Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween Photo Post



Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds





1/2 cup butterscotch caramel sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon extract
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups pumpkin seeds, roasted
1 cup almonds, crushed


Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, slowly melt the caramel sauce and sugar. When melted stir in cinnamon extract and cayenne. Continue cooking until mixture reaches a temperature of 310 degrees F. Stir in pumpkin seeds until completely coated. Spread caramelized seeds onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed almonds. Separate seeds with wooden spoon until cooled.

Cook's Notes:
Melted sugar is very hot. Please use extreme caution when handling and pouring. Pumpkin seeds may be purchased already roasted. If using the seeds from a jack-o-lantern, rinse and clean seeds. Place on a baking sheet, lightly coated with cooking spray, in a preheated 250 degree F oven. Roast seeds for about 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. The actual seed of the pumpkin is inside the hull. The hull is edible.

Candy Apples

My attempt at making candy apples. They look good. I haven't tried them yet, my roommates kids loved them. Anyway, Happy Halloween everyone.



World Series What?


[rant]

Ok, so the other day I caught the arse end of the game between Boston Red Sox and who-ever, and as we all know Boston won.
Then I caught something one of the commentators said when the Sox won..."The Boston Red Sox are now World Series Champions!!!"
"World Series Champions?" I thought. "Don't you have to have teams competing that are from other nations for a winning team to be proclaimed WORLD Series Champions?"

I am the only one who is confused about this? Or is the MLB so full of shit and themselves that they think they ARE the world?

[/rant]

Monday, October 29, 2007

Hypodermic Needles and Pretty Leaves




You know the town you live in has gone completely to shit when you start finding needles on the ground. I saw this one this morning on the way to work on a pretty busy street, in what I thought was a haven from all that bullshit. I swear I had flash backs of Canada and some of the crazy shennanagens I witnessed there. It also reminded me of an earlier post I did, about some crazy needle banger I used to know. It was a photo post but needles that have been used to shoot drugs are powerful in photos.






I thought the photo of the leaf was fitting, seeing as the veins of it were a beautiful green color. Love the leaf. Anyways have a good week folks.

Sunday Bakings


Today I baked about two dozen muffins again. This time they came out way better then before. I am leaving you with the recipe this time. I didn't use the topping recipe though I just made my own glaze with powdered sugar, milk, margarine, salt, and vanilla. They came out AWESOME.

NEW YORK STATE APPLE MUFFINS

MUFFIN:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. apples, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. walnuts
3 eggs
4 oz. cream cheese, cut in sm. pieces
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla

TOPPING:

1/2 c. walnuts
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 oz. butter, melted

Combine topping ingredients, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine salt, flour, sugars, spices, baking soda, set aside. Combine apples, raisins, walnuts, eggs, cream cheese, butter and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients, a little at a time to the apple mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix. Portion batter into muffin paper, sprinkle with topping. Bake 20-30 minutes. Yield: 24 muffins.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Budgie Smuggler




Ok folks the phrase for today is Budgie Smuggler. Which in Australianese means Speedos. According to a first hand source (Mik) this person says, the phrase came about when someone noticed that it looked like a man was smuggling Budgies (a small bird) down his pants whilst wearing Speedos. Personally I think it's the most hilarious phrase ever.

Use it folks, at least once today, make me proud.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

One of these days....


One of these days I will be on one of those planes, heading towards the land down under. Kangaroos, wallabees, monster mosquitos, and plague proportion bunny rabbits. Oh and not forget Mik. It seems like we've been waiting forever for the home stretch, now with in the next few months (probably February or somewhere around that) we will finally be together again. It will be like Christmas for me, the anticipation, the happiness.

I am sure some of you get bored with hearing about our little love thing. But I can't help it, I seriously have not been this happy in all my life. There's always one defining moment in someones life, weather it be to keep them alive, set them on a career path, or just a special moment that defines us. I swear it Mik is mine. Anyway, you just have to bear with me a few more months, then we will both be posting about my wild and wacky adventures in bizarro world.

Random Photos


Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Kids Games And Cool Uniforms.




Ok, Erica's been kinda bugging me to put some photos up of me playing paintball, because she thinks I look hot or something in my get up. So here you go baby, this is for you, and I apologize to anyone who thinks otherwise:P

Monday, October 22, 2007

Chiuaua's , Muffins And Tea





That is what my weekend consisted of. Oh and laundry.

Buh Bye LB

So, Friday was my last day at my other job. It was kinda sad but, in the long run I would have had to do it anyway. Besides they didn't pay me enough 7.15$ and one day a week is hardly enough for me. Although I do hate working at the mall and the masses are inherently stupid ( no offense ), it makes everything worth while when you go back to a job that pays you over 8 and hour and the people are good to you and Lord knows it's a lot nicer to work with people that don't treat you like shit. Especially when you have to be at the mall as much as I do.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Color Poll





Ok so the above are a couple of photos of where Mik and I are going to have our reception if that helps in choosing a color for our wedding.

The plan is to get chair covers to brighten up things, as it is a bit dark in the room. As well as candles and loads of flowers.

Thanks for your help in choosing our wedding colors!


By the way if the colors I've chosen in the poll aren't in your ideas when you see the photos leave me a comment for your vote.

There's A Rainbow In There Somewhere.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

A box of chocolates...

So, today, finally, our application for Erica's Fiance Visa to move to South Australia has been submitted to the lawyer I hired back in March. I walked in with a stack of paperwork a good 8 inches thick. He will then put it all into order, fixing anything that needs it, then post it to Washington DC. He told me if we had really good luck, it could be approved in 2 months time, meaning Erica and I can once again have Valentines together...a more blissful two days I have never had in my whole entire life. I truly cannot wait.

It's been just over two years since Erica and I first met, online, by pure chance playing Yahoo! Literati, and here we are now hoping to get her over here with me, to start a new life together. Personally, I think she is one of the bravest people I've ever met, willing to give up everything she knows back in the US, family, friends, the place, everything, just to be with me. Just lil 'ol Me
For that I will be eternally grateful, and I will appreciate her, honour, love and adore her for the rest of her life, and I just want anyone who reads this blog to know that, for I am a man of my word, as Erica discovered when I came walking up the ramp way in Rochester airport back in February.
Taking that 10,000 mile flight was the best thing I've ever done in my life, meeting Erica in person for the first time was the best moment of my life, and when I first held her in my arms, I knew she was "The One".
If someone told me a few years back that come early '08 I'd be marrying an American lass that I'd met over the internet and fallen in love with, I would have laughed at them and told them to stop smokin' used toilet paper...it's funny where life takes you.

Just like Mr Gump said, "life is like a box of chocolates..."

Friday, October 19, 2007

Mall Hell Part Trois The Final Beginning

Anyways,



At least I am mentally prepared for it today. Plus it's rainy and crappy all day so I suppose it isn't so bad being stuck inside and working all day. Maybe if I just keep telling myself that it will get better through out the day. Besides, this weekend will be sort of lonely seeing as it is going to be me and a miniature chiuaua. What a creepy name for a creepy dog.

As for the rest of my weekend, not many plans but bunkering down and relaxing. I was invited to a party Saturday night, but I am not planning on going, I've been quite anti-social the past few weeks and I'd like to continue down that path I suppose. Besides I wouldn't really have a way to get there, as you all know I walk, no sense in buying a car when I am leaving the country. My friend offered to have someone pick me up but this "party" starts at like 8:30 at night and it would suck if I wanted to leave an hour later and had to wait until my ride was ready to go. So, alas, it's watching t.v. with the little dog.


Hope everyone else has a more eventful weekend then myself.

Oh an yes! Mik submits our immigration paperwork tonight (Saturday morning in Aussie-land)! Prayers would help.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Erica's Ode To Halloween

Bloody Hell 200.

Today I am making my 200th post. I can't believe I've logged in 200 times to share my thoughts. Really time does fly.

My original idea was to bore you with "Mall hell part trois", but I thought I'd spare you for today, besides I want to live in the moment with that one, which isn't far off seeing as it's tomorrow.

Anyways, I have come a long way through this blog. I have really been through some trials and tribulations in my life that I have sometimes, and sometimes not, chronicled. It's nice that people read the things I post now, but I don't want the somber times in my life forgotten either. Usually when you forget how much something hurts you end up sticking your hand in the flames again.

Looking at my past I have been a bit regressive at times, but ever since I left Canada, I feel like I have my do over, my fresh beginning. Which I will not screw up. Not for anything.

I suppose that's all I have for my 200th blog. Short and sweet. Oh one other thing though. I LOVE YOU MIK AND THIS FRESH BEGINNING I OWE ALL TO YOU.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Mall Hell Part Duex









Well, what the hell do you know but my on call day has yielded another actual full work day. I so did not want to work again tonight and at the good ol' LB too. Figures my last weeks they would want to torture me as much as humanly possible. I have to work at that bastard again on Friday. Arrrgh. This was seriously supposed to be my "time off" before the real onslaught hit but I suppose this can be looked at as a warm up. I do need the money too. But one shouldn't have to torture one self in order to make it.


Anyway, the recent baby madness where I live has gotten me thinking. I'd like to have a career one day in maybe being a doula (-a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth.) I really feel like that would be a profession I would truly enjoy. I mean in my mind I can't think of anything better then helping a women give birth to her child. I want some of my own and beside having Mik by my side would love another women who specializes in labor coaching to be by my side to help me through natural child birth.

This profession doesn't require any medical training either. As well as you can be either a labor doula or a postpartum doula which helps a new mother in any of her needs for a couple of weeks after baby is born. What a job.

After I do a bit of research maybe I will write a full blog post on what I've found out.


Have a great rest of the evening everyone. Think of me as I slave for capitalist corporate greed.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Mall Hell







Yes, folks I am here for 11.5 hours today. Not that I'm not used to being at the mall for excruciatingly long hours. I just like to be mentally prepared for what my days length will be. Anyways, now I have to sit here, and look like I'm vaguely amused when people say, "If you're closing why is there a help wanted sign up." Hardy har har. Anyways, I'm cranky, I had bad dreams last night. Today will be the beginning of a long week for me, as I have to work a monsterous, 12 hour day on Friday. I better get used to it though because in three weeks or so this will be occurring at least four times a week. Only God knows why I choose retail as my profession.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Anathema - One Last Goodbye

One of my all time favorite songs.

Legal Hosing.


So, tomorrow is my weekly watering ration day with a hose. Legally. Yes, you read that right, legally. I've been allotted a time slot of 3 hours in the morning, or 3 hours in the early evening to do all my watering with either a trigger nozzled hose, or drippers. Even numbered houses on Saturdays, odd numbered houses on Sunday. Get caught using a hose outside those times you'll cop a $300 fine.
Now, this may not sound very spectacular to anyone, but it is to me because for the last 6 months we've only been allowed to do any kind of watering with a can or bucket. I'm about ready to kick the bucket before I really do kick the bucket!

Got to love droughts. Even the birds are starting to try and suck moisture from rocks.

Us.


For those who like putting a face to a name, here you go.


Ps. I'm the one on the right:P

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Jake gets a haircut and can't keep his tongue in his mouth.

Random photos part 2


A Matter Of 5 Seconds...

So, off I drove to work this morning, with the voice of Erica telling me to drive safely ringing in my ears (:p), as she does every morning, and drive safely I did. There I was minding my own business, coming up to a blind corner, eyes straight ahead, sitting on a sedate 100kmh, when up ahead I noticed a car come screaming from the other direction, watched it as the arse end of the car slid out, looked on in horror as it shot across the road and into an embankment, did a full two spins and ended up facing the way it was supposed to, but in the verge on MY side of the road.
"OH FUCK!"
I slowed down, not really wanting to stop for the fear of what I might find, but felt I had to after what I'd just witnessed, to see if the driver was ok and needed help. It was some young guy, early 20's, badly shaken but generally fine, with a now smashed up car. The front end had been stoved in a bit, the exhaust had been ripped a full 90 degrees and was poking out behind the rear left tyre. He'd just missed sliding the car into a big drainage ditch, which in my opinion would have made him end up in hospital, or worse, and I told him so, adding "how lucky he was".
The car was bogged in the grass, so I helped him get it out, which we did after I told him how to use the rocking method, which he'd never heard of. He thanked me for stopping and off we went on our way again.
All morning I kept thinking "how lucky he was" until it suddenly occurred to me..."Fuck him! What about me?" IF I had been 5 seconds earlier into my trip to work, I would have plowed head-on into this idiot as he spun out and crossed onto my side of the road. I would have had my engine sitting in my lap. I, in all likelihood would not be posting on here for a time to come...if I was lucky. Which it seems I was, this time.
Having thought about this all day, a number of things came to my mind as to the cause of this "near-hit", although I'm no expert.
First, the fucker was speeding, of that I have no doubt. The sudden way he appeared from around the corner, and the speed he appeared to be doing as he came unstuck makes me believe he would have been doing at least 120kmh. Ok, I'll admit I've taken that corner close to that...but not in the fucking WET!
Which brings me to point number two. It's been really dry here, no decent amount of rain for weeks if not months, until last night and this morning. Roads in these conditions get a nice build up of shit on them: oil, rubber, dirt, you name it. Add a sudden layer of water to that, an off-camber corner and it's a cocktail for an inexperienced speeding driver to suddenly become a passenger in an out of control car, and a threat to others who share these same roads.

My point in all of this rant is: be a dickhead driver for all I care. Just don't involve anyone else in your stupidity when shit hits the fan.

Ps. Angel, I love you so much. You are always on my mind, more so today, if that's possible. Always, in all ways.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Random photos





The second photo reminds of the burning bush story in the Bible. Except it's a tree, not a bush. :-|

Monday, October 08, 2007

Alpha Course Beginnings

http://alphana.org/



The past couple of weeks the church I attend has been gearing up for "Alpha Course", which is basically a video series that answers some common questions Christians and non-Christians would naturally have during their progression either towards Christianity or away from Christianity.

The format is usually the same every meeting, our group meets on Sundays in the evening, the host family makes a main dish and everyone else in the group contributes a side dish and we gather around talking about our week and how things are going in our lives. I really like that idea because as I can be fairly anti-social at times, I do like the social aspect of it, most of the people are older and I tend to identify with older folks usually (there are a couple of younguns in the group). After a hearty dinner we will be watching a series of dvds that contain a fellow by the name Nicky Gumbel, he tackles some issues such as, "what happens after you die", "Who is Jesus", and "What relevance does the Bible have to our lives today".

Yesterdays dvd was about who Jesus was it was quite interesting, and they stated a bunch of evidence which I've long forgotten (my brain works on repetition surely and once is never enough for my piddley little brain). But they also were talking about how Jesus never claimed to be God, but was God. To be honest with you that confused the heck out of me. How is Jesus, God? Just like the Jews kept saying, isn't that blasphemous? I've always known Jesus as "the son of God". Is this not true? I mean I know Jesus was an immaculate conception, God made Mary pregnant with Jesus. But that doesn't MAKE him God does it?

Another question was raised as we were sitting around looking at each other in uncomfortable silence, "Am I satisfied with the description of Jesus as an incredible teacher of God and morals" or if someone came up to me and explained him to me in that light would I be satisfied. I piped up ( because no one was talking) I thought that was what he was. An incredible teacher of God and Morals. And then came the grumbles, well, I was told, that is the easy explanation and that would be the uneducated description of Jesus. In a way it made me feel bad for even answering. He was a great teacher and a fulfiller of prophets. But to the "Real Christians in the room" that wasn't enough.

It sort of put me off to the whole alpha group thing. Everyone seems so uncomfortable and unwilling to even say anything when questions are asked, but when I pipe up I felt like it was a bit dashed instead of explained.

We will see what next Alpha meeting holds, if it's more of the same, I might just not go. I surely can do research on my own and hash things out with my pastor.

Apple Pickin' Commentary

Let me first just say, between me and my friend we picked 80LBS of apples in less than an hour. I finally went apple picking, I haven't been for years and it's an activity that really welcomes fall in my mind. We went on the tractor you see behind me in that photo at the bottom that took us to the field where there were the trees we could pick from. Then we were on our own after that. Let me tell you, lugging those damn buckets was torture, even though we didn't have to lug them all the back to the building where we had to pay it was rough. After we laughed, and raped a few trees. We decided we needed to fill up our third bucket with delectable Golden Delicious. It was only a short walk from the building where we had to put our apples on the scale for weighing. So we lugged our buckets, grunting and groaning to the G.D. trees and filled that up in like 10 minutes. Surprisingly enough the trees weren't bare yet. Then it was the haul back to the building. We shared the lugging, my friend carried it half way , I the other half. It was murder on the ole arm sockets, that's for sure.

And thus begins Fall, baking, and everything apple for the next month.

Apple Pickin'




Saturday, October 06, 2007

I heart peppers




Got all these peppers for 4 bucks at the farmers market. Lord knows I didn't grow them. Because as you may have seen stated in a previous comment, Mik and I would starve if we counted on me to do the growin'.

Movin' on up

Folks, I have been "blog rolled". I really AM movin' on up in the crazy blog universe. The kind fellow over at "The Secret Government Ego Project" (http://www.blog.dtkelly.net/) has been so kind to stick my blog up on his blog roller. At first I was a little anxious but I thought, what the heck maybe it'll muster a few more comments in my direction. It's always fun to see what people have to say. So break out the wine bottles people, we again, are almost famous.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Fun times in The United States of America



For the past week there have been two army guys stalking young men in the mall. They drive me crazy, it's like they are on a strategic military mission to recruit as many able bodied young men they can find. I think they've asked the friendly neighborhood gay guy like five times if he wanted to join. HELLO he's gay! But nonetheless, the act like two sharks circling their pray one will go around one way the other shark the opposite direction. I actually saw a guy looking completely uncomfortable trying to back away from the two and they just kept getting closer.

Every time a security guard walks past I am tempted to ask them if it's legal for them to be harassing innocent boys to enlist in the military. But I know it probably isn't because the mall more than likely considered public property.

It also makes me think, is the military so desperate that they have to harass people into enlisting? Are they getting too few people that come into the enlistment office on their own they have to take it to the streets. It also seems as if they target minorities, which makes me wonder are they using the fact that some of these people are uneducated and poor that they'd do anything to get out of the ghetto?

I seriously am glad I am not an American male right now. They don't harass me because the last thing they need is women in the military ( from their stand point at least). I just wonder when do you think it will get bad enough for the United States to reinstate the draft.

Fun times America, fun times.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Green Zone Secured.

Just a little update on my war against ter...umm rabbits.

There looks to have been multiple attempts from the bordering nations to infiltrate the Green Zone, but as of 3:30pm today the new security measures have withstood the onslaught and no incursions have been reported. Thus far the surge seems to be working, and conditions on the ground are improving as we speak.

I am committed, as is my garden to see this fight through to the end. I know and understand there will a lot of deaths, but it's a risk I'm prepared to take, for the freedom of all green, nutritious and delicious things growing in the ground.

They may be cute to some....


So, I finally got off my arse and made myself a vegie patch, and fenced off that entire corner of my property, because of the feral, scum sucking, blood thirsty, virulent and murderous little fluffy four legged marauders that invade not only my garden, but have also in the very recent past made a nice home underneath mine.

The fencing worked a treat...until they started digging from my yard into my neighbours, then mosey on along about 2 metres up the fence, then back under, into my so called "Green Zone".
So, today was the final straw. I dug a trench along the fence where they were entering the restricted area, rolled some wire mesh up with enough sticking up out of the ground to nail to the fence, and buried it.
Unless those little arseholes learn how to use wire cutters, they're going to be shit outta luck. It's been an hour, so far, so good.

Now, are they retarded or just spiteful? Can't they take a hint that they are not welcome to my radishes and baby carrots? Or am I going to have to start playing dirty, and give them a fatal dose of lead poisoning?

I know that last statement will garner some heat, because "they're soooooo cute". Try this, please. Type "rabbit plague" into Google image search. Not so cute and harmless eh? I personally fail to see anything remotely cute about the images that come up.
This is what happens when something that "breeds like rabbits" is let loose in a country where there are no natural predators.

They may be cute to some, what we hunters call "Bambi Syndrome", but to me, they're the bane of my life and the only lush greenery I have, and I WILL WIN THIS WAR!!!

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

I'm gettin' a digi cam!!



This is the camera I decided I was getting. I was going to go with a Kodak, but it seemed I always had to sacrifice one thing for another. Not very handy. But as soon as next week or so I should be gracing everyone with photos of things I deem acceptable for my blog. Yaaaaaaay.