Give

broderic on December 26, 2013

Gift giving.


I pride myself on finding the perfect gift for those I know. Unfortunately, that means if I don’t know you, your gift will be rather lame. 

I’m going to have to be better at it. I need to be more thoughtful for those I don’t think too much about. Everyone I know, everyone I’ve met deserve some consideration. Thoughts on what they are like and what they may like are always good to have.

One of the sayings around this time, “Good will to all men,” is apropos. We should give with our hearts sincere loving thoughts.

It is a season of kindness. I would like to give it to you, my friends. 

Link of the Day [12.25.13]

broderic on December 26, 2013

It’s late on Christmas night, and I am stuffed. I’ve got my fill of festivities and of the food found at said festivities. I’ve got my fill of Holiday music. I’ve got my fill of gifts and giving. Yet, there is always more Christmas cheer.

There is still the other eleven days. Here’s the last bit of blogging of the year. What should I fill it with. The last time, I wrote about media associated with Christmas. It was a splendid idea. Here we are again, the first day of Christmas, Christmas Day. I’m not going to write about Christmas media. Not sure what I want to write. I just need to write.

So the final posts of 2013 should be a hodge-podge of things that I am thinking about this last week.

Maybe also get you a partridge and a pear tree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_days_of_Christmas

Happy Festivus!

broderic on December 24, 2013


Pasted from Jacob Hildebrandt flickr account.

And the party is already starting!

Don’t forget that today was Festivus! It’s for the rest of us.

Let me start with the airing of grievances…

The Year in Automotive

broderic on December 23, 2013

Here’s a review of the past year in car ownership. I just want to catalog the cost of car ownership for this one year because it has to be one of the more costly years.

First things first, I paid off Itsuki-chan. She’s all mine. Now I own two cars. It’s this second car that makes owning expensive — the loan and the insurance. At least one of those payments is done.

Then even before she was fully paid off, Itsuki-chan had some issues. She had a bad start and rattle when under load. I took her in to get service for it in the spring, they changed something I forget which and cost $1400. That didn’t fix her, so I put her away for the fall maybe to take her to another mechanic to service it for real.

I switched to the VW, which was at 200k. At her age, she had some issues, too.

One day driving home from work, the temperature gauge went off. It was because a hose had deteriorated leaking coolant. I took her in for service, got her back, then had to take her in again for the temp gauge going off. This time it was the circulating fan failing. Because it had to work overtime while the temperature had gone up, it failed and needed to be replaced.

In the middle of the summer, I had the VW throw a check engine light. I ignored this one for a long time. I was still able to drive the Mini Cooper, so I set the VW in the garage. When the Mini started to worry me and I put her in the garage, I took out the VW. She wouldn’t start. I needed a new battery. Replacing it, cleared the check engine fault. I haven’t seen it show up again.

Besides routine maintenance, I bought an air compressor, so that I don’t have to pay to fill the tires up with air. The VW seems to need it all the time.

Finally, the VW’s paint is going bad. It’s peeling terrible. I should get her repainted. Next year.

Cars ownership sucks. At least, I don’t have to worry about the money to pay for them.

Quote of the Day [12.22.13]

broderic on December 22, 2013

Say, Who’s got trouble?

We’ve got trouble!
How much trouble?
Too much trouble!
Well don’t you frown, just knuckle down and knock on wood. 

Link of the Day [12.22.13]

broderic on December 22, 2013

You need science and the scientific method to help make a better chocolate chip cookie. Take it from the baker in today’s link, a guy who made lots and lots of cookies. He broke down how changing an ingredient changes the texture, flavor, or crispness of the cookie. He has unlocked the secret to the cookie.

Someone send this to Ness or at least post it to Facebook for her to see. I want my crispy chocolate chip cookies.

http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/12/the-food-lab-the-best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

broderic on December 20, 2013

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has broken my relationship with Peter Jackson’s take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth. I accepted his changes to The Lord of the Rings. Tom Bombadil? Meh. Evil Faramir? What? The Rohirrim run away? Gah, but time heals all wounds. Yet, the middle installment of The Hobbit is a bridge too far.

I sat in the theatre ignoring the changes, the expansion, and the additions, because I had too or else I would’ve been running out the door. When the film ended, I left in disgust. All I know is that Peter Jackson has taken a trifle of an adventure and stretched it to inconceivable proportions. All the fun has been rung out of the story. Jackson has even made me question why I like Tolkien. I kid, I kid, but he makes me wonder about The Lord of the Rings movies. All that I glossed over and accepted has come back seven fold with a vengeance. Please when will he be done and please don’t touch any of The Silmarillion.

I’m going to see the last installment just to see if the forbidden love between dwarf and elf will end in tragedy. I want to see Tauriel die in Kili’s arms. Or is that Fili? I want to see them die fighting off the horde of orcs before the gates of Erebor. I want them to die a heroic death and when their bodies are found, King Thranduil will join with Gandalf and forces of good to fight evil Sauron — 80 years too early.

At the start of The Lord of the Rings, didn’t Gandalf not know who was behind the dread in the East? Yes, but Jackson will retcon a new story. Whatever.

I hope Peter Jackson doesn’t touch any of The Silmarillion.

2 of 5 stars.

Link of the Day [12.14.13]

broderic on December 14, 2013

Tried my hand again on Arroz Caldo, chicken rice porridge. I used the chicken stock recipe as the basis for the soup. Although I extended it by using one more clove of garlic, a couple of dashes of patis, some pepper corn, and small pinch of dried red pepper flakes. It came out slightly more garlicky than I wanted, but other than that its pretty rich.

I simmered it overnight in my slow cooker. I couldn’t get 3 quarts into my small slow cooker, but I ended up with close to 2 full quarts of stock. I used 1 quart in the Arroz Caldo before adding in another 2-3 cups of water into the mix. Let the Arroz Caldo cook for about an hour before serving with a garnish of fried garlic and patis.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/11/perfect-uncluttered-chicken-stock/