Rediscovering Food (Cooking)

My brother Darren gifted me a book The Supper of the Lamb (Robert Farrar Capon, Random House) for Christmas.  I just can't say enough about the writing style of the author or how enjoyable this book is to read.  It's labeled "an unorthodox cookbook".  There are recipes in the back and cooking methods scattered throughout, but what stands out is how he relates God, His desire to be creative, and other things to food.

The core of the book is ferial and festal cooking - not that he dwells on these ideas specifically throughout the book.  Rather, the other ideas expressed in the book will simply end up in either, or both, categories.  Note:  it is not ferial vrs. festal.  As many things in life are it is both-and not either-or. 

I'll intentionally paraphrase this piece at the risk of near-plagiarism as a teaser for you (Random House, don't sue me - it's free advertising!!!):

God makes wine.  Notice the tense: makes; not made.  He didn't make it once upon a time to be burdened with the unavoidable and embarrassing result of that decision.  Wine is because it is His very present pleasure to have it so.  The creative act is intimate to each part, parcel and period of the world.  The bloom of the yeast lies upon the grapeskins year after year because He likes it;  [the chemical process that yields wine] is a dependable process because, every fall, He says, "That was good; do it again".


No you can't borrow mine.  Find your own at your favorite book seller (<$15 on amazon). 
In addition, Priscila and I watched Julie and Julia.  In truth, Darren, Jenn, and I watched it in Denton which made Priscila a little mift.  All I knew is Meryl Streep had done a fantastic job as Julia Child, but nothing else about the plot, etc. so it hadn't "made it on my radar".  All Priscila knew is that it was a "chick flick" and I didn't see it with her.  It's a great film for anyone.  The director/writers did a great job of putting two, almost unrelated, stories together into a single presentation.  Bravo.  Every once-in-awhile Julia Child slips-up and and a little Meryl Streep comes through.  If you need to read that last sentence again, do it now.  It was intentional.

These two singular events have inspired me (The supper of the lamb to a much greater extent) to begin cooking again.  I stopped/slowed because of time constraints, work, etc.  Note to the men (if any bother reading this):  if you've ever wondered about the mechanics of HOW to listen to God through your wife take note.  So with the seed of inspiration in my heart, and post Julie and Julia, my wife says, "why don't you blog about cooking?  What about that Silver Spoon cook book you got for Christmas a few years ago?"  I'll blog later about the significance of God in this idea.

Ahhhh, yes....  Il Cucchiaio d'argento.  The cook book, translated into English, that is the epitome of Italian cooking.  Rumored to be a traditional wedding gift for young Italian couples; passed down from Mother to Daughter like the Americans do The Joy of Cooking.  I'm not sure how much of that is true, but it's a fine cookbook in it's own right.  It's so large, I view it as a reference, not a cookbook.  My first attempts at the "mother sauces" were gleaned from here.  While I certainly haven't memorized any of them, making your first Bechemel will conquer most of your cooking fears.

Now why did I forget where that book was placed?  Oh yes, the great mouse hunt of '08 in the pantry moved it to a cupboard where it was "lost".  Many thanks to Hunny and Brienne for tearing apart the pantry, braving the 3" monster, and saving as much food as they could.

So my break from work today is drawing to an end (or rather, I need to make it come to a close).  There's disk storage analysis to do for customers and family finances to do...  Groan.  In the meantime the rib bones from this Christmas's Prime Rib are simmering into beef stock.  The beginning of new adventures await.

P.S.  It just started snowing!  Andrew's first snow!!!

Global warming scientists email hacked

Someone hacked into the email of some very smart Global Warming experts. This is a good read.

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/hadley_hacked#63657

Do you need a vacation?

I am not sure exactly how this works, but this is amazingly accurate.

The picture below has two identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at the Mayo Clinic and later at Fletcher Medical Center in Burlington.

Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical; a person under stress will find many differences between the two dolphins.

The more differences a person finds, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph below and if you find more than one or two differences
you may need to take a vacation.

Finally a movie about.... ME!!!

Paramount has wisely chosen to cast George Clooney to portray me in the upcoming "Up in the Air" (releases in Dec?). It's hard to explain to people what I see / go through when on a trip. The visuals from the trailer are fantastic. 30,000' aerial shots of farmland, mountain ranges, looking down on clouds, etc. Hordes of people dragging a suitcase in one hand and a trench coat draped across the other. Each one focused on arriving at their next way-point on time.

I laughed especially hard at the part where Clooney takes his trainee through the security line. If you travel frequently and you're NOT assessing who's in line in front of you - you're wasting time. Note: The movie makes it a racial/profiling joke out of the situation. The reality is those of us in analytical jobs are always trying to find a way though faster - independent of race.

If you ever wondered what it's like to be on the road - the trailer pretty much sums it up.

You know you've been traveling too much when you can identify an airport by the carpet. :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xIUtRrTlgo

Where it diverges from my life is that cold, unattached, "relationships weigh you down" business. Clooney does pull off an impressive monologue in the official trailer.

When food and parenting collide

2 blog posts in the last 2 days? I know what all 3 of my readers must be thinking.... What, after the misadventures of being alone with the 5boyz for a week, could be happening?? Nothing really. I worked overnight last night in the OC and am catching up on the dozens of blogs I eyeball whilst waiting for my ride home. Most are geeky things related to work, some are like yours - things that are interesting.

I love the snarky Anthony Bourdain. I think his writing style is a 10 out of 10. I stumbled across his TV show "No reservations" a few years ago in a hotel room. I love his combined take on travel & food. Unlike so many of the "one trick" shows on cable his content varies from show to show. One episode might be in an large metropolis where he's seeing sights and eating both local and haute cuisine. The next could be in the a remote jungle where the closest thing to main course protein is the beetle he just stepped on.

He's recently had a daughter and folded her (and his parenting experiences) into his blog posts. In the post titled "For Parents Only", he's put aside food and given his take on children's programming. Hysterical and dead on. Parents be warned: Mr. Bourdain is for us only. No underage readers please.

When you're done watching Nick or Noggin today, set the DVR for "No Reservations". Old epsidoes can be found online. Tow of my favorites are the one of the Pacific Northwest (natch) and any one where he visits Spain. If you watch one, you might be a repeat viewer. I'm hoping for a full on food/parenting crossover blog. These are, after all, a few of my favorite things.

There is no space, only time

Every once in a while the impact of technology on our lives hits me. It usually the same general revelation, but always with a slightly different context. E.g. my kids will have difficulty comprehending or lack cultural references to:

• Newspaper (we don't have a subscription)
  
• Spending hours researching something in the library - by hand
• TVs with tubes
• Carrying around a large, bulky, music playing device with a limited selection of music
• Fixing a cassette or VHS tape that's come unspooled.
• Playing a respooled tape and enjoying the bad parts, 'cause it's your favorite and there's no way in the world you'll go without it.

"The Internet" is largely the answer to the above list. I could go on, but won't.

To my random thought for today.... Over the last couple days a friend/colleague has been in Dallas installing equipment while I was training the very same people he was installing it for in San Francisco. I'm now waiting for a plane to take me to SNA. I will meet up with him in the OC to work overnight together for a completely different customer.

What a crazy, crazy world. I'm sure it's overstated and obvious, but, sometimes when you stand back and look at it, modern travel and communications has eliminated the concept of distance. All that's left is my aching rear-end after hours in the same airplane seat.

Better walk around for a few minutes. Boarding starts soon.

Now it's my turn: The end

It's fun even when it's messy
or
I hate the candelabra over the tub

This will probably be my last post for awhile. I'm glad it's a good one :)

Today was a mostly relaxing Sunday. Andrew still doesn't do well alone the nursery, so I opted to skip church. I had plans for home church, but with some house-cleaning duties, those plans got forgotten. That happens to much here...

I learned from the theater that I am not wired to pace with Andrew every place we go to. It didn't make me frustrated or anything, but it just feels like a waste of time and your in an environment deprived of resources. It makes being without your spouse all the more lonely, so again - no church.

The biggest sidetrack was finding a stinking birthday present bad or wrapping paper. We got Christmas going on everywhere - no birthday stuff. I finally made due. Now where's the stinking scotch(TM) tape? All copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The bigger boys and I cleaned the van out some and did those end-of-week chores that have to be done.


After dinner (not-to-spicy taco soup from the Hosszu family) we had more baths, just for mom. Toby decided he needed to go potty before we got in the big tub. Good thinking. Daddy got Andrew prepped while Toby took his sweet time. I'm all ok with him taking his time. Get it all out little guy!

Andrew had a ball running around "free" while I prodded Toby on. Not-so-good thinking. Just as I realized it was too quiet, I noticed Andrew standing very still by the tub. He was looking down like he peed all over. Nope - couldn't find any puddles anywhere. Then it hit me. A pungent odor and a 1/2 lb turd came into view. Lucky me it only hit his cheeks and an ankle.

Ladies that are reading this, you may want to grab your hubbies. This part is a view into (my/the) male mind. It may need some explanation. At this point in the story, the instinct/adrenalin takes over and a comprehensive action plan, complete with flow charts, delegations, todo-lists and after action discussion points comes clearly into focus. This is why I hate meetings. Even if my path isn't the right one, once I see a problem, I find a way out. Note to self for kids: coach them on being teachable even when they think they know the way out.

Let me put this into clear perspective:

• One child is standing with dukie between both cheeks and isn't capable of following directions
• Another child is sitting with dukie between both cheeks and is barely capable of following simple directions without coming up with new and unintended ways of following said directions.
• Dukie is not coming off the youngest as intended. Wet-Wipes are in order and are no where in reach.
  
• The steaming pile left by the youngest is touching multiple articles of clothing and the rug. Hazmat crew required.
  
• Time is a factor. The bathwater is chilling. More bathwater is needed and my mother-in-law started the dishwasher. We have a big hot water heater, but with 7 in the house, it does run out.
• I'm in my undies (cause I'm taking a bath with the kids, duh) and concerned about modesty with my mother-in-law in the house.
• The stench is becoming heady. Like Superman near Kryptonite, thoughts clouding, strength weakening.
  

So - with an action plan in hand Gabe's services are employed under the "Emergency poopie act of '09". Change you can REALLY believe in. No Congressional hearings or townhalls needed. Andrew can't be let go of while I call for Gabe to bail me out. I'm sure Andrew is either confused why he's being drug around or giddy Daddy is playing "swing" with him.

Gabe comes to the rescue with wipes in hand. I make turd wizecracks and Gabe nearly wets his pants. Kinda like you're doing right now. One butt+ankle is cleared and deposited in the tub. Gabe watches Andrew while I get Toby squared away. I insist Gabe gets IN the tub, but he won't. He then proceeds to whack his head on the candelabra over the tub. I hate that candelabra.

With Toby decontaminated, Gabe watches both while I grab the turd like a National Geographic Channel host wrestling an Anaconda. It really was that big. Where does this kid pack all that?!?!? I get a little poopie on my fingie and wave it at Gabe, who is cornered like a rat between 2 toddlers. I nearly pee myself at his reaction. Bucky takes the soiled stuff and drops it in the washer. What a team.

Gabe is released and the 3 of us enjoy a quick bath. By the time we get done, the jets are almost covered, so I run some more hot water and we make the jacuzzi run. The boys thought it was great. As we get out, I whack my head on the candelabra. If it hurt my head, that would be one thing. It's those loose, fragile, glass votive holders falling from 4.5' with an infant (or anyone) in the tub that bug me.

I hate that candelabra. Still, it's fun even when it's messy.

Now it's my turn: Day 6

Traffic Cop

That sums up the day. It's really has been like a train station. It's almost too hard to recount where everyone has been during the day.

After noon today, each of the kids have been out of the house at some point. I've neglected to mention that the neighborhood kids have been coming in and out all week too. Having other playmates over hasn't been nearly as bad as someone led me to believe it would be.

Now, Gabe is with a friend at a pool party / homeschool thing. Both Gabe and one of his friends have been falling asleep all day. I don't hate to say I told 'ya so. Life is gonna be rough when he get's up to walk Lexie and 5:30 tomorrow morning. I managed to sneak a nap in after lunch, and then I had to find Ethan. He wasn't far. Phew. Andrew and Toby went off to the Morris's until after lunch.

I talked to Priscila over her Dad's Magic Jack today. It works pretty good. She complained about that lack of dreamy romance in my latest posts. Just get home baby, there's plenty of romance waiting. I won't even dash out the door when you get home :)

Thanks to all who've taken the kids today and Becky & Tony for the chicken. I'm going back to bed.

Now it's my turn: Day 5/6

Exhaustion sets in
Saturday is my usual "let down" day. My mind/body is usually so exhausted from travel and the stress of customers. Not so much is different this week.

Friday morning was supposed to be a relaxing few hours: Denver omlettes in the morning, mow the backyard, baths, lunch and then we would head off to the movies with Gabe's 2 friends. The morning was fine except for the one unexpected thing that must happen. Lexie drug a plastic bag full of broken glass across the yard. It's a painstaking process to find it all - especially since it stalls the mowing and the baths. Mental note: Ethan and Isaac still haven't had theirs....

Gabe had 2 friends over for a birthday party yesterday after lunch. We saw Shorts, which as far as I could tell, earned every bit of it's 45% score on rottentomatoes.com. Really. About 1/2 the kids liked it, the others thought it was "ok". Really, I should say THEY saw the movie. The second I got everyone situated (split a couple pops and a large popcorn between 6 kids), Andrew literally pointed at the exit door. You've got to be kidding me.... He's done fine with Priscila and I in theaters before. I paced the entire time with him in the hallway outside the theater. If I went back inside the theater, he'd start fussing (in a cute, but LOUD way). He's getting to old for fussing. He was asking to not be sitting down in the theater. He would giggle as the theater door would start to close but he could still see the light outside the door. As soon as the light was blocked, he started getting fussy. Mind you, it wasn't the DARKness as much as he wanted to look at the hallway lights. It was also 10 degrees cooler in the hallway.

After the movie, hotdogs 'n stuff before the big boys went off to a youth bowling event. Lexie actually managed to start fetching a little while I BBQed the dogs. Before bed, Toby managed to get another movie out of me so I could focus on Andrew. I love the original Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder may never have played a better part. Why is the world good? Because the candyman makes it taste good. All questions will be submitted in writing. Speak a little louder next time, I'm a little deaf in this ear. Johnny Dep's version ain't got nuthin' on this. Ethan got to go swimming with the neighbors after dinner. Mental note: only Isaac needs his bath.

Isaac played outside, hurt himself a little, and then played legos until he put himself to bed. Isaac's attitude has been significantly better over the past couple days. He's done things for me that usually take 15 minutes of whining and discipline. My heart is blessed.

I tried to watch a few minutes of Glenn Beck. Around 9pm, after I had rewound the same 2 minutes of the show for the 5th time because I was falling asleep, I shut the TV off. I almost NEVER fall asleep before 11.

Gabe and the gang came home around 10:15. Both Lexie and I were dead to the world. The boys startled both of us. She's never barked in front of me before. I'd like to think she she didn't recognize them and was protecting me... It makes me feel warm inside even if it's not reality. Let me have my warm fuzzy. Licks and tail wagging followed after we woke up. From her, not me.

I promptly went to bed after making sure the trio of 12 year olds were "put away for the night". At 5:30 and 6:30 I had to tell the boys to quiet down. I could have cared less that they were playing video games. I put a pillow over my head to drown out the sound of Gabe's crew.

Everyone was playing downstairs nicely by the time I woke up an hour later. Ethan picked up Andrew when he woke up, because "you weren't getting him, Dad". Oops. Shouldn't have had the pillow over my head. While I was making a double batch of pancakes (6 boys, 1 baby, 1 dad - pancakes GONE), Gabe confessed the threesome had never gone to sleep. No wonder I'm so tired.

Brienne has Toby and Andrew now. The other boys are playing in the neighborhood. I need to clean the kitchen and get the second 1/2 of the day ready, but maybe I'll take a nap first.

Now it's my turn: Day 4

I know what all my 100s of blog readers want to hear: life is all sunshine and roses. Priscila's last minute departure, leaving me alone with 5 kids, has been no big deal. Everything's peachy, right?

Hmmmm.... Not today.

Don't get me wrong the sky didn't fall, life hasn't stopped, etc. Meals were made, naps were had, kids got wet (outside and on purpose), owies were bandaged, the backyard even got cleaned up. There were small victories, but it seemed like the small setbacks and gradual wearing down of my nerves outnumbered the victories. Work got in the way first thing in the morning. It only took 90 minutes, but it messed up the start of the day, my attitude, and things never quite got back on track.

Bucky vacuumed the house this evening and Tim Morris came over and watched a movie with me. Thanks to both of you. Bucky has done a massive amount of laundry and housecleaning over the past few days.

I should also give Gabe a lot of credit for what he's done this week. He's being asked to be responsible way beyond his years, but not necessarily his means. Every dad needs a boy like Gabe. I'm sure I'll say the same about the others in time. Gabe is the first and I love seeing him mature and mature in the way I dreamed I could raise boys. In Gabe, I see the grace of the Father on my bad parenting and the hope that I won't mess the others up too bad.

Tomorrow (ummm, today since it's 01:35) is your day Gabe. Happy late birthday.

Now it's my turn: Day 3 and overdue Lexie update

Family update

There wasn't too much exciting going on today. We spent from 8:30-12:00 driving around town. We went to Dad's office and pondered a coup of the West Coast Services Division. After the interim overthrow council decided our takeover goals should be set higher, we opted to postpone the revolution. (just kidding boss). Next was the meat store mom took me to as a kid, we got Gabe's glasses fixed, went to Lowe's & grocery shopping.

Gabe and some boys at camp completely broke his new frames wrestling in their cabin. The councilor tried to superglue everything back together. Groan.... Binyon's was super cool, replaced the lens and the frames for under $40.00. I now have nothing bad to say about them - ever.

The rest of the day was napping and playing. We had a little more of our usual boy trouble today, but I'll skip that. Temporary groundings ensued. TV was missed.

One of Andrew's sippy cups leaked on him, so I found some clothes, in his drawer, for him to wear. I think they were Toby's. He was SOOOO CUTE toddling around in oversized shorts. Noticeably absent from the scene is the sound of Priscila asking me, "what are you thinking!?!?!" Also absent is the sound (yes sound) of her eyes rolling. Like the stones of an old grist mill turning. Wait... Wait... I was wrong. Even from 6,000 miles away, you can hear it.

Shout out to Shelly B. for the chicken. Best way to put honey on chix w/o a glazing, burning mess.

We've been skyping with Priscila in the evening. She says Grandma is sad and needed reminding of how it will be when we go to the Father. Priscila will spend a couple days in her old stomping grounds catching up with her brother Andres's family before heading back to Buenos Aires. Last time we saw them was Nov, 2001.

Priscila really misses Andrew. It's not that he doesn't notice she's gone, but he's just too interested exploring his world. We start off busy and, it seems, even through the infirmities of age we finish busy. I should insert some old cliche about taking time. If you're really reading all these late-night ramblings, don't just read about taking time - take time. Now.

Lexie Update (months overdue)
Lexie has to be 2-3x her original size. We got her at 7 weeks, and she's 15 weeks now. All lean and ready for play. Let me see if I can make a list of her current tricks. Most of them have hand motions, too:

• I have a variety of sounds (hiss, ack) to indicate bad behavior. Better than "no" or yelling.
• "Kennel" for getting in her kennel. Even though she's kennel trained, she sleeps around the house in a couple different places during the day. It's just cute.
• She's house broken (Bano girl?). We've got a spot along one side of the house covered in big cedar chips for her.
• She's so quiet you have to know WHEN to take her "Bano". She'll just stay at the back door and give a little whine. Days go by without a bark from her for anything.
• Sit
• Stand
• Look at me. Brings her eyes to mine. Best trick ever for a breed with no attention span.
• Down (lay down)
• Off (don't jump on me). We're working on this one. Being a lab, it may not happen until after she's a puppy. Too many kids and people coming over.
• Inside and outside for going in/out the back door
• Stay & "break" to release her from stay (learned that online. great idea)
  
• Wait (a short stay we use when opening a car door or intersections)
• Shake
• Heel. Come to my left side by walking around behind me. Also used when walking.
• Turn around. I can circle my finger left or right and she'll follow. Now we are working on verbal "turn left", "turn right"
• Beg (paws your hand for a treat. melts your heart)
• Drop (what's in your mouth). Works when she wants to.
• She rolled over twice for Gabe. Can't get her to repeat it.
• We got 1 day's worth of fetch (go get it, bring it, drop). Now it's just "chase". Dang it.....
• She's 25% when catching treats I toss at her

She nibbles a bit on ears/cheeks when she's excited and licking us, so we're working on "no bite". She's got my fingers a few times early on with those needle-like puppy teeth. If I had to start over, I would have done several things different with mouthing/nibbling and how I hand feed her. Several dog books I have say "don't teach puppies that biting/nibbling is ok" - but forget the details on HOW or discuss prevention.

Toby and Ethan have inadvertently taught her that chasing a little kid (6yrs and younger) is ok. She only half chases Isaac (9 yrs). She managed to pull Ethan's t-shirt, over his head, the other day. I think she ran into him after chasing him, he fell, she got the shirt, and over his head it went. The kids start it by getting her excited and then having her chase them. Right now, it's a matter of training the boys, not the dog. Toby also inadvertently taught her it was ok to sit next to him on the sofa. Big no-no. It only seems to be a problem when she's hyper, and it's so cute it's hard to say no.

Now it's my turn: Day 2

It's 21:19. Today was hot - in the 90s. It's probably 72 now. I've got the Tiki torches going in the backyard while I catch up on a few things and blog. Sipping my iced coffee outside on my "patio" with the torches going in good weather. I've imagined nights like this many evenings I've been on the road. Still, something is missing from this midsummer's night dream. Something Latin. Something Feminine. Someone special.

Reality sets in with a slight waft from the feed lot next door. Neither Latin or Feminine. Where's smell-o-web when you need it?!?!? Web 3.0 anyone?

I found a wasps nest in one of the gazebo posts this afternoon. There were about a dozen when I scared them up. Ick. The wasp spray won't go down into the post except for what drips down from the ceiling. It's too tight to point the can straight down there.

While I'm writing, Lexie has been chasing dying wasps across the cement. Reminds me of my dog, pepper, chasing bees across the yard.

The kids all played good today - I have no complaints. There was a little too much TV in the AM while I managed to get an important document finished for a client. I'm hoping there won't be much aftermath tomorrow. I want to maximize my time with the boys over the next few days. The 4 big kids took Lexie on a walk this morning. 5 minutes after sending them out, I realized what a disaster that could have been. It turned out ok, but I still have to have a talk with the kids about sticking together. Gabe returned alone - after the others returned. Had it been the other way around, I might have lost it.

Both Isaac and Ethan played at some neighbors, got wet in the yard, and Toby managed to not drive me crazy all day. Priscila's mom (Bucky - boo-key) has been here most of the day doing laundry and helping with the kids.

Brienne brought by pizza for dinner. Thanks to all the ladies in Priscila's circle for thinking about us. I will be calling ladies, I'm just now getting a handle on where I am and what's going on.

Brie said she read my blog. Thanks Brie, I have an audience of 2!! Pass the word girls, I want 10 by the end of the week!!!

Back to dreaming. I can only hope the rest of the week goes like this.

Now it's my turn: The first day

Priscila chides me for blogging randomly about the latest political 'haps. As I've wrote before, there's no sense writing a tell-all on work and she's with the kids 99% of the time, so it just makes sense that she blogs about the family.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. It's my turn to live day to day without a spouse.

Her Paternal Grandfather passed away over the weekend. Bummer. We got her and her dad, Domingo, on the airplane to Buenos Aries this morning. She'll be gone for a week. I have all the kids. All five. And the dog.

Since I still have some work obligations I can't get out of this week, maybe I should say I'm wearing BOTH shoes (hers and mine).

It's 21:06 (9:06 PM) PST. All the kids are quiet in their beds with much of the same "go to bed routine". I'm sitting at the top of the stairs hoping I don't have to argue with another boy tonight whilst I blog a few thoughts. I think only a couple are really asleep. Magically, Andrew is quietly awake in his crib lying on his back. I can't find the formula, so a sippy cup of water will have to do. I wonder what's going on in his head. Priscila's flight is due east of the Caymans, between Cuba and Jamaica. She has another 6.5 hours left before landing.

Bucky spent the day cleaning the house while I tried to work from my parent's house. I got lots done (still more to do tonight). She really got things knocked out. Most of the laundry, almost all the rooms, the pantry (which is why i can't find the formula). It was hard to believe what she accomplished.

Ethan spent the weekend with Grandma Light and Grandpa Bill. Gabe and Isaac returned from Signs and Wonders Camp today. No major revelations came back from camp, but I thought these things were worth praising Him:

• Gabe wants to commit to 30 minutes a week of quiet time with the Lord
• Isaac went forward during camp to pray for churches in the NW and received a touch from the Lord. It was a group thing - lots of kids went forward - which does not diminish his personal experience at all.
• They both made friends and even found some in common with kids in the neighborhood.
• They're both excited about going back next year

It's 21:22 and, save the clickty of keyboard and the drone of the house fan, all is quiet.

All is well.

Why do we have to reform healthcare in 2009?

Here's a letter I recently sent to Senator Murray of WA in response to her broadcast email asking to support healthcare reform.

---

Senator Murray,

I appreciate your efforts in leading the charge for changing our healthcare system. I, however, do not agree with the overall direction our politicians are currently taking. As a concerned constituent, I am asking you to consider in the following matters:

* There has been little debate out in the public on what is being proposed. The public wants real details - not just promises. President Obama's townhall session that aired on ABC June 25th, 2009 has only hindered the process, not helped it.
* Tort reform must be a significant part of the package to garner my support. Doctors need the ability to practice medicine in the way they see fit, based on the information, practices and procedures known at the time, without fear of retribution.
* There must be no real or perceived penalties for those who opt out of a public plan. There are many of your constituents who are not convinced a public plan is even necessary.
* Given the current economic and budgetary commitments, committing trillions, or even billions, to a program that has not seen the full light of day does not seem prudent.

In summary, slow the process down. There is no reason to put a healthcare bill on the President's desk by the end of the year. Rushing things will only lead to mistakes we will all regret later. My children and grandchildren are in enough debt as it is. Once a public healcare plan is put in place, everyone pays and there will be no going back.

It's about time we all said how we feel

I'm part of that middle-class silent minority that quietly says noting, does our jobs raises our kids and hopes the people we put in office do the right job.

It's about time we all stood up and said how we feel.

I've reposted an open letter written by Janet Contreras to the government. Why? Assuming I can still get to this blog in future years, I want to remember how I felt during 2000-2009.

I also find myself asking the question: why aren't we marching in the streets like in the '60s....

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I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when hewill rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Original posting: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/26742/

I'm a proud GM Stockholder

While I'd like to comment weekly on the status of the US financial crisis I'm not an expert and have no original insight. All I know is I'm incredibly frustrated by the lack of common sense coming out of Washington DC. The '08 election campaigns were filled with words like HOPE and CHANGE. I think we got the CHANGE part. I don't think it's the CHANGE we were expecting. What's the point of me blogging the same drivel that's in 1000 other places all over the 'net.

Today there was one little, small, teeny, itsy-bitsy CHANGE that actually seemed to be smart. GM is selling it's Hummer unit. What took them so darn long!?!?!?!? With 5 kids in my family, and 6 in my brother's, we completely get the need for large vehicles. The Hummer was a ridiculous idea in the first place. It should have been left in the elite circles of "concept cars" or other autos reserved for those with too much money.

Unfortunately Saturn is mixed in with the sale. That's too bad. GM should keep Saturn (noted for customer service) and dump all the rest of the autos we're not buying.

Now as for being a GM stockholder. Do I get a company car? Any perks in it for me? Doubt it... Obama has stated that the Government is a "reluctant stakeholder". If so, why not sell a majority interest of the shares of GM NOW!!! Keep some. After REAL business people turn the company around - sell the rest of the shares to AT LEAST break even. Stocks/bonds are a gamble. The taxpayers weren't guaranteed a return in the first place....

I think the only reason the Government (Obama) invested in GM in the first place was to force them to create greener autos. Control is the perfect excuse NOT to sell GM now to those who can better manage it. I just don't have any HOPE the Obama administration will get it right.

Reprogramming a garage door remote

I've had the ultimate in garage door security for a long time - short of having no garage door. Something happened to the code, so no one could get in. Along comes google to the rescue...

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Intellicode Model GWKP (off-white with flip-up cover)

Programming Instructions for the GWKP Genie garage door opener keyless entry involves following the two sets of steps below:

1. To erase the old PIN (personal identification number) press and hold down, in order, the "PROG," "6" and "Up/Down Arrow" keys. The red LED will blink once and then turn off. Release the buttons.
2. To program: press, in order, but do not hold down the "3," "5," "7" and "PROG" keys.
3. Enter your chosen PIN, anywhere from 3 to 8 characters.
4. Press "PROG" (red LED blinks - twice per second and turns off)

Find the Learn Code Button and the LED indicator light on your Genie motor head inside the garage. It is usually behind the light lens and close to the floppy antenna wire. If your Door Opener does not have an antenna, you have an External Receiver. The External Receiver cover must be removed to access the Learn Code button and the indicator LED. Follow Steps 1 through 3 outlined below:

1. Press this Learn Code button momentarily. The red LED indicator light will start to blink. It will blink for up to 30 seconds. While it is blinking:
2. Enter your PIN and press the "Up/Down Arrow" key on your keypad. The Learn Code Indicator LED will stay on.
3. Press the "Up/Down Arrow" key again. The Learn Code indicator LED turns off. Wait until the Keypad backlight turns off (approximately 30 seconds).
4. Test by entering your PIN and pressing the "Up/Down Arrow" key to operate your door.

Multiple Genie Garage Door Opener Programming for GWKP- All garage doors will use the same PIN:

1. Enter PIN and press PROG (red LED blinks once per second).
2. press PROG again (red LED blinks twice per second).
3. press the number of doors you wish to control (2 key or 3 key).
4. press PROG (red led blinks several times and turns off).
5. Decide which Door will be Door #1, #2, and #3.
6. Press the Learn Code Button on the motor head.
7. Enter your PIN and press the Up/Down key on the Keypad.
8. Press the number you have picked for this Door Opener (key 1, 2 or 3)
9. Press the Up/Down key.
10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 for each Door Opener.

To make a copy, highlight area and copy into your word program. You can then print out a legible copy of the chart and programming steps from your word software.