Monday, April 6, 2009
Tuscaloosa Air Show
I thought I'd post a few pics from Saturday's Air Show here in Tuscaloosa. It was the first to be held here, and an estimated 150,000 people turned out at the airport to see the Blue Angels, the Golden Knights, and a host of others. The Golden Knights said that it was the largest crowd they had ever jumped for. We had a great day. The crowds were twice what the city had expected, so the shuttles were a bit slow afterwards (it took us 3 hours to get on one), but we didn't let that bother us one bit. We all enjoyed the day and got nice sunburns. My face is already beginning to peel. If you missed it this year, the City plans on this becoming an annual event, so you'll have to make sure and be here next year!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Lowe's Lowe's Lowe's
Sorry I didn't get around to posting any pics last night. It was once again an eventful evening. I will try to do better.
Heather wanted to replace the ceiling fan in our bedroom. I may have already mentioned this yesterday, I don't know at this point. We had bought a fan at Home Depot Saturday, I think. Got it home and took the old one down, and the new fan wouldn't fit where we wanted it to. You see, whoever built our house was gracious enough to include these beams in the ceiling where the pitched parts meet. I measured the width of the beam, and we have 5 1/2 inches to work with. The fan base needs to fit in that space. Doesn't sound too complicated does it? Well guess again!
When the tree fell on the house, we had the good sense to have the beam in the kitchen removed. Now we'd like to take out the beams in the den and our bedroom. But I have a feeling that the ceilings underneath the beams do not match the ceilings outside of the beams. That would make things way to simple, and simplicity does not exist at our house.
So yesterday, I returned the fan to Home Depot, drove over to Lighting Plus and looked at their high-dollar merchandise that they obviously very proud of, and then went BACK to Lowe's for about the seventeenth time and bought what I thought was the same fan that we bought for the den, but in white.
I got home after work, and miraculously, Daddy had been able to fix the garage wall without have to rip out every piece of siding and start over. It just needs painting now. (Which again is not simple. Cabiness paint has our interior paint records on file, but cannot find the colors for the exterior. So I have to take some of the old siding over and have them match it. And of course I forgot to bring that with me again today. I also need to get more of the exterior trim to cover up the places on the back of the house where I knocked the trim paint off with the pressure washer.)
We brought in the new fan and started unpacking it. Nope. Won't work. The base was too wide on this one as well. So I didn't even finish taking it out of the box. I just closed it up and we went to get yet another one.
We had to make a detour because Daddy wanted to buy himself a new TV. It's pretty sweet. I think what hooked him was the fact that they had a fishing show playing and the bass was right up in his face. I knew at that point that he was sold. He said that he's going to have to be careful watching those cattle auctions on RFD because the picture looks so real he might actually get manure on him..... I know... funny. I tried to get him to see if SAM's would give him a better deal if he bought two, and he could give one to me, but that didn't go very far.
So after SAM's we headed BACK to Lowe's for the twenty-eighth time since Friday. And we looked, and we looked, and we had them open boxes so we could measure, and eventually we bought another fan. And it's not even white. It's something called brushed nickel. I like it. But at this point, I would like anthing. I think I would even be willing to hire Egyptian women to stand around the bed with big palm leaves. Anything to be done with this!
We did end the evening with big heaping plates of fried seafood from Wintzell's. Daddy made the comment that he had been eating oysters at Wintzell's for over 50 years. Probably longer than that since he was born in 1938, the same year Wintzell's opened for business in downtown Mobile.
When I left the house this morning, Daddy and Heather were about to open up the box and hang the fan. I got out of there fast. I'm afraid that if that one didn't work, I might throw it through the bedroom window out into the yard. And of course that would require additional repairs.
Mama made the comment night before last that we should go ahead and start on the deck remodel that I want to do, since Daddy is here to help us.
Obviously, she has lost her mind, or she wants me to lose mine.
UPDATE: Heather just called on her way home from Lowe's. The rod that came with the fan wasn't long enough to work with our pitched ceiling. I'm just glad that I'm at work.
Heather wanted to replace the ceiling fan in our bedroom. I may have already mentioned this yesterday, I don't know at this point. We had bought a fan at Home Depot Saturday, I think. Got it home and took the old one down, and the new fan wouldn't fit where we wanted it to. You see, whoever built our house was gracious enough to include these beams in the ceiling where the pitched parts meet. I measured the width of the beam, and we have 5 1/2 inches to work with. The fan base needs to fit in that space. Doesn't sound too complicated does it? Well guess again!
When the tree fell on the house, we had the good sense to have the beam in the kitchen removed. Now we'd like to take out the beams in the den and our bedroom. But I have a feeling that the ceilings underneath the beams do not match the ceilings outside of the beams. That would make things way to simple, and simplicity does not exist at our house.
So yesterday, I returned the fan to Home Depot, drove over to Lighting Plus and looked at their high-dollar merchandise that they obviously very proud of, and then went BACK to Lowe's for about the seventeenth time and bought what I thought was the same fan that we bought for the den, but in white.
I got home after work, and miraculously, Daddy had been able to fix the garage wall without have to rip out every piece of siding and start over. It just needs painting now. (Which again is not simple. Cabiness paint has our interior paint records on file, but cannot find the colors for the exterior. So I have to take some of the old siding over and have them match it. And of course I forgot to bring that with me again today. I also need to get more of the exterior trim to cover up the places on the back of the house where I knocked the trim paint off with the pressure washer.)
We brought in the new fan and started unpacking it. Nope. Won't work. The base was too wide on this one as well. So I didn't even finish taking it out of the box. I just closed it up and we went to get yet another one.
We had to make a detour because Daddy wanted to buy himself a new TV. It's pretty sweet. I think what hooked him was the fact that they had a fishing show playing and the bass was right up in his face. I knew at that point that he was sold. He said that he's going to have to be careful watching those cattle auctions on RFD because the picture looks so real he might actually get manure on him..... I know... funny. I tried to get him to see if SAM's would give him a better deal if he bought two, and he could give one to me, but that didn't go very far.
So after SAM's we headed BACK to Lowe's for the twenty-eighth time since Friday. And we looked, and we looked, and we had them open boxes so we could measure, and eventually we bought another fan. And it's not even white. It's something called brushed nickel. I like it. But at this point, I would like anthing. I think I would even be willing to hire Egyptian women to stand around the bed with big palm leaves. Anything to be done with this!
We did end the evening with big heaping plates of fried seafood from Wintzell's. Daddy made the comment that he had been eating oysters at Wintzell's for over 50 years. Probably longer than that since he was born in 1938, the same year Wintzell's opened for business in downtown Mobile.
When I left the house this morning, Daddy and Heather were about to open up the box and hang the fan. I got out of there fast. I'm afraid that if that one didn't work, I might throw it through the bedroom window out into the yard. And of course that would require additional repairs.
Mama made the comment night before last that we should go ahead and start on the deck remodel that I want to do, since Daddy is here to help us.
Obviously, she has lost her mind, or she wants me to lose mine.
UPDATE: Heather just called on her way home from Lowe's. The rod that came with the fan wasn't long enough to work with our pitched ceiling. I'm just glad that I'm at work.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuscaloosa Airshow Info
Full Schedule for Tuscaloosa Air Show
For both Saturday (4/4) and Sunday (4/5)
For both Saturday (4/4) and Sunday (4/5)
9 a.m.: Gates open
10 a.m.: Airspace closes
10:45 a.m.: Opening Ceremonies
10:55 a.m.: Golden Knight Parachute jump
11:12 a.m.: Red Eagle Air Sports – Teaser routine (full show at 2:38 p.m.)
The two-member Red Eagle Air Sports team flies the Talon Eagle and the Red Eagle. The Red Eagle is a one-of-a-kind plane with a engine that exceeds 250 horsepower. It travels 180 miles per hour while flying level and can exceed 230 miles per hour during air show maneuvers. The roll rate of the plane is 360 degrees per second and the vertical climb is 1,500 feet. The Talon Eagle is one of five in the world and features an unusual double-swept wing and a powerful engine. The biplane travels 210 miles per hour in level flight and 250 during maneuvers. The roll rate is 400 degrees per second and vertical climb capability is 3,000 feet.
11:25 a.m.: Alabama Air National Guard KC-135 Flyby
The KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling craft that the United States Air Force has used for more than 50 years. The planes also provide refueling support for the Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The aircraft has four turbofans mounted under 35-degree swept wings, which power it to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds. A crewmember known as the boom operator is stationed at the rear of the plane and controls the boom – the KC-135’s primary fuel transfer method.
11:26 a.m.: Warbird Flight
Warbird is a term used for vintage military aircraft. P-51 Mustangs will be showcased at the Tuscaloosa show. The Mustang was among the best and most well-known fighters used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber. The Mustang was used in nearly every combat zone during WWII, and later in the Korean War.
11:36 a.m.: U.S. Air Force A-10A Thunderbolt II Demo
The Thunderbolt II can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23 mm. With a wingspan of 57 feet, 6 inches and weighing 29,000 pounds, the aircraft can reach 800 miles per hour. The planes are favored by the Air Force for their maneuverability at low air speeds and low altitude and their highly accurate weapons-delivery platforms. The Thunderbolt II can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and can operate under 1,000 foot ceilings with 1.5-mile visibility. They are used against ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.
11:52 a.m.: Greg Koontz and The Alabama Boys – Flying Farmer Routine and Cartop Landing
Greg Koontz got his start in aerobatic flying in Ernie Moser’s Flying Circus, where he became known for his comedic performance and “World’s Smallest Airport” stunt, where he lands on a moving pickup truck. In the comedy show, Koontz climbs into the bleachers as “Farmer Clem Cleaver” who demands a flight lesson. He ends up “stealing” a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub with the crew in pursuit and eventually lands on the truck when “Grandpa” shoots a tire out. Until 2002, Koontz flew jet aircraft for a corporation in Alabama and performed airshows in his spare time. He owns a bed and breakfast with his wife in Ashville where he is an aerobatic flight instructor. The team flies Super Decathlon planes, which exceed 200 miles per hour.
12:07 p.m.: U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress Flyby (Saturday only)
Air Combat Command’s B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles of ocean surface. The plane cruises at 275 miles per hour and can reach 437 miles per hour.
12:12 p.m.: U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet East Coast Demonstration Team
The fighter and attack aircraft was first flown in 1995 and is used by the Navy for day and night strikes with precision-guided weapons, anti-air warfare, as a fighter escort, for close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strikes and reconnaissance missions, forward air control and air-to-air refueling .
12:25 p.m.: Gordo Sanders Roll Tide T-6
A former Lt. Col. in the Air National Guard and later a FedEx pilot, Gordo Sanders served in the 1990 Gulf War and was involved in search and destruction of SCUD missiles in Iraq. During his military career, he logged more than 1,500 hours and flew aircraft that exceeded 600 miles per hour. Sanders flies a T-6 Texan, the basic training planes used during World War II and has competed in competitions and flown in air shows across the Southern states.
12:35 p.m.: Mike Wiskus, Lucas Oil Pitts
Solo performer Michael Wiskus’ show has been described as smoky, loud and high-energy. Wiskus, from Minnesota, began flying at an early age and was the 2002 U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and a 2004 U.S. National Aerobatic team member. He has competed in air shows in Europe and Russia. His Web site describes the performance as “outrageous, high-performance, low-altitude, solo aerobatics smothered with smoke and noise”. Wiskus flies a one-of-a-kind Pitts S111B plane, an biplane that is a variation of the Pitts Special -- an aerobatic type of plane first used in the mid-40s and widely used in air shows of the 1960s and 1970s. Wiskus reaches speeds of more than 260 miles per hour.
12:49 p.m.: Warbird Flight
The Yakovlev Yak-52 first flew in 1976, and is still being produced in Bacau, Romania. The planes were originally designed as a trainer for students who would later fly Soviet jet aircraft. Nanchang CJ-6 are Chinese aircraft designed and built in China for use by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as a basic trainer.
1:02 p.m.: Greg Koontz Decathalon Demo
1:24 p.m.: Aeroshell Aerobatic Team
The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team has performed across the country for more than 20 years. Pilots fly AT-6 Texans. Nicknamed “The Pilot Maker”, the planes were first used in 1938 as basic training plane for the United States Army Air Corps. They were flown by all World War II pilots who went on to fly fighter aircraft. The Texans are still used as basic training planes and light attack aircraft in 22 countries. The planes have wingspans of 42 feet and can reach 212 miles per hour. There are under-wing attachments for light bombs and rockets. The team is sponsored by Shell Aviation, the aviation division of Shell Oil.
1:44 p.m.: U.S. Army Golden Knights
2:20 p.m.: U.S. Air Force C-17 Demo
2:33 p.m.: Air Force Reserve Jet Car
From zero to 400 miles per hour in just eight seconds, The Air Force Reserve Jet Car always outraces the pilots who try go up against it – despite the head start from driver Bill Braack. The car is powered by a Westinghouse J-34 jet engine that develops 10,000 horsepower and 6,000 pounds of thrust. Made of aluminum and magnesium, the 26-foot long car weighs 2,300 pounds and uses 40 gallons of diesel fuel for each performance. Attached parachutes can bring the car to a stop in less than 2,000 feet. Mike Wiskus, of Lucas Oil Pitts, will attempt to beat the car in a race.
2:38 p.m.: Red Eagle Air Sports Full Show
3 p.m.: U.S. Navy Blue Angels C-130 Demo
3:15 p.m.: U.S. Navy Blue Angels
5 p.m.: Gates close
Bobby the Builder
I am about worn slap out.
We have had several projects at our house that have been needing to be done. But as busy as we always seem to be, the list never gets shorter... in fact it has been growing lately at an alarming pace!
So this weekend, Daddy (Bobby) came up, I brought out my checkbook, and we worked all weekend getting things done and redone. In fact, just because the weekend is over doesn't mean that the fun has stopped. Daddy is still here and will probably stay with us another couple of days in an attempt to finish up the projects we have started. God bless him.
Daddy got here Friday afternoon, much to the pleasure of Hershey. We had told her that Poppy was coming, and she had been excited for 3 days. He tends to spoil her more than just a little bit, and anybody who knows Hershey knows that she is definately a high maintenance little dog who thrives on attention from everybody.
We decided to hit Lowe's wide open before we went to eat. So we loaded up in the Volvo and prepared to go spend. We started looking at kitchen sinks and faucets. Our original plan was to get a new stainless sink. When the tree fell on the house, and the kitchen had to be redone, four years ago, the painters used our kitchen sink to wash out their paint rollers and brushes and ruined it. In the midst of arguing over everything else that needed to be done in the rebuild, we gave in on the sink and decided to replace it ourselves. So 4 years later, here we are.
Heather suddenly decided that she didn't want stainless steel anymore. She found these granite sinks that she loved. I wasn't so sure, but decided to just go with the flow. We picked out the faucets, but couldn't decide on a sink, so we decided to keep looking.
Basically, Friday's purchases ended up being a new fan and light for the den. And a few other small things we needed. Then we went to eat at Kobe, which took forever. So by the time we finished eating, there was no time for Home Depot.
Saturday morning, after ham and cheese croissants, we tackled hanging the new microwave over the new stove. Not bad at all. We got that done with no problems. So we decided to hang the fan in the den. No problem. Looked great! We were pleased.
So that was Saturday morning. After a lunch of some chili-dogs (on burned up buns because I forgot they were toasting under the broiler), we put up the new lights on the outside of the house. No problems. An easy job. And I got to use my new ladder, as well.
Then we went to the other Lowe's to look at sinks again. They guy who helped us kept telling us that the single basin sinks were special order. Not a problem since we wanted a double basin. But he kept saying it over and over. Then I actually saw a single basin sink in the spot on the shelf where our double basin should have been. Of course I pointed this out, which confused the mess out of him. The he went on and on about how it was a mistake and how he could special order our sink and have it here within 4 days or so. He then told us that they provided installation for an additional charge. I replied that my dad was going to install it for us. Lowe's fella replied that my dad couldn't offer the warranty on the installation that Lowe's could. What????? No thanks, dude. We moved on.
Then we went to Home Depot and stayed forever! We needed siding to do some repairs on the garage wall, and we finally found what we needed. Then we looked at fans for our bedroom.
How is it that these home improvement stores hire these employees who are complete idiots when it comes to knowing anything at all about what they sell? The lady in the fan section was completely clueless to any questions that we asked. She kept running up and down the aisles muttering to herself about the new fans that they were about to start putting up for display. Then, when we made our decision, she pointed out that the fan we were getting was not a Hunter fan, but an EnergyStar. My dad pointed out that the EnergyStar logo on the box was letting us know that the fan was energy efficient that that the Hunter logo in the corner meant that it was a Hunter ceiling fan. She looked at him as though he had spoken Swahili.
Then we headed over to look at Home Depot's sinks. They were awful, and were higher than Lowe's. Heather had almost decided on one of them though, but I vetoed that vote and said I would drive back over to the first Lowe's. So once again, we left a store without a sink. But we did get another fan.
We headed home with our lumber and siding, and Heather volunteered to go back and get the sink. She was tired of looking and was ready to buy anything. At this point I had grown to really like the granite. We were just differing on which one to actually buy. Then one I liked had 2 different basin shapes and 2 different depths. The one Heather liked had identical basins. Mine was more expensive by about 50 bucks. So I figured she would come back with the one she wanted.
We got home and unloaded the truck, and Heather and Hershey went back to the store. Daddy and I started tearing the old siding from the outside of the garage. That's when we hit the first big obstacle. The wood underneath the siding was soaking wet. We have a moisture problem. We basically took the siding off the bottom part of the house, and then left it to dry. Daddy is probably out there right now trying to deal with what has hopefully dried out. So who knows what else is instore for us with the garage when I get home from work. (Yes, I blog at work.)
Heather and Hershey came back with the sink...my choice! They had also stopped and picked up some ribeyes and porkchops for the grill. So we stopped working, got cleaned up, did a little grilling, and just chilled out the rest of the night.
Let me share with you here, that our new microwave will cook a baked potato until it shrivels up like an old piece of leather. Heather set the thing on an hour and left it to cook! So we just had salad and asparagus with our steaks.
Sunday morning we went back to Lowe's for some plumbing items and then came home to install the sink. Second obstacle. Our countertops are evidently thicker than normal, and the brackets that came with the sink to hold it to the countertops were not big enough. That sink took over 6 hours and still another trip to Home Depot before it was finished. But oh my goodness, it does look good with our countertops! I'll post pics later on when I get a chance.
It was beginning to get a little dark when we decided to hand the bedroom fan. Third obstacle. The base of the fan wouldn't fit into the beam at the top of our bedroom ceiling. So after quite a bit of unsuccessfully trying to make it work, we packed it back up and I will be returning it at lunch and getting another one. I'll probably get the same one as in the den, only white. We can hang it this evening.
I think Daddy will get to go home by Wednesday evening. Then they head back up here this weekend for the Blue Angels.
Moral of the story: No rest for the weary. But if all you do is rest, then you end up waiting 4 years to replace your sink.
More later.
We have had several projects at our house that have been needing to be done. But as busy as we always seem to be, the list never gets shorter... in fact it has been growing lately at an alarming pace!
So this weekend, Daddy (Bobby) came up, I brought out my checkbook, and we worked all weekend getting things done and redone. In fact, just because the weekend is over doesn't mean that the fun has stopped. Daddy is still here and will probably stay with us another couple of days in an attempt to finish up the projects we have started. God bless him.
Daddy got here Friday afternoon, much to the pleasure of Hershey. We had told her that Poppy was coming, and she had been excited for 3 days. He tends to spoil her more than just a little bit, and anybody who knows Hershey knows that she is definately a high maintenance little dog who thrives on attention from everybody.
We decided to hit Lowe's wide open before we went to eat. So we loaded up in the Volvo and prepared to go spend. We started looking at kitchen sinks and faucets. Our original plan was to get a new stainless sink. When the tree fell on the house, and the kitchen had to be redone, four years ago, the painters used our kitchen sink to wash out their paint rollers and brushes and ruined it. In the midst of arguing over everything else that needed to be done in the rebuild, we gave in on the sink and decided to replace it ourselves. So 4 years later, here we are.
Heather suddenly decided that she didn't want stainless steel anymore. She found these granite sinks that she loved. I wasn't so sure, but decided to just go with the flow. We picked out the faucets, but couldn't decide on a sink, so we decided to keep looking.
Basically, Friday's purchases ended up being a new fan and light for the den. And a few other small things we needed. Then we went to eat at Kobe, which took forever. So by the time we finished eating, there was no time for Home Depot.
Saturday morning, after ham and cheese croissants, we tackled hanging the new microwave over the new stove. Not bad at all. We got that done with no problems. So we decided to hang the fan in the den. No problem. Looked great! We were pleased.
So that was Saturday morning. After a lunch of some chili-dogs (on burned up buns because I forgot they were toasting under the broiler), we put up the new lights on the outside of the house. No problems. An easy job. And I got to use my new ladder, as well.
Then we went to the other Lowe's to look at sinks again. They guy who helped us kept telling us that the single basin sinks were special order. Not a problem since we wanted a double basin. But he kept saying it over and over. Then I actually saw a single basin sink in the spot on the shelf where our double basin should have been. Of course I pointed this out, which confused the mess out of him. The he went on and on about how it was a mistake and how he could special order our sink and have it here within 4 days or so. He then told us that they provided installation for an additional charge. I replied that my dad was going to install it for us. Lowe's fella replied that my dad couldn't offer the warranty on the installation that Lowe's could. What????? No thanks, dude. We moved on.
Then we went to Home Depot and stayed forever! We needed siding to do some repairs on the garage wall, and we finally found what we needed. Then we looked at fans for our bedroom.
How is it that these home improvement stores hire these employees who are complete idiots when it comes to knowing anything at all about what they sell? The lady in the fan section was completely clueless to any questions that we asked. She kept running up and down the aisles muttering to herself about the new fans that they were about to start putting up for display. Then, when we made our decision, she pointed out that the fan we were getting was not a Hunter fan, but an EnergyStar. My dad pointed out that the EnergyStar logo on the box was letting us know that the fan was energy efficient that that the Hunter logo in the corner meant that it was a Hunter ceiling fan. She looked at him as though he had spoken Swahili.
Then we headed over to look at Home Depot's sinks. They were awful, and were higher than Lowe's. Heather had almost decided on one of them though, but I vetoed that vote and said I would drive back over to the first Lowe's. So once again, we left a store without a sink. But we did get another fan.
We headed home with our lumber and siding, and Heather volunteered to go back and get the sink. She was tired of looking and was ready to buy anything. At this point I had grown to really like the granite. We were just differing on which one to actually buy. Then one I liked had 2 different basin shapes and 2 different depths. The one Heather liked had identical basins. Mine was more expensive by about 50 bucks. So I figured she would come back with the one she wanted.
We got home and unloaded the truck, and Heather and Hershey went back to the store. Daddy and I started tearing the old siding from the outside of the garage. That's when we hit the first big obstacle. The wood underneath the siding was soaking wet. We have a moisture problem. We basically took the siding off the bottom part of the house, and then left it to dry. Daddy is probably out there right now trying to deal with what has hopefully dried out. So who knows what else is instore for us with the garage when I get home from work. (Yes, I blog at work.)
Heather and Hershey came back with the sink...my choice! They had also stopped and picked up some ribeyes and porkchops for the grill. So we stopped working, got cleaned up, did a little grilling, and just chilled out the rest of the night.
Let me share with you here, that our new microwave will cook a baked potato until it shrivels up like an old piece of leather. Heather set the thing on an hour and left it to cook! So we just had salad and asparagus with our steaks.
Sunday morning we went back to Lowe's for some plumbing items and then came home to install the sink. Second obstacle. Our countertops are evidently thicker than normal, and the brackets that came with the sink to hold it to the countertops were not big enough. That sink took over 6 hours and still another trip to Home Depot before it was finished. But oh my goodness, it does look good with our countertops! I'll post pics later on when I get a chance.
It was beginning to get a little dark when we decided to hand the bedroom fan. Third obstacle. The base of the fan wouldn't fit into the beam at the top of our bedroom ceiling. So after quite a bit of unsuccessfully trying to make it work, we packed it back up and I will be returning it at lunch and getting another one. I'll probably get the same one as in the den, only white. We can hang it this evening.
I think Daddy will get to go home by Wednesday evening. Then they head back up here this weekend for the Blue Angels.
Moral of the story: No rest for the weary. But if all you do is rest, then you end up waiting 4 years to replace your sink.
More later.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Meatloaf... exciting stuff, huh?
This is gonna be dull. Thought I'd warn ya'll in advance. Just not a lot exciting going on right now.
By now, you should know that I have found a love for cooking, and that I like to try new things. It's fairly rare that we have things over and over. Unless you count meatloaf. We have it about once a week. I love it. It's one of my favorite meals.
But when it comes to my meatloaf, I'm a simple person. I rarely eat it anywhere but home, because a lot of people try to jazz it up with bell pepper and all sorts of things. I dated a girl one time that mixed so much ketchup in hers that it always ended up bright red. She liked it that way. That's how her Mama made it. But not me. I like it plain and simple. Some salt, peppers, a little onion, and a dash of Moore's. If I get crazy I may add an egg. (By the way, be careful with the egg. You know on the Food Network when they tell you to always crack your egg over a bowl instead of over your dish? Well pay attention to that. I once had 3 pounds of very lean ground beef in a bowl and when I cracked the egg it was green inside and I had to throw it all out and start over. The smell was atrocious too! And I had just bought the eggs at Publix! Who would've expected a bad one?)
Let me break in here and share a little story with ya'll. When Heather and I first started dating, she was going to cook supper for me one night. She knew of my love for meatloaf, so she decided to impress me with her own version. Back then, whenever Heather would cook anything, she'd open up the cabinet and just start grabbing things until she had a minimum of 7 random spices added to whatever dish she was making. This did not always have the desired results. In fact, that leads us back to that fateful first meatloaf.
So Heather had cooked that night, and it actually tasted good. I think I had seconds. Then we were going to watch a movie and chill out. Well about half way through the movie, I started feeling funny. The feeling progressed pretty quickly and before I knew it, I was puking my guts up in the toilet. I was sick as a dog! I stayed sick all night! And I don't think she had ever made meatloaf again.
But back to my story....
So this weekend I broke my own rule and tried a new meatloaf. I found it somewhere on the internet, and it called for sundried tomatoes. Sounded pretty good to me, because otherwise it was a simple recipe.
The recipe said to drain the oil out of the jar of tomatoes into a skillet, and then to cook a cup of chopped onions in that oil. Who knew that onions cooking in sundried tomato infused olive oil could smell so bad. It was almost as bad as the green egg. (Not really though....)
I kept moving forward with the recipe though. Even though I was concerned about ruining another bowl full of hamburger meat. I mixed everything together and ended up with so much that I had to make 2 loaves. As they baked, the smell got much better and even started smelling really good! When Heather came home she said it smelled incredible.
We sliced it up.
I could taste the aftertaste of the tomatoes, but just faintly. It grew on me. But not a whole lot. Heather asked if it was really a new recipe because she couldn't tell the difference. I could tell a difference for sure. She had lots of ketchup on hers and I think that masked the taste. We ate half of one and have another whole one and a half in the fridge. So we've got to learn to like it. It's not so bad with ketchup.
That jar of tomatoes was almost $6.00. I think I'll stick with what I know from now on.
By now, you should know that I have found a love for cooking, and that I like to try new things. It's fairly rare that we have things over and over. Unless you count meatloaf. We have it about once a week. I love it. It's one of my favorite meals.
But when it comes to my meatloaf, I'm a simple person. I rarely eat it anywhere but home, because a lot of people try to jazz it up with bell pepper and all sorts of things. I dated a girl one time that mixed so much ketchup in hers that it always ended up bright red. She liked it that way. That's how her Mama made it. But not me. I like it plain and simple. Some salt, peppers, a little onion, and a dash of Moore's. If I get crazy I may add an egg. (By the way, be careful with the egg. You know on the Food Network when they tell you to always crack your egg over a bowl instead of over your dish? Well pay attention to that. I once had 3 pounds of very lean ground beef in a bowl and when I cracked the egg it was green inside and I had to throw it all out and start over. The smell was atrocious too! And I had just bought the eggs at Publix! Who would've expected a bad one?)
Let me break in here and share a little story with ya'll. When Heather and I first started dating, she was going to cook supper for me one night. She knew of my love for meatloaf, so she decided to impress me with her own version. Back then, whenever Heather would cook anything, she'd open up the cabinet and just start grabbing things until she had a minimum of 7 random spices added to whatever dish she was making. This did not always have the desired results. In fact, that leads us back to that fateful first meatloaf.
So Heather had cooked that night, and it actually tasted good. I think I had seconds. Then we were going to watch a movie and chill out. Well about half way through the movie, I started feeling funny. The feeling progressed pretty quickly and before I knew it, I was puking my guts up in the toilet. I was sick as a dog! I stayed sick all night! And I don't think she had ever made meatloaf again.
But back to my story....
So this weekend I broke my own rule and tried a new meatloaf. I found it somewhere on the internet, and it called for sundried tomatoes. Sounded pretty good to me, because otherwise it was a simple recipe.
The recipe said to drain the oil out of the jar of tomatoes into a skillet, and then to cook a cup of chopped onions in that oil. Who knew that onions cooking in sundried tomato infused olive oil could smell so bad. It was almost as bad as the green egg. (Not really though....)
I kept moving forward with the recipe though. Even though I was concerned about ruining another bowl full of hamburger meat. I mixed everything together and ended up with so much that I had to make 2 loaves. As they baked, the smell got much better and even started smelling really good! When Heather came home she said it smelled incredible.
We sliced it up.
I could taste the aftertaste of the tomatoes, but just faintly. It grew on me. But not a whole lot. Heather asked if it was really a new recipe because she couldn't tell the difference. I could tell a difference for sure. She had lots of ketchup on hers and I think that masked the taste. We ate half of one and have another whole one and a half in the fridge. So we've got to learn to like it. It's not so bad with ketchup.
That jar of tomatoes was almost $6.00. I think I'll stick with what I know from now on.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Fried Pies!
I know ya'll probably think that for somebody who is trying to lose weight on a low carb diet, I sure do eat a lot of stuff I'm not supposed to. Well, here I go again....
All my life I have loved fried apple pies. My grandmother used to make them all the time and they were one of Daddy's favorite things. Anytime we had any kind of gathering, whether holidays or church or family reunions or any other excuse to get together and eat, she always brought plates of fried pies. Mammaw made hers with lard, so they were greasy, and oh my goodness they were so good! She was known for those pies and she probably made thousands of them in her lifetime.
So let me just say that I did a really good thing when I married a girl who's Mama makes fried apple pies! Heather went down to Demopolis yesterday to visit and came back with a zip-lock bag full of happiness for your mouth. Or my mouth. I had 2 of them for supper. I knew they were coming because Heather drove her mother around Demopolis yesterday delivering pies to the sick, and I had looked forward to having some of them all day long. I'd show ya'll a picture, but somehow the pies disappeared before I got a chance to take one.
I called Heather's mom last night to thank her, and she has promised to teach me how to make them. I think that is a skill that needs to be passed on. I wish I had learned from my grandmother, but I had not discovered the joys of cooking back then. So Sue can teach me. And if you're nice to me I just might share!
Have a good weekend!
All my life I have loved fried apple pies. My grandmother used to make them all the time and they were one of Daddy's favorite things. Anytime we had any kind of gathering, whether holidays or church or family reunions or any other excuse to get together and eat, she always brought plates of fried pies. Mammaw made hers with lard, so they were greasy, and oh my goodness they were so good! She was known for those pies and she probably made thousands of them in her lifetime.
So let me just say that I did a really good thing when I married a girl who's Mama makes fried apple pies! Heather went down to Demopolis yesterday to visit and came back with a zip-lock bag full of happiness for your mouth. Or my mouth. I had 2 of them for supper. I knew they were coming because Heather drove her mother around Demopolis yesterday delivering pies to the sick, and I had looked forward to having some of them all day long. I'd show ya'll a picture, but somehow the pies disappeared before I got a chance to take one.
I called Heather's mom last night to thank her, and she has promised to teach me how to make them. I think that is a skill that needs to be passed on. I wish I had learned from my grandmother, but I had not discovered the joys of cooking back then. So Sue can teach me. And if you're nice to me I just might share!
Have a good weekend!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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