It's Not Rocket Science....No, Wait...It is !

I went outside last night to empty the 'bagless' bag on our sweeper and noticed something weird in the sky.  Over in the West, about halfway up the sky was some weird yellow-orange light.  My first thought was a helicopter but there was no noise.  I stood there for a minute, watching as it traveled East, towards me.  Then, I could see trailing white 'sparkles' like a long comet tail - like something out of Star Trek.  As it got almost in front of me, the light went out, a moment later a puff of smoke, complete with expanding smoke ring and the yellow-white light was on again.  Very weird, very cool.  I didn't have time to get a camera and it wouldn't have taken anyway as none of my cameras are good in low light. 
This morning, I told Charlene about it (she was at work when I saw this) and described it just like above.  My thought at this point was that it was some space junk re-entering the atmosphere.  But it was a little too weird for that.  I 'Googled' it and the only mention was on a UFO Sighting website.  There were 3 different sightings reported from Los Angeles area and Simi Valley, both 40-60 miles away.  That was a dead give-away that it was something way, way up in the sky, not an airplane.  From time to time, Southern California gets some strange, weird sightings or reports of a 'different' kind.  No, they're not crazy, we just remember that the 'Skunkworks' is out here and they make the latest and greatest top secret flying stuff.  But what was it that I saw?  I checked all through the paper this morning and not a word.  Damn it!

I jumped on Google again and typed in "rocket launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base".  That's the place where the government launches rockets on the West Coast of the U.S.  It's about 90 miles due west of Ventura.  I've been there many times in the past doing network stuff so I was hoping maybe they had a launch.  Bingo!  Vandenberg launched a Minotaur VI Rocket at 9:41 last night sending a 'space junk locating' satellite into orbit.  The launch path takes it up, east and south which is the path I saw.  Luckily, someone in Ventura has a better camera than I do and captured the following video. The focus wasn't good on the rocket so you'll see a slightly out of focus view of what I saw - except he didn't get the 2nd stage ignition which made the puff of smoke and smoke ring.....that was right after this clip ends............  enjoy science.

And Just Down the Street.......

I was over at a friends house yesterday, doing the 'geek' thing and helping them with a new (old) laptop.  It's probably 6 or 8 blocks from here and on the way home, I saw a really cool looking tree.  It's a Red Flowering Eucalypus Tree.  Very neat flowers that look like oversized bottle brushes and gobs of them.  After flowering, the street and sidewalk are littered with beautiful little red soft bristle pieces. Again, very cool.  I was waiting for the light to change when I snapped this photo.

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Further down Howard Street was this marvelously colored muscle car.  Camaro?  I dunno but it just reminded me of the wild colors around beach towns in Southern Cowlifornia.  Houses are painted with every pastel color in the rainbow in additon to some with wild and crazy colors.  A lot of cars have beautiful and/or wild colors, too.

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One of the strange things about being a transplant is gettng used to the new flora and fauna.  Nothing native to Ohio out here.  Except, on the 'Historic' street in Oxnard ('F' Street).  It's where the first houses were built in 'Downtown Oxnard' in the late 1800's.  Not very historic by East Coast/Midwest standards but it is out here.  What sticks out like a sore thumb to this Ohio reject is that the street is lined, both sides with Sycamore Trees.  These are water loving things that grow wild along Ohio rivers and streams.  I have no clue why someone would bring seeds to the desert, plant them and expect them to grow but they did.  I'm sure the home owners water them regularly but they still lack the true-health beauty of the Ohio version.

That's about it, no revelations or new ways to save the world, just some pretty colored objects and a weird place to plant something that loves gobs of water.......

Close to Mom's Recipe

 Long time ago, Mom used to make the best-est Lemon Bundt Cake in the whole world.  Really heavy, really dense, made with Apricot Nectar, lots of Lemon Glaze.  In the decades since she's passed, I've never found anyone who has heard of it.  Tonight, the thought of that cake, while I was sitting at the computer caused me to 'Google it'.  After several tries I came upon the following recipe which is pretty close to what she used.  She always insisted on 'Duncan Hines' brand Lemon Cake Mix.  I don't know why but that's what she always used and made me pick up at the grocery store.  The secret of this cake is Apricot Nectar and how the glaze is applied.  As you can see, it's a very 'rich' cake, to say the least.  It is the best.  Trust me, I know what I'm doing.........

Apricot Lemon Bundt Cake

-------------------------------------------------------------
Serves/Makes: 12  (What?  I see 4, maybe 5 big pieces here......) 

Ready In: 1-2 hrs

Ingredients:

***Cake***

1 cup apricot nectar

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

1 lemon cake mix (Mom always insisted on Duncan Hines brand)

***Frosting***

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Lemon juice (enough to thin the sugar)

Directions:

Mix all cake ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Bake in a well greased bundt pan at 350 degrees (or dark pan at 325 degrees) for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Make frosting: Mix sugar with enough lemon juice to make desired consistency and drizzle over finished cake after cooling.  (Mom would pour glaze on, take a toothpick and poke holes all over the 'top' and pour on more glaze.  That way the glaze would also be inside the cake).  Very rich, very good....

Try it and let me know what you think

Flat surfaces Beware!

(Read in the tone of an Andy Rooney '60 Minutes' whinny voice)... Did you ever notice how flat surfaces around the house seem to collect 'stuff ' ?  It seems that every table, bookshelf, desk top or any other flat surface here becomes a repository for things that need to be put away, filed, trashed or dealt with in some manner.  Instead, they are gently stacked in plain sight on the nearest flat surface to be taken care of at a later time.

Here's a picture of Charlene from last night.  Glass of Blueberry juice, basket of pens, pencils and other implements of destruction, the morning's newspaper and tons of NS40 textbooks and a sprinkling of remotes.  I swear, this table is cleaned off daily but it's 'trash pile' magnetic field encompasses the entire house; it's pull is stronger than the trash can.

I'll swing the camera to my desk, the one with the strongest 'trash pile magnetic pull'.The 'pull' is so strong that the desktop is rarely clean for more than 5 minutes at a time.  I don't know why the laws of physics don't apply here as I really don't recall any facts dealing with wood, paper, cardboard, pens, pencils and magnets or magnetic fields but our place is living proof that there is a connection, at least in our house.  If I walk into the kitchen, our former kitchen dining table, the one that holds all items as 'Study Hall Numero Uno' for the nursing program, is always 'loaded'.  Here's that picture.  Notice Charlene hasn't attacked me yet for temporarily putting groceries on it:

I could go throughout the house, especially Nic and Trav's room but it would be too repetitious.  Someday, when we win the lottery, we're getting bigger trash cans or something........

The County Fair

Yesterday afternoon, Charlene and I went to the County Fair, next to downtown Ventura.  Just a couple of miles away and all roads that lead to it are closed, one-way the wrong-way for us or clogged with swat team guys waiting for something to shoot at.  Just kidding about that last one....  Anyway, we spent about 4-5 hours walking around, sampling stuff you would only eat at a 'fair', riding rides, petting horses and goats.  I took some pictures throughout the afternoon and have included them here.  Overall, it was a lot of fun, period.  And that's what it's supposed to be, isn't it! 
If you click on the photos, you'll get a bigger uncropped version.  Then, use your 'browser's ' Back button to return here.

On the way to find a close parking spot, I took a pic of my Fair Ticket.  If you're over 62, you get a $3 discount.  Old People Rock!  As Charlene handed me my ticket, she ask, "Senior or Child"?  I said, "Yes, that describes me perfectly....Senior Child.

Once we made it past the ticket takers, there was a plethera of garbage 'fair' food booths as far as the eye could see.  Once a year, you're allowed to eat this crap in the name of fun.  Don't bother figuring out the fat content or calorie count.  You shouldn't come to a fair if you need to watch what you eat. 

As we worked our way toward the 4H and FFA animal section, there were way, way too many really cool garbage fair food booths.

Of course, there were some with 'catch-phrase' wording like, Best Buns in Town!  But 10 lb. buns?

One thing for certain.  We do not come to the fair for Cookies and Hot Chocolate.  Even though this is a cute little A-Frame booth, please, Grease and Lard Only!

Here's one of the main reasons to come to a county fair:  Funnel Cakes.  Hopefully fried in bacon grease, turned a powder white with the 'Snowstorm Powdered Sugar Shaker'.  Calories?  Animal Fat?  Who cares, it's the once a year county fair, deal with it.

Oh, My God, they had Foot-Long Corn Dogs!  Twice the nitrates and lard.  Mmmmmmm!

As we work our way to the livestock pens, the food frenzy goes on......Austrailian, Italian, Indian and so on....

We finally made it through the garbage food gauntlet and first up were the horses.  Such beautiful animals.  Here's a gaggle of pics from the 'horsey set'.

Then, on to the rest of the animals.  The best were the goats.  Their noses were no where near as soft as horse noses.  But one had a really cool Turtleneck sweater on, the other really cool dreadlocks.

You simply must put some kind of 'fair' garbage in your stomach before you go on the rides.  We started off with potato chips.  With a few onion rings.  These are fresh made while you wait.  Sliced, boiled in fat, hit with the 'Snowstorm' salt shaker, cups and cups of Heinz Ketchup.  Almost a pound of chips per basket.  Mmmmmmm, grease!

Then, it was on to the rides.  We did the Ferris Wheel, the 'Swings', the 'Bobsled' and the giant rocking pirate boat.  The swings was the worst, more centrifical force on stomach that the other rides.  I took pictures from the Ferris Wheel in honor of Ferris Bueller. 

Here's a pic of the Pacific, right next to us.  There's a guy sitting on his 'board' in the bottom left corner.  You're looking at the Oxnard / Port Hueneme coast from the Ventura Fairgrounds.

Here's a couple more taken of the fair itself from atop the Ferris Wheel.

Now, we had some garbage in our stomachs, swirled it with rides, saw the animal displays, it's off to the other buildings full of gems, plants, paintings and other 'fair worthy' crafts.

We stumbled upon an Oxygen Bar.  Bar?  Different flavors of Oxygen?  You Betcha!

  Just before we left, I saw a sign I couldn't resist.

YES!  I had to have one of them.  Damn it, too many choices.........O.K., I went with the deep fried  Snickers.

Of course, smothered in powdered sugar......

The first bite was just the dough-ey end.  Like a corn dog only sweet.  Then I hit the Snickers and everything was well and good with the world.

If you haven't been transported to the ER  with an overdose of sugar and cholesteral, here's the parting signs as we were leaving the fair.  Kind of reminds me of the morning D.J.'s "Pat and Wags"  (before Wags and Elliot) when they were at the Ohio State Fair, years ago, and were raving about 'Pizza in a Cup' on the midway.  Here's the updated versions:

and of course,

Yes, indeed, nothing says if finer than Chocolate Covered Bacon........ Bon Appetite!

Florida Vacation, The Prologue

Most of you are aware that we spent eight days in Florida, returning last Wednesday.  Future blogs will follow each day, pictures included, but today, I'd like to explain the overall trip.  Charlene is from Florida and her brothers and sister live there, including her twin brother (yes, she is a 'twin').  They're located in Tampa as well as North Central Florida and on the East Coast near Daytona.  So, every two days, we were somewhere else visiting a new brother throughout the entire vacation.  Go somewhere, unpack, enjoy another day-and-a-half then pack it up and drive somewhere else to unpack for 2 days.  About the 5th day, Nic, Trav and I were whining about it.  On the 6th day, Nic and Trav said, "If we ever come back, can we stay in one place and send out invitations to everyone else......". 

That and the temperature and humidity.  Both in the mid-90's everyday.  Everytime I'd go into air conditioining, my glasses would fog.  Everytime I left the air conditioning, my glasses would fog.  Even if I was already outside and just opened the car door, the 1000 degree air in the car would 'woosh!' out and fog my glasses.  Now, understand that I am a 'sweathog'.  54 years in Ohio taught me to dress for cool running and drink tons of Gatoraide.  So, the first trip to the grocery store within hours of landing in Tampa was to buy a cart full of Gatoraide.  Living in the temperate Southern California Coastal area, I think I forgot how to sweat but quickly remembered within minutes of walking out of the airport.  Other than those two drawbacks, I had a lot of fun, as did the rest of the family.  And, I finally got to meet those faceless telephoners that have called for years.  Most of 'em are as goofy as my family, if not worse (in a good way).
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New Jenny Craig Spokesperson

Hi,

My name is Cat.  I'm the new spokesperson for Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers.  All my cat friends hinted that I may be adding a little girth in the middle.  So I signed up with Jenny Craig to lose some weight.  Here is my 'Before' picture.

...and on the 9th of June, 2010...

Been lazy or doin' other stuff for a while and haven't updated my blog since the middle of May.  Shame on me.  Remember those tomatoes I planted at the end of March - in the greenhouse?  Tonight, we had our first home grown tomato of the season.  Indescribably delicious.  Only have two ripe.  Saving the other for tomorrow....... Click on the photo to see it in rich, thick, juicy, full bodied wonderful tasting larger size.  Click your 'back' button to return here.

It is Finished.......

I know from being dragged, kicking and screaming, to church every Sunday that when Jesus was ready to die, he uttered the words, "It is Finished".  Well, no religion for this weeks blog, just relief!  Charlene took her RN NS30 final 'final' today at 9:30 in the morning.  No grade yet but she said it was easy.  She only put in about a million hours of reading/flashcards/studying this past week in preparation and this afternoon is doing volunteer work helping at the college with the graduation of NS40 students getting their RN degree.  She's got to put in a bunch of 'volunteer' hours to qualify for graduation when it's her turn, regardless of grades.  No minimum 'hours', no degree.  She's also up for helping the instructors giving the Certified Nursing Assistant tests on Thursday.  She took hers 3 years ago and has been working part time as a CNA at the local hospital ever since. 
NS30, as I have written in the past, was one really tough course.  In addition to 3 instructional (classroom) classes a week and 2 8-hour shifts of 'on-the-job-classes, there was this 'nursing care plan' stuff that consumed hours and hours on her own time at the hospital and write-ups at home.  Way too much information overload crammed down her brain at an incredible pace.  She did great, passing the NS30-A part, taking final and all and then get stuffed into Psychiatric Nursing (NS30-B) for 4 weeks of the same information overload crammed down her brain at an incredible pace.  That was the final 'final' she took today.  End of School for the Summer!  Now, nothing to do but study all summer and take practice "State RN Board" tests until she gets scores of at least 80% or better....... it never ends.   Sigh...........  I was going to end this with "It is Finished" but it's not.  Study all summer, NS40 classes this coming August through December, then State Boards.  Then and only then can we say, "It is Finished"........

Tomatoes Try #3 Update

Well, three weeks and three days after planting my (hopefully) new crop of tomato plants, I have a couple of photos.  I planted 3 different varieties, one of which is my old standby, Early Girl.  Most people aren't aware that you're supposed to bury half the plant, folage and all, when you put them in the ground.  Seems like cruel and unusual punishment but it makes for a stronger, healthier plant.  You got these beautiful 12" tall plants and end up with less than 6" sticking above ground but that's what you're supposed to do.  Does it work?  Check out the photos and click on them for the larger view, use you 'back' button to return here.

Look at those two beautiful baby tomatoes!  These are on the Early Girl, the others, nuttin' yet........

Movie Review

Charlene and I watched "The Men Who Stare at Goats" last night. Not a chick flick, not a war movie. I don't know how you would classify this one other than "Good Entertainment". George Clooney and Ewan McGregor are just great in their roles. Jeff Bridges is good and Kevin Spacey, whom we normally just love, was a wicked-old bad ass you love to hate. This is a funny movie. Nic, Trav and one of their friends watched it this afternoon and give it two iPods up. If you need some funny entertainment, this is it. Loved the ending……..........

HIgh-Tech Charlene

Last week, Charlene was studying and I was doing the laundry.  She got up and went into our bedroom for something and walked back into the kitchen carrying an armload of clothes and dumped them on the floor in front of the washer.  At the time, the washer was only halfway through its current cycle, as was the dryer.  I said, "Honey, I got the laundry, just relax and do your studying".  She replied, "I'm just putting this in the washer queue".  The washer queue?  When did that jargon hit this house?

Got Box?

On the way home, I had to stop and get gas. I pulled into the gas station and 'filled it up' with $20 worth - Whoo Hoo! Almost half a tank! As I was just about through, a chopped motorcycle pulled in next to me. Big, ugly and noisy Harley. The guy riding it had a WWII Nazi war helmet, big ugly "ZZ Top" beard and was over weight. He was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt that said, "Got Box?". He didn't shut off the cycle as he was filling gas into it, kind of 'bad-ass' style. As I finished pumping my gas, I hung up the pump handle and got into my truck. But curiosity got the better of me and, risking life and limb, got out, went up to Mr. Badass and ask him what his shirt meant. "Anger Box!" he yelled above the motorcycle engine noise. Thankful I was still alive, I waived an, "O.K" and quickly got back in my truck and came home. I had to Google it to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Guess you'll have to, also.


On a lighter/heavier note, check out Shelley's latest blog at : http://deliciasez.blogspot.com/ .  The reason she's doing this particular blog is explained by visiting another blog entitled  http://temerity-jane.com/?p=2943

It's a new thing Temerity -Jane made up called 'Stockholming Myself '. Very interesting, very funny, somewhat sad, yet happy. read 'em both. I just might join in........

Third Try at Tomatoes

Most of you know that I love home-grown tomatoes.  Just the best thing in the world - fresh, juicy, tasty and delicious.  What more could you ask?   Ventura has great weather for people, not so good for tomatoes which need heat.  Summer temps here are 65 to 75 degrees average and for a sweathog like me, it's wonderful.  I've tried for 8 years to grow tomatoes and, like our neighbors, never have a good crop.  Small tomatoes, few tomatoes.  The alternative is store bought ones that are picked green, turned red with propane gas and are hard, tasteless things.  If you could find anything resembling real ones, it would be at the weekly farmers markets and cost a fortune.  Nah, I'll build a greenhouse to grow them right.  So, in May, 2008, I did just that. 
Here's a photo of the beginnings:

At the end of our backyard, behind the garage is where I started.  I've never been good at exact measurements so I just planned in my head and measuring was kept at a minimum.  After a week of digging, some Internet ordered Greenhouse film and lots of trips to Lowes, it looked like this:

Then, in the next week, it all came together.  We have a large gopher population in the neighborhood so I had to dig the inside of the greenhouse down several feet and lay galvanized hardware cloth (coarse screening) to keep them out.  I dumped 27 bags of soil, peat moss, cow manure and mulch on top of the hardware cloth to fill up the planting area.  The inside growing area is about 6' by 6'.  Then, up went the roof and walls and door.  Finally, it was done:

It was now the middle of June, a month or so later than when I normally planted tomatoes but as you can see, inside the greenhouse, 5 plants are growing, along with several bell pepper plants.  The greenhouse worked well.  In a month, stuff was growing like crazy:

All 5 plants went crazy, growing to the roof and eventually fell over.  They smothered the bell pepper plants which I could never find again.  The tomato plants were continually loaded with big, red, juicy tomatoes.  Every weekend, I'd fill 4 or 5 plastic grocery bags - almost 20 pounds each. Wonderful tomatoes!  I shared them with neighbors and they agreed these were the best tomatoes in California, ever.  Finally, about the end of October, it was finished for the year. We had harvested hundreds of pounds of great tomatoes but the plants were starting to die.  I  ripped out what was left, cleaned the walls and waited for the coming year.  What a success!.

The following February - the 28th to be exact- I replanted the greenhouse in hopes that tomatoes would be on our table by May.  Here is the hopeful planting picture taken in April.  Only two plants this time and several bell peppers.

But it was not to be.  I had planted too early in the year and there was not enough sunlight to make the plants grow properly.  Yes, they grew tall and bushy thanks to fertilizer but were stunted or mutated by the lack of sun.  There were no tomatoes.  In June, I ripped everything out and started again.  As the summer progressed, we had heat wave after heat wave and the temperatue inside blew past 105 degrees daily, even with the door open and vents installed.  We were lucky to get 20 pounds for the entire season.  Such a disappointment.

I wanted to wait until the first of May this year before planting but was tempted by two 80 degree days this past weekend.  Against my better judgement, I started the 2010 growing season.  I hope things go better this time around. 

Mysterious Notes Appear.......

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From time to time, Nic, Trav or I would walk into the bathroom and notice that Charlene had taped a note to the bottom of the medicine cabinet mirror.  A quote from some author, something to enhance our lives or just something to think about.  This week, we walked in and found something weird that made no sense:

Some kind of medical studies stuff from her homework assignments.  We looked at it, baffled.  I guess it's some kind of study aid for an upcoming test.  Totally non-inspiring for us (and her, I'm sure).  It's one of those 'Whatever it Takes" to learn something for RN College.  Nic, Trav and I just kind of ignored it.  But, like a disease, a cancer, it's spreading.  A few days later, walking into the kitchen in the morning to make some coffee (at precisely 192 degrees), another of the same notes, this time stuck to the cabinet above the kitchen counter, right over the Bounty Towels:

So we confronted her and yes, it's a study aid for an upcoming test.  Things to check and what they mean.  Here's a straight-on view so you can read it:

Pretty gruesome trying to fix coffee, toast or a meal with all this blood work running past your eyeballs.  But, 'whatever it takes' to pass the test is what counts so we have learned to ignore it.  Even "The Cat" takes no interest as you can tell from the following photo:

Go, Charlene, Go!  Pass that test!  Take the notes down........

Top o' the Mornin' to ya!

As I was getting dressed this morning, I remembered that it was St. Patrick's Day and put on a green shirt.  I swear, it's the first time in over a decade that I've remembered to wear green on this day.  Always felt dumb throughout the day as everyone is wearing something green and I'm not.  Today was very different.  Very few people I encountered were wearing green.  Most wore Black! 
Something I should explain about the culture of Southern Califonia.  The people here wear black year round.  There is none of that, "fashion faux pas if you wear Black between Memorial Day and Labor Day" stuff out here.  In Southern California, any day of the year, the motto is, "I'm wearing Black 'till I find something Darker".  Go figure - this Midwestern Boy still doesn't fit in........

Red light Thursday, Green light Tuesday, Dropped screws Wednesday......

We've all had one of those days where everything goes great or everything goes wrong.  In the last week, I've had three of those days.

Red Light Thursday.  These days always start out normal.  Wake up early, get ready for work, pack my lunch and have some toast.  Kiss Charlene goodbye, give goodbye hugs to Nic and Trav and head out to ol' Blue, my pickup.  That's when 'those' kind of days start.  Either gonna be good or gonna be bad.  Red Light Thursday was a bad one.  Start to finish, as I approached a traffic light, it turned red.  All day long.  It really didn't bother me as I'm used to 'LA' style traffic - 75 mph, stop, 5 mph, stop, 75 mph, stop.  After 10 years of this, I can take it in stride.  I'm not rushing to the airport to catch a flight or on the way to the hospital with a trauma emergency, it's just driving around for work.  But every light was red.  And then..... and then, people started pulling out in front of me on the side streets, on the freeways, everywhere.  And when I was working, I swear, everything I touched just got worse.  Seems like I should have stayed in bed.  I eventually made it home safely and it ceased being a bad day, unsafe day, frustrating day.  Red Light Thursday.  I'll remember that one for quite a while.

Green Light Tuesday.  The name says it all.  I think I hit every traffic signal green or turning green as I approached it.  Traffic?  Very light, no stop and go stuff, doing the speed limit.  Work?  A breeze!  Everything just went great!  Love to have more of those days.  Green Light Tuesday was a wonderful experience.

Today was Dropped Screws Wednesday.  I have a magnetizer in my tool bag that I use to keep my screwdrivers and cordless driver bits magnetized to hold screws whether I'm taking them out or putting them in and it's a lifesaver..... except today.  Maybe the magnetic North and South poles reversed today or something but I just dropped screws all day long.  Thank God screws fell onto the floor instead of inside the machines.  That's a real pain in the butt!  Sometimes I'll spend a good half-hour extra taking things apart to rescue a screw that can fall on a circuit board or into some gears.  Not a good thing and it's frustratingly time consuming.  But I fixed everything quickly, had a great attitude about it all and considered Dropped Screws Wednesday a pretty good day.  No, it was a very good day!

We all have up days and down days and I hope yours are bright, happy and Green Light Tuesdays!

Exchange of E-Mails on the last blog post

From my long lost Xeroid friend who first trained me at Xerox in 1970:

Kelly: Excuse me if I'm being dense, but Is that really YOU in that photo hugging the keyboard ? It looks like your hairy arms and hands, but your face looks 10 years older than the picture of you sitting on Santa's lap. What am I missing here ? Did you post a young picture with Santa, and I thought that's how you look now ? Set me straight here.


John
---------------------------------------
Here's my reply:

John, you bastard! Yes, I'm old. Yes, I have thinning hair (there's even a hole in my haircut in the back). The Santa pic was from about 5 years ago and it was the 'prettiest' pic I could find without photoshopping a newer one - and, it's not a close-up. The red marks on my hands/arms are old-guy-skin that bruises easy and since 1) I'm still a clutz and 2) I just banged my arm between a finsiher and copier as I was 'mating' them in a tight spot on carpet. So, send me a pic of you, un-photoshopped........


But, I still love ya'....

....kelly

Goodbye Dear Friend

I lost an dear old friend tonight.  Known him for years, always there for me when I needed him.  Right from the start, we just 'clicked'.  Lately, he showed signs of failing health.  Not answering me correctly, not really sounding correctly.  I knew something was going down but I just couldn't bring myself to face it.  You know how it is when someone you've known for years suddenly has health issues and goes downhill rapidly.  And here it was, happening to me - my friend was dying right before my eyes.  He was dropping letters and numbers left and right - keys sticking now.  Yes, I'm talking about my decade-old orginal IBM AT keyboard.  The kind that made that great clicking sound when you pressed a key.  With the big 'Enter' key that couldn't miss.  Not like the new kids on the block with no sounds, no big 'Enter' key.  My friend is large and heavy - made to last for years.  Years have gone by, its time has come.  Yea, I've got 3 or 4 new style keyboards in the garage and I'll have to get one to replace my friend.   Charlene saw me hugging my friend goodbye and had to take a picture.  She wanted to know if I wanted to bury it in the backyard.  I thought about it but realized I'd have to ask Shaquille O'Neil for one of his size 27 shoe boxes to bury it.  Nah, my friend will retire to the electornic waste recycling center nearby that the State of Cowlifornia requires.  Goodbye my dear friend, you've served me well..........  Dan was beside me, agreed and said goodbye as well.  (That's him, or part of him in the pill container on the right).  Remember, if you click on the photo, you'll get the full size, un-shrunk version)

Mmmmmmmm! Onions!

Having lived in the Midwest for most of my life, I was never influenced by hot sauce, hot peppers or any of that 'hot spicy' stuff, including Buffalo Wings.  Just not my style.  Oh, I'd have Tommy's Subs with extra hot peppers (not really hot banana peppers) and Tommy's Pizza with some crushed red peppers sprinkled on top, but not like my Dad.  I remember his weekend breakfast of eggs covered in black pepper and drowning in Tobasco Sauce.  I tried a drop of Tobasco Sauce once back then and have stayed far from it ever since.  Onions, now that's my favorite.  I cook with onions but especially LOVE fresh sliced/chopped onions.  On hamburgers, hot dogs and salads, fresh onions.  Charlene may be the Garlic Queen but I'm the Onion King.
But now, I live in Southern California of which the vast majority are Hispanic.  Oh, my God, do they love HOT.  Not temperature wise, rather spicy-wise.  My introduction to Hispanic Spicy-ness was my friend Omar.  Shelley, Sister Pat, Cuz'n Kent, Scott and Nathan have met Omar.  We all love him.  He's like a big puppy, kind and gentle.  He used to give me his Mom's burritos at lunch and then he'd go out and buy something to eat.  For years, his Mom would take dinner leftovers and make burritos for him to eat for lunch.  I guess he was a little sick of them.  When Zachary spent a summer out here, when Scott spent a few years out here, when Shelley was here, when Sister Pat was here, I'd bring home what we like to call, "Omar's Mother's Burritos" and have them try them.  All of us just love them.  Better than anything you can buy.  She could make a fortune opening a "Omar's Mother's Burritos Shop" in the Midwest.  If Omar decided to eat them, he'd drown them in Tapatio Sauce followed by Tobasco Sauce.  Ahhhh!   Just thinking about it makes my tongue burn.  Omar would buy a bag of potato chips, dump them on a paper plate and do the same.  I mean he would drown them in Tapatio and Tobasco Sause and eat them like it was just plain chips to us.  Wouldn't bother him at all.  I do, however, remember that whenever he would buy a sandwich that had fresh sliced onions on it, he would pull them off and give them to me.  I'd eat them raw, just pop them in my mouth and chew away.  It really freaked him out.  He said they were too 'Hot' for him and didn't understand how I could eat them.  Talk about an oxymoron!
Ventura County doesn't have a lot of industry that makes stuff; it grows fruit and vegetables and has processing plants for all the produce grown here.  Lettuce of all kinds, onions, cabbage, strawberries, raspberries, celery, beans, lemons, oranges - - I could go on and on.  Lots of fruit and vegetable processing plants that take the stuff grown locally, process it as fresh or make juice and ship it all over the country.  One of the places I love to take service calls is anywhere on Pacific Avenue in Oxnard.  There are lots of processing plants in the area but the one that makes me slow down, roll down the window and take a giant sniff is:

I ask all my customers in the area how they like the aroma of onions every day, all day and they just find it repulsive.  Of course, they're Hispanic.  The Midwest guy, he's floating in onion aroma, smiling..........