7 July 2016

In case you haven't heard, NASA hit a milestone yesterday.  And if you are interested, here's milestone.  Also funny: those Romans.


For more Juno...xkcd...

or...

or...

or...

Jupiter and Juno (on the left)

or... Did you know?

And finally, here's some smooth R&B to get your night started, "Didja Know" by Groove Theory.

  

6 July 2016

Found out today that I might get to take the walk test instead of the run test this month.  I am still progressing running on the treadmill so I can pass my 1.5 mile run test.  The fun about the walk test is that it is 1.25 miles (I'm American; the test is 2 kilometers) in less than 16 minutes and 18 seconds, meaning 4.67 miles an hour.  So I'm debating going to the gym on a rest day to see if I can pass that now.

I reread this article about wasting time and clouding your own perception about working out, and found this calculator that talks about methodically progressing on a strength program.

If you really want to spend half a day thinking about barbells, read this post.

5 July 2016

When using tax software to complete a 1040-X, make sure you know what you are doing.

This year I submitted my taxes electronically with H&R Block and then made an amendment about a month later.  Apparently, if one does not click the right link, one could edit the original taxes and somehow merge that 1040 into a 1040-X.  The IRS did not figure this out, but they did calmly ignore my amendment and never tell me anything.  H&R Block customer service chatted with me this afternoon for almost an hour and gave me a free code to use their software again to right the situation.  Thank you Eliza.

4 July 2016

This.  Happy Fourth of July.

3 July 2016

The success of today was going almost twenty hours without a meal.  I had my usual strong coffee alongside two cans of seltzer for breakfast, accompanied by a few spoonfuls of coconut oil.  After reading in the morning, I put away the kids toys, vacuumed the floors and moved some boxes around in the garage.  I finally made myself go to the gym to squat, press, row and run on the treadmill, after only eating a piece of cheese and some olives.

This summer I have three knife projects going: an old Sysco chef knife, a cheap paring knife I bought from Kroger's in Tennessee and an engraved Bowie-style knife that my new neighbor gave me.  After removing the cheap handles from each, I was appalled at the manufacturer's manner in which they built these knives.  The chef's knife isn't a full tang or hidden tang, it is half a tang, so I plan on drilling a tight hole and putting a pin through the end of the tang.  The paring knife has a full tang, but is essentially hollow, with three holes for pins.  So this one should be basically a regular knife handle project.  The Bowie has zero tang: the handle was connected to a thin length of flattened rod that simple sits in a notch in the bottom of the blade.  I was able to flattened a length of brass rod with a ball peen hammer and a grinder to fit in the notch, so I plan on using alternating small rectangles for the handle, possibly with pieces of leather from an old wallet in between, kinda like this or this.

Time to go take another vinegar bath and eat oxtail soup!

2 July 2016

I learned today that going boating means changing out rusted lug nuts and replacing the flat tire on a trailer first.  Thankfully, we had Raid, which must be a first cousin once removed to WD-40 and helped loosen the rusted bolts.  After we got going, we went fishing, which could also be described as throwing shrimp lures into the water while conversing about errata.

That shiny should means I am now pink all over and ready for bed.  Since it was lunch time, we did stop at a local restaurant and dined on salmon, broccoli, mashed potatoes and soup and salad.  The best thing about keto is drowning your plate in butter and cheese.

 

Now I am tired and ready for a bath of vinegar, lavender oil and epsom salts and more wholesome television.

For dessert I attempted a chocolate coconut mousse, but my version is definitely not keto.  I am using up random ingredients I have on hand, which means I used liquid coconut milk, powdered coconut milk, heavy cream, Dannon whole milk yogurt, real sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, baking chocolate, shredded coconut, cocoa powder, frozen cherries and half a packet of French Vanilla jello.  Blended everything but the jello and put it in a round casserole dish and put it in the freezer.  I threw the jello powder in after thinking the thing wouldn't set.  It's been in the freezer for just under an hour now, so we'll see how it tastes.  

1 July 2016

Happy 149th Birthday Canada!

We celebrated Canada Day with some cheap hot dogs and cheeseburgers, which I made into lettuce wraps.  It was decent and I even indulged in a Canada beer, the first beer I have consumed in almost two years.  After I left, I went to pick up my repaired Stihl MS 180, just in case I wanted to turn some fallen trees into firewood this weekend.  On the way, I visited a local gun shop to add to my ammunition stores and see about a holster for a revolver.  After I found a block of 500 rounds, the clerk asked me if I was paying cash or charge.  He beckoned me close and whispered conspiratorially, "Cash is cheaper."  I thought he was going to tell me who shot Kennedy, not the fact that give a discount to folks who ignore the benefit of the float.

On the drive home, I was feeling sleepy from the beer and now I'm fantasizing about brewing specialty cups of coffee.  So, I turn to my trusty pal for anything otaku and found this.  I currently have a 12 cup (which always bothers me, because these machines call 5 ounces a cup, when my cup size is 12 or 18 ounces) Mr. Coffee with a thermal carafe.  I use whole beans and an electric burr grinder.  I used to have a French Press but after a few years use it broke in the dishwasher.  I've heard great things about the Aeropress and even thought about a stovetop version, but according to this site, drip machines aren't even a viable option if I want to be considered a coffee snob.  When the power went out in February, I did put my grounds in steeping bags and pour boiling water over the bags into the carafe, but that method is not recommended nor mentioned on the site linked previously.  Well, now I'm sucked into the noob site so now I have ideas for the morning.