Bent Bear Blog

Construction Projects and General Maintenance 2010 Edition

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:25:15 -0500

As I've said before, I'm not one for making new year's resolutions, preferring instead to pick a few areas of my life that need a little maintenance and focus on them in a general way. These are usually areas that I would like to feel better about, or projects that I've neglected over the last few months.

Therefore, I present to you the 2010 edition of Construction Projects and General Maintenance!

It is my hope that 2010 will be the year that I:

Continue taking better care of my health.

This is a hold over from last year. I rejoined the gym in September, and had been going regularly during the fall. I let a cold and some schedule changes at work derail my efforts. Now that things are settling down, I need to get back on a regular workout schedule and get rid of some of the weight I (re)gained.

I'm also going to attempt to cook more healthy meals for me and Steve, maybe focusing on vegetarian / meatless dishes a few nights a week.

Continue my R.N. studies.

Also a hold over from last year. I didn't make much progress, but this is probably the one thing I can do to improve our lives in the long term. Once I have the letters R.N. after my name, I'll be making a few more dollars an hour, and be able to pursue job opportunities that aren't available to me as a LPN.

I am 45

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:34:18 -0500

Today, I begin my 45th trip around the sun.

The rest of the world starts year 2010 ( "Twenty Ten" we are informed, not "two thousand and ten" ) I have seen no sign of large black monoliths, or signs of exploding gas giants in the night sky.

Our New Year's Eve celebration was low key: sushi at Edamame for dinner, followed by champagne and a few tasty bits closer to midnight. As has been the case in years past, we were in bed by 12:30. Yeah, we're an old married couple these days. (And I'm really OK with that. )

For my birthday, Steve gave me a new sewing machine. My first machine, a low end Signer, was having trouble maintaining thread tension, making it nearly impossible to use. The new machine is a Brother computerized model that does more things than I will probably use, but should be great for making quilts. Later this evening, my wonderful husband is taking me out to dinner at Bel Lago Bistro. We've not been there before, so it will be fun to discover a new restaurant.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe new year!

Sunday Breakfast, 08/30/09

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:32:40 -0400

Eggs Benedict. And yes, I made the hollandaise sauce from scratch.

It was freaking fantastic, even if I do say so myself. (Steve said so too..) The hollandaise sauce recipe is from Alton Brown, host of Good Eats on Food Network:

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
1 teapsoon water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Pour 1-inch of water into a large saucepan; over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.

Place egg yolks and 1 teaspoon water in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until mixture lightens in color, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and whisk for another 30 seconds.

Place the mixture over the simmering water and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, or until there is a clear line that is drawn in the mixture when you pull your whisk through, or the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the bowl from over the pan and gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisk until all of the butter is incorporated. Place the bowl back over the simmering water occasionally so that it will be warm enough the melt the butter. Add the salt, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Serve immediately or hold in a thermos to keep warm.

OK, Have People REALLY Become this Lazy?

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:25:39 -0400

From the "Lazy Human Lump Appliance Development Department", I give you:

The Waring ELECTRIC Martini Shaker.

Yes, it's an electric appliance that shakes your martini for you.

Seriously, how fucking lazy do you have to be to use one of these? I can see owning one if you've had a stoke and don't have a trophy wife to do the shaking for you, but really....

I think this just joined the electric can opener on my list of most useless appliances EVAH!

Updates: August 26, 2009

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:55:33 -0400

Good news at our house!

Steve had his 12 week follow up with the orthopedic surgeon today, and was given the go ahead for full weight bearing on his right leg (The one that was broken in the car accident 3 months ago. He's eager to start driving again, having purchased his new KIA Soul last weekend. He'll be working with the physical terrorist therapist for a few more weeks to get used to walking again, and strengthening his leg.

The weather is starting to cool off, and there's a tinge of autumn in the air. Fall is my favorite season of the year, and I'm looking forward to cooler weather and the changing leaves. Hopefully, we'll get to take the trip to the Fiesta Ware outlet that we were going to take before the accident in May. And of course, we haven't visited IKEA in a few months either. I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms.

This is also the time of year that I start getting the urge to do more cooking. I'll be posting some of my adventures in the kitchen here on the blog, along with the recipes for the things I cook. This weekend, I'm planning on making Eggs Benedict for breakfast, and Chicken Piccata for dinner. Check back Sunday evening for an update.

Seriously?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:20:28 -0400

I'd think this would be more of a one or two page pamphlet....

Glenn Beck has to be one of the biggest assholes in the universe.

And the fact that he tries he to put his semi treasonous bullshit on the same level as Thomas Paine's Common Sense is seriously delusional on his part.

BURP!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:10:05 -0400

In todays "Creepy Toy Find" segment, I give you this little gem Steve and I found at a local craft store a few weeks back. This cuddly little polar bear cub sure was hungry!

He seems to have eaten another polar bear, a walrus, a manatee (must have been one of the rare arctic manatees) , and an emperor penguin.

Best Bike Ever!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:03:38 -0400

For added goodness, check out the tread of the tires!

Sunrise: July 9, 2009

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:18:28 -0400

Since Steve is not mobile for a few more weeks yet, I have been walking Dakota before I leave for work in the morning. It's a bit of a pain, but getting to see this sunrise was a great consolation.

Problems Resolved

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:03:54 -0400

I was finaly able to resolve a problem with my blogging software, and a couple of postings that I THOUGHT had posted are now posted for real.

In One Second....

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:16:01 -0400

It's the friday before memorial day weekend, 2 days before Steve's 41st birthday. I've planned a busy weekend, a trip to West Virginia on Saturday for a visit to the Fiesta Ware Outlet, and some slot machine action at the Wheeling Island casino, with Sunday spent celebrating Steve's birthday, probably dinner at our favorite sushi place, and cake at home. To start the weekend, we decide to go out for dinner, before coming back home and relaxing after a long week of work. We are 2 blocks from the house, and about to turn onto the main road when all the plans we've made for the weekend, and indeed for the rest of the summer, are changed for us in one horrible second.

I saw the car out of the corner of my eye before Steve did. I had just enough time to yell his name before the front end of the Cavalier made contact with the drivers side door of Steve's Focus. Then there was the crunch of metal, and shower of glass, and the acrid smoke of antifreeze and oil burning on the hot engine block.

Old Mans Cave April 25, 2009

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:03:18 -0400

This weekend was one of the first weekends of really warm weather here in Ohio, so Steve and I decided to drive down to Nelsonville, Ohio so Steve could look for a new pair of boots at the Rocky Boot Company outlet store. On the way back, we stopped at Old Man's Cave State Park and took a hike through the river gorge.

This was one of the first times that we have hiked the gorge while there was actually water in the river. The falls often dry up during the summer.

Pictures are below.

Happy Easter

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:18:30 -0400

Happy Easter, or whatever spring holiday you choose to celebrate...

Here's an Easter Fail:

45 Years

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:51:18 -0400

This past weekend, Steve and I went to Toledo to celebrate my parents 45th wedding anniversary.

Everything I know about being in love, and building a family I learned from these two people.

Happy anniversary mom and dad.

Construction Projects and General Maintenance.

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:53:33 -0500

I’m not one to make new years resolutions. They never last, life gets in the way, and any specific goals I ever set at the beginning of the year are usually long forgotten by Easter.

But this year, I thought I would pick a few areas of my life that I feel need a little maintenance, and focus on them in a general way. No specific goals, just areas that I would like to feel better about, or projects that I’d like to be further along with at this time next year.

So, it is my hope that 2009 will be the year that I:

Start taking better care of my health.

I am at least 70 pounds over weight and I feel every ounce of it. My knees and ankles scream at me just about every morning, but even more so the morning after I’ve worked a 12 hour shift at work. I can’t continue to do my job and carry around all this extra weight. I gained a lot of weight when I went to nursing school, and then more when I quit smoking. Nursing school was 4 years ago, and I quit smoking 2 years ago. It’s time to focus on the extra blubber.

Time to Confess....

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:27:44 -0500

OK, I admit it, I suck at blogging. I’m terrible when it comes to updating this thing and I’ve been trying to figure out why.

I have ideas for postings all the time, but just can’t seem to sit down and make myself write. I always find some reason why I don’t have time, or find something else to do once I sit down at my desk. Before I know it, I’ve forgotten all about writing this blog, and have down loaded a months salary worth of new music on iTunes.

Maybe it’s that I just don’t feel that my ideas or thoughts are interesting to anyone. I mean, really, who would be interested in the rantings of bear in Columbus Ohio?

Or I worry that my writing isn’t as good as some of the other blogs I read on a regular basis. I’m not as good at putting my thoughts into words as maybe JP, or Sean, or Moby or Homer or….well, you get the idea. I guess maybe I’m just too self critical for my own good.

Then again, maybe I’m just afraid that I’ll make myself look foolish or silly by writing what I really want to write. This is actually a recurring theme in my life. I’ve always had a fear of not being in control and appearing foolish or silly in front of people I don’t know.

But you know, the more I think about it, the more I realize that none of this matters. I enjoy writing, and I shouldn’t stop myself from putting my thought out here just because I don’t feel that I measure up to other people. People will find what I write interesting, or they won’t. And as far as looking foolish, the chances are slim and none that I will ever meet the people that read this in person, so what the hell?

So, with that in mind, look for more frequent postings from me this year. I hope people reading what I write will find it interesting, and maybe even leave a comment or two if the spirit moves them to do so.

If I bore you, you can always move on to the next blog in your blog roll and come back later.

Happy New Year all! Here’s to a great 2009!

2 Years....

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:42:42 -0500

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of my last cigarette.

Here's an interesting piece of math:

The current price of a pack of smokes here in Ohio is about $5.00.

In two years of not smoking, I have saved nearly $4,000.00. that's a nice chunk of change.

Now, if only I had actually put that $5.00 a day in the bank...

Thanksgiving Morning

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:05:08 -0500

It's 11:00 AM on Thanksgiving day and Steve and I already have a nice holiday glow.

It's our tradition, on major holidays, to sleep in, then have cinnamon rolls and mimosas for breakfast. I guess this year, the champagne and orange juice went down a little too easy. At least it made the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade easier to watch. Speaking of which.....

Why the hell can't NBC just shut the hell up and show the parade? On thanksgiving morning, I want to see a parade, not cuts from every awful show on broadway. The whole thing has become just an ad for the new york theaters. (At least on NBC). I switched over to CBS about half way through, and their coverage wasn't much better. But at least they didn't cut away from the parade every 5 minutes to televise some (poorly) lip synched performance by the cast of the latest Disney stage horror.

This afternoon, we'll be heading over to Steve's sister's place for dinner. It should be interesting, since it's the first holiday since Steve's step father passed away on November 16. Holidays with his family usually involve some sort of drama, I can't wait to see what this brings.

Recent Events

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:58:00 -0500

Where to begin?

It's been a busy couple of weeks, with little time to sit and think, let alone write. A week of endings, beginnings, and of things finally feeling right after feeling wrong for a while.

An Ending:

One week ago today, we buried Steve's step father, Ron. He had been ill for a while, dealing with the aftermath of a botched knee replacement surgery (MRSA infection), congestive heart failure, and declining health after 70+ years of not taking care of himself. In the end, it was pneumonia that caused his death on November 16th, just a few hours after being removed from the ventilator he had been connected to for 7 days.

The funeral was small, attended by close family and friends. Ron had 3 children from a previous marriage in addition to Steve and his brother and sister. Steve is doing OK, and his mother is starting to adjust to life without the drama of having an ill spouse to occupy your time.

My feelings are mixed. Ron was a bigoted, opinionated bastard at times, full of bluster and ego. This led to times when I just could not stand to be around him, declaring at one point that he made Archie Bunker look liberal.

Politics

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:30:06 -0500

I'm VERY happy about the outcome of the presidential election. I keep hoping that this is truly the death knell for the religious domination of the republican party, and not just a fluke.

The passage of Prop 8 in California however does NOT please me. But I have to wonder: Where the fuck were all of the people protesting when anti gay marriage amendments passed 4 years ago in Ohio and a few other states? No one seemed to care then, but now that it's happened in California we are ALL supposed to be outraged?

Typical west coast / east coast homo mentality: Nothing matters unless it happens to them. Fuck the rest of country. Well, you know what? Welcome to the reality that 75% of the rest of the gay country has to live with every day.

Did anyone stop to think that if we were not so hung up on the word MARRIAGE, with all of it's religious connotations that we might actually have equivalent civil partnerships by now? Nope. All these loud mouthed homos seem intent on wanting to be just like the straight folks next door.