Mark Hunter, host of The Tartanpodcast, Mark My Words and other podcasts mentioned in the previous posting has recorded Tartanpodcast 112!!!!!!!!!!
Download it and all the other great episodes Mark has produced from the link in the last post!
Great to have it back Mark!
Download it and all the other great episodes Mark has produced from the link in the last post!
Great to have it back Mark!
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Since I already wrote this...Part 1
I posted this on someone elses comment section (http://www.gadzooki.com/) and thought, hold on... I've already written this, I might as well use it on my own blog... so here it is...
In response to the question of what podcasts to we listen to, here is my reply:
Hey Jim!
I too have let podcasts take over my life. As a postal worker, processing mail, I listen to podcasts for over 8 hours a day!! Because of this, I need a variety of ‘casts, and I really prefer ones which are 30 min or less, to keep the pace up. I also tend to prefer the “homemade” podcasts, where “real” people like me seem to be having fun podcasting. It gives me hope for my future podcast. Here are some I’ve found in the last 3 years that I’ve been listening to podcasts:
Podcastpaul and This Week in London are a great mix of music, friendly chat and the occasional holiday in a caravan. Paul Nicholls and Paul Parkinson are mates in real life, and have both had their families involved in some of their shows. Janet Parkinson (Geek Girl on The Flashing 12 Podcast) is so genuine, you'd like them to move in next door. Love these guys, and hope to meet them and their families someday.
Comedy
Bell’s In the Batfry with John Bell www.thebatfry.com This is great family friendly skit comedy. Listen from the beginning of show One.
Podiobooks
Playing For Keeps- by Mur Lafferty (@mightymur on Twitter) A wonderfully read tale of a Third Waver trying to lead a “normal” life in a world filled with super heros and villains. http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com/
Billibub Baddings and the Singing Sword - by Tee Morris www.teemorris.com, author of Podcasting for Dummies.
Music
The Tartanpodcast with Mark Hunter. www.tartanpodcast.libsyn.com Within the Tartanpodcast feed are the Sleepy Sunday shows, Mellow Monday shows and some spotlight shows. Great independent bands from Scotland such as Finniston, Amplifico and Hollow Horse, just to name a few. Mark also has some “talking” podcasts under his “Mark My Words,” www.tartanstories.com . Mark has moved on to doing podcasts for the Association for International Cancer Research, which are very informative and cover a different type of cancer each podcast.
Three from Leith with Grant Mason…
Talk
Old Time Radio Shows
Adventures of Inspector Maigret
Old Time Radio Detectives
Old Time Radio Mysteries
Videos
I just discovered the Ask a Ninja podcast which is brilliant, clever and short… must be seen to be understood.
the next post has more from this
In response to the question of what podcasts to we listen to, here is my reply:
Hey Jim!
I too have let podcasts take over my life. As a postal worker, processing mail, I listen to podcasts for over 8 hours a day!! Because of this, I need a variety of ‘casts, and I really prefer ones which are 30 min or less, to keep the pace up. I also tend to prefer the “homemade” podcasts, where “real” people like me seem to be having fun podcasting. It gives me hope for my future podcast. Here are some I’ve found in the last 3 years that I’ve been listening to podcasts:
Podcastpaul and This Week in London are a great mix of music, friendly chat and the occasional holiday in a caravan. Paul Nicholls and Paul Parkinson are mates in real life, and have both had their families involved in some of their shows. Janet Parkinson (Geek Girl on The Flashing 12 Podcast) is so genuine, you'd like them to move in next door. Love these guys, and hope to meet them and their families someday.
Comedy
Bell’s In the Batfry with John Bell www.thebatfry.com This is great family friendly skit comedy. Listen from the beginning of show One.
Podiobooks
Playing For Keeps- by Mur Lafferty (@mightymur on Twitter) A wonderfully read tale of a Third Waver trying to lead a “normal” life in a world filled with super heros and villains. http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com/
Billibub Baddings and the Singing Sword - by Tee Morris www.teemorris.com, author of Podcasting for Dummies.
Music
The Tartanpodcast with Mark Hunter. www.tartanpodcast.libsyn.com Within the Tartanpodcast feed are the Sleepy Sunday shows, Mellow Monday shows and some spotlight shows. Great independent bands from Scotland such as Finniston, Amplifico and Hollow Horse, just to name a few. Mark also has some “talking” podcasts under his “Mark My Words,” www.tartanstories.com . Mark has moved on to doing podcasts for the Association for International Cancer Research, which are very informative and cover a different type of cancer each podcast.
Three from Leith with Grant Mason…
Talk
Old Time Radio Shows
Adventures of Inspector Maigret
Old Time Radio Detectives
Old Time Radio Mysteries
Videos
I just discovered the Ask a Ninja podcast which is brilliant, clever and short… must be seen to be understood.
the next post has more from this
Thursday, 7 February 2008
A Visit to Tubac
Have you discovered the jewel in the Arizona desert that is Tubac? No? Well, why not? 
Tubac, Arizona, is one of my favorite places to wander through when I'm in Arizona visiting my mother. Located alongside I-19, the Interstate highway which leads Tucsonians and hundreds of thousands of touristas to the Mexican border town of Nogales, Tubac is easy to find, but difficult to leave. Nestled in the sagebrush of the Santa Cruz River Valle, Tubac is the oldest European settlement in Arizona. History buffs will love it for that reason alone, but if weren't enough, there are enough shops and restaurants to satisfy any desire.
Tubac, Arizona, is one of my favorite places to wander through when I'm in Arizona visiting my mother. Located alongside I-19, the Interstate highway which leads Tucsonians and hundreds of thousands of touristas to the Mexican border town of Nogales, Tubac is easy to find, but difficult to leave. Nestled in the sagebrush of the Santa Cruz River Valle, Tubac is the oldest European settlement in Arizona. History buffs will love it for that reason alone, but if weren't enough, there are enough shops and restaurants to satisfy any desire.
(Photos above shamelessly borrowed from www.tubacarizona.com site. Please visit this site for an indepth history of Tubac).
If you love to shop for western clothes, furnishings, pottery or jewelry, this is the place. There is a shop just for southwestern spices, and others which specialize in ironworks like these in the video below. On my last trip to Tubac, I found beautiful ceramic house numbers with a wrought iron holder to mount on my house. I could have chosen from a dozen or so styles, and several sizes, which didn't make the decision very easy!
My brother was on a quest for a certain type of bowl, sort of like a mortar bowl, which is used to make guacamole in. One particular shop knew what he wanted, but didn't have it. She was, however, visiting her own mother in Nogales that evening, and promised to bring one back with her if we could come back the next day. We did and she did. Mission accomplished! (As an aside, I got my house numbers from her too.)
You don't want to shop? How about eating? With several restaurants and cafes to choose from, taste authentic foods from the area. There are also museums in Tubac and the nearby area, including the "Chili" museum just south of Tubac (past the giant chicken restaurant shown in a previous blog).
The Tumacacori Mission is across the street from the Chili museum, and was founded in 1691, though the standing Mission was built in the early 1800's. Be sure to take your National Park's passport for a stamp commemorating your visit!!
Nogales?? What? You never made it? Oh well, it will be there the next time... if you can drive by Tubac without stopping.
Friday, 25 January 2008
Going Green??
I have my own opinions on this whole Global Warming thing... one word... cycles. I don't mean bicycles, motorcycles or unicycles either. I'm sitting here in the coldest winter since 1990 where I live, under a blanket of snow, and with a down duvet over me. Global warming indeed.
Be that as it may, I'm doing my best to stock up on incandescent light bulbs before they are outlawed (Thomas Edison is spinning in his grave!!). I concede that I bought 5 energy saving light bulbs last month, but that was because they were mismarked at 99 cents instead of $5.99. I'm not stupid after all. I use them for my back porch light which stays on 24/7.
I almost got out the duct tape today, to keep my head exploding, when out on my front steps was my FOURTH new telephone book this month. Greeness aside, WTF??? Who needs FOUR new phone books? Granted, they were from three different companies, but why? It must be expensive for the 'phone' companies to print out these every year. Wouldn't a better idea be to send out postcards to their local area customers asking if they would like a new phone book? This sounds better than putting a new one on every front step in the region.
What do I do with last years phone books? Or the year before's, for that matter???? Phone book recycling is available somewhere, but who knows where. There should be a notification on the front of the NEW books telling you what to do with the OLD books. Perhaps a pick up service by the phone companies themselves the following week so they can recycle them for their own use?
Just a thought.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Egypt 2005
I had a lovely 7 weeks in Egypt in the Summer of 2005, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Everyone needs a rich Uncle to send them travelling!!
See my striped tan? That's what 13 days on the beach does to you, when the sun comes through the bars of the balcony.
The Egyptians loved me so much, they presented me with my own fez.
I started out on the coast of the Med, up near Al Alamain where "there is also a Commonwealth war cemetery with graves of soldiers from various countries who fought on the British side. This has monuments commemorating Greek, New Zealand, Australian and South African forces. The Commonwealth cemetery, as is common at many such cemeteries in the world, consists of parallel rows of gravestones, each one bearing an engraving of the deceased soldier's unit emblem, his name and an epitaph from his family. Rows upon rows of gravestones stand witness to the battles' human cost." (thanks wikipedia).
Besides the Great Pyramids of Giza... I was able to get down the Nile Valley to Bani Suawayf for a day. On the way back, we saw a few "step pyramids'. Our driver said there are over 120 pyramids in Egypt. We only saw 12 that day, and we weren't even looking for them. We just stopped along side the highway to get this pic.
Egypt is known for it's fantastic crystal, made from the silica in all the sand there. It comes from a particular region and the pieces are fantastic!
This is the showroom of one crystal factory in Cairo. Talk about sensory overload!! There were mirrors on all the walls with reflected the lights of the room and display cases. Sunglasses were almost needed to save your eyes!
Besides lounging on the beach for a few days, I actually got to the Giza pyramids, the Egypt Museum ( no cameras allowed inside, grrrr), took a nice dinner cruise on the Nile, and had a late night personal tour of the ancient section of Cairo on the first night of Ramadan. What an experience!!
I do hope to get back eventually and see the Luxor area of the Nile Valley.
My Mac blogs
I thought I'd just put a link up to my original blogs I started when I bought my MacBook Pro... it was so user friendly, I had to do it.
There are two: one with Site_2 in the link and one with Site_3 in the link. Both have pictures from my various travells on them.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
http://web.mac.com/laurelmeadows/Site_2/Blog/Blog.html
http://web.mac.com/laurelmeadows/Site_3/Blog/Blog.html
There are two: one with Site_2 in the link and one with Site_3 in the link. Both have pictures from my various travells on them.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
http://web.mac.com/laurelmeadows/Site_2/Blog/Blog.html
http://web.mac.com/laurelmeadows/Site_3/Blog/Blog.html
Monday, 7 January 2008
Snow in Boise
I woke up to snow this morning again... must be the fault of Global Warming... everything else seems to be. ( I wonder if I'm only 5'4" because of Global Warming too, even though I'm the tallest female in my family in 3 generations, lol)
As I write this it looks like a proper blizzard out there, and here I went and shovelled my steps, walkway and driveway, grrrrrrrrr.
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Road trip through Kabul
There were three ways of getting from Kabul to/from Bagram Air Base: airplane, helicopter or by road. Travelling the 30 miles took at least 90 minutes and had to be done by armoured vehicled convoy. This trip was in British SNATCH vehicles, and this video was taken through the one window in the passenger compartment.
95% of the civilian vehicles in Afghanistan are Toyotas. White Toyotas. Yellow and white ones are taxis.
I was in the lead vehicle, so you can sometimes see the chase vehicle in the video.
Great lads, the Brits- diligent, well-trained professionals. They got me home safe everytime.
Birthday video
I wanted to the video up of Gerry blowing out his candles, and opening his cards, but there is a 100 MB limit, and the video is 103 MB. Sheesh...
Arizona desert
Just a few pics from Arizona... my ticket from the play "Scrooge" at the Gaslight Theater...
Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Everyone needs a giant chicken in their front yard... this one is at a restaurant south of Green Valley, AZ
Mission San Xavier in south Tucson. Its a gem, dazzling white, which can be seen for miles.
And finally... the panoramic Arizona desert in December.
Arizona in December
Last month, I was able to get to Green Valley, AZ for a few days, to help celebrate a milestone in our family. My step-dad, Gerry, turned 90 years old. He's been a part of our family for over 40 years, and you couldn't ask for better.
Both my brothers and my sister (along with assorted family members) were there, and along with the usual jocularity, we were able to get some good family time in. My three siblings and I hadn't all been together with my mom in over 10 years (+/- a few).
Of course, my mom had a few activities planned. Sheesh, what do you do with a house full of adults, and 2 toddlers? lol.
The first day, my sister and I met up in the Denver airport, and caught the same plane in to Tucson. We did all the normal catching up, sitting across the aisle from each other, while she wrote out her Christmas cards. (I, of course, have my envelopes addressed and stamped and STILL haven't mailed any out).
The next day, we had tickets for SCROOGE, a modernization of the Dicken's play, which was on at the Gaslight Theater. This little theater puts on a variety of different plays and productions. I'd been there once before to watch a melodrama where they encourage you to boo and hiss at the villian.
The play was hilarious, and afterwards everyone in the audience celebrating a birthday got an ice cream sundae (Gerry included). We went to a great Mexican restaurant (well, it is Tucson, after all) afterwards.
We also did a quick trip to Tubac, a small artsy town (ok, more of a village), a few miles south of Green Valley. Almost every building is a shop of some sort selling southwester/mexican/craftsy stuff. My brother was on a mission to find a particular bowl made of stone for making guacamole. We found a lady who could get it that night from Mexico, and promised to come back the next day for it, which we of course did. We picked up an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen on the way home for Gerry's birthday.
The last night I was there was the BIG dinner at the restaurant at the golf course. Nine adults and two children! I don't think they were ready for us. The big surprise was my Brother in Law and nephew flying in from Georgia that day, just for the dinner. They flew out the next day, as I did. WOW!!
It was a great time, not too much sibling rivalry (haha). We all got to take the mick out of Gerry, excusing anything he did with .... "it's alright... now that you are officially "really really old"" LOLOLOL
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