Finally Tried An Original at Tommy Pastrami

The address I had was in Santa Ana but I never found that store. Instead, I found the one on Irvine Center Drive. It was a tasty sandwich and I really enjoyed. The rye bread was phenomenal. The meat was tasty, too. I think it’s a toss up between The Hat and Tommy Pastrami. I guess I’ll have to eat at both again to compare and decide which I like better. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it. It may as well be me. Yummy!

See more progress on: Eat an Original Pastrami at Tommy Pastrami (http://www.ocweekly.com/2008-10-23/food/tommys/)

New Poll: When will you take down your Christmas decorations?

New poll on my blog:  When will you take down your Christmas decorations?

Possible answers:

• They're already down
  
• New Year's Day
  
• The first weekend of the new year
  
• After Epiphany
  
• I will leave them up for next year
  

Poll closes in 6 days.  Vote now!

Long New Year's this year

Are you ready for an extra long New Year's celebration this year?  There will be a leap second!  This extra second is inserted between the end of 2008 and the start 0f 2009.  The clock will reach 11:59 and 60 seconds and pause for an entire second before it reaches 12:00 and 00 seconds the following day.  That's right, 2008 will end and 2009 will start a second later.  We have a second out of time with no year attached.  It is a rogue second - we'll be in neither 2008 or 2009.

You can find the leap second news here:  http://www.space.com/spacewatch/081226-ns-leap-year.html

What will you do with your leap second?  I plan on kissing my wife for that extra second.  That is, if I'm still awake.

Where will you be during your leap second?  At this point I'm planning on being home.

Porta-Pot Shot Rocket is assembled

The Porta-Pot Shot Rocket is now assembled and ready to fly. An easy kit, it only took an hour or two. Now I’m 67% complete on this goal – just waiting for the next launch. Expected completion date is January 10, 2009.

See more progress on: Build and fly an Estes Porta-Pot Shot rocket

Got a Porta-Pot Shot for Christmas

My lovely wife gave me a Porta-Pot Shot kit for Christmas so I’m one third of the way towards accomplishing this goal:

1/3 Acquire kit, done
2/3 Assemble kit, haven’t started
3/3 Fly kit, Planned for Jan 10, 2009

See more progress on: Build and fly an Estes Porta-Pot Shot rocket

Church embraces new media

There is an article on the AP (see link above) that says the Church is in favor of a iPhone application called iBreviary.  The Breviary contains all of the daily prayers and such that Priests are supposed to pray - the lay people are also welcome to say the same prayers but are not required to.  Vatican approval was cited in the following paragraph:

"Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications, praised the new application Monday, saying the Church "is learning to use the new technologies primarily as a tool or as a mean of evangelizing, as a way of being able to share its own message with the world.""

How cool is that?  I need to work on a Podcast...

Obligation or enjoyment or stress relief?

This morning I went to the gym to workout again under the guidance of my trainer (Hey Joanne!).  During the workout we chatted on various topics and I admitted that I hadn't worked out since last Tuesday.  I had all of the excuses - mandatory meetings, layoffs, and family activities conspired to keep me out of the gym.  She asked me if I thought going to the gym was an obligation or a way to relieve stress.  Hmm, insightful question!

I think it's obvious that a person doesn't get a shape like mine because exercise and working out are "fun".  Eating foods high in fat, sugar, and salt and sleeping are my preferred ways of dealing with stress.  Although I have to admit I do feel better after working out.  Perhaps if I weighed less and were stronger the workouts would be more "fun".

So, to answer Joanne's question, going to the gym still feels like an obligation but I like working with her, I do want to get stronger and fitter, and I like the way that I feel afterwards.  But its still a struggle to go workout.  I'm happy I went this morning and I'm looking forward to the end of the next session.

Faith?

Faith, it's a funny thing or maybe I either don't have it or have enough of it.  I'm not sure.  The iPdare was talking about some stuff in a recent podcast that got me wondering.  So, I went and found references on the 'net.

The title of the article was, "The sign of the cross and Orthodox prayer are capable of killing microbes and change the optical properties of water."  The article claimed that saying a blessing and making the Sign of the Cross in the Orthodox manner over food and water purified it and killed pathogens.  The person making the Sign of the Cross did not have to be a believer in order for the miracle to work.

The website that I found the article on reminds me of the tabloids at the check-out in the grocery store.  Here is my conundrum.  If I say that this can't be true am I then putting a limit on God?  Certainly God could accomplish this - it's a very tiny miracle from his point of view I am sure.  I suspect that it's a sin not to believe that God could do this.  OK, I believe that God "could" do this.  I am, however, very skeptical that he does do this.  So read the article and tell me what you think.

Podcast Status

iTunes is reporting that I now have 489 new podcasts occupying 11.79 GB and it will take me 10 days to listen to it all.  Currently I am listening to:

• Catholic Rockers - pod faded
  
• David Allen Company Podcast - pod faded
• Going Fourth - pod faded
• iPadre Catholic Podcasting - active
• The ManlyCatholic Pdocast - active
  
• Maximum Impact Podcast - pod faded
• pray-as-you-go - active
• Rosary Army Catholic Podcast - stopped broadcasting
• That Catholic Show (Video) - pod faded

Wen I started listening to the ManlyCatholic I went back in time to the beginning of the podcast, episode 1.  I'm at about the halfway point.  I'm trying to get through the rest of the podcasts so that I'm current on all of them but it'll take me a while.

No Rocket Launch Today

"Due to sustained high winds on the lake bed, we have decided to CANCEL today's launch.  We apologize for the late notice, but we had been hoping that conditions on the lake bed would be better.

The next launch will be in January."

So said the official e-mail at 7:40 AM.  Of course, we were on the lake bed for an hour at that point.  We saw what they call rockets and they're not kits from Estes.  There was one that was so big, even in half it wouldn't fit in the bed of the pickup but had to hang over.  It was fiberglass coated, 10ish inches in diameter and I'm guessing over 12' tall.

We pick up two really small tumble recovery rockets from the vendor that was there and picked up our badges that are good for all of next year.  Time to build more model rockets and fly in our imagination.

Words & Slang, kinda like Bangers & Mashers

I love to learn the stories of slang words and slang expressions.  Things like "caught red handed", "lock, stock, and barrel", "balls to the wall", and "freeze the balls off of a brass monkey".  Btw, none of these are "dirty" and are perfectly fine in mixed company if you know where they came from.  I friend (Hi Bill!) sent me a link for "Bob's Your Uncle, Lame Duck, Malarkey, Dressed to the Nines, MindYour P's and Q's, and Uxorious".  Enjoy!  I sure did.

Orange & Yellow Hi-Flier

I finally completed the building of the Estes Hi-Flier Model Rocket Kit that I started. It's ready to fly and the launch is next Saturday. It'll be her maiden flight with a 1/2A6-2 engine. It may fly with one of the following as well: A8-3, A8-5, B4-4, B6-4, C6-5, or C6-7. The C6-7 is supposed to send it up over 1675 feet! It'll be long out of site at that altitude. I wonder if we'll pick it up visually as it falls back to earth from that height. If we get video of it's flight(s) we'll let you know about it. I'm excited and can hardly wait until next Saturday!

The Gospel Truth

Marriage, when it's good there is nothing better.  Marriage Partnership had another great article this week.  Some questions I need to ask my wife more often: 

1. What can I do to help you?
   
2. How can I make your life easier?
   
3. How can I be a better husband?
   

I believe that asking these questions in my marriage is the best thing that I can do for my marriage.  The problem is that asking these questions requires humility.  Humility is a virtue with which I struggle.  I need to pray and ask for the humility to ask my wife these questions often.  Please pray for me to have the humility to not only ask but then do.  God Bless you.

Abortion a right?

In an article from Catholic News Service there is the following paragraph:

"On Dec. 10, the U.N. General Assembly also was to be presented with a petition to make abortion a universally recognized human right."

I find this to be very disturbing and more reason to dislike the UN.  I've believed for a long time that the US should get out of the UN.  This is one more reason. But I digress...

Let's talk about why this is a problem.  It comes down to my beliefs that abortion is wrong.  I do support a woman's right to do what she wants to do with her own body.  If she wants to tattoo her skin or piece a body part then she should go for it.  I might not like those actions but I won't stand in the way.  But the unborn baby in her womb is NOT part of her body.  I believe that life begins at conception and the fertilized egg is a new and different person.  Yes, the baby requires food, water, warmth, and oxygen from it's mother in order to live but so does a newborn.  In fact, pretty much every person under the age of about 2 still requires all of that from their parents.  If a 2 year old is a person then so is the unborn baby.

The discussion to have is when does a person acquire "personhood".  Killing a person with personhood is murder - legal or otherwise.  I believe that life begins at conception and so it is logical that abortion is murder.  Abortion before life begins would not be murder and we have no argument.  When do you say that life begins and why?

The 25 Days of Christmas????

ABC has an advertising campaign going on right now called "The 25 Days of Christmas".  They claim that the 25 days of Christmas are Dec 1 - 25.  They couldn't be more wrong.  They are misleading people into thinking that Christmas ends on the 25th when that is actually the day that it starts.

I had wanted to be counter-cultural and wait until Christmas eve to turn on our Christmas lights and then have them on until the Epiphany.  My wife and son wanted them on now.  Now when they're on until Epiphany it won't be seen as the counter-cultural statement that I wanted it to be - it'll just look like I'm lazy.

I protest against ABC's 25 Days of Christmas.

Poll: When do you put up your Christmas decorations?

The answers and tallies:

• After Halloween:  0 (0%)
• After Thanksgiving:  0 (0%)
• During Advent:  1 (100%)
• I never took them down:  0 (0%)
  

Total votes:  1  (me!)

Poll closed

There'll be a new poll soon.

Getting Older

I discovered another sure sign that I'm getting older.  I still remember the first time I realized that I was getting older.  I was chaperoning a church youth group dance and the DJ put on a "golden oldie".  I was expecting something from the 50s or maybe the 60s.  Instead, much to my surprise, what he played was one of my favorite songs:  Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin.  I knew then that I was moving in to the "old" category.

The sure sign that I learned today was that a trip to the doctor's office is no longer a trip to the doctor's office.  It's now a trip to the doctor's office and another trip to the doctor's office for a followup.  :-(  I went to the doctor today to get the results from my blood work last month.  The numbers are better (in general) but now I'm scheduling more blood work in another three months.

Deep Thoughts: Cup of Joe edition

This morning I wondered why coffee is also known as "Joe".  I pondered it momentarily and suddenly I had to know.  So I googled "why is coffee called joe".  I found two plausible answers there:

1. Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862-15 January 1948) was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Among his reforms of the Navy were inaugurating the practice of making 100 Sailors from the Fleet eligible for entrance into the Naval Academy, the introduction of women into the service, and the abolishment of the officers' wine mess. From that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships could only be coffee and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as "a cup of Joe". - Big Red on Yahoo! India Answers
2. In 1860 a popular song of the times was "old black Joe" written by Stephen C. Foster the same man who wrote "Camp town races" and "Oh! Suzanna". Diners of the time picked up the slang 'Cup O Joe'.  From Wiki Answers

I guess I'll never really know unless you know a better answer.  Let me know if you know of a reason that coffee is called "Joe".

Headline Bistro

There is a new Catholic Headline Internet portal called Headline Bistro.  Headline Bistro is a service of the Knights of Columbus dedicated to bringing readers the top, daily headlines that Catholics need to know.  It's a great website.  You can sign up to have headlines popped into your e-mail inbox on a daily basis on their front page.  I like to get the headlines in my e-mail.  I scan them over my morning coffee and if one the headlines captures my curiosity I follow the headline link to the web site and from there to the "real" article on the web.  If you're Catholic (and even if you aren't) and you want to know then you should add Headline Bistro to your favorites.  God Bless!

Foolish Advice

The Motley Fool gives this advice to beat the recession, "Spend less than you earn."  Duh.

Easy to say, hard to do.  Wish I had.  Now I need to.

Random thoughts

Nothing heavy in this post...

First, a note to self.  American Cheese is good on a Cheeseburger.  Cheddar Cheese is good on a Cheeseburger.  Provolone Cheese is NOT good on a Cheeseburger.  Don't do that again.  Yuch.

I'm beginning to understand one possible reason why there might be more Christmas lights up here than elsewhere.  I've never put up Christmas lights in short sleeves before.  I might be able to get used to that.  A single story house makes for a nice low roof line - only a step ladder is needed.  The roof line has lights.  Now to start worrying about the windows, the porch supports, the gazebo, and the long wall.  It's a good thing that Advent is long enough.

The rocket is assembled and has a first code of paint on the body.  The fins will have to be hand painted.  I think the rocket will be completed in time for it's scheduled launch date.

Boondoggles to the LA Bulk Mail Post Office on a Sunday evening are a great start to a date night.

Launch 2 weeks from 2 day

Rocketry of California is having a sport launch on December 13th.  It sounds like a fun day.  I think I'll take G. out for the day and launch rockets.  Of course, launching rockets means building rockets.  I need to put a rocket or two together for the day.  I've got an Estes Rocket kit called "Hi-Flier" - perhaps I'll make a slide show of it's assembly and maybe even a You Tube video of it's launch.  Stay tuned...

PS:  Cruising Estes for a link to my kit I saw a really neat one.  Now I need to build a "Porta-Pot Shot".  I'll add that to my 43 Things list.

Economic Stimulus

Well, Black Friday is over for us.  We spent our money and have done our patriotic duty to provide an economic stimulus package.  We spent more than we should have but not as much as in the past.  It'll have to do.  We did manage to come home with ... well some presents.  I don't think I should say more.  One of these presents might be for you and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.  You'll have to wait until Christmas.  Sorry.

Made a demo podcast

I got an idea of a podcast I might be able to do with a friend. I put together some theme music that I think is cool. I made a demo last night to give him a sense of what it might be like. My microphone is terrible. I need to get my better equipment out and record with that instead. So maybe, just maybe, I’m actually doing something to accomplish the goal of creating a podcast in my list of (not quite) 43 things.

See more progress on: Create a podcast that is actually worth listening to

Black Friday

Yuck.  Another Black Friday is coming.  Up before the sun and out to the stores.  I don't like it and I wouldn't do it if it were left up to me.  But my wife really likes it so I go out and help her.  It's a group plan.  She drops me off at a store with a list and then she heads off to a different one.  She comes back to get me later and then drops me off somewhere else.  Twice as many stores in the same amount of time.  It works for her.  It's a sacrafice that I make for our marriage.

Christmas & Happy New Year

It's almost the new year.  Year B in the Catholic Church starts this weekend and so does Advent.  As Advent nears my thoughts turn to Christmas.  This year is looking to be an interesting Christmas.  The news is full of stories about people cutting back and spending less on Christmas presents.  Our family will be one of those spending less.  As I ponder this I am getting excited - excited in a good way.  With fewer presents in the way the true meaning of Christmas will be more apparent - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I think that this may be our most joyous Christmas yet.

But I got to thinking about a friend of mind in Colorado.  This friend was not Christian.  In fact, I think he was an atheist if I remember correctly (and I often don't).  He celebrated Christmas with his family.  I asked him why since I new he would not be celebration the birth of Jesus.  He said it was a holiday to give and receive presents.  I didn't understand it then and I still don't.  But thinking of him I got a little bit sad.  For him this year with a lessening of presents the Holy day won't be a celebration but just another day off of work.  That just makes me sad for him.

So, I believe that if you focus on the meaning of the holiday and celbrate the birth of our Salvation this year that you can possibly have the best Christmas ever.  If you lose track of Jesus and reduce it to gift exchanging then it looks to be one of the worst.  Let's all look to Jesus to guide us, soften our hearts, and celebrate our inheritance of the Kingdom.  And of course, pray for those who will be struggling.

Motorcycles Are Gone

Well, that's it I suppose. At least for now. Sold both motorcycles. They were rusting away next to the house. Maybe this way they'll get ridden again. Someday I may buy another bike. It might even be another XS1100. That'd be nice. Or it might be a new american bike. We just know what the future will bring. I was sad seeing them go but they'll get ridden again.

See you on down the road - maybe even on two wheels some day but for now it'll be four wheels.

How to make pumpkin pie!

"Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got homemade pumpkin pie in my tummy."

How I did it: I got 4 smallish pumpkins (6 to 8 inches in diameter).  I removed the stem, cut them in half, removed the pumpkin guts, and put them innards down on a cookie sheet.  I had covered the cookie sheet with aluminum foil to keep them from staining the sheets and I let the pumpkin skin take the heat.  I baked them at 350 degress like baked potatoes for almost an hour.  I pulled them out when they were soft and peeled the skin off.  I got about 8 cups of mashed pumpkin.  From there I followed the recipe in a cook book using store bought pie crusts.

Lessons & tips: Bake the pumpkin - don't boil it.  Boiling makes the pumpkin too wet.

Resources: Aluminum foil and a cook book.

It took me 3 days.

It made me happy.

See more progress on: Make pumpkin pie!

Learn to cook - Now!

I just read an interesting article from Britian on Reuters titled, "We can't cook for a downturn, chef says".  According to the article, the Brits have forgotten how to cook meals at home and in the economic downturn they're turning to Fast Food because that's the only way they know how to feed their families for less.  Now they want to appoint a "Minister of Food" to work out policies to teach people to cook and to open government sponsored food centers.  Scary.  I'm glad I know how to cook some things - I made* three pumpkin pies from actual pumpkins yesterday.  I'll taste them tonight.

* I did cheat and use a store bought pie crust.  I guess learning to make pie crusts is my next kitchen lesson.  I'll add that to my 43 things.

Fishing Trip

Another thing to do on my life’s list…

Grab a charter fishing trip that goes overnight or even better, Friday night to Sunday night. I hope to put some Tuna steaks in the freezer. Yumm, yumm.

See more progress on: Overnight or Weekend long fishing trip

Boxes! Sheesh.

Boxes, boxes, boxes. Boxes everywhere. Boxes in the Living Room. Boxes in the Garage. Boxes in the Kitchen, Dining Room, and Office. Boxes in the Guest Room, the Master Bedroom, and the Master Retreat. Boxes are even outside. But no boxes in the Bathroom. Boxes in the closets. Working on emptying EVERY box this time.

See more progress on: Empty EVERY box from the last move

Bake Pumpkin Pie

We got 4 baking pumpkins at the store yesterday. Now I need to turn them into at least three pumpkin pies. One for eating now, one for eating on the next campout, and one for Thanksgiving. I’m the only one that eats pumpkin pie in our house so I have to eat the WHOLE pie before it gets moldy. It’s a tough task but someone has to do it!

See more progress on: Make pumpkin pie!

No More Sierra Nevada Beer

I just heard on a Rosary Army Podcast that Sierra Nevada Company contributes to and supports an abortion mill.  That's not good.  That's not right.

I'm joining the Sierra Nevada Beer boycott.  Too bad, it tasted pretty good.  If you hear that they've stopped supporting the abortion mill let me know - I'll celebrate with a Sierra Nevada Beer but I won't taste it again until then.

Alaska

I've always thought it would be way cool to be far enough north in Alaska (or anywhere I suppose) to be able to experience a 24 hour period where the sun never sets (mid-summer) and a 24 hour period where the sun never rises (mid-winter). Image a day with no night or no day. What is that like?

See more progress on: Go to Alaska for a 24 hour "day" and a 24 hour "night"

Obama Won the Election

The Oval Office turned blue.  he Senate and House both remained blue.  I fear that legislation is going to be passed like a run-away freight train.  Mixing metaphors, not only are we likely to throw out the baby with bath water, I think we'll be seeing that they put some more babies in the tub before they do it!

The talking heads claim it was the economy.  The democrats will tax and spend us into a worse economy.  I predict sweeping legislation that disrepects the right to life, personal property rights, the natural law, and gives up our freedom.  As a friend of mine uesd to claim, "We, the US, have gotten the President that we deserve."  Pray for us.

Election sites to monitor

National Presidential on CNN

California Statewide General Election

Orange County General Election

Which sites are you monitoring?

My vote is cast(?),...

My vote is cast.  The wait was just over an hour.  Now, I'm off to get my free cup of coffee at Starbucks. listen

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It's Election Day Today

So get out and vote!  Or forsake your right to complain for four years...

Deep Thoughts

"In order to succeed at anything in life, you have to do 3 things effectively - manage information, track commitments and allocate resources."

 - http://www.davidco.com/

All Souls Day

For all of our departed brothers and sisters...

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Merciful Father,

hear our prayer and console us.

As we renew our faith in Your Son,

whom You raised from the dead,

strengthen our hope

that all our departed brothers and sisters

will share in His resurrection,

who lives and reigns

with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen

Podcasts

What am I listening to now?  How about these podcasts:

• Catholic Rockers
• David Allen Company Podcast
• Going Fourth
• iPadre Catholic Podcasting
• Maximum Impact Podcast
• pray-as-you-go
• Rosary Army Catholic Podcast
• That Catholic Show (Video)

PS:  iTunes says that I have 10.5 days of listening to do.  I'm way behind but I'm current.  I listen to the new podcasts as they come out and then go back a month at a time to listen to the old ones.  I'm listening to June '08 right now.

The Mythical Man-Month

I just started reading this book.  You can read my thoughts on the book at http://www.bookcrossing.com.  Follow this link:  http://www.bookcrossing.com/isbn/9780201835953.

That explains it

So my brain is now slowing down.  Brains work best at age 39.  I've got a medical excuse now.  Good thing!

"Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles are reporting that while some people may think "life begins at 40," all it seems to do is slow down. According to recent research, at age 39 our brain reaches its peak speed, and it's all down hill after that."

New test blog entry...

New test blog entry with new ID. Working?

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It's still here?

What'd'ya know?  The old Blog is still here.  Perhaps I should play with the Blog a bit again...