Thursday, December 1, 2011

A thought before 2012

I haven't penned anything in a while. I know this is not news, but it reminds me of my shortcomings in the management of my journal. It's been just over a month since Thanksgiving and my last entry. I have sat down a couple of times to write something, but each time, i do, i seem to be drawn away to deal with some mundane parental thing. You know, if i weren't here to settle which one of the boys was better at Madden Football or to decide which of the boys has the right to the remote control at any particular moment the sky would fall. Naturally, the one with the right to the remote is the one wanting to watch whichever show is less annoying to me. It's good to be the King!!!
I joke about these things, but any parent will tell you this is the price of having kids. This last month hasn't been completely wasted on my refereeing job. I completed something i have had on my list for about thirty years. I got my Amateur Radio License.
This journey began sometime back in the 1980's. Wait, Wait, Wait... First things first. Everyone, please meet my Aunt and Uncle. Most people sing the praises of their parents and the impact they have on our lives, but my circumstances have always seemed to be broader than that. I have had the great fortune to be raised by a few men, each of whom are uniquely different than the others and a few women who are equally as unique in their own right.
These two are one of only two couples on that short list. My Aunt, Jackie, taught me, if you talk to a child in a voice soft enough to make a child work to listen, the end result will be far more favorable than the one you get by yelling loud enough to blow their hair back. I got that nugget in April of '76 and it has served me well. My Uncle, Rick, well he's just different. It's a good different, but different nonetheless. Those few of you subscribed here that know him know what i'm talking about. He really is a great man and i forgot how much i missed talking with him. Don't get me wrong, I could talk to my Aunt till the cows come home, but I'll write about her another day. Today, Rick is germane due to the nature of this entry.
Way back in the '80's, i did a little work for my Uncle from time to time. Much of this work involved installing mobile radios. One time in particular, i was installing a car stereo or some speakers or something of that nature in this car he had at the time and i broke the windshield. I was mortified. I just knew he was going to kill me. Pardon the dramatics, but i was all of about fifteen or sixteen as best i can remember. Nervously, i went and told him what i had done and i waited for the world to end. He asked me if i did it on purpose and i assured him i did not and that's when my view of the world changed a little. He said, "It happens and that's what insurance is for." If i live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that.
So anyway, back to my post. He has been an Amateur Radio Operator for about a thousand years. I think Marconi invented the damn thing on Friday and on Saturday my Uncle was reading a book, interviewing Marconi, building an antenna, and attending a radio club meeting all at the same time. Most people would claim he's a multi-tasker, but I'm here to tell you he is not. Multi-tasking is flawed thinking in that you can't bounce from project to project and expect to give your very best to all of your projects. He just naturally thinks in multiple channels. You might think of it the same way a drummer can play several drums at the same time, well in his case insert whatever it is he's doing in place of each of those drums. All effort all the time. Yes, I'm a huge fan of my Uncle and you should be too. hahaha At any rate, way back then in the 80's i wanted to become a Ham Radio Operator. I started to do it, but girls got in the way. I mean, my priorities lay elsewhere. Please, pardon the pun.
About two months ago, my youngest asked me if it were difficult to become a Ham Radio Operator and i told him i didn't think it were any more difficult than anything else one might pursue in this life. So, i told him if he wanted to get his license i would too.
To shorten this part of the story a tad, my Uncle sent us the book and we studied it together whenever possible and we went to a study session put on by the Amateur Radio Club here in Amarillo in December. Well, he didn't pass, but i told him not to worry i had thirty years worth of life on him and that he'd get it. So, he continues to study and i couldn't be prouder of him. In the meantime, I'm getting familiar with the radio my Uncle sent to me and even participated in a local radio network this week.
Now to put a totally selfish and somewhat romantic cap on this story. Once my license was granted i purposely stayed off the air until i could make radio contact with my Uncle ensuring he would be my first contact. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I liked the symmetry of it. So, with a little help of the Internet and a radio repeater site i made my first radio contact and it was with my Uncle. Truly a moment to cherish is one in which a plan comes together. Now, for those of you who don't always notice when God drops in to say hello, this next part is for you. While i was talking to Rick on the radio, he told me my Aunt Jackie was also by her radio several miles away and she was my second contact. You see, after all that planning and scheming, i not only satisfied my own personal goal but received the added bonus of talking to my Aunt as well. Truly one of those moments in my life i will cherish forever. I love you both.
To all of my friends and followers, let this be proof to you that you should never stop learning new things. Learning is a lifelong process by which, if you stop reaching, you'll stop achieving.
Learn something new in 2012. In the meantime, my hope is for each of you to have the very best of what you deserve.

Until i post again, Peace be with you, 88 Dave KF5NXY

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Dead Bird Walking


I have been told i shouldn't apologize when i don't feel well. Then again since when have i ever taken advice that made sense.
Sorry gang, but i just haven't felt well lately and my writing has suffered. My neck and my feet are engaged in trench warfare and i'm caught in "no man's land".
You know it's funny, as people age and their natural hormone production ebbs, one of the side effects of this is bone loss. The thing is, when you are thirty and you lose natural hormone production, you don't see yourself as being old so you won't have that problem; Or so i thought. So for the last fifteen or so years my body has been leaching away the bones in my neck and feet and some days it just doesn't pay to plan anything requiring physical activity. Typing tends to be physical exertion on those days. Alas, i'll muddle through as i have no plans to stop being who i am any time soon.
I have some housekeeping to address. The Sisters' Quilts (Bra Quilts) are on!!!

For some reason i'm feeling a little more pressure to "get it right" than i normally do. In the long run of things, i'm sure of one thing. It will be as i have made it and it will be from that sliver of ice i call a heart. I'm going to do it. To date, i have received about eighty bras in all shapes and sizes. (Conditions too....LOL) I have a ball park number i am targeting before i even get out the rotary cutter and that is five hundred. I'm not exactly sure what the pattern will be, but i'm leaning toward something simple. Watercolor, scrappy, scales, i'm just not sure, but to get the most coverage out of them, the pieces will be small and small pieces lend themselves to these types.

As for the picture above, i took that on the way to the store a couple weeks ago. My poor phone doesn't do justice to the colors of the leaves. They really were pretty and it was nice seeing all the colors from green to that red before brown color all in one stand of trees.

We had some family in for Thanksgiving. It was nice to see the Brother-in -Law and his Girlie Girl. She makes me laugh. I was blessed with three days of football (pure sarcasm i assure you), but Rocky taught me how to make Menudo. That is one of those things that was on my bucket list of foods i wanted to master. Now i have a much better idea of the process and it won't take me long to have that one notched in my wooden spoon.
As for the Thanksgiving meal i cooked a turkey. Big shock huh... I was sneaky about it this time. Years ago i made a seasoning blend specifically for turkey. Many of you have that recipe and know what i'm talking about. Well this year i got to thinking about how to cook it and something got me to giggling. I know how my rotisserie treats turkey and i know the ingredients in my
seasoning and i knew a bird cooked under those conditions would look disgusting. So i cut the wing tips off and cut the skin at the end of the drum sticks and scraped up the bone an inch or so knowing full well as the skin dried out it would shrink up about that far. Okay, so one of the ingredients in the seasoning is brown sugar. We all know what happens to sugars exposed to high heat for long periods of time. They burn and turn black.
I got a few faces like, holy hell did you have to kill it?? I think one of the boys asked if it would puff smoke when i cut it like the one in Christmas Vacation.
You know i cut it up and placed it in the bowl and that's the last i saw of it. I know someone snacked on some leftovers on Friday, but there wasn't any when i went to make me a sandwich. I know, i ended up putting some leftover pulled pork on the bread i had already fixed.
It may have looked horrifying on the outside, but i knew what was on the inside. Dave 1 everyone else 0

I know for Christmas this year i'm going to get a rib loin and make prime rib. Probably about a ten pound one because that makes excellent sandwiches the next day. Though i do still have eight racks of lamb in the freezer, i think i can wait until Easter for that.
If you love to cook as much as i do then how can you not be festive this time of year.

May all of your dinners be banquets and every dish a master piece and until i write you again;
May Peace be with You, D

Thursday, October 13, 2011

In need of a Woman's perspective


In the annoyingly exaggerated words of Paula Deen, "Hey Y'all." As many of you know, i have been sewing for a great many years. One of the things I enjoy building (man term for sewing) are quilts. There is something about the repetitive precision sewing that calms me. It really makes no difference whether i am sewing a scrappy quilt or paper piecing.
I have made quilts out of old Concert T-shirts, Men's Ties, I even made three quilt tops out of a mans entire collection of shirts he wore to make three quilts for his three sons after he passed away. As a point of fact, right now i'm making an "Ass Quilt". It's a scrappy quilt made from denim reclaimed from dead jeans. The colors range from a very pale blue all the way to black. I call it an "Ass Quilt" because everything you make should have a good story to go along with it. So my story for this one is that the quilt is made from the butt section of women's jeans. Okay, so it's a tasteless guy thing. If it makes you feel any better, just imagine the quilt is being made out of Sam Elliot or Sean Connery's jeans. See, now if you had the quilt, you could have your own story. Afterall, isn't that more fun than, it's just made of old jeans??
Okay, let me get to it. For about as long as i've been intimate with women, i've been fixing underwires. You know, those pesky little metal buggers that pop out of one side or the other just as soon as the new gets washed off. Hell i've probably seen more bras than Herminie Cadolle, but less than Heffner. So, here is the thing i need a Woman's Perspective on. I have been kicking this idea around a few years now for a bra quilt. Yes, a bra quilt. No, i'm not kidding. If you know me, you know this is just my kind of project. I have this vision of making a pair of them actually. One made with all Left cups and one all containing Right ones. Given the general two to three piece shape of the American cup, the pattern that would emerge would be something similar to overlapping fish scales. I'd like to make the top out of all sorts of colors and sizes with a big fat Susan G Komen Logo and donate one to them to be auctioned off or whatever they feel like they would like to do with it. The sister quilt, i'd keep and dispose of as i deem appropriate. This IS NOT something i would sell. The very thought makes me ill. My aim is to give something to the people chasing the cure for Breast Cancer and i'll either keep the sister or make a gift of it.
Now, what i need to know is; is this project in bad taste. If not, do i make it out of new bras or gently used ones? If i do go forward with this, is adding the Komen Logo a good idea or should i leave it out?? I have a hundred questions, but since i am a man i need your answers.
Again, let me make it clear. This is not a joke. I am just as serious about this as i was when i made the Prairie dress for the eight year old that wouldn't see nine, and the gown for the size 32 Bride (who looked beautiful btw).
I eagerly await your feedback and please, pass this on to other women so i can get as much feedback as possible.

Until next time, Peace be with you, Dave

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Game Rules

Every once in a while, someone or something happens that really gets my ass out of joint. Lately, i haven't felt much like writing mostly because my ass has really been out of joint. Yeah; Sure; i'm frequently cranky or grouchy. Hence, the Truculent for a middle name on FaceBook. Not withstanding that, i try to keep a nice even demeanor and struggle to live as simple a life as i can. I was told many years ago, by the first doctor i liked, to cut as much of the stress out of my life as possible and i've worked very hard to limit the stressors in my world.
Well, here a couple of years ago i started playing a game where the rules were not only undefined, but there seemed to always be a reason why any rules couldn't be established to aid in the structure and advance the game. This one sided approach to game play came to a head recently. It has caused me to reevaluate the game, how it has been played, and my willingness to continue.
So, i grabbed my rosary and my bottle of Esperanto and meditated on the subject. Eventually, i came to a realization. First, when you wash dishes, you have to wash both sides, not just the front. Second, Hawthorne said that all you had to do to be nothing is simply to do nothing. And Third, when i dig my heels in i always win.
What does all this mean?? Well, it's simple enough. My plates are clean, i'll no longer sit by and do nothing, and my heels are dug in good. I'm not playing this game until the rules are defined and the playing field is level. So, when the rules are made and the deck has 52 cards and an even shuffle, deal me in. Until then, i'll stick with my crossword puzzles as i never was a fan of solitaire.
Now that i have gotten this out of the way, i am going to post several in the next couple of weeks and get all the ugly drafts taken care of.
Until i write you again, Peace be with you, D

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ramblin' Bamblin"


Ordinarily, i'd say let's go to the Waffle House and get some breakfast, drink coffee, and talk treason until dawn. This just isn't reasonable because i'm wherever i am and you aren't. You are where you are and most likely asleep. In lieu of that, i figure i'll just sit here and see what bubbles to the surface.
It's about three thirty in the morning and i just got the last glass of ice from the bag in the freezer. Add to that a fresh can of caffeine free Dr Pepper and a BC Powder and many of you can envisage the scene. I'm here at my desk; sipping, puffing, and playing with my moccasins with my toes.
It's been bugging me that i set a goal of twenty-six postings for this year and i'm only at twelve with three quarters of the year gone. I'd like to think that my postings happen organically and are in no way forced. Then again, i'm reminded of the previous posting that was anything but organic. Or wasn't it?? It did indeed occur from those elements that bubbled up while writing it. In some regards though, i would say it was forced. I was feeling the pressure of not meeting my own goals and i had a couple of friends ask me to post something, so maybe it was. I'm not sure and i guess i'll have to leave it as it is.
It's not like i don't have anything i want to write about. I have a list that is only rivaled by my grocery list and Santa's. I've been threatening for months to write one about my Aunt. She is a beautiful lady that has been a parent, a friend, and a great influence on me. While it is a bit scary writing about one of your friends or relatives, it can be very rewarding in a sense of tribute or sharing with the world how wonderful these people are.
It's not just people either. I drive a 1991 Isuzu Trooper. It's a big square chunky refrigerator box of an SUV built before they attempted to make them comfortable. It's ugly, the paint is faded and chipped, the seats are like a wooden chair and the carpet is horrifyingly dirty. (and NO, a steam cleaner won't help) However, for everything it isn't, my Trooper is two or three times over.
Then somewhere in there i'm hoping to find my silliness again. I just haven't been silly in a while and that's starting to bug me too. Hell, i'm probably on the downside of a Bipolar swing or something. I probably shouldn't joke about it as it sounds like self pity, but if you can't smile with the bad, why smile with the good?? I found out last week the celebrated football coach Vince Lombardi was Bipolar. Maybe i should have been a football coach. Hmmmm, nah, the cord on the whistle would mess up my hair too much.
At any rate, there's a meeting of the Married Single Parents Association in a few hours so i should try to pass out.
I certainly hope you are all doing well and that the Autumnal breezes find you soon.
Until i write again, Peace be with you, Dave

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Stick a fork in Me: formerly Back by popular demand

Okay, so it's been a while since i sat to write anything. I've even had a stalker or two, casually comment on my absence. I do appreciate the attention and i certainly hope i don't let you down. One thing though, don't forget, you get what you pay for.
I'm not overly gabby these days. It's quite possible that my son's football is taking its toll on me. Then again, my younger son and his FFA is a concern,but not quite as bad. Let me attempt to clear this up a bit. When it comes to football, he's attending two games a week. I thought the UIL had rules about this, but what do i know? I'm just a housewife. Honestly, i don't see how he's going to be out that much and be academically successful. Time will tell, but it's a burden knowing everything. Then the FFA thing. Last year, the cost of a hog was 190USD. Much to my surprise, this year it is right at 400USD. What in the hell. Feed is twice as expensive too which equals something in the order of two hundred bucks a month for feed for a pair of hogs for eight. Sorry Zeke, i guess you are going to concentrate on the political side of the club this year cause the animals are out.
Okay, sorry, had to go meet the teacher. Someday, someone is going to have to tell me just why we do that. It's not like the teachers ever say anything other than i enjoy having BooBoo in my class. Though there was a high point, if you could call it that. I threatened to whack his AP English teacher in the head if she used "Took'n" as his physics teacher had. I have to admit. I use poor English regularly, but i'd never use Took'n in place of " have taken".
Ah hell!!! It has taken me two days and a number of hours to write this. I did manage to make the orange and black table cloths i was asked to make, but other than that i think i'm fried. By the by, those are organizational colors not linens for Halloween.
Ok, that's it. I'm posting this without editing. It is what it is. And for the record, i just found out that Mr Football has fallen behind in his classwork.

You know i love you more than my luggage...
Peace be with you, Dave

Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Amazing Flour Tortilla


My time in the kitchen began sometime well before i won my first cooking contest with a culinary curiosity called "Cheezy Grits Bake" in 4H. That little number happened the better part of forty years ago while still in Elementary School. Since then, i have spent an obsessive amount of time and effort documenting and preserving the cuisine that defines the culture i come from. Talk about your fusions of ethnic foods, everything from the soul foods of northern Florida and southern Georgia all the way across to western Texas and northern Mexico. Add to that, the foods i have had in my travels, that i chose to add, to what i already had and you end up with something really ecclectic. The best part about growing up where i did was, we had Mexican food before Mexican food was cool. Sounds like a country song don't it?? It was just what we ate. Hell my friends and I were eating Fajitas before Bobby Flay ever disgraced a knife by picking it up. In case you missed the dig, i'm not one of his fans.
The two food items that are both central to our food and at the same time were the hardest for me to master were the Buttermilk Pie and the Tortilla.
The problem with the Buttermilk Pie was solved by being sloppier in its preparation. You could say that, for me to make my Grandmother's version of the pie, i had to make it the way she did and she just threw it together. However, the Tortilla came down to my own expectations.
Over the 4th of July weekend, i promised an old friend of mine that i would share my tortilla recipe with her. She told me that she had tried several recipes and that it must be something in the way she was preparing them that didn't produce a tortilla up to her expectations. Now, usually when i share a recipe with someone, i monkey with it a bit. You know, nothing that makes it not turn out, just something that isn't exactly as i do it. Well, today is a special occassion for me. Here is the actual recipe i use for Flour Tortillas. It doubles as a pie crust, pancake batter, drop dumplings, biscuits and a few other things with a few minor additions to the mix or in the liquid. Generally, i'll take a couple of Kilos of flour and make up the mix in bulk just to have on hand much the same way other people would use Bizquik or some other mix. I'm sorry that my recipe is in grams, but it's the only way to truly get the same results every time. Flour settles, you can over fill or under fill a measuring cup with liquid, but using a scale makes everything friendly every time.

Tortilla Mix
  • 250g Flour
  • 8g Salt
  • 8g Baking Powder
  • 68g Shortening (I have made them with Lard, Crikso, Veg Oil and even bacon fat) The results vary slightly. I probably prefer half Lard (when my wife lets me) and half veg oil. In the end, shortening is shortening as far as the gluten is concerned.
  • 172g Warm Water
Bakers Formula: Flour 100, Salt 2, Baking Powder 2, Shortening 17, liquid 43.

The Bulk Mix i made this time was 2000g Flour, 40g each of Salt and Baking Powder, and 340g of regular old Crisco. For the recipe on the video i used, 300G of mix and 130g of warm water. The warmth isn't all that important. If it feels warm and not hot or cold, then it's a good temp.
Here's the Video.
I must apologize for some of the camera work, but my son is only fourteen and he's still learning. All in all, for as long as he's been doing it, he doesn't do too badly especially since this was his first video.
If you guys have any questions about making tortillas, feel free to ask. I field questions about cooking and sewing everyday and i don't mind at all.
I certainly hope you got from this what you needed. I know you can do it. Now, go forth and tortilla your brains out.
Until we get together again, Peace be with you, Dave

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Take the Long Way Home

It had been a couple of years since i'd been home. My last trip was, demoralizing, wrathful, and emotionally draining. So much so, it prompted me to swear to never again return to the place of my youth. So when a class reunion came up, it took quite a bit of coaxing to get me to throw in with my old friends. Though i had made room reservations back in January and had a car reserved, it wasn't until i found out that my Aunt and Uncle were going to be there that i knew i was really going to throw my arse in the car. I made one promise to myself for this trip and that was i'd only hang around people that made me, Happy!!!

I threw the family in the Rent-a-Wreck and headed out. I was so determined to make sure we
all had a good time that i insisted we take a little detour along the way.

Welcome to Happy, Texas. This simple divergence really set me off on the right foot. I know it seems silly, but this made me really happy. While we were there, a man out for a morning walk asked if we needed help. I told him that we were fine and just wanted to get this picture and he smiled. He took a few steps and turned back to me and said, "Welcome to Happy." I thought, Indeed.

We got to Alpine, running late as usual, and Donner got her nails done (Busy week before we left and fortunate enough to know people down home willing to stay late on Friday (Thank You Fred!!!)). We got checked into the hotel with just enough time to shower and get the boys pizza before the first night's activities.


I was completely taken aback by just how beautiful everyone was. All of these kids i had known had grown up. Suddenly, i began to feel old. It was a great night. I got to see Lavender Chick, Painted Groove Girl, Aura Mae, Kara and a litany of others that i hadn't seen in years. As an added bonus i got to visit with JENNIFER!!!!!!!!!!!! Who had some right interesting questions about Donner's benefits package. LOLOL

Here, i grabbed a photo-op with The Lavender Chick herself. She's just as charming and warm as she was when we first met. I guess i should have tried to hold her hand on that field trip in fifth grade. Alas, she's my friend and that's way better. Now, y'all go buy her Lotion cause it's just as perfect as she is and the Body Wash is something you can't live without!!!




Even my sister was a blast to hang out
with. Fun as it was, i still had a shopping list of things to accomplish in a weekend.
One of those items was to have a visit with my Aunt and Uncle. We moved
away from each other before Donner
and i got married. Therefore You might as well classify it as a moral imperrative. More on that later.

Finally, i would be remiss if i didn't give credit where credit is due, i managed to get a picture of the whole family together. Courtesy of Aura Mae, Celebrated Hair Magician, Talented Foodie, and yes it seems to be, Photographer too. It's pretty easy to carry a camera and get shots of people and events, but the hard thing to do is to get yourself in them. So, Thank You Aura Mae, you're wonderful and i appreciate you for doing this.
For most of the night, i let the guys run free with the camera, telling them only this: Don't drop it and get a picture of everyone, especially the couples. They did a pretty good job. Thank You guys. I know they probably don't get it, but by them taking pics it left me to spend more time enjoying the moment. I am surprised at just how friendly and fun it was. I wish i had gotten the chance to visit with Painted Groove Girl more and a few others, but if there is a next one, i certainly won't get so worked up about it.
One last thing, my favorite part had to be... Well some things are better left unsaid.

Until i address you again, Peace be with you, Dave

P.S. I am working to put my tortilla recipe. It's been crazy here, but when i do i certainly hope you get from it something you can use.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Potpourri for 100 Alex and a Reunion Too

In case you haven't noticed, i haven't journaled in quite a while, even for me. I've been pretty busy lately, what with the end of the school year, my container garden, and my beloved sewing machine. Then again, i guess the largest detractor from journaling are my wonderful boys on summer vacation.
Well, i found a few minutes and thought i would catch everyone up on the goings on here in the middle of nowhere.
The school year ended and the boys are moving on to their Sophomore and Junior years. The older one turned sixteen the other day and it made me a bit sad. I am going to make a terrible empty nester!!!
As for my container garden, this has been a tough year. I ended up with an infestation of Spider Mites, Leaf Miners, and Flea Beetles (I always want to spell it Beatles). I tried all of the Organic ways to rid them, but finally aquiesced and bought some Neem Oil and i'm just waiting on the Tomatos to rebound. The peppers and other veggies are blooming and growing again like i would expect them to. So far i have gotten a dozen tomatos, a couple dozen peppers, and one bhut jalokia. I haven't tried that pepper yet, but i'll let you know what happens when i do. I guess it wouldn't be fair if i didn't show you a picture of my little container garden. So, here it is.

As for the sewing part, it's that time of year when i traditionally make Donner something summery. I sure hope that's a real word, if it isn't it is now. This year is no different. I've made a few blouses and a couple pair of pants. Next up is a dress or two.

Finally, there is a class reunion over the 4th of July weekend. I come from small town America. So small in fact the reunion covers everyone that graduated during the 1980's. Now, a little tidbit, i didn't graduate from there or anywhere. I earned my GED in the Army, but we were all such a part of each other's formative years that nobody really cares. It's more about getting the people together to celebrate that part of our collective lives than who did what. I have to admit i'm a little apprehensive about going as there are only a dozen or so people i want to see, but i'll put on my brave face and go. Those few people i want to see are worth enduring the presence of those i'd rather not. The sad thing is, i'm related to a number of those i don't. Then again i learned there is a silver lining to this. I have a set of relatives, that i really enjoy, that will be there as well. I haven't seen them in something like fifteen years or so and that is just too long.
I will go to bed tonight with a guarded sense of excitement for the 4th of July weekend.
On a personal note Painted Groove Girl and Lavender Chick, I certainly hope we all find time to sit down, split a beer, and talk a little treason.

Until I write again, as always, Peace be with You, Dave

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Smells like Summer

For as long as i can remember, I have been one of those people that, according to Kant, experiences transcendental episodes created in response to olfactory stimuli. In short, there are certain smells that take me to a place and/or time. Many times it's as though i am living it for the first time.
I would guess the first smell i really remember having these trance-like episodes over was, of all things, a hairspray. It was either Aqua Net or Final Net. I remember it came in a blue can with this kind of net pattern on it. I had a girlfriend that used it and to this day, i still have fond feelings associated with it. Then there is the weird. I absolutely love the smell of skunk. Now, not a heavy smell of skunk, just a light whiff of skunk in the distance. To me it is a peaceful and calming thing.
There are those smells that are straight forward and just stand for something, like; baking bread, babies, a clean bathroom, and leather. Which brings me to my favorite smell of all. I completely love the smell of a woman first thing in the morning. I'm not talking about that whole kitten breath thing. I mean it's not like i've been eating tic tacs all night myself. I'm talking about the smell on her. That warm, maternal, lovely homey smell she has right before she wakes to start her day. The scent of a woman could be a whole post all by itself and yet i doubt i'd deliver justice on the subject. It seems as though i have wandered pretty far from the path, but what can i say, it's just one of those things.
The other day i was at the store, in the produce section, and evidently my smell thing caught up with me. I was standing there with a lug of Village Farms tomatoes smelling them. I was frantically searching for a hint of that earthy smell home grown tomatoes have. While i was smelling them, the woman next to me said, "it's not there." I looked at her and smiled and said, "What's not there?" She said, "That tomato smell you're looking for."
I didn't know anyone was aware of what i was doing, but i had been smelling all of the produce before putting it in my buggy. The funny thing is, she was right. I was looking for that tomato smell.
That dirty, earthy, almost evergreen smell that homegrown tomatoes have just screams summer to me. It takes me back to when i was a kid and my grandmother would have this immense garden filled with all kinds of vegetables and i hadn't yet learned that produce without blemishes or natural odor even existed.
For about the last ten years, or so, i have been container gardening on our patio. This year is no different save the location change which got me started later than i normally would. I have two varieties of tomato, jalapenos, cayenne peppers, some orphaned strawberry plants my mother-in-law gave me, a few garlic, a bed of salad greens and one of carrots and radishes. I may add some green onions to that, but essentially that's it. It's a typical offering from me, but it's the first time in a few years i have planted all of it.
I was admiring my plants yesterday when i came across that familiar tomato smell that i've been longing for. I'm happy to report it smells like summer at my grandmother's.

There is one more plant i am growing this year. It's the Ghost Chili or Bhut Jalokia. It's supposed to be one hot mother. If a Jalapeno is 4-6 thousand Scoville units in heat, i can't imagine what 1.1 million Scovilles is going to be like from this monster. I am planning on drying them out and using them to augment the lack of heat winter jalapenos have i use in our salsa here at the house in the latter months. I'll let you know if i can still taste anything after i try one. In the meantime, it's an attractive plant and doesn't really look like a pepper plant. The leaves aren't shaped right. That is the plant i am holding in the picture above. (The first picture is of one of my tomato plants) Oh, and that piece of glass you see behind me is the top of my solar water distiller. I'm getting a couple cups a day, not quite a quart yet. I'm still tweaking it.
So, there you have it. A somewhat intimate look into one of the things that drives the person i am.
Until i find you again, Peace be with you.
Dave

Monday, April 18, 2011

Truculent with a subtle touch of recalcitrance

Today i add another ring around the oak that is my life. My leaves are tattered, my trunk is sturdy, and i don't bend like i once did, but i hope the shade i cast is comforting to my family and friends.
I saw some of those friends this past weekend in Dallas. Those few hours reaffirmed just how precious those people are. I am thankful for being entwined such that we are and I love you. I haven't the ability to articulate it any better than that. Rest assured there will always be a branch to hang a swing on.
And in response to the general state of things, i will indeed take a few minutes for myself today. I Promise.
Again, I thank all of you for the enrichment you have brought into my world.
Till we talk again, Peace be with you,
Dave


Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Lucha-dedos??? What the hell is that??

Well as you can see by the picture, we have taken thumb wrestling to a whole new dimension. It's funny. The other day i was making my yearly run into Albertson's (yearly, that's a joke) when i saw the stack of gumball machines. Well, to make a long story short, one of them had these luchadores masks in them for thumb wrestling and instantly i knew i had to have a couple because the boys would freak out. Naturally, i was correct and for the next couple of weeks we played with them almost daily. I'd say that's not a bad return on a dollar. Then again how do you put a price on the laughter of children and their contentment.
I am happy to report Track and Field season is over. Yee Haw!!! No more late night trips to the school to get him after meets. Oh Wait, There is Spring Football. The big one is playing Middle Linebacker and Full Back; while the little one is a Defensive End and a Tight End. This is of course for those of you who have a passion for the game. As for me, i go because my kids play.

We had a few unwelcome guests in the house the past few days. I was telling the "Mad Scientist", that's the little one, about the first one and all he could do was ask questions. Was there a fiddle on the cephalothorax and how big were the petapulps?? I told him, all i knew was that it was a brownish spider. He asked me to take a picture if another showed up. Sure i said. After all, i smashed the first one. The next day, sure as thunder, i found a second one, but my picture taking and its longevity didn't have a harmonious climax. However, around seven that evening, i took several shots of this creature pictured at left. I then blew it up on my computer and got an hour long lesson on what cephalothorax and petapulps are. Oh Yeah, and this is a Brown Recluse or Fiddleback spider. The good news is they aren't aggressive and tend not to bite unless they feel threatened, but if they do bite the results can be severe. If you are curious, do a google image for fiddleback spider bite and you'll see what i mean. As for me, i'm just waiting on the bug guy.
We are going to DFW this weekend. I have got to get me some good Chinese food and some sewing needles. Then again, there are quite a number of people i'd like to visit with. It's going to be a short weekend, but i don't believe there is any other kind.
Lastly, the western half of my beloved state has seen a rash of range fires in the last couple of weeks. The pictures and first hand accounts are heart wrenching. I know all too well the devastation range fires can wage on property, livestock, and the people involved by them. My thoughts and prayers are with these people as i will forever be a part of them and they of me. It's little consolation, at this point, but range fires are a part of natures renewal process. I pray the grasses green up quickly.
I lied, lastly, my new phone is supposed to be able to blog to blogger. I'm going to try it out on the trip this weekend. So, if you stop by and find something unusually unintelligible, chalk it up to that.
Until i speak with y'all again, May Peace be with You,
Dave

Saturday, March 19, 2011

My OGGI Cup Broke.

This is an Oggi Cup, in case you didn't already know. It's just like mine, though mine was GREEN!!! Seriously, what other color would it be for me. You see Donner's car has been running poorly and i thought i'd take matters into my own hands and see if i couldn't do something about it. Afterall, i have a pair of teenage boys that need some practical experience with car maintenance. In the process of this my cup fell off and broke. I know, it's just a cup, but it made me really kinda sad. I can't really explain why, but it really hurt my feelings.
I suppose my reaction to the cup could be, in part, just one more of the things that have been weighing on me since we moved to Amarillo. I mean, my sleep is down, my pain index is up, and my disinterest in my daily life is at an all time low. I've spent days considering why all of these things are as they are and what i need to do to lift myself back into the light. I just don't know. I believe i'm stuck in a trough of depression and i'll be as i am until some triggering event comes along that snaps me out of it. I hate feeling lost, out of control, and lonely. I know it's going to take some time for me to establish a life here, but i'm just not sure i really want to. Don't get me wrong, i am thrilled for Donner and her job, and i know that it is a stepping stone to what she wants to do and all that, but i'm just trying to find my place here, all the while being supportive and fulfilling my role. I'm sure that i'll be fine in a couple weeks and that eventually my place here will be revealed. Until then, i need to be patient and soldier on.
I did find me a cup similar to an Oggi cup at the World Market that is all green. The lid doesn't fit quite the same but i guess it's good enough. Someone once told me to find something good or interesting everyday. Well, while at the World Market i also found that they make candy bars with dark chocolate and bacon. Yes, you heard that right, bacon.
What an odd pairing, but that only reaffirms my belief that there is something for everyone.

Until i write again, Peace be with you,
Dave

Monday, March 7, 2011

So, I Got Cold Feet.

You know i've never been, what a lot of people would refer to as, cold natured. I have often credited the longevity of my marriage, due to Donner being a "cover hog". The truth be told, if i lived alone, about all you'd find on my bed would be a bottom sheet and a quilt for me to sleep against. There would probably be an inordinate number of pillows as well. So, i find it odd my feet should be cold most of the time since the move to Amarillo.
I would be remiss if i didn't lay it right out that i just don't like shoes. The first thing i lose when i walk in the door are my shoes and i only put them on when i need to. As far as house shoes go, i've found them to be less than ideal. For instance, they make my feet sweat. Sweaty feet + time = smelly shoes. Smelly shoes just don't work for me. I have two teenage boys and i just don't abide smelly anything, least of all; shoes. However, i did need something for my cold feet.
I remember when i was serving in the Army, i wore chanklas (flip-flops) or moccasins in the barracks. So, i thought i'd go to the Tandy store and by me a moccasin kit. Easy Peasy, no more coldy feetsy. Much to my dismay, a moccasin kit from Tandy is about fifty dollars here in Amarillo. That annoyed me greatly. I had something in the twenty dollar range in mind. Well, i have a whole bunch of leather here around the house and the pattern for moccasins was ten bucks. The solution was clear. I bought the pattern and enlarged it and did all of the work myself. You know, kind of a skip the middle man type of thing.
Well in true Truculent style, a plain pair of black moccasins just wasn't good enough.
I put my brain to work and thought i'd make the cuff and the toe out of patent leather and add a couple tassels just for grins. That plan was all fine and good until i noticed Tandy had small stingray skins on sale for twenty bucks. So, my next idea, and probably my favorite, was to make them with patent leather cuffs and just the black beaded part of the stingray. Well, when i got the skins home, it became painfully evident i didn't have enough skin to make them that way. As they say, the eyes have it. So, what you see in the picture is what i came up with. stingray toes, patent leather cuffs and tassels and 4-6oz black bull hide for the shoe itself. I still wasn't done. I didn't like the way white insoles looked in them. I thought they needed some sprucing up as well, so i used this muted green paisley and some anti-microbial foam for insoles. What i ended up with is definitely a one of a kind pair of mocs.
Just in case you haven't been keeping score, i still ended up paying about fifty bucks for my house shoes. On the bright side though, they are uniquely mine.

As an aside to my house shoe shenanigans, This has been a long week filled with reflection and prayer. This post is for Gus, Lupe, Johnny, and Trey.
Until i see you again, Peace be with you
Dave

Sunday, February 20, 2011

What's good for the Gander

Here a while back i saw a commercial on TV that made me giggle. The basic set-up was designed around something like "The Antiques Roadshow". In the commercial, a woman had taken her item to the appraiser and he gave his appraisal. She brought him a mannequin hand with a little yellow bird in it and he told her that her bird in the hand should be worth two in the bush. This one made me giggle pretty good. I like it almost as much as i like the one where the retired drill sergeant is a therapist. That one is just funny to me. !!Cry Baby!!
This commercial reminded me of a writing class i had in school where we had to write a number of aphorisms. You know, singular truths, like Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder and so on. This is the class where i penned my now infamous aphorism; Always a bridegroom, but never a bride. I admit it's not very original, but it's cute all the same.
I remember this exercise as it was quite difficult for me. I met my deadline, but i wasn't very proud of what i accomplished.
Anyway, it snowed like mad here last week. I mean about a foot or more and the wind was
blowing like hell and the kids were home for a day or two. So, i was off my groove. I was Marshalling TV channels when this bird in the hand commercial came on and instantly i was struck with an idea. Why couldn't i make a bird in the hand??
I started running all of the old adages i knew through my head. I didn't want to re-do the bird in the hand, a penny saved is a penny earned lacked something creatively and what's good for the goose is good for the gander just didn't sing to me. Then it came to me, my adage.
I've had this old clock for some time and i've wanted to do something for my sewing room with it. Though, i no longer actually have a sewing room. What i do have is a kitchen table that suits me just fine for now. So, i presented my adage in a clock. Which now only seems fitting. Now for your enjoyment and mine, of course, here's my adage clock for my sewing room when i get one again.

I'm not going to tell you the adage that was the inspiration for this, but what i will say is that every time i look at it i giggle and swell with a sense of pride. I'm such a Wacko!!!

My wife has a clock and watch fetish, so naturally, she loves it. I was sort of inspired by the museum watches put out by Movado. I got Donner one shortly after she first saw one and i took the hint it was something she had to have.

I hope you can guess the adage, but if you can't i'll post it in the comments in a few days.

While i'm at it, i should tell you that my next project is a pair of house shoes. My feets get cold here and well i wouldn't be me if the design for them wasn't ridiculous. Think Stingray meets Patent Leather.

Until the next time i write, may peace be with you, Dave

Monday, January 24, 2011

All the Worlds a Stage and i've got the drapes to prove it.

Okay, so i got the drapes mostly done and hung up. Sometimes it pains me to be such a green fanatic, but we all have to be something.

The picture to the left, save for the kid shoes and my son's shot put, is of the Theatre Drape i made for our French doors. I wanted something heavy to help cut the cold from the door. It's not entirely finished, but this is pretty much what it's going to look like. You'll see in the last picture, i made the drape to cover the entire span of that wall. I'd rather have this big mysterious curtain than small strips of white wall on either side, especially given that they'd be narrower than the white space above the drape. It just made sense to me. I still need to get some weights and magnets to make it do as i wish, but i left pockets for those. If you look closely, it looks as though the ends are lower than the center. I assure you, this is an optical hallucination. The weights will lift the lip at the top and that will self correct. The one thing i didn't count on was the placement of the door. The door is actually four inches to the left of center. This means i'll have to move the center support for the rod to get the gathers to bunch right.
As i said in my previous post, i really didn't have enough material for what i wanted to do, but i did my best to use what i had. I couldn't exactly make this drape puddle, but i did make it drag the floor. Right now it looks as though i don't know how to hem, but once i add the weight and so on, this will also self correct.


I haven't decided whether i'm going to gather them in the middle or from the sides. So, for now, i can live with the way they look. Boy, i was really rationing material on this one, but i think it turned out alright.
You can see what i am talking about, when i said i don't know whether to gather them in the middle or from the side in the next picture. If you have an opinion on this, Please, do share.
I'm really leaning on gathering in the middle with a couple of ties that are looser than the piece i have tied on there. The tie will probably be a purple color which will make me gee-gaw up the rest of it with a splash of purple here and there. I say purple, probably a pastel or drabby lavender color. Just something different.
Here is the door. See, it's totally off to one side. Eh, well, we play the cards we are dealt.
On a brighter note, they fixed my oven. (woo hoo) or so i thought. It is either at 275 or 450. Some choice. I'm tired of dealing with the stove and i think i'm going to just buy one and tell them to come store theirs.
Well, i'm not too much into the writing mood right now, i have a movie to watch. So, if you have any ideas or comments, feel free to leave me any thought you like.
Until the next time i post, may peace and happiness be the order of the day,
Dave
P.S. Wouldn't an alphabet table look great in place of that cedar chest??

Sunday, January 9, 2011

All the news that's new and improved


Okay, so our new apartment here in Amarillo is about 85% put away. It's the remainder that is going to take some time to get situated. I got the books put up this weekend and now i have to sort out hers from mine and get them all "put right" in the shelves. While doing this, i have been screaming at myself over our french doors and the two other windows off of our living room. In Garland we had three windows in the whole place, not counting the sliding glass door to the balcony. I have recycled the one in our living room there to go in the dining room and it's okay, until i find something i like better. Though that does leave the three windows downstairs and our bedroom upstairs to make drapes for.

I absolutely refuse to pay retail for fabric unless it's for something i can't do anything else about. To cover the French doors, i figured i needed about 9 yards in drapery material and the same in blackout panel. Well when you figure the cost of what i like, which was right at 29.00 a yard and then i'd need another 6 yards for the other two windows, the price was completely out of reason. I mean it isn't like i can run over to the apparel district here and go to the warehouses or anything. I have one lonely JoAnn's and that's it.

So, i'm cruising through JoAnn's and i see a fabric i really like and i'm thinking if i can get 10 yards of it i can make it work. See, i wanted the extra fabric so the drapes at the French Doors would puddle. I just thought it would look cool and help to keep the air out. However, at nearly thirty dollars a yard, no way. So i'm eyeing this fabric and i see a red tag that says 6 dollars a yard. I'm thinking woo hoo, just please have 10 yards on the cob. So off to the cut table. 6 5/8th yds. I wanted to scream like Charlie Brown!!! So, back i went to see if there were any other red tags and as fate would have it, why yes there was. It measured out at 5 1/8th yds. Boy, i just couldn't catch a break. Everything else be it regular price or on sale i just didn't groove on. So, i'm wandering the store and something clicked. I went back and bought both cobs of material and enough gimp to go crazy with.

After that, all that was left were the blackout panels. Between the rods and the material and some other stuff, i had pretty much exhausted my drapery budget. Even with the red tag fabric. Okay, for some guys it's Home Depot, for me it's a fabric store.

I was sitting here thinking i could just go ahead and make up the drapes and do the black out panels later, when it occurred to me i should check my fabric stash. My fabric stash is in six Rubbermaid tubs. When stacked, they are nearly eight feet tall. I checked them all and to no avail. I just didn't have enough. Then Zeke came in dragging a bundle of bolts of fabric i had cling wrapped together. In that was the prize!!! A bolt of pale blue/teal denim with nearly 20yds on the bolt. Woo Hoo!!! I started doing my happy dance. It's not traditionally what i'd use, but my silk is Sage green with spots of a pale blue in it. The denim will work fine for protecting my silk from the sun.

I'll post a pic as soon as i get them done. Now, don't get your hopes up, it's what i like which means it's going to be either weird or really weird.

Oh, and just for the Tally Sheet, when i got to the register i discovered the fabric and gimp i picked out were both on sale an additional 50%. I'm happy, but at that price everything in the house would have puddled.

Until next time, Peace be with you, Dave