Baked

We broke down and quit struggling with our gas range. The oven actually. It just wouldn't heat up. Replaced the igniter. Cleaned the inner workings. Replaced the breaker feeding the oven.
So we've gone without an oven for several months. It was an easy adjustment at first. Pizza can be done on the electric pizza cooker. Some casseroles are adaptable to the oh so convenient slow cooker. Bigger things like ham and turkey could be baked in the big roaster, just like grandma used to do when her oven was packed with other holiday deliciousness. Even the toaster oven can pitch in and handle batches of fries or popcorn chicken.
But
The pizza cooker took progressively longer each month. An 8 minute pizza has become 15 minutes. Slow cookers are really that convenient for many recipes running the typical 10 hour day from assembling to consumption. Stuff just dries out, burns, or gets mushy. There's a reason grandma's turkey was half burnt and half raw. Toaster ovens are fine for one person, maybe two. Not four.
But nothing matches a big oven for biscuits. Homemade cookies. Quick breads. Cake. Dinner rolls.
We've missed those baked delights oh so much.
Within an hour of delivery, a double batch of biscuits was slide into the cavity and gravy was being mixed up on the stove for dinner. Next dinner was shepard's pie. The following morning, made from scratch double chocolate muffins filled the house with a yummy aroma. A dutch apple pie is on deck. A real pizza to follow.
Aahhh. The luxury of a working oven.
What would you make first?

The title of this blog kicked me in the butt tonight

Circles.
I thought to kill a little time catching up on one of my favorite strips. It had been since summer when I read it last. I like to read it several editions at a time. More to savor and immerse in.
Well tonight I got the unexpected. It ended.
Nearly thirty years of a best friend. Done.
A world without Opus.
Let the five stages begin.

smart kid

The girls went for a bike ride this afternoon. For just in case they took a cell phone along. About half an hour into it the house phone rings. I climb down from the ladder and answer it. It's Ember.

"Hey Dad."
"Yes?"
"If you have a minute, look to the west."
"Okay."
"Bye."
"Okay, bye."

So while I'm heading outside I wonder how many people would use a cardinal direction to direct somebody on the phone where to look? How many children for that matter?
She said "west." And she did it so naturally. She could have easily said over the Gama's house, or out the back door, or toward Kickapoo, or toward the general direction the sun will set. "West." West was the correct direction for both of us to look - me, at home, and her, a mile away in another neighborhood.
Dang that kid is smart.

Oh, there were four hot air balloons in the distance.

Nose Prints on the Door

On the carpet on all fours.
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

Is that the UPS man over there?
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

Here comes the school bus from afar.
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

There’s a squirrel in my yard.
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

What could make that odor?
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

When will they be home?
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

Could it be the family car?
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

Should I bark or should I growl?
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

Half a bottle of windex.
Dog.
Nose prints on the door.

she should blog

The stories she comes home with. Oh my.
Diane really ought to blog. Or at least comment in area blogs.
She has first hand knowledge of the ridiculous, asinine, and inspiring things that happen with the local school district. So while others voice their opinions and rumors, she actually is seeing it happen. For example school uniforms. Her school already has uniforms. If a kid shows up not in the proper attire, it's ignored. The uniforms "the district" provides to families who can't afford it (despite owning a PSP, 50" tv, XBOX360, new car,...) are laundered by the teachers in the teacher's homes. It is required of the teacher.
And then there's all the stuff that nobody hears about. Which I think somebody really needs to know. For example the kids in her part of the school do not eat lunch in the lunch room. They get whatever the cafeteria feels like boxing up at 10:30. Then one of the teachers or aides has to go get it. Rarely do the kids get something beyond warm in temperature and sometimes it could be a stretch to call it a balanced meal. The city jail provides a better meal at it's worst.
Everyday it's something that becomes a 30 to 40 minute conversation at least. Seem like enough to be worth writing about. Certainly has more to write about than I do.

Found another one.

Okay. We've had it.
I found another screw up by those jackasses at Blackhawk Construction BMC. Their so called licensed plumber placed the flange for the toilet just under 10" from the wall. There is only one toilet tank of acceptable performance and cost we can find locally that will fit that arrangement. The more common rough in is 12" from the wall.
Imagine if we tiled that wall. Or did a wainscot with chair rail. Then no toilet made would fit.
Just plain idiotic.
I'll list their screw ups some day. There's at least ten majors and maybe a dozen minors.

new car

Who would buy a new car without at least sitting in it?
We needed to improve our gas mph on one vehicle so spent a bout a month shopping. Looking to purchase a Yaris, Fit or Rio5 proved quite difficult as the dealers in the area didn't have them on their lots. One even went so far as to ask for a deposit and he'd order one that would arrive in 4 weeks. We laughed at that. Who would buy a car without ever having seen it in person, let alone sit in it or drive it?
We drove 40 miles to Bloomington/Normal and were able to see (and sit in) all three models - two of them at a single dealer. I don't see how the Peoria dealers are growing their business. Must be plenty of lazy brainless people with too much money in Peoria. As it turns out, none of them passed armpit test.
A potential car for us had some very clear required features. We made it as simple as possible for the half dozen salesmen we worked with. Primary on the list was the arm pit test. Could Diane reach out of the window? This meant either a low door panel or a seat that can adjust in height. That helped in looking at cars. A quick sit would exclude it without further discussion. Many of cars (especially side impact airbag equipped) have tall door panels these days.
Buying the Saturn was a mistake. We got ourselves backwards on the types of vehicles in our driveway - neither of them breaking 20 mph. And despite the salesman's claim, that Saturn was not capable of pulling the camper. It was a lot of dead weight.
The Explorer we bought a couple years ago we got lucky - bought it quickly after it was driven on the lot. Priced too low really. Had three offers to buy from us at a couple hundred over what we paid, knowing they could still make a profit after a little body work. It's the right car for us tho - kid hauler, dog hauler, adventure support, 4 wheel snow monster, ...
This time, patience won the day. If it didn't match all of the criteria (price, mph, armpit, AT, etc.) then we walked away. No settling. Nearly four weeks later we found another underpriced car. And it fit all the measures and then some. We jumped 50% in mph. And with gas over $4/gal today, that feels smart.

The Field

The don't make buildings like this any more. It's a shame.


I'm not even a student of architecture yet The Field Museum of Natural History building itself held my interest as much as what it contains.

What inspired us to go was some friends from New England were vacationing in the upper Midwest, so we rendezvoused there. The museum also had an exhibit on mythic creatures we've been wanting to see.
It's another silly example of something close we don't take advantage of.

Ketchup

A brief summary of the summer so far.
Aspen competed with the YMCA swim team this summer. Big improvement over last year and does pretty well in her age group for a summer only swimmer. Glad to see the early morning practices end.
Aspen and Mom went to Savannah, GA for Aspen's Girl Scout Troop fly up to cadette. Way too much to write about there.
Dad and Ember went backpacking for a couple days while they were away. Did practically nothing the entire time. "It should be an annual event" - Ember
Major work on the house remodel has been suspended for effort to be focussed on installing a hot tub. Diane has waited long enough.
The Saturn wagon has convinced us to get rid of it. The only car we have not taken over 100k.
Gas prices and the unreliable Saturn had Gary tweak a bicycle a little to pedal to work. He did it a couple times one way last year - fear-sourced adrenaline had him pedalling to fast. This year he kept his head, ignored the idiot drivers, and quite enjoyed the ride. The plan is to pedal to work twice a week.
Aspen may have a similar allergy to dad regarding bees. She had a strong localized reaction, just before the Savannah trip. Her foot swelled up nicely.
Ember leaves for Girl Scout camp Sunday, at Camp Peairs on Lake Bloomington. Diane and Gary volunteered there a couple seasons before the girls were born. She'll be an L.I.T. Hopefully learn to sail. Ad we're sure she'll teach a few things also.
The barn swallows came back, and decided the nest shelf was good enough this year. Second brood is near hatching.

Unity is strength.

Knowledge is power.

Attitude is everything.